Golden

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Quinn

            The sound of hollowed emptiness reaches Quinn’s unwilling ears. He had been incredibly hesitant; the once exciting act of activating the transportation orb had become extremely daunting. He did not want to see Maltha no matter the dire importance of his visit.

            Nonetheless, he had to leave his sanctuary that is Valsea, and head to a more dangerous world – one filled with dark, perilous memories that constantly haunt his thoughts whenever the opportunity arises.

            Despite his extreme unwillingness to leave for Maltha, Quinn knew he was obliged to go. Not only to acquire the Ilathum, but to observe Adrian for any indication that he has joined Norun’s rogue army. He is not sure what will occur if Adrian is now on the enemy’s side, and if Adrian realizes that he and Lysandra are suspicious of him. He is not doubtful at the thought that Adrian would try to fight him and leave Quinn stranded in this world.

            “Have you previously been to Maltha?” Adrian asks, evidently noticing the expression of nostalgia that must be apparent on Quinn’s face.

            Quinn shakes his head, “No. I was born and raised in Procratus,” he answers.

            Only when Adrian gives him a puzzled look does Quinn realize his fault. If a being enters Valsea, it means they had died in their previous world. However, once they die, the memories of that life are lost to the stars and they enter Valsea with no recollection of their previous life. For Quinn to know where he had been born and raised is certainly an astounding bit of information. “When Penella titled me as her third Agent, she told me that Procratus was the world I had been born in before,” he smoothly recovers.

            Adrian nods, seeming to believe the lie. He then returns his gaze to the vast expanse of the broken world they now stand in.

            Quinn takes in the familiar surroundings with sorrow. After being told the truth, he demanded to be taken here immediately. He had wanted to see the world his father had left for him – or tried to. He remembers feeling dazed from travelling by the transportation orb, and then entirely shocked.

            According to Penella, Maltha had once been a beautiful world. It was filled with vibrant colours and shades of azure, deep reds, greens, purples, and oranges. The sky was filled with a multi-coloured shade that Quinn was sure would have brought awe to his eyes. The trees were hundreds of feet tall, casting vast shaded areas to provide protection from the two white suns that Maltha encircled.

            The ground would be covered in dark, smooth grass that matched the blackest colour of night. However, night did not – does not – occur in Maltha; by constantly orbiting around two suns in a figure eight motion, the planet was never blanketed by darkness. The Gods who resided here would not have minded, Quinn imagined; they do not sleep nor can they physically feel the heat that would have worn down on them.

            Quinn can imagine the beautiful animals that must have grown in this lovely world during its prime. He thinks of large animals with fur that consisted of a variety of different hues, birds that sang sweet melodies whenever they pleased. Perhaps even shining butterflies that wrapped themselves in their cocoons during resting phases to shed their dirty wings and emerge with bolder, more vibrantly coloured wings.

            Yet, the awe-bringing world Quinn can see so vividly in his mind had not been the world he saw when he first came to Maltha. Nor is it the world he sees now.