" Ow "
Lisa mumbles under her breath as her body hits the ground.
Her head is spinning and her legs are shaking, but she’s alive.
Oh how life has a way of humbling us.
She inspects herself for any injuries after sitting up, but her stiff joints tells her all she needs to know.
She’s in pain, but she survived.
The water showed mercy upon her.
This is when she decides to rather stay in the same position for as long as possible before attempting to move any further. God only knows what monsters awaits her in this foreign place.
She looks up and for the first time she sees her surroundings.
Might as well take a good look around before attempting to move anywhere.
She is in a garden. A beautiful garden decorated with the most lavishing trees, flowers and animals in the most astonishing colours.
A place very different than anything she’s ever seen before. There is an air of calm and it overwhelms her . Calm has not been a huge part of her life thus far. There’s something else too.
A familiar sense of love and acceptance. Could this be what home feels like? She ponders as she decides to get up.
She has to get up. She wants to get up. She needs to know this place, but finds herself unable to move. Her body just won’t allow it. She is tired and sore and she misses Victor.
Victor.
The mere thought of velvet mane and deep laughter tickles her throat so much that she cannot help but start to cry.
The feeling so overwhelming that she puts her head down, cover her face and cries to her heart's content.
Never did she imagine that her insanity would remove her this far from reality. Never did she imagine that it would be so painful. Never did she ever dream that she would completely fall over the edge never to return to a place not nearly as perfect as this one, but rather close to her heart.
Imperfections and all.
Lisa is still sobbing when a small voice speaks close to her.
" Why are you crying? "
Lisa looks up, but doesn't see anything.
" Who is there? "
She asks in the wind rather afraid. The tremble in her voice clearly noticeable.
" It’s me. Down here. "
The voice speaks again.
Lisa looks around again. This time on the ground, in the air and all around but still she sees nothing.
" Not there, silly. Here. "
The voice laughs.
This time Lisa tries to follow the sound and that is when she sees her. A butterfly sitting on the bridge of Lisa's bare foot.
" Oh my. "
A soft sigh escapes Lisa’s lips in amazement. This sparks the sweet sound of laughter from the small insect and to Lisa's pleasant surprise, it very much resembles the song of wind chimes.
" Hello. I’m Flutterby.
Why are you crying? "
She asks again after a short while.
" I want to go home. "
Lisa tells her with traces of tears still visible on her cheeks.
" Oh but you are home. "
The little butterfly says as if Lisa just woke up from a hundred year coma.
" Why would you say that if I am clearly not home and you know that I am not home? "
Lisa stupidly asks her.
" But you thought the enchanted garden felt like home? "
Flutterby speaks again.
" Oh…
Yeah, that. "
Lisa finds her voice again after a second of being really confused.
" Besides ",
Flutterby continues,
" home is wherever you want it to be. "
Silence.
Silence, because what does one even say to that?
" Welcome home. "
Flutterby laughs before ascending up into the sky.
Really confused now, Lisa looks at her only to see that as Flutterby opens up her tiny wings to take flight they turn into huge majestic wings that cover most of the sky above her.
" You coming? "
She asks Lisa.
Still in shock, but again not surprised, the only thing Lisa can do is stare at her.
" What? "
Flutterby asks.
" Never looked in a mirror before? "
Even more confused now, Lisa looks at her with one squinted eye, a tilted head and a very sore neck.
This is when the butterfly closes her wings, descents back down again and walk those tiny feet up Lisa’s leg just to stop on her one elevated knee.
" Look. I get that you may be confused and scared and perhaps even struggle to understand what’s up and what’s down, but here’s the thing. A series of events has started, whether you knew it at the time or not, that cannot be stopped or reversed and the only way to get to the other side is to go through them. "
Lisa thinks she understands, but the problem lies not in understanding. This time it lies in whether or not she can do it.
" Yes, you are right. I understand. "
Lisa finds her voice.
" How do you suppose we… I do that? How do I get through these events? "
And with the most beautiful smile Lisa has ever seen, the butterfly softly states.
" You move forward by going back. Now come, I want to show you something. "
Flutterby then opens up her wings again in magnificent display of colour while Lisa gets up off the ground to follow her whilst thinking;
I can do this. I know I can. I’m just tired.
After hours upon hours of walking over hills, down valleys, through creeks and fields of flowers the butterfly still hasn’t stopped flying. Not even to take a well deserved rest.
" Are we there yet? "
Lisa shouts unto the heavens and pray she doesn’t wake up a giant with a golden goose who favours femur on an open fire for supper.
" Almost there. It’s not far now. "
The voice returns as Lisa stumbles over yet another log.
She's is not sure how much more of this walking she can take. What was she thinking? Was she even thinking?
Oh how she wishes for Victor to be here. He would explain this to her. God, how she misses him. His calm demeanour, his soft understanding eyes..
" We’re here. Look straight ahead. Do you see that big tree in front of you? "
Whilst pointing straight up ahead to what must be the biggest tree Lisa had ever seen in her entire existence.
" Wow, how did I miss that? "
She whispers to herself.
" Come on and hurry up. Almost there. "
The butterfly’s voice sounding very optimistic.
With an anticipating heart Lisa decides to pick up the pace and get whatever this is over with so she can go home, back to Victor.
It is with the thought of Victor that she notices the temperature suddenly getting a lot warmer and the faint sound of distant drums. The drumming gets louder as they get closer and then just as suddenly as the drumming started, it stops. This makes Lisa stop. Everything is dead quiet. So quiet in fact, it makes her nervous.
Extremely nervous.
So nervous that a sudden panic falls upon her like she can not explain. Something happened and she doesn’t know what it is. Lisa is scared. Too scared to move. Too scared to even breathe. So scared that she wants to cry and with the whole world now spinning, she falls to her knees.
" What is happening? What is going on? Why am I feeling this way? "
Lisa frantically asks.
Sob after sob starts ripping through her body as she screams out in sheer agony. An agony that goes out of her just to boomerang straight back into her again. It is within that moment that she starts to convulse and still without any explanation, throws up in a warp of suffocation. Her head is pounding and she swears that she is at death's door.
With Lisa completely out of control, the butterfly decides to descent from the sky to come and sit on Lisa’s shoulder.
" It is ok. You are ok. Don’t fight it. "
Flutterby whispers.
Not really feeling any better by these words, Lisa tries to obey and after what must have been forever, her body finally stops shaking and her sobs become nothing more but a quiet whimper.
" Look. "
The butterfly speaks again.
Still on her knees, Lisa lifts her heavy head to find in front of her what appears to be a gate of some sorts.
" We’re here.
Can you stand up? I want you to see it in its entirety "
With knees now even weaker than before, Lisa struggles to her feet, but still finds it impossible to move even one centimetre forward.
After standing up straight she has a clear view of the gate and what lies beyond.
" Where am I? "
Lisa finds her voice and just as the butterfly speaks, she sees it, and as if they are intertwined on some subconscious level, they both utter at exactly the same time,
" Adena "
Lisa’s voice but a quiet whisper in the face of all that is, was and will be.
" Beautiful Adena. "
Flutterby speaks again.
"And what you see there in front of you is, "
Again they are in perfect harmony as they both say,
" The tree of life. A mother to all. "
The perfect vision Lisa has in front of her in this moment will forever be edged within her brain…not even her brain, her whole being. Everything that she is, was and will be. It is here, right now, in this moment that she completely exists.
In utter mesmerisation Lisa notices not far beyond the gate guarded by beings so big in size they must be at least three storeys tall, a sword with a blade bigger than everything that ever was and ever will be, spitting flames so hot every time it touches the ground a mighty river starts flowing on the spot.
" Look at it. Just look at it! "
Humble is not the word for what she feels right now.
" Why did you bring me here? "
Lisa asks as tears once again roll down her face.
" The journey to safe Anima starts here. "
Lisa doesn’t quite understand and says with a lot of confusion.
" In Adena? "
This time it is the butterfly who seem confused.
" Look at it this way. Things are not all that people think it to be. It is more. This place is where everything originates from. Like the stories in your old books.
Ever wondered where ‘ far, far away resides?
Well, "
Flutterby says as she looks to the great tree.
" It all started here. Every story and every reality to ever exist, existed here first. Thought up by the innocent and birthed by the great tree. "
Lisa is not exactly sure what to make of all this, so again she turns to Flutterby.
" I..I don’t understand. Why me? "
She asks then.
" I just told you, things are not as you think they are just as you are not as you think you are. "
Flutterby softly replies.
Silence again as Lisa turns her head to drink in this miracle in front of her.
" In all of my life, and I have been alive a very, very long time, I have never met anyone with a heart the size of yours.
You keep on fighting long after everyone has given up. Your conviction that a solution or answer is imminent and within grasp in the most unlikely of places and or situation has not only provided you with experiences most will never dare have, but has also taken you places most will never dare go.
It took a lot of men to bring you this far. "
Again, in her inability to understand, Lisa looks at Flutterby.
" You posses the heart of legions.
It is in your blood. The blood that won’t be found in any of the twelve earthly tribes. The blood that won’t be found in any of the twelve heavenly tribes. These legions, also in search off their father’s house too stood in front of this tree once by sheer stubborn determination like you do today and anyone brave enough to dare go where no one dares going, will end up right here, in front of this tree. "
Lisa in all her honesty does not know how to react to the words uttered by the butterfly and so she just stands there listening until the words fade away. And when they do, Lisa can do nothing more but to fall to her knees again, only this time it is not in terror, but in gratitude.
Gratitude not only for this moment, but for all the men and women who came before her. Gratitude because she can, in spite of all her complaints, be a saviour to many a creature.
And in this moment there is nothing more but this moment.
This moment in time.
What is time but a series of tiny moments we ought to be grateful for?
It is the tree.
She is somehow connected or tapped into the tree.
" Mother does that. "
The butterfly speaks again as if reading Lisa’s mind.
We might not be able to move beyond this point, but mother can move far beyond any barrier and connect with anyone or anything it chooses to outside of the gate.
Go on. Close your eyes and allow her to find you. "
Lisa decides to listen to Flutterby and closes her eyes when the same emotion as the one from earlier takes a hold of her again. Only this time, Lisa does not hold back, but falls to her knees and allow the spirit of the tree to find her.
Lisa’s complete surrender to the moment almost instantly transports her to mid air on a beautiful sunny day.
She has come to know a lot of sunny days lately and it pleases her.
She carefully takes inventory of her surroundings and the first thing she notices is the otherworldly display of four mighty waterfalls. Water falling from the heavens only to find solace on earth.
The water falling from each waterfall is more clear than any water Lisa has ever seen and it’s sweet scent is like that of pure life.
Upon further inspection by turning her gaze upwards Lisa observes one huge woven branch hanging down in the middle of the four waterfalls only to split up into four sections, each growing into the mighty waterfalls. Their roots following life as it falls upon earth going East, West, South and North.
It is then that another strange thing happens. The picture in front of her changes. A cube slowly turning in an anticlockwise position starts forming and it is with each tick of a giant clock hanging in mid air that the picture slightly changes.
Looking all around her now, Lisa sees that she herself is immersed within this four dimensional cube. Looking in front of her, the cube seems separate from her and that is when she realises that what is inside the cube is directly connected to that which does not yet exist outside of the cube.
" How did I miss that? "
She asks herself.
" Because the eyes can only see that which the current reality can comprehend. "
A deep female voice speaks.
Trying to trace the sound is virtually impossible, so Lisa rather waits for it to come to her.
This is when from within the cube a female figure steps forward from thin air.
Mother.
She is the beginning of everything that ever was and ever will be.
Her skin is like that of snow and seem softer than rose petals. She is so beautiful that Lisa is completely taken aback.
Her huge almond shaped eyes are the colour of stormy sees and galactic skies.
She has a mouth that speaks blossom beds in pale and pink. Her ears, the ears that has listened to the very first song existence has ever sung to the very last breath man will ever take, looks like branches growing from the sides of her head draping into a beautiful exhibition at the back of her shoulders only to blend perfectly with hair the colour of the night.
But it is her dress that keeps Lisa in awe. It is made up of everything that ever existed.
Time.
Her dress is made up of time.
" Thank you for allowing this vision to come upon you. It won’t occupy your space for too long. "
The vision speaks again.
" A tough battle lies ahead, but it happens not only for the rebirth of that which seems old, but also for that which needs to be in existence. "
The vision pauses for a moment before she continues.
" Do you grasp the severity of this mission? "
Does she grasp it?
Hell no.
But does it mean she can reunite with the only family she’s ever known?
Hell yeah.
Lisa nods.
" Good... There is meaning to be found in the paradox; even though life is short and suffering is so long, for as long as suffering breathes, so do we"
There is another pause before the vision continues.
" Many will neither see nor understand the waves of light upon which these words have travelled, but believe me when I say; to live without the passion surrounding trials and errors is to not live at all. "
" I have something for you. "
She continues as she proceed to reach out her hand and softly touches Lisa’s forehead.
The moment lasts no more than a few seconds and upon removing her hand, a plate of armour swiftly appears on Lisa’s chest and arms before disappearing again.
The gift is made up entirely of leviathan scales and is as beautiful as it is dangerous.
This is when Lisa feels something small within her hand and upon investigation, she finds that it is a weapon of some sorts.
Still a little confused as to how it got there, it suddenly shoots out and manifests itself into a life sized weapon.
It is a one of a kind holyaxe crafted from heaven beams and leviathan teeth forged in the very last breath the beast ever took.
The holyaxe have blades and beams sharper than anything in any realm. While the scales and beams in itself are magnificent in their lethality, the beams can shine a light so bright, it can cut through anything and immediately blind anyone who directly looks at the blade.
Upon looking at the beautiful, ancient, one of a kind hand carved treasure she now holds in her hands, Lisa discovers a hidden message within the carvings.
Engraved on the handle there is a roaring bear standing on his hind legs with a little girl sitting at his feet while seven stars and three moons cover the picturesque night sky.
Lisa still ponders the engraving when the holyaxe too disappears from her sight.
" Wow. I have never owned anything as beautiful as this before. Thank you. But… I won’t know how to.. "
Lisa shyly tries to explain herself.
" Don’t worry about that now. Everything happens in its own time. "
The vision quietly interrupts her.
" I designed these weapons a thousand years ago.. I knew you would come. I made it the very first day I dreamed you up.
I always knew that the one with the heart of legions would one day stand in front of me. "
Her demeanour now softer, kinder. Almost like that of a mother speaking to a beloved child.
" Find the bear. "
She continues just a little louder than before.
" Do not allow fact to be soiled by myth and let myth not be the anchor you hold onto.
Whatever it is that this journey throws at you, see it for what it is and then you take it! You take it and you run with it. "
And with these words the vision gracefully bends forward, brings her hand up to her mouth and whispers.
" Shura biya ekunha ge.
Me rhi tiya akanishre mhe.
Here, we are as one and one cannot keep anything but from the second, just like the second cannot keep anything but from the third, but only until they too become One.
Moi noh gepantsa roh. "
The beautiful voice of the vision echoes through the wind.
She can do this. This quest everybody talks about but nobody really talks about
Lisa can take anything. As long as she understands and uses that understanding to face her own shortcomings in times of darkness.
Her whole life she’s been searching for the answers to the questions so many people ask but are too afraid to actively pursue.
Today she is left with only one question.
Can she win this war?
All her friends and their entire existence depends upon her success.
Lisa looks at the vision and all the beauty surrounding them and suddenly the other side to the coin shouts at her in its perfect visibility.
" How do I win? "
Lisa shouts as claustrophobia suddenly threatens to swallow her.
" Truth! "
The unexpected answer comes.
" How? I don’t understand. "
Lisa almost crying now, but the vision heed not the desperation so clearly to be found in Lisa’s voice. She rather takes both Lisa’s hands into her own and places a rare stone in the palm of her hand. This stone too disappears as soon as the vision turns around and become one with her surroundings again.
A little unsure with a lot of mixed emotions about everything that just played out, Lisa finds it best to take a moment for herself to try and process all the information she just received, but to no prevail.
What on earth just happened? Was that it?
Where did the vision go and why did she leave her here ? Surely there must be a way out of here? Someone should have come for her by now.
It is with this thought that she again takes a good look around in the hope of finding an exit. There seem to be many things in Adena. but apparently no exit point.
Within searching for an escape, Lisa discovers all sorts of otherworldly things. Huge colourful birds that decorate lavender skies whilst whistling the most enchanting tunes. Flowers growing everywhere and just about anywhere she looks. Animals she has never seen before and most probably never will again.
Eagles with bear claws bowing at the feet of the mighty Phoenix ascending into the third and fourth heavens in a fiery fury display of majestic power.
Rabbits with the roar of six lions and the speed of twenty cheetahs leaping up every now and then just to stretch out up to a hundred times their own size in order to reach the highest, most sweetest of leafs at the top of the trees.
Water creatures in colours made up of the envy of all the artists to ever live, blowing bubbles that exist only to burst again and release the sweetest most heavenly sounds all whilst smelling like vanilla fields and citrus blossoms.
Lisa is completely taken in by the awe and wonder of it all. So much so that for just a moment she completely forgets that she was actually looking for a way out of this paradise.
So this is what heaven looks like.
Made up of all the things so otherworldly it is hard to believe.
Lisa is still completely bewitched by the moment when one of the roaring rabbits jumps up and leaps towards her shouting.
" Get up! "
What?
Lisa’s confusion written all over her face.
' He found you.
Get up! "
The rabbit shouts again and this time Lisa doesn’t think twice. She starts running as fast as her legs allows her, jumps up, grabs a hold of the rabbit and swings onto his back. After Lisa is safely on top of him, the rabbit flies through the air whilst shouting.
" Northern wind don’t stay behind.
Come along this epic ride.
Hide this cargo on my back.
And safe her from the Knight so black. "
And as the rabbit shouts these words into the air, a gush of wind starts to blow almost immediately. It pushes and pushes the speeding rabbit even faster and faster. Up into the sky and down through the air.
The wind is so strong Lisa has to hide underneath the rabbit’s long ears in fear of being blown off the rabbit’s back and falling into the unknown. Over mountains and valleys they glide on the wind. Through trees and behind waterfalls. All in the effort to get Lisa to safety.
Gush after gush the wind clears everything in it’s path. It warns the trees, the flowers and leafs. It even tells the snails to flee.
How did the rabbit know the Knight found her?
How did the Knight find his way into the Adena?
Lisa wonders as she’s holding on for dear life.
" The thunder! "
The rabbit shouts.
" The what? "
" The thunder. Look! "
The rabbit repeats himself as he points to the dark rolling of clouds right above them.
How the hell did Lisa miss that? Why didn’t she pay more attention to her surroundings?
Oh perhaps because she was daydreaming again.
Lisa thinks to herself as she watches how the brewing black clouds roll faster and faster towards them.
Closer and closer they come as the Dark Knight fast approach them.
Lisa is still holding on for dear life when out of nowhere lightning strikes down, hits Lisa and immediately ricochets back into the clouds again. Leaving a huge hole within the blackened clouds above them.
" You got him. He’s injured. "
The rabbit loudly laughs back at Lisa.
" Faster wind, faster. "
The rabbit encourages the wind now even further.
" Not now rabbit. The wounded Knight is fleeing and you have a problem. "
The wind’s deep voice directly addresses the rabbit.
The rabbit quickly looks back at Lisa and notices a very unfortunate thing. Lisa is unconscious and her body is hanging sideways threatening to fall off the rabbit’s back.
" Lion! "
The rabbit shouts in the wind.
" Lion!
NOW please! "
The rabbit shouts again when a giant eagle swoops down, grabs Lisa’s body and swiftly flies her through realms and time all the way back to the enchanted garden.
" Gently, gently.. "
The butterfly nervously whispers as the giant eagle softly lays Lisa’s limp body down on the ground.
" What happened?
Who did this?
The last time I saw her just before her teleportation she was fine. Does mother know about this? "
The butterfly nervously rambles when Lion decides to interrupt her.
" Calm down Flutterby. Lisa will be fine. "
He tries to convince himself more than her.
" She had an encounter with a lightning bolt. "
" But it’s too soon! "
Flutterby quickly states.
" It is by no fault of their own. Lisa was in trouble and they were only trying to help. "
Lion tries to explain whilst quietly praying that everything will be ok.
" She was in trouble? And mother was there? What happened? "
A really confused Flutterby wants to know.
" Oh no, mother left already.... The Knight found her… "
" As in the DARK Knight? "
Flutterby harshly demands.
" Yes.. the Dark Knight found her, but not to worry. Thanks to Mr rabbit’s quick thinking she is safe now"
Lion still tries to calm her down.
" Just you wait until mother finds out about this… "
A calmer Flutterby expresses herself just as she hears faint moaning coming from the now seemingly conscious Lisa laying on the ground.
" What…where am I? "
A very confused Lisa tries to talk.
" Sshh.. You’re ok. Everything is ok. "
The relieve now prominent in Flutterby’s voice
" The Knight.. he found me.. "
" Hush now little Lisa. You’re safe now. The Knight is gone. "
And with these calming words, Lisa lays back down.
" Something hit me…the pain was so bad I thought I was going to die.. "
" Nobody’s dying on my watch… but come to think of it. How DID you survive all that power? "
Flutterby wonders out loud as she and Lion mysteriously look at each other.
Is there in fact something to be concerned about?
Who knows?
Indeed, who does know the answers to why a young woman would not only survive a lightning bolt, but practically walk away without a scratch.