by Avell Kro
becoming clear in her mind.
“And much more,” Damell answered.
“Do you need to take hallucinatory herbs like we do?” she asked, already knowing the answer
would be no.
“It is possible for both you and me to access this level of Consciousness without the
assistance of any substance,” Damell answered. “Only certain people are granted the privilege of
this elevated station, namely you and I.”
“Granted?” Rhuna asked, her mind racing to keep up with the constant new revelations.
“The Golden Pyramid,” Damell answered simply.
Rhuna remembered Possessor of Discernment and what he told her at the pyramid when
she entered the special little room only very few Atlans knew about.
“New Arrivals have certain plans for the GoldenPyramid,” Damell continued. “Others have
similar plans for less honorable purposes.”
“New Arrivals?”
“Newly arrived from Atlán,” Damell answered.
“Seeking to activate the Grand Pyramid.”
“Activate?” asked Rhuna startled.
“Yes. The Golden Pyramid possesses the potential to harness and produce immense
energies.”
“You mean more than the solar, cosmic and lunar energies?”
“Much, much more. It was built with the purpose of harnessing the earth’s energy by sonic
resonation, oscillation and conduction of all the Energies,” he said casually.
Rhuna said that she did not understand these new words.
“When you visit the pyramids at the early descent of the sun, you shall encounter the New
Arrivals making their calculations and plans,” he told her.
Damel reached for the tray of drinks and small bowl of nuts and dried fruit, offering them to
Rhuna and then taking a sip from his cup. Rhuna realized that she was thirsty and that she
needed a brief pause from their intense conversation.
“Many monumental events are occurringof which you and The Observers have only limited
understanding. This is a perilous situation, and immediate action is imperative,” Damell said in a
strong and level voice, making Rhuna’s skin prickle with alarm. “However, I shall be with you,
assisting and guiding you;yet always from the sanctuary of this chamber,” he added.“Therefore, let
us begin without delay! Allow me to guide you in your first journey of Extended Consciousness,”
he said with sudden passion, his eyes shining brightly.
“Now?” asked Rhuna alarmed. Damell reached for several large seating cushions and
placed them next to Rhuna.
“Rest in a comfortable position, leaning against these cushions,” he instructed.
Rhuna moved with reluctance,afraid she would not be able to achieve the results her father
expected.
“Good. Now, perform the complete awareness and relaxation techniques you have been
practicing, and when your mind is at ease, and your Consciousness afloat, command it to rise up
and out.”
“Command it to rise up and out?” Rhuna repeated, shocked.
“Yes,” Damell answered in his casual manner. “You command the Extension of your
Consciousness in the same manner as you command your hand to grasp something, or your legs
to walk.”
Rhuna closed her eyes and began with the Inside Focussing technique she had mastered in
her youth in order to focus mental energies more effectively when transforming elements. Atlan
Masters proficient in the transformation skills regularly practice Inside Focussing, and Rhuna had
diligently set aside a short time for it every day for most of her life. As a result, her mind slipped
into the deep and silent mode instantly and without effort, and the next step of deeper mental and
physical relaxation had also become easy since Damel had begun to teach her.
Rhuna’s body began to feel heavy and numb, as if her mind was no longer in direct contact
with it, and then she felt her Consciousness begin to float. She remembered her father’s words to
command her Consciousness to rise up, and before she was aware of having done anything,
giddiness overcame her. A feeling of being suspended in water disoriented her, and she tried to
look around but did not recognize the shapes, forms and colours she perceived.
Suddenly she recognized the coloured floor rug in her father’s chamber, and then the form
of two people began to take shape. After a long moment, Rhuna realized that the two people she
was observing from a strange angle and from a considerable distance were her father and herself.
Alarm and shock registered in her mind as she recognized herself leaning against the large, plush
cushions, her eyes closed and appearing to be asleep while Damell sat comfortably nearby,
apparently at peace with his surroundings.
Rhuna felt herself move closer to her father, but the motion in space, without the pull of
gravity, made her feel dizzy again. In an instant, she was level with her father’s eyes and looked
directly at him, but saw no recognition in them. Suddenly she realized that he could not see her,
and this thought unnerved her so much, that the dizziness engulfed her completely. There was a
moment of nausea and struggling to breathe and be upright, and then she was sitting up from the
plush cushion with her eyes open.
“You succeeded,” said Damell simply.
“I think so,” Rhuna said with a slight quiver in her voice, and then described her experience
in detail to her smiling father.
“Next time, attempt to direct the Point of Consciousness to move around,” Damell said, and
Rhuna detected excitement in his voice. “Your Consciousness can pass through solid matter such
as walls and other objects, as well as travel vast distances without the restraints of time or other
forces that control our physical existence,” he explained.
“That’s how you could enter our secret room!” exclaimed Rhuna, overcome by awe once
more.
“This step may be difficult at first, and requires some concentrated effort, yet once
overcome, passing through matter shall no longer be an obstacle,” Damell explained, and then gave
Rhuna a stern look. “Do this only in my presence, here in my chambers, until you become more
adept,” he instructed her.“Also, refrain from revealing these things to anyone until the proper time,”
he said gravely, and Rhuna nodded obediently.
“Now it is time for you to return home, as your friends are still waiting,” he said in a much
lighter manner.
“How do you know that?” asked Rhuna as she stood up.
“The Infinite contains all Knowledge,” he answered with a mischievous smile.
Rhuna thought for a moment as she began walking towards the door. “So that’s what
you’ve been doing in here all this time? I wondered why you never went out…”
“I am a frequent visitor and admirer of the Sanctuary Gardens, and in fact, I have mingled
with The Reigning One’s guests on many occasions,” Damell explained as he escorted her to the
doorway of his chambers, and then gave her a parting kiss on her forehead.
Rhuna left The Reigning One’s residence, thanking an attendant at the door who handed her
temporary wet-weather footwear and a portable rain shelter for the walk back to her home. She
barely noticed the cool dampness at her feet as her mind turned over all the things she had
experienced in just a quarter of a sun’
s arc. Just as she caught sight of the house she shared with
Aradin, a strong gust of wind whipped her hair across her face and sent a chill down her spine. A
dark feeling of foreboding flashed through her at that moment, making her gasp and look around.
The evening darkness had encroached upon the beautiful city of Safu early today, and another cold
gust of wind scattered leaves onto the wet paving stones.
As she approached the door of her house, Rhuna noticed that her skin prickled from the chill
air. She looked around once more and noticed that the delicate roses Aradin had planted for her in
the well-arranged garden were sagging under the weight of the rain, and suddenly she felt
overwhelmed by sadness. She wondered why the drooping roses would make her sad and give her
a feeling of losing all the beauty, peace and happiness she had found with Aradin in this house.
Aradin was leaning out of the doorway of their special room, looking expectantly at the
doorway as Rhuna entered. She understood his silence and strode firmly towards him. He closed
the door and operated the switch to close the circuit of protective magnetic energy behind her.
Inside the room, The Observers were seated on the floor in a manner that told Rhuna they
had been engaged in intense discussions, and their shining faces confirmed their determination
and resolve.
“Star Child!” said Divider of Fortunes cheerful y. “How pleased we are, one and all!”
Roses of the Field stood up to take Rhuna’s hands in hers. “A very satisfying outcome,” she
said squeezing Rhuna’s fingers. “Our deliberations had not reached far enough to encompass the
possible reasons for your father’s evasive actions.”
“I’m just relieved that Keeper of Justice came with me and saw him,” responded Rhuna
with an awkward laugh.
“No doubt it was unpleasant to consider the possibility that your father was a mere image
of your troubled mind,” Roses of the Field said as she lowered her head in apology.
“We are eager to learn more about the insight Avenger of Justice has acquired,” said Divider
of Fortunes. His deep voice resonated in Rhuna’s head, and she was reminded of the vibrations
her father had explained to her. As she looked around the room and took a seat on one of the
plush seating cushions, she wondered whether Damell’s Extended Consciousness was somewhere
in the room with them.
“May I repeat our plan of action,” asked Revealer of Truths, looking at Rhuna. She nodded
eagerly, and the red-haired woman began her summary of the plans made by The Observers in her
absence.
“It is imperative that we acquaint ourselves with this dangerous new belief system, and
seek further insight into the activities of the Dark Ones by means of visions induced by
hallucinatory herbs,” he stated firmly.
“Each one of us has taken the required amount of hallucinatory herbs from our stash,” said
Designer of Works, his hand gesture indicating the hidden compartment in the wooden floor
boards under the floor rugs of the secret room. “We shall report, analyze and discuss our
observations at our next meeting at the end of this lunar cycle,” he said.
“However, according to our usual custom,” Revealer of Truths added, “any event or report of
great significance shall be relayed to all Observers in the accustomed manner of coded messages.”
“Reaching the Moon and Softness of the Clouds will feign superstitious fear and belief that
the amulets may provide protection, thereby gaining access to the Dark Ones and their
manipulative control of vulnerable people,” Divider of Fortunes continued the summary.
“Maybe I can learn something from the Benshi people, like I did last time when I first
arrived in Safu,” Rhuna offered, and the Observers nodded their approval.
“They named you their Star Child,” said Divider of Fortunes with a smile. “They have
complete trust in you, and treat you with reverence and awe. Therefore, gaining their confidence
in such matters of fears and superstitions should not be difficult,” he said with a nod.
Shortly after, Aradin moved the switch at the door that broke the circuit of the energy
shield around the room, and the Observers began their pretense of casual friends talking about
mundane matters, commenting on the persistent rainfall and taking up their portable rain shelters
and footwear as they parted company.
As Rhuna stood in the passageway farewelling their guests, an irresistible cooking aroma
swept her attention completely away from The Observers and their meeting.
“Faleesh has cooked the evening meal!” she said joyful y to Aradin, who gestured with
closed eyes and deep inhalation that he also welcomed the aroma. The silence of their home after
the commotion of visitors felt good, and Rhuna let out a long sigh of relief. She put her arm around
Aradin as they strode into the warm room where Shandi already played with some soft toys on a
thick floor rug.
“I saw the yellow cat today,” Rhuna said to Shandi as she got down on the rug next to her
daughter. Faleesh looked over at them with astonishment as she walked past, carrying bowls of
food to the table nearby.
Shandi looked up with big round eyes full of anticipation.
“The Reigning One has a new statue…a big cat all made of gold,” Rhuna told her.
“Gold!” Shandi repeated, tasting the new word, and then picked out a cat from her collection
of toys to hold up and show everyone. Aradin laughed happily and Faleesh’s face was filled with
deep contentment. Rhuna looked around the room and at the people dearest to her, grateful for
the comforts of a beautiful home and a new family. She looked at the wall across from where she
sat, and admired the colourful wall-hangings once more. Some of them were unique even in Safu
because Aradin’s trade clients came from remote and isolated lands where different styles and
techniques had developed over generations.
Rhuna picked up Shandi and moved towards the low table that boasted many bowls and
plates of food, then waited for Aradin and Faleesh to also be seated on the cushions around the
eating table.
“You’ve prepared my favourite food!” Aradin said cheerful y, and Rhuna was glad to see
him in his usual good spirits. “Chicken cooked in milky sauce with herbs and spices from
Varappa!”
“Varappa!” repeated Shandi in her crisp, clear voice, and Aradin laughed again, saying that
Varappa is his homeland.
Rhuna’s hungry eyes surveyed the table that could barely hold any more bowls or plates. She
reached for freshly baked bread, then scooped the chicken in sauce, along with some common
garden vegetables onto her plate. Aradin enjoyed a large cup of brewed and fermented barley with
his meal, but Rhuna still held to the Atlan principle of avoiding any intoxicating beverages. She
reached for the fruit juice and then poured plain water for Shandi.
Faleesh sat as far from them as the small table would allow, and Rhuna wished the kind
woman would finally overcome her servile attitude and feel more equal with them so that she
could be more comfortable eating at the same table.
Her small and precious family gave her deep comfort, and the mundane activity of eating the
evening meal calmed her strained nerves and racing mind, allowing her to focus better as
she
reflected on the events of the day.
“Gold cat!” Shandi piped up between mouthfuls, and Rhuna described the elegant statue she
had seen in the grand hallway of The Reigning One’s residence.
“Such exquisite workmanship!” Rhuna said, then laughed when Shandi tried to repeat her
big words.
“Created by remarkably skilled craftsmen,” Aradin nodded. The gold comes from the Land of
Ubanti, where there’s a lot of gold. One of my clients was involved in the arrangements of this gift
to The Reigning One of Benshu from the people of the Land of Ubanti,” he explained.
“What’s gifts, Din-Din?” Shandi’s melodious voice piped up. Rhuna chuckled each time
Shandi deliberately said ‘Din-Din’ because she had found ‘Aradin’ too difficult to pronounce.
“It’s what people do, to keep good and happy relations,” he said in plain and simple language
for Shandi. “Like we give each other things to make us happy,” he said, reaching for a nearby toy
and waving it in front of her. Shandi squealed with delight and grabbed her toy, and Rhuna relaxed
some more as she saw the normal, happy family interactions. She glanced across at Faleesh, who
had been silent out of respect, but whose eyes expressed her deep fondness for the small child.
Rhuna undressed in the sleeping chamber and commented on the heavy rain pounding on
the roof, butAradin merely responded with a grunt.
“You’re still uneasy about Damell, aren’t you,” Rhuna said as she sat on the bed, hoping to
draw out his thoughts so that she could address them properly and resolve the issue.
“I was just remembering…” said Aradin slowly, easing onto the bed next to Rhuna. “People
from the Land at the Top of the World have been the subject of scary stories since my childhood in
Varappa.”
“What kind of scary stories?”
“Like those you heard about the Dark Master in the early days,” Aradin answered flatly.
“But that can’t be…I mean, my father wouldn’t do any of those things!” Rhuna protested.
“But others like him, with his formidable abilities who honed their powers in the Land on
Top of the World have done so,” Aradin countered.
“But there’s only one Dark Master, so the stories you heard must have originally been
about him,”Rhuna reasoned.