Oyzal sighed.

His body was healed but the mind was a different matter. There was a reluctance in him to venture down. In his head roamed the visions of the ordeals of Greymist. There was regret, he had been brave to think the trial was easy and he had suffered.

The orb was gone and yet the light was there.

It bounced on the strands of gold and lit the hues of copper that appeared on the steps. The sight was enough to threaten a smile on Oyzals face for he knew no other to possess a crown as such. A part of him wondered if the trial was mocking him but the thought was soon dispelled as he saw Izars face, the smile could no longer be forced to hide.

It reflected on her countenance. Her face lit up with a smile that Oyzal thought could outshine any fire and her eyes twinkled. A few steps took her closer to him and the air grew a bit awkward. They had known each other only for a few days but had gone through a lot.

She is graced by the heavens, Oyzal thought.

“Well, you had any fun?” Oyzal finally broke the silence, he knew it was lame.

A mischievous light entered her eyes. “Maybe not as much as you, no?”

Oyzal cleared his throat. “I wouldn't call it fun.”

Izar had an eyebrow raised. “Did you also have to swim?’

“Oh, I wouldn't call that swimming”, he replied.

“What did you…” she was interrupted. Oyzal pointed towards the wall behind her for she was standing facing him.

The wall was moving and soon, it parted.

White light infiltrated the room, forcing them to close their eyes.

“What do you think?” Izar asked once her eyes adjusted.

“It looks rather inviting”, said Oyzal.

Izar smiled. “Shall we?”

Oyzal nodded.

The light that had filtered through was of the sun. Pure and vibrant and it spared its warmth. The sky winked at them before they emerged to observe its blueish brilliance. They walked past the cave, not sparing a glance back. A few feet were covered and then porcelain steps presented themselves. They were flanked by golden limbs.

Oyzal looked up to see the steps being gathered by the clouds. "We have a long way to go."

"Will we meet any constructs is the real question, no?" replied Izar.

Oyzal shook his head. "A construct would seem out of place", and then he grinned. "Unless it's there to greet us."

Izar nodded. "That would be something."

They spoke no more as they climbed in companionable silence. With each step they took, the world grew around them. They were finally climbing the mountain they had spotted at the edge of the river. The steps themselves were carved on the face of this brown mass of land that rose to the heavens.

And there were various trees to keep them company. Two with pink leaves that grew to form vines which gave the appearance of a gate. Other trees held their growth, keeping themselves only to the side of the steps. But they were colourful, all of them. A hint of red, a touch of orange and a blossom of violet. Their aroma was sweet and in Oyzals heart sprouted the feeling of contentment.

Oyzal looked over beyond the sides of the stairs, everything had shrunk in dimension. Parallel to them was the blue sky and it made Oyzals heart flutter. A smile graced his face as he thought about the close proximity with which he could gaze at the stars.

He chanced a glance back, regret, vertigo.

His head spun till he had to crouch and hold on to the rails. He was glad there was nothing in his stomach to release and he did not want to, not in front of Izar.

"Admire the beauty, ignore the height", said Izar from beside him. She had waited for him and now imparted wisdom.

"Yes, but from a more solid footing", replied Oyzal, standing now.

"Stick to the railings then, till we get to the top", she said as she used her hands to block the glare of the sun from harming her eyes.

Oyzal shook his head and released his hold on the railing.

Izar shrugged and they set off again.

The sun glared at them from above. It seemed to have found two vessels through which it could pour down all its pent up frustrations. Their robes were soaking wet and the dark fabric on Oyzals certainly did not help.

“I'm starting to miss the forest, even the river wasn't this hot and it was on fire”, said Oyzal, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice.

“The dungeon had a nice cool pond that I could appreciate right now”, Izar said before an audible sigh.

Oyzal arched an eyebrow. “But you can`t swim.”

A mischievous smile appeared on Izars lips. “I couldn`t but now I can.”

“How?”

Izar smiled. “Maybe I will tell you one day.”

Oyzal shrugged and did not prod. The sun smiled down to their detriment. They had no water and Oyzal could not remember the last time he had something to eat. Neither could an end to the stairs be seen. No longer was the aroma from the trees intoxicating, the heat had managed to muffle everything.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind threatened to topple them, forcing them to cling to their respective railings. They had to cover their faces with their other hand such was the intensity of the wind. There was a sharpness to it as it roared. And just as it had appeared, it was gone. Oyzal opened his eyes.

A man was standing a few steps above them.

Salt and pepper hair trickled down to form a beard on a brown angular face. He was wearing a thick blue robe, apparently not concerned with the glance of the sun. Oyzal felt for the man's core and stumbled upon a wall. Oyzal swallowed as he felt black eyes sparing him a glance. He was a rat who had managed to gain the attention of a lion.

“Master Shapou…” Izar had her left fist clenched, covered by her right palm. And she was bent at the waist. A bow.

The man returned the bow to Oyzals surprise.

“Lady Izar”, said Master Shapou in a raspy voice.

Oyzal was a bystander and he had no intention of being anything else. The man was strong, how strong he did not know which made it more frightening. Only those strong enough could hide their cores and he was sure Master Shapou knew every detail about Oyzals own.

“Did father send you Master Shapou?” asked Izar, she failed to hide the nervousness in her voice.

“Who else?” the master replied.

“Mother?” She asked, sounding a bit more hopeful.

“She definitely could have, yes.”

Might as well point towards the sky, Oyzal thought.

“Are you here to take me back?” Her voice sounded resigned.

Oyzal did not like hearing that. He contemplated interfering but Master Shapou spoke.

“Do you want to go back, Lady Izar?”

“No!” It was resounding.

It pleased Oyzal, the answer. But he didn't think his thoughts mattered much in this affair,

“Well then, you have your answer”, said Master Shapou with a smile.

“Then why are you here Master Shapou?” Izar asked.

Oyzal sighed inwardly; he would have bowed and ran.

“Little one, I had to make sure you were all right.”

Izar bowed. “As Master Shapou can see, this one is all right,” she pointed at Oyzal causing him to almost choke before adding, “ this one helped me.”

Oyzal attempted to bow but it felt like he was being strangled. Master Shapou was exerting his pressure and Oyzal could not cope. Those black eyes bored down on him. It felt like vines were wrapped all around him and they constricted with every breath he drew. Then the pressure was gone. Red-faced, Oyzal took a deep breath and bowed.

“This one is honoured to meet Master Shapou.”

Master Shapous` eyes narrowed for a second before he acknowledged Oyzal with a nod.

Master Shapou then honoured the sky with his full range of vision, before nodding with satisfaction.

“Lady Izar, it is time for me to go.”

Izar nodded.“Will you tell my parents that I`m sorry for leaving and I did not want them to worry?”

The man's lips twitched with the faintest of smiles. “Oh child, do you really think you would have been able to flee if your parents had not allowed it?”

Realisation dawned on Izars face.

“Of course…” her voice was barely audible.

Master Shapou bowed, immediately replicated by the two standing in front of him.

He spoke no more but the winds spoke for him. They came with strength enough to cause discomfort, forcing the two to resort to the golden limbs.

Oyzal blinked and Master Shapou was gone.

" How strong is he?" Oyzal asked as he resumed the climb.

"Very", replied Izar.

Oyzal looked towards the heavens to see if they hid the true meaning of very. He shook his head and continued climbing.

And then they were surrounded by clouds. They had climbed enough to be deemed worthy of their presence. Oyzal moved his hands through them, felt the residue of water cling to his wrists. He liked it, he liked the feeling of it. It cooled his skin, soothed his mind against the eternal heat of the sun.

“This feels nice”, he said.

Izar nodded in agreement. “Makes one want to float through them no?”

“When will we get the chance to fly…”, Oyzal sighed.

‘Till we reach diamond.”

Oyzal sighed again.

“Patience is a virtue a divine artist must possess”, said Izar with her eyes closed.

Oyzal snorted, Izar laughed before adding, “That's rude.”

“Apologies Lady Izar.”

“Apology accepted.”

Oyzal shook his head, Izar just climbed on ahead.

The stairs were ending as the top evened out with the sky. Excitement and a bit of anxiety made their way through Oyzal.

They stood on the final step, looked at each other and nodded in unison.

With smiles they left the stairs.

They were in a valley hugged by a range of mountains that circled from either side. Dark peaks with hints of whites could be seen. Some of the mountains had patches of green on their surface while the rest were made of granite.

The ground they stood on now had the colour of oak. There was a gate made of thin red pillars upon which rested a feather the colour of snow. A large golden bell propelled by four strands of black rope stood in the air twenty feet away from them.

Oyzal and Izar walked past the gate and the bell rang.

It was loud but not deafening and it felt like the tranquil chime that emerged from it could cover the entire range of the Southern States.

And twice more it rang.

Their sandals made audible noise and tiny clouds of dust trailed each step they took towards the bell and the mountain beyond. The sun embraced them again but the heat was more manageable this time. And they made it near the bell, its golden body shining like a beacon under the glow from above.

From behind the bell popped down a stocky man of medium height. His short black hair failed to cover his scalp. He was wearing a green robe with red borders and a white feather just above the heart. It was quite apparent that he was waiting for them and so they halted.

The man now stood in front of the bell.

“Welcome to the Outer Sect.”