Chapter 7

“What troubles you, young paladin?” Lady Seraphina gracefully approached Alec who was leaning on the balcony rail, overlooking the memory of Highmoore. Alec hesitated for a moment as a beautiful but depressing melody moaned out to him hauntingly from beyond his vision. Without taking his eyes from the scenery, Alec answered.

“Nothing...I was just thinking, that’s all.” Seraphina walked beside Alec, placed her hands on the rail, and overlooked her city.

“It was once beautiful, Alec. I hope that you study it well, for, as you grow, so too will your roots and through you the memory of Highmoore will become complete. It will be up to you to rebuild it one day. Don’t misplace a single stone.” She looked to him and smiled brightly, but Alec paid no notice. Slowly, he turned away from the town and made eye contact with the nymph.

“I am sorry Lady; I wasn’t thinking of Highmoore. I will consider your counsel, thank you.”

“I know...you are thinking of the young maiden Talia. You quite fancy her do you not?” Alec began to think of anything else, to try and throw Seraphina off from his trail, He suspected her of possessing the same mind techniques as Aurora. The music across the distance took on a more sporadic tune as his mind continued to betray him.

“Alec, you need not try so hard. I do not possess the ability to read your mind. The ariaflies only sing a tune such as this during a period of mourning or, in rare cases, when lovers are tragically torn apart. The two must be thinking of one another at the same time or else the song will not play. It is quite an old piece of magic, but one the romantic in me quite fancies.” Alec stopped attempting to enslave his thoughts and immediately the penetrating melody resumed.

“Do not be ashamed to know that your love is thinking of you. I, too, once listened every night for the song. Often times I would hear it though I was unable to go to him.”

“Who was he?”

“A story for another time perhaps.” Alec furrowed his eyebrows for a moment at Seraphina’s response.

“Why were you unable to be with him?” As Alec had seen only once before, Seraphina’s smile faded and she looked as though she had begun to cry.

“I am trapped here; unable to leave to join my sister’s or return to Valoria until the one who was ruined under my power is destroyed.”

“You are trapped? Until who is destroyed?”

“During the battle with Abaddon, I too was cursed to remain. When I prayed to the goddess to use my life to seal him away, he in turn did something; now, I am trapped within the walls where I lived before my death. I cannot exist within your realm, so I remain here, alone.”

Alec thought for a moment upon Seraphina’s predicament and considered to himself the inconsiderate way he had acted during his outburst. Now that he thought of it, he was unsure of how long ago that was. Often times, it was night in Highmoore and he would know not how long he had been there if Seraphina had not been there to remind him from time to time.

“I understand now; you know how I feel more than even I do. I am sorry for the way I acted during my outburst.”

“It was a most fleeting thing. Think nothing of it.” Seraphina waved Alec off as she continued to stare off from the balcony.

“Is that why you were so upset with Aurora coming to train me?”

“I suppose.” Seraphina turned to face Alec this time and looked to him.

“Do you see that light to the west?” Seraphina pointed in the direction of Valascaana. Alec strained his eyes to see but sure enough, he could see the faintest of lights over the mountains.

“What is that?” Alec asked of her.

“That is your Talia. Or at least the ariaflies that she is near. They are communicating.”

“How is it that they can communicate if we are not in the physical realm?”

“As I said earlier. It is a strange and powerful magic.” Seraphina focused on the ariaflies off in the distance.

“Your maiden is in slumber, dreaming of you. Dreams are one thing that may penetrate the veil separating the realms of physical and ethereal. It is in their power that the metaphysical becomes visible.” Seraphina grew silent for a moment. She began to look around the room beyond the balcony and smiled.

“Close your eyes young paladin.” Alec eyed Seraphina curiously. She looked back at him, maintaining her brilliant smile.

“Please?” Alec sighed and did as asked. Seraphina closed her own eyes and began to channel energy while chanting to herself, silently. As she opened her eyes, the empty room where they trained began to morph and twist until it resembled a festive ballroom.

Beautiful bows and ribbons hung in multitudes from the ceiling and walls colored brilliant red and gold, Highmoorian colors. A crystal chandelier formed from nothing but thought, lit the room up in marvelous dancing prisms of refracted light. Satisfied, Seraphina turned toward her pupil and began to focus once more until his clothes morphed into festive garments, proper for a king.

“You may open your eyes, young paladin.” She spoke softly. Alec did such and immediately his eyes grew wide as he blinked and rubbed them thoroughly, fearing that his sight had betrayed him.

“What is this?”

“The power of the ariaflies will allow me to connect you momentarily. Are you ready?” Alec stared at his teacher, confused until the answer to his question became clear.

“Please!?” Seraphina smiled and walked out onto the balcony and began to chant again towards the light in the distance.

“I call upon the ancient magics that bind these hearts and those of loves lost. Allow that which has been severed by time and space to reunite once more through love’s slumber.” A bright light burst from over the mountaintops and moments later, Talia appeared on the balcony, in a dreamy wandering state.

She began to search about the room as Alec could feel his heart stop. Seraphina vanished from sight as Talia’s traveling clothes began to morph and change into a beautiful, flowing golden gown, which was further accented by the prismatic, crystal chandelier. As she finished her spin around the room, her eyes met Alec’s and she smiled as tears poured from her eyes.

“I miss you.” She spoke, not believing that the dream was real.

“And I you, priestess.” Alec walked up to her and held out his hand as he bowed to her. “Might I have this dance?” Talia accepted his hand as music began to play and he placed his hand on her right hip and began to lead her in waltz. As Talia stared into his eyes, she gripped his shoulder tightly while spectrums of light shimmered off her satin gown.

“Alec, there are so many things that I wish I could tell you. However, I know that you are not genuinely you and that come morning, you will have been nothing but a dream.” Alec cupped Talia’s cheek as he kissed her on the lips without interrupting their waltz. As their lips parted, Talia looked to Alec with wet and wide eyes.

“This is a dream, is it not?” Alec looked around the room before answering.

“Well, if so, then you are the goddess birthed from my vision.” Talia burrowed her face into Alec’s shoulder and neck as they continued to dance. Alec twirled her through the phantasmal ballroom as the sound of the ariaflies’ waltz carried their hearts.

They continued to dance, neither speaking, words having grown obsolete in a space where hearts wrote lyrical ballads. All Talia needed in that moment was the feeling of his arms around her and Alec, the warmth and scent of his love near him. As they reveled in the moment, they silently conveyed their innermost selves to one another and reaffirmed their mutual resolve.

Alec looked up and saw as the ceiling, adornments and chandelier began to break apart and crumble into dust. He held Talia tighter and buried his head into her shoulder.

“I am coming back to you. Please do not lose faith in me.” Talia stopped and looked Alec in the eye.

“I could never forsake you.” She noticed what it was that Alec had seen and turned back to face him.

“Kiss me once more.” She demanded. As the room around them faded away, the garments began to revert back, and the memory of Highmoore began to resurface, Alec pulled Talia in close and avidly embraced her in a moment of unadulterated passion. Alec and Talia both closed their eyes as they tasted one another’s lips.

They both opened their eyes to once again find themselves separated by the infinite expanse of space. They both reached out a hand and, as if standing on the border of invisibly opposed fronts, mirrored one another, longing to feel the other’s touch. Alec turned away after a long moment and saw the ethereal vision of Seraphina had returned.

“Thank you for that.” Alec spoke, using every ounce of strength to keep himself from collapsing.

“Are you ready to continue your training?” Alec looked to Seraphina, reinvigorated and anxious to return home.

“I am.”

“Then prepare. I shall begin by introducing you to another who will be joining us. You do not know him, though you know of him. He has watched over your progress for some time. Master Zerendil, please come from the shadows.”

Alec turned his head to see an indistinct figure walk from the far end of the room. As he grew closer, Alec realized why he had not noticed him before. The man, though tall, slender and heavily armored stepped forward possessing a ghostly presence. Alec eyed the man and his armor for a moment.

“You are not actually here. Is this how I appeared when I first came to you, Lady Seraphina?” Said Alec.

The man smiled as he neared.

“He truly does have a remarkable talent does he not? He can already see through the veil though he has not been trained. I wonder, does he know the extent of his talent?”

“Not as of yet, master Zerendil. I was hoping that you might aid in his instruction as he will be left in your hands once he returns to his body.” Zerendil bowed before the Lady Seraphina and clapped his hand to his chest.

“Please my lady, you mustn’t refer to me as “master,” as it was you who trained me.”

“As you wish Zerendil, though you earned that right many years before, as you have obtained the honor of reaching the high throne. Such a feat has yet to be duplicated.” Again, Zerendil bowed his head. Seraphina spoke again.

“As to Alec’s training, I was hoping that you might allow him a proper introduction and proceed to begin instructing him in the art of inscribed runes.”

“It would be my honor my lady. Might we have your leave?”

“Of course.” Seraphina curtsied and gracefully left the grand hall, presumably to meet with Aurora whom Alec could sense had not left. Zerendil turned to face Alec and began the all too familiar act of measuring him up.

“It is a pleasure to meet you young paladin. I feel that we shall make great strides together. It was I who trained your teacher, Marec Kaldur.”