The Star Chronicles, City Of Stars

Chapter 3

She followed him down the hallway towards the back of the house, if you could call the place a house. It was enormous with plenty of empty bedrooms.

The rest of the house was decorated similarly to her bedroom (or the bedroom assigned to her):sparkling floors and walls, shimmering drapes, and plush rugs.

Leo didn't speak while they walked and never once turned to see if she had indeed followed him. However, she didn't doubt for a second that those slender pointed ears couldn't hear every step she took.

They finally made it to the library, its double doors wide open. They strode through and Nyla couldn't suppress the gasp she emitted as she took in the sight. There were thousands of books along the floor to ceiling shelves. Leo smirked, "Impressive isn't it?"

"That's an understatement," she whispered and gazed at all the books, it was an effort not to run down the aisles. Her focus then shifted to the girl standing by the fireplace, staring at her.

"Ahh, this is Aris," Leo said walking towards the girl, "She is the head of this house, Gildtritch Manor." Aris was tall and slender with a slight purple essence to her skin tone. Her hair was short and had the same glowing to it that apparently everyone's hair had. She was definitely beautiful but also reminded Nyla of a pixie. Her attention fixed on that last name.

"One of those things called me by that last name, why?" she said to Aris.

"Well, that's one way to greet your host I suppose," she said with a soft laugh that sounded like wind chimes.

"Well, I guess that's because it's your last name," she said very matter-of-factly which irritated Nyla. She bit back the retort forming in her throat.

"No, it's not. My father's last name was Johnson." she said, raising her chin as if she had bested the stranger.

Aris just looked at Nyla with a smidge of pity in her eyes, "That was not your father, I'm sorry to tell you. Your father is Gordor, the King of Algor which is by the star, Castor," she said tentatively, gageing Nyla's reaction.

Nyla's heart stopped and she stared at Aris, then blinked, "What?" was the only thing she managed to say. She had always had so many questions about her father and still had so very little answers. The fact that a stranger was standing before her claiming such nonsense did not sit well with her.

Aris took a deep breath then began her explanation, "We live here on Gildor, one of the many planets of the constellation Gemini. There are two major stars, or suns, ours called Pollux, and another called Castor. Castor has several planets and one of them is Algor. However, Castor is an old star and is now a red sun. It will soon die. Your father, asked our Queen, your moth-"

Nyla has heard enough, "Okay, now I know you guys are off your rockers. My mom is back home probably eating pizza on the couch wondering where the hell I am," she said hotly. This could not be true. She needed to get home NOW.

Aris calm and composed, said "Your mother, Queen Terris refused to allow his people to inhabit our planet. There wasn't enough resources here to house us all. Anger overcame Gordor and he lashed out, killing the Court. He rounded on your mother and demanded the Key. The Key is a map of our entire constellation and it once was a map until your mother hid it from him terrified of what he would do with hands on it. She ran with it to Earth and conjured up a strong glamour to hide it from him," Aris paused, looking at Nyla curiously, "you were just an infant at the time, she thought it was the one place he wouldn't disturb. He wouldn't harm a child, his own child-"

"Hold up, are you telling me I'm a friggin constellation!?" Nyla turned and made for the door, "You are all in-", she stopped dead in her tracks. At the entrance was a towering woman with a tinge of magenta to her skin. She had long aqua curls and her eyes were the same matching blue. She wore a dress made of stars and atop her head sat a crown of dazzling crystal that reflected all the colors of the rainbow.