500 years in the past…

"Come on, will you? We're wasting time!" Draxinian exclaimed.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Cathariel said in exasperation.

Truth be told, she didn't know why she was following her husband. Maybe it was some innate, untapped sense of adventure that she had; either that, or it was blind love. Neither option seemed feasible, yet here she was, traipsing through uncharted forests with a mind full of confusion. She definitely loved Draxinian, though sometimes, she questioned her motives in marrying him. He was always off on some trek, blazing his way through empty wilderness all for the thrill of potentially finding something new. His obsession with the undiscovered bordered on insanity…at least, in her opinion. But it was that same wild spirit that had drawn her to him in the first place.

It was her first time accompanying him on any such quest. Normally, she remained in their home back in Equis, waiting on him to burst in with his next crazy idea. This time, the announcement had been given with great gusto and a declaration that she would be joining him. He'd said a lot about "the glory of Equis" and how she'd help advance the cause of every curious Equisian out there, if only she'd join him. She was so stunned by the suddenness of the idea that she almost unconsciously nodded in agreement. Now, they found themselves hundreds upon hundreds of miles away from home, slashing through one of Mother Nature's most untamed locales.

"Look, Draxinian," Cathariel said, "we've covered a lot of ground today. Why don't we stop here for the night?"

"Stop? Are you nuts?!" Draxinian asked. "We've only just begun to carve out our kingdom's future in this forest and you wanna stop?"

"Drax, please," Cathariel begged. "We've been hiking for hours and I'm exhausted."

"Oh, alright, alright," Draxinian acquiesced. "I suppose we have done a lot today. I'll pitch the tent if you get the fire going."

She nodded and the pair set about their tasks. Their tent was rather primitive, with just enough cover to shield its inhabitant from wind and rain. However, they weren't made with any type of meteorological potentialities in mind. No matter what, it seemed that the nights were always either much too hot or too cold. Draxinian, in particular, regretted his decision to pick up the first thing he'd seen in the marketplace.

"Ugh…I really hate this tent," he said once he'd finished pitching it.

Cathariel smiled. "Well, I would say I told you so, but…"

"Oh, just stop, Cat," Draxinian said, smiling at his beloved.

She patted the patch of dirt next to her. "Come, join me."

He didn't need to be asked twice. Much like usual, Cathariel had outdone herself. The fire she'd built was warm and inviting, not to mention a great deal larger than the ones Drax normally built on his own. He sat down and put an arm around Cathariel's shoulder, trying his best to be somewhat romantic. She responded with a hand on his knee and the two turned and looked at each other. No words escaped their lips, for neither could address the amount of love that passed between them in that moment. Drax offered Cat a tender kiss and the two adventurers pressed closer.

"What do we do now, Drax?" Cat asked. "I mean…where do we go?"

"I don't know, my love," Drax responded. "But that's the most exciting part about exploring."

"We've been on this trip for months, now," Cat said. "How do we know when we're ready to stop?"

"I guess we just will," Drax said. "I can't help but feel that every single day brings us closer to some great, inimitable discovery that will surely help our fellow Equisians."

"What about our neighbors in Corona?"

"Oh, the hell with all of them," Drax growled. "You know damn well that Equis is better than Corona in every possible way."

"But, darling, must I remind you that they are people, too, and that no one nation is better than any other? I mean, we all breathe the same air, right?"

"Oh, don't patronize me with that equality jargon," Drax spat. "We're out here to do right by Equis and I will be damned if we fail in that mission. We're gonna find something that will put our nation over the top."

Seeing that her husband was set in his way, Cathariel decided to let the matter rest. She'd never told anyone, but she secretly admired the kingdom next door to Equis. Corona had always seemed strong in its peaceable manner and resilient through any challenge thrown at it. The royal family was constantly in the public eye, never shutting themselves away within their ivory towers. Even though travel there was forbidden by Equisian law, she'd managed to sneak away a time or two. What she found was a happy kingdom, bound by laws of fairness and filled with people genuinely excited to live there.

Unlike Equis, she thought sadly

Equis had well earned its nickname of The Grey Kingdom. It was lifeless and a complete shell of what it had been. Its first king, Agnon, had seen to it that Equis was just like Corona in every way. In fact, Agnon and Corona's first king, Hendon, had been extremely close. But, in Agnon's quest to make Equis exactly like Corona, he'd fallen into a deep jealousy that had split the friendship in two. In so doing, the kingdoms had become bitter rivals and each successive Equisian king spent all their time and money attempting to find ways to make Corona look bad.

I just hope that our future kings learn from their mistakes, Cathariel thought as she felt her eyes begin to glaze over from exhaustion. Soon she was asleep and she felt her husband scoop her up and help her into the tent.

…

Upon waking the next morning, Cathariel found that Draxinian had already left. This was somewhat annoying, as he would typically wait for her to awaken so they could begin the day's journey together. Grumbling to herself, she tousled her black hair, trying hard to make it look somewhat presentable. But, unfortunately, this was a task for more civilized accommodations. She crawled from the tent, rubbing her eyes and stretching as she did so.

"Drax?" She called. "Drax, sweetheart, where are you?"

"I'm over here, love!" Drax called back. "I can't believe I'm saying this…but I think I might have stumbled onto exactly what we're looking for!"

Cathariel followed the sound of his voice around a bend in the trees a few feet off. His tone suggested something exciting and mystical. However, she knew him well enough to know the trace of danger evident within. She had no idea what she was about to walk into, but she trusted him. No matter what awaited them, she took comfort in the idea that they would face it together. His adventurous spirit had drawn her in, but it was his loyalty that kept her there.

"Alright, Drax, what is…it…?" She asked before feeling her mouth drop open in shock.

Flooding the forest before them was a veritable field of glowing blue rocks and minerals. Their appearance was striking. They shone with the power of the sun, yet were obviously bathed in the moon. This dichotomy was curious, as both of the explorers knew of Corona's famous Sundrop flower and The Dark Kingdom's infamous Moonstone opal. However, neither one had ever seen anything flash with the power of both put together before.

"I…I can't believe this," Cathariel gulped.

"They're beautiful," Draxinian said, awestruck. "Not only that, but they're now property of the Kingdom of Equis!"

"Darling, wait," Cathariel said. "Don't you think we should at least see what they do before we go claiming ownership of them?"

"Well…I guess you're right," Drax responded.

He then proceeded to walk over and pluck one of the rocks from its place. Once in his possession, he felt his body begin to change. His vitality and youth became second to none and his features became more rugged and attractive than anyone else's. He felt stronger, faster, and more brave than ever before. However, there was a darker power underneath. Yes, his appearance and physicality changed, but so did his mentality. He suddenly became very dark and abrasive. His eyes turned black with the rock's power and he turned to face his wife.

"Uh…Drax? Everything okay?" Cathariel asked, gulping nervously.

"Oh…yes, sweetheart, everything is…just fine," Drax growled.

"I…I think it's time to put the rock down."

"Oh, no…I'm just getting started…"

…

Present day…

"….it was then that Draxinian fell upon his wife and slaughtered her brutally," Calliope said matter-of-factly. "Upon this violent act and the discovery of these special elements, which he named Neclectium, he built his own kingdom."

Cassandra was aghast. "Wow…I…I have no words."

Calliope nodded. "Upon hearing this story, very few do."

"So, Neclectia is…or was…a majorly bad place, then."

"Indeed," Calliope agreed, "though, nobody knows for sure what happened to it."

"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked. "An entire kingdom can't just vanish into thin air, can it?"

"I don't know," Calliope said. "I know the story of its founding and that people who lived there were generally miserable…or at least, that's what they told my predecessor when passing through here."

Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows. "Did he ever tell you where they were headed?

"Corona, mostly," Calliope said. "Apparently, they felt they could find true freedom there. But then, one day, they just stopped coming."

"So…is it just assumed that Neclectia disappeared?"

Calliope shook her head. "No. The Old Keeper journeyed to The Dark Kingdom seeking answers when I was still very early on in my apprenticeship. When he returned, he said that Neclectia had simply vanished into the mist."