The Emerald Legend (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Eight : Lord of the Sun

Everything was still; teal crystal shards were scattered across the clear quartz floor. Amalia's body was facing up towards the sprawling root ceiling. Her body felt lifeless and heavy. She could barely make out her surroundings; it was if someone had pulled a veil over her, blurring her vision.

She found herself there for many moments, feeling trapped within time and lost within the clarity of her mind. She felt ready to let go, ready to move on, when a bright light shined out of the corner of her vision. A sense of warmth and love filled the room and Amalia instantly felt as if she wanted to cry.

"Amalia," spoke the light, but the words were not spoken as sounds, but as an inaudible thought; the language of the spirits. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak. She felt as if a blanket of lead had been draped over her.

"Do not be afraid," it said. Amalia's throat became hot and clamped. This is death, she thought regretfully.

"You are on the edge of death; not quite there," it said, giving Amalia a pang of relief. "I will remove your pain." It moved closer to her.

As it leaned over her, Amalia could see the being who spoke to her. His entire body was made of pure white light that radiated greater than the sun.

His hand moved over the length of her body, always staying around two inches above her skin. She felt a surge of what could only be described as life energy. She felt it pulse and breathe within her and everything came alive. Her senses felt like they had been surged with electricity and it ran through every nerve in her body. Her eyes widened as it coursed within her, taking in the details of each pulse. When it was over, he moved his hand back and away from her.

"Come forth," he said softly, and somehow she just understood what he meant.

Her body felt weightless and free; her fingers lifted up off the quartz without effort, followed by her arms and then her torso. She realized then what was happening: her spirit was splitting from her body—which she had thought only occurred in death. She had a feeling that perhaps, if this had happened even a moment sooner she would have been afraid, yet, seeing this being calmed everything inside her.

Her face lifted up and off the floor, followed by her legs, feet, and toes. She was free from the physical restrictions of matter and her spirit hovered towards the ceiling and then gently drifted back down until her feet touched the floor.

Incredible. She spoke through the language of the spirit. There was no sound, just knowing. The entire world felt reborn; everything was clearer, brighter, and amplified.

She looked down and saw her body laying still on the floor. She wondered if she had died in the process but then noticed a small silver chord of light coming out from the middle of her body's chest. She noticed the chord going along the floor between them and up into her spirit. She then understood that she was, in fact, still alive. She turned and saw the spirit whose light body burned white and faced him.

"Amalia." He spoke her name gently. "I am Solis, guardian of the light." She felt a tingling sensation run throughout her spine, as if she was still in her mortal body.

"Oh, dear child. I have much that I wish to share, but first I must say that you are so beautiful—so full of love." Solis gave her a loving smile, as if he was looking upon his own child. When the feelings touched her, she was overwhelmed. Her spirit wept, for it was the most intense, the most profound, feeling of love she had ever experienced. It ran deep into the far corners of her spirit. Amalia wished desperately to reciprocate the feelings to him yet she was afraid that her love could not match his.