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jarienn972 · 4 years ago

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La Sirena - Chapter Five

Captain Swan Supernatural Summer

Apologies for the delay in getting out the latest chapter of my @cssns story. With my kids back to school, I'm finding a bit less time to write so updates are running a little behind. I am still working diligently to keep the updates coming though! Thank you @kmomof4 for helping me fix a couple of minor roadblocks that I had with this chapter! And thanks again to @courtorderedcake for her incredible artwork!

After leaving off with the major turning point of Killian learning the secret that Emma had been concealing, this chapter will pick up in the aftermath. Will cooler heads prevail once Killian awakens or will their budding relationship be tarnished? And of course, there's still no where else for him to go...

Read from the beginning: One Two Three Four Also on AO3 and FF.net

Putting the Pieces Back Together

A faint tickle of a breeze caught the torch flame behind Emma's back casting uneven shadows across the cavern walls and sending delicate tendrils of smoke into the already heavy air. She was kneeling in the sand with Killian's head resting atop her thighs, not daring to stray from his side as her slender fingers combed idly through his tousled dark hair. She watched the rise and fall of his chest as she patiently awaited his awakening.

She'd frightened him. That hadn't been her intent but that damage was done and she was dealing with a relatively new emotion: guilt. Perhaps she truly was little more than a monster at her core. All of these decades of trying to suppress her innate urges and desires may have been for naught. All of her years of self-isolation hadn't changed who - or what - she was. She was still a siren. Still a threat to mankind.

Perhaps Regina was right. She'd never be able to change her nature.

But if she really was nothing more than a coquettish, evil siren, why did she have such a strong desire to protect this human? It went against every element of her being, every native instinct she'd trained and developed before turning her back on her kind. She scarcely comprehended these feelings.

Siren emotions were already complicated enough. She knew anger and indignation. She also knew emptiness. She'd been living here in solitude for nearly two centuries, give or take a decade, yet she'd never really experienced loneliness. She'd just felt that something was missing from her meager existence. She'd just never allowed herself time to think about what that void might entail.

All of that had changed the moment she confessed her true nature to Killian and he'd rejected her. Now she was overwhelmed with a barrage of new emotions - guilt, fear and something else that she couldn't yet name. For a nanosecond, she contemplated leaving him there in the subterranean cavern, doubting that he'd ever be able to accept what she was. But then she heard it again - the same tiny voice inside her head that had compelled her to save him from drowning now also compelled her to stay.

He was an intelligent being. Her revelation had been too much of a shock for someone recovering from the trauma he'd suffered. When he'd had time to process the news, he would hear her out, wouldn't he? She took a glance back over her bare shoulder at the beam of light streaming through the crack in the earth above the spring. The midday sun would soon be directly overhead and the ambient light would fade quickly within the lava tube once the sun's rays crested over the ridge.

Regina's arrival had backed her into a corner. She didn't feel as though she could adequately protect him if he wasn't aware of the scope of the threat, but now she worried he wouldn't trust her. In hindsight, she knew she hadn't handled her reveal well. Even though he didn't really have anywhere to go, she feared he'd run and the thought of that stung worse than even the most toxic jellyfish she'd ever encountered.

When at last he stirred, her siren heart nearly leapt with anticipation - another entirely new sensation for her. With a deep inhale, he raised his right hand to massage his aching skull, making incidental contact with her knee in the process. He yanked his hand away as if he'd touched a flame, his eyelids popping open in surprise as he struggled to regain coherency.

At first, he saw nothing more than darting shadows cast by the flickering torches but as his sight adjusted to the relative darkness, images gradually came into focus, becoming clearer and familiar. And then his peripheral vision captured the contour of a woman's soft, rounded ivory-skinned thigh and instantly, he was fully awake, recoiling in terror as he pushed away from the woman he no longer believed was real.

"What manner of demon are you?" he demanded, his voice pitching higher as he scrambled to take cover behind one of the aging sea chests, squeezing his eyes closed for a moment as he dared not stare at this unknown creature's naked, feminine form. "Are you some malevolent trick of my mind? Here to drag me to the depths of hell?" He couldn't fight this monster if he couldn't see her though so he reluctantly opened his eyes, focusing intently on her lovely beguiling face. Was this how a siren killed a man?

"Killian, please… Do not be afraid. I have no intent to harm you." She made an attempt to shift closer to him, to try to assure him that she wasn't a threat, but she feared she may have already done too much damage. The terror and betrayal she saw reflected in his eyes cut straight to whatever soul she had left as he continued to shy away from her.

"Don't come near me, demon!" he cried as he fumbled for the sword at his hip, sliding the blade free of the scabbard and brandishing it with an instinctive flick of his wrist. "Stay back… or I'll…" Both his voice and hand trembled at the same timbre while he held the weapon directed at her throat.

This scared human wasn't even the slightest threat to her. She could overpower him barely lifting a pinky finger, yet she was awash with that lonely emotion and it took control, leading to an unplanned action.

"Do it," she dared him, leaning into the blade. "I am a monster. End me!"

A glint of torchlight flashed off of the polished steel, illuminating her face which was etched with determination and his resolve began to waver.

"Wait… What…?" He shook his head in disbelief at her unexpected demand. His gaze locked with hers as she pleaded for death and his tenuous grip on the cutlass' pommel loosened. "No… no…" He may have been bewildered and perhaps a tad angered, but he couldn't take her life. She'd saved him.

"I am a siren, Killian. I have lured countless men like you to their demise, but while this is what I was created to be, it is not what I desire to be. I deserve to die for what I have done in my past…"

"But you saved me…," he stated as he allowed the sword to slip from his hand onto the dark, sandy cavern floor. His tone was softer as he relaxed and exhaled a deep sigh. "Whatever you are, I owe you my life…" He plopped his weary body down to the ground and drew his knees to his chest while lowering his chin in defeat. "I've no expectation of what will become of me, but I'll not harm you. If you intend to leave me here to perish, then that shall be my fate…"

"I don't wish for anyone to perish," she replied. "That is what brought me here all those ages ago. I had no desire to harm those seafarers any longer."

"But if you are a siren as you say, are the myths not true? Does your song not lure men like me to certain death? How did I arrive here still breathing?"

"At one time, I did use my voice in that way. I watched many a human plunge into the sea, transfixed and bewitched by the hypnotic spell of my siren song, at least until I could bear it no longer. Until you arrived, I'd not even used my voice in eons."

"So a siren can have a conscience?" he asked quizzically, raising one eyebrow as he awaited her answer.

"Apparently some can - at least this one, as I've been told," she said with a faint smile curling the corners of her lips, although it didn't last long as she switched the direction of their exchange. "But Killian, if we are to survive, there is much you need to know. You need to hear more of my story just as I must learn more of yours."

"How so?" His eyes narrowed as he sought to make sense of the statement. Part of his brain still questioned the veracity of any of this nonsense, but the adventurer within him remained intrigued.

"Do you recall, before you struck your head, how I had mentioned that my sister came here because I had used magic?" The memory was vague and somewhat clouded by his own skepticism but he nodded anyway and allowed her to continue. "In using my powers, I unwittingly drew the scrutiny of the council, the governing band of the most powerful sirens - of which I used to be a part. I hadn't used magic in quite a long time so I never imagined that something so innocent would have far-reaching consequences."

"What magic do you possess?"

"Aside from the ability to change form, I have other powers. Those chests you're sitting amongst, they didn't wash up on these shores as I told you. I conjured them and their contents so that you would have the objects you desired. I wanted to give you those things that the cove could not provide. I had seen many similar chests float in and out with the tides over the years, but I never kept them. I used magic to create them and I didn't think about the potential ramifications."

Killian's jaw fell agape as he listened to her confession. No one - not even Liam - had ever offered such a generous gesture meant for him alone and he was at a loss for how to respond.

"Emma… you didn't need to do such a thing…"

"I wanted to," she grinned. "I had been alone for so long and after these past few days with you, I found myself desiring to do something good with my magic. I wanted to provide for you and now, that act of goodness has put you in far greater danger…" He quickly averted his sight as she pushed herself back to stand up before starting to pace nervously along the precipice of the hot spring. "I must ask this - when I found you, you were clinging to a slab of splintered timber. Were you in a shipwreck?"

Still concentrating on focusing his gaze on the bounce of her golden locks rather than her feminine physique, Killian was taken aback. Of course, he'd been in a shipwreck…

"Aye," he replied. "Not my own ship though. I'd been taken prisoner aboard a pirated vessel that inexplicably ran aground. By the time I was able to crawl out of the flooding brig and reach the safety of the top deck, those rapscallions had all debarked, likely to an island off the distant horizon. No one was left in sight and I scarcely escaped with my life as the vessel broke apart and sank into the depths."

"You saw no one at all? Was the vessel sinking that slowly?" Emma asked curiously, pausing her pacing as she awaited his answer.

"It seemed to be taking on water quite rapidly to me so I assumed they'd taken off in the skiffs, but to answer your question - no. I saw no other men, not even my fellow crew who'd also been imprisoned, although if I'm to be honest with myself, they were likely already dead by the time the ship went down. I was the ranking officer, thereby the most valuable prisoner."

"So that's it…," she mumbled as she hovered to his right, fixated on the sparkling surface of the spring. "That's how Regina knew they may have left a survivor… Killian, don't you see? You didn't see any others aboard the ship because they'd already succumbed to the song of the sirens. The ship ran aground because no one was helming it."

"How is that possible?" he queried as he raised his head in renewed curiosity. "I heard no singing, only the cracking of aging wood and the slap of the waves on the hull."

"You heard nothing? No song?" She spun around to face him, bewildered by his statement. "If the sirens attacked the ship, you would have heard their song."

"I swear to you, I heard nothing out of the ordinary, at least not until the vessel struck the rocks and began her unraveling. Are you certain that your kind assailed that vessel? It's highly likely that the pirates merely strayed off-course."

"No," she insisted, shaking her head. "Regina specifically mentioned that a ship had sailed into siren waters… In the condition I found you in, you could not have traveled far from the wreck so it must be the same vessel she spoke of. None of the sirens would have waited around to watch the vessel disintegrate but some of our ne'er do well fellow sea-dwellers reported rumors of a survivor in the wreck and those rumors reached the council. That's the reason they became suspicious of me when I utilized my magic… You must be that survivor."

Killian's head was suddenly spinning again and this time, it wasn't from the concussion. Sirens were a part of maritime history and mythology that he'd been educated in. He'd entertained countless yarns about ships that strayed into uncharted waters, never to be seen again. All manner of sea monsters had been attributed to these vanishing vessels but tales of sirens had always been particularly beguiling. Demons taking the form of beautiful women were said to lure unsuspecting sailors into the sea where they'd devour their unfaithful hearts.

But they were all only mythical… Until now…

"According to the legends I grew up hearing, sirens preyed upon lonely sailors far from home and family. The siren song was said to enchant the unfaithful amongst them, luring them into the depths of the sea where they'd be devoured. Is that how it really happens?"

"That isn't entirely true, but it is very close," Emma explained. "The song does lure the unsuspecting sailors, but only those deemed unworthy of passage through our realm by the gods. The unworthy are not allowed to travel through our seas and the song puts them into a trance. The men will then leap from their ships into the sea and sink to Triton's lair. I honestly do not know what becomes of them after they drown, what Triton desires of them. It never mattered to me, not then and I certainly did not dwell upon it after I departed the council."

"Until you found me?" he offered, shivering at the fate he'd narrowly avoided. "This may be a pointless query, but has any man ever been found worthy?"

"Well, long before my creation, there was a single human whom Poseidon deemed to be worthy to pass. That man went on to become a great leader of his land and for a while, there was peace between the realm of man and that of the gods. Unfortunately, that man's successors were nothing like him and the years of peace ended. Triton ordered all of the creatures in his command to defend our realm from the evil of mankind. Poseidon unleashed innumerable monsters including dozens more sirens, including myself and for many years, I followed the orders of the gods…"

"I've heard many tales of these legendary gods of the sea. Never in all my dreams did I imagine they were real and that they alone determined the worth of a man."

"I broke away from the council when I began to suspect that the gods harbored more of a vindictive grudge against these men of the sea. I could no longer be convinced that there weren't good men among those we had deceived. Not every man could be so evil."

"Indeed, there are men with good hearts out there but I shan't deny that there is evil in the world. I've encountered those who might barely be described as human, yet most folk are just going about their lives and wish no harm. It would seem that the same might be said of the legendary siren as there is at least one who possesses a good heart… But if we are to circle back to the pirate ship I escaped from, how did I come to survive? Was it because I was secreted away in a cranny of the cargo hold? Was I too far below deck to hear the songs?"

"No, it doesn't work like that. The siren song resonates through every inch of a vessel and carries for several leagues out to sea. It is intended to be heard by every human ear that ventures into our realm."

"That makes little sense to me then," Killian countered. "Why didn't I hear the siren voices? I hear you speaking to me just fine as I am not deaf and despite my injury when you rescued me from the water, I had been fully conscious just prior to the ship's grounding."

"I… I do not know," she stammered. This was another first for her and she had no response. She honestly did not have any inkling as to how he'd resisted.

"Do you still possess the ability to sing?" he asked her bluntly and she found herself ill-prepared to answer.

"I am not entirely certain…," she told him, her voice trembling at the possible implications of the question. "It has been centuries… I believe I am still able to sing, but I cannot predict the outcome. There may be ramifications that you aren't ready for and it may hasten Regina and the council's return…"

He tried to avoid the darkening of her olivine eyes as she pleaded wordlessly for him to reconsider, but it was the only way he might discover how he'd managed to remain alive.

"Emma, you must," he pressed. "It's the only way I'll know… That we'll know. You would be able to tell right away if the song has the desired effect, correct?"

"Of course, I would know. I just cannot promise that I can stop it as I've never tried…"

"Then consider this your chance to find out," Killian stated bravely, although inside, his stomach was churning at the huge risk he was taking. "I must learn why I was spared, Love. Please, indulge my curiosity and desire to solve this one mystery…"

"Killian…" She didn't want to do this. She'd vowed to never sing again and she certainly didn't want to endanger this man she'd become so fond of. Could she deny him the answers he so desperately wanted? She'd know within a few notes but even if the song ended abruptly, would she be able to reverse its effects if he wasn't immune?

#cssns #cssns20 #captain swan supernatural summer #cs ff #cs au ff #siren emma #la sirena #buckle up now #there's a lot hanging on a song

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xyouseix · 6 years ago

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Arialista | Blooming Resolve

The sun’s tangerine rays have barely touched the sand dunes outside the western walls of the city, but the streets of Hallardim are already coming to life. The early morning runners and delivery boys dash from one door to the next with messages, packages, and wares. Preparations for another day’s worth of purchases and sales. Coins are counted, stock is put out on shelves and racks, and doors are beginning to open to allow business in.

In the noble district it is quieter, except in the kitchens of the large estate houses. Lamps are on and elbows are greased, already deep into their work.

A smaller building, a Grecian styled tavern, the only one of it’s kind in the city, is still quiet, the widows dark except for one on the second story. A candle, burned down low, flame barely holding onto the wick, sputters as the melted wax tries to swallow it’s light. The sun will outshine it soon enough, but for now, the candle is the only light against the darkness inside.

Loose and softly curled midnight hair splays across a writing desk in the shadowy room. Even breaths pass between softly parted lips. It was not her intention to fall asleep here, but the russet skinned woman resting her head next to an ink drying letter did not have the energy to move the five feet to her bed.

The shadows under the desk curl inward and a pair of softly glowing, slitted red eyes gaze up at the sleeping form. A sound, not unlike a cat’s inquisitive mrrhp comes from somewhere within those shadows. A dark paw with smokey tendrils reaches out, testing the air to see if it can leap up into the woman’s lap without waking her. The eyes pull back, then it leaps.

Without any trouble the small pitch black form alights on the unsuspecting lap. The creature takes a moment, standing still to listen. The woman’s breathing still has the even beat of uninterrupted sleep. It starts to curl around itself but something tickles its senses. A dark nose sniffs at the unprotected skin around the neck and under chin. There. A scent it hasn’t smelt in many weeks. It turns a curious glance at the papers the woman rests her head next to and scans the words. The writing is Elvish, which means it is not to the regular recipient to whom his companion writes to. Those letters she writes in Infernal, a language it knows best. Not to say it can’t read other languages, but it has its preferences.

𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑻𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒍, it read at the top of the first page.

Ah, yes. The bard, it thinks with disdain. It’s bright red eyes quickly scan the letter’s contents, it’s barely detectable face getting more disgruntled with each sentence. When it finishes reading the letter all thoughts of sleeping on warm laps have been banished from its mind. It turns back to look at the exposed skin of the defenseless neck. A dark paw, ebony black claws slightly extended, reaches up to rest where the scent is strongest. Then it slowly drags it’s paw across the woman’s skin leaving the barest of claw marks.

In her dream, Arialista holds the the envelope with her letter written inside out to Tassel. She is nervous. Is this the right thing to do? she thinks. She’s wanted to tell him for a long time. So why do her fingers shake? The cold is a fear that pricks at her hear and she’s about to pull her hand back, but she’s too late. The moment his hand touch the parchment it bursts into flames and Tassel’s warm ocean eyes turn ice cold.

“Did you honestly think I could love someone who’s very existence causes the death of those around her?” he spits, disdain dripping from his words.

Arialista recoils, his words stabbing into the vulnerable part of her heart that knew his return was too good to be true.

“N-No, that’s not- Tassel, I can explain-” she tries to reach for his hand, but he pulls away. She tries to move towards him but her feet won’t move. She looks down and sees they are covered in roots and vines holding her in place.

“I never want to see you again,” he says as backs away from her.

Arialista’s reaching hands fall to her sides. Her eyes search the face of the man she has grown to care for deeply, searching for any sign that this is some cruel joke. She finds nothing. It was too good to be true. The echo of his retreating steps a counterpoint her heartbeat as she stands there, trapped in stunned silence.

A constricting pain makes her double over, clutching her hands to her bosom. She tries to reach inside her chest to hold herself together but she can’t get past her own flesh. She feels it, a gaping hole where her heart should be. Opening her eyes, Arialista sees it on the ground in front of her bound feet. Vines and roots creep up from the ground, wrapping around the still beating and tender flesh. A soft, warm glow emanates from her heart as the earthen fingers brush against it. In her mind, Arialista thinks she should feel pain or sorrow, but she does not. She cannot anymore. Now that her heart is no longer a part of her the dread she felt is replaced by a hollow peacefulness.

As the vines creep, they become spotted with her blood from where it touches the delicate pink flesh. Their winding and curling lifts it up, the glow washing over her face, mesmerizing.

Thrum. Thrum. Thrum.

The red spots on the vines shift, sprouting small buds that rapidly bloom into the most beautiful crimson roses Arialista has ever seen. She doesn’t understand why, but she finds herself smiling at the beauty before her.

Something sharp scrapes at her neck. Arialista starts to feel the vines twining their way up her body, wanting to cocoon her like they did her heart. She closes her eyes in acceptance, not entirely sure what she is giving herself over to, but knowing it is the only thing to do.

The scraping happens again, harder. She starts to realise it’s not the vines hurting her, it’s something else. What she thought were needles feel more like claws. Arialista struggles against the vines holding her, flying up into consciousness as she twitches and then bats away an inky black paw, claws extended to wreck havoc on her face next.

“ℌ𝔶𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔫, 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭,” Arialista mumbles in Infernal, more of a command than a request. She blinks her bleary eyes a couple times and then rubs them as she sits up in her chair.

The shadow cat watches her with sardonic amusement. “𝔇𝔦𝔡 ℑ 𝔴𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔞 𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔡𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔪?” he mews, mocking her only a little.

Arialista finishes clearing the sleep from her eyes and gives Hyperion a hard stare. It stares back unblinking. She’s the first to look away. “ℑ 𝔴𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡𝔫’𝔱 𝔠𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔦𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱, 𝔫𝔬,” she mumbles still speaking in Infernal.

Hyperion’s eyes narrow very slightly. There is a moment where it deliberates on saying something, possibly words of comfort or concern, but then it shakes itself and stands up.

“ℑ 𝔴𝔬𝔨𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔟𝔢𝔠𝔞𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰,” it says, using it’s nose to indicate the letter. Arialista sees it glance at her writing, the disgust shown by the lift of its feline nose. “𝔇𝔬 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔶 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔣 𝔢𝔩𝔣 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤?”

Arialista’s eyebrows knit together and she feels the echoes of her dream reverberate through her chest. “ℌ𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔞 𝔫𝔞𝔪𝔢, ℌ𝔶𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔫. 𝔄𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔢𝔰, ℑ 𝔡𝔬 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔥𝔦𝔪. 𝔇𝔬𝔢𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔟𝔬𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔶𝔬𝔲?” her Infernal taking on a harsher tone with each word.

“ℑ 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔨 𝔦𝔱’𝔰 𝔞 𝔟𝔦𝔱 𝔫𝔞𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔥𝔦𝔪 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔫 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔫’𝔱 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔬𝔩𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔶 𝔬𝔣 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔣𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔰,” it says. “ℑ 𝔴𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲’𝔡 𝔞𝔱 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔞 𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔰𝔱. 𝔖𝔥𝔢’𝔰 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔣 𝔢𝔩𝔣.”

The shadow cat had a point. Reina, though younger than her, is still wise beyond her years. She would accept the knowledge of her past and would probably be happy to help in her search for answers. So why even tell someone her darkest secrets, someone who isn’t even able to come with her to Pir’emva?

“𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔥𝔞𝔰𝔫’𝔱 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔯𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱. ℑ 𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔞. 𝔅𝔲𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔫 𝔙𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔯𝔞–”

“‘𝔖𝔥𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔡 𝔲𝔭 𝔞𝔫𝔡 – 𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔩, 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔯𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱.’ 𝔓𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔢.” It gives her a look. “𝔜𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔣 𝔢𝔩𝔣 𝔪𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔣𝔬𝔬𝔩 𝔥𝔦𝔪, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔫𝔡 ℑ 𝔨𝔫𝔬𝔴 𝔢𝔵𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔩𝔶 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔞𝔯𝔢. 𝔈𝔵𝔠𝔲𝔰𝔢𝔰.”

Heat rises to her cheeks. For a creature that likes to tell half truths more often than not, it certainly has an uncanny way of calling me out. Hypocrite. Arialista wasn’t about let the not-cat on her lap call her out like that. But it also had a point. Half truths to Tassel were one thing. Lying to herself was another.

“ℑ’𝔪 𝔰𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢𝔡. ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔰𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔗𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔩 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔲𝔰 𝔞𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱. ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔰𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔥𝔢’𝔩𝔩 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔰𝔢𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔢 𝔞𝔰 𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔬𝔢𝔰 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔦𝔫𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝔰𝔢𝔢 𝔪𝔢 𝔞𝔰 𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔩, 𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔥𝔢 𝔫𝔢𝔢𝔡𝔰 𝔱𝔬 𝔤𝔢𝔱 𝔞𝔴𝔞𝔶 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪.” Her breath is quick and shallow, matching the hummingbird flitting around inside her rib cage. “𝔅𝔲𝔱 ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔥𝔦𝔪 𝔞𝔫𝔶𝔴𝔞𝔶 𝔟𝔢𝔠𝔞𝔲𝔰𝔢... 𝔦𝔣 ℑ 𝔡𝔬 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔥𝔦𝔪 𝔫𝔬𝔴, ℑ 𝔪𝔞𝔶 𝔫𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔞𝔤𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔯.” She takes a steadying breath to calm the flighty bird inside and it’s wings ease up on it’s assault a bit. “ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔰𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔞, 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔟𝔢𝔠𝔞𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔰𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔬𝔫'𝔱 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔢𝔭𝔱 𝔪𝔶 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔱, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔟𝔢𝔠𝔞𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔰𝔥𝔢 𝔪𝔞𝔶 𝔱𝔯𝔶 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔪𝔢 𝔦𝔣 ℑ 𝔤𝔬 𝔱𝔬𝔬 𝔣𝔞𝔯 𝔦𝔫 𝔪𝔶 𝔰𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔠𝔥 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔞𝔫𝔰𝔴𝔢𝔯𝔰.”

Hyperion’s head tilts slightly, intrigued at her honesty.

“ℑ 𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔱– 𝔑𝔬, ℑ 𝔫𝔢𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔨𝔫𝔬𝔴.”

“𝔄𝔫𝔡 𝔥𝔬𝔴 𝔣𝔞𝔯 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔤𝔬 𝔄𝔯𝔦𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔞?” the not-cat asked, it’s eyes glowing a little brighter.

“𝔄𝔰 𝔣𝔞𝔯 𝔞𝔰 ℑ 𝔫𝔢𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔬. 𝔗𝔬 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩𝔪𝔰 𝔦𝔣 ℑ 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔬,” she replies vehemently.

Hyperion keeps its eyes on hers for a moment longer. Then it blinks and starts licking its paw.

Arialista, not entirely sure what had just happened, picks up one of the pages of her letter to see if the ink was finally dried. She had not given much thought, let alone a voice, to why she hesitated telling her dragonborn friend about her past. But some part of her did know why she hesitated. As for Hyperion, what ever it really is, wherever it came from, she suspected it knows more about Kamen-Het and the story she discovered at the Great Kaath Museum. They had talked about the ancient tiefling warrior king only once, but there was something about how tight lipped the shadowcat was that made Arialista suspicious. Yet she found herself relying on its council in regards to these matters.

“𝔗𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔨 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔰, ℌ𝔶𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔫. 𝔗𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥 ℑ 𝔡𝔬 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔞𝔤𝔯𝔢𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔪, ℑ 𝔞𝔭𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔠𝔦𝔞𝔱𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔬𝔯,” He pauses his grooming. She sets down her letter and strokes the not-cat down it’s back. “ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔤𝔩𝔞𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔪𝔢. ℑ𝔱 𝔪𝔢𝔞𝔫𝔰 𝔞 𝔩𝔬𝔱.”

“𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔨 ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔫𝔶 𝔶𝔬𝔲, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲’𝔯𝔢 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔫𝔶𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔢?” it says, an impish curl around every word. Then it slips from her lap and disappears into the shadows under her desk.

⚔️

#Arialista #RAVN campaign #creative writing #Dungeons and Dragons #dungeons & dragons #tiefling #ranger #noble #noble tiefling #tiefling ranger #D&D #d&d 5e homebrew #homebrew #D&D 5e #text #writing #d&d character #cats #Hyperion

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queen-bombus · 5 years ago

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September 30, 2016 · I want to be clear on this one. There are over 1200 modalities of Reiki out there! (Wow that's a lot of attunements!) But there is only about 10 different kinds of main stream Reiki, the others are lessers, channeling lesser healing energies, and not the big source energy healing. Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho as developed by Dr. Mikao Usui in the mid 1800's is the first and foremost type of reiki. It channels the universal source, and it promotes healing on physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual levels. That being said, there are a number of other modalities out there and all of them have their positives and draw backs! I'm just going to post what I have been attuned to and which ones I've liked and which ones I've disliked or barely use now in my practice. Amara Omni Empowerment - fairly good symbology and philosophy behind it, but the symbols are not easy to draw, so better for visualization and meditation purposes but less for work on other individuals. Blue Star Celestial - Wonderful Egyptian style system that combines the Egyptians concept of the stars and channels them down to us. Has quite a few good symbols that are both easy and difficult to draw. I use the energy of this one but not the symbols. Otherwise it's a good one. Chios Energy Healing - By far 5 star energy healing system, teaches deeply about the aura and the chakra system, and teaches many techniques on healing the energetic body, definitely one of the best modalities out there. Celtic Reiki - This one uses the ogham symbols and the earth healing energy. I find this one of the core forms of reiki but it needs to be combined with Usui before it can be used with greater magnitude and force. Ethereal Crystals - Not a very good one, a list of crystals you're being attuned to and then not much else. I found that if you really want to get into crystal healing you need a good course on Lithography and that can take time to achieve, plus you need the crystals themselves to accompany the healing, otherwise it's useless. Elemental Reiki - Very Wiccan style and again not one of my favourites. I still use the elements in my healing but it was almost like a wiccan attunement than anything else for me. Gold Reiki - Wonderful Kundalini style reiki which actually precedes Kundalini reiki. I mean you can't get Gold until you've studied Kundalini reiki, but otherwise a magnificent system to bring your energetic body to a new level. Imara Reiki - Again another wonderful reiki boost attunement to help you grow as a healer. In terms of how to use this on others it's not very useful but in order to boost your own personal healing potential it's a must have. Karmic Reiki - Another wonderful system with little symbols but strong powerful forces. Helps you work with Karma. Karuna Ki - This is the second step to Usui Reiki, and it's a modality of compassion and gentleness. I really like the energies behind this one as they're very flowing and smooth. Ki Manna - This modality is really just another personal reiki boost. I don't feel you can use this one on clients but you can certainly use it to enhance your own healing abilities. This one tends to draw from your past life healing abilities to bring it into the now. Kundalini Reiki - There's 2 sets to this, the first one, which strengthens your chakras and their personal healing qualities and then the boosters, which is like the second step to them. This is by far one of the best modalities I have ever practiced with. Lightarian Reiki - This is really the mother load, this modality connects you to higher energy sources, like the ascended masters and a stronger more refined version of the source. It's a very powerful form of energy healing, and you must be a Usui Master, and a Karuna Ki master before you can be attuned to this one. Pyramid Reiki - Another form hailing from Egypt, to attune you to the power of the pyramids. All in all a good one, but not one I use frequently. Orb of Life - This is a personal gift, as it strengthens your entire healing capacity. I love this one and generally try to give it out to as many people as I can because it just strengthens a person's natural ability to heal. Lunar / Solar Light Empowerment - Connects you to moon / sun energies to help you heal. It's good, but not high on my recommended list. Raku Kei Reiki - This is said to be the stuff that ended up getting left out of traditional Reiki. So there's lost bits and pieces in this modality which will help you complete your training in Usui. What happened was, Usui trained a few masters, and then those people wrote manuals and left out what they didn't think was important. It wasn't until that info was gathered again that this modality could exist, and so here it is, to finish off your Usui Reiki training. Ra Sheeba - By far powerful, and by far one you will be called towards. A group of people meditated to find the symbols and open the access to this modality. It comes from Egypt and it is a very powerful system of energy healing. It's high up on my recommended list. Reiki Grand Master - This one is the continuation of Usui Reiki, finally translated into German and then into English. It consists of levels 5 - 13 (notice no level 4, you replace that with Karuna Ki or Kundalini Reiki) and each level has a new powerful symbol you are attuned to. I believe it now goes up to level 15, but I stopped at level 13. Run Valdr - Use of the Runic Symbols, and another very powerful Celtic / Norse system. I recommend this one but not if you want an easy read or if you want symbols that are basic and straight forward. This one was a challenge to study but it's amazing none the less. Sacred Flames - Another of my favourites, that attunes you to the 7 rays or 7 sacred flames of the chakra system. This one is wonderful for attuning chakras. Shamballa Multi Dimensional Healing - Developed with Atlantean principals this one brings the healer into a more ancient form of healing that so far I haven't found problems with. I like it but I don't use it very often. Tibetan Reiki - Another one that goes hand in hand with Usui. It has new symbols which are powerful and allow the healer a stronger energetic capacity for healing from the source. Another recommendation of mine. Universal Rays - By far one of the most in depth chakra healing systems I have seen. This one attunes you individually to the 7 major chakras, and it's a very powerful attunement. This is high on my recommendation list. White Dove Reiki - This one was good, gentle, using subtle energies, and I wasn't a fan. I don't use it very often. Alchemy Reiki - I developed it, and it teaches you how to transmute energies rather than cleansing them and replacing them. Sometimes works better in the case of cancer patients, who have little energy to work with in the first place. Awen Energy Transformation - This is an odd modality that I developed, what it does is it amalgamates everything a person has been attuned to into one single source. This acts as a metaphysical drawing point of ALL your healing energies in one big shot. I performed this one on my abilities and it's really only for people who have been attuned to many modalities and need to stop switching between the symbols and the energy and learn how to channel it all at once. Either way it's powerful and probably one of the best I've developed. Celestial Reiki - Another personally developed modality, It connects the healer to the power of the stars, the planets and the universe itself to heal. Faery Reiki - This hails from the Faery otherworlds, with a couple of symbols and a traveling key into the faery otherworld, the healer is able to use the symbols to heal from the faery realms. Elven Shamanic Healing - Channeled from the Elven realms, this has a few symbols and master symbols which assist the healer in transmuting negativity and cleansing negativity. It's a powerful system with newer healing techniques not revealed in other modalities. I highly recommend this one to others. Sands of Egypt - This was another intense one, I channeled it from Egypt, and I was met with a guide and taken into a journey through Egypt where I was attuned 9 times, the 10th being left for when I'm truly a master of the modality. It was odd, first I received attunements 1-4, and then 5 came 8 months later, 6 came 8 months after that, then 7 and 8 came together and finally 9 came 8 months after that. I wrote down all the knowledge and experiences, and symbols and have shared them with others so that they can have the same experiences. At this point you are half attuned by me and half attuned by the guides. It's a very mystical and potent form of reiki which generally works on the psychological level. Violet Light Reiki - This is a modification of Violet Flame Reiki. It uses the importance of 9, along with 4 levels each with 9 symbols to make 36 symbols total. I brushed it up and added the proper healing techniques to it and redeveloped the symbols. This was the first modality that I developed. So all in all that's that, and though I didn't mention some of the ones I'm attuned to, I'm sure others will mention them as time goes on. What here has you the most intrigued or interested?

http://psychiccommunity.societyforum.net/t367-how-many-types-of-reiki-are-out-there?fbclid=IwAR3PV87B8R9C7XEil_tE_oVLVSJdol9AtygIpHunFcSqpAy7p_UBGtgL2mQ

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kanrakixystix · 7 years ago

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Illustrious Accord -- Noctis/Edgar

I have no earthly idea what the hell I did tonight. All I did was open Twitter, and @lavaoverflow, @schalahasfun, and Ray himself had planted a seed in my head that I didn’t know I needed in life until this moment. So without further ado, here’s a thing I wrote that got really plot heavy and maybe I’ll do something more with it one day.

(more under the cut)

Word count: 1,189

For what had to be the seven-hundredth time, Edgar paced from one end of the throne room to the other, head bowed, arms crossed, and lips pursed in thought. Surely, he could be doing better things; he could be revising the infiltration plans that Locke had discussed with him the other day that were still waiting for approval. That was what he should have been doing. There was also the matter of the visit he would soon get from the empire that he wasn’t quite prepared for, but that seemed much smaller in light of recent events.

In only moments, he would be meeting with a leader from a kingdom he had only heard rumors and whispers of in the past. Lucis was a place he had thought had only existed in his and Sabin’s bedtime stories, untouched by reality and so advanced in technology that it almost made the fact that his entire castle could sink into the sand and travel underground fall into the realm of unimpressive.

Edgar recalled the man that stood before him – a taller, bespectacled man with rather dashing features, requesting his that he accept an audience with his own king. Said man, Ignis, he had introduced himself as, was confident that although their king was young, he was quite capable in aiding Figaro’s war efforts. At the time, Edgar had jumped at the opportunity to meet the elusive king of the previously fabled land of Lucis, not giving much thought to what they could have wanted from him in return, however, with their first meeting a mere moment away, his mind raced.

He wasn’t given any more time to think on it, though, and his own advisor came through the door to announce that they had arrived. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Edgar nodded, then waited for the door to close again to quickly scramble to his throne. Despite his insides doing nervous flips, he at least wanted to look the part of a composed king. Cape properly billowing from either side of him, Edgar took his seat and preened himself hastily. As he inhaled a deep breath, the doors at the far end of the room opened, and his advisor led their visitors inside.

“Your Majesty King Edgar Roni Figaro, please allow me to present to you His Majesty King Noctis Lucis Caelum of Lucis.”

As the attendant stepped aside and Edgar met the piercing, stormy gaze of a dark haired young man with a fitted, pinstripe suit, he accidentally forgot to release that deep inhale. He might have nodded, or he might have allowed his jaw to hit the floor. Either way, he remained speechless. Men weren’t supposed to be beautiful, dark creatures – though he supposed there was really nothing wrong with that – yet there was one of them standing in his throne room with expectant eyes and a shy smile. There might not have been any words Edgar to say to this man that would sweep him off his feet, but by the gods he was certainly going to try.

“King Edgar,” this man, Noctis, greeted him, and oh, it was all Edgar could do not to outwardly swoon, “thank you for allowing me to meet you on such short notice after such a long time of keeping our kingdoms apart.” His speech seemed mildly forced, and when he bowed, he looked unsure of himself, as though the formality of it was uncomfortable.

“It isn’t a problem, although I am curious what brings you all the way from your far-off kingdom to my sandcastle in the middle of the desert,” Edgar teased, then stood from the throne – he didn’t much like sitting there, anyway – and stepped closer, intrigued in spite of the butterflies that flittered about the pit of his stomach.

“Ah, well,” Noctis began, and he stood upright, straightening his tie and consciously making eye contact with Edgar as he spoke, “it was brought to my attention that you also have a problem with a certain empire.”

“What if I do?” Edgar asked, and he wondered if perhaps he had snapped because Noctis recoiled ever so slightly. The dark prince shifted from one foot to the other, and it was only then that he noticed he was flanked by three others. He recognized Ignis from their previous meeting, but not the other two.

“Introduce me to your friends, Your Majesty?” he tried again, and Noctis blinked, then flushed as he turned to look at his companions like he had forgotten they had accompanied him. A proud air surrounded him as he gestured to each of them, starting on his right.

“I think you’ve already met Ignis, my advisor.” Ignis nodded politely before Noctis moved onto a huge man with scars adorned on his face and long hair tied back in a ponytail. Edgar liked this guy’s style. “My personal royal shield, Gladio.” The big guy waved, but remained otherwise quiet, and Noctis then turned to his left and pointed over his shoulder to a smaller built blond with freckles and a cheeky grin. “And this is Prompto, my voluntary guard and best friend.”

“Hiya!” Prompto waved, which Edgar in all honesty thought was the most adorable thing he’d seen in years. What a carefree boy. Gladio discreetly smacked Prompto’s arm, then the blond bowed. Edgar couldn’t help laughing as he placed his hands on his hips, taking in the sight of them all.

“Quite the crew you keep, Your Majesty. I like it.” He flashed them a warm smile, and Noctis visibly relaxed, mirroring Edgar’s hand placement.

“I won’t keep you longer than needed, King Edgar, so I’ll get right to it,” he started, then nodded to himself, giving himself an internal pep-talk before continuing. “I would like to form an alliance between Lucis and Figaro. We have information about the Magitek that the Empire has and knowledge of the plans they have for them that include what you call Eidolons. In exchange for this information, all we ask is that you also share any information you might have, and if the time should ever come, we would be willing to assist you by any means necessary, assuming you would willingly do the same.”

As Noctis took a deep breath from rushing all of the words out, Edgar stood agape. This was almost too good to be real, and he pinched the back of his hand to check if he was dreaming. Grimacing slightly, he shook his hand. Definitely not a dream.

“You’ll forgive me, King Noctis. It is rather hard to believe that you have come all this way here for a simple alliance such as this. Good omens of this caliber don’t drop down in front of people in the form of dreamy young kings who suddenly have all the answers.”

Silence fell between them for a brief second before a wide smirk spread across Noctis’s lips. Something glittered in those blue-grey eyes as they connected with his and Edgar knew in that instant regardless of what happened from here on out he was going to be damned.

“There’s a first time for everything, Your Majesty.”

#noctgar #noctis lucis caelum #edgar roni figaro #final fantasy xv #ffxv #final fantasy vi #ffvi #fan fiction #oneshot #for now

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davidaolson · 6 years ago

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There are few situations more frightening than sitting comfortably with your back against a smooth rock on a gloriously hot, dry, and sunny day breathing pristine mountain air without a worry until hearing an agitated buzzing and realizing you are face to face and within striking distance of a rattlesnake. A rattlesnake with a body thicker than your flexed bicep. A rattlesnake in a tight coil, neck cocked in a tense ’S’ where the slightest breeze would release the hair trigger, and the only escape route is through or over the snake. One should be afraid. One should be terrified. But I was not. Perhaps it is because I, a self-avowed Desert Rat, have a strange affinity for snakes. Perhaps the flicking black tongue hypnotized me. I’m not sure. All I remember from the moment at Petroglyph National Monument was feeling mesmerized.

Midday in the summer at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico is brutally hot and searingly bright. I found myself constantly squinting because my sunglasses were not dark enough to block the brilliance of the sunlight reflecting off the pure white, gypsum dunes. It was as if the white sands magnified the intensity of the light and we were the insects being fried by a sunbeam focused through a magnifying glass. To escape the hottest parts of the day, we spent afternoons visiting New Mexico sites at higher elevations with thinner, cooler air. One of those was 3 Rivers Petroglyph National Monument where I encountered said snake.

Getting To The Petroglyhs

About 45 minutes north of our hotel in Alamogordo, a bit longer if one stops at Del Sol to buy souvenirs, is the 3 Rivers Petroglyph National Monument. It is renown for the more than 24 thousand petroglyphs etched into the sides of large rocks. They were created sometime between 1300 and 1700 AD.

I love ancient art much which modernity arrogantly classifies as primitive. Primitive artistry is that of a child learning to scribble lines onto paper. The creations are without underlying meaning transmitted between souls. The pictographs and petroglyphs scattered throughout the Southwest United States and the cave paintings in Sochaux France are different. They were either a message between peoples or communications connecting peoples with their Gods. Any art that has meaning for the creators, connects people, or seeks communion with the Gods and has stood the test of time is high art no matter the technique.

I first encountered the ancient glyphs during my first trip to Moab in 1986s when I saw the famed Newspaper rock. It is on the road approaching the Needles section of Canyonlands, National Park. I had no idea Newspaper Rock existed until I came upon it by accident. It is decorated with hundreds of glyphs picked into the very dark desert varnish.

Petroglyph National Park requires a $5 entrance fee paid on the honor system. Grab an envelope, throw in the money, scribble some info, and drop it into the tube. We grabbed a trail guide, found a place to park in the shade recently vacated by a roadrunner and planned our excursion. The guide warns of rattlesnake danger. There is another rattlesnake warning on a yellow sign at the trailhead. My wife and I both became agitated. Her for a deep dread of snakes and her uncanny ability to happen upon them in the wild. Me at the prospect of finally coming face to face with Rattlesnake and losing myself in the depthless black eyes.

The Gentleman with the Forked Tongue

I am a snake aficionado. Possibly because I too regularly shed my skin though mine sheds after the sun burns my epidermal layer which dies and sloughs off where snakes shed as they grow. Rattlesnake is a sun worshipper eagerly absorbing its warm caresses after a cold night like a hungry lover. I enjoy the sun but tend to avoid direct sunlight because the rays pierce my skin like a thousand microscopic snake bites leaving me red and pained. Perhaps it is because snakes carry a stigma of evil as we gingers did in less enlightened times. Of all the venomous snakes, I view Rattlesnake as gentlelady or gentleman. They courteously give warning before protecting themselves with a two-fanged defense.

In the three decades I have visited Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico I have yet to encounter Rattlesnake. Not for want of trying. I have poked sticks in various snake habitats without ever hearing the characteristic buzz and feeling a chill snake up and down my spine. Someday…

It the chief function of the forked Rattlesnake tongue is to sense heat. It has the unparalleled ability to discern variations in temperature down to 0.002 degrees Celsius which is more sensitive than all but the most advanced scientific equipment. The heat sensing being the primary responsibility of the tongue is a postulate of those discarding spiritual mysteries and believing science can explain all phenomena.

I posit another theory, one braiding together physical Rattlesnake, spiritual flow emanating from all that is created, and the interconnectedness of all existential beings past, present, and yet to be. Rattlesnake is a spirit animal, a truth known to many of this continents aboriginal inhabitants, a truth mostly ignored or written off as heresy by the waves of Christianized immigrants flooding the land over the past 500 years. Rattlesnake is feared as a harbinger of violence and revenge. And prized for the magical properties of their rattles. Love-Hate. Yin-Yang.

The flicking, forked tongue is a divining rod reading the liquid soul deep hidden beneath the surface flesh. It can discern the soul of Prey from the soul of Predator and take appropriate action. It can taste the difference between the fearful and the fearless. It can smell the stirrings of the heart and distinguish between friend and foe. When it lapped in my aura, the friend centers were tickled so I did not die. But, I get ahead of myself.

1000 Petroglyph Trail

The trail to the Petroglyphs is a rugged 1/2 mile climbing 100 feet in elevation. In the beginning, my wife stuck to the beaten path while I bounced from rock to wobbly rock photographing glyphs not visible from the crooked trail. They were etched into almost every rock that had a sheen of dark brown desert varnish. Some glyphs were barely visible suffering years of exposure to the elements while others seemed fresh as white milk. I wish I had packed sturdier shoes because seeing many of the glyphs required walking off trail over rocks, many unstable, many sharp. I could feel the stones digging into the soft soles of my sneakers.

There are 11 markers on the path indicating points with either dense glyph activity or a particularly striking image. We started out on our own enjoying the search for traces of ancient minds with the only sounds being our whispers to each other or the wind echoing in our ears. It was peaceful. We were peaceful.

At trail marker 1, a family with young kids caught up to us. The kids were loud, yelling, eagerly shouting to each other when they discovered an image. Our serenity was shattered. Rather than stay immersed in the cacophony, we hung back for a bit until they pushed ahead a few markers and we were separated by enough distance to wrap ourselves in the comfortable semi-silence.

Grandfather

The trails divide providing views from both sides of the etched stones then reunite a bit further on. Think of a double helix squashed two-dimensional and you get the idea.

I used to climb rocks with the agility of a goat. As the year’s progress, I am becoming less sure of my climbing abilities. My balance is suspect. Still, I chose to take a risk and climb a copse of rocks to see what was on the other side. At this point, I did not realize the trail was a double helix. In the jumble of boulders, I found a set of glyphs not visible from the trail.

The meaning behind most glyphs is either unknown or pure speculation. Only one, here, had an obvious interpretation even to my untrained eye. The Rattlesnake glyph with coiled body and head elevated in a defensive position. I needed a closer look at the symbol residing at knee height. I brushed aside small rocks and dead scrub for a place to sit without sticks and stones chewing into my ass cheeks, dropped down and pulled in my feet sitting Buddha style.

Rattlesnake Glyph

I was at eye-level with the glyph, most likely, in the exact spot as the ancients responsible for birthing this art. It was marvelous. It was intriguing. What was the ancient trying to say? Was this to honor Rattlesnake? Was it a totem to warm others away? What did the undecipherable images on the surrounding rocks represent? Were they simply graffiti? My mind popcorned these and many more questions but none were buttered with a definitive answer. Questions. Questions. No answers.

I am a writer. I write daily. In a thousand years, will my writings be as mysterious to future generations as these glyphs are to me? I am sure the yet to be born will have technology capable of translating my scribblings into a future language but my recorded imagery is born of my time, rooted in the deep loamy earth of David. I am misunderstood by my own generation. Is there, then, any hope for future generations? How will future explorers understand images born of events too subtle to make a ripple in anyone’s history except my own? History continues generating ripple waves. Soon, today will be absorbed in the tsunamis of collective history and my messages will be obscured.

I wasn’t able to sit Buddhist style for long. Wear and tear on my knees from years of reckless athletic activity made them less flexible, prone to pain when bent to extremes. I stretched out my legs as best I could and put my hands behind me. The stone was hot. So, I put them in shadow openings beneath the rocks after first making sure there were no creepies in those spaces not baked all day in the solar furnace.

No sooner was I comfortable, I felt a sting in my right hand in the meaty part at the thumb base. Heat rushed from my hand up my arm and spread until my entire body was enveloped. My body felt like it was being stuck with thousands of fiery needles. My thoughts slowed. My sight tunneled until I could only see a circle of light, a circle that kept shrinking until it was a pinpoint outside of my reach. My body elevated, was sucked into the light, spit out on the opposite side.

My mind had been ripped out of my body and seeped into the thin slice of space between the living and the dead, the thread separating yin from yang, the sliver of brachiated light wherein exists the spirit of all beings ever to have blessed or cursed Earth with their presence, the forms held before recycling into other beings. If this is my end or a new beginning? If a new beginning, I hope I am recycled as Condor so I can soar high in the clouds descending to Earth only to feed or carry departed souls into the Heavens.

The sunlight was bifurcated. The light beam entering my left eye contained a faded version of the visible color spectrum, faint as watercolors carrying too much liquid. It was as if a color vampire had sucked out the vibrancy. The other eye filled with light bleached of all color saw only shades of gray. Once they reached an equilibrium, I experienced the world in the sepia. It was like looking at old photographs from the late 1900s faded from exposure to wicked sunlight over many a year. When I was finally able to adapt my focus, I found I was sitting behind the shoulder of an old man, a very old man.

He was thin as a stalk of corn. Yet strong. Had long white hair reaching to his waist, skinned bronzed to the color of red Earth. Leathery skin from living life in the biting sun. Morning hours hunting in the hills, afternoons farming in the valley, and long treks over a land without much in the way of shade. His firm, taught muscles flexed as he chipped a coil into the coffee brown surface of the rock’s skin. A rock tattoo. It was obviously the creation of the snake I had been admiring. It was half complete. Perhaps, I could get some insight into these masterpieces. First I had to figure out who the old man was.

“Who? Who are you?”

“I am your great, grandfather. Call me Grandfather.”

“Grandfather,” I asked, “why are you carving a snake into the rock?”

“I am not carving Snake into Rock.”

“If not a snake, what are you carving?”

“I am not carving.”

“But Grandfather, I see you chipping away at the stone.”

“You are looking but not seeing. The eyes look, the heart sees.”

“Grandfather?”

He turned toward me. Only then did I realize sunlight no longer penetrated his eyes. They were milky with thick cataracts. Grandfather was blind.

“I am freeing clan Brother Rattlesnake. It is his time. He has been trapped in this rock since the creation.”

“How did you know it was there?”

“Because my eyes no longer carry light from the sun to my heart does not mean I cannot still see.”

“I don’t understand, Grandfather.”

He returned to his work. Chipping and scraping with stone tools. Stopping to caress the rock. Chip. Chip. Chip some more. The coil finished and the neck was slowly being revealed. He worked for long minutes without uttering a word. Compact movements with much force. I grew antsy in his silence.

“When will the image be finished, Grandfather?”

“It is not an image, grandson.”

“But I see you are carving a snake. How do you know where to chip?”

“Rattlesnake is cold blooded. He absorbs heat from the surroundings. It concentrates in his body. I can feel His warmth when I rub my hand on the rock. My purpose is to release Him.”

“Purpose?”

“We all have a purpose grandson.”

“We do? Do you know my purpose? Do you know Why I am here?”

The old man paused in his work. A slight smile creased his wizened lips forcing the sun cut lines in his leathery face to scrunch into ravines. Only his eye teeth remained in his mouth.

“I dreamed you to visit this sacred mountain. I dreamed you to sit in front of Rattlesnake in your world. I directed baby Rattlesnake to bite you. Then when you were balanced between life and death, I pulled you through the light tunnel into this sliver world between worlds.”

“What? Why?”

He continued, “As a child, I was bitten in the leg by Rattlesnake when I walked too close to her den. I was deep in thought so did not hear the rattle warning and crushed one of her children. It was the spirit of the crushed snake that bit you in the hand in your world. The heat from the poison crawled up my leg and I fell into a trance where I experienced a vision. In that vision, I had a grandson with hair the color of fire. This fire hair was strange to me because our people have always had hair as black and glossy as Raven feathers. Even when old, our hair colored retained a rich blackness. I always thought of us as belonging to the Raven clan. In my vision, the fire hair was the sign of the one who would continue our family mission and carry the message of Rattlesnake to future generations.”

He stopped talking. Rubbed his hand on the rock. “I can feel the beating heart of Rattlesnake. It is close to time.” He again chipped away. Kept chipping until Rattlesnake was fully revealed.

“I have 23 grandchildren. All but one was born with Raven’s hair. One was born with a white streak in her black hair and our people believed her to be the emissary. But I knew she was not the one. My four daughters have since grown barren so, I thought, I had angered the Gods and they turned their back on our people. This made me sad.”

“My second grandson married a woman who had a white grandfather. His second child, you, were born with the full head of hair like fire. My sight had been fading for a long time and was almost gone and I feared I would return to the spirit world before seeing my vision come true. Seeing your fire hair, I knew there was still powerful magic in my vision. And I knew my life candle was nearing the end.”

He speech was slowing. At times, he spoke haltingly seeming to be short of breath.

“Grandson, we are clan brothers to Rattlesnake. It is your destiny…your purpose is…”

Before he could finish, he turned to dust. Right before my eyes, he turned completely to dust. His form hung in the air momentarily. Then, as if the God’s exhaled, a gentle breeze carried his form high into the sky where it dispersed and floated toward the valley below. I was left alone, wondering…what is my purpose, my destiny? More so. What the hell just happened?

Clan Brothers

“Grandfather!”, I yelled into the sky. “I am 57 years old and still don’t know why I exist. I was so close to finally understanding my purpose. But you abandoned me. Why does everyone abandon me?” My eyes moistened. I rubbed them vigorously. No tears. Not now. Not here.

“He cannot hear you anymore, my brother. Hisss purpossse isss fulfilled. Hisss journey isss finished. But yoursss…yoursss isss jussst beginning. Now, your quessstion…”

“What question?”

“The quessstion of abandonment. Our kind alwaysss end up alone. It isss not abandonment. It’sss dessstiny. It’sss the natural order of life. Wolf people live in community. Our people…well most people fear our people. When we gather together, their fear increasssesss. They kill what they fear ssso we exist alone. It is sssafer that way.”

I knew it was a rattlesnake talking before I saw him because his words were accented by a pronounced hisp and accompanied by a gentle rattling sound. I turned but not too quick so as to betray my heart pounding terror. The rock where grandfather chipped was seared bright white as if blasted by intense heat. Sharp details were burned into the rock including Rattlesnake’s fangs and each rattle segment. The image was carved deep, a reverse sculpture. Coiled in the spot where Grandfather had been sitting moments earlier was a rattlesnake with a body thick as my flexed bicep rattlesnake. The rattle had 20 or more segments. It was deathly still except for the flicking tongue. With each flick, my heart trembled as if the tongue was penetrating into my soul.

“B…B…Brother? Did you call me b…brother?”

“Yesss. We are brothersss as were Grandfather and I. Our peoplesss have alwaysss been brothersss and sssistersss.”

“Always?”

“Ever sssinssse we emerged into thisss fourth world. Before that, there was only the Godsss. It was the Godsss who sssealed me in that rock. They sssaid I broke sssacred lawsss. I asssked which lawsss and to sssee the textsss. But they sssaid the lawsss were too powerful to be written down. I had to trussst their wordsss. They never did explain which lawsss. Truth isss, the Godsss are frightened of me, of usss ssso they locked me away in the rock.”

If I was surprised when I could understand grandfather though we did not speak each other’s language, I was even more astonished realizing I could understand the thoughts slipping off Rattlesnake’s forked tongue.

“Ok. I’ll bite. Why are the Godsss…the Gods…afraid of us?”

The Gods

“We are the guardiansss of thisss boundary universsse between. It isss here we give the gift of visssionsss. Visssionsss allowing other beingsss to glimpssse knowledge the Godsss amasss for themssselvesss. The Godsss are jealousss beingsss. The Godsss are vindictive. The Godsss hoard the knowledge for themssselvesss becaussse the knowledge givesss them power, power over othersss they are unwilling to ssshare. Ssso they persssecute our kind.”

“What kind of power?”

“The power over life and death. The power to manipulate humanity for their pleasssure. They crave absssolute power. They are absssolutely corrupt.”

“They? Gods? There is only one God and he is the Lord Jesus Christ!”

Rattlesnake’s head swayed from side to side in annoyance. For an instant, I expected a final, venomous bite. Instead, he spat in disgust, “Foolisssh boy. Foolisssh, gullible boy. There are many godsss. Layersss of demigodsss, sssub gods, and psssychophant godsss kisssing asss to win favor and move up the god ranksss. At the top, there isss a committee of big G Godsss. Each isss vying for the heartsss of humankind ssso they control everything. The big G Godsss routinely and sssecretly from the other big G Godsss sssend prophets to infiltrate humankind. They are attemptsss to sssway the masssesss to worssship them and them alone. Numbersss equal power. All thossse prayersss ssshift collective consssciousssnesss toward one of the big G Gods. Ebb and flow. Ebb and flow. Think of it asss a human electoral college. You sssilly humansss hear one Godsss twisssted mutteringsss and asssume it represssentsss all truthsss. You fight warsss tipping the balancsse. Ebb and flow. Ebb and flow. Humansss sssuffer. Animalsss sssuffer. Ssspiritsss sssufer. Only the Godsss win.”

The longer he talked the more agitated he became. His entire body spasmed. Drops of venom flew from his fangs, landed on my lips and tongue. I swallowed before I could reflexively gag. My tongue, throat, esophagus, all burned until the pain settled in my stomach and scorched. I felt like I had swallowed liquid fire. It took a while before the pain diminished and my lips only tingled as they do when I’ve eaten a meal sprinkled liberally with chile de árbol or long kissed my gorgeous wife.

“Wife?” I was walking with my wife. It was my turn to be agitated. “Where am I?” She and I were searching for glyphs together. “Where are you?” I called looking around trying to catch a glimpse of her raven hair. As I started to get up, I felt a dual-pronged sting in my neck and a searing heat, the same searing heat when my hand was bitten. The hotness enveloped my brain almost immediately giving way to a massive head rush lasting minutes. Hours? Longer, I realized as I watched the moon arc overhead and the sunrise again.

“You are a ssstrong one Brother, asss ssstrong asss Grandfather. Mossst don’t sssurvive the firssst kisss. But you, you have sssurvived two. You may need even require another to remain with me in thisss between world.”

When the sun was again high in the sky, the headrush subsided. Heat seeped into my body like the runoff from a heavy rain through a narrow crack in an otherwise sturdy foundation. Slow. Steady. Until I was flooded with a tingly calmness from my toes to my hair. My heartbeat slowed to 1/2 time.

“Now that we are refocusssed.”

Rattlesnake kept referring to us as we. I’m a me not a we. I’m a me!

“As there are many Godsss there are many truthsss. And there isss one truth you need to hear to put all in perssspective. It isss about the book you worship as Holy Bible. The Godsss cassst my type as demonsss becaussse we were not afraid to ssspeak the truth about them, are not afraid to expossse their secrets to mankind. Ssso, they convinsssed the prophetsss to write about firssst sssnake as the decsseiver, the tempter faulted for the fall of man. It isss the original fake newsss.”

For the most part, I believe the Bible was a source of truth. But, I would not be being honest if I didn’t admit to harboring doubts about the claims of Biblical inerrancy. There were conflicts. There are conflicts between the stories.

“You are telling me, the account of the fall of man at the tongue of the snake is fake news? That the Bible is built on a foundation of misinformation?”

Rattlesnake rolled his diamond shaped head in exasperation, let out a long hiss, and a few, short rattles from his tail. I imagined he also rolled his eyes but couldn’t really tell if the elliptical pupil rolled in the eye socket or when he rolled his head, the sun glinting off the eye made it appear the eyes rolled. Nor do I know if their eyes can roll. Cross-cultural communication is always difficult. Cross-species nearly impossible. Body language easily misinterpreted. Either way, I definitely felt his disdain.

“It isss not all liesss. There are ssscattered truthsss. The Godsss know the bessst way to disssguissse liesss isss to wrap them in a plausssible veneer of truth. People rarely put in the effort to sssee passst the sssuperficssial making you a creature easssily manipulated. The herssstory of humanity is littered with disssguisssed truthsss…”

Rattlesnake entered into a long, long story, a sing-song story during which he wove all origin tales into a single creation/evolution epic. A long braid combing all myths into a single rope stretching from the origin of the Gods, through the creation of Earth, the rise of all life forms from single cells up to and including the age of man. The entire time he sang, his head moved side to side hypnotically, dancing to a rhythm to which only his Rattlesnake soul was privy. The sun and moon changed places during the monologue song. Is this the 2nd or 3rd day?

“And we come to you, Brother David.”

“How do you know my name?”

He rolled his head in an exaggerated circle and hiss-sighed. “Ssshit. Let me get thisss ssstraight. I, Sssnake, was freed from inssside an ancssient rock by a blind man who vanissshed in a cloud of dussst, have ssspoken to you in a language you underssstand. But you are sssurprisssed I know your name?”

Visions

“Ya. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Okay, on with this. To recap, I am 57 years old, already on borrowed time. I better hear my purpose before the Grim one returns to collect on the debt or your story will also be lost to time.”

Rattlesnake uncoiled. Recoiled clockwise. Uncoiled again. Recoiled anti-clockwise. His scales rubbed against each other sounding like sandpaper abrading rock. He was contemplating his next move. Would he move a Pawn and we would dance longer or go big and choose the Black Knight pinning me with a show of force? He flicked his forked black tongue. It was disconcerting to have him tasting the stress I was trying to hide. Time to try some flattery. Advance a Pawn and put him on shaky ground.

“Brother Rattlesnake, I see you are old, ancient by your story, blessed with the wisdom of the Gods. It seems to me you should also be recognized as a big G God. Yet, you appear to not have a clear vision into future days passed? Are you inferior to the Gods?“

“Never, bother! I am wissse, asss wissse asss the wisssessst God. Thisss offendsss their petty egosss ssso they conssspired when I was resssting and limited my ability to sssee into future daysss. But even together, their combined ssstrength wasss not enough to completely block my ability to know futuresss. My visssion of near future daysss isss cryssstal. It quickly loosssesss focusss when thossse daysss reach beyond a moon cycle. Then I mussst rely on my dreamsss of could be futuresss. In sssome of my dreamsss you are prominent, sssome a ssshadow figure disssappearing in the breath of a god, othersss I tassste no trace of you. In all dreamsss where you appear, there are two consssissstensssiesss. You wear a medisssine bag the color of sssunrissse. It hangsss from a leather cord and ressstsss over your heart.”

“Brother, I don’t own a medicine bag. I did once…”

“Yesss, yesss, yesss, I know. You did oncsse but it isss long sssincsse lossst. You were carelesss. Earth hasss cleaned up and repurposssed your messs. It wasss crafted by an indigenousss, decorated with Porcupinesss quillsss, and held the ssspirit of beingsss important to you. It wasss made from Deer jussst like the one in my dreamsss. The dream bag, though, doesss not have quillsss ssso it isss a different bag. ”

“Thisss dream time bag will find it’sss way into your handsss. When it doesss, the firssst sssacred object you mussst include isss the creamy flowersss from a wissse Yucca. A flower in full bloom with a calming perfume. The plant mussst be old with a ssstalk asss thick asss my body. Wrap your hand around my neck for a sssize comparissson.”

I hesitated. It was one thing to talk with Snake quite another to touch this demigod or demidevil, I’m not sure which. After hearing Rattlesnakes stories, I see little difference between the two.

“Brother, you hesssitate. Not to worry. I won’t bite.” As snake spoke the corners of his lipless mouth turned up in a sort of forced smile, a smile tinged with evil? “If I wanted you dead you would already be. I am the vulnerable one. Your hand around my neck preventsss me from biting. Sssqueeze too hard and I will choke, posssibly to my own death.”

I reached out with my left hand while the right searched the ground for a sharp rock. If I was to be attacked, I would return the favor. But hadn’t Snake foreseen this in his dream time so would know my plan? The girth of his neck was large, my fingertips did not touch. There was a good two-inch gap between my middle finger and thumb. Never had I touched a snake with such thickness. I had seen large pythons but never held one. My experience was limited to garter snakes and once, when a kid, a slender green grass snake no thicker than my pinky. I would have like to keep it as a pet. But mom’s tend to not be enamored with snakes or worms.

Mostly we caught garter snakes in the field near our home. It was a field next to railroad tracks where we jumped our bikes on precariously narrow ramps catching sky. The local trains sometimes lost thin sheets of metal roughly the dimensions of a window fan box. Snakes would hide beneath. Once we found a dozenish intertwined beneath a single sheet. A nest? An orgy? We caught a few and took them home where we tossed them in a wheelbarrow.

These were also a good size for snake pets. But, garter snakes secrete a stinky odor that sticks to the hands so holding them has consequences. I was bit once on the fleshy meat of my left palm. The teeth were much too small to do any damage. They barely broke the skin. To this day, though, there is a slight mass beneath the skin at the point of the bite.

The garter snakes and every other snake I ever touched felt cool. Which makes sense because snakes are cold-blooded and tend toward ambient temperatures. Not so with Rattlesnake. He was warm. The longer I gripped his neck the hotter he became until my hand burned and I had to let go. There were scale mark patterns in my flesh. It soon came to me, while my hand was around Rattlesnakes neck, I did not feel the expansion or contraction of respiration.

“You don’t breathe?”

“No, Brother. I don’t breathe. I don’t need too. I am not mortal.”

“If you don’t breathe then I could not have choked you. You were fucking with me.”

“Hisss, hisss, hisss.” Never had a laugh sounded so evil. I tried to hide my irritation and continued digging for information.

“Your neck is quite thick. I have never seen Yucca with a stalk anywhere near your girth. Where do I find such a being?“

“A few exissst. Fewer each passing year. They are the ancssientssss, ssso old they are often missstaken for immortalsss. They are not immortal in their own right but live longer than the average human ssso ssseem to be immortal. They have an inner ssstrength gained through meditasssion allowing them to sssurvive everything man and Earth throwsss their way. Drought, highwaysss, pessstisssides, pollusssion.”

“Pollution? Here? It’s pristine. The sky is untainted.”

“You, Brother, have never ssseen prissstine Nueva Méxican ssskiesss. Thessse are tainted, have been graying ssslowly for decadesss. There was a time you could sssee hundredsss of milesss. Today, you are lucky to sssee ten. They are laden with poisssonsss emanating from La La Land California. But thisss isss not relevant to our conversssation.”

“Find a venerable Yucca and put a few fully bloomed flowersss in your medicssine bag. Do it before you leave Nueva México. The yucca in Texasss are of a different lineage and will not do. And don’t forget to thank Great Grandmother Yucca before acsssepting her gift or ssshe will caussse you to bleed.”

“And why do I need a Yucca blossom?”

Rattlesnake’s tail vibrated. The shaking worked it’s way up Snake’s body the way a dog shakes from head to tail when ridding itself of water. Snakes entire body vibrated with the same frequency as the rattle. It took a few moments until he calmed leaving only the rattle shaking. That, too, became still.

“You book sssmart people can be ssstupid to the core! Have you not been lissstening? I am the current ssstep, a guide in your journey, a sssegment in the rattle, a cairn ssshowing you the direction your path undertakesss. Asss isss Yucca. Asss isss Tukó.”

“Toku? What’s a toku?”

“It’sss Tukó. Tukó!”

“Toku. That’s what I said.”

“You did not. It isss Tu asss in the number two and Kó. Tukó” He emphasized the last syllable. “Not Toku. When you meet, don’t call her by the wrong name or ssshe will pretend ssshe cannot ssspeak and ssscurry away. Your opportunity will never again return.”

“Ok. What is Tukó?”

“The mossst common form of Tukó isss sssnake with four legsss and a fat tail without a rattle. Tukó alssso appearsss asss a woman sssteeped in poverty. One never knowsss ssso mussst alwaysss be ready for the unecsspected.”

“Snake with four legs? Sounds sorta like a lizard.”

“What is lizssard but a sssnake with legsss.”

“Pay attensssion. You will meet Tukó in the Philippinesss before the next fat moon.”

“Fat moon? Uh…Do you mean full moon?”

“Fat. Full. Sssame thing.”

“I am not going to the Philippines until next year. You are very mistaken. In a couple of months, I will be in Peru visiting Machu Picchu. Not the Philippines.”

“Peru is an ilusssion. You will be in the Philippinesss and meet Tukó BEFORE the next fat…er…full moon. When you sssee Tukó, give him one Yucca flower.”

“Him? Earlier you called Tukó she. Are you forgetting your lies serpent?”

“Tukó isss a ssspirit animal. Like all ssspirit beingsss and many humansss, it isss a nádleehí with the power to transssform into any gender, female, male, llamana with two ssspiritsss, or fourth gender femminielli. Ssspiritsss are gender fluid, gender non-binary. They become whatever isss needed. It isss the natural way of all life.”

“By the time you sssee Tukó, Moth’sss egg will have hatched and Worm hiding in the flower will be a juicssy treat. Tukó will acssept the flower, eat the worm, then and only then will Tukó ssspeak with you. Ssshe will reveal the next phassse of your purpossse journey. Lisssten closely for ssshe is ssshy, not talkative like me. Ssshe will ssspeak her peacsse oncsse and ssskitter away.”

“What if Tukó is in woman form?”

“The delicate ssscent of the Yucca flower…”

I interrupted, “Yucca flowers have no scent. I sniffed some yesterday at White Sands. Nothing. No smell.”

Rattlesnake long sighed, “Jussst becaussse you don’t percsseive doesssn’t mean sssomething does not exissst. We ssspirit beingsss live in a ssstate of hyper sssensssitivity. We sssee the cream of the Yucca petalsss and the ultraviolet to which you are blind. We sssenssse the delicate aroma, not unlike a fresh rossse with a hint of desssert Ssspring, of the flower to which you are nossse blind. Now, ssstop interrupting and pay attensssion. Our time together drawsss to an end and there isss ssstill knowledge you need.”

“The delicate ssscent of the Yucca flower combined with the echoing heartbeat of the young worm will drive her to ssshape shift into her typical four-legged sssnake form.”

“Why are there so many steps to find my purpose? Why don’t you just tell me the entire story?”

“The big G Godsss limited my visssion. Another punissshment for letting the created beingsss know they are pawnsss in the Godsss twisssted gamesss. We learned to sssee futuresss by tasssting with our tonguesss. It hasss evolved to help usss hunt and to know when the big Gsss are trying to sssneak up on usss ssso we can hide.”

“My tassste is limited to a future bounded by one moon cssycle. Beyond that, all blursss and I mussst rely on my dreamsss. Thisss clear tassste isss how I know you will meet Tukó before the nexsst fat moon. In my visssion tassste, there isss your flavor, the flavor of Tukó, and a definite acsssent of balut. The balut tellsss me you will be meeting in the Philippinesss. This is all I have to sssay. I am done.”

It was time to roll my eyes. “Oookayyy…” If I had a rattle tail, I would have shaken it in mockery. “I am NOT going to the Philippines until next year at the earliest. And even that is speculative. So, you can either see further than you claim or are an outright, fork-tongued liar and the Bible is right calling you, serpent, the father of all lies.”

Rattlesnake seemed to be moving slower like his muscles were stiffening.

“Mock me all you want, Brother.” Snake weakly spat. “It won’t change the revealed truth. A Tragedy isss coming that will take you to the Philippinesss. You mussst bring a Yucca flower if you want to learn your purpossse. If you choossse to ignore my entreatiesss, you will go to grave wondering why you were created.”

Rattlesnake stiffness consumed his entire body but for the head. It was stiffening into the exact same shape Grandfather carved into the rock.

“Wait! I have one more question. How will I know which it Tukó? ”

“My time isss done, Brother. I return to the rock prissson. Heed my wordsss or forever be lossst to you purpossse….”

“The Philippines has lots of lizards. How will I know?”

Spell Is Broken

Before Rattlesnake could answer my last question, he turned into solid rock. I tapped it a couple of times to make sure it wasn’t a trick. Nope. Solid rock. I picked him up, he was surprisingly light and put him back into the rock, a perfectly fitted puzzle piece. A blinding light like lightning flashed in the seams between rock and snake welding it into a solid structure leaving nothing of Rattlesnake but the petroglyph. It took a few blinks for the spots in my vision to fade and see clearly again. The sky was again vibrant. The clouds milky white. My vision was back to full color. No more Sepia.

“David, let’s go.” It was my wife’s voice. She must be worried. How many days had she searched for me? I recall at least two moon risings. So three days? I stood up from between the copse of rocks.

“Here I am.”

“I know. I saw you sitting in the rocks. You need to be careful. The signs said there are lot’s of rattlesnakes in the area.”

“I know. I looked for them. How long have you been looking for me? You must have been worried.”

“Looking for you? I wasn’t looking for you. I saw you climb between those rocks. I walked around looking at the petroglyphs. There is a sheep with arrows over here you’ve got to see. When I got to this side, I saw your white hair…”

“My hair is red.”

“It may have been red once. It is white now and I think it’s starting to get thinner on top. Anyway, I walked around the rocks shooting a few pictures of the petroglyphs. I love the pics from this iPhone. They are so clear. Now, let’s keeping moving. I saw another car pull up and I want to keep distance between them and us.”

I could feel the sweat trickling down my face. The high sun was beating down and the wind dropped off to the occasional breeze. “I’ve been sitting here for a few days. I was in some kind of trance.”

“Sure. Whatever. There’s lots more to see and I want to get to the pistachio store back in Alamogordo before it closes. Let’s move.”

“I saw a Rattlesnake. I talked to a Rattlesnake…” She looked at me, her eyebrows in the I am getting annoyed arch.

“Stop with the snakes. You know I don’t like them. I don’t want to hear snake stories. I don’t want to talk about snakes. I don’t want to think about snakes. No Snakes!”

I looked at her. My mouth stuck agape. A story crouched on my tongue ready to spring into being. Because of her growing annoyance, I was torn between sharing my experience and really pissing her off. She said there were only a few minutes between me climbing in the rocks and her walking around the copse and asking me to continue our walk. That was impossible. I watch multiple moons arc overhead. I defended myself.

“It’s not a story! It’s true. I talked to a Rattlesnake. I have proof. Look at the bite marks on my hand and neck.” I showed her my right palm. But there was no evidence of penetration. I rubbed the area of the bite and felt two hard masses beneath the surface almost an inch inches apart. I reached for my neck. Again, no wounds. There I also felt the masses but these were three inches apart. Was Snake’s head really that huge? Could I have healed that fast?

“If you don’t stop talking about snakes, I am going back to the car. Stop now! It’s not funny.” The arched eyebrows morphed into the I’m really pissed face. If I didn’t stop now, for now, the red mist would descend and the rest of the day would be lost.

“What time does your Fitbit say?”, she asked.

I tapped it twice to bring the screen to life. “Umm, 1:20 pm”

“When we pulled into the lot I asked you what time it was right before we saw the roadrunner. You said it was just past 12:30 pm. We have been here for less than an hour. Now let’s hurry along before that group catches up to us.”

There are times in life my dreams feel more real than reality. And I have been known to unconsciously appropriate other’s stories and weave their way into my life narrative believing I was the original actor in the play. Did I just create my own story? Did I acquire a narrative form one of the many books I’ve read on Indian lore? No answers now. For the sake of my peace and our harmony, I opted to keep quiet and return to searching for petroglyphs. There were a great many to see.

Coincidences

After our hike, I stepped into the porta john to pee. The day was hot and very dry with humidity in the single digits. My pee was approaching jello. I, we, needed to get some fluids. The water in the car was much too hot to cool us down but I drank some anyway. Hydration is more important than the temperature of a drink. But, where to get a cold drink? I remembered, on the way in, we passed a trading post. It was the last landmark before we turned off the highway and onto the street leading to the monument. We stopped there for some cold beverages. Irene also had a cup of hot coffee. Hot coffee on a hot day? Why?.

The trading post was an art gallery specializing in Native arts and crafts, many made by the owner’s husband. The paintings and sculptures were nice. The pottery gorgeous. Sadly, we have no place in our home for additional trinkets. The Jewelry was over the top expensive. My favorite piece was the 20 inch Kokopelli kachina. The goods, including $275 kachina, were fairly pricey and too big to squeeze into our already bulging luggage. There were coffee mugs. These were in my price range but we already have a cabinet full.

I continued to wander the store drinking a frigid Dr. Pepper, contemplating a second can, while the coffee was brewing. And what do I find hanging on a carousel tree? Medicine bags. A bunch of them. They were not fancy. No beading. No porcupine quills. No decoration of any sort. Just simple bags in various colors with a matching leather cord so it can be worn around the neck. There were white, shades of brown, cream, and one, just one the color of sunrise. It was buttery soft like so was likely deerskin.

Medicine Bag

I checked the price tag on the bag. $10. I decided to purchase it as much for the simple elegance, for the nostalgia of the bag I lost, for the words of snake still hissing in my ears that I would need a medicine bag in the near future. There was one more test. I threw it over my head. It hung exactly over my heart.

Coincidence? I could go with coincidence.

I don’t believe life is a series of random accidents without meaning. Nor do I ascribe to a belief that life is governed by a panel of gods arranging interactions designed to move us along a predestined path. Sometimes a coincidence is a coincidence and sometimes a coincidence is part of the bigger picture.

I see coincidence as organic. Life, all forms, every rock, tree, animal, human are part of a collective consciousness. Earth is the massive brain. The inhabitants are cells working in concert. As antibodies assemble to ward off disease so, too, there are interactions between individuals to ensure sustainability of the Collective Consciousness.

This, however, I chalked up to mere coincidence.

We spent a good part of the next day at White Sands. A few hours were used for a five mile, early morning hike where we saw bright white dunes but barely any vegetation let alone a fat stalk yucca. As we drove around the monument and hiked the shorter trails, I allowed my eyes to drift over every yucca, made forays toward those looking promising from a distance. No stalk was more than an inch in diameter. We stayed until moon the moon rose large over the horizon. I kept looking, searching. Not one stalk was anywhere close to the size Rattlesnake told me to look for. I failed. One simple task and I failed.

We left the next morning for El Paso. It was another sunny day with wispy clouds overhead. The nearer we came to Texas the fewer the yuccas decorated the landscape. Then about 3 miles from the border, I saw what looked like a massive yucca with a long skirt. I pulled over. A little too fast for the drastic change in momentum woke my wife.

Yucca Flower

I hurried out of the car, ran over, and grabbed the stalk. My fingers did not touch. There was a full 2.5-inch gap between my middle finger and my thumb. I reached high for a flower in full bloom and was struck by a few needles from the spiked leaves. I rubbed my leg. My fingers came back sticky with blood.

Yet another coincidence? Two in such a short time may be too many to be accidental. I would have to do some probability math when I got home and calculate the odds of this being happenstance or an indicator of nonrandom events.

To be safe, I stepped back, placed my palms together and, as Rattlesnake had instructed, made peace with Yucca. “Grandmother, I am here to borrow a couple of flowers as instructed by Rattlesnake. I thank you for this lovely gift.” This time I grabbed the flowers without incident and stuffed both into my medicine bag.

The Phone Call

Two days after we returned home to Chicago, Irene received a late night phone call. There was a family death in the Philippines. We need to flying out in a less than a week to attend the funeral.

This last coincidence convinced me my time with Rattlesnake was true and his spoken words were of future days to be. When I packed for the Philippines trip, I made sure to include the medicine bag with the yucca flowers. And I wondered if the worm had turned.

Talking Rocks in New Mexico There are few situations more frightening than sitting comfortably with your back against a smooth rock on a gloriously hot, dry, and sunny day breathing pristine mountain air without a worry until hearing an agitated buzzing and realizing you are face to face and within striking distance of a rattlesnake.

#Petroglyphs #Rattlesnake

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alexandersen76brask-blog · 8 years ago

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Why A lot of Tourist Appear to Bali - Nusa Lembongan Snorkeling

The explanation why vacationer from numerous countries coming to Bali possibly is the sea, sand and sunlight of the Bali Beach locations. There are so numerous lovely beach locations like Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, Jimbaran, Dreamland, Candi Dasa, Lovina, Tanah Good deal, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida with their attractiveness panoramic see. That's Bali, the island surrounded by the Indian Ocean and Java Sea kutabeach Kuta is the most popular seashores, accessible, energetic and commercialized of Bali 's southern shorelines. On the south, the seaside is fenced by the airport's runway, which presents you a spectacular landing knowledge. snorkeling in nusa lembongan The seashore stretches as much north as the eyes can see. Kuta is well known for its extended sweep of white sand and is a massive draw for people who want to check their browsing expertise, boogie surf, playing soccer, with pals or just sea aspect wander and viewing individuals. There are so a lot of occasions held here such as Kuta Carnivals, Browsing Competitiveness and Volley Ball opposition. But Kuta is far more for browsing than for swimming and much more for functions than for sunbathing, and a pay a visit to to Bali is not comprehensive with no browsing Kuta Beach front and viewing its spectacular sunset. kutasunset Double 6 Beach front There are so numerous expatriates and people coming to this beach front. Typically they swim, sunshine-bathe, perform football or just loosen up and get some drinks at the dining establishments about this white sand seashore. At this spot, there are some eating places, bars and golf equipment, exactly where folks can dance until the morning arrive. Petitenget Seashore There is a temple at this beach and named 'Pura Petitenget' which is why this beach is called Petitenget. With gray sand, the Petitenget Seashore seems very mysterious, vacationers not often come to this beach only the neighborhood men and women come for swimming or taking part in. But, you nonetheless can see a lovely sunset at this seashore Tuban Seaside Tuban Seaside is just 5 minutes from the airport and from the renowned Legian Street. It has white sand and surrounded by five Star accommodations amongst Kuta and the airport. It really is safe to swim listed here, as the hotels' lifeguards will set up flags if there are any rips. This is a good spot to get a deck chair and a excellent ebook and experiencing the beautiful sunset. Uluwatu Beach This unique beach front is established in a kind of cave with cliffs looming above. Uluwatu is famous for its waves that can peel flawlessly for hundreds of meters over reef, and are reserved for skilled surfers only. Uluwatu has a stunning sunset that you can see from the best of the hill and you can see the turtles swimming also. Even so, swimming is inadvisable below. Padang Padang Seaside Just down the highway from Uluwatu is Padang-Padang, which is one more enchanting beach front nestled into a pocket of lava-rocks, with an entrance to the beach however a cave crevice. This modest cove provides popular globe-course waves that entice surfers from all above the world. The water is also safe for swimming and snorkeling. The beach is tiny but the location is enchanting and unforgettable, and like Uluwatu has warungs for beverages and treats. Impossibles Beach front Down the Peninsula from Padang-Padang, this lengthy stretch of white-sand beach is totally free of warungs and individuals, and even now keeping its first normal make-up of flora alongside the towering cliffs. Regrettably, at higher tide the seashore all but disappears beneath the waves, and for this reason Impossibles is not an excellent spot for soothing on the sand, although it is a great setting for a sea-side wander at minimal tide. Swimming is not suggested here, and the waves are for seasoned surfers only, as they break over reef. Bingin Seashore Inside paddling achieve of Impossibles is Pantai Bingin, but this beach front totes an very diverse atmosphere. It is nonetheless very all-natural and silent, with few people, despite the fact that there are fairly a amount of bungalows and a handful of warungs in the vicinity. This white-sand seashore is pockmarked with rock and reef, forming swimming pools in lower tide, although at substantial tide the beach is virtually consumed by the sea. Skilled surfers enjoy to come listed here as the waves are close to perfect and usually type pristine tubes. The water is also relatively risk-free for swimming and snorkeling as the waves split on a reef about fifty to one hundred meters from the shoreline. Dreamland Beach front A number of hundred meters up from Bingin is Dreamland, which overlooks each and every other Bukit seashore all the way to Uluwatu. Simply because of its elegance, white sand and cliff outcroppings, it has become the chic seashore of the day, and it is typically reasonably active with travelers, and quite a amount of warungs and modest bungalows have been built in the region. It is a fantastic beach front for swimming and surfing, as it delivers a sand-bottom split, but frequently has a sturdy rip present. Jimbaran Seashore Jimbaran Seashore is a sleepy cove in which fleets of fishing boats colour the scene. With a slower speed than Kuta and a relaxed friendly atmosphere, the shores of Jimbaran provide a tranquil respite. The properly formed bay is also spared the crashing waves of close by beaches, supplying a protected haven for leisurely swimming. Jimbaran is a common spot for windsurfing and sailing tiny craft. Jimbaran's gray sand and tranquil waters are attracting a lot more men and women but the seaside even now has a sleepy emotion. It is also well-liked location for seeing the sunset and eating the clean seafood. Kedonganan Seashore It truly is about three kilometers, around 10 minutes from the Ngurah Rai airport. Kedonganan is a fishing village, in which you can see a classic fish market place and Jukung, the classic fishing boat which existing an intriguing look at. Right here, you can buy the seafood grilled at the seafood cafe around the seashore although you observe the sunlight go down the valley. Nusa Dua Seaside Nusa Dua, a lovely extend of white sandy beach front that provides exceptional swimming circumstances in a secured lagoon, was designed for the luxury conscious with massive name hotels lining the stunning white sand seaside. Some of the resorts have personal beach locations but most places are available. The extend past the Hilton Resort has been a public seaside and in the course of the damp time, the outer reef there is a common surf crack. Geger Seaside On the way to Nikko Lodge, right after Bali Golfing, there is a valley which conclude in Geger Beach. At the Geger Seashore, you can see the numerous gorgeous fishes swimming freely among coral reef and the fisherman in the sea grass discipline. Geger Seashore is peaceful s seashore where you can swim in the very clear h2o, do fishing, and lay down for sunbathing until the sun go down. That's why several visitors referred to as Hidden Paradise Sanur Beach Sanur Seaside is the ideal area to view the dawn in the early morning. Stretch alongside way from guiding Grand Bali Seashore lodge, Sindhu Seaside, Pantai Jerman to Semawang Beach front. A beach strolling producing it feasible to get pleasure from the numerous lodges and dining establishments together the strip and enjoy the local snack like spring roll, fried tofu, grill corn and many other treats. Sanur is a serene, peaceful lagoon that delivers excellent situations for wind browsing and para-sailing. Sanur has a energetic heritage and is still a revered region. The seashore frequently fills up with brightly clad ceremonial people honoring different auspicious days. The reef off Sanur is a well-liked surf split but only functions under minimal problems. A lot of water sport organizations are based right here, offering a number of leisure routines. sanur Matahari Terbit (Dawn) Beach front

It is just 5 minutes from the beautiful Sanur Beach. It is black sandy seashore with most of nearby folks appear here in the early morning to view the dawn and see the Mount Agung. Padang Galak Beach front The white sandy beach front, is a popular spot for surfing, consists of the warung and lodging. In the early morning, you can see the splendor of the dawn, also the Mount Agung can be noticed from this seashore. And in the middle of the calendar year, The Bali Kite Festival is always held at this beach front. Lebih Seashore There are different h2o athletics or sailing on the Jukung the traditional boats can be accomplished at this seaside. On the black sand, you can have picnic with your friends or family members and enjoy the grilled sea food. Padang Bai Seashore Padang Bai, a picturesque bay surrounded by majestic cliffs and hills, is a best escape at the east of Bali. It is popular for its pure white sandy seashore and beautiful harbor surroundings as a transit harbor to Nusa Penida and Lombok Island. Candi Dasa Seaside Candi Dasa is the gateway to east Bali. The beach has been mainly washed away because of to the large coral picking. This has now been stopped and tidal walls have been erected in an work to restore the beach front. Gradually the coral is returning, Candi Dasa now has grow to be a well-liked tourist vacation spot. Sadly the beach front is not suitable for swimming. Amed Seaside Amed, all around thirty minutes push from Candidasa, is a single of the very best scuba diving and snorkeling spots in Bali with its spectacular beneath water entire world. Amed is a standard cultural heart with only minor influences from tourism, you can see the village boys and ladies working towards traditional tunes and the fisherman sail their outrigger canoes out to catch the fish. Picture diving on the black sand slope of volcano towering in excess of the reef or a night on the wreck of Liberty at the undeveloped and unspoiled corner of paradise. Tulamben Seashore Tulamben Beach front is inseparable from the heritage of Tulamben Village as a marine village. The lava floods and rolling of large volcanic stones dragged the shipwreck of Liberty to the depth of thirty meters earlier mentioned sea stage and fragmented into to components. This shipwreck then turned to be the house to hundreds of species of coral fish and shrimp. That is why Tulamben is much more quiet but more well-known for diving and snorkeling. Nusa Lembongan Seashore In the year 1200, there was an old male from Mount Kila, called Dukuh Jumpungan who owned a boat which experienced a magical electrical power. Legend has it that whenever he sailed on his boat, every thing he encountered and struck by his boat would grow to be an ocean. 1 working day, Dukuh Jumpungan listened to that there was a quite sacred mountain called Mount Tohlangkir. Dukuh Jumpungan was established to confirm the magical electrical power of his boat by hitting the sacred Mount Tohlangkir. He wished to make Mount Tohlangkir disappear and turned an ocean. He sailed in a southeast direction from Padang Bay, collided his boat to Mount Tohlangkir. The boat rebounded shakily, and ultimately sank. An island appeared in the region exactly where the boat rebounded shakily and is now called Nusa Ceningan. The region the place his boat sank grew to become an island and is now named Nusa Lembongan. In Balinese, Lembongan signifies mushroom. Now, Nusa Lembongan is one of the most popular destinations for cruising and sailing. The pristine white sandy beach locations with aquamarine bays are brimming with colorful sea daily life, so diving and snorkeling are also extremely well-liked sporting activities in Nusa Lembongan. One particular can also appreciate the glass bottomed boat rides. With the backdrop of Mount Agung, Nusa Lembongan has spectacular landscapes and provides unforgettable adventures. Lembongan's neighboring island, Nusa Penida, has a lot more ominous status and is considerably less common. Nusa Penida Seaside Nusa Penida provides wonderful swimming, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and sunbathing, also dramatic walks, unspoilt scenery, deep caves, and pleasant, welcoming villagers. Nusa Penida is the most gorgeous dive location in Bali with huge distribute of coral reefs and abundant with coloration and fish. Most guests continue to be in Jungut Batu on Nusa Lembongan and occur over to Nusa Penida island on working day trips. Nusa Ceningan Beach Ceningan Island is just subsequent to Nusa Lembongan. When there is no swell at Nusa Lembongan head all around listed here for a entertaining wave with water slides and watch banana boats. Many nice coral formations like pillars, desk corals and a whole lot of fish make the Ceningan Island is great spot to dive. Tanah Great deal Seaside Located at the Tabanan, Bali 's southwestern coastline, Tanah Whole lot is popular as the location of holiest temples on the island and the sunset above the Indian Ocean. With the black sand, Tanah Good deal Beach front is not suggested for swimming or browsing for the beginners but it really is wonderful for horse driving and viewing the spectacular sunset above the Indian Ocean. Nyang Nyang Seashore Nyang Nyang Beach front is recognized for its white sandy seaside and its best waves for surfing. It is located at the western element of Bukit Peninsula, facing the large Indian Ocean. This deserted browsing seashore provides the total privateness and pleasure for guests or surfers. Suluban Beach front The beach front is positioned a number of km north of Uluwatu, shut to Bingin browsing beach front and Labuan Sait. Suluban derives from Balinese phrase which signifies 'walking or passing below something'. The seaside was named Suluban, because the guests have to go via the coral reef cave just before achieving its vast sandy seaside. The sea water is crystal very clear, and its huge waves make it the most well-acknowledged surfing seaside among the planet-vast surfers. Labuan Sait Beach Labuan Sait Beach is positioned a few km north of Uluwatu Temple, experiencing the extensive Indian Ocean. From the parking great deal, site visitors have to wander by way of 60m long coral reef tunnel to this gorgeous beach front of Labuan Sait. Canggu Beach Situated only a couple of km north of Legian Beach front, this lovely beach is accessible from Kerobokan Village. Like its neighboring beaches, Canggu Beach offers the ideal waves for browsing. For newbie surfers, the reef-coral waves will give a interesting experience. There are also a lot of amenities for tourist in Canggu spot as the effect of North Kutas growth Lovina Seaside Lovina Seaside is located roughly 10km west of Singaraja. Its black sandy beach is beautiful at sunrise and a superb place for swimming. There is no browsing, but a lot of coral regions for snorkeling and diving. It is also a very good place for seeing dolphins offshore in early morning. This location is really tranquil with the daily life of the village that is peaceful. Pemuteran Seashore Pemuteran Seashore is positioned in Pemuteran Village. The seaside has so numerous gorgeous fishes, turtles and other marine and submarine habitats and coral reefs. There is also turtle conservation close by. This peaceful location is perfect for organic excursion pursuits these kinds of as tramping at the Countrywide Park, swimming, snorkeling and diving. Gondol Seaside Gondol Beach front is found by the poor fishing village of Gondol, about 30km west of Seririt, or 35km east of Gilimanuk. With rows of jukung (classic boat) and surrounded by coconut plantation, this element of the coastline is idyllic and tranquil. It is also a great area for swimming and snorkeling. Delod Brawah Beach Delod Brawah beach front is a black sandy seaside which used to be a swamp and a favourite crocodile hunt. It is stated that the sand from this seashore can cure rheumatism. Medewi Beach

#nusa lembongan snorkeling #best snorkeling in bali #snorkeling in nusa lembongan #lembongan snorkeling tour

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