***
Black Buffalo descended slowly down the slope that led into the darkness of the pyramid; the glow of his torch could not shield his thoughtful gaze. If the greatest of the Mages, Moloch, walked abroad on Turtle Island, then he needed to prepare himself for the coming struggle. As a Shaman of uncounted years, who had been on many a vision quest, he had been warned of this and had one day expected such a confrontation, but still he felt a cold shudder. This would be a battle like no other. He would first have to contact the Sky People - if they lived their wisdom would be required especially to enable him to defeat Moloch.
Black Buffalo entered a large chamber and began to light the torches that hung from the walls. The walls of the chamber were so smooth that the light bounced of them. In the middle of the chamber stood a large stone altar. Atop it was a stone totem of an eagle, its wings were to the fore and held what appeared to be a large wooden sacred pipe. It was ornately carved with figures from Turtle Island and beyond, and looked to be both a totem and pipe; beneath it was a medicine bundle that rested on the talons of the eagle. In the bundle was an assortment of herbs and leaves. Black Buffalo removed the pipe and placed some of the contents from the bundle into it before sitting down in a small alcove; the stone seat was set so far back that it was as though he had just been consumed by the dark. As he lit the pipe, smoke began to encase him, turning quickly to a thick fog which on contact with the walls of the alcove turned to a greenish ghostly hue. Black Buffalo’s eyes glazed over, his body fell limp and he felt himself descending into a dark abyss as the world around him faded out of view; suddenly he was struck by a myriad of colours that swept over him like the morning tide. He emerged gasping for air to find himself standing in a hollow on the banks of the Missouri; he saw three figures approaching what looked to be Kayaks, and watched them take to the water and suddenly his spirit flew from there and he saw a great battle that his ancestors had once told him of, fought by the Old Ones. There were two moons rising high above - or perhaps it was one moon but his strange stupor made it appear as two. He was then lifted up once more and found himself standing by the side of one of the Sky People as he slept by the bank of the river. Michael lay twitching: he could feel the presence of another, and in his dream that other came into focus, it was Black Buffalo.
“Who is it,” said Michael, “that calls upon the Sky People?”
“I am Black Buffalo of the Hidatsa, we who live by the Missouri.”
“I know the Hidatsa from years long past. And I know Black Buffalo I did not realise you were here at the time of the Grey Beards coming which is concerning.”
“Things are as they have to be. We have spoken to Grey Wolf and Humming Bird and will join you in this war against the Shadow People. We intend to make our way to the Ute of the Great Basin. Meet us at the Water that falls from a great height - you will see the place in my mind, and let my mind be a map to finding it. Wait for us there - we will not be long.”
“You should remain where you are,” replied Michael, “there is no need to place your people in danger.”
Black Buffalo shimmered before becoming more solid than before, “You have many times helped our people; it is now our time to help you. We know that the Mages are here and that Moloch has come; I recognise you, it was you that warned me in a vision quest to beware the father of the Mages. But what must be must be - if I am worthy I will overcome him.”
“You are worthy,” said Michael sadly, “whether you overcome him or not. We will wait for you at the place where the Water falls from a great height. Before you leave tell me, what else do you remember from when I called upon you?”
“Only remnants, dreamscapes, nothing more.”
“Then I will return to you the memory of what you have lost. Slowly, as the suns pass beyond the horizon, you will remember more and more of whom you are and the heritage that bore you.”
Almost at once Black Buffalo was back in the small alcove. The smoke that surrounded him had by then slipped away, leaving him with a pipe that was as cold as the walls at his side. He rose and placed the pipe back within the stone eagle’s embrace before turning to leave. Soon the Hidatsa would once more walk among the Sky People.
Valour of the Spirit People Page 17