Birth of the Chosen One

by Roger Kenworthy

  “Oh, great spirits of the skies, lands, and waters, I shall lay my furs down here and close my eyes on this journey. I give you my body and self to protect, to keep safe during the time my soul travels throughout the skies and to the world where the Wise Ones keep our relatives and loved ones.”

  A response was immediate. He heard a soft voice on a now gossamer wind, “Our son, you shall be safe from the four-legged beasts that walk these lands. Your heart is pure and your words are true; sleep, venture to the Otherworld as you shut your eyes. You are safe…”

  Sleep came before the words ended.

  “Tusik, arise, the sun awaits your footsteps on the pathway to meet your wife, Johar.”

  Sleep encrusted eyes jolted open, “Spirits?” Silence. No more words were heard. He did hear a dripping sound deep within the cave. He stood up and found its source; a small pool of fresh water had formed on the cave floor. He drank the sweetness and felt his strength return. He splashed water over his face before setting off thinking of the good fortune passed along to him. As Tusik stepped into the brightness of the day, beneath his feet were red capped mushrooms …they enclosed the cave opening as if greeting him to the second day of his journey. He sat down and stuffed handful after handful into his famished mouth…they were as sweet as the water that had just passed his lips.

  Satiated from food and drink, he voiced his gratitude to the those who gave so freely to him. Bare arms stretched up to the skies. “Thank you, water, land, and sky spirits for keeping me safe during the night while I slept and providing me with food to eat and water to drink before resuming my journey.” With those words, he set out on the second day of his journey.

  An inhospitable sun beat down upon his back as he plodded ever forward, his self was strong, but his muscles were weak. The terrain attempted to beat him down, create hardship…still, he kept his mind upon his end goal. He felt her presence; he saw her face, he touched her smile. Waves of joy embraced him.

  As the sun began to nestle in behind a high rock formation, he looked for a suitable place to spend the night. Would the spirits be as kind as the night before?

  As this thought reverberated around the tissues of his mind, he noticed that a wall of dark clouds had suddenly appeared and blocked out the last rays of the sun. A cold wind whistled throughout the forest; he had a premonition of what was to come, and it wasn’t good.

  “This looks bad…”

  Just as the forest witnessed his words, a loud crack of thunder split the skies and a brilliant flash of lightening tore apart a tall tree. As the trunk shattered like a piece of obsidian stuck incorrectly by a hunter, flames erupted within the heart of the monolith of the lands. Tusik acted instinctually; he bolted away from the danger in front of him. He was surprised…a graceful red deer, startled by his presence, dashed in the opposite direction. A mistake. The beast was struck down by the falling trunk…fire and food, warmth and nourishment. He smiled; again, the spirits had provided when it was most needed.

  Carefully, he shielded his face from the burning glow that hungrily devoured the pieces of the tree trunk. Strong hands pulled the carcass of the deer to safety; he didn’t want the meat to be burned so horribly that he couldn’t eat it. It was a gift from the spirits and he must show reverence and gratitude for such benevolence. While the sound of the burning tree travelled throughout the lands, he gathered handfuls of dried branches to make his own fire to cook the tree’s victim. With his fire burning brightly, it received the limp body of the beast. The stench of burning hair irritated his eyes, but his mouth watered knowing that the cooked flesh would satisfy his hunger.

  “The spirits that walk the lands, travel the skies, and navigate the waters…I thank you for your gifts of food and warmth. As the body of the beast keeps me alive to finish my journey, may it begin its new journey to be with the spirits and be alongside its kin in the lands where it will be safe from danger and be fed sweet grasses and cool water. May its spirit live forever throughout our lands; may the changing seasons protect its kind for our kind to live; may we be thankful for its sacrifice which enables us to walk these lands.”

  The sizzling meat brought his famished tongue back to life…he wasn’t able to eat quickly enough to soothe his hunger pains. He couldn’t hold his satiated tongue any longer.

  “Spirits…you have concluded this day as the same as the last moon welcomed the lands of my forefathers. I feel gratitude in my mind, body, and spirit. Food for the hungry, but what about safe refuge from the darkness that slowly falls from the skies?”

  As Tusik’s words intertwined with the wispy clouds of smoke, it appeared to beckon him to follow along. He wiped his greasy hands on his furs, and deftly walked around the fire pit that ravaged the dried tree branches. Eyes narrowed, intent upon being led to that mystical place that would keep him safe and dry. The trail ended at the narrow opening before him…he bent down and peered into the darkness. As he did a rush of warm air met him on bended knees, inviting him into this night’s home. The spirits had heard the pious request and provided shelter from a rather uncongenial moon that danced high in the skies above him.

  Now, he had a protective haven from the evening cold and dampness…he was full to the point of nausea. As he sat in the warmth of the cave, he realized that he never once thought about the sacred berries Narizon gave to him. He panicked. Did he still wear the pouch with the berries around his neck? He nervously fumbled through his furs for his deliverer to the Otherworld and Johar. Relief…he still clung to his pathway to joy.

  “I’ve walked for two days now, and have Narizon’s berries to meet Johar…why not stay here and find my pathway? There’s no need to walk another sun and moon until I meet my wife. I must see her now, touch her now, speak with her now. I can’t wait!”

  Tusik’s intentions traveled throughout the lands and reached the spirits…their response was immediate.

  Thundering noises; his ears hurt, the cave walls shook, rocks peeled off the ceiling. An uncountable herd rumbled past him…he was a spear’s throw away from the largest number of beasts he had seen since he lived for just five seasons. Amongst the wave of brown chaos, a solitary beast stuck its head into the cave…it screamed redemption for those words, disobedient words in response to the demands made by the spirits. Fear gripped him. This time the message would not go unheeded.

  “Spirits of the skies, lands, and waters…I am sorry for my ill-conceived words. My impatience trampled upon your instructions like a mammoth beast does upon a lioness’s body who pursues her new-born calf. I was wrong to put my needs before the desires of the spirits. Your obedient son asks for forgiveness from such impudence.”

  Quiet. The beasts moved on, his fear dissolved.

  “Thank you, spirits…I shall not question your actions as the countless suns and moons pass overhead. I am your obedient son, one who listens, and obeys his all-knowing parents. I acted as an all-knowing son who doesn’t know all. Your lesson did not reach closed ears.”

  He thought of his actions, and quietly wrapped the coarse furs around his body…he covered his head in an attempt to hide from those who knew all. One more sun and one more moon, then…. Johar. Sleep came quickly.

  The sun gently entered the cave and found the sleeping Tusik…sweat formed upon him as he awoke to the brilliance of the third day. For a fleeting moment, he was paralyzed with joy…the sun announced that his pursuit would end today; he would be with the love that had been snatched away by the spirits the previous season. As he rose from his furs, he wondered what food would pass his lips this day. Would he be hungry? Narizon told him that food clouded your mind and blocked the words of the spirits. Not having food helped to guide him down the pathway that the spirits set before him. His eyes opened as his stomach emptied. A hungry mind thought things a full mind was unable to think; an empty mouth spoke words that a full mouth could not speak; barren hands accomplished things that full hands were unable to do. Those sensible words justified his next idea. He yearned for the spirit
s to leave him hungry and thirsty this day. He would not be disappointed.

  As he walked out of the cave, there were no mushrooms, no water, and no freshly killed beast waiting for his hungry soul. Nothing. The unseen spirits had ears…they gave what was asked of them. Now, all he needed was the location where he would set his tired but joyful eyes upon Johar. Convinced that he would not receive help from the spirits, he clutched the pouch, and set off in whatever direction he felt was the correct one.

  While the sun beat down upon him from high above, he noticed the terrain changing. The rolling lands gave way to a wide valley…he could see the far side from where he stood. The lush forests turned into stunted trees, unhealthy ones that stretched to the skies, but fell short of their goal. The racing rivers became sluggish mud holes that belched their hot contents to the skies. Belligerent noises hurt his ears. The faint smell of decay hung upon the air. He was shocked at what lay before his opened eyes. Dread crossed his mind…Narizon’s warning of death jumped out at him.

  Tusik had entered the lands where the sky spirits scorned the lands and where the land spirits scorned the skies.

  He walked further, and unpleasant sounds ran up and down his spine, affected his arms, injured his hands and feet. His hands covered his ears to deaden the painful sounds of grief. The smell of the death burned his eyes; his breath became short and shallow…he gasped for the air that would allow him to move forward to his goal. His legs felt heavy…as if he carried a large cave bear upon his back. The lands under his feet moved back and forth like the rhythm created from countless beasts heading towards the grasses of the warm season. He found it difficult to stand up and not fall upon the lands that spit black sludge. All around were pools of hot mud that taunted the skies…angered the spirits that travelled these lands. He wanted to only sit down and rest; his will to continue stolen, taken from his outstretched hands.

  “I must move…I cannot stop; if I do the spirits that live here shall take me, and my children shall never see me again. Only when we meet in the Otherworld shall they be reunited with their mother and father. They need their father.”

  The spirits were strong but his willpower to survive was stronger. Good always wins over evil. The scorned spirits were no match to the benevolent spirits that led Tusik this day. Unexpectedly, he felt an answer.

  “Our son, you are brave, you are strong…they shall not take you, we shall protect you and you shall meet your wife. Here, turn to face the sun as it welcomes to be one with its wife. See the opening in the lands…enter. Lay your furs down and let your willing mouth accept our sacred berries, the gifts we give to those who wish to travel to the Otherworld while still of these lands.”

  A wide smile crossed Tusik’s lips, the corners of his mouth bent towards the sky spirits. He was home! He descended into the bowels of the lands, the walls shuddered, groaned with pleasure that they had been invaded by a soul loved and protected by the kind spirits.

  The inside of the pit had dried mud walls and a low ledge as long as his body. He could lay outstretched on it comfortably and still there was room for…A matrimonial bed? He removed his furs and laid them down where it looked most comfortable. With the preparations complete, he was ready to move forward to the next step that would bring his wife back from the Otherworld to his world.

  Tusik sat down and opened the pouch; a nervous hand caressed the berries…anticipation engulfed his physical body. His breath came quickly, his body trembled, and his chest pounded. He looked down at the left side of his chest; it rose up and down erratically. A damp hand scooped up the berries and placed them in his mouth. They were tart to his dehydrated palette. Within three breathes, the sacred food of the spirits began to play with the perception of his physical reality.

  Long rivulets of sweat rolled down his matted beard. His head pounded as loudly as the shaman’s drum, his mind accepted the rhythm with wonder. The furs began to sway back and forth, perfectly synchronized with the sounds he felt in his mind. His fingers tingled; he looked down at his hands.

  “Ahh, my hands…they’ve melted!”

  Fear gripped his heart; he wanted to run away. His loss of control over his mind and his reality had unnerved this mighty hunter. He wanted the feelings to end. As he was just about to get up and run out of the cave, a calm voice interceded.

  “Tusik, it is I, Narizon…listen to me.”

  “Narizon?”

  “Yes, it is me. Do not fight the sacred pathway that the spirits have put you on. You need to set aside what you think is real and replace it with what is another reality, a reality that shall shake you to your soul. Your beliefs shall be questioned. Do not question what you see or feel. Be calm, as calm as a newborn baby nourished by its mother’s breast. There are more strange things that you shall experience. These new experiences shall open your mind and your soul to accept your wife’s transformation from the Otherworld to your world.”

  “I shall. Thank you, brother. Your words have helped. I have no fight against the natural flow of events that the spirits have for me. I shall float down the river of experiences handed to me.”

  With his mind somewhat more at ease, the shaman’s voice silenced, and Tusik was alone to face what occurred next. Quietly, he sat, eyes closed, and mind opened. His eyes became narrow slits as he heard unfamiliar sound within his earthly cavern. It appeared to him that the spirits had gone wild.

  Before him, a raven turned into a dragon fly…it flitted about his head and spoke to him of love, love as delicate as its wings, truth…as truthful as its translucent body. Far above him, two eagles transformed into butterflies…they gently surrounded him and spoke to him of loneliness, separation, as divided as their colorful wings. An abundance of stars in the skies changed into sparkling grains of white sand …they enveloped him and reminded him of the beauty of life, the life with his wife Johar. With these seemingly strange events, Tusik was not frightened; rather, he felt oneness with the dragon fly, the eagle, and the grains of sands.

  Why? Was this what he was unable to see in his life? Had he lived for many seasons blinded by lies and untruths? If this was truth, he wished to never leave it, never abandon it to resume a life of cold, hunger, pain, and loneliness. Maybe, it was best to just lie down and let the scorned spirits of the skies and lands take him …he would stay with Johar forever and meet his children when it was their turn to walk the pathway to reunite with their mother and him.

  These thoughts ran through the tissues of his mind…he gazed outside the cave and raised his closed eyes to the skies. The sky was black, as black as the bottom of a mud pit. A moonless sky, he had been abandoned by the one friend who lit the way while the sun slept. The silent one who brightened up a path in the darkness that is loneliness. A companion on the long nights, the cold nights…remorse flowed over him, deep within. Then the traveler of the skies spoke to the traveler of the lands. He shook his head in disbelief…a talking moon.

  “My son…my life reflects what your life is and shall be. As I travel the skies, there are times when I am unseen…but I remain as always. I know your thoughts. When the skies are moonless, I have not abandoned you. When the spirits take your loved one and walk with her down another path, one that cannot be seen by your eyes or touched by your hands, your loved one is always with you. Just as I am when I dance a solemn dance in the skies of black. Do not worry, I shall never completely surrender to the sun…we have a pact and we share the skies. We are ancient friends that can only live with each other. We often do not see each other…but we know that we both are always here, here in the skies. The spirits have planned it as such.”

  “Thank you, I feel joy since you have not cast me aside when I face my greatest need.”

  “My son…there are times when I am just a sliver of my real self, but I remain as always. Your eyes just see me as a slice of thin sinew cast against a dark sky. I merely rest a part of me, but always return to the wholeness that is me. It is the same with your life; there are challenges in your life that leav
e you just a thin sliver of your Self. The pain you feel when your loved one is gone leaves a shadow that is unrecognizable to you. But, your shadow shall become longer…as you experience more suns and more moons, you shall regain the lost Self. Your thinness shall return to wholeness.

  “There are times when the skies show only half of me…but I remain the same. This is when I shed tears to reunite with my other half, the half that is hidden from the clan’s eyes. I search the skies for the part of me that is missing, and although we always form into one again, I still feel nervous, uncertain. I ask myself …What if the spirits want me to fulfill a greater purpose? This is your life…as a part of you is taken, the spirits have a different, more important plan for you. Your future changes and you do not understand that is for the better for your Self, and those who live with you. Trust the spirits as I must trust them.”

  Tusik found it difficult to grasp what he or others could gain with Johar traveling alongside the spirts.

  “My son…there are times when I am complete, my entirety shines down brightly from the skies and casts long shadows. Bright moonbeams dance with joy as all who live in the lands far below can see me, feel me, trust me. I am the guide from the skies when the sun sleeps; I am the sentinel in the skies when the sun sleeps. When one feels oneness, enjoy it; when one experiences oneness, enjoy it. Oneness can arrive as quickly as it can depart in your life…oneness is fleeting, as each stage in your life and in my mine. Listen to my words Tusik…a full moon shall witness the reunion of one from the living with one from the deathless death.”