Cosmical Beings

Chapter Four

Riley's Point of View : 

The palace was like a maze - full of corners and turning halls. The halls were lined with light marbled tiles and accented with gold which was glimmering under the rich lighting of the chandeliers. The quick glimpses of the rooms I got were filled with patterned carpeting and antique couches. The people that were walking in the halls looked just as opulent and looked as if they belonged in the palace or worked in it. There was not one piece of furniture or piece of decoration out of place and not a single piece of dust could be seen. This place I definitely did not belong in even in my best clothing and shoes - I stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Every person that we walked by looked over with a glare and watched every moment they could.  Whispers could be heard in the distance and watchful eyes could be felt to the back of my head. I was the talks of the conversations that were in inaudible. "Do not be so rude to our guest," The women looked over at the group of girls that up ahead and snapped her fingers at them. They immediately looked to the ground and scrambled off with their dusters and caddies. "My apologies about that. We do not get to see guests around here often and the helping hands do get quite nosey." She spoke loud enough for her voice to boom down the hallway. The hands snapped back to their tasks at hand and acted as if they were not just staring. 

Her feet clanked against the ground and her dress blew behind her. She was graceful with every move she made - it was as if she was not real. Her strides became shorter and more slow as she approached ivory french doors that were hung on a gold track attached to the wall above. She wrapped her hand around one of the gold handles and pulled the door - it rumbled as it slid across the wall. "After you." Her long fingers gestured in as her eyes raked my body up and down.  I stepped past her and took a few steps into the room before bringing myself to take in the surroundings. 

The room was covered in white carpeting that had dainty blue designs which  matched the silk upholstered couches and arm chairs. The tall windows let an abundance of light in which made the paintings on the wall become the centralized focus of attention in the room. A bulky wood desk sat in the corner of the room and bookcases filled one of the walls. 

The door thundered closed and the women walked past me - the scent of her perfume bringing my attention from the detail of the room back to her nimble movements.  "Come sit," She gestured to the arm chair as she took a seat on one of the couches set diagonally from my position. She reached down to the coffee table in front of me and poured some tea into a teacup before fixing it with milk and honey. She handed me the cup before making herself a cup of tea, she sipped on it as her eyes bore into my face. I sipped on the cup uncomfortably waiting for her to speak. 

The door roared open again to welcome in three more people - two men and another woman. There was slight chatter amongst them as they pulled close the door again and took their seats next to the woman that led me here and across from me. They were all dressed similarly - light colored clothing with fine gold jewelry pieces handing from their neck and ears. They all looked too perfect to be real, almost like they come straight from a fantasy novel. I cleared my throat and sat up straight intimidated by my company "Riley, thank you for joining us here." One of the men started the conversation as he was fixing himself a cup of tea. He sat back, took a sip, and stared at me for a moment taking in every detail of me. 

"Your father made a great sacrifice in saving Amaris. One we will never forget and always appreciate. We are allowed to live in freedom and peace among each-other without the worry of power becoming an opposing force." The women that joined with the two other men - Cora - spoke with an accent lacing in her words. Her blue eyes were piercing and all her facial features were sharp as she continued to look for the words to speak next. 

"The coven of Corbinian ruled the land with cruelty for their own selfish causes." The stalky man - Bennet did not take his eyes from the dark liquid in his cup. My eyes floated from the pot and cups littering the table to the painting hanging above the fireplace. The background was dark with withering trees and the outlines of mountains. In the center of the photo it showed a fire being burned and women dancing in a circle half dressed. The brush strokes colored a blurry night sky and black birds flying across the sky. The picture depicted evilness and left a heavy feeling in my gut as the people in the room continued to sip.