Chapter 47
As tomorrow starts, everyone goes to work in their prospective realms. Tom goes to the dragon realm with Gerald for training. Cartrell to his animal kingdom on Earth. Carlton and Atonus were in Lauren's room waiting for Shirley to dress Lauren and Atlan. She was loving having a baby to take care of. She put him in an expensive onesie that matched Lauren's dress.
"Good morning, my lady," Carlton said as Lauren walked out of her dressing room. "You look beautiful and ready to choose a council and set up a government built on your way of thinking."
"Good morning. I am glad that I look well."
"More than well, my lady. You are glowing." Antonus said. "Literally"
Lauren looked in a mirror and saw that she was really glowing. "Wow. So, I am supposed to go sit in the throne room as I glow? Hum."
"Of course not. God said that we were to teach you how to calm your god power. Your glowing events are tied into the fact that you are a goddess. You only use one of your goddess powers and that is why. How would you feel if you were never used?"
I never thought about my other powers. I have used more than my power of discernment though. I have created things that were not there before. I have transported and teleported. I have used more than one power, so, what is going on?"
"I know what you are thinking, but you have only touched the tip of your power iceberg. You need to use a whole lot more." Antonus said.
I think about what he said. I was already wanting to do more. I just got side tracked. "Okay. I was planning on doing some keep and town renovations. Would that bring down my glow?"
"Yes. that would make a good dent and stop the glowing."
"Okay." Lauren sits crossed-legged and closes her eyes. She pictures the keep and the town, remembering how it looked the first day she saw it. Then she began to make changes. She started with the keep itself, putting windows and crystal prisms where light can catch them and create rainbows. She moved on to the town and she modernized every building changing the town from being a humble hamlet to a grand city with marketplaces becoming air-conditioned groceries, libraries and bookstores given more space but keeping their charm, and expanded parks and playgrounds. She rebuilt and modernized the schools and created specialty schools for art, music, carpentry, and any other trade she could think of. All the restaurants were given a sprucing up and she gave all the kitchens an overhaul. The Harpy village was also remodeled and given technological advances. The farmlands and flowering fields that surrounded the now city were intensified and given a powerful boost. She kept the streets wide and open and made sure everything looked clean and bright. That was the final step. She was finally done. Except there was that dark spot that still bothered her.
Lauren took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "There is a spot in the village we need to investigate now. I can't reach into it so we need to check it out."
"Teleport us there," Antonus said. Lauren takes both of their hands and teleports them to the spot.
"It's a portal," Carlton said.
"To where? I didn't create this." Lauren replies.
"Call your guard and we will let them investigate," Carlton said.
"Don't. I will check it out." Antonus said.
"It's not safe for you to just walk in that portal. I don't want to lose you."
"Thanks for the concern but it would not be safe for any other creature other than a god to check it out. I am the only choice. Don't worry. I will be fine. If you want you can use your magic to put protection around me."
Lauren gives in and puts a protective spell on Antonus. She kissed him and said, "Do not get hurt, lost, or dead. I need you just as much as I need all the rest."
"Yes, my lady. I will be right back, whole and unharmed." Antonus said. He steps over to the portal and sticks his head into the portal. Suddenly, he is jerked into the black portal. Without warning Antonus pops back out of the portal pulling something behind him. "Can I get some help?" Carlton runs up and pulls Antonus completely out of the portal while he pulls on a small inky black creature. Once he gets the creature through, the portal closes.
"Please, let me go. I mean you no harm. I just want a place to live in my darkness in peace." The black creature cries.
"What is your name and what are you?" Lauren asked.
"My name is Kiatal and I am Trow." Kiatal said. "I just showed up here and made a home. But you have pulled me into the light."
"We had to. You can't just put your home wherever you want in the city. Besides, your home opens into another world and that puts us in danger. Someone could use your home as a way to come into ours. I know you don't want that, now do you?" Antonus points out.
"Well, no. I didn't realize I was causing a problem. Like I said, I was pulled here from my world. Where is this anyway?""
"This is the imagination realm. I am the Keeper. You do cause a little problem but we will solve it in a few minutes." Lauren prayed to God and he popped in front of her.
"My dear, I love our visits but I do have other universes to check and make sure they are okay." Then he sees the Trow. "Why are you in this realm? You don't belong here. Antonus, do not let it go."
Antonus secured his hold on the Trow. "You need to send him back to the realm of the dark. He can't be here. I don't understand how he got here. Send him back and show me where he had his home. That portal of his will not be completely closed."
"It's right there" Lauren pointed to where the portal was in the corner.
God exposed the spot to his glorious bright light and small screams were heard. The Trow covered his eyes and let out a small scream as well. "Throw the Trow into the light." Antonus obeyed and threw the Trow in. It twisted and bent but God kept the light up until the Trow disappeared and then a few minutes more. God rose from the ground and shone his light everywhere in the city, through the fields and forests as far as could be seen. When he felt the realm was clear of Trows he turned his light off and came back down by Lauren. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to frighten you but Trows are like mosquitoes or ants. Maybe termites, well creatures you don't want in your home. They will and have destroyed entire realms. The dark realm is one of the realms they took over five hundred years ago. When the beings of that realm could not defeat them, I had to put a quarantine on that realm. I tried to save some of the beings but Trow latch onto other beings and seep their life force from them." He said as he checked Antonus, bathing him in light just in case. Just as God thought, a Trow had latched onto Antonus and was screaming to death, literally, while God washed him in heavenly light. "You can't be too careful."
"I still have so much to learn. I guess we all do. Thanks for coming and saving us, dad." She gave him a hug.
"Yes, I do love your hugs. Well, just call me when you need me. I love the changes to the town and keep. I guess I should call it a city now. You modeled it after the Dragon realm city."
"I love the Dragon realm and how It is ruled. It has a lack of poverty and it's so clean. I did use it as a model. I also tried to put in some of the good things in cities on earth."
"That you did." God gave Lauren a hug this time and said. "Try not to let your power build up like that again. If it is that you just bathe the realm in heavenly light like I did every once in a while, do so. It will help make sure no Trows are still here and it will help spread the wealth you are trying to develop." With that, he popped away.
"Okay. Now let's build a council and judicial system." Lauren teleported them back to the throne room.
Dark spots or areas of shadows bothered Lauren that day. She found herself illuminating them for a few minutes and listening for the screams that were made when God did it. She never heard them but the act made her feel better. Antonus escorted Lauren home while Carlton stayed to oversee the testing with MaGayla.
"Those dark portals really bother you don't they?" Antonus asked.
"Yes. I was unable to feel what was inside them. I couldn't have stopped the Trow because I didn't know what they were. If you had let that Trow go, and then we don't know how long the trow had been in this realm. I know God probably got all of them but he told me to illuminate the realm just in case. What if he didn't get them all? And you had one on you because I let you go into the portal."
"Calm down." Antonus said as he began to undress. "I don't have any more on me. If it makes you feel better, illuminate me and my clothes so you can be sure." Lauren did and it did make her feel better.
"Okay, so I tell you what, let's make holy light lamps that can roam around the city illuminating dark corners and the streets. They would be great lights at night and ward off the trow."
"Yes. Thanks for not making fun of my fear. I would just hate being the keeper that destroys the realm of imagination because of lack of knowledge." Antonus and Lauren spent the afternoon making the holy light lamps and sending them out throughout the realm. "I appreciate your help. This does make me feel better."
"That's what I do. I know Gaia said I am a god of healing and I can heal, but mostly I find solutions to problems and in doing so help people feel better. That's one of the reasons I stay near you so much. I want to be able to help you at a moment's notice. I am your guardian god. When Edmon and Demeatral are busy, I will be here for you."
"I like that very much. I'm never alone anymore because I have my sprites bound to me, but it's nice to have you here as well." Lauren reached out to Antonus and gave him a kiss. She allowed him to luxuriate in the kiss and didn't break the kiss until he pulled away. She really enjoyed the kiss. His lips were soft and he applied just enough pressure. She didn't think she could love kissing someone as much as she loved kissing Gerald.
"I'm glad I come to your mind when you are with the other guys, but it is not fair to compare them to me. We have our love and you have to develop a love that is unique with them." Gerald said in Lauren's head.
"I forgot you can hear my thoughts and feel my feelings. I know each love will be different but you are my first love and as such, I use our love as a sort of measuring stick to gauge how I am to handle the new loves I am developing." Lauren replied.
"Okay, so what type of love do you have with Cartrell?"
"It's an open kind of love. He lets me lead and be in control. To explore. You like to be in control and to teach me new things. I love both of those things and I like that they come from different people."
"And Tom?"
"I'm not really sure about him yet. He is a bit shy with me. He only wanted friendship at first and he is a strength that I didn't know I needed. I really haven't stepped completely into love with him yet. We seem to be taking it slow."
"Alright. What about Carlton and Antonus? You have so much love in you to give and you know it is weird for a dragon to push sharing. I see you opening up to Antonus, but don't forget about Carlton."
"I think once this council stuff is straightened out and we are actually spending time together because he will be reporting to me, we will be able to get closer. It will happen naturally."
"Good. Don't get too busy and forget to create more Draekons so Altan will not be the only one of his species. Let me know when you are ready to add our essences to them."
"I think we need more than our essence. If we only use me and you, there will be no variety. Maybe I will ask the dragons that are here and the healers. That would be enough dragons. And I think I will ask some Earth women I know that would probably love to come here and stay here. They could meet the dragons and see if they could be a match. Or for the first Drakeons just use the genetic material of the dragons and human women."
"Hold on. Slow down. You are not just an earth woman. You are a goddess and it would take a goddess to create a Drakeon. Maybe talk to Gaia and see who she would recommend. The genetic material seems to be the best choice but the dragons will not bond with children that are not theirs. They won't harm them either. The parentage would need to be clear."
"Okay. I'll ask Gaia and you bring it up to the dragons."
Lauren pulled out of her conversation with Gerald and gave her attention back to Antonus. He was looking at her weirdly. "What is it?
"Were you just in a conversation with someone?"
"Yes. I was being scolded about having my attention split while having my attention split." Lauren laughed. "I didn't have all of my attention on you and Gerald corrected me. I am sorry. I love being around you and I will not neglect you again."
"It's okay. I know you are still new at this. Anyway, let's get you to class or would you like to go to the throne room?"
"No. class will be good. I don't want Carlton to think I don't trust him." Lauren smiled at Antonus and linked her arm in his as he walked her to class. They watched the holy light lamps and lanterns as they lit up all the nooks and crannies where shadows liked to dwell.
As Lauren and Antonus entered the classroom, everyone turned and looked. Smiles were plastered on their faces. "Okay, so I know I have been missing class, but I did have good reasons."
"It's good you are getting the keep in order. The fact that you have help now will give you time to get back to your education." Prof. Gavin said. "The city seems to have gone through an enormous change and seems to be a lot brighter than it used to be. Holy light I assume."
"Yes, we had a trow try to take up residence in a corner of the city. God came and got rid of it and explained to me what it was. It would have been terrible if it had continued to live here. God shone holy light throughout all of the city and suggested that I do the same for a while to make sure there was only the trow here. Antonus and I created the holy light lamps and lanterns because I didn't want to miss any."
"No. you really don't want trows here. They will ruin a realm. They are the reason there is a dark realm." Prof. Gavin said. "The sneaky little buggers steal the light from the realm. They like things dark so the extra lights you are cleansing the city with should help. Your two god consorts should be able to help you keep the lights bright and do full light cleansings every other day for a while. No shadow should be ignored and any ill feelings you have should not be dismissed. Trows are thieving tricksters."
"We will definitely keep the lights up." Antonus said.
"It will be like a city at night having the lights on instead of having to carry candles." Tina, a female unicorn said.
It was nice to be back in class. Lauren thought. Prof. Gavin decided it was time to introduce the class to dark creatures and the dark realm.
"Dark realm creatures are not all evil." Prof. Gavin started. "The realm gained its name simply because it lost its ability to have light. The trows portals stole it all. They are basically black holes that absorb light and trap beings. Any creature you can find in a normal realm can be found in the dark realm only; they may seem deformed, pale, or ghostly. But there are a few creatures that only dwell in the dark realm and are evil. The trows are one of them. Banshee, Dullahan, Wendigos, Goblins, and Wulvers are permanent residents of the dark realm. Of course, those that know the makeup of the realm know that I left out the ruling group of the dark realm, that would be the Vampires."
Lauren looked straight into the Professor's eyes and did not break the visage. "A group of Vampires had an idea that they should rule over the universes and created the dark realm. They have successfully taken over several universes, we call them black holes. They will never be satisfied until all of God's creation is theirs. Of course, smart Vampires do not think that darkness is wonderful and would rather live in the light. If a trow was here, it is important to be vigilant because a Vampire has taken an interest."
"So do I need to add a good Vampire to my entourage?" Lauren asked.
"I don't know. You do have gods in your entourage and they are supposed to be more powerful than Vampires, but you might want to visit or meet with the Vampires of light to ensure they are still on your side. I will set up a meet and greet here in the ballroom." Prof. Gavin declared. "Your homework will be to study etiquette towards Vampires."
Carlton met them as they exited the class. "We are done with the testing and have narrowed the group down to twenty-four. I think we should meet with them this evening. I want your opinion before final choices are made, my lady."
"Sure, but I do believe you would make good choices," Lauren said.
They made their way to Valentine's class. She had the wee people with her and was having a full belly laugh. Everyone sat down. "Oh. Hello. Are we having class today?"
"Yes. Thank you for being understanding about the classes."
"Well, we do need a government here. At any rate, I have had these wonderful people and the Harpies to teach so I have not been bored."
The wee people bowed and took seats with everyone else. "Lauren, did you know that there is darkness in every group of beings?"
"Yes. I agree with the statement that there is good and evil in all beings. It could be argued that even when God was learning how to be God, he did things that could be seen as evil, even if it was done for the greater good."
"Yes, well dark and light realms are extreme opposites. They have their good points and their bad points. There are some that feel they are trapped in the realms because if they leave, they can't go back. They are outcasts. Some have been stolen away from their homes and taken to the dark or light realms as slaves. so, my question is, should you as the keeper do away with the dark and the light realms?"
Lauren thought about it for a few minutes. Before she answered Tayla spoke up. "I think the dark realm should be done away with. If it wasn't there, the witch wouldn't have been able to become powerful enough to join with the harpy king and torment us."
"We all probably have a dark realm story. Orges are snatched often as children and made into slaves by dark beings. If it wasn't there, my people would not be taken." Mo said.
"But who is the keeper that she should tear away the barriers to the dark or light realms? The light realm is a magnificent place but it stays that way because it is cut off from others."
"I am the keeper." Lauren finally spoke up and everyone else became quiet. "I am not the police force for the realms. I am here to keep things balanced and if things are balanced, I don't need to do anything. I don't think I can overlook the cruel treatment of beings nor will I neglect the cries for help that I receive. But who am I to decide that dark or light beings do or don't have the right to be? That would be me taking the position of god and I don't think my dad would like that. I am the keeper, not the decider of all things."
"Well said," God said as he popped into the classroom. "Valentine, it's nice to see you again."
"You are messing with my lesson, sir," Valentine said.
"But I waited until she answered your question. Brilliantly at that. I would never want to put the pressure of deciding which beings should be and which should not. That's my duty and I don't even like to do it. Why do you think there are so many realms? I don't like to kill my creations. I try to keep the negative things from happening but because of some of my youthful missteps, I can't stop it all. Now, Jesus will soon put an end to all the evil, negative stuff. I can only try to cushion the blows. The keeper is one of the cushions. She has the right to stop as much wrongdoing that happens between realms. Toughen the barriers, and send raiders to free captives, those are the things the keeper can do. If she was to overstep her bounds, I would remove her. I am so happy to hear that you know how far you can go."
"Yes, well, I was going to praise her for realizing she was not you or her brother. I did want to continue the discussion a bit though." Valentine said.
"It wouldn't matter." Lauren replied." I just don't think I could judge the fate of a whole race of beings because of the actions of a few. There is always a chance that there is one or two that are different from the others."
"Very good way to think," Valentine said and giggled. "Now go to your next class."