The room was blanketed in darkness with only the faint glow of the four candles in the corners of the room. The earthen cell had no windows; the only opening was the solid oak door. The room was no larger than three strides in any directions. The young man entered the room wearing only his cotton loincloth and his quartz amulet on its silver chain. In his arms he carried a small wooden box that seemed to emit its own weak glow. The youth shut the door behind him and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dreary gloom of the cell. The boy set his box on the ground and opened the lid, revealing the collection of stones and the geode half, which was larger than both his fists. He withdrew the geode, and placed it on the hard clay floor directly in front of the door. He placed the stones in a circle extending from the geode and sat with his legs folded under him in the center of the ring of minerals.

As if a gust of wind had formed from the stillness and blown through the room, the four candles went out one at a time, enveloping the lad in total darkness. He sat there, breathing regularly with his eyes shut as if he had fallen into the gentle peace of sleep after a long day’s work in the fields. Sweat began to form upon his bare torso from the dank air of the subterranean chamber.

Silently, the child drew in his spirit energy, focusing it into his core and clearing his mind of all thought. As the power formed within him, the geode began to emit a faint glow, the same milky blue color of its crystalline core. This faint illumination went unnoticed and the lad continued to concentrate his life force into a single orb within the mortal husk of his body. As the orb became smaller and its energy more potent, the minerals that made up the circle around him began to glow as well, creating a curtain of multi-hued light. Finally, his mind was prepared to journey beyond the limitations of the mortal coil, and wander in the astral plane, the realm of the mind.

Though he never opened his eyes, the boy could see the phantasmal landscape of the plane around him. The same eerie milky blue glow of the geode illuminated the scenery about him, but no source of light could be found. Around him, the spirit energy of every for of life, from his fellow man to the smallest of insects, flowed like raging rivers stacked upon each other. He knew that here, he no longer had the familiar shape of his body, or any other creature on the Goddess’s Earth. In this place, physical form, sound, and taste had no meaning; the only senses that exist are sight and touch. But he could not bask in this amazing feeling of escape from the cycle of life and death for long; the youth had a journey to begin.

The young man extended his energy a bit, sensing the direction to which he must head. Once he had found his bearing, he departs, traveling in the direction of the northeast. He is no longer following the guidance of his mind, but has given his heart control of his power. He flies with as much haste as he can summon. As he approaches his objective, he slows down his pace, not wanting to frighten the one he has sought. Now that he has found the he has been seeking, he moves close, allowing the energy fields of the individual and himself to merge. As the two energies caress, the astral world fades.

The youth finds himself in a small cluster of blooming trees, a faint breeze blowing through the air spreading the fragrance of the flowers all around him. Within the small glade stood a small wooden bench with a floral pattern carved into it. His love is sitting on this bench in a white cotton dress with green satin overdress and cherry blossom in her hair. She turns and looks at him with her inquisitive emerald green eyes, the breeze gently playing with her red hair the color of the sunset. As she sees him, a smile forms upon her face.

The lad kneels in front of the woman and lowers his head. “I wish I was by your side, my love. My days here are gray without the light of your smiles and cold without the warmth of your embrace,” he says not daring to look into her eyes.

She reaches down and raises his chin so that he is looking into her face, the smile still upon her face. Her words float through the spring time air like a song, “Just return to me safely and victorious. Bring me the spoils of your enemies, and prove to them that none can oppose you. And remember that wherever you go, my love goes with you.”

The boy smiles as these words leave her lips. He says to her, “All the glory I achieve is in your honor.” The beautiful woman leaned down and kissed him gently. He closes his eyes and he returns the kiss, feeling a wave of happiness wash over him. The woman finishes her kiss and tells the lad, “You should return; you have a war to win.”

And with this the boy returns to the shimmering world of the astral plane. He lingers in the presence of his love’s energy a bit longer, and then returns to where he began his journey. His heart is now full of strength; he has a renewed determination to finish the business at hand quickly.

Once he makes his way to where his travels originated, he begins the process of allowing his spirit energy to return to his body. Slowly, the stones in the circle around him lose their glow. The geode half stops its illumination the instant the youth opens his eyes. With a wave of his hand, the candles in the corners of the room begin to burn again. The youth places the stones in their box again and rises. He knocks on the door three times, and the heavy bolt outside is lifted. A guard enters with an armload of clothing, and the youth dresses in the satin pants and cotton undershirt. The guard helps him into the hard leather chest plate and the black woolen cloak.

“My Liege, your council is gathered with the foreign delegates. They await your return. Shall I tell them that you are on your way, My Lord?”

The young man smiles and places the crown upon his head and picks up his broadsword. “No, have my advisors leave the room and summon my guards to prepare to kill the foreign councilors. I have tried diplomacy, and it has failed. Now peace will come from the sword.”

The guard smiles wickedly and replies, “Aye, My Lord.” As the guard disappears into the hallway, the king smiles and decides his love needs a new emerald to compliment her lovely eyes…