Dimm and Khobba walked majestically down the corridors leading to the palace, as Khobba took note of the wonders of the land.
Dimm led the way in silence, glancing occasionally at Khobba who trailed beside him. While Khobba, despite her exhaustion, couldn't help but marvel at the intricacies of their surroundings.
The corridor was illuminated by the golden light, which pulsed softly, cast by the floating crystals that were affixed on the ceiling atop.
The walls around were carved from wood—the type most farmers would call the living wood because it pulsed faintly as if life existed in it. Not only that but across the carvings were curled vines with glowing flowers.
The flowers blinked like sleepy eyes each second two passed any of them.
"I've never seen something like this," Khobba whispered, almost reverently.
Dimm gave her a slight smile. "They are called the living wood. So, don't be surprised at its features. They only constitute its name."
"Cool..." Khobba retorted.
"And you shouldn't expect less from an Elven realm. They always have their way with designs, almost like the dwarves, you know," Dimm remarked as they approached the end of the corridor.
Two elven girls stood tall and imaginary, as guards. Their silver armor gleamed beneath the shifting lights on the ceiling. In their hands, they held spears that bore a pointed golden mouth, with the buttocks connecting with the ground, the spear standing tall beside each of the guards.
Without uttering any word, they parted ways, allowing Dimm to step forward. Yes, only Dimm.
As Khobba was about to step in with Dimm, whom she followed behind, the guards blocked her path by crossing their spears against each other.
"Let her in, she's with me!" Dimm thundered at the guards, looking from one of them to the other. Then a sudden thought swam into his mind.
'Have you not realized that even as guards, you are female? You are weak even at that—'
He was also caught in between by a contrasting thought. A memoir of what Minxx had warned him about. ...The elves won't tolerate unnecessary risks.
He didn't care anyway; it was not a risk he would be taking if he did what was rushing into his mind. But for some reason, to give back to their revered gesture of taking him into their village, he will be calm.
"Let her in," he said this time, with a soft voice.
But like before, the guards didn't pay heed to him. Instead, they crossed the spears further, the metals making clanking sounds against each other.
That was when the grand doors of the main hall, ten steps away from where Dimm stood creaked open. Coming out of the doors, was another elf, dressed like a maid.
"She said to let them in," the elfin maid said to the guards, who loosened their locks, allowing Khobba to pass over.
Dimm and Khobba followed the elfin maid into the hall. The moment they stepped inside, it felt like time had slowed.
The royal hall was unlike what Khobba could have imagined. It was large, contending the size of five human cathedrals of their own world. But then, it didn't necessarily tower oppressively despite its size.
Instead, the ceiling arched like a dome of stars, with thousands of them suspended in the air, stretching from corner to corner.
Along the walls were murals that moved. It was not painted, but still possessed life.
"They're living memories captured by magic," Dimm said to Khobba as if he lived in this world before now. Khobba only gave him a smile and extended her movement closer to the murals.
One mural showed a great battle between dragons and elves, another showed the founding of the palace, and others shimmered with unknown tales.
Khobba pulled out her hand to reach to the murals with dragons and elves when the authoritative pitched voice stopped her mid-way.
"That you're allowed inside doesn't necessarily give you the freedom of exploration!" the voice thundered.
At the far end of the hall, elevated by three crescent-shaped platforms, sat the empty thrones of the elven council. Except the single throne which stood in the center, larger than the others and adorned with interwoven branches of silver and moonstone.
Minxx stood just a step in front of it, arms folded. She had jolted from the throne the moment Khobba wanted to touch the murals.
Calming her nerves, she sat back down on the throne, then with a soft voice which echoed around the hall, and said, "You are late."
Dimm raised an eyebrow. 'What was I meant to say?' he thought.
Minxx, not getting any reply from Dimm swept her gaze to Khobba, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I really hope she's worth the risk. Except you," she turned to Dimm. "...we have never taken any other being, not to talk of a girl who is no elf under our wings."
Dimm could only jam his hands together in an Amen format, and bowed his head slightly in respect, still without uttering any word.
Minxx still persisted. "What do you call her?"
"She has a 'name' now," Dimm said, with much emphasis on the name, raising his head. "Khobba."
Minxx blinked at the name. A flicker of surprise touched her eyes, but she masked it quickly. "You mean, you named her?"
"That's what it seems," Dimm replied.
With this, Minxx turned to the elfin maid who had ushered Dimm in, who stood beside the throne all the while.
"Go and get the scroll," Minxx ordered.
"Yes, my queen," the girl said and left.
Meanwhile, Khobba had taken everything she witnessed, from her path in the corridors to the inside of this hall, as a surprise. But to think she would see a creature such as Minxx, with her small physique, ruling as queen, was more exhilarating.
She turned to speak, but Dimm shunned her immediately.
"Shhh," Dimm hushed, placing his index finger on her lips. "Now is not the time.
"..."
***
The elfin maid who Minxx had sent on an errand to go and get a scroll returned moments later with a parchment in her hands.
It was an old scroll made from rough parchment, tied with string and sealed with a faded wax mark. Strange symbols cover its surface, glowing faintly as if there was magic inside.
Immediately, the elfin girl got closer to Minxx, the queen; she handed out the scroll.
"Here comes the main determinant for whom I will serve," Minxx muttered, pulling off her crown and collecting the scroll from the girl.
She stood from her throne and moved forward, signaling Dimm to come closer.
Dimm did as he was told, with Khobba following behind.
When he reached the edge of the pavement, on which carried the thrones, and on which Minxx stood, she loosened the rope used to hold the scroll into one piece and revealed its content before Dimm.
"Read it," Minxx said. "It contains the prophecy."
Dimm was rather bemused when he was asked to read an empty scroll. He shoved his head sideways to avoid blockage from the scroll, and said, "But this is empty."
"It is not," Minxx protested. "Try reading it again and again."
Dimm stared blatantly at the empty scroll, trying his best to read whatever Minxx believed it contained. But there was nothing to see, not to talk of reading.
"You can check it yourself," Dimm told Minxx. "There's really nothing to see."
Minxx carefully dropped the scroll on the ground before Dimm and went back to acclaim her throne, sitting majestically on it.
"True understanding and meaningful connections go beyond what is seen or heard," Minxx stated.
Dimm nodded at the statement made by Minxx. "True. Some truths can't be understood by logic or surface-level observation. They require empathy, intuition, and openness to be revived."
"Exactly," Minxx agreed with him. "Reading what is contained in this scroll just goes as you have said. It is not the kind of reading done with the eyes or mind, it is done by the heart."
"Lesson number two, Dimm: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eyes."
Saying it, confirming her speech was easy. But, putting them into action. How?
Tsk.