The World Beyond

Chapter 5 Kulacecius

Wyatt felt like he was in a dream.

The vegetation around them was low due to the high altitude, and every step was harder than the last. But the view of rice terraces, stone roofs, and the bell sounds of the donkeys that wre carrying their bags made it all go away.

"Should have gone to the gym more," someone muttered behind him. Arthur was taking them up to the portal entrance, somewhere up in the mountains. They had gone into the village to rent the donkeys to carry their belongings. Arthur didn't exactly tell them how long the journey would be, but considering there was an eleven-year-old, Wyatt hoped that it won't be too hard or long.

In the end, two people from the group decided to opt out. Arthur seemed to have expected it and had arranged for them to meet another guide to do their cover tour: around the Himalayas in two months. Wyatt was kind of jealous of their itinerary, but he could always do that when he came back.

But he wasn't going to get another chance to go to another world.

"It's not too far. But we would have to carry our own bags. This is as far as the locals would go," Arthur informed them when they stopped for a break. They were fairly high by then, the village already disappeared into a speck around the bend. The villagers were nodding at them, undying the bags and leading their donkeys away.

"Why can't they go all the way with us?" Mr Hatfield asked.

"Their culture and religion forbid it. This is sacred ground for them," Arthur answered. "But don't worry, it's perfectly safe."

Wyatt grimaced. He didn't like the idea of going into someone's sacred ground, and Arthur's statement seemed to defy the speech that he gave about Kulacecius. The guide had repeatedly stressed that they would be faced with life or death situation. He compared Kulacecius to the middle ages, that pride and honour were worth more than human life.

Shouldering their own duffle bag, Wyatt struggled the ascent up the next hill. Everyone was breathing heavily, and George had offered to carry Juliette's bag. Arthur had offered help to Riya, too, and Salvatore had taken the bag of the remaining girl that went with them. What was her name? Monica? Monique?

"Look up," Arthur said softly. Wyatt looked up and saw the most beautiful temple nestled on the side of a mountain, barely visible if not for the golden reflection from the sun. It looked nothing like the temples Wyatt had ever seen before, with high pillars but curved, slanted roof, a mix of tiles, wood, and stone. In fact, from a certain angle, it looked as though it was floating by the mountain.

"If we move quickly we might be able to see my most favorite view of the sunset," said Arthur, looking back at them with a grin. Wyatt was a little taken aback; it was the first time the guide actually seem happy.

They walked around the side of the hill, along a wide path with a steep drop on the other side. Before long, they were met with a set of splendor stairs. The color of the staircase is the sort of golden-red that the golden color is just shimmering on the top, like how you see the Sun is red but you can also see the shining golden colour.

"Are we really going to walk on it?" asked Riya. Wyatt kind of get what she meant. These stairs didn't look like they were built to walk on. They were built to admire.

"Yes, Miss Garde. How else do you suggest we get up?" Arthur said with a sly smile, then taking the lead, he walked up the steps.

It might be just the lights, but just as Arthur's first step landed on the staircase, it suddenly looked less forbidding as it does a second ago. Everyone scrambled after him, eager to be close to the one person who knew the next steps.