Praknor Shae Part 1

Somewhere deep within the forests of Shae Rouck near the borders of Praknor Shae and Shourlein there lies a body of water so still and calm it can only be described as otherworldly. In fact, it is otherworldly. At the bottom of the lake there exists a nexus of portals converged into one doorway leading to dimensions unknown. It lies within an underwater cave that is nearly impossible to swim into from the surface above. That was until this morning. A series of underwater tremors displaced the natural barriers protecting our world from this doorway.

It began so quietly that I almost slept right through it. As if ethereal hands were rocking me like a babe in a bassinet. When reality set in I sat up in bed just in time to avoid being knocked over the head with the glass globe from my light fixture overhead. It appears that I am in the middle of my first earthquake. Strange really, I never thought of earthquakes being an issue around here. Granted, I am relatively new to the area. So maybe the real estate agent neglected to mention this natural hazard of my new paradise home. When the ground stopped moving I made my way to the front door so that I could assess what I could only imagine as being severe damage to my pristine meadow lands that lead to my own private lake. To my surprise, there didn't seem to be any damage. The morning dew was settling in and everything had a golden glow as the sun was just beginning to peek over the treetops to the east. The rainbow of flowers shimmered like multicolored jewels in today's first light. It seemed even more magical than it did the day I first set foot on the property. I fell in love instantly. The trees all seemed to know my name and the land just spoke to me as if we'd been best of friends for as long as the earthThe pine scented air swirled around me lifting my nightgown and making me look like a pink silk parachute. I giggled at the sensation. I almost felt intoxicated with the magic in the air. I stepped out onto the porch to survey the lake. I was always so eerily calm, but today there was a small ripple in the middle of the surface. Then the slightest bubbling appeared in the middle of the ripple. The surface of the water was a golden orange that echoed the sunrise. The orange color seemed to be coming from below the surface rather than from the sun. Again I thought that to be strange and fascinating.

I decided to go out and investigate. After coffee that is. Luckily the earthquake did not upset my automatic coffee maker's 5 a.m timer. It had already brewed a full pot of blissfully delicious hazelnut and it was beckoning me to savor it. So once the sweet nectar of life was in my travel mug I slipped my sandals on and headed for the lake. It was only took a few minutes to be standing at the shore where yet again the wind lifted my nightgown then in a sudden and unexpected change of direction plastered it to my legs. I looked down at the silk gown to see tiny specks of light lining the frilly edges. Startled by the sight, I jumped and spilled coffee onto my chest. Thank god for the travel mug or I would have lost the whole lot of my morning consciousness. I looked down again and the specks of light seemed moved around me like minuscule lightning bugs. I sat down in the chair I keep at the ready by the lake. As I bent closer to one of the tiny lights, it flew quickly in circles before resting on the tip of my nose. One by one each light did the same thing until my nose resembled a Light Bright. They undulated as one unit, a single entity now. So close to my eyes, I was getting a little light headed trying to focus.

Then I heard it. Not out loud, in my mind. They spoke to me. One voice made of hundreds of tiny voices. They were happy, so incredibly happy. That happiness seemed to infect me like a sugar high at a birthday party. A sense of adventure took over and I found myself wanting to jump into the lake and swim to the bottom and never come back up. I was standing up before I realized that breathing would be a definite problem in that particular adventure. I realized quickly that it wasn't me wanting to do that, it was these little creatures made of light. That's it, they were made entirely of light. Within that one moment my whole existance changed. I had made contact with another world.

It took about an hour for me to begin to diferentiate between their overwhelming emotion and their form of communication. I started to understand words and concepts. It was dizzying and addictive. They seemed to give off this intense euphoric feeling as a form of communication. They wanted me to understand how they lived. Suddenly words began to flow and they learned how I communicated. The largest purple light sat on my right earlobe inspecting the auditory canal. He seemed intrigued at the structure of my human body. He told me his name was Trislan and the light beings were a sort of guardian race that protected the entrance to other dimentions. They called themselves the Shae. They were related to our mythological creatures called Fairy. But unlike the Fairy folk of legend they did not find any use for mischief. At least that is how Trislan explained it. I had so many questions swirling through my mind that he actually laughed at me and told me to slow down. He couldn't possibly answer them all at once, he said. So he told me a story.

I am Trislan and I am the leader of the Shae. I have been for the past 200 years. And it was 200 years ago that the doorway first appeared. It happened when landquakes created from unnatural sorcery in a world known as Kraslough shook through fabric of the natural order the universe. All of the quakes were of equal proportion and occured simultaneously on 5 different dimentional worlds. And at the epicenter of these each of the quakes is a tunnel through time and space on each of these worlds. The sorcerer's intent is still unknown. But it is said that he was under orders from a warlord to find new worlds to invade. On 4 of the worlds the tear only went one way, out. And only led to one other dimention. On the fifth world however, earth, it went both ways and all of the worlds had doorways to enter. It was dangerous to leave such a portal open to powers that wanted to conquer other worlds. So the Shae were created out of the light of all the worlds combined. We are charged with guarding the nexus of doorways to keep each world seperate from the other. Because if the worlds were to intertwine a great war of races would be inevitable. But as the whole of the universe is based upon balance and duality. When we were created so were the Shour. They are created entirely of darkness. If we have been released from the doorway, then so too have they. I believe you have been chosen to help us reseal the door that lies beneath the surface of your lake. And in doing so you will now have to also find and banish all of the Shour that have now undoubtedly infiltrated your world.

Crabmeat Tower

Bell tower of imitation crab
Tolling a foreboding cadence, pulling me out of this time
the sweet meat glistens, hypnotizing in the starlight
Looking down from my perch upon this seafood vantage
I see them scurry, running so fast out of my omnipotent view
Mice without purpose needing to flee from my glare
A wet buttery sheen breaks apart my perceptions of this world
The surface incandescent, drawing me into it's mystic spell
Seeing the universe, a mocking galaxy of silvery shellfish
Truth finds me in unexpected ways, but shimmery lies I'd rather have
Erratic emotions stir from within my turbulent mind prompted by the leering crab
There he is laying before me and here I am open to what I thought he could be
Tears unending, streaming from a well of melancholy deep within my heart
My face burns with this abrupt sorrow's blazing heat
uneasy, churning feelings, distance quite suddenly appears
you've pulled yourself away, far away from my mind
where you once danced free, the energy, the groove, the light
never wanting to ask more than what you want to give, to never really know
Trying with my all not to expect anything and still I wait for you
I have found myself in a familiar moment, like dozens of moments before
falling slowly, needing yet another unavailable, yet mesmerizing soul
you look away hiding the once piercing spark in your stormy eyes
knowing I feel your destruction of neverwas, but still could yet be
I hold this seed of promise like a diamond inside my core, a constant vision
Again knowing the truth of what we are to become, maybe beyond
Or am I believing the lies I create of you inside my delusions of hopefulness
I don't give up, just let you be where you need to be, dancing your solo delight
Now is just a fleeting moment, a speck of sand in time oceanic expanse
And moments tend to pass like smoke in the wind, never able to be grasped
Pacing the green fields to find the already scattered mice
Knowing they run to escape the fate that awaits me if I choose it
Just broken enough to see myself through the imitation crabmeat
The tower sways, falls, crashing down to a pile of white and pink fishy rubble
Illusion shattered, pieces of lies I tell myself, I only see what I fear, abandonment, me

Fallen Temple of the Fire Lizard Parts 1 and 2

Dream 1
The Rat Guru

I spoke with the Guru of the rat people over coffee and a slice of pineapple upside down cake. He is quite the exquisite baker. His cottage was quaint and decorated with antique furniture. Each table had a hand knotted lace doiley layed upon it. The house was cozy and smelled of fruit pies and cinnamon. He wore robes the color of a spring sky, azure blue. Upon his head he had a band of silver with the symbol for wisdom at his third eye. In the culture of the rat people the guru was a cherished icon of wisdom. He was revered as an infalible oracle. His visions were regarded as law and undisputed. He himself remained humble, scrying into baked goods instead of some fancy mirror or cauldron.
Our conversation wa light and consisted of phrases like "How about this weather." He introduced himself as Rennie instead of his full and proper title, Sir Renald of Sinchester, Guru of the Rat Nation.
When he spoke my brain seemed to enter a trans-like state. He lulled me into such a comfortable state that I almost curled up on the pluch chair I sat on and went to sleep. His cadence and tone was hypnotic. I found myself nodding off more than once. His gentle nature prevented him from being offended by my drowsiness. He bean to speak louder and at a higher tone. This helped me come back to alertness and pay attention to what he was saying. He was talking about snow and ice at first. But then he began to speak of other things. And he had an ethereal twinkle in his eye as he winked at me. Did he just signal that he was now in oracle mode?
"...and the orb spins at an accelerated pace. Rissa! Are you seeing the green orb? It has a pattern of various dots and dashes around it. Each representing a point in the universe. As it spins it will show you how to get to each point. And when it spins faster you can actually see those points in the universe." He spoke about traveling across the universe and seeing other places as if it were second nature to him. As I believe it was. The he really bagan to peak my interest.
"...you can not only use this orb to see different times. When you have trained for a long time, you can be in those places and times. Not just observe them.
As I stared at him in disbelief and awe he said to me, "Close your mouth girl. It is like anything else, practice makes perfect. All is possible with the right attitude."
He stood up and offered me his hand. "It is time for you to be going. The others don't like strangers among us. I welcome your company, but I am expecting guests from the council. They are a bit zealous in their quest for a pure Rat Nation. Thank you for visiting."
I stood up and gathered my worn leather coat. As I put it on he walked up behind me and whispered, "Please visit again. Use this." He placed a small green marble in my pocket and winked. I made my way to the door and when it opened I saw my bedroom. I walked to my bed and lay down. I fell fast asleep, contented. I traveled to a moss covered planet in my dreams.

Dream 2
The Other Races

The Rat Guru came to me again last night. This time we sat in his garden to talk. The wild flowers were in bloom and a myriad of butterflies hovered above them as if they were suspended on strings connected to the clouds. We sat and admired the vivid colors of each delicate wing for quite some time. The he turned to me with that spark of otherworldly knowlege in his eyes. He winked, cueing me that he had indeed entered oracle mode.
"The others want to meet you, my dear." He spoke softly, his words almost a wisp of smoke eminating from his lips.
"What others?" I asked
"The other races. They have heard you were in need of guidance and I have given my word that you can be trusted."
"Other races? I did not know other races existed." I still looked confused.
"There is much you do not know. In time you will come to understand the importance of your role here." He said still sparkeling with mysticism.
Then the corner of the garden near the rows of briliant yellow roses began to shimmer. It looked as if heat was rising from the ground in much the same way it does on the blacktop in August. And from that shimmery spot came a parade of creatures I have never imagined. First a half man and half horse, followed by a unicorn, a tall and thin elvin like man, and a large green scaled dragon. The dragon was long and serpent like, more of an Asian dragon than the the European dragons I am used to seeing in movies. They all approached me and gave me a hug and a kiss on my right cheek. We sat in a circle at the center of the garden on a circular patio made of red stone.
The dragon was the first to speak, "Welcom to this world of in between." His green scales glowed irridescent in the sunlight. I immediately felt warm as he spoke. As if he had dipped me in molten honey. His power was washing over me. All I could do was wonder if humans were never meant to speak to these mythical creatures. Maybe their magic was too much for us. He sensed my worry and soothed me by placing his front claw on my forehead. The moment his toe touched my third eye an awakening happened. I could suddenly "see" more of the small creatures in the garden. Little gnomes and fae folk danced in and out of the colorful foliage.
The dragon spoke again, "you, little one, are a rarity among your race. The spheres are not content to gift themselves to just anyone. This curse you belive to have upon you is no such thing. It is a gift. The purity of your soul is what draws you to us and what draws us to you."
The tall elvin man leaned forward and addressed me as "little red feather." His skin was so luminescent that it looked as if he were made of water. His voice as high melodic tune. He told me that he watches me dance. And that I dance like his people. His people are not elves but a race very similar called Folvrange. He was encouraging me to dance more often in order to find the lost pieces of my spirit floating in the cosmos.
The the menataur spoke. As soon as he did I was engulfed in the heady scent of his pure maleness. He was not shy about telling me to be more open to finding a sexual partner. But he also said that he admires my ability to see and speak truth. His worry for me was that I hide my true self from the wrong people and show my true self to those that would take advantage. I guess I am not as gifted at seeing truth as he alluded to. His intense sexual energy surrounded me once again. And in an instant I became quite aware that I was squirming in my seat and sweating. My reaction to the pheramones that this man-beast was throwing my way was the most intense turn on of my entire life thus far. It was raw and primal. I had to get up and walk away.
The unicorn followed me. She did not speak, just stayed with me as I walked toward the yellow roses. A few times she nuzzled my cheek with her nose. The physical reaction to the menataur began to wane. I could breathe at a normal rate again and my pulse returned to normal. The unicorn sat in the grass next to me and just looked at me. It took a few moments, but I finally realized that she was communicating with me telepathically. It wasn't in words, but emotions and colors. I could feelt the unicorn sharing her innermost emotions. It was profound to say the least. I have never felt so at peace and content in all of my life. The emotions she shared were foreign to me. Humans are not programmed to feel such intense love and compassion to all things. It was like having a switch turned on inside my heart to be completely empathetic to all things that exist.

Dreamscape

The fields were filled with people. Families huddled together, gathered around camps they had set up. The energy of the crowd was anxious and excited. They all waited to see something extraordinary. The promise of witnessing a miracle was palpable in the air. You could taste the faith and conviction of this gathering of souls. Some of the campsites were decorated with streamers of multicolored ribbon. Others were bare of accessories. The intent of each was the same. A man was coming to deliver a message. He was touted as a modern profit. He held the keys to the heaven that all wished to enter. Some even said that he channeled God himself. Millions more were arriving. Like armies of ants, they marched their way to the place promised to change their lives for eternity.

I turned toward the valley below. I saw the people gather in droves. It frightened me. I could see the blindness in their faces. At least the ones I could see from my vantage point from the hillside. Like zombies promised flesh, they continued into the clearing. Millions upon millions, more with each passing moment. The people were packed closely and there was no room for more, yet more continued. I screamed for the people to stop. But no one could hear me from my place on the hill. The sky crackled with energy when my fear and anger boiled up inside of me. They all turned in unison to look at me. I became clear that I was the one they had all come to see.

My apprehension was now a full blown storm within me. The wind began to sweep across the sheep below me. As I took a deep breath and calmed my mind. The wind also subsided. I realized then that I was the profit that was promised. I had no answers to give them. I had no wisdom to bestow. I was just as lost as these souls looking to me for truth. I had no fast track to the heavens as they were led to believe. I began to speak. My voice cracking under the stress. A timid small voice of vulnerability.

"Why are you here? What is it you want from me?" I asked the silent masses below. Though I felt my voice was but a trembling whisper. They all heard me. They looked at each other in puzzlement. Then looked back up at me. It was then that I heard their voices. Inside my head they all chanted that I was who they were here to see. They believed I was going to teach them a new way.

Again, perplexed as to what to say. I sat down on a large rock and began to ponder their hunger for answers. I could still hear their voices in my mind. Requests to heal sick loved ones. Prayers to grant them compassion. Pleads to show them an end to their suffering. I was amazed and taken back by the fact that none of them asked for themselves. They wanted universal peace and prosperity. I was not expecting them to ask for the good of the world. I thought they were each here for selfish gain. My confusion turned to a feeling of humbleness and shame for my assumptions.

I smiled and looked down at them yet again. As I spoke this time the shake to my words was gone and in its place came a strong and reverent voice. "You have all come here to teach me. It is not me teaching you. Your selfless compassion for the world is the promise you seek. Thank you."

And I cried tears of joy for knowing that the human race was not lost.