From a slave to a master chapter # 63 - The homeless kingdom, Part I

A Fairy tale

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Wall of fire

Next to her king husband, Coragio, Queen Valentina ruled over an ancient kingdom hidden from any foreign eyes that lay behind a circle-shape thick strip of never explored forest. Many myths were told about the world that exists beyond the woods but since life within the kingdom’s territory was endlessly enjoyable and satisfying, no single one of Valentina’s citizens have ever felt the urge or the need to check what was concealed on the other side.

Credit: silentfield

Much joy and creation prevailed at the royal mansion and the loving couple along with their two sons, Nasi and Karnol, who were identical twins, lived a comfortable and contented life. The twins who were best friends to each other played together, studied together and wherever they went they made sure to carry in pride their majestic heritage.

A great future expected them being the heirs of the kingdom and Queen Valentina has already begun to plan it. Karnol was a particularly curious young boy and together with his brother, Nasi, explored and investigated new places within the boundaries of his parent’s tremendous kingdom. Neither a single stone remained intact nor did a single place escaped the brother’s visit until the entire kingdom became thoroughly known to them.

Then, bored and lacking new challenges to answer their adventurous drive the twins approached their mother and presented their growing frustration. But Valentina, with all the protective love she felt for her dear sons, could not help. Only then brought Nasi up the inflaming idea to walk into the heart of the forest, to cross it and to once and for all find out what really exists on the other side of the mysterious benighted wooden layer.

Queen Valentina, who had suspected that a day might come when her children would ask to leave the kingdom, hugged them both, wiped her wet face and with tearing eyes made them swear to be careful:

“No one has ever crossed the black forest; no one really knows what might lurk behind it. The rumor says that life on the other side is extremely different than life here, at home; even nature rules are not the same”, she made a last try to dissuade her sons.

But to no avail. The impulse to explore the new world was stronger than any fear or threat. Although Nasi and Karnol were familiar with those rumors once the option was raised they could not resist the temptation. They waved goodbye to their worried parents and walked towards the palace’s entrance where the concerned kingdom’s inhabitants who had already heard about the innovative journey, waited to bless the princes.

“Hold on there for one second”, they heard their mother’s voice calling them.

Valentina paced towards her sons carrying a small wooden box decorated with precious stones.

“I want to give you something special, something that has been in our family for generations, actually since the first days of the kingdom”, said Valentina.

When she opened the box the twins saw a small elongated object made of black hollow basalt stone from which a golden light illuminated.

“This is a magic whistle”, Valentina sighed, “If you ever lose your way, God forbids, or come upon any dreadful strait just blow the whistle and both your father and I will hear it and hurry to rescue”.

Karnol hugged his mother for a long time and promised they would be careful. He could feel Valentina’s intense love towards him and Nasi, as well as his dad’s the King Coragio who stood next to them, proudly watching his two heroic boys who dare to do what no one has ever done before.

For Coragio well knew, but kept it to himself, that the kingdom is decaying. The population is fast growing and with it the sustenance needs. If they wanted a future for all it was imperative to find new colonies. The princes’ journey is much more than just an adventurous journey of two curious youngsters. It is a last attempt to save the dying kingdom and the glorious royal dynasty with it.

And so, unaware to the burden that rests on their unripe shoulders waved the princes the last goodbye, paced towards the unknown forest and slowly disappeared between the crowded tall trees until their shadowy images became unseen to Valentina and Coragio.

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Walking in the midst of the thicket was fatiguing. Not only that, they were afraid of the unknown and of the things that expected them on the other side. They each encouraged their brother and promised to themselves that despite all the hardships they would never separate and would finish this journey no matter what.

After what seemed to them an eternity the tangled forest began to shrivel and more bare clearings revealed themselves among the foliage. Bothersome feelings downed on the twins but when they spoke about it, trying to explain the discomfort, their minds refused to cooperate to provide a rational explanation. The air became hard to breathe and the horizon shined in orange colors that steadily crimsoned the more they carried on their way. At last and after much exertion, astoundingly stood Kornel and Nasi on the other side of the forest opposite the sight that revealed to their eyes.

Credit: defense

Far from them yet far enough to sense the enormous vision stood, fully covering the horizon as if it wanted to block their way, a giant intense red breathing-living wall. Never has such a thing been seen and the twins were thrilled for the opportunity to investigate the phenomenon. Any shreds of thought that up until now had tried to convince them to go back into the forest and to the safe Kingdom vanished at that moment. Not that they had a real chance to go back; the firewall exerted an irresistible force that pulled them towards it.

“Karnol, wait for me, do not run so fast”, cried Nasi towards his older brother persuading him to remain close to him.

Nevertheless, poor Karnol lacked the strength to face the mighty gravitational force that the threatening wall applied on him and he swiftly was carried away into the hub of the consuming barrier. Nasi, who was left behind, was taken also by the wall and pulled, against his will, towards the other side of it.

The wall of fire was horrible and burning and Karnol’s life was in real danger; he inserted his hand to his pants’ pocket and pulled out the magical whistle. “No doubt”, he silently thought, “this is exactly the kind of life-hazard that Mom had spoken about. I must save my self so I could also help poor Nasi”.

But alas, the tormenting heat twisted the whistle’s shape until it could not be used anymore. Kornel looked at it with horror and hopelessness; there was no point to keep it especially as the scalding stone was burning his palm leaving ugly marks. And so, with deep sadness, he opened his hand, released the grasp and allowed the basalt stone to drift into the boiling wall.

A second later his senses blurred and Karnol lost consciousness.