6. "Kyrings is the key"

"What am I supposed to do now!?",

I had a demanding tone even when i was completely clueless.

We were now back at the Gemzar castle and were apparently in "my room" and

Caleb was not standing by the door but was sitting comfortably on the couch and was effortlessly pretending like he didn't hear me almost screaming like a lunatic and was

Again! pretending to be going through the accounts we had brought from the main library at Kent manor.

"Oh! I get it now. You can only read minds not books.Thats the reason why you are gawking at those accounts like that.",

I mocked ..and my intention was to get his attention.

"And you got it."

Caleb spoke looking directly into my eyes.

"And I guess it would be better if you go through these accounts once..I will send the lunch to your room. And yes you can choose whatever you would like to wear from the wardrobe over there."

"Then I could have chosen my dress myself...but then who chose it this morning..?",

I felt the dots connecting when my mind had a flash back of this morning ..where I suppose i remember Caleb complimenting...

"Umm..Be ready by 5. I will be here by then."

And the bossy jerk left.

It felt like I was finally by myself after a long time.

After a proper lunch..

I half laid on the bed and placed two fluffy pillows one behind me to support my back and one on my lap on which I neatly placed the accounts that i was supposed to read.

I turned the pages carefully and began reading it.

The then Zyrad chief had tried his best to describe the maze but the way it was written it seemed like his memory was vague..he mostly emphasised on how he was forced to lose his power.

***

I felt my skin exposed to a kind of chill..I shivered and shifted slightly that's when i felt the paper slip through my fingers and another chilling breeze hit my face.

I opened my eyes to realize I had fallen asleep while reading.I quickly picked the papers that had fallen to the floor.

After arranging them together , I moved towards the wide and lovely balcony of my room.

I stood gaping at the scene outside ..It was not completely dark nor bright but it was a beautiful mix of colours that blended so perfectly together!!

Currently I can't bear standing here any longer because ,I can't deal with chilly winds.

I'm cold intolerant.

But weirdly I like visiting cold places..I mean i can cope up with the cold if I have something thick and warm on.

And that reminds be ..I have a festival to attend.

And that also reminds me that there are high chances that I am already late.

Just great Aura!

I immediately rush towards the wardrobe and had the moment every girl experiences just a few hours or minutes before she has to get well dressed.

*Well at least it happens to me all the time*

The moment of panic...the moment we regret not having done the work earlier...the moment where you gotta decide what you wanna wear!

Well after shuffling through the most elegant and expensive looking gowns and dresses that I only window shopped till date ..I virtually picturized myself into each one...

*I wish i had more time..at least i know the regret is here to stay*



..I settled on to a pale pastel yellow gown.I have always liked pastel colours over the bright and dark ones.

I tied my hair into a pretty bun and wore a matching pair of earrings..then I wore the heels that went perfectly well with my dress.

I must say I dont look half as bad as i expected to look..considering that i got dressed at the last moment.

As I was again making my way towards the balcony ..i heard a knock on my room door.

It must be him..I gave myself a final glance in the mirror and quickly moved to open the door.

As I did ...I swear my jaw fell to ground.

He was wearing a tight lavish embellished tunic which looked like it was made of dark blue metal and dark blue trousers .Over this he wore a sliver royal cloak that was thick and looked soft ...It made his built more prominent and he looked

helllll attractive!!

His eyes just put everything together.

"Ahem"

Shit!!..Why do i mostly behave like i have pea size brain in front of him.

"We should be there before it all begins..to the heart of this place..to the Zorb and I am going to glit with you...no arguements on that..come on,"

He held his hand in front of me to take.

I did as he asked to.

And through the glitters we finally had arrived to place where all the stars shone brighter than ever..and the whole place was such that ..a pair of eyes couldnt satisfy ones desire to look all around and take in its beauty.

"This is just 'Stunning!!!",I gasped.

"Not more than you!"

Was that really Caleb who said that!!??

I turned to see Caleb not even looking at the beauty in front of us ...he was looking straight at me..not even blinking...his eyes looked warm and affectionate.

Until

The very next moment...Ben had appeared out of nowhere and he looked so pumped that i didnt even realize when he had greeted us with his tin smile and that he was already leading us somewhere.

My mind was trapped..it wanted to look around and admire everything that i saw ...because everything it was all new...and beautiful !!

But still it was stuck on that one sentence Caleb had said a few moments back. His voice repeating in my head and i felt warmth feel in my cheeks.

I dont want to look like a nutter with a smile that refused to leave my face.

I was snapped back to reality as I could smell the excitement in the air and people stood all around us .

chattering and laughing .

The happy faces radiating all around.

Above us was the most aesthetic view i had ever come across...The sky was dotted with severals tiny dots but the twelve enormous stars stole the show.

Then all of a sudden everyone and everything fell silent.

I could feel the changes taking place around me..

I Heard it again.

The song ...the same soft carol that

I had heard the day i was jerked out of my sleep .

The day I was about to be introduced to the bossy jerk ..to planon !

Even that day I said the song felt magical and I still stick to what i said.

But this time I was not listening to it in a dim lit room but a place that was lit with bright colours all around.

That's when the twelve stars above us started illuminating brighter and brighter.

Each of its own colour.

That's when right in the middle of the twelve stars , Two largeee spheres lit slowly .

They shone brighter and brighter.

Chilling but a soothing breeze swept across me and thats when i noticed the ground beneath us looked almost translucent and had tiny neon green and pink lights as though lanterns were floating underneath of us.

I felt the sky tonight was the most beautiful thing with its mix of colours...stars and beauty but ..

No I was wrong ..

This place is so full of surprises that it makes me want to pause it all just to admire each and everything around me .

The trees and its roots were shinning a magical shade of colours.

Sometimes I feel this place is all just a dream .

Now everyone around me were singing the magical carol in unison.

I looked around in excitement and delight.

I could hear chimes in the air syncing entirely with the song.

The song ended and the all the stars and the two big spheres started rotating slowly above us .

As they picked pace it felt like glitters being mixed in a magical potion.

All of it shone bright and with a blink of eye and a heavenly voice all the stars and the spheres turned into a shape that looked like a star with twelve vertices and a sun and moon in between.

Glittery lights revolved around it.

"That's the zorb..our symbol...the mark you have on your neck ,Aura ",

Caleb spoke in a silvery tone.

"Oh",

I involuntarily touched the mark on my neck.

All the chiefs moved exactly under the zorb.

I knew only three of them but the rest all had a strong demeanor..each one had a peculiar apperance and wore clothes that screamed extravagance and power.

The carol began again but the voices of the 13 chiefs was louder and clearer than the rest of the maxipians who sang with pride and passion.

After a few moments all the chiefs held out their one arm parallel to the translucent grounds and their palms facing the skies..they spoke in one voice ..and as they did so disntict coloured magical balls formed above their palms in air.

"They are taking an oath."

Caled was beaming in pride as he explained to me every now and then the on goings.

After the oath the thirteen magical balls rose high up in air and combined to become one and moved higher up to the zorb.

With what felt like a loud dong from a ringing bell..the single ball got dissolved into the zorb.

*Impressive!!!*

And then again all the chiefs spoke in maginified unison

"LET THE PLANIPLATE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN!!!"

The loud hooting and cheers from the crowd almost sounded like faint whispers as the place turned into a freakin' magic carnival in seconds.

These people will make me go crazyyyyy...because

It's truly insane how ...the sky..the ground..the people..the magical creatures...the entire place!!!! Is on move.

The magical stunts they keep pulling, seriously needs eyes all over your body to watch.

The multicolour sky was filled with magicalcreatures i had obviously never seen in my life...sparks...glitters...

"The amount of colour around me right now.. makes me feel I was colourblind my whole life.",I spoke absentmindedly gaping at the sky.

Caleb started laughing at the look on my face and spoke in between his laughters.

" I wonder what will you say when you finally stop gaping at the sky and look around ".

I could hardly speak when my gaze shifted from the sky to my surroundings.

"Holyyyyy shit!!!

No doubt .

I was definitely colourblind."

Caleb threw his head back and howled in laughter.

This is the first time i was watching him ..not smirk ..not even smile but laugh.

It was contagious as the corner of lips tugged into a smile as i watched him flash his dimples.

"Okay I give you that,you are funny."

I was still smiling like an idiot as I continued to watch him speak between his laughters.

His laughter lightened and he spoke again

"So shall we go in then?"

"Sure!",

I smiled at Caleb for the very first time.

And my heart skipped a beat when he smiled back.

Genuinely.

Wow!! so this guy can smile.

I mean obviously he can, But i didn't think i will get to see it.

We moved through all the people around us ...but where?

" We have the games and remaining rituals to be done tomorrow...today all we have is the oath and the grand feast that is specially prepared by each ileto and trust me its worth it!"

"I am not quiet sure about your taste though...I 'll let you know my opinions on it soon.",

I pouted and shrugged .

"You will know soon..but before that we can look around and you can have a look at the animals here and I dont think so it would be a bad idea to introduce you to a few people. "

Caleb sneered.

We approached a group of people i guessed were our age and most likely Caleb's friends.

*only if he has any*

And it turned out that Caleb did have friends his age. Ben and Grace were there too.

Ben introduced me to Abigail his twin sister ...They both were famous as 'twin shifters'..

*cool*

I also met Camila..she was red head and wore huge specs...she said she belonged to the regrowth ileto.

Elijah was super sweet and jolly and it was hard to believe that he was from the Pokotra ileto that is the strength ileto.

And Nash was from Anolor ileto which meant he could acquire any one of an animal trait.

He was the excited one and wanted to show me a few of his pets. He said he had three.

Caleb and the others agreed to this.

But everyone was eager about the feast too...so asked Nash to be quick.

***

"No way this is ...this is a coyote with wings that resemble the wings of an eagle!!!! What do you call them?"

I asked Nash with a tone of utter amusement.

He looked confused when he heard the word coyote but responded quickly with an answer

"He is an Apoki..you should ride him once.They are famous for their flights."

"But the one I have the most fun with is...Jax

Oh !we call them Toro."

"Oh my god!! That's a cow ..it is so short and plump like a puppy. It actually does behave like a dog!! And its weird that it is actually cute with it's tiny legs and big eyes!!Damn."

I exclaimed.

"You can pick it up ..my girl is harmless.",

Nash was patting the cow..i mean the Toro.

"Nash we will be late for the feast be quick mate."

Caleb called out.

"Yeah i am sorry i lost count of time..."

"..Aura i am sorry but we have to head to the feast ..but i can't let you go without showing you my lil' bud pipo..They are boki's.. all the girls just love them!!"

He then showed me a hippo as small as a sparrow with wings of butterfly..just fluttering around us in circles.

"Awww....this is ...."

I couldn't finish my sentence as the fluttering hippo ...i mean the boki kept distracting me .

"Well i know he is cute...Camila loves them. She is the one who named him Pipo.They are used to carry small letters and all .They are used a lot. You will see."

"Oh they are like pigeons you mean?"

I asked still distracted by Pipo.

"I dont know the earth names..its Cal who goes there frequently. He knows it all!!"

Nash replied honeslty.

"We will be late Aura ..its time for the grand feast.You will regret if you miss it."

Abigail winked as she lightly pushed me ahead of her and the rest of them followed.

***

The feast was set in a location beside a wide lake and we were inside a infinite magical bubble domb.

The lake was clear and colourless.

That's when I saw an enormous creature jump up in the air..twist gracefully and go back into the waters.

It was jet black in colour and had long whiskers and white eyes.

It looked like swimming dragon with the body of a lion.. behaving like a dolphin!!!

I stood back with a hand on my chest trying to control my breathing as the sudden appearance of this creature had shook me.

"Oh that's a maj ..pretty aren't they"

Abigail spoke with admiration.

I realized she was not joking when she said I will regret if i miss out on the feast ....the menu and the dishes were mouth watering and i couldn't wait any longer as the air around me only smelt of flavoursome food.

Caleb asked me to sit down on across a long table with him and rest of his group and just recite my order to the cute little Boki flying around me.

*Wow!!! This is so exciting!*

I sat down beside him and immediately felt the warmth radiating from him.

Grace and Elijah helped me with the menu as Caleb constantly kept interrupting and i ended up ordering the same as

Caleb

Because that boy can't just stop poking his bossy nose into my business!!

"You were the one who said you didnt trust my taste so i am simply helping you form your "opinion"."

His smirk was back.

My brain couldn't think of a solid come back because right now it is entirely occupied by food.

Time flew quickly as I was engrossed in conversation with the new friends I had made today and my food.

I admit Caleb has an amazing taste in both his food as well as the company he chooses to be with.

Caleb who was busy arguing with Elijah like a kid for more desert suddenly turned to me and his expressions softened and his lips were curling into a smile but ..

Suddenly out of no where a sharp knife came wheezing through the air and got stuck to the table ,Right beside the littlefinger of my right hand.

*That was close ..is that a trick here?*

"NO AURA...just ..oh MOVE!!!!"

Caleb was shouting at the pitch of his voice and it took me like 3 seconds to realize what he meant and as

I quickly got up to move

But just in time another knife came piercing through the air ..

But this time before it hit the table its sharp blade managed to make a pretty deep slit on my wrist.

I am narrating the events like it happened in slow-mo ..

But no!!! The knife just appeared out of nowhere and freakin' left me howling in pain.

My blood spurted out immediately though the fresh cut and that caused me to just freeze on the spot.

Caleb started shouting instructions as he completely shielded me into his arms.

I forgot that i had to move...move as quickly as i could...i was putting him in danger too

but I failed to do so as right before my eyes this entire place turned evil all of a sudden.

Loads of knifes and other sharp weapons came dashing from all the directions and many in the crowd got injured and cried in pain.

Heat raised around us as whole place was lit with flames of ash colour.

Not only the people but the creatures shrieked in pain and fright.

Murderous attacks took place as darkly dressed figures appeared from the flames.

The colours in and around me drained.

"Aura ...ohh dear...you can't stand here a minute more or else you are dead!!....please dont worry we will take care of everyone here and we have to cancel the celebrations tomorrow.

You will be fine too ..

I will send the chief of healing ileto to you."

Chief Henderson was talking hastily as he and his son completely shielded me.

"Glit with Caleb...NOW!!!"

It felt like he was commanding but yet looked worried sick.

And I placed my wounded wrist that i was holding on to ..Caleb's palm ...The place started dissolving in glitters and I could see

Chief Kent rush towards us and the last thing I heard was her wretched desperate voice that said

"AURA, KYRINGS IS THE KEY!!"

And her voice faded away.

_________________________________________