Screaming the pain was so intense that I almost blacked out.
But still I pushed on into that void into an uncertain future in some forgone
land. What I currently sought after no man had laid eyes on. For the land that
I created was one of mystical mystery. Through the rabbit hole I fell, I pushed
forward into the unrelenting darkness. When darkness had fully consumed me, I
saw a light. Faint at first but growing in ever increasing intensity until all
darkness was gone and there before me the land of which I saw in my dreams
started flowing into wonderful clearness. The waters started flowing; the
mountains grew as if they were trees reaching ever higher into the heavens. The
stars glowed bright, the suns and moons rotating as if time itself was on edge
and twirling around as it pleased. Then in sudden wonder life blossomed,
bloomed into amazing colors filling the void now whole. Then like a twig
breaking, I snapped into sync with time and there I stood surrounded by wondrous
mountains, clear streams, tall trees, and cool air.
“Wow.” That was the only word that I could think of for the
spectacular display that I had just witnessed.
“You seem as if you had journeyed far boy.” The voice was
deep and rich. I turned to face a man much taller than I. He was tanned and
dressed in a brown shirt and shorts. Around his neck he wore a curious necklace
that looked as if it was a small glowing blue star.
“Well um, yes I guess you can say that. Though truth be
told, I’m not sure HOW far I have traveled. Where is here exactly?”
“Well my boy, here is Remith. My name is Douglas, Chief Hunter
of the Kar Thalion tribe. And you are?”
“Well I guess you can call me a traveler. My name is
Desmond. I came here through an impossible door.” At the mere mention of my
name Douglas’s demeanor changed. At the mention of door, I thought I saw a tear
in his eye.
“You. We have been waiting for you Desmond. The stories are
true, Bayop will be so happy to meet you. Come follow me we must journey to the
village, Cerediron, Bayop is our elder and prophecies of your coming have been
passed down for generations. Bless Elyon for your coming.” With that he turned
and started bounding down a path. I almost had to run most of the way to catch
up with him so that I wouldn’t become lost. As were going along the path I took
in all of the wildlife around us. It seemed as the people of Kar Thalion must
have lived as one with nature. For there were no scars upon the land, the
waters were unspoiled; the forest seemed to be cared for with no leaves out of
place.
It seemed as though we pushed further and deeper into the
woods, on an ever winding path that became more treacherous as we went. When it
felt as if we had been swallowed by the forest, we burst forth onto a plain
that overlooked a wide canyon with a river running through it. Along the edges
of the canyon built into the walls was row after row of houses. The village was
built vertically one either side of the river with lines and bridges and
platforms and buildings built between.
Built wasn’t much the right word for it, grown is a better
description. The houses and bridges were roots of great trees that were nurtured
to grow to become bridges to grow up and become houses supporting the village
as it reached new heights on the cliffs edges, expanding across the river,
along the river and up always up. It was so beautiful that words can’t even
accurately describe it. He led me along a path that snaked its way up the
cliffs edge. We entered what seemed to be an elevator like contraption that rose
up a few levels. As we went up II was able to see how this great village functioned
as a whole. The village actually overlooked a great expanse of the forest. And
there in the distance I thought I saw a glimmer of light. That could be where I
entered. Then once we reached the top; we exited the elevator and walked along
the root streets crossing a bridge and entered into a big hut that was
suspended over the river and seemed to be the biggest of the huts. This had to
be Bayop’s residence.
Douglas entered through a little opening that must have been
a small porch and then pushed open the great doors of the Hall of Bayop, in the
village of the Kar Thalion tribe, part of the world of Remith.
The next leg of my adventure into the unknown had begun.
