Grey

Royal Realm (1)

Every twenty years or so the Book is given to a new Keeper, as some may say. But the current Keeper, Queen Yvette Remington was in no shape to give up the Book, whose name is Keith. Majority of the time Keith was to be passed down in families, from father to daughter, mother to son, father to son and mother to daughter, but Yvette Remington has no children which means that the very special occasion of a contest would be held. And that is exactly what a man named Gene Haggi wanted.
Gene Haggi was a simple man, his skin is caramel, his hair is grey with white streaks and his eyes are black, a deep and dark black. This man was is a Warlock, not a Wizard or Mage or Sorcerer and most definitely not a Witch or Sorceress.
This man is a father to a boy named Michael Haggi, is amazing to think those who do wicked things can be such good parents. And have such good children at that.
"My Queen, do you realize that it's time for the book to be passed?" Gene Haggi asks, waltzing into the ballroom, wearing a smug smile.
Gene Haggi knows very well that he won't win the competition, but he does know that his son will.
"Yes Haggi, I do indeed realize that. We will need to put together a contest." Yvette Remington answers, raising her pale head to gaze at Gene Haggi, preparing to burn him with her brown eyes.
"When my Queen?"
"I want the preparations done by the end of the day, and I want the contest held within the next two days."
Gene Haggi nods his head and slowly walks out of the ballroom, feeling exceedingly proud of himself.

•••

Earlier that day Keith decided that he would be stolen. No way, no how would that bad man take him against his will. So he put the thought of stealing the book into the mind of a girl, about fifteen, named Riley Fitzworth.
Riley Fitzworth was of the Royal realm and knew a small bit of Magic, not much, but enough to propel her up a shelf or two to a Magical platform that is basically floating.
So she climbed up fifty shelves on ice magic, farming, shaving, and many other things until she got to the shelf in professional hitchhiking, because once she got a good grip on that shelf she used her small amount of Magic to jump to the platform.
Now the platform was supposedly in the very middle of the library, but if you were to look up to find the sky light that cast down a whimsical light upon Keith, you would find that the sky light was an infinity of a ways up. Of course the library didn't go on forever but it sure did look like it.
Now Riley Fitzworth has extremely short, curly, dark brown hair, her eyes are like cherries, but sour ones if eyes could be sour, and her skin is dark, very dark, but not Void dark if you think that's what's being implied.
She got up to the platform, snatched the book and jumped. Using her small bit of magic she decreased the speed of the jump and landed gracefully on the ground.
My, my, my. Such a pretty girl... Keith said, looking up at Riley Fitzworth, that is, if books could look.
Riley Fitzworth looks around herself, "Who goes there?" she asked, wanting to make sure we was being extra careful.
Me! Keith shouts, growing angry. And if anything, slightly impatient. The book you stole!
"You talk?!" Riley Fitzworth yelps, almost dropping Keith on his non-existent face.
Yes I talk! I'm an All Powerful Book! Of course I talk!
"Well it it didn't seem like you would talk... Wait. Why I am I talking to you? Why aren't you calling for help?"
Because I wanted you to booknap me! If I didn't want you to, do you really think you could have gotten to me? There is a difference here!
Riley Fitzworth simply glared at Keith and kept on walking.
PLEASE TALK TO MEEEEE.
"No."
Fine. Screw you.
"Likewise." and this comment only made Keith grumble.
After a long while, Riley Fitzworth makes it to safe place to rest and curls up with Keith beside her face. Keith is prideful, being a large book, two feet and in all directions and made completely out of leather, with peacock feathers on the back of him. These feathers are used to write in a foreign language, they give the warning "BEWARE". Across his top are rubies, sapphires, emeralds and pearls, and all of his pages are lined with gold and bronze.
Do you plan on making a fire? Opening a Portal? This realm isn't safe anymore Fitzworth. Keith asks, shivering against the wind.. that is if books could shiver.
"No I don't, what's that and realm?" Riley Fitzworth asks, getting up and sitting in a cross-leg position. Then she grabs Keith and sets him in her lap.
Then we are going to freeze, Portals lead into different worlds by kicking our butts into the In-Between and realms are all the different worlds in our universe.
"What's the In-Between? And we aren't going to freeze!" Riley Fitzworth protests getting a small: oh yes we are... from Keith.
The In-Between is a colourless, desolate land and in the middle of the In-Between is the Door Hall. In the Door Hall, since you're going to ask, are millions of different doors that lead to millions of different realms. That places Guardians are men named Helne and Joe. Those brothers help guard the Door Hall, and little are known on them.
"It's like your a book!" Riley Fitzworth laughs, turning Keith over to examine the peacock feather writing. "Do you have a name?"
Of course I do! My name is Keith.
"Keith...? And mine is Riley Fitzworth."
Yes, Keith... I can see you looking at my feathers, they say "BEWARE". And you should. I'm dangerous.
"How so? And that's creepy."
Keith sneers, if books can sneer, then starts to talk again. For starters if you can't figure out how to open me within two months you'll die, another thing I'm not going to bring up, I contain Black Magic from my "goth phase" and... I have some weapons in here that are not for the faint of heart.
"Fun..." Riley Fitzworth says, signing putting her elbow on Keith's peacock warning. "Keith?"
Yeah? Keith asks, hopeful for a conversion.
"What's beyond my... realm?" she asks, looking up at the stars.
Many, many different things Riley. If only you dare to dream them. Like there is a copy of your world out there, filled with different people and no Magic. They have all the colour sucked from them, leaving them all black or white. They fear colour even though they live among it.
"That's... astounding Keith. Can you tell me more about the other realms?"
All in due time dear Riley. he pauses and thinks for a minutes. Then he chokes up a Ball of Flame, rips out a few blank pages and lights a fire. Sighing he finishes, and so much more if you dare to go deeper, Riley Fitzworth of the Royal realm.