Approaching the castle doors, Sebastian stopped and knocked on the door three times. It echoed deafeningly on the other side. When the last knock echoed back to us, the door flew open. I squeezed Carlyle’s hand. A guard, much like the one I saw earlier, was standing there. He spoke in that different language, nodded a few times, and then let us pass. He let out a low growl when I walked by him. I didn’t have to squeeze Carlyle’s hand to let him know I was afraid, he instantly pulled me closer and wrapped his other arm around my shoulder. I was huddled against the side of his chest wishing this were all a bad dream.
A few seconds later, the scenery yet again took me out of my sanctuary that was Carlyle. Inside the castle, it was like a completely different place. It was nothing like the bright and beautiful pasture just outside the doors. I wondered if the illusion only worked outside. Maybe I wasn’t capable of seeing its true beauty once past the doors?
The fire from the candles glowed a strange green color, causing everything to be cast in a funny shadow. The further from the front room we got, the more the candles brightened. Finally, I was able to make out that the walls were just as white inside as they were outside. Instead of the blue trimmings, it was gold. The rug that we were following was red with gold designs in it that shined in the green glow.
I didn’t understand why everything was so dark inside the castle. If I hadn't been able to see the color I would’ve said something to Sebastian just to make sure this was how it was supposed to look.
There were many rooms down the halls that we passed. Few of them had doors, but the ones that did were shut. It didn’t really matter, though, because inside the open rooms were so dark, I couldn’t make anything out. This castle was definitely an illusion. Who would show off something so beautiful to have it so ugly inside? I just couldn’t fathom it.
At the end of the hall, everything eventually opened up. We were standing in a massive half circle. It wasn’t much brighter, but bright enough that I could finally see the wall art. It looked cluttered with pictures and paintings from my world. Their leader must keep them as souvenirs whenever the Maracores return with them. There weren’t any windows, just rows up to the ceiling of the strange green candles. Carlyle tugged on my hand, pulling me left.
We all stopped in front of two massive doors. They seemed to have come out of nowhere. They were just as big as the main doors into the castle somehow. I noticed that these had door knockers. It seemed the main doors should be the ones with ornate knockers. The lion’s head stared back at me with the ring hanging from its mouth. Sebastian didn’t touch the ring. However, he reached out and touched the nose of the right one. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself when it actually roared. Carlyle and Sebastian both shot me the look of death. I regained my composure immediately, not aware my laughter had been aloud. The doors opened and we stared into a giant open room. It was very bright on the inside. I could see every nook and decoration just fine.
I realized my insult when in the center of the room was a giant lion. Actually, he was a human lion. Everything from his head, paws, and tail resembled a lion, but he was standing upright like a person. It did make him more intimidating that way. His fur was black, just like the Aegyssusians; and nearly all the other creatures I had seen in their world. His upper body was covered not in armor, but in a tuxedo jacket and shirt. He had a small red flower stuffed in his pocket. He was like the James Bond of guardian angels, minus pants... well actually, especially with the missing pants.
Repositioning his head so he was no longer looking at us over his bifocals, he walked around his giant desk and leaned against the front edge of it. I wondered what it was made out of to be able to hold his bulk. His tail twitched around and barely missed all the arrangements on the desk, much a like a cat's tail. He brushed it aside as he sat to avoid sitting on it.
I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t just sit on one of the two couches in front of him, or the giant chairs to the sides of him. Were those fragile? All the furniture looked insanely expensive. Maybe they were just props? Actually, I guess sitting in one of those would make him physically lower than us. He wouldn’t be much of a leader if he made himself the same level as an intruder to his world. I gave him credit for that.
I noticed that the entire room was decorated in expensive, lavish belongings. Even the color of the walls and rugs reeked of millionaire status. I was trying to figure out where I had ever seen a blue like the color of the rug in front of his desk, when I noticed his feet. They were lion’s feet. He wiggled his toes and I made eye contact with him again. That’s where I had seen the blue before; his massive eyes were beautiful.
“Mirabelle.” He said.
His voice was normal, it surprised me. It didn’t boom or echo or appear in my mind. He nodded to Carlyle and Sebastian. They bowed. Carlyle dropped my hand and then both of them turned around.
“What?” I whispered, looking after them.
They didn’t stop nor turn around. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The doors closed behind them with a loud thud.
“What? This cannot be happening, this cannot be happening.” I whispered to myself. “Somebody, pinch me.”
I whimpered when the Minakai stood face to face with me.
“Pinch you? Heavens child, surely I am not that terrifying, am I?”
He laughed. It was slightly comforting...almost.
“Well, I suppose, not really. You’re just, a bit overwhelming. All of this is overwhelming.” I sighed.
“You should see yourself.”
He laughed again. He pointed to the loveseat to the right of him, my left, and I took a seat. I hadn’t noticed before, but he really wasn’t that tall compared to Sebastian or Carlyle. Crap, my thoughts, there they go again.
“A human is terrifying to you?” I asked doing my best to distract my thoughts.
“Just a bit overwhelming.”
He smiled, walking around to sit on the couch opposite of me. I could clearly see his jagged teeth the closer he got. They didn’t frighten me, though. I felt like I did when Sebastian was a creature versus his human form. He was much less intimidating being himself rather than trying to be someone he wasn’t.
“Tell me, why is it you are here? My guard seems to think you are worthy, my people seem to trust you, but I want to trust you.”
“I was playing laser tag with Sebastian, and the next thing I knew I was walking out to this world.”
“Ah yes, Nancy told me. But that is not what I meant. Why are you here, sitting in my office? What are you hoping to gain?”
“Sebastian said I needed to see you. He said you could help me get back home. He was very frightened when he heard that I could not see your world in color. So we rushed over. He also mentioned something about him and I having a certain connection, he wasn’t clear on that, though.”
“No color, huh? That must be terrible.”
He leaned forward from the couch he was on and rolled up his sleeves. He didn’t really seem as interested in the last thing I mentioned as I would have liked. I was hoping he could clear it up. Rather, he shook his arms out and motioned for me to lean over towards him. I grinned when he reached in his inside pocket and put on his bifocals again. It was just too much this close to me.
“May I?” He asked permission to hold my glasses.
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes as he took them off. When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but gasp. The lion I had seen before was now a man. He was a very well groomed, very small man. His face was chiseled but in a way his features still resembled a lion.
“Too much?” He asked. His voice was the same.
“What?”
I squinted, trying to focus on him. He leaned back over into my clear view and I saw he was a lion again.
“Sorry. I just felt that seeing us as you would see your world would help you. Clearly, you have adapted to us far better than I had expected. Good for you.”
He smiled that same smile at me. I didn’t feel so comforted
anymore.
“Can I have my glasses back?”
I reached my hand out across the coffee table that was separating us.
“If you would like. You know that they are no longer necessary?”
“What have you done?” I asked.
I put back on my glasses and everything was blurry. How was that possible? I just had to squint to see him, didn’t I? Or was he only blurry because I was squinting?
“I fixed your vision. You could not see correctly. So while I was fixing the problem with you not seeing our world correctly, I fixed the problem for you not being able to see your own world correctly, as well.”
“These fixed my world's problem.” I took off my glasses and spun them around. “I liked them.” I whispered.
“Forgive me; it seems I have yet again overstepped my boundaries.”
He leaned over and touched my temple.
“Everything as it was?” I asked.
“Aside from what I did for our world, yes.”
“Thank you.” I said.
“Pleasure’s all mine.”
We stared at each other for a few moments. It was very awkward. The Minakai moved his feet and tugged on his jacket. I shifted my weight, trying not to breathe so loud. I didn’t know what to say. He knew what to do, that’s why he was the leader.
“So then tell me Mirabelle, do you want to go home?” He asked.
“I have offended you?”
I could sense a weird tone in his voice.
“It’s a long day. I have very important matters.”
“Forgive me, then. Yes, I would very much like to go home.”
“Your heart says otherwise.” He grinned.
“People keep saying this, but I don’t understand why they are getting that. I want to go home, I honestly do.” I cried.
I closed my eyes. There was a tingling in my heart. I was going to miss Sebastian, there was no doubt about that. Every memory with him was going to be erased the second I was home again. It made me fearful of leaving. Was that what everyone saw? Of course it was. Stupid heart.
“You see it, now?” The Minakai asked.
“Yes. Well, no, I don’t want to stay. My heart says that I will miss Sebastian and it says that I wish there was a way for him to be able to visit me. But I have learned that Maracores stay in the shadows and blend in. So I guess I’ll never see him again. I’ve forgotten him before and survived, I’ll do it again.”
The Minakai laughed louder than he had laughed yet. He was wiping away tears before he had calmed down. I was so embarrassed. I crossed my arms and sat back, waiting for him to calm down. What was so funny? The argument with Carlyle earlier and Sebastian, he had straightened that out, hadn’t he? Had Carlyle lied to me, too? Why would they keep doing that?
“He said he was a Maracore?” He laughed again.
“Yes.” I said.
I was instantly upset at the confirmation they had in fact been lying to me. So much for trust.
“What else did he tell you?”
I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t want any more heartache.
“He said that he was of the Myrian tribe and that all of you were like guardian angels. He was on Earth, though, because of another Myrian. But when he and I accidentally met, we had this connection that kept bringing him back.”
“My dear, sweet child, my people are called the Aegyssusians. We are an ancient group. We come in many forms and shapes and all have a certain purpose. Sebastian and Carlyle are, in fact, of the Myrian tribe, but the Maracores that Sebastian speaks of, well, they are my guards. They do not cross over into the human world. For whatever reason he told you he was a Maracore, I do not know.”
“Carlyle said something about protocol, maybe that’s it?”
“You are very troubled by this.”
“Of course I am. I don’t understand why he would tell me he was there to protect me, and make me believe that he –”
I had to stop talking. I felt tears welling up.
“He was there to protect you. Saying he was a Maracore would be the best way to protect you in his eyes. These guardian angels he speaks of, well, they don’t ever show themselves to you.”
“So they do exist?”
“Of course.”
“Is his father? He mentioned that he came because his father couldn’t.”
“Loki? No. He is the leader of the Myrian tribe. Zerach, his brother, is the leader of the Moreans. They are who you humans view as guardian angels.”
“The Moreans! Carlyle said that earlier. He said that Sebastian was a Morean. Something about how they’ve never stayed that long before. Sebastian said that he was just pronouncing it wrong.”
“Whatever you think you may’ve heard or not, is irrelevant. Besides, did it ever occur to you that maybe Sebastian was embarrassed? Haven’t you ever had a feeling on someone and lied to make yourself look better?”
The Minakai raised his eyebrow at me, proud at his ability to deter my accusations.
“For someone. You don’t have feelings on someone.” I corrected him.
“I can’t know everything about your race, can I?” He smirked.
“No, I guess not.”
My teeth rubbed my lip raw. I was fidgeting. My brain was bursting with questions. Should I ask them? How much time did I have here?
“You want to know more?” He read my body language.
“Of course I do. What is with Carlyle calling him a Morean? Why won’t anyone address that? And why couldn’t Sebastian just tell me the truth? I don’t know why he thought being just an informant would make me feel a way I wouldn’t if he were a guard. If that is even what he really does, anyway.”
“Just an informant?!” The Minakai was offended and used this opportunity to again deter me from the Morean explanation. “Your inferior human mind clearly cannot comprehend the importance of our ‘informants’. How dare you mock this task in a tone that suggests otherwise! The information gathered makes not just our world better, but yours as well!”
“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean it that way. What kind of information does he gather? I mean, how is he bettering this place?”
It was rude again, I knew it, but I couldn’t see it. The houses in their world were that out of a third world country. There was no technology, either. What were they really gaining from us?
“Just because your eyes can’t see it, doesn’t mean it is not there. You wonder why you could see my castle in color versus their world in black and white? Well, the power within these walls is far more greater than what is in your mind. You can’t control perception here. In my city, it fades and your eyes play tricks on you.”
“Are you saying I could see this world in color now?”
“I fixed that.” He pointed to his temple. “Why? Do you want to see it?”
“No, I just wanted to know. I was only curious.” I mumbled.
“It’s okay to be curious. You know, I could grant you a free day in my city.”
“Free? What’s the catch?”
There had to be a catch. There was always a catch with free.
“Catch? I just want you to enjoy my city. There is nothing I want in return.”
“There is no danger from staying here?”
“What would make you think that?”
“The guard said it was dangerous. He said that if I were lying and stayed here, I was jeopardizing everyone here. Sebastian also rushed me here. He said something came after nightfall that was hunting us.”
“My guards have a strict protocol to follow. They cannot let you near me with fear of lies and betrayal. If you say one thing, but they clearly see another, well, that is a lie. He was testing you. Fear usually brings out the truth in people.”
“Yes, I guess it does. What about that thing out there?”
“You’ll be fine if you only stay a day. Our night is already on us. My castle is protected.”
I didn’t like that. It made my stomach uneasy.
�
�What happens after a day? Do I get caught? Or worse, do I turn into one of you guys?” I asked.
My brain thought of that one movie with Howie Mandel, where he was a boogeyman and there was a kid who started turning into him because he spent too much time in his world. I didn’t want to be a boogeywoman. I wanted to stay me.
“Would that really be so bad?” The Minakai asked. He had a weird smile.
“Yes. I like being human.”
“What a shame. I feel you would be a beautiful Myrian.”
Mirabelle the Myrian. It was terrible. I laughed.
“What is your name, sir?” I asked when I realized he had never given it.
“My name?”
His eyes dilated and there was a blank stare on his face. He seemed to have forgotten everything with that question.
“Yes.” I assured him.
“I am The Minakai.”
He found his footing and waved his hand in the air.
“You were born this?”
“Well, I- it’s been a long time since someone used my old name.” He laughed.
“Go on.” I urged him.
“My name is Porter.” He said with an odd smile.
He seemed to be staring off somewhere again, only this time he was focused. I could only begin to imagine the time I had just reminded him of, however my brain was more focused on how very unusually common a name like Porter is for someone of such high rankings. I almost didn’t believe him.
“Well, Porter, if I may, I want to thank you for this time. I appreciate everything you have said to me and everything you have done for me.”
I stood up and stuck out my hand to further express my gratitude.
“Mirabelle, it was my pleasure. If I had my way, you would be staying here and we could talk every day about your world. As you can tell I am quite fond of it.”
He pointed around his office making sure I saw all the bookshelves and things from my world.
“That is some collection.” I agreed, nodding my head.
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