Ascension Discovery

by Amy Proebstel

  Since there were so few people, everyone would have an easy time witnessing the entire process. Alena hoped she would be successful in recovering Amanda’s birth crystal. She thought it would be appropriate to have a modified birth crystal ceremony. Amanda then knelt on the floor in front of her and waited silently for the rite to begin.

  “Friends and family we have gathered together for the important task of replacing the protective crystal which Amanda lost during a tragic time in her life. Amanda, do you agree to allow me to look into your mind in order for me to assign a unique crystal?” Alena waited for a reply before continuing.

  “Yes, I do.” Amanda had forgotten about this aspect of the ritual and wondered what Alena would see of her future. Would it be of her life here in Tuala or one back on Earth?

  Alena dipped her finger into the green liquid in the bowl beside Amanda’s knee. She marked a line across Amanda’s forehead and chanted, “I mark your head to be able to divine the thoughts and intents of your being.” Dipping her finger again into the bowl, she marked a green circle on the backs of Amanda’s outstretched hands chanting, “I mark each of your hands to be able to divine the actions for which you will be responsible in your lifetime.”

  The room was utterly silent as Alena held each of Amanda’s hands. With her eyes closed, she began to rock back and forth with a thin smile on her lips as she spoke, “Allah dari langit, silakan me panduan dalam penyelidikan. Membuat saya benar bacaan dan kristal tugas tepat.”

  Recognizing the same words from her daughters’ services, Amanda easily translated Alena’s phrase with, “Jehoban of creation, please guide me in the quest. Make my readings true and the crystal assignment precise.” She hoped Alena would not feel her hands shaking or take offense at the dampness forming on her palms.

  They all sat in silence as Alena continued to rock silently. Alena had never probed an adult mind in this manner. She was finding it both difficult and fascinating as she had to shuffle through Amanda’s consciousness while trying to peer into her future.

  Amanda began to wonder what was being seen when Alena finally spoke.

  “You have a full life with wonder and pain in the future. Pureness is apparent in your very nature as well as a strong sense of right from wrong,” Alena finished and released Amanda’s hands. She had seen some wondrous things in Amanda’s past and future, and she was more than a little alarmed at the visions. To hide her sudden apprehension, Alena opened the hinged lid of the box on the floor. It was a beautifully ornate container with many gemstones set into an elaborate design of leaves and flowers.

  The raised lid obscured her view of the contents, but Amanda knew the box contained the protective crystals. Thinking Alena was taking too long and that she had most likely discovered she was not from Tuala she began to worry. She decided she should stop the service before it went any further.

  After a few moments of concentration, Alena did not hesitate as she reached into the open coffer. She brought forth a thumbnail sized deep blue stone which seemed to shine with a light of its own. She purposefully closed the lid as she deftly threaded the tree-of-life pendant crystal onto a delicate, but ornate, chain which was procured from an almost hidden pocket in her tunic.

  She then handed the necklace to Amanda and began to give her instructions when Amanda cried out as the crystal turned to dust in her hand just as an oppressive darkness passed between Alena and Amanda. Alena looked startled by this sudden departure from the usual ritual. She wondered what she should do when her eye suddenly caught a sparkle from the lid of her ceremonial coffer. Where nothing had been before, a beautiful, flawless, diamond-encrusted pendant rested as if waiting to be noticed.

  Alena took the empty chain back from Amanda and strung the new crystal on its length. With a moistened towel she wiped the dust from Amanda’s palm. She hesitated for only an instant before she placed this new crystal into Amanda’s open hand.

  For a tense moment, everyone wondered if the second crystal would suffer the same fate as the first. The crystal rested in Amanda’s palm, and she could feel the warmth emanating from its core. She smiled in relief at Alena and was rewarded with a broad grin in return.

  Continuing the formal procedure, Alena said, “As you place this crystal of protection on yourself, say, Saya memakai ini dengan restu dari Tuhan.”

  Amanda repeated the phrase as she placed the necklace around her own neck. She silently translated the phrase as ‘I wear this with the blessing of Jehoban.’ Knowing with certainty this was true, she felt a sudden warmth inside her heart and the prickle of tears come to her eyes as she realized she had been accepted by Jehoban. He had even provided her with a special crystal in her moment of need.

  Alena took a new, warm, wet cloth and wiped the green liquid from Amanda’s forehead and hands. She rinsed the cloth in another bowl of clean water. Alena removed the cloth, picked up the cup and handed it to Amanda and announced, “I give you this water to drink. By the drinking of the liquid which contains your essence, you will seal the bond with your new birth crystal.”

  Amanda brought the cup to her lips and drank down the mint flavored water and then returned the cup to Alena. To conclude the service, Alena then spoke to everyone in the room, “With Amanda safe and protected from harm now that she is reunited with her birth crystal we can all celebrate.”

  Amanda stood and turned to face everyone in the room. She smiled as each person came forward to kiss her on the cheek, compliment her crystal, and to offer blessings. Never before had she felt so wanted and loved as she did at that moment. Tana was last to offer her a blessing and then she returned Juila back to Amanda’s arms.

  “It looks beautiful, Mommy. It matches what I see in you,” Juila said cryptically.

  Amanda smiled at her daughter and wondered what she could possibly mean by her last comment. She thought she should ask Alena about it once everything settled down.

  Chapter Two

  “WHAT HAPPENED DURING the service?” Bryon asked Alena as they got ready for bed later that night.

  “I wish I could tell you! I was just as surprised.”

  “So you’ve never heard of that happening before?”

  “Never.”

  Bryon sat on the edge of the bed silently contemplating whether or not he should bring up his idea of Amanda being an old soul. His wife had been under a lot of stress since Jena’s abduction. He was unsure if Alena would want to consider the ramifications of providing a crystal for someone not from Tuala. Suddenly, he recalled the second crystal.

  “Where did the second crystal come from, Alena?”

  Alena swiftly looked up at Bryon’s intense question. She only had to consider the query for a moment before she replied, “From Jehoban. Only He can provide the rare crystals.”

  “Don’t you think it was odd you didn’t even have to ask Him for it? It was almost as if He were watching the service.”

  “Of course He was watching, Bryon, I petitioned Him for His blessing at the beginning. Did you think those were just empty words?” She was appalled Bryon would even consider Jehoban was not involved. The crystal ceremony was one of the most sacred acts of a person’s lifetime. Just thinking it might be an empty ritual seemed sacrilegious. She crossed her arms and scowled at her husband to accentuate her disapproval of his comment.

  “That’s not what I meant, Alena. I know it’s His formal procedure to bless each of His children. What I meant was the fact there was no delay from the time the first crystal disintegrated to the other one appearing on your box. Do you think Jehoban changed His mind on the crystal assignment at the last second?”

  Alena’s scowl turned thoughtful as she lowered herself onto the edge of the bed beside Bryon. She seemed to think there was something rather dreadful which had come between herself and Amanda just as she had given her the first stone. It had all happened so fast she was uncertain exactly what had transpired. “I’m not sure, Bryon. I do know the second crystal was accepted. I should have asked Amanda the color o
f her original crystal. The visions I saw of her life demonstrated a need for a darker crystal but who am I to argue with Jehoban’s choice?”

  Bryon wondered if he could pry any further information out of Alena about the visions she had seen. She had already said more than she probably should have since, as a wise-woman, those visions were meant to be strictly confidential; the protection of intimate secrets was part of the reason wise-women were so respected.

  “Where do you think Amanda comes from?” Bryon asked quietly. He hoped he could be subtle enough to get Alena to disclose something more if he did not seem too eager for the answer.

  “I don’t know; I never thought to ask. Back when she was pregnant, I inquired her about her parents, but she said they were both gone so I didn’t try to pry any further. Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know. Sometimes I think there is something really special about Amanda. Remember when she first came home with me? I never asked Captain Ahn or Barla any questions about her since she needed protection from Petre and our house seemed a safer option for her. When they wanted us to take Amanda in, I never hesitated, but the trip home was so strange.

  “She asked me the oddest questions before she got bit by the beetlesnatch. Then, when she was being treated by the wise-woman, I could have sworn she disappeared. It was only for a split-second, but I promise, she was gone. The wise-woman seemed surprised, too. Amanda’s wounds were healed way faster than anything I’ve ever seen. Her wrist had clearly been broken and then it was perfect. Do you think maybe she’s a representative of Jehoban?”

  Alena seemed stunned by Bryon’s turn of thought. She considered all of the times she had wondered at Amanda’s strange ways. Amanda had never used the elemy to prepare meals or take care of menial tasks. Alena had always assumed Amanda was not very talented. Perhaps it was simply because her crystal had been lost. However, Bryon’s question had some very real potential. Maybe my talents are being tested by Jehoban, she thought to herself and then immediately dismissed the idea as ridiculous.

  “I really don’t know, Bryon. I’ll have to think about it later because right now I’m too tired to think straight. The service took more out of me than I realized.”

  “Of course! Rest on the bed, and I’ll rub your feet,” Bryon offered solicitously.

  Alena smiled at her husband and did as he bid. Bryon was an expert at foot massages, and she would never turn down an opportunity to be pampered. She fell asleep before he finished the first foot.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Petre felt nauseous and raced up the stairs from his cabin. He barely made it to the edge of the water craft before he lost the liquid in his stomach. Each day he promised himself he would stop drinking, but as the day started, he once again thought about all he had lost and ended up drinking to forget. As he lay on the deck with his bearded cheek getting wet from the sea spray he thought it would be a good time to put the alcohol back in the cupboard.

  He had lost a considerable amount of weight as eating did not usually happen before he drunkenly passed out. Where he had thought he was starting to develop a gut, he noticed his midsection was sunken in on itself and felt spongy. As the wind whipped his lanky brown hair into his eyes, he realized he was long overdue for a haircut. He was thankful for the clean smell of the sea breeze as he was certain he smelled terrible himself. Petre could not remember the last time he had bathed.

  Leveraging himself up from the deck was a chore in and of itself. The swaying deck did not improve his already precarious balance. He held on to the railing until he was too far away from it and then he hastily grabbed for the water barrel beside the main mast in the middle of the vessel. For a moment he thought he might be sick again and he waited a few seconds until the feeling passed. He took a few deep breaths and continued on his return down the stairs and into the main cabin.

  Once he opened the door, the foul odor of the room rushed out to greet him. He had to swallow several times rapidly to keep from vomiting. This was getting ridiculous. It was time to make some serious changes and get back to his life.

  Yes, he had lost Jena to Elder Debbon. Somehow the Elder had tricked him into giving up his rights. Petre was sure the Elder had either befuddled his brain or purposely rushed him into signing the betrothal document which was the reason he could no longer see her or even have the right to call her his daughter anymore. He had missed the three-day deadline to visit with her which had enacted an abandonment clause buried within the betrothal contract.

  He needed a clear mind to figure out how he could get even with Elder Debbon. It would be a tricky matter since the Elder was a representative of Jehoban. Jehoban was responsible for creating the universe and was not someone to find yourself on the wrong side of. Yes, he would have to be very clever when he finally figured out how to get even with Elder Debbon.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Jena practiced her ability to move objects with the elemental energy focused through her birth crystal while Debbon watched. He was always surprised at her talent to pick up an idea when he just gave her the merest hint of what he was asking. After explaining what he wanted, he would start to demonstrate the skill. Each time she would take over the energy he had begun using and then put her own gift into completing the task. She had already mastered the crystal skill levels to control elemy, fire, and wind. She was only two anons old, but she had the talent of someone who had trained for anons with Jehoban Himself.

  Since they had adopted Jena when she was six mesans old, Debbon had spent at least an hour every day working with Jena on harnessing her amazing capability to use the elemy. His wife had insisted on immediate instruction because she fairly buzzed with the wild and untrained energy. Even though formal training usually began around three anons old, he never regretted starting her lessons so early. She was an eager and fun student, and she continually stretched his abilities to keep up with her own.

  He watched her dance across the room with her blonde curls bouncing softly against her shoulders, her arms raised toward the object she was suspending with her thoughts. She turned to smile at him with her perfect little teeth and her bright blue eyes alight with joy and wonder at what she was able to accomplish with her mind alone. Debbon smiled in return and clapped his hands in approval.

  “We’ve had enough practice today, Jena. You were supposed to go down with your momma more than fifteen minutes ago. She is planning a surprise in the kitchen. Do you want to go down there now?”

  Jena, always eager for a surprise, immediately withdrew the energy surrounding the suspended ball. Without her continued assistance, the ball dropped to the floor as she turned to grab his hand to leave the room. She smiled sweetly at him and said, “Let’s go!”

  Trying to be stern with the precocious child, Debbon purposely looked from Jena to the dropped ball and back to Jena. “Are you sure you’re ready to go?”

  Jena sighed, and with very little expenditure of energy, the ball disappeared from the floor and almost instantly reappeared in the basket beside the desk. “Is that better?” she asked with a bright smile.

  “Much better.” He smiled down at his first-daughter as he led her from the room to go downstairs.

  Chapter Three

  THREE WEEKS HAD passed since Amanda had received her own birth crystal. She found herself touching it again as it dangled from the chain around her neck. Never before had she been so conscious of a piece of jewelry especially since she knew this was an extraordinary pendant; this was a talisman for crossing through the Gate between the worlds. She now had her own birth crystal given to her directly from Jehoban. She wondered about any special implications since she had been granted her own crystal even though she was not from Tuala.

  Alena had spent considerable time with her, working on trying to link her new crystal with Jena’s. So far, they had been unsuccessful, but they were far from giving up hope. Each day they worked on advancing her skills since they were enhanced by the powerful pendant. Amanda had gone so far as to make a glass of pika j
uice appear in front of herself in the kitchen. Alena seemed pleased with this progress while Amanda had to curb her amazement in making it happen at all.

  Neither woman took any notice of Juila’s intense interest in their crystal lessons. Alena assumed she was too young to understand while Amanda did not know when children began learning how to use their own crystals.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Captain Ahn could hardly believe his ears while he was listening to Captain Issyn recounting his tale. It had been almost two anons since anyone had seen Petre. Now Captain Issyn was saying he had seen Petre’s water craft on one of his less regular routes. Even though it had only been for a split second, it was more than enough time for Issyn to identify Petre’s uniquely shabby vessel.

  “How long ago did you see him?” Ahn asked sharply.

  “I’d say it was almost two weeks ago now.”

  “What direction was he heading?”

  “I don’t think he was going anywhere. It looked as though he were sitting still in the middle of the bay.”

  “Show me exactly where you think he was.” He smoothed out a map of the Gulf of Thulen in front of Issyn and gestured for him to indicate the exact spot.

  With very slight hesitation Issyn pointed to the little-used waterway.

  Ahn nodded confirmation and looked up at his friend. “Thanks for letting me know. There are very few people I can actually say I despise, yet Petre is one of them. He is long overdue for questioning in the disappearance of Jena Kesh.”

  “I feel the same way about the man! There’s no need to thank me; we’ve been friends for a long time, and I’m glad to be of any assistance in this matter.”