Chapter 2: Prologue II

Celestian looked up and surely there was a temple standing right in front of them in a huge clearing.

It was a medium size temple. Its walls were painted in a canary yellow while its crest glimmered in a shimmering shade of gold. The temple had a grand door in the front which was decorated with various jewels-ruby, gold, silver, diamond, emerald, amethyst, bronze, jade-you name it. As much of the door Celestian could see behind the riches, it was a in reddish silver colour. The door was open, but they could only see darkness inside of it. The front part of the temple had four windows, two in the upper part and two in the lower. All windows were bright red with its border illustrated in glistening bronze. So the temple must have been a good exhibition for a jewellery festival.

The clearing seemed to be the only place of the forest which received the daylight. Or was the place glowing because of the light the temple was emancipating? Celestian couldn’t tell.

The most astonishing thing, the temple looked pretty brand new. It was like someone built the temple in last night and the smell of fresh paint was still lingering in air.

"This temple is a thousand years old?!?’’Celestian almost shouted in his mind. Man, he knows nothing anymore. Why is he here again?

(A/N: I know you are now tempted to throw me in the water :D

"Sally??" suddenly he gasped, frantically looking around for a now vanished Sally. He looked towards him and saw her marching to the temple without him. Celestian’s breath hitched. He ran behind her, almost toppling on the ground in the process. Together, for the second time of the day, with Sally in forward and Celestian trailing behind her, entered the temple.

When they entered, all Celestian could think was-Shiny.

Sally and Celestian had entered to the front room of the temple which looked like a long hall. All kinds of shiny jewels were scattered on the white marble floor, making it almost impossible to walk without tripping. The same jewels embroidered the wall. Four to five massive-size chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling with all its glory. The only thing which wasn’t shiny was the vases which were perching in the corners of the room. The vases were sealed, and Celestian was pretty sure he knew what was inside of them.

At the very end of the room was a grand door, just a little small than the door they had just passed, shining as well.

Yep, someone should definitely rent this place for all the jewelry shop owners out there. Maybe they can hang their shop banners from the chandelier and give protective glasses to the visitors. Celestian is badly feeling the need for one. Sally grasped Celestian’s hand, and his mind filled up with the warm, fuzzy feeling again.

"Follow me," she said.

"Definitely," Celestian murmured.

They started walking in the hallway. Jewels cracked under their shoes. A low wind started blowing, swaying the chandeliers back and forth. Both of them grasped each other’s hand tighter and kept walking. After a while, the couple reached the second grand door.

Sally was reaching the big Encyclopaedia Britannica size door knob, but Celestian stopped her. She looked at him. ‘This can be a trap,’ Celestian explained. Sally let out a sigh.

‘So, what are we going to do?’

‘Let me open the door.’ Celestian extended his hand, only to earn a light slap from Sally. ‘So you thought I’m going to let you open it? Celestian, its me who dragged both of us here. I insisted you to come when you didn’t want to. Back off, Celestian. Let me be the pray if that’s what they want.’

Celestian was going to protest cuz he certainly did not want Sally to get toasted. But he was too late because Sally had already opened the door.

Another huge ray of light almost blinded both of them. The door was fully open then. They looked in.

They definitely need protective glasses now.

Inside was a bigger and shinier hall, containing uncountable polished jewels. This room was a sibling of the previous one. Except for one difference-

Hordes of flowers and foods were piled up in all four corners, where there were vases in the last room. It looked like someone had planned to have a huge picnic with friends and family but forgot to take the things at the last moment.

When Celestian was observing and thinking if this was the place where all ‘Gold Rush’ show’s jewels go, Sally was becoming more impatient. She twitched Celestian’s hand, almost making the poor lad fell face flat on the ground.

‘Let’s go, let’s go! We’re running out of time, let’s go!’ She was now running, one hand holding Celestian’s, not caring if he tripped on the mound of diamonds or not. Because of this, they reached the second door in no time. Sally was heaving deeply. And Celestian? Well, he was gasping like a fish over water and was all sweaty. It’s not very easy to run over rich jewels.

Sally hurriedly reached for the doorknob and opened it. Celestian closed his eyes in anticipation. He doesn’t want his eyes to tear up from the shiny light again.

When the door creaked open, a sweet scent filled their nostrils. The smell was beautiful. It was like a mix of strawberries, apples, grapefruits, peaches with a frail of jasmines. The smell will hit your nose with all its might and reach your brain making you feel drowsy and contented.

Celestian opened his eyes, gasped for the five hundredth time of the day. But don’t mind him, cuz the scenario ahead was worth gasping for.

It was a hall (duh) inside, thrice bigger size than the last two rooms. But the decoration was what set the difference.

There wasn’t a floor, instead, grassy surface laid down beneath. Different colours of wildflowers were peering across the green grass. Flowery twigs were hanging on the wall. There was a fountain with its round white stone parapet. A statue was in the middle, with a bow he was shooting upwards, but instead water shot from it. Maybe the local convenient store ran out of arrows, that’s why.

In front of the fountain, a little girl was sitting on the parapet. She was around ten to twelve. She was wearing a white frock which had designs of stars (like, literally; they were glowing). And she was playing a golden violin. The sweet music revolved around the room, hitting every corner and then coming back again.

Sally signaled Celestian not to make any sound. The couple slowly crept forward towards the girl. Upon approaching her, Celestian could see the girl’s features more clearly. Her eyes were closed. Her face was drowned with innocence and purity. Long, neatly braided hairlocks fell carelessly on her back, reaching for her knee. A simple silver chain slung on her neck.

‘Kliffto,’ Sally called.

Immediately, the music stopped. The little girl opened her eyes. Celestian saw her eyes were golden, making her gaze both friendly and firm.

‘You’re here.’ the girl smiled. ‘Ive been waiting for you for a while. Would you like to have a snack? They make awesome doughnuts here.’

‘That will be amazing!’ Celestian exclaimed. Sally glared at him.

‘We’re not here to eat, Kliffto. Just give us the thing we’ve come for.’

Kliffto threw her spare hand. ‘So professional. A shower and snack would be great for both of you, but if you insist, I’m on.’

Kliffto closed her eyes again and started playing again. The beautiful melodies rang in their ears, almost making their eyes shut in bliss. Slowly, the ground started shaking. The fountain, I mean the man’s arrow stopped throwing up water. Kliffto spread her hand, intensifying the sound. It was so powerful, so raw and heart-shaking that they could not describe it in words.

Celestian’s eyes widened as he saw the statue of the fountain started cracking and falling apart. His stony eyes, nose, neck, hand fell in water making ripples in the water silently. Once the whole statue crumbled under water (by Celestian’s relief, cuz the scene of a person’s body parts falling one by one was gruesome to look at), it started giving waves. The water splashed and roared. And then, it started making a figure. As seconds passed by, the figure became more and more vivid. After two minutes, a little baby clothed in a white blanket was lying over water as if it was his or her homemade comfy cot.

Klifto stopped playing. She looked at the baby and then at the couple and gave them a cheeky smile like-told ya.

Celestian felt Sally trembling in his hold. His heart beat also quickened at the sight. Kliffto hoped on the water and walked on it with ease, as if she was walking on the hard, cold floor but not on solid water. Then she reached to the baby (Sally’s trembling intensified). The violin in her hand dissolved in a shower of gold and fell on the baby. Kliffto then took the baby in her arms and came back again. She stood on the parapet.

“Julia Sprimtospertas Travis,” she stated proudly, holding the baby high in her arms. 'Eerie of spring, second descendant of the famous eerie Forsica Cranner, has special connection to wintry nights. Blossom from spring, bloomed from this local villager Simpson. Ranked fifth on babies’s cry among the baby eeries here. For more information, please visit our website and don’t forget to register before you leave!’

Kliffto hoped on the floor. She took the baby in her hands and reached within Sally’s hold. “Go on,” she said, “Take the baby.”

Sally gulped and proceeded her shaky hands for the baby. Celestian mentally prepared to catch the baby with one hand and grab Sally by other cuz he was sure she’ll tumble and loose balance, judging by how she was shaking like a leave.

But Sally didn’t. She took the baby in her arms and cooed to her (yes, it’s a she). Celestian looked at her too, and felt like his heart just stopped. The baby was just ADORABLE. She had chubby cheeks. Her nose was cutely small and rosy lips were pouty. She had golden eyes. The baby was squinting her eyes to Sally and Celestian as if to say-YOU HAD TO RUIN MY BEAUTY SLEEP?

The baby cutely yawned and Celestian felt like his heart might combust for the overload cuteness. “Yo, guys!” Kliffto shouted on the doorstep. How did she get there? “Leave, get out of the temple! Hurry up! And don’t forget, Julia Sprimtospertas Travis, eerie of spring!” with that, she disappeared into golden mist.

“Let’s go,” Sally said. This time, her voice wasn’t stressed or scared, rather it was joyful. It made Celestian happy for zero reason.

They made it out of the temple in a few minutes with the baby in Sally’s arms. When they reached outside, the baby said something in the typical baby language and grabbed Sally’s hair with its little fists.

“Ouch,” Sally murmured.

“Hey, give her to me, you’ve kept her too long,” Celestian whined. Sally rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She gave the baby to Celestian.

After taking the baby, Celestian asked, “You know something?”

“What?”

“I don’t care if she has our blood or not. Julia Travis is OUR kid from now on.”