Chapter 3

Palawa Kingdom, a small earth whose heavens could be seen touching the ground in a circular imperfect circle. The ends where the heavens met the earth glowed in red threatening and scary flames but not hot enough to burn anything, just creating the warm temperatures that the earth needed to survive. The sky was mostly cloudy during the day and seeing the sun was a rarity in Palawa Kingdom. Rainfalls were common and seasonless, coming and going at any given time.

A river flew through the middle of the kingdom, roaring heavily as it meandered through the kingdom as if in a hurry to reach its destination. The river turned violet in the morning regardless of the emergence of the sun or not. However, nobody could trace the source of the river for it seemed to be emerging from the end of the earth and disappearing into the end of the earth.

The days in Palawa Kingdom were shorter, lasting for nine hours in the maximum and six hours in the minimum, fluctuating in an unpredictable manner and for reasons no one could tell. The long nights were dark, very dark. There was never a sign of stars and the moon could only be seen occasionally, maybe once a fortnight.

Despite the darkness, the residents were happy and contented, not complaining about any natural establishment, used to the nature of their world. It was endowed with beautiful flowers and beautiful sceneries. It's green forests and the flowers made it look stunning when watched from the tall buildings of the cities. The cities had huge and tall story buildings that were glowing of gold in the rare sunshines that was like a gift to the residents. There were six major cities in the kingdom plus a few other small towns. And in the darkness, Queen Cindy followed Nicadeaus' scent to the headquarters of the Seventh Estate.

Cindy crushed through the wall, spearing into Nicholas and sending his big body to the floor with a thud. Nicholas, stunned by Cindy's abrupt intrusion, got back to his feet as fast as he was struck, his eyes flaming into fire as he directed his anger at Cindy. Cindy dodged his fire balls that were fired at her at the speed of lightening, turning the room red. She jumped and turned and ran and flew as Nicholas' attack intensified, relentless. She expected a good fight from him but not this intense. This was going to be catastrophic if she didn't find her balance soon and just before she could find the balance, Nicholas struck a blow on her left jaw with a powerful fireball, sending her crushing on the wall and slumped on to the floor.

"Hello my good friend, long time no see," Nicholas spoke, sarcastic smile on his face.

"I'm not your friend you ugly beast," Cindy retorted, trying to regain her composure as the pain on her jaw rippled throughout her body, causing her a mild headache.

"The feeling is mutual, Cinderella. I suppose you came to rescue your daughter? Oh what a beautiful scene it's gonna be! Having to watch your daughter disintegrate into dust."

Cindy sprung to her feet, "that's not going to happen." She jumped and swung in the air, hitting Nicholas on his forehead with a powerful round kick followed by a discharge of extremely hot steamed water. Nicholas' body smelt like a roasting meat as the steam burnt him from head to toe. Cindy rose over him and dug a hammer of knee onto his chest, sending both of them crushing through the floors from the fourth floor of the Seventh Estate to the to the garage on the ground, Nicholas' body breaking all the floors with Cindy holding on to his chest with her knees. Nicholas hit the floor hard and coughed blood as Cindy stood over him.

"So, Prince, was that all you got?" She mocked as she bent and removed the crown from his head. "You are pathetic Nicadeaus, bringing a little girl into a fight of giants? She is my daughter, Nicholas, my daughter. No one will ever be able to harm her, not even you." She walked a few yards away from him, "get up Prince and tell me if you are still man enough to face me."

"No Cinderella," he said as he stood up, his voice deeper than before," you underestimated your enemy. I'm not going to face you this time, I'm going to destroy you."

She guffawed, "and how are you going to do that...?" He didn't have to answer as a swirl of dust started to form around him. The wind in the garage picked pace and in a moment, a tornado of whirlwind filled the garage with smoke and dust. Cindy ran out into the meadow that stretched from the gate of the Seventh Estate, she couldn't breath in the tornado. She stood and watched in horror as Nicholas rose above the tornado, riding upwards like a horse on a hill towards the fourth floor.

"Now you will watch as your daughter turns into a ball of fire and my spear."

"NO! Nicholas please." She begged him, her fear and plea poignant and genuine. She loved Revina too much to watch her die. She was the only thing she loved in this dimension. If she dies Cindy would be heartbroken, again. She couldn't handle another heartbreak. She couldn't. "I'll do anything you ask of me Nicholas but please spare her life. You can even kill me, I swear I won't defend myself, just please spare my daughter." She cried out her request and plea to him, hoping that he still had a heart.

"Your anguish is like water to the flowers of my anger. You once ruined my life and made me what I am today, a fugitive instead of a king. And now you plead with me to spare your daughter? How ironically insane! You know I can't kill you even if I wanted to and the knowledge that you are as invincible as me infuriates me even more." He shouted from the third floor, aboard the tornado. "You wounded me for seven years, seven good years..."

"But she is innocent Nicadeaus, she did nothing to you, please spare her life." Her teary eyes looked at him sympathetically. Nicadeaus dismounted the tornado like one would a horse and slid to just three yards from Cindy.

"Your daughter must die, and so is my son. Your daughter's death will serve as a perfect revenge against the monster who mothered her, my son will be paying for his insolence, betraying the crown. Don't plead no more Cindy, save her if you can." He knew Cindy couldn't save them. She couldn't go into the tornado. It was the only weapon Nicholas had that she couldn't stand up to. He had never used it against her in all the years they had been fighting because he hadn't mastered how to use it. But now he was riding on it, and he could even control it from a distance.

"You have a son?" Cindy asked, surprised.

"Yes, I have a son who I love just as much as you love your daughter"

"Yet you are going to kill him? Your love for him must be mountainous."

"I don't have to explain anything to you Cindy but I'll tell you anyway. The Royal Accord of Dalawa empire dictates that no one that challenges the Royal line must live. I took an oath to protect that Accord. My son challenged me, insubordinated me. That is treasonous in the Dalawa empire and it sows seeds of dissent in this upper dimension. He has to die."

"Killing your son to defend the honour of Dalawa? That's interesting especially when it comes from a traitor who killed his own brother, the first in line to the same Royal throne you claim to be defending."

"I'm not defending the throne, I'm defending my line, my position in the empire. If Malin lives despite what he has done, I won't be an emperor even in Dalawa."

"But my daughter is not royalty, I'm not royalty..."

"Enough Cindy." He shouted at her as he flamed the tornado with fire as the tornado ripped through the third floor and into the fourth floor where Malin and Revina were, lifting the entire floor into the air. With one clap of his hands the tornado turned the floor into a pall of dust. Cindy screamed as she covered her wet eyes with her palms, cursing and crying.

"How does it feel to just stand there and be able to do nothing to save your daughter?"

"You are a monster, a heartless ruthless monster. I'm... What the hell!" A ball of light radiated from the dust like the sun on day. The pitch dark night turned as clear as midday as both Cindy and Nicholas stood stunned.