Story Land

Book 1

Chapter 7: Meeting Elise

  “Come on, let’s go to my house!” Sabor said to Serafina. Since she arrived at Planet E13, she decided to stay as a Pixie so it will be harder for Artemis to find her.

  They stopped at a dead end. “You live here? At a dead end and with some potted plants in the middle of the most popular city?” Serafina asked Sabor “Of course not! This place is a horrible place to live!” Sabor explained. “Then where do you live?” Serafina asked curiously. “I live here.” Sabor said as he tipped off one of the plants that was planted in a dirty can.

  The floor tile started to sink beneath the ground, Serafina felt like standing on an elevator, just that you could fall down if you stand out of the edge of the floor tile. Finally, after a few minutes, they landed on the ground. “So you live underground?” Serafina asked Sabor. “Yes, but we’re not to my house yet.” Sabor replied. Soon they came to a cave with a steel door nailed to the cave entrance. “Your house is inside this cave?” Serafina asked Sabor. “Yes, you might be a little surprised when you get inside.” Sabor said.

  When Serafina got inside the cave, the cave was filled with diamonds, crystals, and other kinds of precious rocks. Serafina gasped. “Beautiful right?” Sabor asked Serafina was speechless. “My dear, you’re finally back!” A women holding a wand (a witch) said. “E...Elise! What are you doing here?” Sabor asked wide-eyed. “Who is she?” Serafina asked Sabor. “Elise is a soul mover that could take or give lives. This is the person that captured me.” Sabor said bitterly. “CAPTURED YOU? I simply brought you back! You said you would marry me! But did you? NO! You PROMISED! You say that like I’m the criminal when YOU are the one that broke the promise! Not me!” Elise shrieked “But if you think he is a traitor why don’t you break up or divorce, whatever, with him?” Serafina asked Elise. “Good point.” Sabor pointed out. “Shut up panther! We’re not talking to you!” Elise said as she glared at Sabor. “I would, but I can’t. When you're a soul mover, there are some ancient laws you must follow. One of them is as soon fall in love with a person and he or she PROMISED to marry you, he or she can’t leave you and you can’t leave them. No matter how much you hate them.” Elise explained. “Oh! How poor!” Serafina said “If you want me to marry you, you have to swear on your life that you will not betray this one little favor.” Sabor said. “ I swear on my life that I will do you one little favor if it’s not impossible.” Elise said.  “Well, if you say so. You will go with us on our journey to find Conner and help recruit an army to defeat Villain World. Without betraying us or trying to hurt us.” Sabor said “Wait, what’s Villain World?” Serafina asked Sabor. “Villain World is a world full of evil creatures, like Captain Hook, Medusa, Evil Witches, Evil Sorcerers and Evil Sorceresses, those guys. Now Villain World is planning to rule all the worlds that exist! Your brother, Conner is recruiting an army to defeat Villain World and make sure that the Villains never escape from Villain World ever again. I think we should also try to recruit an army and when we meet Conner, we combine our army to one gigantic army to battle Villain World!” Sabor explained. “Great idea!” Serafina said. “Wait a minute, I didn’t get to know your name yet! What is it” Elise asked Serafina. “I’m Serafina. Leader of Planet F. I was one of the most  loyal followers of Artemis.” Serafina replied. “Serafina, who gave you this bracelet?” Elise asked Serafina sweetly. “Well, Artemis gave it to me, she said it is for good luck.” Serafina replied. “The where do you come from?” Elise asked Serafina. “I was born at Bom Bom Planet, taken to Planet F, then came here.” Serafina answered. “Well, I think you or your mother has done something wrong. Artemis knows about it, but pretends to be clueless when you escapes and gives you a bracelet that is actually a tracking device so she knows where you’re going. I advise you: Destroy the bracelet so you won’t be in trouble!” Elise told Serafina looking very worried. “Ok…” Serafina said regretfully. She smashed her bracelet to the table. They heard a tiny crack from the bracelet, then, the whole bracelet shattered into pieces.

  Serafina turned to face Elise. A icy tear fell down to the hard floor and shattered. “Thank you Elise! You saved me! Now it would be even harder for her to track me!” Serafina said to Elise gratefully. “You seem sad, you could tell us why right?” Sabor asked Serafina quietly. “Ok. I am sad because I didn’t do anything wrong, but I have to face Artemis’s anger. My mom is in danger, and I don’t blame her. I think it’s Artemis’s mistake. She should know when girls are maiden or not, since she is the maiden goddess, but she took me and my mother to Planet F anyway. When my mother told me what she did, I just thought maybe Artemis will realise her mistake and let us keep her secret. But after Elise told me about the bracelet, I found out that Artemis will hunt both of us, my mother and I, down even if it will take years, decades, centuries, to track us down.” Serafina said with disappointment. “But isn’t your mother in danger too?” Elise asked Serafina. “Athena said she helped me hide my mom in a Planet Artemis could not find.” Serafina replied.

  “Athena helped you?” Elise and Sabor asked in unison. “Yes, why are you two so surprised about Athena helping me?” Serafina asked curiously. “Well, Elise is kind of big-time worrishipper of Athena. She made sacrifices at Athena’s...temple, I think.” Sabor said. “Why would you do that Elise? I know that we should respect gods and goddesses, but being a big-time worshipper for no reason? That’s just crazy. No offence of course, but that doesn’t usually happen in the modern time, or is this still the time of Ancient Greeks?” Serafina said to Elise. “ No, I’m pretty sure that this is the modern time. You see. People always mock that I have zero wisdom. Since Athena is the wisdom goddess, I thought if I pray to her, I might get more wisdom. But she never answered my prayer, so I assumed she would want me to do something for her. I tried everything to get wisdom from her. But she never gave me any wisdom. So I was surprised that Athena will help you, because she never helped me get what I wanted, a little wisdom.” Elise said sadly. “Maybe Athena knows that as soon as she grants your wish, you will stop doing nice things or being a big-time worshipper of Athena.” Serafina said. “I was thinking about stop doing deeds for Athena after she gives me wisdom.” Elise confessed, “But now that you said about Athena thinking that. I will still be a big time worshipper of Athena when she gives me wisdom. I promise.” Elise swore. Suddenly, there was a blinding light in front of Elise, when the light faded, Elise gasped. Standing in front of Elise was the goddess Athena herself. “You finally saw why I never answered your prayer, Elise.” Athena said. “Yes, goddess Athena, I learned my lesson. I can’t just help people when I need something, I need to help and be nice to people every day.” Elise said. “Yes, my dear. But I’m very sorry that I can’t give you wisdom. Wisdom isn’t something that you give to everyone like a Christmas gift and the so called Santa Claws, wisdom has to be found That is why I can guide you to your wisdom, I advise you to go with Serafina on her journey. You will find wisdom eventually in the journey.” Athena said wisely. “But, shouldn’t show your true form?” Athena said to Elise. “Wait...WHAT?” Sabor asked surprised. “I’m not really Elise, I’m Elise’s sister, Eliza.” Eliza said. “Elise has a sister?” Sabor asked curuously. “Yes, Elise is kind of like the evil one, and I’m the opposite of Elise.” Eliza explained. “Wait, if you're not Elise, where is Elise?” Serafina asked Eliza. “Well, Elise needed to do some of her 'good deeds' for Villain World.” Eliza said as she rolled her eyes. “Now Eliza can explain to you later, Serafina, here is my advice for your journey: There are some people here that could help you. I can’t tell you who, but you will meet them.” Athena said. “So the people will help us find my brother?” Serafina asked. “Well, not exactly, but the journey might be safer with them. A little easier.” Athena explained. “So, we find these people and go find my brother?” Serafina asked Athena. “You can, but if you want my advice, I advise you to try to recruit an army when you are on your journey. The person in your army may be able to help you in their own world, and guide you to your destination.” Athena advised Serafina. “But how do we know where should we go next after finding the people you keep talking about?” Sabor asked Athena. “That is why I will give you this map, the map will show you which route you need to go to get to the portal in the world you are traveling in. The information on that map will change when you get into a different world.” Athena explained as she handed Sabor the map. “I’m not trying to be rude, Athena, but this is just a blank piece of paper.” Sabor said to Athena timidly. “Oh, I forgot to mention that if you want to see the information on the map. Serafina needs to hold it, or else it will just be a blank piece of paper. Just in case anyone tries to steal it on your journey.” Athena said. “Just to remind you, if Artemis appears to you and tries to give you gifts, politely refuse. The gifts are either tracking devices, or cursed.” Athena warned. “Thanks for warning, Athena!” Eliza said gratefully. “ Serafina, before I leave, let me give you a little direction. Those keys your mother mentioned, they can help defeat Villain World, go find the Scroll Of Wisdom, the scroll could help you find those keys. Now I must leave, before Artemis suspects something.” Athena said as she disappeared in a flash of blinding lights. “Great, so I still need to watch out of Artemis. And I still don't get what all this talk about keys are.” Serafina muttered to herself. “But how... why would you disguise as Elise?” Sabor asked Eliza. “Well, when Elise got the news that Villain World needs her, I just came back from Villain World. And she forgot to close the window, since the spell I used on myself to disguise as Elise hadn’t worn off yet, I just snuck inside to see if Elise done any evil magic in this house. But before I could leave, you guys came in, so I tried to act like Elise.” Eliza explained “But what are you doing at Villian World?” Sabor asked Eliza. “I ...I was trying to see what Villian World was planning, how they are going to conquer the worlds…” Eliza said quietly. “So did you het their plans?” Sabor asked hopefully. "They didn’t say their plans very clearly. But they said they are already to try to recruit Villains all over the  world.” Eliza said worriedly. “Is that all? I thought Villain World will do something more...villain-like.” Sabor said. “Well, when they recruited all the villains in the worlds, they will form the biggest army any hero in the world has ever seen!” Eliza shuddered. “Oh, ok. Very villain-like, no problem.” Sabor said, his face turning pale white. “But they will never win!” Serafina said loudly. “How do you know? They have a whole villain army!” Eliza cried. “Yes, but we also have an army to battle back. My brother, Conner is also recruting an army to defeat Villain World. Before, I was just trying to find my brother, but now, I will also recruit an army, when Conner's army and my army join together, we WILL beat the Villain World. And Villain World will PAY for it!!!” Serafina shouted. Sabor clapped and said. “Nice speech! I agree!” “Me too!” Eliza said.

  Suddenly, Serafina flinched. “What’s wrong, Serafina?” Eliza asked worriedly. “I just remembered something.” Serafina said. “What is it?” Sabor asked. “Well, I landed on this planet before, and that time there was a tribe that called themselves the Spartans. The Spartans tried to kill me, but I defeated them using my ice powers.” Serafina said. “So, your point is?” Eliza asked. “My point is, the spartans were known as the strongest army on this planet! Why would they suddenly get defeated. Planet F said thye just disappeared, but I always met them when I came to this very planet, if I landed on the same planet where are the Spartans? They should join Villain World, right? I mean, they HATE me, I am a hero so they must be a villain right?” Serafina asked. “Yes! AND YOU SHALL BOW TO US!!!” a voice said.

  An army came out of the shadows. Serafina quickly drank the vial and turned back into human. “You!” Serafina exclaimed. Standing in front of the army was Pudgy, Mr. Grumpy, who is general himself. “King Scrooge wanted to alert the other kingdoms of what happened. But I knew what the other rulers would say and do. So I secretly joined Villain World to take my revenge on you!” Pudgy screamed angrily. “You're still as funny as before.” Serafina mocked. “But I have grown up, now I don’t need a king to control me. I have Villain World. I control the army!” Pudgy announced as the army cheered. Serafina yawned. “YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME? ARMY, ATTACK!” Pudgy ordered. “I think you’re the one who is underestimating me!” Serafina cried. Serafina waved her hand and the whole army of men was frozen in ice. “Seriously, don’t underestimate me, this is exactly like last time’s battle.” Serafina said to the ice sclupture of Pudgy. She turned to Sabor and Eliza. “Now that I’ve defeated them, where do you two think we should  start looking for the people Athena told us to find?” Serafina asked. “ I don’t know. But why don’t we go to the park near here and plan about how to stop Villain World and discuss about where the people Athena mentioned will be.” Eliza suggested. “Great idea!” Sabor exclaimed. “Eliza, can you cast a spell on me, so I can turn back into a Pixie? I don’t want Artemis to notice me.” Serafina said. “No Problem.” Eliza said to Serafina. Eliza, Sabor and Serafina headed out of the cave, heading towards the park.