I was standing barefoot on a grassy cliff overlooking a raging ocean. A warm wind was blowing, the fresh scent of spring filling my nose. Immediately I relaxed.
Was I safe?
So this is the place where you would feel the most content in. I heard a rough female voice. Interesting.
I blinked.
"Who are you? And what am I doing here? How did I get away from there?" I asked.
Was she my savior?
You didn't.
In front of me, sitting on the cliff edge, was a crystal white dragon with glowing azure blue horns, spikes and talons staring out at the sea. Her scale armor shimmering in the sunlight. The dragon turned around to me, looking at me from top to bottom.
Hello Dear, I'm Nivalia. Nice to meet you. And this- she motioned her head towards our surroundings, is all your imagination.
"Wh- what?" I took a step back. What on earth, or rather not, was a freaking dragon doing in my apparent imagination?
The dragon sat down and wrapped her tail around herself. She looked like death in person.
Her talons were hooked in a brutal way.
Her scales were like diamonds, every single scale ended in a thorn.
Her horns were more for decoration it seemed, but it gave her an intimidating appearance.
But the most outstanding part were her eyes. They seemed to pierce right through me and freeze me into place. Like two blue ice crystals, they adorned her perfect face.
When she spoke, I could see her deadly teeth which had probably already taken many lives.
It seems like our fates have intertwined the moment you took possession of my soul. We are now one. she hissed at me.
Damn you, child!
I looked at her confused. What was she talking about? And then I remembered.
This is what Sira was warning me about. The Dragon Queen. She was right here, just as he had predicted.
Lucky for you, you had no magic spark in you from the start. Or you would have been dead a long time ago. But as I am a merciful Queen to those that serve me. I will let you live. She sneered at me.
What happened is unfortunate, but I guess it can't be helped. She slowly started stalking around me. I was too afraid to even move a muscle. Due to the current circumstances, I think we must come to a certain agreement. We'll work out the details as we move along.
Nivalia maliciously grinned at me and looked up at the sky. I shall see what I can do. Do not fear, little one. I will see you again soon. Now, wake up!
Nivalia flared out her wings and with a start, I jumped up awake.
Immediately a bundle of fur was plastered against my face
Immediately a bundle of fur was plastered against my face.
Nene! You're awake! Are you okay? Kimba snuggled himself against my nose.
"Maybe if I could breathe I would be." Sneezing I pick up my little companion and give him a big hug.
Wait! Stop, I can't breathe now! Kimba wriggled out from my grip.
"That's what you get." He playfully swatted me with his tail.
I looked where I was and recognized the golden flowing curtains, the wooden floor, the sweet oriental fragrance that lingered in the air. This definitely was at Professor Leukard's place. I had only been here a few times before, but it was unmistakably his house we were at.
Yes, when you blacked out I flew directly to Professor Leukard and got help.
Despite the cold and depressing weather outside, the room was bright and warm. I don't know how he did it, but one always felt at home here.
"Thank you Kimba, you did well." I patted his head. Carefully I stepped down out of the bed. Of course, there was already a neat set of clothes waiting for me on the chair. Professor Leukard was always so thoughtful. Thankfully I changed into the comfortable violet white robes he had lent me. Even a pair of silvery tie-up sandals and a bag lay ready. Inside the bag was a small purse, a toiletry bag and a hairbrush. This was perfect!
When I was done I looked at the old wooden armoire where a small violet box stood and written on it was:
For Jacklyn, it's the least I can do.
Why would he give me something? Kimba, who made a point out of turning away whenever I had to change, flew up to me.
Excited, I untied the pink ribbon and opened the box. Inside lay a twisted white-silver circlet with a white opal set in it. I almost forgot to breathe. It was beautiful. Kimba was admiring it from my shoulder as I delicately picked it up and held it towards the light of the hearth.
Kimba sniffed it approvingly. Put it on. I want to see it! It fits your robes too!
Eagerly I stepped in front of the golden full-length mirror and put it on.
Wow! You look like a priestess or a high ranking mage now! Kimba flapped excitedly around my head.
I nodded. It was beautiful, but there was no way I could accept a gift like this.
I had to go down and find Professor Leukard. I couldn't take this with me.
Just as I was about to go, Kimba noticed something strange.
Nene, you should look into the mirror. That thing on your neck has become bigger again. And it is white now.
"What?" I turned to the standing mirror and hold up my hair. Indeed, the tattoo I had from that dumb orb had grown bigger and was a silvery-white now. The curled up dragon seemed to grin at me with its icy blue eye.
No, it couldn't be...
But I just smiled and said to Kimba, that it was fine. It didn't hurt and it looked kinda cool, so I didn't mind. He gave me a skeptical look but didn't challenge my statement.
Well, let's go then. I am hungry.
As I walked down the grand flight of stairs that lead down to the dining room, I was greeted by Professor Leukard' s personal butler and guard. He had a letter ready for me.
I smiled and waved at him. "Hello, Peter. And how are you doing today? Anything special planned?" Peter gave a quick bow and smiled back at me, pleased I hadn't forgotten his name. He was always so polite. It was adorable.
"Quite well, M 'Lady. Thank you for your concern." His fiery red eyes and curly ginger hair were clear signs, that he was a high-rank fire mage. Peter handed me a sealed envelope.
"The professor has left this letter for me to give to you. Unfortunately, he had some important business to attend to and could not be here." I took the letter with the Professor's family seal of the falcon on it.
"Thanks, Peter." He gave an acknowledging nod.
Dangit, now I couldn't even give back the circlet and thank him properly. I wonder what's in this letter though. "He advised you to open it when you are alone." Peter promptly said when I tried to open it. Puzzled, I looked up at Peter, but his expression didn't reveal anything.
"Oh, okay then." A bit confused I stowed away the letter into an inner pocket in my robe.
"I will be taking my leave then. If you need anything, Belinde here is at your service." He gestured towards a young-looking girl. She was clearly a Weredeer with her big brown eyes, soft face expression and some brown fur here and there in her face. Her ears were concealed underneath her thick brown hair. She smiled shyly and curtsied. I quickly told her to get up and that she really didn't have to. Since when did the Professor's staff curtsy to me? I smiled nervously.
"Take care, Peter. See you around sometime again!" With a tip to his forehead, he left.
Quickly, Belinde ushered me into the dining room where my lunch already lay ready. I asked her if she wanted to stay and eat with me because I didn't like eating alone, but she politely refused and disappeared as quickly and quietly as a ghost.
How rude! I'm still here you know! Kimba flapped down onto the table next to me, where a little plate with fruits and nectar flowers was waiting for him.
"Sorry. Sometimes I forget you're even there when you sit on my shoulder." He squinted at me, then delightedly dug into his food. I on the other hand, despite all of the enticing dishes such as noodle soup, fresh eggs and steaming dumplings, pulled out the letter from Professor Leukard and cracked open the wax seal, which left a huge mess everywhere. I'm glad we left these days of wax seals way behind us back at home.
I paused for a moment as I thought about home again. How long has it been? About two years since I've been gone and Kat had gone missing. I wonder what she was doing now? I hope she was alright. My family too. I hope they all were okay...
Swallowing down the bitterness in my throat, I finally opened the letter.
What does it say? Kimba inquired, his mouth full with some sort of blue mango fruit.
"Dear Jacklyn,
I apologize very much that I am not there, but I am sure that Peter is taking good care of you. I wish I could be there when you wake up, but unfortunately, I have an important meeting with the royal court today and will be gone for the next few days.
As you have probably already seen, I left a small gift for you in your room. I hope you like it and yes, it is yours to keep. It was specially made to fit you and no one else. The stone has been enchanted and will ward you against many dangers so keep it with you at all times.
It is the least I can do for all the things you've done for me already. Half of my success is truly thanks to you and I shall repay it in any way I can.
Next, I have some very important news for you. Some good, some bad.
Firstly, you are very important to me, and as it is, I don't have a wife or children, nor do I have any reasonable relatives in my immediate family.
These past two years I finally realized what I was missing out on. It has been a wonderful time with you by my side. It almost felt like having a daughter of my own.
And so I've decided that, from this moment on, you will officially be my adopted daughter and my one and only rightful heir to everything I own. The seal ring to prove this will be given to you shortly.
I know that you will appreciate my precious library for what it is truly worth and not its market value. I know that you are the only worthy person of this title and that you will make me proud.
I do hope you will accept this humble offer and will henceforth be known as Miss Jacklyn Leukard of Falkenstein. It would be an honor to welcome you to this house.
Now, much to my dismay, I must also bring you some regrettable news.
The people that attacked you that night were part of the BloodRose gang and the one you stabbed was furious when he found out that you're still alive. You are safe within these walls, but they are out for your head. I can't protect you every second of the day and although Kimba is a great bodyguard, it's not realistic for you to have someone follow you around everywhere you go. The best thing I can think of is for you to go underground for a while. I have already organized a way out of Whisteria for you. I am sending you up north to Phillia where you will study magic and continue writing your paper on an index of all magical creatures and plants as a disciple of a good friend of mine. I have already informed your old workplace of your departure and had your things moved here from your old apartment. (You can choose any room you like.)
You will be leaving today. Peter will be guiding you as far as he was told to. You will be picked up by one of my trusted men and brought to Phillia safely.
I will see you again in one year approximately when you are ready to be evaluated for an official entry into the royal academy as Miss Jacklyn of Falkenstein.
Be safe and take care, Garen."
We both sat there for a moment in absolute silence.
So may I still call you Nene now? Or should I address you as Miss Nene...?
I shook my head. I assume you will accept his offer, right? Kimba even stopped chewing, waiting for my answer. But he would have to wait for a while, for I didn't have an answer to give. Although I have adapted pretty well to this world, I have never given up the idea of going back home completely. Even when I couldn't find any spells that could possibly make such a crossing over dimensions possible, I didn't give up completely. But by accepting this offer, I would have a great responsibility towards Profess-, Garen, and this family's lineage.
Considering the possibility that there is, in fact, no way back anymore, I probably should accept.
And I haven't made any progress yet in terms of finding Kat either. This would be a great opportunity to help me on this quest.
My head was spinning. If I accept this, I will have to finally move my own sorry ass forward. No longer would I be able to just sit around and lead a safe and happy life. Maybe, this was exactly what I had been waiting for.
Many things were still uncertain and unclear to me, but I had a reachable goal now. I've had one from the very start when I was thrown into this crazy world, but I had lost sight of it. I had to find Kat.
"No, Nene should be fine. For now, at least." I folded the letter back into my pocket. I smiled.
Sooo, yes or no? Kimba looked at me a bit confused.
"Yes. And you can be my official little friend." Kimba happily smiled and started munching on another peach. Filled with a new sense of pride and direction I poured myself a cup of black tea. Subconsciously, I chose the porcelain cup with the colorful flowers and birds on it.
With all that aside, I finally was able to start eating. I filled my plate and gobbled up as many dumplings as I could.
When we were done, we stacked our used plates together and called Belinde to ask where we should bring them. Horrified, she told us to leave everything as it was and that we should go now. Peter was waiting for me in the gardens. He had something to show me.
It felt weird just leaving everything as it was, but I did as I was told and wove my way into the gardens as quickly as I could. I walked down the hallway to the back of the mansion, which reminded me of that mirror hallway back home in Versailles. I had been there once and now that I think of it, it really did have a similar style to this castle-like mansion of Falkenstein.
The weather was clearer now and the sun was up, burning away the snow-rain that had fallen this morning. The seasons here also reminded me a lot of home, back in Switzerland. One day it was thirty degrees' summer, next it's snowing like it is winter.
As I turned into the last hallway, I see the grand doors to the back of the gardens were standing wide open. As I got closer, I could smell the fresh scent of peppermint mixed in with the sweet taste of lavender. I had never been to the back gardens before, but they looked just as enticing as they smelt. I knew Garen was keeping a lot of exotic plants and animals with him in his garden for further studies, but this was not what I was expecting. The edge of the property was surrounded by some sort of ivy with white flower bulbs sprinkled all over it. There were several ponds of various sizes, which I assumed had different creatures in them. The weaving paths that connected all corners of the garden were made of white gravel and enclosed by lavender bushes. Exotic plants were scattered all over with nametags on them, giving the garden a fantasy feeling. The trees, flowers and bushes came in all kinds of colors and sizes. Some of which I think I recognized from where the Kimberians lived. Apparently, Kimba did too and flew off straight into the garden and sat on one of my favorite plants, how could I ever forget, the ocra plant. "Ah, we meet again. And here I was, thinking I would never have to see that ugly little shape of yours ever again." I said, scrutinizing the poor ocra from where I stood.
Hey! Don't be so mean to it! It also has feelings you know. He curled his tail protectively around the ugly broccoli thing. I scrunched up my nose and turned back onto the path. "Let's go, or I'll get nightmares again." Snickering Kimba flew past me and went to check ahead where Peter was waiting for me.
Peter was patiently waiting for me on a rock. When he saw me approaching, he quickly tapped his forehead. "Greetings. Now tell me, how am I to address you? Have you already decided?"
"Yes, I have actually. I will accept, but please, call me the same as you've done up until now. It's really weird to be called 'Miss'."
"No problem. Now, in this case, I have two things for you. Number one," He pulled out a ring from his sleeve. "This is your seal ring. Don't lose it if you can, but if you do, it's not a big problem. It will reappear in your pocket. But only after 24 hours, enough time to copy it if someone really wants to." Carefully he handed over the ring to me. It was exactly the same as the one Garen always was wearing, but in silver and not gold. I was impressed by the exact color scheme Garen had thought of for me.
"As for the second one..." He rummaged around a bit in his pocket. Then he triumphantly pulled out a sheath of leather with strings. "You will want to put this on before he comes." He tied it around my arm like a long, fingerless glove. "He?" I asked. Without a word, he handed me a small silver whistle. Assuming he wanted me to use it, I blew into it. But nothing happened. "Do I have to blow harder?" Peter shook his head. "No, he's already here." He pointed up. Flying above us was a beautiful blueish-orange colored falcon. He shrieked, swooping past us once. "Hold out your arm." Peter suggested. "What? Are you kidding me?" That thing's claws were HUGE. Oh my god.
"No, now just do it. It would never hurt you." Clenching my eyes shut, I held out my arm and prepared for the worst. Wings were flapping, feathers smacked my face. Until the hawk sat still on my arm. This guy was heavy. Kimba was frozen in fear on my shoulder, clutching on for dear life it seemed. Tentatively I opened my eyes. He was staring straight at me with its intelligent black eyes as in: Seriously? I get this person? Is this a joke?
"This is Cory. He is a falcon as you might have guessed. It is a tradition that everyone in the Falkenstein family possesses a falcon. He can hear your whistle from cities away and he will always find you, if it is possible. Cory has been specially trained to only follow you. He will only listen to you and even if someone else has the whistle that won't matter. Don't ask me how, I have no idea. The idea is that Cory will always find his way home, here. If you are in danger, he will find you and can carry a message back here for help."
I don't like him. Kimba crawled down into my robes. "Why thank you... And uh how do I feed this thing? Do I need to carry it around with me as well?" I was definitely not going to kill innocent animals to feed him. "Don't worry. He can always sense your presence and will follow you around within a certain radius. He will hunt and live on his own, as long as you don't call on him." Peter gently stroked the head of Cory. Delicately I followed suit and stroked his head, down to his back. He was surprisingly soft to the touch.
"Now then, since we are done here I will prepare the carriage for you. We'll be leaving in two hours so enjoy your time here while you can. Belinde is here if you need anything." He handed me a pouch full of treats for Cory the left without another word.
"Kimba, what on earth am I going to do with Cory? Are you okay by the way? You two should probably get along as fast as possible. We might be spending a lot of time together."
Cory was staring at Kimba so intently, it was starting to get uncomfortable. Kimba was whimpering.
He wants to eat me! Help! He'll definitely eat me in my sleep. Nene, save me!
"Easy now, Kimba isn't a snack, okay? I know he's so sweet, you just want to eat him up whole, but you can't do that alright?" Kimba gawked at me in horror and if my eyes didn't betray me, I think Cory just winked at me.
"Alright, I think I can live with you." I confidently reached out and petted Cory's head.
I can't! Kimba thumped his paw on my head where he was sitting. I refuse to work with him! I don't like him! He sniffed and turned up his nose.
"Oh, come on Kimba. He's not that bad. How about we go pack now, hmm?" I turned back to Cory and lifted up my arm, signaling to him to take off. "I will call you when I need you again alright? Until then you are free to do as you wish." Elegantly the hawk took flight, circled one more time above its new master's head, then it disappeared over the castle wall.
"Better?"
Yes.
"Good, now let's go inside. I have a few books I want to take with me on the trip so I won't get bored. Also, we can go choose a room now. He said all of them are okay right?"
Can we go up into a tower!? That would be awesome!
"No please not. In summer it will be much too hot."