Following the river the path became easier to conquer – beaches and rocks were easy to traverse opposed to thick brush and often muddy terrain. Dusk was soon to fall – the sky is becoming slightly darker – the day was bright and hapless, thankfully. This is most probably the calm before the storm – my trial with the jungle is still to come as foretold – which makes me cherish every moment of tranquillity I am experiencing right now.

The stars are coming into view; a yellow and black butterfly playfully lead me to a clearing a few hundred meters downstream – that must be where my test will be.

Reaching the clearing I notice a small hill in the middle with a view that slightly clears the canopy in front – beyond it I can see the forests never ending curves and ridges as it swoops between mountain and mountain. I have no idea where I’m going and I much like it that way – may the current wash me to my destination.

If this was where I should meet my test I was not going to wait around until it arrived so I decided to poke my destiny by calling out in challenge: “Forest I challenge you; I know you have been watching and waiting but I will not be ambushed. Come out from the shadows to show yourself – I am ready to meet you!”

A rustling in the bushes stirred up some white birds and a few grunting sounds later some pigs ran from a space opposite. With the cracking of a trunk a massive creature jumped into view – one of its arms targeted at my space in the centre of the field. I jumped aside as it smashed into the ground – ruining the platform taking its place earlier. Why couldn’t the test have involved escaping from a proposed mental labyrinth or any form of a puzzle? Instead I am faced with another massive creature trying to turn me to dust.

Its form was indefinable – it constantly changed shape, all I could make out is that it was massive and green with 2 yellow eyes in its centre. Its limbs like vines growing to meet its surroundings necessities, stalking from the brush and launching itself across the plane. Me having to dodge each attack I was running out of answers; my knives were not going to solve my problem and I was not going to outmanoeuvre this horror. The moment it hit me I would be dead – I might have gotten myself into another situation too big for me to handle alone.

The guide said I would gain help – that’s my only option; stay alive until help arrives. I screamed out telepathically and then verbally for any help between dodging and sprinting away from this monsters reach – each of its arms always missing me only just. I think that’s what this beast was meant for – relentless ruin – it was only a matter of time until it got its prey and there was no physical path insurmountable for it – even cutting its arms only had it re-grow them to their original shape. This beast is perfect as a protector for the jungle – agile, powerful and unkillable.

As I ran from just having dodged another few fatal blows I noticed the monster had disappeared from view – all I could hear was a digging sound – it was underground. The only place I would be safe was near roots so ran towards the tree line – as I got to it the ground behind me erupted and four arms were shooting my way. This was it; I cringed and let go – I had failed.

I opened my eyes since the sounds had not subsided – the beasts shrieking and growling was still to be heard. I was still surrounded by the forest and my body was still on the verge of breaking. I stood up to see what had saved my life. And then I saw her – a warrior princess riding a blue cat – jumping from tree to tree only to have each tree ripped into pieces by the following monstrosity. Each landing blow was deflected by a shield of light the priestess put up – that must be what she did for me – she encased me with impenetrable light. That must be the only way to evade this creatures wrath – every being without this power of light is helpless in its wake – the perfect protection against the dark forces.

I watched as the fight wrought devastation all the way along the clearing – they were nearly where I was when the warrioress and her cat jumped high into the air above their target and sent too flashes of light into the aggressors body – maiming the creature temporarily while it regenerated its lost limbs – she then landed close to me and screamed: ‘come jump on, this is our only loophole!”

I did as she told and we were off into the thick jungle heading into the direction the stream was running. Tree trunks were whizzing past as the cat sleekly jumped from branch to branch – the sound of snapping twigs and vines behind us. It wouldn’t be long before the monster caught up on us – I wondered what her plan was but I was sure she had the answer. She was confident in her ways and seemed to have battled this type of creature before, plus she was the help that was spoken of before which meant she would not falter.

Suddenly there was a bright orange light in front of us and suddenly the air was less dense and the trees around us disappeared – we were in mid air – the forest had ended and we were in another clearing – one extending to the right; the stream to our left and giant yellow flowers directly in front of us. They looked as if they had teeth at their petals edges and were big enough to swallow our follower – this must be the plan.

The warrior princess was steering right towards them – as we got closer I could see the stalk of one of the flowers bend and suddenly everything around us had an orange hue. We were caught inside the flowers mouth; the princess had cast a bubble of light around us and she said:

“Now we are safe.”

I could hear the monster howl at its defeat.

She had saved me; she had been there when I needed help the most – my heroin. I was struggling for words able to express my gratitude when unexpectedly all I felt was the softest and sweetest sensation of loving kindness on my lips. All I could think was that that was the emotion I wanted to share with her as my gratitude. After what seemed like the sweetest moment I would ever experience I stared into her eyes shining with glee and loving expectation; all I could say was:

“Thank you for my saviour, honey?”

She replied: “Yes I am your honey – and you mine – we are soul mates and I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. Evading that monstrosity was easy because you were my prize, plus I had done it a few times before – many souls have come this way to be taken up by the Lumina. It has been a lifetime since we have seen one another; you working from the other side of the veil – I was unwilling to delve into the darkness with you so I have been waiting ever since.”

“I am glad we have found one another again although I’m very surprised that it happened the way it did – I had been so consumed by the challenges of these worlds that meeting you was always something I only hope for in the back of my mind. Never would I have thought to meet you on this chaotic plane. My heart is whole once again and with you by my side I have no doubt that we will succeed in our missions.”

“We have no names here, so just keep calling me honey or any other sweet words, I’ll respond when your mind is sincere.”

Not breaking eye contact we spoke for what seemed like days of our past experiences and of what the future would hold for us; of what we would learn together and of what we both had missed out on while apart. I felt as if there was nothing to hide and that there was an endless amount to share; most of all I couldn’t believe that I had gained my life partner in such an unsuspecting environment – it was proper I recon – living along and seeing what the path brings – might as well bring the best thing I could ever find – it was only a matter of time.

When we got hungry the carnivorous flower provided nectar which we scooped up like snow – we had to spend the night, each in the others new embrace nestled against the cats body – the monster would be gone by morning. That beast was not the only one protecting the forest she told me; they were the only reason the Lumina had their stronghold to begin with. They had called a truce; them being equally matched – the Lumina gaining their protection and these monsters gain the guarantee of a taken care of forest. They had placed the keeper of the forest as the intermediary and so their truce could exist – each helping the other.

She spoke of the rituals we would perform, of the arts we would see and of the plans for peace that would blossom in the future. There was a lot to learn before a giant siege would occur – one on the dark itself. This siege would be so massive the tower would have to gather all its forces. Both sides know of this event and are gearing up for its occurrence, each getting ready for battle. The dark fighting to keep control and the light bringing peace as foretold.

The Luminas position is to offer peace with the divine allowance of one siege – given the ability to rescue a confused soul by stripping it of its mask. Each soul vexed to serve the dark is given the opportunity to move into the light on their death if they so choose. This may only happen if slain by a weapon of the light. In normal circumstances the light would never implore violence, but in this instance it is fitting – for there is no other way before the universes alignment, besides the use pf physical justice.

Not long until there is a galactic alignment to occur where energies rise to a maximum – the point where all forces are at their peak. Both the dark and the light wish to use this galactic event in their favour. So it is paramount that we ready every participant and hone our skills so that they may be at their most pristine for when the time comes to execute the destiny of the worlds.

After the serious talk of the present times was over there was a bit of laughter before I slept much better than the previous night. The morning would bring a journey to the stagnant well and I was looking forward to arriving in Amun’yen – from it’s descripture the city sounds magical – a city in the trees built of light and cabins and walkways built by shaping the trees to grow with divine will. The Lumina must be a civilization accustomed to the highest of states of lifestyle – they wield the universe itself.