Beauty's Beast - By Jenna Kernan Page 0,94

World.”

“And in the next,” she said, snuggling closer.

He could see it now, their future. Raising babies and walking together through the centuries, for he knew that his descendants truly held a place in the Living World. Because of her, Alon now anticipated the years and also the end of years when he and Samantha would walk the Ghost Road and into eternity together.

* * * * *

Terminology

DREAM WALKER*

A NIYANOKA with the ability to visit another person’s dreams and work mental and/or physical healing during the visitation. The human visited has no memory of the visit.

CIRCLE OF GHOSTS

The final home of all GHOSTS who once led evil lives and are punished when HIRHANKARA pushes them from the SPIRIT ROAD into the CIRCLE, where they drift for eternity in endless circles. This ghostly prison is presided over by NAGI. Some GHOSTS have been released from this prison by the prayers of those who live a pure life.

CLAIRVOYANTS*

A NIYANOKA who has the gift of sight. He can see all a person’s possible fates through touch. The number of possible outcomes can be vast and vary wildly depending on outside forces and personal decisions. In rare instances at least two or more outcomes conflict, making their advice sometimes contradictory and confusing.

GHOST

The remains of humans after they have left their earthly vessels.

GHOST CHILDREN*

(See NAGINOKA)

GHOSTLING*

(See NAGINOKA)

GHOST ROAD

(See SPIRIT ROAD)

HALFLING*

Any creature with one SPIRIT and one human parent.

HANWI

THE MOON is a reflective female SPIRIT who warms MAKA when the WI (Sun) is absent.

HEYOKA

SPIRIT of chaos who is a double-faced SPIRIT with a split personality and emotions. He represents joy and sorrow, war and peace and all other opposites. Humans who see WAKINYAN (THUNDERBEINGS) become living HEYOKAS and do the opposite of what is expected.

HIHANKARA

The crone who guards the SPIRIT ROAD. If the soul has walked the RED ROAD and led a righteous life, he bears the proper tattoos and is allowed to pass. If he has led a wicked life, she pushes him from the road and allows him to fall into the CIRCLE OF GHOSTS.

HUMANS

Mortal creatures without firsthand knowledge of the SPIRIT WORLD or SPIRITS.

INANOKA*

Mortal beings born of a human female and the SPIRIT TOB TOB. They are SKINWALKERS who shape-shift into the animal of their mother’s tribe at will and maintain all attributes of that animal while in human form. They are called HALFLINGS and live an average of four hundred years. They are despised by NIYANOKA for being beasts and possibly because they live longer. They protect animals from capricious SUPERNATURALS. Each animal is gifted with a different power:

BEAR: Has the ability to heal all injuries and wounds.

BUFFALO: Is a creature of sacrifice that can absorb injuries, illness or grief into its body and then heal at a rapid rate. They are not healers and must feel all the pain they take from the ones they relieve. It is said they can raise the dead, but only at the expense of their own life.

HAWK: Receives messages from the SPIRITS and sees into the future. But they are helplessly blind to their own future or the future of those they love.

MOUNTAIN LION: Has the power of sight and can perceive things far beyond the realm of normal sight. This gift gives cats the appearance of telling the future, but they really see things as they occur in other locations. They are especially good at seeing what is happening to those they know well.

OWL: Has the ability to exorcise disembodied souls (GHOSTS) from their unwilling hosts but cannot send them for judgment on the WAY OF SOULS. They also can predict a human’s death. It is for this reason that seeing an owl is considered an omen of death.

RAVEN: The only creature that can travel the SPIRIT ROAD and speak to the souls in the SPIRIT WORLD.

WOLF: Can track anyone on earth by their scent trail.

KANKA

OLD WOMAN SORCERESS. She travels in dreams and helps people purify themselves. She can see the past, present and future and is a SUPERNATURAL.

LIVING WORLD*

The world of all things alive, also known as the earth, distinguished from the SPIRIT WORLD and the Realm of Ghosts, where only Superior Spirits and the souls who have crossed can reside.

MAKA

MOTHER EARTH, who holds the female power of birth and is a sacred SPIRIT.

MEMORY WALKER*

A NIYANOKA with the power to make another forget a person or event. He cannot erase another’s memory, but only make slight alterations. This gift is helpful to reduce grief after a loss and to allow a person to go unnoticed