SALAMANCA

Chapter 2: Geomancy

"You saw that too, right?" Kyle asked Jacob. "I was not imagining it."

"Yes I did!" Jacob replied while looking at him in awe. "Are you related to Saint Raphael? You look exactly the same based from the old pictures in the library."

"I am his great great grandson, several generations from my mom's side." Kyle answered him and extended his arm for a handshake. "I'm Kyle Vega-Cruz."

"Jacob Terra from generations of miners from the north," Jacob accepted his hand. "It's a rare thing to meet any Vega these days. Most of you already moved out from here."

"Yeah. The closest relation I have here is an uncle who is a priest and some distant cousins."

"Have you met them yet?"

"As of the moment, no. I am just staying in a hotel nearby."

"Are you here on vacation?" Jacob inquired.

"Sort of. But the true reason I am here is because I have been dreaming of a voice asking for help, asking for me to come." Kyle looked back at the Saint's damaged statue. "After what happened here today, I know now who owns that voice in my dreams."

Jacob followed his gaze and realization dawned on him.

"What we saw earlier is just one of the weird things that happened today," Jacob told him. "Our family's compass was acting crazy earlier. It pointed me towards you."

"And what does that mean?" Kyle looked at him with asking eyes.

"This old compass of ours is like a divining rod for mineral and gem deposits in the mountains," Jacob showed him the device. "It was believed to also point you to any mystical objects or beings."

"You said it pointed to me earlier. Does it suppose to mean anything?"

"My grandfather told me that mysterious or mystical things usually happen on the Festival of Lights. And man it did. It disappoint," Jacob explained. "It maybe sensing some magical energy from you."

Kyle grope for the Praying Man talisman hanging around his neck. It glowed and reflected on his brown eyes.

Jacob's compass at that moment vibrated and one of its dials was pointing towards Kyle.

"Is that a magical totem or some charm?" Jacob asked Kyle.

"The stories say it was Raphael's and holds his magical essence," Kyle said as he continued to observe the pendant. "I did not believe it to be magical until today."

"We should consult my grandpa. He knows a lot about these things and stories about the magical past of Salamanca."

Kyle nodded in agreement for he could feel the answers to his questions are afoot.

***

Jacob introduced Kyle to his grandfather Jaime then relayed everything that happened that afternoon.

" I can't believe my eyes. I am seeing the exact resemblance of Saint Raphael," old Jaime said still astonished about his relationship to the legendary savior of Salamanca.

The old man pulled out a small bag from his drawer. He dipped his hand inside it after uttering some words in an old language.

Afterwards, he threw a handful of tumbled stones from the bag into the air and let them lan on his desk.

"The spirits are telling me that your are bound for a journey to find some ancient artifacts," Jaime spoke after divining the stones. "The stones are pointing to the cardinal directions towards the unseen lands of the Elementals."

"Is that where we find the talismans the Saint was asking us to collect?" Kyle inquired to the old man

"Possibly. But the talismans were already left to men by these beings a very long time ago," Jaime stared at Kyle then looked at Jacob. "In fact, two of those five talismans are here with us."

Kyle turned to Jacob for answers.

"The Earth Talisman is that family compass you are holding, Jacob," Jaime told his grandson and then looked back to Kyle. "The other one, the Spirit Talisman, is that pendant in you, Kyle."

The two young men stared back to Jaime.

"Where do we find the other three?"  Kyle asked.

"You mentioned there were others who saw the apparition of the saint in the plaza. They maybe the ones holding the rest of them," Jaime suggested.

"We need to find those three guys we saw in the plaza," Jacob uttered suddenly. " I think I know how."

He began checking his phone and tried searching for some information about the bands and stores who participated in the festival.

"After we find them, what do we do next?" Kyle asked Jaime.

"Only the spirits and elementals  can tell. For now, let the talismans guide you," Jaime told Kyle as he looked at him steadily. "However, I can feel that the Talismans' real powers are asleep, for their true purpose were forgotten by the succeeding keepers. People lost faith to the beings who gifted them."

"Is there a way we can awaken them, grandpa?" Jacob wondered.

"Yes. In order to do that you need to go back from where these Talismans came from," Jaime explained looking far away into the garden of his house and the distant hills . "You need to visit the land of the unseen folks, the Elementals."

"And where is that exactly?" Kyle curiously asked.

"The gateways to those invisible worlds are in Salamanca. Our town is borded by the mountains in the north, woodlands to the east, the sea to the west and the volcano to the south where those beings dwell," Jaime informed them.

"That would take us days and great distances to reach, grandpa," Jacob said worriedly.

"Don't fret my boy. The gateways can transport you to the portals to those places. You can find them in designated areas within the town."

Jaime laid out a map of Salamanca and used the tumbled stones to mark certain areas.

"The town of Salamanca was designed in a way that can lead you to the unseen worlds. For instance the museum in the northern part of town has the gateway that can jumpstart you to the land of the Gnomes."

"How do you know all these things?" Kyle inquired.

"My ancestors were among the builders of this town and kept its magical history for years," Jaime replied. "They handed those to me and taught me to practice geomancy."

"Geomancy?"

"Earth magic," Jaime explained. "A practice that some from our family lost interest with aside from finding minerals for our mining business. Jacob's father got no interest so I was hoping I can hand them all to Jacob. He was always fascinated with them and that compass since he was a little boy."

Jacob just smiled at his grandfather as Kyle was still trying to grasp what he was hearing.

"I'll tell you where the other portals are so you can start your journey once all five keepers of the Talismans are together," Jaime offered.

"I love adventures," Jacob said giddily.

"It may sound fun young man but the land of the Elementals are as dangerous as they are deceptive. You got to be wise when navigating their domain and when dealing with these creatures."

"Please guide us. I can feel that this is the right track to pursue. I believe this is what Saint Raphael wants me to do when he came to my dreams," Kyle said as he stares at the old man.