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Post by Tomahawk on Dec 16, 2004 19:26:17 GMT
Drifting and floating, floating and drifting...
Strange smoke whirled and swirled all around Michael Two Crows, wrapping itself around him and ebbing away, and repeating itself again like a dance.
There was nothing around him that he could see, but the greens, reds, blues, violets and greys of the smoke, ebbing and flowing, carrying him along on some unseen and unfelt current.
"The building... The fire! Bengaline! She's still in there!" His mind snapped back like a stretched rubber-band.
"Where am I?" he said aloud. Looking down at his hands he was shocked to see that his costume was gone, as was his shirt- all he had was a pair of low-cut moccasins, belt, and a breechclout.
"What? This isn't mine- this... I..."
"I... I... I..." echoed back, the only sound in this bizarre maelstrom of smoke and colors, punctuated only by brief flashes like heat lightning over the prairie.
"Ai Yi Ai Yi" the echo came back stronger, yet... different, his own voice changed, accentuated, articulated- no, that was not his voice, another voice, singing... What was it singing?
And then he could hear it, the dull thum- thum, thum-thum of some great drum, beating out a rhythm, somwhere... Near. Or was it far away? There was no way he could tell in this place... If this even was a place.
"Ai Hiya hey ya, hey ya hai..." he found himself singing along, some song, wordless yet meaningful- where was it coming from? He swore he'd never heard it before, yet he knew it somehow, somehow...
The smoke roiled and rolled about him, in front of him, and he could see... something coming in his direction, something making it's way through the smoky haze towards him.
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Post by Silverback on Dec 17, 2004 8:17:48 GMT
As the hazy mist drifted, cleared and coalesced a pair of bright green piercing eyes glowed brightly from the grey blanket of the fog.
A faint panting could be heard emanating from the still shadowy figure. Cautiously moving forward the creature left the cover of it's soft, protective sheath and slowly approached, ears pricked in curiosity and it's tongue lolling in laughter at this visitor to this realm. The coyotes grey-brown coat seemed to be speckled in beads of light as if stardust had settled upon the creature during the night.
Settling on it's haunches the wolf-cousin looked deep into the eyes and soul of the warrior brave before him.
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Post by Tomahawk on Dec 17, 2004 16:37:31 GMT
Michael was taken aback by the mysterious appearance of this Coyote, even moreso by this peculiar world of fog and smoke. Slowly and cautiously he sat down... on what? A cloud? Mist? Was there even anything really there to sit on?
Regardless, he found that in this weightless, drifting state he could nonetheless assume a seated position, which he did. He closed his eyes and tried to focus.
"This all makes no sense- this place, this strange world... Where am I? How did I get here? What does this all mean?"
But no answers to his silent queries were forthcoming. Slowly, he opened his eyes again, and saw that this strange Coyote- What could it be? A Star Coyote? Some sort of Spirit being? -was still sitting there looking at him, on the one hand almost laughing, on the other hand, strangely still and peaceful.
The fog and smoke started coalescing, forming other shapes- a tree here, a mountain there. Or was it all just part of his imagination?
Suddenly, a thought occured to him, a realization, the only thing which made any sort of sense to this bewildered young man at this moment.
"So..." he said slowly and thoughtfully, "This is what happens when I die."
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Post by Silverback on Dec 20, 2004 10:58:19 GMT
"This all makes no sense- this place, this strange world... Where am I? How did I get here? What does this all mean?"
The coyote tilted his head to one side as he listened to the braves voice, his tongue lolling a little further and the sound of little chuffs accompanied the creatures actions as though he found the young mans words very funny indeed.
"So..." he said slowly and thoughtfully, "This is what happens when I die."
"You of all my peoples should know that this place is neither end nor beginning. It is just that - a place - nothing more." The deep timborous voice resounded through Michaels thoughts. "You chose to travel here. This is the first step of your journey or is it the last step of a previous journey. It is your quest to discover the meaning of this."
With that final message the coyote slowly stood, stretched and yawned. With one last look at Tomahawk the animal padded off into the mists occasionally glancing back towards the red skinned man.
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Post by Tomahawk on Dec 20, 2004 11:13:36 GMT
"Wha..??" Tomahawk stopped himself abruptly before blurting anything more out.
What was it that his Grandfather had told him so often? He could hear his voice, echoing through his memory.
"When it comes to the Spirits, they talk- you listen. If you want answers, you need to shut up and pay attention..."
He allowed himself the quick thought, the hope that he would have the chance to see his Grandfather again.
It became obvious to him at this point that he was not dead, but perhaps lost in some dream-world, or perhaps even the Spirit World itself.
"Where I am," he thought, "is perhaps only half as important as Why I am here. This Spirit says that I chose to come here. What is that supposed to mean? I am certainly not going to get any answers sitting around."
Michael slowly stood up and then began to follow the Coyote through the mists.
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Post by Silverback on Dec 20, 2004 11:21:34 GMT
"Do you know of my kind Two-Crows," the coyote asked the warrior striding by his side "what we mean to your people? What we have done and what we are going to do?"
The coyote stopped and looked into the heart and spirit of the man before him. "Why did you call me to this place? What is my name?"
The coyote sat down and stared expectantly at the effervescent spirit form before him.
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Post by Tomahawk on Dec 20, 2004 12:17:50 GMT
"Shunkmanitu." Tomahawk replied. "Sacred Dog. Some also say 'Big trickster', and the Black Robes say the devil. But Grandfather says Heyoka- the Contrary one, the one who can change one thing into it's opposite. He also says Protector Medicine- like a mother protects her cubs. But it all depends on the person, what Shunkmanitu does for them... or to them."
He frowned slightly at that last thought. "I called him here? But I did not do anything! I was in the fire- trying to rescue people. And then the next thing I know I am here- wherever here is."
Finding his voice again, he continued, "Surely there must be some mistake, for I could not have called you to this place- I do not even know what or where this place is! My Grandfather- he is a Medicine Man, not me. I'm just a dancer, just a..."
And he paused for a moment, trying to come to grips with the word which he himself still had little understanding of, but had heard so many frightening things about.
"a Mutant."
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Post by Silverback on Dec 20, 2004 13:08:29 GMT
"Shunkmanitu!" The coyote laughed. "You do me great honour to name me after grandfather Coyote, but I am not he. I came at your calling, answered your summons if you wish - maybe your great medicine lies in your heart." The coyote paused, "maybe even in your aberration of your stone-form."
"Still you have not named me Two-Crows! Am I to be lost to the spirits? Ashamed and alone, wandering without a name?"
"But yes, even though I am not my grandfather, his blood runs true in my veins. Am I to be your protector or deceiver - this can only be answered during your quest." There was laughter in the coyotes eyes, "will you trust me or be wary of me - brother?"
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Post by Tomahawk on Dec 20, 2004 13:50:11 GMT
"Ho!" Tomahawk replied, laughing slightly.
"So I should name you? Very well then, I shall give you a name- Wichàhpi Washtè, the Good Star, because your coat sparkles like many stars, and it is my wish that you be a good Kola, but such things take time. I am willing to trust you, if you would be willing to trust me."
He paused for a moment to get an impression of the Coyote's reaction ((OOC: checking Intuition)), and then said,
"So what is this 'Quest' you speak of- Friend?"
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Post by Silverback on Dec 21, 2004 10:06:20 GMT
"Wichàhpi Washtè? You have chosen a good name for me brother." Good Star paused and looked directly into the eyes of Two-Crows. "You know of my nature yet you speak of trust. I am my grandfathers sire and his spirit lives within me and his nature influences my actions. You can neither trust me or you can trust me completely. Surely your people know this is true of all coyotes!"
This creature is truly a child of Coyote the Trickster, her intentions are impossible to fathom and her nature is a mystery wrapped in a puzzle and coated in an enigma. Your ancestors were right - the coyote is truly a friend and enemy, both one and the same.
"So what is this 'Quest' you speak of- Friend?"
"Truely your quest lies deep within your heart and spirit. All that is needed is the will to free that knowledge from within you and your quest will become apparent." Holding Tomahawks gaze Good Star continued, "What do you know to be the truth in your heart friend? The lie that burns or the truth that hurts? Release them and discover your quest!"
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Post by Tomahawk on Dec 21, 2004 10:55:31 GMT
"The Truth?" Tomahawk paused for a moment and frowned.
"What truth could he be referring to?" he thought. "The truth about my feelings for...? I am pretty confused about those myself. No, surely he means..."
"The 'Truth', whether I like it or not, is that I am what they call a 'Mutant'. I thought at one time that my abilities were a gift from Wakan Tanka, and I am sure that in some way they are, but the 'truth' is, they have more to do with strange 'genetics'- things I do not even understand- than with Medicine. I thought perhaps the Spirits had chosen me to carry strong Medicine like my grandfather, but I was wrong."
He dropped his chin down to his chest and shook his head before continuing,
"The 'Truth' is, I am just some freak of nature."
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Post by Silverback on Dec 21, 2004 12:33:09 GMT
"The 'Truth' is, I am just some freak of nature."
Good Star let out a howl of frustration at the warriors words. A piercing cry that spoke of anguish and buried feelings. "You mistake the truth for the fact that exists in your stone-form. Until you realise, release and speak the truth your will never set your foot upon the path that is your quest."
The coyote slunk off into the mists and it's disembodied voice called back to the indian brave, "go now. Leave this place and return again when you know the truth!"
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Post by Tomahawk on Dec 21, 2004 13:05:27 GMT
"Wait!" Tomahawk cried after the dissipating figure before him.
"Are you trying to tell me that I'm not a 'Mutant' after all?"
He was more confused now than ever.
"Is this all some sort of Coyote trick? Dani told me I am a Mutant- some sort of machine had confirmed it, even. I had come to accept that as 'Truth'. Truth... what had he said before about 'truth'?"
He took a deep breath and swallowed hard.
"Perhaps I am a 'Mutant', perhaps not. But this is my Medicine, regardless. Teach me what I must do with this Medicine! I would walk and carry this Medicine- and any other, as it need be- I need only guidance in what you Spirits would have me do!"
But no answers were forthcoming, as the maelstrom of fog, smoke and mist whirled around the young indian man once again...
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Post by Tomahawk on Apr 18, 2005 14:38:24 GMT
VISIONS II- THE BEGINNING
Tssssss….. Tsssss….. Tssssss….
The stones warming up in the sauna hissed and crackled to life as Michael carefully and deliberately took ladlefuls of herbed water and allowed them to slowly fall upon the heated stones. As he did so, he began chanting songs taught to him as a small child, songs which had been sung by his father’s father, and his father before him, back to the dawn of time when they were first given to the Sioux people by Wakan Tanka himself, long before the subdivisions of “Lakota”, “Dakota”, “Sihasapa” and the rest even existed.
As he sang, he began to feel detached from the room, from the space and time which he knew he was in, and all around him the steam from the stones created nebulous clouds, which themselves began to take on peculiar hues…<br>
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Post by Silverback on Apr 20, 2005 13:39:06 GMT
The swirling mists formed themselves into the shape of a grey-brown coyote, the image quickly dissipated in a cloud of yellow-orange, black and brown which resolved into the shape of a jaguar. Once again this shape only hung in the air momentarily to be replaced by a sheen of irridescent blues and the figure of a slender bird rapidly pumping it's wings.
Watching these shifting mirages Tomahawk saw the hummingbird swoop towards the ground whereupon it began to shift in shape and size until before him stood the figure of an ancient blue-skinned 'man'. Upon his brow rested a head dress of shimmering feathers.
The touch of a cold, wet nose against his leg made the young indian brave jump and, looking down, he saw the laughing, lolling tongue of Coyote and a pair of incredibly deep pools of colour looking up at him. 'It seems we have a visitor.'
Sensing his confusion Coyote answered the unspoken question. 'This one is not of our place. His name is strange too but also familiar to our ways. He is known as The Blue Hummingbird on the Left.'
Normally a name like this would've inspired a bout of tongue-lolling from Coyote but instead the animal before him stretched out and laid it's head on it's paws.
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