Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

  I smile serenely, as I feel my life draining away. I hear a thundering boom from the universe. I know that the lives of all that I hold dear are in danger, and I would not have the power to control what happens next. The wind is also picking up and I squeeze once again the hands of my loved ones to let them know how very much I love them.

  I also tell grandfather that I have always loved him like a father, and I let him know that I will fight until my last breath. I scream my last words. “I PROMISE TO FIGHT!”

  I feel myself shimmering and starting to shift. I tried to hang on and the memories of my darling daughter, come to me as a babe. She was a beautiful child and so innocent, with the whole world ahead of her. In her striking eyes of blue with silver stars, I see the promises of a safe and loving world. It is a world that will be without the threat of evil in it. I cannot see anything else, as the memories of the vision fades, but I feel there is hope.

  There are gasps, and my mother is squeezing my hand harder and trying with all her power to halt the shifting. But it will not be contained any longer, and then it is happening.

  I feel myself as a black gaping wind, with the evilness I have never felt, and a hunger so almighty, that it will never be fulfilled. Suddenly we merge together as one, and we shift into an enormous dragon, mightier than my own spirit animal. There is nothing but evil all around and throughout us, and then I am ensnared and whisked away with it.

  Grandfather

  Titania shimmered, and the Ale guided her. First as a great wind, and then as the giant black dragon. They had become one, and together they slashed right through the lodge and were high in the dark sky.

  The thunder was roaring all around and the wind wailed. Lightning crackled as the hail started up and became increasingly bigger. It was destroying many lodges and even the big warrior lodge was being hit heavily. People were heading for the mountains where the caves were and hopefully safety. There is shifting happening all about us, as we crawled out from under the lodge that was now just rubble.

  Animals were everywhere, as everyone hoped to seek safety before they were pelted to death. More experienced Dwellers, were gathered together to help fight the Ale in any way they could.

  Besides the weather, that could potentially swallow our world, the Ale had moved out of the village. She was not a threat to the people who were still here, making plans to help Oria. Many other Dwellers were in her direct path however, and that was where my worries were.

  The Ale knew to go into the world of man; she would have to get to the gateway and through the border of Horsetail Falls. That was the only entrance left into the world of man that had not yet been reinforced. The Ale would know this instinctively, although it would always test every border. Dwellers of Ahwahnee were all headed in that direction now. We would do what we had to, so we could stop the evil.

  My concerns were also for Oria. The Ale was headed straight at her, and I just hoped she was prepared. I noticed Fire Cloud getting up out of the now, destroyed lodge and he was holding his head. There was blood dripping down his arm. A big gash covered his forehead. When the lodge collapsed, the poles fell on him.

  Where was Huyana though? I searched around and found her unconscious, under the pile of discarded wood and hides. This was once her home and now it is a pile of rubble. I panicked and thought she was dead. Then I heard her groaning and my heart started beating again. I put a protective shield around all three of us to shelter us from the hail and the debris that also flew all around. The wreckage from several lodges spiralled past us, just as my shield went up. I could see in my mind’s eye that the Ale and Titania were almost upon Oria, and the only way into the world of the man.

  I prayed to The Great Spirit once again to keep my granddaughter safe, and that be able to help her mother, my daughter. I sent Oria the message, that they were on their way and her time had run out to finish the wards. Because of her Golden Queen blood, she was well aware of this fact, but also because this was about her mother’s soul, I could feel her anxiety and confusion. “Oria, listen to me, you have to focus, and clear your mind of all but this.”

  “I am listening grandfather.”

  I send her a message that I know will help her when the time is right. She is a smart girl and will know what the message means. It is her time, to have all of the powers of a Golden Queen. Done properly, nothing will be more powerful in any of the worlds. I feel her calm immediately as if she already knows what to do, and I let her know that we would be there soon.

  “Yes grandfather, I understand completely.”

  Like the brilliant young woman that she is, I knew she would understand. I needed to get these two, to safety. Then with the other Dwellers, we would do all we could, to help Oria with the Ale.

  As Fire Cloud and I helped Huyana to a safe place, she tried shaking us off. “We need to go and help Oria and the other Dwellers, they will need us.”

  “You should go to the caves Huyana, grandfather and I will go to Horsetail Falls.”

  “I will also go; you are worse off than I am Fire Cloud. That gash on your head is bleeding everywhere. I am not hurt. I just had the wind knocked out of me, but I am fine now.”

  “Head wounds bleed a lot; this is just a minor cut. I will be fine also.”

  Knowing that we needed to get going and there was no time to waste, I put a stop to an argument we all knew, no one would win. We would all go. “Both of you shift and let’s go now.” I let down the protective shield so we could all shift and watched, as Fire Cloud shifted into a mighty emerald dragon and took to the sky. Huyana and I shifted and just like the last time we fought the Ale with Oria, we were both bright orbs of lights, which moved in the growing darkness toward Horsetail Falls.

  Halfway there, the onslaught of tornados and fire breathing dragons were headed back in this direction. The Ale was trying to find a way out of this world and targeting all of the borders at all of the falls. Oria had stopped her from going through at Horsetail Falls. The Ale switched directions to try another border. Oria was right behind her.

  They were all headed for Bridalveil Fall now. Oria had already reinforced the wards here last night, so I felt reassured that they would hold. The Ale would have nowhere to go, but back the way it had come. It wouldn’t know that, until it tried its escape though.

  We followed but stayed back a ways, as the Ale made its way toward Bridalveil Fall. It dove in close and pelted flames at the water falls, in hopes that the magic would be lost. The Ale slammed into the ward next and bouncing off, was stunned.

  The magical ward had held and Aponi and Red Thunder were nearing, and they shifted as they glided down to the ground. Using the powers they were gifted in the first fight with the Ale, they entwined the dragon in the wire mesh. I had no idea that these powers had been restored to them and was surprised when I watched, as they bound the dragon up tight.

  If everyone’s powers were restored, we just might be able to save Titania and kill this evil once and for all.

  Oria

  My mind had calmed but the storm raged on all around us. I watched as Grey Wolf, his sisters and the others, gathered together in front of the border. There was no more time and the tornados whipped around us, as the sky grew darker.

  I could see Grey Wolf and his sisters as they held their hands together, and created some kind of great shield in front of Horsetail Falls. This looked strong enough to keep the Ale from going through.

  No longer having to think shift, it just happened naturally. I was airborne, before I even knew that I was doing it. The Ale and my mother were headed right for the falls, when I flew in its direct path. It didn’t even slow down as it exhaled fire in my direction. I tumbled through the sky like a big clumsy dragon barely escaping the flames.

  I came back and dove for the Ale and threw my weight into it, together we rolled end over end and landed on the ground.

  The Ale wanted no fight with me, right now. It just wanted an escape into the world of the man, so in its next move, it
tried to go through the shield that my friends had created to protect the entrance. The shield wavered for a second but held. I didn’t know how much longer it would hold though. The Dwellers were using all their abilities to keep the shield strong. A few more hits and I thought it would be too much for them.

  I had no choice; I couldn’t worry about my mother at this point. I let go, a terrible roaring sound that shook everything around. The tornados slowed into winds. I released my flaming arrows at the Ale. I had started to aim directly at the Ale but in the last moment, I aimed for the ground right beside her. I could not kill my own mother.

  The dragon rose up and was as black as the sky around us. It was getting very hard to see with the sun gone. It was completely blocked, and the hail and wind and debris, were everywhere. I had to go on instinct and follow, as the dragon made its way to all the other borders that could take it out of our world.

  All the wards were intact and strong, and the Ale recoiled off every one of them. Abruptly there were two bright orbs. I knew these to be grandfather and grandmother, and I could see where I was going again.

  At that point, we were above Bridalveil Fall and as the Ale fell stunned to the ground, I watched as Aponi and Red Thunder, used the gifts that I had given them in the last fight with the Ale. Their powers had been dormant until they were needed again. They would instinctively feel these powers return, whenever they were in a battle and needed them.

  I dove in close and tried to reach my mother. I knew that the dragon wasn’t at its strongest. Mother was fighting for control and I could feel the struggle going on. With all the energy it took trying to break through the wards, the Ale was tiring at a rate faster than normal. I watched as the dragon shimmered a few times, trying to fight off the wiring that completely encased it.

  Then I caught a slight whisper from my mother, as the shifting in front of me became a two headed dragon. One was black and the other one was my mother’s glorious green head, shimmering in and out.

  Stunned, I wondered how I was ever going to manage this.

  “You do what you must do.” It was my mother’s voice coming through. This time I heard her and she was stronger.

  “Fight mother, I will not kill you, try to break free.”

  The mesh wiring was spider webbed all over the dragon and it started making popping noises. As the sky darkened even more, I knew it was gathering up more strength. It was going to break free. I had to move now. “Hang on mother, I’m coming!”

  “No Oria, do not do this… JUST KILL US BOTH!”

  It was time for my true self and looking upward, I was ready. Blocking mother out of my mind, I ascended up high. Higher in the sky, than I have ever gone before, I climbed still higher yet. Ignoring the logic and complications and listening to my instincts. I knew the odds were not in my favor, and this was certainly crazy, but there was no other choice.

  Then I watched, as it came into view and I knew this was the one. Standing alone and away from the others, and radiating so brilliantly in the sky, it was blinding in its intensity. It waited alone for me, and just like the Ale that consumes everything, this is what this glorious star was designed for. It slowly rotated, gaining speed and knowing that I could come no closer, it hurled itself forward.

  As the magnificent star fell towards me, I knew that I could hold the brilliance of this intelligent life. I was now so powerful, that I could not be scorched by its touch. I had to become like the Ale, only I was graceful and full of light and held only goodness.

  As this clever star seeped into my veins and swam through my blood, it became every part of me. I knew it would take over my very being, if I didn’t act fast. I twirled through the night sky, illuminating everything within miles around, and headed back down towards earth.

  I neared the Ale and my mother, where they lay entangled on the ground. The last of the restraints were quickly breaking away like twigs. As the remaining wire bounded away and the dragons were now unrestricted, they started to rise up off the ground. Swiftly, they were high in the sky.

  “I heard my mother’s voice once again, “NOW, ORIA!”

  I slammed into them without another thought. The brilliance of the moment was so extraordinary. I immediately thought that I had once again, been consumed by the Ale. The colors were explosive…and then they dimmed all too soon, and it was dark and silent. Eerily quiet.

  One moment we were all falling quickly into a dark black hole, and then suddenly, we were propelled forward, and I could feel the moment that the separation occurred. It happened with my mother and the Ale, and also with me and my star. It felt so depressing to be divided from my star, and I was overwhelmed with sadness. I wanted to cry at the departure of us, one from the other.

  There was no more time for grieving, as I felt myself falling towards the earth. I had my bearings and shifted. I caught sight of my mother and noticed that she had no control. In her spirit animal of her dragon, she was tumbling through the night sky. Shimmering and shifting again, now her lifeless body was falling to the ground below.

  I felt a big black cold wind full of evil, whip past me and then it was gone, but my only thought, was to get to my mother before she hit the ground. Heading in her direction at full speed, I reached her just in time and scooped her up carefully in my massive claws. I then lit on the earth once more, as I shifted.

  We both hit the ground but it was not a hard impact, and I believed my mother’s soul had been saved. Immediately grandfather, grandmother and my father were beside us, but we all knew that it was not yet over. Mother was safe, but all of my friends, and the worlds were still in danger.

  “Let’s go Oria, your father can look after your mother, the Ale is at the entrance of Horsetail Falls.” Grandfather tugged my arm and spoke urgently.

  I smoothed her hair and gave my father a quick hug. I regretted having to leave them both. I knew that the Ale had already reached my friends, and they could not hold out any longer.

  Grandmother and grandfather were leading the way and I joined them, with Aponi and Red Thunder right behind me. There was no hail in this area, but the skies were still dark and lightning flared its way across the sky. I could hear the thunder and it was ahead of us, at Horsetail Falls.

  Bright orbs of light travel amazingly fast, and right now, that is what I wished I was. I felt this vibration throughout my body, and transmitted my fears to grandmother and grandfather. They were speeding along brightening, the dark skies. I felt that my whole body was heating up with an inner light. It was actually a peaceful feeling, but it was like nothing I had ever felt before, so it scared me. They told me to relax and let the star take over, and that there was nothing to fear.

  Grandmother quickly explained to me, that since I had a star that was my very own, and it is coursing through my body and soul, that now a piece of it would always be with me. I could now become that bright orb. I felt more relaxed, now that I knew I wasn’t going to explode.

  Suddenly, my star took over and it happened that swiftly and naturally. I was at first, my spirit animal the red dragon, traveling behind the brightest of orbs, and the next instant, I was a speeding bright light myself. I whizzed far ahead of grandmother and grandfather. I now lit the way, as we neared Horsetail Falls.

  But the dread grew and raced throughout me. The weather was a mass of tornados, with debris flying everywhere, but none of it came near me. It was as if, I had a shield around me.

  There was one thing I was grateful for, during all of the tornados and every kind of weather that the Ale brought with it. She was so enraged trying to find an escape that she wasn’t trying to devour our world... yet anyway. That meant there was no eclipse, which would mean, the world was dying. This gave me hope, that we could still send the Ale back to her realm, or preferably, destroy her once and for all.

  I spoke to Aponi and Red Thunder, who were following as their spirit animals, the Golden Eagles, to hold up. “You will forever be lost in this weather. You both must hang back.”

 
Grandmother and grandfather and I headed towards the falls. We went straight through the raging storms, as it whirled and thundered all around us. But as we drew closer to Horsetail Falls, the weather started to dissipate. I knew this could not be a good thing, the Ale created weather, so unless it had escaped…

  I neared the falls and with the weather clearing, I could see the protective shield my friends had been holding over the border, was down… and my friends were scattered everywhere.

  I knew the Ale was in the world of man. The disasters would follow immediately, over all the land. My heart sank as I looked around the destruction. My Dwellers were scattered everywhere like ragged dolls. The destruction was all over and the shield was down.

  My first dreaded glance was for, where Grey Wolf might be. I barely glimpsed him, as he shimmered into the world of man.

  Fallyn

  I tried hanging on to my sister and brother’s hands with all my might. We had made a shield that would help keep the evil Ale in this world, and prevent it from getting into the world of man. I haven’t been here very long and knew that we had the powers to do this, but I wasn’t very sure of myself yet.

  Grey Wolf said to hang on tight to each other’s hands and our powers would do the rest. It worked the first time and as the Ale crashed into us, she bounced off our shield and then went in the other direction. I was so relieved, because that was one scary evil.

  We released our hands and the shield dropped down around us. The winds that had been howling around diminished and the tornados were now following the Ale in the other direction.

  “We are only taking a break, the Ale will be checking to make sure, there is no other way into the world of man. It will test all of the boundaries and when it finds them all strong, it will return to us. We must hold strong sisters, until our Queen can get here and defeat the Ale.”

  I knew Grey Wolf was trying to calm my sister Sapata and myself, but I was feeling, oddly serene. I felt the little tickle that had come to my mind, when the Ale tried to break through our shield. I wondered if that was natural, or if my brother and sister had felt it. I had no more time to think on this or ask my question, as Grey Wolf grabbed our hands again and yelled. The clouds rolled over head once more, and the thunder boomed loudly. Lightning dashed across the sky and in the distance, I could see the tornado that was the Ale, and she was coming back at us, full force. “Hold on my sisters, she comes again.”