Memories: My Kingdom

Chapter 21: Dream Lake

Before Mhir could react, Tinum already plunged into the lake and disappeared. “TINUM!” Mhir called. This was the first time she called Tinum’s name – the supposed-to-be nameless elf. But Leui named him, giving Tinum an identity which the elf never expected… and not needed? Later in the future, it will be known if the elf needed the identity of not.

When Tinum entered the water, the water sprites immediately swam towards them and raised their claws and bared their teeth to him, wanting to tear him and gnaw him to pieces. However, Tinum lit up a fire in his hand. Even if it is underwater, the fire didn’t disappear and instead burned brighter and hotter to the point the water around them boiled. Contrary to Tinum’s calm face, the water sprites felt like their scales and their skin was scalded by the hot water as if there was a volcano beneath the water.

They immediately swam away from Tinum. Tinum, on the other hand, looked around and saw a barrier in the middle of the lake. Outside the barrier are the water sprites and some materials that fell on the water, making it dirty. However, inside the barrier, the water is very clear – as if outside and inside of the barrier are two different worlds. And it is.

Tinum swam in the dirty water and reached outside the barrier. He was about to touch it when a water monster that had the body of a fish but a head of a dragon appeared and swam fast towards him. Tinum was surprised, but he immediately acted. He lit up his hand and the fire charged to the water monster. The water monster agilely dodged and charged towards him.

Tinum swiftly swam away, the skirt of his clothes touched the scales of the water monster. Elves are always fast – even if it’s on land, air or water. Tinum let his body be pushed by the water, using the currents to move away from the sea monster which swam back and charged at him again. Tinum frowned and looked at the barrier just beneath them. Leui… he thought and faced the monster. Then, he let his body float up.

BAM! The water monster’s big horns pierced the barrier. The barrier shook and a c***k appeared in the place where the water monster’s horn struck. Tinum lit his hand and fired at the water monster’s head. The water monster shrieked and moved its head, but its horn was stuck at the barrier. Thus, when the water monster frantically moved its head, the barrier violently moved with it and the c***k became a hole.

The water monster successfully pulled its horn and immediately swam away when the dirty water from outside the barrier moved inside the barrier. The clear and dirty water mixed, making the place inside the barrier impure. Tinum immediately swam along the dirty water to pass through the hole in the barrier and entered.

Tinum was shocked to see a group of beautiful fairies wearing long, white silk dress that’s floating with the water and they have transparent blue wings. They were encircling Leui who was floating in the middle of the area, unconscious. “LEUI!” he called, the very first time he called Leui’s name. He immediately swam towards Leui to take him away.

However, the fairies who seemed to be sleeping while kneeling around Leui woke up. They simultaneously turned to Tinum making Tinum stop. “Intruder!” the fairies hissed, creating a shrill noise around them, making the water vibrate.

Tinum covered his ears as he was forced to retreat a meter away. “Impure…” he muttered as he looked at the fairies whose body was flickering between transparent and solid images. However, their figure turned gray and slowly turned dark. Tinum doesn’t understand how the fairies would turn impure since he lost his memories. However, this isn’t the time for him to think about it. He has to retrieve Leui first!

Tinum’s figure shot in the water, his direction towards where Leui is floating.

…

Mhir felt her heart beat violently against her chest when she saw not only the lake shook but also the ground beneath her feet. “What is happening down there…?” she muttered as she tried to peek in the water. However, she can’t see anything since the sunlight struck the water in front of her. She sighed and knelt on the ground as she prayed. “Lord Loheiruchel…” she muttered as she clasped her hands and closed her eyes, facing the sun now setting behind the mountains. Tinum and Leui have to return before the night strikes. “Please… help Leui and Tinum…” she prayed as she sang.

The night is dark, the day is also dark

But when you came everything lit up

Casting your light towards everyone

Everything under your presence responds

Loheiruchel of the humans came

Ending the war five hundred years ongoing

Everyone bows before your might

Yet you continue to shed us your light

You grant us your grace, o powerful one

Merciful are you no matter who you become

Please continue to help us, Your Grace

This, we ask you, who cannot be replaced

Mhir slowly opened her eyes and saw the sun totally sunk behind the mountains and the darkness replaced the light in the sky and in the surroundings. However, Leui and Tinum are still nowhere in sight.

Mhir’s heart sank. “That can’t be…” she cried and bit her lip. Is Lord Loheiruchel really gone? She thought and felt her heart throbbed in pain. The song is for the believers of Loheiruchel. When they sing it, Loheiruchel will respond and help them. However, right now, Leui and Tinum are still not back.

Mhir lowered her head and hugged her knees tight. “Lord Loheiruchel…” she called and buried her face on her knees as she cried.

Suddenly, a bright cold-looking light appeared at the heart of the lake. Mhir’s eyes widened as she rose from the ground and patted off the dirt from her clothes. Her eyes never left the light in the lake so she saw how the light became bigger until it covered the entire lake. Then, Mhir heard an ear-piercing shriek so shrill she felt it punctured her eardrum. “AAAAH!” she cried as she covered her ears tighter. The water sprites cried along with the lake fairies and their shrill cries echoed in the surroundings. The leaves rustled like the plants are all shivering while the water in the lake boiled and let out steam.

Mhir saw two figures slowly come out of the water in the middle of the lake. Then, the vines of the plants around Mhir went to catch the two figures and pull them ashore. They were Leui and Tinum – both unconscious and drenched.