Seasons of Heaven by Nico Augusto Read Free Book Online Page B

good sense prevailed. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
    “THE QUEST BEGINS”
    A Bright, Majestic Mountainside
    1991
    Yann opened his eyes slowly. He’d heard a loud bang and his eyelids could feel the heavy light pressing against them. He sat up and looked around, everything was a little blurry and the blinding light made it almost impossible to adjust. He couldn’t tell where he was, but he suddenly knew who he was with. He felt a long, wet, rough tongue brush against his cheek once and then again. Ani’s black coat stood out brilliantly against the hot white of the light all around them.
    Ani was running around in circles, taunting the boy, wanting him to get up. When Ani wanted something from Yann, he told him what he wanted with his eyes. They communicated that way, no words needed. It was mind to mind, or as Yann liked to think of it, soul to soul.
    All animals communicate through telepathy. It is the most basic form of communication and an ability we are all born with.  Unfortunately most humans learn to rely on verbal communication and telepathic skills get pushed to the far recesses of the brain, becoming inefficient over time; Descartes and Judo Christian changed everything.
    Yann was different than your average human, and Ani had recognized that right away.  His mind was wide open to the possibilities of magic and mystery and all of the things one couldn’t see or touch. When Yann asked Ani a question, in return he would receive pictures, feelings, words, thoughts and emotions, and the same were true in reverse. It was a much more effective way of communication than the verbal route, giving the boy and his dog a virtually unbreakable connection.
    Yann laughed, the message from Ani received loud and clear.
    “Okay Ani, I’m getting up,” he said. Stretching his arms and twisting his torso he finally pushed himself up with his arms. “Where are we? I feel like we have traveled. It’s a really strange sensation, don’t you think?” Ani was watching Yann’s eyes, listening to his friend. When Yann finished speaking, Ani spoke back to Yann through his own eyes.
    “You don’t know either, boy? I’m sure I’ve never seen this place before.” It seemed like a nice place, quiet and calm. There were no other people, or dogs or cars or buildings around. It was like they’d just been dropped onto a beautiful mountainside. The sky was a brilliant cobalt blue and the sun was the source of the blinding light that had been burning Yann’s eyes. The trees, the meadows and the sky were completely different from anything Yann had ever known, he was sure of it. The light here was also much more brilliant. This place possessed a beauty beyond any comparison with anything he could draw a memory of. Once his eyes finally adjusted to the dazzling light, he enjoyed basking in its comfortable rays. The perfectly fluffy white clouds floated slowly across above their heads and as Yann watched them a flock of gulls appeared off in the distance, flying in perfect formation.
    Yann reached down and pet Ani softly on his head.
    “Maybe we’re on an expedition to discover a new land,” he told Ani. Ani seemed to be happy with that theory. The two best friends began to walk forward, hoping to discover where they were. The cool soft breeze felt wonderful on Yann’s face. Ani walked with his tongue out to the side and his mouth cracked open. It was his smile face.
    The hill sloped gently upward and they followed it that way. They were surrounded by nature and both Yann and Ani were enjoying the sights and smells of it. They were encircled by a lush meadow and a forest of trees stretched out behind that. Yann was surveying the scene when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
    “Do you see it Ani?”
    The dog had been watching Yann’s eyes but now turned towards where the boy was looking. There, he could see a huge, gray geometric shape jutting out above the line of the horizon. It looked odd there, and both