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Chapter 2

2

S

eung stood under the endless downpour of Inayo Falls. Cradled in the void of meditation, the roar of the falling water had long gone silent in her ears. And even though Seung hadn’t traveled much in her life, she couldn’t imagine a more beautiful and serene place could exist.

She drifted deeper into her standing meditation under the torrent. Eyes closed, standing erect, the young warrior held her hands in front of her heart, forefingers and thumbs pressed together, her remaining fingers curled inward.

When she sat directly on the earth, she felt a strong connection with it. From the rocks, to the tiny plants and shrubs, to the giant trees who whispered to each other through their network of roots in the ground. She could expand her awareness and feel the air, the sky, even connect with a nearby bird in flight.

She sometimes floated on her back in the lake at that base of the falls and let her awareness connect with the underwater plants, the moss, the fish. Today was one of her frequent, and more difficult, endeavors: to connect with the earth from a more challenging position.

Standing upon the lone boulder directly under the crashing water, Seung stretched her awareness from her location to the shore. She felt the ever-unmoving presence of the earth. She rode the leaves that detached from the branches of trees and floated in the air.

Seung pulled her awareness back, then sent it into the water. She felt the presence of the moss at the floor of the lake. She felt the underwater plants, swaying with the lazy current. She felt the energy formed by the constantly moving water, and the presence of the beautiful gold, white, and red carp swimming along the bottom, pecking at moss.

She basked in her connection with the flowing water and its inhabitants, enjoying the quiet and tranquil depths of the lake.

Her body gave a sudden involuntary jerk. A huge and heavy presence appeared in the lake and pressed down on her. Seung’s awareness recoiled, but the entity was everywhere. The force closed around her until it felt as though she was held fast in an unbreakable grip. Her brow twitched as she fought to hold on to herself. The force was so big, so powerful, she felt she would be absorbed in it if she faltered.

Anger, restlessness, resentment

. Seung tried to move away, but the presence was there, filled with raw and primal emotion. She felt the sensation of being awoken from a fitful sleep to a destroyed home filled with enemies. Her home, destroyed, poisoned. The poison crept into her, filling her mind and body with pain and rage.

Seung’s eyes popped open. She gasped, then doubled over in a fit of coughing when she inhaled some of the falling water. She slipped and fell off the boulder into the pond, and though she was awake from her meditation, the lingering connection remained. The anger turned to sorrow, then regret, then anger again. Was something in this pond trying to communicate with her?

She swam for the surface and inhaled a deep breath of air, coughing up the last bit of water that had made it to her windpipe. She made her way to the shore and dragged herself out of the pond. On hands and knees, she took several ragged breaths.

What was that?

Seung pushed aside several locks of wet hair clinging to the side of her head and looked over her shoulder at the lake.

Was something in there?

She’d grown up swimming in that water and had never had such an experience. Such an enormous presence couldn’t possibly live in that small body of water.

She climbed to her feet and walked to the shore, eyeing it as though it was a venomous animal. The sensation had already begun to fade, yet her curiosity hadn’t. She dipped her toe in the water, then her foot. Nothing. Seung waded back into the water until she was waist-deep.

“Are you some kind of water spirit?” She glanced about her surroundings, then shook her head. “Talking to no one. I must look like an idiot.” She waded in deeper until she was treading water, then floated on her back. She spread her arms out and felt her hair tickling her arms, as it drifted about her head like a cloud.

Watching a gray heron glide across the cloudless blue sky, she thought about the many times during her meditations when she’d felt a link with a nearby animal or bird, feeling their feelings, their contentment or fright, hunger, wariness. Seung blinked.

Is that what just happened?

The idea of something that large and powerful connecting with her nearly sent her swimming back for land. Instead she took a few calming breaths, then closed her eyes and opened herself again, carefully. Despite her caution, the images hit her hard again.

She fought to keep her fear in check and communicate with the presence. She sensed no evil, but whatever it was, it was unhappy.

What are you trying to tell me?

If it heard her, it didn’t respond, but continued to flood her with pain, anger, and frustration. It was like sharing a nightmare with another being. Death, sickness, rage. Scorched and poisoned lands filled with toxic chemicals from long ago.

Seung pushed through the bombardment.

Who are you? What are you trying to tell me?

For a flicker of a moment the presence was fully aware of her, and she sensed disdain. She was the cause of its pain. She was the cause of its sickness. Not just her. All like her.

Seung struggled to remain calm under the accusations.

I’ve done nothing

. The presence pressed down on her with crushing force, and her body tensed.

Please, you’re hurting me.

To her surprise, it responded.

“As you’ve hurt me.”

It was like being spoken to by a mountain, so heavy and powerful was the voice. Countless images flashed through her mind, and she shook violently, unaware of the water splashing over her face, or that she was now below the surface. So many images. Too many to withstand.

Seung’s eyes flew open. She looked around, surprised to find herself underwater, and half expecting to be attacked by some giant creature. Carp swam around her at a safe distance, eyeing her as they drifted by.

She worked her way to the surface and broke through with a long gasp of sweet air, and treaded in place, trying to get her bearings. She found the shore, several dozen feet away and realized she’d drifted to the middle of the pond. She swam hard and didn’t stop until her feet touched the rocky bottom.

Seung splashed her way out of the water and bent over, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She looked back at her peaceful retreat since childhood. Now it looked ominous.

“What in the name of the Gods?” Seung took a deep breath, and replayed the experience in her mind. She closed her eyes and saw the deep blue ocean, once vibrant and thriving now sick and dying. She saw fanged beasts with long necks and slitted eyes, frightful enough to stop her heart.

Snow drifted on the howling winds of an icy tundra, where a range of mountains stood watch over the frozen landscape.

Seung’s shiver had nothing to do with the weather. “What did I connect with?” She hugged herself and continued to stare at the lake. “Do I even want to know?”

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