The Hunt for Xanadu

by Elyse Salpeter

  The monk stared at Desmond intently. “We know what he comes for, young man, but the answer doesn’t lie with us. It lies with her.” He nodded towards Kelsey. “You do know me, child. I am Shojuharu. Do you remember calling me that once?”

  She nodded her eyes wide in shock. “Shojuharu from the Bodhidharma Monastery?”

  Desmond turned to the monk. “Wait, you’re from that monastery? Did you know my brother, Connor Gisborne?”

  The monk gazed at Desmond and nodded. “Come with me, both of you.” He turned and moved into the gher and they followed quickly. The dawn’s light had begun to break through the trees.

  There was so much Kelsey wanted to talk to him about, but there just wasn’t time right now. Raul was coming. “Please, Venerable Shojuharu, we really must go…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at the scene before her.

  Two other elderly monks sat on yellowed bamboo mats on the dirt floor of the gher. A Buddhist statue with one fat candle burned next to them. On the floor before them, a small fire was lit with a pot of tea brewing on a metal rack situated atop it. The scent of spice and fruit wafted in the air. One of the monks began moving his hands in a rhythmical-like pattern, fluttering the fingers, over and over again. Oh my, God, what is he doing? Stunned, Kelsey took a shocked step back, bumping into Desmond.

  “Why are you moving your fingers like that?” she asked, horrified. The past came back to haunt her the very moment the elder monk began his strange dance. Her strange dance. The dance she did when she was fleeing to Tedanalee. She found it suddenly hard to breathe and put her hand to her chest.

  “He’s praying, child,” Shojuharu said quietly. “Just like you used to.”

  Kelsey stared at him. “Praying? What are you talking about?”

  The monk stilled his hands. “She doesn’t remember,” he said, bitterly. “I told you this was all going to be for naught. We came here for nothing.”

  Shojuharu shook his head. “She does know, Takechiyo. She just doesn’t remember yet from where she knows. She’s protected herself from the knowledge, but don’t forget, we know for certain it’s there, just hidden deep from her conscious mind. We know who she really is.”

  What were they talking about? What do they mean about who I really am? Names from the past tickled her mind. Takechiyo. Shojuharu. Her mind wandered. She was suddenly walking through the cold gray stone halls of the Bodhidharma Monastery, praying in front of a statue of the Buddha, carved from a single piece of white sandlewood. She had sat with the monks on colorful, fluffy pillows, reciting incantations, her fingers moving rhythmically in time, fluttering up and down, over and over, for hours upon hours until she simply disappeared.

  Moving her hands? Disappearing? No, it couldn’t be the same dance! Kelsey turned to the last monk whose eyes had never strayed from the teapot. She stepped over to him. She bent down to his eye level and placed a light hand on his slim arm. He shook slightly. “Please, Venerable sir, please look upon me.” The monk glanced up from the flickering flames, his kind brown eyes emanating from a wrinkled face. Kelsey’s breath caught in her throat.

  She started crying and laughing at the same time as she stared at his beloved face. “Bantu Shingen? Teacher, is it really you?”

  He reached up and grasped her hands with his gnarled ones, his fingers thin and cold, but his smile warm.

  “Yes, Kelsey. We once thought we lost you at the very hands of the man who seeks us now, but we learned you didn’t succumb. Your path wasn’t to end at that time. Our enemy didn’t win this time.” He pulled her down to the floor. Then he glanced at Desmond. “You, too, Desmond.”

  Desmond started.

  The monk smiled “Yes, we know who you are. Come join us, for you’ve been brought into this path as well. Your fate is connected to Kelsey in ways you can’t imagine.”

  With a quick intake of breath, Desmond took a seat next to Kelsey and joined the other monks. Shojuharu sat down as well.

  Kelsey remembered him now. “You were the Senior Elder who worked with my father. The one who gave him the map.” She stared around her, incredulous. “What are you all doing here? You’re in terrible danger. We need to leave and take you to safety.” She tried to stand, but Bantu Shingen stayed her by gripping her wrist and shaking his head sadly.

  Shojuharu stared at her. “Our time is now, child. We’ve come to the end of our paths and we know what awaits us. Don’t fret, for we know we’ll be reborn immediately.”

  “But there’s still time here in this lifetime,” Kelsey beseeched, thrusting off Bantu Shingen and standing back up. “You don’t have to die a senseless death at the hands of this monster. Why did you come here in the first place?”

  “We came, because it was foretold you’d be here. Those at the next level saw this, so let’s not waste any more time and let us teach you one last lesson. We must break the chains which bind you. The chains which cloud your vision.” He leaned over and struck the edge of a metal bowl in front of him. The gong echoed hollowly in the gher. Then he crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and rested his palms up on his knees. “Now please sit down with us. Close your eyes and start to breathe.”

  Was he out of his mind? Kelsey stared at him. “You want to meditate now?”

  Shojuharu turned to her and opened his eyes. “Yes, now. We need to clear your head so you can take in what we must show you.”

  Kelsey wanted to scream in frustration. “There’s no time! If we don’t leave now, you’re all going to die!”

  Bantu Shingen spoke gently. “Kelsey, I taught you nearly every day for two years. Allow us to teach you now. Please, child. There’s always time for teachings. Don’t let the threat of what’s coming cloud your mind.”

  Takechiyo turned to her as well, but he wasn’t calm and gentle and she was taken aback. She had never seen an angry monk before. He threw his hands in the air. “Enough of this. You both coddle her as if she were still ten-years old.” He turned to Kelsey and pointed at her. “Listen to me, little girl. Mara is the threat that’s coming. We know this and you do as well, if you’d look deep in your mind and stop hiding in denial!”

  She flinched at his words and her stomach clenched violently at the mention of Mara.

  “Takechiyo, not yet. She isn’t ready,” Bantu Shingen admonished. “Kelsey, sit, please.”

  Shaking, and not knowing why, Kelsey sat down between Bantu Shingen and Desmond. A strange, horrible feeling crept into her gut, one she couldn’t explain.

  Shojuharu spoke up. “Now, quiet your minds. Forget the men who’re coming, forget the past. Just concentrate right now on your breathing. Breathe in peace and pure light, breathe out the hate, the confusion, and all your earthly desires. Rejoice in the happiness you can bring inside yourself.”

  All was quiet for a few moments in the gher as the five of them concentrated on their breathing. Despite herself, Kelsey felt her mind turning inward as she became still. Her thoughts slowly silenced as she mentally shut off the terrors invading her life.

  Shojuharu voice was a whisper. “Now start your dance, Kelsey. Just like you do in your dreams to take you to your special land. Just like we taught you all those years ago when you reflected with us in the sanctuary.”

  Fear suddenly laced her heart and she shook herself. “I can’t. I’m – I’m afraid, Teacher.” She glanced down, embarrassed. She’d never been afraid of anything, but this was too close to her. It was just too personal. And it wasn’t even real!

  Bantu Shingen leaned over and squeezed her hand. “There’s much to be afraid of, but this isn’t it. You’ve always had a choice in everything you’ve done and your decisions have made you unique, Kelsey. Your path in this lifetime pulled you in so many different directions, but you’ve always chosen the right path. So, do the dance the way we taught you. It’s the way through to the next level and I promise you don’t need to be afraid of your dreams or where we’re going or how we get there. Your dreams are no longer just dreams, Kelsey, but your reality. Now close your
eyes. I promise, it will all come back to you and you’ll begin to understand and to learn once more.”

  Kelsey glanced at Desmond, seeing how puzzled he was, but he sat like the monks, with his hands in his lap, simply waiting. I can’t believe I’m going to do this. She took a deep, shuddery breath and turned back to the monks.

  “Follow us,” Shojuharu called softly.

  All three monks closed their eyes and started fluttering their fingers.

  “Move your fingers in the rhythmic dance and join us, Kelsey,” Shojuharu called. “This is how we taught you to meditate and to move between the worlds. It is how you travel to your world of Tedanalee. Just breathe and dance.”

  Kelsey closed her eyes and bit her lip uncertainly, but then relaxed her mind. She began moving her fingers in the way she thought only she had made up. Up and down, up and down like a wave, one after another. It was so familiar and calming. Again and again they fluttered. She squinted and saw Desmond, his eyes closed, moving his fingers like the monks. She closed her lids and let the thoughts flow from her mind. One by one, she breathed them out and released them. The visions of surf crashing on the beach coming to the forefront of her mind. Then she watched them recede into the ocean. She let them come, let them surge and ebb, pushing the water further and further up the sand, breathing in and out, each surge of water a breath. Slowly the waves disappeared and her mind calmed until it stilled and became nothing but tabla rosa, all desires and earthly needs gone…

  The air around them began to shimmer.

  * * * * *

  Kelsey stood on the edge of the stream, bending down to watch the strange pint-sized fish jump and flip around the rocks in the current. They made little splashing noises like tinkling glass. She glanced up, the sunny blue sky streaked this afternoon with ribbons of orange and pinks stretching across the horizon. A warm, jasmine-scented breeze blew her hair. It was tied back with a chain of green crystal jewels, attached to multi-colored strings which ran down her back. The wind brought with it the whinny of her fedelia. She turned, surprised to see Ishu resting on the ground next to a magnificent stallion-like creature she didn’t recognize. Heads taller than Ishu, he had a thick mahogany brown mane and his muscles bulged with strength throughout his massive body. Kelsey watched as the stallion leaned over and nuzzled Ishu’s neck affectionately. She strolled towards them, her green, gauzy shirt and silky pants flowing in the breeze.

  “Kelsey?” She stopped in mid-step, shocked, and turned to the familiar voice. Desmond stood on the edge of the forest, looking like he was born for this world. A white cotton tunic covered his chest, and brown breeches stretched to his calves. His feet were encased in rawhide sandals. A dagger with a jewel-encrusted hilt was attached to a belt around his waist along with a large sword. He wore a bow and a sheath of arrows across his back. Another ream of quivers were attached to his hip. As Desmond stared, he reached up and fingered his forehead, feeling the thin jeweled headband adorning his brow, keeping his unruly hair out of his eyes.

  Kelsey studied the scene, so like her dreams, but now so different. Desmond was here. Here in Tedanalee with her.

  That wasn’t possible.

  “Where are we? It seems somehow… familiar.” He took a step forward and sniffed the air. He appeared amazed as he took in the forest with its strange scents. He glanced at the sky, a dumbstruck expression on his handsome face. He stared at the alien beauty and awe-inspiring colors of the aurora borealis swirling above his head. Beyond, the golden city of Tedanalee stood within the mountains. The massive sanctuary dominated the center of the city. Fashioned after an imperial palace, it was a grand mix of stone and wood, filled with gardens, shrines, and great halls. It was also where she had lived with the Emperor and Empress as a child. Even from this distance, she marveled at its eclectic mix of structural works with its multiple terraces, colorful walls and bell-shaped stupa tower. The main stupa, the highest point of the sanctuary, was covered in gold and glowed in the sunlight.

  “We’re in Tedanalee, though I’m not sure how you’re here with me.”

  “Tedanalee?” He couldn’t stop staring at the world around him. At her.

  She nodded. “This is the secret fantasy land I’ve escaped to since I was ten-years old. But it’s just a dream world. I must have fallen asleep back in the gher with the monks while we were meditating and conjured you.”

  She stepped over to Ishu and patted her creamy white mane. Ishu whinnied contentedly and nuzzled her cheek. Then she turned to the creature next to her, giving it an appreciative eye. He was a beauty. “Your steed’s magnificent, Desmond.”

  “My steed?” Desmond moved over to stand by the massive animal. It turned its jet black eyes towards him and Desmond froze, his eyes wide with comprehension. “He is mine,” he said, softly, amazed. It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

  “What’s his name?” Kelsey asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You’ll know. Look into his eyes and ask him.”

  Desmond stared at the creature and then smiled. “Dorje. His name is Dorje. That means indestructible one, doesn’t it?” He reached out to the animal tentatively. The creature was nearly twenty-feet in length, but it was tame and Desmond ran his hand down his body. The fedelia whinnied in pleasure and stood, his mammoth wings snapping open like sails. Its power took Kelsey’s breath away.

  Desmond turned to Kelsey. “How do I know his name?”

  “Because he told you. Because he’s yours in this world. Each warrior is given his own fedelia. You’re linked to each other.”

  A long horn sounded in the distance and they both looked towards the monastery.

  “What are they calling for?” Desmond asked, stepping towards it.

  “We’re being summoned to the sanctuary. In this land, we’re soldiers, here to protect the Emperor and Empress. Come on.”

  “The Emporer and Empress?” He squinted, confused.

  But before she could explain further, the sky rent apart. The sound ripped through the land. Black holes opened up, tearing through the ribbons of color. A gale of wind threw them both violently back to the ground. The air was ionized, like it smelled before a coming storm.

  Ishu reared up, baring her teeth and Dorje did the same, wrapping his wings around all of them so the whirlwind didn’t whip them away.

  “We have to get to the temple!” Kelsey cried, jumping on Ishu with a swift, practiced leap. The squall intensified as the blackness invaded the sky, quickly covering all the color.

  “Kelsey, what’s happening?” Desmond asked.

  “The dark is coming! The Devil of all worlds. There’s no time to talk, Desmond. Go to Dorje and jump on. We have to leave right now!”

  Desmond ran to Dorje, unsure of what to do, but the creature leaned down and pushed him with its tremendous snout onto his back. Desmond leaned over and grabbed the mane and the animal launched itself to the sky. They flew fast, other riders racing to the temple with them as the blackness expanded like spidery streaks.

  “Hurry, Desmond. We have to hurry!” Pain suddenly ripped through Kelsey’s chest and she shrieked in agony.

  The blackness opened up, sucking them in.

  Ishu reared the way she had come, desperately fighting the pull, but it kept drawing her and Kelsey in further.

  “Kelsey!” Desmond’s stallion reared, too, fighting the pull and winning, while he gripped the mane desperately so he didn’t fall off.

  Dorje whipped his head around, grabbed Ishu’s tail with his mouth and with a tremendous effort, wrenched them back.

  The entire sky opened up, the blackness enveloping them all and they plummeted through the void.

  Falling… falling… falling…

  * * * * *

  With a shriek, Kelsey pushed herself backwards, away from the monks until she was against the gher wall. She clutched herself. Desmond sweated and shook, his eyes both terrified and amazed, and Kelsey realized this had been no dream. He had actually been there with her--in T
edanalee.

  Heaving, she turned to the monks. “What does this mean? How could he have been there with me? How do you even know about this place?” The questions flew from her, one after another, begging them to help her understand. “It’s not even a real place. I made it up to protect myself after I was attacked.”

  Shojuharu was about to speak, but the sound of an approaching jeep sounded outside the gher.

  He turned to Kelsey, urgently. “Whatever happens, you must promise to help. You must go back and protect them from the evil that’s coming.”

  “Protect who?” Her eyes widened in understanding. “The Emperor and Empress? You can’t be serious. They’re not even real.”

  The doors of the jeep banged shut. Male voices spoke. “You think they’re awake yet? It’s early.”

  Shojuharu stared at the gher tent flaps, then turned back to Kelsey. “They’re real, Kelsey. As real as any of us. The man who comes now has come to you before. Mara is influencing him. This man doesn’t follow the path of Pancha Shila. He has no morals. He comes to aid the Devil in opening the worlds and destroying all the paths to every universal truth.”

  She leaned forward, desperately. “You believe Mara is influencing Raul? How? When did he come before? Please, you have to tell me.”

  “He came twelve years ago to your hut. He came to kill you.”

  She reeled back, but Shojuharu leaned forward and with surprising strength grasped her ankle. “Child, whatever happens to us, you must survive. You must continue to fight him. Do you understand? You must go back and find your Emperor and Empress and help them.” He stared at Kelsey and when she didn’t respond, he grasped her ankle harder, his fingers digging in until it hurt. “Kelsey, do you understand what I’m saying? Mara is here in this world. You are the only one who has the power to stop him. Think, Child. Think back to who you are, who you were and who you’ve been. We mean nothing. Our paths are done. It’s you who must survive. It’s you who must save them. You who must reject the influences of your past. Promise me, Kelsey. For when you make a promise, you must maintain it. Do you understand?”