A Peculiar String of Bizarre Dreams

Chapter 18: Simple Deductions

Outside Lykin's cave, there are trees in clusters, birds chirping and squirrels scurrying around. A spring gushes forth from a mountain right in front of us and it's all a lovely sight.

I scoop handfuls of water and drink as much as I can. The water is fresh and just as delicious as the apple, if not more. For some reason, I am looking forward to eating more food in Lykineria.

Lykin has climbed onto a tree and is picking fruits from its branches. I notice how stealthy is he. He blends in so naturally with the forest, climbing trees like that. When he has stuffed his pockets with enough fruit, he climbs down.

"Lykin, what happens if you refuse to leave, once you are banished?" I speculate out loud.

"They throw you out themselves, Madame," he says simply and then throws a peach at me. I grab it in time, before it hits the ground. I'm not good at playing catch but I'm glad I grab this peach because it tastes really good. Like really good, sweet and soft.

The sun looks like it's about to set, which means we'll soon be heading out to meet the King. I hope he's a Bijou Maven and I hope he doesn't imprison me or something. He probably won't, they're suppose to be peaceful people. I find myself wondering again about a question I asked earlier.

"Umm Lykin," I begin uncertainly. "How come the King told you I was coming? Haven't you been banished? Isn't he suppose to not talk to you?" I ask a series of questions impulsively.

"I'm his son, Madame, did I not mention that before?" He confirms coolly.

Oh the drama! Why would the King banish his own son from his Kingdom, wasn't he his heir, the next King in succession?

"No, you didn't mention it before. So, the King is allowed to visit you even though you've been banished?"

"No, there are tunnels underground. One of them opens into His Majesty's room in the Royal Palace. My father makes sure I'm safe here in the forest. My cave wouldn't be a comfortable place to live in, if it wasn't for him. I visit him three times a week."

It makes sense now. It explains why the King of Lykineria would name his son, Lykin.

"Do you have any siblings? Is that why the King was okay with banishing you? Does he have other heirs?" I am offended by my own impertinence at persistently intruding the man's private affairs.

"I am his only heir. My father does what is best for His Kingdom. Even if it means banishing His own son for the betterment of His land." He tells me evenly and continues to munch at the peach in his hand.

I sit on a rock near the spring and think about Lykin and the King while watching the sunset.

"What does the Queen think about your banishment?" Might as well extend the investigation, silence can be disconcerting in the presence of someone you've just met.

"My mother died when I was born. But my father always did well by me."

Peaceful and calm people indeed. "I'm sorry about your mother," I say quietly.

"It has been too long. Don't be sorry, Madame. I think we should leave now. It is past sunset. I want to be back before midnight. The darkness can be unpredictable."

He walks towards the mountain and I follow him in through an opening on the periphery of the mountain. The spring water falls around us as we head into the tunnel.

It is darker than the dark inside. Lykin lights a wooden torch and I see walls covered in green moss. It does not smell dank. The air is pleasantly clean and cool here. The light falls ahead of us and we keep moving deeper and deeper into the passage.

We walk in silence with the exception of birds chirping somewhere outside or around us. Lykin breaks the monotony after a while.

"What is your Kingdom like, Madame, if you don't mind me asking?"

I chuckle. My laugh echoes through the tunnel. It sounds eerie and I instantly cover my mouth to stop myself.

"My Kingdom, is not really a Kingdom. Where I come from, there's a different kind of rule. Everyone follows laws given by a leader chosen by the people. A Prime Minister, he's called."

If something about that doesn't make sense to Lykin, he doesn't voice it.

"Do you have a forest? You must have peaceful people; following rules of a chosen leader...that sounds like an agreeable undertaking."

I smile at his simple deductions.

"We have trees. And all kinds of people, angry ones too. Vazouk, my friend for one, gets angry all the time. That's why I am here. I need a gem for him."

"Father perhaps knows of your ambitions."

Maybe the King is the Bijou Maven of this realm after all. Suddenly, I'm curious to learn more about the significance of 'anger' in Lykineria.

"What has the angriest person ever done in Lykineria?" I ask.

"You wouldn't want to know, Madame."

"But I do want to know."

The torch light and the dark around us starts to feel heavy.

"Anger in Lykineria is cursed. We don't talk about it. Many amongst us in Lykineria change when we're angry, but we change in silence and no one talks about it," Lykin pauses for a moment and takes in a deep breath before continuing, "The first time I got profoundly angry, I changed and I was unafraid to talk about it. My exile was inevitable."

Change. It's true, people change when they're angry. They become a vicious version of themselves. And when their anger disappears they say, "I don't know what came over me, forgive me." So, I nod in understanding.

"Ah, we're finally here!" Lykin bellows.

A weathered wooden door with a bronze knob, its frame as tall as me, appears before us. Lykin stoops down and gently knocks three times.