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The Gift

Richard's Storyline, Chapter 7.1

copyright comidacomida 2018

Having been so close to the shooting at the supermarket and experiencing firsthand what ignorance of the ways of Spirits meant for me I couldn't help but dwell on it. Balam, Jack, and the ten 'o'clock news had done a lot to help reduce the guilt I felt at not having been able to prevent the loss of life, but it was still on my mind and my dreams reflected that. I dreamed of death Saturday night.

Sunday had always served as my 'getting ready for the school week ahead' day for me, but on that particularly week I woke up early with the plan of learning things they didn't teach as part of a college class; I was going to learn more about Spirits, and Balam was going to help fill in a lot of the blanks in my understanding. With the lingering dreams in my head I got dressed alone, moving quickly and with purpose as I began to piece together what I was going to say to Balam and Jack when I joined them in the living room. When I walked down the hallway I was all the more surprised to step into the room and find that neither of them were there.

I didn't think anything of it at first, realizing that there was no reason that they had to be at my beck and call. As I started going through my morning routine, however, I began to feel just a little bit of concern. What if the trip to the supermarket had revealed some kind of weakness in me that they didn't appreciate? Was I too much of a pushover for Jack? Was I too slow a learner for Balam? Did I have too many faults? Was I not good enough? No, I decided, second-guessing was the one thing that I'd been told to stop so I needed to do just that: I calmed myself down, finished breakfast, and sat down to think.

I knew enough about Spirits to confidently puzzle my way through the situation so I sat down on the sofa as I put on my shoes and socks while considering their absence. Spirits needed Spirit Energy from Humans and, as a Seer, I was able to provide them a lot more than any other Human out there. They knew me, and had chosen to stick around, going so far as to helping me 'right size' my collection of Spirits. They wouldn't have gone through all of that to just leave... so what then? A test perhaps? I didn't know for sure, but I decided to move forward with that line of reasoning. They wanted me to find them.

If that was the case I had to take three things into account: first, Balam wouldn't stray too far because I was his connection to the Human world; second, Jack would stay nearby because he was a Guardian Spirit and he couldn't protect me from blocks away; finally, there would be some reasoning behind where they chose to go so all I had to do was consider places of significance or importance. Stepping outside the house, I turned to lock the door and caught sight of the ladder leading to the roof... and then I heard the sound of voices coming from above me-- Balam and Jack.

I climbed slowly and quietly, pausing to peek my head above the gutter. The roof had a fairly flat angle to it so I could easily see the Gryphon and Jaguar perched on the peak, facing three-quarters away from while they spoke and watched the sun rise. I lingered there for a moment as Jack stretched his wings wide, beating them gently in the air. Balam was much more subdued, responding to one of the Gryphon's questions slowly, in halting an English/Spanish combo. "The sun... es especial... for many people. For me... es especial."

Jack agreed, offering a response in slow, deliberate Spanish. "Si. Y yo tambien... el sol... uh... pee-en-so el sol es... es... ah-- bollocks... how do you say--?"

The discussion came to a halt when the ladder shifted beneath my weight and scraped across the side of the gutter. I steadied myself quickly to eliminate any risk of falling, but both Spirits had taken note of me by that point-- Balam greeted me as a Seer, while Jack's was much more personal. "Good morrow to thee, Richard. Wilst thou be joining us, or is it thy intention to remain on the ladder?"

Without a word, I climbed up onto the roof and, likewise, without saying a thing each Spirit slid to the side, providing me space to sit between them. I took them up on their offer and, to my surprise, each offered me an arm. I took Balam's paw in my left hand and Jack's talon in my right and gazed out over the roof tops toward the sun, which had just left the horizon. It was bright and, knowing the dangers of UV light to the Human eyes I closed them, enjoying the feel of the warmth on my face, and held in my hands.

To my left, Balam spoke the prayer of the directions I had come to know, though I realized he didn't have the circle. Rather than stop at the end, however, he continued with a new prayer. It was beautiful in its own way, and hand a rhythm to it that was mystifying and hypnotizing. "Ken tiip'ik K'iki'ich yuum k'iine' k-'k'amik u yo'olil a t'aan. Ye'etel a sa'asile' k'ilik ye'etel k-n'ukbesik tu la'akal ba'al k-okle' a paalalo'on xan. Le o'olale' k'k'ubeentikba ti' teech le keen u sa'astal. Teech tu'un K'ili'ich HUNAB KU k-yumtsili' k'kana'an. Teech ka buukintik tu la'akal yo'ok'ol kaab ye'etel a k'i'inam."

The warmth grew greater in the paw I held in my left hand but, only a moment later it grew also in my right. Jack's voice joined Balam's, and I realized immediately that he was translating what the Jaguar had said in Mayan, despite not knowing the language himself. "When the holy Sun rises, we receive the energy. The feeling of your words, also your likeness. We can see c learly and we walk, and make everything correct. We know we are your children, that is why, when the Sun rises, we give ourselves to you for protection. Holy HUNAB KU, it is you who owns our health and our protection. You cover the world with your energy, light our way of life, our health and our thoughts."

Silence prevailed for a long time... long enough for me to take several breaths and take in the Mayan prayer, both in its original verse and in its translation. Just as I was about to speak up, however, Jack intoned a prayer of his own, refolding his wings across his back as he spoke. "Faeder ure su se eart on hoefonum, si sin nama gahalgod. Tto becum sin rice, gewurse gin willa urne gadaeghwamlican hlaf syle us todaeg."

As with before, a heat grew in my hand-- that time the right, and then transferred to my left. When Balam spoke it was in English, clear, but with his beautifully exotic Mayan accent to accompany it, and, despite not being particularly religious myself, I recognized the first part of the Lord's Prayer right away. "Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom Come. They will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

It was a strange-but-magical moment as the three of us sat on the roof, taking in the light of dawn. Only once I was sure that they had both said what they were going to say did I open my eyes, looking to each in turn, and I was surprised by what I saw. Balam's paw was still wrapped around my hand and, where we touched, a strong shimmer of turquoise light flowed from my fingers and into his, where the energy shifted color, becoming a deep, royal purple. When I looked to my right I saw the same bluish-green flow from my hand, which was grasping Jack's talon; the energy flowing into him gradually changed shades until it shined with the radiance of a Gold bar in the sunlight.

For as much as I can explain what I saw as a form of experience, what I FELT is beyond description. It was like cool water flowing into me at the same time as a burning fire, but there wasn't any pain. It was like the serene silence in a deep cave meeting the powerful zephyrs atop a mountain peak. It was giving all of myself to the Spirits on either side of me, and getting back even more in return. It was surreal; it was otherworldly; for lack of sounding trite, it was magical.

Looking to my left, I asked in Spanish. "What is going on?"

Rather than answer, the Jaguar's ears lowered slightly as a genuine smile creased his muzzle, and he leaned forward, pressing his thin black lips to mine. The sensations increased two-fold as I could actually feel and see the Spirit Energy transfer into Balam once he finally broke the contact. When he spoke, a powerful Amethyst glow was visible from deep within his throat. "What is going on? You are finally beginning to understand, Seer."

I felt dizzy, and a little giddy. Turning to Jack, I saw the Gryphon looking at me, feathers crowning his head raised and eyes watching me like a hawk-- or, rather, like an eagle, I suppose. Not missing a beat, I gave his talon a little tug; he obediently leaned closer, and I gave him a kiss in mirror to what Balam had offered me. The sensation was different in the same way the two Spirits were, but it was no less intense or meaningful. When we finally separated Jack blinked several times, his beak still slightly parted, Golden light visible from deep within, and he said simply "Wow."

My smile was probably just as strong as Balam's... but most likely twice as goofy. It felt nice spending the morning with my Spirits and I honestly hoped the entire day would go as well. There was time for me to focus on us, and enjoy the company of both the Jaguar and the Gryphon without interruption... or so I thought. Just as I was getting ready to climb down the ladder, I--