Bav came back with our luggage shortly after he left. We then were waiting for the others to come direct us to the Nether Space. We both look through the books together, amazed at some of the literature that was present. I found some of same language that Bav was able to read even.
"Bav! Is this Eeenglis?" I hold the book out for him to look at.
His eyes grow wide in surprise, "Well I'll be..." Bav comes and opens the book and laughs. "It sure is. I wonder how this came to be here?"
"The same way you did. It was brought through a portal." Amara voice rings out from behind us, making us jump.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm on my way to the Nether Space, if you'll please follow me." We stop and pick up our bags, following Amara back out of this area and down a different hall I had not noticed was there before. We walk along, little glowing orbs along the wall lighting up as we walked along. The lights fade out behind us making the hall behind us dark. We walk so far that the light from the previous room can not be seen but there is a small light beginning to stay constant in the distance ahead. It grows larger as we continue on, until finally, we've arrived in another room.
It is a plain stone walled room, empty of any adornment or furniture. Just this hallway and another door is all that can be seen. The others from the meeting are all there waiting on us.
"Are we ready to open the space?" The female priestess from earlier asks.
I nod my head along with Amara and all the priests and priestess join hands together facing the giant empty stone wall.
Bav and I, stand waiting for something to happen. After a few minutes of nothing happening, I turn to Bav with a raised brow, he starts to shrug, but then grabs my hand.
That's when I feel a humming vibration, coming up through the floor and steadily growing stronger by the second. A blue light forms on the wall as the humming intensifies.
I clutch to Bav's arm as it grows larger and wind begins to sweeps around us. The blue light has now become a larger, swirling circle, swaying my skirts with the wind it's creating on the wall. The humming gets louder as the circle continues to widen.
"Bav!" I clutch his arm as in the circle, something can be seen that looks like buildings and sunlight.
"I see it." He responds, focusing on the sight before us. It's both terrifying to watch and fascinating too.
The portal opens up wide and tall enough, that the wall is almost completely encompassed by it. That's when the humming quiets down and the priests and priestesses going with us, begin picking up their things, and walk through ahead of us.
"Grab your bags, lets go." Amara instructs us.
We quickly grab out bags and hurry forward, Amara behind us. I pause, a tad hesitant, but Bav's reassuring grip on my free hand, has me moving forward. Amara's hand grabs my coat sleeve, hanging on as we go through.
"Yea! You made it! We thought you three had changed your minds at the last minute. We've been waiting for over a week now!" One of the priests comes jogging over to us, smiling. "Don't worry to much about it, we know it's been only a second for you." His warm smile brings his cheeks up high, almost hiding his amber brown eyes and his short, wavy, gray and brown streaked hair together makes me think of the animal Bav showed me a picture of. A Quokka from earth.
Amara hums, "Yes well, Griven(Grih-ven), help us out and lets first show them to their room and then we can show them around."
"Of course, where are my manners? I'm Priest Griven, I'll be one of your instructors while we are here." He introduced himself, offering to take Amara's bag with an outstretched hand.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Griven. What will be your field of instruction?" I ask politely.
He grins sheepishly, "I will be instructing you how to imbue items with your gift for many useful situations." He points towards the large, mish-mashed, stone, turreted building. "That is brother Marco over there by the ponds. He will be teaching you what plants and minerals will help and hurt you."
I take note of the grey bearded priest by the pond, waving back to him when he notices us with a wave. We walk up the smooth, river rock path, to the entry way of the columned step path, Griven leading the way to enter the hall. The hall is cool from the stone walls and our feet make the pit, pat, pit across it's cobblestone floor. Natural light from the small windows, give the hall a misty, dim glowing ambience, inviting but not overwhelming. The atmosphere as we entered the main room from the hall is just as welcoming and soothing, like I was home.
The soft, filtered sunlight that made it through the windows was brighter, highlighting the walls filled with artworks that seem amateur in technique but passionate in the scene on canvas. One wall is divided by a dark, wooden staircase, well worn and simply made. There are several archways that lead off to different areas, but Griven leads us up the staircase.
The soft thuds of our footsteps going up the stairs make a percussionists melody start in my mind. This whole place whispers tranquility and is idyllic for a content life. I have never felt so at ease before.
"Rakara?"
I snap from my thoughts with Bav calling me. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. You called me dear?"
Griven shares a smile with Amara and Bav nods his head towards a room door.
"These are our quarters. Would you like to see more of the place or rest for a moment and settle ourselves in our room?" He inquires, motioning to the open door.
"I.." running my eyes over at Amara and receiving no direction I continue, " think we should go ahead and settle ourselves and then we can go explore." I nod to Griven and Amara who smile and leave us be.
I set my bag down, a smile warming my face, "Do you feel that here?" I ask Bav as I take my belongings out and place them away.
"Feel what? Sleepy?" He shrugs, putting his suits in the wardrobe.
I release a breathy laugh, "Ha, no, silly. I feel like I belong here. Almost like how I felt wrapped in my mothers arms..." I trail off with my sentence as a pang of sorrow stabs my heart. I wonder what my mother would have thought about all this, about Bav, about me.
Warm, strong arms wrap around me, pulling me from my thoughts. Bav's lips caress my forehead with a soft kiss as he holds me. "We can finish putting this stuff away later. Let us go and explore this Nether space shall we?" Bav holds me at arms length with a grin and I nod.
"Alright..." I break from his hold and walk towards the door, turning to glance over my shoulder and take off running, "Last one downstairs is a bootlegger! No MAGIC!" I yell giggling as Bav shouts in chase. I hear his boots tapping against the wooden floor rushing after me as I make it to the staircase.
Giggling, I hop onto the banister and slide down with a squeal as I slide down, hopping off right before I hit the end. I take off down the hall to my left, my hands grip the frame of the entry propelling myself forward by pushing off of it. I take a quick left again, down another hall lined with doors and take a sharp right, still running like a madwoman, giggling.
I end up running up a flight of stairs that spiral up to who knows where. By the time I figured I had gone up three stories high, I started slowing down, my breathing labored from the running trying to feed my starving muscles. I continue moving up the stairs, listening for Bav's voice to check if he's still after me. Our little race has turned into a game of hide and seek.
Hearing him calling out for me, but from far away, I give a soft breathless chuckle and continue up until I arrive at a landing. There's just an old wooden door besides the small windows that let the light in. I hesitate going inside, but hear Bav's voice becoming louder as he calls out. I open the door and step inside the room with haste, thankfully, the door doesn't creak.
The room is dark, except for a thin shaft of light peaking through a curtain window. I step cautiously, my hands out in front of me, as I make my way to hide behind the curtains. My toe connects with something hard, even with my boots on, I wince at the sharp pain. There's something cold, hard and metallic to the side of me that I had found with my toes. I steer away from it and as I get closer to the window, my eyes have adjusted a bit to the low light, allowing me to sneak behind the curtain with one eye closed.
I try and calm my breathing, my heart pounding in my chest, my ears straining to hear if Bav has arrived. I do my best to not move, making sure the curtain is not letting out any light from the sides. I stand still, hearing the door open.