One time, in a faraway place hidden from most human seeing, there was a magical country that floated in the sky as high as the clouds. That otherworldly place was The Kingdom Beyond the Clouds, a name which was known only to those present. It was unbelievable, due to its greatness, for example, towers of gold gleaming under the sun, gardens blooming with flowers of all colors, and sparkling waterways like diamonds.
The kingdom was in the care of Queen Seraphina, an astute, kind ruler with the power to control the wind and the violent storms. Her heart was as big as the sky, and her love for her people was boundless. People of the kingdom lived in harmony and enjoyed it under the care of their queen who looked after them and eluded them from poverty.
Seraphina had a secret, though—a secret that only a few trusted advisers knew. Apparently, in the past, long time ago, when the kingdom was just newly built, the founders and rulers formed an agreement with the winds. They sold them, a very potent item, the Heart of the Sky, a crystal that beat with the pulse of the sky. This artifact not only helped survive the kingdom but also saved the kingdom from demise and made it flourish.
However, the Heart of the Sky was growing weak. The winds had started becoming restless and strange clouds had descended in the sky. However, they were not, for example, the fluffy, downlike ones floating gently in the sky. No, they were black and turbulent, full of hate and malice. Wands, which were originally subservient to the ruling kingdom, became capricious, with the weather being gentle or violent at any given moment.
Queen Seraphina understood that decisive action was required. But if the HM wasn’t reactivated to its full puissance, the country would fall. But where could she find such a powerful artifact? The Heart of the Sky had not been found for generations and no one knew where it was.
Desperate, Seraphina called upon her council’s wisest member, Alaric, a learned man. Alaric was famous for ancient texts and lost stories. He spent all of his life trying to find hints about the Heart of the Sky.
“Alaric, Seraphina said one evening as the sun began to set, casting an orange glow over the kingdom, “I need you to find the Heart of the Sky. Unless we recover its power, the domain will crumble.
Alaric nodded solemnly. “Her heart ached, her resolve undeterred. Yet this is the secret that even the wisest of scholars alike are unaware of. They say it’s undercover at a spot that no wind ever reaches, an area that mortal or God can never invade.
Seraphina’s heart stilled for a second, but her resolve did not break. “I trust you, Alaric. Please, find it.”
Alaric set out on his search, with the ultimate goal of getting the real truth. His aim took him through great woods, up wild hills, and through long plains. He conversed with the ancient ones who had inhabited from time immemorial, in search of a direction. But each clue faded into obscurity.
One day, lost in a dense forest at the border of the kingdom, Alaric came across a curious, luminous stone. It was, in a way, nothing he had ever witnessed before, emitting an energy that felt both known and strange. The moment he attempted to grab it, in his mind spoke a voice.
For Heart of the Sky, you first have to go to Realm of Lost Dreams,” the voice murmured.
Alaric’s heart raced. The Realm of Lost Dreams was a tale whispered only among the most hushed voices. It was said to be a land where time stood still, where memories faded, and where only the bravest souls dared to venture.
Dead and departed from this point onwards, with no time to dawdle, Alaric followed the instructions of the voice arriving at the edge of a chasm of deep dark abyss. Over there, on the other side, a fog so thick was present that it felt as if a person was preparing to dunk in the present moment.
With a deep breath, he went on and his legs sank into the mist while crossing the chasm. As he crossed over, he realized he’d arrived in a world that felt temporal, spatial, and outside of both. The sky was a moving mosaic of colors, and the earth under his shoes was a dynamic labyrinth depending on his movement.
Alaric could make out in the haze a magnificent palace, its roof some distance down, its spires piercing heavenwards. This was the Realm of Lost Dreams, a world where truth and fantasy overlapped. Here the Heart of the Sky was reputed to be concealed.
And as Alaric got closer to the palace, he came face to face with an unseen entity of darkness. The body of the figure was invisible, but the voice was harsh, clear, and directive
“You seek the Heart of the Sky,’ the figure’s voice echoed in Alaric’s thoughts “But be warned, seeker. The Heart is not something that can be owned unless it can be given up something.
Alaric hesitated. “What do you mean? What must I sacrifice?
The figure stepped into the light, its visage a puzzling mix of the known and the unknown. It was an older form of Queen Seraphina, whose eyes showed both sadness and knowledge.
The Heart of the Sky is a source of energy that can replenish your kingdom,” she said. “Hope stayed with her, weak but solid, as the intangible whispers of the world’s core in which they were around the world. To restore the Heart, one must give up what is dearest to me.
Alaric’s mind raced. What could he possibly give up? His home? His life? The people he loved? He couldn’t endure the thought of losing anything.
However, the figure kept on going, and her tone became more and more urgent. “You must choose, Alaric. The Heart will not be restored without a price. You would sacrifice your life to save the kingdom? Will you allow it to crumble into ruin?
Alaric stood in silence, his heart torn between duty and love. After an agonizing pause, he found his voice.
“I will do whatever it takes to save the kingdom,” he said, his voice unwavering despite the storm within.
The figure nodded, and with a gesture of her hand, the mist lifted unveiling the Heart of the Sky. Its crystal surface sparkled with a spectral light, like the gleam of the stars.
Alaric reached out and touched the Heart. Immediately, on contact with its surface, his whole body was taken over by a thrilling wave of energy. It was as if the very winds of the world had entered his body, filling him with knowledge and power beyond comprehension.
But the cost was high. As the Heart’s life force surged into him, Alaric found his life force to be rapidly draining. His body became weak and he realized he had made good on his end of the bargain.
At the end, in a final, shaking sigh Alaric stepped back to the Kingdom Beyond the Clouds, retaining the Heart of the Sky. He offered it to Queen Seraphina who took it in her hands while eyes ran down her cheeks.
The country saved, she [female body] said, her voice choked by emotion. “But at what cost?”
Alaric grinned, his form dissolving into the breeze as he delivered his last utterance. “The kingdom is worth any price.”
Also Read: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The Heart of the Sky was then restored and the breath level returned to its original state. The kingdom once more came alive, and the residents led peaceful lives under the gentle rule of Queen Seraphina. However, they never forgot the ultimate price of Alaric, the man who sacrificed his life to save the Kingdom Beyond the Clouds.
The kingdom hovered in the air, a beautiful and amazing land. And though the winds continued to blow and the clouds continued to drift, there was a quiet peace that settled over the land a peace that could never be disturbed, for it was built upon the sacrifice of a single soul who gave everything for the greater good.