“Maureen? How do I get back out?” Tahendra was trapped by a wall separating her from the ballroom. She pounded on the wall. There was no answer. The room had gobbled her whole. She wondered if it had something to do with the stone in her pocket. The room she stood in had a small window. She could see the valley beneath Beacon’s Village. She sensed she stood in an earlier time.
In the quiet of the stone room, the world stood perfectly still. Tahendra walked to the window. She had looked down onto these cliffs from the bridge above. Light barely made it here, at the bottom of the canyon.
Collecting her thoughts, she put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the small stone. A Moon Catcher. She held it in her hand and squeezed the stone tightly. In the far corner of the room, carvings blinked with bright light as if messages were carved into the stones.
She looked out the window to see if anyone could find her in this place. She walked to the corner and saw carved stones that looked like a pile someone intended to organize but never had.
Beacon said rock carvings had gone missing. They were part of an ancient language.
Tahendra picked up one of the stones and held her Moon Catcher. Instantly the room turned yellow, and red. Colorful lights burned brightly in the old study. Tools lay on the desk.
A gravelly voice whispered softly in her ear as if it had not spoken in a long time.
“You are our best hope. We need your help. The moon ... The moon has been weakened by his Crystal Moon Room. Shaman Moon needs your help. We are holding the ancient spells together made by the shaman who lived long ago. Please stop the destruction.”
“Tell me more. Who are you? Please.” There was no answer.
Tahendra remembered Charles and Joe said they would feed all the people from a chandelier hanging among the moons at night. But Shaman Moon is feeding the people now.
Trying not to panic, Tahendra saw the armchair near the desk. She sat down and took a few deep breaths. She took her moon catcher out into the light.
The stone was hit by the feintest daylight coming through the window. The walls lit up to show the old study brightly again. Color streamed in. Blue and white light lit artifacts across the room. A spotlight appeared in the center of the room. The stage was set for a dramatic entrance at any moment. Tahendra froze and looked to the spotlight.
“Ah, there you are. I see you’ve arrived,” said the deep and rough voice. It belonged to a man’s shadow that appeared and bowed towards her.
“Welcome,” he said.
“Excuse me?” Tahendra said.
“I see you’ve arrived from another world. Happy you could take the time to come and visit,” said the shadow figure holding out his hand.
“Where am I? Where are we?”
“You’ve somehow ended up in the Cockpit of Time,” he said, clearly enjoying himself. “I didn’t expect you to arrive all the way down here so soon. You can make many things happen from here. Did you know? This is one of my favorite places.”
“No... I—”
“They’re not looking for you. We slipped you through a crack in time to have a little conversation. Just us. I see you have a Moon Catcher in your pocket. How clever of you.”
“It was a present. We traded gifts.”
“I’d say you scored. Good job. That will come in handy. Do you know what you can do with it?”
“I can see carved designs. Sometimes they light up when I hold it.”
“Oh, there’s so much more.”
“What?” Tahendra asked.
“Want to know? That stone reveals magic. Specifically, the magic made using moonlight. Your stone will help you discern what’s going on in the world out there … Welcome. My name is Sohm. I am your Moon Brother, your guide. You are a moon child, born when Shaman Moon was full. All the moons were full at your birth. That is rare, Tahendra.”
Tahendra looked out the window using her moon catcher.
“Yes, you can see magic out there too. But I mean ‘out there’ as in the bigger picture,” he said as he put his arms above his head and gestured outward to the universe. “The way our world operates, you are holding in your hand a stone of the Shaman Moon. A stone of well-being. It is intended to help you protect the energy of the moon. Much has been said about the moons in our world. I presume you already know the story of the Brother Moons. They literally tumbled mountain ranges throughout the land. Talk about an earthquake. We were only too grateful when the Shaman Moon was old enough to keep her brothers in line.”
“What can I do?” Tahendra asked.
“What can you do, indeed?” Sohm’s voice sounded kind. “How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Then you truly are the One, are you? She would be seventeen right now.”
“What do you mean? The One?”
“Eleven years ago, a young girl left our world for her own protection. She was a natural protector of the moons with the strongest magic anyone had ever seen in someone so young. Do you know anything about that?”
“No. I grew up in a different world with a mom and a little brother. “My friend’s uncle told us about this place. He wanted to show my friend that Kalendra was real and invited us all to come. It was important to him.”
“You traveled to our world to see if it was here? How intriguing,” Sohm said.
Tahendra sat near the window, her Moon Catcher in hand. “Sohm,” she said, “can you help me find my way?” Tahendra looked around the room and waited.
A different presence came into the spotlight. This time it was the shadow of a woman’s body. “We are not well,” the woman said. “The moon’s anchors are being removed from their sacred spaces. It is harming the energy of our world. They are becoming disconnected. Some of the missing stones are in this room with you now. Can you see them?”
“I don’t know,” Tahendra said. “Sometimes when I hold my Moon Catcher, I see the carved images. Sometimes a series of images flash before me, as if to tell a story.”
“What do you know of the large carvings? What stories do they tell you when you hold the stone in your pocket?” asked the gentle voice of the woman.
“I don’t know.”
“I need you to see something now,” the Shaman Moon’s kind voice said. “That is one of the reasons we’ve brought you here without your friends. Hold your stone, dear, then place your hand on that carving in the wall.”
“To her surprise, the wall surrounding the window was carved in detail. Panels were drawn in sequence as if the wall displayed a graphic novel using simple line drawings carved in the tile.
She held on to the stone as directed, then reached out and touched the carving with her other hand. Tahendra felt something akin to an electrical shock surge through her body. Energy her body had never known. Light flowed out of her fingertips. The images carved into that wall moved before her.
The animated line drawings told a story. It began with a ceremony where stones were carved, then placed deep into the earth. They were pounded in place by a team. Then the line drawings showed the moon that rose overhead. Many line-drawn figures, including animals, musicians and archers danced and sang to the beauty of the new little moon. She could nearly hear drums beating along with the rhythmic dance.
A sudden change brought shadow. Carvings were dug up and removed from their sacred places. The more that were remove the dimmer it became. The story ended without an end, and the room became a study again. Tahendra released her hand from her Moon Catcher and immediately felt exhausted and spent. She put her stone back into her pocket, then leaned against the wall and closed her eyes for a minute. An intense heaviness set into Tahendra’s knees and shoulders.
Shaman Moon continued, “The moon is losing its alignment. Crumbling, it’s called. It has not happened before. The stone carvings must be returned to their original positions to hold the planes of time together as they were intended. Meridians go deep into the lands of this world to connect to the moons.”
“What can I do?” Tah
endra asked, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
“Pay attention,” Tahendra heard Sohm’s voice, and he once again appeared. “Use your Moon Catcher. Remember, important stones don’t necessarily look important. Many valuable stones pass as old, dusty stuff discarded a long time ago. Newer ones are beautiful but not sacred. You will always be able to tell the difference because you have the right energy to see them. Your Moon Catcher helps strengthen your moon vision.
“You see,” Sohm continued, “you are the energy that lights up the carvings. Trust your closest friend if you must tell someone about this experience. Kassara must understand your moon energy.”
“You know my friend Kassara? Who else do you know?”
“I can read a moral compass. She will always be true. She is clear. Not all who cross your path are trustworthy. Observe carefully. You and Kassara entered my realm together, holding hands as one. You made a pact as you arrived. Keep your dear friend in your sight, certainly in your heart at all times, especially if there’s interference.”
Moments later Tahendra found herself just off the ballroom, where she had been earlier, as if time had stood still. Maureen stood outside the ballroom.
“I totally agree that it’s cool in there,” Tahendra said, picking up the conversation where they had left it. She noticed a few old stones with carvings in them lay in a pile on a low shelf. Stones that need to be returned to wherever they came from.
“Was there something you were looking for?” Tahendra asked.
Maureen peeked into the study. “I don’t see what I was going to show you.”
“Would it be okay if we go outside?” Tahendra said. “I’d like to go back up to the bridge, outside so I can get a feel for where we are. Is that okay?”
“Of course. There’s a back way,” Maureen said. “Come. We can walk up to the bridge from the other side of the canyon.” They headed down the staircase to the door. “Have you ever walked across floating stones? I can’t wait to show you how.”
Chapter 10
Jaime ran into Beacon’s home, firmly slammed the door behind him, and went to the living room to sit on the couch. Fidgeting, he held the journal and stroked the cover. It was Jaime’s gift from his uncle, not his host families.
“Uncle Kris’s is a good man. How could they question him? How could they accuse him?”
Beacon came in with a small tray of snacks, placed it on the table, and sat in his armchair as if nothing unusual had occurred.
“What can help you with?” Beacon asked gently. He wasn’t surprised Kris’s journal raised suspicion.
Jaime slowly released the journal from his chest, where he’d been clutching it. He took a deep breath and handed it to Beacon; the page opened to the Outer Plateaus.
“They said it was a secret language. Why did he draw it down? He wasn’t allowed.”
“I see,” Beacon replied, intrigued. “Tell me more.”
“They said there’s a woman, Sylvia, who lives out there. That she’s... magical. Selfish. Dangerous. I should stay away from her because she can talk to wolves and other animals. She can make things happen.”
“Then Paul defended her. He said Sylvia saved him from a storm. It wasn’t true she used bad magic. His brother pushed him and yelled ‘stay away from that woman.’ They were going to start fighting, but Caroline stepped in.”
“Caroline said Sylvia was an orphan, that she had to learn to survive out there. The magic was in the place she grew up. We shouldn’t judge her. After she said that, Caroline looked at me and winked. I think she wanted to let me think everything was okay. It wasn’t.”
Nearly shaking, Jaime suddenly yelled at Beacon. “Did Uncle Kris do something? What happened? They accused him of...of.... Well, I don’t know. Making the world go wrong,” he exclaimed. “They just kept talking about Sylvia and her magic. They wanted an explanation.”
Beacon sat in silence, then said, “I see. That’s interesting.”
“What did he do?” Jaime yelled.
Beacon turned to Jaime and looked him in the eye. “He fell in love, deeply in love with Sylvia.”
“Kris was found at the bottom of the Divide. He’d fallen down a very steep cliff and was unable to move. He had broken bones. He was starving, barely conscious. Sylvia’s wolves found him and carried him on the stretcher to her Inn. He was weak, hanging on to life by a thread.
“Sylvia cared for him. Kris stayed with her and recovered. He had broken bones from the fall. He was convinced he’d gone insane and was a mad man with nothing to offer. He was a total mess.
“He left and went back to your world, but the idea of leaving Sylvia broke his heart. He returned to spend more time with her.”
Jaime sat in silence, lay back on the couch, and took a deep breath.
“Shall we take a walk, James?” Beacon grabbed a lightweight wrap and instructed Jaime to follow him across the stones to the upper fields. They walked through the flowing white grasses and towards a lookout on the high plateau. Jaime turned to Beacon, wide-eyed and anxious.
“Who is my uncle? I don’t understand. He was my favorite person and made me feel safe. My life revolved around the days we spent at Grandma’s. His stories and all the love I remember were from here, right? Mom always said he was at the office.”
“He was at the office for many, many years,” Beacon said. “Every single day he worked long hours. He looked forward to your wonderful vacations too. Not surprisingly, he burned out from his demanding job and just then, he was summoned here.
Tahendra walked down the hallway to the kitchen and heard Maureen talking to her dad.
“I am not inviting her here. No way. I detest that girl,” Maureen told Joe.
“Oh, come on, be friends with those kids. I want to know more about them. Why are they here? What is Beacon doing?”
“They’re just tourists on vacation with a relative.”
“I’m not convinced,” Joe said.
Tahendra hid in the shadows, not knowing know what to say. She didn’t understand why Maureen was so upset with Kassara.
Tahendra thought back to the game of horseshoes they’d played earlier. Sam got a leaner—his horseshoe leaned against the stake. Kassara said they were worth two points. That was the rule on Earth. Maureen had insisted a leaner didn’t count at all in Kalendra. It was the same as a miss. She and Jaime were doing a terrible job. Maureen had missed the sandpit completely on her last throw and lost another horseshoe in the tall grass. It was awkward. Kassara didn’t know what to say.
“We can reorganize the teams for the next game,” Kassara offered, trying to be helpful. “That might make a better match.”
Maureen had glared at her. “That means I might be stuck on your team. No thanks.”
Tahendra hadn’t expected this. Why was Maureen so angry? Kassara avoided Maureen and hung out with Sam and Jaime.
Kassara stepped up for her turn. Her horseshoe flew and rang the stake. It landed right on target, knocking Sam’s leaner out of the points and perfectly circled the stake. “Not a problem anymore,” she said. Her second shoe landed right on top of the first. She felt she’d stood up to the injustice. Maureen seethed as the other players cheered Kassara on.
Chapter 11
Beacon bowed deeply in his formal white wizard robes tied with a satin sash of bright teal. His curly salt-and-pepper hair and stubbled beard were freshly trimmed. He had dressed for the occasion. He followed Sam up the spiral staircase to the crystal seating area that overlooked rolling hills as far as the eye could see. The elegant structure provided protection from the wind and showed views into Kalendra’s Upper Realms, a land within the clouds. He gestured for Sam to make himself at home. Overlooking fields and valleys, Sam felt like he was sitting on a throne. It was the most formal meeting space he’d ever been invited to join.
“How are you, Sam? What do you think of Kalendra? That hike from the Wenderfaren Valley was brutal, yes?”
“I don’t think I’m supposed to be here,
Beacon,” Sam said, looking down at his hands, fidgeting. “I mean, I loved being in the Wenderfaren Valley. It was colorful and relaxing.”
“When we hiked here,” Sam continued, “I was hit by those Winds of Dooms you talked about. It was terrible. In my head my dad screamed at me. It was like I was four years old and relived his temper all over again. He said I always messed up, I can’t follow directions and I’m stupid.” Sam looked over at Beacon. “Dads got a short temper, and he likes to throw a punch.”
Beacon looked at Sam thoughtfully. “Did anything else happen?” he asked gently.
Sam looked down. “Yeah. I was hiding under my bed. Daddy came home, slammed the door, and the wall shook. Things fell and hit the floor in the other room. I was scared he was gonna come punish me again.” Sam looked at his hands.
Beacon listened and nodded thoughtfully. “I’m sorry you had those experiences, Sam. Thank you for telling me.”
Beacon and Sam sat in silence for a few minutes.
“I grew up in a house that wasn’t fair either. May I tell you my crazy story just in case it helps? It might.” Beacon asked. “If nothing else, you’ll know where I’m coming from.”
Sam looked over at Beacon and nodded.
“My mom wasn’t well. She couldn’t take care of us. We lived with my auntie and my cousin who was my age. Auntie was the self-appointed judge of a never-ending competition between my cousin and me. Cousin was the eternal winner. I got cast as the eternal loser. There was nothing I could do to change it. I tried everything, but nothing worked.”
“If I did well or received outside acknowledgement, I was punished terribly. I was literally expected to lose every single time, by Auntie, by cousin and by my mom.” Beacon looked to Sam. “That was a tall order, yes? I believed it must be true, even though I knew better. I was angry because it wasn’t fair.”
Sam looked at Beacon in surprise. “What happened, Beacon?”
Magic Invitation: Kalendra Chronicles Book One Page 5