“Ah, we’re here!”
Elysha and Micah arrived at the place the gray-furred Zhivopian had intended to show her.
The atmosphere here was different from the other parts of the overgrown ruins they had explored before. There was a tranquil atmosphere as they stood at the foot of a large tree, its branches spread out to provide shade. There were statues everywhere, some intact, others toppled and showing the marks of time. Nearby, a stone column stood on a raised platform overlooking a clearing of various grasses and flowers.
Elysha felt an urge to sit down somewhere and observe the surroundings, when Micah pointed his gaze towards the stone column and addressed Elysha, “This is where your trial will take place—the Trial of Iröstos.”
“The Trial of Iröstos?”
“Yes, now follow Micah to the stone on the other side of this place.”
They walked to the opposite end of the area to take a closer look at the stone column. The inscription on its top seemed faded and weathered, but still recognizable. Elysha looked at the enigmatic writing and felt the urge to touch the rough surface, so she reached out and traced the edges of the inscription with her fingers as she murmured, “This looks similar to what I saw on the statue earlier.”
She turned to Micah and asked, “Do you know what language this is and what the—um, writings mean?”
“What you see is what you already know as the ancient language of the Soliremiscians, in this case the Iröstosian variant; history has taught me this knowledge.” He explained. “As far as I know, the inscription was written down many, many years ago. So many people have tried to read the enigmatic words of the Eiríköpis over the years, but only a few can understand it.”
Elysha's face brightened when she heard the words “history” and “knowledge,” after which she asked him another question, “Like who?”
“Like me!” He wagged his tail proudly.
She blinked her eyes and asked, “Hey, since you know more about the past than I do, can you pretend to be my teacher and teach me all this history?”
Micah's fluffy face contorted, his expression fading slightly as he stumbled over his words. "U-uh, yeah," he chuckled awkwardly, “Um—I'm just kidding—but, er, I don't know everything about history... But luckily for you, I, a Manesmijan Zhivopian, can read it. We Zhivopians are a very intelligent species, after all.”
He looked up at the overgrown stone column, clearing his throat, and began to speak in the old language of the world:
“O, Asnöiji.
(“O, Lord.)
Il asven kuniju chtholvdol, seiji’nt-ojiá Mòs.
(In this lost world, You have named.)
Wos, Mòs’lmaja eiríköpis, üvija anüv ledifrêja’ls ot Mòs.
(We, Your servants, offer our lives to You.)
Ter ïjahet’na Mòs’lmaja althülle, wos ojia ond alrásti.
(For without Your grace, we have no purpose.)
Wos diaún il wanatihareidia.
(We grow in solidarity.)
Mòs’lmaja manuin en alwsterejhesan.
(Your word is sovereign.)
Ov wos almi ei ïjaht Mòs otji andeja ji noheilùnda temoihi.
(And we will be with You to the end of existence itself.)
Aldmi ven alwsterejhesan Asnöiji, Theolfanija.”
(All thy sovereign God, Theophania.")
Elysha listened intently, her mind a mixture of perplexity and awe as the unfamiliar words rolled off Micah’s tongue. His voice and the syllables conveyed an air of mysticism and awe as he continued to speak the language, stating:
“Ijaan ji altura wos ojia talfoir’nt.
(“From the light we have seen.)
Ovji maôrja’lra wos talfoir’nt.
(And the darkness we saw.)
Wos ojia madenka’nt osdaja.
(We have become one.)
Ter ji chtholvdol’l alstorei’ls, ostorja’ls, ov fedaliyoü’ls.
(For the world's wishes, dreams, and emotions.)
Ov onkres wos itsi ond noisqut.
(And when we are no more,)
Ji altura ni kanisti almi asvlül-shùlkar.
(The light of hope will return then.)
Ov aldmi feikua olmaja kalisti.”
(And all shall know peace.”)
When Micah finished speaking, he turned to Elysha, waiting expectantly for her reaction.
She frowned slightly and scratched her head, trying to understand what she had just heard. “That was interesting, Micah,” she said. “However, what do the words mean?”
Micah let out a sigh and scratched his head with his foot. “The message isn’t easy to decipher, and it's actually quite complicated, to be exact.” He explained. “As far as Micah can tell, the language hints at some kind of message to the future. I'm not entirely sure, but from what I can tell, it's about the Eiríköpiss' prayers and that the light of hope will return one day when the world is no more.”
Elysha pondered his words for a moment, contemplating the enigmatic nature of the message. “What does the 'light of hope' mean if the world is no more?” She asked, genuinely intrigued.
Micah shrugged. “It means… well, I don't know exactly what it means,” he admitted with a grumble. “The message is ambiguous and can be taken in different ways. It could refer to anything from an allegory to redemption to a hopeful vision for the—WAAAHHHH!!! Don't make me be your professor, okay? You're making it hard enough for me already!”
Elysha ignored his protests and cries and nodded, appreciating the subtleties and complexities of the language.
“Hmm…” She pondered the meanings he interpreted and nodded. "That’s very interesting."
“Are you ignoring me?” He spoke out, his tone an exclamation of frustration.
He quickly regained his composure and continued, “Nevertheless, Micah believes that the message can be interpreted as, 'Everything ends one day, so we can hope for the happiness of the Asnoiji.'”
Elysha's ears pricked up when she heard the word 'Asnoiji' again.
“Hope for the happiness of the Asnoiji?” She repeated.
“Yep! That's what I, too, have come to believe.” He smiled.
‘This Asnoiji seems to be very important to everyone, I think, and in history too.’ Elysha mused. ‘Micah has his trust in him.... If he created the world and all of us, where is he to see the wonders of this world with us if he exists only in old stories?’
Elysha changed the subject and turned her attention back to the gray-furred Zhivopian. “What comes next? How can I pass this so-called ‘Trial of Iröstos’?” She asked.
Micah chuckled, his demeanor slightly mischievous. “That's a good question,” he replied. “The trial is a test of your own wits and intuition. Now that we're back on topic, it’s about time for you to use your mind and find the answers for yourself to pass it.”
“Huh?” Confusion washed over Elysha's face as she replied incredulously, “What do you mean? Shouldn’t you be telling me this since you brought me here? And what about—”
Stolen story; please report.
“Ehehe…” He laughed dryly and looked towards an elk-looking statue from afar. “Micah never said that I'm the one helping you pass the Trial of Iröstos.”
He then jumped through several branches of a tree leading to an arch near the stone column.
“What are you doing?”Elysha asked.
“You will see,” he said, then set his paw on the arch and supplied it with theonum.
“...!”
The arch suddenly opened like a portal, emitting so much light that Elysha had to cover her face. She suddenly had the feeling of being sucked into it by force.
“Micah—?”
Before she could react, Micah leapt onto Elysha's shoulders and she felt a surge of theonum flow through her. He spoke in a voice that carried the brightness, “Come in with me! In this sacred forest, use the gift of intuition to enter the world where the dreams of Zhivopians flow freely. The words of the Asnoiji say, ‘J’simasti’jita-ka ji khaldiorian ni theolfanija.’ This means, ‘The seeker seeks the wisdom of divinity.’”
Without further explanation, Micah leapt into the blinding white light of the portal and disappeared from sight. Elysha felt herself being drawn toward the opening, unable to resist the force. As she gave in to the pull of theonum, her body was flung forward and hurled into the unknown.
The portal engulfed her, and Elysha braced herself for what lay on the other side.
~ ❈❇❈ ~
When Elysha opened her eyes again, she found herself in familiar surroundings that she had been in before.
“... Huh?”
That is, until something was wrong with what she saw.
“Woah…”
The place was similar to where she had been before, but there was something unfamiliar about the atmosphere and the landscape: What she saw before her was mystifying, for everything looked the same, except that it was bathed in otherworldly hues that tinged the world with magical allure. The sky was the most captivating, as if a sea of painterly colors washed the expanse and dotted with white stars.
It was as if she had fallen into a dream-like world that she sees in her sleep, where the lines between reality and fantasy blur into an entanglement.
“Where am I?” She asked aloud, turning to see that the arch she had passed through was now darkened and no longer functioning as a portal.
“Don't worry, Elysha,” a voice said, coming from above.
She turned and saw Micah fly past her gaze as he continued, “This place is a hidden realm enriched with theonum. Think of it as a home of the Zhivopians.”
“How… do you fly?” Elysha asked, instinctively reaching out to touch Micah, her fingers brushing over the lingering traces of theonum that emanated from him. “And, what is this place?”
“Well, this is one of the domains of Zhivopia, located in the sub-layers of the Soliremisce Archipelago, which have a higher concentration of theonum than on the surface we were on before.” Micah explained.
“Sub-layer?”
“Yes,” He nodded. “A sub-layer is a layer of reality that exists beneath the surface layer of the world you know. It's like another dimension, but intertwined with the physical surface in a way that allows beings like us to move between them.”
Elysha blinked, trying to process this new information. “Huh? What do you mean by that?” She looked around again. “So, we're in a different world now? I don’t get it…”
“Micah wouldn’t say that,” he replied. “It’s more like visiting a different island like the Isles of Elbija and Zhivopis, but instead one layer to another.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“You will understand sooner or later,” he smiled, “and not to worry, Micah is here to guide you through this place. I've been to these places before and know how to find my way around—we Zhivopians naturally have more theonum in us than Elbijans, and therefore we are able to travel naturally between the sub-layers and the surface layer of Soliresmisce.”
Hovering freely, he stretches his limbs in the air and continues, “Anyway, now that you've entered the area where the trial is taking place, you’ll have to solve any obstacles that may arise on your own.”
“... What?” Elysha blinked her eyes again. “So you mean I have to walk around here and solve the problem myself?” She asked gruffly as she began to explore the surroundings.
“You've got it!”
“But I thought you were going to, um, guide me?”
“Well, yes, but Micah never said I was going to be the one to walk around and help solve your trial for you.” He frowned. “Micah sensed that you should use your intuition to understand why you came here.”
“My…” Elysha lowered her head and sighed as she realized she had inadvertently stumbled into this puzzling trial. She’d rather wish that she had spent more time practicing and studying theonum and all things related to sorcery.
Then, for a brief moment, the memory of her time with Elder Merakia in the garden flashed in her mind. She remembered the display of her magic, her talent, her reverence and refinement reflected in her smile— she couldn't help but bite her lips.
A few seconds later, Elysha shook her head and pushed the jealousy aside. 'No, I have to do this. I have to learn.’ she said in her mind, resolving to take every opportunity to learn and acquire knowledge when it presented itself.
She looked up at Micah and replied, “Alright, Micah, I'll do it. I will pass every trial that comes my way.”
He nodded approvingly, his grumpy expression softening a little. “Now that’s the spirit, Elysha!”
“But, if anything happens to me, you have to protect me, or Elder Merakia will be mad if anything happens to me. Okay?”
“Ehh?! Why do you have to bring up that old crazy witch?” He muttered irritably. “Of course I'll protect you, I promise!”
Elysha grinned slightly at his pouty expression, then continued her exploration.
~ ❈❇❈ ~
For what felt like a long time, Elysha wandered through the aisles of trees and bushes, her footsteps echoing subtly in the strange realm.
“Mmm, what was I supposed to be doing again?” She asked herself, confused.
Lost in thought, Elysha searched her mind for a clue that would unravel the enigma of the trial she is facing. Her eyes darted from one sight to the next, hoping to discover something more than it appeared. The leaves of the trees rustled in the wind, but their whispered hints eluded her.
Impatiently, Elysha let out a sigh of frustration. "I can’t do it," she muttered to herself, feeling defeated. "I don't know how to solve this trial.”
‘I wondered if Micah is playing with me,’ she thought in her mind.
She turned to where she had last seen Micah and asked, “Are you sure you don't want to tell me anything?”
But all she saw was the space of empty air, without any presence. He had disappeared without a trace, leaving her alone with the unfamiliar world and the game of trial.
Annoyance rose in her cheeks and fueled her frustration. “Oh, very funny, Micah,” she muttered sarcastically, her hands curling into fists. “Leaving me alone with this,” her body shook until her hand clutched her arm, holding her still. “How… wonderful.”
She took a step forward, kicking a small rock and watching it skid across the ground before coming to a stop.
Elysha then stood there, pondering her predicament.
‘If only this talking raccoon would at least give me a few hints, I'd be happy for even the smallest one.’
She frowned, but then quickly realized that it would do her no good to dwell on her irritation. She took a deep breath and tried to calm the frustration that threatened to engulf her.
‘It’s just like what Micah said, I have to use my mind to understand why I'm here.’ Elysha mused. ‘I can't rely on him to show me the way, I may not know exactly what to do, but I'm not going to let that stop me.’
She took another deep breath and calmed herself down for the task ahead.
‘I will trust in myself and keep moving on.’
The little girl resumed her exploration of the strange realm, her senses alert and her spirit undeterred. She kept going, observing the view at every step, and eventually, a peculiar sight caught her attention.
She saw a table with an assortment of teacups and plates on the surface, and a large umbrella providing shade. There, she saw a furred creature with long ears sitting on the cushion of a chair, asleep.
She slowly approached the creature, her eyes caught interest with the creature’s long ears—from her memory the creature resembled a bunny, but this peculiar one has wings on its back and a pointy horn on its forehead. She turned her eyes to the table, its activity suggesting a feast occurring earlier, but the rest of the seats were empty.
Elysha turned her eyes back to the bunny-like creature. She was about to reach out and touch the ears when a thought intruded her.
‘No, I shouldn’t touch it,’ she shook her head. ‘What if… what if it wakes up? I don’t know what is going on, but, maybe this is part of Micah’s trial? I don’t know, I don’t know. Should I leave?’
*sniff*
Elysha shook from her contemplation as the bunny-like creature stirred from her slumber. She sniffed again, and said, “I can smell it… I smelled… an Elbijan!”
She opened her eyes and looked up to see Elysha, who took a few steps back, frozen and unsure of how to react.
The bunny-like creature tilted her head and asked, “Who could you be? I know you're not from Zhivopia, yes? How did you get here? A Zhivopian friend, yes?”
“I-I came here with Micah, yes,” replied Elysha nervously. “He was the one who brought me here.”
“Oh!” She raised her long ears. “I know who Micah is!”
“You know him?”
“Yes! Everyone in Zhivopia knows who Micah is!”
Then she jumped onto the table, spread her wings and stretched, “What a good nap,” yawned the bunny-like creature. “Oh, and by the way, my name is Eleu! What’s your name?”
“My name is Elysha,” the little girl replied.
“Elysha, nice to meet you! I just wonder why Micah brought you to Zhivopia? Knowing him, I'm sure he's up to no good again, no?”
“Micah has brought me here to take part on a trial.”
“A… trial?” Eleu tilted her head again, seemingly confused.
“Yes, the Trial of Iröstos. Micah wanted me to take part in it, but to be honest, I don't know what to do right now.”
“Micah? The Trial of Iröstos? He can’t—”
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept across the picnic table, blowing away all the teacups, utensils and plate assortments. Elysha shielded herself from the wind, while Eleu was blown into the air by the wind.
“Wahhhh!” Eleu cried, spreading her wings and flying away from the path of the wind. “That scared me!”
When the wind settled, Eleu adjusted herself and looked around, perking up her ears. “Whew, that was unexpected,” she said, still a little excited. “I have no idea where the wind came from, but it felt kind of fun yet in a weird way, no?”
“I guess so,” Elysha nodded, unsure of how to respond.
Eleu landed on the ground and noticed a pocket watch lying open in the grass, her eyes widening in realization. “Oh no! I've got to go! I'm already late for something important.”
“Something important?” Elysha asked, watching as Eleu hurriedly ran out of the area without paying attention to her question.
“Wait, where are you going?” She asked, calling out to Eleu. “Can you help me with the trial?”
But Eleu had already run so far away that her voice could no longer be heard by the bunny. Instead of staying behind, Elysha followed Eleu all the way until she saw her hopping into an opening in the ground.
The little girl cautiously approached the hole where Eleu had disappeared.
‘The bunny went in there?’ She thought to herself, bent down and stared into the hole. ‘But where does the hole go?’
She peered into the depths and looked closer to see something, until gravity took hold of her and Elysha fell down, down into an unknown place.