by Dinia Steel
~o0o~
Chapter 61
James
James was sitting outside on the patio with Reggie and Harry when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. "Hello?"
"Hello James, this is Gail Brown. I need to talk to you about the stories you asked us to look for. Can you come to the offices here at the Res today? Normally, I wouldn't ask, but I think this is very important."
Gail’s contralto voice filled him with a sense of ease he hadn't felt in a while. "Sure, Gail. When would be a good time for you?"
"As soon as possible; now if you could. I think what I have to tell you is of the highest importance and will not only help with the beginning of the healing process, but also help us to better understand what's been going on as well as what's to come," Gail sounded confident.
"Give me a moment, I just need to see if Reggie and Harry have anything pressing that would prevent them coming with me," He glanced at Reggie.
She nodded her approval.
James then swung his gaze to Harry.
Harry nodded also, as he was only going to be working on finishing up the paper that would count as one third of his grade for homeschooling classes.
James heard in his head that he was willing to make the sacrifice and they smiled at each other. "Sure Gail, we can be there in about half an hour, maybe less."
She disconnected without saying goodbye, but he wasn’t disturbed about this.
Twenty-five minutes later, the three of them were on the Reservation being ushered into the offices used by the Storytellers and Singers.
Gail Brown stood and warmly offered her hand to each of us. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I really think you will find what I have to tell you will make it worthwhile." She gestured for them to sit down.
The Keepers pulled out the folding chairs that formed the circle the Tribal Elders used for their meetings a little closer together for easier conversation. They waited expectantly for her to begin.
"You asked us to search for stories and dreams regarding the Darkness you described, and you asked for a second search for a Child of Light. I have found such a reference and I have also dreamed of such a child." Gail paused to search their eyes. "Jill was...is, such a child. That is why she was chosen. Only the purest and brightest of the Tribe would furnish enough power to awaken the Darkness." Gail looked at James.
He gave her a nod, silently confirming they already suspected as much.
Gail continued, "Jill is much the same as the myth of the Golden Child in Tibetan lore, and I can see that you understand what this means."
"We do understand that and we are happy to have you confirm what we've learned,” Reggie answered for the group. “Even though her spirit has left that body, Jill is still very much with us. She still has some very large role left to fulfill."
James could see and feel what Reggie was unable to articulate. A blinding light...burning bodies...a child giggling and skipping off into the rising sun.
Reggie wore a puzzled expression on her face, but that cleared when she heard James’ thought.
She doesn't need to know that right now.
Reggie nodded as if to herself and continued, "I can't see enough to tell you anything for sure Gail, but I think you know anyway. This will have to move as it's been set in motion to."
At first, Gail's mind filled with dark thoughts, but then cleared with the tiniest hint of hope Reggie had given her. "I understand. We all have parts to play in this story. When it's done, I suspect I'll have an epic tale to share with the tribe."
The Keepers left the tribal Center.
~o0o~
That night Gail had the dream again. This time, she found herself in it but as an “observer” of all going on around her and her own part in the dream.
The wind was blowing from the west across the tops of the cliffs. Once again, a huge bonfire was burning there. About thirty people were standing around the fire dressed in long white cowled robes. Gail could not see their faces as she walked around the outside of the circle. She could hear indistinct chanting going on but the words were not clear enough for her to know with absolute certainty what they were saying. She only knew it was an invocation of some kind.
She felt it as her skin began to crawl with a presence. She looked above the circled figures and saw a dark malignant and rolling mist that formed into a denser cloud quickly. The cloud thickened more and descended upon those around the fire. Gail watched as it totally enveloped the robed figures.
The scene shifted again.
In addition to the white robed figures, six others walked into their midst and began walking around inside the circle. The newcomers were shining like the colors of the rainbow. The colors were the most beautiful she'd ever seen. They seemed to pulse and glow with a life all their own.
It was spectacular.
The new comers’ colors seemed to explode into a brilliant display of light. All the colors twisted and arched above the blazing fire and the black robed celebrants. Then the colors transformed into a brilliant diamond bright light.
Gail awoke with a start, her heart racing.
The Light was going to fight back and win!
~o0o~
Chapter 62
Reggie was dreaming.
James felt and witnessed what she was dreaming. He rose from the chair he'd been sitting in at his work desk. Leaving his home office, he walked the short distance to the bedroom he now shared with Reggie. He stared down at his beloved and saw she wore a faint smile on her lips.
She opened her eyes and smiled. "I was dreaming."
"Yes, love, I know. It was a good dream," James answered smiling back, as he sat down beside her on the bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really. Do you?" Reggie asked gazing up into his loving eyes.
"Maybe." James thought for a moment. "I think you were sharing that dream with someone...Gail Brown?"
Reggie nodded. "Yes, I think it was her."
James kissed Reggie's forehead. "I have just a little more mundane work to do, then I can come to bed with you," he stood up and turned to leave the room.
Reggie spoke again, "I think I need to go the Temple again and stand in the Flame alone James."
Turning, James answered her. "Sure. Do you need me to be with you physically, or is my mental touch enough?" He had the utmost confidence in Reggie's abilities and also understood she had a job of her own to perform within the group of Keepers.
Grinning, Reggie answered, "Your touch is always with me James, as mine is with you. If I need you, you'll know and come to me."
James nodded and left to go back to what he'd been doing in his office.
~o0o~
The mist covering her feet was that striking soft blue the sky was colored with just as the sun rose each morning. The ground felt soft to Reggie's feet as she climbed the hill to the beautiful little white marble Temple on the Hill.
Reggie slowly and reverently climbed the steps leading up into the center of the Temple to the Eternal Flame which burned there.
Without giving any thought to her actions, she stepped into the center of the Flame.
The scene that greeted Reggie was of a white fog that billowed around her. She didn't feel any sense of anything other than expectation of what she’d been called there for. She stood still and waited.
Her patience was soon rewarded as the fog cleared and a child's swing set materialized before her. Sitting on one of the two swings was a little girl, about five or six years old.
"Come swing with me Reggie!" the little girl called.
Reggie looked at the child.
She had long dark, black hair and her skin tone was that of the Native Americans who lived not far from the Franklin house.
"You must be Jill," Reggie said.
"Yep, and you're Reggie!" Jill giggled.
Reggie walked up to the swing set and took the empty swing. "I haven't been in a swing since I was a child," Reggie told Jill as she sat down.
> "Do you remember how to do it?" Jill asked with big eyes. "If you don't. I can show you."
Smiling, Reggie answered by pushing back with her legs, then pulling them up when she'd reached back as far as her legs would allow, raising them up again. She then began pumping with her body until she was as high as she could get on the short chains the seat was attached to.
Jill clapped her hands. "You're good Reggie!"
Reggie brought herself to a stop. "Would you like me to push you Jill?"
Shaking her head, Jill got out of the swing seat and extended one of her little hands toward Reggie.
Reggie followed Jill's lead and stood taking her offered hand.
They walked hand in hand for a little while before Jill spoke, "I knew you'd be a nice lady because my friend told me so."
"Thank you, Jill. Who's your friend?" Reggie asked.
"Oh, she's an angel; I think. She kinda looks like you Reggie. I don't know her name."
"That's okay Jill. If you like her, I'm sure she's a good friend to have." Reggie thought she knew who the Angel was, but kept it to herself for now. "What did you want to talk to me about, or did you just want to see if I knew how to swing?" she teased.
Jill stopped and peered up into Reggie's eyes. Jill's eyes had a glow about them which only small children and very spiritual adults seemed to have. Her innocence was still there. Her horrific death hadn't taken that from her soul. She translated her thoughts to Reggie.
"Thank you Jill. I did need to know that." Reggie knelt down and hugged the child.
Jill hugged her back. "She said it was bothering you and that you needed to see for yourself."
"Yes, she was right. Thank you again, Jill," Changing the subject Reggie asked, "Would you like me to tell you a story?"
Smiling a smile way beyond her years, Jill shook her head. "No. I just needed to show you I was okay, and to tell you that when the time is right, I'll be with you at the appointed location."
Then, Jill was gone and Reggie was standing alone in The Eternal Flame.
Reggie opened her eyes briefly to see she was laying in bed and once again, firmly on the earthly plane. She rolled over and allowed a deep sleep to overtake her.
~o0o~
James smiled as he closed the book he'd been making notations in, turned off the desk lamp, stood and left his in-home office.
He entered their bedroom silently going into the adjoining bathroom to shower and make ready to come to bed with Reggie.
He'd seen what she'd experienced and knew the path they were all on had been laid out for them and they didn't have to do anything but follow their own hearts. What they needed to know and do would come when it was time.
~o0o~
Chapter 63
They'd all gathered in the dining room where Joyce had breakfast on warming trays and set out buffet style so they could serve ourselves.
Over her second cup of coffee, Reggie spoke, "I had a dream and a trip into the Eternal Flame last night."
Josephine got the dreamy far away look she got when she was seeing something. "Ahhh, yes. She was such a pretty little girl," she stated simply.
The rest of the table looked from Reggie to Josephine and back again.
James smiled and chided, "Come on Reggie, tell them about it, please. Don't torture them."
So, Reggie relayed to them all what had transpired, and all of what Jill said.
"Reggie?" Josephine asked.
"Yes?" Reggie answered, even though she knows what Josephine wanted to ask her.
"Who is the 'she' that Jill refers to?"
"Why, the Lady of the Lake Josephine, who else?" Reggie replied smiling.
"Oh," was Josephine’s only answer.
"Okay, I'll bite Reggie, why was it the Lady of the Lake?" Suzanne asked.
"Suz, the Lady is of course alive in each of our consciousness, but it is also a title, just as Merlin is a title," Reggie replied warmly.
James smiled and suppressed a snicker. He, of course, hears Reggie's thoughts, as well as the others.
"Oh," was the only reply from Suzanne as well.
Smiling broadly, Reggie explained, "The current Lady is my great aunt - she's very long lived. I’ve never seen her in person…ever. I felt her more strongly recently, because I have finally begun to live as I was intended to. She's been concerned about my well being. I think we might even come face to face with her before too long." Reggie looked over at James and smiled. Yes my Love, I think you're right. We will definitely need her when we fight this next battle.
Josephine looked thoughtful. "You know, it's been a long time since we visited the Lady of the Lake. We should go again sometime soon, if for nothing more than to take a walk along the lake's shoreline and soak up the calm and serenity of the Cave of the Mother."
Reggie turned to Josephine. "You know you can visit the Cave of the Mother anytime you want, Josephine. You know how to get there."
Looking a bit panicked she replied, "Yeah, but the warden, Sekhmet intimidates me. A lot."
"Understandable." Reggie nodded. "But if you remember, all of the Temples dedicated to Sekhmet in Ancient Egypt were temples of healing. There is so much more to her than the destruction of enemies..."
James stared at Reggie and finished her thought in their minds, She would be perfect to help us with the Elemental force perverted by that witch raised again, by the Die Zauberei.
~o0o~
Reggie and James suddenly found themselves standing on a soft surface they were unable to see at first, because the golden mist became too thick. Soon, the mist thinned out and they knew they are standing on sand, awaiting the Golden Lady, She of a Thousand Names, Sekhmet.
At first, all they could see was a large lioness approaching them over the sand dune. They lost sight of her when she reached the bottom of the dune. When they spotted her again, they saw a humanoid head followed by shoulders and finally her torso and legs.
The sight before them was of a tall, well built woman in her mid to late twenties. Her hair was the exact same color as that of the lioness they'd seen coming toward them. Her eyes contained flecks of gold that seemed to swirl around within the light brown eyes regarding them.
Not really knowing what to expect, they had no idea of how Sekhmet would appear to them. They knew in their hearts Sekhmet wouldn’t harm them, but seeing the large lioness coming towards them was still a bit frightening.
The woman walking toward them however, was wearing a Rolling Stones concert tee shirt, cargo shorts and brown walking boots. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail; She wasn’t looking too much like a goddess at the moment. She stopped about two feet away from the couple. "Reggie! James! How wonderful to meet you both here together." She pulled both of them into her arms and hugged them.
Reggie and James pulled back smiling brightly at the goddess.
"Come sit with me and have some iced tea. It gets so hot out here in the desert," Sekhmet walked between them to a tent set up with a small table and 3 chairs. A tent hadn’t been there moments ago.
The couple looked at each other, shrugged and followed her to the tent, They seated themselves, taking the offered glasses of tea.
The three sat together in companionable silence for a few moments. Suddenly, Sekhmet raised her right hand and pulled a smoking cigar from the air. Bringing it to her lips, she inhaled deeply blowing smoke rings and other shapes when she exhaled. One of the shapes appeared to be a camel caravan as well as men riding on the backs of elephants. "What can I do for Keepers of the Flame?" Sekhmet asked after she’d taken a deep pull on her own iced tea.
"We have been made aware of a group of people who have perverted the Four Elements and we need your help. You are one of the very few Sun Goddesses and who better to help us try to right the wrong that was done to the Element of Fire?" Reggie explained quietly.
"Yes, I have seen what's been going on and I mourn the death of that beautiful Child of Light. It is thus ever so, the battle for dominance between the Light
and the Dark," Sekhmet said. Nodding, she continued, "There must be a balance maintained, because without the Dark, the Light would not exist, nor would the Dark exist without the Light. I will certainly help you. When you need me, just call my name, and I will be there." With this statement, Sekhmet was gone.
The human couple then found themselves sitting in the library.
"Now, all we need to do is round up some goddesses or gods of the other three elements," James stated.
"Yeah, that's all we have to do.” Reggie laughed. “Actually, though, I know where we should go next."
~o0o~
Chapter 64
Once they managed to get everyone assembled again in the library, Reggie told them what transpired and explained how they all needed to go to the Cave of the Mother. They needed to talk with the Lady of the Lake as a group. Josephine was excited to be going as she'd already stated that she thought we should go there.
"She's pretty smug," James thought to Reggie.
She just smiled at his observation.
Seated, they all began their preparations for the journey. The familiar soft blue mist surrounded them and then cleared finding then standing in front of the entrance to the Cave of the Mother.
Reggie spoke the password, and we found Sekhmet standing there just as she had appeared to Reggie and James before, cargo shorts and all.
Josephine let out a little bark of a laugh which she'd quickly silenced when Sekhmet's eyes fell on her. "Welcome Keepers. She's been waiting for you. You may enter and descend to the floor of The Cave. Good journey to you." Sekhmet then disappeared before their eyes.
The walk through the tunnel to the steps seemed to go much quicker this time since they were all familiar with the layout of the Cave. Taking in the impressive sight of a full moon hanging over a clear, still lake with the stars reflecting in the water was awe inspiring.
The Lady stood at the edge of the water waiting for them to join her.
Reggie hurried down the stairs and ran to greet her great aunt, the Lady of the Lake. When Reggie was within two feet of The Lady, she halted and bowed her head.
