Posted by AlOmega on July 05, 2004 at 19:01:03:
Sam was up earlier than the two women – his company only that of the insomniac, Tooth. Yet for some strange reason, Sam felt that explanations were in order – to Tooth, that is. Why? Because he was much more than any dog could ever be.
Some things and beings are more intelligent than they appear. So it is with some people. So can it be with other things. Possibly this is why the two women wakened to his morning chants.
“When we awaken, Tooth, we face east toward the dawn for this is our thinking direction. We must think before we do anything. When the sun rises, we look to the south for that is our planning direction. It is the direction to face when we plan on what we are about to do. The Sun sits in the west. That is the direction of our life and where we do our living. Here is where we act out our plans and thoughts of the east and south directions and the place where the Sun sits. It is in the north that the evaluation portion of our lives takes place. This is where we receive satisfaction and where we evaluate the outcome of what we first started in the east. Here is where we determine to change things to make it better. It is also where we see whether or not we are on the right path and should continue the cycle.
“Every day the cycle is repeated. Within each cycle there is a lesson to be learned. During the day when we fall, we stand back up and see what we can do differently the next day. Each dawn is a new start. If you did something in the past that was bad or not-correct, early dawn is when you can start new life once more. There is a new renewal. This is how much Mother Earth and Father Sky loves us. They give us the chance every morning to start our life anew. The Creator answers our prayers in the early morning. That is when we ask for guidance and assistance to aid in whatever we do.
“So this is what we do each day.
“Every day the cycle is repeated. Within each cycle there is a lesson to be learned. During the day when we fall, we stand back up and see what we can do differently the next day. Each dawn is a new start. If you are an alcoholic, if you are a drug abuser, if you did something in the past, early dawn is when you can start a new life again. There is a new renewal. This is how much Mother Earth and Father Sky love us. They give us the chance every morning to start our life new. The Creator answers our prayers in the early morning. We ask for their guidance and assistance to help us with whatever we do.
“And as we have four directions we have four sacred plants that correspond to the sky, the day, and directions. Each plant is shown within a different sky. Corn lies on a bed of dawn – a time of enlightenment. Squash lies on a bed of dusk – a time of reflection and family. Beans lie on a bed of day – the symbolic plant of growth. Tobacco lies within the clouds of night and sleep. Tobacco is used to reach subconsciousness. And water birds serve as protectors above and to ensure moisture for growth. The elongated roots of sacred plants reach beneath each plant to reveal connectedness to the rainbow, Hozho, as well as acting as a reminder to travel in beauty.”
“Do you think that dog understands what you’ve said, Grandfather?”
“Oh Youngling of few years, this creature is more than a dog. Did not you see the change in him when he arrived?” Sam said. “Having eyes, you see not what is before you? In so many ways – not the least being that of youth - you are blind.”
“Aw, Sam,” said Mystique brushing away a yawn with her hand. “Give the girl a break. She’s got a lot to cope with knowing for the first time that she’s a witch and all. Why don’t you make preparations for the sand while I discuss some things with her. Won’t interfere, I promise.”
Sam chuckled. “Right. Need some ocher and magnesium powder. That I’ll get from my own stores, thank you very much.” And with that, Sam went to a shed attached to the trailer. “Wouldn’t do to leave that kind of material around.”
Let’s have some coffee, Naomi. Sam’ll be finished in a few minutes I suspect. We’ll need to watch so’s we can do what he’s gonna do. And while you’re waiting I’ll tell you about Tooth.”
After the two had poured coffee and garnered some of Sam’s cookies to break their fast, they sat around the small, round table.”
“It’s like this, Naomi. Tooth’s more or less a conjuration,” she said tossing a ginger cookie to the German Shepard, “from one of the neither realms. He’s a demon of sorts but not an evil creature that can be forced to serve us. Oh, the catching is similar but the binding is not. That is, he’s bound himself to me by HIS will, not by mine. That makes him safe as far as I’m concerned. To catch a creature like him, you use a five-pointed star with five colored candles at each point. However rather than red or yellow, these candles must be blue or green. I prefer blue as green can garner some of the lesser jinn as well.
“Oh I should explain the jinn. They’re mostly minor demons that have been known to grant a wish or two. I wouldn’t trust one to tie my shoelaces though. Anyway, I can show this to you later. Tooth – like most of the lesser demons – doesn’t like conjuring by the way. It seems to twist their insides out in some manner. You can see them wanting to puke. That’s why I ask Tooth to go elsewhere when I do anything involving pentagrams and the like….. And I can see that Sam’s ready. So shall we?”
Sam had finished with his ‘sorting’ as he called his appeals to the Gods when the two walked up.
“Nice cookies, Sam,” said Mystique.
“Which ones? Not the peanut butter, I hope.”
“Ginger snaps, Sam. Why, something wrong?”
“Ginger’s okay. Peanut butter ones though are laced with my ‘special’ herbs.”
“Oh? Like Mary Whatshername?”
“Yeh. Some smoke the stuff sometimes as a way to backtrack to the Old Ways. Trouble is there ain’t no ‘Old Ways’ any more. We change with the times or don’t. But some of what are called the ‘Old Ways’ are what other peoples have learned and are being expect of us Indians – Navajos in particular.. We keep OUR ways and not some ‘Old Ways’ no one clearly remembers. Besides drugs in any form is not what’s needed to learn that which we already know. Only by using the things we DO know in the ways we’ve always done - and by those of us who know wherein lies meanings behind the words and deeds - will anyone ever learn about our past”
“Uh, I gave one to Tooth, Grandfather.”
“Won’t bother him,” said Mystique with a chuckle. “First of all not much bothers him except pizza. I think he’s got a thing for jalapeños though. Those might affect his outlook on things if he ate enough of them.”
“’Bout ready, Uncle Sam?” chuckled Mystique once more.
“Yes. So gather around. You, Mystique, face south. Naomi, face west. Tooth…”
With almost a wink, Tooth moved to face north and sat as if he knew everything that was about to happen.
“Never taught you much about the Sands did I, Mystique,” he said kneeling toward the east. “We begin by creating the borders, ” Sam said taking sand and starting with the northern face letting just the right amount of pulverized pigment issue from between his curved index fingers and thumb to a neutral base of sand. “The eastern border is always open. That is why sand paintings are called 'iikááh - the place where the gods come and go. The purpose of this sand painting is to permit me to absorb the powers depicted. It is rather like a ritualistic process similar to osmosis in which I and the deities penetrate the ceremonial membrane of the 'iikááh in both directions. While I am creating the painting, I must sing. Naomi will explain what I sing in English for I will be within the boundaries of the sands.”
And so it began.
Yet as the sands flow from his fingers, some other influence became part of the art - or possible more than one influence. Tooth had been aware of it from the beginning. So had Mystique. Sam would have known earlier but his concentration on his art and the magic involved had insulated his mind from anything less powerful than a tornado.
Sam stopped and watched aghast as first one side of the sand was moved and then erased. Then as if in a rush, the entire restrictions of the borders were consumed into the ground below. The colored sands dissipated into the air as if drawn into some whirlwind on a different plane of existence.
The three humans were thrown back as a sudden gust of wind rushed from the vanishing art and dissipated into the skies of morning. Only Tooth was unaffected. Sam was stunned by the reaction.
“Seems like something wicked this way comes,” said Mystique as she shook the sands from her pants and blouse. “I’d say you wakened something that didn’t like us – or our kind anyway.”
“Did you sense it?” Sam queried the two ladies. “It wasn’t anything I’m familiar with or encountered before. Not even when Dream Walking have I felt such a thing as this.”
“It was strong,” added Naomi. She had been as stunned as Sam but for a different reason – a reason she would soon reveal. “I’ve felt something like it before but not here. Hey. It couldn’t be anything bad, could it?”
“Where and when?” asked Mystique and Sam in unison.
“At the University of Arizona, it was. There was lots of stuff from an archeological dig which is still ongoing somewhere north of Mesa, I think. I’d have to ask Marty Two Shoes though. He’s part of the team.”
“Another boyfriend?” said Sam flippantly.
“Sam, this is serious. I’ve smelled this before - though that was a long time ago,” Mystique added. “Back just before the turn of the century – the Twentieth – I was over in France – southern France actually. There were some ancient paintings discovered in some cave. More have been found since but this one was special.”
There was a low growl from Tooth when she said this.
“What is it?” she asked knowing he would tell her in that special language they shared. Tooth raised an eyebrow and sank to the ground.
Mystique thought for a moment and was about to say something more when a fresh, dry breeze blew from the east.
“The gods speak,” said Sam. “They say that something has come that should not be. I believe they’re scared.”
“Anything else, Sam?”
“I caught something about sacred grounds and a disturbance both now and long ago. I believe there was a Kachinas mentioned as well as a Ga’an. Neither is Navajo. I’ve known about the Kachinas for they are spirits first discovered by the Hopi. Most are nature or animal spirits which inhabit and control everything – spirits like rain, wind, and thunder. I don’t know how many there are but I’ve heard that more than two hundred have been named. There are probably many more. It’s the Ga’an that’s got me confused. They’re an unknown spiritual being. The Chiricahua Apache speak of them and those also are many. Mostly they drive away diseases. Sometimes they can be heard beating drums. They dwell inside mountains – that I’m positive about. One of them is called The Grey One. That might be what the gods were speaking about. He appears as a clown but is really the mightiest of them all.”
“Rather like Coyote?”
“Possibly. However, Coyote isn’t likely to be the same as The Grey One though I can’t be sure. I’ve never contacted Coyote directly.”
Tooth whined interrupting the conversation.
“Tooth seems to think we’re on the right track, Sam. Naomi, what do you know about Marty Two Shoes?”
“Not much. He’s mostly Shoshone for one. However I believe someone once said he came from Tuscan which might link him to the Chiricahua. From what I remember, he was called in by the dig director, Geoff Lamons who’s some hotshot archeologist out of Colorado. Apparently Marty knew some things that Lamons wanted explained. But I don’t know what that meant nor what he could explain. We could ask, of course.”
“To be sure, Naomi,” said Sam. I think it would be wise if you ran into town and got some grub for camping out. Everything else will fit into the Land Rover. Do you know if we’ll need horses?”
“To go to the dig? I don’t even know where it is, Grandfather.”
“We’ll have to from what I judge from the signs. The University first, the site next. Oh, and by the way, start calling me Sam. I’ll have to get ‘young’ again for this trip. Visit your mom and tell her I’ve decided to make another Journey. Knowing her, she’ll spread the word and in a day or two relatives will be coming in to scarf what they can from my leavings. Won’t no one come looking for me and anyway, I won’t be ‘here’ in the manner that they would expect.”
As Naomi started the truck to leave, the tires spun once creating a mini-dust storm.
“Do you think this is wise, Sam?”
“Natural is more like it. As an Indian – a Na-tive American in the politically correct world – I can get away with things that you never could. Did you know I’ve got more than two million dollars stashed away in several banks? All under different names, I must admit. But that’s so I’d always have something to start over with if I ever needed it. Some of it’ll go to Naomi though. That’s in my will. And I’m going to give you some also.”
“Why? What would I do with money?”
“Well for one, consider it as salary for teaching Naomi white man magic,” he said with a chuckle.
“You know I know more than that. It’s the learning that forces me to travel so much. That’s why I went to Africa and Asia so many times. Some day I’ll have to tell you about the time I found a dragon – an honest to real, dragon – and before you say anything, the answer is no, she wasn’t a snap dragon. By the way, did you know they could talk?”
And the friends continued the conversation until Naomi returned.
The Ga’an – for that was what it was – listened to the faint beating of its own heart. Others in the mountains heard something else. Again the Ga’an lashed out with its mind. Why had these men, these evil men, interfered? Why had they awakened him?
And that creature! He had never see anything so ugly and with a mind to match. Had that been awakened, too; or did it come from one of the elemental planes? It had wormed its way into his mind and a godling does not permit that. However, in this he had had no choice. None of the others had mentioned such a beast. It had neither name nor sex. It simply WAS. It called itself an illithid – an ugly name for an ugly monstrosity.
Coyote knew many godlings and spirits – both evil and good – roamed the earth or hid in the waters or traveled the underworld of caves and magma. He had been chatting with a nymph from across the waters when he had felt a disturbance in the mountains. The whites and even The People had a name for these wild mountains where life could turn to death in an instance. They were called the Superstition Mountains. Coyote acknowledged that even silly whites knew what to name a place of mystery and danger.
Many times He had observed whites chase the canyons up and down in search for yellow iron – soft yellow iron at that - nothing like the hard silver called mithril which could be used to create an eldritch weapon – a weapon he still longed for. He knew where the yellow iron was in great quantities. However for all the magics the whites brought to bear, they could never wrench it from the bowels of the Great Mother Goddess. He had laughed as another group of whites had journeyed into the endless chasms of the Superstition – not looking for the yellow iron. No, these were different. So he had ignored them to chat with a nymph. Not a good move since he had failed to scrutinize what the group had uncovered. And then they had removed some of the protective devices with which First Man and First Woman who were no more had placed therein. Whatever was there, had been loosed upon the world. And it was a powerful being since it also had trapped The Grey One. Ga’an were not normally trapped.
So when he had felt the Call of The People – from an Old One, he had noted – that he had also imparted what he knew to have happened. The others had surprised him – the-animal-that-was-not more than the others. There was power in those humans as well as within the strange animal that walked with them. Did they know what he was? If not, there might be a danger. But no greater danger would they face than that which had emerged from beyond the Veil.
Weaving was her hobby and her passion, and she took to it whenever the notion struck her. The Illithid saw all of life as a tapestry, and she could spin nearly anything into thread - precious gems, stolen dreams, souls. At the moment she sat before a tapestry that depicted a Navajo village, peopled by slaves that had once served her. The weaving was her finest achievement and Veilrozz gazed at it with satisfaction.
Then, to her astonishment, the Indian figures on the tapestry began to writhe as if in torment.
Veilrozz rose abruptly. This could not be. Not that she was adverse to tormenting the spirits of the Indians entrapped in the tapestry - far from it! What concerned her was that someone had attempted to contact the spirits of the dead slaves. Someone very powerful.
The Illithid had expected one of the local godlings to make such an attempt but it was way too soon. Furthermore this contact was not made by any stupid godling. This was from someone much more powerful. Furthermore she knew it couldn’t be some cleric or magic user because she had never detected magic on this world. Regardless, she would soon have that person’s worthless hide tacked onto her chamber walls - and that before the day was out.
What she didn’t know was that it was going to be a very long day.
Naomi was surprised to see a man nearly her own age when she returned.
“Grandfather?”
“Not any more,” said Sam. “Better get use to calling me Sam.”
Mystique and Sam helped Naomi put the food into the Land Rover. As Naomi was adjusting the baggage, she noticed the three bags that Mystique had brought. Mystique noticed because Tooth whined once.
“Mostly clothes, Naomi,. Clothes that’ll take hard wear. The third bag though contains more candles, colored powders, and chalks. Like Sam’s sands, they’ll be needed. I’ve already cast a spell of my own. In the place-of-shadows were only a few spirit-creatures. It is more difficult for me being away from Water. Although I work with the Elementals, I prefer Fire, Air, and Water over Earth. Sam is attuned to Earth and Air through his colored sands. He also uses special wands - long sticks - imbued with various powders that lock the power of Fire. Thus we both use Fire and Air but only I use Water while he uses Earth. It is the Power of Three that is within every witch. There are more than the Four however. There are also Spirit and Love. You possess those along with Earth.”
“Then what about Tooth?”
“Tooth brings something else. For me he ties together the Elements into one - a focusing influence if you wish.”
Slamming the back shut, Naomi shouted, “Sam! You ready yet?”
“Yes,” he replied walking swiftly to the SUV. “I’ll drive.”
Mystique laughed. “And what happens if we’re stopped. You got a license? One with a decent picture?”
“Okay, you dive, Naomi.”
“What about the truck, Sam?”
“It’s Naomi’s and every one in the family knows it.”
“Okay, everybody. Get aboard,” shouted Naomi with a laugh. “Uh, where’s Tooth?”
Both Sam and Mystique laughed as a black toy poodle jumped into Mystique’s arms.
The trio remained silent for the most part as they drove toward Phoenix, Silent that is until Mystique asked a question.
“Uh, Sam. Why the SUV? I thought you were such an environmentalist.”
Sam turned around so he could face Mystique. He was rather glad that he didn’t have to pull that ’old man’ act. It made his movements easier to explain.
“I thought it was obvious, little lady. As you can see, the Ford is Gold in color - Maya Gold I might add. And if you notice, there’s none of that smelly fuel spewing out the end. I must confess that I’ve made - ah, a few changes in this one. If it wasn’t for the fact that doing so would disclose our small society, I might have presented this to Washington. But from what I understand about the present administration, they prefer to keep the petroleum flowing from near and far.”
“You’ve purchased a hydrogen SUV, Sam? I didn’t think Ford had made any - at least for sale.”
Sam smiled again before he continued. “I made some adjustments. I’ve mixed what fuel there was in the tanks with selected sands from my stash. For as long as I live, we won’t need fuel except for the addition of a mixture of sand and certain additives. There are certain songs that must be sung however. The sands won’t work without the communion with the spirits and my songs to them.” Sam added gazing beyond the horizon and something only he could see.
“Anyway, that “made my SUV the most environmentally correct vehicle in the world, Mystique. Now what was it you REALLY wanted to say?”
“About that sand painting. What was it that blew the sands the way they were blown?”
“I asked - not summoned, you see - asked, something from the spirits of land and sky. It was to them that I sang while creating the 'iikááh. What I said about the Kachinas and Ga’an holds true. But I felt something else - and someone else protected me. That’s what bothers me most. That other seemed to be a creature of myth and legend rather than some spirit or godling that I’m familiar with. And that Protector I’ll be grateful for a long time. That wasn’t you, was it, Mystique?”
“No, Sam. But all three of us will probably find out who it was before long.”
Tooth wiggled and gave forth a tiny bark.
“Not now. When we get there. You’ve been most patient, Little One.”
He pulled back his head and bared more of his teeth before uttering a small growl.
“Okay, okay. I promise you won’t remain ’small’ much longer. But you need to until we leave for that archeological site. I suppose if I acted like I was blind and you were my guide dog…”
Tooth snorted.
“Then it’s settled. You stay small and unobtrusive for a bit until we leave the city.”
The three godlings wondered in the heights above the canyon. One was the Kachinas called Wind Song. He it was that had first felt the strange being and detected its smell. The Grey One had investigated traveling through rock and stone until he saw the newly opened tunnel. Traveling within the rock he had discovered the unexpectedly repulsive, odious creature. Coyote had found the two and listened. Then he had looked and found the creature. And knowing that there had been something that had brought the thing here and trapped it, he looked for both. But only the Wind and Earth could find the time to take his message. He had felt the woman and remembered her calling not so long ago. And he remembered the boy that also called. So he took the part of First Man and First Woman and slipped new thoughts while they traveled the World of Dreams.
But Coyote had encountered another and that ’other’ had seen his machinations which he had thought impossible. This is what he told the others when they had met above the canyon below - the canyon in the Superstitions. And from what he had discovered and what he now told, he realized that like the two, he was afraid. But for him, Coyote, being afraid was so much fun.
AlOmega