Veil One

Loch Lorian border

Upon crossing, the dark skies and screeching noises struck Nate.

“Try to copy what I do as you did in the Alpha Meditations,” said Ethriel.

“Where are we?” asked Nate, his shakes coming back.

“At the frontline.”

“I’m going to die!”

“Not if you stay close to me,” said Ethriel.

More youth poured into the field, including Alekee, who busied himself directing his group to tents being set up along the hill’s edge.

“Machians have experimented with timeline travel for decades,” shouted one of the RayCrest warriors. “Now, we must restore order to this imbalance.”

“Without consciousness, civilisation returns to a primitive state,” added another RayCrest.

“What happens with no rebalance?” initiates asked.

“A challenging existence. If the domino effect occurred, it would reach all Four Parallels and beyond. The transition would be all-encompassing. We are, therefore, striving to spark a renaissance now before civilisation undergoes a significant shift.”

“An apocalypse?” asked Nate.

The RayCrest stopped to read him. “We prefer to call it a rebalancing. Come. Place yourselves along this line,” she said, lighting up the ground.

“Let’s work towards that,” said Ethriel, leading Nate towards another group.

Were they on a different planet? He had witnessed nothing like it.

They assigned every twenty students a RayCrest, who stood out amongst the crowd in their draped capes and cascading robes.

They continued further into the battle.

The first instructions came.

“Aurial codes-” said a RayCrest. “- is information that the Aurial Plenum bestows on RayCrests. It is a way we harmonise with nature to change the fabric of reality.”

“The ancient choreography must be effortless. Thus, copy us and try to be as smooth as you can,” said another RayCrest.

One approached Nate. He had long, red hair.

“Keep your feet grounded,” he said.

The moves were harder than Nate expected.

Closer into the battle, they extended their legs in a yoga warrior stance, feeling the strength and stability in his body.

“Keep going. Well done!” they said.

The sight of the Archs fuelled Nate to tackle the codes with all his might.

Close by Archs shouted, “defeat the RayCrests! Leave no stone unturned.”

“Over time, the Archs warped our stolen Aurial codes,” shouted Ethriel over the mayhem. “Theirs is a distorted version of the RayCrests’ moves.”

Nate gawked wide eyed as he witnessed Archs hunching and twisting where RayCrests swirled and spread their arms. The Archs’ threatening choreography sucked the white energy, transforming it into coal dust.

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“No mercy!” Archs shouted.

***

A RayCrest suspended above Nate explained. “The first Aurial code we need to repeat is the Oran Sacramenta of Fealty. Every code starts with the Oran.”

“Why?” asked an initiate.

“It’s our oath of loyalty to the Aurial Plenum and the powers that be,” she shouted. “Without that oath, we can’t change the fabric of reality.”

“You mean we ask permission?” asked Nate.

“Permission is readily granted. It’s more a pledge of allegiance to the Aurial, and all they represent,” she said, grounding herself. “The Oran for battle is this.”

The RayCrest held her hands together, as if holding a sword, and then drove it into the ground.

“Every Aurial code begins with the Oran. Let’s try it together.”

They copied her moves.

“It’s the intention that counts. Your humility and strength,” shouted another RayCrest as they all cowered. Coal dust was falling everywhere.

Ethriel transformed the coal dust into diamonds by applying Aurial Codes of extreme pressure. A cacophony of screams filled the air as diamond dust caught up to the Archs.

Nate followed the moves of other RayCrests but nothing was happening and he broke into a sweat.

“Stay close to me!” shouted Ethriel.

RayCrests dived between the students, coding inspiring combinations of martial art moves. But it was also a dance.

Coal dust swarmed them again.

“The Oran,” the RayCrests called out as Nate focused on driving a sword into the ground.

“Intention!” they shouted.

“What?” asked Nate.

“Intention, without it, the Oran doesn’t work,” said Ethriel.

“Gathering of information next, right?” asked Nate, focusing on the move.

“Yes. Then, we pick up the information,” he said. “The Artinian. Now, we have the information. We are ready for the Gantemer. A redirecting code related to crowds. Here, we will use it for the coal dust.”

Ethriel moved in grounded strokes. Then he swirled. The sizeable coal dust changed direction.

He floored Nate. How am I ever…

“Now we transform it into diamonds. The high vibrations will unsettle the Archs,” said Ethriel, as Nate followed his movements.

“First, sense with your intuition. There is information here,” said Ethriel.

Nate stood in the middle of the throng, surrounded by strange faces and loud noises. He copied Ethriel’s earlier arm movements. First the Oran. He simulated driving the sword to the ground. He focused, attempting to absorb the information. Flushing, he hung his head in shame. I don’t get this! But he kept his thoughts to himself, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Again,” said Ethriel.

Nate closed his eyes, trying to pick up on the subtle vibrations of his intuition. The air was heavy with an unknown presence. Chaos was all around him. Closing his eyes, a stream of information flooded his mind. He moved in grounded strokes.

The coal dust stopped. He swirled, and the dust changed directions.

“Good! That was the Gantemer,” said Ethriel.

“The Gantemer!” Nate said wide eyed as he practised the new moves. “Can I also transform it?” he asked.

“Just focus on shifting it away,” said Ethriel.

Nate repeated the action.

“Try the Waterli shield Aurial code,” said a new RayCrest as he moved his arms up in sweeping motion, creating a wide arc above his head, before spreading his arms out wide.

A white shield manifested around him.

The group whooped.

Nate began with the Oran. Then he stood listening. Again, there was nothing. But as his senses sharpened, he recalled the flow of the forest. There was harmony. A harmony of nature, he let in. He then attempted the Waterli shield. But he failed.

“Put your heart into it - it’s not just the steps. Again,” said Ethriel.

Nate concentrated. A faint shield manifested, but it was short-lived.

“I can’t!”

“We don’t say those words here,” said Astrea, blinking. “That’s from the timelines of limitation. Everything is possible in One,” she said.

New instructions came from RayCrests. “The Markan is the most commonly used code when dealing with Archs so make sure you pay careful attention.”

They demonstrated the Oran, then the Artinian gathering of information. A RayCrest placed her arms parallel towards the sky. “This is called the Markan, if done individually. It’s the Markarian if done in a group. Far more powerful,” she said, shifting right and ending the movement in an Egyptian-like pose. Then, she lowered her arms and turned anti-clockwise, reaching her arms up again. Nate followed in awe as the RayCrest spun in circles, her arms extended wide like the Sufi Whirling Dervishes, until time came to a stop.

“Woah!” said Nate. The coal dust had frozen in mid-flight.

“This will help,” said Ethriel. “Focus on the sky.”

“Focus on the sky,” said Nate, placing his arms parallel above his head and looking up. “That’s the impossible bit.”

“Focus on the sky. Slight dervish to the right. Egyptian pose,” said Ethriel.

“Yes, I got the Egyptian pose and into full whirling,” said Nate, but when he tried it himself, nothing happened. “Argh!”

“It’s a skill,” said Ethriel.

“I’m going to call it the whirling skill,” said Nate.

An Arch broke through into their safe range, but Ethriel and three other RayCrests intervened by creating a Markarian. They flew him back to the epicentre of the quantum battle. Nate breathed, focusing on calming his racing heart.