“Son, look at me.” Frowning, the boy looked up at his father, the newly elected government of Las Annas, part of the Commonwealth of Sharaedia, in turn part of the Commonwealths of New Galaxia.
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“You, boy, are going to do your part, and hold your position. Understood?”
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There was silence between the two as they stood within the office, a clock ticking gracefully nearby. The boy’s father frowned further, then taking a seat.
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“Understood?” His father again demanded, voice becoming dangerous. The boy looked upon his father, face blank but internally enraged. He did not want this. In fact, he wanted nothing to do with what his father wanted for his future. He had other dreams, other dreams that his father was standing in the way of.
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“Yes sir,” The boy replied, his response satisfying his father, who turned away from him and began looking at a window that lay behind him.
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“Good. I expect great things from you.”
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The boy snorted. “As if any of this is great,” He murmured, standing rigid and with a want to depart.
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Choosing to ignore the comment, his father spoke once again. “Lady Persevere will be here in a few weeks time to assign your post. By then, you must be prepared.”
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Malikai stilled, if that was possible. “Lady Persevere?” He thought, “The Perseverance? A princess, of all people, coming to me with her presence? And on top of it all, a Borealis? This had to be a joke.” But it very well wasn’t, because his father said nothing following.
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As much as Malikai seemed shocked by the idea, a visit from her was practically one in infinity. Nonetheless a Borealis, a monarch of all existence and inexistance, part of the most powerful group of beings to ever exist and would ever exist.
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So it begged the question, why’d she be here?
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“Wait, sir, why the princess–?”
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“Are you suggesting that she not visit at all?”
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“No sir, I’m just–”
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“Then you will do so as to keep your useless mouth shut.”
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Then there was silence. But still, New Sharaedia’s monarch was coming to Las Rosas of all places!
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Malikai’s father cleared his throat, breaking the silence, then proceeding to speak.
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“Therefore, boy, you will be sent on a tour of Portalis in order to prepare for whatever role she assigns you.”
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Malikai stood, confused. “Portalis…?”
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“Yes child, I’m sure you’re not deaf as you are stupid.”
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Silence again. Ignoring his father’s insult, he thought, for a moment, of Portalis. He’d heard of it, of course, as he wasn't as idiotic as his father claimed him to be, but he for the life of him didn’t understand why a tour of Portalis was needed for any positions he could possibly be assigned.
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Portalis, as the name suggested, was the realm of portals, of which granted movement in and out of every universe, depending on the traveler’s access level.
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Of course, he’d not such a privilege, as Portalis was limited to select government positions, but if given the chance to go there, he’d undoubtedly be in a very different place, and, in his mind, would be leisure in comparison to this h–
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“Malikai,” His father said.
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“Yes, sir?”
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“You will make sure not to embarrass me. The Queen will be there, and so shall others. If you dare have the audacity to mess up, you will duly pay.”
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Malikai tensed, his father’s wanting for a pristine reputation unreciprocated. In Malikai’s head, it was all the man cared for. Far more than his son, and most definitely more than his wife.
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Malikai never cried when his mother came across his mind, he never did and would most certainly not start now. His father spoke again.
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“The Head Monarchs have granted you access to the Realm of Portalis, and as I’m sure, you know the words. You are to be there in a few moments, and when you return, I expect no complaints.”
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“Yes sir.”
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“Good. Now get out of my office.”
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Malikai scowled at his father’s back but nonetheless did as was told, he wanted to leave perhaps more than his father didn’t want his presence. He rushed down the hall that led from his father’s office, and fumed as he found himself an empty room on a lower floor, then slamming the door behind himself.
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He stood for a moment, then flicked his wrist and summoned a mirror before himself from thin air. Quickly composing himself from being on the verge of screaming, he observed himself in the mirror, and flawless face frowned back at him.
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His black curls cascaded slightly over his forehead, a single group of curls longer than the rest flowing further down, and beautifully dark purple eyes–almost black–gleamed in the light, the entire combination complimented by impossibly smooth olive skin, and a dimpled smile that could replace the sun.
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He sighed as he gazed out a nearby window, his handsomeness meant nothing to him. Nothing, if I was stuck here, left to suffer and wilt under the eye of his father, under the eye of a man that despised him with every fiber of his being, a feeling he well reciprocated. He’d do nearly anything to rid himself of his nonchalant parents, but taking into account how that’d be done, he chose to bide his time until he was of legal age, nineteen, before he’d earn the freedom he so deserved.
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Standing straight, he took another breath, thankful for the absence of other people. He raised his hands before his chest and began to sign a spell, one, among many others, he found himself not to be very good at. It was a different Auorora Portalis, listing under a group of spells he always found himself struggling to cast.
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He spoke, soft words escaping his lips.
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“Destinain Portalis.”
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With a flurry of somewhat complicated hand movements, he cast the spell as the words were spoken, and immediately, without hesitance, the spell worked its magic.
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With a loud and SNAP, he found himself within the realm of portals, the Hall of Portalis. There were other people of various high political positions waiting impatiently, likely for his presence, so they could begin and end as soon as possible.
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“Ah,” Said an unfamiliar voice, “And our final guest, Malikai Jean-Madison. Lovely.”
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Malikai looked further ahead, and to his surprise, even though he should have expected it, Royal Hezago Borealis, currently displaying himself as Marie Sue, stood before him. She smiled at him in a rather strained manner, obviously annoyed by his lateness.
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“Now,” The Queen said, “This, as I’m sure you know, this is the Realm of Portalis.” She gestured toward where they were standing, a glass dome above them glittering with a million and more stars.
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“However, there are some things I’ve to make sure you know. First, these halls are divided into eight main ones, the north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. Each of them expand infinitely onward and get less and less defined on what they present as they go on.”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivpsyVYTnP
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Malikai looked toward the previously mentioned halls, and ever-extending halls of what seemed like vertical arches of swirling and coloured water rippled in greeting. Miss Marie continued, interrupting Malikai’s thoughts.
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“The north, south, east, and west are restricted from anyone’s access but us monarchs. However, the others are free for you all to access as long as your positions still stand. If you come here and forget to leave when your tenure is over, you will be stuck and left to starve.”
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A shiver ran down Malikai’s spine as he processed this information, the part about being ‘left to starve’ serving as unsettling in his book.
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“The halls do as follows. The northwest hall serves as leeway to all Galaxian capitals, the northeast does the same for foreign countries, the southeast serves dual purpose as Galaxian and foreign non-incorporated territories’ capitals. There is a compass below you to indicate which hall is which.”
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The golden design gleamed from the dome’s light, the cardinal designs and otherwise indicated clearly but elaborate upon the ground, shining and refusing to be stained by whatever thing that would make an attempt to stain it.
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“Note also that these halls are not stagnant, and do repeat, so therefore I guarantee you you will find yourself confused. You enter one portal, you’ll come out of the same one, but in a wildly different place.”
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“Hold on,” Malikai said, “Doesn't that mean it’s almost a guarantee you could get lost?”
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Lady Marie nodded smilingly, and then turned around, seemingly prepared to leave.
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“That is hence why you must be very much careful of your activities upon this plane. Oh, and before I forget, Auorora Portalis does not work in this realm, and if you do end up attempting to cast it, you won’t be able to cast it again until you leave and return. That will be all.”
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And without a look back, she walked into one of the hallways we were forbidden from, and walked out of view.
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Malikai stood there for a moment, rapidly processing the mound of information he was just given. He clenched his jaw. He’d no idea how to get out of there, and according to the Queen’s instructions, there was no leeway for mistakes and confusion.
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The others there had already departed or were getting prepared to do so, all of which were more adept at magic than he was. Now, even though he wasn’t the best at magic, he could guess that if he couldn’t portal out of there, teleporting, which he was absolutely terrible at, would less than likely work. But then again, they couldn't leave the place through a separate manner, but nothing said anything about teleporting within the realm.
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He once again raised his hands to his chest, and once again began weaving signs of what he hoped was the right thing. With a SNAP that usually accompanied his magic, he found himself before a portal swirling a serene blue with a dollop of red swirling likewise, but unmixing.
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He took a breath, hoping his magic had done him well, and stepped inside.
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It hadin’t.
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He was standing in a world with a red sky and purple grass, nowhere where he wanted to be, not at all.
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“Dang it,” He said out loud, nearing panic. He bought his hands back up to his chest and wove another spell, speaking this time.
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“Destinain Portalis.”
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And he was in front of the portal he had entered. He once again wove a teleportation spell, one meant to guide him home, and he found himself before another portal. He entered it and found himself somewhere, somewhere that most definitely wasn't home. He frowned, panic finally setting in.
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“Dang it, dang it, dang it!” He shouted, paranoid.
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He moved between Portalis and other worlds, but none of them were his. None of them were his.
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He appeared before another, and stepped back from it, shaking overtaking.
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He was lost.
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Lost in Portalis.
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