~ Kareem's Journey ~

[Sunniedew]

back
each page has a separate track to listen too, as part of his playlist! all songs are my LLusion

Table of Contents
Info
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7

art by me

[Sunniedew]

Name: Kareem
Gender: Male
Pronouns: He/him
Age: 16 years
Occupation: Prince
Brief introduction:

Kareem has been the heir to the throne his entire life. It's incredibly boring,
greeting people, keeping his image up, making sure everyone loves him.
It's exhausting. In reality, Kareem doesn't care what anyone thinks about him, and
he certainly doesn't care about being a king. He wants to travel, meet new people
on his own terms, live his own life. He's surprisingly introverted, and would rather
be on his own practicing his music than sitting on a throne, talking to people about
pointless problems.
One day, Kareem had finally had enough. He needed to get out of the kingdom,
go somewhere new, see something more interesting. He hopped on his horse,
packed a few essential things, and crept out of the kingdom. Was it the best
decision of his life, or perhaps the worst?

owned by me

Name: King Bai
Gender: Male
Pronouns: He/him
Age: unknown, middle aged
Occupation: King
Brief introduction:

Bai is Kareem's adoptive father, who is ecstatic about finally having an heir to the
throne. He wants to continue the legacy of the kingdom by a certainly worthy candidate,
though he finds it troubling that his son doesn't share the same enthusiasm. He's tried
his best to convince Kareem that becoming king would be good for him, but he just doesn't
seem to understand. Maybe he'll need to try a different convincing method.

owned by me

Name: Arabelle
Gender: Female
Pronouns: She/her
Age: unknown, middle aged
Occupation: Librarian
Brief introduction:

Arabelle is a soft spoken, quiet librarian who is very dedicated to her craft.
She takes great care in her studies and teaching the youth of the kingdom. She cares
for Kareem just like a nanny, and appreciates his talent and knowledge. She is aware
of how he feels about being king, though she is very loyal to the kingdom, and tries her
best to convince him that being king is what he was meant to do. But he just won't listen
to anyone! However, Arabelle knows what it's like to want something you "can't" become.
Will she help him accomplish his goal?

owned by me

Name: Ex Princess Sabrina
Gender: Female
Pronouns: She/her
Age: 17
Occupation: loner, traveler
Brief introduction:

Sabrina is the ex princess of the neighboring kingdom, and her and Kareem cross
paths while he is on his journey. They're both wary of each other at first, but when a
sudden thunderstorm hits, they decide it would be best to stay together rather than
apart. As they learn more about each other, and what their motives are, they both
figure out how similar they both are.

[Sunniedew]

♫

Kareem sat in front of the stone window in his room, gazing out at the beautiful mountain landscape below. He could make out each mountain and remember them by heart by now, since all he ever wanted was to go and explore. He sighed and laid his head down on the windowsill. Father wouldn't let me go anywhere near those mountains... he thought with bitterness. I'm supposed to be the next king! I don't have time for adventure or anything.

Being king was the last thing on Kareem's mind. The idea seemed absolutely appalling to him, and he felt like his father was better off choosing a different candidate from the kingdom. From his short time as prince, Kareem met countless people who were better suited, and who actually wanted the job. But his father wouldn't listen, no matter what Kareem would say. "But you were sent by the gods! I was able to find you, just so you could continue the legacy!"

However grateful that Kareem was after being found at a young age, it couldn't outweigh the fact that he didn't want to be royalty at all. He wanted to be a mapmaker, someone who explored the world on their own, writing down their adventure, as if they were creating it from their own fingertips. Kareem narrowed his eyes at the map beside his window, and scowled. That map is clearly inaccurate, and he had to stare at it all the time. If only he could go out there... if only he could change it.

Kareem suddenly slammed his fist down onto the windowsill, and stood up tall. I am going to fix this map. I am going to fulfill my dream. He tried to convince his father that this is what he was destined to do, and if he wasn't going to listen, then he was just going to do it himself.

[Sunniedew]

♫

The plan was perfect. Kareem glanced at his calendar, and noticed that today was just a normal study day. Study days were supposed to be for the librarian and his father to teach Kareem how to be king. His father however, wasn't actually currently in the palace. He was out and about, doing whatever kings do (Kareem obviously never paid attention to the studies). That meant it was just going to be the librarian, which was perfect for the start of the plan.

Kareem packed his shoulder bag with necessities. A torch, a blanket, his crown, a quill, ink and ink refills, a journal, the inaccurate map, and an empty map. He also made sure to grab some fruit from the kitchen, and an important book on edible wild fruit so he could find a good source of food. He hoped this was enough, now all he had to do was slip out.

The librarian would be expecting him in the study room at 2 o'clock today, but he wouldn't be there for that. Kareem had already waited long enough for this opportunity. He had to go now.

He tiptoed through the palace halls, taking care to make sure he wasn't seen. Things were going perfect, and he was about to be home free.

"Now wait a moment! Kareem, where are you going?"

[Sunniedew]

♫

"Kareem! We're supposed to have study today!" The librarian caught up to him, giving him a curious look. "You can go outside after we're done. Today's lesson shouldn't take long."

Kareem looked at his paws, and shook his head, catching the librarian off guard. "No, I can't do this anymore, Professor." he said softly. He made eye contact with her. "I need to leave now. The mountains are calling me."

The librarian lowered her head down to his level, and gave him a sympathetic look. "But you have a duty to fulfill, Kareem. You have to be the successor." She put her paw on his shoulder. "Your father would be furious and heartbroken if you left right now."

The young prince took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from crying. "I can't sacrifice my true calling for the happiness of others. That's what you said, isn't it?" he whispered, making the Librarian look away from him. She sighed and nodded. "I see. I can tell you've been thinking about this a lot."

"My whole life." Kareem said. He gently took hold on her left paw, and kissed it. "You've served me well, Professor. I will never forget you."

The librarian held his paw in hers, and held it to her chest. "Then I wish you good fortune, Kareem. I will never forget you either." She couldn't help the tears from falling down. Kareem was like a son to her.

Kareem hugged her tightly, and she returned the hug. "You're right, Kareem. This is your destiny, I can feel it." she said softly, and Kareem nodded, sniffling into her shoulder. They finally pulled away, and the bell tower off in the distance was heard. It rung 2 times. It's time to go.

Kareem breathed in the fresh air as he opened the palace entry doors. He turned back once more to see the librarian smiling, and waving him goodbye. He waved back, then turned to face his destiny. I will treasure your knowledge forever, don't you forget that.

[Sunniedew]

♫

The first few days of travelling weren't going so well. He didn't mean to, but he had already eaten all of the fruit that he brought with him. He was now stuck with using the eating guide to find something to eat, but every fruit he came across was either poisonous or wasn't even in the book. He slowly started to realize that this book was outdated, and wasn't a reliable resource.

That meant he had to resort to hunting hawks, mountain goats, rabbits, and deer. He found that difficult, since he didn't practice hunting before he left. Everything he found he didn't even come close to catching, and he was starting to run out of time. He also didn't anticipate just how cold things got at night. The blanket and a fire didn't seem enough to block out the freezing wind.

One things was going right though, and that was his map. He was already correcting the inaccurate one he brought with him, which he found that it was a wonderful way to pass the time, and to explore further. He also made sure to take note of every plant and animal he didn't know, and he told himself he would name them later.

It was the forth day now, and he was getting rather hungry. He started to get more and more tired, and it was hard to actually get up in the morning. He still couldn't catch anything, and didn't feel safe eating any of the fruits he didn't know. This is a disaster. he thought to himself as he missed another rabbit.

He sat at the base of a tall pine tree and sighed. He was so tired, and he didn't think he could travel for much longer. But going back to the kingdom didn't seem like a good alternative. His father would be furious, and he was certain he wouldn't be able to leave again once he was recovered. He growled to himself, kicking a stone nearby in depression.

He bared his teeth, though this time, a growl didn't come from him. He froze, and slowly looked up to see a large, terrifying mountain lion stalking towards him. He backed up against the tree, and reached for a branch nearby. The big cat growled again, swiping the stick from his paws. He could smell it's hot, rotten breath as it moved closer and closer. Kareem whimpered and closed his eyes, anticipating the killing blow.

[Sunniedew]

♫

"Go on! Get!" a voice called from nearby. Kareem opened his eyes in surprise as he heard footsteps coming from his right. Him and the mountain lion were both looking in that direction, surprised and confused.

Suddenly, a beautiful purple kalon on a white horse crashed from the bushes. "Go away! Kalons aren't food!" she hissed, kicking the horse, making it head straight for the mountain lion. The lion hissed in defiance, but the horse didn't slow down. It's tail fell between it's legs, and it growled in defeat. It turned tail and ran away, yowling in annoyance.

The kalon stopped her horse by pulling on it's mane. His whinnied and slowed to a halt in front of Kareem. He stood up on shaky legs as the kalon descended from the tall horse. "You gotta be more careful, this is cougar territory." he said, and turned to face him.

"I didn't realize, I was just passing through." Kareem said, feeling grateful but a little offended by the way she addressed him. She looked barely older than him, and she was covered in scratches and dirt. However, she did look healthy and well fed. How was she able to find food in this place?

"Goodness you're a mess!" she exclaimed as she got a better look at him. "You need some food and shelter, and soon. It's about to start raining."

Kareem narrowed his eyes. "I'm doing just fine, thank you." he mumbled, crossing his arms. "Just had a rough start that's all. I'll be just fine on my own."

The horse beside them seemingly rolled it's eyes, and the kalon shook her head. "Just come back with me for one night, I have a feeling it's gonna thunderstorm, and you won't be able to make a fire in this weather."

Kareem glanced at the sky, and he quickly realized it was getting darker by the minute. The wind was also starting to pick up, and a droplet landed on his nose. I guess I have no choice. "Fine. Lead the way o wise one." he grumbled.

[Sunniedew]

♫

The two kalons rode on the horse a short distance to a semi-dark, but decorated cave. They trotted inside and the horse let them off at the entrance, and just in time too, the first crack of lightning lit up the sky in an instant, and rain started to fall. Kareem looked around as the kalon lit a few fires to light up the place. The walls were decorated with flowers and horse sketches, stuck to the wall with tree sap. There were also several stones lining each mini fireplace, and a large stack of hay in the left corner. Next to the hay was a large basket full of some weird kind of berry. "It's not much, but it's my home." she said as she picked up some berries from the basket, and handed them to Kareem.

"Wow," he whispered, and subconsciously stuck the handful of berries in his mouth, and his stomach growled as he swallowed them. They were sweet, but slightly bitter. Either way, they tasted damn good. He sat next to the largest center fireplace and the kalon sat across from him, and handed him some more berries. "So, why are you traveling in a place like this?"

Kareem finished chewing, and swallowed before popping another berry into his mouth. "I'm a mapmaker, and I come from the kingdom to the west, where all the maps are inaccurate." he looked at his surroundings and ate another berry. "It's my destiny to make accurate maps and explore the world."

"Were you sent here by your kingdom to do that?" she asked.

Kareem narrowed his eyes. "I could ask you the same question." he retorted, and pointed to a broken crown in the corner. "Were you sent here by your kingdom to live in a cave?"

Instead of getting angry, she just chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "It's complicated." she answered.

"Well before I give you my life story, you should at least tell me who you are." Kareem continued, finishing off the rest of his berries.

"Fair enough, I'm Sabrina." she said. "And my horse's name is Frances. I left my kingdom to look for someone. It's been about a year I think since I ran away."

Sabrina. He echoed her name in his mind. "I'm Kareem, ex-prince of the kingdom of the west." he declared. "I don't have time to be king, since my true calling is mapmaking."

"Interesting." Sabrina nodded, smiling at him. "Well Kareem, I think you and I could both get along." Kareem raised his eyebrows. "How so?"

[Sunniedew]

♫

Sabrina is the ex-princess of the kingdom of the north. The prince she was supposed to marry was accused wrongly of a crime he didn't commit, and now she ran away to search for him. She is currently 17, beautiful eyes and smile. Very knowledgeable and showed me a village nearby where she gets her supplies from. Luckily its in the centre of the mountain valley, so I can get supplies from there and continue to branch out and map the mountains.



Kareem closed his journal and yawned. He stretched out on his hay bale bed, and glanced to his right, where Sabrina and Frances were already asleep. He still found it curious that she didn't decide to live in the village nearby, but he honestly couldn't blame her. It would be smarter to stay away from it, just in case their parents decided to try looking for them.

He looked at the ceiling of the cave and spaced out. After learning more about Sabrina, he decided it would be best to stay with her for a while. She seemed pretty pleased with the idea, and made an extra hay bale bed just for him. She also sewed a second pillow for him. No one had treated him this nice since the Professor.

He turned to his side and blinked slowly, getting even more sleepy. He gazed around the cave, and found both his and Sabrina's cracked and broken crowns side by side. Maybe one day we'll go back. he thought, and closed his eyes.

Fat chance.

to top