Consterra: Tallulah: Restoring Peace

By Suzanne Romo Ruvalcaba

Consterra by Suzanne Romo Ruvalcaba is an enthralling debut that takes readers on an extraordinary journey through a universe shaped by both divine guardianship and insidious plots. Father Universe's creation, Earth, stands as a beacon of beauty and wonder, cherished above all his cosmic creations. To safeguard Earth and her inhabitants, the four Patron Gods and Goddesses are bestowed upon her, charged with her protection and that of her children.

However, lurking in the shadows is the envious dwarf planet Pluto, driven by a malevolent desire to shatter Earth's tranquility. Disguised as Nukpana, Pluto concocts an intricate scheme, conjuring an army of natural geological wonders from the four corners of the Americas. This nefarious army's mission is twofold: to spread darkness and chaos across the land and to seek out the powerful Yolaki Stone, containing the essence of Earth herself.

Unbeknownst to both Pluto and the Patron Gods and Goddesses, the fate of Earth rests in the hands of Tallulah, a young Anasazi girl from Chaco Canyon. Chosen by destiny, Tallulah must navigate a realm of magic, courage, and self-discovery to confront the impending threat and restore equilibrium to the universe.

Suzanne Romo Ruvalcaba's narrative prowess shines in this tale of cosmic proportions. Through vivid prose and dynamic characters, she crafts a world where the ordinary and the extraordinary collide. **Consterra** invites readers to embark on an epic quest filled with intrigue, adventure, and the unyielding spirit of a young heroine determined to preserve the harmony of the cosmos.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350919189

Book preview

The Gift of Empowerment

The universe is a unique creation with no beginning or end in sight. Always radiating energy, Father Universe is the giver of all life, motion, and existence. He created planets, minor planets, stars, and moons all orbiting in space. He bestowed upon them seven spiritual gifts: wisdom, fortitude, justice, equality, understanding, resilience, and prudence. His countless blessings, authority, and heavenly-sent cosmic energy were all working in perfect eternal harmony.

His favorite creations, however, were the planets. The young planets were named Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. By their father, each one was created with its own spirit and character. They differentiated themselves by color and size and thus each planet remained unique in the universe.

One planet stood out the most to Father Universe. In fact, he was very proud of this creation that was Earth. Father Universe always knew deep down that she was special to him. After all, he had created her to be different from the rest. The great spirit blew life unto Earth and with one exhalation he gave her a voice; no other planet had.

Father Universe and Earth had a deep friendship. They were bound by an intimate connection like that of a father and a child, with a love so pure nothing could escape Father Universe’s notice. He always knew how to identify Earth’s innermost feelings and thoughts. One day, Father Universe sensed something troubled Earth. He asked her, Daughter, is something wrong?

Earth replied hesitantly. I am … confused, my great spirit. So much was running through her mind, and for so long she had wanted to share her feelings. Struggling to contain them, she raged. Why am I here alone?

With love Father Universe answered patiently, You are not alone. You have me. You and I will always be together. Though, I have sensed your unhappy spirit, but I do not know why you feel so. Please help me understand.

You are correct. I am unhappy and unsatisfied. I am grateful for all the love you have given me, but I wish to create and provide the same love you have so selflessly offered me.

Lost, Father Universe replied, Am I not enough for you? I have devoted all my energy to you and all the cosmos.

Earth responded with gratitude. I cherish you and everything you have done for us with the utmost respect. For this reason, I ask for your compassion. Within my inner core there is a burning desire to give life. I have so much love to offer. Like you, I have so much energy within me that I want to share it with others. Thanks to the gifts you have given me, I promise you I will care for all the needs of my children as I only want to see them prosper. You have taught me to be valiant—I possess enough courage and power to protect those I love from danger. Finally, I am humble and selfless enough to share all my attributes.

A long pause ensued. Earth knew she had shared her deepest and rawest emotions. Nonetheless, she was aware she could not leave the conversation there. She had to express every thought that crossed her mind. I alone cannot fulfill my inner desires. I recognize your might and I know you are a great spirit! For that reason, I ask of you: I want to be a mother.

Father Universe was contemplating every word Earth had said. During this great silence, nothing could be heard—not even a single whisper or crackle from the stars and planets far off in the distance. His silence worried Earth. Perhaps he thinks I am very ungrateful, that the cosmos is not enough to fulfill my innermost desires. Does he consider me a rebel for wanting something more than what he has given me? Despite her anxieties, she stood her ground, for she had every right to express how she felt.

Minutes passed before Father Universe had gathered the right words to respond to his beloved Earth. "Alas, this has been your role all along. But I always knew you were special and bound to do more. Like me, you can create and love. I always wondered how your abilities would manifest as you matured. But today I understand. Like me, you are a creator of life. Now that you have fully realized your potential and actualized it in the bravery of your words you have the power to become a mother. You will not be alone in this journey, however. I will send you my forceful stars to be your companions as this is a whole new experience for you.

"These stars are not just any stars. They have special gifts to offer all your children. They possess unique abilities and qualities. Each one has its own distinctive personality. First, I will send you my eight superior stars. They will be known as the four patron gods and goddesses. Their names are Lakeoa, Hozio, Totinek, Zetac, Iliamna, Solchy, Cantico, and Merta. After the patron gods and goddesses my minor stars, the minor gods and goddesses, will follow one by one. Together they will utilize their gifts to prepare the world for habitation. You will all be attentive and vigilant to your children’s needs.

"I will choose the exact location for my gods and goddesses’ arrival. In that precise location they will find a part of your inner core—an element of your inner spirit—the Yolaki Stone. This will be my gift to you, the gift of empowerment. Your spirit lies within her. The Yolaki Stone will rise from your core and go through various processes of magma differentiation. As she travels upward from your core to your crust, selective minerals, representing all your qualities, will slowly attach to the Yolaki Stone. Once she rises, the Consterra Pyramid will form and rise with the Yolaki Stone in the center. That will be the beginning of the formation of your planet as a home to all living organisms. Together you [Earth], the patron gods and goddesses, the minor gods and goddesses, and the Yolaki Stone will be the foundation of harmony and balance to life. The four patron gods will assume their positions immediately. The patron gods and goddesses will encounter their force as soon as a spectral light from the Yolaki Stone sends its energy to fulfill their spiritual deeds. The rest of my stars will instantly follow, also directly receiving their spiritual energy from the Yolaki Stone.

"Once all is habitable your grand desire shall be met. You shall have your children. You will be to your children, Mother Earth. My only condition is they are mortal. Their existence should follow the cycle of life: birth, growth, propagation, and death. The number four will be sacred to them. After all, the four patron gods symbolize the cycle of life. Lakeoa symbolizes birth, Hozio growth, Totinek propagation, and Zetac death.

"In the grand scheme of the universe, life will always be a circle with a beginning and an end. Your children’s lives will take many paths: north, east, west, and south. Although they will make journeys with their tribes to find prosperity for themselves and future generations, at the end of their journey they will encounter a trail where they will travel alone to the underground spirit world, becoming the forefathers of great nations. Their children and their children’s children will follow the same path as their ancestors before them.

"There will be humans, animals, insects, plants, and trees. Humans shall be on the top of the pyramid of life for they are the chosen ones destined to help you care for all animals and vegetation. They must live in harmony with you as Mother Nature. Humans must also keep life pure and respect all spirits. If they disobey and become greedy, consequences will follow.

All the magnificent gifts the patron gods will receive will serve all your children. These gifts will provide the elements for your children to learn to work the land. With the proper care, they will have abundant food distributed to all corners of your planet. Humans will learn to plant seeds. They shall have crops of corn, fruit trees will grow, and they will harvest beans, tomatoes, and squash. They will find ways to use water for irrigation purposes. They will take shelter from the natural elements provided from the land that bore them. They will be inspired to dress themselves and to create special garments depending on the weather, utilizing the natural abundance of their habitat. I want them to use this gift of knowledge in a way that is healthy for them, for you, and for the environment.

Earth loved every word Father Universe pronounced. They sounded like a dream come true. Although the universe was filled with silence once again, it was a much-needed silence. Father Universe didn’t need to hear words to see the joy emanating from Earth’s face. However, Earth recognized she could not stay silent forever and thanked Father Universe for listening to her concerns and granting her her biggest dream.

In that very moment Earth felt first a sensation of warmth then a sudden sharp pain; it was her first contraction followed by a strong tremble from within her inner core. The formation of the Yolaki Stone had begun. Earth in her first stage of childbirth realized she had had the ability to become a mother all along—she just needed to be confident enough to admit it to herself and to others.

In a matter of minutes, Earth was fully dilated and felt the pressure as she started going through the process of labor. The stone was traveling through the birth canal at a very high speed. In the transitional phase, the Yolaki Stone began to collect elements from every layer of Earth’s inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. Each contraction was intensely painful and with each layer the Yolaki Stone accumulated the many facets that represent Mother Earth’s values and gifts for humankind.

The new mother delivered her child and welcomed her to the world. Mother Earth felt exhilarated as she glimpsed at her creation. In the most wonderful way, she knew her life would change forever. Having children would add more meaning to it, though she thought. The Yolaki Stone was made of sandstone composed of countless pebbles in various colors: brown, black, white, pink, and terra-cotta. Carved in the stone was the formation of a diamond. Each side was a different color, symbolizing the four patron gods—blue for Lakeoa, red for Hozio, green for Totinek, and black for Zetac. A big brown circle in the middle-represented Mother Earth’s crust and an inner brown circle symbolized Mother Earth’s inner core. A turquoise spiral embodied the cycle of life, starting on Earth’s surface, where humanity springs from her, and ending on Mother Earth’s crust, where humanity returns to the land as ashes in death.

The four sections within the Yolaki Stone characterized Mother Earth’s virtues. The first section, orange, represented courage. Earth would always have the ability to face danger and protect her children in the most treacherous of situations. The second section was yellow for humility. As powerful as Mother Earth was before, she now had the ability to share her attributes with her children. When they became cold, she could warm them with the rays of the sun. When they became wet, she could shelter them with caves. When they grew thirsty, she could send clouds full of water. The third section was white, denoting responsibility. Mother Earth had unique properties to care for her children. She could heal them by sending seeds, herbs, spices, and flowers. She could always provide sufficient vegetation to raise the crops her children would learn to cultivate. She had the capability to feed all the generations to come. The fourth section was purple, symbolizing love. Earth’s grand desire to become a mother was her ultimate gift to the whole world. Her goal was to teach all her children to love one another and to respect the lives of all living creatures despite all differences. Her dream was for humanity to work together, hand in hand and heart to heart with all creation. Lastly, she wanted humanity to see the beauty in her and use it as means of unifying peoples of different nations.

Following the Yolaki Stone was the formation of a vast mass of land. Mother Earth was giving birth to six conjoined daughters. Mother Earth considered them a super-continental mass of land. Nonetheless she chose a unique name for each one of her infants. She named her firstborn America, her second child Eurasia, her third child Africa, her fourth child India, her fifth child Antarctica, and her sixth child Australia.

Although Earth was given a chance to love children of her own, Father Universe stood committed to his love toward Earth. As he watched Mother Earth rejoice over her newfound role, he smiled suspiciously and almost hesitantly, not because of fear or jealousy. Rather, he feared what humanity would do to Mother Earth stemming from power, greed, hate, and corruption. He didn’t want to believe humankind could partake in such malicious acts, but there was always a small possibility. Father Universe promised himself that day he would not tolerate any physical abuse toward Earth. For him her beauty was sacred. In the distance he would let her love her children, but he would always be there to protect her if need be.

2

The Four Corners

As Mother Earth endured parenthood. Father Universe began forming the Patron Gods. He created a new constellation, a square form asterism. Which was called the Constellation of Naaloyom, meaning four. Deep into space, in a wide range, this configuration was a grouping of elite stars filled with spirits of spectral light dancing in the dark sky. With every move, energy radiated throughout the whole universe. Each chosen star was about to receive its patron powers.

The star at the westward bottom tip to the constellation of Naaloyom was the first to descend. This grandiose star was Lakeoa, an admiral blue star. In taking the first journey to Earth, Lakeoa launched an emergent road for the rest of the gods to follow. Behind him was Hozio, a vibrant red star suspended from the south side. Descending in the same pattern as Lakeoa, adding a touch of red to the trail. Facing east, it took only seconds for Totinek, a vibrant green star, to descend, leaving emerald-green dust on the road of the gods. Zetac, a black north star and the fourth god, was somewhat hesitant to start his journey downward, but he had to follow orders. He too began to descend, leaving black particles in his wake.

Iliamna descended immediately after Zetac. This radiant orange star had a special twinkle; her luminosity outshone the rest. While she descended, orange embers were left behind, creating another layer to this colorful bridge. Solchy was anxious to follow Iliamna and continued her trajectory, the goddess left behind specks of velvet purple on the pathway. Following her was Cantico, a joyful star. She enjoyed her trip down, leaving white pebbles behind. Merta was not hesitant at all. Although her partner, Zetac, was uncertain, Merta dreamt of venturing off into her new home. Merta illuminated, leaving behind yellow medallions. With her descent the streak of color was completed, forming a connection that was called Rainbow Bridge.

Awaiting them in America was the Yolaki Stone on top of Consterra Pyramid, which was located in the center of the Valley of the Gods. The pyramid was a sacred place where the gods and goddesses would gather to worship the stone and Earth. The pyramid stood like a mountain. To reach the top one had to climb the towering stairs, which left many out of breath. Once at the top, you’d reach a flat surface shaped as a square. At the center was the Yolaki Stone, sitting on its altar. Around the Yolaki Stone were four other altars, each placed at a different corner. One for each celestial couple.

Lakeoa and