February 21, 1985
I would have written sooner about our adventure into the Capital yesterday, but I was so tired by last night that I could hardly hold the pen! Now, I could imagine if I was tired how poor Prince Ludwig must have felt. The child must have been exhausted, but he was such a good sport and did not show it. We departed early yesterday morning, around nine o'clock. I found him eagerly awaiting me by the Airship's dock, which was located outside the rear of the castle.
"You're up bright and early, your Highness!" I commented, giving the boy a friendly squeeze on the shoulder.
"I couldn't sleep all night." He said. Usually one who doesn't sleep all night has bloodshot eyes in the morning, but Ludwig's were bluer and brighter than ever. "What did the King say when you asked him if you could take me into the Capital?"
"Early this morning I woke up and asked him. He was up in the Planning Room looking over some documents. At first he seemed reluctant, but after some wonderful coaxing on my part he obliged." I winked at Ludwig, who snickered.
"Then let's go!" He grabbed onto my jacket sleeve and proceeded to tug. "The Airship is almost ready!"
"Calm down, Ludwig, it's not going anywhere without us." I was happy that we were blessed with such a beautiful day. The sky was vibrant and blue, filled with cumulus clouds. Although it is mid-February, the weather in Dark World usually doesn't get too cold. Today would be no exception, probably with temperatures going into the lower sixties. "Are you dressed appropriately?" I questioned looking over the Prince's simple black windbreaker jacket and faded blue jeans.
"I didn't want to look like royalty so I dressed as simple as I could." He seemed proud of his plan and turned around full circle for me to see his outfit.
"Yes, very good idea, Ludwig. You definitely are going to mingle in with the commoners." I grinned as I used the word "commoners", which caused the Prince to chuckle.
"You're dressed rather simply too, Kamek." Ludwig noticed, pointing at my long brown trenchcoat.
"I decided that a nice pair of dress pants and shirt would be fine. You like the jacket though?" I asked, mimicking Ludwig's earlier actions and turning around full circle.
"You look like someone with a lot of authority."
"As well I am!" I laughed, then held out my hand for the boy to take. "Let's go, it's almost time to depart into the big city."
The Crown Prince took my hand and began to drag me towards the Airship, which was docked awaiting its passengers. "Come on!" he yelled.
Up the Airship's long wooden ramp we walked, both anxious to see what the day would bring. The crew greeted us as we walked aboard the ship, the Prince ignoring most of their words. I placed my hands on his shoulders and told him to take a seat on the deck of the ship so he could see the wonderful view. After Ludwig scampered off, Captain Valor addressed me with a smile.
"I don't think I've ever seen the King's eldest boy up close. He looks so much like our old Queen." Valor said to me as his eyes followed the young Prince squeezing past crewmen as he made his way over to the deck.
"Yes," I added. "He certainly does have his mother's spirit!"
We both laughed, then Valor turned his attention toward me. "Kamek, I haven't seen you in so long. How has your new job been treating you, Mr. Royal Administrator?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice, but he chuckled. "Just teasing you, old buddy."
"Of course," I smirked. "To answer your question, my job hasn't turned out to be what I originally expected. It seems like I do the same old things over and over."
"Heh, same shit, just a different day, right?" The Captain smiled again.
"Yes, you could say that. That's why I decided to take Prince Ludwig into the Capital today. He's never seen it, so I figured it might change his melancholy mood." I explained.
"Good idea. I've been the Captain of this Airship for twenty years, and I've seen a lot happen here in Dark World. I'll be honest with you, Kamek, I'm not crazy about our present King. He seems weird all of a sudden. Now, you live inside the castle, do you have any clue what the hell is going on with him?"
"A lot has happened within the past few months. Morrisson died, the Queen is pregnant again, and Ludwig-" I cut myself off rather quickly as soon as I realized that I was about to leak out a very valuable secret. No one knew the Prince was a sorcerer yet, just myself. If it got out, the news would spread like wildfire, and the King would certainly be upset that I hid this information. "And Ludwig has been depressed." I covered up. Luckily Valor didn't seem to notice my slip.
"I don't blame the boy. His mother died when he was just a baby, and that witch of a Queen we have now probably isn't helping." The Captain smugly said, removing his crimson hat and running his fingers through his black hair.
"Now now, Valor, we must respect her, no matter how much she may be disliked." Without even realizing it myself, the words came out of my mouth with a hint of dry humor.
"Eh, you know it, I know it, both the King and Queen are full of shit. I can't wait for our little Ludwig to ascend to the throne. Hopefully he'll be as good as his mother was."
"I hope so too, Valor. But I have a feeling he'll even surpass her." I proudly smiled at the Captain, who was unaware of the Prince's true capabilities.
Finally the time arrived for us to depart. A sailor had come to inform Captain Valor that the Airship was ready to fly.
"Please excuse me for a moment. Get ready to hold on to something while we take off, you know how rocky this ship's departures can be!" Valor chuckled, slapping my left arm.
I immediately thought to now find Ludwig. The boy was probably wondering where I had gone. After nodding my head to the Captain, I made my way over to the Airship's deck. Along the way my hawk-eye caught site of numerous boxes. I tend to notice little details which other's may not take any notice to. Recently King Bowser had informed me that the Airship was being used to ship goods to the Kingdom of Alteria. Naturally I wondered why we were suddenly helping out the Alterian King, considering they never needed any supplies from us in the past. Perhaps talks of war are brewing again? Pushing this tidbit of information to the back of my mind, I concentrated on having fun today. On the deck of the ship I found the Prince peering over the Airship's side, probably watching the men scurrying below getting ready for take off.
"Are we leaving soon, Kamek?" He asked, turning to look at me.
"Yes actually, right away!" I cheered, standing next to the boy. As if on cue, we heard the crewmen call out, then seconds later the great ship began to buckle. "Woah! Better hold on to something."
Ludwig's happy expression turned to one of panic, and he held on to the side of the ship for dear life. "I already don't like this!" he cried, clenching his eyes shut.
The Airship lifted off the ground and began to gain altitude quickly. Within moments we were far from the Castle Dock and high in the air. The unnerving shaking stopped and we were flying rather smoothly. I loosened my grip on the ship's railing and looked down at the Prince.
"Your Highness, you can open your eyes now."
"No, I'm afraid."
"You have no idea what view you're missing."
Slowly Ludwig opened up his eyes and was greeted by pure blue sky and an endless horizon. He stared straight ahead and smiled. "Wow, we're so high up!"
"I know, isn't it wonderful? It's a shame this ride only lasts fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes is long enough." The young Prince said. He then made the mistake of looking down and quickly got terrified again. "I had no idea we were this high up!"
Before I could answer, Captain Valor's voice interjected into our conversation. "Don't worry, your Highness, you'll get used to it." Ludwig turned to see the Captain at his side, beaming with pride. "My Gods, you look just like your mother! But I didn't mean that in a sissy boy girly type of way!"
The Crown Prince stared strangely up at the Captain, probably puzzled about the older man's outburst.
"What the good Captain meant to say was that you have many of your mother's features, Ludwig." I explained, ruffling the boy's light brown hair.
"Nothing girly about you, your Highness!" The Captain added. "I must say that you do have beautiful blue eyes though." He moved closer to Ludwig and said in a voice almost like a whisper, "By any chance are you like your mother?"
"Like my mother?" Ludwig asked, playing dumb. He knew what Valor was inquiring about, but he too knew the dangers of his secret getting out now. I looked at the Prince, who wore a clueless expression on his large eyes. The image reminded me of the way his mother used to look when she was dumbfounded or angry with me. It caused me to crack a small smile.
"You know...do you have the power of sorcery?" Valor continued, eager to hear Ludwig's response.
"Oh, you mean that. I don't know yet." The Prince answered. Growing tired of the Captain's questioning, he rested his arms on the railing of the ship and continued to stare straight into the horizon. He didn't dare look down.
"What would you like to see today, Ludwig?" I decided to change the topic of conversation, for it made the boy uncomfortable.
"There's way too much to see in the Capital just in one day!" Valor exclaimed, picking his head back up to gaze into the sky. "We're going to land the ship in the Capital's main station, which is located right smack in the middle of the city. From there, you two can go out and explore. We'll keep the ship there all afternoon, and whenever you're ready you can come back."
"Ludwig, Blazaa Station is the biggest in the Capital! From there many trains pick up and drop off passengers, goods are imported and exported, and of course there's the Airship base." I started. Ludwig looked up at me and his eyes grew wide. "Not only does the Royal Family ship land there, but many other planes too."
"Planes of all sizes! Wait until you see!" Valor chuckled, folding his arms.
"I can't wait to see everything!" The young Prince beamed up at us.
Prince Ludwig didn't have to wait long, because we approached the Capital shortly after. Upon seeing the giant skyscrapers, highways, and everything else the city had to offer, the boy couldn't help but gawk. It was certainly more interesting than any castle!
"Pick your jaw up off the floor, young man!" The Captain laughed. "It's almost time to land. If you'll excuse me again, Kamek."
For a second time the Captain left us. I rested my hand on the boy's shoulder and prepared for landing. The Airship started to descend as we approached Blazaa Station, causing the Prince to loosen his hold on the railing. The boy's knuckles had turned white!
"We're almost there, don't worry." I reassured.
Over the Landing Dock is a giant dome, which opens up to let planes and the Royal Airship in. It was a magnificent site to see the ceiling of the building pull apart and allow us entry. Ludwig definitely enjoyed watching that! As soon as we were at a safe distance inside the Station, the dome started to close again, as if it were swallowing us whole. A crew was waiting at the bottom, and helped guide the ship to a safe landing. Luckily the ship docked without any problems and we were safe inside Blazaa.
"Let's get off and walk around!" Ludwig exclaimed, now antsy due to the ride.
I obliged, and we waited for the off-ramp to be set up. Soon after we were ready to leave the Airship. I thanked Captain Valor for the trip and told him we'd be back after dinner. Ludwig thanked him also, but seemed to get annoyed when the Captain ruffled his hair. Strangely, he never minded before when I did it. I held out my hand for the boy to hold, explaining that the Capital was a huge city and he could very easily get lost without me. He didn't protest and eagerly took my hand.
So off we went! I took the Prince around Blazaa Station, where he couldn't keep his eyes off a multitude of people scurrying to and fro, the trains and their loud horns...basically the entire surroundings enthralled him!
"This is the Dark World Subway line. Here, people who live outside of the Capital travel into it for work, or whatever business they may have. The entire subway is connected throughout the Kingdom, and some special trains even travel to the neighboring lands of Teknara and Alteria." I had a lot of fun explaining things to the Prince. I was once told that I would make an excellent teacher due to my patience level. In the future I hope to train Ludwig in the art of sorcery and test my teaching skills.
"Kamek, can we go on a train ride?" He asked, his head turning in every direction possible to absorb all the sites.
"Sure, maybe later. Now I want to bring you outside. There's so much more to see in this city besides the Station."
"Alright." Ludwig sounded a bit disappointed, but his frown quickly faded once we exited the building and made our way into the street.
Once there a whole new world greeted the Prince. There was even more people outside than there were in the subway station, not to mention all the cars, trucks, and heavy traffic, which I heard was a nightmare to drive in! Buildings rose high into the sky, billboards advertised the local Friday night television line-up, and the faint smell of honey roasted peanuts filled the air.
"Oh my Gods, Kamek!" Ludwig cried out. His head was now tilted all the way back, gazing up at one of the tallest buildings in the Capital.
"That's one mighty big building, isn't it?" I exclaimed, also taking a look at the skyscraper's beauty.
"It's taller than the highest tower at the castle!"
"I told you the buildings here dwarfed the palace. There's so much more to see. Come!" I tugged lightly on the boy's hand, and we continued our walk. Down numerous streets we walked, the both of us trying to take in everything around us all at once. We ran into many interesting characters as well. On a few street corners there were protestors clasping megaphones in one hand and making wild hand gestures with the other. "Down with the monarchy!", one cried. "Our King must go!", yelled another. We were fortunate enough for no one to notice who we were. Dressing casually really helped out, but I figured even if we were decked out formally no one would have a clue as to who we were anyway. Ludwig smiled sardonically at the protestor's rants. I'm sure he agreed with them wholeheartedly!
"Where are we off to now, Kamek?" He asked finally tearing his gaze away from the anarchist demonstrators.
"Anywhere you like! Are you hungry? I know of a few good restaurants if you'd like some breakfast."
"I ate before I left."
"Hmm..." I paused for a moment. I certainly knew where I'd like to go! "How about a bookstore? The biggest one in the Capital is only a few blocks away."
"Sure, that sounds interesting." Ludwig chirped. I was surprised at the boy's happy response. Most nine year old's wouldn't be caught dead in a book store, but I think Ludwig was so happy to be out of that damn castle he would have settled upon going anywhere!
"Alright, shall we go?" I squeezed the Prince's hand affectionately and we both made a hard right down the next block towards my favorite store.
Once inside, Ludwig couldn't believe that it was three stories tall. Appearances could be deceiving, especially from the store's exterior. "Go ahead, young man. I'll let you wander free in here as long as you don't walk out." I informed, letting go of his hand.
"Sure, I won't get lost!" he called out as he wandered out onto the first floor.
I took this opportunity to get myself a cup of coffee from the food stand at the back of the store. My morning cup of coffee has become somewhat of a ritual over the past ten years. It's like a drug, there are days where I can't go without it. Fifteen minutes later after scanning the "New Arrivals" section I decided to find the Crown Prince. I carefully searched the first floor, but couldn't find him anywhere. The store wasn't too crowded, so I figured he might've ventured onto the second or third floors. I took the escalator up to the second floor, and sure enough there I found him. He was seated on the floor, leaning his back against a book stand with a rather large book resting on his lap. I took notice that we were in the "Occult/Magic" section of the store.
"What are you looking at, your Highness?" I inquired, kneeling down next to him.
"Look at this book I found, Kamek! I want to read it all and learn all I can from it." The boy anxiously exclaimed. He closed the book to show me its cover.
I read it aloud, "Harnessing the Power of Sorcery. Interesting title, Ludwig." I grinned, looking over the front text. "Which section are you reading about?"
"Elements and how they're divided up. Fire, Water, Air, and Earth." Ludwig explained. For a boy his age his reading habits were extraordinary. Most nine year old's don't have a clue as to what the word "harnessing" even means. "It says that each sorcerer has a home element, which their strongest powers are based under. What is your element, Kamek?"
"Oh, mine is Air." I simply replied.
"And what is mine?"
"I'm not so sure yet. I haven't seen enough from you to tell, but judging by that burn you gave your brother, yours might be Fire, like your mother's was."
"This stuff is really interesting. I'd like to buy this book!"
"Are you sure? Most of the stuff in here I can teach you for free."
"Well I still want it anyway. I want to learn some stuff on my own." Ludwig said, getting to his feet. His independence was admirable.
I also stood up. "You can buy the book if you like." I stopped and reached into my trouser pocket. "As a matter of fact, here, take this. It's on me!"
"Wow! Are you sure?" The Prince asked, holding out his palm to accept the five gold coins I had just placed there.
"Yes, go ahead. Just make sure no one sees it before you tell them about your power. Understood?" I raised an eyebrow, but knew deep down I could rely on him.
"Understood!" He chuckled, holding the book tightly against his chest.
We returned to the first floor and I waited next to the exit while Ludwig proudly purchased his tome. Upon leaving, I took the heavy bag from the boy, which he dragged over to me from the counter.
"Where next?" I questioned, taking hold of his hand again.
"Anywhere!"
I decided that walking through the Capital would be tiring, so I proposed that we take a bus ride. Readily he agreed, shaking his head up and down so fast I feared it might come flying off! The mental image of that caused me to chuckle out loud. I could be such an old coot at times! We relied on Dark World's orderly mass transit system to take us around the Capital. We saw many sites all in one afternoon, including the famous Museum of Dark World's History, which caught Ludwig's attention quite easily. Towards dinnertime we both got hungry, so I took him to my favorite restaurant in the Capital. We ordered our food and for the first time all day, got a chance to relax.
"How are you enjoying your day, your Highness?" I looked over at the boy, who was slurping his glass of soda through a straw rather intensely. "Thirsty?" I smirked.
He produced a sound of affirmation as he drank. I waited a moment for him to finish. "Yes Kamek, this has to be the best day of my life." He smiled ear to ear, and his eyes twinkled brightly.
Ludwig's words caused me to smile too. "You deserved to see all of this. It will be yours someday. I can't believe that your father never took you outside of the castle."
"Yeah, well he's too busy with his new wife." The boy cooly added. He paused to take another sip from his straw. "I don't care about him. Kamek, when can we come back into the Capital?"
"We haven't even left and you're already missing it?" I questioned with a laugh.
"I'm dreading going back home." Once again the Prince's tone sounded more like an angry man rather than a young boy. I disliked hearing him talk like that. A child his age shouldn't have to battle bouts of melancholia. "Kamek, I've made a decision." He picked his head up and glared at me, those bright blue eyes of his shining.
"And what decision is that, Ludwig?" I asked, already having an idea to what he was going to say next. It was about time.
"Kamek, I'm planning on telling my father that I'm a sorcerer soon. I really want to start learning, and I don't want to keep hiding it anymore."
"Wonderful, Ludwig!" I joyously exclaimed. "I'll start teaching you as soon as you give me the word. You saw the size of the book you bought earlier. Learning all that information is going to be hard on your own. My help will be handy."
"I'm sure it will."
The waitress arrived and served us our dinner. We ate without much conversation, seeing that this was our first meal since early this morning. After dinner I decided it was time to start making our way back towards Blazaa Station. The Airship crew was probably growing agitated waiting for our arrival. After all, I told Valor that we'd be back before dinner, and now it has been well after. Ludwig was upset that it was time to go home, but I promised him we'd be returning to the Capital shortly, maybe within the next week. Giving in to the Prince's request from this morning, we took the train back to the Station, where the crew awaited us. Captain Valor greeted us as we walked up the ramp. As soon as we made it onto the ship, Ludwig and I returned to the deck.
"I'm glad you enjoyed today, Ludwig." I said, peering down at the Crown Prince, who once again had his hands grasping onto the railing.
"Of course, Kamek!" He answered, a hint of uneasiness in his voice.
Captain Valor joined us as soon as the ship was airborne. Without saying a word, all three of us looked up to watch the massive dome of Blazaa open up and release the Airship. Above our heads was now a sea of stars against the backdrop of a pure black sky.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Valor asked, partially to himself.
"Yes, very!" Ludwig agreed.
"The perfect ending to such a wonderful day, right your Highness?" I questioned, gazing down over the Airship's railing to see the Capital all lit up.
"Uh-huh!" The boy answered, his tone now less tense than it was five minutes ago.
"I see you did some shopping, your Highness," The Captain nodded his head down towards the bag I was holding.
"Yes, that he did." I stated, praying that he wouldn't ask what was in the bag.
"What did you buy?" Valor questioned, shooting my hopes down.
"A book," Ludwig replied rather nonchalantly. He then turned and looked up at me. "Can we sit down? I'm tired."
"Of course, your Highness." I obliged. All day he had been on his feet and it was only until now that he mentioned how tired he was.
The Captain pointed over to a few seats which were placed at the rear of the deck. Ludwig and I walked over and plopped down. The air surrounding the ship was mostly silent. Many crewmen walked around talking quietly amongst themselves, and the Captain had wandered off into his quarter's, probably sneaking in a few winks. I rolled up my coat sleeve to peer at my watch. It was nine o'clock already! I had just turned my head to reveal the time to the Prince, who's bed-time it was well passed, when I saw him resting his head on my arm, his eyes shut. I smiled contentedly, and closed my own eyes to catch some rest.
The ride home seemed much shorter than the ride to the Capital. Upon docking at the castle I gently nudged Ludwig's head in an effort to wake the boy up. His eyes fluttered open and he picked his head up off my arm.
"We're home so soon?" He sleepily questioned, rubbing his right eye.
"Yes, time for you to go to sleep, your Highness."
We both stood up and once again thanked the crew and Captain Valor for their friendliness. They seemed eager to help us again on our next adventure. I told the Captain to keep his schedule open, then guided the Prince back into the castle. Everyone else seemed to be in their chambers already. I was happy the King and Queen didn't see us, or rather didn't see the book I was carrying. I walked Ludwig to his chamber and handed him back his purchase.
"Going to stay up and do some reading or go to bed?" I asked in a low tone, careful not to wake anyone.
"I'm going to bed!" He rubbed his eyes again and entered his room. "Kamek, thank you for everything today. I really appreciated it."
"No problem, Ludwig. It was my pleasure." At my words, the Prince let the book fall to the floor and walked back over to me. His eyes locked onto mine for a moment, then he gave me a quick hug. The sudden action startled me, but I returned the gesture back. I had never seen such affection come from the boy, mainly because he was never given any as a child. I was honored to be the recipient of his feelings.
"Good night, Ludwig." I said as the boy entered his room again.
"Good night, Kamek, I'll see you in the morning." He shut his door, and I returned back to my chamber, where I also retired for the night.
We had such a wonderful time yesterday. I hope to take Ludwig into the Capital again shortly, and maybe even bring his brother Lemuel this time. What I do want more than ever is to start teaching Ludwig how to control his power of sorcery. I pray he doesn't get any ideas from reading that book of his and attempt something on his own!
March 3, 1985
The occurrences of earlier today were quite interesting, and I must say that Prince Ludwig is quite the avid learner. Turns out this meeting that King Bowser was supposed to have with the Alterian King Leirelat months ago finally happened today. Early this morning I was called into the Royal Planning Room to hold council with the King, which is something I have done almost every day since taking this job. I entered the room quietly, and took quick notice that our Majesty had company. Standing at the King's side, looking over a bundle of documents, was a man of about the same age as the King, but with neatly combed brown hair and an air of authority around him...something my King Bowser lacked. Both men didn't seem to notice my arrival, so I cleared my throat rather loudly.
"Ah, Kamek! I've been waiting for you." The King looked up at me and smiled. "Let me introduce you to Alteria's King Leirelat."
So this was the Alterian King! I walked over to the giant table in the middle of the room where both men were stationed. "It is an honor to meet you, your Majesty." I said, holding out my hand for the visitor to take.
"No, it's my pleasure! I've heard so much about you, Kamek. You're a famous character even outside of Dark World." Leirelat greeted, firmly shaking my hand. He had a strong handshake, which I admired in a man.
"Oh, really?" I questioned, eyes bright. An ego trip is always a good thing, especially early in the morning. "Hopefully you've heard nothing bad!"
"No, of course not! Everyone talks about your powers, about how incredible they are! I see why King Bowser would look for your guidance above anyone else's." Leirelat turned his head toward my King, who nodded his head in agreement.
"Yes, Kamek has been an incredible Administrator, and I'm very fortunate to have him by my side." The King complemented.
I modestly bowed my head and chuckled. This was all too much! "Your Highness, putting all talk of me aside, may I inquire to know what this gathering is about?" Even while I enjoyed the praise both kings were showering upon me I wanted to know why Leirelat was here. Something was not right.
"Kamek, you know King Leirelat and I have been talking of an alliance between Dark World and Alteria for some time now," King Bowser started, pushing aside some papers on the table. "Finally, we believe, the time has come for this alliance to become reality."
"We hope that by our Kingdom's striking a military friendship it would strengthen ties between us. Being that Alteria and Dark World are the two biggest of the Eight Kingdoms, we'd make quite a pair incase if war broke out." Leirelat added, further reinforcing the idea of a partnership with my King.
"If a war broke out?" I asked. "Are you talking about between Alteria and Oceanside?"
"Well, that could be a possibility, or even if we get into a war, Alteria would be a great ally." My King stated to me, sensing the worry in my voice.
"How are relations between Alteria and Oceanside?" I inquired again. The Alterian King had given me a sketchy answer and I wanted some answers. Definitely I could feel a foreboding about this conversation. Something was boiling below the surface.
"Well, the Oceanside King wants something which Alteria possesses." Lierelat stated, still not clear enough for me.
"Which is?" I urged.
"That isn't your concern right now, Kamek." King Bowser interrupted, glaring at me as if I had done something terribly wrong. "What matters now is the alliance. If a war does break out, which I pray doesn't happen, then we'll discuss the matter at hand."
"Yes, and as for now all we can do is talk about combining military forces." Leirelat said reassuringly, nodding his head at King Bowser.
"I suppose you're right, your Highness." I addressed my King, but deep down I desired to learn more about this "Alterian possession" which was causing so much controversy! "I'll do everything I can to help strike out a deal. If you both feel an alliance between our two Kingdom's would be the right thing, I'll gladly help."
"Excellent!" King Bowser exclaimed as he clapped his hands together. He then motioned to the chairs placed around the oak table. "Gentlemen, shall we sit?"
All morning the three of us discussed possible solutions for an Alteria/Dark World alliance. Personally I wanted to know what was so important about Alteria that our King would risk our own Kingdom's safety for. After much debating, we all came up with a proposal. It stated that Dark World would continue to ship military supplies over to Alteria as long as the latter Kingdom would keep her borders open freely to any Dark World vessel which wanted entry, for reasons such as trade and exporting goods. I didn't dare ask why we were supplying Alteria with military stock, considering they must already have a large quantity of supplies on their own. Honestly I feel that a war is about to break out between Alteria and Oceanside, but Leirelat doesn't want to mention anything in front of me. There's something he's trying to cover up, and I believe my King knows what it may be. To further seal the proposal, the two Kingdoms agreed to aid each other in case if a war erupted, no matter how fierce it may be. Sure, the idea of a military ally was an excellent strategical advantage, but as I stated before, something was wrong. Something which I had to find out as quickly as possible. What "possession" of Leirelat's could cause such a rising? Around two o'clock we decided to adjourn the meeting and take a rest. The Alterian King asked if he could have a tour of the castle, and my King was happy to cater to his needs.
"How is your Queen doing, King Bowser?" Leirelat inquired as he stood up to stretch. These hard wooden chairs could be very uncomfortable, even with the fancy little cushions! "I heard she is expecting again."
"Twins!" My King proudly proclaimed. "I am to have two newborns!"
"And he's going to need all the help he can get!" I added humorously.
"Having one newborn was enough for me!" King Leirelat laughed, making a reference to his own daughter.
"Would you like to see Adora? She's probably in the Social Room with the rest of my children." Bowser suggested. He got up and stood at King Leirelat's side.
"Sure, I'd love to see her Majesty."
I remained quiet, thinking to myself about Leirelat's own wife...or should I say, late wife. About four years ago, the Alterian Queen Victoria died during childbirth. Such things should be unheard of in today's world, where technology runs rampant, but I had heard through my King that there were complications with the delivery. Neither mother or child survived. The one who I really grieved for was Leirelat's oldest and only daughter, also named Victoria, who was only five at the time. Her story reminded me of Ludwig's, who also lost his mother at a young age. Children shouldn't have to go through such things. Princess Victoria is Leirelat's only heir, and from what I understand he constantly keeps his eye on her, protecting the girl in every way which is humanly possible. Of course, I had heard that she too also has the gift of sorcery, which she had inherited from her mother. Nevertheless, the bond between a parent and child is unbreakable!
The three of us exited the Planning Room and made our way down the long decorated hallway towards the Social Room. I remained behind the two Kings, knowing my place. Both men seemed to get along well, not only socially but strategically as well. If there was going to be an alliance between Alteria and Dark World, these two would surely make it work.
"Ah, here we are," King Bowser announced as he pushed open the Social Room's large double doors.
Upon entering I noticed Queen Adora, who was showing quite vividly now, sitting on her favorite blue velvet covered chair, skimming through a magazine. Despite her condition, she was still wearing a beautiful, ornate dress which only a Queen would've been able to get her hands on. They must make them in maternity size. Anyway, seated in front of the unlit fireplace at the back of the room was Prince Lemuel and my favorite future King, Prince Ludwig. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves, but about what I wasn't sure. Prince Roy was lying down on the floor at his mother's feet, cuddled up with his favorite blue and white blanket.
At the sight of us, Queen Adora slowly rose to her feet and forced a cheerful expression onto her small face. Clearly she didn't want to be bothered. This was typical behavior from her, I wasn't shocked. "Hello, dear. How did your meeting go?" She questioned placing two hands over her swollen abdomen.
"Oh, it went well, I'll explain the details to you later." The King then proceeded to introduce our visitor. "Adora, this is the Alterian King, Leirelat. I don't believe you've ever met."
"Good day, King Leirelat." The Queen nodded her head in respect. I had to prevent myself from smirking, because that woman had much trouble acknowledging royalty other than herself. It must've been hard for her to show reverence to someone else beside her own reflection in the mirror.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Adora." Leirelat politely bowed his head down then picked it up again. "I see you're well along now. May I ask how far?"
"I'm about four and a half months now."
"Do you have any idea what the sex of the children is?"
"No, we decided we wanted to be surprised," The King butted in, complete with a sly smirk on his face. "Although our dear Kamek knows! Must be one of the advantages of being blessed with...such talents."
I ignored the wryness in my King's voice. "Yes, I am well aware of the sex of the babies. They told me they wanted to be surprised when the time comes, but I will say that you'll be very happy once the time has arrived."
A sudden outburst from the back of the room interrupted our conversation, causing all three of us to turn our attention to the arguing Princes.
"Aw come on, show me!" Lemuel urged his big brother, pointing to the fireplace.
Ludwig remained reluctant and just shook his head negatively.
"And you must be Bowser's oldest children!" King Leirelat exclaimed. He walked over to the boys, who simply gazed up at the new face.
"Yes, those are my two oldest." The King answered, joining the group at the back of the room.
I looked over and saw Ludwig, who was now staring at me. I smiled at the boy, who instantly returned the gesture, then turned back to his father.
Queen Adora took this opportunity to sit back down, obviously not phased by her son's demand from before. I carefully stepped over the napping Prince Roy and directed myself next to my King.
"The slightly blond boy with the loud mouth is my son Lemuel." Bowser motioned with his hand over to his child, who clearly didn't like the "loud" remark his father had just made about him.
"And you must be Ludwig..." Leirelat immediately noticed the Crown Prince's brilliant blue eyes and leaned down to talk to him.
"That's me." The boy replied.
"Yes, that is Ludwig, my eldest. What were you two just fighting over?" King Bowser asked, placing his hands on his hips. It was a rare sight watching him play the "father" role. I wish he would act it more often.
"Dad, my hair is dirty blond! And I've got pretty hazel eyes!" Lemuel chirped, emphasizing his observation by pointing a finger practically into his right eye.
"You know, Ludwig," Leirelat continued, resting his hands upon his bent knee. "I have a daughter who's just about your age."
"Oh, really?" The Crown Prince asked, interested by Leirelat's comment. "And where are you from?"
"This is King Leirelat from Alteria." I informed the boys.
"Hello, King Layrealatt!" Prince Lemuel greeted, totally butchering the man's name. Luckily Leirelat didn't seem to mind. He was more concerned with Ludwig.
"You didn't answer my question from before, Lemuel. What were you and your brother fighting over?" King Bowser reinforced his question a second time.
"Ludwig said he was going to show me something," Lemuel paused to give his brother a dirty look. "And he never did!"
"Shut up, Lemmy." Ludwig snapped, annoyed by his sibling's request.
"And what was that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I already had a good idea what the younger Prince was getting at, and now even I was curious to see what Ludwig was going to do.
"Well, show us! We have company, it would be rude to leave him hanging." My King dictated.
Ludwig instantly looked up in my direction and gave me a worried expression. He then turned back as quickly as he had turned to me and stared at the unlit fireplace. "Are you sure you want to see?" He questioned. A bit of nervousness had just seeped into his voice, and I grew uneasy. I hoped he wasn't going to try something well beyond his boundaries!
"Yes, show us." Leirelat urged with a grin, now eager to see a show.
"Do it! Do it! You did it earlier with no problem!" Lemuel barked, clapping his hands together.
I remained silent and held my breath.
"Well, here it goes." Ludwig moved closer to the fireplace. A few pieces of wood were already set in place, but there was no possible way for them to be lit without a spark. The Crown Prince then placed his right hand over the lumber and shut his eyes tight. The four of us waited anxiously to see what was going to happen next. A few seconds later, Ludwig's hand began to glow a faint red, then the red turned to a bright, brilliant orange. He gently moved his hand over the length of the logs, then right before our eyes a huge fire erupted within the fireplace. Quickly he pulled his hand away and released a chuckle.
Of course I wasn't startled about Ludwig's power, but I was definitely in awe! Now if I was astonished, try to imagine the absolute shock on the faces of King Bowser and King Leirelat! Prince Lemuel laughed out loud and continued to clap his hands together.
"I...I had no idea that you were...oh my gods, I was wrong..." My King was so flabbergasted he could hardly form a coherent sentence.
"Well done, your Highness!" I praised the boy, kneeling down next to him. He looked at me, his face decorated with a huge ear to ear grin. He so deserved this attention!
"You're just like my Victoria!" Leirelat cried. He turned to stare at the now raging inferno in the fireplace, then to look at Ludwig, then back at the fireplace. "I could tell by your eyes."
By now we caused such a commotion that Queen Adora and a freshly awoken Prince Roy had joined us. "What's going on?" The Queen asked, alarmed.
"Pretty fire!" The youngest Prince pointed to the fireplace, and instantly plopped his behind down on the floor in front of it.
"Adora, Ludwig...Ludwig...did this!" King Bowser grabbed his wife's arm and aimed his finger at the newly lit blaze. His voice was a mix between shock and great joy, a sudden joy which I feared only developed because of Ludwig's "sudden" abilities.
"Did what? So the fireplace is lit, so what?"
"Your Majesty, Ludwig didn't lite it by any ordinary means," I began, already irritated by the Queen's hollering. "I'm not the only one around here anymore with the gift of sorcery."
"What?" Adora questioned, now even more alarmed.
"Your son is a little sorcerer." King Leirelat grinned at the Queen.
"You mean my step-son." She instantly corrected, pulling her arm free from her husband's grasp.
"I got my powers from my mom." Ludwig was just as eager to correct Leirelat's slip.
"Ah, that's right I remember now about your mother..." Leirelat said in a low tone, embarrassed by his error. "I can empathize with you, Ludwig, or rather, my daughter can. She too lost her mother at a young age."
"Yes, my late wife was a sorceress. When Ludwig was born, we all thought he would be just like his mother. He showed no signs of it as he grew up, so we dismissed the idea...but we were obviously wrong." King Bowser explained, staring dumbfounded at his eldest son.
"How long did you know of your powers, Ludwig?" Leirelat inquired.
"Not very long, I had told Kamek about them a few months ago." He replied, looking at me again.
"Kamek, you knew about this?" The King asked, tearing his attention away from Ludwig and gazing at me.
"Well, yes. Ludwig made me promise not to say anything until he was good and ready to show you." I answered.
"I suppose that's alright." My King mumbled.
"When Ludwig burnt me a few months ago it was because of his power. I wish I was a sorcerer too." Lemuel sulked, feeling left out.
"I said I was sorry about that." Ludwig apologized.
"Your Highness," I addressed my King. I was finally getting the chance to ask him the question which I had been waiting to ask for months. "If I may have your permission, I would like to begin training young Ludwig in the art of magic. It is not something to be taken lightly, and bad things could happen if one is not aware of their true capabilities."
"Yes, that is very true. My Victoria has been under the guidance of a teacher ever since she discovered her gift. The occult is not an easy topic to acquire all on one's own." King Leirelat added, backing up my request.
"Of course, Kamek. You may begin teaching him as soon as possible." The King gazed proudly at his eldest son. "Having a sorcerer in our family is definitely a first for the Koopa family bloodline."
I could tell that the sudden fondness from King Bowser was irking Ludwig. Naturally I couldn't blame the boy, considering that this had to be the biggest amount of affection the King had ever showed the boy in, oh, probably his entire life.
"What a wonderful discovery!" Leirelat exclaimed, getting to his feet. "I should go home and tell my daughter about it. Maybe she'll have a little playmate from now on."
"How...cute." Queen Adora sardonically said, nauseated by the day's startling surprises.
After much talk and praise about the Crown Prince, King Bowser led our guest Leirelat back to his waiting escort (a wonderfully decorated private jet!), which brought the Alterian King home. I took Ludwig aside and told him we should start training immediately. There were so many things which I wanted to find out about him, such as his element and sorcery tier ranking. He promised me we could begin as soon as tomorrow. I agreed, then returned to my room.
Now I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of tomorrow morning! I still stand correct about a
constant thought which has been running through my mind ever since I became Head
Administrator. Things are changing, not only in Dark World, but in the rest of the Eight
Kingdoms as well. Word will begin to spread about Prince Ludwig like wildfire, and soon
everyone will know about the possibility of having a sorcerer as a monarch. As for Leirelat's
daughter Victoria...I'd like to inquire more about her. If she is anything like Ludwig or nearly as
powerful, I believe they'd make a perfect match. I'm getting too ahead of myself! I should
probably get to bed, tomorrow training starts bright and early!
March 15, 1985
I am happy to report that my little protégée has been doing quite well in his training! As I suspected he had already began dabbling in sorcery before I started teaching him, courtesy of that recent book purchase of his! The fireplace incident was one of many attempts he had tried, but it was the first spell that he cast which actually worked. Over the past week I began telling him about the basics, you know, the stuff which doesn't involve any "on hands" spell casting. Even though the basics might've bored most people, Ludwig listened to my lectures wholeheartedly. The discussion we had a few days ago really stood out in my mind, because it showed me how quick a learner the boy was, and how eager he was to begin heavier training.
We were seated in the castle courtyard on one of the beautiful (but hard to sit on for long periods of time) stone benches, with Ludwig's favorite book Harnessing the Power of Sorcery, open wide between us.
"Now," I started. "Let's review. How many elements are there?"
"There are four. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air." He answered. "That was easy, Kamek!"
"O.K., just testing you! It's early in the morning, you know." I joked, watching a smile appear on the boy's lips. "Alright, let's get serious. Yesterday I taught you about the six tiers of sorcery. Every sorcerer has their own individual level. The higher the level indicates the amount of power one can put into casting a spell. Now, tell me each about the six tiers and what they can do."
Ludwig looked upward for a moment, as if he was literally searching his brain for the answer. I didn't have to wait long for one. "First tier is when a sorcerer has very limited power and can't do much. No major spell casting can be achieved. Even the element of the sorcerer is undetermined due to the low level of power within."
"Very good! Please continue."
"Second tier sorcerers have a minimal amount of power and can do more than a first tier. Still, sometimes the element cannot be determined. Examples of second tier spells are setting small fires out of nothing, moving objects around, and...and...having the ability to manipulate water into its three different forms at will."
"Which are?"
"Liquid, water, and gas. Second tier sorcerers cannot heal themselves or others."
"You're doing great, Ludwig. Continue." I nodded my head in approval.
"Third tier are more powerful than their first and second tier counterparts. They can maximize the effects of a common second tier spell, and have the ability to claim their own element."
"Fourth Tier?"
"Fourth tier sorcerers are pretty strong. Not only do they have their own element, but they can start building spells based solely on it. They also have the ability to choose if they want to heal people or themselves. They take all the abilities from the first, second, and third tier sorcerers and combine them."
"Keep going."
"Fifth tier casters are extremely powerful. They take their own element, and not only build spells off it, but can manipulate the other elements with it as well. Combining spells from different elements is their speciality, thus enhancing the ferocity of the original spell. They can also do things like walk through walls, use advanced telepathy, and can sometimes see into future. In some cases, they can also have quirky abilities, such as being able to sense a fetus growing inside its mother."
"Sound familiar?" I smirked. I take great pride in being a fifth tier sorcerer. Spell casters of my level are extremely far and in between, and I am fortunate enough to have been born with advanced powers. Of course, I sometimes covet the abilities of a sixth tier, which is almost unheard of today.
"You're a fifth tier, aren't you, Kamek?"
"Yes, that I am!" I boasted.
"What tier do you think I am?"
"Oh, I'm not sure yet. We'll just have to train you hard and find out! Now, on to sixth tier."
Ludwig took a deep breath. "Sixth tier sorcerers are the most rare and most powerful of all the sorcerers. They bring together all the abilities of the tiers below them and multiply the power of the spells by the thousands. They can take life freely, by casting a high level death spell, or can heal even the deepest of wounds with a sixth tier healing spell."
"And what is most important about them?"
The Prince smiled devilishly. I could tell that just by learning about a sixth tier caster he wanted to be one. "Sixth tier sorcerers can call forth the spirit of a dead ancestor for aid. The ghost can choose any form it wants and will listen to the callers every whim. There is no way to defeat the summoned spirit because they're...already dead. The form they take is just a shell harboring the ancestor's soul. They too can cast spells and help with physical activities. Sixth tier sorcerers are the epitome of magic and envy of lower level casters."
"Sounds nice, doesn't it?"
"Definitely! Was my mother a sixth tier sorceress?"
"No, she was a lowly fifth tier, just like yours truly." I joked, emphasizing that fifth tier sorcerers were incredible in their own right.
"And there aren't any sixth tier ones today?" Ludwig asked, extremely curious about these high level magicians.
"Well, we're not sure. There hasn't been a documented one in at least one hundred years. The abilities of one are hard to ignore, so I'm sure if there was one alive today he or she would have come forth by now."
"That is so incredible. I want to train real hard and see what tier I am!"
"You've already gotten the basics down pretty well. Soon I'll start teaching you some second tier spells. What you did to the fireplace last week was a classic example of second tier sorcery." I explained.
"I learned it from the book." Ludwig motioned his head toward the book between us. "It wasn't that hard."
"Spell casting takes great meditation to achieve, especially for a beginner sorcerer like yourself. If you think the fireplace spell was nice, wait until you see what I can teach you!"
The next day I decided to show him some low tier spells, and maybe see if he could emulate my examples. We returned to the courtyard, where there was a lot of space for spell casting. Considering that my strongest element is wind, I sometimes can cause quite a mess!
"Are you finally going to show me what you can do, Kamek?" The Prince asked as we made our way over to the familiar bench from yesterday.
"Well, not exactly. I couldn't possibly cast five tier magic in such a confined space. What I'm here to show you are some lower level spells and see if you can duplicate them." I explained.
"And what's the purpose of that?"
"It'll help give me insight to what tier you are and what your home element is." As I said this, my eye caught sight of a bunch of withered, dried up leaves which had been left over from the previous winter. They were tucked away under some leafless shrubbery, so I proceeded to move some of the leaves out with my foot. Ludwig watched me, and I could tell that he was puzzled by my action. "You'll see what I have planned."
"Alright," He said. "I sure hope it's good."
After a few moments of me rearranging the leaves into a pile, I stood back and held my arms out. "This is perfect!"
"They're leaves." Ludwig stated dryly.
"But watch what you can do with these leaves! Come here, let me show you." I motioned with my left hand for him to stand in front of the pile by my side. Once he joined me, I took his hand and started to kneel down, hoping he'd follow my lead. He did, then stared at the dead foliage. "Now I want you to concentrate with me."
"Concentrate about what?"
"Well, I want you to focus on what I'm about to do."
"Sure, I'll try."
"Good!" I released the boy's hand from mine, then leaned in closer to the leaves. Ludwig was watching my every move, which is what I exactly wanted him to do. Now that I knew I had his full and utmost attention, I held out my right hand above the pile. Almost instantly my hand began to radiate a pale green, and the leaves began to gently stir. I could hear the Prince suck in a breath of awe, but he remained silent. A few seconds later, my hand was now glowing a fierce green, and the leaves began to fly up in a whirlwind pattern. Soon, every single leaf had been lifted up off the ground and were dancing in a circular fashion, mimicking the force of a mini tornado.
"This is a level two tier spell, using air as the main element." I clarified, moving my hand away. "It isn't much, but at least it's a start."
"It's still incredible!" Ludwig exclaimed, gazing at me in astonishment. "Can you teach me how to do that?"
"The main purpose why I showed you that spell was to see if you could duplicate it, or maybe even cast another tier two spell with a different element." With a wave of my hand the leaves suddenly lost their support and slowly came fluttering to the ground. "Now, you try."
I was still kneeling down next to the boy, but carefully moved a bit back from him. I didn't want to be a distraction while he meditated over the spell. The mind can wander easily.
"If I could do it before, I could do it again." The boy kept his attitude positive, and accented it with a quick nod of the head. He moved his right hand over the now settled pile of leaves and clenched his eyes shut. Usually a beginner in the art of sorcery might've taken a while to build up the power within to cast the magic, but not my Ludwig. Just as quickly as I had previously done, his hand immediately began to glow a dull red, followed by a bright orange, and a spark of flame burst forth from the pile, engulfing the entire thing in flames. It was beautiful! "Kamek, I did it! That was really easy!" He joyously cried out, turning to face me.
"And it was spectacular! You amazed me how fast you cast that spell!" I decided to test him further. "Let's see if you can put the fire out."
"But for me wouldn't that be a higher tier spell?"
"No, not necessarily. The power of the magic will be the same, but it might prove what tier you are. Remember what you've learned."
"I'll try..." The boy's tone had gone from victorious to suddenly panicked. Once again he placed his hand out, but this time quite a bit higher in order not to burn himself! I patiently waited, already figuring that his dominant element was fire, and that casting a spell of a different nature might take longer. Well, I was partially right! It did take a bit longer for a reaction to occur..."bit" meaning by a few seconds longer. I honestly didn't think even Ludwig noticed it, but I watched in awe as his hand began to turn a light, beautiful shade of blue, then moments later, shift to a darker tint, causing a burst of water to appear out of thin air and fall upon the fire, snuffing it out instantly. I was very happy for Ludwig, but apparently he was so busy concentrating that he didn't notice the spell even being cast. His eyes were still shut and his hand still hovered over the now smoking pile in front of him.
"You've been doing a lot of late night reading, haven't you?" I was half joking, while the other half of me was pondering over how he knew how to even cast the water elemental spell in the first place. That little tome of his was helping out nicely.
" What?" He finally opened up his eyes and actually fell back onto his behind upon seeing the drenched leaves. "I did it!"
"Yes, that you did! I am very proud of you, Ludwig. Today you have proven two things to me." I started to explain as I stood up. "First off," I held out my hand for him to take, which he eagerly did, then helped him to his feet. "I now know that your home element is fire."
"And what else?"
"Second," And I was not shocked to say this. "You're at least a fifth tier sorcerer. Not only did you use your dominant element, but you manipulated water as well."
"Does that mean I can use earth and air spells too?" He asked. His voice was very cheerful, and he trotted alongside me like a puppy.
"Why yes, yes it does! But Ludwig, it takes a lot of practice to learn how to cast tier five magic, so don't get discouraged if you can't do it as easily as a second tier spell. It took me a while myself, believe it or not, to learn certain things."
"But you'll teach me, right?"
"Certainly." I looked down at him and smiled. His blue eyes sparkled as he stared back at me, and I could definitely tell that there was a great power residing in this little pint sized sorcerer. With my help I wanted him unlock it!