Soulless: The Story of Shayan (Prequel to The Soul Quest Trilogy)

The Soul Quest Trilogy, Prequel
Soulless; The Story of Shayan
Amy Maurer Jones

This book is a work of fiction. The content
of this book is a product of the author’s imagination. Any mention
of people, places or events is used fictionally.

Copyright
© Amy Maurer Jones 2011

http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com

http://www.soulquesttrilogy.com

Terminology

Aengel
- Half human, half Daeva being.
Allure
- The physical energy that
surrounds a Spirit. 
Arcadia
- The Spirit
World.
Arcadia Court House –
Located in the Temple of Humanity with in Silver
City. Where human affairs are attended – Newborn Human/Guardian
Assignment, The Shadowless Registry, The Department of Aging,
Guardianship Licensing and Evaluation, Humanity
Hall.
Arcadian Regions
–
Land of the Shadowless,
Maze of Mirrors, Lavender Valley, Paradise Mountain, Silver
City.
Aura
-
an invisible breath, emanation, or radiation of light energy that
surrounds a Spirit. 
Blaze
– A sword like flame which originates from the
light emanating from a scepter made of star
dust. 
Charm
– Magic.
Daeva
-  
An evil, supernatural being;
a demon; false spirit, a Spirit to be rejected. a fallen
Spirit.
Dream Traveler -
A person who can travel to the past or future
through dream. 
Elders
- Guardians who have existed for many
centuries.
Gift
- A Spirit's calling or purpose (Guide, Seeker, Watcher,
Planner).
Gifting Ceremony
– A ceremony where Guardian's Gifts are
identified.
Gnomes
- Earth Spirits.  Charmed troll like men that live
beneath the ground.  Create earthquakes, tremors, fault
lines.
Guardian Spirit
- A spirit appointed to a human by the Oracle of
Guardianship as a spiritual mentor and liaison to the Great Spirit;
a Spirit possessing a Gift.
Induction
-
   The way a Guardian teaches
humans important information.
Land of
the Shadowless –
The northern region of
Arcadia where the Shadowless reside.
Lavender Valley –
The western region
of Arcadia where the Guardians reside.
Mask
- A blackness or darkness that
surrounds an Aengel or a Daeva. 
Maze of Mirrors –
Located at the heart
of Arcadia. The structure which houses the
Light.
Omniscient
- A person who is all knowing.
Oracle -
A command or revelation from
the Great Spirit; a Spirit possessing Gifts and
Charms.
Paradise Mountain –
The eastern region of
Arcadia where the Oracles reside (including
Hala).
Salamanders -
Fire Spirits. Charmed serpent like
women.   Create fire and
explosions. 
Shadows
– The remains of a human body whose soul has
passed on to the Spirit World.
Shells
– The remains of a human body
whose soul has been devoured by an Aengel or
Daeva.
Silver City Research and
Technology –
A research center with in the
Temple of Humanity/Silver city where various forms of technology
and scientific research take place.
Silver City –
Metropolitan Arcadia
located in the southern region of Arcadia; the business loop -
coffee houses, restaurants, bookstores, shopping malls, Arcadian
Cellular, Arcadian Satellite, etc...
Silver City University –
A school
house with in the Temple of Humanity/Silver City where Guardians
receive their training for Guardianship.
Spirit -
 Godlike; on the side of
good.
Spiriter
- A person who can see auras and masks and feel
allures.
Sylphs
- Wind Spirits.  Charmed fairy like people with butterfly
wings.  Create tornadoes and
hurricanes. 
The Arcadian Orbit
–
A railway system located with in the
Heavens. The railway system shuttles Spirits to and from Arcadia
and the Earth.
The Arcadian Orbit
Terminal –
Located in the west end of
Silver City, Arcadia. Where the trains of the Arcadian Orbit
deposit the traveling Spirits.
The
Coliseum –
Located with in the Temple of
Humanity/Silver City. Where various Athletic events and
competitions take place.
The Gallery
–
An Art Complex with in the Temple of
Humanity/Silver City. Spirits can participate in dance, theater
arts, music, and visual art classes of varying types, perform
and/or come to see performances here.
The Great Spirit (Hala) –
The Creator;
a child in physical form as old as the universe. 
The Guardians of Souls -
a
militia of Spirit protectors for human souls.
The Heavens –
A portal
between the Earth and Arcadia. Guardians and Oracles must fly from
the Earth to the Heavens.
The
Light
- The power of Arcadia.  A
beautiful, grand, white flame that blazes in the heart of
Arcadia.
The
Shadowless -
a ghost or apparition, the
second life of a human soul; a human soul who has evacuated its
shadow (human body). The Shadowless are protected by the Light and
may not be destroyed by anyone or anything including Daevas and
Aengels. Special power/ability - They may be seen by humans since
they were once human themselves. They play the role of Intelligence
(spies) in the Guardians of Souls. They are also sent to warn
humans who are being manipulated by the
Daeva's/Aengels.
The Wishing Well
-
A waterfall/pond in the Temple of
Humanity. Spirits meet here to pray for the souls of
humanity.
Temple of Humanity –
The Arcadian Government Complex located on the
east end of Silver City – Arcadia Court House, Silver City
University, The Wishing Well, Silver City Research and Technology,
The Gallery, The Coliseum.
Trans –
Portal –
(Transportation Portal) A portal
which uses the Light to transport Spirits from one location in
Arcadia to another. There is a portal located in each region. It
looks like a telephone booth where the telephone is with out a
receiver. The Spirit inserts the appropriate currency, punches in
the desired location's number and the Trans – Portal sends them
there with in seconds.
Trans – Sport
Board –
(Transportation Sport Board) A
glass like slab powered by the Light. A hovering skate board. No
cars/trucks/vehicles of any kind exist in Arcadia. Trans Sport
Boards are the Spirits means of transportation with in a given
region, especially Silver City.
Undines
- Water Spirits.  Charmed
people made of water.  Create whirlpools,
typhoons.
Vanquishing Portal –
A portal designed to destroy Daevas and Aengels.
It works by locking on to the masks and allures of Daevas and
Aengels, sucking them into a portal and transporting them
underground where they will be suffocated and killed by the mother
Earth.
Vanishing Ring –
A ring infused with the Light. This ring has the
ability to cause the person wearing it to become
invisible.
Wandering
- The process Guardians and Oracles use to enter
humans dreams and influence them. 

Alone

From childhood’s hour I have not been

As others were—I have not seen

As others saw—I could not bring

My passions from a common spring—

From the same source I have not taken

My sorrow—I could not awaken

My heart to joy at the same tone—

And all I
lov’d—
I
lov’d
alone—

Then
—in my childhood—in the dawn

Of a most stormy life—was drawn

From ev’ry depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me still—

From the torrent, or the fountain—

From the red cliff of the mountain—

From the sun that ’round me roll’d

In its autumn tint of gold—

From the lightning in the sky

As it pass’d me flying by—

From the thunder, and the storm—

And the cloud that took the form

(When the rest of Heaven was blue)

Of a demon in my view—

~ Edgar Allan Poe

Chapter One

Hala

Year: 2015

Place: Arcadia

The Oracle of Humanity

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity
and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking
excellence.”

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Hello, my dear children. Please gather
around and find a resting spot on this splendor of crisp and
colorful fallen leaves. My name is Hala and I am the Great Spirit.
Today is All Hallows Eve and I have called you here on this
beautiful and festive Arcadian day to tell you a story. The story
I’m about to tell is not a reflection of this lovely autumn day, it
is a warning. It is a warning about the tragedy that can consume us
if we fail to remember and honor the dead.”

I paused in my speech to gaze upon the young
faces that stared wide eyed and guarded in reaction to my serious
words. The new class of Guardian Spirits has just completed their
training. Before the weeks end they will be assigned their human
charges. I feel that it is imperative that they learn the sad and
tragic story of Arcadia’s former Oracle of Humanity before they
begin their quest of inductions and wanderings into the minds of
human newborns.

As we stood safely in the shade of the
woodlands that scattered themselves through out Paradise Mountain,
home to the Oracles of Arcadia, I realized how safe and sheltered
the lives of our young Guardian Spirits typically are.

“Look around you my children. Gaze upon the
easy beauty and peacefulness of your home, Lavender Valley. Take in
the serenity and safety of the Land of the Shadowless. Follow the
bustling yet impervious streets of our shining Silver City.
Finally, behold the magic of the Light as it emanates from the Maze
of Mirrors to reach every nook and cranny of our divine realm,
Arcadia, the Spirit World. Your human charges do not live in such
safety. They are born into a world that threatens the wholeness of
their souls. It will be your job to guide, watch, seek and plan the
path they travel today so that they may safely reach the Land of
the Shadowless in their next life.”

The young Guardian’s eyes scanned over the
vast and awesome landscape that is their home with love and
respect. I allowed them a moment of silence for self reflection and
thoughtful thinking. When their inquisitive eyes returned to me
with anticipation I knelt before them into a blanket of October
leaves and began the story of Shayan.

Chapter Two

Hala

Year: 2015

Place: Arcadia

Resentment

“I tried to manipulate and control people,
and I harbored resentment. I wanted to be forgiven, but I wouldn't
forgive others.”

~ Lauryn Hill

“Several hundred years ago there lived an
Oracle by the name of Shayan. He was the Oracle of Humanity and it
was his job to watch over and protect human kind from their inner
darkness. Because humans possess their own will they may sometimes
make poor choices in life. They become obsessed with power, greed,
money, lust and any number of other mortal temptations. These
excessive indulgences threaten the purity of their souls causing
them to abuse, steal, cheat, deceive and even kill their mortal
brethren. Time and temptation repeated takes its toll on these
troubled souls and eventually they become lost all together. It was
Shayan’s job as the Oracle of Humanity to intervene and prevent
this from happening.”