The Prophecy of Arnaka (The Arnaka Saga Book 1)

by Lucia Ashta

  The flowers bloomed all around them; their colors were vibrant, and they were teeming with life. Bees swarmed about the flowers happily. The long grasses swayed in time with the fluttering of the breeze, and the animals in their habitats languidly watched the crew walk by. It was a time of serenity.

  When the warriors approached the campsite, they saw the two unicorns that had come to support Area and Arien standing majestically in the billowing fields. A glimmer indicated that the bubble of protection began just behind where they stood, reflecting the sunlight. Area and Arien stood inside the bubble, partially hidden from view by the unicorns. They were waiting for the warriors to return. No one questioned them as to why they had not joined in the fight. The approaching group knew there were good reasons behind all Area and Arien’s seemingly incongruous actions.

  The warriors trusted the guidance they received from their spirit guides. After all, that was the reason that every one of them was there in the first place. As the light warriors crossed through the protective bubble, the unicorns that had walked beside them fell away, staying outside of the energetic shield.

  A robust sense of family had been birthed. This was a spirit family, one not determined by blood. The ties that bound them to one another were based on their connection to Creator and their spiritual missions while on earth. They were kinfolk of a different kind—one that shared the same knowing—and that was the strongest family bond of all.

  Ashta and Anak felt fortunate to have been raised in the temples. Though it had been difficult for both of them to leave their biological families at such an early age, they had adapted well and benefited from the spiritual teachings they had received. That foundation had given them an insight into the workings of the universe that had proven invaluable to them time and again.

  Not all of their companions had the same good fortune to have been prepared for their life purposes. Carn and Thom had left their unsupportive birth families to seek a better understanding of themselves and their missions. They had left the lives they knew to answer the call to a greater purpose. It was thanks to this path that Carn and Thom stood so firmly in their strength and sense of knowing.

  Baldub’s family was a group of rowdy misfits accustomed to doing their own thing. And while Baldub had the support of his family, especially that of his mother, his relatives had not been able to comprehend him despite their efforts. Eventually, Baldub, too, left his home to wander in search of a greater insight into himself and what he was on earth to do.

  The cousins, Mana, Dahn, and Marn, all lived in the same home. Their mothers were sisters and the extended family lived in one dwelling. Their families had neither been particularly supportive nor particularly understanding of them, but the cousins had each other, so they had stayed. Within the safety of the family home, they had grown together. They had shared their experiences and practiced the skills they learned with one another while hiding them from the rest of their family.

  Only Area and Arien had an upbringing that fostered their divine purpose. They were born into royalty and raised in a privileged life within palace walls. Their parents ruled Ashgahn, a kingdom that extended over vast lands. Unlike Ashta and Anak, Area and Arien had not been drawn to the outdoors, to the heat of the sun, and to the grasses that led to the water’s edge. Where Ashta and Anak had grown connected to nature, learning from her simplicity and power, Area and Arien had found tranquility within the crystal palace’s inner courtyards.

  Dedicated caretakers kept the courtyards, with their reflective pools as clear as looking glasses, impeccably manicured. The twins spent much of their time roaming the courtyards, walking the gardens, and learning about beauty within structure and elegance. This experience shaped their personalities; they themselves became careful in everything they did. Contrary to Ashta and Anak who carried the lion and sun energy within them and boldly acted on their knowing, Area and Arien were deliberate and measured, gliding into action.

  Area and Arien were miniature versions of their parents. Even though the queen and king of Ashgahn were not related by blood, they closely resembled each other. The parents and their only children were tall and thin. They had long, elegant hands and feet and a willowy step. Their skin was almost translucent, and they wore their fair hair long and straight to the waist. The queen and king dressed like their children in flowing robes that made them look like they hovered just above the ground. They all had eyes the color of ice frozen for eons in those places unseen by man, a pale and poignant blue.

  Area and Arien grew very close to one another in their seclusion. Already born into the world with that powerful connection that only twins can share, they also became each other’s only friend. Area and Arien could communicate with each other with the flutter of thought. But despite their closeness, the relationship that Area and Arien shared put into perspective how unique the connection between Ashta and Anak was.

  Ashta and Anak shared a fire and passion not only for each other, but also for life, that was remarkable. They knew how to grab onto life and ride it. They were eager pupils of life’s experiences, and the universe rewarded them for their humility and desire to learn. They were shown the secrets that are only revealed to those who are devoted to the mysteries of life.

  48 Side by Side

  What Elena and Marco saw when they rushed out of the guesthouse stunned them. They were unprepared for the malevolent creatures that swarmed around where they had slept peacefully only minutes before. There were dozens of humans and flying creatures from other dimensions, all possessed by darkness. They oozed malice in a palpable way that made Elena shiver in chills that ran through her body. The dark beings at Marian’s residential complex that night had only one reason for being there: to do whatever they could to extinguish the light warriors and to allow the imbalance between the light and the dark to continue on earth.

  Although Marian and Victor had taken extreme precautions to hide the twins, more elaborate precautions than Elena and Marco realized, the light that all four of them emitted was too great to go unnoticed. Its combined brilliance eventually became a beacon to all beings—both of light and of dark—and the dark forces discovered their location.

  Elena and Marco stepped into battle side by side. Neither would let the other out of sight; they were too important to each other. Elena reminded herself with the last focused thought she would have for a while that she could do anything; she was God’s angel. There was nothing for her to fear. Her heart was full and open. Her light was strong and bright. She stood next to her beloved in divine union and with a divine purpose. She had become a light warrior.

  If Elena were to have thought back to how far she had come in so short a time, she might have faltered and doubted. She might have wondered if she had finally lost her mind. But none of these thoughts or doubts came to her. She had freed herself from them and from much limitation. She stood strong and valiant, with the strength of the spirit world behind her. With her beloved by her side, Elena let out a mighty roar. The lioness within her converged with the angel and the warrior and she charged forward.

  After that, everything became a blur to Elena. The faces of those who rushed at them in attack were fiendish. Somewhere there was still goodness, but it was buried deeply; in its place, a foul-smelling malice breathed out its nostrils with a fierce desire to kill.

  Where darkness pervaded, there was ultimately weakness. And Elena and Marco, who stood so strongly in their hearts with a deep love for each other and for all humanity, were able to dispel this darkness. The twins’ attackers stood no chance; what had grabbed hold of them was so despicable that they could hold no inner peace. Their darkness of heart left them vulnerable.

  Elena would have once thought the situation they faced incomprehensible. As it was, she accepted the situation as best she could. In her entire life, she had never intentionally harmed a single living creature, and now she had to accept that she would likely injure people. Although the men and women that threatened Elena and Marco meant to ki
ll them, the twins could not respond in like manner. They prayed for a way to defend themselves that honored the light concealed within their assailants.

  A cloud of dark figures swirled above the chaos. The shapes were translucent but Elena didn’t know exactly what they were. Were they perhaps wraiths or demons? Elena could feel the darkness emanating from them in thick, dense waves. She didn’t know how she and Marco would fight them, but she chose to trust that they would be shown the way.

  Elena brought her attention back to the ground where she did her best to see past the grotesque spectacle that spread out in front of her. She and Marco moved together with their backs facing each other so their attackers could not strike them from behind. They focused on their aggressors so intently that they gave no thought to Victor and Marian. Had they taken a moment to reflect, they would have found it alarmingly odd that neither Victor nor Marian was present. Both of them would have wanted to ensure that the twins were safe.

  Elena and Marco stood alone, defending against attack from the left and from the right. Men and women from all walks of life came at the twins with staffs, clubs, spears, rocks, and anything else they could find. Once Elena and Marco had seen that human beings faced them as their aggressors, they sheathed their swords. They stood instead with their staffs poised high hoping to stunt the attacks without inflicting permanent damage.

  Despite the imminent threat of death that their attackers intended, the twins could not go against their hearts. Their hearts held only love for humanity; even these people, who were seething with rage and murder, contained an essence of light hidden deep within their human essence. That light was still there waiting to be unearthed.

  A woman who had once been lovely but was now prematurely aged and disheveled with stringy blonde hair and sallow skin charged at Elena, club raised. Elena’s heart wrenched. It didn’t seem right that she should have to hurt this woman to protect herself. How could hurting another be the way to bring light to the world? There had to be another option.

  Elena had not yet found that option when the woman raised her club and swung at her head. Elena sidestepped the strike and prayed to do the right thing. Then, Elena struck the woman on the head with her staff, just hard enough to knock her unconscious. The woman fell to the ground with a thud and didn’t move.

  Elena wasn’t allowed time to analyze the situation. As soon as the woman hit the ground, everything around Elena regained its full momentum and another man attacked her. It felt like an endless procession of men and women lashing out at Elena. Using the skills that Marian had taught her, Elena knocked each one of them unconscious with a strike to the head intended to disable temporarily. The bodies of nine men and women lay around Elena’s feet when the line of attack finally came to an end. Elena, breathing heavily from the adrenaline and the exertion, took in a welcome breath of relief.

  She turned to Marco. Bodies also littered the ground where he stood. The last of the hoard of attackers at ground level launched himself at Marco, but the possessed man’s attack was unenthusiastic, and Marco repelled him easily. This last man fell to the ground to join his sleeping cohorts. The darkness was dwindling.

  But it was not time for Elena and Marco to relax yet. They went to each person that lay sprawled, chest rising and falling with breath but otherwise completely still. Elena moved to the woman who had first attacked her. The woman lay flat on her back, her hair spread out behind her head like a halo. Elena asked for guidance that she might offer peace to this woman’s bound soul.

  Elena focused on the light she felt within her being and reached out to touch the woman. As she placed her hand over the woman’s heart, she closed her eyes. The light flowed out from Elena and filled the woman. Elena held this position until she felt that the process was complete. Then, she withdrew her hand and waited. She didn’t know what would happen, if anything at all.

  Elena didn’t have to wait long. She was surprised when the woman opened her eyes and looked up at her. The iniquity had left the woman’s eyes. Elena couldn’t help herself and smiled at the transformation. The woman looked suddenly beautiful. The woman’s face regained its youth, and a sense of peace replaced the darkness that had possessed her.

  Elena smiled at this being with all the love she had in her heart, seeing the beauty of her soul, and watched as the woman tried to clear her head and understand where she was and what she had been doing. With a peace she had not known for many years, the woman could not fathom her role in the scene that had unfolded around her.

  Finally, the woman stood carefully, testing her strength on her feet after the blow to her head, and walked off toward the driveway of Marian’s house. Eventually, she would reach the main road and begin the journey home, appreciating the beauty of her surroundings with eyes that had not been able to see beauty for many years.

  A similar scenario repeated itself as Elena and Marco shared divine light with each of the fallen. The men and women were transformed, free of the darkness that had plagued them, and light shone through their eyes once more. Now with light in their hearts, they could no longer be a part of the attack. They stood and ambled off, perplexed at how they came to find themselves there and grateful to feel a lightness of spirit that had eluded them for too long.

  After the last person had risen and walked away, Elena and Marco immediately turned their attention to the impending threat that loomed above them. There, the dark specter-like figures circled the sky like vultures. They made no noise, and the eerie silence was foreboding. The twins knew the creatures would attack; they just didn’t know how or when.

  They found out too soon. Without warning, without sound, without even a disruption to the stillness of the air, the creatures began their attack. They gradually descended closer to the ground. The twins stood in the center of the courtyard of Marian’s residential complex. There was a bright moon in Sedona and Elena could see everything clearly.

  As the creatures inched closer to the ground, their faces became visible. However, they had neither eyes nor mouths; they had no facial features at all. They didn’t really even have bodies. Their outlines were undefined. It was disconcerting and made them seem all the more ethereal. Elena’s eyes wanted to bring crispness to their edges, but there was no definition to be found.

  The creatures were organizing themselves into some sort of formation as they continued their descent. Although Elena was unfamiliar with the creatures’ capabilities, she didn’t feel right about standing there watching them orchestrate an attack against her and Marco; but she didn’t know how to defend against their attack either.

  The eeriness threatened to creep up Elena’s body. It felt as if slithering snakes were trying to glide up her legs, coil around her, and constrict her with their darkness. As the intensity of the sensation increased, Elena focused divine light within her. Then, trusting her intuition in this novel situation, Elena pushed that light out while willing it to dispel the advancement of the creatures. It worked. The shadowy monsters retreated.

  The reprieve was temporary and Elena knew it. She and Marco needed to get the advantage if they were to succeed. Elena searched her brain to find a solution to the problem, but she would not find the answer with her mind. She had to find stillness; it was the only true way to understand the next step. Elena’s angel guides wanted to help her, and they were just waiting for Elena to give them the opportunity.

  Elena worked hard to push away the distraction of the imminent attack that was nearly upon them. When she quieted, she heard the answer right away. It came through clearly. Be a conduit of divine light. That was it. That was the answer. In another moment in time, Elena might have cowered before these hideous wraiths and been anxious at the prospect of overpowering them. But Elena was not in another moment in time. She was in this one. And this moment in time was one where the unfathomable had already happened. Now, she could be a ray of divine light strong enough to defeat wraiths of darkness. She would have to be. There was no other choice.

  Elena turned t
o Marco, caught his gaze, and held it. Then, she inhaled deeply, slowly, and powerfully, beginning to link to Creator’s light as intensely as she could, indicating to Marco that he should do the same. He understood her subtle signal right away. Or maybe he had received the same guidance; Marco was as connected as she was. Either way, Marco knew what she meant.

  But even with both of them knowing what they needed to do, neither of them had ever transmitted light of such intensity that it could permanently vanquish dozens of menacing dark beings. That was something their teachers hadn’t taught them, and now they needed to do it right away or it might be too late. The creatures were nearly upon them.

  Not knowing what else to do, Elena shut out the impending threat once more. She allowed only divine love and light to swirl within her. From that peaceful place, Elena held the intention to be a conduit of divine light. She prayed, asking the angels to show her the way, to help her beam light strong enough to defeat the swarm of darkness now flying directly overhead, if that was what she was meant to do.

  Elena held the image of Creator’s pure and startlingly brilliant light—brighter and stronger than the sun itself—firmly in her heart and then, just as intensely as she had held it, she released it and let it go. Elena held no attachment to it; she did not even hold attachment to her human life any longer. She knew that whatever happened there that night would ultimately be perfect within Creator’s design.

  Elena and Marco were not ordinary humans. In her world of surreality where the impossible was embodied as the possible all around her, she registered only mild shock at their transformation. In their direct connection to Creator with the intention to bring that light essence down to earth, they had changed. She and Marco glowed so brightly in an otherworldly way that the edges of their bodies blurred; their bodies were no longer limited to the sharp edges of skin.