Methaphoras

7 VALE OF TEARS

The guests saw the enlarging sphere rise up, and the thunderous violence of the unfolding creation shocked the foundations of Taruko Kahn's palace. Although Urantium gained speed and flew away from the garden, it seemed, on the contrary, to be approaching, because it was increasing phenomenally in size at the same time. It seemed like a monster that was about to swallow Tarukopolis. They beheld the birth of a universe that soon took away the full view of the expanse. Mito was still standing on the bridge and, with his mesmerizing magic, he pushed away the swelling sphere away from Marantium while the attendees were singing and their jubilant cries reverberated:

'Hail Urantium! Hail Ardor! Hail Brymir!'

Ardor barely realized what was happening and climbed with the aid of Ravanella almost mechanically, last on board.

Looking up from the new Urantium, Ardor saw the translucent panels, in the carcass of the gigantic Helyx, sliding towards each other to close. He turned around and gazed at the bare spherical shape of his new home, of which he expected very soon that the round form could no longer be distinguished because the unfolding evolved inconceivably rapidly. Around him, Methas floated in a restless dance, waiting for orders while for the time being they only experienced ominous silence.

In his mind, Ardor thought about Brymir, knowing the moment came nearby that the light of the new creation, could no longer catch up with the crust or outer mantle on which he stood. He counted down because soon Brymir had to shoot the spark in the hot mush. The critical mass waited merely for that inflammation so that it could explode, inside the vacuum, into a beautiful spectacle to form a new universe.

Why did he not find himself in Brymir's position, "IN" Uranium, instead of, here so lonely, "UPON" Urantium? What went wrong?

The words drifted to the surface and the tragedy in the formulation "The Highest Honor" made him burst into insane laughter. What a bitter joke! How could he let himself be dazzled like that? Mito granted him the "most highest honor" while "the second highest" would have made him perfectly happy.

The previous, slightly elastic surface crackled beneath his eyes and where cracks developed, fine dust clouds floated upwards. In a fit of depression, he expressed his feelings and blew a few vhapika symbols in the direction of the slightly vibrating surface, which immediately changed into a sea of fine white sand. In his despair, he raised a very old, melancholic lamentation, after which he erupted in a heartbreaking sobbing, unworthy of a Mantlelord. The Methas fled away in a panic because they did not want to witness such a pitiful spectacle.

The sand fitted better to his disconsolate mood because he literally felt cut off from everything that seemed familiar to him. In addition to all sorts of other important matters, he knew that he had to provide an atmosphere, light, and a conservatory garden, but the motivation was lacking. He seemed to have a sea of time so he did not commence doing what he had to do. Anyway, for the time being, he had enough light from the firmament.

Upon Marantium the roots were tied, which made the nectar source stop spraying. The greenhouse became cleaned up, thus all traces of the excesses were skillfully erased. The guests with enough time and resources continued their party in the immeasurable city of pleasure, while Taruko appointed a new master-builder. He discussed how they could exterminate the wandering Helycons, whereby the palace was first on the list to be searched. Twilight dragons were summoned out of the free space, with which they, once trained on the smell of the Helycon cadavers, inspected every hall and room one by one.

Kayros did not leave with Captain Aran and the Curato, because most of all he preferred to catch a living Helycon. He devised a series of tests to which he would very much like to subject the depraved animals. Besides, he could concentrate on the hunt carelessly, because Varuna was not going anywhere due to the imposed isolation of the fleet. After he sends his nephew Hamani to accompany Kayros, Marac followed one of the dragon masters, in the meantime checking everything with sulpheron meters.