Chapter 2
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When Cerys awoke, she found she couldn't see. The light around her was so brightly white that it blinded her. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. Looking around, she understood that she was in a large hall. "Cerys? Cerys, we're here." Nia's voice was so close to Cerys' ear, and she sat up with a start. Cerys stared around. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the light, she looked around properly. Columns of stone encrusted with diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Steps of crystal spiralled into the ceiling. Murals woven with gold glittered on the walls. Statues of each element; an emerald leaf, a sapphire tear drop, a ruby flame and a diamond twister. The whole place was bathed in light, which seemed to be coming from a small glass box in the centre of the room. That wasn't all that made Cerys gasp. Dancing in a circle around the lit box were more little people as small as Nia. Cerys stood up and looked around. She realised she had been holding her breath and let out some air in a long whoosh. "Nia, what is this place?" Nia looked up at Cerys and floated to land on her shoulder. "Welcome to Aranosia." Cerys stared behind her, trying to take in everything at once. Entranced by what she saw. Standing just outside the door, was the largest, sparkling water fountain she had ever seen. The water flowed in spirals with a golden glow coming off the surface. "Come on, we have to find my father." "Where is he? Is my mother with him? Which way do we go?" Nia pointed to the glass staircase. "We must climb all the way to the top and through the ceiling." Cerys looked all the way up. "But there is no way we can get up there, the steps lead into the ceiling!" Nia giggled. "Believe. Just climb the stairs. It'll be ok." Cerys shrugged and put one foot on the bottom step. She began to climb, counting them as she went. "34.35.36." Out of breath, she turned to Nia. "Ok, we're at 49, now what?" Nia danced off her shoulder to the 50th step. There was a gap on it that could only fit someone Nia's size. She sprinkled her dust on a bump in the floor. The bump rose and she pressed down on it. A small sliding door opened above Cerys' head. Smoke billowed from the opening. Cerys coughed and looked up. She put a hand on either side of the floor on the inside. Cerys climbed up and found herself in a sheer silver room. Sitting in a large chair, was a man dressed in a grey robe with a twister on his badge. Next to him sat a beautiful young lady with long black hair, braided with gold. She had a sapphire water droplet on her badge. The young woman rose as she saw Cerys. "Cerys? Is it really you? I knew you'd come!" She opened her arms wide and went towards her. Cerys took a step back. Elaina looked confused at her daughters' reaction. "Cerys what's the matter?" "You left me to come here. I had nobody and you left me." Elaina felt hurt. "But I don't get it. Yes, I apologise for leaving you, but I was needed here. You haven't understood.no. I was always there with you. At your nativity play in year 2 when you played Mary, or that time you had the measles one day but recovered by the next. Have you never wondered why that had happened?" As Cerys shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks. "The song. Have you never heard the song?" "No. I don't understand. I only ever heard that song in my dreams, the same night as." She paused, a look of sudden realisation dawning on her tear-streaked face. ".the same night as my measles cleared up." She finished. Cerys ran into her mothers' arms and Elaina held her tightly. Nia began to clap and the man joined in. "Come, let me introduce you to Sam. Sam, this is my daughter Cerys." The man stood up and held out a hand. Cerys noticed that his eyes were not sapphire blue like his daughter, but shocking grey. His red hair was flecked with silver. "Hello Cerys, welcome to Aranosia. Please sit." Before Cerys could ask where, Nia had sprinkled her dust and the dust had materialised into a small gold pouf. Cerys sat down and prepared herself for what she was about to hear.
When Cerys awoke, she found she couldn't see. The light around her was so brightly white that it blinded her. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. Looking around, she understood that she was in a large hall. "Cerys? Cerys, we're here." Nia's voice was so close to Cerys' ear, and she sat up with a start. Cerys stared around. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the light, she looked around properly. Columns of stone encrusted with diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Steps of crystal spiralled into the ceiling. Murals woven with gold glittered on the walls. Statues of each element; an emerald leaf, a sapphire tear drop, a ruby flame and a diamond twister. The whole place was bathed in light, which seemed to be coming from a small glass box in the centre of the room. That wasn't all that made Cerys gasp. Dancing in a circle around the lit box were more little people as small as Nia. Cerys stood up and looked around. She realised she had been holding her breath and let out some air in a long whoosh. "Nia, what is this place?" Nia looked up at Cerys and floated to land on her shoulder. "Welcome to Aranosia." Cerys stared behind her, trying to take in everything at once. Entranced by what she saw. Standing just outside the door, was the largest, sparkling water fountain she had ever seen. The water flowed in spirals with a golden glow coming off the surface. "Come on, we have to find my father." "Where is he? Is my mother with him? Which way do we go?" Nia pointed to the glass staircase. "We must climb all the way to the top and through the ceiling." Cerys looked all the way up. "But there is no way we can get up there, the steps lead into the ceiling!" Nia giggled. "Believe. Just climb the stairs. It'll be ok." Cerys shrugged and put one foot on the bottom step. She began to climb, counting them as she went. "34.35.36." Out of breath, she turned to Nia. "Ok, we're at 49, now what?" Nia danced off her shoulder to the 50th step. There was a gap on it that could only fit someone Nia's size. She sprinkled her dust on a bump in the floor. The bump rose and she pressed down on it. A small sliding door opened above Cerys' head. Smoke billowed from the opening. Cerys coughed and looked up. She put a hand on either side of the floor on the inside. Cerys climbed up and found herself in a sheer silver room. Sitting in a large chair, was a man dressed in a grey robe with a twister on his badge. Next to him sat a beautiful young lady with long black hair, braided with gold. She had a sapphire water droplet on her badge. The young woman rose as she saw Cerys. "Cerys? Is it really you? I knew you'd come!" She opened her arms wide and went towards her. Cerys took a step back. Elaina looked confused at her daughters' reaction. "Cerys what's the matter?" "You left me to come here. I had nobody and you left me." Elaina felt hurt. "But I don't get it. Yes, I apologise for leaving you, but I was needed here. You haven't understood.no. I was always there with you. At your nativity play in year 2 when you played Mary, or that time you had the measles one day but recovered by the next. Have you never wondered why that had happened?" As Cerys shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks. "The song. Have you never heard the song?" "No. I don't understand. I only ever heard that song in my dreams, the same night as." She paused, a look of sudden realisation dawning on her tear-streaked face. ".the same night as my measles cleared up." She finished. Cerys ran into her mothers' arms and Elaina held her tightly. Nia began to clap and the man joined in. "Come, let me introduce you to Sam. Sam, this is my daughter Cerys." The man stood up and held out a hand. Cerys noticed that his eyes were not sapphire blue like his daughter, but shocking grey. His red hair was flecked with silver. "Hello Cerys, welcome to Aranosia. Please sit." Before Cerys could ask where, Nia had sprinkled her dust and the dust had materialised into a small gold pouf. Cerys sat down and prepared herself for what she was about to hear.