Dizgaia ~ The Dreamfinder's Daughter

Chapter 6 ~ The 10 Kingdoms

Mia followed him back to the lower level. As they rounded a corner, she saw a most peculiar sight heading down the hallway in the opposite direction - a penguin wearing a bow tie and carrying a briefcase. Jaw agape, Mia tugged on Blair's sleeve.

"Hmm? What is it, dear?"

All Mia could do was point and flap her lips soundlessly.

"Oh! Good afternoon, Jeffrey!" said Blair, lifting his hat in greeting.

"Afternoon, Professor!" replied the chipper penguin, offering him a quick salute.

Mia watched as he waddled past them and turned a corner out of sight. "It spoke!" she squeaked.

The Dreamfinder chuckled. "Of course, Miandra. In time, you won't find someone like Jeffrey quite so jarring. In fact, I have met with King Simba of the Kingdom of Inafria on more than one occasion. While he might look quite the fright at first, he's actually very kind; a noble leader and magnificent guardian of his people."

"S-Simba? As in The Lion King? He exists here, too? Can we, like, communicate with him? Can he speak human language? Is he like a lion-lion or a bipedal anthropomorphic lion?"

Blair was quite pleased to hear his daughter use a word like anthropomorphic. It showed that despite living a very non-magical life in the 'reality' that was Earth, she was already well versed in a multitude of fascinating concepts. Her spark indeed burned brightly. And thus far, her familiarity with the ambassadors and her knowledge of such literature spoke of a well-read young woman.

"My dear, Miandra, you are quite astute, and very eager! I believe here in Dizgaia your imagination will flourish! Yes, King Simba walks as upright as you and I. And while they may have their own language, the people of Inafrai can mostly speak the common tongue as well."

"That's amazing! And what is Inafria?"

He opened the door to his office and led her inside. "As for Inafria, itself..." He went to the far wall and pulled down a rolled-up map like the sort one might find in a social studies classroom. "Inafria is but one of the 10 Allied Kingdoms. As I mentioned before, Cerenopia is another." He pulled down a second map, this one of Cerenopia. "And each kingdom has their own rulers and guardians."

Mia sat wide-eyed on the edge of the chaise lounge. "Tell me more about the 10 Kingdoms," she said with all the excitement and command of a little girl eager to hear a favorite story. "And who are the leaders and guardians?"

Blair matched her excitement with his own as he hurried about the room, pulling down more maps that lined the back of his office. He was more than happy to share with his long-lost daughter the knowledge of the world from which she was stolen.

"Allow me to introduce you! First, Cerenopia, where we currently reside, is the largest and most prosperous of all the kingdoms. Main Street, Epcot, The Frontier, and many other regions are all contained here. Cerenopia is led by the sister princesses, Cinderella and Snow White."

"Wait... You mean Cinderella and Snow White are sisters?" Mia shook her head in disbelief. "Man, they sure got those stories wrong on Earth."

"Separating them into two stories probably made them easier to digest," said Dreamfinder, "But you and I both know real life isn't as simple as that. Anyway, we'll save the sisters for later. All you need to know right now is they are the co-rulers of Cerenopia; though Princess Cindy is also a formidable warrior and thus plays a dual role as Cerenopia's guardian."

The fact that Cinderella was a great warrior had Mia intrigued, but Blair was already on the move, pointing to the map of Inafria.

"Inafria is a kingdom mostly populated by, as you put it, anthropomorphic denizens. It's leader, of course, is King Simba, who presides over his people from The Pride Lands. He is a fierce warrior, but he is not Inafria's only protector. In the dense Seeonee Jungles, a young man also defends the land. The Wolf Warrior, Mowgli, is their chosen guardian."