Neo Chronicles
Episode 10: The World Axis
Table of Contents
((Black Thought is the best rapper alive. I just gotta let it be known. It's official. He's the best. Okay, then. You know it's true. Yeah, I do. Don't you got some rap thing goin' on? Somethin' like it. It's a lil' somethin' somethin' I do on the side. Write lyrics, recite 'em to beats, nothin' big. Better make somethin' of it. Maybe. Maybe after this story goes somewhere. Opening Theme.))
“The Axis Mundi—or naval of the world, as it is sometimes referred to as—has been a concept stretching across many religions as the world center.” Jabari starts out as he takes the lead. “This bridge connects the Earth to the Heavens, or more accurately, the physical world in which you all dwell, to the many other worlds that reside in the realm of spirits. While the Axis Mundi is indeed a real place, it is also not a place. The driving force behind understanding its existence is to understand the concept behind it. Osun-Osogbo, Jebel Barkal, Yggdrasil, Olympus, the Black Hills, Fuji, Sinai, Calvary—all of these places are but symbols, mere representations of what truly is the world axis. If one truly understands the meaning behind the representation, then he or she has access to this sacred place at all times.”
“Ookay, thanks Mr. spirit man. That was—that was actually pretty interesting,” Noah says.
“You asked the question.” Jabari responds.
“And gave an answer. A long winded answer, but still an answer,” he chuckles.
Noah looks at his so called comrades in arms, hoping to discern the general vibe of the moment. Chris keeps a straight face, his head dead set on whatever path is set before him. He holds tight to that rickety sword of his, even though it did absolutely nothing for him.
“Chris, I'm no expert on old school, archaic weapons and all, but I'm pretty sure that thing isn't supposed to be,” Noah pauses, searching for the best way to put it, “it shouldn't be in pieces.”
“No, it shouldn't,” Chris answers, “but it is, but that's okay, 'cuz I can still make do with it,” he says as he examines what's left of his sword. Nothing other than the hilt is left of it—the hilt and the scabbard. The blade of the katana is all broken. He remembers trying to do all he could with it to pierce those demons hides. This is where it got him.
“How, if you don't mind my asking.”
“I don't know, but it's gonna work out.”
Noah raises an eyebrow in response. He half utters something, but quickly drops the subject as he turns towards Jamal. Such a stern look graces his features. He's tense and on edge. His movements are sharp and wound up. It's not something Noah's used to seeing from him. Typically Jamal is just the opposite. Granted, he's never been eccentric, but he's never been this clunky either. “What's up, Kai?” Noah asks with a cheerful tone.
“Nothin',” Jamal snappily responds.
“Don't be like that, what's up with you?”
“What's up with you?”
“Oh, nothing really. You know, got dragged into some crazy, demon, end-of-the-world nonsense by some crazy cop who thinks he's possessed by a spirit trying to stave off the apocalypse, about got hypothermia, but other than that, same o'. Thanks for asking.”
“Was that supposed to be funny?” Jamal questions with a scowl.
“Twas my intent.” Noah responds with a snarkily responds.
“You're such a loser.”
“C'mon, you need to desperately need to lighten up.”
“Oh, I'm fine, Noah. All things considered, I'm doin' pretty good.”
“See, that's the spirit,” he replies ending on a thumbs up.
Did that change a thing? Noah can't quite tell just yet. Jamal still looks like he's mad at the world. He does seem to have loosened up some. His walk does seem to be a bit more fluid than before, so maybe that's a change for the better.
“W-w-w-w-wait. What? Hold on for a second. Hypothermia?” Jamal gives a weak laugh. “You tellin' me, you almost froze to death? An ice guy, a guy whose ST is freezin' other things, 'bout got frozen himself?”
“Yeah, I guess when you put it like that, it does sound kinda funny, but come on, Kai, I know there've been times you accidentally burned yourself, right?” Noah says.
“No, I ain't never burned myself before. I don't get burned.”
“So you're immune to all forms of heat? Whether it's your own fire or somethin' else? Why do I find that hard to believe?”
“Why do I find it hard to believe that the snow man can get too cold? You're so stupid it don't even make sense.”
The five of them are alone in a place filled to the brim with nothing. With nothing else to do, the group travels on, trailing behind Jabari, their so called leader, as he guides them to what they can only perceive as no where. There's no discernible path in this null space. The ground is as empty as the sky. The background is as blank as the foreground. If it weren't for the slight feeling of motion, the children wouldn't even be able to tell if their walk was taking them anywhere. Yet, still they follow.
Lynn steps up to Jabari's side, careful not to stare him straight in the eye, but too far intrigued to keep from looking away. She examines the towering figure from head to toe. Here lies the visage of a strong, well built, fully armored soldier.
At first glance, there's nothing extraordinary about him, but upon further inspection, she can tell there's a certain air to him—something in the way of a brightness, not just in the way he carries himself, but there is a literal brightness surrounding him. His close crew cut is whiter than it once was. In fact, if she can recall correctly, the cop's hair was anything but bright. It was jet black. There may have been a tint of brown with it, but it was nothing like this. The man has an glow to him, and she wasn't able to pick up on it until now.
She is suddenly caught in the act, and quickly averts her gaze to the traveling pack behind her. To her surprise, though, she finds that there's a similar light faintly permeating from them as well. With widened eyes, she studies them with the same scrutiny she did Jabari. Their light is distinctly dimmer than his, but it's still visible. Each give off their own unique color as well. Jamal's being a fierce red, Noah's being a cool light blue, and Chris's being a wild, sharp yellow.
“What do you see, Lynn?” Jabari asks her.
“I don't know,” she answers. “Colors, lights, something weird,” she looks back upon him, trying to find words that make sense.
“That would be called an aura,” he says. “All living beings have one. It's literally a reflection of one's soul brought to light.”
“Brought to light? I've never seen or even heard of seeing stuff like this before. What's the deal?”
“As I've said before, you're in tune with the spirit world. You have an affinity towards the mystic arts. It's your gift, and trust me it is a gift. Most people have spent decades trying to achieve what you seem to be able to do naturally. Now tell me—look out into the distance and tell me—what do you see? What do hear and feel? What are your senses telling you, and then tell me what your spirit is telling you.”
“Hey!” Jamal interrupts. “Why in the world are we still walkin' around here? Last trip didn't take nearly this long. It's like we've been in this place for hours.”
“Are you that eager for battle?” Jabari asks.
“Hecks naw! I'm ready to go home, an' the sooner we leave the better. I'm gettin' headache from just bein' here.”
“Man, forget him!” Chris starts up, “I'm ready t'fight! You point, I'll shoot. That mess was fun.”
“Shut up, noob! You know this is all bull, too. We get into somethin' else with those demon-monster things, I guarentee your butter knife ain't gonna be the only thing that gets broken.”
“It don't e'en matter my dawg. Jabari, I'm tellin' you, jus' lead the way. I mean, fo' real though, who get's t'go home an' brag about savin' the world?”
Jabari stops walking, and the group stops with him. He takes Chris's broken sword and holds it out. A majestic array of lights envelop the broken item. He's not even sure if Lynn is able to comprehend what's actually taking place in this moment. Appearing before him, one of the multi-colored lights takes form. A man, a spirit that Jabari is very familiar with, places his hand on the weapon's hilt.
Ogoun is a great warrior, having seen and fought many battles in his time. On occasion, he would inhabit the visage of mortals, granting them his strength and power to fight through whatever oppression or wrongdoing that's been forced upon them. Jabari called on him for his vast knowledge and power over metal forging, but as he looks over the weapon he mentions to Jabari that he isn't as versed in blades of this type, at least not as versed as he would like to be. He suggests summoning another spirit to aid in the process.
At Ogoun's request, Jabari calls upon the great spirit Futsu-Nushi. Like Ogoun, Futsu-Nunshi is well versed in the art of the forge, but unlike Ogoun, he is very familiar with the broken weapon. The two spirits work together to restore the blade.
To the young peering eyes, the entire event takes no longer than a few seconds, and as Jabari suspected, the only things they make out are the great lights surrounding the sword as it magically repairs itself before their eyes.
“Just like that?” Noah asks.
“Just like that, homie!” Chris exclaims as he excitedly reclaims his newly formed blade.
“The blade should be indestructible now. It's been blessed and fortified by two major spirits, making it impenetrable to all forms of damage. It should neither bend nor break, neither fault nor shatter. Even the harshest of elements shall pale in comparison. If your will is great enough, you should be able to cut through anything.” Jabari says.
“We've been walking in circles,” Lynn mentions. “I see it now. This place, these roads going every which way, it's like a maze, and you've been leading us in circles. Why?”
Before answering, everyone jumps on Jabari's case. Jamal in particular feels as if he was let down. He steps up to the man as he clenches his fist. The urge to grab him by the collar is hard to resist, but he does so by instead raising an index finger in the man's face.
“Could you please tell me what kinda game you're tryna play? Please? Let me in on the joke! I'm down for a good laugh. Is the world really about to end? If it is, then what are we doin' here? What're we doin' with you? Why hasn't anyone else heard about this? C'mon Jabari! Tell us what's up! Why have you been leading us in circles?”
“I've already told you 'what's up.' Everything I've spoken has been true, and it would be in your best interest to lower your tone and remove your hand from my face before you lose it.”
“Is that a—” Jamal suddenly loses the nerve to finish, and lowers his hand. Without even thinking, he takes a step back, suddenly feeling very small.
“Threat? Yes it is. Advice you'd best take to heart.” Jabari adjusts his focus on the entire group. “Now, as Lynn pointed out, I have been keeping you hear in this realm between realms, and with good reason. Take note of your physical condition. That battle left all of you without the strength to even stand on your own. Now, you carry on as if never having seen a demon. Eager to start conflict, eager to return back to normal. The closer your souls are to the spirit world, the faster your bodies heal. We've only been meandering here for maybe thirty minutes, and already a week's worth of bodily repair has taken place.” And then, specifically addressing Jamal for the moment, he finishes with a “You're welcome.”
A familiar sound enters the white void in which they all stand. It's a whistling, humming noise—the sound of hovercrafts zooming overhead. It is followed by a brief change in climate. The change being the introduction of a climate. A sharp cool breeze. There's a funky odor with it, too. It's the smell of biofuel and steel, bricks and mortar, grass and trees, sweat and bodies all wrapped up in one blast that shockingly reminds each and every one of them of what it's like being home.
And then it hits them, smack in the face. The rays of a still blazing sun beams down on their faces as their city, their home town forms around them.
Chris practically jumps after noticing that they stand at the entrance of the town's police station. It hasn't changed since the last time he's been here. The place was as never as big as the other buildings in the vicinity, but it still stands out from the rest. Every time he's brought here, his disdain for the place grows just a little bit more. He would tell you it's because of how clammy and dark the place looks. Hardly any windows to the place.
“However, in spite of all that's been done, I feel our time together should best be drawn to a close. Not much in the way of time has changed. Time in the Axis Mundi moves quite differently than in the physical world.” Jabari continues. “I now return you to your daily lives.” And with neither rhyme nor reason, the man simply blinks out of sight, disappears into thin air, as if he was never there to begin with. All that is left of him is the echo of his voice on the children's minds.
And as if speaking up for the bunch, Noah boldly asks, “Did that just happen?”
Ending Theme
Episode 10: The World Axis
Table of Contents
((Black Thought is the best rapper alive. I just gotta let it be known. It's official. He's the best. Okay, then. You know it's true. Yeah, I do. Don't you got some rap thing goin' on? Somethin' like it. It's a lil' somethin' somethin' I do on the side. Write lyrics, recite 'em to beats, nothin' big. Better make somethin' of it. Maybe. Maybe after this story goes somewhere. Opening Theme.))
“The Axis Mundi—or naval of the world, as it is sometimes referred to as—has been a concept stretching across many religions as the world center.” Jabari starts out as he takes the lead. “This bridge connects the Earth to the Heavens, or more accurately, the physical world in which you all dwell, to the many other worlds that reside in the realm of spirits. While the Axis Mundi is indeed a real place, it is also not a place. The driving force behind understanding its existence is to understand the concept behind it. Osun-Osogbo, Jebel Barkal, Yggdrasil, Olympus, the Black Hills, Fuji, Sinai, Calvary—all of these places are but symbols, mere representations of what truly is the world axis. If one truly understands the meaning behind the representation, then he or she has access to this sacred place at all times.”
“Ookay, thanks Mr. spirit man. That was—that was actually pretty interesting,” Noah says.
“You asked the question.” Jabari responds.
“And gave an answer. A long winded answer, but still an answer,” he chuckles.
Noah looks at his so called comrades in arms, hoping to discern the general vibe of the moment. Chris keeps a straight face, his head dead set on whatever path is set before him. He holds tight to that rickety sword of his, even though it did absolutely nothing for him.
“Chris, I'm no expert on old school, archaic weapons and all, but I'm pretty sure that thing isn't supposed to be,” Noah pauses, searching for the best way to put it, “it shouldn't be in pieces.”
“No, it shouldn't,” Chris answers, “but it is, but that's okay, 'cuz I can still make do with it,” he says as he examines what's left of his sword. Nothing other than the hilt is left of it—the hilt and the scabbard. The blade of the katana is all broken. He remembers trying to do all he could with it to pierce those demons hides. This is where it got him.
“How, if you don't mind my asking.”
“I don't know, but it's gonna work out.”
Noah raises an eyebrow in response. He half utters something, but quickly drops the subject as he turns towards Jamal. Such a stern look graces his features. He's tense and on edge. His movements are sharp and wound up. It's not something Noah's used to seeing from him. Typically Jamal is just the opposite. Granted, he's never been eccentric, but he's never been this clunky either. “What's up, Kai?” Noah asks with a cheerful tone.
“Nothin',” Jamal snappily responds.
“Don't be like that, what's up with you?”
“What's up with you?”
“Oh, nothing really. You know, got dragged into some crazy, demon, end-of-the-world nonsense by some crazy cop who thinks he's possessed by a spirit trying to stave off the apocalypse, about got hypothermia, but other than that, same o'. Thanks for asking.”
“Was that supposed to be funny?” Jamal questions with a scowl.
“Twas my intent.” Noah responds with a snarkily responds.
“You're such a loser.”
“C'mon, you need to desperately need to lighten up.”
“Oh, I'm fine, Noah. All things considered, I'm doin' pretty good.”
“See, that's the spirit,” he replies ending on a thumbs up.
Did that change a thing? Noah can't quite tell just yet. Jamal still looks like he's mad at the world. He does seem to have loosened up some. His walk does seem to be a bit more fluid than before, so maybe that's a change for the better.
“W-w-w-w-wait. What? Hold on for a second. Hypothermia?” Jamal gives a weak laugh. “You tellin' me, you almost froze to death? An ice guy, a guy whose ST is freezin' other things, 'bout got frozen himself?”
“Yeah, I guess when you put it like that, it does sound kinda funny, but come on, Kai, I know there've been times you accidentally burned yourself, right?” Noah says.
“No, I ain't never burned myself before. I don't get burned.”
“So you're immune to all forms of heat? Whether it's your own fire or somethin' else? Why do I find that hard to believe?”
“Why do I find it hard to believe that the snow man can get too cold? You're so stupid it don't even make sense.”
The five of them are alone in a place filled to the brim with nothing. With nothing else to do, the group travels on, trailing behind Jabari, their so called leader, as he guides them to what they can only perceive as no where. There's no discernible path in this null space. The ground is as empty as the sky. The background is as blank as the foreground. If it weren't for the slight feeling of motion, the children wouldn't even be able to tell if their walk was taking them anywhere. Yet, still they follow.
Lynn steps up to Jabari's side, careful not to stare him straight in the eye, but too far intrigued to keep from looking away. She examines the towering figure from head to toe. Here lies the visage of a strong, well built, fully armored soldier.
At first glance, there's nothing extraordinary about him, but upon further inspection, she can tell there's a certain air to him—something in the way of a brightness, not just in the way he carries himself, but there is a literal brightness surrounding him. His close crew cut is whiter than it once was. In fact, if she can recall correctly, the cop's hair was anything but bright. It was jet black. There may have been a tint of brown with it, but it was nothing like this. The man has an glow to him, and she wasn't able to pick up on it until now.
She is suddenly caught in the act, and quickly averts her gaze to the traveling pack behind her. To her surprise, though, she finds that there's a similar light faintly permeating from them as well. With widened eyes, she studies them with the same scrutiny she did Jabari. Their light is distinctly dimmer than his, but it's still visible. Each give off their own unique color as well. Jamal's being a fierce red, Noah's being a cool light blue, and Chris's being a wild, sharp yellow.
“What do you see, Lynn?” Jabari asks her.
“I don't know,” she answers. “Colors, lights, something weird,” she looks back upon him, trying to find words that make sense.
“That would be called an aura,” he says. “All living beings have one. It's literally a reflection of one's soul brought to light.”
“Brought to light? I've never seen or even heard of seeing stuff like this before. What's the deal?”
“As I've said before, you're in tune with the spirit world. You have an affinity towards the mystic arts. It's your gift, and trust me it is a gift. Most people have spent decades trying to achieve what you seem to be able to do naturally. Now tell me—look out into the distance and tell me—what do you see? What do hear and feel? What are your senses telling you, and then tell me what your spirit is telling you.”
“Hey!” Jamal interrupts. “Why in the world are we still walkin' around here? Last trip didn't take nearly this long. It's like we've been in this place for hours.”
“Are you that eager for battle?” Jabari asks.
“Hecks naw! I'm ready to go home, an' the sooner we leave the better. I'm gettin' headache from just bein' here.”
“Man, forget him!” Chris starts up, “I'm ready t'fight! You point, I'll shoot. That mess was fun.”
“Shut up, noob! You know this is all bull, too. We get into somethin' else with those demon-monster things, I guarentee your butter knife ain't gonna be the only thing that gets broken.”
“It don't e'en matter my dawg. Jabari, I'm tellin' you, jus' lead the way. I mean, fo' real though, who get's t'go home an' brag about savin' the world?”
Jabari stops walking, and the group stops with him. He takes Chris's broken sword and holds it out. A majestic array of lights envelop the broken item. He's not even sure if Lynn is able to comprehend what's actually taking place in this moment. Appearing before him, one of the multi-colored lights takes form. A man, a spirit that Jabari is very familiar with, places his hand on the weapon's hilt.
Ogoun is a great warrior, having seen and fought many battles in his time. On occasion, he would inhabit the visage of mortals, granting them his strength and power to fight through whatever oppression or wrongdoing that's been forced upon them. Jabari called on him for his vast knowledge and power over metal forging, but as he looks over the weapon he mentions to Jabari that he isn't as versed in blades of this type, at least not as versed as he would like to be. He suggests summoning another spirit to aid in the process.
At Ogoun's request, Jabari calls upon the great spirit Futsu-Nushi. Like Ogoun, Futsu-Nunshi is well versed in the art of the forge, but unlike Ogoun, he is very familiar with the broken weapon. The two spirits work together to restore the blade.
To the young peering eyes, the entire event takes no longer than a few seconds, and as Jabari suspected, the only things they make out are the great lights surrounding the sword as it magically repairs itself before their eyes.
“Just like that?” Noah asks.
“Just like that, homie!” Chris exclaims as he excitedly reclaims his newly formed blade.
“The blade should be indestructible now. It's been blessed and fortified by two major spirits, making it impenetrable to all forms of damage. It should neither bend nor break, neither fault nor shatter. Even the harshest of elements shall pale in comparison. If your will is great enough, you should be able to cut through anything.” Jabari says.
“We've been walking in circles,” Lynn mentions. “I see it now. This place, these roads going every which way, it's like a maze, and you've been leading us in circles. Why?”
Before answering, everyone jumps on Jabari's case. Jamal in particular feels as if he was let down. He steps up to the man as he clenches his fist. The urge to grab him by the collar is hard to resist, but he does so by instead raising an index finger in the man's face.
“Could you please tell me what kinda game you're tryna play? Please? Let me in on the joke! I'm down for a good laugh. Is the world really about to end? If it is, then what are we doin' here? What're we doin' with you? Why hasn't anyone else heard about this? C'mon Jabari! Tell us what's up! Why have you been leading us in circles?”
“I've already told you 'what's up.' Everything I've spoken has been true, and it would be in your best interest to lower your tone and remove your hand from my face before you lose it.”
“Is that a—” Jamal suddenly loses the nerve to finish, and lowers his hand. Without even thinking, he takes a step back, suddenly feeling very small.
“Threat? Yes it is. Advice you'd best take to heart.” Jabari adjusts his focus on the entire group. “Now, as Lynn pointed out, I have been keeping you hear in this realm between realms, and with good reason. Take note of your physical condition. That battle left all of you without the strength to even stand on your own. Now, you carry on as if never having seen a demon. Eager to start conflict, eager to return back to normal. The closer your souls are to the spirit world, the faster your bodies heal. We've only been meandering here for maybe thirty minutes, and already a week's worth of bodily repair has taken place.” And then, specifically addressing Jamal for the moment, he finishes with a “You're welcome.”
A familiar sound enters the white void in which they all stand. It's a whistling, humming noise—the sound of hovercrafts zooming overhead. It is followed by a brief change in climate. The change being the introduction of a climate. A sharp cool breeze. There's a funky odor with it, too. It's the smell of biofuel and steel, bricks and mortar, grass and trees, sweat and bodies all wrapped up in one blast that shockingly reminds each and every one of them of what it's like being home.
And then it hits them, smack in the face. The rays of a still blazing sun beams down on their faces as their city, their home town forms around them.
Chris practically jumps after noticing that they stand at the entrance of the town's police station. It hasn't changed since the last time he's been here. The place was as never as big as the other buildings in the vicinity, but it still stands out from the rest. Every time he's brought here, his disdain for the place grows just a little bit more. He would tell you it's because of how clammy and dark the place looks. Hardly any windows to the place.
“However, in spite of all that's been done, I feel our time together should best be drawn to a close. Not much in the way of time has changed. Time in the Axis Mundi moves quite differently than in the physical world.” Jabari continues. “I now return you to your daily lives.” And with neither rhyme nor reason, the man simply blinks out of sight, disappears into thin air, as if he was never there to begin with. All that is left of him is the echo of his voice on the children's minds.
And as if speaking up for the bunch, Noah boldly asks, “Did that just happen?”
Ending Theme
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