Wednesday, October 31, 2007

The Voices

He woke to the sound of voices faraway. Oldish voices chanting in prayer. Minggled with the sound of a baby crying. His instinct to protect snapped him out of his dream. He moved swiftly through the misty jungle towards the babies cries.

The voices became louder. Then suddenly the jungle vanished and he was on a rock . Below him he saw giant lizards swimming in tea . Only the tea changed into mud and then into mush.

What was that in a gong going round in circles? A baby in a gong circled by lizards. Gnashing teeth swimming round and round.

Zaklion leaped from the rock and ran to the baby. Why was he running and not swimming? Is this not water? Why do I run on water? Yet there was not enough ntime to ponder.

He snatched the baby away from the reach of the reptiles. Murder in their eyes. Or was it a form of sacrifice? What do I care? He ran from the lizards . He leaped on the rock. Today we remember him as leaping lizard. Some say he came from adifferent world. Some say he was a God.

No one knew he was a man looking for someone he lost trying to find his freedom. Can you lose something that you always hold inside? He believed he would find her again one day. When he slept he saw her in his dreams. She looked different somehow. She no longer had the skin of a tree. Her body was now silky like his. He was no longer silver or blue. He was finally the same .

The voices called out to him. That child belongs to us!

His instinct told him to regard those voices as the enemy. He would protect the child even though he did not understand who he was.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Dark Angel

The Wood Prince rested in his long boat enjoying the trees of his Woodland Kingdom. Generations of trees planted by generations of Wood Fathers. The water rippled with each stroke of the paddle.

A thin mist hovered around them.

From below a troubling tremor reached the Wood Lady who sat at the other end of the long boat. She kept her eyes still eventhough the words she heard cut into her. " Why have you betrayed me? " She slipped from the boat and vanished into the water. The Wood Prince did not even notice her departure. He remained intoxicated with the beauty of the heavenly trees. He was drunk with the majesty.

Quietly she swam away. She climbed unto the bank and spirited away through the trees. They hid her from the proud prince. They knew her. She played with them. She climbed up her tree friend and called for the Eagle. The Eagle carried her to the Deep.

" Do not try to reach the Deep. It is too far even for one as brave as you." The Eagle told her. I have to. There is no one else who can do this but I. My mother has taught me that even if I have only a cup of water to take on a long journey, I should still go.

" Ah. But this is not about drinking my young one. This is about living. What is the use of giving your life?"

"Let me meet the Deep. Thank you for always being my helper." The Wood Lady replied.

And so the Eagle took her to the Deep. He let her down gently in the dark mass. She swam down, down, eventhough she was not a strong swimmer.

A bracelet of wooden beads she wore shone in the deep. It guide her to the one she was earching for. Then she saw him, floating lifelessly upwards. She swam faster to take him down.

Suddenly around them there were little dancers going round and round them. She held on tight to Zaklion. The little dancers swamped them and swallowed them.

The wooden beads that shone and guided her broke. The beads floated in many directions filling the Deep with a burst of light.

From within the little dancers two lifeless forms floated upwards. The little dancers circled them triumphantly.

The beads also floated upwards with their strings of light.

Deep deep below two spirits moved down. Until a swirling current sucked them. They fell through the watery tomb.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Silver River

Why did they bother to sneek away Zaklion told himself. Zeema could hear them even if they made no sound. He could see them even if they covered themselves. His thoughts were interupted when he noticed that his hand was shimmering. Another hand held his, this time gently. And the two became the same. Two silver forms protecting each other. They became one person. One hiding the other.

There is a way, I will lead you there. Glasios spoke with her eyes. Lead my Wood Lady, Zaklion said in his heart. Yet his expression remained that of the Travellor. The one who leaves. The one who has no time for friendship. The one who was trained for the highest duty to North Blue.

" You are coming, aren't you? " he asked. Now that escape was becoming a reality, he dared to hope that they could trully find a place where he could simply be a man and just be with her.

She could not lie. I am not trained to dive. The Deep will take you to where you want to go. If I go I may not ... she turned away her eyes.

" Then I will stay with you. There is no place I want to go if you do not come, my lady..." Zaklion clutched her hand. He felt that she belonged to him. So what if she was the Wood lady. So what if there was a Wood Prince. He was the Travellor. Surely he could find a journey that would take them to freedom.

In the silence of Silver River, Zeema could not see the two happy warriors as the cherished the moments they had before sunrise.

When Zaklion was asleep, Glasios pierced the sky with her eyes. A silver being swooped down soundlessly. It lifted Zaklion with its tallons. When he could see he was dangling over a dark mass. Then he fell and hit the water.

He heard Galsios guiding him. Dive, dive, you must believe. Dive deeper than you can go. You will find the way. He swam steadily. He felt that Glasios was swimming with him.

Then his lungs began to burn . Still he continued with his steadfast belief. " If this will bring me to you, then I must go on.." Until he no longer felt the burning and he began to breath.

The Deep went into him. And he saw her swimming ahead, turning and smiling in her confident way. He forgot all the pain. He closed his eyes . He began to float upwards.

There was no one with him in the Deep. Too late he realized that he was too far down to rise up again. There was no one swimming ahead of him. " Who are you, Wood lady? Why have you betrayed me? " And he floated upwards. All hope had left him. The Deep overpwered with him.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

THE CHIP

She tightened her grip around his wrist. When she opened her palm a chip was revealed. It seemed to be there and not there.

Zaklion sheilded his face instintively. "Can he see us?" he whispered, looking away.

She closed her fingers again . She did not answer. Her eyes pierced the cloud covered sky. A Silver winged man appeared . He took the chip and vanished into the sky. Zaklion thought he saw a blast of light. Did the chip explode? What special powers did it have? Was it trully gone and he free?

"Glasios, are you sure you want to go with me? What about the Wood Prince? How can you leave him? " Zaklion asked.

" By the time he realizes I am gone I will be too faraway.." she laughed.
She smiled. So certain of what she wanted.

They made their way to the Silver River . There was a way out of North Blue. It was through the Deep. Only a strong diver with a strong focus would find the way. Glasios knew that Zaklion could make it. She was not trained in diving and that was not her way out of North Blue. She would guide him there. He did not know that he had to take the journey alone.

Monday, October 15, 2007

North Blue

" Why not send Masta ? He wants to go...I have been spending my life Travelling. I have want to be home right now. " Zaklion slammed his tight fist on the table.

" Did I say you have a choice? " came the cold cynical reply from Zeema. "You are the Chosen Travellor of North Blue. For this we trained you."

Zeema saw Zaklion looking at Glasios practicing the dance of the Wood Warriors in the garden below. " If you know who you are you would not look at her at this moment. What can you give her? ...You are not of the Wood people. "

" I am not of your people either. That's why you can send me to explore for you. If I do not come back.. Why not send your son?" Zaklion challenged his Mentor.

" If he could do half the things that I have trained you to do... I would be so proud. ...If you do not come back....I would not be able to go on with this task. Only you have been chosen. " Zeema spoke in his fatherly way.

Was it a command or was it an appeal? Zaklion had already made up his mind. Tonight he would meet Glasios. It would not be to say goodbye.