Emerald Dreams (The Dream Traveler Series)

by Nicole Knight

  There were some weird creature heads mounted on the wall; they stared at me. It sent a shiver up my spine. I tried my best to ignore their glares.

  “Have a seat,” the man said.

  Axel pulled out a chair for me from the table. I thanked him and sat down; he then took his own seat.

  “May I call you Wisdom?” Axel asked.

  “Yes, you may,” the man replied.

  “Thank you,” Axel bowed his head a little.

  “We came because we believe you are the only one who can help my friend.” He looked over to me, and I like a dummy shrugged.

  “I would like to hear from her since she is the one who needs help. I find it insulting when men talk for women,” Wisdom said.

  His voice was deep and strong.

  I liked this guy already.

  I swallowed, “What would you like me to tell you, sir?” I asked.

  “You are a polite one, I like that. First, tell me how you got here,” he prompted.

  His voice softened some.

  Did he know I already respected him, and he didn’t need to bully me with a stern voice? Maybe he knew how scary this all seemed?

  “Well sir, this is only my third time to this world. I am from a town called Arlington. The only connection I can make to this place is this necklace.” I pulled it out from underneath my sweatshirt. I took it off and slid it across the table for him to look at.

  “The first time I came here was the night I got this,” I told him.

  Wisdom looked at it for a moment.

  “Where did you get this?” he asked, baffled.

  “It belonged to my Great-Grandmother. She went missing many years ago and left this, her favorite necklace behind,” I answered.

  “My dear, what was her name? The one this belonged to?”

  “Victoria Lane is her name,” I said.

  I suspect he already knew this, though. I suspect Axel had a hunch too and just wasn’t telling me. What a traitor.

  “It can’t be. Could it? What did she look like?” he asked me.

  Was he in disbelief? Was this good or bad disbelief?

  “My grandmother says I look a lot like her,” I said, not knowing how else to describe her.

  “You only travel here when you go to sleep in your world?” he asked.

  “Yes, Sir. And the necklace that has brought me here, it has changed colors a few times. I don’t know what it means,” I told him.

  “It might be something significant. I have one more question for you. Has anything weird and unexplainable happened since you have been here?” he asked me.

  His eyes were glued to my face. He looked so excited and on edge.

  What does he think about all of this? Did he already know my answer? I bet he reads minds.

  I looked at Axel, and he looked at me. I looked back to Wisdom and nodded my head.

  “Yes, Axel said I used magic. I didn’t even know that it existed.”

  I was still in disbelief about magic.

  “This is remarkable!” Wisdom’s voice boomed.

  I was worried its loudness was going to shake the house out of the tree.

  “You are it! The one we have been waiting for! You are the second reincarnation of the prophecy. You are the one here to save us all!”

  Wisdom’s voice was still loud. It carried through the little house and echoed around the trees surrounding us.

  “I had a feeling there was something special about her. Nothing was adding up. This makes sense. Do you think this is what the goddess looks like when she greets us in the sky?” Axel asked Wisdom, while nodding towards me.

  “I would like to believe so. If that’s what her two reincarnations look like, I don’t see why not,” Wisdom answered him.

  “I’m no longer afraid to die,” Axel softly said.

  What is that supposed to mean? I am so lost in the sauce here that I’m drowning in it. I look like a goddess, and Axel’s not afraid to die because of who I am? What the hell is going on?

  “Hold up. I’m so confused,” I butted in.

  “How am I part of the prophecy in a land I have never been to? I’m just an ordinary girl from Arlington,” I said.

  “What is there to be confused about?” Wisdom answered.

  “Your great grandmother is Victoria, the Great Queen of the Morthlands. She was the first reincarnation of our great Goddess. You are the second part of the prophecy and the second reincarnation of the same Goddess.”

  He said it so firmly like I should have understood this the first time he said it.

  “How is that not confusing?” I asked.

  I tried to keep the attitude from my voice. I have a feeling this guy is not someone I should piss off, but I’m so lost I am turning angry.

  “So you are telling me Victoria didn’t run away to another town in my world, but to this world. She lived her life here?” I asked.

  “That is what I am saying,” the man answered.

  Before I could say anything else, he cut me off.

  “We need to test you, see what you can and can’t do!”

  He was getting too excited. As if sensing my racing thoughts and quickened pulse, I watched as he forced himself to relax.

  “Pardon my manners. Can I offer either of you something to eat or drink?” he asked us.

  “Water and a snack would be lovely,” I replied.

  It’s weird, even though I still thought this was a dream, I was hungry. Can you feel hungry in a dream?

  Axel nodded in agreement.

  Wisdom waved his hand over the table in a circular motion. One second it was empty, and then I blinked. When I opened my eyes, there were cups full of water and a pile of fruit and cheeses.

  I picked up what I was pretty sure is an apple. I took a bite, and my guess was confirmed. While we ate, Wisdom started the story of the prophecy.

  “Long ago there was a magic worker, that’s what we call ourselves. This magic worker was also a seer. Seers are incredibly rare. One comes around maybe every few hundred years, if we are that lucky. This seer had a very long vision. This vision foretold of three different people that will rule our lands. They are the true reincarnations of our beautiful goddess. She will come down in bodily form to help her people when they most need it.

  The first one was a woman who would free her people from slavery and introduce many new things to the land to make it bountiful. She brought freedom to the land; the people loved and worshiped her. Her name was Queen Victoria. She was from a place named Arlington from a planet named Earth. The second will free the people of a terrible tyrant; she would stop the wars and bring peace. King Eduard could easily be the Tyrant mentioned,” the man said.

  Who is the third in the prophecy?” I asked.

  He explained the first two, but not the third, and it piqued my curiosity.

  “That is not for you to know. The Queen was not informed of the person following her in the prophecy, and you will not be either if it is indeed you the Prophecy mentions,” his voice was stern again.

  I guess he was retaking control of the conversation.

  “How do we know for sure that I am one of the reincarnations mentioned? If I was a reincarnation, wouldn’t I remember my time as Victoria, or as the goddess? How do we know for sure I am the one who is meant to stop this King Eduard guy?” I asked.

  I am still so confused and now overwhelmed. My Great-Grandmother was a Queen? I am meant to be a ruler, as well? I’m just average me... Sure, I’m smarter than your average bear, but I’m not meant to be a Queen, look at me...

  “Victoria had no memories of ever being a goddess. I don’t believe you would be gifted with her memories. You have to start new and make your own way as a reincarnation. Tell me Lady Violet, do you have any imperfections in your skin?” Wisdom asked.

  It is a weird question to be asked, but I suppose there is a reason behind it.

  “Yes, I have a birthmark. It looks kind of like a star. It is on the inside of my arm.”

&nb
sp; I lifted my arm and pulled back my sleeve as far as I could. On the inside of my arm sat a dark birthmark with five almost perfectly shaped points jutting out from a filled-in circle.

  Wisdom stood up and reached over the table and grabbed my arm. He bent over and snapped his fingers. Instantly he was wearing a set of old looking glasses.

  “Incredible. Victoria’s was just like this. Hers was on her back, right between her shoulder blades,” he said.

  “You’ve seen it in person?” I asked.

  “Yes, I had met her a few times before her passing,” he said quietly.

  His voice wavered a little like he had some sad emotions about it. I was curious, but I wouldn’t be rude. I knew not to push one of the only people willing to help me so far.

  “That’s incredible,” I said.

  “I wish I could have met her.”

  I don’t have much family, so meeting my Great-Grandmother would have meant a lot to me. I have a feeling she has been long gone, and that is no longer possible.

  “She was a remarkable woman. If she is exactly like the goddess who watches over us, and if you are also the reincarnation, that means you are remarkable too,” he said and smiled at me.

  “How am I supposed to kill the King? I’m assuming that’s what I have to do right, in order to take over?” I asked.

  “How am I supposed to get anywhere close to him?”

  I tried to think back through my history classes covering Europe in the middle ages. They overthrew Kings all the time, is there a simple way to do that? Could I even kill someone in the first place, no matter how bad they are? I shivered at the thought of killing someone.

  I don’t think I could do it.

  “Yes, that is what you must do. You possess magic. I will train you to harness it. We will see how far you can push yourself. I’ll teach you how Victoria expanded her abilities. We will see if you have that capability,” Wisdom said.

  “What do you mean if I have that capability?” I asked.

  “Well, you see Victoria’s abilities expanded more than what most magic workers can do. Most of them only have one or two abilities. A gifted few might be able to harness all the elements or do multiple other things. It takes years of training and practice to do. Victoria needed practice, of course. She like you didn’t know she possessed magic until she accidentally used it.”

  “So, I may or may not have all of her abilities?” I asked.

  I was starting to make some sense of all of this.

  “Correct. I won’t know for sure until we start your training,” he said.

  “So, all I have to do is learn some magic, and then I’m ready to fight the King?” I asked.

  It almost seemed too simple. I’ve learned that things are never as simple as they seem.

  “No, Sir Axel here is also going to train you in combat skills. You might find yourself in a spot where you can’t risk using magic, like at the gates of the castle.”

  I groaned.

  I didn’t even think about trying to storm the castle. This was going to be difficult.

  “How long will this take?” I asked.

  I didn’t want to spend forever, just training.

  Wait, why am I invested in this, why do I even care? They tell me my Great-Grandmother was a Queen, and suddenly I am signing up to assassinate a King? Where is my imagination taking me right now? I’m worried about how long it is going to take to kill a fake king in my dream. Someone pick me up and take me to the crazy house, I’ve officially lost my mind.

  “It could take weeks. It depends on how quickly you learn. You need to be physically fit and able to fully control your magical abilities. We could get started now though if that were to make you feel better. We could get a sense of how strong your magic may or may not be.

  Let’s test you with something simple. But first, during your training here I will provide you with shelter and food. Soon enough you will learn how to get it on your own. That reminds me, Sir Axel you should teach her how to survive out in the wilderness without her magic. You never know what circumstances she might find herself in one day.

  Let’s get to work. This candle floating in front of you, take control of it.”

  Just like that, we had moved into training, and I had no idea what to do. Speaking with Wisdom for only a few minutes has left me with the impression that he jumps around from thought to thought and that he expects us to jump around with him like a fun game of leapfrog...

  “How do I do that?” I asked.

  “You will figure it out,” Wisdom replied.

  I looked at the candle and tried to imagine it moving, nothing happened. I tried mentally talking to it, and of course, that didn’t work.

  I let out a frustrated sigh.

  “It’s not working,” I announced.

  “Keep trying,” Axel urged me.

  He grabbed my hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. He continued to hold it. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the light coming through my eyelids. I concentrated on where I thought the candle was, and I imagined the air underneath rising and pushing it up higher, almost to the ceiling.

  I opened my eyes, and the candle was no longer sitting right in front of me. It was high above the table, still flickering. My eyes opened wide.

  I did it!

  “Great, that was faster than most. It was very simple of course. How were you able to move it?” Wisdom asked me.

  “I imagined the air underneath rising. I imagined the air raising the candle and it worked. In my mind, I saw it happen. Then I opened my eyes, and the candle had really moved!”

  I was so excited and in shock.

  I really did have magic, how was this even possible? I guess anything is possible when you are in a dream...

  “Excellent. This indicates that you have control over the flow of air. That can be very useful to have. You see you can make almost any object levitate in the air by controlling the airflow around it. There are limitations to this though. You must have the object within your sight, of course.”

  I felt relieved.

  If I could do nothing else, I could work magic to at least control the air around me. I wasn’t a dud. I could actually call on magic when I needed to use it.

  There aren’t any words to describe the feeling of relief and excitement.

  I was special; I possessed magic, even if only in my dreams.

  “We will be working our way up from here. Axel, can you control any magic? I know the King loathes magic and would kill you if he thought you had it. Have you suppressed it?” Wisdom asked.

  “No, however, I am immune to magic. That is why the King was so interested in me. It’s why I was given the top missions and often sent out alone. I was the only one that could actually stand a chance against a strong magic worker. Those days are over, though, trying to capture them I mean,” he looked at me with a small frown.

  Was he trying to capture a magic worker when he found me? Did he actively hunt people like me?

  I felt a slight shiver at the distrustful thought.

  “They better be,” Wisdom said with a look of warning.

  “Violet, can you try to make Axel move something? Maybe move his arm for him by controlling the air around his arm?”

  “I can try,” I answered.

  I imagined the air underneath of Axel’s arm moving. I imagined it rapidly changing directions and moving back and forth. But nothing happened. I could feel a bunch of pressure build around us as I continuously tried to move his arm, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Remarkable. Your arm should have been moving,” Wisdom told Axel.

  “No wonder the King was so eager to get his hands on you.”

  What is that supposed to mean? Was Axel specially recruited? Why did Wisdom know all this? If Axel hunted people like Wisdom for the King, why is Wisdom so cordial to Axel? I had too many questions and not enough answers.

  Wisdom stood up and walked through the doorway. He came back a moment later.

  “
This way, Princess,” Wisdom said.

  “Why are you calling me, Princess? Are you making fun of me?” I asked.

  I don’t think I am high maintenance.

  “Your Great-Grandmother was Queen Victoria, you, therefore, are a Princess,” Wisdom said.

  “Is it really necessary to call me that?” I pleaded as I stood up and followed him.

  “I’m sorry, am I missing something?” Wisdom questioned.

  “I don’t think she likes being called Princess,” Axel interrupted.

  He looked over at me for reassurance. I nodded in agreement.Wisdom looked at me and spoke.

  “I will call you by your official title. You are by blood royalty and will soon be official royalty. Don’t get too used the title of Princess, soon you will be Queen. Good night Princess Violet.”

  He bowed at his waist in front of me. After a second or two, he straightened himself and walked out of the room he led me to. Axel followed in behind me. I sat down on the bed and scooted towards the far edge. It was a big bed, but the only one in the room.

  “We can both easily fit,” I said.

  I was sort of hoping he would climb into bed and offer to keep me warm. While the place was closed off to the wind, the cold was starting to seep in through the windows.

  “Maybe later, but for right now, I need to discuss some matters with Wisdom. Will you be okay by yourself?” he asked me.

  I looked around the room before answering.

  “Yes I should be fine, thank you. I’ll save you some room,” I said.

  I kind of phrased it as a question. I was really asking if he would eventually join me.

  “Okay, I shall be back when I’m done,” he promised. He turned around and started to walk towards the door.

  “Good night, my future Queen,” he said and then shut the door behind him.

  They sure have a lot of faith in someone who is just barely an adult...

  Chapter Eleven

  AxeI

  I followed Wisdom back into his dining room.

  “Please have a seat,” he told me.

  I sat down in what was Lady Violet’s spot. I was directly across the table from him.