Celestial's World Read online

  ISBN: 9798636554363

  © 2020 by Robert Ian Wilson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the purchaser.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Dedicated to my family

  ‘Where there is Light, there is always Darkness’

  ‘All worlds are connected’

  Chapter One - The Sanctuary of Travellers

  The air was musty, and it smelt stale beneath rock and soil. Stoned eyes were staring out of the shadows. The torchlight flickered from the cold breeze and I watched the Green Man set alight the last Druid; Sedgwick.

  Thea held my hand, as we watched my friend finally rest and re-join his family in the afterlife. I promised his adventures, would not have been in vein and my assurance of Dante’s demise will be by my hand; prophecy or not.

  I looked to Ullpli who watched the flames dance on the wood, which was built in a squared shape; the burial was archaic, but what do you expect from an old Yorkshire priest. William Frankfurt had not told me of his adventures through time and how he ended up being the guardian of Eve, but his accounts were due, and I thought to be patient, out of respect for our fallen friend.

  The fire grew and the darkened area revealed a crypt. There were numerous graves of fallen Kings and Queens of the earth and sea. A statue of a great Elk stood tall and proud close by; Eirik the King of all land creatures had been honoured amongst the dead. The Ocean King and great white shark, Nordaious, was no were to be seen, which wasn’t a surprise to me; his treachery towards all animals was unforgivable. His loyal servants who’d followed in his disloyalty had been dealt with after the balance between worlds was corrected, and they were imprisoned in Hethenheim’s jail; Bjorn kept a watchful eye on the town’s prisoners.

  The fire dwindled and the ashes of my friend was enclosed in a jar. William came forward and asked us to follow into a separate crypt. The room was open and cold, but the crystals that were embedded into the rock, gave the illusion of a blanketed sky. Perfect, I thought.

  We walked between a small path and to a stone statue; the carving of the Gnome was uncanny. I’d noticed Sedge was the only one honoured with a statute in the cavern, as the thousands of pebbled gravestones were bare.

  The Green Man placed our friend into his final resting place and used his magic to seal the heavy stone. We stood for a couple minutes before it was time to leave and meet the Light, Lira; the Celestial’s World still awaited our presence.

  “William, what is this place?” asked Thea, which was my thoughts exactly.

  Ullpli looked about and smiled before answering: “This is the Sanctuary for the lost travellers who strayed too far from their path. This is the final resting place of the Druids...”

  “They’re gone... a whole specie... gone from existence,” said Thea.

  “They were exceptional beings; intelligent and resourceful. Their understanding of the Telluric currents was truly revolutionary to our age,” replied Ullpli. “But only if they knew of the danger, who lurked within the shadows...”

  Dante had committed one of biggest evil’s that a being could carry out; an attempted genocide.

  Through the stars the Druids arrived and left in the coldness of space. A few survived his hunger to travel. Many had fallen to his attempt of possessing their bodies and only one had managed to survive his presence. Dante’s first vessel of flesh was named Umber; the head scientist of Druids and the most curious one. His curiosity was his downfall and he’d made a pact with the devil for his selfish gain. Of course, once his usage was done, he was cast aside and the Shadow created the dark ages; the time of myth’s, disease, legends and his recruitment. A black mage named Namir had sought after Dante and proclaimed him, Master...

  The black mage was one of Dante’s highest minions and one that William new all too well. The Vatican records held his evil history within the confines of scrolls and ancient texts, but the priest had a luxury of meeting Namir in person, whilst time hopping. He knew of the consequences of changing the timeline and treaded carefully, especially being an anomaly; the Timekeepers kept an eye on their intruder, but luckily the protection of Sedgwick’s ley-line key had him safe from the Timekeepers prison.

  Namir’s cunning and destructive nature was an act that William couldn’t ignore. The Priest was convinced he wasn’t the only irregularity in time and the black mage’s influence towards Mordred, son of King Arthur, was a threat too damaging to ignore. A fierce battle of two armies erupted between good and evil. Mordred’s death had affected the mage’s hold on the real world. Namir was defeated and his spirit fled to the Maylok realm. Ullpli’s victory over the mage had alerted the Darkness, but the Light too, and William Frankfurt became a target, just like me.

  It wasn’t long before Lira had picked up the nomad priests trail. William was in the hunt for the holy grail and came to numerous dead ends that indicated the grail was truly and only a myth. Not even a man with the power of time travel could find the artefact...

  We came to the surface of the old tomb and sat on the stone wall. There was a calmness to the evening. The warm air coasted through the valley; we prepped a fire beneath an old rock, and we huddled round it. I watched the flames dance in Williams eyes... he had certainly changed, almost unrecognisable to the original priest of York.

  Ullpli told us of his accounts that night in Eve; the battle against Namir was just the start of his adventures. He mentioned there are thousands of worlds and dimensions across the universe that are connected to each other. His grasp with time had eventually became an obsession and he began to record every aspect within his journal.

  Eventually, he came to a land of wonder, a world, which acts as pillar between light and dark; Eve.

  The realms were beautiful, but uninhabited by the animals who reside there now. A Darkness had visited him and tested his beliefs. Dante had appeared from Maylok and set his sights on a new vessel. William was strong and Lira could sense his bravery. The Celestial door appeared before him and he accepted the Light’s invitation.

  “Lira had taken me under her wing and away from Dante’s grasp. She opened my eyes to many possibilities and wondrous knowledge. As time went by, her magic began to change me, to the appearance you see now.”

  “Did you find the grail?” I asked.

  “Yes... we have been part of it since the beginning; without Eve, all worlds would cease to exist,” answered Ullpli.

  “Eve is the Holy Grail?!” gasped Thea.

  “Indeed, it is.”

  The fire dimmed as I pondered on a question, which was far more important to me. “Did you know about my parents, William? Did you know of my forthcoming to Eve?”

  He was silent.

  “Well?”

  “Lira had told me of the prophecy that was set by her and the last Druids. It is one reason why I was selected to be the guardian of Eve and granted her power. I am part of your past and present because I too was placed on this large chess board of war between two Celestials; just like Thea. Every event has an outcome and within that outcome a pawn is placed to direct the intended subject to the right location. For example, leaving a journal in the bark of a tree.”

  “Breadcrumbs...” said Thea.

  “Breadcrumbs...” repeated Ullpli. “You’ve always
been her focus Lucius because you are part of her; as the Crow had explained. In the end, we all have the same task... to destroy Dante.”

  We rested that night and decided to head to the Celestial’s World early morning. I dreamt of something puzzling and parallel to a dream I had in Eastern Europe. Maybe it was a warning for things to come... the monstrous dark minion still hid in the shadows and was protected by an illuminous vale.

  We awoke to a new day and the sun had revealed the lands true colour. I’d sat in a blue meadow and watched the grass sway in the wind. The previous night had hidden the realms wild colour. The sky had an odd emerald shine; like the beautiful northern lights. I turned to look at a stoned tomb, which was shaped like a crown. Thea played in the meadow close by. She looked happy in her dungarees, wellies and red headscarf; she wore Mrs Turnside’s spare long navy coat too. William was sat on a yellow rock, with his eyes shut.

  “Strange realm,” I said.

  “A strangeness to suit any worthy resting place,” replied Ullpli. “Colour can sometimes cure a sadness. As I remember in my priest days, cemeteries were always a dull experience. Should death be surrounded by gothic architecture; gargoyles and grey stone? I find it too dark for a broken heart to mend...”

  “Are we ready to depart?” shouted Thea.

  “Shall we?” I asked. “Which realm will you teleport us to?”

  There was a stumbling block to my question, as William’s power still needed to regenerate like a battery. He still had not recovered from his previous actions and so, we had to walk.

  We all agreed and ventured through the blue grass and back under the shade of some red trees. We followed a yellow stone wall that was randomly placed through a woodland. The shape was incredibly uneven but looked sturdy enough to withstand time. There was a noise not far off.

  “What’s that?” whispered Thea. “It sounds like a rockslide.”

  But there are no mountains in this realm, I thought.

  “Not to worry, it’s just Billy, the Sanctuaries caretaker. He likes to build walls...”

  “Why?” I questioned.

  “He keeps things efficient and tidy. We are in his garden after all, and he is a keen landscaper. These walls will have changed position on our next visit. Nothing is ever quite right with our Billy,” chuckled William.

  The stone walls reminded me of my visit to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. There I scaled across the lush lands for miles, with Sammy and Grandpa Egbert; on occasions, we had to stop young Sam from eating a certain delicacy to dog’s... sheep poo.

  We followed the yellow brick - wall, and within the distance, the sound of clattering stone could be heard. A fuzzy haired and grey head hid behind a mound of quarried stone.

  “Bill?” shouted William.

  A short goat came too, dressed in blue dungarees and some oval spectacles.

  “Ullpli? Is that you?” replied Billy, as he tried to focus on his visitors.

  “Hello, my old friend, still busy at work I see...” “Always sir – and who’re these humans?”

  I performed gentlemanly way by announcing Thea first, then me.

  “So, you’re the young lad who’d freed that evil filth from his prison. He swallowed my domain whole. Dark was my days, but Eve is back, and I suppose it is you I should be thankful to. So, thank you Lucius.”

  I graciously replied, “Not a problem, it was the least I could’ve done, but I didn’t do it alone.”

  Thea, Sedgwick, Bjorn, Flit, Thistle, Iobar, Prya, the Crow, Mr Pascoe, Miller, Kowalski, William and Aly, I thought. I was never alone.

  “Ar yes, Sedgwick. A shame. He was a talented gnome, liked to help me in his spare time. He found my methods unconventional,” chuckled the goat.

  “Billy, do you know where the door to Mr and Mrs Watson’s realm is?” asked William.

  “Yes Ullpli. I’ve built the wall over their door, yesterday morning. Would you like me to show you?” asked the Goat.

  “Please,” replied William.

  Billy attentively brushed his glasses back up his nose and said, “Follow me.” And we ventured along his masterpiece, until the wall un-expectantly arched over nothing.

  Mr and Mrs Watson’s farm, was the first ley-line in Eve that I’d crossed; funny how things had evolved since that day...

  William retrieved an old brass key from his leafed pocket. There was a small black hole, randomly in the middle of nothing. I could see the other side to the wall through the archway.

  William turned the key and opened the door to the Watson’s farm.

  “Bye Bill, I’ll see you soon, yes? Give ya hand with the bricks,” said William.

  “They’re dry stone,” grumbled the goat.

  “Like the Yorkshire Dales,” I said, but only Ullpli acknowledged my assessment.

  We said our pleasantries and Bill got on with his strange building; no doubt he’ll be reconstructing, until it’s absolutely perfect.

  A goat with OCD, never thought I’d see that in my lifetime...

  Chapter Two - Old Friends

  We’d stepped onto Watson’s farm and nothing had changed. It was bright and warm. The smell of the exotic flowers had a distinctive aroma and I felt chirpy. It was good to see the realm in the light and the vegetation in fullness; the bug’s that dwindled up in the canopies still chatted away as nothing had happened, they were completely oblivious to the past touch of Dante.

  “Lucius Domhill!” called out a squeaky voice. “It is good to see you again!” shouted a fox in the long grass. I could just make out the ginger ears twitching above a flower; Mr Watson came out of his field and gave us a warm welcome. “Ullpli and Thea too! We are honoured!”

  “Hello Mr Watson; nice to hear your voice again and I hope your stay with us at Roan Hall was a comfortable one.”

  “Lucius, my boy, it was a very pleasant stay. You must thank Mr Turnside for his help and your Grandfather for his hospitality. We were very cosy in the basement, the heated piping certainly kept us both warm during the cold winter,” said the fox. “Please, my friends, follow me to the house. I’m done here with the pollen extraction; I think Mrs Watson can turn it into a delicious pollen drink!”

  Thea licked her lips and said: “That sounds wonderful Mr Watson. Lead on!”

  Our strange convoy headed down a familiar path and up to towards the cottage gate. Mrs Watson was outside enjoying the weather whilst planting some onion bulbs. Thea gave her a big hug and she welcomed us into the beautiful thatched cottage. There homely wooden furniture was still there, and the smell of vegetable soup was on the hob. One thing I’ve always loved about humble cottages were the oak beams that stretched across the ceiling. These were very rustic and gave their home character.

  We stayed for lunch and Mrs Watson prepped her famous soft bread. It was a good feeling to witness some happiness that had resulted from my actions. I couldn’t imagine the whole world in total darkness; no life, except for the Maylok creatures. It made me think of one important action that set everything into motion. I saw it as the starting line of my journey and without it, things would’ve turned out much different.

  I turned towards the two foxes and expressed my gratitude for their quick thinking. “I must thank you both, for helping me when Dante swallowed your realm. You slipped the key into my pocket because you knew he was coming. I would have been taken too.”

  “We knew of the prophecy within the cathedral and Ullpli’s warning of a young boy who will visit Eve.”

  William smirked: “We knew you were coming, not only because of our interaction within the church in York, but the Lira foresaw your arrival. Certain motions have always been set in place.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her... I have so many questions.”

  “Soon Lucius, soon,” replied the Priest. “Next we must travel to Hethenheim. There is another way of getting to the Divided High Grounds. A secret door, only I know of.”

  “Are we going near my Library?’” asked Thea.

  “We w
ill. Yes.”

  “Rostruk! I hope he’s hasn’t been too lonely without the twins,” pondered Thea; her eyes looked sad. The squirrels who accompanied the Rostruk had returned to the natural world.

  The old tree was another I was thankful too. He had kept the sword guarded for years and was left behind in the soil when the shadow came. One disadvantage of being a tree; lack of movement.

  After our reunion with the Watson’s, it was time to leave and make our way to Thea’s realm. We said our goodbyes and left through the woodland; the Foxes waved until we were out of sight.

  We ventured along the rooted path where I was pursued by Dante’s voice and found the doorway hidden within a tree. Last time, the key I used disintegrated in my hand; I guessed that was a security measure set out by Ullpli...

  No key this time. William opened the door with ease, and we entered Thea’s library.

  It was a tad dusty and unkempt.

  “I think my home needs revitalising... If only I had time,” said Thea, whilst she wiped the dust off a window cill and inspected her collection of books. There weren’t many, but the ones she had, were lined up on a wooden shelf and looked to be in good condition.

  “Hello?” called out a deep voice in the courtyard.

  “Rostruk!” shouted Thea, excitedly.

  We made our way into the cobbled circular courtyard. The old tree was waiting.

  “Thea! Lucius! And Master Ullpli! You are here! How lovely, I do hope you’ve brought me a good tale.”

  “A story fit enough, for Kings and Queens. Tales of wonder, time travel, and heroism!” said William, enthusiastically.

  Rostruk was unharmed and seemed to have forgotten the events of the past. The only thing he wanted from me was a good story and so, we gave him one. We sat around the tree’s skirting and I explained my journey through time. He gulped and breathed in excitement occasionally and asked a few inquisitive questions. Rostruk was a good listener. By the end, he said nothing for a while and waited.