The Right To Rule

Chapter 21

Mayrth was a circular-shaped, town connecting Perseus and Altair, and Mayrth was growing steady under the influence of unending guests. Chrysanthe entered a fancy-looking building on the main street of Mayrth. She entered the building with Nina and Esther. Her shoulder had gone worst since the attack on the road. Right now, she cannot move her hand and Celestial was not helping to ease the pain. Esther had tried to clean and sew it right after the attack, but stars! It was still painful.

Chrysanthe scanned the hall where she was ushered when she entered. It was more like a dining hall with chairs and tables on the floor with people having their drinks and food. There was a soft sound of piano playing.

Chrysanthe watched as Esther walk to the waitress and murmured a few words and the waitress pointed on the stairs on the right. Chrysanthe and Nina followed Esther to the stairs. As they ascend the stairs, Chrysanthe touched Celestial; a familiar chilled blanket wrap itself around her. She opened herself to Celestial and snuffed out everything inside her head, everything around her and she seek a Celestial signal. She found it at ease. It was the only Celestial signal in the whole building. The Watcher was going to teach Chrysanthe healing.

The stairs gave way to another open space but smaller than one below. This one had four chairs sitting in a circle facing each other, a filled bookshelf, and an open window that looked on the skyline. There were also three doors, one on the right and two on the left; a reading table and sitting on it was a woman about thirty and after she saw them she immediately stood up and walked towards them.

“Hello, I am Doleris,” Skylady Doleris said with a warm smile.

“Skylady Doleris Hempton,” Chrysanthe corrected.

“Titles are tedious,” Skylady Doleris replied with a wave of a hand. “I sense you held Celestial too.”

Chrysanthe nodded. “However, I am still a novice on its art.”

“We all are, at one point, uh…what may I call you?”

Chrysanthe did an introduction and Skylady Doleris ushered them to take the chairs.

Skylady Doleris listened silently as Chrysanthe was telling her what happened and why she cannot heal herself with Celestial as yet.

“Enter the Universe,” Skylady Doleris said. “Don’t close your eyes. In a simple way try to divide your mind into two parts, one existing in this world and the other existing in the Universe.”

Chrysanthe exhaled deeply. She entered the Universe, only after a heartbeat, her concentration collapse. She had entered the Universe multiple times with her eyes open, however, it was only the time she was under pressure while she was training with Torch. To enter it at will was always tricky to her.

She didn’t give up. She tried again. Torch and everyone were depending on her. She has to go to Draco if their mission has to stand a chance to be successful. Stars! She didn’t even need to think about the mission as yet. Again, she failed to will her mind into two parts.

Chrysathe leaned back on her chair. Her eyes found Nina looking directly at her with an encouraging smile, eyes sparkling with joy and her hands on her laps. It was rare for Chrysanthe to see Nina with a sketchbook with her. Chrysanthe returned the smile. She thought of the pain, though it was not what Skylady Doleris had said to her, her mind had its own idea.

She found herself in the Universe. Her eyes were open and still locked at Nina. The Universe was like a space, a sky, and another world away. In the Universe, she was suspended in thin air surrounded by blue orbs all around her. The Universe itself was an endless dark blue. Chrysanthe felt aware, in control; it was as if she can anchor herself with any object and Pull or Push. Her will was strong inside the Universe.

“Don’t let it slip away from you,” Skylady Doleris said as she leaned forth on her chair. “Inside the Universe, will your Celestial re-correct your body. Take the blue orbs into your body and tell them to heal you.”

Chrysanthe did what Skylady Doleris had instructed her. She absorbed the orbs, enough to feel her Celestial cold inside her. She had long understood those blue orbs were Celestial, she knew there was a difference between touching Celestial inside and outside the Universe.

As Chrysanthe held the grip on Celestial, she slipped outside the Universe. She quickly grasped for breath, taking in gust after gust of air. She was not aware she was holding her breath. Skylady Doleris gave her a glass of water which she emptied in a single gulp.

“I am correct to presume that was the first time you entered the Universe without being in a battle?”

Chrysanthe replied with a nod.

“I will give you an hour to practice,” Skylady Doleris said, “Your will is strong, I am certain you will master it by then.”

“How is this different from threading and anchoring, Skylady Doleris?” Esther asked. The first words she has spoken since they arrived at Skylady Doleris’ room.

Threading and anchoring involved matters. Moonstone act as a connection between those two aspects, Celestial and matter. Every time Chrysanthe anchored or thread, she first enter the Universe, closing her eyes, but it only took a second or less. Torch had told her sometimes a second long enough to lose a fight in a battle. Chrysanthe smiled a little, everything Torch had taught her was always cross-referenced with battle and death.

It took more than two hours for Chrysanthe to will her mind to be into parts. In the meanwhile while she was sitting still, Nina got bored and went to the bookshelf and got herself a book, she has been absorbed ever since. Esther walked to the window and she had spent her time there looking at Chrysanthe rather than outside. Skylady Doleris had not moved an inch.

Chrysanthe willed her mind. She was in the Universe at the same she was looking at Skylady Doleris. She absorbed the orbs, recharging her body with Celestial. In a heartbeat, she willed her mind to heal her shoulder. It burned cold, she grunted as Celestial sharp needles sew her anew. Three heartbeats later she felt that the pain has disappeared. She stood up and close her palm into a fist and her hand formed a fist. There was no pain. It was as if the wound has not been there in the first place. Stars! She had healed herself.

Chrysanthe forgot herself and jumped to Skylady Doleris and embrace her. Nina came running to her and they almost fell to the floor giggling like toddlers.

Skygods, she can heal now. She can’t wait to tell Torch all about it. He will certify her ready for Draco. Yes, she was ready for it.

***

Torch sat on the table in the center of the room against the wall, he wanted to have a vintage view of the tavern. It was the finest at Mayrth. It attracted all kinds of folks with a bit of starling in their pockets, and been finest, it was packed while it was still hours of waking.

Such fine establishment deserved a fine company, Torch had come with Ben and Firpo to waste away the hours whilst Chrysanthe learning to heal, and more importantly, the specks of dust of the journey. This was their first proper stop since leaving Eurydice. Any excuses to be within walls and bit of brighter light, regardless, beams white-lights were more welcomed than been in the heart of Spiral Pulser.

Torch drained the last drop of his dark beer, clung the wooden mug to the table, and called for a refill. It was his third drink and he was finishing them within five minutes.

At first, Torch didn’t support Firpo for having drinks while they wait for the ladies to finish their training. Torch wanted a nap, he was tired of resting on the flaming hard ground. It was such a pain. But he changed his mind while Sofia wanted to visit her brother was also a soldier and was deployed at Mayrth. Burning flames, Torch was not going to be a chaperon to Sofia; Torch send Autro to go with her. The idea of drinks was welcomed.

Moments like those made Torch remember his brother, trapped in the limbo of his dreams. Abinadab had dreamed of traveling around Sky Kingdoms, but he only went further than his bed only twice per month. Damned by the power of the sun.

It will be over soon, brother; burn me but it has to be, Torch thought to himself.

Alcohol was numbing the pain, Torch can heal the drunkenness with Radiation, and however, he was barely touching a drop of Radiator. He wanted to forget, for a moment, Abinadab’s suffering.

“Esther is flaming pissed at you, sir,” Firpo said. He had finished his first mug.

“She has grown fond of Lady Chrysanthe,” Ben said in agreement.

“But sir, did you hear those bandits before they attacked us?”

“I did,” Torch replied, “as would Chrysanthe should have. You all know Celestial enhanced senses. Esther can say what she flaming want and she can burn for it; Chrysanthe let down her guard.”

“I have to admit the method of the lesson was brutal sir, but I agree with you; it was necessary to make sure everyone was ready. We all have to. There is a great danger ahead of us,” Firpo whispered the last part.

Torch looked at the man beside him. Firpo barely move his lips when he spoke, his eyes always look for something then look directly to the person was speaking with. His right hand was wrapped in a lather glove, Torch had not seen without him. Ben had told him Firpo’s hand was burned by Vulcan’s flames ten years back. Nonetheless, the man never flinches beside Torch.

Here was a man who can give grannies lessons, they might flaming to be jumpy every time they sense a Vulcan.

Ben leaned towards Torch only inches away from his face.

“Is it true that Vulcans can perform healing like Watchers? And yes, you, sir, could have healed Lady Chrysanthe?” Ben asked.

“Vulcans can perform healing, but the weaves are flaming complex; flames, I never cared to learn them.”

“But if you can heal her, sir, would you have?” Ben asked curiously.

“Flames! She can heal herself.”

Torch watched with interest as Ben searched himself and took out a shiny piece of a coin. It was bright as the sun, round as Torch’s eye. Ben slid a starling to Firpo. Starling was the highest value of money at Sky Kingdoms, a gold coin with one face as the sun and another side with a lone moon and stars; it was the only thing that reminded folks of the years before the Origin, however, the sole reminder was barely given a thought. Torch didn’t bother himself to tangle himself with such matters, he concerned himself with what starlings can do for him.

“Eh, wager? I have not done that in a while. I suppose we can’t have a drinking game?” Torch said.

“It won’t be fun since you can’t get drunk, sir,” Firpo said.

“I do get drunk,” Torch said. “I am already tipsy, you just can’t see it?”

“I will think of wagers. The one I won’t advantageous, though I am not.”

Ben and Firpo raised their mugs in a union.

Torch finished his fourth mug and he started to lose count when the was harp playing and folks dance the hours away.