The last of Noah’s five graduating students was Fallon, the daughter of Brian and Candace Alexander. Unlike her half-sister, Bast, and every other student in her class, Fallon was not destined to take up a great appointment upon graduation and her coming of age. Her name and chart had given very little insight into her future vocation, for her name simply meant ‘daughter of the ruler’. Her father, Brian Alexander, was Lahmu, the supreme head of the senate of the interplanetary human alliance. Fallon’s star chart and her studies had revealed an aptitude for humanitarianism, the psychic arts, leadership and protocol, but she had yet to decide what avenue she would pursue as a career. Thus, schooling had proven more of a struggle for Fallon than for her peers, as she had no fixed idea of her future endeavours and could not channel her energies into the subjects that would prove most beneficial to her cause. Still, she had studied hard and managed to graduate despite her want of a calling.
‘Let me guess, En Noah.’ Fallon pulled her mass of dark curls into a ponytail as her tutor approached her. ‘You cannot foresee my future, for that is for me to decide.’
Yes, her lack of destiny had definitely made her a cynic. ‘On the contrary,’ Noah assured as he held her hand and focused his mind to perceive the Tablet’s counsel. ‘I can see you averting a great calamity, Fallon.’
‘Really?’ She was intrigued by his claim, then thought better of it. ‘There is no such thing as a great calamity, so far as we Chosen are concerned … for what situation could possibly arise that my father and his great council could not handle?’
‘Fate picks its own warriors,’ Noah told her surely. ‘But you must keep your heart and mind open to the higher purpose. Malice will confuse your perception for a time, making the right decision and course of action unclear.’
Fallon didn’t know what to say, for it seemed her future was more complex than she had imagined. ‘I hold no real malice towards anyone, En Noah.’ She gazed up at him with her piercing blue eyes, the only trait that both Bast and Fallon had inherited from their father.
‘That is true,’ Noah seconded, ‘but when situations get twisted and the whole truth is not known, sometimes we jump to conclusions that would not normally be our own.’
The young woman frowned and forced a smile to concede she would commit the advice to memory. ‘In that case, I shall always try to get my facts straight. If, at any time, I feel I have not, then I shall come see you, En Noah,’ she resolved, with a lighthearted laugh — the Sage’s prophecies always sounded more ominous in the telling than they actually were in reality.
‘I shall always be here for your counsel,’ he assured, as he let go of Fallon’s hand and addressed all five of his graduates. ‘It has been my honour and privilege to be your tutor these twenty years past. Go now, and rise to the challenge of your individual pursuits in the knowledge that I have prepared you well for what lies ahead. Be proud of your perseverance, for your efforts hail the dawn of a new era of prosperity and peace for humanity. The allied council of Lahmu will finally realise its full potential in accordance with the will of the great Cosmic Logos.’
‘So be it!’ all five students responded as one, and they rose to leave the Institute they had frequented all their lives — the day had finally come to pursue their aspirations.
2
KINDRED SPIRITS
No sooner had Avery been dismissed from the Institute, than he’d willed himself back to the Otherworld. He imagined that Gwyn ap Nudd would be waiting to give him some last-minute tuition, for Avery would soon undertake the formal initiation that would prove him worthy to succeed the lord as ruler of the dominions of nature and their realm of higher activity. It was a great honour that was to be bestowed on Avery, for the etheric world appointment had never before been awarded to a human being.
Gwyn ap Nudd was the last of the race known as the Nefilim. He was still operating below the mental plane of awareness and, understandably, he longed to ascend and join his kindred who were dwelling on the threshold of the causal plane of existence. This was the intermediary realm between the lower triad spheres pertaining to mankind, and the higher triad planes that played host to the hierarchy of the divine creator of the universe. Upon Gwyn ap Nudd’s retirement, his soul group would spend thousands of years immersed in a deep cleansing sleep, whereby all their beneficial dreams, talents and aspirations would be realised and perfected in preparation for the next evolution conducive to their level of awareness.
Avery felt confident of fulfilling all expectations in regard to his forthcoming appointment. Gwyn ap Nudd may have ruled the realm of emotion, but the Nefilim had never been very emotionally inclined as a species; they functioned primarily through their mental awareness. For the first time, rule of the Otherworld would rest with an emotional creature who was sympathetic to nature’s cause and humanity’s cause.
Upon willing himself to his mentor, Avery arrived in a lovely valley located upon the planet Gaia’s etheric body, which was where Gwyn ap Nudd chose to base himself.
In the physical realm Avery would have been in some abandoned town in lower Wales — the land in which his famous time hopping father, Maelgwn Gwynedd, had ruled as High King during the Dark Ages. In the etheric world, however, it was a lush valley filled with colourful blooms and huge enchanted trees, the like of which only existed in the fairy tales of Gaia’s physical consciousness; every atom of every manifestation in the valley was luminous because they absorbed the ultraviolet light beaming forth from the heart of the Logos via the rays of the sun, which was less harmful on the eye here than in the physical realm. The landscape was alive with colour day and night. The build-up of the absorbed divine light resulted in an energy-mist that arose from the body of Gaia and floated out into the cosmos in all directions, advancing the energy exchange between all beings in the cosmos. Negativity could not exist here, but there were dangers in this realm, the most delusional being ‘glamour’.
Avery floated over to the babbling brook by which the Lord of the Night was seated. Avery had mastered the art of flying on both the etheric and physical planes of existence, which accounted in part for Avery being nicknamed Pan by his mother. When he was a child, Tory had told him the adventures of Peter Pan and, feeling a kinship with the legend from Never Never Land, Avery still bore the nickname with pride.
‘There is something I have been meaning to ask you, Night Hunter.’ Avery used the title bestowed upon Gwyn ap Nudd by the Celtic peoples of ancient Briton. ‘Why, out of all the planets in the known universe, do you choose to base yourself on Gaia’s etheric manifestation? There are other locations in our realm that are far more wondrous.’
This is the planetary body that needs the most attention. The mortal Homo sapiens have made it necessary for me to keep a constant eye on them. Praise the Logos that they are all still confined to this star system. The lord conveyed his viewpoint using telepathic projection, as was his way. Your forefathers have a lot to answer for and humans are only just beginning to atone for the rape and devastation of the lovely Gaia.
‘Her physical body is a mess,’ Avery had to admit. ‘I must say I am hard pressed to fathom my forefathers’ reasons for poisoning the planetary body that nurtures their existence. Especially with no means to move elsewhere!’
His mentor explained that the devastation on Gaia was all part of the evolutionary learning process designed to develop the courageous human souls who had inherited the nightmare. Without great evil and adversity to overcome, no great good can be achieved, no huge lessons learned. One force without the other renders the whole of physical existence redundant … for nothing can evolve without the cause and effect set in motion by these opposing forces. Avery’s frown prompted Gwyn to expand his theory. A large part of Gaia’s population is now devoted to healing the planet and their children will inherit conservation sense and so on. The evolution of the mortals of this planet is finally beginning its upward spiral. A new Ray is coming into force with your appointment. The time of ‘the devotee’ is coming
to a close and the Violet Ray, the Ray of ‘the ritualist’ will soon hold more sway on Gaia; this is the same Ray that governs the Chosen Ones.
‘Ray, lord?’ Avery had never heard him use this term before. ‘Are you talking about the celestial light of the Logos?’
Gwyn nodded, but sucked in his cheeks as if dissatisfied with the vague definition. The Rays express themselves through the light of the Allied Logoi, but more specifically they are the seven aspects of the Almighty, through which creation was brought into being. The seven spirits before the throne of God channel the universal will into the myriad of forms operating on all levels of awareness. Without the interplay of the seven Rays of Life on every plane of existence, evolution would not be possible.
Avery was frowning again.
Is the explanation too vague? the Lord of the Night inquired, but then he heard the faint call that echoed through the ethers.
‘Avery! I know you can hear me.’
‘It’s my sister, lord,’ Avery advised, a mite embarrassed to interrupt the important tutorial with mundane considerations. ‘She probably expects me to go out and celebrate graduation, before our little brother leaves for Tarazean. I’d be glad to put her off.’ Avery fished for permission to get out of the engagement, as Fallon was sure to be going and he hated the way she hung on his every word all the time.
No, no, insisted the lord. You should take time to celebrate life with your friends, before your adult responsibilities make it impossible to organise.
‘But I’d much prefer to hear your tuition, Night Hunter,’ Avery appealed. ‘I don’t want to —’
Ah! Gwyn held up a finger to caution him. In the future you shall be glad to have such carefree memories. Best look after your physical body for a change. Your mental and spiritual bodies are overloaded.
‘But I can take more,’ the lad said eagerly.
Gwyn shook his head. Take a break and enjoy it. That’s an order.
With a cringe and a moan Avery willed himself home.
For a student studying at any of the Institutes, ‘Patrick’s’ was the in place to go to eat and socialise. Patrick Haze and his husband, Season, had been running the place since the Chosen had landed on Kila. It had been the first restaurant to open in the city. It was the perfect arrangement for the gay couple, as Season loved to cook and Patrick loved to play host. But the best thing about eating here was that Patrick had a sixth sense where food was concerned and could order for you if you chose.
With full bellies and faces aching from laughter, the five young graduates stood on the pavement outside the restaurant contemplating their next move. Fallon, Bast and Sparrowhawk were a little wobbly from the Bahula (deadly joy water) they’d been drinking. Avery was only pleasantly tipsy and even Lirathea, the saint, had been talked into having one glass, which had given her the giggles.
‘I’m not too smashed to know I have to pack.’ Sparrowhawk leaned on Lirathea, but she was as unstable on her feet as he was and they both fell about laughing until they steadied themselves.
‘I’ll give you a hand,’ Lirathea offered. ‘I think I need to get home before I embarrass myself badly.’
‘Aw,’ whined Fallon, figuring Avery probably wouldn’t stay unless Lirathea did. ‘Must we retire so early?’
‘Well, just because these two want to pike out, doesn’t mean we all have to.’ Bast nudged Avery, who had been rather charming and chatty all evening. ‘What do you say we continue on, old chum?’
As Fallon had not been as adoring as usual and had even been pleasant company, Avery nodded. In any case, Bast was always good for a laugh. ‘I get to pick the destination,’ he proposed.
‘You’re on!’ both girls agreed, as Avery’s choice was sure to be exotic.
Thus, with a girl on each arm, Avery bid his brother and sister goodnight. ‘Be good,’ he cautioned them, going out of his way to make the comment sound like a jest.
Lirathea did not take it that way. ‘You’re telling us to be good? You’re so deluded, Avery.’ She rolled her eyes and taking Sparrowhawk by the hand, turned to make her way home.
The Falcon lad smiled back at his half-brother as he was led away. ‘See you … if I do?’ Sparrowhawk waved, knowing Avery probably wouldn’t come to the spaceport to see him off in the morning — they just weren’t that close.
‘The blind leading the blind,’ Avery muttered under his breath as he watched his brother and sister stagger up the road together. We’ll see who is deluded … and I know it isn’t me.
‘So where are you taking us?’ Bast prompted. ‘Somewhere Otherworldly?’
All the Chosen had mastered the art of physical teleportation but to differing degrees. Some could only achieve the feat within the star system. The fourteen appointed ones of the Allied Logoi, which included Maelgwn, Lahmu, Tory and En Noah, could teleport themselves to any known destination or person within the galaxy. But only Avery and the Night Hunter himself could access any destination in the etheric world.
‘Want to go to a concert, ladies?’ Avery invited them winningly. He drew their attention to their feet, and both girls gasped and burst into delighted laughter upon realising they were floating.
‘You’re not going to fly us there, are you?’ Fallon clutched Avery tighter as they continued to rise.
‘Hardly,’ Avery scoffed, as the blue-white light of the ethers engulfed them and they were spirited off to the mysterious destination.
When Bast and Fallon found themselves standing on the top of a remote mountain peak in the physical realm of their home planet, the girls were clearly disappointed.
‘I don’t think the musicians are going to be able to haul their gear up here.’ Bast scoffed at Avery’s promise of a concert.
‘Trust me.’ Avery parked his butt on the ground and leaned back on his elbows to gaze at the sky.
Bast looked at Fallon, who shrugged in blind faith and sat down beside Avery.
‘Come on.’ Avery patted the ground to the other side of him, urging the suspicious Leonine to be seated also. ‘Quickly … before the mist comes and you get lost.’
Stay standing, Fallon wished to herself, wanting nothing more than to lose her flamboyant sister so as to have Avery all to herself.
‘All right, Pan man, but this had better be good.’
Before Bast had even got herself comfortable a bright celestial light erupted in the sky, flashing white, and then red, and then green.
‘Oh, how beautiful!’ Fallon uttered, delighted by the spectacle.
‘It’s a solar flare shower, so what?’ Bast flopped flat onto her back, unimpressed.
‘Allow me to turn up the volume a little,’ Avery offered, as the mist of a thousand flowers came sweeping over them.
‘Great … now I can’t see anything,’ Bast chided, inwardly excited by what was occurring.
‘That aroma is heavenly.’ Fallon fell onto her back and breathed deep the scent. Her eyes had closed to fully appreciate the bouquet that was very arousing to the senses and was all the more so for feeling Avery’s gaze upon her.
The dress of shimmering black, which Avery knew Fallon had worn for his benefit, fitted her shapely torso rather snugly and seemed to be accentuating her cleavage, as she stretched out on the ground beside him. Maybe it was just the alcohol or the celestial light, but she really did look rather scrumptious this evening. Bast looked fabulous too, but then she always did. This was a new look for Fallon and her personality had taken a swing for the better this evening as well. She was actually pretty cool when she wasn’t adoring him like a love-sick teenager — it was kind of nice that he could do a little silent admiring for a change.
A stirring synergy of sound could be heard arising, and as the mist cleared it became apparent that each different note sounded from a different colour as it burst forth in the sky. Now the phenomena in the sky radiated with fluorescent colour that danced in an overawing collage across the sky.
‘The sky is singing?’ Bast found her tongue first.
‘Wow, it’s just incredible.’ Fallon held her hands to her heart, moved to tears by the experience.
‘It’s certainly not boring,’ Bast admitted.
‘Let it never be said that I don’t know how to show a girl a good time.’ Avery lay down between the sisters, feeling rather gratified by their delight.
‘Oh, I feel sure that will never be said,’ Bast retorted in a very fresh tone of voice.
It infuriated Fallon when her sister flirted with Avery, which Bast only did to mock Fallon’s feelings. Bast hogged every man’s attention just because she could, and Fallon deeply envied her sister’s abundance of charisma and her confidence in wielding it. Fallon knew that if she’d ventured to make the comment first, it would have come out sounding corny instead of seductive.
A shadow fell over the three of them and a deep grunt startled the girls into a standing position, which spurred Avery to laughter. The sisters, upon spying the upper body of a large stone creature protruding from the ground, began to scream.
‘Avery, do something.’ Bast gave their amused host a kick.
‘Sorry, ladies.’ He composed himself and arose. ‘I know Grom looks ominous, but I assure you he’s harmless.’ Avery addressed the creature directly. ‘What’s up, my stony friend?’
You know how you wanted me to tell you if I ever saw your brother and sister getting cosy?
The Cosmic Logos Page 2
