Welcome to my seemingly endless journey.
A trip that will take you to places I might have visited many moons ago.
It´s a tale that came back to me when I meditated on one of my past lives. A life I told you about in my unbelievable true story.
As promised in that story I will now share this story with you.
Chapter 74
Honesty told me to say: "No".
Followed by “But, if my suspicions are correct, the sea is not far behind that ridge.”
Reiko looked at me again, “You're sure you don't know anything about this area, never heard of it before? Because yes, from that ridge you can see the sea.”
A warm feeling creeps up from my abdomen. The feeling of being home again after all this time, even though I have never been here before. To see the sea that our forefathers sailed is an honor that has not yet been granted to any of my tribe.
Hope sparkles in my chest; my ancestors have led me back to the place where it all began. A place we had to leave to survive. Now I am led back there, to once again ensure the survival of our tribe.
The fear I felt when I realized what area we had entered disappeared. I feel the strength of their protection and the certainty that we are still on the right track.
Numico has followed our entire story, and I also see a sense of wonder in him about our return to our homeland. “So how did Martuk's ancestors provide protection when they moved here? Surely they must have known something to protect themselves? It wouldn't make sense for them to return again and again."
I continue telling the boy about Martuk. And as I talk, I remember that it was a question I had also asked Martuk so many years ago. But what had been the answer, had there been an answer, or had the old man remained silent?
It doesn't come up; I even see Martuk's eyes in front of me when I ask. The lines and wrinkles contract in a grimace, searching his outdated brain for the answer that must lie somewhere among mountains of dusty information. But the answer does not come.
“Numico, I don't know anymore, I have to admit. But our forefathers led us here, and I believe the answer will be brought to us.”
Still, it keeps bothering me. According to Martuk, it had been a warm air current from the sea that provided this area with moisture and warmth at all times.
The mountain protected her from the deadly salty storms of the sea. In this way, this area could have grown with all its protection into a sultry place, where nature could thrive in all its opulence.
The healers came here and were amazed by its beauty and power. They moved further and further into the wild but soon came face to face with the dangers.
Then what? There was nothing more, but it felt like there was more.
It was getting later, and Cabilah and Retsj, who were driving behind us, joined us. Retsj told what he felt, the enormous power and grandeur of nature filled him. It frightened even him, even though he had once been lord of the forest. Here he felt insignificant but at the same time enveloped in an ecstasy of power.
I told Retsj what I knew, and he could confirm that his feelings had already made this clear to him. This world protected itself and succeeded very well.
Still, she was afraid. It was not clear to him what that fear was, but the plants and animals were all afraid of something that lived here, the giant told me.
What kind of animal could frighten this powerful place? It must be a huge beast with armored skin and strong venom if it wants to survive here, I thought. I drive on thoughtfully, the beast becomes more and more insane in my mind and has grown to gigantic proportions.
Suddenly Retsj stops. It is in the middle of a clearing. In the middle of this spot are beautiful stems full of flowers with enormous white calyxes. They seem to have been shot out of the ground like arrows, and in the entire circumference of the plant, there is no other plant or animal to be found.
It doesn't take long for me to partially understand it. The cups give off a scent, sweet, woeful, and very heavy. It hits my lungs. I feel my stomach start to turn.
The flowers dance before my eyes; the calyxes grow and shrink. Deep in the chalice, I see eyes that stare at me, wink at me, and then open like a mouth to reveal razor-sharp teeth around a bright red tongue.
I shake my head to tear my eyes away from the hypnotic power I think emanates from the flower. My head moves very slowly to the left and to the right. Everything I see seems to slow down, the images merge, blend into each other until a jumble of colors and shapes emerges.
My stomach turns and turns as if I am looking down from a great height. I close my eyes, but even then, I see colors and shapes pushing each other, sometimes recognizable and sometimes completely surreal.
The enormous dragon merges into a stream of lava, which flows through the middle of a human head and ends in a shining sea.
I have to breathe deeply, deeper and deeper.
Slower and slower.
The images start to fade, and for a moment, the dragon is there; she nods, and I know what she means.
I continue to breathe slowly; the deep breaths force my mind to calm. The images disappear, but that overwhelming smell is still there. All-pervading, woeful, and sickeningly sweet.
