Subscribe to our Newsletter for more artworks and coupons

---

Find my work at:

After departing from the bar, Karina returned home quite satisfied with herself and her little lesson. Lucian and Carmenta felt a little guilty about leaving. Carmenta felt she should have rudely brought the items to the dancers. Lucian did not know how to handle the situation, but he at least felt that Karina did not do the right thing.

His opinion was also shared by Marduke. As soon as she opened the door, she found her brother sitting before her on a very angry looking throne. The throne was Vindkald. He had seen what had occurred, and he had taken the items with him to the apartment for safekeeping. He would have returned the goods himself, but he was a prankster around strangers. He was machinating a way to get into one of the student’s home, in order to start doing spooking things at night. This little plan was a work in progress, and he might change his mind about it when something else draws his curiosity.

Normally, when he addressed his siblings, Marduke had a sad melancholic way about him. This time, when he spoke with Karina, there was neither sadness, nor melancholy on his voice. When he said, “We need to talk,” it felt like a physical blow to Karina.

“What? I don’t see why you need to be so tense with me,” said Karina pacing a bit, “Yeah! I was doing my job, wasn’t I?”

“It pains me to call you on your nonsense, but I will not have you become another Nalini. The people in Veragerung are under my protection. Anything you do to them, you do to me, sister,” said Marduke.

Like Karina, Marduke was wearing the skin of a human. The human skin was about 37 years old. It wasn’t his official age, but he felt that if he looked older the people might take him seriously. His short black hair had many white streaks. His face still retained delicate features, considering that his first contact was with a maiden. Still, his brow had many line when he looked pensive, and his eyes looked heavy, with crow feet. This created the illusion that he was thoughtful, and that he spent many nights awake thinking about what was good for the Kingdom.

Marduke indeed, did not sleep, for he had no need to do so. Still, he would indulge in dreaming from time to time to restore his blood powers. His frame was a bit more muscular from what he usually preferred. He made those changes while looking at old historical records inside the Ultimate Weapon. Among them, he found a picture of Michelangelo’s David. He thought the expression on the face seemed regal, so Marduke slowly evolved into it to earn the respect of his people.

 When he was not amused, his true nature made faint ripples. The only tell of his true form came in the color of his eyes. For they changed from blue, to cyan. Since both colors were within the blue eye spectrum, the changed was not noticeable for the unobservant. The few people who noticed the change just thought it was a trick caused by the flickering of the candles. Indeed, the light source was flickering in the entrance hall. The household deities were trembling ominously, making the candles and the oil lanterns flicker.

Marduke turned to stare at the lights, and he said to the Haltijas in a light tone, “Enough with that nonsense.”  

Marduke turning to his sister gave a sigh of frustration before continuing. He said, “Look, Karina, in accordance with our home rules, I sentence you to teach the laws, using proven pedagogy. The days were you do not teach, you will help your sister Nalini in her Habitats For Fairies project in Veragerung. You should have no problem with it, seeing as though you have an affinity for plant life.”

When Karina heard this sentencing, her heart sank. Like her sister Nalini, she did not understand what she had done wrong. Even when Marduke showed the memory fragments of her crime, Karina still did not see what the problem was.

Marduke did not insist anymore. As was tradition in such cases, Karina would continue with her community service till she saw the errors of her ways. It took about 2 years, but then one day she saw a revelation before her, and then she understood.

Karina was with her sister Nalini in the abandon castle of Berthame. Nalini was more or less done with the streets and boulevards of Veragerung. Before tackling private properties, she thought she could put that large real estate of the castle for good use. Near her, was the ever present, and silent Vaikus. As of lately, he was roaming the castle because there was nobody around.

Nalini was sporting her lovely moth wings. She was gravitating towards the color scheme of the green sphynx moth. The training ground was overgrown with bad weeds, and thorns, and vines. The central fountain was more or less in one peace and still running. Nalini was sitting there with her flute. She played her song, while her mind’s eye surveyed the area in an echo location fashion. She could have looked about with her regular eyes, but she was in a musical type of mood. It was even a miracle that her brother had allowed her to keep her little flute considering all the chaos she caused.

Karina sighed and said, “What a bother.”

“A bother indeed,” said Nalini stopping her music. She added, “Now, quiet down and let me continue my work. Unlike you, I have a lot of community service to finish before I am even allowed to do the whole feeling repentant and apologizing stage.”

“You could ask Oberon for forgiveness, and be done with it,” suggested Karina.

“Why? I didn’t do anything wrong. It was his fault anyway. Would it have killed him to say, I am one of you guys?” asked Nalini.

“It could have,” said Karina, “This goes to show the importance of fact checking.”

“Shutta upa, your face, little sister,” said Nalini pointing with her flute.

The conversation changed when the sisters heard an owl hooting. Nalini liked owls, and so she said, “Cool, an owl!”

“Isn’t it a little early for them?” asked Karina.

“He could be roosting,” suggested Nalini.

“Perhaps,” said Karina.

The conversation returned to the topic of plants and flowers. Neither sister seemed inclined to actually to speak with one another. The sisters bound by a filial chain bent down and started weeding the ground. They could have used rakes, and tools but the community service encouraged getting as close to the Earth as possible. The smell of soil pleased Karina. After digging a little deeper, the earth had attained a peculiar red color. Just a couple of years ago, this arena had been used in the training of soldiers. Countless children had been maned, due to unsafe training practices. Before Marduke took over, the army had a survival of the fittest strategy model. Marduke reformed this training, and now everyone who entered the army actually survived to graduation. The new overgrowth in the castle ground was particularly strong. It was almost as if the Goddess Ortisa was reclaiming what once belonged to her.

While picking up grass, Nalini said, “You know, this place once used to be an elven temple to nature. The only thing that remains from it are the stone steps, and the blue marble floor.”

“Is that so,” said Karina half playing attention.

Nalini frowned when she noticed that her sister was not into it. She said, “Hoot, hoot!”

“Hoot, hoot!” said the owl.

It was then that the most beautiful moth in the world appeared. It was hiding between the columns. Feeling a bit thirsty, it went to collect some nectar from the bad weeds, and weird flowering trees that were growing. When conditions are ripe, seeds that had been lying dormant for centuries rise to the surface. The strangest of the tree was a rainbow eucalyptus deglupta tree. The bark was nice and colorful, with different swaps, as if created by an impressionist artist. The tree was unusual because it normally thrived in rainforest conditions. It was also nonnative. Over the last three years, the winters had been snow free, and the weather had been particularly hot and wet in Veragerung. This had allowed the tree to grown 14 feet, which was about average for this type of tree. Since the nonnative tree was so unusual, the locals were giving it more importance than it deserved.

At the moment, this rainbow looking tree was blooming. Its small flowers were small, and quite mundane. Only be bark called any attention to the discerning nectar eater. As for the moth, the bug was a meter tall. It had a fluffy body, and large black eyes. The wings were like the plume moth, but with a blue, red, and yellow coloration. These overgrown moths were rare. One only saw one per planet. The owl flew near this moth and as a defense, the moth vibrated. When the owl made eye contact with the moth, it became hypnotized. Under the hypnosis, the owl believed it was a moth. Since the owl saw the moth eating pollen, it started following in suit.

“How long does the hypnosis usually last?” inquired Nalini.

“About half an hour,” said Karina.

While Karina saw the moth paying no mind to the owl that was struggling to keep up, she was suddenly struck by a revelation. She understood what she had done wrong. A sense of guilt fell upon her, and it was soon overtaken by relief.

Nalini felt the change upon her sister, and she smiled and said, “Well, you can now go apologize, so that you can go on with your life.”

“I still want to help you with your gardening thingy,” said Karina.

“No. Plant for yourself, not for me. I still have an important lesson to learn, and till I do, I will continue toiling in these fields,” said Nalini bowing.

Karina knew that she was better off not pressing the issue. The first thing she did was report her progress to her brother. He was pleased to see the light of understanding upon Karina’s face. She had indeed learned her lesson, and she was finally free to resume her original class. All that remained was to fetch her original five students and inform them that class was in session.

The first person she was Casimir. Karina had just left the palace when she ran into him. He was a bit of an elusive fellow, by nature. He could only be found when he allowed it. He had not changed much since last she saw him. He still have the same face and eyes, only he got a little taller. He had left school as soon as Karina’s classes became mundane.

Karina said smiling, “Casimir! What timing! I wanted to apologize for abandoning you in a dingy bar.”

“Really? I don’t remember that ever happening,” said Casimir trying to force his memory.

“Well, either way. It was irresponsible of me to bring you guys to a potentially dangerous place, and leaving without you,” said Karina.

“It’s just a bar. I have gone to bars many times, and nothing has ever happened. Even when a fight breaks out, the guards quickly put a stop to it something fierce. From all the bar scenes in the Kingdom, the ones in Veragerung are as peaceful as a temple,” said Casimir.

“If you say so but getting into fights is the least of most people’s problems. Seedy people frequent bars, and they are always fishing for idiots,” explained Karina.

“And in this story we are the idiots,” said Casimir folding his arms.

“Now, you are catching on,” said Karina, “By and by, I am going to continue my true class, if you are ready to return to it. I still will give the normal class for those who seek Refrigerated knowledge. But, if you really want to learn, then come to the afternoon session, at the same place from before.”

“Oh, yes, how could I have ever lived without going up so many stairs,” said Casimir sighing.

“Look, they just installed the elevator, but if you take it, you can just forget about me teaching you anything in earnest,” said Karina.

After saying this, Karina went on her way. Casimir had heard rumors that Princess Karina had done a crime and had been doing community service. When he heard the reason why she was sentenced, it gave the gentleman quite a lot to think about.

The following person Karina visited was Babysel. She found the 15-year-old halfling in a public park, with a large stroller. He had quite the frown on his face, and he had a baby bottle in his pocket. Some of the passing boys were jeering and laughing at the child and calling him a lady. Karina came to Babysel and said, “Hello, good afternoon.”

“Hey teach! You got any free classes coming up on child rearing?” asked Babysel.

“Mmm! You assume that just because I am a lady, that I am supposed to know how to raise a kid?” asked Karina frowning, though her eyes were glowing with amusement.

Babysel blushing said, “I didn’t mean any offence by it, sorry teach!”

“I am just messing with you Babysel,” said Karina laughing seeing him so worked up over nothing.

The two talked nothing to one another a bit. Eventually, they found a bench, with a tree and they sat down. Babysel removed from the stroller a cute little fat baby, with eyes the color of amethyst. The baby was bald and had a healthy orange coloration. This unusual skin color and eyes marked the baby as a little goblin child. Babysel’s father had bought the baby at a pet shop in Aragon. Most goblins were rather small, and they had a prolonged infancy, which meant they were helpless for longer periods of time. It was only when they reached puberty that their facial features became more pronounced, with longer noses, and chins. Like all species, they were cuter when small. As of lately, Babysel had been spending a lot of time alone. His mother was working, while his father was traveling the Continent cracking down on all forms of slavery.

Babysel eventually said, “I heard you got arrested.”

“Not really. It was more like I was sentenced right away skipping arrest, and trails too,” said Karina.

“Your brother is very strict, isn’t he,” said Babysel.

“Nah! He lets a lot of things slide, except when children are concerned. Ever since he became a mother, he has been like super mean about people who even touch the hair of a lil kid,” said Karina.

Babysel did not question why Karina had said mother, instead of father. His mind had done the auto-correction, and so he did not see anything wrong with what Karina had said. Babysel then said, “I will go to class, but only if I can bring Periwinkle. The other classes don’t allow me to take him with me.”

“Mmm. That is something we overlooked,” said Karina. She mentally informed her brother about it, and then at that moment Marduke dropped everything that he was doing to go to school to enforce the new regulation. From that day on, parents and siblings could take their kids with them, and if they acted up, they were allowed to quiet them outside the classroom. Eventually, a nursery was added to the school. Overtime, the school nursery became a type of classroom were people learned how to take care of kids by watching the nanas do their work.

Karina after being abstracted a bit, she said, “All I know of little kids is that to get along with them, you have a strong sense of empathy and good memory too. A lot of adults suffer from childhood amnesia. They put mental boundaries between themselves and their brats. What you must remember is that this kid is a person and not some puppet that must behave in a way that is convenient for you. Once you make peace with that idea, the rest becomes easy.”

Babysel heard this, and immediately discarded it. He was hoping for a practical advice like how to get the kid to stop crying. In answer to this frame of mind, Karina added, “When all else fails, you can just wrap the kid up like a burrito. It reminds the kid of the womb, and so he will calm down, and feel safe, unless if he is in pain or hungry, by and by, the class is going to take place in the library as before, only a little later.”

In this same fashion, Karina visited the three other students. The following week, they all assembled in the last floor of the library. The interior of the classroom was decorated with cushioned chairs. Each one had a round, ornamental baroque table. Instead of a pulpit, there was a Victorian Chaise sofa with some cushions. The seating portions of all the chairs had an embroidery scene. There was about five of them, each themed after the summer. Karina’s chair had a floral pattern. The walls had a green wallpaper with a golden leaf pattern. The floor had a red carpet. Only the wall behind Karina, the one with the window, differed. It had a painted mural with some stylized people painted against a golden background like a medieval fresco.

In Veragerung, realism was in style and so the stylized people made the students chuckle. Janus chuckling said pointing at the mural, “Did you paint this?”

“Yes,” said Karina proudly sitting on her sofa.

Janus sat down, and he placed his feet on top of the desk. The desk turned into an ottoman, and it made Janus jump in fright. The ottoman chuckled and stood up to sit beside Karina.   

“What is that?” asked Babysel.

“He is called Vindkald,” said Karina. She then added, “Would you like a refreshment, some cookies, perhaps?”

“Well, it is about that time that one has tea,” said Carmenta sitting down.

Karina dragged a nearby table. As she dragged the table, it made a garish sound as it streaked across the marble floor. On top of it, she placed the tea set, with the cookies of different sizes, and tastes. Carmenta asked, “Don’t you have chocolate.”

“No, cause I don’t eat it. I only bothered to cook things that I might actually enjoy eating,” said Karina.

“Good idea,” said Carmenta.

The students and teacher ate and chatted nonsense. After 15 minutes of not doing anything productive with their time, Karina said, “Well, it is about to start class I suppose.”

The students brought out little notebooks, and a quill pen. Carmenta did not because she was busy eating. She was well on her way to becoming the first fat elf in the Kingdom. She had become quite sedentary as of late, as a result of peace. Her only exercise came in the form of working with the bow, at least once a week. She did it in part to fulfill the stereotype that all elves should be good with the bow. If she missed a shot, she would get quite the ribbing from the kids in the barracks.

“Like you may or may not know, I have been doing community service for two years for my crime of negligence. I still have more to do get done, but I now have a lot more leeway with my scheduling, because I realized the nature of my crime,” started explained Karina before she got interrupted.

“Isn’t that a little bit overboard? If I had known that I would cause these problems for trying to force you to stay in the bar, I would not have done what I did!” said Janus.

“Aha! So, you did leave your junk behind to force us to stay!” exclaimed Lucian.

“One thing is strangers, but your comrades, why would you use trickery to force them to do something they did not want to?” asked Karina.

“It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time,” said Janus.

“It starts with small things, but then it eventually becomes a common behavior. Given enough time, you would have all the people around you be as puppets. One thing is discouraging bad behavior, another thing is trying to control others,” said Karina sternly.

“Janus can’t help it, he is his father’s son,” said Babysel.

“That is no excuse. If it was up to most parents, they would have obedient copies of themselves. Very few, know just how lucky they truly are to be allowed to raise a new individual into this world,” said Karina looking at Periwinkle.

Janus was about to speak again, but his thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. Inside the classroom entered a middle age man named Mico. Mico was a wandering alchemist who was trying to create an antidote to the elixir of immortality. The first functioning elixir had an unknown impurity, and so he was never able to replicate it. The one he had created just made him ageless, but illnesses were still a bother, as well as the good old-fashioned arrow to the face. He would have killed himself years ago, except that his religion taught him that suicide was a mortal sin. The only way he was allowed to die was through sickness, or by violence. A bit superstitious in his ancient age, he knew that his God would not be fooled if he neglected his health, or if he picked a fight he knew he could not win.

He was found by the Dragon Riders in an island, and now he lived and worked as a healer in Veragerung. He had heard from Babysel about Karina, and so since he had nothing better to do with his eternal time, he decided to see the Princess. Mico had ebony skin, pronounced cheekbones, small expressionless black eyes, a refined nose, thin lips, a short beard, and short black hair. The top of his head was somewhat balding, and his forehead had many lines from overthinking. Truth be told, he was looking for any distraction from his own mortality. Like the elves, the longer he lived the more he was afraid of dropping dead. Mico dressed in the fashion of the day, with the frock coat, the pants that went as low as the knees, the socks, the black shoes, and the fluffy shirt, and silly ornamental hat with feathers.

Karina smiled when she saw her new student. She reached under her cloak, and she brought out a transcript of her first two lessons, and the conversations spoken to by her just now students. She said to Mico, “This should get you up to date on the last two lessons. Which reminds me, I better get started already.”

Vindkald brought forth a drawing board from another room. On it, he drew an owl and the most beautiful moth in the world. Karina told her students her story of redemption, and how she was able to see the errors of her ways after seeing the moth interacting with the owl.

At the end of her story, she said, “The moth scenario relates to the laws 31.01 and 419.74, you will understand them when you read the book or whatever.”  

The students departed confused, but amused. Janus said to Mico while going down the stairs, “Now that was definitely different.”

“Meh! It reminds me a bit of Aesop,” said Mico.

“Who is Aesop?” asked Janus.

“Just some guy from a book I barely remember. It was just so long, long ago,” said Mico sighing.

Before leaving the classroom, Karina lingered a little bit. She had noticed a letter left on the desk. She stared on it long, looking quite pensive. Vindkald picked up the letter read it over the top before giggling. Karina could have read his mind, but she chose not to. Karina turned the letter around, and then she wrote, “Whatever it is you have to say, say it to my face. Coward!”

Vindkald received the response, and then he went about to deliver the letter, not because Karina asked him to, but because he had nothing better to do with his time, and he was itching on getting a bit of sunlight.