Onward to the Sun

Chapter 5: Eyes of Divine Beings

Chapter 5: Eyes of Divine Beings

As we reached the large entryway of Tempus City—the city of clocks—I saw two stationed knights who were in silver-shade of armor with a coat of arms on the left side of their chest plate, I guess that was the crest of Celeste Kingdom; a shield-shaped outline with a dodecahedron star inside it and at the bottom is a crown, behind it is the Sun and Moon, both in half, like a Yin-Yang.

The knights seem to recognize Helios as they both bowed their head at him as if they both revered and respected this man. When they realized that Helios has a company which happened to be me, the both of them stared at me weirdly. They wore a metallic helmet with a piece of red feather-like fabric on top of it, and their visor that was supposed to cover all of their face except their eyes was pushed upward, revealing their appearance. That made it easier for me to identify that they were really looking at me as if I was a spectacle, perhaps it had something to do with my oversized shirt and pajamas, it must be their first time to see something like it. I looked like someone who did not belong in this world, and I guess it is because I actually don’t.

“Sir Helios, may we inquire who is that lady you are with?” The knight-guard blocked the large passage of the city as he asked Helios about me. He seems very cautious and paranoid, the same was with his companion. I wonder why they look tensed.

“An acquaintance from a faraway domain that I just met a few hours ago. While on a journey, the lady was robbed off by bandits which is why, if you look at her, she has no possessions, not even a sandal for her feet.” The two knights nodded gullibly as they looked at me, the atmosphere somehow became lighter now that they had a background of me, “as a gentleman, it will be in my conscience if I leave her alone, a damsel in distress in the middle of nowhere, to fend off for herself after seeing her in her defenseless state. Which is why I offered to help.”

Helios is a good storyteller, I must say. But why did he lie about where I came from? He could have just said that I came from another world because that is the truth. I will ask him about this later.

One of the guards looked at me, his expression full of pity towards my situation that Helios made up, and I cannot help but bite my lower lip because I think this was kind of funny. I looked at Helios who maintained a straight face—his expression somehow made his words more believable, regardless of how absurd it was for me.

“Milady, what is your name and where are you from?” One of the knights inquired.

Helios faked a cough, stealing the attention of the knight away from me. “The lady insists on keeping her privacy,” Helios said in my defense.

“Pardon us, Milady... But we need to get your name and the domain or kingdom you are from. We need to take into account these details of outsiders and such.” The knight insisted. “Rules are rules. Your entry will not be allowed if you do not give us your particulars.”

“Luna Clockwork.” I replied, they seem to wait for the domain where I belong, and I worriedly looked at Helios as if mentally telling him to help me. Should I tell them that I come from another world?

I was about to speak, but Helios suddenly talked on my behalf.

“She is from the Northern Isles Domain,” Helios said. “Do not worry, dear friends, Lady Luna is harmless and we will immediately leave the city after I fetch my horse and purchase her a decent attire. The lady is very exhausted too from a long journey. Surely, you all must know how far the Northern Isles Domain is.”

The knight seems convinced as he looked at me with his scrutinizing hazel-brown eyes, and he also looked at his companion who simply nodded his head as if he was approving of my entry already. “Alright, that settles it, then. Since Sir Helios insists and Lady Luna is harmless, your entry is granted. Welcome to Tempus City.” He greeted me and finally walked towards the side of the passageway, giving us space to walk into. We gladly obliged and entered.

When we were finally inside the city, I looked around me and I could not hold my excitement in. I feel like I was inside a city in one of the fantasy games that I used to play when I was a child. The architecture of the place was somehow ancient, with cobblestone walls and maroon roofs, along with it, the pathway was a mixture of gray and red bricks. The city lives up to its name, as there were many buildings that have a clock on top of their triangular roof. There were many people—women wore dresses while men wore long sleeves and pants. There were booths around too which sold items, weapons, clothes, food, and souvenirs. It was a variety. The place seems lively, but I feel like there is something wrong because the atmosphere seems rather a bit tense. I remembered the knight-guards at the gateway of the city, my first impression of them was also this.

“Helios, why did you lie to the guards about where I came from?” I asked out of the blue.

“It was to ensure that they will not pry any further. If we said that you come from another world, they may not be like me who will easily believe the story, and they will interrogate you and such. That’s a big hassle we cannot afford since that might further interrupt our plans.”

I nodded, getting his point.

As we walked past several people, I realized that a lot was looking at me funnily, I guess it has something to do with my outfit. But I ignored them. A lot of women too were gawking dreamily at Helios who seems to be very oblivious about the attention that he was getting. He is a gorgeous boy so I guess that cannot be helped.

“I guess we should buy your clothes first, then we proceed to the stable to get my horse, the leave the city and proceed to Sunfioree Kingdom.” He said as we sliced our way through the crowd of people. The city was sparkling and raucous; with the mixture of music from entertainers around, the blending voices of people as they converse and interact, the sound of carriages and wagons, and the never-ending mechanical ticking of clocks in all directions.

“I have no money to purchase clothes...” I said after a few seconds of walking. I looked like a lost puppy who was following Helios.

“It is alright, I’ll take care of it.” Helios smiled at me as if telling me not to worry about it anymore because he has it all covered. I guess usurping someone’s kindness is not bad, right? Especially if they were the ones who offered it voluntarily and without you asking. Why turn down a sweet blessing? At times of crisis like this, all I can do is accept his offer.

“Thank you, then.”

“The pleasure is mine, Luna. You saved my life, so, this is one of the least things I can do to return the favor.”

I still was unsure, though, if it was truly me who saved his life. All I did was touch him. Nothing more, nothing less. What if he finds out that I was a fraud when I am finally tested in the Academia? Will the way he treats me become different? He was only being kind to me because he assumes that I saved him from the brink of death. I mentally sighed and shove the thought away. I will just problematize it when we are finally at the Academia and it really turns out that I am not the one who saved him, which I am confident that I really am not.

Helios and I stopped in front of a seamstress’s workshop. The shop had glass windows that were slightly tinted with a yellowish shade, and there were letters encrypted into the glass too in an Old English font—Marcelle Clothes & Footwear. The window was transparent which is why from outside, I can see the row of clothes and shoes that were being featured inside, both for men and women.

Now that I think of it, this parallel and magical world that seems to be a ‘70s but a magical version of my world reflects a few things on the civilization of Earth, including the language. I do not know of the culture, since I have only been here for a few hours. I may have no trouble adjusting at all because communication is not a problem at all, but I feel homesick already. I want to go home now and be with Dad.

Helios opened the door of the shop and gestured me to enter first, I did and he followed shortly.

“Welcome to the shop of the best tailor in the kingdom,” a lady with a few strands of silver hair greeted. Basing on her appearance, I guess she was already around her late 60s. She was smiling at me, then she saw the companion whom I was with behind me. “Sir Helios.” She acknowledged.

“Lady Marcelle,” Helios beamed at the woman. I guess both of them are acquainted too since they are acting like they know each other.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of having you in my shop?” The woman raised an eyebrow, and then she frowned after a few seconds as if realizing something. “Are you not supposed to be at the academy?” Helios did not talk, “I presume that you escaped again after hearing that the Obscurum Army is on the move somewhere around the outskirts of Tempus City. This terrible story, I do not know how true, became the talk of the town and had the people around the city to be very paranoid and anxious. Merchants and dealers have canceled their expeditions, even other travelers and tourists have confined themselves in the city, with the fear that they may encounter Nightwalkers outside the wall.”

Oh, that explains why I felt the tension of the people around the city. I really thought something was strange and wrong. Now, it is all connected.

“No one is leaving the city since it is the only safe space from these Nightwalkers and such.” Lady Marcelle sighed. “We have to really give the credit to Headmistress Aragona for erecting this defensive barrier across the cities and towns in the kingdom, as a protection against the Obscurum Army, her barrier forbids them from infiltrating or entering the cities. Anyway, I think it is just gossip but you know, people are always making a fuss about anything under the sun, so, we can never know...”

“It is not just a baseless gossip. The story is actually true,” Helios said after a few seconds which made Lady Marcelle’s eyes widen, “I have encountered a Nightwalker who can summon creatures of the night—I fought his creatures and exterminated them all, but when I was already exhausted, the Nightwalker took advantage of it and tried to kill me. I almost died, but Lady Luna saved me with her acnologia when the Nightwalker has teleported away,” Helios then pointed at me which made Lady Marcelle look at me with curious eyes.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Luna Clockwork, from the Northern Isles Domain.” I introduced myself.

“I see, that’s a faraway domain that you have come from. I am Lady Mareena Marcelle. Anyway, welcome to one of the cities of Celeste Kingdom.” Lady Marcelle smiled, “thank you for saving the life of Sir Helios. He is quite obsessed with the Obscurum Army because of a very tragic fate that involves them. While most people, especially normans, fear this dark army, Helios does not and his primary goal is to exterminate them all from the face of Magus Mundo. So, I must say once again that I am very thankful. Sir Helios is quite careless, and he often finds himself in trouble.” Lady Marcelle shook her head. “Thank you, Lady Luna.” She smiled as she thanked me for the third time.

I smiled reluctantly and nodded, “the pleasure is mine.”

Lady Marcelle then looked at Helios once again, “you should know better now, Sir Helios, do not act on impulse if you value your life and you should be very rational about your choices too. If you die because of your dangerous and risky decisions, all of your ‘quest for justice’ will be for nothing and in vain. Do you want that?” The old lady lectured as she talked sense into Helios.

He simply shook his head. He looked like a kid who was just scolded by his parents and it was kind of adorable.

“You should be very grateful that Lady Luna was there to save you.” She shook her head in disapproval, “if Lady Luna was not there, then you will be a corpse by now. You are fortunate that luck is on your side today.”

“I know, that is why I am aiding the lady because I owe her my life,” Helios replied. “Speaking of, Lady Marcelle, please get something for Lady Luna to wear. I shall pay for it.”

“No need to pay. It is on the house.” Lady Marcelle smiled at me, “I was wondering, you have strange clothes. May I have it instead?” Lady Marcelle suddenly walked closer and she touched my clothes as if examining them. She wore her eyeglass and started to inspect my attire. “The design of your clothes is quite peculiar—it is my first time in this lifetime to see such thing, and I am curious. It is not often that I also see a lady wearing pants, and the pastel color of your pants is quite enthralling, its soft and flexible texture makes it appear to be rather comfortable, these weird engravements, and such... Your style seems too out of this world.”

Well, she is right on that part.

“Alright, then. You can have my clothes.” I smiled at Lady Marcelle who returned it with a brighter expression as if she was pleased that I will be giving her my oversized tee-shirt and pink pajama that had unicorns and rainbow prints on it. After that, she excitedly proceeded to the row of dresses and selected a few garments, draped them on this wheeled and wooden rack that she was pulling, and then she proceeded next to the shoe section where she took a few sandals. After that, she walked towards me while pulling the rack that contained a few dresses and shoes at the bottom part.

“You can have all of these. I carefully selected the ones that I think will best suit you.” She smiled at me. “I am unsure of your measurements, but I am quite confident with myself that they will all perfectly fit you, given my fifty years of experience in this industry already. I am an expert already.”

“Indeed, Lady Marcelle is also the Royal Dressmaker. She is the one making all clothes for the Royal Family of the Kingdom, especially during important occasions and such.” Helios said, proudly. “Which is why I am very pleased to be well-acquainted with her.”

“You are a flatterer,” the old lady chuckled. “Anyway, take one now and go get changed at the fitting room,” she pointed to the corner of her shop where a door resides, “then give your clothes to me.” Her eyes twinkled in delight at the mention of that.

I followed her command and I just took the first things that my hand grabbed on the rack. I proceeded to the fitting room after and undressed, then I changed into this dark blue dress that Lady Marcelle has selected for me—a cerulean-colored and long-sleeved dress with embellishments on the chest part and frills at the sleeves. It fell three inches below my knee, and it was flowy and comfortable. I was mesmerized because she was accurate, it fits impeccably. I proceeded to wear this midnight blue and almost black sandal that she has also chosen for me, and to my astonishment, it was precisely the size of my feet.

I stared at my own reflection in the mirror of the fitting room. Now, it looks like I belong here. All it took was just a nice pair of dresses and boots.

I went out of the fitting room and faced Lady Marcelle and Helios who seems to be talking about something very significant and serious. When they noticed my presence, both of them stopped with their conversation and faced me. Helios looked at me as if surprised, his lips slightly parted.

“Beautiful!” Lady Marcelle smiled, “I was right to assume that dark colors suit you, as it contrasts your fair skin... Also, your honey-blonde hair that reminds me of the Sun. Lastly, you have gray eyes. Ah, it is actually my first time seeing gray eyes. Do you know that you have the eyes of divine beings?”

“What do you mean, Lady Marcelle?” I asked as I gave her my clothes that she accepted happily.

“Gray eyes are the eyes of gods, goddesses, deities, and divine beings in general.” She stated. “It seems like a divine being’s blood runs deep in your veins. Do you know which divine being you are aligned into?” She pried.

“We’ll find that at the Academia. As you know, Lady Marcelle, the Northern Isles Domain does not have a Classifier Relic for acnologians.”

“Oh, okay. I already am guessing that Lady Luna will belong to the Divine Tier. There are only five among you in that class, am I right?” She asked Helios who simply nodded. “I wish you all the best, Lady Luna.” She turned at me.

“I appreciate,” I smiled, not sure of what to say or how to react. In my world, there is nothing peculiar, really, especially with my eyes. There are also others on Earth who have gray eyes, so this should not be made a big deal, but since Lady Marcelle insists, I feel like there is more pressure on me now as Helios was already looking at me like I will solve all of his problems or something like that.

“You will become a very powerful acnologian, I am sure of that.” Lady Marcelle smiled and I was silent, still unsure of what to tell her because I know I am not an acnologian. It does not make sense at all. “Anyway, while you were changing, I have already packed the rest of your clothes that I will be giving for free, including a few sandals and shoes.” Lady Marcelle pointed out the bag that Helios was now carrying. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Luna.”

“Likewise, Lady Marcelle.”

And with that, we exited her shop and proceeded to the stables where Helios left his horse.

“Lady Marcelle likes you,” Helios said, “she is a very miserly lady, so, it is quite rare for her to just giveaway her dresses and shoes for free.” He chuckled lightheartedly, “anyway, as you have seen, we are quite acquainted. She is like my grandmother.” He stated and I simply nodded. “When I was a child, my mother used to hire her too to make these very beautiful gowns. Lady Marcelle would personally deliver these garments to my mother, and she would often play with me if there is a chance since I usually stay at the lobby of our castle where people enter and exit. That is why we are very close.”

I nodded. When we were finally at the stable, Helios proceeded to this mare with a beautiful velvet fur—dark brown, almost maroon. The mare was enormous, and it looked very regal and elegant.

“Raiyah,” Helios greeted the horse who simply snorted. “Did you miss me, my baby girl?”

The horse snorted once more as if understanding Helios. She seemed overly excited too because her tail is already wagging at a profligate rate.

Helios opened the stable that kept Raiyah locked, and she sauntered out of the cubicle. Helios then proceeded on putting on these metallic horse tacks on Raiyah which was displayed at the side of her cubicle—the saddle, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates. I know all these horse accessories because of this fantasy game I used to play before where I can customize the items for my pet horse. I guess playing a few fantasy games has its own perks, now that I am inside a fantasy world myself.

“You ride first, then I will follow. I’ll be the one behind you.” Helios offered and I nodded. He helped me mount up the mare, and then he proceeded next. I can feel his muscles from my back as we were very close to each other, and his warmth too. “Let’s go, Raiyah. To Sunfioree Kingdom.”

And with that, the mare dashed out of the stable, with a speed that made the rest of the world go into a blur.