ALTGS 34

Godhanid.

Celestria walked in through the polished wooden door, looking around the small lounge. It looked simple, but neat and practical. A solid rug at the door was the only decoration on the wooden floor. Long booths displaying cut and uncut jems, necklaces and earrings protected by a very clear slate of glass. A man dressed in dark grey and red walked to her, giving a respectful bow.

“Welcome to Godhanid. I am Nezia, and it would be my honor to assist you today.”

Celestria gave a soft, measured smile. “Hello, Nezia. I would like to take a look at your necklaces and rings, please.”
”Certainly. Is there anything in particular you would like to see?”
”Why, yes there is. I would like to see anything with red gemstones in it. Or... hmmm. Anything that would compliment white that you would recommend.”

“Very well, my Lady. Allow me to lead you to the second floor where we will be honored to offer you refreshments.”
Celestria shook her head lightly, allowing her eyes to wander the simply decorated store. “No, no. I’ll take a little look around as you get everything ready. Do take your time and select the very best pieces.”

Nezia gave a curt bow and left to prepare.

Walking along the display booths, Celestria absently stared at the glittering stones. Clear and vivid in their color, she could see that they were exceptional in their quality. Topaz, sapphire, amethyst. A large, deep green emerald that seemed like a window into a bottomless sea. Gemstones were highly valued in Fortane as of now, especially for women in nobility. Funnily enough, Celestria had come to discover that their popularity was actually of a practical nature. Women did not have many things to their name. Owning land was so incredibly rare, and while it was not illegal, it certainly was dangerous enough that no woman would dare embark to do so. The only right a woman had was fabric and jewels. If she ever found herself in a difficult situation in which she immediately needed money, then she would be able to trade the high quality gems of her necklaces and rings.

This brought a cynical smile to Celestria’s face. Most times, she really tried hard not to take a hard look at the world she now lived in. She would lose her mind if she did, especially because she came from a time when the lines between men and women weren’t so deeply drawn. The mere fact that she was not yet married was almost scandalous in the social world. And it really was ‘almost’ and not ‘outright’ because she always had her head covering and veils on, like some strangely dedicated cosplay of a married woman.

It was strange how she had somehow managed to adjust to this world when she had come from a time when she could wear anything she would like and no one would even spare her a glance. A time when she rarely carried paper money on her, just a plastic card. A time when she stood at the very top of the world, coldly looking down at those that worked and suffered and toiled and cried and died for her. A time in which everything belonged to her, and yet she had nothing. Celestria was no longer really looking at the jewels. She was sinking deep into the sludge of thoughts she rarely entertained. The thoughts of who she was before. Pin-striped suits. Red-bottom heels. Hair slicked back. Like a viper, she would strike mercilessly, and haul victories that only propelled her further to the top. An ever-rising platform. But soon enough, that platform grew unstable. Shaky, rickety. And then in an instant, it broke apart and she went tumbling down into the abyss she believed she had escaped. A deep, dark, cold abyss, like the bottom of a winter lake...

A stone.

A stone?

A strange gem caught Celestria’s attention. Smooth and round like a pebble, this stone was a peculiar glassy black akin to obsidian. But somehow... somehow it glowed a very muted red color. At first glance, one would think that it was an extraordinarily dull and common stone. But Celestria knew that was not the case. What stone did she know could give off a soft glow like a red firefly trapped in a black glass cage? The more she stared at it, the more vivid that light felt. Stars.

Swirling clouds of stars were emerging from it, like the birth of the universe. Pinpricks of light. Yellow, blue, violet. Celestria could not help it when her jaw dropped slightly from amazement, completely absorbed by this magic. What was this? What was happening? This stone... it was so familiar. Yes. Spilling galaxies in an inky black void. A red eclipse. This resembled—

“My Lady. The items are ready for your viewing.”

Very suddenly, it felt like Celestria was thrown back into a cold, solid reality. She was suddenly aware of the slight chill she felt on her skin and the tickle on her neck from a lock of hair hidden behind her veils. Somehow, she had been lost in that stone. Like a disembodied being, flying in space.

“Yes, thank you. Nezia. Please... tell me a little about this stone, won’t you?” Celestria carefully began, pointing at the stone that had seemingly nearly swallowed her soul. Why was her heart beating so quickly? Was she nervous?

Nezia turned to the stone, then a very slight flush of surprise bled across his face.

“Oh my, how did that get in there. I apologize, my Lady! Someone must have accidentally put it out on display.”

“No need to apologize. What is this stone’s name? Where did it come from?”

Nezia shifted nervously in his proper posture, his glass blue eyes seemingly hesitant.

“Nezia?”

“Yes, my Lady. Well... this stone... it was one of many stones the founder of Godhanid migrated here to Fortane with. My great great grandfather, Hanid Godhanid came to Fortane to start a new life. He came with many of these stones, wanting to sell them and make a profit, but as you can see, it’s far too dull, lacking in luster and not at all valuable. Nobody had even ever seen or heard of it before. Slowly but surely, he had to come to terms with the fact that he could not make a profit from them, and he got into the business of gemstones in earnest.”

“Hanid Godhanid...” Celestria murmured absentmindedly. “Where did he migrate from, Nezia? Where did Hanid Godhanid come from?” Where did this stone come from?

If Nezia had looked uncomfortable before, now he looked terrified. His eyes grew large as his lips drew into a straight line. Celestria remained calm even though she felt a knowing sense of anxiety clawing at her. There was something immensely valuable in that stone, and the knowledge of its origin. Something so unbelievably important. “Nezia Godhanid. Where is Hanid Godhanid from?”

Finally, those clear blue eyes shifted downwards, and his taut shoulders sloped in defeat. Why did he look like as if he had been caught? Like he had finally accepted that the jig was up? His mouth opened, trying to say something. No words left. With a shaky breath, he finally gathered his all.

“Hanid Godhanid... was from the Vrimian lands.”