11 July 2012
The King and Queen of the realm sat upon carved pearl-wood thrones at the centre of a white-brick palace. The Palace and the surrounding city nested between the Temples of the All-Seeing Eye. The ancient, spiralling towers of the temples were raised high on the hills at the edges of the valley.
The palace's white walls were adorned lavishly yet tastefully with silver and crystal. The central throne room boosted the skulls of fallen Images that had once been great enemies. Greatest of all was the broad, creame skull of a dragon - the ancient Image of a long-dead ruler, the King Born In The Sky, legends used to call him.
"Where is Remirï?" The Queen asked her closest guard whilst cradling her cat-Image on her lap, a plump Siamese. It purred loudly at her touch.
"The Princess Remirï remains in the country with her Prince Mónne, ma'am," The guard replied, the little brown owl on his shoulder looked out with large, orange eyes, "She insists on remaining there until she can locate her old mentor."
"Not Tyuman?" The Queen replied, "Isn't he dead?"
"I believe the Magic Weaver is alive, my lady," The guard said, "But he is not the one the Princess seeks."
The Queen sighed, "Send her a messenger, I COMMAND she return home by next week."
The guard bowed and left, his little brown owl flew along behind him.
The King grumbled, "Do you think she'll find it? The portal?"
"Perhaps," His Queen replied, "She has always been stubborn."
"Stubborn and spoilt," The King sighed, his silver fox image curled at his feet pricked up her ears.
"Perhaps some good will come of it, Joha has always been an insect that has required swift extermination."
The Image Realm | 9 • Opuss № I