Cold astral winds carried Jihe away from home and out above the cacophanous forest beyond. His eyes were distant and lost in thought. Jihe did not need to look where he was flying–he knew where Master Shen had gone. By going after him, Jihe would be disobeying his master for the first time. That changed him, in a way. It was a novel feeling for one as old as Jihe.

  It took twenty-three minutes to fly to the opposite pole of the small planet where the stone circle was located. As Jihe expected, the portal his master had traveled through was still open. It was hasty work, but he could see the fingerprints of Master Shen’s genius all over it.

  Their stone circle (Master Shen called it a “Medicine Wheel”) looked similar to the ruins on Earth named 'Stonehenge', which were fundamentally just an older version of the same thing. They were a pattern of stones arranged in such a way as to focus leyline’s of Chi towards a specific purpose. It was the same concept as placing acupuncture needles into nodes on a body, just applied to the ground. This circle's purpose was short distance teleportation and occasional access to the Other Planes. Jihe’s fears were realized when he flew closer.

  The density of the energy here…

  Master Shen had created a gateway to the Physical World.

  “Why?” Jihe asked the stones aloud.

  They did not answer. Jihe inspected the altar his master had constructed, as well as the position and material of the crystals used.

  Western United States, Oak Node, set to close automatically after a set duration if not anchored on the other side… and it’s not anchored.

  In the middle of everything was a free standing circular arch made of lichen layered stone. In the center of this arch hung an artifact dream catcher crafted some years ago by Master Shen. The fractal patterns of its web glowed with power as it drew in energy. The “eye” of the dream catcher was large enough for a man to walk through, and a shimmering membrane of energy was drawn across it like soap on a childs toy wand. It was dark on the other side, and only the iridescent reflection of an Owls face and the dusk behind him could be seen when Jihe peered into the open portal.

  The feathers, bells, and bones that hung on various parts of the dream catcher began to vibrate and twitch randomly, magnetically drawn to him as he drew closer to it. Jihe always thought it was a little creepy the way they did that (some of those feathers were his.) Unfortunately that wasn’t the only creepy thing it did:

  “Going somewhere little owl?” said Weeps Over Reeds.

  Jihe beat his wings once at the startling voice and landed a few feet back.

  The artifact dream catcher Weeps Over Reeds, talked. They ALL talked, and they were ALL weird; at least the ones Master Shen made. Jihe couldn’t tell if the weirdness was a property of Master Shen, or dream catchers in general. He would likely never get the chance to find out–because who could make a dream catcher so good that it came to life except for his Master?

  Jihe looked at Weeps Over Reeds again, he could see it now; the way the different parts of it turned made it obvious (only to someone viewing from this particular angle and distance) that the dream catcher had a face.

  Of course it had a face, it always had this same face. Jihe simply forgot any time he wasn’t looking at it.

  “Are you going to stop me?” asked Jihe

  Jihe had considered simply flying through the portal. This was a bit like asking an open door if it was ok to walk through it… but Jihe was on a Shamanic journey tonight. Of that, he was certain. One often didn’t know when they were on a Shamanic journey until they were in it. And Jihe, was in it. His first clue was when a tea spirit revealed itself to him. That very rarely happened. He didn’t have to deal with Weeps Over Reeds every day, either.

  Anyway, Jihe knew that the first rule of a Shamanic journey is that one must have the support of the Spirits. Asking permission when crossing boundaries and giving offerings where appropriate was standard procedure on a night such as this. Jihe could hardly think of a more important boundary than the one between two of the Three Worlds, so he would seek the dream catcher's blessing. Sure, his astral body could go there with a drum and a rattle, but to incarnate physically on another plane was a different matter entirely.

  “No… I’m not going to stop YOU. But I might discourage someone else… if they happen to come by.” said Weeps Over Reeds in a lilting voice.

  “Where is she?” asked Jihe.

  “That information costs extra.”

  “Nevermind then. What if she outbids me?”

  “No refunds.”

  “How many?”

  “Six.”

  “That’s too many, you know it might be dangerous and I’m going to need them. Four.”

  “She’s a high bidder.” Weeps Over Reeds chimed.

  “Fine. Five feathers, and I get to pick them. Only I know which ones I can safely lose and which are necessary for my flight” said Jihe.

  “You know I don’t like accepting offers in odd integers, but I like the number five tonight. Things will be more fun with five. It’s a deal.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Jihe felt a shiver up his spine as the petty spiritual contract settled on his soul.

  “I don’t like the sound of that. I want to pay six feathers now” said Jihe.

  “No. It will be five. Our haggling is concluded..”

  With those words, the feathers and bells fell lifeless at the dream catcher’s side as its whimsical parts turned, breaking the illusion of a face and becoming just an object once again.

  Jihe sighed as he plucked feathers (5) from his body and laid them tastefully on the altar his master had constructed around Weeps Over Reeds. Once the final feather Spirit Owl had been placed, the film over the eye of the dream catcher popped, and Jihe allowed himself to be pulled through.

  Next he was flying through a dark tunnel. He didn’t have to put any particular effort into using his wings. It felt like floating on a wave of dense Chi that pulsed as it pushed him up and out of the Lower World. At the same time, the Chi was condensing him down into a smaller, physical body. Jihe emerged through a hole in the hollow of an Oak tree and alighted gracefully on a nearby branch. He appeared just like a normal Barn Owl, as was his intention. He was born on the physical plane, after all. It was no effort for Jihe to assume the shape he once had before being healed by Master Shen and embarking on the journey of enlightenment.

  He took a few silent moments to reacquaint himself with the feeling of this place. Most complained about how sluggish and dense the Chi felt here, as if it were frozen. To Jihe, the most jarring thing about the Material World was the light. It was too sharp, and gave objects a very stark and brutalist feeling according to Jihe’s artistic sensibilities. He particularly disliked the way the light here didn’t illuminate the insides of things at all.

  The light from that moon looked particularly foreboding here.

  Oh good. A storm is gathering. Jihe thought with sincerity.

  It had been a long time since Jihe had been off on his own like this. As an owl, he was looking forward to doing some flying and spying at night. He really was in a hurry, but the unwritten hospitality rules of the cosmos required him to at least introduce himself to the presence he could sense approaching from about one-hundred meters away.

  It was a female Puma, in the prime of her youth and strength. Her posture and bearing clashed with her regal appearance, as the great huntress practically crawled through the dirt and leaves of the forest floor to grovel beneath Jihe’s perch. It was common for an apex predator from an area to serve as the Realm Guardian for their territory. But this was like a police officer pulling him over and apologizing for doing so.

  His Chi was suppressed and his body was a disguise, there was no way she could have known anything about him. He's a portal hopping Barn Owl. Nothing more.

  This feels like a "Shen thing."

  “Speak.” said Jihe.

  “Hello, honored cultivator. This one is Pifore-Titu, and I have been tasked by my Elders to, just… check in with anyone entering this territory from the another realm. Please forgive my disrespect, but would this one be permitted to ask the esteemed experts name?”

  “To be honest. I do not wish to reveal any information. I’m not supposed to be here, and my master is not supposed to be here either. But do not worry; I will introduce myself, as is proper, and so that your Elders may be satisfied."

  My name is Elder Jihe-Ganquin Yolanra’Suul. Why are you afraid of me, Pifore-Titu? And why do you assume I am an esteemed expert?” asked Jihe.

  Pifore-titu somewhat relaxed, but did not raise her head.

  “Well, it’s because of the other one who came through. The Chi coming from the portal felt almost as strong when you arrived, and the one that created this portal was like, so powerful! They didn't stop to greet me or-”

  “You say he did not greet you!?” asked Jihe.

  “No, Elder. He didn’t. My grandmother and I felt the portal forming, and she sent me to check it out. At first he was a man, but he shapehsifted into like a great beast, and ran to the West faster than I could follow it. Not that I would follow, I thought he might have been a Skinwalker and I was like scared shitless! I know they saw me, but they were in such a hurry they did not stop to speak.” the Puma reported.

  “What kind of beast?” asked Jihe.

  “I’ve never seen something like it before; it was shaped like a coyote, but much larger than a bear, and with the eyes of a lion.” said Pifore-Titu.

  Definitely Master Shen, then.

  This news was bad. Master Shen had left his tea to grow cold only to blow off a local Realm Guardian? Not only that, he had changed into his true body after arriving here. This behavior was beyond unusual, taboo as well. If the Upper World pricks learned about a Lower World God giving out pointers on the Material Plane, they would drop the Wrath of Heaven on them. Any lingering guilt Jihe might have had about prying into his master’s affairs evaporated after hearing the words of Pifore-Titu.

  “Thank you for telling me this, dutiful Realm Guardian. I will make sure The Great Teachers are aware as well. I am here to ensure safety and discretion in this matter.” said Jihe with a bow that was deeper than necessary.

  Pifore-Titu continued to kowtow pitifully.

  Oh, she thinks I’m going to kill her for being a witness that something happened here tonight.

  “Do not worry, you do not have to report this to anyone. A simple soul contract of secrecy will be enough to put this behind us. Thank you for overcoming your fear to carry out your duty as a Realm Guardian. Go and freely tell your grandmother all that has happened, especially that nothing has happened.'

  Jihe fluttered down and placed a wing on the Mountain Lions head like a King dubbing a new knight, and proclaimed:

  'You are shielded from any responsibility by the name of “Richard.” If anyone gives you trouble about this, tell them this order comes from The Bottom and you don’t have to give them shit. If Richard asks you about it, tell him it’s a “Shen thing” and if he really needs to know, to come and ask me, Jihe.

  Simple enough?”

  Pifore-Titu nodded, and blinked.

  “Umm, forgive me, Elder... but who is Richard?”

  Jihe shouldn’t have been surprised, really.

  Has Richard even been awake in the last decade?

  “Richard is the Guardian Beast that protects this half of the continent.”

  “Oh… This is too much' She said as her ears began to drop.

  'I hope three don’t come through that portal, or I would worry I had slipped into a fable and was lost in the Faerie Realm.”

  “Do not worry. I could detect if we were entering the domain of a fable, and that is definitely not what this is.

  You have been caught in the wake of a very powerful Shamanic journey. We all have. Perhaps even Master Shen is only along for the ride” said Jihe as he gazed at that moon.

  The storm was beginning to pick up now, and soon he would be rid of it beneath the clouds. It was past time for Jihe to go.

  Just then, powerful Chi from deep from beneath the Earth began to build as the oaken portal spun to life once more. Jihe sighed. There is no way they were going to cover up three Planar Shifts from the same location. Not neatly, anyway.

  “It looks like the ride has just begun,’ said a very exasperated Owl.

  ‘The Young Mistress has chosen to incarnate on the Physical Plane for the first time, right now.”

  “YOUNG MISTRESS?!"