Have you ever seen a castle atop a mountain in Germany? Or a picture of an archeologist by the toe of the Sphinx in Egypt? The castle must be as large as this, making any grown adult a mere ant beside it. The river around the castle is vast and based off the history project of the Nile I did, might be about that width. Its waters change between green and blue but transparent. So transparent, in fact, the bottom of it is in sight and has no end. And just at its edge, opposite of us, the walls of the castle stand. So close to the edge that only two people could manage to walk shoulder-to-shoulder. A chill runs down my spine. One wrong step, like the winding mountain road to Jamestown, then bam. Death awaits. But this time, in the form of a bottomless river instead of a car tumbling down the side of a cliff and impaling itself onto tree tops.

“Now what?” I ask.

“Magic, Lyla. Try some magic.”

I can’t imagine swimming is magic but I’ll give it a go. The water is warm on my fingers and just as I dip my shoe in, a creature swims below. A long neck, four fins, and a nearly endless tail.

“The Lochness monster?” I whisper. “It’s real? Can’t be.” Is there a prayer to swim faster than a dinosaur? The water laps at the ankle I’ve found the courage to dip in but the creature turns and swims back, larger now as it heads towards the surface. I yank my foot out and shake my head. “No, Talis, no way. I can’t do this. I don’t know how to get across. I’m not even sure if swimming in a river is different than swimming in a pool. Plus, I don’t swim a whole lot, you know?”

Talis grabs my hands. “I am your Protector. If you do not want to practice your magic you will ask me to practice mine.”

A deep breath in, the air exhaled wavers and the back of the creature in the water crests. “Okay. Talis, can you do your magic stuff and get us across the water.” Tears edge their way to my eyes. It’s probably shock from seeing a plesiosaur guard the foot of the realm of gods or just the idea of the realm of gods or maybe I’m overwhelmed from only leaving home less than three days ago and I’m in the sky somewhere with my little charmy telling me it’ll all be okay if I just ask for help when I need it.

“Of course, Lyla. I shall do the magic stuff to get us safely across the water.” He presses his finger between my eyebrows. “Close your eyes.” I see all the colors I know and all the colors I don’t know while sand tickles my arms and my neck and I press my eyes shut harder as sand bristles my eyelids. “Open them,” he says.

The river is on the other side of us now, Talis still holding my hands. Colors still flashing before my eyes with every blink.

A screech bellows, the monster’s head above water wails. And then a rattle of chains smacks the ground behind Talis. He smiles and drops my hands. With a breath in, his chest puffed high, he says, “Time for you to continue into the realm and I will protect you.”

From under his cloak he pulls a golden hilt out and as he draws it, sand twists and flows around it until a full-length sword forms. He knocks the blade against my shoe and the sand falls away.

Talis runs the flat part against his palm. “Black obsidian obtained from the first volcanic eruption.” He moves it through the air then sets it to his shoulder. “The first gift I ever received second to the kiss of life from Wisdom and God. Do you know who gifted this sword everlasting to me?”

A moment passes while a creature stalks Talis. It stands behind his figure, creeping towards Talis. It’s gray tail, spiked, moves left to right. A snarl emanates and it peers from behind Talis, just a yard or so away.

“There,” I say as calmly as I can, “a thingy behind you.”

Talis winks and turns towards the noise behind him and I stand as motionless as the marble columns towering above me.

Per Angusta Ad Augusta

through difficulties to honors