The Four Kingdoms Above the Pools

“I know about the worlds above. You can look up yourself out from this cabin and see some of their realmage. Peek out that window, what do you see?

“The universe.”

“Don’t be so metaphysical, you pretentious fool. What do you see?”

“…The stars, of course.”

“Very good. If you see the stars, and the moons, and the planets above, if you feel the clothes on your body and the table you’re leaning on, you know of Starlend: lender of materials and physical principles.

If you have read a nice book, or told a great story, or listened to beautiful music, you have met with the disciples of Inklend, those who live in and around the emotional and intellectual realms of art and fancy.

Simply, my dear lad, if you have ever lived you have even benefited from the mysteries of Breathlend. They own life, and its absence, death. They are the givers, and the takers of a mortal coil’s vigor. Those who say they manage more are superstitious children. They are but doctors, assassins, and in some cases, lawyers.

…It is the first kingdom that is the most mysterious, you know. I know you’ve felt its presence, just as every creature in our universe of universe has. Its towers are what stretch to you and give those tingling uncertainties when you are alone at night. Its throne room serves as the relayed for all the mystery, and majesty, and greatness in our realms from the hands of The Wizard. Dreamlend is the name, Chaos.“

“Dreamlend? So the lender of dreams.”

“And inspiration, lad. They have not opened their gates to anyone since Rondi’s day, but there will be a time coming soon in which even the combined efforts of the other three kingdoms cannot hold those jaws closed.”

“What’s within Dreamlend?”

“Upon its throne The Wizard bestowed upon its people the greatest physical gift he has ever imparted to lifekind: Dreamlend’s Throne.”

“The greatest? What of Caliburn?”

“A child’s toy. A stick for games, practically. The Throne, Chaos, is where all advancement, past, present, and future, of all species, of all souls, of all physical representations and evolutions ever to have been or will be, are contained.”

“…’As the old words speakith’.”

“ ’As the old words speakith’. I assume by that quote then that you’ve read on it?”

“I believe I have… it’s all such a blur, such a shroud, my past years now.”

“I have been like that as well. As your magic grows your mind will begin to correct itself. There is always a new horizon of sharpness to hold, but it is the Dreamlend Throne that holds all of them.”

“…You, my little man, mean to say that all magics, and knowledges, all things an intelligent being can grasp and imagine are within-”

“The Throne, yes. Its seater holds the power of knowledge beyond knowledge; inspiration surpassing inspiration. Our meager thoughts are all but the subhuman wrigglings of  prokaryotic life in comparison to the magnitude of its understanding. The one sitting upon the throne is the princess of the kingdom, and the only other one there is her aid. They have been holed there for longer than time has been measured by any people down here.”

“So by taking The Throne, that person would gain infinite inspiration from The Wizard.”

“It is mysterious, but as I understand it, the object is ‘pre-instilled’ with the wisdom of The Wizard.”

“Can one match The Wizard’s magic when bestowed on by The Throne?”

“I do not know. Clouu, her name, you understand, has been sitting there administering knowledge to all peoples for millennia. She has been waiting for something, I’m certain. She does have a plan, but I know not what it is. She is to blame for all tongues steadily gaining roots in what you call the Reinish language.”

“We only called it that for a few thousand years, eventually we began calling it Latin like everyone else.”

“Indeed, my boy, and after that you all called it English, whether or not you had an England in your dimension or not.”

“How remarkable… and so this is what Rondi desires?”

“It is, Chaos. Once she takes The Throne of Dreamlend, which I fully suspect she will, then the true battle for the kingdoms will commence.”

“I… I wonder if we’ll be able to stop her. She and Ywn have taken such… advancements in their crafts that even a year ago I would have said it would all be in the realm of imagination.”

“Ywn has surpassed your intelligence, and Rondi has surpassed your magic, just as they both will to me before long… but enough about that; how is the tea?”

“You knew I liked ashe leaf. The only person I’ve admitted that to was Tea Minion, rest her soul. You never cease to impress me, Ruka.”

“It’s going to take more than guessing people’s favorite tea to prevent the restructuring of everything and the attack upon The Mountain itself. Drink up. We have much more to discuss.”