Chapter 29 - The Wathari and Where Their Hiding

Chief Woona explained further as Victor translated, "The Wathari were great warriors, known for their battle tactics and powerful displays of dominance even before the battle against the men with long teeth. They were, for the most part, greatly feared by most of the other tribes in the surrounding area. This is why when they came to ask for help, the Anasazi recognized that there was a great and terrible threat. Chief Woona admitted that he was the very chief that had taken on the task for the Wathari." "Wait, hold it! You're telling me that he is supposed to be the same chief from all those thousands of years ago? The one who supposedly led the people he calls the Wathari here?" Bethany asked. "Actually, that is what he is saying, I am just translating." Victor stated blankly. Bethany laughed lightly at the obvious response, "I know that Victor. But, "how exactly that could be possible," is what I am trying to figure out. Shouldn't he be dead, like long long dead, like pile of dust and bones dead? I mean, don't get me wrong, I am very much so happy to see he's still alive, but it all just seems a bit far-fetched. Don't you think?" "You are a werewolf, we are in another world, and him not being dead seems odd to you?" Victor asked in an almost amused tone. Before Bethany could retort, Victor stated, "I'll ask him about it." Victor then turns back to Chief Woona, talking in the language of the Anasazi before turning back and translating for us. "He said that because he is here in body, not just in spirit, the high density of life energy prevents their life energy from leaking out of their bodies, he says even more has actually seeped into his body sence arriving, causing him and his people to age slightly in reverse over the thousands of years that they have been here. So he was actually physicaly older when he got here than he is currently." "What? You mean that if I somehow brought my body here, I would stay young and healthy forever?" Bethany exclaimed incredulously. Victor began as Chief Woona continued his explanation, "Young yes, but not exactly healthy. Chief Woona says that the foreign life energy taints his own, and although he is younger, his life force is growing weaker as the foreign life energy continues to build in his body. He says that despite the refreshing effects of his new found youth, the process is rather painful, like he is a drum skin being stretched farther than it is capable of handling. Eventually, the energies will hit an equilibrium and when the foreign energy finally exceeds that equilibrium, it will soficate his life energy and end up killing him in the end. Many of the younger teen aged individuals whose life force was still growing fell much quicker because their life force didn't have the strength to defend against the foreign energy like the adults and elderly. He and his people have tried many times to return from this realm in order to burn off the access life energy that has built up, but the stream of life energy that flows between the worlds is much stronger against their physical bodies than it is against our spiritual ones. None of them have been able to swim back up the stream before the density of life energy seeping into their bodies killed them and over time turned their bodies into dust. They are stuck here for the rest of their, albeit greatly extended, but ultimately painful and far from endless life. He says that the legend of the fountain of youth comes from a fountain, not of magical water, but of concentrated life energy at the anchor point between the worlds. It is where the energy is dense enough to condensate into a visibly liquid form. Many people believe that you need a golden chalice to drink the water from the fountain, but it is not actualy gold at all. It is simply metal that has been saturated by life energy after being left to sit in the fountain. After the metal is saturated, it begins to shine with an inner light that makes it appear to be gold, the liquid just passes through regular metal because it requires something with life force to interact with it. The chalice must be used though, because if you try to touch it with your hands, the density of the liquid will attempt to condensate the life energy from within your body. And it will actually do so, drawing it out, and causing you to visibly age until your life force is bled completely dry. Essentially, killing you by old age in a matter of minutes, or even seconds depending on the circumstances. However, if drank from the chalice, then the liquid would spread through your body, healing any wounds, curing illnesses and reinforcing your life force. Being in a plain with a much lower density of life energy, once the liquid life energy enters your body, it returns to it's natural state and bleeds off like your natural life energy would. However, if you were to drink to much, it can still soficate your life force and kill you before it is able to bleed off. It was through the fountain that the Anasazi were able to physically travel between the worlds. There is a whirlpool in the center of the large fountain where the stream of life energy begins, and they were able to fashion a large canoe from metal, an astonishing feat for their day, and soak it in the fountain. After it was capable of interacting with the liquid life energy, they pulled it free of the fountain, carful to insure it was dry before rowing it down through the whirlpool to traverse the multiverse. They hid the Wathari in another universe before letting the stream carry them here. They hoped to rest before returning, but were not able to force the canoe back into the dimensional stream after it came out. They would have to sink it to the bottom of a fountain here where the liquid energy forces it's way out and then try to bring the canoe back up from beneath the liquid and remove the liquid from it's inside while fighting the current."