The next few hours weren't pleasant. At some point whilst I was out cold, id been carried home, changed into pyjamas and placed in my bed. Two healers got to work expelling the water from my lungs and purifying my blood due to the herbs and essential oils id inhaled. I basically spent the next two hours throwing up. This was followed by an appearance from Taavi. He approached my bed with a steaming mug in hand. I couldn't identify its contents through smell but there was defiantly an array of herbs included in the mix. "No more herbs please, if I never see an herb again it would be too soon". I weakly groaned. Taavi chuckled; he sat the mug down on the bedside table next to me. He placed a hand under my upper arm and pulled me, helping me to take an upright sitting position.
"This is broth, trust me, you want to drink it." He smiled encouragingly and handed me the mug. I looked into its depths. It was a golden colour with various herbs floating around. I could identify a few of them such as thyme and rosemary but I was unsure of the rest.
"One more thing, drink it all at once." Taavi added before leaving the room. I contemplated the liquid for a few seconds before placing the mug to my lips. I began to drink; it had the most peculiar taste. It tasted like the day I first mastered a protection spell, like the joy I feel when I see a sunflower. It tasted like my favourite book and the first time I was allowed to take part in a ritual. I gulped it down in seconds, realising I was hungry. I was sad to have finished it. The broth had warmed my bones. My limbs tingled with energy, my stomach was satisfied and I suddenly felt as if id slept for weeks. Taavi's head popped round the door.
"Just checking in, you finished?"
"That was amazing! What's in it?" I questioned, hoping for the recipe.
"Ahh, trade secret." He winked at me. "You should be fine to move about now; everyone's waiting for you in the living room." He trotted off again.
I pulled back the sheets and turned my body so my legs dangled off the side of the bed. I slowly leant forward, carefully putting weight on to my feet, convinced my legs would just buckle. To my surprise they didn't and they were just as strong as ever. I placed my slippers on my feet and glided out my room and down the hallway towards the living room.
The living room was once on my favourite rooms in the house and I shuffled through the doorway I scanned the room. The tall walls were painted cream. House plants were hung intermittently and fairy lights danced off the picture rail that meandered around the room. At the far end of the room, a grand coal burning fireplace rested. Flames licked up the chimney and cackled as they ate their way through the lumps of coal. An elegant, spherical, overmantle mirror, daintily hung above the fire. A bookcase was hidden in the alcove to the right of the room.
Just like in the temple, we'd decided to have large, green comfy pillows dotted around the hard wooden floor. Most pillows were currently occupied. The two healers were sat with Taavi on the pillows next to the warm fire. On the pillows nearest the bookcase, Haniyya and Kaden sat, my cat happily nestled between the two. On the pillows closest to the door my parents were sat. I took the last remaining pillow next to my friends. Everyone looked at me expectedly and I took that as my cue to begin explaining the visions that had ruined my birthday celebrations. The faces of the adults around the room as I shared what I saw, were cause for concern. Not a single face displayed surprise or shock.
As I finished, silence descended on the room. It felt like forever before my mum said "I think it's time you learn a little more about our past and what has been kept from you."