"What did you just do-" before Edmund could've finished his words, the ground beneath them shook and a hole was seen. "As I said before we're going down," Elena stated before she took a rope that was hidden between the stone and jumped down towards the hole.
Edmund took the rope in his hand but a second later he discovered that the stone was tied to a stone. He sighed in relief before he followed her down the hole.
──────
Although this wasn't the first time the queen stepped her foot there. She was just as mesmerized as Edmund. The world looked completely different from what anyone could've imagined and it was entirely different from where they were from. Many different kinds of animals flew across the blue sky. The grass they were standing on swayed along with the warm breeze that touched their skin. Floating islands were seen in front of them as there were bridges that connect an island to another.
"Greetings to you, Queen Elena," a voice greeted from behind. Elena turned around and was met with an old man whose hair was white and had the same height as her. His left hand was holding a stick that helped him support his weight. A chain of necklaces that was made from many different colors was dangling on his neck.
"Chief," Elena bowed to show her respect to the elder man. "It's been an honor to visit again."
"The pleasure is all ours," the chief replied with a warm smile.
She nudged Edmund's arm since he didn't do anything. "C- chief," he gave him a slight bow.
"You must be, King Edmund The Just."
"Indeed, I am."
"Welcome to the Tmanian's realm," he chuckled. Edmund for once didn't expect that the chief of the Tmanian would be so welcoming towards a new guest like himself. And his thought was entirely wrong since the chief was different from what he had imagined before.
"Thank you, chief."
"Queen Elena had told me about the accident," the old man said. "Let's discuss this matter somewhere more appropriate, shall we?"
They followed the chief to a bridge that lead to the biggest island that was located in the middle. There were a few bamboo houses where the villagers lived. And there was a massive bonfire that was built in the center of the island. Both the queen and the king were greeted by the chief's descendants. And they sat in a circle, gathering the bonfire.
"I believe you've heard that our ancestors had found an island," the chief said as Edmund replied with a nod. "As the legend says, the island could only be found in a certain period of time and certain people. By the grace of Aslan, they found the island. The Great Lion told them to harvest some of the flowers and turn them into herbs. So our ancestors did what he said and until this very day, us Tmanian are sworn to protect the black herbs. We lived in prosperity all thanks to Aslan and the black herbs. We produce it for those who are in need and the herbs have saved countless lives. But as news spread across the country about how powerful the herbs are, many people have tried to steal them. So our ancestors build this realm to protect it."
"But a few months ago, somebody broke into our realm and stole it. We've tried to hold them off but they were too powerful. There were only a few men but they were highly trained. In the end, they managed to escape," the chief explained.
"Did they leave any clue behind?" Edmund asked.
"They're well prepared but there is one thing they left for us," the old man answered as he signaled his son to give it to the king. Edmund took it from the chief's son as he opened the letter. As he suspected, there was only an empty paper. "Although, it isn't much of a help," he added.
"As long as there's a clue then it would help," Edmund replied. "Thank you."
"Could you lead us to where they stole it?" Elena politely asked.
"Of course, my son here would lead you to it."
──────
The chief's son opened the door before they entered the bamboo house. It was twice the size of a normal bamboo house since it was made to produce the so-called black herbs. There was a medium size cabinet made out of wood and a stove on the other side of the room. A table stood in the center as there were stone grinders and knives neatly placed on it.
"What's on that cabinet?" Edmund asked. The chief's son took out a piece of key from his pocket and opened the lock of the cabinet. "The upper shelves are the black herbs while the flowers are placed on the bottom."
"Was it open on the day it was stolen?"
"The cabinet is always locked. My father and I are the only ones who have the key to it."
"Then they must've been here before," Elena and Edmund concluded in unison. They both glanced at each other for a mere second before looking away. The feeling when they looked at each other was something they've never felt before but they shrugged it off.
"We're willing to help you find your sister. After all, it has something to do with the black herbs and it's our responsibility."
- ☽.
11 | the other realm
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