“How do you know these things? You are just a rock and cannot even see.”
“I know many things, for I am very old. I see through your eyes. Tenashar, see not with your physical eyes but with your other eye.”
Tenashar held the Rock and stared at it. “That doesn’t make sense. What do you mean by my other eye?”
“Between your two eyes exists another eye, not physical, but there nonetheless. That is the eye of which I speak.”
Tenashar felt it strange he could sense the character of the voice the Rock spoke with. It seemed masculine, but it was also feminine. If the Rock were a person, he felt, it would be a thin man who did very little physical work. It also would be tall and unable to serve as a warrior on the council.
chapter 5
The Orbs Attack the Village of the Senetha
Tenashar was confused. Everyone—his father, the elders of the village, all its people—seemed to understand so much more than he did. Soon however, something began to move his thoughts toward the horizon. Nothing had yet come or happened, but his mind nagged him constantly. What is it? he asked himself.
“We sense your feelings and thoughts,” said the Rock.
All of a sudden, bright lights flashed across the horizon and swirled across the distant mountain! Beams of light began hitting the ground, coming in all directions from all sides as if they were fierce rain in a horrible storm. A strange whistling sound quickly grew louder, almost blotting out all other noise. The sound drew his attention to the village, where people were awakened by the sounds of their neighbors wailing and running as if in a dream. In his mind, Tenashar could see villagers falling and screaming from the pain caused by the sound and the lights that pierced their eyes.
Just as suddenly as the lights and sounds appeared, a dead silence fell. It seemed to last for an eternity. This quickly became even more unbearable and agonizing. Finally, a very strange shape emerged from the mountains. As it came into view, it was followed by others, like ducklings following their mother. They came across the plain toward the village, and the rumors they had heard from the other tribes were proven suddenly, horribly true. Tenashar knew at once what they were—the Orbs the other tribes had seen.
Some villagers started to run. Others, less prepared, gathered their possessions. The wise men and shamans stood in the path of the Orbs, trying to study them for some sign of weakness. Tenashar quickly realized that not everyone understood how dangerous they were. Just as those in the past had, his fellow villagers would have to witness death before they could understand the peril, precisely as Sanashei and Heitac had taught.
Some of the Orbs came close to the village, and their true size became apparent. One was almost the size of the village—it seemed to cover the sky—while others were smaller. They glowed in different colors—sometimes one color after another, other times flashing side by side, making all the spheres appear as rainbows. The Orbs were vaguely transparent, and smaller spheres and other shadowy things could be seen swimming inside them, almost as if the Orbs were living beings. Besides the internal spheres and colors, spider-like creatures crawled around inside, wires with electrical flashes, gear-like objects, and organic-looking things that changed shape so constantly none could make out what they truly were.
The Orbs began to settle on the ground. Tentacle-like tubes slid out of the Orbs as they came closer. Some people eluded the Orbs’ attention, but others were petrified by fear and were quickly consumed by a greenish-blue-colored and horrible- smelling chemical the Orb excreted.
As the Orbs dug into the land, the villagers saw life dry up. Grass, crops, even the soil itself turned black and crumbled to fine dust, fading away as if it had never been there. When the Orbs touched a stream, the water drained away.
As the astonished villagers who were either paralyzed or too foolish to run away witnessed this, they turned to the elders and Sanashei, but even the wisest had no idea what to do. Sanashei was perhaps the only one to understand the smallest part of the events unfolding before the Senetha.
Tenashar looked on in amazement, feeling as if the world were ending. In his heart, he felt that some kind of strange intelligence resided in those huge shapes. If the Orbs were intelligent beings, perhaps they weren’t there to deliberately harm anyone. Perhaps these Orbs were somehow people like his own villagers except from another planet. Nothing else seemed to explain their presence.
Tenashar was on his favorite hill, watching what the Orbs were doing to the village. Others had joined him, also seeking safety. Tenashar understood why he needed the Rock and the Mushroom, for they were part of the land and had gained their sustenance from it. He calmed himself by breathing deeply. Away from the other horrified watchers, he pulled out the Rock and the Mushroom and asked, “Why is this happening to my village and people?”
After a pause, the Rock’s voice came like a gentle wind. “Your village is not what they are hunting. It is simply the place where they are, but your whole world will come to an end because the Orbs need sustenance. Realize a connection exists between the land and the Orbs.”
In the distance, villagers were frantically gathering whatever they could carry and fleeing the encroaching Orbs, while the warriors prepared to defend the village. Sanashei knew that defense was pointless, but even that didn’t matter; there was nothing anyone could do.
The Rock continued speaking. “Keep your heart pure, without hate. Let us travel together mind to mind, heart to heart, and climb the hills and mountains of hardship. You know I will always be with you in your times of need. Your tribe is going to need to know many things about the Orbs to reclaim its lands. It will be up to you to uncover the origins of the Orbs.”
Tenashar almost heard a chuckle.
“Yes, I know what you are thinking,” Rock continued. “Going to the stars is out of reach, but you don’t need to go so far. Remember, the Orbs have an origin somewhere on earth. You have to discover where they are from and hope it won’t be a long journey.”
The Rock and the Mushroom took Tenashar’s mind away from the chaos around him. The meditation hill faded from his sight, and he felt himself in a different place, where everything was white. Images flashed in the air around him, slowly becoming a teaching screen tablet covered in images explaining the life of Tenashar’s village and its history. Tenashar had not previously understood what all the images on these ever-changing screen tablets meant. His people had writing, but not everyone was literate in all the many forms of Senetha script. What Tenashar saw were letters and images. The letters were outside his comprehension, as were some of the images. He wondered again where the Rock had come from and how it knew such matters, but he continued to watch and listen.
In his mind, Tenashar could see the Orbs wreaking havoc on his people and his land. Some warriors threw lances, and though the weapons seemed to penetrate the Orbs, they had no effect; they seemed to simply disappear into their bodies. The warriors attacked the Orbs with every weapon they had, including energy spheres, high-velocity arrows, and discs, all to no avail. When the warriors foolishly charged the Orbs, they met with destruction.
All these images came to Tenashar so swiftly his head began to hurt. In the vision, a sudden burst of painful, blinding light turned the charging warriors to ashes, leaving the villagers on the hill gaping in astonishment. Fear ran through the village; everyone snatched up their children and ran from the enemy. In the panic, some of the old were left behind. Chaos reigned, and no one knew what to do. Some of those who ran were consumed along with those of the elderly who had been forgotten, but many villagers escaped the Orbs’ reach. The Orbs oddly didn’t seem to be too interested in people; they seemed to be after trees and plants, but any people or buildings in their way were destroyed. Even Sanashei could do nothing but tell everyone to flee.
Coming back from his visions, Tenashar rose with courage and fear in his heart and ran to the village to help rescue the elderly and those unable to flee due to injury or disease. He quickly organized t
he remaining villagers to carry the elderly on their backs or on litters. His efforts left only an empty village for the Orbs to destroy.
Most of the villagers reached the safety of the mountains, but most looked on it as only temporary—planning, hoping to return to their homes once the Orbs receded. Tenashar said nothing to the villagers; he did not wish to dash their hopes, though he truly felt that nothing would ever be the same and that the villagers might never be able to return, for the Orbs showed no sign of leaving.
Sanashei started the people making plans for the future. Heitac said she could show the people how to find what they needed for survival. Tansatei, who already knew the mountains, helped Heitac and Sanashei make the children and elderly comfortable. Mature beyond her teenage years, Tansatei could teach the villagers to watch birds and squirrels and learn from them how to forage for food.
It was decided that once the Orbs left and the Senetha had time to build a new village in the mountains, the craftsmen would go back to the ruins of the old village to salvage what they could. Such planning made the villagers feel as though they had a little bit of control over their lives again as they spent the first of many nights in the mountains.
As that first night stretched on, other strange events occurred. Flashes of colored lights that that no one had ever seen came across the mountains. It was believed that the lights had brought unusual flying creatures, glowing butterflies. They floated around the heads of each villager. The children quickly overcame their fear of the lights, which dazzled and ultimately relaxed everyone.
Sanashei touched one of the butterflies and felt an electrical current. Other villagers also touched the butterflies, and a sense of wellbeing surged through their souls. A sense of awe pervaded the tribe. Some felt blessed and began to wonder if perhaps the Orbs were not so bad.
Sanashei cautioned them. “We do not know if these beautiful things are connected. Perhaps they are a deception to make us relax our guard.” Even as he spoke, he found himself and the entire tribe surrounded by shafts of light.
Tenashar stared, wondering what was happening. It was as if he were in two places at once—in the mountains with the displaced villagers and back at his hill of meditation. He thought it must be a dream, but he had seen the villagers flee the Orbs. Below him, in the distance, the village was practically empty.
He turned to see a dark figure approach—a strange man, very tall and thin, no ordinary man. His face had a greenish tinge, and his red eyes stared at Tenashar. The lower portion of the man’s face was covered with parts of a helmet. The man stalked toward Tenashar, who stepped back in fear. The man shadowed Tenashar’s every step, a glow emanating from his head. Fear came to Tenashar’s heart, but through the Rock’s guidance, he realizes the bizarre man was there to help him. The armor the man wore reminded him of tales his father had told him.
Tenashar suddenly found himself back with the Rock at the tribe’s mountain haven, but he was not alone. The strange man with his whitish-green skin, oval head, and red, slanting eyes stood with him before the villagers. Other similar men had joined him. The villagers were surprised by their sudden appearance, but their fears were calmed by the wise Sanashei. “They are not here to bring harm. They are visitors, people of a different sort no matter their appearance. They are people who wish to help us, for if they wished to harm us, they would have done this already.”
The strange men’s heads begin to glow, somehow creating communication between the two peoples that calmed the villagers and soothed their fear. The strange men gave the tribe assurances that they had come with compassion in their hearts. In this strange rapport, the men could feel that Sanashei was recognized as the leader of the tribe, so they told him his people would be safer deeper in the mountains, where the tall trees would provide shelter. Sanashei organized the move, leaving some to keep watch on the Orbs.
A friendship slowly and cautiously developed between the strange men and the Senetha. The villagers asked the strangers where they had come from; some villagers assumed they had come from the stars. Only after some time did most of the villagers develop a little trust; a few of the villagers remained aloof. Sanashei, however, knew they were from his world, simply from a different time.
Once the tribe became familiar with the strange men, Tenashar returned to the hilltop, taken there by the magic of the Rock. He wondered why the strange men had appeared—thinking perhaps it was the work of the Rock, the Mushroom, or even Heitac. His father was with him before long. He spoke, “These are the strange men I spoke of to you. Now do you understand? Do you remember the armor I described? It’s all right if you don’t remember every story I have told you.”
Tenashar though hard, nervously, but didn’t reply. His eyes turned toward the Rock in his hand. Sanashei saw what Tenashar was doing and smiled. “You’ve been talking with Heitac. That is good. Talk to as many wise people as you can. You must gather wisdom the way you gather sticks. Keep the fire burning. You must search for answers on your own. As long as you are seeking—as long as you keep your fire burning—the Rock will guide you. If you stop, you may not be able to hear it. I am not sure, but perhaps Heitac speaks to you through the Rock, with her mind.”
Before he left Tenashar to think on what he had said, Sanashei patted his son’s shoulder as one comrade would do to another. “Let the fires of wisdom burn within you. If there is a way to keep the Orbs away from our new village, this rock may help you find it, and perhaps even to find a way to keep them from destroying our forest and grasslands.”
As Tenashar prepared to meditate and speak with spirits and the gods, he found he was not alone. Some of the village boys—the ones who were jealous of Tenashar’s talent and potential—found him.
“So you think you’re really something after rescuing the elders of the village,” said Etutsha, their leader. His eyes were burning with jealousy and hate. Even as the Orbs were busy draining the land, Etutsha felt the need to take out his frustrations on someone. Tenashar chose not to reply, knowing any answer would be met with hostility—swift kicks and punches.
“Too good for us, huh? You think you’re superior?” asked Etutsha.
Tenashar fought to keep his voice even and not challenging. “I am sorry that all of you feel that way.”
“Keep your strangeness to yourself,” Etutsha replied. “You just saved everyone so you could show off.”
Tenashar grabbed the Rock and the Mushroom and got up, ready to rejoin the rest of the villagers, but Etutsha kicked him. Tenashar fought back tears but to no avail. He felt them run down his cheeks. The boys jeered, saying he was not fit to be a human being. As Tenashar limped away, the boys laughed cruelly.
Out of sight of the boys, Tenashar sat near a large rock and let loose his tears and sadness. He wondered if the pain in his heart would ever subside. As the Mushroom and the Rock lay on the ground in silence, Sanashei found him and asked what was wrong.
Tenashar replied, “I am sick of being pushed around by those boys.”
“My son, listen to me. Anyone who is ever to achieve any true greatness must suffer the kicks and laughter of others. If they don’t, they will never understand how others feel. One must have compassion to reach true achievement. We are not all born to achieve. Those boys realize this, and that’s why they are jealous of you. Someday they will understand.
“Etutsha and the others were helpless in the face of the Orbs, and it hurt their pride. The Orbs will soon destroy more lands, and the earth might waste to nothing. These petty problems will mean nothing. You are chosen to find a way to make them leave.”
chapter 6
A Visit from Eirshiquanai
Tenashar returned to the hill, slowly, cautiously, to see if the boys were there. Finding his favorite spot unoccupied, he settled down with his back against the tree and began to breathe deeply and meditate. As he looked at the star-speckled sky, half-asleep, he saw beautiful things he had never seen before. Lovely shades of pastel colors oscillated, and a cool breeze touche
d his checks. The colors slowly coalesced into an indistinct but almost human form, and it seemed the breeze was touching his cheeks!
An image of a woman began to appear—though she was unlike anyone he had ever seen. Her eyes were bright with compassion, and though she was floating in the air, she looked open and friendly. Tenashar watched, almost entranced, as the woman’s pale face became clear. It was a perfect oval with a daintily pointed chin. Her large violet eyes radiated kindness. As her thin lips took shape, they broke into an equally friendly smile. Her body was womanly yet very slender and tall. She stood nearly seven and a half feet in height, and she was clad in many loose fluttering layers of sheer, light fabric. Though it looked nothing like the armor of the men he had met earlier, her garb, or perhaps her appearance out of nowhere, made Tenashar think she was somehow connected with them.
She spoke in a low, gentle voice. “You are sad, are you not?”
Tenashar gasped. “How do you know this?”
She smiled sadly. “Just by looking into your face and heart. No one can miss those tears.” She became solemn. “Keep your heart strong,”
“Why so?” Tenashar asked, though he had already taken comfort and courage from her sympathy.
“Because the future of your race depends on what you do.” For such a serious pronouncement, her voice was still surprisingly matter-of-fact.
“But I have nothing to do with this,” Tenashar said, perplexed.
“You know different, Tenashar.” The woman drew away slightly, her bearing and her voice becoming even more regal and commanding. “You do not yet know who I am. I am Eirshiquanai, and I am from a faraway place deep in the future. People’s lives are quite different there. Even the land and sky are different. If you came to our time, you wouldn’t recognize anything. My people are descendants of your folk, so we are the children of your children of many generations to come.”
Tenashar knew that the Senetha and many neighboring tribes had legends of tall, shadowy figures—always women—who walked by and disappeared. It occurred to him that if this lady could pass through time, all the sightings might have been of her. He wanted to know more, but even though she seemed open to his questions, he held back, afraid.
A Journey of a Thousand Seasons Book 1 (Journey Series) Page 3
