Wickaninnish – A Traveller’s Beginning

This chapter is rated R for drug use. The Istaqa culture has two herbal drugs that serve a purpose similar to peyote in certain Amerind cultures. I remind readers again that the Istaqa religion is a distorted jumble of many different religious beliefs and in no way represents a legitimate religion as currently known on Earth.

Vision Quest

Kit’s parents helped dress him the next morning in the ceremonial leathers. Kit could tell his mother was clearly upset but putting a good face on it.
“My little Kit is grown up,” was all she said when he asked her about it.
The trip was long as the Vision Lodge was located in an isolated mountain valley accessible only by gravsled.

They stood outside the gate to the Lodge grounds. Kit hugged his mother and submissively licked at his father’s muzzle in a farewell. Then they marched together into the gate. A Shaman stood at the foot of the path leading up to lodge.
“Who comes to this sacred place?” The Shaman asked.
“I bring a child who would be a man,” Kit’s father answered.
“And is he ready for manhood?”
“He is.”
“Then bring him forth.”

Kit stepped forward as his father stepped back.
“Are you ready for the trial?”
“I am.” Kit answered simply.
“Then may the Great Spirit guide you to your path. Speak no more until the trial is done,” the Shaman commanded formally beginning the ritual. Kit would not be allowed to speak again until the vision quest was complete.
The Shaman turned away from Kit faced his parents again.
“You’re responsibility for this one is at an end,” he said. “Go now with the thanks and blessing of the Great Spirit.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Shaman led Kit up the trail to the Lodge building and to a changing room. Kit entered the room silently as the Shaman stayed outside. The Shaman at Kit’s town had instructed him clearly on what to do and expect. Until the end of the trial, he would not speak other than prayer chants and no one would speak to him.

He removed all his clothes. Nothing from outside was allowed in the Lodge grounds. After placing them in a locker, he put on the simple loincloth he would use for purification trial.

Stepping out of the changing room he was met by another Shaman dressed in ceremonial feather robes and raven mask. This was his spirit guide. The Shaman would have completed a ritual himself earlier to allow the spirit of Raven to manifest in his body. Raven led Kit into the forest behind the main lodge building were several dome shaped leather lodges were located. Somewhere out of sight drummers beat a rhythm to prayer chants. Kit entered the indicated lodge. Inside was bare except for a simple reed mat for sleeping and a special odor-less chemical toilet, replacing the traditional chamber pot in the only tip to modern convenience the Elders had allowed. The walls were filled with drawings and wards to protect the inhabitant from the influences of evil spirits.

Kit sat in the center of the lodge and a moment later Raven returned with a large earthen mug filled with liquid. Kit’s nose protested at the scent but steeling himself, Kit drank the foul tasting concoction in three swift gulps. Raven took the mug and left. Kit closed his eyes and focused on clearing and calming his mind. His thoughts fell into the rhythm of the chant. He stayed this way for the 20 minutes it took for the first cramp to start.

Originally the lodge would have been a sweat lodge stoked with hot coals and steam to sweat the impurities from the body. There also would have been a trial of determination and endurance. But Istaqa did not sweat so the Elders had decide on an alternate method of purifying the body and combine the endurance trial with it. The drink contained a mixture of herbs and potions that purged the blood and body of impurities. In the case of the digestive tract, the process was neither swift nor painless. Regardless of the pain and discomfort, Kit was not allowed to make a sound other than chanting with the prayers. He had to sit in the center, lie down on the mat or use of the toilet. Raven would return at intervals throughout the day with more to drink and a bland tasteless gruel for meals.

After three days, Kit was led to a nearby mountain stream where he washed. The water was ice cold but felt good after the purification ordeal. He was fed another tasteless meal and allowed to rest. Raven awoke him later and presented him with a lit pipe. Kit drew deeply on the pipe stem. He felt light headed as the vision root blended into the leaf affected him.

Raven took back the pipe and led Kit to wooden archway leading to a path. Following the instructions he had received, Kit removed the loincloth and set it by the gate. Nothing of the material went into vision circle. He walked alone up the path into the mountains. Darkness had settled by time the path lead him to the vision circle, a cleared circle with poles at the compass points. Illuminated by the light of the greater moon Kit saw sitting in the middle of the circle was a cake wrapped in leaves. Kit moved to the center of the circle and said a prayer to the Great Spirit. He moved to the North Pole and said a prayer to the North Wind. He repeated this for each of the poles then returned to the center of the circle and sat.

He removed the cake from the leaves, his nose scenting the concentrated vision root mixed into it. He said another pray to Raven for guidance and then quickly ate the cake. He sat chanting a prayer as he felt the vision root take affect. Around him the world seemed to slow. A mouse like Zelk dashed across the edge of the circle, but to Kit his movements were like watching a film running in slow motion. Kit’s chanting slowed as he tipped his head back and looked at the sky. The stars and moons above were slowly circling overhead.

The Zelk paused to look at the coyote. As it watched, Kit’s chanting stopped as he fell onto his back, eyes open but glazed starring into the sky.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was late the next day when Kit came back down the trail. He was met by a Shamaness who gave him a robe, feed him a meal and put him to bed. He slept soundly through the night.

The next morning, after bathing and breakfast he dressed in ceremonial robes and led to a small circular meeting room in the Lodge building. His parents were there along with Hania, the Shaman of his town. It was Hania’s duty to hear and interpret his vision.

Kit stood before them and spoke for the first time in days.
“Hear Wise Elder, the vision sent to me by the spirits. I stood upon the bank of a great sea of stars and out of the stars came a bright light blazing like a sun. The sun touched on the shore before me and I saw the light was a great canoe. I stepped into the canoe…”
Kit slowly told his tale. After over half an hour, the tale drew to a close.
“…and after much wandering, there came a cat spirit that bade me follow it as it lead me to a wonderous place. I somehow knew that in that place I would find the fulfillment of my destiny.”

“It is clear from this vision,” Hania said standing before Kit, “that you are destined to travel far in search of your destiny.”
Hania placed his hands on Kit’s shoulders.
“I give you know your adult name. You shall be known as Wickaninnish as you will allow no one stand before you in your quest.”