We had traveled many miles across the country before finally making it to the Null King's citadel. It floated above the White House in Washington D.C. like a UFO. The citadel was a large circular shape with a single tower in the middle of it, glowing yellow. On top of the tower was the drill that had poked through the sky above Tokyo two years ago. I had seen it on the news that fateful day.
The soldier grabbed me and leaped off the guardian before escorting me into the fortress. He pulled me through a maze of hallways before coming into one great hall. I noticed that every where were those yellow minerals. They were driven into the wall and glowed dimly to be used at torches. The great hall was full of these crystals. Large ones lined the wall, small ones were scattered across the floor and the chandelier above our heads was made out of the precious stuff. What was so important about these crystals?
"I brought her at your request, my lord," the soldier said as he dropped to his knee, pulling me with him.
Across the room, I could see the figure of a man sitting lazily on his throne of yellow crystal. At the arrival of the soldier and me, he sat up straight and alert.
"Come closer, Maybelle Townshend," he said in a low, almost growling voice.
I stood up and the soldier shoved me forward. I stumbled on my first couple steps but I walked quickly up to the Null King who didn't look so powerful and mighty when I saw him up close. I kneeled again, five feet away from his throne. I had imagined him to be a giant, clad in scary looking armor and never revealed his face but the real Null King that sat before me seemed like an old man with long white hair but he was very brawn. He was bare-chested and wore a green cloak, brown pants, black boots and leather fingerless gloves. He wasn't scary to me anymore.
"Did you write this research essay by yourself?" he asked me, holding up a small stack of paper. I recognized the quick handwriting as my own and nodded vigorously.
He leafed through it briefly, "You cited the work of a man named Dr. Aloysius Animo, did you not?" I nodded again. My research paper was on biology for science class and most of my paper was made up of the scientist's discoveries.
His eyes flashed at me and I saw that they were yellow like the crystal that could be found everywhere you turn. He was a little scary now.
"Tell me about this Animo," he leaned forward on his throne.
I gulped and looked for words. It had been a month since I wrote the paper and under this sort of pressure, I couldn't remember anything. My mouth became dry and the Null King became irritated. He made a slow movement to get up but I cut him off.
"You've never heard of Dr. Animo?" I asked him, "He's only one of the greatest scientists in history," I continued, my mouth kept running and my brain was at a stop, "He didn't win the Verities Award many years ago because of his research in genetics, which I found fascinating. There was a five year time span in which I could not find anything about him but I began to find files on him going to jail, but that was as much as I could find."
The Null King quickly shut his mouth as he had been gaping at what I said and sat back in his throne.
"I wish I could find out more about Animo's research but he didn't publish any of it other than what he did for the Verities Award," I told him.
There was silence for the longest time before he finally spoke up. "I have heard of this… Dr. Animo. He is a fascinating scientist, isn't he?" I nodded as the Null King clasped his hands together, "I believe I have some of his papers somewhere, if you would like to read through them."
"I would love that, my lord," I replied, bowing deeply with my head to the floor.
"I will have someone to pick you up after school hours tomorrow, same place, and same time. You are dismissed," he said waving for the soldier to take me away.
I was taken back to the spot where the soldier had asked for my name and I ran for home, knowing my father was wondering where I had been.