N'aarat and the Tree of Life

Chapter 6: Inside Kythlion

Slowly, the dim in the corner of my mind slipped behind me and I managed to remember that which I had struggled to recall during my stay in the quarry. It was Dó, the Tree of Will, whose roots sank unflinchingly into Tower Ämn, perfectly aligned to Níhalum's morning rays, home to our Great Hall, where Maáh sat. Its fruit tasted bittersweet: bitter because will is a weapon and sweet because you are not left unarmed. I felt that taste in my mouth when all the white shamans came to greet me and, as our hands touched, I noticed their fingers felt as soft as powder. Some had golden laces braided in their hair, while others had delicate flowers in it. Yet their faces did not look angelic, merely relaxed, for sheer determination was shining in their eyes, warning that they were not to be trifled with. Dó's branches rose majestically towards the surface, yet did not pierce through it, for She had assigned it as a jewel of the deep, and not of the shore: that is where the truest strength of Rayanars came from.

We walked up the paved alley, leaving the fountain behind. There were many houses in this new place, most of them square and very small, probably containing a single chamber. On top of the entrances there were oval bas-reliefs of women figures. Clearly, there were many shamans there because the hills before my eyes revealed plenty such dwellings. The bas-reliefs on top of the entrances were not identical, neither were the purple-blue engravings to the right of the entrances. I could not decipher them, yet I was aware that the symbols differed greatly in lines and numbers of signs. What they all had in common was their iridescent sparkle that descended from the top down to the very last engraving. Then the cycle was bound to recommence.

'This is Kythlion,' said Liona, and as she moved to my side, I could sense a soft jasmine scent. 'This is our home. It is your home. And that,' she added, pointing to a great white tree in blossom, 'is the Temple of the Mother Goddess. You cannot see it fully from here, yet you will have your chance soon enough.'

That was the largest tree I had ever seen, much larger than Dó itself, which was half the height of MountEnó'ol. The Temple's white trunk could have provided shelter to all animal species of the world and on its branches one could have built houses for generations to share. Myriad flowers hanged from the branches and petals floated freely in the air.

'I like Kythlion,' I whispered, half unaware of even saying that out loud.

My smile was mirrored by theirs.

'You have arrived home, N'aarat. Rest and let your days unfold.'

My head was swirling with questions. However, I did need a rest. They took me to a house, not white, rather with a lilac tint, and although I asked about this in my mind, my lips chose not to follow and thus remained sealed. My eyes were teary due to the light and when I entered, I became embraced by even more light and by a flowery fragrance which I could not recognise. I became aware that there was a mountain of learning on the path before me and that I was going to have to climb it, aided or not, constantly moving forward.

Inside, there was a one-person bed with white sheets, a table with a lavender sheet of paper but no writing tools, a three-legged green stool and a wooden box under the window. Right as you entered, you stepped onto a small, rectangular, orange carpet, which seemed to be the fabric's natural colour. On the other side of the room there was another door, which obviously led to the bathroom.

'Rest now,' Liona told me, and after they all greeted me, they left.

I sat on the bed and looked through the window. The sky was still azure and it was filled with billions of shimmering stars, in patterns unfamiliar to me.

That was the moment I realised that Kythlion was not a city in the sixth realm, in the vicinity of Dwerlé Nath. This, with all its energy and dazzling lights, was a place among the stars, someplace impossible to get to unless invited, as I would later find out. Kythlion resembled nothing I had ever come across before, and that very thought triggered such a longing for the deep sea of my people that, upon closing my eyes, I recalled with vivid clarity the touch of water on my lips, the mild currents around my body, the light of Öe, and the pulsating veins of Swae.