The Kingdom Of Zen * Chapter One

Finally at school, she heard her friends calling to her.

"Em!"

"Hey Em! Over here!" her friends, Loni and Seth waved her over from the big oak in front of the campus. Loni was her grade school best friend but Seth moved to Redding only a couple of years back but they all felt as though they knew each other since infancy. Loni had short blonde hair with soft freckles and blue eyes. She had a small figure and dressed with all the latest styles. She had the girly voice and walked as though she were a ballerina, perfectly balanced in her stride. Her personality was a soft elegance. Though she had the all American beauty, she was oblivious to all the flirting guys around her.

Seth was a musician and dreamed of being the next new age Bob Dylan. He was often in the shade playing his guitar or harmonica. Most kids would make fun of these types but Seth was truly talented and attracted several audiences. He had dark shoulder length hair with brown eyes and dressed in between an 80's rocker and conservative type, he wore holy jeans and studded belt with a button shirt. He was grounded; not real fascinated with fairytales or likewise. He enjoyed being in nature, everyone who met him thought he was born before his time.

Emily was certainly entertained by her friends and thought fondly of both of them. She was the balance between the two, with Loni's air headed, fun and wispy personality and Seth's hippy-like, fun loving, anything goes attitude; she was a perfect blend of creativity, dreamy and daring personality living on the edge of disaster most of the time. Emily wore her hair in a ponytail and often under a ball cap. She wore little makeup and her style was one of earth tones, faded jeans and tennis shoes.

"Hey guys!" Emily said.

"So, are ya goin this weekend?" Seth asked.

'I dunno Seth." She replied.

"Aw, E-e-em! C'mon, we've been planning this for years." Loni pleaded.

"Man, Em, the mountain's gonna be way awesome." Seth added.

Emily just looked off and starred quietly.

"What's wrong?" Loni asked.

With lot's of hesitation, she replied, "You guys wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Seth and Loni both egged her on to tell.

"Well, this morning I woke up from a wild dream…."

"Uh huh?" Seth said.

"No……….you don't understand, I have been reading this book on astral projection…………"

"What!? Are you crazy Em?! I heard that you could lose your soul if you can't get back." Loni said.

"No, no, no" shaking her head, "you can't….. but wait! I did it! I actually did it!"

"Oh my god! Em are you sure?" Seth asked.

"Well, listen, I went to the other side, some other dimension or something, there were mermaids and a floating lake, trees with faces and angel's wings for branches……….."

They both interrupted in amazement.

…"but then………… it got scary. I woke up and when I was brushing my hair, the mermaid I saw appeared in the mirror this morning. She said weird stuff to me……….and then a fairy or something in the old magnolia at the stop sign when I was driving."

"Ok, Em, that's a bit unbelievable, maybe you were still tired, or your mind was playing tricks on you or something." Seth said.

'yeah, maybe." She replied.

Knowing they didn't believe her, she quit talking about it, about then the bell rang. They were off to class. "Hey, see ya at lunch." Loni said.

Emily was most unsettled. She knew she didn't imagine it. She was afraid and intrigued all at the same time. "What if it were true? What if the mermaid was right? Did I screw something up?" She wondered most of the day.

After school was over, Emily went home and climbed in her bed. No one was home yet so she tried to project again. She knew it was real and wanted to know more. She positioned herself with her head directed north where the most energy would enhance her projection.

Breathing; slower and slower in through the nose, counting 1, 2, 3, and 4 out slowly; Again and again; until the vibes began. The vibrations started to probe her senses. Feeling herself near sleep, she focused more so she wouldn't fall asleep. Finally, she rolled out of her body and looked up. She was propelled with the same experience as before. This time, she knew what to expect.

When she landed on her feet, she looked at the floating lake waiting for the mermaid to return. Nothing happened. She observed the other mermaids, waiting to see the one who visited her She felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, it was her.

This time, she had long beautiful legs under a flowing gown almost transparent. She stood hovering. Emily turned to face her.

"Why have you come? Do you not know the damage you have created?"

"What do you mean?" Emily replied curiously.

"Your presence here has shifted our balance. Your world is in an ever lasting war. Things must be what they are. We cannot have good without evil. We are the core of which balances the universe. All of its chaos and goodness comes from here, influencing you humans. Now that you have come, our world is now shifted to an evil unspeakable. Your world will suffer greatly unless you restore us as before, as it should be, as it is meant to be."

"What do I do?"

"You must return with elemental personalities. Destiny has brought you and your friends together. Do you not ponder the intense connection between you? You're friends, Loni is Air, Seth is Earth and your brother is Water. The prophecy is truth. You see, there are forces at large now, even more than we can handle."

She then leaned in and whispered, "Lord Dhonn has wakened. He is the three mouthed, three headed, and six eyed, who has a thousand senses, that demon, baleful to the world, the strongest Drug that Angra Mainyu created against the material world, to destroy the world of the good principle, he is preparing for what is to pass. He will not give up. He is a fallen angel and will not meet his fate without multitudes of enemy souls."

"Who is he?" Emily asked.

"He is the twin brother of Ahura Mazda. They were twins, but Angra chose to be evil and Ahura for the causes of good. They are in constant battle and until now, they have been balanced with equality; each of them conquering the souls of the heavens and the other, Hades. Angra created Lord Dhonn to serve him and swallow up humans with the powers of his legion. Now, he knows time has shifted. It was written long ago a prophecy from Lady Lilith, a demon once human and married to Adam and was cast out from Eden because of her rebellion. The prophesy is…………"

Just then, they heard a shuffle in the Forest of Angels . The mermaid quickly took Emily's arm gliding her to a covered moss under one of the angelic trees.

"Shhhh." She whispered.

They looked around with eyes wide open. Emily looked over at the mermaid taken by her beauty. Her eyes, which were once emerald; turned to gold as she studied the lay of the land. She then focused in front of her.

She moved the pearl moss aside and gazed ahead. The horizon was fogged with rainbows seduced by the crests of dark green peaks. Rivers of light flowed beyond the eye can see. Angels and great birds with human faces swarmed in the air. Soon, the evil presence was gone.

"You must go."

"Wait, I don't even know your name." Emily demanded.

The mermaid looked deep in her eyes and said, "I am Alethea, it means truth. You have to gather them and return. You need to go now."

"But, I'm not ready I have so many more questions. Why the elements?"

Alethea hestitaed………….

"Lord Malkuth." With a great pause, she said, "He is the sphere of the Earth and now losing his powers over Hades. He needs human relation to join with him now." She then waved her arms above Emily's head and suddenly, she was back in her body in her bedroom.

Later that night after dinner Emily walked out to the back porch to star gaze. Her brother was sitting on the diving board doing the same thing. The evening was pleasantly cool with occasional warm breezes. The sounds of crickets danced in the air as she walked through the dewy grass toward her brother.

"Hey Em." Jade welcomed.

"Hey." After a few moments, while looking up at the Milky Way, "Do ya ever wonder if we're alone?"

"Sometimes." He replied.

A moment of silence swept over them. Their thoughts were of cosmos and all the what if's questions. Soon, the singing crickets faded as they become one with their moment.

"Hey Jade?………..do you believe in other dimensions?"

"Why all the questions Em? Did somethin` happen?" He inquired.

"Well, yeah sorta. I mean……….." she hesitated.

"Geeze! Just spit it out." He interrupted in a fun but curious way.

"I been doing astral projection and I went to another dimension that is real Jade, it's real."

"Really? Like you left your body?" He asked.

"Yeah. Twice now."

"Aw Em! You gotta teach me." He demanded quietly.

"Really? You're not gonna goof on me about it? No snide ass remarks?" She teased.

She explained everything to Jade while he listened intently. She explained that the camping trip would be an opportune time to bring the others in. He interrupted, "Man! This is like in the movies! We're actually going to take off on some journey or something."

"Yeah but, Jade, you can't tell anyone. I mean it, you……….."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I get it. Dude, no one would believe us anyway. Mom and dad would start looking for our crack pipes or LSD or something." He said sarcastically but with a high degree of truth.

"Ok…..so, this weekend, you have to go with us. But…there's something else." She said.

"What?"

"You can't project until we have all the elements and it took me months to learn. I don't know how this is gonna work." She explained.

"Well….maybe she'll come back and you can ask her." He said.

"Maybe…whatever, It'll work out." She replied.

After a while, they finally went inside. Their mom was sleeping in her recliner as she did nightly and their dad watching the evening news. They made their way to their bedrooms after saying good night. Emily was feeling a little apprehensive about everything happening to her. She climbed in bed and let out a big sigh after a long deep breath. She began looking around her room at all the trinkets and shadows. Falling fast asleep, she was startled after hearing taps at the window. It was like someone throwing pebbles just as Seth when he couldn't sleep.

She got out of bed and made her way to the window. She looked down at the street at a bare dimly lit cul-de-sac. Then, a shadow raced across the lawn and hid behind the tall weeping willow in the front yard. Thinking it might be Alethea, she made her way downstairs and quietly out the front door.

Feeling her way through the branches, she started to whisper for her. She circled the inner part of the tree. She stopped feeling an overwhelming sense of someone starring at her. Then, she heard a faint voice.

"Survana…….Suuurvaaana."

She looked up and to her surprise, was the creature starring at her. It started down the tree trunk towards her. He wore a dingy hat and dark clothing. He almost resembled a leprechaun. She tried to flee but was frozen with fear. He was fixed in her eyes as he got closer. She couldn't brake away. It had a hold on her. Soon, they were face to face. He started to inhale her breath. Suddenly, Alethea appeared in a bright glow of light. "To Alondrea!" She commanded. The creature vanished and the hold was lifted. Emily fell to the ground in exhaustion.

"You will be safe now. The dark energies from the Kingdom are starting to manifest in this world…… It has begun." Alethea said.

"What has begun? What the hell was that and what is Suvana?"

"A Dryad. They won't really harm you but they love to frighten people. Suvana is your name in our World," She replied, "If the Dryad's are coming through, it won't be long before the rest come. Your time shall pass as if it never existed unless the Elements join."

"How am I supposed to get my friends to believe any of this?" She asked.

"Your trip to The Sleeping Giant will be the gateway. They will believe when they see."

"Sleeping Giant?"

"Yes, you call it Mt. Shasta . That is the gateway to our world but is heavily guarded by the Lumerian's. Thousands of years ago before the Mayan calendar, they hid their great city of Talon under the Sleeping Giant, so your race would not destroy what they have discovered."

"Talon? You mean that myth about Mount Shasta havin some underground city and glowing people?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. This world has thousands of myths and legends that are real, but your kind do not believe such things. Therefore it does not exist in your world."

"What did they discover?" She pried.

"I cannot tell. It is forbidden. You must make your way up the mountain on the east side. There will be a cave, go inside and walk to the end. There will be a guide there to help the elements through. I will meet you in the city."

"Do you realize how big that mountain is? Where do I start?"

"Follow the inside. I must go, I'm losing energy."

"But wait………….."

She then disappeared.

6 o'clock, Saturday morning, the weather was as perfect as early summer gets. Seth was eating blackberry scones and sweet sausage with Emily's parents. Emily and Jade were busy getting ready when Loni arrived.

"Hey Loni………..come on in have some breakfast, Em and Jade aren't ready yet." Wayne said as he started serving a plate as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Wayne ! Hey, Ann! Sure, that smells good." Loni replied with high spirits.

"You guys be real careful up there. We don't need to hear about missing teens on Mount Shasta on the evening news ok? People go missing up there all the time," Said Ann as she poured herself another cup of coffee.

"Oh don't worry, we have everything we need, we'll be fine," said Seth nodding his head.

A little while later Emily and Jade came down carrying their backpacks. "Hey! Let's go guys!" Emily yelled as she headed for the front door with her brother close behind.

"Wait a minute you two! Come in here," demanded their dad.

They did a bout face and did as they were told. "Yes?" they both said.

"You're not just gonna run out of here without saying goodbye or anything."

"Sorry dad, just want to get going, it's getting late," Emily replied. She walked over and kissed her parents and formally said goodbye and reassured them of their known safety skills and wilderness knowledge they acquired from the lifetime of camping adventures as a family.

They all packed into Emily's car and were off. As they drove north on Interstate 5 enjoying the sights of Shasta to their right, the mountain glistened as the new day welcomed the sun. Seth played Tom Petty on his harmonica while everyone sang along. Soon, they were at Bunny Flat where everyone prepared for the hike.

They ascended up the trail all seemingly happy, all but Emily, she was consumed with thoughts of Alethea and how she's going to get inside the mountain with her friends. Jade was excited with anticipation but was unaware of the Dryad and the dangers they were about to face.

"We gotta get to Shastarama Point today so can set up camp," Seth said as he panted.

"Man, this is the best graduation weekend!" Loni Exclaimed.

Emily observed the Digger Pines and Manzanita slowly disappear as the ascended further. The sharp rigid rocks crackled as they walked on them with the weight of their packs. 3 hours into their hike they came to Shastarama Point, a large block of basalt and ash still semi covered with snow. They began to tare off their packs and dig a snowcamp. Wayne taught them all the skills they needed for this trip as it was planned years before as a symbol of adulthood. Little did they know they wouldn't make it to the summit and Emily was thinking all day on how tell her friends about what they needed to do.

Later that night as they sat around the fire drinking hot tea, Jade said, "Em, when are ya gonna tell em?"

They both looked at her and asked what he was talking about. Emily looked up at the smoke as it swallowed the air around them. The icy breezes were refreshing against the warm fire with the smell and crackles of Manzanita surrounding them. She then focused at their attenetion and began telling everything that happened to her during the last week.

Being taken back by the story, they didn't know what to make of it even with her strong conviction, at one point bringing her to tears. She explained that they needed to head east in the morning for unknown reasons and they would find a cave with a Lemurian inside waiting to guide them into the huge volcano to the Great City of Talon.

"So, why wouldn't we just do an astral projection like you did?" Loni asked.

"I don't know, the entrance is through the mountain. I guess it's because we need our physical bodies." Emily contemplated.

Silence swept them as their thoughts ran wild about all they heard. Eventually they made their way to their tents and went to sleep.

The morning sun warmed their faces as they cleaned camp. None of them said much while putting on their packs. They followed Emily as she headed down a long slope. Seth had his doubts about the story but was happy to be there either way, Loni got caught up in the romance of it and Jade just wanted to see things out of this world. Emily grew nervous.

They pushed forward looking for caves on the mountain and crevices. "Let's have lunch guys," Said Emily.

While eating their trail mix and beef jerky Seth broke the silence, "We've been hiking for 4 hours Em, we haven't seen any signs of a cave for miles."

"Yeah, I know." Em replied discouraged. Just then, Jade came back from relieving himself and excitedly announced, "Hey, check it out! There's an opening right over there!"

They all got up and hurried over. "Where?" Em asked.

"There……..right under that rock against the slope," as he pointed across a snowy plane about 10 yards ahead. They finally grew excited and hurried back to put on their gear.

The closer they got, Seth started to believe. Finally reaching the entrance to a cave situated just beyond a sharp crack in the side of the mountain, they stood there for a moment contiplating their walk inside. "Well, c'mon! Jade demanded. They started inward. The light began to dissipate and darkness soon forced them to use a flashlights. The walls were razor sharp, the ground laid over with slate rock and basalt. It was extremely cold and the air was thin. After about 15 minutes, they came to a dead end.

"I told you, I don't know" Emily responded with irritation.

They found random rocks to sit on and sat quietly waiting for the Lemurian. Nothing happened for several minutes until Loni suggested they turn off their flashlights.

As they sat in pitch black, a soft glowing light began to appear in front of them. Their hearts began to beat rapidly while their breathing increased. The light grew larger until a figure started to take form. The light was warm to their skin and an aroma they never smelled before filled the air. It was sweet and pleasant almost like apples and roses with a hint of cedar. This enchanting being resembled a very tall human as it soon stood in the middle of them. The light was gone but somehow, something from within the Lumerian lit the cave. He had long gold hair and wore a crown of rubies. His robe laced with gold shimmering cloth complimented his clear blue eyes and flawless light bronze skin.

"I can't believe this is happening," Seth shook. Loni sat there starring in amazement while Jade and Emily dropped their mouths.

"Do not be afraid Elements. I am Kael, Alethea has told me what happened. The prophecy will be fulfilled. You need to fall away from your fear or you will not be permitted to enter the city," he said with a friendly and welcoming tone. I have brought you these gems to wear around your neck. He passed them one by one. "Ruby for fire," he handed it to Em, "Emerald for Earth," to Seth, "Diamond for Air," to Loni and "Safire for Water," to Jade. It is time. Leave your belongings. We must join together." He extended his arms. They shed their heavy backpacks and took hands. Lights began to flicker and the ground slowly spiraled, opening beneath them. "Do not fear Elements." Kael whispered as they began their journey.