“I have so many memories that aren’t mine. Memories that seem so vivid, yet so serene and primordial. They could easily lead oneself to believe that they had originated from a nature documentary, or one’s imagination trying to live out a given scenario – but I know it’s not the case. For most of my life, I had slowly been going blind – my sight started to decline at the age of 6, with me already being declared legally blind by the age of 10. Now, as an adult who has suffered a life-changing accident which further deteriorated my sight, I am limited to seeing only lights and colors without proper shapes… Furthermore, I was never given the chance to experience much of the world due to my parents having horribly tight schedules, demanding jobs, and a general inability to care for a child, resulting in them leaving me in the care of inexperienced sitters and teachers. On the rare occasion that I’d have a responsible caretaker, they’d be very strict with me and limited my media consumption to nearly non-existent exposure.”
“These images of foreign memories… visions of a cloudless, blue and pink colored morning sky with a big and bright full moon up above the silky golden sands, spanning mile after mile on the surface of the Earth. There is no vegetation whatsoever in sight. Many figures dressed in linens of white, silver and gold, whose garbs flow with the gusts of the dune-filled expanse while treading the burning sands in a perfectly devoted line as their camels followed suit, solidifying the prophetic nature of these images… The sun’s rays casts wisps of light onto the people’s robes, which reflect iridescent rays of colorful bokehs, as each devotee in the line held a crystal sphere that encased an interior gemstone that shone with radiant reflections like infant rays of chromashift… It’s a scene so beautiful and perfect, that it could only be described as biblical.”
“In the distance, there is a coastline of pearly white sands with water as blues as sapphires. The people are going to that place, and it is only a matter of time until they got there. Around the line of travelers flies a murder of crows, keeping watch of their masters and treasures, ensuring their arrival to that sacred destination. These crows are armed with the finest of braces and talons any bird could ever dream of. They are so extravagant, it is as if they were specially bred by gods for humans to use on this very occasion. I know, because I saw through the eyes of one of these crows. I was one of them.”
“The leaders of this group of devotees are The Three Mage-Kings: Jain – the Mage-King of the Psyche Element, Rajah – the Mage-King of the Qualia Element, and Amir – the Mage-King of the Chronos Element. They are triplets who were separated at birth and taken to distant lands to be brought up as slaves. Despite the physical separation and their struggles as child slaves, they still felt a connection to one another – and by fate – rejoined at the ancient city of Luxor in Egypt during a slave trade. Once the three realized who they were, they put their skills to the test and managed to escape their tormentors and liberate themselves from the life they knew they didn’t deserve. They left the city leaving behind all they knew, swearing to eventually return and free their captured and enslaved friends. From that day onward, the three were inseparable. As they grew older they also grew wiser, which in turn provided them with strange abilities that had never been witnessed before.”
“During the boys’ absence, the city people would whisper among themselves rumors which in the end proved to be true. Suspicions and long-held beliefs of the ancient people that indicated the arrival of Three Star-Sent Children on Earth to herald a new age of unification for the seemingly perpetually divided world. That day finally came after years of waiting when the people noticed the arrival of Three Men who looked exactly alike. “Triplets!” The people silently rejoiced, they instantly knew who these men were.”
“Over time, the men gained the favor of Luxor, and even gained a reputation within the entire region for their mysterious divinatory prowess. Their mystical talents, bravery and sheer will to survive eventually gave rise to their titles as “Mage-Kings”, and solidified their destiny in what is one of the most magical places on the planet. As soon as the triplets gained power, they fulfilled their promise to their enslaved friends by freeing all slaves and outlawing the trade. In addition to banning forced labor, they also reformed and restored their city with the resources already available to the people. Humble kings they were, as they always protested to wearing a crown of any sort over their heads and refused to be taken care of or pampered in any way. Every day they walked, ate, drank, conversed and even worked with the people in the city, establishing their commitment to their people even further at every moment they could. These acts would be the catalyst for the people’s love towards the Mage-Kings and everything they stood for, they knew that The Kings would keep them safe, and they did for as long as they could.”
“The biggest act of love the Mage-Kings ever did for their people was this, the long and perilous journey to the south-westernmost coast of the desert. They were going to find The Maiden of The Deep, and ask her to bless their people due to rumors of an invasion from the east spreading within the city. For this, they would offer in return the Maiden’s favorite treasures: cut gems, raw crystals, and a variety of stones. They brought her those spectacular artifacts prepared by the the city’s artisans and craftsmen as proof of the people’s dedication and loyalty to her as well, not just the Mage-Kings. These were meticulously crafted relics that the people knew the Maiden would make use of – even if she wouldn’t bless them, it a fact they were content and honored with.”
“Upon reaching the coastline, the caravan of devotees assembled the ceremony area, altars and gifts. When they finished, the triplets joined hands, forming a triangle between the brothers while entering the waters of the pristine sand. The water seemed to also know they were there, to see the Maiden in hopes of a wish being granted. It swallowed up the crystalline artifacts the men wore around their necks on exquisite paper necklaces, specifically made to dissolve inside the water. They had entered a submerged meditation of some kind; short moments of immutable eternity among the cold and salty waves.”
“The immense pressure of her aquatic prancing could be felt from the distance. At first, you could see serpentine tentacles below the surface of the water, dancing in a rhythmic circular pattern. One could feel the force of them rushing through the murky depths, inching closer to the surface without breaking the water’s tension. The suckers had a peculiar appearance, glowing in many shades of green and being shaped similarly to octagons with star-shaped insides. These wondrous movements caused the water around her to rush towards the shoreline in a strangely beautiful and uniform pattern. Then, it happened – she surfaced. As she rose, one could see eight massive tentacles that simulated a skirt for the Maiden splash around her in a spiral motion with great force and energy, albeit with an angelically gentle sense of grace and control. Her deep green, tendrils that acted as Her hair flipped backwards as she whipped the upper half of her body, while the lower half remained mostly submerged.”
“Her ascent was breathtaking and loud, but not deafening. Sounds that only a deity could make echoed throughout the desert, sounds that were unintelligible, but paradoxically understandable. The vibrations that composed the sounds had the peculiar effect of separating silt from the underwater sand, which the devotees on the shore collected as it rose. After her ascent, she made a sound similar to a war cry that only a few of us could hear, a frequency so special that it made our blood vibrate and cool – instantly soothing us from the intense trek through the desert. For a few minutes, she simply stood there, her gaze fixed onto the skies above, as if she was contemplating or searching for something in the distance way above the atmosphere, while also having the effect of evoking nostalgia in those nearby, a sense of longing for something that was lost, stolen or forgotten long ago.”
“Her calm, but rageful expression said it all: she was ready. With this expression, she began her descent. As she sank, she started to move her lips as if she were speaking or chanting, though without any speech actually emanating from the giantess. However, everyone could somehow feel a message in her actions; a conversation spoken through color, light, movement, shape and size. Her descent caused the water to rush towards the shoreline yet again, only this time the water was gentler and uniform all around.”
“A few moments later, she was gone. The Maiden had disappeared back into the depths that hid her from the world, and the three royal brothers emerged from their watery shrine, their white linen garbs now permanently stained gray, brown and black from the silt of the ancient seabed the Maiden and kings had disturbed. The kings changed into new, clean and dry clothes, leaving their previously soaked and dirtied garments behind in a sealed chest which they buried near the shoreline. Right before leaving, the followers placed their crystalline orbs on the shore, allowing the waves to swallow them up just like the Mage-Kings did with their artifacts; each follower uttering their prayers and wishes onto the orb as they let go.”
“It was done, the ceremonial offerings were completed. It was time to go back home. By the time they started their journey back, the sun had begun to set, and the group noticed and immediately rejoiced at the sight of a green star in the sky, joined by multiple chromashifted comets that left astonishing opalescent trails as they skid over the dimming sky.”
“The people knew they were going to be alright.”
-Willa Ataraxia, The Blind Seeress.