2018 WINTER RELEASE!
Book 2 of the WARRIOR CHILDREN Fantasy series!
Book 2 of the WARRIOR CHILDREN Fantasy series!
To Purchase Book Series: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/vaughnedward
Website: http://www.vaughnedward.com
EXCERPT, Book I, Legendary Three:
MARVELING AT THE
INTRICACIES of his new dwelling, he smelled the damp stench of soil poking
through the rocky floor, as it filled his senses. The light flickered once. It
flickered again. Faintly, he saw the outline of rocks and insects crawling upon
them. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this. How am I even seeing this?
He passed what seemed
to be a faint outline of his right hand through his stomach area, and he
gasped. It slipped through, without touching anything solid. He looked down to
where his body was supposed to be. All he could see was the pulsing violet light
in the center of his chest.
As the hours passed,
the light spread, following small pathways which looked to be veins running in
every direction. If I am seeing this, surely, then my eyes have formed. I smell the
Earth, but my body doesn’t feel solid yet.
Twelve hours passed.
Aware of every detail as it was happening, he heard slight echoes of dripping
water and the bugs which were swarming in every which way. I can now
see, smell and hear. What a grace. He turned his head in the direction of
something scurrying nearby, and he saw a faint outline of a small animal with a
long tail. Goodness. What in the
world is that? I’ve been gone so long. So much evolution has occurred.
After seven more
hours, he felt a small tingle in the middle of his forehead. This lasted for
nearly thirty minutes before it spread throughout his body. First his toes,
then his groin and the bottom of his tailbone, before it traveled up his spine.
Startled at these
sensations, he was forced to emote. Four of my five senses. I won’t
need the fifth for at least a month.
Breathing in and out
slowly, a tear rolled down his cheek, and he whispered to nobody in particular,
“I’m back. It’s been so long. So many incredible moments. So many horrific
events. And… and I… and we can experience it all again. I can’t believe I’m
actually back.”
He continued to
whisper, sending hissing echoes bouncing from wall to wall within the confines
of his cavern. “I… I wonder what it’s like out there now. After all these
years, the evolution of… of everything! Certainly, every detail, every crack
and crevice, and even the animals and the people. Surely, every single atom and
cell on this planet has evolved!”
His whispering
quieted, and he was content to sit in silence, without a care of the world or
his own experience. A full twenty-four hours passed. He remained sitting on the
slab of stone, watching the light emanating from his body, reflecting around
the rock walls.
His eyebrows raised,
and curiosity hit home. Indeed. I wonder what the world is like. With effort and concentration, he focused his
mind as far out as he could imagine, stretching his energy and attention for
miles and miles beyond the walls.
Murmurs of voices,
children laughing and people screaming. Strange sounds he had never before
heard, and wondrous melodies, somebody singing, and a pounding rhythm. The
clanking of metal grinding, barking and conversations. It was electrifying!
Even the wind he
could hear brushing against the leaves of various trees, and the waves of the
water crashing into the rocks. He listened and listened in ecstasy for several
hours, soaking in the sounds and the energies of a world so foreign to him.
He smiled. A small
giggle. After listening some more, he laughed uncontrollably for several
minutes. He was joy incarnate.
Slowly, he tried to
stand, but wobbled a bit and fell down. Pushing his arms against the ground, he
rose up onto his knees and breathed a few moments before crawling toward the
wall. Leaning against the wall, he stood up and walked slowly forward, then
backward.
He walked the entire
span of the room which he occupied in the large underground cavern, following
the lining of the wall. He made a full circle and reached the spot he had first
started walking.
Eyeing the stone he
was previously sitting on, he took one step.
I can do this. I don’t need that
god-damn wall to hold me up. Another
step, and another. Slowly but surely, he reached his destination. When he fell
forward upon the rock, he laughed wildly again.
Halfway through the
second day, he was still sitting in the same spot, unmoved. Breathing, seeing,
smelling, feeling, listening. The smile upon his face never left. Then, from
out of nowhere, he heard a voice as if the person was standing directly in
front of him. Only, the voice came from the very center of his brain.
Low and entrancing,
the voice streamed into his awareness. “You are now acclimated to the vibration
of the Earth realm.”
He was instantly
placed in a trance, but still aware of everything happening. “Father! The Earth
has accepted me well. I breathe. I see. I feel. And this dirt! The dirt is very
pungent. And the sounds of this planet! Everything has changed. It has all
evolved. I can’t believe the world I live in!”
“Son of Time, much
has happened since you last dwelt amidst the shadows of this planet. As time
passes, it is a law willed by the Otherworlds, that all matter must change. As
thoughts change, the atomic nature of all things change, causing bodies to
change. When those thoughts change and the old concepts collapse, structures
change. Buildings, trees, and all races, from the tiniest insects to the
largest animals and humans, change.”
“Yes. I knew this was
the case. Yet, I am still very astounded to find how immense and intense the
change has been from our last footings three millenniums ago. By the way,
Father, you have come with a purpose?”
“As all things
change, so too must your name. The evolution of all things continues, even the
particles encased within the sounds of names. You will need a suitable calling
to fit this new age you are tasked upon, for the title you were given thousands
of years past has not the power to guide you in the modern world.”
“I see. What do you
wish for me to be addressed as?”
“My son.” There was a
grand pause. “Your name, which I wish to bestow upon you, hails from the
resonance of two lines of adornment. It vibrates with wisdom energy from a line
of saints, and it carries the energy of courage and leadership from a lineage
of kings. With this name, I will give thee the power to walk as those who
walked as wise men in a world of chaos, and the magnetism to draw upon the
nobilities of those who were born into status and grandeur.
“Your very being, as
it mortalized into the body which forms, will be granted passage by my will and
presence beyond time and space. That which you will be called, draws from the
power of saints and kings past, and thrives as a living force in the modern
day. From this moment on, you will now be addressed as Edward!”
When spoken, a shaft
of brilliant white beamed through the ceiling of his dwelling and poured into
the top of his crown, enveloping his entire body. Strength flooded his muscles
and bones, and his senses were heightened.
His father added,
“Now that you have been aligned with your new name, you will need an official
last name to be placed on documents as you walk the planet. You shall take one
of my names. You will be known amongst the mortals, as Edward Kronos.
After nearly an hour,
all was quiet, and Edward sat motionless but relaxed. Thank you,
Father.
A few hours passed,
and his silent reverie was broken by yet another voice, which pierced into his
thoughts.
“Can you hear me?”
Edward was instantly
filled with amusement. “I can.”
“So, you’re aware!”
“Yes, very. Father
granted me my new name, Edward Kronos. And you?”
“Yes. Father too came
and went. For this day and age, he willed the son of Arul to be known as Gene.
Gene Arul.”
Edward’s lips creased
upward. He felt the resonation of Gene’s new name. It was powerful and fit for
the contemporary setting. “It’s very strong, very pronounced. Your father makes
no mistakes in the choosing of all things. What of Gaia’s born? Have you
heard?”
“I have,” said Gene.
“He’s resting now. He was in very deep communication with the Earth goddess,
and when he came to, he needed rest. He would have contacted you, but while we
were communicating, he got weak and his voice faded out.”
“His chosen name?”
Like electricity
through wires, Gene sent the thought to Edward. “The goddess herself chose it
for him, imparting him with a sense of adventure and all the gifts that a
goddess would give. Christopher.”
“Christopher? Let me
guess. Christopher Gaia?”
“Exactly!” Gene was
clearly excited.
“Nice. I like it. It
suits him.” Edward paused, letting the new name roll in and out of his
consciousness. “After all this time. We’re back.”
“Yes. We are,” Gene
answered. “As I understand, nearly two thousand miles separate our bodies. I’m
immobilized in the central portion of this land. Where are you?”
“Near the water,
underground. I feel the presence of mountains everywhere, and an immense body
of water is very near. I listened and found that I am somewhere in the west of
this country.”
There was a long gap
of silence. Finally, Edward said, “It’s time, you know. Now that we have full
awareness, and the powers of communication have opened to us, we haven’t a
minute to lose.”
“Yes. I know. Our
Guardian Watchers. It’s time.”
Vaughn Edward is a performing vocalist and instrumentalist, author and photographer. He has trekked over twenty cross-country trips in the States, performed throughout the U.S. and toured the Caribbean. He has authored two books, WARRIOR CHILDREN Fantasy series, and he has sold his photography canvases in various states. (www.vaughnedward.com)
Q&A Performance and Art blog: https://performingartsblogcenter.blogspot.com
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