Magic Invitation: Kalendra Chronicles Book One

by Barbara Ferrier

  Tahendra stepped toward Sohm, where he was sitting on a stone across from her.

  “I don’t want to let people down,” she said.

  “Then don’t trip over them. Lead so they’re not in your way. That is why you are here. To lead. They are here to help or step aside.”

  “What else do I need to avoid?” Tahendra said. “How do we prevail?”

  “Good question. Right now, because of Charles’s meridian destruction program, everything is urgent. He has already moved a key pillar, broken it off deep in the ground. We need that one restored. Nothing more taken. Do you understand?” Sohm said. “You must become seamless in the Messenger Trails. Learn from Sam. He’s got magic, Tahendra. Help him trust it. Let him teach you.” Sohm sounded like a proud father.

  “Kassara can heal the meridians, I’m certain,” Sohm said. “She learns fast. Marty can help.” He bowed.

  Sohm was gone. The river steps were back as they had been when she arrived. As her mind swam in Sohm’s words, Tahendra thought about getting to the village on the ridge quickly. She stood in the water as it flowed down on her, imagining it to be the most healing liquid she had ever encountered. Tahendra felt strong. She walked directly up the Crystalline Forest steps.

  Tahendra, Kassara Sam and Jaime met on the trail above the Crystalline Steps waterfall near the sign to Wizandor Village. The four acknowledged one another and got their bearings. The first big gust hit. It nearly knocked Tahendra over.

  “Wow. Look at those clouds. We better get out of here now.” Jaime said.

  Tahendra looked at the sky. Lightning flashed, and a rumble followed shortly after. She looked down into the canyon before them.

  I think we’re about to see how that riverbed was made.” Kassara said, pointing down the cliff face to the river. “Where do we go?”

  “Way ahead of you,” said Sam, quickly running past her. “I found a shelter inside the cliff when I was waiting for you to catch up. I figured out how to get there.”

  Sam ran up the ridge trail, then pointed to a short staircase that led them to the entry point. They followed.

  The room went deep inside the cliff. It was complete with a small firepit and comfortable seating. From the room inside the cliff wall, they could see up and down the river.

  “Thank you, Sam,” said Tahendra. “Awesome you found this place.”

  The four stashed their packs and made themselves comfortable. They looked out and saw the first large drops of rain fall.

  A huge lightning bolt flashed, and fingers spread out across the sky. They heard loud, angry thunder that rocked the canyon. Birds overhead flew into a cave across the canyon. Jaime stared at the black-and-white-feathered birds.

  The rains raged as lightning bolts lit the sky. Color everywhere. Even the rain was colorful.

  “Thank you, Sam,” Kassara said.

  The rain poured into the small riverbed, and water rose along the cliff walls. “Flash flood,” Jaime said. “I’ve heard about those. But I’ve never seen one before. So glad we’re way up here.”

  “Wow,” Kassara said. “There’s something different about today and this storm. I can feel it in my bones, but I can’t put my finger on it. Do you know what I mean?” Tahendra nodded.

  Jaime looked across to the birds, huddled together for warmth, their beaks tucked safely into their feathers. The bird on watch paid close attention to the storm.

  “I wonder what it’s like for them,” Jaime said.

  The storm passed and the four continued up the trail towards the Wizandor Village.

  “Wait a minute. That’s familiar,” Jaime said. Tahendra took the journal out of Jaime’s pack and opened it to a drawing in the book. The page was titled “Crystalline Falls. It says here: the home of the Easy Stone (They’re called Sajilo Stones, but it means easy.) They make your day go smoothly. Always something important to carry when there’s a lot of uncertainty.

  The four looked at one another and agreed they should find some.

  Tahendra knelt by the stream first and put her hand into the water to grab a Sajilo Stone. Shock waves reverberated through her arm and she saw a face in the water looking up at her. It smiled and winked.

  “What ...?”

  She immediately sat back, then tried to remember where she’d seen that face before. Her mind was blank. She leaned forward again and examined the river, then got down on her knees again and reached into the water.

  Sam was watching his friend, surprised by the effort involved in picking a small blue stone out of the river. Kassara watched Tahendra’s every move.

  The pulse came back more mildly. She opened her eyes and saw the face more clearly. “Are you the Maiden of the Forest?” she asked softly.

  “I am here to take care of you. Please, take my Sajilo Stone. I will help when you carry my special stones. I will keep you strong. Please carry them in your travels.” The woman’s face vanished. Tahendra reached down, wanting to take the most perfect stone she could. This, she knew, would provide magical help for the days to come.

  Sam and Kassara watched Tahendra closely. She stood up, holding her small stone in her hand. When she turned to look at them, her eyes were larger, opened wider than before. They looked at one another, each feeling nervous. It was Jaime’s turn next.

  Jaime nearly skipped down to the stream. He was going to get a lucky stone to make his life easier. Easy stones, he remembered Uncle Kris telling him. He’d wanted one of these his whole life.

  As he knelt, the water filled with mystery. Shadows hung in the light. Something was different here. The beautiful teal-blue stones reached out to him. “Pick me. Pick me,” they called. They looked closer to the surface now. Was it okay to take more than one, he wondered? Jaime closed his eyes, deciding to let the river help him choose.

  After Jaime and Tahendra experienced the power of the Sajilo Stone from the Crystalline Falls, Sam walked to the edge of the stream and saw an opalescent blue stone below the water’s surface. He was instantly awed. He put his hand in the water, said thanks under his breath and lifted the small stone.

  Sam’s felt a rush of strength that began at the base of his spine and flowed all the way up to his brain. He looked at his hands in excitement. Sam was fully awake and alive like he had never felt before. Everything felt easy and effortless. He clenched the stone hard in his hand.

  Sam looked over to Jaime and Tahendra, still in conversation about the meaning of these stones. He heard them from a distance.

  “This is perfect timing,” Jaime said. “That was a brutal storm back there. And that waterfall in the crystal cave … was hard. Flanders said he avoids the Crystalline Forest because there’s too much magic. Now I understand.”

  “Can you feel your stone?” Tahendra said. “I think these raise our confidence.”

  Sam agreed with Tahendra’s words. He wanted to have this feeling forever. Life felt easy finally. Was it really because he had picked up an opalescent blue stone?

  Back on the trail, Kassara and Tahendra rounded the corner and found Kelne relaxing on a log at the riverbed, wearing his wizard whites. He beckoned the two girls to come and sit by him.

  “We made it, but that was hard.” Tahendra said. “From Crystal Falls it looked like a trek, but I didn’t expect the Crystalline Forest.” Sam and Jaime arrived next.

  “The Crystalline Forest came into being over centuries,” Kelne said. “Or longer. The land was fertile, and trees grew fast. Once they fell, the logs began to crystallize. But before they did, they were so fertile saplings grew in the bark. As those young trees grew and became top heavy, they also toppled. So now there are layers of crystallized logs that are built up, on top of one other, a bit randomly.

  Inside the Crystalline Forest, rivers flow, like the staircase you took. Small valleys are alive and hidden beneath layers of the forest. Some regions of the forest hold private residences and communities. There’s plenty of life and plants grow too. The light shines through many layers of crystal, making it p
ossible to see near the bottom of the old forest.

  “I was inside an optical illusion,” Jaime said. “So many dead ends. Now I understand.”

  “Where have you been?” Kassara asked Kelne.

  “Visiting Walenda. She has a large project she needs your help with. There is a ruin called the Blue Cliff Basin. She’ll need your skills, I suspect. Have you two been doing your tasks and becoming proficient with your new skills?”

  “How did you know?” Kassara said. “I’ve been expanding my knowledge about the plants as I go, keeping some roots, leaves and stones in my pack. We have a first aid kid.”

  Kelne smiled. “I’m sure you have, Kassara. Tahendra, I trust, is learning what it means to be a moon child.” She nodded.

  “I spoke with Sohm again. On the Crystalline Forest Steps, he came to me.”

  “Good. You’ll be at Wizandor Village soon. It’s time for you to meet your whole team. When we arrive, please tell the team what Sohm has told you. The village is at the top of this cliff. I’ve made certain everyone is there. The Crystalline Forest is magnificent, isn’t it? Quite magical. You’ve done well. Allow yourselves to have more fun. These trails are only for the courageous.

  “I will see you up there. Must go quickly to make sure everything is in order.”

  Chapter 23

  The four made their way to the top of the trail. Wizandor Village was built into the tall stone cliff. Two stone pillars stood on either side of a large arched doorway. Across the square was a tall crystal clock tower.

  When they got closer to the entrance, Tahendra saw a narrow passage, which she assumed was the servants’ entrance. Once inside she saw geometric designs carved in the walls of the town square. The carvings here were identical to the ones on Kris’s bridge on Earth. Tahendra couldn’t believe what an exquisite medieval village had been built directly into the cliffs.

  The main town square was elegant inside with cathedral like ceilings. There was an intimate restaurant right in the center. A couple was seated at a table, looking appropriately dressed for a fine occasion. The woman was beautiful. Tahendra immediately recognized Kris waiting with her. In a new hat too. This must be his sweetie Sylvia. Jaime said he’d fallen in love. She couldn’t wait to meet his friend.

  Tahendra motioned to Kassara. The two girls were still wearing their packs and hadn’t yet cleaned up.

  “Kris. It’s so good to see you here,” they said together.

  Kris stood. “Oh, thankfully you found us.” Then, under his breath, he said, “Just between you and I, Charles has been spotted.” Tahendra and Kassara looked at each other. Kris said to Sylvia, “Tah, here, had a very low tolerance for Charles.” Sylvia smiled and nodded at the two young women, extending her hand to each.

  “Our seating is a bit cryptic. If he arrives, we don’t want him to see either of you. Apparently Kassara, he’s quite interested in you. Be on the lookout, ready to protect yourself.”

  Tahendra urgently stepped closer to Sylvia and Kris. “I need to tell everyone, so I’ll begin with you. Charles is destroying the meridians within the planet. It looked like he was just looting the old carvings from the ancestors, but he’s disconnecting important meridians that keep Kalendra aligned with the moons. He’s harnessing that energy. If he keeps breaking them, The Shaman Moon will fail. We must stop him.

  “My moon brother Sohm implored me to get the word out as fast as I could. I don’t know what else to do. He said the meridians will soon be destroyed beyond repair. If three more are broken, it will irrevocably damage Kalendra. We can repair some of them he assured me. He was able to create a sort of map with his hands on the cliff wall. I will write it down as soon as I change. He said the most essential thing we needed to do was prevent the Divide from being mined by Charles and Joe.

  “At dinner on the first night, Joe and Charles told me they planned to cut sheets of crystal out of the hills or take slices of crystal near the Divide. That was before Charles threw a Blue Montis at me. I had responded kindly, saying how wonderful he was making a chandelier to hang in the sky and grow enough food for all the people.”

  “That makes sense,” Sylvia said. “That the meridians under deconstruction are causing the earthquakes,” Sylvia said. “Count on me to put together a squad of shaman who can work within the earth’s crust and find points of weakness. I think I know some wolves who can find the broken meridians.”

  “Thank you,” Tahendra said.

  “Kris, please tell everyone you know. There isn’t time to lose,” she said. He nodded.

  “Our plan is to go through by the Divide on the way to the Full Moon Ceremony,” Kassara said. “We’re planning to cross the Moonbridge, although I have to say we’ve had no training. We have no clue how.”

  “You’re going to be okay,” Kris said. “That you have safely arrived here is testament to both of your strength. Thank you for translating Sohm’s words. Meridian destruction program—I will remember that and spread the word.”

  Kassara and Tahendra ran to change for dinner so they wouldn’t look out of place in the nice restaurant.

  Walenda and Jasmine and Marty joined the others to celebrate the accomplishments of the travelers. They’d made it through the Crystalline Forest without incident, and that was significant. They’d each acquired some magic since leaving Beacon’s Village. The travelers were surprised and humbled that people arrived to celebrate on their behalf. Food flowed across the tables and satisfied everyone’s hunger and thirst. Roasts, vegetables they hadn’t known before, and incredible desserts filled the tables.

  Tahendra stood at the end of the table to speak to the group, knowing she might not have time otherwise to relay Sohm message.

  “Thank you so much for having us here, Beacon and Kelne. Our short vacation has turned into a mission. I understand how much you need our help. I didn’t understand the moon and its energies in Kalendra, but I’m starting to,” Tahendra said to the people at the tables.

  “I am here to translate my moon brother’s words. His name is Sohm, and he has come to speak with me since my arrival here. As you know he’s watched over Kalendra’s lands and the Shaman Moon for centuries. This afternoon, in the Crystalline Forest, he told me the meridians throughout our land are stressed. Many have been broken, mostly by development and harvesting. Some were broken deliberately. Shaman Moon is becoming weaker. To help her we must repair the meridians immediately. We likely need a few teams.

  “If you know one or two people that might be able to help, please reach out to them,” she continued. “As the meridians are repaired, it will calm the earthquakes. Thank you.”

  Tahendra thought for a moment. “Sohm emphasized protecting lands near the Divide. That is his request. Thank you. We,” she said referring to her friends, “are all willing to help in any way we can, but we don’t know the land here as you do.”

  Kelne stood to acknowledge Tahendra’s words.

  “Thank you so much, Tahendra. I appreciate each word. Sohm, your moon brother, is in our hearts,” he said. “Thank you for speaking up. Now I would like to propose a toast.” He raised his glass. “To our travelers. You came to Kalendra to find your magic. You’ve each had great success and I salute every one of you. It’s difficult. Believe me, I know. Now that your gifts are beginning to show, each of you will acquire more superpowers.

  “Tahendra, we’ve witnessed, can translate from the moon realm so our planet may remain strong. Thank you, Tahendra.”

  They each raised their goblets. “Tahendra,” they said in unison.

  “Kassara is becoming a more gifted healer by the day. Thank you for your help at Ivy’s. I believe more than one of your comrades has become stronger because of your gifts.”

  The goblets again raised. “Kassara.”

  “Sam can get around fast. My man of the Messenger Trails, I salute your growing wisdom. For those who haven’t heard, Sam opened an ancient messenger trail in the heart of the Crystalline Forest Steps. It had been dormant for centuries
. Good job Sam,” Kelne raised his cup.

  They clinked their goblets with the surrounding tables. “Sam,” they said together.

  “Jaime, I’ve known you since the day I accompanied your uncle to Earth. To have you here is a breath of fresh air. I am proud to watch you choose your own path. Providing all of us with a detailed documentation in that sketch book of yours gives strength to the journey. It will make a difference. Thank you.”

  “To Jaime,” they all said with a toast. Jaime nodded.

  “Be aware, a large Bog village run for Charles, Joe and the Chancellor is in the valley beneath us. You’ll pass it on your way to the Moonbridge. Please do not get snagged. You are each exactly where you need to be … and you need to be forewarned it’s ridiculously easy to get stuck in the Bog. Do your best.”

  He faced them silently and looked each traveler in the eye. Kelne’s expression was the most serious they’d seen.

  “I implore you,” Kelne emphasized, “if you get stuck there, turn your cynicism meter to high. Be impatient and find an exit. You are on a mission that cannot be interfered with. Do not attempt to please the Grizzled Queen. Got it? Her superpower is to control people through their fears and coerce them into working for her. Once snagged, people desperately try to make her happy, but to no avail. Don’t be fooled.”

  The four travelers nodded but didn’t understand why he was so stern. After all, why would they get stuck in the Bog?

  “We will see you tomorrow for the Full Moon Ceremony and the Moonbridge Crossing. Meet us at the Gabriella Passage” Kelne said.

  Dinner felt like a return to normalcy. Sitting with Kris again made all the difference. They felt at home. The travelers stood at the table, and knew it was time to go. The seating, tables and food were cleared instantly.