THE FIRST REALM: RED — Laughter without fear

First, she explored the village.

The houses were painted with birds, flowers, and exotic fruits. At the entrances stood clay figures, hand-decorated vessels, and objects as beautiful as they were useful. Skyblue stopped to study everything. Whenever she thought she had seen enough, she turned a corner and found something new.

There were so many kinds of trees that she struggled to learn their names. She tasted fruit with flavors she had never imagined, touched smooth and rough bark, and peered into flowers large enough to hold one of her paws.

“How did you manage to bring so many different plants together?” she asked Yaseee.

“We didn’t bring them. The birds planted them. We simply look after them.”

Yaseee laughed so loudly that several birds raised their heads. Then they went back to what they were doing, as though they were used to it.

Skyblue stared at him.

In her village, she had often been told not to laugh like that.

“No one will take you seriously,” even her parents would say, worried about what others might think.

She had learned to restrain herself in public. With Ernesto she could laugh and dance; away from home, though, she still managed only a small, guarded smile. Even Evarista’s laughter had surprised her.

Here, dwarves smiled as they passed her, met her eyes, and went on their way. At first, Skyblue wondered what she had done to attract their attention. Then she understood that they were not making fun of her. They were saying hello.

One morning, she studied her reflection in the river and tried to smile without thinking about who might see her. The expression was so stiff that it made her laugh.

It became an unexpected practice. Sometimes she sat on the grass and let herself laugh until her belly ached. A passing dwarf would stop, smile, and end up laughing with her. No one demanded to know the reason.

Birds were everywhere. They nested in familiar trees and in others Skyblue was seeing for the first time. Stopping in front of an almond tree, she thought of Ernesto: how he would love to meet all these brothers of his, with their different leaves, their fruits, and their flowers.

The almond tree shook its branches. Skyblue recognized the movement: it was Ernesto’s laughter.

Then the trunk creased into a wink. Before she could wonder whether she had imagined it, a bird swooped down and dropped an almond at her feet.

“Thank you,” said the dragon.

She went to the tree and rested her forehead against its bark. The promise of her dream was beginning to come true.

From then on, whenever she discovered something she wanted to tell Ernesto, she found a tree, embraced it, and entrusted it with her message. She waited until she felt that faint reply—a warmth in her chest or a slight trembling of the leaves—then returned to her explorations with a lighter heart.