Your star burns and dies out a thousand times over,
but still remains a source of light to guide you home
In flight or in freefall, glide along the evergreen
Motes of dust resembling constellations

Every step directed with purpose
Unwearied in your desire to seek
The others seeking virtue to follow will track the living imprint of your feet
Waking into the moment from a fever dream
Two steps behind, observing compulsive thoughts in a conscious stream

Let this moment break your heart
Something greater to impart
Anxieties that you try to pacify will keep you going under
Follow me to the sound
Conscious soul to be found
Anchors cast in the disarray drift away
Drift away, unafraid of what awaits

Endless edge of an endless horizon
Ships passing like ghosts over graves
Set yourself upon the precipice of the earth, feeling through everything

- Erra - "Vanish Canvas"

---

Much like before, the process was the same. At once, the air encompassing them took on a newfound weight. Fastened to the dais, the sudden weight rendered the small group immobile as the smell of ozone suffused their surroundings. The air crackled with electric blue arcs as the stone beneath their feet illumined the intricate patterns carved into it. Outlined in bright colors, the wavering light the stone cast lingered above their heads like some multifaceted mirage as the pungent smell of petrichor only became more potent. Within the circle, once more they felt that same weight, affixing them to this platform, grow steadily more intense and unyielding. The air pressure inside became more and more pronounced by the second, building in tandem with gravity’s mounting burden. It sapped so much strength simply to stand up straight and fight against the barrage of cumbersome sensations.

After a while, Piers gave into the currents and let the deluge of energy work through his muscles unobstructed. Beyond the platform lay a milky cloud of stars swirling upward. However, unlike before, this opaque shroud gave way to reveal entirely new vistas. The forest they left behind was gone, and in its place, was a temple of megalithic proportions.

As the pressure abated and the electricity ceased to flow in lively, liquid arcs above their heads, it dawned on Piers with surprise that, for all its spectacle, the experience they endured must’ve lasted, at most, only several seconds.

“Where are we,” the taller rabbit asked, taking a cautious step off the platform, “and what the hell did you do to get us here?” Although the question itself was emphatic, the young man’s voice gave little emphasis to anything beyond awe and incredulity. Quirking a brow, he surveyed the capacious and cavernous temple that housed the dais.

A sizable portion of the complex radiated from the dais like spokes in an enormous wheel. The dome which shielded the platform was built atop elevated ground that provided an impressive view of Le Bastion des Rêveurs bathed in the smoldering hues of oncoming twilight.

“I cast a spell. That’s all I did, really,” the purple-furred cougar answered. “One that would trace the magic we found back to its source.”

“So, you’re saying magic is what did all this, then? That this spell of yours teleported us here?” Fenix asked. A wry smile blossomed on his lips as the rabbit cocked his head. “How convenient for us.”

“Not quite,” Piers replied, studying the remnants of that residual energy swirling between his fingers. “It only made it possible. My spell was meant to give us a trail to follow, but instead, the sigil we’re standing on was triggered by the presence of magic. I don’t know what it does or who built this thing, but the spell probably allowed it to fulfill its function.”

“Sure, why not? Nothing makes sense anymore, so why buck the trend now?” the taller rabbit said with a dismissive wave. “I’m starting to realize that asking sensible questions doesn't get me very far when it comes to magic.”

“Remarkable,” said the salamander on the opposite end of the dais from Fenix, eyes affixed to the massive ceiling. “I never would have guessed that was what they did. Altars like this one, with that same peculiar symbol, surely must all be connected someway somehow by some intricate, archaic network spanning the entire galaxy. That is, if those responsible for their creation designed them to be used to bridge time and space over vast distances.”

“Why do you say that? Have you seen this before?” Piers asked as he cast a wary glance toward the fire-breathing amphibian. For it was only a half-hour ago that this creature had shadowed them relentlessly into the foreboding wilderness. Hounding them with dogged persistence, the interloper had pursued Piers and his newfound allies until their only recourse to escape the encircling security forces had been to work together. Come what may.

“Indeed, I have,” the salamander said, eyeing the cougar with much the same wariness. “On my home planet, I’ve seen an altar much like this one. More than one, in fact. Each had this exact same symbol carved onto what I assume must be volcanic rock. My station prohibited me from investigating, unfortunately, but I’ve seen them from a distance. Whatever they do, they’re considered far too significant to leave unattended. They’re always under guard.”

“Did you say home planet?” The shorter rabbit intoned. She conveyed the expression of somebody overawed by circumstance. Not afraid, but very much overcome with the same awe and wonder as seen in the other rabbit. “You’re not from here, then? Not from Ereas, I mean.”

“No, not at all. In fact, I’ve spent more time on your Earth than this world. Albeit in disguise. As it appears that there aren’t any sapient reptiles or amphibians on either planet. Kedel, the place I call home, is lightyears away from most anything any of you would recognize.”

“I have so many questions for so many of you that I don’t even know where to start,” said the honey badger. He shrugged futilely as he stood in captivated disbelief. “The more I see, the less I understand. My entire life, you see, I’ve dreamed of being in a situation like this: out among the stars and exploring the universe. But now that I’ve done just that, nothing feels real about it. I wanted to get out of Saskatchewan and see the world. Not some other world I’ve never heard of until yesterday.”

Scoffing, the taller rabbit directed his gaze at the nearby honey badger and said, “Man, don’t tell me you want to go back to the Prairies now. Not after all this. Whatever happens next, wherever we go from here, it beats being back home. You got what you wanted, so what’s the issue?”

“Nothing,” he said with a small laugh, eyes still studying their surroundings. “It’s just that everything is coming at me all at once. If aliens are real and so is magic, what else should I expect in the next few days?”

“I don’t know what you did Piers,” said the lynx in quiet, curious tones, “but I can still feel that energy around us.” The young woman stood entranced as remnants of those peculiar, electric currents snaked between her legs and fingers. “I don’t know why, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve been here before—that we’ve been here more than once—and that this energy recognizes me. When you cast a spell enough times, you know the forms almost intuitively. I swear I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, but the I way feel now makes me think I’ve plied this same spell myself who knows how many times.

“It remembers us, doesn’t it? The magic. It always does,” said the cougar, allowing the ethereal currents to intertwine around him. “Thinking back, I don’t know what made me cast that spell in the first place. I knew that on some intuitive level it would work, and after a while, I was only acting on instinct. It felt like the right thing to do, so I did it.” Glancing over his shoulder, the purple-furred cougar regarded the lynx with intrigue as he stumbled upon a shared conclusion. “It’s familiar much how like a fresh dream is a familiar. One you’re only now just waking up from. It didn’t really happen, it couldn’t have, and yet the experience we gained from that dream was still very real. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I know without a doubt, that we’ve all been here before.”

“I hate to interrupt,” the honey badger said, discomfort bleeding into his tone. “but maybe we should go. I don’t know if those armed guards we ran into—witch hunters, I think you called them—know we’re here, but I won’t feel safe standing still until we’ve put in some distance.

“Agreed,” said the taller rabbit, striding away from the platform. “We can wax philosophical later once we find a way out. First things first, I barely know any of you, so introductions are in order. Who knows? Maybe if we wander around long enough, we might even learn a thing or two about one another.”

Watching him walk away, the shorter rabbit reflected quietly to herself. “I think I’d like that. The two of us, I think we’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Even if you don’t know it yet.”

---

(From left to right: Fenix, Uziah, Piers, Daeja, Maven, and Xerin)

If you're curious to learn more about these characters, you can click these links here:


Fenix Kelley

Uziah Desjardins

Piers Renoir

Daeja LaBrie

Maven Kelley

Xerin Oceangrave

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I want to use this opportunity to thank  aerokat for all that you see here! If not for all their hard work and effort, this piece wouldn't exist, so I'm grateful for all they've done. I'm so happy to have had the chance to collaborate with them again, and I can't be happier with how this came out in the end.

If you like what you see, might I suggest you check out her gallery for more great art!

They've even got a Patreon!


art is ©  aerokat

characters are ©  nazcapilot