The Celestial Chronicles | Book 1 | Quest For The Celestial Artifacts & Dragons

☀️ Chapter Eleven 🌑

2298
Gertok Galaxy
Planet Celestine
The Celestine Kingdom
The Solarium Palace 
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Luna walked down the halls of what used to be her beautiful palace home. She had gotten a feel of how much damage had been done when she had scavenged with General Nox. 

It was hard to believe 10,000 years had passed and her people were long gone and her kingdom was simply a story now.

Not to mention she had no clue what happened to her parents, and everyone in her kingdom.

She stopped at a painting in the main hall she was in. She gazed up at the family portrait of her parents, her sister, and herself painted months before the attack. 'We all looked so happy. Oblivious to the pending danger that lurked around the corner.' She thought to herself, her eyes becoming misty.

She blinked a few times and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. 'No time to be nostalgic. I need to find the Celestial Artifacts and Dragons codex.' She thought to herself as she sucked in a deep breath and pivoted on her heels, walking back down the hall.

She sighed softly as she rounded a corner and towards two massive spiral pillars with sparkling clear stones engraved in them. "At least the library is intact." She mused, making her way through the entryway.

Other than dust, broken windows with foliage growing through and the glass dome being half broken and scattered on the floor, the library almost looked just as if it did on the day of the war. 

She walked down the center path and to a lavish-looking wall with a circular slot in the middle twisting vines and two celestial dragons facing each other on optimized sides.

She ran her fingers over it, a nostalgic smile gracing her lips. She pulled off her circlet crown and pressed it into the circle slot on the wall. She listened to the turning of gears and clicking of locks as the door opened for her.

She retrieved her circlet after the door was fully open and walked into the royal vault. High-valued items, artifacts, books, glass jars, and vials filled with different types of colorful liquid. 'It is a good thing that Cerkoik did not find out about this fault.' She thought, making her way over to the wall of books.

She ran her fingers over the spines of the book, reading the words written on them. 'Hmm, where is it?' She pondered, pulling out each book and putting them back. 'Where did Father put the codex of the Celestial Artifacts and Dragons?' She turned her attention to the other side of the room.

'I wonder if there are any secret hidden compartments Father has around here. Perhaps at his desk?' She asked herself walking over to the beautiful white and blue wooden desk with twisting vines around the moon details.

She opened each drawer, ruminating through. She noticed little trinkets, ink bottles, and quills from the Monuti bird, a vibrant silver bird that only flies when the moon is full. 'Not helpful.' She mused, reaching her hand under the drawer.

She paused and looked around. 'Hmm, where did Mother's desk go?' She asked herself, noting an empty spot behind her father's desk. 'Oh, that is right. Before the war, it was to be repaired due to someone spilling some sticky liquid on it . . . I wonder where it is now? Perhaps in the royal workshop. Mother would never leave anything of value in it once it left the room.'

She closed the drawer and opened a door beside her on the desk. She knelt and moved some extra papers and blank contract scrolls. 'Still nothing. How am I going to find the codex at this rate? If Solana finds out I was here by myself I will not get a chance to look again.'