The treatment to heal from the Blue Montis, coupled with letting go of her past scars, changed everything for Tahendra. That gnawing feeling of unworthiness lessened. As Beacon had promised, it needed to be acknowledged and heard.
Overlooking the beautiful lake from her sanctuary room, Tahendra stared into the lake. A peace began to grow in her, as if a new spirit had arrived to welcome her home. Optimism replaced fear.
Chapter 21
With Jaime and Tahendra recovered, the four left Ivy’s Healing Sanctuary of the Waterlands and began their trek through the forest. After hiking for several hours, the clearing opened wide before them.
“The Falls! We’re finally here,” Tahendra said dancing a little dance. “We found the turning point. You see,” she explained to Sam, who was right beside her, “I had a dream about coming to the Crystal Falls. I’m not sure if it was a dream or not, come to think of it. The Maiden spoke to me. She said once you arrived at the Crystal Falls there’s no turning back. Not because you couldn’t if you wanted to, but because the magic deepens, and things change. See that cliff up there? Is that Wizandor Village?”
Sam nodded, happy to see Tahendra animated again. As spacey and crazy as she’d been over the past few days, she was back to herself. If she didn’t know if her dream was real or where she talked to the Maiden, that was fine with Sam. He couldn’t tell the difference half the time either.
“Can we camp right here? That’s so far up there, but I want to stop, dance, sing, and swim,” Tahendra said. “That would be wonderful. What about you?”
Kassara and Jaime arrived. Ooo wow. That gives me goose bumps,” Kassara said. “Is that a city or a cliff?”
Kassara dropped her pack next to Sam and Tah’s.
“It’s Wizandor Village. I know it in my bones. I had a dream, I think...” Tah said as her voice trailed off.
“I’ll bet you did,” Kassara said, giving her friend a big hug. “These are healing waters, Tah. You already knew that. So pure. I want to set up camp with this view too.”
“Me too.” Tah jumped and giggled. “And I want to swim here. I want to be serenaded by beautiful music. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I am so happy to feel good again.”
The four set up camp. Everyone had their eye on Tah. Her enthusiasm was contagious. After seeing how sick she had been, they would do whatever she wanted.
Tahendra imagined an orchestra and began to hum a song. She looked and saw a violinist, whom she acknowledged by bowing her head. The violinist began to play. The four sat in complete awe and enjoyed every moment of her performance.
They set up their tents and cooked a meal on their small stove. Tahendra asked the violinist to play dance music. As she did, the four danced to the music and swam.
“So, Tah, about the violinist. How did you do that?” Jaime asked. “What else can we do?”
“Good question,” Tah said. “I think if we use our intentions, we can do a lot.”
In the morning, Sam looked up from his warm sleeping bag. Light streamed through the trees above him. He took a deep breath of fresh air and released it slowly. The more he focused on simple things—like deliberately exhaling—the calmer he became. His anxiety had diminished and his mind was clearer when it was time to make decisions.
Colors accompanied the light. He loved to see the yellow, orange, and red beams flow through the trees. The Crystalline Forest was the most awe-inspiring place Sam had ever been. It reminded him of the banks of light at a rock concert.
Hunger stirred in his belly as he heard Jaime up and cooking something delicious on the stove. The steam rose as water boiled. Sam’s senses blew him away. How did the world get to be this magical? He reveled in his experience but didn’t understand what had changed.
He climbed out of his sleeping bag and walked over to Jaime. “Thank you, man. I appreciate it.”
“Yeah, of course,” Jaime replied. Sam looked at Jaime intensely.
“I wonder what it’s like to be you,” Sam said.
Jaime broke into a broad smile. “I don’t know. What’s it like to be you?”
The two laughed.
The four travelers headed up the trail to the Wizandor Village A few hours later they needed to plan their strategy for getting through the difficult part of the Crystalline Forest and decide what to do if they got separated.
“Tea service?” Jaime announced. A stone table and chairs sprung from the ground and a piping pot of tea and four cups appeared in the center of the table.
“Where did the seating come from?” Kassara asked.
“Kris told me that a cup of tea goes a long way to finding a solution. I thought I’d give it a try. It’s like Tah’s violinist yesterday. I found another map of this place. It’s detailed, and I practically need a magnifying glass. Maybe you could lend your incredible vision, Kassara? This might take a minute to sort out,” Jaime said. “Besides, Kelne said we need to keep going if we get lost so I thought we should all look at this together before we go through the Crystalline Forest, just in case.”
Kassara studied the map carefully. “Look here,” she said, pointing at the bottom edge of the map. “It looks like there’s a hidden gem trail that goes off this way.” With her finger she pointed to the mark. Then she followed the map to a place that looked different than the rest. “What kind of a trail is this? What would a gem trail look like?”
Do you have a gemstone of some kind?” Kassara asked. “Maybe the gems open the trail and make it more visible.”
“What does the map say, Kassara? I don’t know why, but I have a hunch there is more than one trail. Does Kris say how he opened it?”
“I got Jaime to the healing center by going to a Messenger Trail and pleading for help,” Sam said. “I stood right where the telltale signs of the trail were, then I asked. I said it was urgent. And the trail opened.
“There’s no trails here on this map,” Kassara said. “Just the name.”
That doesn’t mean there are no hidden Messenger Trails,” Tahendra said.
“Sam,” Kassara said. “You have a small stone on your knife. Obsidian or something? That little black-looking pearl. Uncle Kris gave it to you and said you’d need it. Let’s get all the gemstones together.”
“My amethyst necklace,” Tah said. She unzipped a small pouch in the top of her pack and put her necklace on.
“What do you have, Jaime? I saw turquoise somewhere,” Kassara exclaimed.
“Where’s your bracelet, Kassara?” Tah said.
“I don’t know where I put it. It might be in my sleeping bag,” Kassara said. “What else does Kris show in his map? She grabbed the map one more time to take a closer look. “Wait, there’s a turquoise trail. It wasn’t there before. It’s different from the amethyst one. They go to the same place, though.” Kassara found her bracelet and slipped it on. “How do we open them?”
Teatime ended as quickly as it began. The tea, table and seating vanished.
Jaime turned the page for more detail. “I think we take different trails.”
“Messenger Trails. I see,” Tah explained. “Everyone get your gemstone ready. Let’s touch the gems together. Are you ready? I think we’ll open the Messenger Trails.”
As they held their gemstones in their hands, the trails opened, each color-coded to match the gemstone colors.
“Well, well, look what we have here? Earthlings.”
Tah recognized Charles’s voice coming up the trail.
Each ran into their own trail, clutching their gemstones. They ran as fast as they could.
“Oh darn.” They heard Charles’s voice.
When they came out of the Messenger Trails, they met up, just as Kris’s map had indicated.
“What was that creepy voice?” Sam said.
“Charles,” Tah said. “When I was at Maureen’s house it felt like he was covered in greasy ooze. Later, if I thought back on the experience, I felt sick and foggy. He’s definitely bad news. We’ll need all the training Beacon gave us, a
nd then some. I’m not sure what magic Charles is capable of. Let’s find out when we get to the Wizandor Village. Certainly, our advisers know.
“Better keep going,” Kassara said. “It looks like it gets tricky up here. This is the place Kelne told us to keep going if we get separated and meet at the village, or at least above the crystal staircase.”
Chapter 22
They stood before an elegant forest stairway. It was completely enclosed in crystal, with light filtering through it. The staircase had a waterfall flowing down it. But they could avoid the water by staying on the stones near the edge.
“You remember Kelne’s advice. If we get separated, keep going. Just a reminder,” Tahendra said.
Jaime and Sam took a step forward to check out the edge of the waterfall pool near where the girls stood. They had to walk through the water to get to the bottom of the waterfall steps. When they were nearly there, both vanished from sight as if into thin air.
Kassara and Tahendra stood transfixed. They couldn’t believe Jaime and Sam were gone, until they saw a very thin crystal wall of crystal the two had stepped behind. Tahendra saw a life-sized puzzle before her, then walked directly across the pool to the bottom of the waterfall. From here her view of the waterfall changed. The waterfall steps were still here, but other passageways also opened. The sun streamed through the Crystalline canopy and made it harder to navigate. Bright lights made pathways look viable, until they came to a dead end. The light through the crystallized canopy also made optical illusions.
Tahendra decided to walk straight up the waterfall. It seemed the most direct staircase to take, even if it was hard to walk against the current.
“Tah,” Kassara called aloud. “I found a way.”
Silence. She turned to see her friend.
“I found a way,” she repeated.
Silence.
At the base of the waterfall, Kassara felt as if she had stepped into another world. Kelne said navigating this place would take courage, likely they each had a different path to follow to get through because the magic held in those crystals was powerful and disorienting.
Sam was alone. He had hit many dead ends and the space frustrated him. He had no idea how to
get through. He liked the Gemstone and Messenger Trails. They were his preferred method.
He stood, wondering about the best way ... If calling for tea gave them seating and food, how else could this place serve him? He remembered Beacon’s advice. When you begin to think about your thoughts ... you get to make choices. He closed his eyes as if Beacon were with him, and took three deep breaths, exhaling as if through a straw. He felt more centered.
“A passage of light please,” Sam suddenly announced. “I’m on my way to the Wizandor Village with friends. I need a glowing messenger trail past these falls to the trail above.”
Sam hoped it worked. He had no idea if there was a secret passage that would take him out of this waterfall canyon, but why not ask? A red glowing Messenger Trail opened before him.
As Sam stepped into the trail, he decided he was tired of feeling anxious for no reason. Instead, he’d feel happy for no reason, another one of Beacon’s suggestions when they were planting the garden of thoughts in Sam’s mind.
Walking through the messenger trail, Sam bypassed the waterfall altogether.
Tahendra found a second path up the forest steps, then turned to go back to the main pool so she could meet up with Kassara before continuing. When she turned around, the pool below was replaced by columns of light and the path was blocked. The water flowed through, but she couldn’t go back down. She tried to push against the crystal pillars, but they didn’t budge. She remembered Kelne instructions. Don’t leave one another’s side. This is a tricky place to navigate. When you do get separated, continue with confidence. He knew they had no chance to get through this place together.
She stood before columns of light; large crystalline walls surrounding her. A familiar figure stood across from her, the dark, sleek shadow body of Sohm.
“We meet again, Tahendra. The Blue Montis didn’t go as far as Charles intended, thank goodness. You must be careful to avoid poisonous stones,” he said, as he bowed towards her. “So glad you’re here.”
“What do you mean it didn’t go far enough?” Tahendra asked indignantly.
“Charles wanted you disposed of completely,” Sohm said. “He cannot have people see through him for the selfish uncaring jerk he really is. He’s the man whose wealth and collections required dismantling sacred sites throughout Kalendra. He has used or taken a great deal of the moon energy and covered his tracks. He’s left a terrible mess behind; that is why the earthquakes are getting worse. Talk to your shaman Marty about meridians and do it right away.
“The ancient people placed markers at important points throughout the planet to keep the world strong, to keep the Shaman Moon strong,” Sohm continued. “The shaman respected the properties of this land and its surrounding universe. Those meridians were connected to the moon energies. The only way to recover that energy is by finding the meridians that have been dismantled and repairing them. Do not underestimate Charles. He damaged the meridians deep in the earth so there’s no outward sign. He did it to eliminate the magic, something he cannot tolerate. He is determined to destroy them all.”
“He’s damaging the Meridians to hurt the magic and the moons?” Tah asked. “What does he want?”
“You will never understand him because you love people and care. You want to make a difference. Not all feel that way. Choosing to make a positive difference requires awareness and integrity. He has neither.
“Charles resents people. Winning, or making others lose is all that matters to him. His greatest pleasure is harming others while they cheer for him. That way, he wins twice. It’s a disgusting game. Public opinion has turned against him now and he can’t have that. So, he must create a new story. Occasionally he’ll do something well regarded for cover. He can talk about it endlessly when his integrity in questioned. Believe me, that is often.”
“Would someone who cares about the greater good choose to build anything if the side effects included destroying the planet? Guaranteed disaster? Poison for the people? Do not allow him to take more of the crystals near the Divide. That is your number-one assignment. Those are amongst the most essential of all. I implore you, Tahendra. It cannot happen. That is what he is eyeing.”
“At dinner on your first night here, he called them the Divided Wastelands, remember? One of his little Bog villages for people to commiserate is already there.”
“You were there?”
“Of course. You need a guardian and witness even if I can’t physically intervene. Especially in that house. When I realized Misty had selected that home for you, I watched closely. We were lucky Maureen was there. Although she didn’t know it, she brought you right to me in the room called the Cockpit of Time.
“Maureen saved your life,” Sohm continued. “She kept Kassara out of that house and may have saved hers as well. Kassara’s nearly your equal in moon energy. Her strong moon energy comes from her world. It’s foreign, more challenging to navigate. She may have similar strengths to yours. Time will tell.
“I wonder what Maureen really thought when she intervened on my behalf. I appreciate she saw a game and played. Fast thinking,” Tahendra said.
“You are a guardian of the moon? A brother,” Tah said. “How did you come to me?”
“Energy Trails. I follow your energy because we match. You have the pure energy of a moon child. It’s easy for me to remain in contact and keep track of your well-being. Having you as a translator to those who can help makes all the difference. Thank you for that.”
Sohm’s shadow body moved across the space. “I’m not sure you understand just how dire the situation is,” he said. “If he breaks three more significant meridians, the planet will move into chaos. We won’t have time to fix it.”
“A garden to feed the world, my ass. Such an idea gets suppor
t because it sounds like it will benefit people. When it breaks under the weight of reality, the consequences for everyone are at hand. By then he will have slipped away with whatever treasure he could amass. This project is his most dangerous yet.”
“Why can Charles and Maureen touch the Blue Montis, and I cannot?” Tahendra asked.
“They were not born on full moon or at the solstice. The night you were born it was an exceedingly rare event called a Cold Moon. Clear. Pure. That moon magic is in your blood. A rare few are ever invited into that fold of moon child, Tahendra. Triple full moon near the Tatosh meridian. Powerful. It gives you more capability and responsibility than you can imagine. I promise you that. Geography matters. The place of your birth is significant in Kalendra. Walenda will show you what you need to do. I consult with her also. She is like you, your moon sister.”
“Charles was trying to kill me with the Blue Montis? What can I do?”
“Well, for now the poison is gone from your bloodstream. Master Marty got it all. I checked myself. While he was at it, he added more protection against poisonous stones. Your best defense now is to move fast. Tell those you trust what’s happening with the earthquakes. Think intuitively so Charles won’t guess your next move. That will buy you time. Avoid the Bogs.”
“What you need, Tahendra,” Sohm said calmly, “is to trust yourself. Do people tell you that all day? They should. You are perfect as you are. Kind. Honest. Smart. Committed. The training here exists to help you believe in yourself. Find a simple way to stretch your confidence every day,” he said. “You can and you must. By the way, Tahendra, I do quite enjoy these conversations.”
Magic Invitation: Kalendra Chronicles Book One Page 10