Aeric's Silverwolf and Celestia's Horned Pegasus moved side by side, as the two of them rode above it, leaving the Realm Core behind.
They were moving towards a path that Aeric was not very familiar with. This path was paved in smooth, polished stone, and it seed that the veins that ford cracks on its body were glowing with traces of Divinity.
Aeric adjusted his position atop Sylver. The beast moved gracefully yet powerfully, with sharp and alert eyes. Beside him, Celestia rode her pristine Horned Pegasus, its wings folded elegantly at its sides.
"You know," Aeric continued their conversation, "I've never really noticed how large the Realm Core is? So many paths and roads… It's much bigger than I imagined."
Celestia turned to him with a soft smile, the wind gently tugging at her golden hair.
"You haven't really traveled much, have you, Aeric?" she asked.
"I guess not," he replied, bringing his face down. "The blockade my mother made really stiffened my experience on that part."
"Mhm. Well the Realm Core is more than just big," Cecilia said with a pout. "The Realm Core is the heart of Erothyria. The Royal Institution is here, along with the Divine Citadel and the Divine Court. Almost all major decisions, be they political, judicial stem from here. It's also here that Divinity is most present, like it's the heart of the Realm and it pumps the Divine energy into the rest of the Regions. The Core keeps everything in balance."
Aeric arched an eyebrow, looking around at the sprawling skyline behind them, where the leaves of the trees glead with radiant energy.
"Well I know all that."
"What?!" Celestia giggled. "And here I was trying to sound smart and all! Do you read books often?"
"Yeah," Aeric answered. "That and Delva's constant need to educate whenever I'm riding to the Institution."
"Oh. She sounds like a... nice girl," Celestia said in a kind of mumble.
"Yeah," Aeric noticed her reaction. "She's a good friend."
"But let's talk about sothing else." He glanced sideways at her, a smirk playing on his lips. "I think I'm more interested in hearing about you than the heart of Erothyria."
Celestia's cheeks flushed faintly as she let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, ? I'm not that interesting."
"Sure you are," Aeric insisted, his voice light but sincere. "You're a Daughter of Eros, you ride a Legendary-Ranked Beast, and you're a princess of the Dawn Region, the most liked of all Regions. Co on now, tell sothing. Your family, maybe? What's that like?"
Celestia hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly on the reins of her Pegasus. "Well…" She smiled faintly, though it was tinged with a trace of uncertainty. "My family's… complicated. My mother, my very popular mother, she's very nurturing. A little bit too nurturing I think. She's the one who taught how to ride."
Aeric nodded, his gaze softening. "I think my mom is the perfect kind of nurturing so I am curious to know what could be seen as too nurturing."
"Oh, no. It's not anything like that. It's not that I don't love her for it. It just can be a little embarrassing at tis." Celestia explained.
"Oh, that I can relate to," Aeric chuckled. "Just this morning in fact, my mother was pressing on coming ho with a girlfriend."
Celestia's eyes widened and she glanced at him. "She was?!"
Aeric noticed her nervous enthusiasm. "Yeah. I an... I didn't really take it seriously or anything."
"Oh." Her face appeared to have deflated. "Okay."
Aeric studied her quietly for a mont. 'Ah, shit. This sucks so much.'
Celestia did her best to quickly mask away her disappointnt. "Mothers can be a little pushy at tis. I get it." She smiled. "But enough about that. We're here."
Aeric followed her gaze as they approached a grand structure that seed to shimr with ethereal light.
It was a Portal Bridge. The structure lood in front of them in the distance, an enormous archway flanked by three Knightguards in their fancy, gleaming armor.
As they rode closer, the bridge appeared to be pulsing with shifting colors, like a liquid rainbow suspended in mid-air. The Divinity coalesced in this kind of Bridge could almost be slled.
"Is that what I think it is?" Aeric asked.
"A Portal Bridge?" Celestia responded as they slowed their mounts. "There aren't a lot of them in the Realm. They connect to different Regions, allowing people to travel instantly — if they have the proper certifications, of course."
Aeric tilted his head. "Well I also know that but..."
Celestia facepald.
"What happens if soone doesn't have the certifications?"
"They don't pass," Celestia said simply. "The Knightguards are very thorough. And since the bridge itself is powered by Divinity, it's not possible for unauthorized people to use it."
Aeric smirked. "I would say these were all very fascinating. But I don't think they stand a chance now. Compared to you, they're all very mundane."
Celestia glanced at him, her cheeks tinged pink again. "You're impossible." Then she urged her beast forward, hiding her reaction from him.
One of the Knightguards stepped forward as they approached, his voice deep and commanding. "Halt. State your purpose and present your certifications."
Once he saw Celestia's face, he instantly fell to his knees. "Ah, Daughter Celestia! Good day to you. Please, feel free to pass."
Celestia nodded, and the Knightguards watched in attention as she passed alongside Aeric, who gave them a long, ominous glance.
As they stepped through the shimring archway, the world around them shifted.
Enjoy new tales from empire
For a brief mont, everything seed to blur, colors bleeding together like a kaleidoscope. Then, as quickly as it began, the sensation faded, and they erged into a new world.
Aeric blinked, his breath catching in his throat.
He was in the Dawn Region. The place stretched before them in all its radiant beauty. The sun — the symbol of this powerful Region — hung high in the sky, bathing everything in a golden light.
Aeric saw the houses, beautiful and tall with enchanted facades that glimred like gemstones. Walls were made of ruby and amber hues, while their roofs sparkled like dark symbols, others like brown gold.
There were beautiful flowering trees, humming with life, clearly blessed with growth from the bright beautiful sun.
People were moving about gracefully with attire as vibrant as the landscape. Won wore flowing gowns of gold and crimson, adorned with jewels while n donned intricately embroidered robes.
In this Region, he could feel the air. It was very alive, the energy within it was pulsing, and it almost made Aeric's skin crawl in a way that was both invigorating and calming.
His eyes road over the scene, even though his expression was calm for most of it, he was still in awe.
"This is…" He struggled for words, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is unreal. It's almost like walking into a painting."
Celestia smiled, her gaze softening as she watched his awe. "Welco to the Dawn Region, Aeric."
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