The Blood Jewel (The Shomara Diaries Book 1)

by Carol M. Henderson

  obliged, and was soon sitting on his back still feeling rather

  precarious. The bird went on. “Reach under my feathers in front of

  you now, right about where my wings join up with my torso,” he said. I ran my hands under his feathers and found two boney grips

  that seemed to have been made just for my hands.

  “Hey, there are some handles under here,” I said. “That’s right. Now feel around with your feet just forward of

  my wings to find the stirrups.”

  After wiggling my feet around, I hit a couple of hard things

  and my feet slipped into stirrups. Then I felt movement as if they

  had just surrounded my ankles.

  “Whoa! Did I just feel those stirrups wrap around my feet?” I

  asked.

  “Yes, you did. Now check this out.” Ayshwa spread his

  wings wide and, all of a sudden, a chair-like saddle rose up under me

  and wrapped itself around my waist.

  “Yow! How do you do that?” I asked rocking back and forth

  in the new contraption.”

  “Do you like it?” asked the bird.

  “Yeah, pretty cool,” I said. “But how do you get stuff to

  grow right out of your body?”

  “Oh, I’m no ordinary bird,” said Ayshwa.

  No bleepin’ duh.

  The bird continued. “Are you ready for your first test

  flight?” he asked.

  “Okay by me. I’m game if you are!” Wait. Did I say that

  out loud?

  Ayshwa hopped onto theedge of the nest. “Hang on, Barry!

  Showtime!” With that, the great wings stretched out over the

  canyon.

  We first descended with such speed that my stomach was

  rammed up my throat. Then we hit an updraft and began soaring

  way up over the mountain peaks.

  “Ya-hoooo!!” I shouted. “This totally rocks!!”

  In contrast to my first harrowing flight, this one was

  exhilarating. For one thing, I could see! I had never appreciated my

  sight until that day. Now, my eyes could not get enough of the color

  around me– a pink morning sky and funny shaped clouds of blue

  and gold overhead. In one cloud, I was sure I saw my buddy, Chad,

  sticking his tongue out at me. And the foothills below! They looked

  like wrinkles on the Green Giant’s face.

  Then, up over the next hill, a vast patchwork quilt spread out

  below. As Ayshwa and I got closer I saw it was acres and acres of

  flowers and crops growing in squared off plots on the plain.

  Chad would totally flip out if he saw this. Who am I kidding? I can hardly believe it myself! I mean, I was really trippin'– whipping up and down the air currents on the back of a bird! From now on, mere bike rides will be Boresville.

  Ayshwa began to point out various landmarks to me. “Do you see those mountains in the east straight ahead, Barry ?” the bird shouted.

  “Yeah,” I yelled back.

  “That’s the boundaries of your inheritance. You are one of

  the famous princes of the realm you know.”

  I laughed. “Sure!” I shouted back. . . . And my mom is the

  Queen of England. Inheritance? The only inheritance I knew about

  was a stamp collection that my grandfather was saving for me.

  Gramps said it was worth several thousand dollars. He said he

  wanted me to use it to buy books and a decent computer when I went

  to college.

  “Still hungry, Barry?” called Ayshwa.

  “Famished!”

  “I smell barbeque. Let's go see what we can find,” yelled

  Ayshwa.

  He went into a steep dive and I nearly lost my grip. I was

  glad his saddle held me secure. I leaned back until my body was

  nearly stretched flat on his back.

  “Yee-haw! This is better than a roller coaster!” I squealed.

  He let out a shriek and brought both of us out of the dive, swooping

  so close to the ground that I could have plucked a dandelion. And

  I’m positive I left my stomach dangling from a tree limb. Ayshwacame to rest on the top of a flat rock. “Breakfast

  time! Let's eat!” he said. He laid out several fully cooked chickens

  on the rock.

  “Wow! This looks fabulous,” I squealed. “But who prepared

  these? Won’t the cooks be ticked off that we took their food?” “Good question, Barry. It’s actually the other way around.

  The people of this land always prepare more than they need. It’s

  their fondest hope that I will enjoy some of their meal whenever I

  pass over their houses.”

  “Hm,” I said. “That’s weird. Where I come from, somebody

  would probably grab ashotgun and blast you out of the sky.” “Sounds like a sad place,” he said. “Now eat as much as you

  want,” he said and stepped back.

  Ravenous, I stuffed myself while the bird kept watch. At first

  I thought it was odd that he would bring me chicken but then I

  remembered that hawks and eagles do eat other birds. But even as

  hungry as I was, I didn’t make a dent in the half dozen chickens he

  had collected.

  After I had eaten my fill, Ayshwa dove in and devoured the

  rest. No sooner had he finished his meal, than, bird-like, he began to

  preen all his feathers, straightening and smoothing them out. The bird’s behavior continued to weird me out. Why did he

  let me eat first, and serve himself last? To say that Ayshwa was an

  extraordinary member of the fowl family was an understatement. This creature has saved my life several times over, fed me,

  watered me, and kept me warm for maybe weeks. I was blind and he

  gave me back my sight. Then he tore a gi-normous worm out of my

  arm and even gave me something for the pain. Now, this morning,

  he took me for the ride of my life and fed me breakfast . . . . I

  didn’t get it.

  I shook my head. A twelve foot bird was fantastic enough. A

  bird that had the human qualities of love and patience? That was

  more than my puny brain cells could handle.

  With our stomachs full we took to the skies once more. A

  rich green valley opened up in front of us at the base of the foothills.

  Just beyond a grove of palm trees I spotted a body of water so blue it

  looked like a gem stone. It stretched to the horizon, waves lapping

  on a white sandy beach.

  Hold it. Palm trees?

  “Hey, where is this place?” I called to Ayshwa.

  “Shomara!” he shouted back.

  “What?”

  “This is Shomara,” repeated Ayshwa, dropping to the beach. I scrambled out of the saddle, dropped to the sand, and ran

  around to face the bird. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you,” I said. “What

  did you say, Sho . . . ?”

  “Shomara, Barry. Sho-MARah,” said the bird, preening his

  feathers again.

  “I’ve never heard of it. How far is it from my grandfather’s

  place?” I asked completely baffled now.

  “Oh, a couple of galaxies, I’d say,” said Ayshwa, ruffling his

  feathers.

  “A couple of galax. . . !” My jaw dropped. “But . . . ?” Ayshwa spoke. “Barry, it’s like this. When you stepped

  through that carved wooden gate in your grandfather’s backyard, you

  stepped onto Shomara, a separate planet that resembles earth but ever

  so much nicer, don’t you think? I’m always finding folks coming

  through that gate.”

  I fe
lt a wave of panic.“How long have I been here? I figure

  it’s been at least three weeks. Will I ever be able to go back? Will I

  ever see my mom and my sister again?” I remembered movies about

  how space explorers had traveled to other worlds and because of

  some Einstein theory or whatever, they didn’t age. But when they

  came back to earth, they found themselves in the future. All the

  people they had known were long dead.

  Ayshwalaughed. “You have nothing to worry about. And

  it’s not been weeks, Barry. Not even days. By earth time, you’ve

  been gone just a few minutes.”

  Again, I couldn’t believe it. “No way!” I exclaimed. “’Yes-way,’ as you put it,” said Ayshwa. “It’s true. Our

  passage of time hereis very different.”

  I walked across the beautiful white sand. Whew! It sure was

  warm here. I dropped my jacket onto the beach and reached down to

  let the waves wash over my hands. Now I knew why I hadn’t seen

  any houses from the neighbor’s backyard. This wasn’t anyone’s

  backyard. I was on a different world, in a different realm altogether.

  That gate must be something like a wormhole through space! I turned around.

  “So will I ever be able to go back? I mean, could I maybe

  still make it to school on time?” I asked.

  “Of course,” said Ayshwa.

  I hesitated and then sat down on the beach. Staring out across

  the water, I scooped up handfuls of the white sand, letting it run

  through my fingers.

  “Can I . . . uh, can I come back if I leave?” I asked, not

  daring to look at the bird.

  “Anytime, Barry,” Ayshwa answered.

  I heaved a big sigh. “Can I bring a friend?” I asked. “Yes, of course. If your friend can see the gate, he’s more

  than welcome,” Ayshwa replied.

  “What do you mean?” I stared up at him.

  Ayshwa shook his great head. “Folks can’t find that gate

  unless they’re ready for it. But I would be delighted to meet any

  friend of such a brave young man as you, Barry.”

  I stood up. Kicking a few pebbles at the edge of the beach, I

  cleared my throat.

  “I don’t know about the brave bit,” I said. “I should be dead

  right now. I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t taken that worm

  out of my arm. I mean, I didn’t even know it was there.” Ayshwafluttered his wings. “Still, you let me do it, Barry,”

  he said. “That was no small feat.”

  “Yeah. Well, I want to thank you anyway,” I said. On an

  impulse, I made to hug the bird’s leg. Ayshwa bent his head and I

  wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tight for a moment. “Will you take my friend for a ride if I come back?” I asked.

  Hey there, Barry Boy. Better watch it. You’re pushin’ the limits. “Certainly I will,” Ayshwa said.

  I looked up at himin surprise and shook my head. “You’re

  awesome, you know that?” I said.

  “I’m very glad you think so. Now, are you ready to get back

  to the gate?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I said, feeling sad all of a sudden. “Don’t forget your jacket over there by the water,” said

  Ayshwa.

  “Oh, right. Thanks,” I said. I ran over, got my jacket, and

  then climbed back up onto Ayshwa’s back.

  Ayshwa waited until I was secure, and then turned his head

  right around, bird fashion, to look me full in the face. That has got to

  be the freakiest thing birds do.

  “What do you plan to do about the bicycle problem, Barry?”

  Ayshwa asked.

  I stared at him and then looked away.

  “I don’t know yet,” I said. “Oh, I know why my Mom is

  going to sell it, all right. I used the bike to disobey her. It’s just . . .

  rats! It’s gonna take me yearsto find another bike like that one!” “Did you buy the bike, or did your parents buy it for you?”

  Ayshwa asked.

  “I shopped around for it, but they bought it for me two

  Christmases ago.”

  Ayshwa paused. Then he asked, “Are you willing to do

  without your bike until you earn back the privilege?”

  “How’s that?”

  “Well, perhaps your mother would agree to put your bicycle

  in storage until you earn the money to buy it from her.”

  I thought about that for a moment, and then nodded.

  “Maybe,” I said. “She might. At least I can ask her. And . . . yeah!

  I could get a paper route or something.” Funny. I felt much lighter

  all of a sudden.

  “There you go!” said Ayshwa. “It’s always hard to admit

  you’ve done something wrong. But there’s usually a way to make

  things right. Ready to go now?”

  “Yup!” I yelled. “All set. Let’s slice a few clouds!”

  CHAPTER 26: THE BLOOD JEWEL

  “In Shomara, wealth is a living, breathing entity, always growing, always expanding.” ~Martin Moonglow As Ayshwa took to the air in one leap, I held onto the handle bones with all my might. The moment we rose above the palm trees an updraft found us. I couldn’t help it. I squealed like a five-yearold. Soaring high above the sea, the bird made a wide turn to the left to follow the shoreline.

  I leaned forward and laid my head on the bird’s neck. The feathers were not what I expected. They were as soft as silk.

  I lay there trying to take in the sights below me. The water glittered like a jewel and the beach—it looked like it was littered with diamonds. Hundreds of coconut palms fanned out across the green plains, flower bushes lined little streams everywhere (my mom would love that!) and acres of corn stretched as far as I could see. Hay bales, like giant bricks of gold, lay baking in the fields. And the fruit in the orchards? So many apples and pears hung from the trees that the branches sagged to the ground. In fact, I’d say ‘Land o’ Plenty’ about covered it.

  In no time, we flew over the large river I remembered from my first minutes on Shomara. I recognized the cliff where it ended and plunged into the basin below.

  “There’s a waterfall over there, and below it is a pool,” I shouted. Sure enough, as Ayshwa rounded the bend of the next large hill, I saw the waterfall splashing out over the rocks.

  “There it is,” I shouted. “Grandpa’s gate should be up on that hill over there,” I called out.

  “You’re right. Hold on!” the bird shouted and began his descent to the plateau above the green pool. When Ayshwa settled and closed up his wings, the saddle disappeared and I slid to the ground. I glanced down at the pool one more time. Strange. How could I have missed all those palm trees growing down there? Oh yeah. That was when I was hit by that flash of light.

  “Ayshwa,” I began, “What was it that blinded me that first day I was here?”

  The great bird studied me for a moment. “Perhaps it was a combination of the poison from the maggot, and your deep anger,” said the bird. “Light tried to get in, but you wouldn’t let it. There are many kinds of blindness, Barry.”

  “So what was it that you dropped into my eyes so I could see and how come you didn’t do it sooner?” I asked.

  “It’s a secret Shomara potion, Barry, but for a while, you weren’t ready for it,” Ayshwasaid. “I had to wait until you gave up struggling. I had to have your cooperation. I did not want to fight you and the maggot at the same time.”

  Oh,” I mumbled. “Well . . . uh, I just hope it never happens again.”

  “It won’t,” said the bird. “In fact, I’m going to give you something to protect you from any more worm attacks.”

/>   I blinked. “Why would you do that? I mean, the truth is, I was stupid and that maggot found its mark. End of story,” I said.

  Ayshwatossed his great head. “Be that as it may, this will prevent it ever happening again. There are many things planned for your future. I want you to be protected from these attacks so that you can accomplish your mission.”

  “Oh. Okay,” I said. Then I looked up at him. “Mission? What mission?”

  “Come closer, boy,” said Ayshwa.

  I edged forward.

  “Good. Now lift up your shirt.” I raised my shirt. At that, Ayshwa reached down with his beak and plucked a small object from beneath the golden feathers of his chest. It was a brilliant red object about the size of a sunflower seed. But though it sparkled in the sunlight like a delicate ruby, I saw the bird’s blood dripping from it. Before I could back away, Ayshwa had thrust it into my chest just below the collar bone.

  “Ah-hgh!” I gasped. “That stings.”

  But then, I felt warm. A surge of energy swept throughout my entire body. All of a sudden I had the feeling I could do just about anything. I looked down at the spot where the jewel had entered. There was a slight bump, but no open wound.

  “Wha . . . what just happened?” I asked.

  Ayshwasaid, “I have just given you a blood jewel, Barry. You now have my life energy flowing through your veins. It also means you’re now a legitimate citizen of Shomara. You are no longer an earth person. The source of your energy and life flows from Shomara now.”

  “One thing I must caution you, however.” He shook his great head and ruffled his feathers. “This blood jewel is very precious. Under no circumstances are you to sell it or let anyone take it away from you. This jewel is a seed growing inside of you and is now your very life. You’ll die without it.”

  I stood there trying to take in what he was saying. “Er . . . right. I’ll remember that.” I felt the place where the blood jewel had gone in. “I guess I wouldn’t know how to dig it out anyway. Thank you, Ayshwa. I’d better be going if I’m going to get to school on time.”

  “That’s right. Let me know how your mother takes to the idea of you earning back your bike,” said the bird.

  “Sure,” I said. I turned to leave and then looked back at this fantastical new friend one more time.

  “Y’know, Ayshwa, no joke. You’re one cool bird!” I said.

  “And you’re a very brave young man, Barry,” said the bird, and took off toward the cliff.

  “Until next time!” he called back.