The Azurean Trilogy (All Three Books: 1, 2 & 3): Essentia, Burgeor & Manifest

by Fatimah Ashaela Moore Ibrahim

  Mama and Papa had raised me to be a spiritual being. To focus not just on following a practice each day, but to actively seek a relationship with my Creator.

  I was only 18, but had witnessed plenty of miracles and answered prayers.

  Aziz had swallowed a piece of metal when we were younger, and had almost had to have surgery, but The Creator had answered my prayer that it pass through his system harmlessly so that he would not have to have the surgery. The Creator had answered my prayer that a lump Mama found on her neck not be malignant.

  Countless signs ran through my mind. Each situation had made my faith grow. And I wanted to be a master at having faith. No matter what the test, I wanted there to be no question, doubt or fear in me.

  I closed my eyes, and my mind searched for scripture. Words from The Holy Bible echoed in my ear... “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

  Scripture from The Holy Qur’an followed, “So lose not heart, nor fall into despair, for ye must gain mastery if you are true in faith.”

  Faith. I had to gain mastery in it. I wanted it to permeate my being so much that it overrode all fear and doubt. That was the lesson I saw for myself in this mission.

  “Thinking deep thoughts?” Kaisan's voice was soft beside me.

  I opened my eyes and smiled. “Yeah. Just meditating, giving thanks, you know. Slowing down to take in nature always does that to me. The Creator's creation is really miraculous.”

  “Alhamdulilah, and Amen to that,” Kaisan whispered, nodding his head while uttering the Arabic phrase that meant 'All Praises be to the Most High'.

  A question came to my mind. “Ki, what made you become a Delorian officer?”

  Kaisan thought for a moment. “There have been so many things happening in our tribes...things that I wanted to make a difference in. But the problems are so big. It is hard to know exactly where to dedicate your time. Should I join the Arms of Justice and join in an underground movement to make sure our people are not kidnapped and killed? Should I join a Task Force to make sure everyone is able to receive medical attention no matter if they can afford it or not? Or should I join in and work to make sure the Houdakin don't dump toxic waste into our land and water? And what about joining the Health Ward to make sure people who are employed in dangerous jobs like mining the Obsidian II get adequate protective gear so that they don't become deathly ill?”

  “I remember praying about it, and I felt The Most High move me towards becoming a Delorian Officer.

  There are so many options to do good, but it is wisest to seek guidance in what you should do. Only the Creator knows where your talents will be best utilized, and what falls in line with your purpose.”

  “So, I received that guidance, and saw the wisdom in it. There, I could tackle one of the most important issues to me.”

  Kaisan didn't have to elaborate on which issue was most important to him. I already knew.

  Four years ago, Kaisan's brother Mati had dropped out of school and had been recruited into a rebel gang. Rebel gangs were a persistent problem in every middle and lower class Sector. The gangs would target young men who were sick of struggling and being pinned under the Houdakin regime. These gangs promised power and wealth by selling Ji-ugo, a highly addictive drug. It came in little triangle shaped gel-filled capsule. Those addicted to it would squeeze the gel out onto their hand and rub it into their palms. It made the person feel like they were extremely happy and carefree, and made their bodies completely paralyzed. There were three signs that someone was under the influence of Ji-ugo: Their speech became completely garbled, their pupils were dilated so much that you could not see the color of their eyes, and the palms of their hands became stained with a deep brick red color.

  Many people had fallen prey to the Ji-ugo. People who wanted to forget their problems.

  People who wanted to forget about sick relatives on their death beds whom they could not afford to help. People who were sick themselves, and just wanted the pain to go away. It was awful to see people who were strung out on it. They sat like lifeless dolls with empty, plastic smiles on their faces. A health clinic on Sector 3 had taken it upon themselves to test the capsules to find out what their origin was. Word quickly spread that it was entirely bio-engineered, and contained toxic ingredients only the Houdakin had access to. Three days later, the Health Center that had performed the tests was completely destroyed, and the Scientists had turned up missing.

  I was about to respond to Kaisan but a soft teal-blue flash from above silenced us both. Neither of us had ever witnessed the Casteri Lights first hand.

  From what I had learned in school, the lights were something like the Northern Lights that used to occur on Earth. But unlike the Northern Lights, the Casteri Lights were accompanied by sound. A natural orchestral light show.

  Each soft flash of color was followed by deep harmonious sounds that were reminiscent of intonations made by the cello, clarinet and olahu horn. It was abstract, unpredictable, and totally amazing.

  A soft smile played on my lips. Our first night on RoAam could not have ended any better.

  Chapter 4

  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

  The Holy Bible KJV, The New Testament

  John 5:30

  The next day, we trekked the rest of the way to the borough located at the center of RoAam. The entire town was surrounded by a high wooden fence. Once inside, we were greeted by Brother Vasyl, an extremely tall bald man of Ukrainian ancestry.

  “Peace of the Most High to you all, and welcome to RoAam. It is an honor to meet you. We have been expecting you. I am Vasyl, and I will take you to the Pavilion where you will meet your Meulim, or your Instructors. They have been preparing for your arrival.”

  Preparing? How, I wondered. I had to ask. “What does that mean exactly?” I was a little apprehensive.

  Brother Vasyl just smiled, bowed, and gestured for us to follow him.

  We made our way through the center of town, taking in the rows of tan colored tents, each one blowing out puffs of smoke from the stoves that were toiling away on the insides. The tribes-people were going about their daily tasks, the older ones carrying groceries back home, taking care of young ones, and the younger ones playing in the snow, or hanging out together in groups. The atmosphere was very comforting and reminded me of home.

  We reached the end of the rows of tents, and stopped at the entrance of another tent. This one was bigger though, at least two stories higher than the other tents that served as homes. Brother Vasyl pulled back one side of the fabric door, and we stepped in. My breath caught in my throat. The inside of the tent was absolutely breathtaking. There were expertly cut slits in the dome of the tent that let in streams of brilliant white light. Columns of bamboo and pine wood made up the circular walls. Whiffs of aloe and jasmine incense floated above our heads. The place was peaceful, and uplifting.

  In the center of the room stood two of the most statuesque people I had ever laid my eyes on. The first was a beautiful velvety-chocolate brown skinned woman. She had dark eyebrows which were arched regally above here eyes, a wide nose and lips that easily pulled into a charismatic smile.

  Her blue hair was beautifully covered by a white scarf which was artfully braided, tied and draped around her head.

  The man beside her was equally striking. He was tall with olive skin, and piercing dark hazel eyes. He had a wide jaw and long nose. His blue hair was slicked up to form a mohawk that fanned down the back of his head. He also wore a thin visor across his eyes. They were both dressed in white robes that were cinched at the waist with a black belt. The woman spoke first.

  “May the Peace of the Creator be upon you all. My name is Nonkululeko, and this is Sigvard. We are your Meulim. We will teach you how to Engage and use yo
ur gifts. Your training will be intense. You will have to learn to access parts of your brain never used before. But before we begin, you must learn what it is that you truly are fighting.”

  Sigvard continued. “Throughout history, every culture has had to go through battles. Sides have been pitted against one another: Races, religions, genders have all been used as the reason to divide humanity. Now, the thing that threatens to divide us is wealth. The Houdakin have it, and the others that exist on this planet do not.”

  Sister Nonkululeko picked up, the rich timber of her voice captivating our attention. “In every case, what we have been fighting is some form of Slavery. In every case, one group tries to enslave the other.

  One group uses some reason to push another group under it's feet. This is the evil you must understand so that your mission will be successful.”

  “We were chosen and gifted by the Creator to train you so that you could end this cycle and lead humanity to not waste the second chance we have been given here on Mercia. In a moment, Brother Sigvard and I will give you a demonstration of what you will be learning. As your Meulim, we are able to access each one of your particular gifts. Pay attention to what you see.”

  Sigvard motioned to us, “As a side note, you may have noticed that I wear a visor. I am completely blind. But, as you will see, it does not effect my skills in the least. Now if you will have a seat, we will begin.”

  We all immediately sat down, as giddy as a group of toddlers on a sugar high. This was gonna be good.

  Sister Nonkululeko and Brother Sigvard stood paces away from each other, and began the battle by saying “In the name of The Most High.” They both stepped back, in ready position. Then they were off. The mock battle was like a dance, electrifying, quick, mesmerizing. They moved so fast, maneuvering in and out of different fighting techniques seamlessly.

  And then, it got crazy.

  Nonkululeko shot out a kick aimed at Sigvard's head, and he vanished, only to reappear right behind her. He tapped her on the shoulder with a smirk and raised eyebrows.

  Nonkululeko grunted disdainfully, grabbed his finger and forearm, and flung him over her head. He sailed through the air, landing on the ground in a crouched position. He sprung forward, his palms glowing with two fierce looking fireballs which grew by the second. He threw both of the fireballs right at Nonkululeko. Non-pulsed, she smirked and shook her head. She extended her arm gracefully in front of her, and streams of water flowed from the tips of her fingers, surrounding the fireballs, extinguishing them completely. With a twist of her wrists, the streams of water solidified into ice daggers which she quickly grabbed. She sprang into the air, and swiftly descended, Sigvard her landing target. He disappeared , and Nonkululeko landed, rolling to the side. Sigvard reappeared beside her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She narrowed her eyes smiling, and they instantly rolled away from each other, crouched and ready to attack again.

  Nonkululeko's right arm shot out at the same time as Sigvard's left and bamboo pillars tore out of their place in the wall and went directly to their hands. They instantly began using them as lances, swinging them at each other with all their force and might. The sticks whipped past heads and under feet, and cracked against each other until both of them broke and splintered apart.

  They tossed the sticks to the side. Sigvard whipped his fingers in the air, and 5 ice daggers appeared and zoomed towards Nonkululeko who promptly vanished in place.

  She reappeared behind Sigvard, and sent him across the room with a blast that came from the palm of her hands. Sigvard ended in a roll, and shot streams of fire at Nonkululeko. She met the fire pillars with pillars of her own that were made of water. The fire and water clashed together between them, resulting in a fantastic display of what I can only describe as lightening and sparks and glowing orbs. Each of them began moving closer and closer in, the cacophony of light growing more and more agitated and frenzied until finally, they met in the middle. Their hands met and the glowing and lightening dissipated. They turned to us and bowed and we met it with a wild smattering of applause, hoots and hollers. It had been absolutely amazing. And we were going to learn how to do it.

  Sigvard held up his hands, and we quieted down. “So, you see,” he continued, “you will be developing some amazing skills.” We broke into excited chatter again. Nonkululeko quieted us this time.

  “I know you are excited, but there is yet one more step you will need to take before you will be able to proceed.”

  We were all dead silent. I don't think I was even breathing. Nonkululeko went on.

  “We will help you learn the skills, but you must also be prepared mentally. You must now go and visit with Mother Kathleen. She will guide you to confront your deepest and darkest fears. This experience will change you forever.”

  Joelle spoke up, the tinge of nervousness in her voice reflecting what was in all our hearts. “Confront our fears. OK, well that's a good thing, right?”

  Nonkululeko's voice was steady and somber. “My beloved. You will either conquer your fears, or your fears will conquer you.”

  Chapter 5

  We send the apostles only to give good news

  and to warn: so those who believe and mend

  (Their lives),—upon them shall be no fear,

  Nor shall they grieve.

  The Holy Qur’an,

  Surah 6, Ayah 48

  Hmmm. If we don't conquer our fears, our fears will conquer us.

  Well, that's just great.

  “OK, what exactly does that mean. I mean......that doesn't mean we could die or anything like that.....right?” I asked

  Nonkululeko and Sigvard were silent for a moment. Then Sigvard spoke. “Let's just say, it would be in your best interest to conquer your fears. Now, if you will follow us, we must begin. Joelle, you will be the first to see Mother Kathleen.”

  Joelle stood up, her face pale, and followed Sister Nonkululeko out of the Pavillion.

  I bit my lip, and tried to keep the trembling that was beginning in the pit of my stomach from wracking my entire body. My eyes followed Joelle out of the room. She threw an apprehensive look over her shoulder.

  “Please feel free to make prayer or to meditate while you wait for your turn.” Sigvard said.

  Everyone spread out and took places on the bamboo floor. I went over to the far right and spread out the velvety cream colored prayer rug that I had taken from a small cabinet. I completed my prayer, and then began to meditate until I reached a place where I could breathe normally. One by one, the Gifted 5 were called in until our Kulindas, Chord, and I were the only ones left in the room.

  Finally, Nonkululeko called my name and I got up and followed her. With each step, my heart rate increased. We walked around the side of the training tent, and between rows of housing tents. We came to a tent that looked just like all of the rest. Nonkululeko pulled back the cover, and motioned for me to step in.

  I was greeted with the smell of amber and fresh linen. It was a simple room, the floor was covered by the same bamboo paneling like the training Pavilion, and khaki colored woven textile art hung from the walls.

  A wooden table was placed in the middle of the floor, and seated there was a beautiful middle aged woman of Vietnamese ancestry. Her cornflower hair was braided into two french braids which trailed delicately behind her shoulder blades. She wore a hunter green poncho/robe like garment which brushed the ground. She was sipping a cup of tea, and looked up as I entered.

  “May the peace of the Most High be upon you, dear child. My name is Mother Kathleen. Are you ready?”

  “Do I have a choice?” It slipped out before I could stop myself. Mother Kathleen began to laugh. “Well, of course you do, child. You always have a choice. The choices we make are what define us. Makes us who we are.”

  “I know,” I sighed. “Sorry, it just slipped out. I'm just nervous.”

  “That is understandable, my dear. Come, let us go, and I will explain what you must do.”

  I followed Mother
Kathleen into the next room. It was totally black except for a huge structure that sat in the middle of the room. It was covered with a white cloth, so I couldn't see what it was.

  Mother Kathleen went over and pulled the sheet off of the structure to reveal a huge circular mirror, edged in dark wood. It sat on a pedestal of the same material.

  “This is the Mirror Safiyan. It will reveal your deepest and darkest fears. You have been called to change life as we know it. But to change your reality, you must first look inside. Look deep, Daughter Yaya. And hold fast to faith. I will see you soon.” Mother Kathleen leaned over and gave me a hug, and then exited the room.

  I looked at her retreating figure, and then back at the mirror, at my reflection. I went up to the mirror and stared at myself. Just as I began to question what exactly it was that I was supposed to do, the mirror began to move. The surface of the mirror began to undulate as if it had become liquid. My reflection wavered in front of me, silently, peacefully. Then, the molten mirror's surface gradually became infused with a fine iridescent glitter. The glitter swirled languidly, and I couldn't tear my eyes away.

  The whole mirror began to tilt backwards, until the entire thing lay horizontal, parallel and hovering above the floor. Instinctively, I knew that I was supposed to step onto the mirror's surface. Slowly, my heart pounding, I stepped onto the fluctuating surface of the mirror. It held my weight for a moment, and then slowly began to swallow my body like quicksand.

  I was frozen and couldn't move. I continued to sink into the mirror until it touched my chin. There was a pause as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My head hovered for a moment, and then slipped gently beneath the surface.