Hiraya (Published by Anvil Publishing Inc.)

Kabanata 11: The White Dove of Ever Land

[Kabanata 11] 

Once upon a time, a beautiful dove was known for her milky white feathers glowing in the light. The magician rescued her before the egg was hatched. Since then, the white dove has followed him all along. The magician decided to train her until she could join his performances. The white dove's primary role is to disappear when being told and appear when she is called.

The white dove is excited and looks forward to every night's performance. As years went by, she began to feel drained and exhausted. She thought that the day was always the same as yesterday. The excitement on her part begins to fade. The repetition of tricks the audience finds amusing is nothing to her anymore.

One day, the white dove gathers her courage and talks with the magician. "Can I stay in the Ever land for a while?" the white dove asks.

"Will that make you happy?" the magician asks.

The white dove smiled in response. "I'm not exactly sure. But I want to rest there for the meantime," the magician carefully taps the dove's head.

"If that's what you want, go and take a rest." For once, the white dove feels the excitement rush into her blood veins again.

The Ever Land is a paradise where the white dove finds herself whenever she disappears on the stage. It is a beautiful place where she always took a glimpse before being called back using a magic word.

She lost track of time in the Ever land. She was delighted, enjoying every moment of her life. She met new friends, been to different places, and flew all over the mountains, streams, and plains.

Eventually, the white dove felt empty again. She misses home. Day by day, she's expecting to be called. She'll be able to return once the magician calls her name again. It's been almost a year, yet she was never called.

Soon, the white dove decided to find a way back. She spent a few more nights until she met the gatekeeper of the Ever land.

A small green frog sits lazily on an old couch beside a closed door. "To get through, one must give up something precious and worthy." The frog says with his lazy and sleepy eyes.

The white dove search for her precious belongings. None of those was considered worthy by the gatekeeper. "How about your wings? I only need one." The frog points to her left wing.

The white dove stood there for a moment. She is thinking about whether to give up her precious wing. However, she remembers her master's smile and soft eyes. She's willing to risk anything to go back.

Finally, she's home. She figured out that there was an important performance based on the presentation and decorations all over the place. The magician was hired to perform in front of the king and the royal family.

The white dove stood in a post as she watched the main event with glowing eyes. A lot of people came to watch the famous magician. The white dove is excited and hopeful. She knew that at any moment, her name would be called.

Her hope and excitement begin to fade when a different name is called. Then a much more beautiful and fair dove suddenly flies out of the magic hat. The audience was amazed and applauded. Other names were called; five doves flew above and started to circle around the magician like a divine being. The performance was a blast. It was full of beautiful milky white doves as they threw flowers at the magician.

When the performance ended, the white dove went to meet her master again. She was still hopeful and excited. But to her surprise, she saw a lot of white doves backstage. The magician minds his own business while talking to a royal servant.