Читать книгу Wind - Daniel Mello - Страница 9

Everyone was chatting excitedly to each other as they glided over the grassland, heading towards the forest at the far end of the crater. Lythina thought she heard something like “flying” from Jonas, but was soon interrupted by Radna.

“Lythina, did you know that all of creation has a frequency?”

The young lady shook her head. “You mean like sound?”

“Yes, and no,” Radna answered. “Sound is a vibration, yes, but everything else vibrates as well. The trees, the clouds, us; especially us.”

They were nearing the forest now, and as they slowed their pace, everyone was listening intently to Radna’s explanation.

She continued, “have you ever thought about something intensely for a long time? Say, a new book that you wanted to read, but you couldn’t buy it yet, so you thought about it for weeks on end, eager to jump inside its pages?”

“Of course,” Lythina responded. She quieted her mind so she could absorb every word.

“And when did you stop thinking about that certain book?”

“After I had read it.”

“Exactly!” said Radna. “That’s exactly it. If we pour enough thought into something, anything, it will happen because we possess the unique ability to manifest our desires. Yet, sometimes events occur outside our control that encourage those desires to come true; it’s as if the Universe senses our thoughts and responds with an unexpected gift that leads to the fulfillment of our wishes. It’s been called many different things, but I call it cognitive resonance.”

“Cognitive resonance,” Lythina repeated, intrigued by the notion of reciprocal creation. “Harmonic thinking?”

“Sort of; harmonic in the sense that our thoughts vibrate, yes, but on a fundamentally different level than sound. Some say it’s coincidence that matter vibrates on that same frequency, though I say it’s divine construction. That’s why we can create anything we want, with the help of the Universe, of course. Fortunately, it’s much harder than it seems; if it were easy, who knows what some would create.”

They were at the edge of the forest now, and Lythina could see deep into its thickets. The midday sun breached the canopy only to cast shifting rays of golden light onto the soft earth. Its buttery warm glow invited her spirit into the living trees, and her heart pulsated with anticipation. As she sat staring into the enchanting forest, waiting for the approval to step inside, Jonas, Riley and Emma did not hesitate to flow into the emerald grove. They moved past her with grace, seeming to float over the surface of the earth as they stepped lightly, damaging as little as they could with their feet.

“Inside this place, you will find yourself,” Radna softly spoke. Her eyes were closed for a moment as she breathed in the crisp woodland air. “But you may not like what you discover.”

“The Universe brought me here for a reason, Radna,” Lythina said. “And I can’t fulfill my destiny until I confront those parts of myself that I don’t like.” She looked straight into her friend’s caramel eyes with all of her hope and fear and trust, and with a deep sigh, she committed herself to her fate. “I’m ready.”

Staring back into Lythina’s emerald eyes with her own passion, Radna studied her friend’s features. She wore a natural expression of excitement; she was anxious and afraid, but willing and courageous all the same. Her eyes were softened with the realization of destiny, and her lips looked as if they were ready to break into a smile any second.

And flashing through Radna’s own mind was the day that she met the old woman, the woman who helped everyone up the stairs. She remembered how the woman gazed at her with compassionate, expectant eyes, and how she spoke in her delicate voice about Radna’s own purpose. The woman had told her that she was a guide, someone who nudges others in the right direction, providing for them what they needed to advance. And she remembered how those words nestled comfortably inside her heart. Presently, seeing Lythina’s hopeful face, her entire Universe clicked into place. “Your training begins now.”

Radna spun on her heels and stepped into the forest. Lythina followed quickly, and soon they were moving quietly among the inhabitant trees. They followed a subtle path worn into the peat moss floor, weaving around enormous oaks and rowans, and over fallen trunks. The forest was alive with the pitter patter of small feet and the voices of creatures. Far off, echoing around the woodland was a stream that folded over a rocky bed. Ahead, barely discernible through the enveloping mist, Jonas, Riley and Emma were waiting inside a large clearing.

Radna and Lythina passed through the oak trees that bordered the glade, and met up with their awaiting friends. All three of them wore an expressive smile as Radna circled around to join them, leaving Lythina to face all four.

“What should we start with?” asked Emma.

“Maybe just a small show of strength,” cooed Riley.

Lythina looked at Jonas, waiting for his suggestion, but he was gazing at Radna with a calculating frown. Radna met his eyes, and for a fraction of a second, Lythina could’ve sworn that there was more in her friends’ eyes than their expressions revealed. Radna nodded, as if she had just exchanged thoughts with Jonas, and looked back at Lythina.

And in that instant, Radna spoke, but her lips didn’t move. In fact, she didn’t speak a particular language as much as Lythina felt like she was pierced with Radna’s own feelings. It was as if those feelings were put into a consecutive order to express a pattern of thought. For a split second, Lythina felt like she was Radna’s mind. And her thoughts said something to the effect of ‘get ready’.

Staring wide eyed at a smiling Radna, Lythina flinched as Jonas suddenly jumped straight into the air, leaving the clearing behind. To what seemed like the height of the Librarium itself, he shot up toward the canopy of tree branches, his pure white robe whipping around him. He brushed the leaves with his fingers, then plummeted back down toward the earth, landing with barely a thud.

“Whoa,” Lythina remarked. “How —,” but she didn’t get a chance to finish.

Instantly, Riley ducked into a crouch, then sprang backwards into a quick series of flips, landing and thrusting herself into the air once more, spinning like a top, flipping end over end. Arching back toward the forest floor, her hands shot out to her sides, halting her rotation right before she hit the ground, leaving her hovering a foot above, grinning wildly.

“Awesome,” was the only word that escaped Lythina’s lips.

Riley dropped to the ground and ran back to join the group, and Lythina excitedly turned to Emma just as she was closing her eyes. She watched as her new friend steadied her breathing and rotated her palms outward. A quiet moment passed, Lythina being the only one who was holding her breath, before the world began to shift.

It felt as if all of her mass had instantly vanished from her body. Like floating in the sea, every inch of Lythina’s frame was suddenly supported by the mist itself. Her toes curled in a useless attempt to hold onto the forest floor as the ground sank away. Transfixed with fear, Lythina stared at Emma as she felt herself raising into the air. In seconds, she was hovering half a column’s length above her friends. And with shouts and cheers, Emma opened her eyes and grinned at Lythina. A look of ease passed over her face as she let a short laugh burst forth. “I’ll never get used to that,” she said calmly.

“What do you think,” Riley shouted elatedly.

“I don’t know what to think,” Lythina shouted back. “I’m a little freaked out!”

Slowly, Emma lowered her friend back to touch the ground. Lythina had to rebalance herself as all of her weight suddenly reattached itself once more to her body.

Radna approached her as Emma slapped some high five’s from Jonas and Riley. “We all learned these abilities because we’ve thought about them and practiced them constantly. I’ve always wanted to be telepathic, but I didn’t know it was actually possible until I came here.”

“Can I learn these things too?” Lythina wondered as her and Radna began to walk around the clearing.

“Only if that’s what your heart desires. You see, there is more to learning a new ability than the gift itself.”

“I don’t understand. Isn’t it just like learning a skill?”

“In the sense that it must be practiced, yes. But super abilities only manifest when they are founded by four spiritual virtues. Those are Temperance, Fortitude, Justice and Prudence. If you had to choose one of the virtues that could be manifested as telepathy, what would it be? Search inside yourself and trust your intuition, Lythina. It’ll come to you.”

Lythina took a quiet moment, easing her body into tranquility after her recent bout with levitation. Inside her heart, a feeling of change began to pulse, and a memory of practicing self-control flashed through her mind. Deep in her consciousness, her intuition sparkled a confirmation by radiating what felt like achievement.

“The ability to discipline yourself,” Lythina spoke. “Temperance.”

“Right!” Radna smiled. “Our limbs are the easiest to dominate, while our minds are the hardest. Transmitting your thoughts into someone else’s head takes an enormous amount of self control.”

Once again, kindling deep inside her soul, Lythina’s intuition illuminated a memory from what seemed like a lifetime ago. An old, mystical woman and her raspy voice echoing some words of wisdom. “Know thyself, and the rest will follow.”

Lythina stopped and closed her eyes for a moment to revel in the concept of Temperance. She allowed it to fill her heart, mold and shape her thoughts. “So, spiritual virtues can manifest as extraordinary abilities if we practice them inside our hearts?”

Radna was beaming with pride at Lythina, shining enough to compete with the sun. “Yes! If you desire it truly within your heart and honestly practice the four main virtues, your cognitive resonance will manifest super abilities. This is the Universal reciprocation toward your wishes.”

“Okay, Temperance is one. What about the other three,” Lythina asked as she pointed at her three other friends working their powers near the center of the glade.

“Well, Jonas practices Fortitude, which manifests as super strength. Riley’s virtue is Justice, and that helps her balance her essence with nature, enough so that she can hover above the earth. And Emma practices Prudence, which gives her the wisdom to understand the complex relationship between space and time, creating telekinesis.”

“Does everyone only practice one Virtue at a time?”

“Typically, only because they are incredibly hard to master. But Jonas has recently started practicing Temperance.”

“He’s telepathic too,” Lythina intuited.

“Slightly; unfortunately, he still falls victim to his own cravings, more often than he’d like.”

With a sigh, Lythina agreed. “Don’t we all. So, where do I begin?”

“Where would you like to begin?”

Lythina quieted her mind to allow her intuition to speak up, and sure enough it sparkled a small feeling of surrender inside her heart. “Ever since I arrived here, I began to let go of my rapid thoughts, so I suppose I’d like to start with Temperance.”

“Perfect! Come sit over here with me,” Radna said, and led Lythina to a large boulder near the border of trees. Once they were seated on the forest floor, nestling their backs against the rock, Radna guided her new apprentice into a calm meditation. For a moment, they sat perfectly still; a pair of female statues dressed in white gowns leaning against a giant rock. Both of their minds settled, Lythina taking a bit longer but settling none the less, as their breathing began to synchronize.

Suddenly, a flash of happiness raced across Lythina’s empty mind, a happiness that felt different than her own. A brief image of sunlight was all that appeared, then it was gone. Quickly, other images appeared, a transitory moment of gratitude shown by a hand over a heart, and friendship in the form of the forest. Once again, the sun, the hand, and the forest, repeated for a fleeting moment, then vanished.

Lythina controlled her excitement when she realized she’d just seen Radna’s thoughts, and began to focus her own. Trying to harness her exhilaration into a memory, she searched her mind until she remembered talking to her grandmother. She held on to a picture of the sealight book, and allowed the thrill of its knowledge to fill her mind. And quickly, she erased it from her psyche. Wanting to keep her thoughts uninterrupted, she transmitted back the same picture of the forest coated with her own feeling of friendship. Just then, her intuition brought to light a picture of the twilight sky. She emanated trust in the spirit as she stared at the image in her mind, then released it into the darkness. And after carefully raising herself back to realty, she turned to see a tearful Radna smiling back.

“Oh, Lythina, I’m so glad we met,” Radna sniffled. At once, Lythina threw her arms around her to embrace her friend.

“Me too,” she whispered. “I can’t do this without you.”

“I’ll be here.” They released each other and sat back against the boulder once more.

“Did I get the technique right?” Lythina asked.

“Yes, actually, it was well organized,” Radna replied as she wiped the salt from her cheeks. “You sure you haven’t done this before?”

“Very sure I’ve never practiced telepathy before. So, can I try the other Virtues?”

“Mastering one is hard enough. You sure you want to try them all?”

Lythina watched as Jonas, Riley and Emma each took turns showing their powers to each other. “I think I could handle it.”

“Alright.” Radna eased herself up from the ground, helped Lythina up, and they both walked over to their friends. Riley was just finishing an intense pirouette above the earth, and she dropped to the ground with a graceful bound.

“Guys, Lythina wants to try the other virtues today,” Radna said.

“Right on,” exclaimed Emma. “Which one do you want to try next?”

“I was thinking Fortitude,” Lythina replied, somewhat embarrassed by her earnestness.

“Right over here,” Jonas said as he gestured to a side of the clearing. As they sauntered away, Lythina waved to the others, hoping they wouldn’t see her stifling a massive grin.

“The thing about the four virtues is that most everyone has practiced them at some point in their lifetime,” Jonas said in his solid voice as he paced calmly along the peat moss ground. “That alone gives us a head start when we begin to focus our spirit on them. Do you know what Fortitude means, Lythina?”

“I think it means courage, but I’m sure there’s more to it,” she replied.

“Right you are. The essence of Fortitude is understood as steadiness of spirit in the face of obstacles; like a fortress of your soul. Can you ever remember a time when you were compelled toward the right thing, even though everyone was against you?”

An image of her adolescence flashed through Lythina’s mind. It was of a time when her village was being ransacked by an order from the king. Soldiers were busting through doors, looting houses in order to collect excessive taxes, and she was the only one who stood against them. She had caught a few men pillaging her home, and successfully landed a few well-aimed kicks between their legs. Once they had curled over, she heard a scream from upstairs…

But that’s when the memory vanished. She couldn’t persuade her mind to go any farther, and she shook her head to erase the thought. Jonas was studying her carefully, noting her expressions. He’d seen pain inside her eyes, a pain she didn’t want to acknowledge.

He continued, “even in the face of death, if we hold true to our beliefs, we are practicing the essence of Fortitude.” He turned to face her, and examined her posture with the concentration of an instructor. “I want you to jump.”

Stunned, Lythina froze for a second. “Jump?”

“Yes. Straight up into the air. You can do that, can’t you?” he asked with a tone that might’ve possibly been considering becoming impatient.

Surprised, but eager to continue her training, Lythina crouched and simply jumped up into the air. Arms out, dress curling around her body, she hung for a moment, and dropped back to the earth with an ungraceful stumble. After she composed herself, she pushed her blushing face up to look at Jonas.

“I’ll get it better next time,” Lythina defended.

“I believe you,” Jonas assured. “Now, try to remember the moment you thought of before, the one you shook your head at. How did you feel at the time?”

“I was scared out of my mind, but I was going to defend my home. I couldn’t understand how other people just left their houses and their lives behind.”

“Good! Hold onto that feeling! Let it move through you until it motivates you into action. And when you’re ready, jump again.”

Closing her eyes, Lythina recalled that same memory. She remembered how the soldiers’ furious eyes pierced her, shoved her backward against her will, but she ran forward and put everything into her swinging leg, just as her Aunt had taught her. And she suddenly remembered a curious blue flash of light that burst from her foot an instant before it connected with the men. It made her tremble with exhilaration in front of Jonas, and she instantly crouched, then forced her legs straight.

Lythina shot into the air, and everyone in the glade recoiled as a burst of blue light brightened the clearing. High above Jonas, watching as he shrank away from her, Lythina exploded with excitement as she soared toward the treetops. But her excitement ended when she stopped in mid air, and started drifting back toward the forest floor. The blue light was dissipating, and she suddenly realized that she didn’t know how to brace herself when she collided with the ground. But she held her concentration on the courage she felt after defeating those men, and as she plummeted toward the forest floor, she placed her footing and cushioned her body from the impact.

With only a soft crunch from the moss, Lythina landed back on the earth. The impact was so gentle, she felt as if she had merely hopped.

“Did you see that!? It wor —,” she exclaimed, until she noticed that all of her friends were absolutely still, staring at her. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Lythina, what was that?” Radna said as she ran up, searching her face as if it held a clue as to the origin of the light.

“Well, Jonas was teaching me how to focus Fortitude and asked me to jump, so I —.”

“No, not that,” Radna interrupted, “The blue light? Didn’t you see it?”

“Oh, that, yea, that happens sometimes when I’m really emotional about something.”

She could sense that her ordinary expression was somewhat distressing to Radna, so she changed it to concern. “Don’t you guys do that too?”

“No, Lythina.” It was Jonas who spoke this time, boring into her eyes with curiosity. “No one on this isle has ever been able to conjure light with their abilities. Where did you learn that?”

By now, Riley and Emma had joined the group, and its collective anxiety was beginning to impress on Lythina’s personal space. Seeing a chance to practice Fortitude, she braced herself against the solid earth and met their passion with her own.

“I’ve done that my entire life, since I can remember,” She stated boldly, as if she’d chosen it. “Whenever I’m really focused, or overcome with emotion about something, my actions are enhanced by the light. Whatever I do to provoke it, that action becomes stronger. I remember one time when I was a little girl, when my Aunt wanted me to come inside for the night, and I protested. I stomped my foot, and the light sparked underneath it. I went inside anyway, but my aunt told me later that I’d left a burnt crater where my foot hit. Things like that have always happened. I just figured that it was magick passed on to me from my ancestors. I never got into it though.”

“That’s incredible,” Emma breathed.

“Does it hurt?” asked Riley.

“No, not at all,” Lythina replied. Her courage was growing against their hard stares, and she looked to Radna for an answer. “Do you think that’s magick?”

Deep in concentration, Radna left the group to pace around the glade. “Yes, I do. It’s more magick than I’ve ever seen. Most magick is done with candles and spells and such, but to physically produce it is extraordinary.” She must’ve decided something because she quickly rejoined them. “It’s getting late, and I’ve got some research to do. I’ll meet up with you all later.”

“Is something wrong?” Lythina asked.

“No, no, nothing. I’m just really interested in this, that’s all.” She gave Lythina a deep hug, and quickly left the clearing.

“ — wonder what that was all about,” said Emma.

But Riley seized the opportunity. She skipped over to Lythina, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the middle of the glade. “So, practicing Justice sounds simple enough,” she chimed, “but when do we really get a chance to make just decisions in our daily lives, I mean besides compromising with your friends about what to have for dinner?” They were facing each other now, Riley staring into Lythina’s slightly uncomfortable expression.

“I suppose I see what you mean,” Lythina replied. “It’s not very often we get to rule the kingdom, or anything.”

“Precisely. So, how do we practice?” Riley clasped her hands behind her back and started slowly pacing to and fro in front of Lythina. She walked with a deliberate purposefulness, placing her footsteps with guided accuracy. For a moment, she reminded Lythina of a dancer from her home village.

“Because Justice is a spiritual virtue, it begins within your soul. Deep inside, from when we decide to leave our dreams in the morning to why we choose to crush the grass beneath our feet when we walk, we are constantly making tiny unconscious decisions. If we can learn to understand and adjust those decisions at the spiritual level, then our conscious decisions become that much more objective.”

“That sounds a little complicated,” said Lythina as she watched Riley’s graceful steps. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“It’s not any more complicated than the other virtues, and apparently you’ve already got two down. You start with a feeling, like always. When you learn to balance yourself with the Universe, you’ll find that your body will stabilize automatically.”

And when Lythina glanced back at Riley’s feet, she smiled as she saw her friend walking on the air itself. A hands-breadth above the mossy forest floor, she paced as if she was planting her feet on a solid surface.

“It kinda tickles,” Riley remarked when she saw Lythina staring at the gap between her and the ground. “Try it; walk with me and concentrate on feeling your own footsteps being pulled toward the earth. Let the Universe guide you; it’ll tell you where to step.”

So Lythina turned and began matching each of her footsteps with Riley’s. Slowly and peacefully, hands clasped gently behind their backs, they paced back and forth in a straight line. As she emptied her mind, feeling the crisp forest air nourish her lungs, the powerful tranquility of the entire forest seemed to penetrate through Lythina’s flesh to cradle her soul in a web of ethereal energy. She felt like the infinite hands of the Universe itself were embracing her spirit, showing her that she was an equal part in all of creation. An immense love for everything natural overwhelmed her, and she surrendered to the Universe.

She didn’t need to walk anymore because the earth itself was tugging her feet into rock solid steps. For an instant, infinite moment, her mind was the forest, her body was the earth, and her soul was the Heavens. She was love, and love was creation. Every breath, every heartbeat, and every footstep were all given to her with eternal benevolence, granted by perfect charity. And with a pulsating, sparkling joy, Lythina carefully opened her eyes toward Riley.

Staring back at her were the crystal blue eyes of her friend. Even and level with her gaze, Riley smiled a heartening grin. “Sometimes,” she breathed, emanating serenity, “we become so wrapped up within our own bodies that we forget who we really are. And when we practice perfect Justice, our spirits remember who our true Mother is, and who our true Father is.”

Lythina sighed in agreement. “Thank you, God,” she whispered. “Thank you for reminding me.” She spread her toes slightly to feel the airy breeze between them, and she reveled in the subtle tingle from the mist that caressed her feet as she glanced down to watch the mysterious blue light cushion each of her footsteps.

Riley guided Lythina back to re-center herself within her body, showing her how to ease her footsteps back toward the earth. Once they were planted upon the forest floor, Lythina and Riley hugged for a minute.

“That was amazing, Riley, thank you so much,” Lythina said.

“Absolutely no problem, Lythina,” Riley replied. “Ya know, I’m really glad you made it here.” She looked at her feet for a moment, embarrassed about what she wanted to say next. “I know you felt uncomfortable being with us when Radna left, seeing as you’ve only know us for half a day, but I can see why Radna likes you so much.”

Lythina’s surprise at her friend’s words dissolved quickly. “You’re right, I was. But getting to know you better was all that I needed. Thanks for being so understanding.”

“Anytime,” smiled her friend.

Jonas and Emma were chatting excitedly when Lythina and Riley walked up to them.

“Is it finally my turn,” Emma asked with a playful impatience.

“Yes, it is,” Lythina grinned. “I always save the best for last!”

“Oh,” Emma cooed to the others, “did you hear that, guys?” She locked her arm into Lythina’s and guided her into the middle of the clearing. “You know, there is a lot to be said about the other virtues, but I’ve heard that Prudence is known as the leader of them all. Do you know exactly what it is?”

“Exactly?” Lythina asked, although reluctantly because she enjoyed hearing the subtle accent in her friend’s voice.

“Exactly.”

“Hmm, sensible wisdom,” relayed Lythina’s sparkling intuition.

“Spot on,” Emma smiled. “We practice Prudence anytime we synthesize our knowledge and our experience into a physical outcome.” She stopped walking with Lythina once they arrived at the center of the glade and untangled herself from her arms, but stayed close to her side.

“I think I see where this is going,” Lythina confessed. “I should probably start searching my feelings for any memory of myself practicing Prudence in the past, huh?” She turned to look matter-of-factly into Emma chocolaty eyes, and was met with a warm smile.

“Yes. But don’t rush it; intuition always. Stand straight up, feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands to your sides, palms out. That’s right,” Emma confirmed as Lythina moved into position. “Now, find that memory, find your Prudence, and see what happens.”

And, closing her eyes once again, Lythina easily calmed her mind and listened to that subtle gleam inside her soul. But a flash of despair crossed her heart, momentarily distorting her tranquil expression. She wanted to shake it away, she knew what was coming, but she fought the urge and allowed the fragmented memory to surface.

Inside the fog of her mind, the blue flash had just vanished from her foot and she was running past the disabled men, up some stairs, down a hallway toward a shattering scream. Another blue flash and the door to a room sprang open. She soon found herself in midair, saw a blue flash, there was another man, he wouldn’t stop, terror in his eyes...He dropped to the ground pouring blood. He didn’t move again, and she looked up to see one of her handmaidens crouching against a wall, scared, paralyzed...

Lythina snapped back to the glade, tearing her mind away from the wretched memory, only to notice her entire body glowing blue. Her vision was outlined with a blue haze, and she could see the same shade of light illuminating the trees that bordered the glade. She turned toward Emma, whose astounded expression shocked her, holding fast to the feeling of mortal terror from her memory and felt her friend’s essence inside her palms. Willing, asking, pleading with the Universe, she gently began to lift her into the air. She could feel Emma’s heartbeat accelerate, her legs squirming inside her palms as they searched for steady ground. And for one small moment, she held her friend in mid air as she concentrated on the horrible validity of her forgotten past.

Gently easing Emma’s essence back toward the earth, Lythina set her down onto the forest floor and surrendered to her internal fatigue. The sapphire light faded from her body, the forest darkened, and she dropped to her knees in tears.