https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ5bS3_BCDs

In the Dark, The Dim, The Light…
The Serious Stares of their assembly
As they sat around a large round table…
Watching, waiting for this…
To impart the next story for those
Willing to hear it.

And she stood tall and fearless from
Them, this woman…graceful, yet strong,
Beautiful, with a celestial glow about

Her in the soft light of the room.
She had auburn hair swept back
From her face, tied with twisted curls
That she wore like a crown above
Her head, highlighted with gold…that
Fell in long curly waves down her back…
But her eyes were mesmerizing, focused,
Shimmering like molten yellow metal,
They burned into you…Her form was
Perfect, but her essence was primal
And wild…This was Rana.

“Who’s to say they can date the beginning?
She said as she slowly moved from her
Seat to stroll around the table. She was
So focused, her eyes did not appear to blink
At all…her long lashes like knives. “We only
Know there was one…

We all search for these answers, the
Immeasurable quest of knowing,
Discovering what we don’t know.
Who are we, what are we, where did we
Come from…and why? Science has
Always argued the logical reasons,
But it can not explain one thing…
The soul. Faith is the only answer here.
No logic, no study of any measurement
Can explain the finite details of what
Breathes passion into the reason of life,
Only that life exists with passion…
And the fire of this makes things
Move.

In the Universe, there are countless forms
Of life, of sentient beings…of worlds beyond
Imagination. To sum this up, to explain
Their diversity would be…impossible. And these
Sciences reflect this. And amid these there
Are forces that build and shape the powers
Struggling to control them…That which
Could be called …Good and Evil. The Dark
And the Light…the epic struggle…it truly
Comes down to this. There is no denying this,
For where there is life, that breathes and
Walks and thinks and builds civilizations,
These forces are recognized. And so, each
Is compelled without option to choose
One to follow…True, some are coerced…
But in the end, if not the beginning…
There are always 2.

“Do you know why I am telling you
This?” Rana asked with a casual blink.

“I thought this was a story about
The Lion Men?”

“Not quite.” She said pausing to stand still.
“All worlds have this measure. All of them.
Some more than others, much more so in
Fact…Some are entirely Good…While
Others are entirely Dark. And the Dark
Is very hungry…it brandishes this
Endless thirst for power and domination…
Presuming that one day perhaps it
May take over.

We can not explain for sure to you
How long this has been…but most
Would argue…For as long as this Universe
Has existed…if not all Universes.

And we do study this…it is a primary
Concept of origin. That is who we are,
The Watchers. Perhaps that will clarify things
Some…

Now, in the state of things…of watching,
We learn. Now also, it makes more sense
To observe those that we have most in
Common with,” She said gesturing her
Hands wide and calmly, “Does it not? For
In our similar forms and shapes we are
Like kin…maybe not the closest by birth,
But still, we are related. Even that, yes
We do share similar things with races
Like The Lion Men, and they with us.
Particularly where just cause and nobility
And virtue are of similar pursuit. By
That I mean, in the realms of the
Universes, we share the path of the Light,
Or Good, if you will. And we embrace
Those laws accordingly.”

“Is this a story? It feels like something
Else.”

“Yes.” She simply smiled and nodded.
“Please, bear with me…It is difficult
Sometimes to reach out. You can not
Always just approach someone and
Begin to communicate openly…it would
Be too shocking. Too unnerving…
And the words would fall in disarray,
Losing their meaning by perceptions,
By opinions, beliefs…even something
Primitive and simple as hormones…and
Then the communication would be
Pointless…worthless…So we, if the
Approach is to be done at all, must
Be made carefully…with very carefully
Selected contacts…

And the more precious the contact, the
More rare of a situation…the more
Valuable they become.” She smiled. “Do
You understand?”

“This is about that Light the Angel put
In my head in 1999…isn’t it?”

Again, she smiled. “Another time for
That…for now…consider this…If
Contacts are laid out over the course of
Time for a purpose…And something
Quite magical happens during that period,
You would call that what?” She
Paused to the others at the table,
Then returned her eyes to me. “Something
Beyond expectations…And suddenly
One small project becomes something
Much more…something quite Huge…

“Now,” She held up her forefinger…
“Now for the story…Just – “

“I still say we should just end this
Before it becomes a mess.” Diana,
The beautiful voice of their Senate, her sister,
Interrupted, “They have already proven,
For the most part, they are too half
Witted for these matters. They voted
For a cleansing…We should allow the
Planet to proceed.”

Brishan scowled as he sat beside
Where Rana stood. “We have discussed
This…Do not put your words to the
Message here any more…We agreed! Rana,”
He ordered with one nod. “Continue…
Please…”

She smiled again and went on. “Now
Then…Let the words flow…As the
Ascended Master instructed. Ignore all
Distractions…this has been very carefully
Put in place…”

A flash of Light…A tidal wave of
Shimmering blues and golds…
Words fell in place, pictures, slideshows…
A memory shared…

Golden hair, creamy streaks with waves
And curls, blurry at first...Flashes of
A Hallway, silver-like panels…soft
Yellow lighting along the ceiling, along
The wall just above the eye level
Comfortably. She was walking somewhere
Intently…urgent. Then into a room
To sit at a counter with a chair made
Into the wall of a small dimly lit
Room. The chair facing one
Blank wall? She sat down then touched
Some sort of invisible keypad, again
Made into the counter, that lit up
When she touched it. There were no
Wall decorations of any kind, this
Was an empty room.

Immediately the wall she faced it up,
Like a giant view screen…And there
Was Rana, looking exactly as she
Does now. “Ceres, my sister…you
Did receive my call?”

“Yes, of course.” Ceres answered
Calmly, but somewhat surprised. “Of
Course…It has been so long…Why- “

“Does the Trickster know about
This call? IOs he aware at all?” Rana
Asked.

“He is aware of the transmission, yes.
But not by whom. Why?” Ceres asked.

“Is it true what they are saying,
What the Senate and the Postulate
Have received of the activity on
The planet…Did a Pilgrim ship
In fact, land to replace lost fuel?
The Elvar…from – “

“Yes.” Ceres groaned, rolling her
Eyes trying to contain her disgust.
“Yes…But I thought he hid his
Actions…They are aware? You should
See what he is doing. He removed
His uniform! Then sat in front of
Me completely bare- “

“Never mind that,” Rana responded,
“I don’t need to hear. Apollo hasn’t
Changed…I want to know about
The Pilgrim ship. They are blocking
All transmissions son that no one
Can see…”

“The Postulate is blocking transmissions?
Why?” Ceres asked, confused.

“Not the Postulate,” Rana said
With a sly grin. “The Paladium…
BR’riel has done this…”

Ceres held her head sideways
Watching her sister carefully. “Why?”

“I will explain,” Rana went on,
“There is something I would like
You to do…BR’riel asks this…
VIR’riel and I are coming under
A concealed Transport…Apollo
Must not be aware of this at all
Under any circumstances…Can
You do this?”

“Fool Apollo?” Ceres said with a
Wide-eyed expression. “Hide something
From him? Make the Great Apollo
Who over analyzes everything
Be distracted from his fantastic ego
Of brilliance? That his intelligence
Should falter? Not notice something?
Pause? Skip a moment? Of course,
That is completely easy. How
Foolish can I make him look?”

Rana simply laughed, end transmission.

The Lost Time, a secret visit…
As requested, Ceres blocked her sister’s
Transport from being detected
By the vigilant Apollo…How? The
Traditional way, of course, no hints there.

Flashes, images…Lost pictures and
Hidden memories of an era concealed
In time. The Visit…
The Earth was still lush and primitive
But growing…Tribes were becoming
Villages, and villages towns…But in
Some lands, stone cities were rising
And tyranny was forming. For those
Slowly becoming aware of greed and
Power. And unknownst to all, there
Were visitors from the stars making
An accidental stop on Earth to replace
Lost fuel and…study the natives…
The Star Pilgrims, The Elvar…humans
From a far corner of space were discovering
A lost tribe of humans on this world
On the fringes of safe space…but these
Humans were unlike any they had encountered
Before…in form and behavior, something
Had changed them. And in close
Examination of the planet, an ancient
Civilization was discovered…remains of
A Lost band of Survivors from another
Time…Another War…One known only
To our ancient ancestors from other
Worlds…

The Watchers had recorded much of this
Already through Apollo’s records of humankind
On the Planet…But to the Elvar, it was
A ground breaking New Discovery…The
Planet not only held secrets of a lost
Civilization…but mysterious details of
What the Dark Empire was doing
Secretly…Manipulating and experimenting
To create something New…But why?
Close examination of this must be done…
Watch, Monitor…but do not interfere…
But above all record and report
EVERYTHING…which became the
Point of interest for every race that
Found Earth…

Rand VIR’riel’s Transport came
And hovered, concealed to all, but Ceres.
They observed everything carefully…
The Elvar studying…then making
Plans to ‘help’ the natives with
Genetic therapy that would stabilize
Their DNA over time…and hopefully
Over generations, restore their humanity
To the point of its original colonists: the
Freed slaves’ ships of the Adams and Eves.

The Lion Men had become aware secretly
Of The Last Lion on Earth, but hid this.
To ensure a path of Intervention a vote
Among them on Tellus had decided to
Implement a secret contact with a remote
And simple people far affected from the
Rest of the World…The Native Americans.
Make contact with select tribes on
The Planet…Impart clues…riddles…
Then return and wait. Watch what
Happens…

In the deserts of the South West, an
Elvar Scout Ship had just finished
A messy mission…VIR’riel took
Interest first to these Indians…then
Instructed Rana to approach…

In the caves, deep within the rolling
Hills…a band of young men tended
To the stories they were painting on
The walls…pictographs, carefully made
Images as told to them by their chiefs
And Shaman…do not alter these
Words told to them…of the visitors from
The Stars that came…

As the band of young men grew weary
And tired from their work, at dusk,
Leave a lone young man known as
Eyes to the Sky and their Shaman
Night Bird, alone to finish up for the
Day…They examined their work
Carefully, with admiration, then sat
Quietly by a small fire to note the
Stars lighting in the sky with the Fall
Moon…

“This night feels strange.” Said
Night Bird. “The animals are quiet. The
Wind is quiet…Everything is quiet.”

“But that is good.” Eyes to the Sky
Said to him. “The others talk too
Much all day. My ears hurt now.”

They both laughed. Then Night Bird
Said, “Sometimes quiet is good…But
When the animals are quiet…and
Then the wind is quiet…something
Is there. Pay attention.”

A noise stirred at the Mouth of
The cave…Footsteps, breaking branches
And then a long low growl… A CAT…
The Shaman’s eyes grew wide…
“Do you see? I told you…”

“Mountain Lion?” Eyes to the Sky
Asked…

Night Bird sent his senses out to
Listen to the deep growls of the
Cat stalking them outside. “No…
Jaguar…”

Just then, a Big Black Jaguar
Strolled, with power and confidence,
Into the cave…These great cats
Roamed freely then, before settlers
Hunted them out much later. The
Cat was huge…strong…and hungry.

“What do we do?” The boy asked.

“Wait…” Night Bird said…

Then another noise came…but this
Was different…The footstep patterns
More human…but bigger.
Then two forms stood at the mouth
Of the cave…One was enormous! Tall,
Wide…his head reached the mouth
Of the cave…as the Lion Man
Entered…his face, his expression was
Indescribable!

The two Indians eyes bulged, they
Cowered back a bit, too nervous
To shake…they could only stare without
Looking away.

Then…A woman entered beside him.
She was beautiful! Graceful, yet
Strong…She was tall compared
To the women they knew, with fair
Skin and reddish-brown hair! She
Smiled in the most magical way
At the Indians, but said nothing…

The Jaguar stood right between
The four of them…The cat was
Nervous and confused and grew
Anxious…it had not expected this!
It growled and coiled down…but
Locked eyes with the Lion Man who
Stared it down…with some silent
Psychic power only animals could
Recognize…And at once without
Hesitation, the Jaguar was a subject
To the Lion Man…his servant, his
Friend…and absolutely obedient
To VIR’riel’s presence.

Then Rana approached the Jaguar
And stroked him. “Oh, he is beautiful.”
The Jaguar was immediately devoted
To her and became her constant
Companion…she did love black cats.

VIR’riel nodded to the Indians but
Would not speak their language, though
He knew it instantly. Instead
He nodded for Rana to speak.

Rana turned her attention to the
Men then… “My name is Rana…we
Have come from…a distant Star
To help you…Please do not be afraid,
Just listen to me, my voice…
And remember it for your drawings…

Tell no one we were here…but draw it…
Remember it in your work
And in your memories silently…
Never speak of this unless asked…
And only with your own people…

Know my name when the time is right…
There will come a Time of Great noise
In your future…There will be no reason…
A Time of Thunder in the ground and
Skies…Watch the Skies, The Stars…
Only a few will know this…In their
Dreams the story will speak to them…
Secrets to Never Tell…And then those
Will gather for my return…The Right
Ones…And ANYTHING or ANYONE
That gets in my way…I will break
THEM.

Valiant