My Confusing Fantasy ~Part 2: Read Now For Free!

Chapter 2

Zeraphina Ashlore

Zera got off her chariot and gaped at the enormous golden gate in front of her. Though Intricate designs and sayings in ancient languages that only the royals knew were engraved all over the gate, the green, blue, red, yellow, and purple colored crystals carved into the golden bars of the gate were the most attention-catching.  

But the peasants standing around her seemed to gape at her chariot. Her silver chariot with seats cushioned with red pillows demanded attention. 

Murmurs about, Senozyne, Zera’s kingdom, rippled through the crowd. 

 Zera couldn’t identify anyone due to the identical black masks and outfits. They all wore long and slightly baggy black pants fitted at the ankle, brown lace-up corset belts, and a brown waist pouch. The sleeves of their blacktops extended to their palms. The black masks and cowl hood scarves covered their identities. But she knew all of them had to be fifteen, the perfect age for spreading rumors and creating drama. 

“Great!”She thought to herself. 

 Zera watched as the chariot and her trusty charioteer left her stranded with hostile strangers in front of an unbelievably enormous gate in the middle of nowhere. The desert around her stretched for miles and miles. She had no clue where she was. This was the first time she had ever left her kingdom. She assumed she was in a foreign land since nothing around her seemed recognizable. 

“Any idea where we are?” A boy’s sing-song voice asked, startling Zera 

“Umm…No..” Zera answered his question.

The boy didn’t seem like anyone Zera knew, but then again, all she could see through the mask were his gray eyes.  

“Do I know you?” 

” I’m Elex Sylvaine. Are you from Senozyne?” The boy replied.

“Wait. Sylvaine? Aren’t you guys the rulers of Everkeith?”

“Yes, my parents are the king and queen.” 

“That would make you the” 

“The prince. But don’t worry. We don’t order execution daily and hoard wealth like the Ashlores. You can be informal with me. ” Elex said  

Zera glared at him. 

“Ashlores?” She asked in a confused tone 

“Yes, aren’t they the rulers of Senozyne? I heard they are pretty prideful,” Elex replied

“Rumors aren’t always true,” Zera crossed her arms and shifted her glance.

“Anyways, you didn’t tell me your name,” Elex asked 

“My name is Zeraphina. Zeraphina Ashlore.”

“Oh. Well, that’s awkward,” Elex looked away and slumped his shoulders. “I’m sorry…”

Elex Sylvaine

If Elex could dig himself into a burrow and move in with the snakes, he would. He had just told the princess of Senozyne that her family was too prideful. 

“Do you know how they take the test?” An awful attempt at changing the topic.

Before Zeraphina replied, the enormous golden gate swung open. 

A dark-skinned woman stepped out. Her enormous green cape dragged along the ground, and her gown flared as she walked toward the crowd. It changed colors as light shined on it. Purple to Red. Red to Blue. Blue to Silver. It had all the shades of color under the sun. So did the crown. 

Red, Blue, Green, and Silver jewels shined on it. But the green gem in its center shined the most. Something about it lured Elex. Maybe it was the artist in him, but he just wanted to have it, to hold it in his hands and admire it all day. 

 The woman walked towards the crowd. The crowd fell silent with each step she took. She held her head high and kept on walking. 

Her long dark brown hair hung in a fancy braid. Her fierce yet calm eyes were the slightest shade of green. They glinted with a billion emotions—contrary to her face, pride, fear, passion, and love. For a second, Elex wanted to run away from her and save himself. The next second, he wished to sit with her, cry about all his problems and bask in her motherly love. 

The realization had just dawned on Elex when Zeraphina said it out loud.

“Empress Mireya!” Zeraphina bowed to her knees and locked eyes with the empress. 

Elex did the same. But the rest of the crowd bowed their heads as well. As royals, Zeraphina and Elex had the privilege to keep their heads high and disclose their identities.

Endora

Endora’s blood boiled as she copied the crowd and bowed down. She reminded herself that she had to keep low. She had to return home to Aurelia, safe and sound. And she would do that; for her dad. 

Mireya gestured for the crowd to stand. Endora had to hold her laugh back as all the fifteen-year-olds from the empire indignantly stood up. Such fools they were. And she was too. For bowing down in front of the queen as she basked in stolen wealth, she had stolen from the people. That is why Endora refused to address her as Empress. For Ora, the queen would always be an ordinary person who was fortunate enough to be born in the lap of glory. She would always be Mireya, just Mirey.

“I know that you are all wondering why you have gathered here. But maybe the sights you will see today will better clarify your doubts than my voice.” Mireya addressed the gathering 

She walked back towards the gate as the confused crowd followed. Even the two teenagers Endora had recognized as the royals seemed fascinated. 

And sure enough, the sight she saw next did nothing but confuse her even more. The sky looked like someone had punched a hole through the clouds. A round patch of clear blue sky was visible through the thick cloud cover. 

As the gate snapped close behind them, Endora noticed that the ground beneath her reflected the sky. They were standing on what seemed like a plain of frozen seawater. It stretched for endless miles, resembling the clearest, smoothest mirror. Ahead of her, the ice reflected the hole-punch clouds and formed what looked like a portal. 

Everyone else seemed just as confused as Endora. 

Fog clouded Endora’s vision as she opened her mouth to voice her doubts. Screams and gasps echoed from the crowd. 

Endora struggled to catch a glimpse of the queen through the fog. But Mireya was nowhere to be seen. 

Endora tried not to panic. She didn’t trust Mireya at all. 

Talon Lochlan

The fog around Talon thickened as he struggled to regain his sense of direction. Through the corner of his eyes, Talon could see the shadowy outlines of a figure moving towards what he assumed was the point where the endless glacier reflected the hole in the clouds. 

The figure looked short and slender, which confirmed it wasn’t Empress Mireya. Through his squinting eyes, Talon watched as the figure reached into their waist pouch– the only accessory the teens had been allowed to bring– and took out a rectangular object. Talon had no clue what it was.

The figure held the object in front of its eyes. The next thing Talon knew, a piercing beam of light blinded his eyes. Just as the light flashed off, the ice under their feet cracked, collectively drowning them all. 

Water filled his nose and blurred his vision as Talon gasped for breath. As he gasped and flailed, Talon realized that he could breathe. A look around confirmed that a few others had come to the same conclusion. 

“What is happening?” A brown-eyed girl yelled in confusion 

“I don’t know,” A terror-struck pair of grey eyes answered. 

Talon swam towards the boy and girl. 

“Are you both the royals?”He asked

“Yes, we are.” The girl replied

“I am Elex Sylvaine and– ” 

“I am Zeraphina Ashlore, and no. I don’t know any details about this test. If that was what you were going to ask, Mr.Nameless,” Zeraphina informed.

“That’s not what I-” Talon caught sight of someone getting sucked into a whirlpool.

“Quick! We should save her.” Zeraphina declared as Elex swam toward the whirlpool

“Are you crazy?! ” Zeraphina dragged him back 

“Don’t do that! You are going to get sucked into the whirlpool.” Talon yelled at Elex

“Well, then, how do we save her?” Elex asked

“I’ll try,” Zeraphina told

“Have you done this before?” Talon asked 

“Of Course! I swim into whirlpools on the daily,” Zeraphina retorted

“I didn’t mean it like that, Princess. I meant to suggest that I should try since I am an experienced swimmer. I live near a river.” Talon explained

“Sure. Just don’t let yourself get killed,”

Elex and Zeraphina watched as Talon swam toward the whirlpool. 

Soon, Talon could feel the pull of the whirlpool. He let it carry him toward the girl. 

He remained calm as the water whirled into the vortex. And reached toward the half-conscious girl and grabbed her hand.

“Calm down. I am here to save you.” Talon said to the girl as she thrashed her hands

“Can you swim?” He asked her 

“Ok… Relax as much as you can, don’t tense,” He said when the girl didn’t reply

Slowly and gently, Talon swam outwards with the girl’s almost unconscious body. She remained still. 

Talon heaved a sigh of relief as they finally escaped the whirlpool. Zeraphina and Elex swam toward them. 

“There’s an island nearby,” Zeraphina informed as she took hold of the girl and swam towards the surface. 

Talon and Elex followed. As they swam ahead, Talon noticed some of the others had already swum ashore on the island, but quite a few had disappeared.