Cosmogyral Expedition (Volume 1)

Chapter 10

"What is that?", Calix raised his right eyebrow and turned to Howan.

Howan could see the displeased looks on everyone's face even though he hadn't told them what he wanted. He could understand their worries but he didn't want to let the chance slip out of his hand. Nobody in his allies came forward to do this help for Howan. He was angry at them for that though he remained as an ally with them for the sake of avoiding another war between their worlds.

Howan cleared his throat, "Come along with me.", he said and walked out of the room.

Calix shared a look with his not-so-favorite earthlings and said in a dry tone, "Put all your headgears back on."

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Calix, Klinion and the seven youngsters followed Howan to a cave under the palace of his. They didn't enter the palace but saw its exterior from the outside. It was breathtaking up close and it looked more like a temple built in water-like crystal which has the frozen glittery pattern running all over the building. Soldiers were posted at each step which went up to the grand entrance of the palace. Even though the land was covered in nothing but a blanket of snow and dead plantation, it was oddly beautiful in the eyes of the humans.

The earthlings were so eager to walk up the stairs and see inside the palace but Howan took a turn and walked around the garden that had no plantations or flowers but covered with snow and ice-spiked dead trees. He made a beeline towards a black wall which had round stones that had so many ruins carved out. Due to the cruel winter, the carved out runes were occupied by the snow and it looked contrast to the black wall. It was like all those perfectly round stones were cemented to the wall.

Howan dusted the snow away on one of the stones and he placed a hand on it and closed his eyes. Calix watched him closely as Howan inhaled softly. A low but heavy, deep hum erupted from his throat. It was not just a hum but it had a magical rhythm and he whispered out a few words that none of them understood, not even Klinion, who could understand every language and codes in the Timestream.

Followed by the magical hum of Howan, the stone that he had his hand on started to move out.

"Oh my god, look at them.", Chris pointed to the whole wall which had the same stones like the one which Howan was touching.

"Wow.", Jane whispered, not believing her eyes.

They all watched in wonder as all the stones which had the same ruins started to move out, making a gap. There were at least thirty round stones which had the same runes and those thirty stones made a heavy stone-moving sound while coming out slowly but not exactly detaching itself from its wall completely. The rest of the stones which had various other runes started to fall into the gaps one by one and as each of them started to move out of their previous places, there formed an opening in the middle of the wall through which a person could walk in.

After a minute, the stones filled in the gaps formed by the runed-stones, making an entrance in the middle of the wall. Howan had his hand on that one stone the whole time and he finally pulled that one out of its place and he held it up towards the sky and again made that bone-chilling, magical hum.

All of their eyes were awestruck because they saw that black stone observing the light that was shone by the moons of the Neri. The once black stone, now was covered in a sky bluish luminous. Howan ended the hum reaching a low note and he whispered another set of non-translationable words.

He looked at Calix, who was looking at the stone in surprise. Howan smiled and said, "This is the wizardry of Neri. Only the ruler and his descendants possess this ability."

"Wait, did you just say wizardry?", Chris asked in shock.

"Are you a wizard?", Emily stepped closer and looked at the shiny stone.