A few hours later, Salem and Summer were once again in the throne room, facing the royal couple.
Earlier in the day, an elf maid named Lixiss had shown them around the castle and the two women were amazed by the many rooms making up the building: living rooms, bathrooms, relaxation room...and many others.
Like the throne room, the walls and floor were made of white marble and emerald marble columns. In addition, on the ceilings, there were crystal chandeliers, the surface of which sparkled in the light. However, on the walls, they were able to see the portraits of all the Elven kings who reigned over this kingdom.
Salem and Summer were able to see what Dobby, the first Elf King, looked like and they were shocked and amazed by his appearance so... pathetic. In those distant times, Dobby and the rest of his kind were clearly different from the Elves of today. Clearly, the lack of oppression and mistreatment was a blessing for the Elves.
After a few hours of visit, Queen Shanyrrya and King Falael took everyone to the dining-room where everyone enjoyed a feast worthy of a… well, a king. As guests, Salem and Summer also received delicious dishes that words were not enough to describe as the tastes were so rich and varied.
As they ate, they engaged in conversations that were just as diverse and varied as the dishes on the large table in front of them. However, the royal couple was very interested in what life was like on the surface world, Remnant.
Summer and Salem therefore spoke to them about the technologies used on Remnant, the different kingdoms existing on the different continents, namely Vacuo for Sanus, Atlas for Solitas, Mistral for Anima and finally Ménagerie, where the majority of the Faunus lived. Of course, questions were asked by Faunus as the word was unknown in the Hidden Realm.
Sure, Salem and Summer had mentioned them earlier when they explained the royal couple of who and how they came to be in this world but they didn't explained to them who and what Faunus were.
Anyway, the royal couple (as well as a couple of servants who eavesdropped) were amazed by the fact there were people who looked like humans but with animal features living in the Surface. But needless to say that they were outraged to hear about how they were treated by a good portion of Humanity as it reminded them of what their ancestors endured before the arrival of the Twin Gods.
Later, once the food was completely consumed, our two heroines, as well as the royal couple, went to their rooms to relax while they digested the sumptuous meal they devoured. Summer and Salem, instead of going to the room that had been given to them by the Queen, went to the library and the librarian, an old man (an Elf of course) named Fenian had been kind enough to allow them in despite not being humans.
After thanking him, the two of them had leafed through some of the books placed peacefully on the many shelves in the large to these books, the two women learned a lot from the Hidden Realm : contrary to Remnant, this world was composed not composed of 6 continents… but FOUR ! Indeed, from the map they found, and after having discarded (mentally) the numerous volcanic islands which were represented there, the two women were able to clearly see the four great continents which shaped the Hidden Kingdom:
-To the north was a continent which, according to the description, was covered with ice, high mountains, fir forests and snow. This continent was called Frozenland. The climate was mostly cold and polar, creating ice floes, but during 'summer', the temperature can lower a bit… but not enough to be called 'hot'.
In this icy kingdom, there lived a large number of species that are 'made' for the cold : common creatures such as Polar bears, penguins, and seals but also 'magical' creatures Frost Salamanders, Yetis and Doxies to name a few.
- To the west, there was a very large continent divided in two but connected by a very small piece of land. The first part (called Sylvaria) was apparently filled with pine forests, vast plains, numerous lakes and rivers and a few mountains. In this part of the world, the climate could be hot and arid in summer, almost polar in winter. But the rest of the time, the climate was pleasant and mild.
The second (called Solamira) was filled with tropical forests, mountain ranges that could almost reach the sky, and further south, there were large plains. Unlike the first part of the continent, the climate was tropical, therefore hot and humid, with high temperatures all year round. Mostly, there were two seasons: the dry season, which generally lasts 4 months, and the rainy season.
However, despite the climatic differences, this continent was not void of life and a wide variety of animals, both normal and magical, lived in these lands.
- To the south, there was a fairly large continent composed (according to the book) of savannahs, some mountains, some forests and deserts. The climate was varied : arid, semi-arid, desert and humid with sometimes numerous monsoons. Like the precedent continents, this one was also filled with a large variety of common animals such as Lions, Elephants and Buffaloes. The magical creatures were also pretty present in those lands such as Giant Dung Beetles, Graphorns, Billywings, and Thunderbirds.
This continent was called Darvalis.
-To the east was probably the largest continent of the Hidden Realm. The climat there was varied depending on were you were : The landscapes in the north of this continent were a bit similar to Sylvaria's with its pine forests, hight mountains, and lakes along with the well-known four seasons and their respective weathers.
The central part of this continent was filled with steppes and vast plains. The climate was similar to desert's with hot, scorching days and cold nights. Precipitation was apparently pretty low, but thankfully sufficient enough to avoid total desertification.
Then, the south part of this continent was filled with tropical forests and mangroves. The climate was completely "tropical", so mainly hot and humid, with high temperatures all year round.
Due to the different climates, the diversity of creatures and living things (both common and magical) on this continent was greater than anywhere else. According to what the book says, creatures from other continents could be found there such as Yetis, Thunderbirds, Graphorns, Frost Salamanders, Griffins or Manticores. But there were also creatures totally endemic to this continent such as Re'ems, Demiguises, Zouwus, Qirins, Acromantulas (even if some of them could be found out of the continents in Dark Forests), Occamies, Kappas and many more.
This contient was called Zephyria.
The oceans and seas of the Hidden Realm were also full of life. However, common creatures (whales, dolphins, fish, sharks) greatly outnumbered magical creatures.
Why ?
According to the texts, many magical aquatic creatures were exterminated during the Great War (and the last) by humans. Only a small handful have survived such as Hippocampus, Lobalugs, Mackled Malaclaws and Ramoras.
Which wasn't much...unfortunately, to our heroines' greatest horror, the list of missing magical creatures was much bigger than she thought.
Summer was horrified, saddened and furious at the terrible massacre committed by members of her own species: so many lives destroyed, so much blood shed... so much suffering.
As for Salem, she was also saddened by this mass genocide and a small part of her was proud to no longer be completely human.
Humans were complex creatures, capable of great things...however, they were more likely to do terrible things...and sometimes irreparable things.
And this massacre was blatant proof…
After going through the list of extinct creatures, the two women quickly pushed it aside to read about the current magical creatures… and to their joy, it was quite impressive. Despite the lost of so many species, new ones appeared during all those millenniums of peace : some were born thanks to a large exposure to magic while others were born through hybridization or evolution.
Once again it has been proven that, despite the rigors and difficulties, life always finds a way to flourish !
Moreover, Dragons, the dominant creatures of the Hidden World (alongside the Elves), have also seen their numbers grow during the last millenniums. These large flying reptiles have colonized all environments: tropical jungles, oceans and seas, desert, temperate forests, tundras and volcanoes. Thanks to both hybridization and their ability to adapt, Dragons have varied shapes, colors and abilities : some spit flames, others venom and even ice !
Magic was also a factor in this change, as it helped them evolve faster !
Fascinated, the two women unfortunately did not have time to find out more about the subject because a servant entered the Library to fetch them. When questioned about the reason, the Elf Maid answered that it was important and it concerned the Dragon King. Instantly, their curiosity about Dragons melted like snow in the sun and they quickly followed the servant as she led them to the throne room.
Which bring us back to present…
"Thank you for bringing them here, Ayla… You can go back to your duties..." King Falael said to the servant with a slight bow of his head.
The servant bowed respectfully at her monarchs before leaving the throne room, leaving them all behind. Once Ayla had disappeared, the royal couple looked back at the silver eyed Huntress and the Queen of Grimm.
"Lady Salem, Lady Summer… I'm glad you came so quickly..." Queen Shanyrria greeted them with a serious expression on her face and a formal tone.
"Well, you summoned us…It would have been rude of us to ignore you…" Summer commented with respect.
King Falael snorted in amusement while his wife, Queen Shanyrria, had allowed a smile to appear on her angelic face.
"True..." the Queen began to say with a light chuckle before her expression turned serious again.
"The Dragon King sent a reply to my message..."
Instantly, Summer and Salem's attention was captured as they looked at the elf queen with anticipation and slight nervousness. They both hoped that Ancalagon the Black would be kind enough to receive them because he was perhaps the only one who could help them return to the Surface.
After a few seconds of tense silence, Queen Shanyrria smiled as she gazed at the worried duo before saying in a happy tone
"He has accepted to meet the two of you !"
Joy and happiness spread through the bodies of our two heroines when these words were spoken and the two former enemies looked at each other with big smiles and bright eyes.
"When ?!" Summer asked the Queen with pure joy radiating from her entire being as stars shined in her silver eyes.
"Tomorrow morning !" This time, it was the King who answered her, with a gleaming eyes of amusement.
Salem, Shanyrria and Falael all watched in amusement as Summer jumped around while cheering and crying in happiness. The Queen of Grimm rolled her eyes at her friend's childishness but, she too was happy by the news.
If everything is good, then the two of them would be back home… back to the Surface… back to Remnant.
00/(Time Skip)/00
The next day, after a good night of sleep, Salem and Summer were now standing in the courtyard, facing the royal family for the last time. They had slept in large and wonderful rooms the previous night and now, they were ready to meet the King of the Hidden Realm, Ancalagon the Black.
During the previous day, just after being told the news from the royal family, they came across Alenia, the She-Elf from the village of Malon who escorted them all the way here, who was about to leave to return to her own home. Apparently, after her talk with the royal couple, she went to visit some relatives who lived in Lelfalion before returning to the castle to make sure the two of them were safe.
Goodbyes were given and the two women had watched in silence as Alenia climbed on Stormfeather before flying away. Summer and Salem also said goodbye to both Moonwing and Shadowheart before watching them going after the two, disappearing in the distance.
After that, they enjoyed their times in the castle before sharing dinner with the royal couple and going to sleep once the night came upon the Hidden Realm. The rooms they were given were, in short, worthy to host a king with soft mattresses, comfortable pillows, nice decorations, etc… The beds were simply delightful to sleep on and the two of them had slept like dormice.
After eating breakfast and taking a nice, warm shower, the two women were now ready to leave, wearing the clothes given to them by the inhabitants of Malon. The weather outside was perfect and the sound of the birds sounded like music to their ears. The promise of a good day !
But let's focus on our heroines, shall we ?
Standing by the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, Salem and Summer faced the royal couple, who looked a little sad to see them leave, but tried to hide it behind a mask of formality.
"I wish you good luck with the Dragon King..." Queen Shanyrria said to the two before her husband took over by saying
"You are both welcome to come back here whenever you want..."
Summer and Salem bowed respectfully at the two monarchs.
"Thank you, your majesties… We will never forget your kindness toward us..." The silver eyed Huntress said gently to the two while straightening back.
"We will never forget your help either... If in the future you need anything and we find a way to go back and forth between our worlds, then we will do our best to help you ..." Salem added with a smile while looking at the two.
Shanyrria and Falael bowed slightly at them, showing their gratitude for their kind words before straightening back.
"You honor us… May your quest be a success…" King Falael said to them in a formal tone, but his eyes shined with emotion.
"And give the Dragon King our regards..." Queen Shanyrria added with a smile, sharing the same emotion as her husband.
While Salem and Summer bowed at them again, the Queen turned her head to look at one of the guards before saying
"Make sure they reach Lady Aurora safely !"
"Yes, my Queen !" the golden-armored soldier retorted with a bow.
After that, goodbyes were given once again before Salem and Summer followed the guard, leaving the courtyard under the sad eyes of Falael and Shanyrria. The royal couple watched them until they disappeared from their sight before looking at one another
"I hope Ancalagon will help them… They are good people..." the Queen said softly to her husband.
"Indeed… Despite being human… and former human, Lady Salem and Lady Summer are nothing like the humans of old..." the King answered with a nod of agreement before adding
"Beside, I'm pretty sure the Dragon King will help them…"
"Still having trouble calling him by his name ?" Shanyrria asked him teasingly with an amused raised eyebrow.
Falael looked at anywhere but his wife, looking embarrassed, much to the amusement of the Queen.
"Don't tell me you're still afraid of his threat, right? The one about burning you down if you hurt me in any way?~"
"STOP REMINDING ME OF THAT !" King Falael hissed loudly with a red face of dread and embarrassment.
Queen Shanyrria laughed loudly in humor at her husband's answer and he was left grumbling under his beard about 'annoying wives' and 'grumpy dragon kings' as the two of them made their way back into the castle.
(To be continued…)