Book 1: The Crown Prince (The Kid Emperor of Occultoria)

Chapter 3 - A Visit from A Stranger

When Max returned to school the next day, he couldn't wait to see Jessica again. Having a guaranteed friend to play with at recess really made the new school more bearable.
He tried to forget about all the strange things that had happened recently. He just wanted to be a normal kid and have normal friends. Things were going so well at school for him. He was starting to think that maybe he did imagine all those things.
He dismissed them both as wild dreams.
A talking cat? Please.
A ghost in the machine? Impossible.
The only thing was that real was his budding friendship with Jessica.
And so, for the next few weeks, he convinced himself that none of the strange things actually happened. Instead, he concentrated on fitting in and so he continued to meet with Jessica.
Soon, they became very good friends.
He remembered one very memorable conversation he had had with her.
It was a beautiful sunny day and they were sitting in their Safe Spot.
Jessica had her legs stretched out in front of her, her back leaning against a tree trunk. Max was leaning against the tree trunk too, so it was as though they were comfortable enough with each other to lean against each other.
While drawing on her own sketchpad, Jessica looked up and said, "You think a lot, don't you?"
Max stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"What are you thinking about?"
He was thinking about how beautiful she looked in the sunlight, but of course, he didn't tell her that.
Instead, he said, "Oh, you know. Stuff. Just stuff."
She giggled. "What kind of stuff?"
He shrugged. "Art and stuff."
She lowered her voice. "I bet other kids make fun of you for thinking too much. Do they think you're weird?"
 Her comment hit a nerve with him. He had always been a quiet boy but other kids thought he was too quiet. That was why he didn't have many friends in school. That and the fact that he had switched many schools in the past few years. He wasn't painfully shy. It was just that sometimes he didn't know what to say to other kids. And sometimes, he just didn't feel like talking to other kids.
He nodded once.
She nodded too. "Yeah, I understand. I'm that way too."
"But you were with that group when I first met you that day."
She shrugged. "I don't really know them that well. I mean, sure I've been at this school since kindergarten, but I'm not that close to other kids either. I'm a thinking kind of girl, and sometimes I get made fun of for that too. But I want you to know there's nothing wrong with that. Thinking can help us get out of trouble, especially since most people don't think before they act."
At that moment, Max looked at her in a different light. She had made him feel better. She had just brought up his utmost insecurity and made him feel better about it. He felt charmed by her.
He was also flattered that she had chosen to reveal such personal information about herself with him. He knew that she wouldn't tell that to just anyone. It was a sign that they were fast becoming good friends and it made him happy that they were.
A comfortable silence passed, broken only by the soft sounds of pencils sketching on paper.
Max was enjoying drawing in his sketchpad with Jessica doing the same. The two of them had been doing this routine for a while now and he liked it very much.
All of a sudden, Jessica said, "You know what we should do?"
 He looked up. "What?"
She was looking at him with a sheepish grin on her face. "We should go to the Louvre Museum in Paris one day. Together. Just me and you."
 In the bright sunlight, Jessica looked like an angel.
Max said, "Why?"
"To see the art, of course. The world's most beautiful art is all there."
"All the way to Paris? That's gonna be expensive."
Excitedly, she stood up, waving her arms around. "No, I have a better idea. We'll live in Paris. Can you imagine the two of us studying art in Paris? We can be roommates. We can stroll the streets of Paris and have croissants in the morning for breakfast. Then we'll go to art school, sketch nude models and drink champagne at some snooty art gallery opening every night. Can't you just see that?"
Max chuckled. Yes, he could see that.
She laughed. "And then, we'll become famous artists."
She did this impression of a mime where she placed her hands out and pretended she was trapped in a box.
Max laughed. "Mimes?"
"What?" she said, still laughing. "Mimes are artists too. And we can do each other's mime makeup in the morning and then walk to the Eiffel Tower together and delight tourists with our antics...."
Max realized that the way she was talking implied that they might even be married by then.
He asked, "Does that mean we'll be married? Married mimes?"
Holding a hand to her mouth, she giggled, "Maybe."
Something special happened in that moment.
For the first time, Max realized that he might just like Jessica more than a friend.
And he knew why too. She made him feel like he belonged. And that was the most precious thing in the world.

***

One day, when it was recess time, he walked past his locker on the way to the Safe Spot to meet Jessica.
There was a note taped to his locker.
Who would write a note to him?
He stopped and picked it up. It was written in Jessica's cursive handwriting.

I had to leave before recess because I have a dentist appointment, but I'll see you tomorrow and we'll continue our drawing lessons. Keep drawing, Max. You're really good and you'll only get better the more you draw. Don't forget: one day, we're going to live in Paris and visit the Louvre and go to art school together.
- Jessica

He folded the note carefully and slipped it into his pocket. He was charmed by the note. The note somehow felt precious to him. He didn't want it to be lost. Maybe it was because Jessica was precious to him now, and therefore, by extension, the note was too.
He had been seeing her every day at recess for the past week so not seeing her that day felt weird to him. He didn't want to admit it, but he missed her. If only she knew how special she meant to him.
But she'll know soon, he assured himself. I'll tell her when I see her tomorrow.
He felt good. He finally felt like a normal boy. He felt like he belonged. What's more, Learning Assistance had been put off for another few weeks, since the Learning Assistance teacher recently quit and the principal was still searching for a replacement.
So still in a cheerful mood, Max went into the washroom to wash his hands.
He hummed a popular happy tune as he turned the tap on.

What do you do when you're happy?
So happy you don't know what to do.

He was halfway through the chorus when he was cut off.
A raspy voice had finished the second half of the chorus for him.

Fly with me to the clouds,
And I'll be happy with you.

Surprised, Max looked around. He was sure he was the only one in there. He saw no one else. But then, a glint in the window caught his eye.
A dark-green shape was drifting in from the open window. It looked like the ghost he had seen in the vending machine, but this one was three times as large.
Its paws outstretched towards Max, it gnashed its sharp teeth.
Max stared into its coal-like eyes and then had to put a hand over his nose. That mix of rotting garbage and dead skunk stench was stifling the air.
Terror gripped his heart. So he hadn't imagined it at all. But he knew he had been lying to himself the entire time. After all, there was enough evidence to convince him it had been real - what with the hole in the glass of the vending machine.
"Stay away," the dark-green shape hissed. "Stay away from Purgatorio."
Without hesitating, Max turned around and fled.

***

When Max got home, no one was there. His foster mother was at her greenhouse and his foster father was at work.
He rushed to his room, his heart racing. What was happening? Why were all these bizarre things happening to him?
 His cat Ariel was napping on the bed, curled up into a ball.
Max debated whether to tell her because he wasn't even sure that she had spoken to him the other night.
But then he realized he had nothing to lose.
"Uh...Ariel," he said.
Ariel opened her eyes.
He said, "I saw it again."
Ariel immediately began purring.
Max raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"
 "You've seen another ghost, so that means the situation has reached a critical level. I'm summoning your new guardian. You were sent here for your own safety, but it's no longer safe here. You need to go back home."
"New guardian? Home? What home? I thought this was my home."
Ariel ignored him. She continued to purr and the purring soon turned into the roar of a lion.
Max even trembled a little, but he would never admit it.
And then there was...silence.
Max examined his room. Nothing was happening.
But then, a loud boom came from downstairs.
A bit nervous, Max asked, "Who's there?"
 But the fat cat ignored him.
And then he heard the sound of someone racing up the stairs. Loud footsteps shook the house.
An old man dressed in formal religious clothing burst into the room.
Seeing Max, he bowed and then knelt down before him. "Your Imperial Highness, strange things are going on. You have to come with me to the capital: Occultoria City."
Max's eyes grew wide as he took a step back.
He inspected the strange man, whose kind blue eyes were smiling.
The man was wearing a flowing yellow robe and tunic and a white stole draped across his chest with the symbol of Ergon emblazoned on it. A large white miter sat on his head. He was carrying a silver crozier in his right hand.
Stroking his white beard, the man looked at Max expectedly.
Max finally said, "What did you just call me?"
Getting up, the man turned to Ariel. "You haven't told him anything?"
 The cat batted her paw in the air and hissed. "I thought it would be better if he could live a normal life. He didn't even know I could talk until last week."
The old man frowned. "That's a lie and you know it. You just didn't want to be reminded of the Supernatural World."
As confused as ever, Max cried, "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"
Patiently, the old man said, "Since you know nothing, I have a lot of explaining to do. I am Julius Pius, Court Chaplain, the Archbishop of Occultoria City, and special advisor to Her Holiness Matriarch Joan XX."
Seeing the confused look on Max's face, Julius said, "Those are just fancy terms for coffee boy."
When Max said nothing, Julius said, "That was a joke. I thought it would liven things up."
On the bed, Ariel rolled her green cat eyes. "You always had the worst sense of humor."
Max said, "OK, Julius. Why are you here?"
"I'm here because you are Maximilian Jusoy of the House of Jusoy. You are the Crown Prince of and Heir Apparent to the Empire of Occultoria. You come from a long and ancient line of illustrious rulers."
Max mouth dropped open. One minute, he was a student who didn't fit in and the next, he was some kind of prince? It was all too incredible.
And his first name was actually Maximilian? He wasn't sure he liked that name.
The archbishop began pacing back and forth, his crozier dragging on the floor and making loud clanging noises. "And that's not all. There's trouble brewing back home. The Empress Lilith has mysteriously disappeared and now all corners of the Empire are in direct rebellion against the Occult Throne. They've taken advantage of the lack of a strong central leader and declared independence."
Max was having trouble digesting all this new information. "So what does that have to do with me?"
The archbishop bowed. "Your Imperial Highness must know that you are the true occupant of the throne. The Empress Lilith is a pretender, a usurper."
Still stunned, Max's head hurt.
Julius nodded. "I know it's a lot to take in, Your Imperial Highness, but it's all true. Aren't you wondering about why you've seen those ghostly Green Gremlins?"
Surprised, Max nodded. "How do you know about them?
Julius said, "It's my job to know. You see, the Earth is divided into two spheres: the Natural World and the Supernatural World. We are here in the Natural World and it has its own various governments. You rule over the part of the Supernatural World called the Empire of Occultoria. Anything occult or odd or supernatural is your domain. Ghosts, vampires, goblins, witches, wizards, demons, monsters, mythological creatures and more - they all fall under your jurisdiction."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "When the Empire is at peace, then the two worlds hardly ever intersect with each other. But when there's trouble in the Supernatural World, then there is an imbalance. The force field separating the two worlds weakens and all sorts of ghosts and demons and monsters spill into the Natural World, but not the other way around."
Max's eyes grew wide. "But I thought I imagined it all."
But he knew that he had lied to himself to fit in. School was hard enough for an outsider, but being a freak would have made it twice as hard. So he pretended that he had not seen the ghost in the vending machine and he pretended that his cat had not talked.
Julius shook his head, his miter nearly falling off. "No, you didn't. Those Green Gremlins were a warning sign. They can't hurt you here in the Natural World. Now come with me. We need you to claim the empty throne and then bring the rebelling vassal lords and ladies back into the Empire. According to the Occult Constitution, I am technically Regent and Lord Protector until you reach 16, the age of majority, but you can still be crowned and enthroned now."
Max shook his head. "This is too weird."
Julius sighed. "I know you're scared, but this is the only way."
Max still stood his ground. This was all too overwhelming for him. He didn't want to leave his foster family to go to this Occultoria or whatever it was called.
Maybe he was dreaming and so, he pitched himself, and it really really hurt.
Julius said, "You don't believe me? Then maybe we need a demonstration."
He asked the cat, "Do we have a lighter here?"
The cat ran off and soon returned with a lighter in her mouth.
With a pounding heart, Max wondered what they were doing.
The old man grabbed the lighter and started it. Then, he held it toward Max.
"Watch this," Julius said.
Max backed away, but Julius was fast.
Julius raised the lit flame and then blew on it.
The flame grew large enough to overshadow Max. And then the old man pointed it toward the boy.
"Flamma!" he shouted.
Flashing bright red and sparks flying everywhere, the flame immediately flew towards Max.
Swearing and breathing hard, he tried to dodge it, but he was too slow.
The flame singed him and then engulfed him.
He knew it was hot, but he didn't feel any heat.
Soon, the fire disappeared.
He expected to die, but nothing happened.
There was no smell or pain.
He inspected his hand. There was no sign of any damage. It was as though nothing had happened.
The archbishop stroked his beard again. "This should be proof enough of your supernatural heritage. You've inherited your father's fire abilities. You can conjure it, you can withstand, you can even use it to heal."
Max thought about how he had incinerated the ghost in the vending machine with fire conjured out of nowhere and suddenly, it made sense.
"I can make fire out of nothing?" he said.
He held up his hand, and willed for fire to emerge, but nothing happened.
The old man explained, "Your powers are limited here in the Natural World. You can only conjure fire when you are threatened. Now come on. I can tell you more on our way to the capital, Occultoria City."
Still hesitant, Max still stood his ground.
The information presented to him had been overwhelming. So he was a magical supernatural being and a Crown Prince of the Supernatural World. He had always felt he was different, an outcast even, but he never would have imagined he was this different.
The archbishop held out a gentle hand, his blue eyes pleading with Max. "Please, Your Imperial Highness. I made a promise to your father years ago to preserve the status quo and keep the balance between the two worlds. I also promised him I would help you reclaim your rightful place on the Occult Throne. I was going to wait until you were 16, but the trouble has already begun."
Max said nothing, but the idea of hearing more about his parents intrigued him. Maybe he would go with this strange man long enough to learn more about his parents and then he could come home.
The archbishop went on, "If you don't come with me, then more ghosts could spill into the Natural World. They can't hurt supernatural beings like us, but they could hurt everyone you care about. You don't want your foster parents to die, do you?"
Max shook his head.
Julius added, "And what about Jessica?"
Seeing the astonished look on Max's face, Julius said, "That's right. I know about her too. If you don't come with me, more ghosts will come harm the living, including Jessica."
A silence followed.
Julius spoke again. "This is your destiny, Your Imperial Highness. We don't get to choose our destinies."
With the mention of Jessica, Max was beginning to be convinced. He didn't want her to get hurt. He was going to miss her, but he was sure he would be back soon again.
And if this was his destiny, then he would be a big boy and accept it. Besides, he didn't want to admit it to himself, but it sounded pretty exciting. It was like he was going on a grand adventure.
Max took the archbishop's hand.
The archbishop smiled. "I'll tell you more about your parents on the way there."
"But what about my foster parents? They'll be worried I'm not here."
"We'll leave a note saying you've gone to your other relatives, like an aunt and an uncle," said the archbishop. "We'll also leave a note for your school, telling them you've transferred to another school."
And then he turned to Ariel. "Come along, Ariel."
Ariel swiped a paw at the archbishop. "I'm not going. I'm staying right here. I was his guardian. It was my job to make sure nothing happened to him. Now, I'm transferring guardianship to you"
"Yes, you were sent here to keep watch over the Crown Prince. If something unusual happened, you job was to summon me, which you did. Now that your job is done, you have to come back with us. You don't belong in the Natural World."
The cat responded by turning its back and collapsing onto the bed.
The archbishop raised his voice. "You forget yourself, Ariel. You're bound to serve the Imperial Family. Don't forget the kindness of His Imperial Highness' grandfather."
The cat ignored him.
The archbishop winked at Max. "Watch this, Your Imperial Highness."
He took out a golden bag marked with the right eye of the soul, the symbol of Ergon, on it.
Then he whispered, "Invado!"
He opened the sack and the cat was sucked into it.
The cat cried, "No! Let me out! You're going to have to drag me there kicking and screaming!"
She began to scream indignantly, "Meow! Meow!"
She was clawing away at the bag from inside, desperately trying to get out.
But then the bag closed up and all Max heard was muffled noises of protest.
"Oh you're in big trouble now," said the archbishop to the noisy bag. "You were supposed to fill His Imperial Highness in on everything. You're heading straight to the dungeon when we get there."
"Not the dungeon!" cried the cat.
Wide-eyed, Max stood there, taking it all in.
This was going to be one heck of an adventure.