The Adventures of Aric and Lyra - The Gate of Elyndra

More about The Adventures of Aric and Lyra - The Gate of Elyndra

Deep in the heart of Elyndra's rainforest stood a gate that was not marked on any map. The trunks of ancient trees had survived for millennia. Their roots crisscrossed the earth like the mighty veins of a living world. Giant ferns and vibrant plants covered the ruins of a long-forgotten culture. Yet even the oldest legends of the surrounding peoples spoke only in hints of the ring of stone that lay hidden there. It was called the Gate of Elyndra. No one knew who had built it. No one knew where it led. The few adventurers who found it either never returned or told of things that hardly anyone wanted to believe. Thus, the gate remained a myth for generations. Until that morning when Aric and Lyra reached the hidden temple. Aric was a cartographer and explorer. All his life he had searched for places that shouldn't exist. Lyra, on the other hand, was not human. She came from the star colonies of Nareth, belonging to a people who had explored the boundaries between worlds millennia ago. Together, they had followed an ancient star map discovered in a sealed archive deep beneath the icy wastes of Corath. The map didn't show a place. It showed a path. A path that didn't exist anywhere on their world. When they finally stood before the gate, they both immediately sensed they had found something older than any known civilization. The ring was covered with alien symbols. Some resembled writing. Others looked like constellations. Still others seemed to move slowly across the surface of the stone, as if alive. At the center of the ring, a transparent area shimmered like liquid glass. Beyond it lay a world that couldn't possibly exist. Floating islands drifted through a violet sky. Crystal towers rose from silver plains. Rivers of luminous light snaked through the landscape like living veins. Above it all hung two suns. Aric couldn't tear his gaze away. “This isn’t a projection,” he whispered. Lyra nodded. “No. This is a window.” As they spoke, the gate slowly began to awaken. The symbols along the ring lit up. A deep hum filled the air. The surrounding plants reacted instantly. Leaves opened. Luminous blossoms turned toward the gate. Even the ancient trees seemed to stir. As if the entire forest sensed the beginning of an ancient event. Aric cautiously approached. Something was moving inside the portal. At first, he thought it was just a reflection. Then he recognized figures. Humanoid beings stood on one of the floating islands. They were looking straight back at him. As if they had been waiting for this moment. One of them slowly raised a hand. At the same instant, the gate reacted. A beam of light shot through the ring and struck the ground in front of Aric and Lyra. A map of glowing lines appeared. Continents. Star systems. Gates.