The Maiden Medallions: Beastkeeper

by Edward Shawn

  Kay giggled. “Of course not. My brother doesn’t.”

  “No, he’s just an excellent shot with a bow,” James replied sarcastically.

  Micah interrupted their conversation. “Let’s rest until Galen returns. And James, you should practice the breathing techniques I showed you. I feel you need to refocus your mind.”

  James found himself in agreement with his mentor. Sitting down on the damp jungle floor, the rain tapping gently against Kay’s shield, he shut his eyes and steadied his breathing. Inhaling through the nose, then exhaling through his mouth, he let go of all thoughts and relaxed his body. Maintaining his breathing exercises over the next few minutes, James began to sense a presence inside of him, but he wasn’t afraid. Reaching out to it, he suddenly connected with a force beyond his understanding. Feeling as though he was breathing in unison with the jungle, images and emotions flashed through his mind before he succumbed to a wave of animal consciousness. The edges of his sanity beginning to unravel, he forced open his eyes and ended his meditation, but not before catching a glimpse of a familiar face: the woman with the gun was traveling through the jungle by jeep with a group of armed men.

  “She’s here,” James mumbled.

  “What?” Micah turned away from the beam of green light shooting out from the medallion and up through the shield into the clouds. The medallion dimming as it returned to its docile state, the beam shut off, the surrounding jungle bathed in shadow once more.

  James opened his eyes to find Kay and Micah standing over him. “What happened? I feel strange.”

  “You were meditating and then your medallion woke and blasted light into the sky,” Kay said, her eyes scanning his face.

  “Really?”

  Micah helped him up. “Who’s here?” he asked.

  “What?” James stared at him, his eyes blinking rapidly.

  “You said she’s here just before coming out of your trance,” Micah continued.

  “I...,” It started coming back to him. “I saw images in my head. The woman with the gun was in one of them. She was with a group of armed men. They were driving through the jungle.”

  “They always seem to be one step ahead,” Kay said.

  “Then you believe what he saw is true?”

  “Yes. Don’t you?”

  Micah looked at the medallion secured safely within the belt. “You may have just accessed a new ability without the benefit of my guidance. Unprecedented, but not impossible I suppose.” He paused, staring at the young man. “It appears your destiny to become the Beastkeeper cannot be denied.”

  “I still don’t know what happened,” James said.

  “It’s not important at the moment. If we assume your vision is accurate, our task has suddenly become all the more difficult. Do you know what animal abilities are stored within the medallion?”

  “The squirrels, for sure. I was able to evade the wolves by using their speed.”

  “What else? You can check by touching the silver core.”

  Unlocking the protective sheath the medallion resided in, James brushed his thumb over the reflective circle. The image of a black squirrel appeared over the polished surface. Touching it again, he saw a horse, and as he repeated the process, Castle appeared. He swallowed down the feelings the last image conjured. “The abilities of a horse...and a dog. Why do you ask?”

  “We have to assume they know where the temple is,” Micah said. “They’re driving and will likely reach it before we do. I want to be sure you have enough abilities to draw from. We cannot afford to have your medallion fall into their hands, and leaving you behind is out of the question. Your power is needed if we’re heading into battle.”

  The image of the gun toting woman wormed its way back into his mind. “I’ll be ready,” James said.

  Micah placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “I know you will. As a suggestion, before we reach the temple, you might want to find an animal you can communicate with and have it assist us.”

  “And make sure it’s something big and mean. A mouse can’t help us,” Kay teased.

  James grinned. “I’ll do my best.”

  “That’s all any of us can really do,” Micah said.

  Kay leaned over and adjusted her boots. “Our enemy wouldn’t be here if they didn’t know where the temple was.”

  Micah nodded. “I agree. They’re extremely resourceful and quite cunning. The fact they located and captured Shane with ease shows how dangerous these people are. During my discussion with the Oracle, she expressed concern regarding the scope of our enemies.”

  “They don’t know we’re here. We still have that on our side.” Kay wandered to the perimeter of her protective shield. “Look!” She pointed at a pair of luminescent green streaks coming at them through the jungle.

  “The Mist horses!” James was glad to see them. Knowing his enemies were in the area, he wanted to get moving and find the medallion before they did. Or, if necessary, take it from them by whatever means available.

  “Drop the shield,” Micah said.

  Kay placed her hands on the semi-transparent bubble. “Jobby-Doney.” Her magical phrase uttered, the shield disintegrated into nothingness.

  Galen rode one of the pale green horses galloping inches above the ground. Reaching his companions, the spiritual creatures stopped in front of Micah.

  “None of your crows have returned.” Placing a hand on the unoccupied horse, Micah climbed up.

  “Let us still ride west,” Galen said. “They will find us.” Reaching down, he assisted James onto the horse.

  With Micah and Kay atop the other, the twin emerald steeds charged into the depths of the jungle. James looked back at the totem pole marking the portal they used to enter the Amazon and glimpsed the ferocious face of a large jungle cat crowning the marker.

  38

  The jeeps arrived and parked in the area cleared of tropical forest. Getting out, Evelynn left her coat behind, the jungle not conducive to her preference for leather. Stiff from the long and arduous ride through the jungle, she limbered up her body, feeling the eyes of the Peruvian men by the temple entrance ogling her from across the clearing.

  The handful of mercenaries guarding them through the jungle joined the men gathered by the temple. They greeted each other, and she knew by their tone and her limited understanding of Spanish that she was the subject of their discussion. Smiling coldly at the leering men, Evelynn tapped her holstered gun as a warning to any man considering approaching her.

  Ignoring the laughter her behavior incited, she spotted Marcus walking towards Jeremiah and the woman by his side. Tossing away his cigarette, the disheveled man greeted her grandfather warmly. They were old friends, Marcus younger by almost a decade. She didn’t know his entire history but had known the man her entire life.

  Finding Jeremiah keeping company with a stranger had surprised her. The woman didn’t speak to anyone during the flight and her oversized sunglasses stayed in place during the entire trip. She was a mystery to be sure, one Evelynn was determined to solve. She obviously had some role to play in Jeremiah’s quest for the medallions, but Evelynn would have to wait in order to see exactly what it was.

  “Something about her eyes, did you notice?” Sandra asked, coming to stand beside her. Together, the two of them watched the stranger next to Jeremiah, the woman he introduced as Susan.

  “I didn’t notice anything. I haven’t been watching her as closely as you have.” Evelynn looked over at Sandra. “What about them?”

  “I’m sure I saw a glow from underneath her shades when she adjusted them.”

  Evelynn’s eyebrows arched upwards. Studying her grandfather, Susan and Marcus, she noticed the men did all the talking while Susan watched on in silence. One of the Peruvian workers approached Marcus who began translating what the man was saying for the benefit of the others standing by.

  Charlie joined the impromptu meeting taking place in front of Evelynn. Relieving Marcus from his translating duties, the sandy-
haired man left the group and began walking towards her.

  “Evey! What a pleasure to see you.” He glanced at Sandra. “And you too.”

  “Hello, Marcus,” Evelynn replied. “I see you’ve made yourself at home.” She looked him over as he attempted to clean up his appearance.

  “My work does tend to leave me somewhat dirty.”

  “More like filthy,” Sandra said.

  Everyone laughed. Excusing herself, Sandra headed off to join her employer.

  Do we have to stand here for much longer?” Evelynn asked.

  “As soon as Jeremiah is ready, we can enter the temple.” Reaching for his cigarette pack in his shirt pocket, he fished one out and lit it up. “I’m surprised he brought you along. Is he expecting trouble?”

  “He didn’t say. Maybe he is.”

  “Who’s the broad with him?”

  “I don’t know. I just met her myself.”

  “Doesn’t seem his type.” Marcus exhaled a plume of smoke into the air. Taking another drag of his cigarette, he dropped the butt, then crushed it under his boot. “Looks like it’s gonna rain soon,” he said, staring up into the darkening sky.

  “Yes, it does.”

  Jeremiah waved the two of them over. “It’s time to go in. Are you ready?” he asked as Evelynn drew near.

  She nodded. “Sure. Now is as good a time as any.”

  “Beats standing out in the rain,” Marcus said.

  “Then, by all means, you lead the way.” Taking Susan’s hand, Jeremiah stepped aside and let Marcus pass.

  Before joining the archaeologist by the temple entrance, Jeremiah left instructions for Charlie. “Send the workers home. Their services are no longer required. I want you and those armed men to wait out here, and stay alert. Tell them they’ll be well compensated for the job they’ve done so far. And, if any of them want any future opportunities with me, this isn’t the time to start slacking. Mr. Darrell is monitoring the satellite so keep a line open at all times in case he needs to contact you.”

  “You got it, boss.” Joining the mercenaries, Charlie relayed Jeremiah’s instructions.

  Marcus led the way inside, Evelynn walking behind and to his right. Jeremiah and Susan were directly behind her with Sandra trailing them in the role of bodyguard.

  The top corners of the rectangular entranceway were partially covered with thick cobwebs. “We got rid of the spiders making parts of this temple their home,” Marcus said, moving past the webbing. “Some of them were quite large and I didn’t think you’d want to run into any.”

  “You got that right,” Sandra said, looking around and then down the wide hall stretching away from them. “You sure you got them all?”

  “Reasonably sure,” the archaeologist replied with a mischievous grin.

  “Everyone, please stay focused on the task at hand.” Jeremiah stepped in front of Marcus. “Which way?” he asked, scanning the main hall and the mouths of the smaller passages leading from it.

  “Follow the lit torches. And please, watch your step.”

  With Jeremiah now in front and Susan by his side, the party followed the burning torches embedded in the walls.

  Continuing along the hallway constructed from blocks of white stone, Evelynn stepped past a section of floor that had given way. Looking down as she strode past the makeshift barricade placed around the pit, she couldn’t see the bottom, only endless black. Further up, a section of the ceiling had collapsed, the mound of stone covered with a tarpaulin to conceal the dead men beneath the fallen rock.

  The end of the hall loomed just ahead. Jeremiah entered an unobstructed entranceway leading deeper into the pyramid and gazed around at the large, grim chamber with a low arched ceiling. Shadows danced on the walls as the small number of mounted torches flickered in the draft flowing through the enclosed area. Standing at the top of a wide staircase descending into the dust filled recess, the object Jeremiah sought rested on a round pedestal of carved stone against the back wall.

  Everyone saw the large gap partially covered with wooden planks in front of the base of the stairs.

  “That’s the last of the traps,” Marcus said. “We jammed the collapsing stairs so you don’t need to worry about sliding down to the bottom and into the pit. I didn’t trust the integrity of the original covering so I replaced it with those planks. This way, everyone can see the gap beforehand, so no surprises there.”

  “Is it safe to remove the medallion?” Jeremiah asked. “The last thing I want is the ceiling to fall in or the floor to give way because of an oversight.”

  “I believe so,” Marcus replied. “I had one of the workers pick it up, despite his reluctance, and nothing happened. As you requested, we left the medallion in place until you arrived.”

  “Commendable work.” Jeremiah stepped back. “Now, if you would escort Sandra to the medallion, we can all get out of here.”

  “Me?” Sandra looked surprised by his request.

  “My dear, you are paid to take risks. I want you to go down there, pick it up, and bring it to me.”

  Marcus complied and descended the stairs. Crossing the planks, he waited on the other side as Sandra tentatively followed him down. Crossing the chamber together, they stopped before the pedestal.

  Sandra stared at the circular piece of reflective wood placed upright in a slot on the flat surface. Snatching it up, she quickly retraced her steps, then handed the medallion to her boss.

  Jeremiah grinned. He looked delirious, almost on the verge of maniacal as he gazed at the medallion in his hand.

  Evelynn felt the hairs on the back on her neck bristle as she saw her grandfather’s face. He looked different, his face registering a darkness she knew he had but seldom saw. Now, it surfaced for all to see: the essence of evil residing at the core of his soul.

  She glanced around at the others to see if any shared her observation. Susan stood stoically by his side unfazed by anything occurring around her. And Marcus, he appeared amused while Sandra wasn’t paying attention at all. Her focus was on something else, something fluttering around the chamber entrance.

  A black bird retreated from the archway and landed quietly on the tarp. It remained stationary for only a few seconds before flying down the hall and out of sight.

  Evelynn understood the reason she was here now; Jeremiah had been expecting trouble. Watching the crow fly off, she recalled her previous encounters with winged creatures and realized she was starting to hate all birds.

  ***

  James clung to Galen as the Mist horse raced through the jungle. Four of the six crows had returned with the temple’s location. Adjusting their route, the horses kept the birds in sight as they followed them to the medallion.

  The crows had done what was asked of them. After pairing up, they spread out and communicated with the native birds. Moving consistently westward, it wasn’t long before they acquired the information leading to the temple’s location. With four crows guiding them, the remaining two were scouting the area and acted as a beacon for the others to follow.

  Gliding down through the treetops, a crow circled the horses before landing on Galen’s shoulder. The returning scout squawked and flapped its wings, its head hovering close to the old man’s ear.

  Micah maneuvered his vaporous steed next to Galen. “What is it? What have you learned?”

  “There are armed men outside the temple.”

  “We can deal with that,” Kay said from her position behind her grandfather.

  James looked at her. He admired her courage but thought she was being foolhardy. Recalling the warning her brother had issued, it may have been a mistake agreeing so readily for her to come along. If they were going to have to fight for the medallion, he couldn’t afford to keep one eye on her while doing so. And with armed men around the temple, any sort of altercation just became all the more deadly.

  “What!” Kay stared back at him. "We can deal with them. They won’t be ready for what the four of us can do.”

  “Jus
t be smart about it. There must be others besides the armed men,” James warned. “They’re probably inside the temple right now. I mean, why else would they be guarding it?”

  Kay’s eyes glinted with annoyance.

  “These people captured Shane,” he continued, “that’s a really good reason for us to be cautious.”

  “He speaks the truth, granddaughter. I did not agree to have you along just so you can flex your magical skills. This is a serious matter and we cannot afford another setback. With Shane lost to us, we all have to survive this night.”

  “I understand.” Kay glared at James but her eyes softened by the time she looked away.

  A movement caught the boy’s attention. Running through the jungle, an animal kept pace with the galloping horses. Coming into view a short distance to his left, James found himself staring into the eyes of a large, spotted jungle cat. Nudging Galen, he pointed towards the jaguar running beside them less than ten yards away.

  “It’s a sign,” the old man said. “Take it as such.”

  He didn’t understand what Galen meant, but he did recall Micah’s suggestion of finding an animal to help them. This jaguar provided the opportunity to do just that.

  Touching the medallion, the emerald glow came forth. Keeping his eyes on the running jaguar, James emptied his mind, then entered the periphery of the jungle cat’s consciousness. Issuing one simple command, he instructed the sleek Amazon predator to follow them.

  The jaguar changed direction. Closing the distance, it vaulted through the trees and started trailing the horses.

  James maintained his connection with the jaguar. It didn’t appear angered or agitated at having to do his bidding. In fact, it regarded him with reverence.

  “You are becoming more powerful with each passing moment,” Micah said.

  James smiled, but Micah turned away. For just a fraction of a second, James thought he saw a guarded look in his mentor’s eyes.

  The crow on Galen’s shoulder flew off. Signaling Micah, he brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. Once everyone was back on solid ground, Galen whispered to the supernatural beasts before releasing them to the jungle until needed once again.