Advanced Beings and a Fork in the Road of Evolution. Fidess

through the barren sands, blindingly familiar and dear to the hearts of Etan and Noumat.

      «My dear friends,» Laurus said to the travelers. «Let us halt for a while and meditate.»

      They all dismounted, sat down on the ground in a big circle, raised their hands, palms facing the sky, closed their eyes, and focused not to miss a single word Dream Seer was saying.

      «My dear friends,» Laurus repeated. «Listen to your breath and try not to think about anything else. Get yourselves in the calm frame of mind. Then, if any idea comes to you from the world of thoughts, remember it, for it is precious.»

      The travelers gave heed to Laurus’s words. They sat in silence, listening to their own breath, interrupted only by occasional gusts of wind. If we could take a closer look, we would see looks of pleasure coming to their faces. Such meditations could put people into an indescribable state of both relaxation and vivacity. Not everyone could get there on the first try but the longer they practiced the better the result was.

      Noumat couldn’t focus on his breath and opened his eyes every once in a while. He was a little upset about being unable to achieve a state of meditation and open his mind to new precious ideas.

      Travelers spent around twenty minutes meditating. Then Laurus told them to stop and carefully asked what ideas they had had at the end of the process. Two of the travelers said that they had felt anxiety, the others found it hard to answer.

      Laurus stood up and said, calmly but confidently: «I managed to get a message: There’s a sand storm coming.»

      «What?» the travelers began asking in agitated voices. «A sand storm?! Is this a big one? What shall we do now?»

      «We have to hurry up. We are going to leave the direct path in order not to get into the eye of the storm. Prepare pieces of cloth. You will cover your faces and breathe through them when the need arises.»

      No one argued with Laurus, their trust in him was infinite. Some of the travelers thrashed about for pieces of cloth, others just tore off pieces of their clothes.

      While everyone was fussing about, Noumat came up to Laurus and asked: «Laurus, what does «meditation’ mean? I can’t really master it.»

      «Meditation,» Laurus said as he was putting a piece of cloth around his neck, «is a go-between. It is a state where the bond between a person and the world of thoughts, the world of energies is strengthened and this person finds himself or herself between the physical self and energetic representation.»

      «It’s very difficult,» Noumat mused.

      «You shouldn’t search too hard for an answer or try to understand everything right here, right now,» Laurus said encouragingly. «You will understand it when the time is right if you set your heart on it and wait for it patiently.»

      Meanwhile, the wind started rising.

      «Noumat,» Ichel said. «I am afraid. I have never been caught in a sand storm before but I’ve heard it can be really dangerous. What if…»

      «Don’t!» Noumat did not let her finish. «There is nothing to be afraid of. The storm won’t hurt us. Stay close and you’ll be fine.»

      At heart, Noumat was just as scared. And only the calm face of Laurus gave him confidence.

      They could already see the storm in the distance. Worried, the travelers saddled up and urged the camels forward, hoping there was time for them to save themselves. However, it looked like they were rushing towards the storm instead of running away. Etan and Noumat were inflamed with rage, angry at themselves for obeying Laurus, for abandoning their path, and finding themselves trapped.

      The wind roared. A wall of sand was growing in front of them, obscuring the sun. The travelers were both terrified and amazed at the hypnotic view, at the power and beauty of nature.

      They breathed quickly, feeling the increasing helplessness. Their camels stopped dead, unable to move, paralyzed by fear.

      The travelers could not take their eyes off the horrifying wall of sand, sweeping towards them with devastating speed. The storm seemed almost alive, it was like a hungry wild beast, chasing its prey and not letting it go. The travelers appeared to be the prey.

      The hot breath of nature nipped at their faces. The storm was about five hundred meters away from them; it had already opened its jaws, ready to devour the travelers.

      Following along Laurus, they all dismounted, covered their faces with the pieces of cloth, their hands shaking, and clang to the ground.

      They could not see anything, it was as dark as midnight, but they could hear the increasing roaring sound and feel the mighty blasts of wind with their whole bodies. The wind whipped them with sand. They were aware of their helplessness and were scared to death, blinded by fear.

      Noumat felt that this was the end. The happiest moments of his life flashed before his eyes. He remembered his childhood, carefree laughter, playing with other kids. For a brief moment, he even forgot what was going on around him.

      Hugging the ground, Etan was agonizing over the failed task, regretting that he would die, leaving no descendants behind.

      Ichel and Dune were nearly fainting, unable to cope with fear.

      Heaven only knows what Laurus and his companions had on their minds.

      Suddenly, the roaring went down. It was withering, drifting away. The travelers felt a glimmer of hope. They uncovered their faces, sprang to their feet, and saw that the sand storm was somehow moving away from them as if it went astray, pushed or maybe frightened, or drawn by some unseen force. Imagine the travelers’ surprise when they realized that the storm swooped in the direction where they would be if they didn’t slant off from the path at the insistence of Laurus. It seemed impossible! The travelers could not help crying, their faces wet with tears of joy. Many of them dropped down on their knees, weak from what they had just endured.

      How could it be? One thing was clear: It had all been predetermined. Someone, or something, had warned Laurus so that he could warn the others. Whoever, or whatever it might be, it was a friendly force that had just saved their lives.

      The travelers approached Laurus to thank him. Ichel and Dune were slowly coming to their senses. All these anxieties left their mark on them.

      «My dear friends,» Laurus said in a clear voice. «What you have just witnessed is not something unique, something that few can master. Each of you is able to chime with the world of thoughts, the world of knowledge where you can learn about everything that has happened in the past and ever will happen and where you will be helped and supported, no matter what.»

      Mesmerized, they were listening to Laurus, unable to break the ringing silence. Now, when the travelers had witnessed that Laurus’s words were true, his words were of even more importance, had even more influence on them. It’s one thing to hear about something and it’s quite another to experience it. The travelers hung on his every word, every turn of his head, every change in his facial expression. They did not want to miss a thing.

      «Laurus,» Etan cried out. «May we call you Master?»

      «Of course, Etan,» Laurus replied and exchanged glances with his companions, flashing a mysterious smile. «But you need to understand, you can all be masters. We are all tarred with the same stick, figuratively speaking. We are all the same. All I can do you can do too. You just don’t know about it yet.»

      «Master, will you help us do it then?» Noumat said emphatically.

      «Of course I will!» Laurus looked happy. It felt so good to share knowledge with those who are really eager to gain it. «But first you need to understand and accept that the whole world is filled with energy. It’s what the world, you, and I are made of. Now, the most intriguing thing is that energy is somewhat alive. It is capable of thinking, it knows everything. And it also loves us like our mothers do though