***
Chahzuu stood on a sparse cliff overlooking a broad valley. The great light in the sky was growing dimmer signifying the end of day. He'd been traveling for several hours straight and had only now taken more than a brief rest. His thoughts were beginning to crystallize into what might pass for a plan. The direction he’d chosen to travel had seemed random, but there was something inside, nudging him to come this way. He’d been distracted enough by his thoughts that he hadn’t considered why he’d chosen to follow, and just did. Now as he stood peering over the ledge, he stopped to consider.
Spread out below was a broad valley where he could make out lines on the jungle floor. It was odd in that the lines were symmetrical, not erratic from natural growth. It was a puzzle distracting him from the current problem always in the front of his mind.
He realized his mind needed the rest too. All the way through his traveling his mind had been occupied in formulating his new plan. It was just a shred, even as it was, but it was the only hope he had. And it depended on his knowledge of the records, older even than the prophecies which had brought him this far.
Now he hoped that the basis of those very records could save his people.
Suddenly, a powerful, gusting wind came up from the broad valley and pushed him back a pace from the ledge, breaking his thoughts. Then something happened which he'd never seen before. The high mist overhead was opened for a bare moment from the gusting wind pushing up through, and a single ray of light speared down into the valley marking a spot that blazoned with reflected light as if it were bouncing off a crystal pool of water. It was different, though, in that it scintillated with all the hues of colors he knew, and some he'd never seen before.
Chahzuu’s mouth gaped open. He’d never seen the source of the Great Light before! And he’d never heard of such an experience as he’d just witnessed. He stood for several minutes just trying to make sense of what he’d just seen.
It had only been the briefest of flashes yet the scene had enthralled him, and he continued to stand and stare. Then something ‘clicked’ and his breast warmed. A memory from those old records he'd been trying to recall slid into the forefront of his mind -- a part of his plan!
"When the great light shines, the mask will descend, and all who desire will begin to amend. The colors will flash and the light will display the place where the power of growing does lay."
It was an old rhyme children chanted during harvest. Everyone thought it was just a meaningless dittie that helped pass time. No one ever thought about what it might mean, or that it meant anything at all. Chahzuu was thinking it did mean something.
It was old. Never mentioned in any of the newer records with the prophecies of his race being Pontu’ Gi, but it was mentioned along with several other similar nursery rhymes in the oldest records he'd kept.
Chahzuu had thought it odd at the time. That was the way the older records were. Cryptic in their content, never offering an explanation or even a reasonable organization of their content, just a random snatch of something, then it moved on to something completely unrelated. Or at least that's what they seemed to do. He'd started realizing there was a pattern he was only beginning to unlock. And the flash from the great light overhead was part of it.
Was it a coincidence he was standing on this ledge when the light flashed? He doubted it very much, but what had triggered it? Standing here? Thinking about it while standing here? There must be something. It couldn't have happened by mere chance.
A test then, he thought. Closing his eyes he tried to recall what he'd been thinking of just before the flash.
Yes! He opened his eyes and focused them down into the valley, then focused his thoughts on the old records, particularly the rhyme that'd come to mind just after the flash of light. It was part of the records he'd been pondering over.
Again the gust of wind surged, pushing through the foliage in the valley like a great wave, then rushed up the cliff, again pushing Chahzuu back several steps. Then he watched in awe as the mist overhead parted again from the rush and a narrow beam of light speared down on a distant spot in the valley below that Chahzuu marked well. Again the brilliant scintillation of colors reflected back to fill the entire sky with a rich panorama of dancing colors.
This time he also noticed the crystal in his breast warmed. That must be it! A connection between his thoughts and the crystal.
Chahzuu concentrated on the rest of the rhyme and noticed the crystal in his breast grew even warmer.
"The growing will spread and prosper the field, of all who love right and never do yield. The power is there when it is used with light, for when darkness comes it will power the fight."
It had actions to it where the little ones would always greatly exaggerate the ending, the "fight" part. He remembered doing it when he was young too. Making a big fist and shaking it at the sky then beating it against his chest. It was all nonsense, meaning nothing . . . except now!
His new plan had been simple. When he'd been studying the oldest records, his intuition had told him they must mean something. There were different rhymes the children did during various duties. One during the harvest, another during family time at night, and the last when they were most frightened. It was supposed to calm them in the dark.
Along with these rhymes were mentions of certain "Articles," they were called; "Articles of Power and Light." Chahzuu at first had thought they were writings of some sort, telling of principles as part of the religion of the ancients, but the more his mind had dwelt upon it, Chahzuu felt they spoke of actual things. “Articles” of Power that were actual instruments of some sort that when used, did specific things.
The first one, for instance, Chahzuu had puzzled out was used to help crops grow. But there was something else mentioned in the records. That it enhanced the initial growth -- or the creation of growth -- or the beginning of growth. The power of creation! Could it be that the actual Article was in this place below?
Here was one of the things Chahzuu was looking for! Hopefully Nemesis had not seen the same potential in them as a weapon. Chahzuu had never really thought of the old records other than mere curiosities before he'd run up against Nemesis. It wasn't in the forefront of his mind as were the prophecies of his people and their role for his world.
He'd only been puzzling over these things on the most minimal level when the dreams came -- the dreams of prophecy -- coming every night that had drawn him on this quest. At least he hoped it wasn't prominent enough to have been picked out by Nemesis.
Then another doubt struck him. With what Nemesis did to the crystal, does he still have contact with me? Could he be discerning my thoughts even now?
He forced his mind to go still and tried to discern any other presence, any feeling of any sort.
None.
Still, he couldn't be sure.
Waiting won't stop him if he knows, Chahzuu thought and started working his way down off the ledge towards the center of the valley where the light had flashed. He started wondering about how he’d ended up here as if by random chance. Then he remembered the slight push in his choosing a direction upon leaving the canyon. What was guiding him? Below was one of the keys! One of the keys he hoped would enable him to face Nemesis again and take his people back!