Chapter Two…Misttiuil ('Mystical', Gaelic)
"Philosophy, n. A path of many roads leading from nothing to nowhere."
"Ambrose Pierce""The Devils Dictionary"
Nottingham's dreams usually involved Sara, Irons and mysteries surrounding the Witchblade. However, tonight it seemed as though an invisible force swept him to an unusual locale. He found himself sitting on a beach; next to him sat two brown-robed Asian men. The men were talking to him, or so he thought, except the voice that answered was sensuous and remarkably calm. The head, which he thought at first thought was his, turned and gazed over the ocean. Diving toward the deep blue ocean and swooping upwards were three dragons. Two of the dragons were large, one was milk white with sapphire blue eyes, the other blacker than Irons' heart with ruby eyes, a smaller one that at first appeared to be pink, but changed colors as the sun hit its' scales darted between the two. This can't be real, he thought. He felt the sand, on which he sat, felt the heat of the sun. Something told him that this body, no person, was also sitting and observing the dragons. Realization seeped in slowly; he was in another person's body. He became aware of other creatures nearby, although he could not see them. Suddenly the black dragon broke from the other two and focused on one of the individuals sitting on the beach, diving with supernatural speed, it snatched a brown-robed man and arced back over the ocean. Instantly, the individual he was in jumped up and uttered a command and the milk white dragon glided instantly to the person, who without hesitation leapt atop the dragon and went in pursuit of the Black dragon. He felt exhilaration instead of fear as the white dragon climbed. The person, a woman, gave instructions to the creature that she was riding. The white dragon caught up easily to the black, as they got closer, the woman slowly stood, balancing, then jumped, landing hard onto the black dragon. Her hands found a handhold, reached to the tender hide beneath the scales and seized a trigger point. The black bellowed and dropped the man who was caught easily by the white and redelivered to the beach. Looping and diving, the black dragon did everything possible to throw the woman, instead she grasped harder and applied more pressure to its' tender hide. She shouted out what he believed to be commands. The black dragon took its time but finally landed on the beach. Ian felt the jolt of the landing, but realized there was more to come. The two men had left the beach and peeked through the brush to witness the imminent exchange. He felt his/her body do a handspring flipping over the black dragon's head and caught the eyelid under its bony, protective ridge. The dragon roared in pain and tried unsuccessfully to shake her grip; she/Ian was pitched back and forth like a ragdoll. Despite the fact she was being tossed about, her commands were direct and forceful, yet this was a willful beast. Glimpsing into the dragon's eye, he caught a reflection of the body in which he was trapped. Definitely woman, young and delicate, how could she have the strength to face such an evil force, unarmed, he wondered. If she had noticed him, she did not acknowledge his presence. His pondering had to come later, the woman said something softly to the dragon and the dragon became motionless, with a trace of fear upon his features. The woman's grip was solid and he could tell she had no intention of letting go.
The white and then the pink dragon landed a respectful distance away; knowing their fate would be decided by the battle between the woman and black beast. Suddenly the creature transformed into a human shape, the woman's hand was left holding a fragment of scale. Roaring, the now seven foot man-shaped beast backhanded the woman sending her flying into a sand dune. She/Ian was instantly on her feet, unharmed, and charged the creature. Approaching the beast, Ian observed that the black man-creature before him had scales from his waist down its' legs ending with huge clawed feet. It attempted to swipe at the woman who launched herself at the creature and landed on its chest; her right hand pierced its chest and clutched its heart. Ian was stunned to have the sensation of a living creature's heart pounding in his/her hand. She sat astride the creature. Her left hand grasped its' throat, fastening on the points that rendered the creature helpless. Ian couldn't believe the individual he was occupying had so efficiently defeated the beast; he was even more surprised when she spoke to the beast in English.
"Unfortunately, you are part of a set. Some yin-yang BS, which dictates that in order for me to accept the good and neutral dragons, I have to accept and use you, not the other way around. Now you have a choice, accept me as your master and follow my orders, or I send you back in pieces. The other two would have to accompany you. You can wait a few more centuries to regenerate and maybe Another will accept you." Her voice was low and deadly dangerous. Ian felt her hand squeeze its heart.
The beast's eyes rolled wildly. It complained in another language. It couldn't squirm.
"English, Beast," she commanded, "Do I render you to pieces and 'stamp return to sender'?" Ian was startled by the Power of her voice.
"I," it gasped, "will obey." His ruby eyes focused on the eyes from which Ian peered. "You are the Master."
Ian felt the woman's hand slowly release the beast's heart. Her/his eyes never left the creature's eyes. He could feel the truth behind the beast's words and so could the individual he inhabited. One hand stayed on the dragon's throat and she withdrew her hand completely and laid it palm downward upon the wound. Energy flowed through the woman's body and healed the dragon's wound. The rush swept through Ian leaving him dizzy and invigorated. She removed her hands from the beast and settled back, watching the dragon's surprised reaction.
"You healed me." It spoke in English with apparent awe.
She pulled herself off the dragon and stood. Pointing at the brown-robed men, "they are off limits! In other words, leave them alone, all of you." She looked at the other two dragons, "That includes you, unless they need assistance. Do you understand?" All of the dragons assented. "Go, fly and enjoy the day."
She turned and headed to a small hut. A brown-robed man ran up to her, "Are you hurt?" she asked.
He shook his head. She waved him away, "Not now please," she shook her head, "something is off. I need to be alone." The man bowed and left her. Sam entered the hut and washed her hands in a reddish ceramic handmade basin, dried them on a small worn cloth, then she sat down on her futon. The hut smelled of the sea. Sun and wind filtered through the windows and gaps of the hut. She closed her eyes and took a deep cleansing breath slowly exhaling. Her balance was off, and it took her a moment to discover why.
Sam settled deeply into the futon following the three silvery cords that coalesced around her center chakra. Inwardly, she tilted her head to observe the intruder. Ian realized that he was under scrutiny and looked around to find the origin. He felt as though his eyes had met unusual eyes of the individual he occupied.
"You seem to be a long way from home." The voice he heard was soft and serene. "Is there something you seek?"
He could sense mild amusement from the second question. After what he saw her do to the black dragon, he was not about to tick her off. Ian searched for a proper response, but all he could do is mentally shrug his shoulders.
"Were you asleep, and then found yourself here?" There was no anger, only a sense of concern.
"Yes, I was asleep; at least I think I was." He replied, surprised that he could actually communicate with her. He wondered if this was part of a dream, or was he really communicating telepathically.
"Ah," she said. He could almost feel her smile. "You were dream-walking, although in your case, dream-jumping. Yes, what we are doing is a form of telepathy".
"I don't understand," he felt as though he should be screaming from the insanity of this meeting. "What do you mean by dream-walking, and where is here and why am I here?"
"Are we playing twenty questions?" Her amusement bubbled through him, normally he would feel hostile, but he knew she was not laughing at him. "Very well, dream-walking is similar to daydreaming, but your mind actually moves from locale to locale. It takes a long time to master the task. In your case, you dream-jumped moving from your familiar territories to a distant land. You are in me, land location part of China; I cannot be more specific. If I were to speculate why here, you must be undergoing an unusually stressful time. I predict your next question to be why you are in me."
Ian nodded solemnly, realizing she could understand him without words.
"Well, Power calls to Power; that's why you're here." She had come to learn that Power had in and of itself a set of laws. His presence may seem improper or untimely, but her station in life had changed, so must her acceptance of things metaphysical.
Ian felt her shrug. "What do you mean by 'Power calls to Power'?" He felt her sigh.
"You are a vessel of raw Power; you needed help and answers and your Power sought another Power which had what yours lacked. Think of it as finding the head of," she paused assessing how she was going to present the analogy he would accept and understand, his stance felt like a warriors'. She shook her head, "Were you in the military?"
Ian nodded her calm and accepting demeanor was contagious. He did not feel threatened and she had piqued his curiosity.
"When there is a threat to say, National Security; the President calls upon those who know how to deal with the problems and can offer him suggestions, give him the guidance he requires to make an informed decision. Your "Power" subconsciously brought you to me."
Ian thought about what she told him. "How can I be a vessel of Power? How do you know?" he countered. His mind began to race; curiosity was being replaced with more questions. He closed his eyes and tried to absorb what she had told him. She was being honest, and attempting to make this as simple as possible. Ian thought about the Witchblade and the Lance. If being around magical items for this long hadn't distressed him, and then this was just another day, he reasoned.
"I don't make the rules as to who is a vessel of Power. If you told me ten years ago, I would be one; I'd have laughed in your face. How do I know you are a vessel of Power? Why it's written in little itty-bitty letters on your forehead, just like the warning labels on packs of cigarettes." He realized her last statement was made in jest, she had put just the right amount of inflection in her words so that he would take it as the harmless joke that it was. He wanted to ask about the dragons, especially the black dragon, but he bit his tongue.
"How do I get back?" He tried to keep the apprehension out of his voice. Ian heard her chuckle. It was a warm, comforting sound.
"I know you want to ask about the dragons, or is it just the dragon? And, I can get you back to your body safely. I'll grant you one question about the dragons. Ask."
"The black dragon is evil." He waited and felt her nod. "Can the dragon change its' nature?' he started to trial off, "No, what I mean to ask, does that which is evil remain evil or can it grow and change?"
"Well," if he could have seen her face, he'd see an amused and knowing smile; "You are mixing apples and oranges here". "First, the dragon is a magical manifestation that has no choice in what he is or isn't. You may find it difficult to believe, but evil can be twisted to do that which is good, just as good can be twisted to do evil. The force that keeps the balance is the small dragon. Regarding your question about something or someone, which is evil, growing and changing, can grow and change. Choice and determination are the first steps toward a positive goal." She quietly laughed, "Now I have this overwhelming urge to say, 'do you understand Grasshopper'?"
Ian smiled in spite of himself. "Yes, I understand." He felt her comforting chuckle and actually felt safe for the first time in his life.
"Your lines are becoming weak; I must return you to your body." She knew first timers often tried to overstay and she did not want to risk his life. Her words barely left her lips, and he was solidly back in his body and aware of her presence. Ian wanted to wake and talk but instead he heard her say, "Sleep and be restored."
He didn't want her to leave and tried to fight.
"Shush, we will have a chance to speak. You must rest or I will have difficulty locating you."
"You'll come back?" was all he could ask.
"Yes, soon." Sam helped Ian slip into a deep and restful sleep. Once Ian was swathed in sleep, she identified and tagged his aura. Just as she was about to leave, she detected a strong and repulsive force, which had forcible ties to the man she'd returned. Another set of threads had been bound upon the man's being but they were delicate and held honor, loyalty and love. She tried to follow the black lines but she could not leave the room. Perhaps next time, she thought, I will determine the evil that binds you. With a blink of an eye, she was back in her hut. She stood and stretched thinking of the man she'd left behind. A small assembly of Brothers would have to go with her next time to gain information about the dark Presence. Sam smacked herself on the forehead, she'd forgotten to ask his name let alone get permission to visit him in his dreams. She felt like the proverbial "old dog" having to learn "new tricks", and it was starting to wear on her nerves. "I guess the next trick is astral travel," groaned Sam, as she headed out of the hut to the beach and all her creatures.
***
The Creatures some mythical and some not were enjoying their freedom on the beach. Her bird Artifacts chattered among the trees, except to her the "chattering" itself was each particular Creature's way of speech. You should see what I found, came from both her Kestrel hawk and Raven. A bored reply came from her Owl, unless it's something I can tear to shreds, Don't bother me! I'm dozing. The ingrown forest offered ample shade and diversion. Her Monkey was hanging then swinging from bough to bough, happy to be in it's natural form and not trapped as a tattoo upon her body. Other Masters it had served only allowed it off their body long enough to be a brass statue. His new Master was gracious and kind. She had been working with all her Artifacts, to learn their natures and strengths, but more importantly their trust. Each Artifact knew that they had Chosen wisely. This master had not and they knew she would not misuse them or take them for granted which was something very rare indeed. Bear was rustling in the forests along with his brothers Stag, Fox and Tortoise. Salmon and Lapwing played in the ocean with Horse and Pig chasing the surf back and forth. Snow leopard and Tiger paced the beach and into the undergrowth. They were not about to leave their Master unguarded. The large black Seeli Dog and a Royal Chinese Dog remained constantly by her sides; Sam had to find pieces of driftwood to toss and command the Dogs to fetch or they would have simply remained as the Guardians their 'nature' insisted they be. Another artifact from the Seeli realm was that of a Fae. It was only six inches tall but very powerful with good and also wicked spells. Depending on Its' mood, It would be male and on other days, female. It had never Chosen a Master before, afraid that they would make It abuse Its' powers. The Fae's senses had recognized the compassion in this Woman, to not serve her would be one of the most unspeakable evils, 'to do nothing.' Every now and then she/he darted among the branches, pulling the feathers of the other Artifacts for sport. She/he had not had this freedom for a very long time and, by the description from the Others, Love before, and this made It incredibly happy.
Sam watched the dragons fly in elaborate patterns over the ocean, to her right was one of her most rare and mystical Creatures and she had absolutely no idea why or how it would be important in her life. The Phoenix was beautiful, the colors of orange, red and gold, with feathers that would make the peacock jealous. It watched her with one golden eye, apparently satisfied with its decision; Sam would realize in due time what its' presence meant.
A Knife and Katana lay upon an intricately designed Persian Rug; the jewels in each weapon's handle soaked up the precious rays of sun. She had worked with them earlier in the day, going over her katas and many defensive and offensive moves. Sam was very comfortable handling her newly acquired weapons.
Sam was quite aware of the woven forest that wound around her chest. Oak/Hazel, Ash, Rowan, Willow and Elder trees were intertwined with Ivy and Vine, as well as Holly. These tattoos of Celtic legend, veritable woodland, along with what some children in the States consider a "friendship" bracelet around her waist was in fact a binding, a harnessing of the various Celtic gods' abilities had appeared after her Artifacts had Chosen her. Every moment of each day she was learning the myths and reality about and from her Artifacts.
The Persian style rug developed into an ancient roadmap. Without exception she was discovering more about her Artifacts and possible path her life would be taking. At first the number and types of Artifacts that Chose her was overwhelming. Discovering the Rug gave her clues and a strange sense of magical Power, it also gave her insight as to what each Artifact's purpose and how to harness it. She traced the patterns on the Rug gently with her fingers, memorizing each bump and irregularity. Sighing, she knew it would be time to return to the monastery, she summoned her relics, so that she might gather them with the proper respect onto her person.
Between working with her Creatures, she did not like calling them Artifacts, although they were, she considered each an individual with its own special quality or qualities bound to it. She planned on having an informal Naming ceremony as described by the Rug for each creature, instead of yelling 'Raven'; she planned, at least for him, to be called Edgar, the others would also have an appropriate name.
The Monks at the Cliff Refuge had been speechless when they discovered how many of their mystical relics would be entering the world. Rumor traveled from the Cliff Refuge that there were other Artifacts that wanted to attend Sam. She smiled; she was not concerned hearing about rumors in the monastery, especially about powerful Artifacts. The Brothers of her Refuge were overprotective of her and tried to keep what minute amount of the outside world from reaching and distracting her. She knelt on the Rug, dismissing the idea that other Artifacts would or even could reach her, and spoke the Word that would convert her living creatures into small figurines.
Exquisite gemstones, from amber, jade, pearl and others had been carved with intricate detail, each depicting the creature's living form. Some had been hand sanded into the proper shape while imbuing it with Power. The figures, together, formed an invincible army. Sam shook her head in amazement for a couple of reasons. The first reason was that she had been chosen to receive the Power; secondly she would never have believed so many Artifacts had chosen her, which brought a question, unbidden to mind. What did they know that she didn't?
Sam pushed the question aside and began the process of picking each figure between her forefinger and thumb and watching, still amazed, as they converted into tattoos. Each creature moved across her skin, most found a spot and did not move. The snow leopard, tiger and monkey were exceptions, the snow leopard and tiger paced and the monkey swung from branch to branch in her Celtic wooded forest. She saved the knife and katana for last. The knife molded itself into a tattoo on her left outer shin, the katana she set it between her shoulder blades. The katana also morphed into a tattoo, but unlike the others, it had weight and balanced in a way that she would be able to pull and use it in one fluid movement. Now if I could only do this with my Desert Eagle 44 magnum then I'd be set to take on the world, she thought.