Prying The 3rd Eye Open.

[DSM-IV]

"Git'r off me! Git'r off me!"

Screeches Slaver One as the cargo hold door bursts open. Slaver One does not deserve a name because he is piece of human garbage. A festering sore of humanity who deals in the peddling of flesh. He doesn't deserve a name so a name he will not get. Just as Slaver Two and Three sitting around a wooden barrel playing dice do not get names. Two and Three just as One a bunch of scurvy laden crew members aboard just another slaving ship cast away in some forgotten part of the Trackless Sea. So, in fact the ship doesn't get a name either! This no name ship happens to have a whole crew of nameless, pile of feces crew members carrying a full load of cargo. The Cargo are slaves to be delivered. The slaves don't get names because there are too many, each deserving of a story of their own, and this story cannot include them all. This story only has room for one name and she happens to be digging her fingernails into Slaver One's face.

Slaver One bursts through the cargo hold door. Spinning madly while feebly trying to tear off the feral woman upon his back. She digs her finger nails into his cheeks drawing large lines of blood. Screaming madly in a croaking gritty voice that sounds like she had a healthy diet of sand paper and razorblades. She then sinks her teeth into a fleshy slab of shoulder. This happening mid toss of Slaver Two's dice upon the round top of a wooden barrel. The two sitting immediately burst into laughter.

"She out agin!? You twit dinna yah tie her this time?" Squeals Slaver 2.

"Yah! Cannah handle tha old witch cantcha?" Follows Slaver 3.

"Juss get'r off me!"

The two dice players calmly rise as if this has happen before, which is has, 3 times already, they work together to peal the woman off. She kicks screams and flails every which way but her strength has lost her perhaps 3 hundred years ago. Slaver 2 bear hugs her pinning her arms to her chest while Slaver 3 rolls over an empty wooden barrel. All thee help to stuff her inside, breaking both her wrists in the process as they slam the top down. The feral hag now stuffed in a barrel that previously held grain.

Let us pause here a moment. To describe the woman as being feral does not give her justice, because feral means animalistic, or escaped from captivity. She was neither of these things. Sure, she was an ancient looking hag of a woman. Her bones twisted and warped from holding her up for so long. Her skin dry, dark brown with a tinge of green. It being without a smooth surface, and covered in primitive tattoos to give the impression of reptilian type scaling. Hair perhaps orange at one point, but encrusted with dirt, leaves, and pebbles now being just a dreadlocked mess. Teeth green, not rotting away green, but mossy green. Mossy because it is literally moss growing upon the hag's teeth. And those eyes, lord those eyes. Green, deep green. Impossibly deep green that if gazed upon you would fall in. You would get lost. You would be brought to a place where green had a new meaning. A place of peace and love and all that mushy stuff mom heaps upon you as a child. Maybe even bringing you back into the womb itself.

Maybe because she is a mother. Not the mother in sense of bearing young, but as in title of her tribe. Mother to all, Blessed of Ubtao, leader of her people. A Sacred being to a tribe who happen to be chained in the Cargo hold in the no name ship. So her actions, at first, seem feral, animalistic, but knowing now what has been told would one not do the same? One who had lived to see generations upon generations of her people thrive in their home in the deep jungles of Chult. One whose age was unknown. Whose love and care for her people was beyond measure. Whose body was now too weak to barely walk, but would never allow her people to become enslaved. One who was now stuffed into a barrel stinking of rotting grain, hands crippled. With moans and sobs of her people heard right next door.

Yes only room for one name in this story, Tadala.

****

Welcome again reader. Another character another story to tell. Are you little fish yet? Have I hooked you? I do hope so. Enjoy this story because I have added a little extra this time around. A dash of the metaphysical, some primitive tribal charm, and whole heap of Dharmic spirituality. So, dear reader come on another journey with me and maybe we can pry our 3rd eyes open together.

[DSM-IV]

A low humming that grows into a chant. A guttural deep phrase drawn out and repeated.

"Uuuubbbbtaaaoo"

It is the chained cargo in the hold. Tadala's tribe chanting for their god. The sound reverberating off the walls of the large ship. Vibrating the eardrums of everyone on board.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Shouts Slaver Two. Banging upon the wall with the butt end of his whip, "yeh, hear me? I'll come in thar and crack yeh skull open."

"Cold darkness," The hag Tadala croaks from within the barrel, "Python squeeze." She cackles madly that carries well in the tiny room.

Slaver one kicks the barrel, "Shat up Witch. Yah wannah bring out a young pup of yars, eh? Gut'm like'a fish infront of yah?"

The other two slavers laugh hard at this. Well the one with the dirty rag upon his face and neck to stop the bleeding wasn't laughing so hard.

"UUUBBTAAOO!" The chained slaves volume rise. The entire ship begins to vibrate.

Slaver One kicks the barrel over containing Tadala. It rolls across the floor colliding with the more solid barrels filled with food stuffs in the corner. Tadala is tossed around like a rag doll in a dryer, but she merely cackles madly.

"PYTHON SQUEEZE! COLD DARKNESS! COLD DEATH!" She screeches. One could picture the sound of a Pterodactyl high in the sky screaming similarly.

"Oh that is it! Gonnah break that dirty witch. YAH HEAR ME! GONNAH STRANGLE YAH WITCH IF YAH DONNAH SHUT IT!" Slaver One's voice breaks. There is fear in his screams.

Then dead silence. Not a whisper, not the sound of the weather bell or the riggings, or the creaking of the wood beams of the ship. Complete and total silence. The Three slavers, sweat pouring down their faces from being stuffed in a cramped room, or perhaps the fear, either way, they slowly look at each other then to the knocked over barrel confining the hag.

"Ubtao" the hag whispers, but in the silence it being like a gun shot.

Then the entire outer wall of the ship disintegrates in an explosion of shattered wood. An enormous tentacle, with 8 large suckers on its end with 5 inch barbs on the lips of each grips around slave 3 whose day just got a lot worse. Like a Python the tentacle squeezes tight around his body popping his head like a grape and yanking the lifeless form out into the darkness.

"SQUID! GIANT SQUID!" Someone shouts from up top, and the warning bell goes off signaling all hands on deck.

The two slavers freeze in panic, mouth's agape, as water begins pouring into where the ship hull use to be. The water one would think would be deafening, but it isn't. It is a silent cold death. The ship heaves and shifts sending Tadala, the slavers and the barrels into the opposite wall of the hull. The barrels smash together like pumpkins against the street. The slavers being pinned between are killed instantly.

Water fills the small room quickly barely giving the Hag enough time to squeeze out of her former cell. The water is dark and cold. Muffled sounds of the ship breaking apart all around her as she blindly swims and feels her way to the cargo door.

The ship was torn nearly in two by the monster and the water took her under in a manner of minutes.

Now it slowly sank into the darkness, the cold death. To squeeze the breath out of those who were pulled under.

Tadala reaches the Cargo Door and she pushes it open. Eyes, hundreds of deep green eyes in the darkness peer back at her. It is her people and there is no possible way to save them. The Blessed One of her people who cared for them since the beginning now watching as the life is squeezed out of them. The deep green eyes are not afraid, but thank full. Tadala could recognize each pair of eyes. The young ones, the old ones, every one. Each now content staring back at her in the cold darkness.

The eye's are forgiving, thankful and content for they were leaving this place not as slaves but as free people. A proud people who were raised and cared for in the Chult Jungles by the Blessed One, Tadala. The Hag watches the eyes slowly go out. One after another like lights in the city skyline as night takes its hold.

Then, "GO!" enters her mind.

With her dirty dreadlock hair dancing around her in the cold darkness of the water, she pulls herself away.

There is only room for one name in this story. The feral hag Tadala.

[DSM-IV]

The backdrop The Grove inner chamber. A woman covered in leafy vines, snakes crawling in her matty dreadlocks, crickets chirp, swallows sing, god damn Merry Poppins movie like in the background. Tadala, the blessed one, upon her knees arms spread wide here eyes rolled back into her head. She sways and swoons, shimmies and shakes. She is praying to her god Ubtao in her native tongue. An animalist guttural hissing sound combined with growls, teeth smashes, and tongue clicks. One might picture what an alligator might sound like communicating with kin.

The translation is what follows. It is not a perfect translation for Tadala and her people do not use language the same as you or I. Their language uses jungle animals or plant life to speak metaphorically. Mother means mother in common or another word that represents mother in a different language, but Tadala would express the thought of one's mother depending on circumstance and metaphorically with her jungle surroundings.

For example: "My mother raised me to be this way." would not have a perfect translation because the sentence does not include the circumstance of why it was said. Now, if it is known the circumstance is the speaker is a timid sort this gives the complete picture so then a more direct translation can be given. Tadala, using her animalistic hissing and growls would state, "Jungle Mouse breed Jungle Mouse." The same sentence spoken in the circumstance of the speaker being quick to anger would translate, "Boar breed Boar". With this in mind the follow is the best translation of a prayer in front of the sacrificial alter of The Heartwood Grove.

"Ubtao, The Deceiver, who made Blessed One's home yet took away. Blessed one no more, now Old Lady when awoken upon Raging Island's beaches. Old Lady useful to none. Raging Island insane, Angry. Jungle and Forest balance no more. Old Lady heart doubted Ubtao's wisdom. The Maze is great and long, and the path can not be seen when inside. Dead Ends are always. Old Lady Heart felt dead end awaken upon Raging Island. No more.

Old Lady pray forgiveness, now understand. Ubtao bring Old Lady to Raging Island for purpose, for goal. Old Lady found this purpose. Raging Island heart's tainted with death. Abandoned, sick, life all but extinguished. The Raging Island's death taint spread to most sacred places. Ubtao see all. Know all, know island heart need cure. Need reborn. Old Lady now know purpose. Now know goal. The Maze path is clear.

Old Lady goal: become Grove Mother. Remove taint. Bring LIFE back to Raging Island heart. Quell what little insanity of Raging Island Old Lady can.

Ubtao, Old Lady prays, help Old Lady speak words with Chief's of Sheep for nurture. Help with deeds to show Hunter strength. Help Old Lady become mother for Wild Walker, and father for Death Worshiper. Allow Old Lady to become Grove Mother and open 3rd eye for all."

[DSM-IV]

The Jungle Hag sits in the lotus position facing the stone alter inside the Heartwood Grove. Before her a pure onyx bowl filled with a dirty brown liquid. The concoction a mixture of her own saliva, peat moss, and at least 12 different species of Psilocybin mushrooms. Dirt caked dreadlocks hang over her decrepit face. Her eyes rolling back into the skull as arms, covered in draped leafy vines, are spread wide. She is swinging and convulsing, chanting in low gutter hisses. "Mmmmmm" is her mantra broken up with the occasion shake of a tooth covered necklace in hand. With each sway, with each convulsion her mind falls deeper into itself.

Tadala's 3rd eye, her mind's eye opens. The Jungle Hag has just started a trip on the magic carpet to psychodelicsville. The hallucinogens, the meditations a catalyst for her own natural ability to produce vivid waking dreams in both herself and others.

The hag's face begins to slowly cave in upon itself as if it is water and the drain plug is being pulled out of the back of her throat. The world around her being pulled as well like the hag's visual world is painted upon satin, and that satin is now sucked into the gaping hole where her head once was. Everything being sucked in till nothing but a tiny speck which suddenly explodes in blinding white light.

Tadala's soul is shot out in a fantastic explosion of all the colors of the rainbow in perfect vivid glory. The lights quickly take form of a sky with a vast sea beneath. The hag with sight only meant for birds looks down upon the sea. From the water an Island complex emerges like a great whale taking a breath. The Islands are Arelith, and upon her forests, roads, mountains, small cities and hamlets forming the walls of a grand maze. A maze, with its turns and dead ends, taking up the entire land formation that can easily be made out from such a high vantage point.

"Blessed One, has opened her 3rd eye. What words wish spoken?" A voice that is not heard, but felt deep inside whatever form Tadala's soul has now taken.

"Great Ubtao, maker of Chult, The Deceiver, the father of my people Tadala comes to have words. Comes for guidance. This Raging Island of insanity confuses." The words are not spoken, but thought. Tiny beings can be seen below scurrying about the maze like lab rats trying to find the cheese.

Tadala continues, "Life returns to the heart of this place. The once leopard cub now an adult silent and deadly hunter of the jungles. But what now? Grove Mother heart say done well, but now mistakes being made. An agreement to help an artist, a lie to protect a loved one have endangered what has been built."

"Has acted with heart, not of mind. But yet, lets the mind worry like the sheep of Cities?"

"Forgive Tadala, this place, This Raging Island is so different. Find my mind worrying, find it second guessing. Grove Mother ask friends to help an Artist. To find a cure for it's curse, yet danger it brings upon The Grove. Danger of fire."

"Again, letting mind over take heart. What does heart feel Tadala?"

The jungle hag pauses trying to clear any logical thought process, now instead speaking whatever her "gut" tells her. Her instincts, that deep animalistic drive purely meant for basic survival. Vastly powerful that drive is with the ability to perform complex deductions from information stored in the subconscious. Information gathered from the peripheral and genes past down from millions of previous souls.

"Hunters of Artist are from far. Threats are baseless. Artist is being watched by few. The threat on Grove is nothing but words. Life or death of Artist means nothing to survival of what built."

"Then why waste energy to help?" The voice replies.

"Artist desperate, few of raging island care. Grove Mother will gain ally for life if solve. Ally closer to Grove then hunter's of Artist."

"All becomes clear when heart is used. But this is not only reason has come." The image of the island bellow becomes closer. The beings scurrying about are the sentient races and animals of Arelith.

"A young Wolf ask help. Guidance, from Grove Mother. A great weapon was found and the Wolf wished it. Tadala know Wolf tell lies for reasons, but wolf young. Tadala found very same hour as if meant to be."

"And you lied to the Wolf." The voice speaks as if already seeing what has happen.

"The Wolf is young, does not truly understand balance. Thinks of enemies of Wolf instead of enemies of nature. Tried to use moment as lesson. Words given are Grove Mother destroyed weapon. A weapon of Sheep is meant to tip balance to one's favor. Will cause enemies to do more blood to each other. More death then is meant to be. More balance tipped to one side. Grove Mother tried to share this. Tried to make Wolf understand. But, Wolf heart filled with anger. Could not see past raging eyes. Wolf is so important to Grove Mother. Is keystone to what needs built. But, if Wolf learns truth of weapon? Will turn on Grove Mother and all maybe lost."

The image of the island is shot towards her. Her vision and sense of the Grove's cave around her quickly returning.

The voice leaves her with the last words, "Used heart to speak from. Why let mind ruin?"

[DSM-IV]

Ubtao creator of Chult, The Deceiver, maker of the Great Maze hear prayers and Tadala asks for guidance.

My tribe has returned. Eyes are different but love in their hearts same. Tadala returns that love in full. Love only mother can understand. Love given to child with nothing ask return. Tadala Grove Mother of Heartwood's love is so pure, and seeing child hurt tears heart open. A child of nature has been harmed. It's head presented to Tadala as trophy.

What is a mother to do oh Great Ubtao? Standing in the stink and urine of the sheep prison to have ones watered eyes view child's head tossed to floor like garbage. The Sheep carry it like trophy. My child's head. A Trophy.

Is hole in heart. Sheep never understand, they only wish bloodlust fulfilled. Slaying of child can be understood, accepted. A stupid child bring danger to tribe, and make stupid offspring, death benefits tribe. But, taken as trophy? How can Grove Mother stand by to do nothing? Child's head has been taken!

Tadala heart has hole, and darkness begin fill. What to do? Does Sheep need lesson? Would Tadala risk more harm to children? Is lost! Moment by moment more darkness is all can see. Blood wished. Unleash Jungle games! TAKE EYES! But, this is for Grove Mother not for tribe.

Tadala work very hard bring life back to Groves, all Groves. Soon task be complete, and Grove Mother can rest. Can rest with this? Will Wildwalker's ever be safe from foolish sheep?

Ubtao give me strength and wisdom. Open your Blessed One Tadala's 3rd eye. Allow heart to be pure, and decisions true.