“Don’t be a show-off were the words I feared,” Beacon said. “One day when I was fifteen, my friends and I raced to the top of the Razorback Lookout. We climbed cliffs, jumped streams, and ran flat-out for miles. It was so much fun, Sam.” Beacon beamed, a huge grin on his face.
“I waited at the finish line. It was ridiculous how long they took. When my friends got there, they begged me to join their team and compete.” He took a deep breath. “I had never wanted anything so much in my life. What could I say? I stood there and wanted to say yes, but I knew I’d be punished for asking to join the team and for having raced that day. I’d be doing chores for weeks so Auntie could wipe that grin off my face.” Beacon looked to Sam who drank in every word.
“I stood facing my friends. It was the best moment of my life, and I wished I was invisible. How was I going to undo what I’d done? I didn’t want to tell them about my Auntie and my cousin, that I’d be punished for winning. I was embarrassed so I looked at the ground until my friends stopped asking.
“When I got home, I felt like a caged animal. I sat in my bedroom alone. How long had I lived like this? It was absurd. The run, my excitement and my anger were too much to handle,” Beacon said as he looked over to Sam.
“They cleared my head.” Beacon laughed. “I laid on my bedroom floor, overwhelmed by emotions. A strange and powerful vision filled my head. Auntie and cousin were in a parade coming down main street. They rode in the finest float I’d ever seen. Auntie conjured pedestals to display dear cousin for the cheering crowd.”
Beacon looked over at Sam as an enthusiastic smile covered his face. “I was in the crowd, a mere bystander watching their parade.” Sam and Beacon met eyes. “They were in their world. I had somehow gotten free. In the vision, I turned away, bored with the parade, and walked down the street to meet my friends. I was no longer Auntie’s little loser. I was living my own life.”
Beacon looked over to Sam.
“That vision changed my life forever,” Beacon said with satisfaction. “You see, before that, I hoped the comparison would stop. I thought it was my own fault, as if I was responsible for their insensitive behavior. How could I be?” Beacon smiled.
“That day I chose to make a fresh start. I deserved to race with my friends, yes?”
Sam nodded enthusiastically.
“I wrote down everything single thing I hoped Auntie would have said if I could control her words. Then I began a habit of saying those nice things to myself. I became stronger. It started in my own mind. When they were dismissive, I saw them stuck in their parade. It stung less. Inside myself, I became my own best ally.”
Beacon looked to Sam. The two shared a moment of silence and looked over the plains.
“I still needed permission to get on the team with my friends though, yes? I was underage. I got a permission slip and tried forging Auntie’s signature. That didn’t work.” Beacon laughed and threw his head back. “When I handed it to Coach Gain, he tore it up in my face and tossed it in the trash. Then he winked. ‘I heard about you,’ he said. ‘They all came in to say you’re the best they’ve ever seen. They trusted your abilities. We’ll figure it out, Beacon. Don’t you worry.’
“Couple days later, Coach Gain showed up at Auntie’s house at night. He told her he needed me for an urgent mission. I was the only one who could run fast enough and far enough to rescue people in the mountains. He was genuinely worried. Auntie had no choice but to give her permission, you know, so she’d look good in the community. I grabbed my stuff quickly and ran out the door with Coach Gain.
“A small mountain cave had collapsed. People inside were injured. We got them to safety. It felt good to make a difference and be part of something important.” Beacon smiled. “I could never go back to the way things were once I knew I had a choice.”
Beacon leaned into Sam gently. The two watched the setting sun, just beginning to light up the sky with yellow and orange hues. They felt like long-lost comrades.
“You know your daddy’s anger isn’t your fault, yes? Why is a tiny kid hiding under the bed? Give me a break. How could you be responsible for his temper?” Beacon looked at Sam. “You know you weren’t. I think your energy got snarled into your dad’s, and now it’s tangled. I’ve got a comb. Will you allow me to teach you how to release that old, stuck energy?”
Sam felt understood for the first time in his life. The two watched as the sun set lower.
“I would like that, Beacon,” Sam said quietly.
Beacon turned to Sam. “Did you know your mind is like a garden of thoughts, Sam? You can choose what grows there. Beautiful thoughts crowd out weeds. Happiness, possibility, enthusiasm. We can plant a huge bunch of self-confidence. Let that garden be the centerpiece of all your days. Yes?” He beamed at Sam.
Sam looked puzzled. “There’s a garden in my head? Really?”
Chapter 12
Kelne sat on the ridge above Beacon’s Village and waited for Jaime. He had secured a perfect view of the Upper Realms. If necessary, Kelne knew the travelers might go there. Jaime walked up the hill and climbed onto the ridge to sit with Kelne. He felt excited, terrified, and grateful. A wave of intimidation greeted him as he saw the gateway into the clouds before him.
“What do you think, Jaime?” Kelne said. “That is another world altogether that people can explore. It’s been said that the magic of the ancestors lives in those higher planes over there. It’s quite possible.
“There is a game that requires the contestants to go into that space. It’s called the Ball Return because you get there through the land of math and science. It has been played off and on for the past five hundred years. It’s currently on hiatus,” Kelne said.
Jaime looked at the planets and thought he saw trails among the clouds. It wasn’t quite outer space, more like inner space. “How do you get there?” he asked.
“With some finesse,” Kelne said. “Presence has been as a competitor. She can tell us most about that world, but I wanted you to have a chance to see it while it was so clear. It might be something to put in your journal so you can refer to it later.”
Jaime nodded and pulled out his journal. “That’s a good idea,” he said.
Kassara stood with Kelne for her debrief and looked over the plains. She spotted a large ruby-red crystal orb at the edge of the plateau near the seating area where Kelne had brought her for coaching.
“I’m curious Kassara, why did you come to our world?” Kelne looked to her and smiled.
“I… well … that’s a good question. To be with Tahendra and Jaime. To go on a trip with the others. I thought we were camping for a couple of nights in the mountains, to be honest ... I guess I’m not sure. I mean, this is a whole other world. Do you know why I’m here?” Kassara said, realizing she couldn’t answer.
Kelne smiled and gave her a warm look. The two sat in silence.
“That big crystal over there, it’s magnificent,” she said. “Is that why I’m here? It feels like it. Some places are unexpectedly alive, more than any place I’ve been before.”
“As a kid, what did you do when you were really content?”
“I built stuff. My dad taught me to use a jigsaw so I could cut out pieces of wood and make cool animals. I liked to read too and do puzzles, figure stuff out.”
“Tell me … If you were given the choice, would you rather follow instructions in detail, or figure out how to solve a puzzle by yourself?” She thought hard.
“That’s a hard choice. I like both. To research information first, then apply it later.”
“Good. You’ll have a lot of opportunity to do that here …” Kelne laughed.
Kassara laughed too. “I guess so.”
Kelne stood up to look over the vast valley ahead. “There are questions I’m supposed to ask. The goal is for each of us to understand one another, using the Winds of Doom to resolve your greatest fears. They reveal memories we may have forgotten that shaped us. What we want is awareness. This mission will feel weighty at times. Kalend
ra is a hard place to navigate. I see strength, confidence, and courage when I look at you. I can already see that you are here to make a difference.”
“You do?” Kassara said, curious to hear more.
“I have one or two concerns, however.”
“What?”
“With your permission, I’d like to make a guess.” Kassara nodded. “You book yourself solid and expect top performance at everything. You rarely give yourself a break,” Kelne turned to her. Kassara looked at him and nodded.
“Believe me, I get it. Been there, even if I competed out of my league, the slightest mess-up, I was so disappointed, as if beating myself up would make me better. Do you know that feeling?” Kassara nodded.
“Yeah.”
“I thought so. You know what I finally figured out?”
“No. What?”
“I never gave myself credit. None. I criticized myself for the smallest mistakes, every single day. I never felt quite good enough. The solution was so easy, and I overlooked it completely. This is your assignment. Promise you’ll give yourself credit for even the tiniest things you do well. Until further notice, celebrate all your victories, no matter how small,” he smiled at her. Kassara looked at Kelne and smiled.
“That’ll be new,” Kassara said. “I do beat myself up for mistakes, like you said.”
“I’ve got another request,” Kelne said. “Allow other people to give you compliments. Stand proud and don’t deflect. It’ll be more satisfying for both of you.” Kassara met his eyes and nodded.
“Okay. I’ll try.”
Chapter 13
“Tah, check this out. These carvings in the wall, they’re like the ones we found at the top of the pass above Beacon’s Village. Remember? Just before the Winds of Doom hit Jaime. What do you think?” Kassara said.
“I was wondering when you two would find this place,” said a woman’s voice from the back of the cave. “Always looking for solutions, are you?”
Kassara and Tahendra looked at one another and then over at the deep shadow in the cave.
“We’re trying to understand what these designs mean. What about you?” Kassara asked. “What do you think about this place?”
“I think some things are as they are, no explanation needed,” she said. “Sometimes the explanation gets in the way, and it’s better to simply enjoy them.”
“Have you seen the ones I mentioned? Above Beacon’s Pass on the way into the village from the Wenderfaren Valley. They are similar enough to think the same hands carved them,” Kassara responded.
“Beacon’s Pass? Is he taking over the entire region?” the voice said. “Maybe that’s what you should be asking.”
“What do you mean?” Kassara said. “It was on the map we were given to hike to the village. The high pass just before the village. I don’t know what it’s called. I didn’t mean to offend you by sounding like he owned the place.”
“What do you care about these carvings?”
Tahendra stepped closer to the person in the shadow and recognized Shannon, from pictures in Maureen’s room.
“What about you?” Kassara said. “Do you have a problem with Beacon? I thought everyone got along here. It seemed like it.”
There was a long silence. Too long. Had she hit a nerve? Were they going to learn something new that Beacon wasn’t telling them?
“You’re always closer than you think to your answers,” Shannon said. “They elude you while you gather more information. How much is enough?”
“If we’re learning the language of these carved images, we need more information. There’s one here with a circle swirl. Does it mean something?” asked Kassara defiantly. “You need to see it in a few different contexts to know. If you only saw it once, it’s not enough information.”
Again silence. “A language?” Shannon said. “What if they’re just doodles, and someone was marking their trail?”
“What if some of them are forged to throw people off?” Kassara spat back.
“I like the way you think. What if some are forged?” said Shannon. “How will you ever know the difference? Have you dropped in from Earth to tell us how to run our lives here? You’re deciding who lived here in the past? What can we do about it now? It’s better, in my opinion, to stay in the present.
“By the way, Tahendra, she can see right through you,” Shannon continued. “Maureen, I mean. Stay fluffy. You know, happy. Not inquisitive, like your friend here. Maureen is firmly under father’s control. He wants treasure, and he’s asked her to find it in your dreams. Father doesn’t talk to me much. His greed and his relationship to Charles pretty much runs his life. Maureen is not a free agent; you may have noticed.”
“She won’t let me in,” Kassara said, regretting the statement as it left her mouth.
“Keep that to your advantage. Act like it doesn’t matter to you, like Tahendra isn’t important to you. You understand she has a new best friend, and you’ve made peace with that. Just a suggestion. Pay more attention to Sam.”
Kassara’s frustration was nearly audible. Sam’s infuriating. Then she smiled. Beacon had been effective at breaking Sam’s anxiety apart and bringing out the best in him. He was much calmer and happier recently.
“Okay. I’ll do that. What do you get out of it?” Kassara retorted.
“The opportunity to observe my sister and father, to see what they want, and from whom.”
The cliff walls shook, and the ground again rumbled beneath them. Crack, thud, thunk. Stones fell to the ground outside and hit one another. Tahendra, Kassara and Shannon were safe in the small cave. They saw stones falling and dust swirling outside.
Deep moonlight suddenly shone inside the cave and they could all see one another. Tahendra saw a stage was set with a spotlight. A woman’s shadow body appeared.
“This is the time. Please help. I need your strength.” They heard. The moonlight and the shadow woman disappeared.
Tahendra felt faint and wasn’t sure what was happening. Dark returned to the cave.
“Kassara, are you there? Did you hear that? Shannon? Is that you?” Tahendra asked.
“You all right? Who was that?” Kassara asked.
“The Shaman Moon,” Shannon said. “What about that? So, we’re all moon daughters. Does that mean we’re on the same journey? You two are going to help me defeat Charles and Joe?” She laughed.
“What do you mean, Charles?” Tahendra asked.
“Oh, come on. I can’t believe you. He throws a Blue Montis at you. Did you know what that was?”
“A Blue Montis? What’s that?”
“A poisonous stone that takes down moon children. The poison likely released when it touched your skin. Maureen told me she grabbed it off the table to protect you. She wasn’t going to let Charles kill you. The Blue Montis comes in many forms, primarily as a stone. Charles would say it defends against the special powers of the moon. More casually he’d call it the antidote to the moon children. I think he was checking to see if you were the One having returned. He decided you were just an earthling, nobody important. That’s good. You don’t want him to know. He’s a mean guy and will kill people without a second thought ... He speaks eloquently about serving others. Turn up your BS detector. He’s a greedy jerk. He only cares about getting his way.”
“Kassara is a moon child? What does that mean?” Tahendra asked.
“It has to do with how you wield magic,” Shannon said. “Most people don’t know they have magic, and they find comfort in the Bog. Some spend their entire lives as Boggers, and join societies devoted to Bog villages. You two were born on full moon. That is how you became moon children.
There are two primary kinds of magic.” Shannon continued. “Sun magic is the power of daytime. Many people have this form of magic. An example, the healing power of nature. It feels good and makes sense. People who pay attention know nature is healing. Those in the Ball Return, our land of math and science, measure it for evidence. Then they can find what qualities of natu
re have the strongest healing power. Those with Sun Magic gain insight from paying attention.
“Then, like I said, there are the Boggers. They don’t have magic because they haven’t put in the effort to develop insight. Personal responsibility and awareness must come first or the magic works against you. Self-reflection helps the magic grow, especially as your insights develop. Boggers, for the most part, have no awareness. They do what they’re told and fear rejection. They like to follow a narrow set of rules set by an authority. They’re so committed they’ll uphold the authority until the end of time. You can’t get through to them. It’s maddening.
“Then there’s people like us with Moon Magic. It has dimension. It works with the energy of night and dreams. Movement in the shadows you only felt but did not see, yet you knew. Your intuition. Our magic has the power to stabilize or change the face of our planet. We see more deeply … by the way, you were right. That language in the stones is connected to the moon.”
The three sat in silence for a moment.
“That little marble was supposed to stop my moon magic, but only if I had it, right?” said Tahendra. “I don’t think I do so it’s no big deal.”
“Excuse me,” Shannon said. “Did you notice what just happened in that tremor? Shaman Moon asked for help during the earthquake,” Shannon said. “It’s significant, Tahendra. Three young ladies with the energy of the moon flowing through our veins. She needs our help. We must find a way. If you didn’t have moon energy, you wouldn’t have seen or heard her. It’s as simple as that. Shaman Moon must be in grave danger.”
“What can we do?” Kassara asked.
“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out. That’s why I’m here. By the way, welcome. I won’t tell anyone or put you at risk. I appreciate the same in return. We’re going to have to work together on this. For now, we should act like we don’t know each other. It’ll keep us safer.” Then she turned to Tahendra. “Does your hand burn from where that stone touched you?”
Magic Invitation: Kalendra Chronicles Book One Page 6
