oloyalservantswholedDeannatotheirmaster.Feelingthepainofanexilewithnohometoreturnto,Lightninggotlostiexpanseofblueskies.Justasitwashesitatingastowhatcoursetotakeandwhichdiretogo,itsawKingDimitriandhisenteflyingswiftlytowardshim.Neighingloudlyinsalutation,itfppeditswidewingsandflewswiftlytowardsitsmasterwhenhewaved.KingDimitriwentstraighttothepointandaskedanxiouslyandurgently,

    “HowarethingsgoingintheKingdom?”Onhearingthequestion,tearssprangintoLightning’seyesandKingDimitrikmustbeverybadindeed.Hestoodupstraightandjumpedontohishorsewithoutquestioningitanymore.Thissuddenvaultingmovementofhisgavehispanionsagreatscare.TheywereallflyingintheblueskieswhenDimitrisuddeontoLightning’sback.Theslightestmiscalcutionandhecouldhavefallentohisdeathfromtheskiesandbeensmashedtopieces.Luckilythisdidnothappen.KingDimitriwasacautiouspersonandwhateverhedid,hedidwithdeliberatecalcution.Hewouldnotactwithoutfidenceofsuccess.KingDimitrisatmajesticallyonhismagichorse,hisheroidradiantbearingthepleteoppositeofhisformerpersonaofashabby,dispirited,homelessman.Heresumedonceagainhistruecolors,thatofabrilliant,resoluteandadaptmilitaryking.DeannainallyrodeontheflyingbroomwithKingDimitri,thedoubleweightslowingdowntheirspeedsomewhat.NowthatthepressurehadlesseheyspedattopspeedtowardstheKingdomofDreams.

    Thesunwashighintheskiesandshonedazzlinglyontherounddomeofthegoldpace,refragoffbrilliantlyglitteringrays.Ihepacestructuredwithsolidgold,theatmospherewascolorfundmajestic.Apuffofwhitesmokefloatedarouopoftheeaves,keepingaclosewatthegloatingAtssittingonthesolidgoldthroneseemiremelysatisfied,asifhealreadywastheowhegoldpadthekingofthiskingdom.Seeinghimthus,WhiteFairywasveryangryaedhimsaying,

    “Don’tyouhavetheleastbitretinyourheartforwhatyoudid?Don’tyoufeetalpologetictowardsthewholefieldofsoldierswhojustdiedtogetyouhere?”

    “Regret?”askedAtsboldfadself-fident.“WhyshouldIfeelregret?Ibelievethatevenmytribesmenwhoarelyingdeadilefieldoutsidewillnothavetheleastbitret.Youshouldknowthatourndsaresobarrenthatweseldomreapanythingfromtheseedswesowthere.Thepasturesareileeitherandourmbandcalvesdiebeforetheymature.Iledmymentothisbeautifuilendahoughtheyalldiehere,Iamsuretheywillbehappyandsatisfiedtoknowthattheyareburiedinsuchawonderheywillbegratefultome…”Beforehefinishedspeaking,WhiteFairyinterruptedhimindignantlysaying

    “Nonsense!Rubbish!Thisisonlyyourpersonalopinionandisnotrepresentativeofyourtribe.Tobeperfectlyfrank,you,fueledbyyreedandambitioheculpritthatcausedthisirreparabledisaster.Lookatallthecorpsesolefield.AtleasthalfofthemareinativewarriorsofKingDimitri’sKingdom,theirlivesdefendingtheirhomendagainstyression.Areyounotfullyresponsiblefortheirdeaths?”Atsshruggednontlyandspreadhishandswidesaying,

    “WhatresponsibilitydoIhavetowardsthem?OccupyingKingDimitri’sKingdomartofmypn.ThesewarriorsoftheKingdomdiedbecausetheytriedtopreventmefromaplishingmygoandwerekilledinsteadbymysoldiers.Itistheirownfaultandnoresponsibilityofmine…Youknow,youhavereallystraheories…Yousee,ifIdon’toccup

oloyalservantswholedDeannatotheirmaster.Feelingthepainofanexilewithnohometoreturnto,Lightninggotlostiexpanseofblueskies.Justasitwashesitatingastowhatcoursetotakeandwhichdiretogo,itsawKingDimitriandhisenteflyingswiftlytowardshim.Neighingloudlyinsalutation,itfppeditswidewingsandflewswiftlytowardsitsmasterwhenhewaved.KingDimitriwentstraighttothepointandaskedanxiouslyandurgently,

    “HowarethingsgoingintheKingdom?”Onhearingthequestion,tearssprangintoLightning’seyesandKingDimitrikmustbeverybadindeed.Hestoodupstraightandjumpedontohishorsewithoutquestioningitanymore.Thissuddenvaultingmovementofhisgavehispanionsagreatscare.TheywereallflyingintheblueskieswhenDimitrisuddeontoLightning’sback.Theslightestmiscalcutionandhecouldhavefallentohisdeathfromtheskiesandbeensmashedtopieces.Luckilythisdidnothappen.KingDimitriwasacautiouspersonandwhateverhedid,hedidwithdeliberatecalcution.Hewouldnotactwithoutfidenceofsuccess.KingDimitrisatmajesticallyonhismagichorse,hisheroidradiantbearingthepleteoppositeofhisformerpersonaofashabby,dispirited,homelessman.Heresumedonceagainhistruecolors,thatofabrilliant,resoluteandadaptmilitaryking.DeannainallyrodeontheflyingbroomwithKingDimitri,thedoubleweightslowingdowntheirspeedsomewhat.NowthatthepressurehadlesseheyspedattopspeedtowardstheKingdomofDreams.

    Thesunwashighintheskiesandshonedazzlinglyontherounddomeofthegoldpace,refragoffbrilliantlyglitteringrays.Ihepacestructuredwithsolidgold,theatmospherewascolorfundmajestic.Apuffofwhitesmokefloatedarouopoftheeaves,keepingaclosewatthegloatingAtssittingonthesolidgoldthroneseemiremelysatisfied,asifhealreadywastheowhegoldpadthekingofthiskingdom.Seeinghimthus,WhiteFairywasveryangryaedhimsaying,

    “Don’tyouhavetheleastbitretinyourheartforwhatyoudid?Don’tyoufeetalpologetictowardsthewholefieldofsoldierswhojustdiedtogetyouhere?”

    “Regret?”askedAtsboldfadself-fident.“WhyshouldIfeelregret?Ibelievethatevenmytribesmenwhoarelyingdeadilefieldoutsidewillnothavetheleastbitret.Youshouldknowthatourndsaresobarrenthatweseldomreapanythingfromtheseedswesowthere.Thepasturesareileeitherandourmbandcalvesdiebeforetheymature.Iledmymentothisbeautifuilendahoughtheyalldiehere,Iamsuretheywillbehappyandsatisfiedtoknowthattheyareburiedinsuchawonderheywillbegratefultome…”Beforehefinishedspeaking,WhiteFairyinterruptedhimindignantlysaying

    “Nonsense!Rubbish!Thisisonlyyourpersonalopinionandisnotrepresentativeofyourtribe.Tobeperfectlyfrank,you,fueledbyyreedandambitioheculpritthatcausedthisirreparabledisaster.Lookatallthecorpsesolefield.AtleasthalfofthemareinativewarriorsofKingDimitri’sKingdom,theirlivesdefendingtheirhomendagainstyression.Areyounotfullyresponsiblefortheirdeaths?”Atsshruggednontlyandspreadhishandswidesaying,

    “WhatresponsibilitydoIhavetowardsthem?OccupyingKingDimitri’sKingdomartofmypn.ThesewarriorsoftheKingdomdiedbecausetheytriedtopreventmefromaplishingmygoandwerekilledinsteadbymysoldiers.Itistheirownfaultandnoresponsibilityofmine…Youknow,youhavereallystraheories…Yousee,ifIdon’toccup