The Star Maidens Curse (A Dark Adventure)

Stolen by the brotherhood Chapter 13 - Constellations

For a few moments, I admired what looked like sprays of stars glittering throughout the orb

"This is so beautiful," I said. "I could never get tired of looking at this."

I could feel Cillian's eyes on me as I looked at the orb, but I resisted the urge to meet his gaze.

"You wanted answers, Tilly, so listen and understand," he said, his voice washing over me and somehow adding to the beauty of the sight before me. "At the beginning of creation, special souls were sent to your world to teach each race about the universe."

I knew the beauty and the serenity it brought couldn't last forever, but I'd kind of been hoping for a little longer than this. It wasn't to be. He was right. I had demanded answers, and if he was willing to give them to me, then I had to be willing to hear them. I shifted my eyes back to Cillian.

"Who were these special souls?"

"You know them as mathematicians, physicists, or astronomers gifted with unique abilities to explore and understand the secrets around us. Throughout the worlds they're known as the Harbingers. They're the universe's uniquely gifted souls who are created and sent to spread knowledge. On Earth in ancient times, human Harbinger teachers arrived to teach your race about astrology, astronomy, and mythology. It was these gifted beings that conveyed the knowledge of the stars to your world."

The more Cillian spoke, the more intrigued I became.

"Why is the universe so complicated? Why didn't the Harbinger teachers give us more knowledge?"

"We've studied your race and your languages for a millennium," he said. "Humanity is an ignorant race that stumbles along choosing not to believe in what is right there instead of accepting the knowledge that has been left behind to be true. Your people have spent centuries changing and misinterpreting history while your leaders and cultists manipulated your race for their own self gain and power. This has been happening for centuries. I believe your world cannot be trusted with the truth and, because of that, Earth has learned only what it needs to know." He paused and gazed at me. "Hold out your hands."

He handed me the orb. I gripped it and almost winced from the energy it emanated. It felt a thousand tiny pinpricks making their way up my arms and all over my body, but instead of being painful, they were full of warmth. I was overwhelmed that he had entrusted it to me.

"What am I meant to do with it?"

"Clasp it in your hands. Now focus on the stars and ask to see the constellations that surround Earth."

I stared into the depths of the orb.

Show me Earths surrounding stars.

I felt stupid even thinking it, but Cillian had asked me to, and before I could rethink it, it started to work. My vision blurred, and then focused. Gradually, the heart of the orb transformed into a starry vista that dazzled my eyes.

"Tell me what you see"

Holding the orb was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. It glowed with blue energy, warming my hands. The more I focused on its infinitely shining heart, the more I felt a tingling sensation travel throughout my body.

"This is amazing! I see star clusters. Thousands of them. I feel drawn to them, as though I recognise them."

I couldn't contain my excitement, the energy that I felt was like nothing I ever felt before. Except in my visions and I was begining to think they were as real as I was.

Cillian nodded in approval. He looked at the Orb and spoke in an unusual language. The Orb began to spin slowly. Blue energy spread out and stars began to join like a dot to dot puzzle, forming numbers, symbols and shapes all around us.