“No, no, NO!” she yelled in the car as she frantically looked for a place to turn around. Not wanting to get pulled over without her license she had to manage her speed while she still hurried back to the house. Never before had she forgotten her purse, today was not going very well. She hoped it would begin to improve once she got going again. If the day continued in the same manner, then she was in for a lot of trouble.
Amanda decided there was nothing to be done with the time which had already been wasted. She was going to make the best of the time remaining. She turned up the radio and sang along with one of the new songs which had come out while she was ‘away.’ In no time, she turned into Riccan’s driveway. As she was reaching to press the intercom, she saw the gate was already opening on its own.
Thinking Riccan must be trying to leave, she waited for a few seconds for his car to appear. When no car showed up, she cautiously rolled forward until she could see the whole driveway was clear of traffic. Somehow, Riccan must have programmed the gate to open for her car. She smiled at the implications of the small act of trust on his part.
After parking, she walked in the front door as he had instructed her the day before. She felt a little stealthy since this was not her house, but she boldly walked through the foyer and into the living room. Riccan was seated at a barstool at the kitchen island.
“Sorry, I’m so late,” she said as she came up beside him. Riccan jumped with surprise even though Amanda had not consciously tried to be quiet.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” Riccan said as he looked up from what he was reading.
“Is that the Elder’s Instructional Guide?” Amanda asked as she pulled up the bar stool next to him.
“Yeah, I was looking through it to see if anything else had changed since I’d looked at it last,” he said with a sigh.
“It looks like you’ve been at this for quite a while. Have you noticed anything so far?” Amanda thought he looked more tired than she had felt last night. If he were too tired it would not be safe for them to travel in the telepod.
“Thankfully, no,” he replied as he shut the book and pushed back from the island. “Do you want some coffee? I haven’t had anything to eat or drink this morning, and I’m famished. Did you eat?”
“I would love some coffee, and no, I haven’t eaten yet either. I forgot to set my alarm, and I rushed out of the house before it got too late to come see you.”
Riccan smiled at his guest and asked in a teasing voice, “Would you like fried foxl and scrambled eggs? I hear they’re your favorite.”
“I can’t imagine where you heard that,” she teased back feeling her cheeks grow warmer. “I have it on good authority you were trained by the best in your culinary skills. It would only be fair for me to judge the results for myself.”
“Such pressure! Give me a second to concentrate,” he said as he visualized the ingredients to be combined for the dishes he had offered. Within just a few seconds, two plates appeared on the counter, the perfectly cooked food steaming and smelling delicious. “Bon apatite!” he declared as he presented Amanda with her breakfast. He sat down next to her after shoving the book across the island so it would not get any food spattered on it.
“Oops, I forgot the coffee!” he declared and then smiled as the cups of steaming black liquid appeared beside each of their plates.
“It never gets old!” Amanda shook her head in wonder.
“Didn’t you learn how to do it, too?”
“I’m only good with simple things like a glass of water. In fact, I only discovered I could do that when I needed water to wash down my migraine pills.” Amanda picked up her fork and began to eat, blowing across the food to cool it before putting it into her mouth.
“We’ll need to work on your skills, it would appear. My parents are both very good teachers. When we go see them today, we can ask them to give you some lessons.”
Amanda was embarrassed to ask his parents for such help and tried to argue, “They have better things to do than teach me to use my birth crystal. Besides, where would I use those talents here on Earth? It would most likely end up getting me into trouble.”
Riccan looked at her strangely and finally said, “Were you and I both at the same meeting with my parents yesterday? I got the distinct impression from my parents that you are going to be a very important person on Tuala. You are going to need to know how to access the power of your crystal. You’re going to need lessons and who better than my parents who already know your destiny.”
Amanda choked on the bite she was swallowing and had to cough several times before she managed to say, “My destiny? Don’t you think you’re being slightly dramatic, Riccan?”
“You were the one to whom the new prophecy was shown. I think that makes this your destiny,” Riccan replied matter-of-factly as he shoveled another huge bite into his mouth to chew.
“I’d rather think I have some say over my own destiny. I don’t really like the idea that my life is being planned for me without my consent,” Amanda replied sullenly as she took another bite of the fried foxl.
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll have a say in it. However, I believe your answer will be yes because that’s the type of person you are. We still don’t have all of the facts, but we’ll work on that as well.”
“Yeah, like when I meet with Jehoban. Riccan, I can’t believe I agreed to meet with Him as easily as though I were going to a doctor’s appointment. He’s the Creator of the universe for Pete’s sake. What was I thinking?” Amanda was rapidly losing her appetite and began pushing the eggs around the plate with her fork. She looked over at Riccan with a stricken expression.
“Like I said, you’ll do what you need to do it when the time comes. I have faith in your ability, Amanda. You should have more faith in yourself. Don’t play with your food, just eat it. When we’re done here, we can head over to my parents’ house,” Riccan admonished as he finished the last of his food and put down his fork. He wrapped his fingers around the coffee cup and inhaled the rich aroma as he watched Amanda over the rim of the cup.
Amanda almost told him she had lost her appetite, but then she recalled how exhausting the day before had been for her. She decided she would need the nourishment to help her with building her stamina. She forced herself to finish the meal, feeling guilty for not giving it the appreciation it deserved since it was actually quite delicious.
“It may not have looked like it to watch me eat, but your cooking is absolutely fabulous. Thank you for breakfast,” she said apologetically.
“I understand your concern for the future, but we can only live in the moment. Try to keep that in mind as we move forward, okay?”
Riccan’s statement had a profound impact on Amanda at that moment, and she burst into tears.
“What happened, Amanda? Did I say something wrong?” Riccan touched her shoulder with concern for her abrupt change of mood.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled weakly as she replied, “No, you said exactly the right thing. I need to focus on the moment and not worry about anything else. Don’t worry, Riccan, I’ll be okay in just a minute.” She wiped the tears from her hands onto her jeans and then reached for her own cup of coffee. She was slightly embarrassed for her mood swing, and she wondered if this were a side effect of being in a coma. To hide her momentary confusion, she brought the coffee to her lips and sipped cautiously.
They sat together in silence, both contemplating what events would transpire when they finally got a move on the day. Amanda was concerned about taking people’s time away from their important duties. Riccan was concerned about Amanda’s journey if she were the key to the prophecy. Both ended up finishing their coffee at the same time and then smiling at one another as though it were a private joke when their empty cups both clanked onto the counter top at the same time.
With a thought, Riccan took care of all of the dishes. He grabbed the ancient text and said, “I need to go put this away, and then we can get going. Are you ready?”
>
Amanda nodded as Riccan looked at her and then he turned to take care of the old book. Amanda wondered if she were ever going to be ready to take on this new task. When she had been planning it in her head it all seemed so simple: find Riccan, go to Tuala, see if she really did have children of her own, find Neal, and come back home to live out her life on Earth. She laughed at how naïve she had been. She should have known life was never as simple as she imagined it to be.
Chapter Twenty
THERE WAS FAR less fanfare when they arrived on the lawn at the Stel Residence. Nobody came out onto the terrace to greet them so they walked into the back door unannounced. Riccan led the way into his father’s private study. He was not surprised to find both of his parents waiting for them as though they had known when they were arriving; they had been doing that very thing for as long as he could remember. One day he would have to find out their secret of always knowing.
“Good afternoon, Riccan, Amanda,” Daven said to both of them as they made themselves comfortable in the chairs they had occupied the previous day.
“Have you made any progress interpreting the newest prophecy?” Riccan asked first thing. He never was one for making small talk.
“Your mother has an interesting interpretation on the part about the Elders. She believes Lucinden will make a play for power which involves corrupting some of the Elders. The ones who fall prey to Lucinden’s predations are the ones who will fall.”
“It seems as though that’s been going on for some time. Why would the prophecy appear now?” Riccan asked.
“I think it comes back to Amanda.” He gestured toward where Amanda was seated.
Amanda could feel the color rising in her cheeks. She wished she could have more control over her complexion even as she had to agree with Daven’s assessment.
“Riccan was saying he thought I was the one responsible for the changes to come to Tuala because I was the one who discovered the newest predictive text,” Amanda said as she looked over at Riccan for him to agree with her statement.
Riccan nodded confirmation and then said, “If Amanda is to be the key, then she’ll need additional training with her birth crystal.”
“Oh! I hadn’t thought about that,” Nena gasped as she glanced over at Amanda and asked, “Do you really have your own birth crystal?”
“Yes,” she affirmed as she pulled up on the chain until the crystal rested on the outside of her shirt.
“A clear diamond! I should have guessed,” Daven exclaimed.
“What would make you say that?” Amanda asked with genuine interest.
Daven immediately switched into teaching mode to answer Amanda’s question. “The hue of the crystal directly corresponds with the abilities of the wearer as well as the amount of protection needed. Diamond characterizes innocence, love, and healing. They range in color from white, yellow, blue, pink and black. The lighter the crystal, the quicker the wearer is to access the elemy for healing.
“Since you have a clear, or white as it’s named, you will be able to heal and comfort people easily. The diamond is also known for being an amplifier stone which simply means you can amplify the abilities of those around you.
“Riccan, have you noticed such an occurrence when you used your powers around Amanda?” Daven asked his son as he finished his explanation.
“I hadn’t really considered it before, but, yes, it was easier to make breakfast this morning. Usually, when I’m as tired as I was, it would have taken me twice as long to get it all put together.” He grinned at Amanda thinking there was something else which was special when she was with him.
“But wouldn’t that mean I’d strengthen the powers of bad people just as easily?” Amanda asked with a sudden intuitive leap.
“Yes, to an extent. Your ability is geared more toward your own intentions. If someone’s ideas are going against your own, then you would unconsciously shield your power away from them. It works on people from Earth to a certain extent. You may have noticed you probably got your way more often as you were growing up,” Daven assured Amanda.
Amanda chuckled as she could recall her sisters both griping about how their parents always did what she asked. Now she finally had the real reason rather than thinking her parents just loved her more. She had been foolish and self-centered even to think such a thing of her parents. She nodded agreement with Daven, and he continued to expand on his ideas.
“We should set up a schedule to find out where Amanda’s abilities lie and then work on strengthening her weaknesses. I have time for an evaluation today if you want to go forward with this idea.”
Amanda was shocked to have this come up so soon, but she could not come up with any argument to the contrary so she agreed by nodding her head.
Nena looked over at her son and said, “I think they won’t need an audience for this evaluation. Why don’t we go to my private office and we can get caught up on all of the things which have kept you too busy to come visit! Shall we?” she asked as she stood and offered her arm to her tall son.
Amanda watched the mother and son leave the room, smiling at their easy relationship. She hoped her own relationship with her parents would become as easy in the near future. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked back to see Daven watching her intently. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
Daven began the evaluation and soon discovered Amanda was quite adept at the first four levels of training, usually reserved for when children first entered school. These levels included: pulling energy from the crystal, moving it to another location, putting the energy back into the crystal, and creating a breeze. He moved on to the second-grade level and found her to be equally skilled in both boiling and freezing water, both creating and extinguishing a flame, as well as moving an object and her ability to memorize vast amounts of information rapidly. Knowing she had only had training in her dreams he was even more impressed. He was starting to get a better idea of what Amanda’s role would be in bringing about changes to their world, but he kept his counsel to himself.
Before he began assessing her skills with the middle school level lessons, he asked her, “I seem to recall when you were reading your journal you had said you and Juila had created meals together. Was it Juila who was doing it or was it yourself?”
“I’m not sure.” She considered the question and her memories and replied, “I think it was a joint effort.” She sat silently while Daven made some notations on his patil regarding her progress. She suddenly could not contain her next question. “Since everything else from my dreams appear to be real, do you believe that Jena and Juila are also real here in Tuala? Do you think I have children here?”
Daven stopped typing to look at Amanda’s troubled expression and said, “With you, I believe anything is possible. I’m sure you can get your answer when you meet with Jehoban.” He had meant to be consoling and did not realize he had created another hurdle for Amanda to cross.
She was terrified at the idea of meeting with Jehoban, but she would be willing to do just about anything to find out if her children actually existed. “I’m scared,” she finally managed to say.
“I understand your apprehension but consider the one you are planning to meet with. He already loves you and wants the best for you. Think of Him as a parent who only wants the best for His children. If you have any concerns or questions, just ask Him and He will do His best to answer what you need to know.”
“What I need to know may not be what I want to know!” Amanda suddenly laughed at the audacity of the whole situation. She tried to see Jehoban as Daven was describing Him. It would take some adjustment, but she felt she could probably come to terms with Daven’s assessment.
“I see you are already starting to comprehend,” Daven praised. “Now let’s work on the next level of your assessment, shall we?”
Amanda readily agreed since she really enjoyed working with her crystal. She felt as though her own body were being energized as she used her crystal. The next level was on heal
ing and Amanda had not ever received any training from Alena or Rasa. She listened intently as Elder Daven explained the process of accessing the elemy and finding the life-line.
“You have the ability to heal yourself or others with this technique. It is much harder to heal yourself than others, I must caution. Sometimes, when you are in extreme pain, it can alter the way you use the energy and produce an unwanted result. It’s always better to seek out a wise-woman for serious matters.”
Amanda nodded as she listened.
“So, go ahead and close your eyes and seek out the part of you which is connected with the elemental energy, or elemy, as most call it now.”
Amanda remembered the lessons she had overseen of Elder Debbon teaching the wise-woman class. She had witnessed the concentration required for this to be successful. She chided herself for allowing her own distracting thoughts and immediately closed her eyes.
She felt the flow of energy surrounding her crystal and imagined herself following that energy to its source. She could imagine herself sinking far down into the ground until the energy floated freely around her body. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely energized.
Knowing she had achieved her goal she traced her life-line back to herself. She opened her eyes and beamed at her instructor. “I’ve never felt anything so wonderful in my life!”
Daven had witnessed the truth of her statement so many times in the past that he knew she had accomplished the level he had asked of her. He noted her easy success on his patil.
“Now we’ll move on to creation. This is where we’ll take a field trip into the kitchen. Normally this would be done in a location where the student is more familiar with their setting, but I doubt you’ll have any trouble anyway.” He stood up from his desk and felt his knees and back crack as he straightened himself from sitting so long. “Besides, this is a good time to take a break to eat. We can accomplish two tasks in one!”
Ascension Discovery Page 100