Magical eternity
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On the day I came of age, my father sat me down across from him and said:
“I think it's time...”
“It's time for what, Father,” I asked
My father looked at me with his penetrating gaze and placed his palm on my hand.
“I have taught you much, my boy,” he said, ”but you have not yet learned how to use the main heirloom of our family.
I knew at once what he was talking about.
Yes, indeed, in my sixteen years, I already knew how to do many things. My father could have instructed me to disperse pesky seagulls over the island, to make it rain in dry weather, and to cast evil on unwelcome guests. But I couldn't see into the future with a magic ball. But I wasn't upset. Everything that could happen to our small community was always predicted by my father.
For this purpose he used to seclude himself in his room with potions and all kinds of powders and take out a magic ball from a wrought iron chest.
I've witnessed this ritual several times. But never once did I see anything in the orb.
But my father saw everything.
He was the one who warned the head of the community about the coming devastating storms, advised the fishermen where to go fishing and what crops to plant this year.
His predictions came true with pinpoint accuracy.
He once warned the community that two pirate frigates would come to the island to resupply water and food. Father also said that the pirates were not going to pay the islanders for provisions. On the contrary, they intend to rob the people.
Only a small part of the inhabitants listened to the father's words. They armed themselves and went to an old but good fortress hidden in the rocks on the northern part of the island.
The others, along with the head of the community, decided to make a deal with the pirates if they landed on the island.
Everything happened exactly as my father had predicted.
The head of the community was killed first, and all the young women were put into boats and sent to the ships.
The pillaging and violence continued all day.
At night, when all was quiet, Father and a group of young and trained swimmers went to the secret grotto.
I saw my father use a secret spell to summon a huge pack of dolphins into the grotto.
The swimmers merged with the strongest dolphins and swam towards the frigates.
The rest of the dolphins swam up to the pirate ships from the other side and began to frolic, distracting the drunken sentries.
The swimmers easily boarded both ships at the same time, slaughtered the entire crew and captured both captains.
Father stepped into the grotto again and cast a formidable spell.
This time the fins of great white sharks appeared above the water.
When the sobered pirates loaded the loot onto the boats in the early morning and tried to return to the ship, they were met by a volley of all onboard guns at point-blank range.
The surviving pirates tried to swim to shore, but the way to retreat was blocked by sharks. It was a glorious feast!
After this incident, the islanders unanimously asked my father to lead the community.
But he refused.
... And now the magic ball stood before me.
Father pulled it closer to me and said:
“Ask yourself what you want to know and only then cast the spell I taught you over the ball.”
“I want to see the future!” - I answered hastily.
“If you want to know how it will be, you must first know how it was.” replied Father.
“Can the orb show you how it was?” - I asked
“How things were can be told by books, legends, tales and the memories of elders. - Answered father. - But how you use the knowledge you have gained will be decided by the orb. That is why I have taught you for so long and why you have read so much for your age.”
He pulled the orb even closer and said:
“Try it!”
I closed my eyes and, suddenly found myself in the center of the balloon. Familiar and unfamiliar people floated past me, events of a hundred years ago flashed somewhere under my feet, and above I suddenly saw the palms of my father, mother, grandfather and my long-gone grandmother - a witch and many other hands of my ancestors.
And I suddenly realized how the magic ball worked.
I opened my eyes, got up from my chair, walked over to my father and hugged him.
“You're not going to leave me alone, are you?” - I asked with tears in my eyes.
“Never, son - Answered my father. - We will always be together. And you can talk to each of your ancestors at any time with the help of this balloon. Now wipe your tears and tell me, will there be a storm tomorrow?”