Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 5

tired to think anymore about it she lay back against the rock. She didn't think she could fall asleep but as soon as she sat down and laid her head back she drifted to a deep sleep.

  The morning came and woke Rica.” Uggh” She was so thirsty now and hungry. As she sat up every muscle in her body seemed to protest. She had muscle aches in places she didn’t realize there were muscles. Her stomach rumbled with sharp hunger pains shooting through her abdomen. Sighing heavily Rica gradually got to her feet, she tried to lick her lips they were so dry. But her tongue was parched; her mouth felt like it was filled with grit and sand. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. The next day was like the first in this dry desolate place, her companions heat and rocks. When it was too dark to see, Rica collapsed. Morning came again. She lay there for a moment trying to sort out what had happened in the woods. Her throat was dry and it was hard to breath. Her nose hurt with the sunburn she knew she had to have. She put her jacket on her head and tied it under her chin.

  She continued into the canyon. At least there was some shade here. She shivered. It was cooler in the desert in the morning but she kept the jacket on her head. Soon she was panting again and completely lost. This canyon was huge with many branching ways. It reminded her of the time her family had traveled to the Grand Canyon. With the remembrance came an ache in her heart. She had to find a way home, or wake up if this was a dream. Her skin felt so dry and hot. Her body felt so heavy and worn out, it was as if she didn’t have any water left in it. The path had slowly faded away. She came to a choice to go down the sloping grade or up onto what looked like another path above her. She chose up, though down would have been easier. She still hoped she would find her way out to civilization. The sound of her foot falls echoed as she walked. She was dizzy and it was hard to put one foot in front of the other. After a time she thought she heard voices or clanking. She continued on the path, which was clearly a path now. There were strange markings etched into large stones along the way. The path looked like it was tiled in smooth white quartz. The way was easier to walk now. She had to find water soon.

  When the sun was straight overhead Rica glanced at her wristwatch it was 2:00 pm, time was wonky here, she put her wrist up to her ear and could hear the comforting tick, tick of the little time piece so it was still working. Tump, tump, dum dum dum, like a drum beat. Excitement coursed through her with one thought “PEOPLE”. Rica stopped and looked around trying to determine which direction the sound was coming from. Off to the right, she started to walk that direction. The farther she walked the thirstier she became. Her lips were cracking and hurt. It felt like her face, neck and shoulders were badly sunburned, they hurt and felt blistered. After what seemed like an eternity of putting one foot in front of the other Rica staggered, dizzy. She thought she saw people in the distance and a tent like structure but her vision was blurry and she felt disoriented. Rica stumbled and tried to catch herself but fell hard to the ground. A red haze seemed to cloud her mind and she passed out.

  Someone was putting a cup to her lips and she felt water dribble into her mouth and down her chin. Rica swallowed and tried to grab the cup to drink more but the hands of someone stopped her. Rica opened her eyes and everything was blurry and her head pounded at the temples, the person setting next to the cot she lay on looked different somehow. The eyes were wrong. Rica tried to sit up and blacked out.

  Rica woke in a cool dark place, smooth stone all around her. She struggled to set up but was instantly dizzy and felt sick to her stomach. She moaned and closed her eyes to stop the spinning. A gentle hand touched her brow and she opened her eyes again. There was a light, flickering, like a candle providing dim light. Rica looked at the person crouched near her. It was hard to see in the dim light but it looked as though the man (yes defiantly male) was malformed about the head somehow. The ears were wrong. He was speaking but Rica could not understand what he was saying. His voice was low and soothing. He put a cup to her lips and helped her take a sip. Then eased her back to the cot she was laying on. He pulled the blanket up around her shoulders again.

  “Please, where am I? Did you find me out in the desert? Who are you?” Her voice sounded cracked and weak to her ears. It hurt to talk.

  The man shook his head, not understanding what she asked. He sat down beside her on a stool and put the candle on an ornate shelf that was mounted to the rock wall with carved birds. After a while Rica fell asleep again.

  When Rica woke up, there was a different person there by her. A young woman, she wore a dress with crystals and bells sewn to the skirt. The top of the dress had intricate beading in flower and tree leaf designs, with more crystals and bells alternating on ties around the neckline. The young woman lit a torch and put it in a wall sconce. There was now light enough to see a little better. The woman’s ears were different. Cat like with tufts of hair like a lynx and her eyes were like a cats too, with vertical pupils. Rica stared at her, and couldn't seem to stop. The woman cocked her head to one side and regarded Rica. She softly spoke but the words had no meaning to her. The language was soft and slightly slurred; Rica had never heard a language like it.

  “I don’t understand you. I’m sorry.” Rica said

  The woman frowned slightly. Then stood and walked to a door. She opened it and spoke to someone outside, then returned to set on the stool by the cot Rica was laying on. Rica slowly sat up. She was weak but not dizzy anymore. Soon someone knocked at the door and then opened it. A young male entered carrying a bag, which he handed to the woman. Then he nodded and left.

  The woman searched through the bag and found a small pouch. She took out three round pendants. Then picked up a spool of leather cording off the table against the far wall. She put a pendant on a length of cord and tied it, then put if over her head. She repeated the procedure and gave the other pendant to Rica and smiled gesturing for Rica to put it on. Rica was puzzled but complied. The woman made another necklace with a pendant and put it on the table. Then the woman started to speak. It seemed she was talking just to talk. Every once in a while she would pause, as though waiting for Rica to say something.

  Soon Rica was feeling sort of embarrassed. Because she could not seem to get these people to comprehend she could not understand them. She sighed.

  “Look, I’m sure it’s a nice story and all but I don't understand you. And I need to find a bathroom.” The pendants both glowed. The woman smiled and nodded.

  “Whoa, what was that?” Rica picked the pendant up off her chest and tried to look at it but the cord was too short.

  “That was the translation rune activating.” the woman said.

  Rica felt a chill down her back. She shook her head.

  “I understood you.” Rica said. But the words seemed to twist and change into the language of the woman.

  “That’s right, now we can understand one another.” The woman nodded and smiled. “Are you feeling sick to your stomach still? Are you still feeling dizzy?” She asked all business now.

  “I-I am feeling better.”

  “I am Zafira a healer in training. You passed out on the path near our camp. I have healed you as best I can.” The strange cat woman regarded Rica thoughtfully. “I have sent for my cousin Nottia to help you get cleaned up and tell you what ever you need to know. I’m sure you have many questions.”

  A knock sounded on the door and a slim young woman came into the room. ”Ah, Nottia this is - I’m sorry I didn’t get your name.” Zafira said.

  “I’m Rica. Ulrica Simpson”

  Zafira handed Nottia the necklace off the table, Nottia put it around her neck.

  “I’m glad you are feeling better.” Nottia said. Zafira left shutting the door behind her. Nottia showed Rica around the cave and took her to the bathroom, which consisted of a port-a-potty behind a screen in a large room. There was a washbasin on a table with a jug of water next to it. Rica washed her face and hands after relieving herself. The clothes she had on now were not her own. She looked at herself
in the mirror on the wall. The clothes were colorful like the ones the cat people wore.

  “Where are my clothes?” Rica smoothed the red and orange shirt with her hand and looked down at the loose brown pants she had on.

  “We washed them and you.” Nottia laughed. ”Here I’ll get them.” Nottia sounded pleasant. She rummaged around and came back with Rica’s clothes neatly washed and folded.

  “Thank you.” Rica said taking the clothes back behind the screen where she quickly changed into them. As she bent over to tie her shoes a sudden dizziness moved over her. She sat down and waited for the room to stop spinning. When the dizziness passed she stood up and joined Nottia again.

  “This is a cave?” Rica looked around her. “It’s beautiful in here like a palace or something.” Nottia just smiled. The cave was finished with polished stonewalls and floors that were carved with intricate designs framing scenes of people and animals. When Rica looked up at the ceiling she saw that it was carved into scenes of cat like people doing various things, like holding a bowl or kneeling in front of what looked like giant crystals. The scenes on the ceiling looked like they were of an older time then the ones on the walls, the people wore a different type of