The Secret of Namana (The Arnaka Saga Book 2)

by Lucia Ashta

  “The tribe questioned whether Sky Elk was cursed or blessed because the gods took special notice of her, sparing her from the sickness while taking her parents. Our parents saw the beauty in Sky Elk’s spirit and decided she was blessed. She was born on the same day as Swift Horse, and our parents took it as a sign from the gods. They adopted her when she was still very young.

  “As Swift Horse and Sky Elk grew up together, they began to resemble each other. Until, one day, they looked as if they had shared our mother’s womb. It was magic. They were twins destined from the skies.

  “But their yellow eyes had always been identical, even from birth. They were born into magic, from the start.”

  Elena and Marco were grateful for Sitting Bear’s unusual depth of detail. Enraptured, they listened to him, mesmerized by the life he was painting for them. They were relieved at knowing how they had become twins yet another time, in this instance as Swift Horse and Sky Elk.

  The information had surprised Sitting Bear. He hadn’t realized he remembered so much from his life as Thunder Gods until he spoke aloud.

  With the enormity of it all vividly playing through their minds, the three light warriors stared into the sparking and sputtering fire until it faded into glowing embers. And even after the darkness swallowed the glow, they continued, hypnotized by the memory of the dancing flames that reminded them of the magic of this and other worlds.

  22 She Is the One

  The light warriors traveled swiftly through the forest, driven forward by Master Kaanra’s imploring urgency. His songs floated steadily toward Ashta, Anak, and Thom, urging them onward. After a day of this focused communication, Kaanra was exhausted, but it was imperative that the trio reach him as soon as possible. He went deep within himself to find reserves of strength, and he used these to continue.

  With Kaanra acting as a beacon, the light warriors reached him as the sun was going down with a final burst of intensity, giving its all before the sleep of night. They found the aging master silhouetted in a bright, orange fiery glow, still sitting cross-legged on his blanket. The squirrel had kept vigil with him, barely leaving Kaanra’s side in a display of rare squirrel behavior.

  We are here, Thom sang out, announcing their arrival.

  The gradual end to his singing was the only indication that Kaanra heard Thom. When only the sounds of the forest rang out—birds chirped excitedly at the descending dusk—Kaanra still did not turn to welcome them.

  Ashta and Anak, who knew the master well, noticed the subtle signs of emotion running through him. Kaanra’s back and shoulders, straight and strong all day, now slumped in uncharacteristic fashion. His effort at guiding the light warriors was worth it. A wave of relief swept through him.

  He did it. He found the tree he was destined to find, and he guided those who would fulfill the final prophecy to it. For the fate of the world to rest on the shoulders of an old man, even one so wise and strong as Kaanra, was extremely demanding, and Kaanra was pleased his part was nearing completion.

  When the light warriors were within a few body lengths of the master, they stopped, waiting a respectful distance behind him. The trio knew he was aware of their presence. Out of respect for the elder, they waited for him to be ready to greet them.

  Master Kaanra composed himself. He smiled at the squirrel, companion for a day, and said his silent farewell. The squirrel left his perch on the blanket and scampered away, instantly engulfed by the woodland camouflage.

  Kaanra uncrossed his legs and paused, stretching his numb and tingling legs out in front of him. He held the same position since morning. He witnessed his legs fall asleep, wake up, and then fall asleep again, this cycle repeating multiple times throughout the long day.

  When his legs regained their normal blood flow and the pain subsided, he stood. His body creaked and crackled. Finally stable on his feet, he turned to face those who would play such an important role in the world’s fate.

  Thom was startled to notice tears in Kaanra’s eyes. His heart leapt in response. Deprived of a caring paternal influence, Thom’s emotions became unsettled when confronted with Kaanra’s openness. He felt like crying without logical reason, and he suddenly found himself unsure of what to do next.

  But Thom did not have to do anything. Master Kaanra read his heart and stepped forward. He stood before Thom and opened his arms. It was a simple, quiet action, but it meant everything to Thom, who, in mere moments, found himself in the master’s embrace.

  Thom experienced what it was like for a father figure to care for him for the first time, and healing he had not anticipated took place in an instant. He released years of yearning for paternal love on an exhale. A stout gust of wind picked up Thom’s laden breath and carried it further into the heart of the forest. There, the forest and its creatures would cradle these emotions of their beloved Thom and then send them on their way. Ultimately, years of hurt and longing would transform into pure light, returning to the origin of all things.

  When Thom pulled away from Kaanra’s embrace, there was no awkwardness. Healing was part of the human experience. Creator designed humanity to be imperfect. The opportunity to evolve lay within the lessons gained from this imperfection.

  Hello, my son, Kaanra said. It did not matter that he and Thom had just met in the flesh. Thom already felt like a son to Kaanra. Some connections did not need linear time to establish themselves; some things just were because that is how they were meant to be.

  Thom stepped aside to allow the twins to greet the master, the one who was more like a father to them than their blood fathers had been able to be. Away from the structure of the Temple of Laresu’u Kal, Kaanra was openly enthusiastic at seeing the twins. He rushed toward them and held them both tightly.

  The twins saw their gentle master for only a few days after their previous absence from the temple before he slipped away in the dim predawn on this mission. They had missed him, and raw emotion bubbled with the intensity of everything that had happened—the attacks at the Temple of Laresu’u Kal resulting in Master Sina’s head injury and Master Tahn’s death, compounded with all the violence the twins had witnessed while they were gone from Arnaka. Ashta and Anak clutched Kaanra fiercely.

  When they finally disentangled from one another, Kaanra looked on the three youths humanity was unknowingly relying on for everything that truly mattered. They possessed the potential to revolutionize everything. They were light warriors, and the dark feared what they could do.

  With the moment of reunion properly enjoyed, it was now time for action.

  Come, my children. We have much to do, and it will soon be dark. Let us see if we can act now or if we have to wait until morning, the master said telepathically as he turned back toward the tree he had watched all day, his long, mottled braid swinging behind him.

  Kaanra touched the trunk. Then he leaned his cheek against its bark with tender gentleness. He closed his eyes. He breathed in deeply. This tree was a wise and ancient being.

  Without moving from where he was, he called out to the light warriors, She is the one. In unison, the destined ones took a step toward the tree that held the secret to it all.

  23 The Illusion of Solidity

  Master of the isle will follow the stars to it. Master of the forest will cradle it, hidden in the womb of the earth. With the golden ones, it can open the pyramids to unknown worlds. But be wary of the dark crow. If he succeeds, the world will suffer the fury of sunless night.

  Eagerly anticipated information, the twins and Thom sat with the content of Dann’s final prophecy in silence. Since they first learned of its existence several days ago, they wondered what the prophecy could possibly entail. Now that they finally knew, they pondered what it all meant. These fifty-five words carried a depth they did not readily understand.

  They sat in a circle beneath the canopy. They had naturally gravitated toward the same position and sat uniformly with their legs crossed in front of them. Master Kaanra faced the tree. Thom sat with his back to it
, nearly leaning against its trunk. Ashta and Anak sat to either side of Kaanra and Thom. The light warriors were so close to each other that they could have held hands, but they did not. There was no need. They were already intrinsically connected to one another.

  They looked at each other, at the tree, and up at the twilight sky. Whatever they needed to do with this magnificent tree—a crowning display of nature—could not be rushed. Even with the insistent threat the dark side posed, it was more important to do the right thing than to do it fast. And so the warriors held their seats among the sprawling roots while the sky of sundown transitioned into night, aware that it might mean delaying any action until morning’s light.

  Now that Master Kaanra had shared the content of Dann’s final prophecy with Thom and the twins, they became the only four people alive to carry this important knowledge. Had the final prophecy itself chosen the vehicles that would act on its content, it would have chosen these four people. In fact, it was the prophecy, alive in its own way, which had brought these people together.

  Repeat the prophecy for us please, Master, Anak said.

  Ashta, Anak, and Thom focused their minds so they could commit the words to memory. They could not be written. It was too dangerous. Should they fall into the wrong hands, disaster would ensue.

  Master of the isle will follow the stars to it. Master of the forest will cradle it, hidden in the womb of the earth. With the golden ones, it can open the pyramids to unknown worlds. But be wary of the dark crow. If he succeeds, the world will suffer the fury of sunless night.

  Thom and the twins accepted Master Kaanra’s conclusion that he was the “master of the isle” without question. They did not even delve into all the reasons that suggested Kaanra was indeed the one to fulfill this role. In this group, this was the most important confirmation there could be, and they all honored Kaanra’s feelings of the heart. If it were not for the ability to listen to their guidance, not one of them would be sitting there now, feeling the dark of night descend upon them like a thick blanket.

  It was curious that the final prophecy led to a tree. What could a tree hold that would be instrumental to humanity’s future wellbeing? Trees were powerful. A tree could hold almost anything, including the doman. Could it be that they would find the doman, protected and shrouded in mystery for centuries, so easily?

  The twins were surprised to learn that, like them, Kaanra did not possess much information concerning the doman, except that it was some kind of object of power. Master Kaanra was also unaware if there was anyone left alive who knew exactly what the doman was. But he was certain that the doman was incredibly powerful. If it landed in the wrong hands, it would be devastating.

  Now, it was Ashta’s turn to share. She told of how Elena had reached across the blurred lines of time and space to deliver a message and describe the acorn-like object that was unlike any she had ever seen. Elena’s words made perfect sense now, in the seat of this tree that emanated a quiet, pulsing power. Ashta repeated those words: The doman is a treasure of the forest. Look to the heart of the trees.

  Everything was coming together. This message was not part of the final prophecy, although its additional guidance was essential as well as timely. Kaanra’s eyes grew wide as he listened to Ashta share knowledge he had not anticipated.

  When she finished, Ashta looked up into the wide-spreading tree that tangled with the night just above them. The doman was a treasure of the forest. They could find it by looking to the heart of the trees.

  But no, the prophecy did not say they should look. That role was reserved for Thom. “Master of the forest will cradle it, hidden in the womb of the world.” Thom was the obvious choice for master of the forest. With the connection Thom shared with the forest and its creatures, there was perhaps no better person to define this function.

  In fact, although the light warriors did not yet know, there was no other who could fulfill this role within the prophecy. Thom was the only one to fully meet the two conditions—one explicit, one implicit—for the “master of the forest” of the prophecy. That person must understand the ways and language of the woodlands, as well as be light and pure of heart. Thom satisfied both requirements.

  It was, in reality, crucial that it be Thom, and no one else, who retrieved the doman. The forest was acutely aware of this, and it held its collective breath to see how everything would unfold.

  This object of tremendous power was hidden within a living tree. To survive, it must be taken from the tree while the tree still breathed. If the tree were to die while the doman remained within it, the essence of the doman would join that of the tree in death.

  It must be Thom. It could be no other, and the trees watched Thom closely, knowing that he understood them better than any other human being alive in that moment. The forest had great reason to hope.

  Master of the forest will cradle it, hidden in the womb of the world.

  The doman is a treasure of the forest. Look to the heart of the trees.

  Thom worked through the words of Dann’s final prophecy and Elena’s message, searching for an understanding of what he was to do, and at the same time, he began to allow his awareness to merge with that of the woods that surrounded them. As Thom’s connection to the woodlands grew deeper, he felt the forest reach for him, reach within him, and he knew then he would be able to fulfill his destined purpose.

  The energy embraced Thom, calming him, relaxing him, pulling him entirely out of a questioning mind. The answer would not come from thought or concern. An answer of this sort could only come from surrender and profound wisdom.

  The heart of the trees is the womb of the world. The doman is a treasure of the forest, and I will cradle it. I will respect it as it deserves to be honored. The doman is an essence of pure light, Thom said more to himself than to his companions as he stood. He was already in a place where words and actions barely mattered. He walked as if entranced.

  Thom sensed the dark crow, master of illusions, circling above, desperately searching for the slightest sign of the doman. The illusionist knew the window for his interference was closing. Master Kaanra tilted his face up to the skies. It was too dark to see the crow, but he projected his protective light and intentions around Thom as Thom took his short walk toward destiny.

  Ashta and Anak trained their focus on Thom and the tree he was walking toward, further protecting him from the threatening presence lurking above. Their light enveloped Thom in a cloak of its own illusion as he advanced.

  His moving body blurred; the straight and curved lines of the forest absorbed him, rendering him invisible to foreign eyes.

  Thom reached the tree that represented the womb of the world, the seed of creation. It was so precious that it could nurture one of the world’s treasures within. It could hold a purity of light that humanity rarely saw.

  But today, four human beings would witness this purity in awe. Whether a fifth one of dark heart would or not was still to be determined and depended largely on whether Kaanra and the twins could maintain their disguising illusions that thwarted the crow’s intentions. The crow felt fear of failure twist and rise within him, choking him with the burning of bile in his throat.

  Thom caressed the tree with the grace of an experienced lover. He felt the knobs and cracks in her bark as if he had known them all along. He felt her history and her ancient strength. He felt her enthusiasm for life.

  He bowed his head in reverence. And just like that, the tree opened her womb and birthed the most magnificent child she had ever gifted the world.

  Thom reached his hand into the trunk. What had been solid only moments before transformed in a blur of undefined matter and space. The tree was both concrete and ethereal at once.

  To the three witnesses to Thom’s actions, this moment revealed what a true illusion all of matter was. What appeared to be unyielding to the ordinary human eye bent for Thom. Love proved to be the strongest power.

  From within the glowing, liquid-like insides of the mother tree, T
hom retrieved what looked like a gargantuan acorn, so much like the typical acorns that covered the forest floor, yet unlike them in critical ways. Thom cradled the acorn against his chest, where it could feel the beating of his heart, replacement to the soothing rhythms of the mother tree. Thom cared for the acorn as if it were a true infant.

  With the transfer of her child complete, the tree’s innards, liquid and gooey like the blood and placenta of animal mothers, transformed once more. The tree core hardened and regained the illusion of solidity. It sealed up for the outsider to walk by without a second glance.

  The dark crow was now frantic, but he did not see what he would have sacrificed almost anything to witness. Because he was unwilling to forfeit the most crucial impediment, the darkness within his heart, the doman was kept from the dark crow. The protective shield concealed the doman within it.

  Thom tucked the doman within his cloak, nestling the object among its folds, next to his beating heart. The comforted child settled into its new home, and Thom retook his seat next to his companions.

  For the time being, the treasure was safe. The forest and the light warriors joined in a communal exhale of relief as the sun completed its final descent behind the stoic trees, a salute to the strong who had won one more battle.

  24 The Merging of Worlds

  The sun rose late for them that day. They made camp at the base of the pyramid, and it shaded them until the sun climbed past the pyramid’s cusp. They were emotionally exhausted from the intensity of yesterday’s experience, when they had connected with the pyramid and accessed another time and dimension. Elena, Marco, and even Sitting Bear, who had risen at dawn every day of his life, slept in, unaware that the day had started without them.

  The day began lazily, and it continued that way. The transformation they lived through the day before left them feeling fragile, and they were mindful to take care of themselves. They walked slowly and gingerly, acutely aware of how transient their human shapes were.