It was the second slap of the day and we hadn't even left Lumen yet. I couldn't wait for the rest of the day. I felt my face burning under the freckles, I didn't like hearing that. How could she compare me to hunters who kill animals, who abused them!?
Although for me to eat it, someone had to kill it. So indirectly I'm really a threat. It hurt to realize that I was as dangerous as a hunter, since I consumed, and I am conniving. That criticism was hard to swallow, satisfaction was not worth the life of any innocent. I would try, but how hard it is to change a habit.
After a while walking, we came to the wall marking the end of the forest. Side by side, the pines formed a barrier protecting the insides of Pantanal. In time we got out, the dampness of the air was making my bangs more and more spiky. We left the wheelbarrow for my father at the agreed-upon place where Gnome Fark said no one would move it.
From the outside, the giant pines grew even more imposing. We were stepping into a thick field where the dead grass was a yellowish green until it became just dirt soil. A few yards ahead, the perimeter of Leike’s Land began. We stopped in front of the empty landscape. We were one step closer to the danger.
“According to the compass, we should open the portal here,” Dakota stated.
“I don't see any dome,” I commented. I could shut up every now and then, it would be less embarrassing.
“That's because they are invisible,” Kenzo answered politely again, and with a small smile at the corner of his mouth. Now he was sure I was dumb.
“Who got the Ferry potion?”
“I did! It's here in my belt,” Zyba threw back his cape and pulled the yellow potion from his belt. “Stay away everyone.”
We took a few steps back so that Zyba could cast the spell on the force dome. He took a deep breath, concentrated. He threw the potion with glass and everything toward the border.
Oppna portalen!
It didn't look very professional, but it worked. The potion exploded on the force dome, opening a gold-bright portal in the air that seemed to melt like butter, we had a few seconds. We could see the other side that awaited us.
“Let's go guys!” I took some courage and was the first to go through the portal, followed by Kenzo, Dakota, and Zyba. Koda was the last, lightning struck him hard turning my dog into a kind of green parakeet with yellow wings and a blue head. His collar with his nameplate fell to the ground as he tried to fly low, all squishy. We were lost not knowing whether to laugh or cry, at least he was alive. I put his collar in my pocket and put him on my shoulder, he barked and shook his feathers in thanks. He was still a dog, now in a parakeet's body. The portal closed behind us, leaving a jelly layer between Leike and the forest.
We took our first steps on the arid soil. The warm wind licking our faces was the only noise in this place that looked like an endless desert with some dry oaks. A thin layer of dust covered our boots within seconds and irritated our eyes when Dakota pointed out.
“Lola, your necklace!”
The necklace was lit up, changing from bright purple to dull gray, then fading again. The same thing happened with the ax stone (but it didn't turn gray), it was like it was adjusting the vibrational frequency (Professor Olga warned me it could happen). The cloud-laden gray sky heralded a storm that drove our compass mad, pointing everywhere. Fearful Koda already huddled in my cape and began to sneeze. Now the hot wind carried the smell of rubbish, some carrion stank there. It was time for our noses to feel the effects of the wind. Right in front of us, a dead hyena rotted at the feet of a large dry oak, where in place of leaves there were two vultures resting on its carcass, one was licking himself while the another finished eating the hyena carcass. They looked to us like watchdogs. Koda growled, even if he was a parakeet. As I tried to make him quiet, an even bigger vulture flew in and landed on the top of the tree, he licked his black feathers like a cat. As we faced each other, the bird spread its wings and flew to the lowest branch. I remembered very well who that animal was.
“Well, well ... How wonderful to receive so many guests! I finally have the honor of meeting you, Lola.”
Wrapped in a smoky shape, he turned into a man dressed as a prism. He was a thin, pale, man with black hair, draped over his forehead. Delicate features, I'd say almost pretty.
I held onto the ax guarded around my waist, just in case. I didn't know if he was going to fly in my face or have his goons get me, because a good thing it didn't seem to be. But I had to face it. There was no choice.
“Let's shoo this nasty thing off!” Dakota shouted arming her bow.
“Try to shoo me off and I'll rip your head off with a fingernail, your ‘sausage water’.”
“What did he call me?”
“Shut up, Dakota! We barely got in here, I don't want to become stew already!” whispered Zyba, his eyes widening.
“You should listen to your dear friends more often.”
“I always tell her that, but ...”
“Shut up you, Zyba!” replied Dakota. Now they were even.
“Calm down, boys. I just came to greet you! Let me introduce myself formally. I am Cinamomo Misty, King's sword-arm,” said the man, leaping from the branch. He landed on his feet, dusting his clothes off, and smoothing his flowing black hair. His voice was cold.
“We're looking for Elof’s Castle.”
“I know, dear Lola, I know. I'm here to help you if you guess my charade.”
“We don't need that, we have our compass,” replied Kenzo.
“We don't have, it went crazy,” Dakota showed him the object with the needle inside spinning a thousand turns.
“Don't be ridiculous, that would never work here! But since I am a gentleman, I will ask a simple question. If you get it right, I will show you the direction of the castle, if not, you'll wander the desert until you turn into a feast for my comrades, up there. We are a fair kingdom, with an even fairer king. We do not punish anyone without reason.”
“What is the question?” I was starting to get anxious.
He opened his right hand, where he held a crystal ball. It gave a small impulse that levitated a few feet in the air, increasing in size. Inside, a dense fog cleared, giving way to a familiar scene that made my eyebrows wrinkle.
“Imagine someone mocking you in front of everyone. Humiliating you, making you the reason why everybody laughs.” The crystal ball showed the scene where Karl stuck the sign “unlucky and crushed” on my back. Everyone laughed and I, with a dumb face, didn't fight back, just filled my eyes with tears. He continued. “What would be the right thing to do?”
We all remained silent. My face burned because I was the protagonist of the scene, I didn't know what to say. But someone knew.
“I'd kill him, by doing worse to this idiot!” answered Kenzo, gathering his eyebrows.
We looked surprised at him. A prism would never do anything in the heat of the moment, like this. But Kenzo there seemed more hybridus than prism.
The crystal ball exploded in the air. Cinamomo gave a surprised smile and turned to Kenzo applauding his answer.
“GREAT, boy! Kenzo, isn't it? I've heard of you ... Have a pulse, firmness, I liked it!”
No one dared to say anything at that time.
“Although the answer didn’t come from you, Lola, I will take it for granted! The way to Leike village and the castle is right there, little fools,” said Cinamomo pointing with disdain to his left.