The Celestial

Part 3

I stood with my hands behind my back and my ear to the door. Jayve was right: it sang. In what language, I didn't know, probably one of its own, only one that the gods could understand, but it didn't matter. It won't be singing for that much longer.

I threw the door open, and immediately the Celestial went silent. It had turned from the window – a gap in the wall with only iron bars as a barrier – to face me as I entered. With Jayve, following my orders from earlier, shutting the door behind me and staying quietly in front of it, I walked across the room. With each step I took toward it, the Celestial did not move. In fact, it did not even have its eyes trained on me, but instead focused straight ahead of it, still and unwavering. I paced back and forth in front of it as I took in its appearance again.

It was either completely oblivious to the danger it was in and who I was, or it was just plain stupid. Absolutely no emotion was shown, no expression on its smooth face or flicker in its starry eyes. I stopped in front of it and caressed its cheek with one of my hands, rubbing my thumb up and down its skin. Its breath didn't even hitch at my rough touch. Gently I guided its head one way, then the other, its gaze not moving. Frozen. At last I lifted its chin to look directly into its sapphire eyes. I noticed the smallest movement that signaled it had finally focused on me.

"So. You're a Celestial."

My voice was calm, quiet. Monotonous. Was it possible to put fear into this thing?

"What was it like living in the realm of your god before he sent you to this miserable place in search of redemption?"

It remained silent. It barely blinked. It only stared, waited. Waited for something.

I released my grip on it.

"I know you can speak. I heard you singing. Quite beautiful, it was, but I couldn't understand it. I assume it's some tongue of Celestials. Am I correct?"

It remained silent. It stared.

I turned to glare at Jayve.

"Does it even understand our language?"

He shrugged. "I'm not certain, Resundre. I only ever heard it singing in its own language. But it did seem to understand some of what I said during the ride back. Rest, food, prisoner, things like that."

I looked back to the Celestial, my eyes seething.

I was tempted to tear its gem out of it right there and then, but then a thought came to me. An idea. If I could convince this Celestial to tell me where other Celestials could be, it would allow me to collect more of these powerful gems. Instead of just a specially crafted scepter that held three, I could commission an entire set of armor inlaid with gem slots, surely making it indestructible.

I grasped onto the scheme like a piece of paper blowing in the wind, holding on to it so it could never be free again. I had claimed it, and no one would take it away from me.

I slapped on a pleasant smile and dipped my head to the Celestial.

"I certainly hope you can understand me, Celestial, for I gather that you have had a difficult time trying to make amends to your god – god of time and space, correct? - but he must be still looking out for you, because you have been brought to your best opportunity. For now, however, make yourself comfortable here in the citadel of Efisia, though for your own safety, I bid you remain here in your chamber unless further informed by me – personally," I added.

I look again to Jayve, all the hostility I held when I previously gazed at him vanished.

"Do you recall it eating or drinking anything on the travel here, Jayve?"

Jayve took some time to respond, at first blinking with an open mouth. He was the only one who knew about this Celestial and what I wanted with it – or at least, what I initially wanted – but he could not be trusted in this new plan, I decided then. No one could know this, and already Jayve knew too much.

"I only remember seeing it eat in small amounts at a time throughout a period of a week. It drank sometimes, too, from wild streams and brooks."

"While there are no streams or brooks in any of the chambers here in the citadel," I relayed to the Celestial, "I will have guards fetch a goblet of water from the nearest, freshest stream daily, as well as some food. Do you have anything you'd prefer?

 It was the last chance to urge it to speak, but my attempt was unsuccessful.

"I'll have them bring up whatever they see fit for a fine young maiden. But for now, I have some other matters to take care of. I will visit you again soon."

With the wooden door shut and locked, I looked to Jayve.

"Return to the barracks and get some proper rest and food, Jayve. I will have someone else guard it for the remainder of today."

He didn't question it aloud, but I caught a glimpse of something in his eyes. Perhaps I'll have to take care of him sooner than I originally thought I would.

"Yes, Resundre," he said. "Thank you."

I watched him go down the dim hallway until he turned into another corridor.