Dancing on the Winds

Kayla’s Perspective:

“I wonder what she’ll be teaching us?” A voice drifts by me, follow by a large rougher voice from an old friend.

“She’ll teach you something about yourself, likely, she’s always been like that.” I hear him struggling as I’m meditating and my omnipresence sight shows a group of a dozen or more, children as they’re all congregated together children flying in simple colorful tunics with butterfly wings upon their backs flapping as they ascend the root ball to where my home rest, above the sprawling length of the fallen tree roots.

My old friend, Garp, a giant having no flight capabilities has to scale the wall, and while there are paths here, he’s making it more difficult on himself by following the group. “He’s so foolish.” I whisper to myself, but...

“I can hear you!” Garp’s loud voice echos as my cover is blown and I open my eyes, just as the first few children are arriving. Touching down before me while Garp’s large head of blazing red hair tide neatly into a tail, and blueish skin rest his six fingered hand on the flatten ground that I reside on. He stands above the children, many head taller then them.

“How did she hear him?” A boy asks.

“Or how did he hear her?” A girl answers.

I remain opposite of them, closer to the other edge of the root ball that overlooks the great fallen tree’s original standing location as I feel Garp’s heavy steps as the children also gather around me.

Smiling as I turn to them, I can read their minds, and respond in turn. “Telepathy.” I answer for the children’s questioning minds of varying maturity, most are closer to adults, yet not fully developed. “Telepathy comes to everyone differently, and when it’s right for them.”

Garp approaches me with a finger out, offering me to shake it. “Good to see you again, “Natalie.”

“I’m Priestess Kalya now,” I answer him, slightly annoyed by the mentioning of a past life name of mine that he knows me by. I rest a hand on his finger and follow his strength as he bobs his hand slightly.

His upper body covered in slightly darker tattoos of lines, and wearing heavy hides for pants, he squats down before letting himself fall onto his butt, causing those that have gathered around to stumble and laugh.

“Apologize.” He answers. I stare up at him for awhile, his goatee having filled in over his entire face from our previous encounter, now he sports a thick beard that connects with his hair, and the balding spot atop his brow.

“It’s alright,” I kid with him. “Now children, I am just finishing some cleansing of the lands.” I address them, twenty-six in all, more girls then boys here. In particular I spy Suzume, a thin black hair girl with amber eyes, though all within the tribe has the same features, it’s only I and Shaman Lou, who are different skin color being pale pink instead. She’ll be participating in a Fall soon, and I’ve been readying the lands for that event. They’ve all gone still, sitting along side Garp as I cast my sight back over the cliff side.

“Suzume’s Fall is right around the corner, so please allow me a few extra moments to finish before I start our lesson.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Priestess,” She answers me, while closer to a child then her peers, her lovely expression makes me smile, we’re all loved.

“That’s fantastic to hear,” I respond as there is chatter among the children as they fidget from where they sit, the leveled lands that resides above their own, and overlooking the Pit, far below us and the entanglement of roots that cascade all the way down until reconnecting with Mother Tara below.

Stepping out to the edge of a sheer cliff, rather the base of a huge tree which fell long ago, it’s roots like trees themselves. They tower over me from where I stand, I overlook the vast wilderness of many species of jungle trees which rejoice, shaking greatly with the abundance of winds, yet not directly influenced. Their leaves rustling loudly with my return to my soul’s tribe that I have spent many lifetimes with, and that I am a part of whether I am away or not.

There are many stony spires with leafy foliage that jet out of the ground and dwarf the forest that surround our home and I smile at the though, of what happened to cause the Tree to fall, but that’s another story for when I’m not about to give a lesson to the children.

All mature enough to have partaken in the Fall, their next leg of their spiritual journey is for me to make sure that they are where they belong. Are they with the correct teacher, that being myself, or do they need to be with another Kayla from the alternate fractals of reality? I’m sure all of my selves are preparing in the same way, that is the pattern.

My arms relaxed, I allow them to be whisked away by the gently moving winds around me as I begin to dance with them, swaying and bending with their graceful flow, enjoying myself with a smile of gratitude for my abundance here surfaces and the children fall silent, watching me.

I ask the winds to become visible, the spirits of nothingness to dance with me as the rainbow colors that they are to me, show themselves to the witnessing eyes of those youngsters around me. Leaves, petals and twigs fly up from the abundance of underbrush on the ground around the forest as the continuing cycle of life turns and makes the winds visible—seeing them as I do requires far more experience in things that most of them aren’t ready for, nor would be willing to take on as youngsters.

The winds form shapes of animals that graze, the leaves that have fallen due to age and rebirth flowing along the currents and the birds chirp lively as smaller ones are caught in the current of winds and enjoy themselves as I dance with them. Spinning upon my heel with a soothing melody on my mind which soon seeps though my closed lips as I begin to hum.

The children awing expressions at the magic of our plane as I rise with the breeze as the wind catches my light body, as my eyes are cast beyond the kids, down the trunk of this grand giant, a living tree which our tribe calls home. Covered in moss now, the ground so soft to step upon and always sends shivers down my spine when I do so, I see some of the villagers going about their business, both upon the ground, and in the skies as many soar with colorful butterflies wings upon their backs. Some spot me with a smile and they wave, but they are far from where I dance, my owl like eyes allowing me to see them up close when I want to.

I blink a few times as my sight reverts back to those closest to me as the winds spin me with greater force now, though still pleasant to my loosely covered skin, as many thin and scarlet fabrics cascade over me. One bare foot in front of the other, I continue as new energies filter into the rainbow of colors that I see encompassing me, new animals appear, within the winds, larger ones such as mammoths and other Young One as I can feel their movement even though they are far away.

The children laugh at the sight, not many seeing Young One’s before. The energies—the wind—carrying me further and further above the upturned roots of this fallen giant. Their appealing colors blending into one another and creating a vibrant hue and far more exhilarating, though one wouldn’t notice unless they were perfectly attuned with all the subtle changes of Mother Tara’s own harmonics, and their own body. A twister of fallen leaves following my movements, my flowing nature as if I where a river. They control me, rather then I controlling them.

I am a natural conduit for them. In a sense I feel them all, flowing through me, around me, as if I am one with them. While they stay within me, they heighten my senses so I can bath in the ecstasy of Mother Tara’s love for her children. I glide upon the energies as my feet rest upon the air high above the roots. My body twists and turns to whichever way the winds ask and I release some of the energies, already having them refined though me, cleansing the energy for the plane and the lands accepting them back with much gratification, so much so a grin comes to my mouth and I laugh aloud.

The children follow suit, many of them beginning to match my movements involuntarily. So love are we from Mother Tara that they to are whisk away, and join me, and while I am the main conduit, they are also learning, they are also refining the energies that I let lose, that they can learn and gain insight from and about their own selves.

A gruff noise comes from Garp as he too is lifted off the ground, clearly unaware that this would be happening, his movements, his flow is clunky as he struggles within the turbulent energies around him, not fully able to harmonize as we humans are. They struggle though his large body.

“Natalie!” I hear him, but too focused am I on cleaning that I ignore him.

My eyes gaze upon the skies high above even the tree roots. Past the aimless clouds and to the roaring ocean currents and the turbulent waters which surround the central sun and it’s humble blue rays that are cast upon all of Tara. Beyond even that, many other landmasses which I see passing above. Causing me to smile even more, loving the thrill as the landmass directly above me is quite a large one and I can feel it’s pull on my body.

Continuing my humming after that brief outburst of joy, my back arching as my cornflower hair is sweep into the breeze. My eyes are cast downward where the tree fell, the roots left what our tribe calls The Pit, and the place for our traditional ceremonies which have been passed down though the ages in one form or another.

We call this ceremony The Fall, and thanks to the hole that the World Tree has left us, we’re granted with a perfect place, yet long since forgetting it’s origins and meaning. Change, the only constant—when a youth is mature enough, they’d have a lavish procession involving most of the tribes folks as they guide the child during their Fall so that they can reawaken their dormant memories of a past life by reliving it. Spirit is secretive, though God shares it with me if the memory is of importance so I can further guide them while my intuition doesn’t grant me such insight into another souls life unless necessary.

Though, this leads to an abundances of energies held within the host—usually me—and The Pit, and because of that, Tara has troubles filtering them. It’s part of my role to harmonize the energies so that there isn’t a build up. The trees of no names all around me and those around the Pit do equally as much, but I, I direct them as a conductor, my body a living baton.

The flow of my body, the shifting of the winds call for me to allow them to guide my sight as my eyes glance to the cliff side, so to do the children that play within the energies as they are enjoying themselves with me, though some are more reserved than others, they resist the flow and remain sitting on the cliff side. Nothing wrong there, just their bodies haven’t acclimated to the energy's of Mother Tara yet, their still young themselves.

Garp flows by me, wide eye as we’re over the pit and he still struggling to find grace in the energy's, but I’m glad to see him, glad that a Burden is joining us as the energies are telling me great changes are coming and it all begins within these momentous precious moments.

Their colors waxing and waning, the vibrancy of the winds around me telling me where they belong. A simple intent and they’re directed there, but before that I have familiarize myself to their sensations. Emphasized by their heaviness or lightness as it caress the layers of thin fabric that covers my body. A brilliant scarlet, flowing like water around me. Each tug, each slack. All of it helps me direct this dance, this ceremony to aid in Mother Tara’s health and well being.

The children giggling, and my humming carries on the winds as they begin to disperse with my aid as I have ascended ever higher in the air and engulfed by the remainder of the rainbow winds surrounding me. Mythical creatures now bound around me within the winds, dragon and unicorns, pegasus and other such fantastical beasts that our plane supports. Large animals beyond comprehension amuse the younging’s and even the hardy laugh of the Giant below bellows out at the sight.

My body relaxed, my mind calm, and I’m very giddy as that enjoyment erupts from my open mouth as another hardy laugh concludes my dancing as I watch the reminisce of the energies of the winds subsiding and vanishing down into the Pit then over the lands like waves into the forest far below.

The fabrics covering me, falling slack to a slow and gentle breeze as I take in a deep breaths though my nose. My face blushes as I stretch out my arms and I take the hands of the closet child next to me. Mye, she nods, her black hair windswept around her as her terracotta skin shines with sweat as she takes my hand, and takes the hands of those closest to her, and so on. Leading them as I glide us back to the cliff side, to where I was standing previously. A bit exhausting but nothing bathing in the central sun’s rays or walking upon the mossy ground couldn’t cure. But even when I am still, my body moves unconsciously as I have attuned my body so well to the winds, so well to the energies of Mother Tara that my body sways with them. And I have to think about my movements otherwise, just to slow down and concentrate on what’s going on in front of me.

“What about the Giant?” Set, one of the boy asks as we all look back over the Pit, he’s struggling in the energies as a few of the adults come and join us.

A hardy laugh echos in my mind as a male’s voice enters. “We told the fool that coming up here would cause him to be apart of your land cleaning ritual.” The voice belongs to Don as his maroon butterfly wings dissipate. A strand a gray hair within his full locks of black hangs over his face. Amber eyes stare at the giant. “Garp, didn’t I tell you this would happen.”

The energies that caress the giant’s body continue to dwindle as he sinks below the cliff side and his falling rapidly increasing.

Shaman Lou, the only male in our village with pale skin such as mine, his hair completely white and tide loosely so it doesn’t get in his eyes, wears a plane blueish skirt and buzz over us with dragonfly wings as he and Don now both leap over the edge to help our friend.

The boys around us laugh as they go to the edge to watch the struggle giant be helped up by them. While I gather those as not enthralled in Garp’s blunder, around me. Calming them, they all sit before I, while I take in the blue rays of the sun which are energizing me as I blink my sky blue eyes to gaze upon the skies and the torrents of the ocean high above me, the same large landmass embedded into the ocean, much like ours is, looses pace and begins to quicken. Drifting away as it’s aid to Tara is greatly appreciative.

If I wanted to I could fly there with my own wings, that simple thought bringing a smile to my face, recalling past travels and adventure over the plane.

Taking in another breath, I stare back at my pupils, “While they do that, I have a most exciting lesson for everyone.”

Clapping some for good measure the near silence that once befell the woods returns to life. All but the shouts from Garp, and Don and Lou trying to aid him now mix with the noises of life. The animals can’t always handle the denser energies so they flee and that is a good indication when I should work with the energies once more, but Suzume’s Fall coming up is also a good indication. I am regular enough that it’s hardly ever a concern either way.

“Priestess Kayla.” Cassie asks from where she sits, “what is our lesson?” Her amber eyes stare at me, her hexagonal pupils longing to know the mystery of my lesson for them, they all in unison ask.

“What is the lesson?” Eager to start.

I smile upon them, “This is a lesson for those of you who have already Fell.”

I stare at Suzume who look’s dishearten, she and a few of the younger boys who aren’t gobsmacked over Garp’s decent all look to me with pleading eyes and I laugh.

“My lesson for you all consist of you learning about yourself, by speaking to yourself.”

“We do that anyway,” Mye answers, sitting closest to me but I shake my head.

“Why don’t you share with us the memory from your Fall.” I asks Mye, “You requested that you go in alone, that was very unusual.” I tell her and she looks up at me, holding onto the hem of her tunic as she sits before me, cross-legged.

“I, I looked like you, grown, but with lines over my body…” She gestures to her face, trying to explain what she saw and I understand as I can picture it perfectly. She was old. “I was in a bed, covered with sheets. I had rope or strings…they were hard and oval, inter locking?” Mother Tara is trying to help her explain by feeding her the information she’s looking for. I stifle a chuckle. Her interpretation isn’t too far off from what I know them to be.

“Chains,” I respond to her, understanding very well what she is speaking of.

She nods vigorously, in response and I smile, letting out a chuckle as she goes on telling everyone about her experience, “they where all around me and attached to me, I felt very weak, but in my mind, I was very angry, angry at something or someone. I didn’t like it, I felt stuck.” She says as she’s looking at the ground before us, “I want to know where my anger comes from…why am I angry. I’ve asked myself that but I get no answers.” She looks up to me as I kneel down, then sit with them, her fierce eyes telling me she wants to know more then anything right now.

“That is why we’re having this lesson everyone.”

The boys behind us our laughing as I side eye the cliff side, Garp’s large hand now appearing as he’s grabbed onto the side with aid from Don and Lou who help him up off the side so he can stands as he falls back onto the ground causing a quake in the lands as I hear dirt chucks rumble and fall off back into the pit that where already loose.

He’s taking in large gasp of air as Don kicks him in the side, “Your alright, just listen to us when we tell you things.”

Lou already working with the lands, swaying back and forth, preparing the lands for what we’ll be doing momentarily. “Boys, come over here, you need to know this all as well.”

Don goes to join Lou as I clap my hands, while my entire class now sits before me. I talk with the energies around us in whispers, as if being enigmatic, then glancing at my pupils, their eyes lighting up as the’re now interested in what I am thinking. They hear the rumbling of the ground behind them as it’s becomes like water. The rather barren lands with tree like roots around us and moss beneath our bare feet begins churning. They all turn to watch, getting a closer look as Don and Lou shape the lands.

They sway back and forth, moving their arms with fluidity as I stand and join them, starting to move my arms, once again conducting the energies to form before us as the liquidated ground churns, rising out like a swelling current, we dance with the flowing movements, building walls that soon solidify and other arch ways as they are adore with moss and flowers to decorate them. An arch out of the ground we stand upon, but beyond is something far grander that arise which would give them a bit of fun as they come to understand themselves on a far more personal level with their infinite fractals. The ground continues to rumble for awhile as the land changes into the given shape the three of us have envisions for it, though God’s presents is apart of it’s creation as they guide us. Walls given shape, in no order, yet a path that leads though to an end.

Turning to them, Garp recuperated and is sitting behind them all, staring down at our little creation, that now jumps in height as I know some fractals will be giant compared to my pupils, I motion towards the arch as bright colors fill it, rapidly moving, it’s almost hard to look at, but I motion toward my pupils to stand. “What lies beyond is a maze. Something which will allow you to converse with your infinite selves. I single Mye out, “Mye, you can go on though first. The others will join you momentarily. You will traverse though the maze and only when you’ve settled on an answer to your anger, will the other side open so that you may leave, and you’ll learn where their anger come from and in turn, your’s,”

“I’m going to meet myself in there?” She asks, curious as she stands next to me, staring at the ever changing light show coming from the archway.

Lou smiles and laughs as he joins my side, “there are many other yous in our reality, Mye, each one carrying their own lessons, and each one needing to understand something different from another. You entering the maze will tell us if you are the right one for us.”

She walks forward, looking with wide eyes at me, then at the arch. I nod at her, agreeing with Lou’s statement, as he’s the previous Shaman who directed and taught all the kids here.

I look around her, and I feel the fractals of the many others that are gathered here, dwarfing our size in numbers. Mye, as has everyone else has come to a crossroad and there are many that want to know the very same answer to their questions which they asked. But as she is the one who asked the question, other version of her factorial self are sure to feel the same impulse. “Yes,” I tell her, turning around, kneeling down once again before her and resting both hands on her rosy cheeks while tilting her head back a bit to plant a kiss upon her forehead, where her own Mind’s Eye lies, hardly developed. I want her to see everything and I ask the spirited to show her as an Owl’s screech fills my ears, and I look to above the arch, as a snowy white owl lands.

While not her, a proxy of another Burden has arrived, something special is in store for Mye.

She giggles, telling me it tickles as I part from her and she rubs her forehead, as the girls and boys line up before myself, waiting for the kiss which will grant them a stronger sight temporarily. Silhouettes of static forms all around us as. My own Mind’s Eye far more developed can see the light bodies of many others around us of everyone here. Each one a different version of themselves. Not all are humanoid, some with tentacles and claws, some even larger then her, the ground shifts a bit more to accommodate the larger versions of everyone, even more so then before. Each of them staring in awe with large grins at all the others around us that they now can all see.

Mye smiles as Suzume comes up to me, not getting in line as she hasn’t had her Fall yet and tugs on my sleeve.

“Some of you may not need this lesson, but do well within the maze as you’ll be able to get good feedback about who you are from the other fractals.” I pat Suzume on the head, “Now Mye, like I said, you can be the first to enter. Go on.”

Mye looks back at me, then to her friends, then those silhouettes that loom around us, all of them her before she walks forth, then runs at the technicolor of lights within the arch, she stares upward at the Owl that looks back at her before she hits the colors and her form fades in a stand still.

The gaggle of children all in awe by Mye as she leaves us to within the maze.