Luminous

48 - Falls and Foils

The song of the Pearly Falls reached out to Meya as she traversed the dim, torchlit jet mine, tugging at her curiosity, hastening her steps. With every yard gained, its call swelled louder. The uphill tunnel echoed with promises of sunlight, open air and warm baths. Light from the wall-mounted lamps glanced off a brass doorknob and arced into her eyes. Meya hurtled forth, pushing her way back to the surface. 

Bright white was the first color she registered. Meya reckoned it was the blaze of the meridian sun, but once the dancing spots had ebbed out the corners of her eyes, her mouth fell open at the surreal terrain spread out before her.

The tunnel had emerged at the seams of a vast plateau laden with overlapping, snow-white terraces which stacked up like layers of oak bracket, and cascaded into a sprawling rock pool, where dozens of tourists were already lounging, naked but for their masks.

The smooth, mirror-like face of each terrace reflected the color of the sky, which was vivid blue interspersed with thick, cottony clouds. Their limpid, seemingly lifeless surfaces rippled at the caress of the faintest breeze, or the boorish splashes of excited human feet, revealing them to be shallow travertine pools brimming with ice-clear, steaming water, silently and steadily overflowing down the steps to feed the lake below.

At the zenith of the terraces stood a statue of faceted black jet, carved into a chough volant, its head tilted towards the Heights. A tiny crystal sphere glowed acid-green from within its curved beak.

"Oh, Goodly Freda." 

Meya breathed, the words brushing against her numb lips as she stepped out into the lukewarm, ankle-high water, her eyes sweeping slowly across the plateau. Around her, fellow first-timers stood marveling in awe, forcing seasoned tourists to weave around them before stepping cautiously down the terraces to the pool below.

"We should move, Meya. We're blocking the exit." Arinel's whisper floated into her ear. Meya nodded absently and allowed the Lady to guide her aside with a gentle hand. Once she had regained her senses somewhat, she glanced about to find her companions cloistered around her on a small step-pool.

"Oh, Freda! 'Tis magnificent. And this ain't even the Heights!" She gushed to Gretella, who was still admiring the landscape and seemed just as breathless. The plump old woman kept a tight grip on Lady Agnes's arm, the thickened soles of her feet struggling to gain purchase on the smooth, treacherous rocks.

"If only she could have brought me here earlier!" She lamented at the sight of her wobbly legs, "Cursed kneecaps! I couldn't clamber up there with these. Erina wouldn't have cared, though." She added with a disapproving shake of her head, "Five months along, didn't stop her scaling those pools like a mountain goat."

"Mother was here? With me?" Arinel squealed, squeezing her grandma's arm in excitement. For the first time ever, Meya heard the stern old woman laugh. She patted Arinel's hand in fond remembrance.

"Just come with us, Nurse. You have my hand." Frenix pranced up to Gretella's side, chest thrown out and elbow raised. The old nurse beamed him an affectionate smile, shaking her head.

"Young lord, you are most gracious. But it wouldn't do for age to hinder youth with their frailty. I shall go and save a spot in the pool. You go hop along to your heart's fill."

"I'll go with you, Grandmother." Arinel's hands replaced Agnes's on her grandmother's fleshy arm.

"Lady, you don't have to." Gretella sighed wearily.

"I insist." 

Without further ado, Arinel imperiously led her grandmother down the treacherous stairs, one by one. By the time they descended the fifth step, Frenix had already chanced upon a new endeavor.