by Lucia Ashta
Asara and Anak prayed that their mission to save Baldub and Carn and to retrieve the cousins’ souls might intersect with the path of their beloved Master Kaanra. Despite their being unaware of what Kaanra’s quest was, the twins knew he would likely need support to complete it.
And so it was that once again Asara and Anak would leave Arnaka for unknown places and adventures. They arranged a blanket, a set of spare clothes, two empty canteens, and Kaanra’s herbal healing ointments in the satchels their mothers had made for them. Then they went to the food stores at the back of the temple where the community kept its food dry and cool. There they gathered what nuts, seeds, and dried fruits they could fit in their bags.
With that done, they strapped their swords to their waists. The sun was already high in the sky, but they chose not to delay their departure. The sooner they helped return balance to the planet, the safer everyone would be.
They turned toward the dormitory halls before leaving to check if Master Sina’s condition had improved. The twins navigated familiar pathways distractedly until they arrived at the corridor outside Sina’s bedroom. Whispered voices slipped through the partially opened door. As Asara and Anak drew nearer, their hearts leapt. The murmured conversation spoke of Sina waking up.
Anak reached out and nudged the door open further. When a temple master similar in age to Master Tahn looked up, he responded to the question in Anak’s eyes by nodding subtly. Yes, they could come in. Master Payu’s long brown hair was pulled back in a braid at his back to reveal tired, red-brimmed eyes. He’d slept on a reed-woven mat on the floor next to Sina’s bed the previous night. The remaining four masters were taking turns caring for Sina. They didn’t want to leave her unattended.
Master Payu had slept fitfully, unable to fully surrender his responsibility for Sina’s well-being. Then he’d learned the tragic news of Master Tahn’s death. Master Payu and Master Tahn were friends. Payu’s normally bright eyes evidenced shock and concern. He walked over to the twins who hovered inside the door unsure of what to do, and he embraced Asara in a rare display of affection. She couldn’t remember if Master Payu had ever hugged her, and was deeply grateful for his embrace. She held onto him tightly.
They offered each other encouragement and the knowing that all was well despite appearances. They breathed in and out and shared peace, until Master Payu let go of her to hug Anak.
When Payu let go of Anak, they all felt better, even the master in the room who hadn’t participated in the embraces. Master Shixou sat in a chair next to Sina’s bed holding her hand. Shixou gazed at the pale and drawn face of the fallen master, and then she turned to look out the window. Below, the River Haakal rushed on, as if unaware of the human tragedy that had befallen the Temple of Laresu’u Kal.
Although Sina had awakened from the deep slumber of unconsciousness, her fate was unsettled. She slept now, exhausted from her body’s efforts at recovery.
“She’s woken, but she doesn’t remember anything,” Payu said gently. “She doesn’t remember her name. She doesn’t know what she’s doing here at the temple. She doesn’t know what happened to her. She’s forgotten everything.” He looked at the twins pointedly to make sure they understood the rest of what he left unspoken. He meant she’d also forgotten about Dann’s final prophecy and her role in protecting it, and that the twins shouldn’t mention it.
Payu paused. He exhaled loudly and rubbed his hands across his face. His dress was always immaculate, but now his white robe was wrinkled and worn; he didn’t appear to care that he was disheveled. He looked around the room, at Sina, and then back to the twins again. “You are leaving?”
The twins had placed their packs just outside the door, but they still wore their swords.
Anak answered, “We believe we must. We must do what we can to help change”—he gestured to Sina on the bed—“all of this.”
There was a moment of silence while Payu took it all in.
“We don’t know what we’re meant to do, but we’ll seek the way,” Asara said so delicately that she barely disturbed the air.
The mission they were heading off to fulfill was unknown to the twins, but its importance was not. There was a sense of reverence for the magnitude of what was taking place in the world and the part they were destined to play in it.
“Will you all be okay here at the temple while we’re gone?” Anak asked.
Although Payu and Shixou were temple masters charged with the management of the Temple of Laresu’u Kal, and Asara and Anak weren’t, the twins were concerned for their temple community. It was a time of solidarity.
Payu exhaled loudly again before answering. When he spoke, resolve tinged his reply with vigor. He was small, but strong, and the courage of his convictions stood behind him. “Yes, we will be well. Master Shixou and I are strong.”
At the mention of her name, Shixou tore her gaze from the mesmerizing water and looked at them. Asara was surprised at the resolute look in her face. A force was brewing within these temple masters that Asara hadn’t anticipated. Yes, they’d do well in their absence.
“Masters Quon and Yako are also strong. We’ll prepare ourselves and the students for whatever may happen. We’ll all begin training. If the world needs more light warriors, we’ll respond to the call.”
Asara raised her eyebrows. This was unexpected.
Master Payu looked the twins in the eyes. There was no escaping his intensity now. “May your journey be blessed. We’ll hold you in our hearts and prayers.” He bowed his head to them. “Until we see you again, journey well.”
When he raised his head, Payu didn’t look at the twins. Instead, he and Master Shixou turned to look out the window at the same moment, as if in coordinated movement. The twins walked toward the door, exiting through the snaking smoke of clearing herbs Shixou burned. Asara and Anak strapped the satchels across their backs and left the smoky haze behind. The way of the light beckoned.
It took Lena some time to return fully to her body.
Paolo did what he could to help her. In the time he apprenticed with Manay Quispe in the Amazonian jungle, Manay taught him many techniques his people had used for generations. Just as Manay would have done, Paolo removed Lena’s shoes and socks, and placed her feet on the ground, still cool from the chilled night.
Right away, she felt more connected to her physical shell. She spread her toes wide in the dirt and allowed Mother Earth to ground her. The sun shone bright and strong on Lena. It warmed her from within.
Paolo did for himself as he’d done for Lena, and soon he too was enjoying the sensation of dirt sliding against his bare feet. He didn’t walk barefoot on the earth often enough. He knew how important it was to be connected to nature, but he forgot too easily, embroiled in the conveniences of an artificial world. Those comforts carried a great cost; being disconnected from the rhythms of nature was dangerous for the soul.
Among the sprawling trees and flowing hills, it was easiest for him to remember he was part of it all; indeed, he was one with it. Creator made human beings from the elements, just as Creator made all things in nature. Earth, wind, fire, and water were within everything in different measures. Humans carried the energy of water in their emotions and fluidity, and they carried the passion of fire in the courage of their hearts. Human beings were simultaneously creatures of the heavens and of the earth. Paolo felt most alive when he was absorbing the heat of the sun and the moisture of the waters. It was here, in this pure openness, that magic was most accessible. It was here that he was fully a creature of spirit.
When Paolo turned to look at Lena, his yellow eyes were afire; the magic of Arnaka shone through his stare.
She shared with Paolo what she could of her experience with Coyote, telling him in hushed tones what she didn’t fully understand. Paolo didn’t fully understand it either, but it made him happy.
Chapter 9
After the unusual beginning to the day, Lena and Paolo allowed themselves to indulge in their desire for nurturing for a
while, but the responsibility that now fell on the snuggled lovers soon nudged them into action. They left their campsite as it was, planning to camp there again that night, and they drove off in search of the pyramid.
Since Paolo learned of its existence, he’d made plans to visit it many times, but something thwarted his intentions in every instance. He now understood it was because he was meant to discover the pyramid with his beloved at his side. Lena was the key to the pyramid. It was part of his destiny to find it, but she held a necessary answer to the mystery.
Through miles of corn and alfalfa fields, they traversed several small towns. Already, Lena perceived something unusual crackling in the air around them. The towns felt strange to her. She tried to speak with Paolo about it, but she didn’t know how to express what she didn’t yet understand. Her attempts at eloquence ended with, “It just feels weird.”
Paolo agreed. There was something unusual about the area that he couldn’t quite identify, and that something pricked his senses with awareness.
Outside of the last town, the pavement ended and dirt roads began. They were maintained for the use of hunters and became increasingly rougher as Paolo drove farther. They passed cows, deer, horses, and turkeys, all with their young, making the setting idyllic; animals grazed or looked off into the sun.
Hunting was a popular past time in the area. Lena involuntarily shuddered at the thought. Those animals had nowhere to hide from their pursuers.
Remembering she was a powerful being and could do something to remedy the injustice of the situation, she sent out prayers of protection for the animals. The prayers swirled in the unseen world and held fast in the light.
Lost in thoughts of the fate of the animals, Lena momentarily forgot the passing of time and their whereabouts. When Paolo parked to the side of an unused road among sharp and scraggly desert bushes, she was surprised. She stepped out of the car and looked around.
The landscape was certainly beautiful, but she noticed nothing unusual. She looked at Paolo questioningly. He grinned. It was the biggest smile she’d seen on his face in days; it lit up his eyes. There was always some kind of mischief behind that grin.
He walked around the car and pulled her to him. He casually draped his right arm around her shoulders, his smile deepened until the skin around his eyes crinkled, then he pointed with his left arm. The pyramid was almost directly in front of her, yet somehow she hadn’t spotted it. But now she did. There was no missing it.
She gasped. How was it she hadn’t noticed there was a pyramid in the middle of this lost Utah landscape? Now that she’d seen it for what it was, it seemed impossible not to see it.
Out of a seemingly endless expanse of full, rich sagebrush and ancient juniper trees that bent and twirled at every angle as if they themselves carried the energy of the wind, rose up a pyramid as large as those of Egypt. And now, the two beloveds were there.
These were not just any beloveds. They were the golden twins reincarnated. They were those who’d been having visions of the pyramids and what they would accomplish within them long before they even met.
Lena grinned at Paolo. These were exciting times. They grabbed water bottles and took the first step toward a better understanding of the merging of lifetimes, their destiny, and the power of love and of true beloveds. With that very first step, the world was already changed.
Although the first time they left Arnaka in answer to Archangel Michael’s call to duty had only been weeks before, leaving this time felt different. Much had happened in the short interval since their initial departure; they couldn’t look at anything in the same way. They were changed people. It was the inevitable result of the intensity of experiences they shared, both positive and negative. They now knew more about their abilities, but they also better understood the extent of danger.
They were leaving apparent peril behind at their previously safe haven of temple life, and heading into certain danger outside Arnaka’s boundaries. Whereas last time they started their journey in the dark of night, this time they did it during the day. The landscape lit up by the sun offered a contrasting perspective.
Ever connected at a deep level, the twins looked at each other and breathed out. They released any worry, frustration, and temptation to entertain notions of powerlessness. They chose instead to focus on those thoughts that would support a positive outcome. They both knew better than to dwell on fears; they always had.
As young children, they learned the power and energy of thoughts. They’d long been skilled at monitoring their minds to ensure they drew happenings of a high vibration to them.
Since returning to Arnaka as light warriors with experience in etheric battle, things had been unusual. They had to adjust old patterns to the new energy they held within. But there was something else as well. In witnessing firsthand the fragility of life, Asara was more vividly aware than ever of the importance of living every day to its fullest. This couldn’t be an intention for the future, and it certainly couldn’t be one for the past that was already complete; embracing life had to happen in the present, the only true moment she ever had.
It made Asara question this long-standing practice of monitoring her thoughts. How could she live every moment to its fullest when she was working to ensure the best possible outcome into the future? Could she truly be in the present if she was using that moment to create the future? Surely, there was sufficient magnificence surrounding her at all times to provide stimulus for thoughts of a high vibration. Was that high frequency not sufficient to draw future situations into her life that would match that vibration?
Asara looked around her as she and Anak walked. They’d already left the temple behind. Without Master Kaanra to see them off, there was less of a sense of ceremony in their departure this time. They headed toward the point where the water between the island of Arnaka and the mainland was narrowest. They already knew where it was from their previous journey. They had a while to go still, and they walked leisurely so as to be comfortable in the high heat of the midday sun.
Everywhere Asara looked, there was beauty. Nature, no matter its variation, was always exciting, always engaging. Whether it was the infinity that Arnaka’s vast desert sands mimicked, or the lush and enchanted oases the River Haakal birthed, or the bizarre and different landscapes she’d seen only in visions and dreams, it was all magnificent.
Perhaps Creator made everything so beautiful so it would be easy for divine creatures to hold the high frequencies and energies necessary to connect to the All of Everything. Besides breathtaking beauty, Creator also added change, so human beings would never grow bored. The heat, the cold, the drought, the rain, the wind, the stillness, the day, the night—they all brought change, guaranteeing that every moment would be new and different, exhilarating, and charged with potential.
The secret was in appreciating everything in fullness, in deep gratitude, extending the present moment and making it truly lived. It wasn’t in consciously controlling emotions and thoughts. This made so much sense to Asara; she couldn’t understand how she hadn’t figured it out sooner. Her heart suddenly felt lighter and her mind freer. She was liberated from a great burden she hadn’t even realized she carried.
The human experience was remarkable in the opportunity it afforded for constant betterment and expansion. Asara’s step became bouncier and her spirit more energized. She reached out and took Anak’s hand in hers. Her gaze looked forward with enthusiasm for all that is, all that ever was, and all that ever could be.
She swung her arm back and forth as she’d done with her parents as a child. Anak swung back.
The pyramid was already affecting Lena and Paolo energetically. She felt its magnetic pull and was certain Paolo must sense it too. He held her hand and set the pace, eagerly moving toward the pyramid he’d dreamt of for so many years.
Despite their hurried pace, it would take them several hours to reach the pyramid and then climb it. Paolo had gotten them as close as he could in the car, but there was still a l
ot of rough terrain between their parked car and the pyramid. Lena was grateful for Marian’s foresight as she dodged prickly bushes and thorns in the sturdy hiking shoes Manolo packed in the car for her.
Everywhere, beautiful juniper trees dotted the seemingly inhospitable desert. Each tree was unique; its trunk and branches twisted to the tune of its own life essence.
Lena was so focused on the careful placement of her feet that she didn’t notice the deepening red of Paolo’s face until they had almost reached the pyramid’s shadow. When they stopped for a water break, Lena looked at Paolo with alarm. He was sweating profusely; sweat dripped down his face in generous rivulets.
His shirt and shorts were soaked even though Manolo had given him clothing that supposedly encouraged sweat to evaporate before the fabric could absorb it. Admittedly, it was hot, and Lena was sweating too, but not like this. Still, she would have accepted Paolo’s insistent claims that he was okay and that they should continue if it hadn’t been for his eyes.
“Amor, I know you want to continue, and I know this is important to you. It is to me too. But your eyes are scaring me. They are completely glassy and dazed. I don’t think you’re well.”
“No, no, I’m fine. We must keep going,” Paolo said, even as he sat on a jutting rock to catch his breath. His chest heaved.
“Io posso farlo. Sono sicuro.” He didn’t even realize he was speaking in his native language.
“No, love. We can’t do it now. You’re unwell. We’ll do it later,” Lena said, her concern mounting. “Let’s walk over to that tree, where we can rest for a while.” She pointed to a tree that provided ample shade in the sparse covering of their surroundings.
