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 Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 7:05 pm
Nalanda was never so beautiful as when it was being bathed in the light of the setting sun.
When he and Qingcheng had arrived on his Wonder, it was already late afternoon, and the skies were mostly blue with a few scattered clouds peppering the sky. Nalanda had not shared his Wonder with any other before, not because he didn’t care to, but just because it hadn’t come up. There was something peaceful about this place, but at the same time it felt guarded. There was a stillness to it that made it feel like the calm before the storm.
Nalanda had explained that he suspected it was only because he thought his Wonder didn’t like to be seen in such disrepair, but it was an impossible task to try and clean it up himself.
He tried, of course! But his work kept him busy on Earth, and Nalanda was not the most physically capable man. Being a Knight might have given him strength, but his Wonder was an impressive establishment and it must have taken many builders many years to make it as majestic as it was.
Nestled in the heart of a dense forest, overseeing a beautiful waterfall, Nalanda itself was an expansive campus. The university was a tribute to the arts, and built in white marble there was no shortage of skilled labor and artistry that had been poured into it. It was large enough that it must have functioned as something of a city, but the university was at its core.
Priam had received glimpses of the past, a bit more each trip, but he had questions he knew he might never have answered. He wondered who was responsible for planning Nalanda’s layout, and who had so masterfully constructed it to compliment the environment it was built upon. Full rooms seemed to be built around ancient trees, and pathways had been built to deliberately view the flowing rivers below. The sound of running water was never far, but many of the fountains had run dry, and there were a number of stagnant ponds that had been cut off from the other streams and rivers. Even Nalanda’s mossy rocks and murky waters were beautiful.
Nalanda was built with graceful and organic forms, and there were many domed roofs and round arches. Railings and carvings were graceful and intricate, a tribute to the beauty of nature around them. It was a tasteful wonder, beautiful but not overbearing. It was a place of learning and distractions would have been unwelcome. Decorations and embellishments were never so much to detract from its elegance.
And yet, Nalanda as it was now was a shadow of its former self. Much of the university had fallen into ruin, and it was common to find windows that had been broken out and walls and columns that had crumbled. Nature was reclaiming what it could. Vines and moss had overtaken some areas, but much of Nalanda had been built to be open.
Someone had planned for this, though.
If no one was there to maintain the Wonder, it should return to nature and be beautiful in its decay.
It was. And yet, since Priam had first come here and now, the Wonder seemed to have restored itself somewhat. He had cleaned some, but it was overwhelming and he didn’t know where to start. He spent his time exploring the halls, but it was so easy to just find peace here. He could listen to the water and clear his mind. The aroma of the flowers eased the stress he carried.
Courtyards full of wisteria and ancient trees provided shade and calm. Great pillars stretched into the sky, and there were many benches and pavilions around the campus to relax and study.
There were great libraries here, full of books he couldn’t read but could appreciate. There were hidden passages he found by accident or instinct. He’d been to the waterfall before, and looked over the edge to the iridescent pools of water below. He’d sat by the streams and watched the lilypads and flowers float by.
Nalanda was not a lonely Wonder and Priam regarded it with reverence and awe.
He arrived with Qingcheng and could only scrape the surface of a tour. In the hour they’d explored, he felt like he hadn’t done it justice. When the sun began to set, Priam understood that they needed to pick up the pace a bit. Warm, amber light colored the wonder, and Priam soaked it up.
The sun kissed Nalanda and bathed it in gold. It glistened in the glass of the windows and sparkled on the moving water. The shadows grew longer but Nalanda was no less beautiful.
“I’m sorry it’s taking so long,” Nalanda said to Qingcheng. “I’ve learned that things happen here at their own pace, often slowly. I often feel inspired here, and at peace. I know we’re supposed to be restoring our Wonders, but…”
He led Qingcheng across an arched bridge and kept one hand on the ivy-coiled railing as they crossed a trickling stream. They had a roof over their heads, held up by tall columns. Protected from the elements, they were also open to them.
“I think it’s beautiful here. As it is. I wonder if it was supposed to be like this. There are classrooms and libraries and rooms I don't even know that are safe and closed off. I’ve started to clean some of those, but out here…”
His voice trailed off and he smiled as he admired the way the rays of the setting sun illuminated Qingcheng’s face. “I feel the forest protest if I start getting ideas,” he laughed. “I think it’s nice like this.”
Every now and then he saw a spark of light out of the corner of his eye, and he’d been following that. The Code said it would help them find what they were looking for if they needed help–and Nalanda had accepted the fact that he needed help. They were heading towards a well-hidden stairwell, narrow and built into a curve in the wall that made it easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there. The light was guiding them there but it seemed patient.
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Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 11:21 am
“Why would you ever apologize to me, Nalanda. You know that sorries don’t matter. Not between us. This…this place is outstanding, and I’m simply sorry that we don’t have the time to stay here for long, would you want to come back and really explore some when all of the uncertainty ends?”
His eyes were bright, and he very much hoped that the answer would be yes. He was excited to see this place, so different from his own Wonder, but so exceptionally beautiful.
Qingcheng followed his boyfriend, talking in all that he could, but feeling as though he wasn’t seeing a third of what was here.
“At least, the whole meditation part of this should be easy, maybe not for some people, but you and I do that all the time already…” He chuckled softly and continued to follow, making a slight mental map of what routes they should take when they went to Qingcheng.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 12:47 pm
Nalanda shrugged, even as a small smile tugged at his lips. “I suppose it just seems right to apologize. I don’t want there to ever be a misunderstanding. I suppose I am a bit excessive with my sorries. But I do mean them.”
He was not rushing his walk but he was not wasting his time either. For as much as he’d have liked to observe and explore everything, the task at hand meant that their leisure time was very limited.
“I’d love to come back,” he admitted. “When we have time.”
As he followed the spark of light, he found the secret staircase. It took him a moment to figure out how to squeeze between the false wall to reach the hidden door handle.
It was new to him, but the gesture was familiar.
The stone wall gave way and, through some hidden mechanism, slowly opened for them to reveal a new path.
It led them down a step of winding stairs, and though it grew darker and cooler, Nalanda was unfazed. Even now, he was comfortable. Small flower bulbs, growing enthusiastically from the vines that hugged the walls, illuminated the path as they went deeper into the Wonder.
“I suppose it is a bit of a relief that we only have to worry about reaching the Code piece. I’ve always felt very comfortable here. Very in tune with things.”
There was something comfortable and peaceful about the place–a certain oneness.
He didn’t dread trying to resonate with the Code piece, he only worried about taking so long to find it that the whole thing worsened.
The hallway smelled earthy with a faint floral aroma. Though there was no breeze, it was as if some gentle wind was encouraging them down the passage. Every now and then, Nalanda caught the flicker of a light just around the spiral staircase, like it was rushing down to be just a bit faster than them. It was getting colder. The stairs weren’t steep but they were deep.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:23 pm
“I don’t ever want a misunderstanding either…but.” Qingcheng gave a soft, small chuckle. It wasn’t worth arguing about. It wasn’t anything he could argue about, but if it was, he wasn’t going to keep harping. “But nothing, I appreciate it, and I love and support you…and good. One of these days.”
It was better than nothing, and the thought of taking time, relaxing as they explored such a beautiful place it…
It sounded like the vacation that the two of them truly deserved. “If you need any help, physical help you know that I’m here. And I’m quite strong in this form so, I wouldn’t mind carrying you.”
If it got bad. He knew that too much physical exercise wasn’t great for Priam, and these stairs…they looked like they could cause an issue…especially on the way back up.
“I feel comfortable here too, just so you know, and the offer stands for when we have to come back up, it looks like going down is going to be annoying, but going up will be…”
Maybe not difficult, but not something they should have to worry about.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:30 pm
Nalanda laughed softly, “I feel fine. I’m stronger here. Maybe more than you,” he teased but he knew better than to press his luck. Physically, in all forms he was somewhat lacking. His body really wasn’t built to be any sort of warrior or do any heavy lifting, but being a Knight gave him an advantage, and being here gave him more energy to tap into.
Well, when the Code wasn’t struggling.
“Maybe when we aren’t in such a narrow passageway,” he mused. “If you tried to carry me now I think I’d hit my head every other step.”
He was glad he wasn’t claustrophobic.
“Depending on what we find down here, it might be better to cheat and teleport out.”
He could hope that they found the Code piece and an easy opportunity to repair it. It wasn’t that he wanted to leave, it was just that they needed to visit Qingcheng too–and he really wasn’t looking forward to making the trek back up if this was the wrong direction.
Thankfully, after a dozen more steps, something felt like it changed.
The air got thicker, with magic and with moisture.
“Oh,” Nalanda said; the next step was covered by water. At first, he took a small step back and tried to shake off his boot but it was to little avail. With a heavy sigh he took another step forward, and another. “You don’t have to follow me, I don’t know what’s in this water. Let me see how deep this goes.”
He was up to his knees before he ran out of steps. The room would have been completely dark if not for the Code glowing in the center of the room. He couldn’t see how large the room; unlike the staircase, there were no glowing flowers to line the walls.
The water rippled around the Code as energy pulsated from it.
It looked like it was frantic, begging for help.
Nalanda began to wade for it, careful for any debris or holes beneath the water. He hoped there was nothing else down here. He summoned his staff again and leaned against it, carefully sweeping the bottom of the floor before he stepped just to be safe.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:35 pm
“Priam there is no way I would let you hit your head!” Qingcheng chuckled softly, shaking their head but…Nalanda wasn’t…wrong. He would have to position the other Knight very carefully so as to not hit him…so…maybe the cheating was the best way to go. “If you want to go that route, I absolutely won’t disagree.”
The when the steps began to become covered in water, and Nalanda said he didn’t have to keep going, he sat down on the step, removing his shoes and letting his feet and the bottom of his robes soak for a few minutes. “If you need me, I’m right here.” Even if helping the Code had to be done alone…
He would jump into the water if it was needed, and he knew that Nalanda knew that, or at least hoped that he did.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:37 pm
“Everything looks fine, just flooded,” Nalanda called. “The water is chilly but I don’t think there’s anything in here. I’m almost at the Code.”
He didn’t know how far Qingcheng had followed or if he was still waiting on the stairs. It might be for the best if he didn’t come down here, just so he didn’t get wet. Or sick. The water had a strange tingle in it, like electricity, but there was nothing down here capable of providing such a spark.
He knew it was just in his mind.
In just a moment, Nalanda stood before the Code piece. He could feel it calling to him. There was an ache in his chest that worsened when he dismissed his staff and reached out both hands to cradle the Code.
As soon as he made contact, his vision went white. He lost track of time. It felt like he was trapped in a single second for hours. His body was a shell of itself, and as he and the Code piece aligned, light burst through the room like a shockwave. The water exploded, as if a great stone had been dropped in the middle of the room. It splashed against the walls of the room, coating all of them up to the ceiling.
Wind whipped frantically but Nalanda’s gaze was fixed into the light. He felt no pain or discomfort.
And then, the Code eased. The water calmed and the wind died away.
The water seemed to have startled the unlit flowers into glowing; where there had been dark vines, unseen in the poorly lit room, now the flowers began to open and glow bright enough to illuminate the whole room.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:38 pm
Qingcheng got to his feet when the light burst forward, and when he saw Nalanda just staring, his heart thumped uncomfortably and he took another step into the water, not wanting to leave him alone. He was drenched anyway, and discomfort didn’t matter…if something had gone wrong...if Priam was hurt? If his mind was trapped?
There was no telling what the Code Pieces could do…if meditation didn’t work…if…
Could their Knights be sucked in? Lost in whatever issue was affecting them?
He made it to the bottom of the stairs, reaching out for Nalanda when the flowers began to glow, and he paused, looking around, mouth falling open slightly.
“...Beautiful.”
But of course, the most beautiful thing in the room was Nalanda himself.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:38 pm
Nalanda blinked the brightness out of his eyes. His glasses were slightly skewed on his face so he reached up to correct them as he turned to Qingcheng. “Hm?”
It took a second for him to realize what was going on as he snapped back into the present.
“Qingcheng! I thought you were going to stay on the stairs! Oh, you’re soaked.”
He was quiet for a second more and looked down at himself, who now was arguably much more dry than the other Cosmos Knight. “...I suppose that was a bad plan. I’m sorry. Are you all right?”
He looked completely comfortable, as though he had just snapped out of a daydream.
The Code was stable and calm in his hands and he seemed to realize that as he turned he had disrupted it from its cradle. Quickly, he turned back and gently returned it to the pedestal in the center of the room, where it was cradled by falling vines and newly blossoming flowers.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:40 pm
“I was going to stay on the stairs! But I was worried that you were hurt…it’s all right. A little water never hurt anyone. Are you all right?”
When he watched Nalanda put the Code piece down, Qingcheng finally just crossed the distance between the two of them, taking hold of Nalanda’s arms. “Did you get hurt? That was…far more…violent than I thought it would be. I can’t argue with the results though…this…looks like somewhere that you’d find fairies!”
It was stunning…if it hadn’t been so…wet, he would want to come back and see it once again. “Are we going to cheat, or do you think you can make it back up the stairs? Either way I have to grab my shoes…they’re still on one of the steps…”
He glanced back, seeing the white and gold slippers sitting there. Wet, like every other part of him. But, that was fine./size]
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2024 6:34 pm
“Oh, no. I’m absolutely going to cheat. With my luck? No, I’ll slip on the stairs or something. These robes are heavy enough as is. Wet, too?” He shook his head.
Something about this place convinced him that he didn’t have to worry about bacteria or worse but it was still an uncomfortable sensation all the same. He lingered in the water, looking over his shoulder at the Code piece for a moment longer before he finally nodded.
It seemed at peace. The whole Wonder did. He did.
“No, I think when we get to the stairs I’ll just power down and then back up again. Get a nice, clean outfit. Fresh and ready for Qingcheng, if you’re ready to go? It wasn’t bad,” he assured suddenly. “Really, it didn’t hurt at all. Maybe it just looked worse than it was, but I feel…”
He considered for a few seconds and then admitted, “Very good, actually.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2024 7:20 pm
Qingcheng smiled brightly and made his way over to Nalanda, taking hold of his hands. “Then, lets go to Qingcheng…and take a moment when we get there to dry off.”
Leaning close, he kissed the other KNight’s cheek, and then his nose, and then his lips. “I’m glad that you feel good. I’m glad that your Wonder feels good.”
It made him realize that he could do this too. And honestly…now he was excited to do it.
“Let’s go fix up Qingcheng!”
…and then they could go home.
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