The sea seemed endless, and there were no sign of land. Their travels through the vast ocean had been going on for 7 days.
"When are we going to reach this place?" Dante asked in frustration. He was on the ground practicing his earth ability like Merlin taught him. He made little pebbles float in the sky.
"We will be there soon, just be patient," Merlin said.
"I’m also just as tired as the boy. When will we be there?" Damon asked.
"You know, you could have stayed at the kingdom," Merlin replied, but deep down he was glad the man had come along with them. It was nice having someone who had lived almost as long as he has.
"I’m here to look after my niece. I may be a drunk, but I do care for my family," Damon scoffed.
"Ahh, can you guys shut up?" Alexander said as he leaned over the ship’s edge. He was seasick and the noise on the ship annoyed him. "I can’t take it much longer. I’m tired of being on this ship," Alexander said.
Merlin felt frustrated by all the questions he was being asked. He had bought the ship from sailors so that he could have a private journey with his crew, but all they did was annoy him.
"I’m going inside to talk to Laila. Damon, take over and don’t crash the ship into anything," he said and went inside.
"Are we there yet?" Laila spoke to Merlin as soon as he stepped inside, and he looked annoyed. "I’m just messing with you. So you’ve been to many places, how big do you think the world is?" she asked.
Merlin sat next to her and laid his head on her lap. "I’ve seen so many continents, and each one of them is unique. I think this world has no end, or not one I’ve seen," he replied, and Laila seemed intrigued. The concept of an endless world never crossed her mind.
"Most of the continents are closed off by the gods, so there is no way to make a full map of this world," Merlin said.
Laila gently stroked his head, and she could see Merlin slowly dozing off. "So what’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to?" she asked.
"My home. It was a beautiful kingdom, filled with technology developed by the Nergal. It was a peaceful world until the primordials destroyed it," he said, and Laila’s hand stopped.
"I’m sorry. Who are the primordials and why did they choose to destroy your home?" she asked.
"Our kind is feared by all. The primordials are basically the bosses of the gods, and they were the first creatures to be created by the ’MAN AT THE END OF TIME’," he said. "The primordials are the angels and the Anunnakis and they are the highest authority in this reality. It’s a confusing past, but you will learn of it someday."
Merlin slowly fell into slumber. "Rest well, my beautiful boy," Laila said and kissed him on the forehead.
THE KINGDOM AT THE END OF THE SUN
"Merlin! Lady Laila! Merlin!" A child’s voice echoed from outside, and footsteps could be heard coming down the ship.
"What is it, Dante?" Laila asked as she was still holding onto Merlin who was asleep on her lap.
"We see land. I think we are here," Dante said excitedly. The boy ran back up and Laila started waking up Merlin.
"Merlin. We are here," she said. Merlin was still half asleep until Laila shook him several times.
The moment they stepped out, they were greeted with a sight that not many get to see. They saw several dragons flying over a kingdom, and water seemed to shoot from the ocean and up into the air. It was a sight to cherish.
"Damon, get us closer," Merlin said.
"Alright, captain," Damon replied. The thought of being in a new kingdom excited Laila, as she had only ever known the kingdom of Deneos her whole life.
The closer they got to land, the more amazed they were. This place was beautiful, and the magical energy that surrounded the kingdom was calm and welcoming.
Three people stood at the shoreline, and it seemed like they were waiting for them. The three people looked nothing like other humans in Lunira and Deneos. They had golden eyes and pointy ears, and their skin was a dark chocolate color. Their beauty and elegance made them look like gods.
The first one to step off the ship was Merlin, and the rest followed behind him. He walked to the men waiting for them at the beach.
"Hello, strangers, welcome to the Sol Kingdom. We’ve been expecting your arrival," one of the men said, and they all let out sounds of confusion.
"What do you mean you have been expecting us?" Merlin asked.
"The great witch of our kingdom foresaw your arrival a few months back. She said 4 Nergals and an immortal would come to this kingdom," the man said with a smile. "You seek refuge, right?" he added.
"Yes. We just need a place to lay low for a while," Merlin answered.
"Then follow us. The king is waiting for you," the man said as he opened a portal out of thin air. It was like the portal used in Deneos but smaller.
The moment Merlin stepped in, he saw a sight he would never forget. A kingdom with entire buildings created atop huge trees, and kids could be seen flying on what could only be described as brooms.
"Whoa," Dante exclaimed. His eyes lit up with joy. "Merlin, can I get one of those?" he said as he pointed at the flying brooms.
"Maybe later, kid," Merlin answered.
The people in the kingdom looked at them, wary of the strange travelers.
"It’s been a long time since we had outside visitors, so just try to ignore the staring," the man said.
The way people dressed in this kingdom was way different than the other kingdoms they visited. Everyone in this kingdom was either dressed in white robes or just wore white shorts and shirts.
They passed through the city and arrived at a huge building that was covered in white marble, and two guards stood at the door.
"The king is in the palace. You may enter," the man said. The huge door opened.
They walked through the huge hallway, and in there they admired the paintings and sculptures displayed throughout. The paintings seemed to tell stories about this kingdom’s past.
"What’s the story behind these paintings?" Alexander asked the man, curious to know.
"They tell the stories of the first men, the Sun people, and they were our ancestors. They were the first mortals to be created by ’THE MAN AT THE END OF TIME’. He blessed them with both strength and beauty, but he never thought they were enough to fill up this huge world. So he created the Lunar people and they lived in peace and prosperity for hundreds of years," the man said. But it felt like this wasn’t the entire story.
"And then what happened? The paintings also convey war, so there must have been conflicts," Alexander asked.
"Yes, there was. The Sun people were blessed with too much strength so the Lunar people became jealous, but they were too weak to actually do anything against the Sun people. Until a certain child was born, he was the child of one of the Lunar people and a primordial being. He had so much power that they started worshiping him as a god, and he later wiped out 90 percent of the Sun people, leaving only a few," he said, and the anger in the man could be seen.
"That child is now the high god of this world, Holelius, as they now call him." A silence followed, and now it was clear why these people hated the gods so much.
They walked through the final door and inside hundreds of people were seated. In front of them, a man sat on a huge throne. Trumpets echoed through that huge room and the people stood from their seats and knelt down at the arrival of Merlin and the others.
"Welcome, great Wizard and honorable guests. Welcome to the kingdom at the end of the sun."