Chapter 6 #3
“Where we are going, we can’t travel by road or ship.
We will be using something called the Luminaris Pathways.
They work like bridges between places and follow the rays of light from one place to another.
I want you to take my hand and don’t let go until I tell you to.
The first time traveling the pathways can be quite intense. Try and stay calm.”
I nodded again, not trusting myself not to break out in tears as soon as I uttered another word.
Caelan touched the ring on his finger with one hand and held my hand in his other palm.
For a second, nothing happened. A sudden calm washed over me, and the wind seemed to quiet down.
The warmth of the day faded away, and a pool of light formed in the grass next to us.
Caelan guided me towards it and we stepped onto the shimmering lights.
The ground beneath my feet felt unlike anything I had ever walked on.
The pathway shimmered with hues of azure and gold, each color blending seamlessly into the next, casting a soft glow on the surrounding landscape.
The air was filled with a harmonious hum, a melody that seemed to resonate with the very core of my being. I felt an inexplicable connection to the Pathways, as though it understood my purpose, gently guiding me forward with every step.
Tendrils of light reached out to touch the trees and rocks beside me, illuminating them in a dance of luminescence. Despite what had just happened, I felt a sense of peace and protection, as if an invisible barrier shielded me from the outside world’s dangers.
My amazement ended the second we started moving.
Caelan gripped my hand tighter and what had started as a peaceful and calm journey on a glittery rainbow quickly morphed into a joyride from hell.
A veil of soft darkness surrounded us, as if someone had covered us in a semi-transparent blanket.
Little specks of light pierced through the veil, reminding me of how little spots of light used to come through the shutters of my childhood bedroom on Solis mornings.
We moved at an incredible speed, making it impossible to see where we were going. Caelan loosened his grip on my hand. “How are you holding up?
“I’m fine, I think. How much further do we have to go?
” My trembling voice betrayed me. “Only a few moments and we will arrive in Lumoria. The first time riding the Pathways is always the most difficult one. I threw up after my first try.” Caelan smiled.
My stomach lurched at the thought of him being sick.
When the Pathways finally began to slow down, my fingers unclenched, and a shaky breath escaped.
The veil lifted. Bright sunshine flooded around us, blinding me once again. It took my eyes a few seconds to adapt. Caelan still held my hand in his and seemingly waited until the world around me had stopped spinning.
I thanked him and took my hand back, wiping off my sweaty hands on my dusty dress.
We were standing in a clearing in the middle of a thick forest. The surrounding trees were already covered in autumn colors, with their yellow and orange leaves gently swaying in the wind.
Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my stance and to my relief my feet were firmly planted on the ground again.
“We only have to walk a few stretches before we reach the edge of the woods and the temple. I thought it would be good for you to move around a bit after your first ride on the Pathways,” Caelan supplied and started guiding me towards the cobblestone road to our right.
“So what exactly happened there, with the Pathways?” I asked. I should have known better than to ask a question like that because Caelan prepared himself to launch into another history lesson.
“Legend says the Luminaris Pathways were created by the Starweavers, an ancient order of beings who mastered the art of binding starlight into physical form. The Pathways are revered as sacred, and some cultures view journeys along them as spiritual pilgrimages. They are believed to connect not just places, but moments in time, allowing those who travel them to glimpse echoes of the past or visions of the future.”
I nodded and asked, “And what does science say?”
Caelan smiled at my question, and I couldn’t quite figure out what the smug look on his face meant.
“Luminaris Pathways are an ancient network of glowing, crystalline roads that weave through reality, much like the air we breathe. These pathways are remnants of a forgotten civilization, allowing us to move across vast distances in a matter of minutes and hours by harnessing the energy of the stars. A key is necessary to unlock the pathways, my key is embedded in my ring.”
We walked on in silence for a few minutes before the trees were beginning to thin out and opened up to a clearing.
We entered the clearing, and my gaze flew up towards the sky as a giant mountain came into view.
At the bottom of the mountain, right in our line of sight was a temple, or at least the entrance of one.
A grand staircase of cream-colored marble led up to a patio of sorts, with heavy Greek columns supporting the portico.
The columns were adorned with intricate patterns and ancient symbols I could not identify.
In the center of the structure the grand entrance to the temple was lined with burning torches.
The archway was adorned with carvings of mythical creatures and celestial beings, their eyes seemingly following me as I drew closer.
The stone was weathered, yet the craftsmanship remained exquisite.
Vines and moss clung to the crevices, adding a touch of nature’s artistry to the scene.
Beyond the entrance, the rest of the temple lay hidden, carved deep into the heart of the mountain.
Only the faintest glow of torchlight hinted at the vast chambers and corridors that lay beyond.
The air was cool and carried the scent of earth and stone, mixed with a waft of incense from rituals performed over centuries.
Caelan’s voice snapped me out of my musings and he had stopped a few stretches away from the staircase.
“We are going to meet with Auretheos now, the Lord of this temple. He might be a little cranky because I have been gone longer than I anticipated. Also… he has very little social skills, so please don’t be offended by his behavior.”
I chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, I used to work in an old people’s home, I am used to dealing with cranky old men. If he is being rude, I am simply going to kick his cane or hide his glasses.”
Caelan smirked and started up the stairs.
“Auretheos might be a few centuries old and wearing glasses, but I don’t think you know what you are getting yourself into right now,” he said ominously as we reached the top of the stairs.
Before I could ask anything more, the doors of the temple opened and the smell of old books and leather waved towards me. I didn’t know what I had expected Aurelien to look like, but the man that stepped out of the temple looked nothing like the God of Wisdom I had envisioned.
He was tall, which seemed fitting for a God.
His dark brown hair was interlaced with gray, or was it silver?
It was difficult to see from where I stood, looking up at him.
The hair was cropped short on the sides, the top was left longer, curling loosely in a way that made him look almost playful and chaotic.
His eyes were a deep shade of brown like chilled whiskey.
One of the most striking features of his face was the scar though.
It ran from beneath the left side of his nostril down to his otherwise perfectly shaped top lip.
He was imperious. And intimidating. And absolutely breathtaking.
Peeling my eyes away from his face, I studied his whole appearance.
His skin was covered in a layer of golden paint, giving him a radiant, otherworldly glow, as though he’d been touched by the sun.
The paint created an intriguing contrast against his cream-colored robes, draping loosely over his tall frame.
He truly looked like a God, like a figure from an ancient myth, brought to life in the present day.
My surprise and awe must have been visible on my face, because Caelan elbowed me in the side.
“Maelis, may I introduce Auretheos, God of Wisdom and Cunning and Lord of this realm? Auretheos, meet Maelis, the wordsmith.”