The World Outside The Shell

Chapter 10

The flashes of lighting cast long shadows in the room. I sat at the table and watched the magic of the StarStone draw the map. I watched the Lake of the Lost Kingdom flood the landscape like ink spilled on the page.

The illustration of Lady Ri appeared in one corner and the illustration of Tamm, in human form, appeared in the opposite corner. The figures walked to the center of the world, stood in the area labeled the marshlands and transformed into turtles and floated over the illustrated blue water.

I said, “Is it possible Lady Ri is the cause of the floods?”

The illustration of Lady Ri re-appeared and walked back to the corner of the map at the same moment a familiar voice said, “I can hear you turtle. “

The window to the outside world opened and a cool breeze entered the cottage. The edges of the map began to glow red then sparked, burning quickly. I rushed to lift the flaming document off the table as smoke filled the room.

The turtle shell drifted over the lake in a slow turn, descending close to the surface and I tossed the map into the water, but not in time to save the map as the landscape became shrouded in a thick fog. I imagined the turtle returning to the skies. I looked down as the fog lifted and the landscape was gone, no lake, no mountains, no land features in any direction.

I was too stunned to move and said, “Did I save the world?”

“No turtle, you washed the ink off the page and restored the world to an unchanging landscape. The lines burned into the map are visible once more.”

I heard footsteps and turned to see a blurred figure clouded in mist, wearing a green robe. The figure was standing inside the cottage, dripping wet and laughing.

“The flood was out of my control,”” said Lady Ri as the figure came into focus. “The one with the power to restore the world is you. In returning the map to the Lake it was no longer possible for me to redraw the lines. The rain stopped. I have no reason to continue the quest.”

I searched the cottage for another map and the door to another room opened. I found a collection of scrolls in a trunk.

Lady Ri shrugged off the discovery without comment and removed the cloak and sat down at the table.

I opened a scroll at the table, and compared the map with memories of the previous world. I said, “The map appears to be a copy with one exception. I wonder if the others are similar copies?”
Lady Ri stepped closer to search the map and realized the Lake of the Lost Kingdom was an illusion.

I read the information surrounding the city and found the words ‘After the Flood the world was ruled by a scholarly elf with no sense of humor’. I paused to collect my thoughts and said, “The nations of the world will celebrate your accomplishments Lady Ri. The elf will be sure to keep your memory alive.”

Rog is not a creation of mine. He volunteered to guide me to the location of the temple in the marshlands as a reward for avoiding the temptation of power. I was his student at the magic academy when I learned the secret to magic in this world.

“Are you interested in living the rest of your days as the hero?” I studied the map and found an interesting secret.

Lady Ri said, “Rog will soon become the crowned emperor and use his position as the leader of the hero’s party to rule for generations, in terms of human years. I want to stay in the marshlands.”

“The cottage is more than a single room. I keep the chronicles of the world. I think we will find a book about Lady Ri and her many adventures.”

“Tamm, I was disappointed with you in the beginning and disappointed in you at the end!”

“Lady Ri, the OTHER is not in a good mood, I hope you feel ready to learn the reason I’m here. The directional guide on the lower-left corner of the map is a concentric circle. Do you know why?”

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