Chapter 1
Chapter 1
I am awake, I am not sure where I am but I am awake. That’s good right? Why is it so dark? A stupid question, and not really important. I am cold, and apparently laying on stone. What is that sound? It sounds like the wind. That does not make sense. The last thing I remember is walking from my room to the common area of the monastery. What happened? Why can’t I remember? Ok, open my eyes, look around, assess the situation. No information means no answers. Knowledge, the key to wisdom.
As the monk opens his eyes he can dimly see that he is in a cave, laying on a stone slab near a fire pit. The embers of the last fire still glow. He hears the sound of the ocean surf. He smells the ocean so he has a pretty good idea that he is far away from the monastery which is nestled between the twin peaks of the Guardians. How did he get here?
Why can’t I remember?
She is curled up in an alcove above the altar, watching the monk carefully. Is he the one? Is it time? She looks above her and sees the threads of all of creation heading up to the weaver’s wheel. The great wheel of life, that intertwines all of creation. Each thread, part of the great tapestry that is the world. It was my choice. I chose this strange eyed monk as the tool of universal balance and harmony. Only time will tell if I chose wisely. Time to reveal myself.
“Hello there!”
He turns toward the sound and tries to sit up.
“Stay still, you are not hurt, transport takes a lot out of your species.”
“My species?”
“Where are you” I am a monk of the Order. Show yourself.”
Kyr smiles, “Not yet, soon.”. “You can call me ’The Guide”.
“You think a lot of yourself don’t you.” I am Raneir, Monk of the Balance. There is only ONE guide and no one has seen her for over a thousand years.”
“None the less, you can call me the guide”, she replies. As she smiles down at him, she notes his special eyes. The way they were ever changing. At one moment, they were sky blue. The next, spring green. Chocolate brown, metallic gold, storm-cloud grey, the colors were endless. At least he as the potential.
Kyr, the white wolf, at least she appears as a white wolf, padded into the cave and snuffed at Raneir. He reached down to pat her on the head, You are awake, good and I see you met The Guide.
Wait, you know her? Is she THE GUIDE?, responded Raneir in mind-speak.
You are SO dense for a monk, what’s the difference – she calls herself the Guide, whether she is THE GUIDE of the scriptures or not is unimportant, she wants to be called the Guide, so I call her the Guide.
The guide nods to Kyr and smirks once again at the monk sitting up now on the stone slab. He still has not noticed the glyph in the center of the slab, so disappointing. Maybe he is not the one for this task. Yet, the threads that attach him to Kylarin are strong. These two can truly restore the balance between the worlds.
The Guide reaches to the golden threads that intertwine between Kyr, Kylarin and Ranier, listening to the word pictures that flow through the intertwining threads. She is the facilitator here and yet these two humans have come to the attention of the Guardians, well one in particular, Kyr anyway.
All paths are true paths, all universes touch each other, even the monk is a warrior. Choices, choices, choices, what’s to be done.
“What do you want with me?”, says Ranier.
“This is not the question you should be asking.”
“IS that right, what is the question I should be asking then.” The sarcasm drips off every word Ranier speaks.
You might want to take that down a notch or two, Ranier, she IS powerful, after all she transported you here.
“You are not very observant. Have you not retained any of the scriptures that you profess to follow?” Look around you, - tell me WHERE you are and then we can talk.”
With these words the Guide seems to disappear from the cave.
Ranier looks up, and begins to take in the details of his surroundings. Do you know where we are Kyr?
Kyr does not answer, only lays down with her head on her paws and looks up at Ranier.
“Ok, be that way, I will figure this out on my own.”
That’s the first thing that you said since you woke up that makes any sense.
Kyr, closes her eyes and soon the sounds of sleep reverberate through the cave.
Ranier slides off the stone slab and begins to take in his surroundings. The cave seems to be made of a granite like stone. It is a soft grey in color with streaks of purple running through the stone. The slab he was laying on is made of a green crystal. There is a hole directly above the slab and a shaft of sunlight is illuminating the very center of the slab. The slab itself sits on top of a pedestal. He realizes that it is an altar. There is a glyph that is carved into the center with a golden glow. Wait, he remembers that glyph from somewhere. If only his mind was not so foggy. Think, think, where have I seen that glyph before? It’s important, I just cannot remember.
Kyr, are you awake?
Kyr opens one eye and looks at him, I am now, what is it?
Where does that glyph come from, do you see it?
Of course I see it, and it IS familiar, but, you are the Monk. I am just a wolf.
Kyr closes her eyes and seems to be back asleep as quickly as she opened her eyes.
Hmm, no help from the wolf, some companion. Ok, it will come to me. “I am going to look around Kyr, you can sleep if you want.
He heads outside, and sees that he is on a ledge, looking over an azure sea. The waves are gently lapping the shore and it looks like the cave he is in is just above the high-water mark. The water is so clear, and the sky has a slight pinkish tinge that indicates some strange particles in the atmosphere. The smells of the ocean are salty, with just a hint of spice like ritual cakes from the monastery.
Wait, it is not possible. How could this be? Rohlab is a myth. It does not exist. It is an allegory for the order to help people to understand how their own lives could be in balance with every other person. He turns around and sees other signs from the scriptures. He reaches out and touches the purple veins in the stone and feels the energy of the world pulsing through it. He walks down a small slope to the beach and turns around with a little trepidation and sees exactly where he is.
What he thought was a cave is an opening to a naturally formed castle. Rising above the sea. The castle is made of the same stone as the inside of the cave, grey with purple pulsing veins. It seems almost alive and the castle itself looks like it has been grown directly from the land. He looks closely at the sky above and sees that the sun has a red tinge and as it begins to sink below the horizon he realizes there are three moons in the sky. One Green, one Blue, and one Black. The three sisters of scripture. The bringers of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding! That glyph! I remember now – it is the glyph on the oldest books in the library. The oldest symbol for the realm of Rohlab. IT exists, I am here. No more allegory, a real place. That means that she might actually be THE GUIDE.
His heart begins to race, his breathing becomes erratic and he plops down on the sandy beach.
Ranier, are you ok? Kry has come out of the cave and down the slope to sit down next to him.
This is impossible. I mean, I believed in the Rohlab, but did not really think it existed. Everytime I spoke with the bishops, they all said, Rohlab was an allegory. It was a state of mind to be reached for, not a real place. Ok, maybe I got hit on the head and am dreaming. Yes, that’s it. I am dreaming. Its time to wake up now.
Ranier, really, you have an analytical mind, do you deny the evidence of your own senses? How droll. You sound like some of the people you speak to who come on pilgrimage to the monastery. For 5 years you have been preaching the perfection of Rohlab, and now you sit here and deny it.
It’s a lot to take in, Kyr. I spent all of my youth and all of my adult life talking about this place as a goal for our society and now I find out that it already exists!
Look at the three sisters, which one shines brightest for you?
The green one- Knowledge.
Well, what do your scriptures say to do?
Scripture says when knowledge comes, acknowledge it with gratitude and seek wisdom.
Well, what are you waiting for?
Ranier stands up, raises his left hand palm up to the Green moon while extending his right hand palm down to the land below him. A ray of green light comes down and enfolds his left hand, coursing through his body and out his right hand to the ground. As a monk he completes the motions and brings both hands together palms facing but not quite touching each other, watching the green light come out of both palms and begin swirling in the space between them. He adds his gratitude to this ball of light by twisting his right hand so his fingers are pointing down the extends both hands back toward the green moon palms up after sliding his hands apart.
The green light, now tinged with gold, flows upward back toward the moon. He then draws the Glyph of Gratitude and the Glyph of the Three Sisters with his right index finger and actually sees it form before his eyes as it drifts back into the sky.
He turns toward Kyr sitting besides him and for a moment, sees another shape overlaying the wolf form.
“You are more than a wolf aren’t you.”
“I am what you perceive me to be, a wolf, white with red eyes and ears.” I call myself a wolf so I am a wolf. “
“Right, and you just happen to travel with me to Rohlab.”
“Well, wolves ARE guardians of the path right?” according to your scripture anyway.
“Sigh, ok, well you are a wolf. That means then that SHE is THE GUIDE.”
“I told you she was”
At that moment three rays of light emanating from each of the three sisters, green, blue, and black come down from the three moons, intertwining to create a three strand cord, up from the land comes a golden thread that encircles all three, they begin a spiral dance four becoming one, then back to four, soon they join in the middle spinning like a vortex that gets brighter and brighter, until Ranier has to shield his eyes, as the light dissipates The Guide stand before him.
“Greetings Ranier, welcome to Rohlab. You are here as a function of the balance and harmony of the universe. Many individuals are called to be the fulcrum of that balance. Over the last three thousand years, the great pendulum of existence has swung unceasingly. Each entity within the universe is a part of that which moves it within it’s arc. It is ever changing and unchanging. Never stopping, always moving preserving that balance. “
“I am the Guide, the one who monitors the threads of the great wheel that the weaver weaves. Each thread unique and the same, taunt and loose, strong and weak, lit with the light of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.”
Ranier moves his hands in the sign of the Guide, the two index fingers of his hands crossed in an “X” pointing first up then down.
“I am glad you remember the rituals, but do you feel them in your heart or are you just following the path because it is there?”
Ranier, slightly embarrassed, “ I am unsure now, I always thought or at least I wanted all this to be real, yet somehow logic seemed to indicate that it could not be, I am sorry”
“It is not your apology that I seek, nor to embarrass you. Knowledge is the key to Wisdom which is the key to Understanding.” You have spoken the words, and I see they are in your heart, even if your shadow self denies it.”
“The shadow can be your friend or your enemy. It is always in your control. Your choice is always before you and behind you.”
“You asked me what I want of you. I want nothing from you. What do you seek for yourself? “
Ranier, at a loss for words has no answer.
“Seek Wisdom while you can, remember where you are now.”
The Guide turns from Ranier and walks up a staircase toward the main level of the castle. Kyr follows, leaving Ranier standing alone in the three moon light on the shore. He stands and follows Kyr, up a stone staircase to an entrance in the wall of the castle. He finds himself in a courtyard, surrounded by the soft glow of the three moons. In the center is a fountain, and it is there that he sees a stone replica of the Great Wheel of the Weaver. There is no doubt in his mind now where he has been transported.
