Aglanthol 4 - Tyrnae (Journey to the Otherworld) - 16. Chapter 16

The hall was illuminated by candles. But the light was still poor in the room. The walls were made of rough stones. The carpets on the gray stone floor looked old and worn. The tapestries were rough and looked almost tawdry. The air in the hall was stifled and stale. Lyaris looked around in the hall. The hall was by no means an airy and a beautiful place. It did not look magical at all. Lyaris swallowed. The hall, nonetheless, was part of his home and it felt so good to be home. Lyaris’ heart jumped. He sensed tears in his eyes. He looked ahead at a lonely figure that stood at the end of the hall.

The king had risen to his feet. The counsellors, the servants, and the other people had retreated to the side walls of the hall. They stood motionless and watched the scene quietly.

Lyaris looked at his father. His father looked back at him. The king raised his hand almost insecurely. Lyaris’ heart flew out to him. The prince started to run. He crossed the hall and then he stopped in front of his father.

"I love you, my father," Lyaris said under his breath.

A smile replaced his father’s grave expression. Lyaris’ father stepped forward and placed his arm around Lyaris’ shoulders.

"I love you, my son," he said cheerfully. "I am glad you have returned home."

Lyaris’ father looked in his son’s eyes deeply. Then the king turned to the crowd.

"Let’s feast tonight for my son has returned home," he said in a loud voice.

The people gazed at the king for a moment. Then they moved and cheered aloud. They started to chatter and then hastened to prepare the feast. While the people hurried through the hall, Lyaris’ father talked with his son. Lyaris told him of Zhoron. The king then talked to the old wizard. He placed his hand on Neldor’s shoulder.

"I confided in the wrong man. I was led astray. I will deal with him, in case he comes back. I apologize to you Master Neldor. At dinner, sit down next to me as my royal magician for all to see," the king said.

Neldor gave the king a faint nod. He acknowledged the king’s offer. The king smiled at him in return.

The king turned to the crowd and clapped his hands. The feast began.

The feast lasted until late at night. Then, finally, Lyaris found a way to retire to his room. He lay down on his bed, feeling exhausted and tired. And yet, he could not go to sleep. Lyaris thought of the elf Erendil and he thought of his friend Aaron.

~~**~~

Erendil stood on top of a hill. He had returned to his previous form. The elf looked out on the flower fields. He had always lived among the flowers. Erendil could not remember that it had ever been different. He wondered why he did not remember where he had once come from and when he had decided to live in this place. It seemed to him that it had always been like this. For the first time, Erendil had a sense of time. Time so far had never mattered to him. It had changed when he had met the human man. Lyaris had taught him so many things.

Erendil let out a sigh. The tall elf looked out on the flowers. His pale cheeks were still graced with a touch of rosy. Erendil still felt carnal and vitalized. He had not turned into a human being, but he felt less airy now. Erendil had longed to learn about the human world. Lyaris had fulfilled his wish. A smile graced the elf’s lips as he looked out on the magical fields. Then he descended the hill slowly.

Erendil felt drawn so some other place. Tyrnae called him and Erendil heard its call. Erendil sent Lyaris a final goodbye. He thought of a purple butterfly and then he let it fly. The elf wandered across the fields. He left behind the place where he had closed himself up for so long. Erendil felt happy and light-hearted as he moved on to some other place and goal.

~~**~~

Aaron spent the winter with his uncle’s family. He missed Lyaris badly. Yet he refrained from writing letters to his beloved. He did not want to press the prince. Aaron trusted in his fate. He had developed a strong faith and belief. Tyrnae had called him and he had followed the call. He found that all had happened for a reason.

Aaron spent the days with his cousins and he forced himself to focus on the things at hand. The weeks passed by and finally spring was breaking. One day, Aaron received two letters. His father wrote that Aaron was expected to come back home. A new session of an academic year was about to begin. His father wanted him to resume his studies. He wrote that the old magician Neldor offered lessons on the ancient language of Aglanthol. Aaron’s father thought that Aaron might be interested to join the classes. Aaron rejoiced. Finally, he could turn back to the studies that interested him most. There was no need any longer to research secretly in the king’s library.

The second letter was from Lyaris. He had only written a few lines. Lyaris had sent Aaron three poems.

Like a child I felt
When my eyes opened
Anew to the world

The light tickled my eyes
And astonished I watched
Two dancing butterflies

***

Free your mind from guilt
Escape the cage you built
Your heart speaks no lies
Listen! Don't you hear?
The call of the butterflies

***

I feel the sunshine on my skin
I smell the scent of roses
I see a golden morning sun
And hear your ringing laughter
The darkness' gone; I want to sing
And celebrate with you
The blossom time of spring

In love, Lyaris

Aaron’s heart made a jump when he read the lines and tears filled his eyes. Aaron read the lines over and over again. Then he folded the piece of paper carefully and put it in his neck pouch. Aaron left his uncle’s house. He arrived at the capital of Aglanthol on the day of Alban Eiler.

Aaron came back exactly six months after Samuin. He arrived on the day when the vernal equinox was celebrated. This rare balance in nature represented a powerful time of magic to the Aglanthol people. Crops were sown at this time of transition. Aaron felt that the day was a landmark in his life as well. Aaron had not informed Lyaris on his return. He wanted to surprise the prince. Aaron’s parents welcomed their son. They celebrated the day together. Aaron feasted with them. Inwardly, however, he felt impatient. He looked forward to seeing Lyaris again.

~~**~~

Lyaris had spent the winter reflecting and pondering. He had spent long hours with the wizard Neldor. Neldor had told him of Tyrnae. Tyrnae was a magical land where time did not matter like it did in the material world. Lyaris learned that time and space were a continuum. Things developed faster in Tyrnae and the developments took different ways than the usual and slow ways they took in the material world. Neldor told Lyaris that this was the principle of magic. Neldor explained that a true magician did not have to cross the secret gate in order to gain access to the magical realm. A true magician always had access to Tyrnae as all the worlds were entwined.

"The worlds interfere. They are like layers of spheres," .Neldor said. "Think of the wind and the rays of the sun. Think of the water in a brook and the tears that sometimes fill your eyes. And what about your thoughts and feelings? Are they solid and permanent?"

Lyaris looked at the wizard and then he grasped the wizard’s words.

"I understand, Master Neldor," he exclaimed excitedly. "The worlds interfere. I have access to Tyrnae through my thoughts and my feelings."

Their conversations distracted Lyaris. They distracted him from a pain that had remained in his heart.

When he was alone, Lyaris pondered on the beautiful place and the airy elf who had opened his heart. Neldor’s words helped him understand who and what Erendil was. Lyaris understood that the elf was an individual being whose appearance was less solid and fixed in time and space. Lyaris understood that he had not just had a dream and that the elf had not been a hallucination. The two of them had felt drawn to each other because they had had the same problem. They both had closed up their hearts. Lyaris understood that Tyrnae had called him to free the elf from his self-made cage. And while he had freed Erendil, Erendil had freed him also. The two worlds had successfully interfered. Lyaris felt amazed how wonderful magic could work. He finally felt reconciled with his fate. Winter came to an end and raised his spirits even more. Lyaris felt happy and light-hearted.

Two weeks before the feast of Alban Eiler, Lyaris went out for a walk. He stood on top of a hill and looked out on the fields. The ground was still muddy, but the first plants sprang up already. Lyaris saw small and colourful flowers that announced the arrival of spring. Lyaris could not remember that it had ever been different. Warm spring had always followed a cold and dreary winter. This was the course of time.

Lyaris let out a sigh. The sun was shining down, but the air was still chilly. Lyaris felt cold. The cold, however, did not bother him much. Lyaris thought of the beautiful place in Tyrnae. He had longed to learn more about the magical world. Erendil had fulfilled his wish. A smile showed on Lyaris’ lips as he looked out on the muddy fields. Lyaris descended the hill slowly.

He stopped short and looked in amazement at a purple butterfly that, unexpectedly at this time of the year, danced in front of him in the air. Lyaris gave a cheerful laugh. He waved at the butterfly. The butterfly approached him slowly and then flew high up in the air. Lyaris smirked. The worlds had interfered again. Lyaris walked across the fields. He felt drawn to accomplish his mission.

Lyaris returned home and sat down at a desk in his chamber. And then, inspired by the purple butterfly, Lyaris wrote three poems. He folded the piece of paper and sealed it carefully. He carried it to the royal post office himself. The dispatch riders left twice the day. Aaron would receive the letter soon.

~~**~~

The day after the celebration of Alban Eiler, Aaron went to Lyaris’ room. Morning had broken. The sun had just risen. Aaron pushed a piece of paper under the door of Lyaris’ room. He knocked at the door.

Lyaris glanced into the room. A noise had woken him. Lyaris got up and opened the curtains. The morning light fell into the room. Lyaris turned around. He spotted the piece of paper on the floor. Lyaris picked it up and started to read. A smile spread on his lips as he read the lines of a poem.

My heart speaks no lies
I heard Tyrnae’s call and
The call of the butterflies

Love is the magic of the heart

In love, Aaron

Lyaris’ heart jumped. He opened the door. Aaron stood in front of him and smiled. Lyaris opened his arms and smiled back at Aaron. Aaron did not hesitate any longer. He flung into Lyaris’ arms.

THE END