Pan flute music was heard everywhere around the field next to Kiago Forest, where Zeal and Island used to spend their free time each time she came to visit them at the Palace.

  But, at that moment, Zeal wasn’t alone there: everywhere, half-coiled and with their heads up, slowly rocking while hearing the charm of the played melody, the cobras could be seen around.

  And Zeal was between them as if she chose namely that place just to be protected, sitting legged and blowing the pan flute, with her eyes closed and totally dedicated to the song.

  Above her: a limitless, blue sky, clean and shiny, as if it was the personation of the purity of the Earth’s soul, that was illuminating the horizon, richening the distance with a bit of color. Then, somewhere in the distance, a small white point, like a small arrow, has been seen approaching the place where Zeal was along with the cobras.

  At first, it couldn’t be distinguished what was approaching that place. Soon after that instead, the body of the icy dragon, that was flying over the field, has been outlined, for Island used to transform so and allow the wind to take him into its power while caressing his icy scales, to allow the sun to kiss his forehead, but also to allow the magic of the air to wear him on its large wings, giving Island the feeling that he was really part of the fairy world.

  Then, Island spun for a while above Zeal and above the cobras, as if trying to make sure that they were safe, afterward to suddenly jerk toward the sun, with his wings stuck on his body, and when he has been so close to touching the sky, he suddenly turned upside-down and allowed himself fall as if he was an arrow shot from the sky.

  A few dozen meters from the earth instead, he largely spread his wings to the side again, waved them above the field, smoothly floating, to sit later down on the ground and, gathering his wings next to his body again, he slowly stepped toward the young lady, that kept singing her sweet melody, completely immersed in its charm, and not feeling anything that was happening around her.

  But it was only Zeal’s trick, that she was completely out of reality, for she was protected by a kind of magma of wild energy, unseen by anyone else than by herself and by the cobras. And that magma was similar to an electric field which, inserted into a certain body, was starting to slowly vibrate, forming circles of energy around, and that circles of energy were surrounding the girl, and if the danger was approaching her or if someone was around her, they were sending a secret message to her.

  Depending on the intensity of the currents, Zeal could understand who was actually approaching her: if the energy was felt like a kind of small tingles on her skin, it meant that an animal or a child was coming. But if the sensation was extremely strong and it was increasing its power with each step taken in front by the intruder, Zeal knew that someone powerful was approaching and she became alert. However, she became really mad if the circles around her were starting to deafeningly sound, as if the circles were made from heavy chains, and this meant danger for her and for the cobras, which were almost all the time around her.

  At that moment instead, Zeal felt those undulations on her skin so warming and so soft, for Island knew about the girl’s power and he used his inner magic to calm down the movements of those energy circles not to hurt her, because the power of the ice from inside him, if not controlled, in contact with Zeal’s power, that was similar to the energy of volcanic lava, could have produced a such powerful effect that could have badly injured her, taking almost all the power from inside her body and being unable to protect herself thus, and what Island didn’t want was to hurt his beloved granddaughter.

  That’s why he took his human shape back, before entering those circles, and while he was approaching Zeal, the cobras moved aside from his way, as if they received a sure command through the calm vibrations of the air. Then, Island sat down next to Zeal, grabbed his knees with both arms as if he was only a child, and, smiling, he allowed himself to fall prey to dreaming.

  He was simply adoring those moments: to be in Zeal’s company and listen to her music, remembering the sweet moments of his childhood and youth thus, and probably because of this Zeal became his favorite granddaughter.

  He also loved Bestla and Sephir a lot and he was also ready to die for them if the danger had spied on them. But his heart was simply jerking in his chest for Zeal, each time she was around him, for despite her tough image and her huge ability to fight against evil, Island knew well that she was the most sensitive and the easiest to be hurt among the three sisters. That’s why he preferred to show her that he loves her, that she could count on him, and that she could trust him each time she was in need of that.

  And Zeal knew that she was the favorite granddaughter of her grandfather, and she was often taking advantage of this, but not by asking him for material things, for really not being interested in dresses, jewelry, or adventures. What she was really begging from him was the power of love, that was deeply hidden in his heart.

  Suddenly, Zeal interrupted her song, and, still having her eyes closed, she deeply breathed it. After that, loudly breathing out that air, she tried to form icicles in front of her as Island used to do. But something went wrong and she started to hardly cough as if she had breathed in some cigarette smoke and not fresh air while, from that air, which she let out of her body, a kind of white circles had been formed but barely colored.

  Island smiled: „I told you not to rush when you’re playing with magic, but you never listen to me.”

  „Actually, you told me not to play with magic, not that I shouldn’t rush while playing with magic,” Zeal told him, with her eyes full of tears from so much coughing.

  „So it to be?!” Island wondered, slowly raising a brow up. „Maybe I said that. But… I’ve forgotten it.”

  Zeal also smiled when she finally finished coughing. Then, she looked in front of her and she saw the empty field and also no cobra was seen around. So, the girl has been amazed: „where did they go?” She asked.

  Without watching around as his granddaughter was doing, Island murmured: „I ordered them to hide because we have guests,” he said and he motioned to her with his head to look to his right.

  Not far from them, hidden behind a big rock, Zeal could spot the alive blink of a child’s eyes, that was spying on them. And then, next to that child’s body, a few more heads could be seen, peeping to see what was happening on that field.

  „Tricksters,” Zeal murmured, at all upset. „And… are they for a long time there?”

  „Since you came. Actually, they followed us, but, because of the cobras, they stood hidden, for it’s seen that only you like cobras.”

  „I don’t understand why everybody is afraid of them,” Zeal said, feisty. „They are really adorable and trustful.”

  „Maybe they just seem that way to you because you can understand them?!”

  Zeal looked astonished at her grandpa, for her mind really couldn’t understand why humans were running away from the earth’s creatures when they could have just been friends with them and live a happy life together.

  Catching her confused glance, Island smiled and caressed her long, blond, and soft hair. „You still have to find out a lot about life, my dear Zeal. This world still has a lot of hidden secrets from you and from us.”

  „But why humans are so afraid of the forest’s creatures, grandpa? Many of them are absolutely inoffensive.”

  „Maybe you’re right, but yet… this earth has its own history.”

  „History? What kind of history, grandpa Island?” Zeal curiously asked and, supporting her head with both palms, she stared at her grandfather, waiting for a great story.

  Island instead didn’t start his story right away. He waited till the children, about 20 in number, didn’t peep from behind the rock first, then they waited for a while next to it, curiously watching around if there was not one of those green beasts, one of those tailed creatures that used to cling like a limpet to Zeal, and only when they were completely sure that there wasn’t anyone around, did they slowly approach Island and Zeal, and then the children sat down on the ground, around the two, waiting for the story with great impatience.

  „It's said that at the beginning of this world, all over the planet, there were living only little men called dwindlers. And those dwindlers were many and bearded, and they were also industrious despite their short legs, and big stomachs that they had because they loved to drink beer and eat a lot, dance, and enjoy life. That’s why, all over the earth, it was always a great hoy, warm weather, and only industrious people. But, as it’s also well known, happiness and kindness are always surrounded by shadow. So, about the time of the dwindlers, they had to live great probation.

  History says that it started from a dwindler named Hubo, who was a famous perfumer not only in the realms of dwindlers but even all over the earth, for his craftsmanship has been told everyone even by the winds which had the opportunity to feel those scents produced by Hubo.”

  „A perfumer? What’s a perfumer?” The children asked in a voice, often blinking.

  „Well, a perfumer it’s a kind of doctor of the plants, who draws that perfumed serum out of them, which he later processes and makes liquid scents in colored bottles from it, from those in which you are so fond of sticking your nose in,” Island said in a joke, even if he tried to be as serious as possible, and, on his nose, a pair of glasses without lenses suddenly appeared, which slowly slipped down, for he chose them by mistake bigger than he needed.

  Or... maybe it hasn’t been a mistake… for... seeing how funny grandpa Island was, the children started to loudly laugh, and Zeal did the same, although it had been a long since her childhood years passed, the child that was living inside her had never gone.

  Loving to copy her grandfather, Zeal snapped her fingers and a similar pair of glasses also appeared on her nose, but smaller in size.

  Seeing that marvel, the children clapped their hands, happily screaming: „We too! We also want what you have on your nose, princess Zeal! We also want it!”

  „These are called glasses!” The girl explained to them, making to also appear pairs of glasses on their little noses, but different in size, form, and colors, and, because of this, they looked so funny and this made them so happy.

  After giving them a few good minutes to cheer themselves up, Island put his hand to his mouth and slowly coughed, a hint that he needed attention and silence to continue his story.

  But that's what the kids were namely waiting for because, being so big fond of stories, they could stand for days next to Island, forgetting even to eat or sleep, for, from the Island's vast sack, full of tales, it seemed that fairy tales were springing from, creating fantastic worlds, only for them.

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  „And… as I said, our beloved Hubo has been up with the lark one morning, then washed his hands and face to chase the last cobles of sleep off his eyelids… as you should also do, kids, for who doesn’t do that is called lazy… and, after that, he put a bottle of water into his bag, cut a small piece from the bread seen on the table which he also put in his bag, and then he hit the road, toward the Kiago Forest, where he knew that the most beautiful and sweetest flowers were hiding from him.

  The first thing he actually did after exiting his house has been to watch the sky to see if it was no rain announced, but any clouds weren’t seen in the sky. So, he possessed and cheerfully hit the road, singing his song.

  He was so happy with his trip, that he didn't notice that a small shadow of someone unseen was coming after him, and which was following in his footsteps.”

  At that time, Island lowered his voice, and sharped it at times, his glance focused on each curious face of the children, that were piercing him with their glances, and he suddenly became serious.

  „Actually, nobody could see that shadow, as being magic. But yet, its magic wasn’t charmed and bringer of happiness around, but one that was spying on Hubo to take something from him. What exactly?! Only the sky knew that.

  So, the shadow kept sneaking after the dwindler till’ they got to the edge of the forest. There, our Hubo stopped for a few moments, bowed in front of the forest, mumbling an „I’m glad to find you safe and healthy, forest,” and, after that, he entered its depths, with that shadow following him.”

  Hearing this, Zeal smiled because even if Island’s story was very interesting, she couldn’t be deceived with words, especially by those that were telling the story of a dwindler that greeted the forest and that was bowing in front of the trees. But yet, who knows?! Maybe it was true what her grandfather was retelling to the kids, just as it was true that she still didn’t know a lot about that beautiful world.

  „When he had finally arrived at the big glade full of beautiful and sweet flowers, that was right in the heart of nature, Hubo approached a beautiful blue flower of Myosotis first, sat down next to its thin stock, put his bag on his lap, untied the bag's mouth, and took his send food out of it.

  Yet, before he took his first bite, the dwindler took the piece of bread to his lips first, kissed it, then brought it to his forehead and thanked the sky for a new beautiful and warm day and for having what to eat, even if he was just a wanderer throughout the world. Then, he took off the lid of the water bottle and poured a few drops of it at the root of the flower next to which he had sat down because he found it strange to eat alone and not to share at least some of what he brought with him with the others. But to offer bread to the flower… well, he didn’t know if it was right and he also didn’t know if the flowers eat bread. So, he preferred to give it only water.

  Seeing that the dwindler wet the flower next to which he was sitting, the other multicolored flowers of Myosotis stretched their heads toward him, also begging for some of that healthy water from the bottle.

  At first, Hubo didn’t notice the amazement on the petals of the flowers and he continued to eat in silence. After that, he wet his lips with some water, and, when to put the bottle back in the bag, he finally noticed how all the flowers around him had their heads pointing toward him, and this amazed him a lot and he also blinked often.

  „What’s going on?” Hubo wondered, looking around. Only then, did he notice a shadow mirroring on the petals and he understood that he wasn’t alone in that glade.

  He suddenly stood up and put his hand to his girdle, looking for the dagger that he used to cut the flowers he decided to take with him and investigate them. But… surprise…”

  „…he had forgotten it home…,” Zeal and the children said at the same time.

  Island slowly rose one brow, curiously looking at their faces. „It seems to me that I’ve already told you this story, isn’t it?” Island asked in a whisper.

  „No. No. You didn’t!” The children answered in a single voice, and Island right away understood that they weren’t telling him the truth. Or at least not all of it. But yet… the curiosity spotted in their glances made him continue his story.

  „Well, be as you wish… So… where did I remain with my story?! Aaa, that Hubo didn’t find the dagger and he realized that he was afraid. That’s why he took a few steps back, trying to find a way to run away and he has been about to step onto a small flower of Myosotis.”

  „Watch your step!” The flower furiously shouted at him, and when he looked back, he saw her shivering her beautiful garment as if she was afraid not to have rumpled it.

  „I make a pardon,” the dwindler stuttered, bowing in front of the flower, „but… it’s someone here that makes me be afraid. A shadow! I see it everywhere! Don’t you also see it?” Hubo asked, frightened and amazed at the same time.

  Only then, the Myosotis flower, which he had been about to tread before, rose her head and looked around and she also saw the shadow, sneaking among the other flowers.

  „Aaa, I also see it, but… it’s not a stranger,” she said.

  „Isn’t it a stranger? Do you mean that you saw it before?”

  „Of course! It often follows you when you come here to pick up nectar from our scent reserves. This is Doubt!”

  „Doubt?” Hubo wondered in amazement. „And… who is it? I’ve never heard about Doubt before.”

  Only then did Hubo hear a slight chuckle around him and he looked in amazement toward the place where the chuckle has been heard from, thinking that one of the flowers has been amazed because of his naivety and that’s why she chuckled. But the flowers around were also amazed to hear that chuckle. „Doubt? Are you here?” Hubo asked.

  „Yes. It’s me!” The Shadow happily answered. „And it amazes me a lot that you’ve seen me only now, even if we are traveling all the time together on these lands.”

  „But… how is this possible to be with me? And… why didn’t I see you around me before?”

  „I can’t answer the question why didn’t you see me before… I simply don’t know the answer. But I always show up when you’re planning to do something new.”

  „When I plan to do something new?!” Hubo stuttered, not knowing what Doubt was talking about.

  „Exactly. I show up when you’re wondering: will I make it? Am I on the right path? Will it be liked by the others? Maybe if…”

  Only then did Hubo remember the turmoil that was taking over him whenever he decided to try to make a new perfume.

  „Is it true?!” He murmured again and stared at the shadow that started to fall into place right in front of him, and his surprise has been so great to see that shadow looking exactly like him, but instead of a he-dwindler, it was a she-dwindler, with beautiful, black eyes, blinking often from her long and bushes eyelashes while she was caressing her long beard as Hubo used to do.”

  „But… it's not true,” a four-year-old little girl said, suddenly becoming upset and crossing her arms over her chest. „Where it has been seen women to have a beard?” She told Island in a reproachful tone.

  This is where Island got a little bit confused and, scratching the back of his head, he looked at Zeal, asking for her help.

  Zeal instead slightly shrugged, smiling, as if trying to tell him: „you've got into dead lumber, old man! Now, handle it as you can!”

  Suddenly, Island looked into the little girl’s eyes, trying to disarm her. „Yes, it’s possible! In the world of the dwindlers, everything is possible.”

  „You’re lying!” The girl grumpily said, not at all bothered by his stare. „And… there’s not nice of you, for an old man like you are, to lie to the children while telling them stories. Especially when he tells him such stories.”

  „Why?” Island curiously asked.

  „Because you’re teaching the children to also tell lies thus,” the girl said sure of her words. „Take the beard out of the story and then we clear the score. And… you can continue the story after that,” she added, which made Island scratch his head again.

  Actually, he knew that the she-dwindlers used to be bearded, but… try to demonstrate to a little, stubborn creature that she’s not right?! And... where he should have taken a she-dwindler at that moment and shown the girl that she can have a beard?! Only if to enter into the deep catacombs of the mountains and look for one to show her to the children. So, being a too big headache, this with looking for a she-dwindler, he preferred to give up and allow the girl to be a winner in their small quarrel.

  „Be as you say,” Island finally said.

  „And the story?” The little girl insisted, furious that Island kept silent.

  „The story?! Well, there’s not much to say about it: only that Hubo and Doubt became friends since that day and that they started to wander around together the surroundings all the time.”

  „But… why exactly did Doubt show up next to Hubo?” A boy, a bit bigger than the girl, asked and Island liked that boy for being extremely curious, but also wise.

  „Because the doubts give us power sometimes to move on,” Zeal answered for her grandfather.

  „Powers? What do you mean?” The boy insisted.

  „I mean… that there’s no harm to ask yourself questions when you aren’t sure of something. Thus, you will be free of many efforts in vain and a lot of headaches because, asking yourself or asking questions to others, those who are more experimented in such things than you are, you'll be helped to find out the answers, to find solutions, and you can really help yourself and others this way. But… you shouldn’t allow doubt to take over you, ever.”

  „Why?” The children asked again in a voice. „You’ve been who said that by asking ourselves questions, we can find out answers and…”

  It has been Zeal’s time to get confused, but Island also didn’t know what he could answer, for he wouldn’t have told children that doubts sometimes bring bad things in one’s life, quarrels, fights, or even wars because those who are confident in themselves never look for truth in battles that destroy nature and humanity around, but they try to reach new horizons only based on their kindness, their bounteousness, or on workmanship.

  To get off scot-free of that trouble, which he landed himself in, Island used his magic and many-many colored soap bubbles started to float around, also coloring the surroundings.

  Seeing the soap bubbles, the kids have completely forgotten about the story and, so happy, they’ve started to run around, trying to catch them in their palms, and when the bubbles were breaking into their palms, they were happily smiling, clapping, and enjoying their play because this was what childhood means: to be happy with small things, even if we are adults with a children’s soul.

  Ignoring the lively noise around, Zeal looked in front of her and saw Mayar at the edge of the forest, seen in the distance, sitting next to the thick trunk of a big tree and also falling prey to dreaming while listening to Island’s story.

  Looking in the same direction, Island also spotted Mayar. „Another kid that needs to see the world with different pink glasses,” he whispered barely heard.

  „Do you think that there’s some kindness in her heart too?” Zeal incredulously asked.

  „There's kindness in the heart of each creature, Zeal, but not everybody is capable to see it. On this Field of Fate instead, nobody can’t hide his real face, and this child is still confused and lost in her own thoughts.”

  „But, grandpa: why not all the grandfathers and parents teach their children and grandsons to be kind and open-hearted?”

  „Because the Balance will be lost then, Zeal and you know better than me that this world is a perfect Balance. Namely, that Balance influences our decisions and, even if we think that everybody should be kind and open-hearted or open-minded, there’s still a need for harmful weeds among us.”

  „Why so?”

  „Not to lose our motivation and love for life, for it's boring to live only with one single feeling in your heart. That’s what for they had been invented - the thoughts and the feelings, to make us different and see differently even the same landscape.”

  Zeal smiled. „Kindness it’s only for those that can see it,” she murmured.

  „That’s right. So is this world: everyone sees it according to the size and color of his own soul. For some of us, this is huge and extremely beautiful while for others it’s colored in black shades or it’s the size of a small stone found on the bottom of the river.”

  „Grandpa, but… what will happen if the Balance of the Earth will be eventually lost?”

  „Then, it won’t be living anymore and we also won’t be.”

  „But… why those who serve the evil don’t see this too? Like Eris for example, she only wants to lead the world from the shadows, trying to destroy namely the light that means life.”

  „This is a different story, my child, for... when the intelligence is blind - the soul is also empty, controlled only by a huge desire to lead over everywhere and everything, even if there’s nowhere a supreme power. Maybe only in the Cosmos, in the hands of our Creator.”

  Zeal kept silent and put her head on her grandfather’s shoulder, looking in the distance at the horizon that was colored red by the sun of dusk.

***

  Looking at the same purple sun, Mayar deeply breathed in and, supporting her head on the trunk, she murmured: „is there any justness left in this world, Anaya?”

  The old lady, that was sitting next to her, as thoughtful and dreamy as Mayar, said nothing. Inside her instead, that red sun seen in the sky was also her dusk, which she didn’t know why, but she felt it so close.