I wake up surrounded by thorns of ice in the Nie mountainous wilderness. Slowly, I get up and turn around looking for any sign of my cousin. I come up with nothing. “Where is he?” I whisper.
“Where’s who?” asks Silvy as she approaches me with a basket full of clean snow for the snow cone harvest. “Emma, I haven’t seen you for ten sunrises! How have you been?” I try not to show the shock on my face when she tells me how long I haven’t been here. To me, it’s only been a few hours. Eternal time I tell you.
Walking right next to her I say, “I’m not doing so well. I’ve lost my cousin Riley and he is nowhere to be found. Have you seen him?”
Silvy shakes her head as she says, “No, I’m sorry Emma. I haven’t seen him. How does he look like?” Right after she says this the both of us freeze as we hear a groan from a cluster of trees a few feet away. I run towards the trees while Silvy runs after me.
“Riley? Riley is that you?” When I enter the circle of trees, I find Riley right in the center of it all. He is shaking as he gets up from the snowy ground.
“Figures there’d be more snow,” he grumbles as he turns to look at Silvy and me in awe of his surroundings. “Are we here?” he asks me. However, he looks at Silvy and says nothing more. “Are you from here?” he asks Silvy. Silvy nods and I gesture for Riley to come towards me.
“Yes, she is from here and her name is Silvy. She is a friend of mine and comes from the snow maiden tribe.” I pointedly look at him and hope that my look convinces him to behave. Hopefully right?
Standing right next to me Riley takes his hand for Silvy to take. “I’m Riley and it’s a pleasure to meet you Silvy.”
Silvy blushes as she replies, “The pleasure’s all mine.” She glances at me before she takes her clean snow with her and starts walking towards the trail to the snow maiden encampment.
Following her a few feet behind I whisper in Riley’s ear, “Silvy and the other snow maiden’s aren’t aware we are of the Eternal Royal Family. Only their Chief knows. You are to tell nothing to any of the other snow maidens of our true identities. Are you clear?”
Riley scoffs as he whispers back, “I’m not even sure me being a part of the Eternal Royal Family is even true. To me it sounds like a made up fantasy cooked up by your dreams.”
Punching him in the arm he cringes as he realizes I touched him. “Wait, if you are really dreaming then how can you touch me here?”
“I’m not completely sure why. All I know is that I can,” I reply.
“Not as comforting as it should be,” says Riley as the snow maidens’ home comes into view.
I smile at Silvy as I say, “Silvy, thank you for bringing us here. My cousin and I must have a conference with your Chief once more.”
Silvy gracefully walks towards the Chief’s doors and closes them behind her. “Why did she leave us out in the cold?” Riley asks with a hint of displeasure. Scratch that. A bunch of displeasure wrapped up in an upset sandwich.
“She’s letting the Chief know we’re both here,” I reply with a shrug from my shoulders.
“And this Chief; is he going to explain why I’m different?” I clear my throat in response. “I mean, why we’re both different?”
“She kind of did for me.” The both of us look at the ice door for thirty seconds of awkward silence. Finally, I ask him, “So why didn’t you tell me strange stuff was happening to you?” A sideways glance at Riley and I see the guilt registering clearly on his face. That is, before he looks down at his boots and kicks the snow sending up sprinkles of white dust to be blown away from the mountain wind.
Riley sighs as he says, “I thought I was crazy. Why do you think I would tell you about something when I—when I didn’t really believe what I can do, until now anyway.”
“The Chief is ready to speak with the both of you,” says Silvy as she opens the doors to her place open. Riley and I walk through and I give Silvy an appreciative smile. The smile must have worked because Silvy bowed her head down slightly in thanks too.
I only noticed the chief approaching when Riley gasped. I look at where he’s staring, only to find the leader of the snow maiden’s looking gorgeous as ever. Only this time, she is dressing similarly to a Golden age Hollywood Starlet. Her long hair is swept up on her left shoulder, slightly covered by her shiny white shawl. Her dress is white as well. Only, it looks like every step she takes towards us the shawl and dress glitters like freshly fallen snow.
Chief Bianca smiles at Riley as she says, “What a pleasure it is to meet a Prince of Eternal. Your name is Riley correct?”
“Y-yes,” stammers Riley as he continues to ogle at her.
Being the more rational human at this moment I take an opportunity to explain. “My cousin Riley hasn’t been completely honest with me. Apparently after his parents died, strange stuff happened to him as well.”
“What strange stuff?” asks Chief Bianca. She looks Riley up and down with curiosity. “He looks all right. I trust that Silvy made sure you came into the camp without any harm?”
“Yes, she did. However, I believe it would be better if my cousin were to explain what happened to him himself. Right Riley?” I nudge him hard in the arm and he looks at me startled.
“Oh, right,” replies Riley as he slumps down ungracefully into an ice chair. “Whenever I’m too close to nature, I feel vibrations. Sometimes the vibrations get so bad they feel like an earthquake. I don’t know how to stop it and according to Emma, the reason I’m like this is because I’m some Prince of some place called Eternal. Is that true or is she making this up?”
“Riley!”
“What? I would rather have another person tell me that Eternal is real. That way I won’t see you as completely weird.”
“You don’t believe?” asks Chief Bianca as she sits in the ice chair right next to him. She isn’t bothered by the fact that her shoulders are bare and the ice is below subzero temperature. “Even if you are in Eternal right now as I speak?”
Riley shakes his head as he looks at her and replies, “No, I don’t. When Emma talked about her crazy dreams that’s all I thought they were. Now you’re trying to tell me that there is only a world that Emma and I can access because of our blood?”
“So you do know some of the story, but not all of it.”
Riley smiles charmingly as his green eyes soften and look at the Chief’s eyes. “I would like to hear the rest of the story from you. So, enlighten me.”
Even Chief Bianca is slightly swayed by my brother’s smile. She is donning on her genuine smile looking like a snow angel instead of a snow maiden. “Would you like to hear all of the events or just the main points Prince?” asks Chief Bianca. Riley takes the title of Prince in stride since he doesn’t correct her.
“Um, all of it would be nice.”
“Then I shall tell,” replies Chief Bianca as I sit in a chair myself and hear her relay every part of our family history.
“Your cousins and you have the ability to enter my world. The land of Eternal, where there are four regions representing each season of Earth. Nie is in the Eastern part of Eternal and it is the region of winter where the snow maiden and snow knights reside. Jika is in the Northern part of Eternal where the dryads reside and it’s the region of spring.”
“Wait,” says Riley as he stops her from continuing. “Are you trying to tell me that Dryads are real?” asks Riley.
“You know about Dryads?” I ask Riley in disbelief. I had never even heard of the name until I entered Eternal and Jonas gave me the grand tour.
“From stories my mom used to read to Liam and I when we were little,” replies Riley.
“May I continue?” asks politely Chief Bianca.
Riley balls up his hands for a moment before he lays them flat on his knees and leans a little towards Chief Bianca. “You have my undivided attention. I won’t interrupt anymore.”
She nods and doesn’t miss a beat. “Velik is the Southern part of Eternal and it is the region of autumn where giants dwell.” Riley’s eyes widen, but he is still listening. “And finally, Adria is the Western part of Eternal and it is the region of summer where dark creatures like the snake women dwell.
You and your family became a part of this place because the last full blooded Eternal King, King Gregor granted your family to be the successors of Eternal. For generations, your family has been given the privilege as well as the access to rule Eternal. By King Gregor’s decree he has made your family the leaders of Eternal indefinitely. However, your family made some allies in the human world who became swept with the idea of Eternal. Thus, Edgar Alan Poe became another resident of Eternal.”
Riley nods at her, but his look is sympathetic. As if he’s a shrink assessing a patient in the crazy house and listening to their ramblings.
“He fell in love for a snake woman from Adria and had children. Lord Obsidian, his only living descendant is currently on your throne. He believes the throne is rightfully his and no one dares to challenge him because he has the power to sway people’s minds. As he did your parents when—” Chief Bianca stops as I shoot her a warning look. However, it’s too late. Riley is already curious.
“What?” asks Riley.
“You won’t like what you hear if she tells you,” I reply. “Are you sure you really want to know right now?”
“Do you know Emma?”
“Yes,” I respond.
“Then lay it on me.”
Glancing at Chief Bianca I say, “You may tell him.” Chief Bianca smoothed out the skirt of her dress before she continues.
“Your parents had tried to get Lord Obsidian off of the throne which is rightfully yours. However, their minds weren’t strong enough. They were swayed and…they died.” Riley’s face got pale as he shakes his head.
“No. I don’t believe that. My parents never told me about Eternal and they certainly never told me about this Lord Obsidy something.” Riley pushes himself out of the chair, his shoulders straightened all the way up. “And they certainly never died because of some made up place. They died because of some stupid drunk driver.”
“They didn’t Riley,” I say softly. “They died because of some power hungry guy who has some mind tricks up his sleeve.” I stand up as well as I say, “You know how I told you about my dreams. How there was a guy in my dreams who I traveled with?” I don’t even wait for Riley to answer. Instead, I plunge into the truth. The one truth that still hurts me from the inside and is starting to infuriate me since I have a feeling which monster was behind his death. “He died. In one of my dreams he died protecting me because I found out from Chief Bianca that he was a part of Eternal Royal Guard. His job was to protect the Eternal Royal Family. So he died, and—” My blurry vision betrays my true feelings. “And I have a feeling that Lord Obsidian was behind his death as well. Only, it wasn’t because he swayed the guy in any way. It was because in the last dream I had with him a bunch of soldiers barged into his home and tried to kill me. He died…a hero.”
I felt like I wanted to start sniffling at full force, but I held back. I wipe my tears with my glove. “So guess what Riley. There have already been plenty of casualties. Both on Eternal’s side as well as ours and guess what else.”
“What?” asks Riley softly.
“We’re going to stop the bloodshed.” All of a sudden my mind becomes clear as my vision becomes less blurry. “We are going to win our land back.”
For some reason after I said that Riley sat back down and scrunched up his face in thought. Then a smile starts to appear on his face as he says, “I’m game, but how can I know for sure about this place being real?”
“You’re here aren’t you?” I ask him. “Plus, the proof isn’t exactly visible. It’s in our veins. Eternal has always been a part of us all along. Our parents just never told us.”
Riley looks at Chief Bianca as he asks, “Did my parents have a title other than prince and princess?”
Chief Bianca rests her chin on her hand clenched in a fist as she asks him, “Who were the name of your parents?”
“My parents were Ivan and Amy,” replies Riley.
Chief Bianca’s eyes glitters as she laughs. “Your father’s title was Prince Ivan the strong. As for your mother her title was Princess Amy the Kind. She was always nice to everyone even the people of Adria adored her and those creatures are hard to please in any capacity.”
Riley smiles as he looks off at nothing in particular. “Mom always was the peacemaker of the family. My dad was kind of hulkish too.”
“Hulkish?” Chief Bianca looks between Riley and me with a puzzled look.
“It’s the name of a super hero,” I reply.
Riley sighs as he says, “Well, when does our training start?”
Chief Bianca replies, “Whenever you want to start.”
Standing up I say, “Well, there is no better time than the present. However, as much as my cousin and I would love to start our training, it would have to be another time. We have family members who will worry if we are away from them for too long.”
“Of course,” says Chief Bianca as she gets up from the chair. Riley follows and walks towards me. “I will see the both of you next time then.”
“Soon,” I reply as I notice my vision blurring at the edges. Riley, looks at me fearfully. “Don’t worry Riley. I’m going to wake up in the woods where Grandma Thimble is. You have to get going. Find the vibrations again. You can do it.”
“How can you be so sure? What if I’m stuck?” asks Riley. “This is my first time being here you know.”
“Yes, I do. Still, you’re a Thimble and I know you’ll find a way.” Before I can hear his reply, my vision goes black completely.