Chapter 1
The morning was gone beyond recall, and the air whistled a smile into Mani’s face, as he strode along. Eyes sparkling, the mountainous rock looming ahead, he slid his hands into his pockets.
With the whoosh of vehicular traffic playing in the background, he patted his clean-shaven face. He paused at the base of the rock, and lifted his eyes, to take in its space-usurping mass. The well-kept grassed environs supported polished wooden benches on which other nature enthusiasts sat.
Mani stepped to the side of the rock, where he sighted no one. He drew in a deep breath and clasped both hands against his chest. At that moment, Mani felt as if he was sinking into the ground, yet the ground remained solid against his feet. In between two towering trees standing in front of the rock, he glimpsed an opening. His head shot forward, eyes widening.
“Come in. You are welcome.”
Eyelashes fluttering, he glanced about, but discovered no one. He returned to gazing at the beckoning opening.
From drumming his fingers across his chest, to straightening his frame, he ambled towards the opening. He glimpsed the atmosphere throwing off colours that painted the sun across his chest. When he crossed the threshold of the opening, a sky sparkling with colours unknown to him, opened up
Streams of light animating the atmosphere, luminescent mountains gazing in the distance, Mani stood on a grassy plain with slackened jaws. He threw his gaze at the grass that seemed to be communicating with him.
“Everything is alive here.” Mani’s frame stirred to the sound of the words directed at him.
Jacking up his head, arcing to his right, Mani gaped at a being clad in brown tunic with a red sash about the waist. About seven feet tall, the being stood ramrod straight. His eyes, orbs of fire, tunic shimmering, he focused at Mani.
However Mani gaped at the being, he only managed to press both lips together, and then part them again. “Who are you?” Where am I?”
Features unmoving, the being lowered his gaze. “You are in another world different from the one you are familiar with.”
“Why did that door open for me?”
“Your love for nature is what granted you access into our world. The opening of the portal is a natural consequence of that.”
Mani rolled his thumb against his fingers, searching the being’s face. “What are you going to do to me? Are you going to hurt me?”
Features waveless, the being riveted his eyes to Mani. “What do you sense around me?”
“Power.” Mani started his eyes roving up and down the being’s face.
“In your world, you may equate power to oppressing and taking advantage of others. That is not the way things work around here. The question that should be on your lips is why am I here?”
“So, why am I here?” Following on tilting his head to the right, Mani began to run his fingers against his cheeks.
The being stood, composed of pulsing strands of multicoloured light, focusing its fiery eyes at Mani. “You brought yourself here as an emissary or ambassador of your world.”
Up shot Mani’s eyes. “How did I do that?”
“You chose yourself with your abiding love for nature. So, here you are.” The being’s tone left Mani the way it found him.
Up and down went Mani’s eyes, at the being’s face. “What should I call you?”
“I am Zan, guardian of nature.”
From the luminous halo of multicoloured light enfolding the being, to his own that paled in comparison, Mani lifted his head. “So, what next?”
“Your question is in good order. I hope you are ready for the task you are seeking with your question.”
“How do you mean?” Mani’s eyelids tautened.
“With your thoughts and actions, you either seek for light or darkness. Earlier, you were comparing your halo against mine. The energy about you reflects your habitual thought patterns. Love is synonymous with light.”
“You referred to me seeking a task with my question. What exactly do you mean?” Mani’s features stilled.
“Dark thought-forms of unloving thoughts and actions are swirling about your world, dark thought-forms ripe to bring about the disintegration of major sections of your world. When that happens, a lot of people will be caught up in it.” Zan’s eyes burned in balance, offering nothing to any side.
“That would be very sad.” Up went a corner of Mani’s lips.
“It would indeed be beyond sad for many. The pain of disintegration may get many to believe a falsehood, a falsehood that may keep their souls in suspended animation, for eons. To believe that it is all finished, is so powerful that it can keep one down and frozen spiritually.”
“You mean that being caught up in material disintegration can start us believing in that way?”
“Good to know that you are catching on. Stillness is death. Movement is life.”
Mani’s feelings ended in his throwing his palms upwards. “Your face betrays no emotion. It appears in a state of balance always.
“I am an impartial servitor of Light and nature. My emotions do not fluctuate like that of humans.”
Besides furrowing his brow, Mani narrowed his eyes. “Back to the task you were talking about, what is it?”
“The pyramid-shaped crystal of fate was stolen from your planet by Agni, the dark reptilian overlord. This crystal was energised by the love energy of pure-hearted beings who connected telepathically, eons ago. These beings were from every race in your planet. They energised this crystal to help keep your world in balance, to help ensure that love always shines brighter than darkness.
Mani nodded his head. “Their intentions are very noble.”
“The crystal magnetises and intensifies love energy, when it is left on its own. However, since the power of love is neutral, this crystal can also be used negatively if dark intentions are consciously focused through it.”
Eyes riveted to Zan, Mani nodded his head. “So, if this crystal is brought back to our planet, it will help to lift our love energy, and temper destructive earth changes.”
“Even if it does happen, many will not be caught up in the disintegration. Earth changes are necessary for renewal and rebirth.”
Rubbing his chin, Mani fixed his eyes upon Zan. “Do you think I’m capable of accomplishing that task?”
“You will decide the answer to that question. Fix your eyes on me if you wish.”
From lifting his head to training his eyes upon Zan, Mani felt himself lifting off the ground. He floated alongside Zan, through the atmosphere. Though they floated at an incredible speed, no whooshing sound plagued him.
As they landed on the grassy main avenue of a sort of metropolis, luminous green light emanating from the ground enveloped them. Winged, small-bodied feminine beings flying about, beaming at him, small green beings with pointed ears and green eyes, grinning at him, brownish beings with broad noses and far-reaching mouths, squinting at him, Mani started his eyes roving about. Cottages composed of light of different colours, and without windows, adorned both sides of the avenue.
Towards Zan Mani swung. “Is this place inside the rock?”
“It is inside the rock, everywhere, and interprenates your physical world. When you connected with us, you activated your inner vision. That is why you are perceiving our reality.”
All round the cottages blooming flowers painting everywhere with light, dancing like little living beings. They aimed at Mani and he leaned towards some.
“The flowers seem to be communicating their energy to me, and it’s wonderful.” He arced to Zan.
“Yes, everything is alive here.”
“And the colours, they are like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“I’ll show you to your cottage.” Zan strode forward.
On Mani’s face, rose a grin directed at one of the brownish beings. Mani ambled after Zan.
Zan paused in front of a nearby cottage throwing off rays of golden light, and turned to Mani. “This is your quarters.”
In through the open window peered Mani. Brow furrowing, he circled to Zan. “There’s nothing inside.”
Zan’s fiery eyes fixed upon him. “In this realm, thought and deed are one. So, use your thoughts to furnish it as you wish. Think up whatever you want.”
The twinkle in Mani’s eyes flattered him into rubbing both hands together. “That’s interesting.” Eyes circling back and forth, he appraised the cottage pulling him with its energy. Head arcing towards Zan’s direction, eyes widening, he realised that Zan was no longer there.
Ambling into the cottage, Mani glanced upwards through the transparent roof, at the sky blazing out colours that soothed him. His opening his eyes to the skies, featured as a formulae for soaking in its warmth. From pulling his eyes away, he focused at a corner of the room, and closed his eyes. In his mind, he pictured a warm cozy bed, and then opened his eyes. He creased his brow when nothing materialised.
Mani, on the firm floor of the cottage, at neither morning or noon, under the comforting warmth of the blazing sky, closed his eyes again. This time, he held the picture of the bed, in his mind, for an extended period, and then opened his eyes. Around his eyes crinkles heightened to the reality of a welcoming bed occupying a corner of the room. Forward to the bed, he stretched himself on it.
Inside his mind, forest of thoughts bloomed. Jacking up his eyelids, jerking up on the bed, he peered into a dark zigzagging entity draining energy away from him. “Get away from me.” His screams elicited laughter from outside.
Away from the bed to the outside he shot. When he glanced backwards, he saw, hot on his heels, the dark entity.
