Nefarious told me everything in the Kingdom was perfect, even Leike’s Land was part of King Persus land, where everyone lived in harmony. When Zig Leike, better known as Elof, turned against the King and killed him, he was banished to land as far as they could send him. The place turned gray and dark, where he still is today.
This class was long, but I took notes of some topics, even with the post-lunch laziness.
Lumen’s Kingdom: Emerged a long time ago being founded by my ancestral Gunnar (the same from the weird expressions I used to hear from Auntie Eva). It was one land, until it was divided in two after Elof killed the King (my grandfather). It has two suns in the sky. Must be careful with the red moon (remember to ask Zyba or Dakota about it). Time goes slower here than in the first dimension.
Hybridus: they are the humans because they have two forces inside: good and evil. Each person must choose the force to nurture and follow. (What am I? A hybridus or a prism?)
Prisms: Lumen’s people, of good heart with good character and ethics.
Pantanal Forest: preserved space with thousands of trees and wild animals living in harmony. Their guardians are the Tomtes.
Valkyrie School of Apprentices: College inside the castle/the school receives all the Kingdom’s students graduating on the five gifts: Keepers, Farmers, Advisers, Doctors, and Masters. They begin as soon as the gift mark appears, around the sixteen eclipses (years old). As in the first dimension, not everyone goes to college.
Makali Library: It’s part of Valkyrie, inside the castle too. (be careful with Kosar, the vigilant dragon). Never go to the top floor (black magic room)
Aratama cascade: The downside-up cascade. Main way into the fourth dimension (and that’s the way the water goes up). Protected by the blue peacocks. It is a knowledge creek where Nefarious searches for counsel to make better decisions.
Leike’s Land: gray and dry land with no happiness. Its populated by Leikians, beings who live by the evil forces. It is where the Death Castle, Elof’s home, is.
Royal Genealogy Tree: King Gunnar Ingolf – King Carl Gustav – King Mikael – King Persus – Princess Runa, married to Lars – Princess Lola (successor of the throne, help me. I’m not ready for this).
The Village: vegetarian/Viking fashion/post pigeon/attention to the sirens for important warnings.
Elof: malicious being and death jackals’ boss. Treacherous and unscrupulous. He should have horns and a devil face.
Death jackals: goons’ spirit of Elof (stay away), they attack like hyenas sucking any life around.
By this time, smoke was coming out of my head. It was too much information for a poor girl like me. From the window I could see the light of the two suns fading away outside. Valkyrie’s bell rang, causing student movement in the hallways. In only few minutes the college was empty. To my relief, Nefarious ended our class.
“I think we can end here today. I can see you’re tired. The best way to learn is to practice. All of this you will absorb with the experience of living here, even if just for a while, for sure! It is better for us to go back to the royal residence. I will show you the available rooms. You will stay at your own castle. A night’s rest will be good for you after so much information,” said Nefarious pressing his lower back, he also looked like someone who could use some rest.
My castle. Me, who until yesterday didn’t even have a bike at Gothenburg, now owned a castle. I didn’t know if this was as good as it sounded. Owning a property of this size probably requires a high price - ruling the people. I can’t even control Koda inside the house, let alone an entire Kingdom.
Wiky, who since lunch time had been resting on his perch in the bedrooms’ hallway, flew to meet Nefarious and accompanied us on our way back, until my bedroom. He asked me if I would like to sleep there or in one of the other fifty-nine rooms available, as this one wasn’t very airy. I felt it would be curious to stay there, even with some dust. This was where my mother (Runa) and my father had lived. I still couldn’t say the word ‘mother’ without thinking of what was familiar—Jessica. I’d have to call them by their names to organize my thoughts.
Nefarious gave me his last instructions for the day.
“I need to prepare my classes for tomorrow. Dinner is ready in the kitchen, we didn’t make anything special for today, I’m sorry. Your bath is ready, the bathroom is right behind the left door. See you tomorrow then, dearest! You started well, didn’t run away until the end of the class,” he said with the grim at the corner of his mouth.
“Take a rest, there is water and milk on that table. I’m happy you are here, in good health. Good Night!” Nefarious hit his stick softly on the floor while they went out. Wiky let out an enthusiastic peep, it was her dinner time.
They went out and the thick wooden door closed behind them. That room hadn’t used for a long while, everything was as my mother had left it. The moldy smell dominated the room. The royal bed was covered by a blue quilt embroidered with the lotus blossom. This was the castle symbol, and we could see it everywhere. After putting on a nightdress I found inside the closet, I opened the curtains, same as the quilt color with white lining, a little. The darkness would bring me nightmares, I preferred the moon and the lamp light on, just in case.
When I laid my head on the pillow, which seemed like a cloud, a tightness came to my throat. I was far away from home. My father was in danger. I started to think of my birth mother. She used to lay her head on this pillow. I wish I had been able to spend some time with her, live with her, receive her affection. Some weird feelings seemed bigger now (at nighttime everything gets worse). At least my legs stopped aching. I started to think of all the possibilities that could go wrong, which were a lot. I prayed to be able to sleep, and it worked. I was having a calm sleep, when a whisper made me jump up from the bed from the shock. It was my father voice’s calling to me, I was sure. I had the impulse to jump out of bed and run to the window, I saw a small light moving on the training field. It was a signal. It could be him! I took a light silk robe from the closet and found my way out. I ran through the castle on a cat’s step and went out by the kitchen door, only having the light of my table lamp. I walked on with heavy breath from my anxiety down the Amethyst Avenue, deserted and dark. The night coldness kept me alert. Guards on duty were playing cards a little farther away from the hatch that took me to the other side of the wall. It was easy to walk by them. In nature’s darkness, I started calling to my father, almost whispering. Suddenly I saw a lamp light close to Aratama, I ran there. I already regretted going this far away, but if my father had escaped? I needed to be sure. The cascade sound made me call for my father a little louder. But when I got to the light, no one was there. I was surprised by a figure who came quickly up from behind me and put a sword to my neck.
“Who are you? What are you doing here late night?”
“Let me go! I’m looking for my father.”
The figure put his sword down. It was a boy looking about my age, he had a way of taking his light hair away from his face that made me feel shy. When we faced each other, his cat eyes made my heavy breath a bit louder (if wasn’t for the cascade sound just beside us). He had a thin and strong body. He was holding a sword stuck to the ground looking strong, but at the same time shy. I think he didn’t know who I was.