by C E Johnson
Portals of power, enshrined in dark
To pass this way, make your mark.
Take only your body and what you wear.
Take across more, and Traveler, beware.
Live. Die. Sink. Swim.
With this step let your quest begin.
Emily listened to his soothing deep voice while he traced the words on the smooth stone with his finger. It’s time to go, Xena thought as she approached and leaned on Emily’s hip.
Emily turned to address her friends. “Remember to stay in contact so we go through at the same moment. You know even a small difference in time in crossing could be a big deal where we’re going.” She checked her pocket and made sure she had Iscar’s message-stone with her; she wanted to show it to her mother and Ammolite. “Are you all ready to do this?”
Everyone said yes, except Isabelle, and Emily could see the worry building in her friend as deeper furrows formed on her forehead. “Maybe we should go over the plans one more time,” Isabelle let out a nervous laugh.
Before Isabelle could start a stream of uncontrolled chatter, Emily held up her hand to stop her friend, “Isabelle, you’ll be fine, come and stand next to me. Elizabeth, watch over Anna in the water, I’ll take care of Isabelle. They rearranged themselves with Isabelle now next to Emily, holding on to Emily’s left hand. Luke was on Emily’s right side and she took his hand in her own, feeling another warm sensation spread through her body at his touch that had nothing to do with the heat. “Okay, should we try this again?” Emily squeezed Isabelle’s hand to offer her encouragement. “Everyone ready this time?” Xena nosed her way between Emily and Isabelle, pushing against Emily’s leg.
“Yes,” they spoke quietly but firmly in unison.
“Remember, take a big breath,” Emily advised while releasing her hand from Luke’s for a moment to trace the symbol, an ‘A’. She murmured the word of opening with her father and blue light shot from the letter, enveloping their bodies.
She faintly heard Dr. D yell to the group, “Now, jump!”
Jump, Emily also heard her ki controlling her timing. Jump, she conveyed to Xena and to the minds of her friends. Instantly, she was surrounded by Acacean water that felt alive as the pulsations of life reverberated around her in gentle vibrations. She was back. She sent a quick dream-link message to Ammolite, I’ve returned, while adding feelings that encapsulated her love, longing, and acceptance.
I’ve missed you, Ammolite instantly responded, I’m taking to the sky. I’ll be to you soon. Her dragon’s returning message also involved a bundle of emotions that only firmly linked bondsmates could fully express, both comforting and compassionate.
Emily peered through the underwater depths. Luke was already on his own, moving upward. Isabelle released Emily’s hand and gave a thumbs-up sign as she began to rapidly swim to the surface.
They’re all doing just fine, Xena murmured. I’ll keep an eye on them.
Sighing with joy at returning to such a wonderful world, Emily also began to torpedo upwards. This is one of my favorite moments of returning to Acacia, she whispered, the feeling of instantly being more aware of life.
Such an incredible connection with nature, Xena added as she moved with powerful strokes, and our link is fully reinforced. Their bond was pristine; Xena was even more of a marvelous extension of her inner self.
I feel like a snake, but I’m shedding so much more than just an outer surface. Even underwater, Emily was waking up from her cloudy, muted existence on Earth. She broke the surface of the water and shot into the air, soaking in the landscape with vibrant colors greeting her eyes and reintroducing her brain to Acacia. Performing a flip in the air, she tumbled back toward the water while currents of air caressed her body, like a mother embracing a newborn.
I can hear and sense the movement of all of your friends. Xena was headed toward the shore with Dax and her father. Everyone is accounted for.
I forgot so many elements of this wondrous world. Emily floated in pure rapture with her eyes open, absorbing the blessed paradise of her heightened senses while all remnant cobwebs of Earth cleared from her mind. It was late in the afternoon; the sun was low on the horizon with its rays dancing lazily on the water in a shimmering show of molten light.
Anna swam up next to Emily, her brown eyes wide. “Paradise.”
“Tell me when it becomes overwhelming,” Emily murmured in a happy daze, “and I’ll reduce our sensations with the same spell that we used last time that allows each of us to titrate our sensory input.”
“Not yet,” Elizabeth was floating on her back, lazily doing a breaststroke kick. “This moment is one of the reasons I so wanted to come back. Exhilaration, happiness, euphoria … let me fully experience this for a little while longer without any filters.”
“Elizabeth is right. It is like a drug.” Luke’s eyes were closed and he floated on his back near to Emily, “but it never ends.”
“Thank you for showing us this world,” Isabelle was treading water while staring at Emily, her eyes blurred and cloudy, blinking in ecstasy.
What do you think of their auras? Xena asked.
Emily peered at each of her friends individually, studying their auras. They’ve gained power, she thought. They’re much stronger with richer hues. “Your auras are more robust,” she spoke quietly, knowing the group would hear her easily. This will be an interesting journey, she thought to Xena. After their time of individual reflection passed and shadows began to lengthen, Emily swam toward Luke who was still floating. She rubbed both of his shoulders while treading water. Abruptly, she pushed him away while giggling and calling out, “Got you last.” Reversing rapidly in the water, she sprinted away. A game ensued with the group looking like a family of otters, darting smoothly through the cool lake. Their heightened swimming abilities made a unique contest with the thrilling event composed of intricate water dodging, pinpoint turns, and rushing speeds.
Emily glanced toward the shore where Xena and Dax were currently catching fish. She saw her father digging up stockpiles and organizing cooking tools along with equipment needed for the next phase of their journey. She started to swim toward him to help, but he appeared to sense her movements, and he turned and waved her away. “Have fun,” he called.
She turned back and continued to cavort through the water until the smell of cooking became overwhelming, and the group swam in a laughing cluster of happiness toward the shore. Closing her eyes and focusing on her sense of smell through Xena’s nose, Emily danced through trace differences in the scent of grilled bluegill, trout, and bass. She could almost taste the food even from her distance. They all paused in new rapture once the food reached their taste buds and another round of rekindled jubilation overwhelmed the pleasure centers in their brains.
“Beyond delicious.” Emily complimented her father, barely able to emit the words from her mouth as her brain was focused on the nuances between the taste receptors flooding her mind.
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Luke was finishing the last bites of his meal. He set down his empty plate and glanced at Emily and Dr. D. “I’m hoping we get our real weapons soon.” He put some sticks on the fire, building the light and warmth.
Emily gave Luke a wink. “Are you missing your toothpick?”
“I’m missing the greatest sword on Acacia,” Luke gave a good-natured laugh, “and I assume you’re missing your elven blade.”
Dr. D picked up Luke’s plate and loaded it with more food. “A certain group of elves are coming to meet us.”
“Ammolite is heading to meet us too,” Emily said. “She’ll watch over us for parts of our journey.”
Anna set down her plate and took a drink of water to clear her throat. “Just how dangerous is this forest?”
Emily looked to her father as he answered the question. “I talked with Ladon by dream-link while you were swimming. He tells me that the woods have become much more dangerous. There’s an uneasy balance of power between the elves and the half-deads.
Your objective is to talk with Shadoe, the leader of the elves who my wife, Elaina, was once meant to marry.”
“But you stole away her heart.” Anna had a dreamy expression on her face.
“I’ll never understand exactly how it happened, but yes, somehow I won her affection, and Shadoe departed to start his own kingdom in the Dothan Forest.” Conflicting emotions of happy reverie and remorse warred on his face.
“What do you think of Shadoe?” Luke asked curiously, appearing to read Dr. D’s inner strife.
“I respect Shadoe on many levels, as he’s without a doubt the most honorable person I’ve ever met. I’d even follow him into battle if he asked for my assistance. The elf is not only one of the most skilled warriors I’ve seen in combat, he’s also one of the greatest magicians on Acacia. He demands respect. He’s a true leader.”
“What happened?” Elizabeth asked. “How did you win the love of the queen away from someone so perfect? Is he ugly?”
Dr. D chuckled. “No, everyone thinks he’s a very handsome man. I just met the queen, and something clicked. We started with a wonderful friendship that formed when I was first introduced to her and our relationship continued to blossom with further interactions.”
“Did you have to fight Shadoe in a duel or anything?” Luke asked excitedly.
“No,” Dr. D smiled warmly. “And thank goodness for that. Even with my heightened abilities, I think Shadoe would have kicked me around.” Dr. D addressed Luke, “When you meet Shadoe, you need to learn some of his sword moves. He has a true mastery of the art, a level such as you’re rapidly approaching.” Luke looked proud and inclined his head toward Dr. D.
“What about his ability to see the future?” Emily stared beyond their fire into the darkening night that was devoid of any lights.
“Shadoe has an impressive gift of prophecy. I actually believe he realized what was going to happen between me and Elaina very quickly. When Elaina and I were finally ready to reveal our plans to the elves, Shadoe had already left the Forest of Harath to start his own kingdom.”
“Is that when he went to the Dothan Forest?” Isabelle spoke with a touch of sadness in her voice. “I’m thrilled the way things turned out for you, and obviously Emily wouldn’t be here otherwise … but somehow it seems like a tough life for a wonderful man like you’ve made Shadoe out to be.”
“I agree,” Dr. D said while staring into the fire. “I don’t want to reopen the wounds I’ve created. Emily’s prophecy suggested that she should search in the Dothan woods for the answer to Iscar’s location. To me, Shadoe is the most likely person to search for in that region. The difficult dilemma is getting to Shadoe. The woods have always been treacherous, but recently Ladon thinks they’ve become even more dangerous. I worry that one of you could be injured as you travel. The forest is infested with thousands of half-dead creatures that now live there, many sent by Samil, and I’m sure they’ll continue to follow the orders he gave before he died. This journey will be extremely treacherous.”
“We saw one group of half-deads on our trip to see the Javan,” Luke began. “Can you tell us a little more about them?” A single howl came from far beyond their fire and a breeze drifted by them, lifting a storm of sparks from their fire. Dr. D taught them the basics of Mavet raa generation and half-dead transformation.
“And these creatures live predominately in the Dothan Forest?” Anna began to glance furtively into the trees around them.
“They love that forest because the dragons cannot penetrate to destroy them in that region. The woods are simply too thick. They also thrive in underground caves, deep beneath the surface where dragons don’t like to travel, and high on mountaintops.”
“Do they eat?” Elizabeth asked. She pulled her cloak tightly around her and followed Anna’s gaze into the shadows flitting around their fire.
“The half-deads do have to eat, but only small amounts of meat, not nearly as much as the Mavet raa or Acaceans,” Dr. D answered.
“What’s their goal?” Isabelle asked. “What are they trying to accomplish?”
“Once on Acacia, they want to continue to live, just like you and me.” Dr. D stroked Dax as he answered in a low voice. “The more magicians they kill, the more powerful they become, ensuring their survival and pulling them farther from their purgatory world. They assimilate their kills, gaining memories of events and locations with each death, with each magus release that they partake of. They may learn secrets to enhance their survival such as adding memories of sword-fighting and battle techniques.”
“Cool,” Luke said. “They could become masters with the sword … can you imagine becoming skilled from just a few bites?”
Dr. D put another log on the fire as he continued to teach. “They gain fragments of life with each and every death, becoming more life-like and further down their own spiritual path.” Tongues of flames leaped greedily higher. “When you think about it, all we really are is a mass of thoughts and memories. Half-deads gain an influx of conscious awareness with each kill. You could say they are gaining life.”
“Gaining life with each death,” Emily said slowly. She turned from the conversation and looked to the sky where shimmering stars were winking at her. The talk about half-deads always made her a little uncomfortable. If the half-deads ever became organized, she thought to herself, what would prevent them from taking over whole worlds?
Their power is limitless, Xena’s words were spoken softly but they rang in Emily’s ears and the fireside became suddenly colder.
“Do they remain on this world if their creator dies?” Luke licked his lips and stared into the flames.
“Half-deads will survive even if their generating magician is killed.” Dr. D turned toward the lake, which appeared restless in the breeze-tossed firelight, surging aggressively beyond its shoreline confinement with complex waves. “Their inner mind is a conglomerate of the spirits they kill. They slowly formulate new goals and desires, but usually their primary directive from their creator remains paramount in their mind.”
Emily thought over the information her father was passing along and she wanted to present an alternative to half-dead evil. “There’s also the potential to create a noble, virtuous half-dead. If you search for a predominantly good spirit to complete a task and your Mavet raa incorporates the magus of an honorable magician with its first kill, something exemplary will form.” Emily felt her voice somewhat cracking as she thought back to the half-dead she created on the Island of Bashan.
“Did you create a half-dead?” Luke asked softly.
Emily nodded. She held back the tears that threatened to form. “During my training, I was instructed by Samil to create a half-dead. I brought across a spirit from Ater that impressed me. After her formation into a Mavet raa, a green magician classmate was accidentally killed, and my Mavet raa assimilated components of the dying girl’s departing magus. My Mavet raa transformed into a dryad … and she was sweet and beautiful. I was only with her for a few moments, but she felt somewhat like my child.”
“What was her name?” Elizabeth’s eyes were brimming with tears, she was always filled with so much empathy for others.
“Adrienne,” Emily whispered. Luke stood and walked over to sit next to her. He put an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. Emily felt grateful for his comfort.
“Can they have children?” Isabelle moved her head, dodging a new cluster of sparks floating toward her from the fire.
“No, they’re unable to have children,” Dr. D answered softly, “and not many magicians make these undead creatures because Mavet raa generation is generally frowned upon.” There was a deep heaviness in Dr. D’s voice, as if he had tried the generation with mixed results in the past. “Many magicians are superstitious, and they fear performing a summoning because a Mavet raa could overtake them if they become weak.”
“Like what happened with Samil.” Anna stared into the dark while she spoke, and Emily was sure she was remembering Samil’s demise. “When he be
came weakened, his Mavet raa killed him.”
“Will half-deads ever attack their creator?” Luke appeared not to notice the cool wind, his cheeks were warm and flushed by the heat coming from the fire.
“Half-deads won’t attack their creator under any circumstances.” Dr. D pulled up the hood of his cloak to ward off the building cool wind, but his eyes glinted warmly in the shadows he created. When he spoke again, his voice was hushed. “There are stories of half-deads who have evolved into something wondrous, able to form a death-light upon their passing. This ability makes some believe their reincarnation gives them the option for redemption and salvation. Perhaps they can right prior wrongs.”
A cascade of howls erupted from the trees, sounding like a pack of wolves that had caught a rabbit. “So basically, we’re going to be fighting some powerful, intelligent, and motivated creatures.” Isabelle’s smile had vanished and she spoke in a mournful tone. “Not really the fun camping trip with nice picnics in the forest that I was hoping for.”
“We’re definitely going to need our enchanted weapons.” Luke looked at the lame steel he was currently holding. “I’m wanting my sword, Draculafire, pronto.”
I’m near, Ammolite whispered.
“Ammolite’s been updating me through our link. She’s close.” Emily looked toward the sky above, wishing that she could see her dragon, but instead she saw only the moons above. One was shaped in a half-moon, a second was a wisp of a crescent, and the third was hidden below the ironwood trees.
“Awesome. That’s exactly what we need for our trip.” Luke grinned. “Any way she can simply burn a path for us through the forest?”
“No,” Emily smiled, leaning into Luke, feeling much better as thoughts of Adrienne were passing. “But she can help guard us until we reach the forest. I’m going to ask Ammolite to think over spells which you guys might be able to master.”
“Cool,” Elizabeth pushed a stick into the fire and watched the tip burn. “Give me something with ice or fire.”