Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian

Chapter 8

"Can't the dome keep out the rain?" Maruca asked for what seemed like the fiftieth time.

"No," Elysian replied wearily. "Just like your force fields, it cannot keep out the elements like water and wind."

Sophie stared at the sky outside, which was filled wholly with dark clouds. She couldn't see the rainbow stained glass dome, but she knew that it was somewhere... up.

Sophie had been just about to ask Elysian to take them all to the quarry, but the sky went dark, raindrops started descending rapidly, and they all flinched when thunder boomed.

Maruca had created a force field to keep out the water, but it hadn't helped. Elysian had tried to give them an easier time by commanding the raindrops to fall elsewhere, but after a few minutes, the sheer number of droplets overwhelmed her and she ran out of energy.

"Gosh," Marella muttered. "What a wonderful day."

The small lamp in the corner provided a little light in the dark room.

They all sat in the living room in a small circle on the carpet, occasionally glancing outside the window at the rain or the harsh winds battering at the trees. It was a marvel that all of them remained steady as they were pummeled again and again.

"The trees are strong," Flori had said. "They've been standing for many millennia."

Elysian then used her telekinesis to move the small table into the center of their small circle. Eight cups of tea appeared, and everyone nodded their thanks and drank the warm tea.

Sophie's mind spiraled into thought. "Could you tell us more about the rivers around Elysian?"

Everyone turned to Elysian to see what she would say. She shrugged elegantly and snapped her fingers, conjuring a small piece of paper and a black pen.

She drew an equilateral triangle and said, "This is the island of Elysian, which obviously isn't a triangle. My home is about in the center."

Elysian drew a small circle in the center of the drawing, which she labeled "Home."

"As you know already, there are five rivers. They each signify something important." She split the circle into three arcs using small dashes. "The first river is the River of Life. The second is the Flourishing River. The third is the River of Esylune, which runs through the quarry. The fourth is the River of Souls- the river that runs through the Hallway-"

Elysian stopped abruptly when she caught her slip.

It seemed like Marella did as well because she narrowed her eyes and asked, "What hallway?"

"I think... it's better if everyone knows," Sophie said, noticing Elysian's hesitation. "We can't keep it from them forever."

Elysian nodded and summarized how the Hallway of Life and Death was a place where souls that had ties to the living could stay. Of course, she also had to tell them what happened the previous night.

Sophie shivered as she recalled the dark water of the river that she had nearly drowned in.

When Elysian finished, everyone was in stunned silence.

"Wow, you really went through all that?" Fitz said, looking pale. As did Maruca, Marella, and Sandor.

"What's the fifth river?" Keefe asked.

The River of Life. The Flourishing River. The River of Esylune. The River of Souls.

And...

"The River of Death," Elysian whispered. Everything in the room turned ten degrees colder. "I... can't tell you exactly what it looks like, because I haven't been there."