Chapter One: Truths Collide
The Zur lived deep within the chambers. In the inner recesses he was well protected and able to tune into the soul of the planet and its people. His quarters, though dark and sparsely decorated, were warm and comfortable. Anyone who had walked the richly hued sands and shores outside the chambers would find such austere dwellings a bit sobering. Yet it did not effect Pakian in this manner. Perhaps this was because he had given up joys of light from without countless seasons ago.
The colors, sounds, and scents on the surface of Azura were strong and appealing-and quite distracting. The lavish stimuli were too much for his finely tuned senses and interfered with his reception from the Inner Lives. Many sacrifices had been made to achieve his level of perception. Choosing eternal wisdom over aesthetic sensations was a minor one. Although he had given up attachments, he retained the memories of Azura, including his lives and loves within the tribes. He remembered the longings of youth. The giddiness of a first kiss. The tightening of the chest upon losing a loved one. The bittersweet tears at the end of a love affair. The joy found in a child's eyes. He retained all, therefore, he could call upon any of a thousand experiences when necessary. This was the strength of his wisdom. Even though he was no longer a man, he was still capable of conjuring all the memories and feelings necessary to understand what drove each being that came to him for guidance. Most advisors were not able to retain this form of energy when they made the crossing. Pakian was one in a millennium who could.
Once Niehann's eyes adjusted to the blackness, she made out a figure about twenty paces ahead. She knew instantly that it was Pakian. Her heart pounded hard against her chest as she moved toward him. She felt her blood surging through her veins, its thunderous flow reverberated in her ears. Did the room become brighter? Or had her eyes simply adjusted to the darkness? She was now less than ten paces from Pakian. She stopped and bowed. Shy and uncomfortable, she did not know whether she should look directly at him so she stood with her eyes cast down.
"Sit, my child," cooed a soft voice, as if he had read her mind. "You need make no airs for me. I know you. I have been you. We are all each other some time or another, are we not?"
Niehanna glanced up and smiled sheepishly. She was surprised at how small he was. His gray, nondescript face was smiling benignly at her. The face, the face?it looked like everyone and no one. At once it was immensely beautiful yet uncommonly ugly. The eyes were neither blue nor brown nor green nor gold. They were each of these colors, and none, and all! Niehanna's head began to spin. A gentle arm wrapped around her and helped her to a simple three-legged stool.
"There, there child. Do not try to see a familiar face in mine; nor a stranger. Do not expect anything nor nothing. Just be. Just be."
A tremendous gust lifted Neihanna out of the water and slammed her down under. The seas were calm and safe when skies were golden, but turned turbulent and lethal with the sweeps. She had been mediating while floating upon the soothing tangerine waters, just as Pakian had instructed. He had told her that she could reach Mikan through the magic of Golakai. The ancient sea held all the secrets of time and would tell them to any who would truly listen. He told her that she must transfer all the love in her heart for Mikan to her mind. Then she must project her positive thoughts into the waters that flowed beneath the land and eventually through the caverns that nourished the City of Circles. If her promised was still in the city, her message would reach him. Niehanna came up for air as another gust swooped down, causing mighty waves to swell. Realizing she had lost all track of time, she began to swim for shore. The skies were turning deep blue. Fear gripped her as she realized the Eastens were in full force. She was a strong swimmer but felt herself fading. A great impetus from below was overpowering her. It was swirling about and sucking her down.
"Do not panic," commanded a voice.
It seemed to come from the direction of the shore yet also from inside her head.
"Do not panic. If you make it to shore, it is fine. If you cannot, do not fret. All truth swirls through the Golakai eventually."
Who was speaking? Where was the advice coming from? Niehanna did not have time to wonder. A mighty wave the color of deep coral swelled and carried her up into the cobalt sky. Then it arched sharply and hammered her down into swirling, quiet orange.