"Is that... ?" she tried to finish, but found she couldn't draw breath. The sheer weight of his presence was overwhelming.
"The North Star." Lorien nods. Fireflies flitter past, dancing and twirling with the stardust. It's as if he speaks to them, "It will be a sensitive Time for him if he has indeed burned. Best if you stay back. Wait for my call."
And then he follows the insects, and is gone with the wind.
She does as he bade, lingering behind and following the trail of fireflies, until the trees broke.
The small creatures swirled as if on a whirlwind, surrounding a long figure in a distorted clearing. Distorted for the prismatic light could not have been so intense in the night, nor could it arc so.
"Polaris." Lorien is of course already there. And blocking her view.
Seren frowns, edging around the treeline, waring the sharp drop of the ledge. Wouldn't want to take a tumble. Her legs prickle at the thought.
"... Lorien. It has been some Time. How fares your chosen path?" the fallen Star replies, leaning against a towering maple with his arms crossed to rest lax over his chest. His long sleeves ruffle with the passing Zephyr, and a simple long scarf hugs him, floating about his shoulders in long lazy flicks. In his hand he carries a Shepherd's Cane.
The warm autumnal red leaves are a stark contrast to the icy blue light he exuded. Mesmerized, she crept closer. There was something nostalgic in his glow. Poignant, and so very lonely.
"Such trivial matters pale in the presence of the resplendent North. Please do not concern yourself with them." Lorien tips his head in a curt bow.
Seren flinched, adverting her gaze and shielding her prickling eyes. It may been a trick of the light, and she thinks it must be so for her friend to stand unaffected. For though unchanging, though no brighter, somehow the intensity of the light burned, almost painful in its brilliance.
Even had her 3rd eye been out, she doubted it would've seen more than Polaris's cold gleam. It was piercing. Absolute.
"You worry overmuch. I've collected plenty of Stardust in my path."
And Seren found herself thinking much the same. The radiance emanating from his core flickered naught, burning a steady, fearsome, arctic blue.
"Be that as it may." Lorien brings a hand to close over his Heart, and in an indiscernible whisper pulls a scintillating golden thread of light from his chest. It swirls and Lorien holds it close before he, with a sweep of his arm, sends the Stardust towards the Celestial Lord, "May you ever illuminate the Night and guide those astray back from the stygian abyss to the rightful path. Watch over our lost, that by your gentle light, gather strength and kindle hope, that they too may one day return home. May every soul walk the path of Stars bathed in your radiance--and traverse the celestial seas in peace when at last they depart to the yonder sea beyond mortal reach."
He speaks with such reverence and sincerity, that she slips into her 3rd eye. Subconsciously dipping her head and only opening her real eyes after the prayer ended.
Polaris's frown deepens, but raises a hand to accept the offering. With a curt flick of the wrist, the Stardust twines around his fingers, taken into his own being as he brings the appendage back. "Much obliged. With this I've no need to stay overlong."
Small clouds gather to him, and the Celestial Lord ascends.
"North, wait."
The Celestial Lord turns back, arms folded loosely and resting against his chest. Now that he's afloat, Seren could spy a soft glimmer of gold beneath his long flowing sleeves. What was it?
"Our paths may have diverged but you are no stranger. Come, for old Time's sa..."
Her 3rd eye looms closer as curiosity takes hold.
It is a simple loose anklet adorns him, the mesmerizingly beautiful gold hoop bearing an inscription she could barely make out. The flowing, rune like letters curled around the
The words cut through her very mind, a searing, frigid, pain she didn't know existed.
Dreamwalker.
The jolt of icy dread pulses throughout her entirety. She's frozen, her Heart and blood locked in a permafrost of shock.
Seren looks through her own eyes when, shakily, she raises them to meet those of the Celestial Lord. And she's trembling. His oppressive presence. Never had she felt such a coldness as to be etched into her very core.
As if she would never be warm again.
"Did you perchance, by some foolish notion, think me oblivious to your meddling?"
"North stop! She's with me!" And suddenly all she sees is Lorien's back, but not even his blanketing warmth is enough to shield her from the cold fury radiating from the North Star, "Please don't be furious with her, it is of no fault of her's--she's simply following me. If any were to blame it is I."
"Then pray teach the Dreamwalker to keep her eyes to herself. It is not wise to go prying into what doesn't concern her." he fixes Lorien with a steely gaze, one that makes him cringe, a shiver creeping down his spine, "The same goes for you."
And then he was gone. A fading light in the night sky.
Suddenly the twinkling stars didn't seem so friendly and warm.
"What." she's shaking, and her legs refused to follow as Lorien lifted her up. "What was that."
"... Who." Lorien supplies, "A. Polaris, The North Star, and Lord over the Celestial Domain."
Lorien takes her hands into his own, hugging her in a futile attempt to still her trembling.
"I hope Rain doesn't find him."
"Don't hold it against him--I should've known better than to have brought you here." He sighs heavily, "The remnant of such a presence as his wont be overcome so easily."
She nodded numbly.
It was so very cold.
"I'm really sorry, but this is for the best."
Her eyes widen as she is lifted off the ground--and promptly thrown over the bluff.
"Lori!" she gasped, the ground rushing to meet her in abrupt darkness.
A jarring impact that left her to the meek drift of sunlight, filtering in between the slits of pastel curtains, when next she opened her eyes.
What a dream to have--and to have it now of all Times. She shuddered.
Much Time had passed since she'd revisited that particular dream, and longer still she'd had such thoughts. Such thoughts she had thought to have faded with Time, but persisted still, lingering as an abashed warmth that dusted her cheeks.
The prickling cold across her form has Seren shivering, and she pulls the blinds wide open, basking in the morning sun. It had been a cold night, and the nightly chill had yet to be dispelled by day.
But though she could feel the warmth gather on her skin, it was but skin deep.
Seren looks through her own eyes when, shakily, she raises them to meet those of the Celestial Lord. And she's trembling. His oppressive presence. Never had she felt such a coldness as to be etched into her very core.
As if she would never be warm again.
"Did you perchance, by some foolish notion, think me oblivious to your meddling?"
"North stop! She's with me!" And suddenly all she sees is Lorien's back, but not even his blanketing warmth is enough to shield her from the cold fury radiating from the North Star, "Please don't be furious with her, it is of no fault of her's--she's simply following me. If any were to blame it is I."
"Then pray teach the Dreamwalker to keep her eyes to herself. It is not wise to go prying into what doesn't concern her." he fixes Lorien with a steely gaze, one that makes him cringe, a shiver creeping down his spine, "The same goes for you."
And then he was gone. A fading light in the night sky.
Suddenly the twinkling stars didn't seem so friendly and warm.
"What." she's shaking, and her legs refused to follow as Lorien lifted her up. "What was that."
"... Who." Lorien supplies, "A. Polaris, The North Star, and Lord over the Celestial Domain."
Lorien takes her hands into his own, hugging her in a futile attempt to still her trembling.
"I hope Rain doesn't find him."
"Don't hold it against him--I should've known better than to have brought you here." He sighs heavily, "The remnant of such a presence as his wont be overcome so easily."
She nodded numbly.
It was so very cold.
"I'm really sorry, but this is for the best."
Her eyes widen as she is lifted off the ground--and promptly thrown over the bluff.
"Lori!" she gasped, the ground rushing to meet her in abrupt darkness.
A jarring impact that left her to the meek drift of sunlight, filtering in between the slits of pastel curtains, when next she opened her eyes.
What a dream to have--and to have it now of all Times. She shuddered.
Much Time had passed since she'd revisited that particular dream, and longer still she'd had such thoughts. Such thoughts she had thought to have faded with Time, but persisted still, lingering as an abashed warmth that dusted her cheeks.
The prickling cold across her form has Seren shivering, and she pulls the blinds wide open, basking in the morning sun. It had been a cold night, and the nightly chill had yet to be dispelled by day.
But though she could feel the warmth gather on her skin, it was but skin deep.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading!