2024-07-19 - Where the sun is hot and the moon is beautiful 4.5.3

When he is not distracted by the swirling of minds around him, Ilrioth notes how different this place feels than the one before. The place before, the one under the earth, was more constant - heat of the Sands below, warm air all around. The only things to mark the passing of time were the minds that came and went - some more consistent than others.

But this place, oh but this place is a marvel. There are times of golden heat and times of silver coolness. At first, he does not recognize what he is seeing because he does not realize he is seeing. What was before endless darkness echoing with music now bore shifting light and colors. So these are what colors are! True, there are not many, mostly it is light versus shadow, but even the light changes - brightening, and dimming, leaving and returning. This is their first experience under the real Sun and Moons, no longer just metaphors, but presences and sensations. From what it could tell, many seemed to have a preference for moon or sun, night or day - but to Ilrioth, both were magical in their own rights. It simply wasn't fair to compare their splendors, it was far more wise to appreciate both for what they offered.

Along with the light, there are other new experiences to be had. Wind! Oh, but wind is fun! Sometimes twisting and playful, other times violent enough to kick up grains of sand and fling it against its shell. The first strike of sand on shell was startling, unexpected, but this surprise quickly turned to delight. There was music in the wind, as varied and wonderful as any mindsong it had encountered so far. The sand against its shell was just another kind of percussion, like the Harper apprentice on his drum. What a delightful thing, to be a musical instrument! Ilrioth is very much looking forward to becoming more acquainted with wind.