The sun started to lower in the sky to the west. Bernard watched it through the leaves and branches overhead. He looked south for a moment, at the distant palace, then back west again. In one hand he held the two jewels in his possession, one red, one orange. “How about… Macrae…”
Bernard stood from the grass. He walked around under the trees. “No birds, no fish, no animals at all. After being in dreams on the red planet for so long, the Aureumi woods are too quiet.” He lifted a fist, holding the two jewels in his grasp. “Let’s liven things up a little here. With these jewels, I will be a Lucid Dreamer, able to will the world around me, be it within a dream or within Aureum.” Red and orange lights flashed around Bernard. His blond hair turned orange with red streaks, and red with orange streaks. His eyes became orange with specks of red, and red with specs of orange. His outfit turned shades of the two colors. “I can do this name thing, too. I will be called Macrae, Lucid Dreamer.”
The silver necklace at Bernard’s chest housed the two jewels. He took the necklace in one hand, and waved his other through the air. “Let’s see some birds.” The two jewels flashed their lights, and a few birds appeared on the lower tree branches above. “Not too bad. Not too bad at all. But it’ll take more than birds to get back at the Alsike family.” He called up to the birds. “Hey, you, start chirping or something! It’s too quiet otherwise.” He looked again at the setting sun. “The sky is turning red and orange. I think I’m growing fond of these colors.
“How ironic. So long ago, the Alsike family used the Medic family, allowing the Alsike family to rise to power. And yet, it will be that same Medic family who takes that power.” He looked to the side. “Rabbit.” A red and orange flash produced a rabbit near the roots of a tree. “So, tell me little one: am I creating life, or am I kidnapping it from another world and bringing it here?” He waved a hand, and the rabbit vanished. By waving his other hand through the air, the birds in the tree vanished. “No one should be taken from their home. Anyone who sends others away from home should be punished. The Alsike family took charge in exiling the Seamróg family, and they disrupted the lives of Alfalfa and myself.
“I think it’s time I visited the palace.”
As Bernard took his first steps south, Piñole continued to sit beside her resting sister.
“Won’t you wake and be better, Arle? What terrible things have those Clover and Shamrock done? In what way do they trouble your mind and your sleep? As soon as Bernard returns with the red and orange jewels, I will use their powers to cleanse the yellow jewel of whatever has been done to it. You’ll recover soon, so please, hang in there.”
A knock at the door started Piñole. “Come in,” she said. She watched the door open, and a person step in, closing the door behind him. “It’s you. How dare you present yourself before royalty, and with the cursed jewel in your possession, at that.”
“Do as you will to me and my family,” Alfalfa said back, walking over to the bed where Arle slept, and Piñole sat. “I do not have the yellow jewel with me. All I ask is for a short audience with the elder princess. I believe it to be important enough for me to risk my family’s name.”
“Very well, speak. Have your say. I’m not going anywhere. I expect you’ll tell me the whereabouts of the yellow jewel while you’re at it.”
“Aye, that is part of it. I’ll start there. Shamrock gave Bernard the orange jewel in exchange for the yellow jewel.”
“It’s true, then. He is the one who poisoned it.”
“That is false information, Lady Alsike.”
Her nose wrinkled a little as her eye brows pushed closer together. “You defy me the same as your master. Perhaps both families should be punished.”
“I have no intention of countering the words of Lady Alsike, but the truth must be known. My master filled the yellow jewel with darkness as a plot toward revenge against the Alsike family.”
Piñole stood from the bed. “A slave dares speak against his master in such a way? And to the future ruler of Aureum at that? I no longer care to hear your words. Get out. Leave this room right now.”
“I couldn’t start to see Lady Arle being harmed by the jewel, so I’ve helped Shamrock and Clover reach the Forbidden Rooms. They’re there right now, with the yellow jewel in their possession, and they’re going to help Lady Arle from here, so please support them.”
“There is no precedent for your level of impertinence. No punishment yet exists for all that you have done today. I will call for Ceciliate to watch over Arle, and I’ll head to the Forbidden Rooms myself, with more guards than necessary for rounding up two kids.”
“Master Ceciliate is with them in the Forbidden Rooms. I do not believe she knows what Master Bernard plans to do. She wants only to see a safe recovery for Lady Arle.”
The door opened without a knock.
“Bernard,” Piñole said under her breath.
“It’s Macrae now,” the boy in red-orange corrected. “I’ve come for the other jewels.”
“They aren’t here,” Piñole replied quickly.
“You can say that, but I have an extra strong sense of their location now.” He placed a tight grip around the end of his necklace. “Yes, they’re in here.” His eyes looked from side to side, then stopped looking at Arle sleeping under the covers on the bed. “This makes no sense. They’re… Are they inside of her?”
“They must be directly in her mind as she sleeps,” Alfalfa suggested. “After what happened with the yellow jewel, this may be the only way to help her.”
“By the way,” Macrae said, placing a hand on Alfalfa’s shoulder, “why are you here? Why do you say Shamrock and his friend have the jewels with them inside Arle’s mind? Just what do you know?”
“I have been working to the assistance of Master Ceciliate, as she takes action toward the recovery of Lady Arle’s mind.”
“In other words, you’ve betrayed me.” A flash of light surrounded Alfalfa, tight ropes appearing around his body. Alfalfa lost his balance, falling to the ground.
“What are you–” Piñole started, but her words cut short as a second red and orange flash left ropes tightly around her, as well, from shoulder to knees. She lost her balance, and fell over. “Bernard Medic, this is nothing less than treason!”
“Didn’t I say it’s Macrae now? Someone had better tell me how to get into Arle’s mind,” said, looking at Alfalfa lying on the ground, “or I’m going to try all methods I can think of until one of them works.”
“The Forbidden Rooms,” Piñole cried out. “You can find them from there. Just please, whatever you do, please, do not hurt my sister!”
“I have no intention of harming her, not even from the inside.” Macrae told her. “She’s not my target. Once I have all six jewels, I trust you know who my target will be.”
