A Witch's World

4) Rhistenia

Layla:

With Matt's hand latched tightly on my own, we both stepped into the rock-pool. 

Not knowing how deep the pool was, I was surprised when my feet touched the rocky bottom with the water only reaching mid-way up my shins. It was cold, almost to the point that it was ice cold - though this didn't surprise me. No, what surprised me was the fact that my feet felt completely dry, bone dry, as if I was only stepping on a dry patch of land. Yet I could clearly see the water rippling about my legs.

I stopped thinking of the strangeness of the situation and focused all my thoughts on one word. Just a word. Rhistenia. Over and over again, as if it was tape put on repeat in my head. Looking down, the water gave off the tiniest glow, like there was a jewel just beneath the surface of the water. It was a bright blue, glowing steadily brighter, remarkably beautiful that I couldn't tear my eyes off it, but still managed to hold the word in my mind. I felt pressure on my palm - Matt's hand, tighten ever so slightly and it was like the world stopped spinning. Everything went silent, completely silent, deathly silent as if I were the only person alive in the world - no the universe, like I had frozen time. Had I frozen time?  

It seemed the earth was holding it's breath. But only for half a second. 

And then we fell.

It was like the ground beneath us burst open, or was just simply not there anymore. My eyes squeezed shut as we fell at a rushing speed, the water in the rock-pool flying past my head. I had to lock my jaw together to stop myself from screaming.  

My whole body was suddenly freezing, like someone had poured a bucket of ice over my head, I felt it deep within my bones, in my very pores, it consumed me completely. I opened my eyes in surprise and was met with a wall of blurred blue. A bright blue, glowing, sparkling, dazzling. I reached out a hand, as if to touch this cocoon, but my hand touched nothing but air - there was nothing to touch. My hair whipped around my head like it was caught in a tornado, I felt my loose top ride up above my hips. The strong smell of the sea and salt and also something else I couldn't pin point flooded my nostrils. 

And then it was suddenly over, the whole experience only lasting no longer then five seconds, ten at the most. My feet hit the solid ground with an audible thud and I let out a lungful of air. Warmth came back to my body all at once, like I was surrounded by heaters, I took it all in gratefully. 

I had to blink a couple of times, my eyes adjusting to the new light. When the blue faded, my eyes widened.  

I heard a light chuckle next to me, but didn't look up at Matt, I couldn't remove my eyes from the sight in front of me.

"Welcome, to Rhistenia, Layla."

Rhistenia. The word swirled around in my head as I took in my first look at the magical Kingdom. 

It was nothing like I imagined, and yet better then I thought possible. 

This being the heart of Rhistenia, the town was a buzz with life. People, ordinary people were walking to and from houses, into shops talking animatedly with their friends and neighbours. That part was ordinary and could be seen in any busy town, but it wasn't called the magical Kingdom for nothing. As I watched, a women who had been talking to a small girl suddenly rose into the air and flew away across the Kingdom. Looking up, I saw in surprise hundreds of people flying in the air, some alone others in pairs or groups. It was air control nightmare, or it would be if there were aeroplanes here but somehow I doubt people had much need for objects to take them across the sky when they can just take themselves. On the ground, people teleported in front of my eyes, some turned invisible, then visible again. Others were creating things out of thin air and some were cleaning the streets with a wave of their hands. The children ran around playing until I saw one little boy suddenly lift into the air and up and over another head. I blinked in surprise, children at that age didn't have powers, not until they were fourteen at least, but then I saw an older boy twenty or twenty one, leaning against a tree, levitating the children as they laughed in glee.