*SONG* “Last Note of Freedom” by David Coverdale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i-pDLhrzdc

A messenger is sent with ONE purpose…
To deliver a message…
For the last time I say this…for the Men in Black!
The mission…deliver the message
So that they can judge how the message
Is received…and how they treat the messenger…
The messenger says nothing more
Then they are told…

This will tell them everything they need
To know…Rip it apart, dissect it,
Over analyze it…take it however you
Wish…They hear it all.

The Circle of Light…shimmers…
They’re sitting in chairs waiting, Ceres
On the right, smiling…rather mysteriously
This time. Valerius on the left, bright eyed and
Calm. He is the most innocent looking of the
Watchers I have ever seen yet! He’s holding the
Book somewhat anxiously, watching Ceres
As though he is waiting for her direction.

“You started the Mission Protocol from the
Great Hall?” She asks me.

“Yes, but how did you know that?”

“When you’re not here,” Ceres said pointing
To the notebook, “We discuss everything now.
There is someone for every task.”

“I thought I was to continue with the story?”

“You will,” Ceres said kindly…her
Smile becoming sharp like her eyes. “But
We have an adjustment to make…”

“What does that mean?”

“Recite Protocol Two.” Ceres said calmly. “My
Sister said it was put within you…you will
Know what that means…then we can proceed.”

“You want me to write that down?”

“Yes, please.” She said.

“There are to be no attachments. Nothing
That would render you weak to the Mission…
So that when the time comes…all ties will be
Severed…No questions. No hesitation. You
Will know what to do when, where and how.
No exceptions.”

Ceres nodded. “Thank you. I believe that
Should cover enough for now.” Again
She smiled pleasantly. “Now…” She turned
Towards Valerius.

“Is that wise to do that now?” He asked
Her. “With regards to their aspects of time?”

“Valerius.” She pointed at him. “The rules have
Changed…He is not in charge, this is his
Post. Brishan gave the order, you will follow it.
The positions will change. I am taking a role.
I am not just sitting here, no questions. Your
Job…is the Hour Glass book. So do it.”

“Why does Valerius always hold the book?”

Ceres gave me an awkward look, not mean or
Nasty, just…uneasy.

Valerius laughed. “Because with her knowledge
Of things Heaven only knows what would come out.”

She gave him a very fast stern look and he
Abruptly stopped laughing. “Valerius…begin
With the book…NOW…PLEASE.”

“Wait, I just wanted to ask you one
More thing—“

Before I could finish, Valerius leaned forward
And opened the book…And the open pages
Of the Hour Glass began to glow…

The words assemble in the mind…
Pictures, colors, waves of feelings fill the mind
To find the words. The story comes. It’s like
A forced dream. I understand now, it’s a
Historical piece…The Native American lore,
Lost stories…The Vikings came to America
Long ago, and left…why? They could have
Built a colony, but didn’t…why?

North America was a significant continent…
The Native Americans migrated and settled
Throughout it…Druids came…another lost
Story…Then the Vikings…The Vikings quest
For Thor…Thor exists in both Viking and
Native American legends…The Thunderbird…
Son of Odin…Phoenix Fire…Reborn
From the Ashes…Rebirth…

And now the story images…
For the Next Quest to come to complete
The prophecy…9…White Oak Woman,
Talks with His Hands…The 5…
2 more yet to find…identify…The
Eyes and ears of the readers are too
Unclear…new pathways must find the
Answer. Disconnect their attention to
Defer them to another source…These minds
Are damaged by radio waves. Fitter. Resume
Story…New readers will come…

In the hills by the Great Lake, it was nearly
Autumn. A fresh bright fall season unlike
The world knows now. Colors crisp and vivid,
The tradition of colors to find their peak
When the first frost comes…
The Vikings had taught the natives to build
More fortified huts…They resisted this at
First, their instinct was to migrate south
Before the snows came…But the Vikings don’t
Know this, the Vikings don’t care about snow?
And that’s a clue.

In the chief’s hut, Standing Bear
Had gathered his council for a private
Discussion. There was Eagle Cries, his oldest
And best friend, the Holy Man of the tribe…
One Eye Hawk, the Medicine Man…a rigid,
Mysterious man reflecting the features of
His name. Two Wolves, the eldest and strongest
Warrior…and Stands in Rivers, considered the
Most noble warrior of the tribe…A private
Assembly of 5. Again, another clue.

Standing Bear sat at the head
Of the warm fire pit, with his council
Surrounding it. Warm, yet smoky in the
Cool autumnal air. Herbs and dried plants
Had been tossed in the fire by the Medicine
Man…One Eye Hawk’s contribution, a mild
Stimulant to the smoke; a mild sedative smoke.
The men took in the air, the scent of
The dried weeds burning…it set a daze, a
Numbness about them, yet they thought very
Clear.

Standing Bear turned to his left, where
Eagle Cries sat beside him. He studied his
Wrinkled, aged face and long grayish-white
Hair, the man possessed a powerful quiet strength
Unlike any other; near or far for his day or
This one.

“So tell me, my friend,” Standing Bear asked
Him. “What do you think of these pale men
That have come here…these Vikings?”

Eagle Cries thought for a moment, then turned to
Him slowly and said. “They have to be the
Stupidest men I have ever seen…” The men
All immediately quietly grinned and chuckled.
“They moan and groan and complain
Constantly…They claim to be on a quest to
Find the great warrior Thor…son of their
God? Do all warriors on a quest complain
This much? I am too old for this.”

The Medicine Man laughed then made a serious
Face. “You are too old for this.” One Eye Hawk
Said. “That’s why you think so clear, if you
Were younger you would complain more and
Think less.” He laughed.

“I do not understand the purpose here.”
Two Wolves said, he had long salt and peppery
Hair and was very out spoken. “Why do we
Stay? We could leave while they slept…They
Would never find us…They’re too big and
Clumsy and sleep so loud.”

“They came for a reason.” Stands in Rivers
Said, the calmest of them all. “If we leave,
They will follow. I do not think they are
That dumb…just loud…and big…
And clumsy…Okay dumb a little, but not
So dumb.”

“You give them too much credit!” Two Wolves
Argued. “The big one with orange hair, he
Burps so loud the sky could crack open. Thunder
Spirits would fall from the sky…we would not
Know the difference if they fell or he opened
His mouth.”

“There are things to consider here true.” Standing
Bear said. “Yes, they came for a reason.
But what do we do?”

“We point to the setting sun and say go
Chase your Thor and leave.” Two Wolves
Said pointing his finger sternly.

“No, there’s more than that here.” Standing
Bear said shaking his head. “There must be.”

“What do you suggest?” Eagle Cries asked.

“You are the Holy Man,” Standing Bear
Said gesturing to him wide, “You tell me.”

“You want to reward their craziness
And wildness, their big clumsy heads
With wisdom?” Eagle Cries laughed. “This
I must laugh at. Since when has anyone
Learned this way?”

“But maybe they have to.” Stands in Rivers
Said. “Maybe that’s the lesson here…Maybe
We have to be better here…”

“How?” Two Wolves asked.

“The Prophecy Cave.” Stands in Rivers said.

“That is NOT a place to take them so
Fast…” Eagle Cries said. “The spirits guard
There…The BIG ONES of the woods
Dwell there…They guard the voices inside.
That place is only for…” He paused in
Struggling thoughts. “Emergencies…”

Standing Bear nodded. “The Prophecy Cave…
And its…guards…would truly test them
For what they look for…”

“If it tells them anything at all.” Eagle
Cries said.

“True.” Standing bear said nodding slowly.
“If…it tells them anything…at all.”

So they agreed…at dawn the chief
Would go to the Vikings camp and tell them
They would help them with their quest…
But when the sun rose the skies
Were unusually thick with clouds, the
Colors bursting…more intense. The
Animals, the birds…all of nature was
Anxious and nervous. They saw this as
A sign. Those who read nature see such
Things. A storm was coming.

Standing Bear was uneasy by this so
He asked his council what they thought
This meant. “The skies want to talk…”
One Eye Hawk said mysteriously. “The
Cave will speak to them…”

They were intrigued by this, One Eye Hawk
Was never wrong. And though they should have
Been alarmed by the coming storm they weren’t,
Instead the decision of the Cave held their
Interest foremost.

As they walked slowly to the Vikings’
Camp, Standing Bear kept wondering…what
Would they see? What if there was a purpose
In these men coming here…for his people as well.
So he asked his closest friend, the Holy
Man… “What if this concerns us all?
We should be careful how we do this…”

“What do you want to do?” Eagle Cries
Asked.

“What if we were selective in who we
Take to the cave?” Standing Bear said.
“This affects us too.”

Eagle Cries nodded. “I was thinking this
Also…Not all of them are big and
Dumb…The one with the boy, that watches
Over him…I like him and his friends. Not
The others. I do not like talking to the
Others.”

“I agree with you.” Standing Bear said.

“Maybe if we talk to just those three,” Eagle
Cries said… “This will show us something
Better…” He thought carefully as they
Walked on and neared the camp. “The boy…
The boy must go…And Talks with His
Hands must go…And White Oak Woman.”

Standing Bear was a little surprised.
“White Oak Woman?”

“I think Moon and Rain must go as
Well.” Eagle Cries said. “The more women
That go the better.”

“Interesting.” Standing Bear could only say.
They always did consider their women’s
Opinions carefully…but never with the
Prophecy Cave. Only Medicine Men and
Holy Men had ever gone there before. It
Was such a superstitious place for them…
For generations…It was a large cave
In the hills, very large. Big enough for an
Entire tribe…But no one went there much…
Generations ago, when they were still new
To the land…A tribe had tried taking
Residence in the cave…They never came out…
Only tools, skins, and some totem items were
Left behind…nothing else. His people believed
The cave swallowed them, and their
Spirits still dwell there…It was a cave
Of echoes…and voices, strange whispers
And visions…The big hairy men of the
Woods walked there…Only the bravest ever
Went in or came out…It was a great
Campfire story to scare the children and
Teach caution to the people…

The chief and his council arrived at the
Vikings’ camp…White Oak Woman and Talks
With His Hands were already there, they had
Made friends with the boy and the three
Good men…They greeted each other politely
And explained their suggestion of the
Prophecy Cave to the Vikings’ leader, but
He was too preoccupied with trying to bargain
For some of their women to please his men.
The chief and his men rolled their eyes and
Explained they had not come for that. So
They feigned ignorance and instead
Turned to speak with the wiser Vikings,
Janson and Tovar and the boy…Danor
Was there too, but more so just an ear.

“Prophecy Cave?” Janson asked them.
“What is that?”

White Oak Woman eagerly explained
For them. “It’s a cave north of here…
West…There is another Great Lake
Past it…It’s a place our shamans, Holy Men
And Medicine Men go for vision quests…
But only when there is a problem. Sometimes
A warrior will go there if he is
Desperate and feels he has lost his path.
They have visions there. Our people tell
That long ago a tribe went into the cave
For shelter and never came out…
They believe the cave swallowed them…
That their spirits are trapped in the
Cave…That their voices stay there and
Talk to those that will listen…”

“A haunted cave?” Tovar asked scratching
His dark beard. “Ghosts? That doesn’t
Sound good.”

“It is a…mystic place.” White Oak Woman
Further explained. “People do have visions
There…They hear and see things they
Go there for answers when none can
Be found. There are paintings there on
The walls…very old.” She paused.
“And something else…”

“What?” Janson asked curiously with
A scowl.

“The cave is guarded by the Big Men
Of the Woods.” She reluctantly told them.

“Big men?” Tovar repeated. “Another
Tribe?”

“The Big Hairy Men,” she tried to explain
With gestures, at a loss of knowing
Enough of their words. “Very big. Bigger
Than you…than any of you. They
Have hair all over…You can’t always
See them, but they are there. They
Watch you. They always watch you…
They know wherever you go…Where you
Are…Where you will be…They are a
Part of the woods. They guard the
Cave…They have for a long time.”

The men eyed each other widely.
Their eyes bulged as they questioned
The possibilities…but were afraid to ask
Too fast.

“Monsters?” Mika asked for them all.

“Monsters?” White Oak Woman did
Not know this word…

Mika tried to find the words of theirs he
Had learned to explain… “Like big bad men
That do bad things…Animal-people?”

She frowned trying to understand and
Explain. “Big…yes…bad? They are a
Part of nature…like animals, like men…
Big, strong…bad, no…They can be bad,
They can be angry. If we leave them alone
They leave us alone…I don’t know how to
Say anymore. They are a part of nature.”

Janson looked to Tovar…their eyes silently
Talking. What were they getting themselves
Into? But Mika clung to them eagerly.
“We should go, we should do this! I
Want to see this cave!”

His friend, Talks with His Hands stood
Watching this as White Oak Woman made
The sign language to tell him what they
Were talking about. The boy at once began
To protest, he told them with his hands
That it was dangerous there. A somewhat
Heated debate broke out between Talks with
His Hands, Mika and White Oak Woman as
They silently argued with their hands about
This…Mika really wanted to go…White Oak
Woman was curious…but Talks with
Hands did not.

This all caught the attention of Bulvar and
The other men, as they came over laughing
At the silent hand arguing. “What is this
Now…Is something bothering the little men?”
Bulvar bellowed as the other men just watched
And laughed.

Eagle Cries scowled. “We came to suggest
An idea for you…that might help you find
Your Thor…”

“Find Thor?” Bulvar asked loudly, “Why didn’t
You say so? Let’s hear this now then?”

Eagle Cries began explaining about the
Prophecy Cave, of how it often gave their people
Visions. Then Janson and Tovar added the
Disturbing part about the Big Men, the
Monsters that guarded the cave…

Bulvar immediately jumped at the idea. A
Challenge? Monsters? The men were bored…
They had come to this land on a quest…and
Finally they were being offered a chance at
Some answers. They had all fought many
Battles, seen many lands, survived a
Long trip at sea…They weren’t scared of any
Monsters…Well not really. But Bulvar was
So eager and arrogant that he didn’t care.
He boasted that he wanted to go immediately.

But Standing Bear shook his head. “We have
Only come to tell you about this. Not to go
Right now.”

“Why not?” Bulvar responded loudly scratching
His beard. “Are you scared? Why waste time?”

Standing Bear looked to his men. Eagle Cries
Just shook his head…he did not have to say
How stupid he thought the men were, it was
Written all over his face. One Eye Hawk
Looked at the sky…Thick clouds were rolling
In from the west against the bright early light
Of the morning sun. The sky was exploding
With colors…And the distant echoes of
Thunder were rolling. These were not good
Signs to him, for any of them. Not now, not
Like this…especially with going to the Prophecy Cave?
He pointed to the sky and looked to his men.
“Look at the Sky…the Spirits…”

But Bulvar only grew louder. “What’s the
Problem? Let’s go see this cave…”

“This is not something we do without thinking.”
Standing Bear told him. “We have to plan…
We have to think.”

“You think too much!” Bulvar boasted. “That’s
What you all do…Think too much…”
Silently thinking was something they were all
Used to doing. But these Vikings were so
Ignorant, no one argued. “No, we
Should wait.”

But Bulvar insisted and they began putting
A scout party together immediately.

Standing Bear wanted to wait, but at
This point he had to admit, to be rid of
These Vikings as soon as possible was a
Blessing! So he agreed and sent his two
Oldest warriors back, Two Wolves
And Stands In Rivers, back to his camp
To tell them what was happening…

The Prophecy Cave…

It was about a day’s journey by foot
To the cave…Most of the Vikings went,
While Standing Bear and his friends,
His daughter and Talks with His Hands
Served as their guides…

They camped nearby the cave overnight
So as not to approach it at dark, for fear
Of…The Big Men that guarded the cave.
But it was quiet…too quiet…this time,
For the first time in all they knew…
Nothing unusual happened. They were only
Pelted with a rainstorm and some
Thunder…

By dawn, a clear sky broke…and a new
Day seemed much brighter. Standing Bear and
His elder friends led the Vikings to the
Cave without a problem…
Again no Big Men…no warnings…
In fact, there was little activity of
Anything nearby as is.

Through thick woods they found the
Rolling hill that split and opened to a
Great cave…It was so big, it hardly
Looked mysterious or threatening and
There were no echoes of voices in the wind
Nearby…something was very different…

Standing Bear and One Eye Hawk
Urged caution, but Bulvar wouldn’t listen.
He pushed on and forced them to lead
Them in…Everyone had mixed feelings,
But still there were no strange signs…

A prophecy? In a cave? The idea seemed
Very funny to the Vikings. And so far
They had seen nothing unusual. It really
Appeared that these locals made a
Big idea out of nothing…Most minds
Always think this way…They want a
Big show, they want to be impressed
Constantly…They fail to recognize the
Subtle signs…like the quiet…too quiet…
The lack of animals…or the birds that
Usually sang and filled the forest with
Their song. Big things seldom advertise
Themselves…But the Native Americans
Knew…something that stood the test of
Time spoke for itself…But some people
Never learn.

Eagle Cries and One Eye Hawk took the
Lead into the cave…as the Vikings made
Torches to light their way…Inside they
Found the remnants of the tribal legends…
The aging tools and fur skins of the lost
Tribe…but everything was so old and
Worn it seemed ready to fade away.
It had been many years after all.
Even the paintings on the walls began
To fade…in time…it sure seemed that
It would appear as just an ordinary
Cave in the hills…

But they found the old fire pit of the
Lost tribe and brought wood in to light it.
This brought the darkness to life again.
But there were still no voices…It was
Too quiet.

Bulvar taunted the shadows on the
Walls and got his men to laugh. It
All seemed so funny. It was just a cave!
So they stood a while and waited…
Nothing happened. Then they sat and
Ate and joked and laughed…and
Waited, nothing happened. They grew very
Comfortable…

It was the boys…who noticed first. Talks
With His Hands was showing Mika the old
Cave paintings when they noticed it…
Someone or some THING…had been
Rubbing the paintings off the walls?
Why? The Big Men of the Woods must
Have done it!

But then, it was as though the Vikings’
Laughter and jokes had teased the cave,
And woke something up…A light wind
Howled through the cave, with voices on it.

“Did you hear that?” Janson asked.

Then the fire in the fire pit roared
To a raging wild life…The flames
Grew higher and higher as they heard
The echoes of what sounded like a
Young girl’s voice call out…

The fire grew and grew…too much,
Too fast, it made no sense!

The men gathered round the fire,
The Vikings stepped back…But
Bulvar stepped closer to the flame…
The flame appeared to have a
Funny face glaring at him…Then
There were many faces.

Everyone saw it, it was there…
White Oak Woman stood near, holding
Both boys close to her under each arm…
The voices grew…howls…echoes…
The flames rose higher and higher
A huge raging 10 foot flame…
It was impossible!
Faces filled the flame, of ages old…
But they weren’t tribal faces…
None White Oak Woman knew…
They had many features…of many
Colors…A rainbow tribe…
Calling out in different languages
They didn’t recognize…
English…Cherokee…Latin…
French…Russian…It was as if
Each face spoke a different language…
More and more until they overlapped
Each other…Then they began
Crying in pain…
Then images filled the flames…
Showing them things…of sights
And sounds…A distant past…
A distant future…
The lush green land of America…
Conquered…trampled…
Stripped of so many beautiful
Things…A mighty herd of bison lost…
Thunder-beasts gone…against the face
Of a great white buffalo…
A warning…
Then a mighty thunderbird over
A southwestern sandy landscape…
Arizona…Texas…New Mexico…
The lands would cry…
The people would fight and die there…
Screams of the west…a frontier
Split in two…
The east coast ravaged by stone cities…
By chaos and overcrowding…
Flooding…flooded by people…
Flooded with chaos…then flooded
By water to silence it…
A towering city of stone shaken
With explosions and terror…
Smoke signals…pillars of smoke…
Once, then twice…three times…
Until the third time finally had
The city consumed with smoke…
That’s when the floods came…
The west would be trampled by
People…screaming peace…dying
By corrupt love…sex, drugs and
Rock and roll in other words…but
To their ancient eyes these were
The sights and sounds of hell…
The west the worst of all…
Split by fire…
Shaken by an ANGRY Earth…
Then finally swallowed when
It couldn’t take it anymore…
Voices kept calling this…in many
Languages…telling different terror
Tales of lost lives to come…
Beneath the Thunderbird…
The face of an angry White Buffalo Bull…
These two were warnings…
This was a land that would be plagued
With invaders…cursed with this fate…
Until…the Buffalo would smile
And the Thunderbird would fly
By command to songs sung by a
Sea…Now music inspired by whales…
And stories told a mystery man…
An Age of Air, an Age of Fire…
Of Symbols and Signs and Lines
Like Colors of the Wind…
9 would break the Curse on the Land,
13 would make the Quest…
Nothing could stop it…
9 must break the curse…
How? Who? Why?
The 13 tribes would Find this
Answer when all the Indian Nations
Unite to share their stories by
Campfires…By the Bell…
By the Book…By the Clues
In their hands…their Palms…
The Rainbow Tribe of 13…
For at last then America
Would be the Promised Land…
Trumpets will sound this…
And it will be the last Trumpet
Ever heard around the World…
Because the World is going to Freeze…
To heal…Watch the Birds, the Bees
And the Trees…they know this…
Seasons out of tune will mark it…
Snow in June…
A pillar of Fire in July…
A Frost in August…
And the Songs of September…
Reign of Mother Earth…Reign…
The First event…July…

Valiant