The Gardens of the Four Heavenly Queens
Title: The Gardens of the Four Heavenly Queens
Description: If you can find your way past the gates and into the gardens of the Four Heavenly Queens, your life will be forever changed.
A/N: A thank-you drabble for Thalia, who did a fantastic job with the Ficathon :)
Celadon = Jupiter, Cinnabar = Mars, Celsian = Venus, Celestine = Mercury. A twist on the Silver Millennium…
If you can find your way past the gates and into the gardens of the Four Heavenly Queens, your life will be forever changed. The tales of them are many, and taller than the Endless Cliffs. But they are also true.
Celadon’s garden lies behind the wildest falls of the great snaking river in the Southern half of the world. During the day, the steamy air seems so solid that you would almost believe you could walk across the jagged ravines on it. You would be wrong, and the crocodiles would feast on your flesh, but travelers often misstep in those palpable mists.
The perimeters are lined with a lush tangle of vines, at first glance no different from the surrounding jungle. But take one step closer, and you will make the acquaintance of plants that devour insects and even larger prey, or find your limbs entangled by the curtains of creeping moss. Beyond them lie a rioting assortment of tropical blooms, the ones so often strewn through Celadon’s hair and which she cultivates with deft and loving hands. The scent of one by itself is beguiling; the aroma of all of them together is enough to overwhelm the senses and send one stumbling into the close embrace of a flower larger than a horse and known to snack on the unwary.
Deep inside the garden, flashes of a light even brighter than the flowers catch the eye. They come from a sphere roughly the size of a large tiger-melon which rests on a stand in the center of the veranda. Fingers of lightning interlock in an endless dance within the sphere, sometimes running over its surface and straining to break free during thunderstorms. Those who are brave enough to lay their palms on the Sphere of Sincerity will learn their greatest strength, the talent which is most integral to their being and which they would do best to cultivate.
Eastward you will find Cinnabar’s garden, sprawling across stretches of sandstone that look as if they were birthed from the molten heart of the earth. Sheets of fire take the place of walls, burning blue one moment, ochre-orange the next, and most often scarlet to match the breath of the scorching wind and the temper of their mistress. On some days, they reach high enough to kiss the rim of the bowl of snow-capped mountains that cup the garden.
This garden is home to a menagerie even more magnificent than the Jade Emperor’s, and one gets the sense that the tongues of flame are meant to keep people out rather than the animals in. Over the course of the day, the growls and rumbles of the great cats can be heard from measures away. All of Cinnabar’s companions roam the garden freely, and they can sense when someone who is not pure of heart has entered their territory.
The pavilion in the center of the garden holds a ball of ever-burning fire. The Sphere of Vision is the same deep red of the darkest embers, and both shadows and fire dance in its depths. Those with the temerity to approach will discover the dangers that lie in their future, the horrors that may come to pass, and it has driven numbers of them mad.
In the West, Celsian’s garden rises proudly from golden sands, brighter than the dawn and more covetous than the most jealous lover. Like their mistress, the sands keep what they take, and the consequences for those who fail to recognize the pits of quicksand are dire. The land is constantly stirred by arid desert winds, but it is not for this reason alone that it seems like Celsian’s garden is continuously in motion, always in flux.
The garden holds a panoply of jeweled and metal creatures that scuttle across and burrow into the sand, bursting forth to take wing and let the sunlight reflect off their shining skins. Celsian knows that beauty poses its own dangers, and the careless and easily swayed had better be on their guard in this queen’s garden. If you find your way into her garden, keep in mind that the more beautiful a thing you face, the deadlier it is likely to be, and it will strike as fast and as close to your most vulnerable spot as it can. It is easy to see, then, why this garden has no need for walls.
A sphere filled with sultry golden light rests in the sands at the edge of the oasis, cleverly concealed among all the brightly colored creatures. Those who are perceptive enough to place their hands on the Sphere of Desire will see their heart’s desire, be it person, place, or object.
Celestine’s garden is the most difficult to find. A man can wander for days among the labyrinthine paths of the Northern dominion and never catch a glimpse of it, or at least he could if the cold allowed him to survive for so long. In the driving blizzards that are so common there, it is easy to miss the walls. They resemble lace tatted from ice, but they are harder and brighter than diamonds and cannot be cut by steel.
The variety of plants that can thrive in ice is astonishing, and they all grow here. In the shadow of the glacier you will find plants the size of thimbles with enough poison in their leaves to fell ten grown men. Your nose will lead you to the others, ones that smell like damp wood, burning metal, fresh-baked rolls, and human sweat. They will look nothing like anything you are acquainted with, and if you lean in too close, you will never find your way out.
Secreted within Celestine’s palace is a room open to the elements, but only one reigns supreme. The Sphere of Truth is filled with silvery vapor one moment and water the next, before the sharp crackle of freezing ice disturbs the silence. Those whose curiosity cannot be quenched will find that all the answers they seek lie in this chamber.
Behind those impenetrable walls lurk wonders beyond the imagination, and creatures and plants deadlier than can be imagined, and yet they are not the most dangerous things contained within. No, that distinction is reserved for the Four Heavenly Queens themselves. And if you are fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of one of these fabled protectors of the realm, pray they do not look on you, for their power is as potent as their beauty.
Fin.
Description: If you can find your way past the gates and into the gardens of the Four Heavenly Queens, your life will be forever changed.
A/N: A thank-you drabble for Thalia, who did a fantastic job with the Ficathon :)
Celadon = Jupiter, Cinnabar = Mars, Celsian = Venus, Celestine = Mercury. A twist on the Silver Millennium…
If you can find your way past the gates and into the gardens of the Four Heavenly Queens, your life will be forever changed. The tales of them are many, and taller than the Endless Cliffs. But they are also true.
Celadon’s garden lies behind the wildest falls of the great snaking river in the Southern half of the world. During the day, the steamy air seems so solid that you would almost believe you could walk across the jagged ravines on it. You would be wrong, and the crocodiles would feast on your flesh, but travelers often misstep in those palpable mists.
The perimeters are lined with a lush tangle of vines, at first glance no different from the surrounding jungle. But take one step closer, and you will make the acquaintance of plants that devour insects and even larger prey, or find your limbs entangled by the curtains of creeping moss. Beyond them lie a rioting assortment of tropical blooms, the ones so often strewn through Celadon’s hair and which she cultivates with deft and loving hands. The scent of one by itself is beguiling; the aroma of all of them together is enough to overwhelm the senses and send one stumbling into the close embrace of a flower larger than a horse and known to snack on the unwary.
Deep inside the garden, flashes of a light even brighter than the flowers catch the eye. They come from a sphere roughly the size of a large tiger-melon which rests on a stand in the center of the veranda. Fingers of lightning interlock in an endless dance within the sphere, sometimes running over its surface and straining to break free during thunderstorms. Those who are brave enough to lay their palms on the Sphere of Sincerity will learn their greatest strength, the talent which is most integral to their being and which they would do best to cultivate.
Eastward you will find Cinnabar’s garden, sprawling across stretches of sandstone that look as if they were birthed from the molten heart of the earth. Sheets of fire take the place of walls, burning blue one moment, ochre-orange the next, and most often scarlet to match the breath of the scorching wind and the temper of their mistress. On some days, they reach high enough to kiss the rim of the bowl of snow-capped mountains that cup the garden.
This garden is home to a menagerie even more magnificent than the Jade Emperor’s, and one gets the sense that the tongues of flame are meant to keep people out rather than the animals in. Over the course of the day, the growls and rumbles of the great cats can be heard from measures away. All of Cinnabar’s companions roam the garden freely, and they can sense when someone who is not pure of heart has entered their territory.
The pavilion in the center of the garden holds a ball of ever-burning fire. The Sphere of Vision is the same deep red of the darkest embers, and both shadows and fire dance in its depths. Those with the temerity to approach will discover the dangers that lie in their future, the horrors that may come to pass, and it has driven numbers of them mad.
In the West, Celsian’s garden rises proudly from golden sands, brighter than the dawn and more covetous than the most jealous lover. Like their mistress, the sands keep what they take, and the consequences for those who fail to recognize the pits of quicksand are dire. The land is constantly stirred by arid desert winds, but it is not for this reason alone that it seems like Celsian’s garden is continuously in motion, always in flux.
The garden holds a panoply of jeweled and metal creatures that scuttle across and burrow into the sand, bursting forth to take wing and let the sunlight reflect off their shining skins. Celsian knows that beauty poses its own dangers, and the careless and easily swayed had better be on their guard in this queen’s garden. If you find your way into her garden, keep in mind that the more beautiful a thing you face, the deadlier it is likely to be, and it will strike as fast and as close to your most vulnerable spot as it can. It is easy to see, then, why this garden has no need for walls.
A sphere filled with sultry golden light rests in the sands at the edge of the oasis, cleverly concealed among all the brightly colored creatures. Those who are perceptive enough to place their hands on the Sphere of Desire will see their heart’s desire, be it person, place, or object.
Celestine’s garden is the most difficult to find. A man can wander for days among the labyrinthine paths of the Northern dominion and never catch a glimpse of it, or at least he could if the cold allowed him to survive for so long. In the driving blizzards that are so common there, it is easy to miss the walls. They resemble lace tatted from ice, but they are harder and brighter than diamonds and cannot be cut by steel.
The variety of plants that can thrive in ice is astonishing, and they all grow here. In the shadow of the glacier you will find plants the size of thimbles with enough poison in their leaves to fell ten grown men. Your nose will lead you to the others, ones that smell like damp wood, burning metal, fresh-baked rolls, and human sweat. They will look nothing like anything you are acquainted with, and if you lean in too close, you will never find your way out.
Secreted within Celestine’s palace is a room open to the elements, but only one reigns supreme. The Sphere of Truth is filled with silvery vapor one moment and water the next, before the sharp crackle of freezing ice disturbs the silence. Those whose curiosity cannot be quenched will find that all the answers they seek lie in this chamber.
Behind those impenetrable walls lurk wonders beyond the imagination, and creatures and plants deadlier than can be imagined, and yet they are not the most dangerous things contained within. No, that distinction is reserved for the Four Heavenly Queens themselves. And if you are fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of one of these fabled protectors of the realm, pray they do not look on you, for their power is as potent as their beauty.
Fin.