Lost Soul: Chapter Eight
A boy’s quest to remember his true nature [Fantasy fiction inspired by an ayahuasca journey in Putumayo, Colombia]
They’d been hopping for what seemed like hundreds of Earth hours. Andrea was kneeling over Ivaylo, doing her best to bring him back around. She knew he’d be okay, but to what extent the darkness touched him, she didn’t know. Alexander wedged himself into the pilot’s seat. He looked busy trying to find out where they were headed, but in truth, he couldn’t get the last images of Rorzak out of his mind.
He’d lost great warriors, great souls, great friends in battle before– it never got easier. The boy was slumped on the floor next to his chair, turning the glasses Syril had given him over in his hands. He thought about what Rorzak had told him. What her husband had foreseen, his role in all of this, his courage.
At long last, Ivaylo regained consciousness. His soul wolf licked his face repeatedly, whining with excitement. Exhausted, Andrea collapsed in a heap beside Ivaylo. He reached out and held her hand in his.
“Thank you, Andrea, You truly are the most special soul I’ve ever met.” He said, kissing the back of her delicate hand.
For the first time, Andrea tried to hold back her glow. She was ready to burst with all the colours of the rainbow. Even the boy couldn’t help but feel fuzzy inside. Whatever the feeling was, it felt natural. Not like the worry and panic he’d grown accustomed to in this strange land.
The geometric patterns inside the craft twisted and turned faster and faster. The unorganised mess began to make sense: red pentagons, hexagons, nonagons, all types of “ons” clicked into place as though solving the puzzle of the universe.
“Hold tight. We must be arriving,” said Alexander. He made his way to the door. The last thing he wanted was another skirmish. For his own sake, and his axe. She possesses great power against darkness, but it dwindles quickly, often taking an age to regain her strength. The last time he wielded it was during the epic battle of upside down passage; when the last soul warriors met their fate, and his Axe’s light alone was not enough to save his friends. Their passing has weighed heavy on Alexander’s broad shoulders ever since.
The boy remained seated in silence. Ivaylo and Andrea, on the other hand, did their best to get a glimpse of their next destination. They squeezed themselves between Alexander’s humongous legs (all but blocking the door completely). Despite the feeling of calm inside the craft, outside they could see how fast they were hurtling through the portal. Warped blackness colliding with toxic greens, brilliant blues, and hot pinks.
If the boy had seen their descent, he’d have panicked more than ever. With a sudden flash of white light, they exited the portal into what appeared to be another realm. The sky was a deep sea blue and the surface appeared to be a desert so dry cracks traced through her like a mosaic of cracked glass. After what seemed as though someone had pressed pause on a film, they continued hurtling through the new realm, skidding across the dusty surface below like a stone skimming across a still lake.
A few bumps later, they arrived at an abrupt halt. Sand, dust, steam, and debris engulfed them. Slowly the cloud of dust surrounding the craft settled, revealing the walls to a city. They were as high as skyscrapers and stretched as far as one could see in both directions. The sandstone brickwork looked pristine as if recently been constructed. Whatever designed and built the wall had an eye for craftsmanship and a reason for building such a grand wall.
Ivaylo rushed up to the craft’s window. “Ah ha! She sent us to Soul Station Aureus: The Golden Gateway.” His face beamed with excitement and his soul shone brighter than before, almost blinding the boy.
Alexander fiddled with the door panel with the look of a millennial trying to fix the flush mechanism of a broken toilet. When it wooshed open, he looked more surprised than the others. Of course, he played off as if he knew exactly what he was doing.
“Right, stay close you lot. This could get heated.” Said Alexander.
“Noo these are my good friends!” Said Ivaylo, strutting out of the craft toward the wall. His wolf didn’t have the same confidence but followed him nonetheless.
A white flash smashed into the ground about twenty meters from the craft. It appeared to have been fired from high on the wall. It reminded the boy of a photon torpedo from the old Star Trek series.
“Get back ‘ere ya daft sod!” Screamed Alexander. Ivaylo’s wolf was already dragging him back by the coattails.
Within seconds a holographic figure appeared in front of them. The boy was shocked to see what looked like a stocky panda dressed in royal robes. They were deep red with gold trim around the edges and draped over its shoulders running down to the creature’s ankle. On closer inspection, the panda-like creature was wearing a grand, circular medallion. In the middle, there was a Taurus. The creature began to speak in a high-pitched rather posh tone: “What business does a warrior soul, Atlantean deserter, and…”
He peered down his nose at Ivaylo before continuing.
…soul of human experience have in these parts?” The creature hadn’t clocked the boy. He was still inside the craft’s doorway, blocked from view by Alexander (also doing his best to obstruct the boy from view).
Andrea was ready to tell the creature what she thought about their “deserter” comment, but Ivaylo pulled her back by the hand. “Let it go,” he whispered. She unclenched her fist, releasing the tension in her body.
“It just so happens, we’re on a special mission from the healer” Andrea replied with a wide smile. And with whom do we have the pleasure of speaking?”
The holographic image was clearly beamed in from elsewhere. Now and then the whipped-up sand would interfere with the image.
“Hmm, the Healer did say I should expect some unlikely visitors. Nonetheless, one can never be too careful in these strange times. I’d like to verify your claim with the Healer himself.”
And with that, the holographic image vanished. The companions exchanged worried looks.
“What shall we do about the boy?” Andrea said with a whisper so loud she may as well have screamed it in the direction of the wall.
“Surely if the Healer knows we’re coming this holographic chap will know about the boy,” said Ivaylo.
“I reckon wolf boy is right on this one,” said Alexander. “There’s no way the Healer ain’t mentioned laddy over ‘ere.”
The boy kept himself out of sight. He was still processing the pile of events he’d experienced since opening his eyes to the realm of infinite possibilities. Most of the time he expected to open his eyes again and be back in the reality he vaguely remembered. The reality he’d glimpsed through portals and odd glasses. If there was something he needed to remember, he felt closer than ever.
“I — I want to be seen, the boy said, stepping out from behind Alexander’s brown, weather-worn boots. I’ve done nothing but hide since I’ve been here. Let them see me.”
“Ay laddy,” Said Alexander, rubbing the boy’s head. “That’s the spirit.”
White light grew in the boy’s chest. He appeared bigger than before. Not only in stature but energetically, too.
“Come ‘ere yous lot. Let’s stand in line for this bleedin’ posh panda”. They all laughed and a sense of companionship that had been stirring for some time finally cemented itself.
The projection reappeared. “Aha, I see the fourth unlikely visitor has decided to show himself. And how very unlikely indeed. You and I have matters of the soul to discuss.”
“You are speaking with the Torus Mountain portal keeper. Or Jerimiah Chicken-stock by name”. Ivaylo and Andrea covered their mouths and sniggered.
“You are safe inside our walls. Well, safer than out here anyway. The weather has been changing at an alarming rate recently. Anything could appear. And I mean anything. In fact, we vaporized a gremlin moments before you arrived. Looked like it had spent an eternity on earth shrouded in darkness judging by the gold and jewels it wore. Egh greedy little things.”
The panda raised its eyebrows and peered down its stout snout once again at Ivaylo. He wasn’t dressed extravagantly nor wore any jewellery apart from his beaded necklace.
“Hum. Now then, follow me. We’ll have your vessel transported inside the walls presently.”
The four companions followed Jermimiah who remained motionless, arms folded, hovering along the sand toward the wall like a ghost.
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