Present Day

  While Milkako was informing Dorsa of his plan, King Stefan, Lady Cara, and Lord Flip were still talking about The Unseen in the Dreamworld.

  “The Unseen?” Lord Flip said slowly. “Stefan, that is just a Desert tale created by Hunu to scare his people into submission.”

  For millennia, tales of The Unseen made its way around Arla. Of a once dangerous Desert being that was capable of poisoning minds. No one outside the Desert believed it to be true.

  Cara rolled her eyes. “It’s not just a tale.

  Stefan placed a hand on Flip’s left shoulder. “Its very much real, my friend.”

  Lord Flip took a step back, causing Stefan’s hand to fall. “What are you saying?”

  Stefan leaned on the wall behind him. “Weeks ago, an Aridisan priest came to Azulae.”

  “From Aridisa?” Flip asked in disbelief.

  The Desert and Meadows weren’t exactly on good terms.

  Stefan nodded.

  “And?”

  “He says the sands speak again.”

  According to the tale, the Unseen spoke through the sand. Once you got close enough, it revealed its claws and released a poison.

  “The sands speak again.” Lord Flip repeated in a mocking tone. “Stefan, this is ridiculous. If the Unseen was real, why didn't it come here to the Meadows? To the Mountains?”

  Stefan didn’t answer.

  Cara sighed. “You don’t think we verified this?”

  Flip swung his head in Cara’s direction.

  “I’m not talking to you.” He snarked.

  Cara balled her hands into fists and stepped forward.

  “The priest who arrived is a descendant of Ganham Bis.” Stefan said, his quick attempt to diffuse the tension.

  Lord Flip’s jaw went slack. “Ganham? The great Hunuan priest.”

  In the schools, everyone was taught the history of the Hunuan priests. Before the Gods departed, Hunuan Priests were the closest men to the God Hunu. Keepers of Hunuan history and knowledge. They spoke four languages including Hunuan and Dawnian.

  Stefan nodded.

  Lord Flip ran his hands up and down his sides. “Are you sure?”

  “He bears the usual markings.” Cara answered. Red painted tattoos in the Hunuan language.

  “What exactly did this priest say?”

  “It’s not exactly what he said.” Stefan responded slowly. “It’s more of what he brought with him and allowed us to see while you were away.”

  Lord Flip had been in the Mountains for several weeks before his recent return, strengthening the two kingdoms’ alliance like he was told to do.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “What was it?”

  “Red Letters.” Cara answered, suddenly smiling.

  “Red Letters?”

  Stefan nodded then stood from the wall. “In the old days, the Desert gods would send each other letters on red paper written in Dawnian.”

  “The Gods’ language?”

  “Yes.” Stefan answered, then lifted his hands.

  Suddenly, a thread of black energy from his fingertips emerged.

  Before them, Stefan began creating a dream.

  Suddenly, the three of them were in a well lit room where spider painted portraits hung on purple painted walls and a woman, clothed in a lilac dress, was sitting on a throne surrounded by spiders. The Goddess Nirea.

  “According to the Aridisan people, the Unseen was a creature of sort created by Nirea.” Stefan began, as he performed his magic. “Nirea raised it like a daughter in Siré.”

  A shadow suddenly emerged from beneath the marble floors, kneeling, and placed its head in the woman’s lap. It had white eyes and long claws.

  “Nirea showered it with love.” He continued, then lowered his voice. “And poison.”

  Suddenly, the walls turned black and Nirea with the shadow disappeared.

  Before Flip could ask a question, there was suddenly the feeling of sand beneath his feet and the room became Aridisa. Tall black towers. An abundance of oases. Wilting trees. Aridisans walking around with their red painted faces and black robes.

  “Nirea instructed the Unseen to attack and poison the Aridisan minds…”

  The Aridisans before them began crouching over in pain.

  “Until blood was drawn.” He ended, then destroyed the dream with a clap.

  The room immediately returned normal.

  “Stefan, we know this.” Flip said, visibly frustrated. “You didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know.”

  Stefan took a step forward towards Flip. “In the letters, they gave it a name.”

  “A name?”

  “Azeri.” He enunciated slowly. “One of poison.”

  “If it’s just a tale, why give it a Dawnian name?” Cara asked, hand on her hip.

  Flip began scratching his chin. His heart thudded in his chest as he fought the tug of a memory that would confirm his greatest fear.

  “In the letters, they called it an entity.” Stefan continued. “In the letters, they talk of a potion to seal it in the Forbidden realm.”

  Cara closely watched Flip take in everything, her eyes narrowing with concentration.

  “If it’s just a tale, why would the Gods write such things?” Cara asked.

  “You have to understand something, Stefan.” Flip began, ignoring Cara. “If the Unseen is real, why did the priests come to you?”

  Cara let out a huge sigh and stuck herself between the two men, facing Flip. “Their Incarnate is gone, lost somewhere. Aridisan priests are essentially prisoners in their own city. They can’t teach their language, enter their archives without permission. Why would they go to Jaho when they could come to the very man who hates his family?”

  Lord Flip knew she was making sense.

  “And there’s more.” Stefan added.

  Lord Flip threw his hands in the air. “What else?”

  “In the legend, they say Nirea never confirmed nor denied it was her doing.” Stefan started. “And in the eighth letter shown to us, she writes to Hunu.”

  Flip’s eyes narrowed. “What did she say?”

  Stefan nodded his head in the direction of Cara.

  The lady cleared her throat. “If Fate forces it, I will starve the child and the Moon will have to bleed.”

  Lord Flip took a couple of steps back. “If Fate forces it, I will starve the child and the Moon will have to bleed. What does that mean?”

  Cara and Stefan both shrugged their shoulders.

  “But we do know that the door to the Forbidden was opened in the War of Kings.” Stefan said, then began walking towards the white door in the center of the room that appeared out of nowhere.

  The two followed him.

  “The Incarnate opened it, yes.” Flip responded, a step behind Cara. “The beasts of Nirea emerged from the purple painted skies. The king was desperate.”

  Stefan opened the white door and walked through it. Cara and Flip followed. Suddenly, the three were in an extremely bright, empty room with white walls.

  “Wait!” Flip shouted suddenly. “The moon still bleeds though.”

  “Yes.” Stefan and Cara answered at the same time, backs turned.

  Flip ran his hands up and down his face. “Something is not adding up, Stefan.”

  Stefan turned and walked to where Lord Flip was standing, still near the white door.

  “In the next letter, Nirea wrote that she failed.” Stefan revealed.

  Lord Flip’s heart began to race. “Why would Nirea want to seal away her own creation? And why wouldn’t the legend mention that?”

  “I do not know, friend.”

  Lord Flip looked over Stefan’s shoulder where Cara was standing.

  “What do you think?”

  “You’re asking me.” Cara said smiling. “Now, you want my opinion.”

  “Nevermind.” Flip sighed.

  “No, no, no. No take backs.” Cara replied smiling. “If you really want to know, I think the Gods have been lying to us.”

  To be continued.