The Time Stone, Third Edition (Extended Version)

The duo trekked through the jungle uncertain of their surroundings and scared of their misfortunes if they suffer a fall or other disaster. They wandered through the bushes, leaves, and muck underfoot and the hanging vines and branches coming down that seemed like endless threads to navigate through.

“I never thought the jungle would be so disgusting.” James commented frowning.

“Mother nature is a pain.” Tina joked laughingly.

“Remind me to laugh later.” James adds sarcastically. Then suddenly the bushels of leaves and vines before them rustled to their shock and out popped a hairy figure and then multiple hairy figures in a clearing surrounding them.

“What are they?” Tina screams looking at the figures which has snouts like wolves, hair all over their bodies, long tails, and paws like monkeys. They were nude, had long shaggy hair all over their bodies, and walked upright like men though in a hunched over position, as if stumbling to maintain their equilibrium. They circled around the duo as James and Tina moved closer together in fright. “What are these things?” Tina asked.

“Beats me” says James. “I think this is goodbye.” He whispered as the razor sharp claws of the head of the pack slashed within an inch of James’ face.

“Use your powers.” Tina yells.

“I can’t” James speaks paralyzed with fear as he waved his hand at the head of the pack, but nothing happened. The head of the pack growled ferociously as he revealed his fangs and drooling interior mouth. The others bellowed in a similar manner in support as they began to close in on the duo. Then suddenly without delay, they hear a swishing noise coming from above through the trees and a singular figure emerged swinging in a couple of times and striking the head of the pack in the back of the neck, and he dropped to the rainforest floor, to the dismay of his followers.

“What the…?” James and Tina uttered bewildered.

The figure swung back and landed on the soft grass before them. It is a young blonde-haired woman with bright eyes that had a fierce determination in them. She wore animal skins and furs that made her seem to blend amongst the wolf-monkeys and she held a long wooden staff that seemed to be a natural extension of her long legs and tall form.

“Wow, she is amazing!” shouted Tina.

The woman without hesitation turned and performed a series of roundhouse kicks and jumping assaults spinning through the air with her staff and maneuvering wildly as she seemed to control the air about her. The duo had ducked down in fear as they tried to fight, but were outmatched.James has outstretched his hand and with the power of his thoughts, a dead branch on the ground lifted up and hurled itself upwards towards one of the pack who is about to pounce on the female warrior from behind; it knocked him out and down to the ground hard.The female warrior acknowledged this strange gesture with a nod and continued on with her fierce assault. When the last of the pack fell, the female warrior landed on her feet and stood in front of them. The pack slowly rose and began to run into the woods one after another.

“Oh my God” Tina screams.

“Who are you?” asks James curiously.

“I am Alexa of the tribe Awondel! You come to hunt?” She speaks in a primitive and broken English manner.

“I guess we are.” James nodded. “I am James. This is Tina.”

“Come with me. Be safer.” She led them out into a path in the woods that is apparently untouched by the pack because the trees appeared to be covered in foul smelling plants. The duo held their noses as they followed Alexa through the jungle.

“Is our life always going to be on a path of stench?” James joked and Tina smirks not as amused as their trek through the jungle commenced.

James and Tina felt that they were being escorted like lambs to the slaughter. They were grateful that their savior is so helpful, but they seemed to doubt their benefactor in some way as if she is hiding something. She says very little during their trek through the forest as if not having much to say, or the ability to say it well enough for them, so she responds to their inquiries with one word answers, “Yes”, “No”, and “Wait.” When they ask what those wolf monkey creatures were, she merely responds with a word, “Beasts.”

“Are they from here?” James Asks.

“Yes!” Alexa responds and accelerated her walk forcing them to run to catch up.

“Are you familiar with any legends regarding what we saw so far?” asks James.

“There are only too many. One of the most prominent is an ancient legend telling of the tep zepi or the first time. This is supposedly a time when ‘sky gods’, ‘sky watchers’, or beasts came to man to provide everything from laws to fire and knowledge. They transformed the land to water and flew through the air in flying boats.” Tina speaks quickly as the duo tried to catch up with their new friend.

Alexa walks quickly while speaking slowly. “Hurry, the beast men will return.”

“Unreal… they are like spirits or invisible aliens” James uttered.

“They were supposed to be like protectors to guide people to their ultimate fates, but little is known about them” says Tina. She and James continue into the forest led by their strong ad silent guide, Alexa.

Within moments, they arrived at a series of bushes. Alexa turns to the duo and nodded with a stern look as if cautioning them and then looking around to make sure they were alone.Without a word, she used her hands to part the bushes and a metallic door is revealed. The door seemed like nothing they have ever seen, a metal of strange lucre, showing apparent signs of age like dust and mold growing on it, but no rust and no tear. There is a small insert in the center of the door for some type of object. Also, there is a strange gilded like design of a double curved line with a loop in the center and two on the bottom so it looks to James like five orbs hovering before him.

“What could that mean?” James wondered thinking the primordial woman before them couldn’t have made it like that.

Alexa removed a small silver metallic cylindrical object from her belt. James saw it has the same gilded like marking of the five orbs etched on it.She inserted the object into the insert on the door and stepped back.Within nanoseconds, the key moved through the door and disappeared to the other side as the door slid open revealing an inner sanctum, an encampment where others were walking and sitting.Alexa led her two new companions into the room and the door slid shut behind them.Alexa pardoned her way back to the door and removed the key she previously inserted that is now resting on a similar insert on the other side of the door.

“Come” Alexa beckons to James and Tina. She led them through the encampment. James and Tina look up in awe at what appeared to be a never ending ceiling that seemed to veer up into the heavens, well lit, a dome shape at the very top, and plants of all varieties growing in the dome, animals of various species local and foreign to this land walking about as if in their natural habitat.There were straw huts in no particular formation surrounding the encampment and objects of normal kitchen use, clay pots, plates, and goblets scattered about.The people were thin and frail, brown and tan skinned, unlike Alexa, and some were taller than others and they wore skins like Alexa. They smiled as they saw the strangers in their home, but kept their distance.Seeing fear in their eyes, James kept his eyes forward as he and Tina followed Alexa.She led them to a hut which seemed bigger than the others at what appeared to be the end of the dome. James and Tina looked back in shock at a great deal more that is uncovered by these simple villagers and they wondered who or what could have created and occupied this place before these people moved in.James and Tina entered the larger hut and walked to the back several yards into it passing benches and artifacts lined up along the sides.James stands in awe at the symbols he never saw before. Tina is amazed.

“Wow, check out the images from history!” Tina exclaims in pure joy.

“You know this stuff?” asks James.

“Are you kidding? I studied many symbolical arts in college… the little college I did get.”

“That’s more than what I got.” James shrugged “but I recognize that one.” James pointed to the five orbs symbol they saw on the door and key to this place.

“It’s the symbol for union.” Tina explained. “I also see Greek, Roman, Far Eastern…” she continues.

“Great,” James interrupted beckoning to their host who appeared to be impatient from their abrupt stop.

“Come,” Alexa says. They followed her without another word and were led to an elderly man sitting down with his legs crossed at the far end of the hut. Light Latin style music played in the distance by wooden string instruments and animal skin drums. The large dome appears to enhance the acoustic vibrations and spread it throughout the tent.

“It sounds like a rhapsody” commented Tina.

The man wore a small headdress made of animal skull and a long well-adorned robe with feathers, jewels, metals, and other artifacts found in nature. He appeared to be the leader, well respected, and ancient. He had a long white beard and long white straggly hair over his dark tan face and deep brown eyes that were shut. Alexa kneeled down before him and then sits cross legged as he did.She beckons to the duo to do the same and they slowly did.The man’s eyes opened.He speaks in a language that they did not understand.It is darker, colder, and mysterious. Alexa nodded as he speaks looking at James and Tina directly.

“You are here from a great distance.” Alexa speaks slowly translating for the man.

“Yes, how did you know?” Tina asks gently perplexed furrowing her brow.

”You are out of place.” Alexa speaks softly with no trace of any accent of any kind.

“That is obvious” says James. “Do you know what he is saying, Tina? You are the educated one.”

“I don’t really know. It sounds like it might be Portuguese or Spanish or a combination and some words I cannot tell. I am fluent in both a little bit, but there are some deviations in what he is saying. I also studied Latin a little bit, but forgot most of it. James, I don’t know….”

The man continues to speak his voice and tone charismatic and deep, crinkly and monotone, as if many were speaking through him.

“We meditate to become one with the Gods.” Alexa says continuing to translate.

“What language is that?” Tina asks.

“It is the language of the Gods, from long ago, the Creators.”

“They built this place?” Tina asks.

Alexa nodded slowly with a look of sincerity.

“The Pregivers of our lineage who granted the gifts to man are those we worship.” The man speaks more angrily and began to shout in the language of the Gods as Alexa translated diligently into English for the duo. Then in an agitated moment she beckons to James and Tina. “We must go.” Alexa warned.

“What did he say?” asks Tina.

“There is something I must show you.” They rose and walk out.

“So where are you from?” Tina says making small talk. “It’s just that you don’t seem to be from around here, for the most part.”

“I am born in a distant land. The Awondel found me when I am of age thirteen years.”

“That explains why you are not like the others here.” James adds.

“They never treated me like anything other than one of their own. They are my people. They are my family.”

“Who are the Awondel?” asks Tina.

“They are the lost tribe of the Pregivers, the left behind children of the Gods and guardians of their greatest treasure.” Alexa speaks with reverence.

“What is that?” Tina asks.

Alexa remained silent and led them into a crevice that led to the exterior of the dome, which they soon found out is a cave.

“And the old man?” asks Tina.

“He must be left alone to meditate… come” says Alexa.

James and Tina were surprised to see that this structure is partially submerged in a cave and the tribe could access it. Alexa picked up and lit a torch with a lighter.

“Where did you get that?” asks James.

“We got from traders in the nearby market village as I represent the tribe in gathering supplies and goods as well as many things.” Alexa replies.

“What’s this?” Tina asks with wonder in her eyes and curiosity in her heart as Alexa’s torch illuminated the cave walls and there were a series of pictorial diagrams, arches, figures, and symbols painted on them.

“The story we tell. It is forbidden for outsiders to know, but you are different. Our Chief wants you to know.”

“Why?” asks James.

“He sees you as one who can help us, as one who … is the one we wait for.”

“James, check this out.” Tina says. “These are cave drawings, ancient cave drawings. I studied cryptography and ancient studies, a little bit, specifically interpretation. This looks like a very old form of writing, maybe something before cuneiform, which people believe is the oldest known form of writing.”

“Wow, you’re amazing, Tina” says James. “What does it say?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly as I never finished my studies remember? And also this, like the spoken dialect of the tribe, seems to be deviated so much, but I think I can take a crack at and figure out the translation of the writing anyway, hmm.”

“Well…” asks James.

“No clue” says Tina. She saw the disappointment on James face and laughed. “Just kidding, I couldn’t resist teasing you.”

“That’s cute.” James smirks.

“OK, I think it’s a story. It roughly says that ’There once is a group of beings, sky wanderers, from a distant star who travelled far and brought gifts of great power. They could vanish without a trace, bring fire and matter from nothing, raise the dead, and communicate with spirits.”

“Like aliens, ET or Ghostbusters type stuff?” asks James.

“That is a good guess” replies Alexa. “The ancestors tell of the Pregivers who came from heaven to save us” stated Alexa.

“Wow” gasped James.

“Indeed” replies Tina. She pointed to the diagram on the wall. There were detailed drawings and images of figures descending to a ball of water, bursts coming from them, and lines depicting energy waves in various directions. “They were searching for … something… the key to immortality I think. It says ‘time’s door’.”

“Time’s door?” asks James.

“I am trying hard, James” says Tina.

“Sorry, go on” says James.

“Uh, there is an experiment of some kind and then a … war maybe or struggle as a dark … individual tried to take it, the source of the experiment, a dark foe who was once an ally, it speaks of a great fall and destruction …” says Tina breaking up in her words.

“What kind of fall?” James asks.

“I don’t know, but there have been many fallen empires and lands of ancient cultures in our history and myth, like the lost continent of Atlantis for one” says Tina.

“You are making a very good guess” says Alexa.

“Thanks” says Tina.

“The tribal story has been passed down from generation to generation for countless times and we have always maintained its secrets.” Alexa adds. “The relics of the past were in a remote land… a large island of great size and strength.”

“A continent?” asks Tina.

“Con-tin-ent…” says Alexa sounding out the word. “There is a great ground quake, wind storms, and light flashes and everything crumbled to dust. Only a few survivors left in boat. The relic is vanished …some believe causing its greater empire that preceded the old worlds to vanish. This story is passed down from generation to generation, the legend of the drowning… con-tin-ent.”

“That’s the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis, James” says Tina. “No one knows what really happened to it.”

“The relics journeyed across cultures to rest in cave here” continues Alexa. “This ancient legend is real and focused on the Pregivers and their treasure they sought to protect and perfect above all costs to ensure the continuance of their great society. The item is a key for one who has knowledge within of the greatness of their treasure, and who can unleash it. We have held it for generations until that day. Our Chief saw you and believes wholeheartedly that you are the one.” Alexa looks at James.

“Why me?” asks James.

“Yeah, why him, no offense James,” Tina whispered.

“None taken buddy” says ’James. “Though that fortune teller Ezelzaba implied I was special and that Native American woman I saw in the street.”

“What woman?” Tina asks.

“I will show you something very important now” says Alexa. “Come with me.”

Alexa takes them back to the large hut to face the Chief again. James and Tina thought about the story of the tribe written on the walls and wondered how many generations ago were they drawn, and how this tribe has sacrificed so much, living here isolated from the rest of the world, never progressing. And, but for Alexa being the liaison to the local markets they would have no contact to the outside world whatsoever. They wondered what could make a people so devoted to await one who may never come, and whether the story of the great fall or destruction depicted on the walls is something that really happened.

“Could it be myth, reality, history, destiny, or all of the above?” Tina wondered to herself.

The Chief speaks in his native tongue, as they knelt before him and Alexa translated. “He shows you the relic of the Pregivers, the artifact of great treasure and immense power they kept here for generations upon generations.” She speaks as the Chief uncovered an item in front of him covered in cloth. He removed the cloth revealing a five inches long object, tubular with a small pentagonal shaped item connecting to it and surrounded by clay molded into its shape hardened over a very long time. The article has strings of colorful cloth hanging from it. It is unlike anything Tina or James has ever seen and is the obvious work of some group far more advanced than the tribe, as strange markings seemed to be layered onto the tube or engraved with some machinery. The clay surroundings and dangling cloth, James figured, were done by the tribe to decorate the sacred object, but the true core and origins remained mysterious to James, only as Alexa put it, he figured it has to be the work of a higher intelligence. He noticed the shape and design were similar to that held by the Native American woman he saw on the streets of Chronix Bay and who quickly vanished thereafter.

“May the spirituals be with you… what that could mean?”

And in the middle of the awe inspiring object and glistening in the bright lights of the hut from the dome above, James saw the symbol of five orbs in harmonious unity.

“That is amazing,” James says“but what does it have to do with me.”

The Chief looks at him and beckons to him to come closer and as James did slowly, with the Chief’s free hand he lowered James’ shirt collar and revealed a birth mark even James forgot he has, a birth mark of five orbs in circular unity. Tina looks at it and dropped her jaw in shock and that the Chief recognized it when he first saw James and neither of them saw it before.

“That is one hell of a coincidence.” Tina yells.

“It is not a coincidence,” beckons Alexa. “We have been waiting for the Holder of Stones, the cornerstone of the Pregivers’ mighty heavenly empire, to arrive for quite some time, all our lives and that of our forefathers and their forefathers for countless generations. Now you are here to claim your treasure and fulfill your destiny which is also the destiny of the entire world.” They all look at him making him feel like he is caught cheating on a school exam again.