Lyra Karant
Lyra In The Sky With Diamonds
It was another beautiful day in the depths of Sakuramori, the home of the lovely (and pink!) guild, Luminous Rose. The sun was shining, the birds were singing in the boughs of the trees, and the gentle sounds of the river gushing at the bottom of the canyon made a wonderfully scenic day to be outside for a walk. Lyra loved her home, that much could be said with absolute certainty. She loved the environment, the atmosphere, everything; the people were nice, everything was well looked after and it was nothing but the best possible place for her to be. Daily exercise and a good lifestyle gave her a great outlook on life.
So, there she was, strolling along; today she was enjoying a white crop top and skirt combination that was breezy and easy to wear that just seemed to make sense with the wonderful weather that they were having. Besides, it wasn’t like she was out for a run at this time, just a leisurely walk along the main paths of the forest. Nothing wrong with wearing something a little lighter for that, right? As usual, she was friendly to those around her who she could show kindness to. A smile here, a wave there to a familiar face, whatever it took. She was a little distinctive with her bright pink hair, after all.
With her hands over her head, Lyra rounded a corner to head deeper into the first. Here, the light disappeared beneath the canopy just enough that it brought a little haunting ambiance to an otherwise perfect day. She took a step, and--
She was greeted with an absolutely brand-new sight. In front of her was a shimmering circle, with a golden, rippling edge and what appeared to be a cascading starfield inside the circle. This ring was bigger than she was, and there was a certain saltiness that wafted into her nostrils as she took in her next breath. It was a rather thrilling sight to behold, out of nowhere. Strange, though. This was… certainly different.
I don’t trust it, came the ever-resolute voice of Rhett in the back of her head. It was clear that he had his suspicions about what this was.
”Yeah, me either,” Lyra said cautiously, pushing her face forward to take another breath. Yes, that saltiness was certainly fresh on her nose. It was the sea, she knew; having recently been to Hargeon had taught her that scent rather keenly. However, as a counter to this… this was an abnormality waiting to happen. Things like this didn’t just come along, did they? There was most definitely a purpose to it. Was it meant for her? Was it a portal to another world, destined to take her somewhere else entirely that she had never been before? Was it a trap? Who knew? Whatever it was, she really did want to find out.
I can hear that thought, Lyra. Think about this!
”I’m thinking about it.”
A pause.
”Done thinking.”
Without hesitation, Lyra took a step forward, and vanished into the portal that had appeared before her. The scintillating golden ring folded itself into oblivion as the girl disappeared into thin air. Nobody who came past was any the wiser that someone had been there only moments before.
As Lyra took her next step, she was greeted with scenery so absolutely perfect that it took her breath away. In the far horizon were rolling mountains that disappeared into the top of the skyline, rising towards the heavens as high as they could stretch. Above her, the stars shimmered so perfectly that they were twinkling in and out of existence, a distant flicker of flame in a cloudless night sky firmament cupped only by the radiant glow of a vibrant full moon. Its golden surface shone brightly like a beacon, casting its reflections down upon Lyra and everything that she beheld before her. Stretching infinitely across the horizon were beautiful grassy plains, the occasional tree standing tall in its wake; they reached high, shaking slightly in the tender breeze that caressed it. Finally, before her, sat a lake. It was not an overly large lake, but its perfectly clear surface reflected the stars above them like a dazzling, perfectly-polished mirror. The moon and its tiny attendants basked in their own glow, with only a small wooden pier extending from the lake’s bank to give one a place to sit near the water’s edge. Even the way the lake smelled was the exact same scent that had emanated from the portal that she had just stepped through. This was exactly where the universe had intended her to go.
In short, this place was nothing less than perfection chiseled into the land. She thought Sakuramori was good? No. This was better, beyond her wildest dreams. Everything here seemed like it was ripped out of a perfect photograph. She couldn’t believe it. By pure instinct, she reached for her iLac to take a photo of the landscape, just to preserve it forever - it really was absolutely beautiful. And, in the darkness, she felt its embrace to be inviting. Was it odd that she’d come from the daylight into the night? Well, yes, a little. However, stranger things happened in the world. This probably wasn’t near Sakuramori. Or possibly even in Fiore. Maybe-- just maybe-- possibly not in the normal realms of Earthland. That was a possibility to consider. That thought was shelved for a moment.
A sudden chill rippled through her body as the breeze caught her, the same one that tickled the trees. Maybe her choice of attire wasn’t quite the best for this exact situation.
You know, this ain’t so bad, kid, came the inevitable comment.
”It’s pretty. Really pretty. I’m in love with it.”
Yeah. Me too.
It was rather surprising for Rhett to admit how much he liked a picturesque landscape, but at this moment, Lyra really didn’t mind it. It was nice to see his human side once in a while. For that, Lyra took a few steps forward, feeling the grass crunch beneath her shoes, and savouring every sound. In the silence of the darkness, everything was so crisp to her ears. It was like her senses were perfectly and utterly heightened even beyond what her slayer powers granted her. Which, at this point, she didn’t mind. The darkness was a wonderful thing sometimes.
As she stepped towards the river bank, she took her first step onto the white wooden pier, hearing the sound of the planks under her feet. They were definitely well-built; no real creaking or buckling. It was just a beautiful sight to behold. Honestly, it was almost too good to be real at this point. By the time Lyra reached the end, she knew she had to take a seat. Swinging her legs over the edge, she cast her emerald gaze out over the surface of the water, content to view it as the moon smiled down upon her in all of its wonder.
What a night. What an absolutely perfect night. She could have enjoyed this forever.
Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a braying call that rumbled through the air around her, filling her senses like electricity rushing through her veins. It was low, and deep, enough to force Lyra’s eyes to dart skyward to see what the cause of the commotion was. Above her, floating slowly and whimsically through the air was a large form, silhouetted by a shimmer that reminded her of the portal that had brought her here in the first place with its tender golden glow. It was plain to see what the massive form above her was. A whale was swimming its way through the night sky, ethereal as it seemed to be. That, too, was a wonderfully magical moment - and, as before, a second sight that was captured on the camera of her iLac. Lyra wanted to keep this as a memory forever, that was for sure.
As she sat back, she shifted her hands behind her so that she could crane her neck up and watch the majestic creature meander its way through the night sky. Lyra felt like she could have sat there for hours; the little rosebud was utterly content to do so. It was just… perfect. All of this. The crispness in the air filled her lungs, and the glow from the sky above rendered the landscape before her. She could have, if she wished, put her hand into the water and felt it cool against her skin. The breeze blew once again and messed her hair in the wind.
Gods, what she would not give to crystallize this moment in time and live in it for the rest of eternity in abject bliss.
The whale above let out another cry, deep enough that its bass rocked Lyra to the bone. It started to roll in the air, pitching itself downwards as it did so - and this time, there was a curious change to the creature above. As it sank lower in the sky, the glow that blossomed from its body seemed to brighten. It wasn’t really noticeable at first, but the lower it dropped, the more it intensified.
Something immediately, like a sharp prick to the skin, pushed into her mind. Hey. I kinda got distracted. Something, um, fishy’s going on here. Pardon the pun.
”Pfft. Shut up, you silly. What is it?”
Yes, she did in fact call her teacher ‘you silly’. Never let it be said that Lyra Karant was mature.
Gods above... okay, listen. There’s something funky about that whale. Can you feel it? Push your senses out. What have you got?
Well, now that he’d said something, Lyra took the opportunity to do exactly what he said; her eyes closed and she exhaled, focusing on the magical tethers that held the world together. Much like running one’s fingers upon silken strands of string, she allowed herself to feel her way through everything around her. There were different sensations for different things, but the closer she came to the creature that controlled the sky above her, it was clear to her that Rhett was right. There was something fishy about it.
”Your fish joke sucks, just so you know, and I hate the fact that you made it. But you’re right. It’s… it’s a spirit.”
Lyra Karant, you got it in one. Thank the gods you have a competent teacher that travels in your brain.
Yes, the giant whale above that floated through the sky was in fact a creature blossoming with magical energy on a scale that she had never before encountered. This was a sensation that was not reserved for powerful mages; Lyra had encountered more than her fair share of those already in recent times. This was not something that she felt. Their energy was more like a spiritual pressure, as opposed to the almost crystalline form that manifested itself above her. So too was she receiving a similar sensation from the lake below her, now that she chose to focus her energies on sensing everything around her. That would add up with the fact that the creature was glowing whenever it drew closer to the surface of the lake.
A long pause of silence. So. You thinking what I’m thinking?
Lyra scowled. ”First, you always know what I’m thinking one hundred percent of the time. So, you tell me. Second, of course I am. We need to get that whale to the lake.”
Atta girl. I think so too, obviously. How do you want to do this?
Lyra sat up straight as thoughts raced through her mind, pondering all the possible ways that she could have attracted the attention of the massive creature that was around them. There were certainly options. ”The solution has to be magical. I can’t exactly reach up there and touch the whale. Can we try and attract it down? It seems to be avoiding the surface, honestly. I might be able to cast some pillars and see if I can guide it that way, but I don’t think I can really make it go downwards. It’s probably worth a shot, right?”
Sounds like it’s worth a try. I’m gonna backseat for this one. I’m leaving it to you. Good luck, kid!
With that, the buzzing in the back of her head stopped. Rhett was good like that; always happy to let Lyra make her own mistakes as much as he could. It was way better for her to try things and learn from what she’d done wrong. A sigh, before she stood up and stretched her arms. She was really going to need to focus for this one.
Lyra’s mind raced; she’d not really learned to use her magic for utilitarian purposes, but now was the time to improvise, adapt and overcome the challenge that lay before her. As a simple test of what would happen, she reached her hand up; white-pink flames lashed around her body with little more than a flicker. Moments later, a small flame appeared on the far bank of the lake, and Lyra looked up expectantly at the creature above. The whale, in kind, did not even seem to be distracted by the little light show that was going on above her.
And then it hit her. Maybe a flame wielder standing on a wooden pier was not the best idea. She beat a hasty retreat back onto the bank, standing with grass under her feet. If anything went wrong, it was way less likely to burn away and dump her unceremoniously into cold water. That would have been nothing short of a disaster.
Well then. Back to the original plan, if all went well; she had contemplated using long pillars of flame to guide the spirit like landing beacons, stopping it from going in specific directions and hopefully trapping it to go the way that she had anticipated. This was a skill that she had really focused on. Long-range flames were extremely handy to use.
So, Lyra braced her left forearm with her right hand - we’ve established that fact - and murmured quietly to herself, using the mantra to keep her focused. Eyes affixed skywards, the cast the first pillar from her hand while she started to walk around the lake’s edge. At this point, the whale above her was drifting left, when she needed it to go right. The pillar of flame shot past the left flank of the beast, and with careful precision she began to draw the pillar to the right, edging closer and closer to the whale’s flank. As if on cue, the beast began to tilt, drifting to the right as she had anticipated. The glow of the monster intensified as it edged closer to the lake at its grand height.
A smile crossed Lyra’s lips. There was the result she wanted.
The flames continued as the whale rolled over in the sky, almost gracefully performing a sideways roll through the heavens. Eventually, the whale seemed to be over the centre of the lake, forcing Lyra to drop her gout of flame and create a new one on the whale’s right side to prevent it from going any further. It appeared to cooperate, slowly swimming back towards the left as it wanted to drift over the surface of the lake.
However, try as she might, there was just one problem with this plan. She was driving the whale exactly where she wanted it to go. Lyra was happy with that. Whatever she did though, she could not get it to go down. It was still sky high, lazily swimming in the stars above without any thought for the surface of the water. What a shame that was.
Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen. No matter how much she tried to push her flames, she just could not get the whale to come lower down. It wasn’t like she could fly, either, to get up there and corral it lower towards the surface of the water. If she could, sure, this would be easy. But this was going to require a solution a little beyond her ken.
A sigh crossed her lips as she plopped her bottom down onto the grass below her, looking up at the creature. Well, to her credit, it was now drawing lazy circles directly over the lake. It had seemed to get that particular idea into its head, which was a nice surprise. Lyra knew that if nothing else she had a little bit of time to sort out an idea before it decided to move on. Her thoughts began to wander as the almost hypnotic pattern of the creature’s movements entranced her. She began to think about home, about what she wanted to do after she was finished here, and maybe that she could have brought a picnic with her if she had’ve known ahead of time that she was going to be here. Food sounded mighty good right now.
Wait a second. Food. What did whales eat? Then it came to her: whales ate little organisms in the sea. Could she replicate that, somehow?
Yes! Of course she could! The ripple effect of her flames tended to give off-- to nobody’s surprise-- almost cherry blossom petal-like reflections. If she could cast that over the surface of the water, then maybe, just maybe, she could trick the whale into thinking there was food down on the lake and that it needed to eat the food. It might have been a spirit whale, but damnit, it wasn’t like she had a better idea to go off at this point. Lyra knew that she didn’t really have anything else better to go off. So why not try it and see how it went?
Without hesitation, Lyra stood up and focused her energies once again. She was feeling a little tired from driving a whale with fire, but that would not stop her from giving this a red-hot crack. She exhaled, letting the flames of her desire and passion push themselves forward from her body, until the pink-tinged glow emanated its way across the surface of the lake. Dancing petals crossed the surface, mingling with the reflection of the star pool at her feet. It was a dazzlingly beautiful sight that she wished she could have captured forever. But there was no time.
She looked up.
”Come on, friend,” she murmured to herself. ”Come have a snack.”
The whale above appeared to notice, somehow. It seemed to pause for a moment, and then-- the creature began to roll. This time, downwards. Over so its tummy was skywards, then its head began to drop down into almost a backwards free-fall. Its neck craned, before it started spiralling, spinning its way down towards the surface of the lake.
”Yes, yes! Come on!” she cheered. This was it!
Its gigantic maw opened as the glow blossomed from its body, the spirit creature shining brighter and brighter as its mouth opened almost as if it was trying to consume the entire lake beneath it.
A moment later, as its nose kissed the water, the glow was so bright that it consumed Lyra’s entire vision. Gold and white consumed the entire landscape in its radiance, and then--
There was nothing. Total emptiness. Blackness consumed all in the wake of light.
Suddenly, with a rush of adrenaline like she’d just crested the top of a rollercoaster, Lyra found her feet back on solid ground. Dirt kicked itself up at her feet as she blinked, her eyes adjusting back from the insane light that had just burned away at her retinas, only to take a deep breath in. A loamy, familiar scent filled her nostrils.
She looked around. The trees, the people, the buildings-- she was back home in Sakuramori. There was no doubt about that. A long breath out, her eyes finally starting to adjust back into being in the real world once more. In fact, she was right back where she was when the portal appeared before her, almost as if she had gone nowhere at all.
”Holy shit,” Lyra breathed. Was that all a dream? It had to be real… right?
Whoa. Do my ears deceive me? Lyra Karant swearing?
Lyra put a hand up to her temple, before she reached into her pocket and pulled out her iLac. A cursory check, and-- there they were. Two photos. The beautiful landscape of somewhere so far away she still couldn’t believe that it had happened, and the image of the gigantic celestial whale that she had just guided through the surface of the lake.
Yep. Real, apparently.
”Hey, Rhett?” Lyra asked, absently.
Yes, miss Karant?
”Shut up. I can swear sometimes too.”
With a memory to last a lifetime that she would never be able to remove from her psyche, Lyra turned on her heel and started to walk her way home. First, she needed something a little warmer to wear. Second, she needed something to eat. Third, she needed to take a nap because that exertion had absolutely exhausted her.
And then she needed to make absolutely sure that it was all not a dream. It still didn’t feel real. Whatever it was, she felt like she’d done the right thing. It felt good.
What a story to tell, right?
MEL @ WW
