The days following Nivel and Ezekiel’s departure were a blur of adjustnts and anticipation. I settled into a routine of lessons with Ophelia, exploring the library of the Florence mansion, and trying to study on the notes she left for on obscure magical theories.
It was a far cry from the thrilling adventures I had envisioned, but I had to admit, the world of magic was fascinating, even in its more academic form.
One morning, as I was attempting to comprehend the intricacies of elental transmutation (apparently, turning a frog into a teapot was not as straightforward as it seed), but then Ophelia summoned to her office.
"Julian, your mother has requested a leave of absence for the next few days."
"A leave of absence? But why?"
Ophelia shrugged.
"She didn’t specify anything, really. She simply said she had so personal matters to attend to."
It was strange for my mom to do sothing like this so suddenly, especially when she was rarely ever secretive.
What could be so important that she needed to take ti off?
"Did she say where she was going?" I asked, trying to keep the worry out of my voice.
Ophelia shook her head.
"No. She simply said she would be taking you with her."
My eyebrows shot up. Taking with her? This was getting more and more mysterious by the minute.
"Well, it seems your mother has so secrets of her own. Everyone has them, including yourself, but I’m not one to really pry into my own workers’ lives."
I nodded, feeling a bit guilty from her words, but still, what was my mother up to?
Most of the ti she’d leave with soone under their care, but now of all tis she chooses to take along?
"Strange..."
Later that day, as I was in my bed figuring out reasons for our sudden departure, but my mother appeared at my door, with an unusually serious expression.
It was a look I rarely saw on her face, a look that instantly wiped away any lingering amusent I had about this surprise trip.
"Julian, pack your things. We’re leaving for a few days."
"Leaving? But where are we going?"
"We’re going to a place called Summit Village, But Julian, you mustn’t tell anyone. Not Lady Ophelia, not the maids, no one."
Summit Village.
A place located in the High Peak Mountains. One of the things I recalled about it from the novel was its rather precarious location.
It was situated near one of the three unstable "Abyssal Gates" on the Aethel continent.
These gates fluctuated wildly in their ability to hold back the creatures of the abyss.
And those creatures... they weren’t your average monsters.
They were sothing else entirely. From what I rembered from the novel, abyssal creatures were beings from another dinsion, a realm of darkness and chaos.
They were twisted mockeries of life as we knew it, possessing strange powers and a ferocity that far surpassed even the most dangerous beasts on this side of the gate.
Even the strongest knights and mages would think twice before facing an abyssal creature.
They were a tier above, more powerful, more resilient, more... terrifying.
My mother, with a somber expression, explained that she had received a ssage from soone in Summit Village.
That was it. No further explanation, no ntion of unstable gates or abyssal creatures.
Just a simple, "We need to go there, Julian. Now."
It was unlike her to be so secretive, so evasive. But I could see the worry on her face, the urgency in her eyes.
Sothing was clearly wrong, sothing that she wasn’t ready to share with .
And so, without further explanation, we left the Florence mansion.
One of the special things my mother had in her maid’s arsenal is that she’s a skilled horsewoman.
I ended up on the back of a horse towards a full day’s worth of journeying to the mountains.
The journey to Summit Village was filled with rugged terrain and breathtaking scenery.
We rode through dense forests, across babbling brooks, and along winding mountain paths.
The air grew crisp and cool as we ascended, but as we neared our destination, my mother veered off the main path, leading us deeper into the wilderness.
"Mom, are you sure this is the right way? I don’t rember this from the maps."
"Trust , Julian. We’re taking a shortcut."
She smiled mysteriously, as if there was a structure that could take a straight there.
We continued on the path, growing narrower and more treacherous.
Finally, we arrived at a seemingly unremarkable clearing.
There was nothing there but trees and rocks.
My mother dismounted, her eyes scanning the area.
"Here it is,"
"Here what is?" I asked, bewildered.
She raised her hand, her palm glowing with a soft, golden light.
WOM...
She pressed it against a seemingly ordinary rock, and suddenly, the air shimred and distorted.
The clearing rippled like a disturbed pond, and then, as if a veil had been lifted, a stone structure materialized before our eyes.
"...!"
It was a small, ancient building, partially overgrown with vines and moss.
A weathered archway adorned with a star-shaped symbol marked the entrance.
"What is this place?"
"This, Julian, is a waypoint. A hidden sanctuary created by our ancestors long ago."
Waypoints? I had never heard of them before. And I’m pretty sure they weren’t ntioned in the original novel either, but judging by the intricate carvings on the stone walls, this was clearly no ordinary place.
"I’ll explain everything later, Julian. For now, let’s go inside."
She led through the archway, and I gasped. The interior was a single, circular chamber, dominated by a magnificent statue.
It depicted a tree, its branches reaching towards the ceiling, its roots intertwined with the earth.
And standing before the tree, carved in exquisite detail, was a figure that could only be described as divine.
"Who is that?" I whispered, my eyes wide with wonder.
My mother’s gaze softened.
"That, Julian, is what our ancestor called a ’God’. Behind her is what we think is the tree of grace, the start of all beginnings and the creator of life."
I stared at the statue, srized. A god? The tree of grace?
It’s just as it was said in the novel... The tree of grace was only made by the divine goddess of this world that allowed everyone to live freely without any restraints.
But as I looked at the serene expression on the statue’s face, a sense of calm washed over .
"This waypoint is connected to another one near Summit Village. It’s a much faster way to travel than by horseback."
She stepped towards the statue, placing her hand on its base.
"But be warned, Julian. Waypoint travel can be... disorienting, especially for first-tirs. Brace yourself."
Before I could even process her words, the statue erupted in a blinding flash of golden and blue light.
A swirling vortex of energy enveloped us, and I felt a strange tugging sensation, as if my body were being pulled in a thousand different directions.
I squeezed my eyes shut, gritting my teeth, and held my breath, bracing for the unknown.
HWAM!
Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over.
I opened my eyes, blinking against the sudden shift in light.
We were in a different chamber, smaller and less ornate than the previous one.
"Ah... my legs..."
I stepped out of the waypoint with a wobbly feeling in my legs.
It was like doing a leg day workout after a session of volleyball.
However, the teleportation through waypoints was definitely a step up from the clunky teleportation technology I had seen in the capital.
It made wonder why these weren’t used instead of the ones operated by machines?
"Co on," my mother said, taking my hand. "We have much to do."
As we walked out of the hidden chamber and into the cool mountain air, I took a quick look from around and realized how far up we were within the mountains it was breathtaking.
The view stretched out before us, a vast panorama of snow-capped peaks and verdant valleys.
"Wow, It’s beautiful."
My mother smiled, squeezing my hand.
"It is, isn’t it? But we still have a way to go. Summit Village is further up the mountain."
She pointed towards a winding path that snaked its way up the steep slopes.
"It’s not too far, but the climb can be a bit challenging. Are you ready?"
I nodded while letting go of my mother’s hand.
And so we started our ascent, the path growing steeper and more treacherous with each step.
Even though we weren’t close to the mountain’s top, the air thinned, making it harder to breathe, but the stunning scenery kept going.
We passed through patches of wildflowers, crossed icy streams, and stared at the towering cliffs that rose on either side of us.
After what felt like hours, we finally reached a plateau.
And there, nestled amongst the snow-capped peaks, was Summit Village.
It was a small cluster of stone houses, and wooden huts, built into the mountainside.
Smoke curled from chimneys, and the sound of laughter and conversation drifted on the wind.
"Welco to Summit Village, Julian,"
Reviews
All reviews (0)