Brand and Vaeol - Chapter 15

2. Neth, 4718 - the Hall of Stars, 43rd Day on Castrovel   For the first time in weeks, I can breathe freely. Despite the air’s height-thinness, it is finally cool, dry, and clean. I have grown used to Son’s and the tree-paths relative freshness, compared to the deep forest’s lightless floor, Yet this is far better.   The air stayed mostly warm, even with going until the mountains, and for almost half of today’s climb. Then we reached the cloud-deck, wherein we came through thick and dark mist. Swiftly it cooled while droplets gathered on our skin. When the cover lightened, the warmth dropped even more. Back at the inn, Lady Vaeol had doled cloaks to everyone making the climb. I could tell some warriors were confused by the thick cloth. They learned its use quickly.   Lady Vaeol names this path the Ten Thousand Steps, and while I didn’t count, I understand why. We climbed the steep stairway so hard that we barely needed the cloaks, and my legs were aching and trembling before the end. When we pierced the clouds and hit sunlight, however, nothing could stop me. To see blue sky and raw sunshine caught me between laughter and tears.   The Sun indeed seems bigger and brighter here, though not greatly so. I just wanted to soak up as much light as possible. Our entry into sunlight also struck the Lashunta, as I reckon sensible for a people who spend most of their lives under clouds. They all blinked against the brightness and shielded their eyes. Many made weird gestures and uttered something that would not surprise me if it was a prayer, and I remembered these people worship their Burning Mother as a warrior and protector-goddess. Yet what most drew their wonder was not so much the Sun but the blue vault of Heaven. Many halted and grew lost in the sight, which maybe until now they had never seen. Lady Vaeol had to chide them, lest they lose their feet in staring upward.   We reached the crest at sunset, which gave good sight of the cloud-covered landscape, and also of a temple hall with many domes built here alone. Lady Vaeol explained it is dedicated to their Burning-Mother Sun Goddess, chiefly in her guise as Mother of Worlds and Stars, which soon became evident as dusk overcame, and the first stars I’ve seen on this world appeared. If I had thought the Lashunta earlier awe-stricken at their first sight of blue sky, it was nothing compared to now. They all stared and pointed. Some even knelt and wept.   This world also has its own moon, and not like ours. It is bigger, brighter, and the pockmarks shaping its face are unlike ours on Golarion. Their word for moon is ‘elindrae’, which has an oddly Elvish sound, though I cannot place any meaning.   Then we met a Korasha, whom Lady Vaeol knows. He led us to one of the smaller domes, wherein we found a hall surrounded by tall shelves and filled with crystals and scrolls. I had settled on this being a kind of library, when I saw a bronze tube, maybe ten feet long and set upon a stand, and beside it one even larger, and with a glass lense in its end. They are looking-glasses. Then I beheld a large shutter within the dome, which would open to the sky. I realized we stood within an observatory, such as I‘ve seen in both Absalom and Ketheer.   Two other domes rise beside the one we stand in, and both easily twice as big. I realize that on this mountaintop and above the clouds, here might be one of the few places on Castrovel where astrology can be practiced. Small wonder they have so many observatories in one stead.   I soon learned this smallest hall was retired as an actual observatory and indeed serves as a library and meeting-room. Also, they keep a healthy hearth burning, whereby they sat us at table and brought a hot supper and mulled wine, which went right to my head. We have gone to bed early while the astrologers are still readying for their nightly work.     16. Vinelae, 24,535 - Viafill to the Hall of Stars   Today we climbed Ta-Shestaru and reached the Hall of Stars right at sunset. I brought only Remaue, Oshis, Nivaue, & Sievae along with our guide Dehass, for the Shota do unwell under the chill of the Ten-Thousand Stairway’s upper heights. We had a long climb, one my legs reminded.   I had two of my dearest deed-tides: first the rise from white sky to blue heaven. When we did so and left the skymist below us, Brand laughed and clapped. I asked him what betided, whereat he answered he had forgotten how much he missed blue sky, as he bespoke it. He outlaid that on Blue-Sister this is the sky’s normal hue. When I asked whether they have skymist, he answered yes, but they do not whelm Heaven so much as our sky.   Right at sunset we reached the Hall of Stars, which became my other dearest breathtide, when we saw naked heaven turn from blue to purple, and the mistwhelve below glow first golden then rose, like a fiery sea. One by one, the stars lit until Father-Night ruled and the angel-lights shone down. Under breath I whispered a hymn.   I reminded of the yore-tale of the Hall’s building under the Sage-Queen Vaheralle. The Korasha hero-sage Thesuss got a forquest from the Goddess Matarasse to seek Her at the World’s top. Thesuss climbed Ta-Shestaru all day and all night and reached the peak right at dawn. There Burning-Mother showed Herself in all Her glory, and Thesuss worshipped all through the day while She flew Heaven. Then at dusk She revealed Her starry children and Elindrae. So Thesuss swore to build a temple here to worship Matarasse and Her starry children. He came to Son and begged Queen Vaheralle’s boon to build this temple, which she alet. Then Thesuss came back and built this stead, where we Lashunta first mapped Heaven, named the stars, and learned the worlds’ paths. Here the first Farsight-Glass was made, whose domehall still stands, which let us see Blue-Queen’s moon & Dreaming-Queen’s rings. And here I first came ten years ago as the astrologers’ loreling and learned all these things, which was maybe the gladdest four years of my life and where I would watch the stars wheel overhead, look through the Glass at their tinier neighbors, and dream of fetch out among Heaven’s endlessness.   Our guide Dehass brought us to the shrine of Matarasse of the Star-Children, where Master Raess the Hall-Reeve greeted us. I stepped forth and hugged him after so many years. Then I introduced Brand the Aslanta. With the climb’s warmth wearing off, we were shivering, and Lord Raess led us to the First Dome, which though it still holds the elder farsight-glasses no longer used, is rather now a bookhoard and meeting-hall. The other priests were waiting to meet our Aslanta and had a hot duskmeal ready. We had noodles & mulled wine, whereafter the climb’s weariness upcaught, and we begged leave for bedrooms, which the priests laughingly allowed, for on a clear night their work was only beginning.   Ere I went to my room, I asked leave to go to the outer yard for something I had not done in many years. Lord Raess let me, for he knows why: without a farsight-glass or other contrivance, this is the mountaintop’s best stead to watch naked heaven. Elindrae was out early and bright, which outshone all but the brightest stars, but I bore Her no ill will. I knelt upon the chilly stone yard, prayed to the Heavenqueen, and blessed the stars. I thanked them for this hap to again worship Heaven and asked them to look down kindly upon our Sister’s children who have come here.