Chapter 445: The Heart of Haven
"Well, this is different," Korra remarked, her eyes wide with wonder as she surveyed Haven. "There are a lot more castles."
I’d invited them to accompany me into Haven to prepare for tomorrow. Now, we stood before the shimmering swirl of mana that served as Haven’s entrance. The small island had grown somewhat larger, and the gate now remained open permanently, but it was otherwise similar to when I’d brought Bethiv here just a week earlier.
The two gaped in disbelief as a massive island, nearly a hundred yards long, drifted lazily overhead, revealing worn ramparts and a solitary tower. Perhaps they were simply less experienced, but I definitely preferred their reactions to Bethiv’s. A warm burst of pride filled me as they continued to stare, their eyes exploring the countless islands and ruins that dotted the vast expanse.
After a few moments of stunned silence, Gayron rubbed his eyes as if trying to make sense of the scene. "Wasn’t this supposed to be a demon gate? What the hell is this?"
I moved to the island’s center before facing them, clasping my hands behind my back. A faint smile played on my lips. "This is my realm, Haven."
"This place is yours? How is that even possible?" Korra asked, turning to me with a bewildered expression. "Wasn’t this just empty space before?"
"I can’t say for certain myself, but it’s tied to my staff," I said, scratching my cheek. Not the most satisfying explanation, but it was all I had to go on. "But I can explain more later. Come on."
With a wave, I led them to the edge of the island, where broken fragments of floating rubble formed a bridge to the Heart of Haven. I’d settled on the name after some thought; it was the center of the realm, the place where I felt most at peace and connected to Haven. It was a little pretentious, perhaps, but calling it something like "the shrine area" or "Fountain Island" drew too much attention to the small statue of myself at its center. I was nervous enough about them seeing it without giving it a self-aggrandizing name.
As I reached the edge of the island, I stepped off into the empty space below. Korra gasped, her hand reaching out for me, but she froze as the rocks and cracked flagstones stirred, converging into a solid path beneath my foot.