Once, in a quiet countryside near the polar regions, lived a kind and devout old man with his equally pious wife and their beautiful, pure-hearted daughter. Despite their noble lineage—a bloodline descended from prophets—they were extremely poor. The old man, burdened by his inability to arrange his daughter’s marriage, would spend his mornings and evenings at the mosque, weeping and praying to God.

One fateful night, during his prayers, he heard a divine voice: “O good old man, return home and rest. At dawn, take your daughter and some grains with you. Leave your home and hand your daughter to the first being you meet. He shall be her destined husband.”

Though startled, he obeyed the voice. The next morning, he and his wife wrapped some psheno (millet) grains in cloth, and he took his daughter’s hand in one and the bundle of grain in the other. As they stepped out of their village, they encountered a golden-furred bear. Trembling with fear but sensing a divine sign, the old man handed his daughter to the bear.

Back home, his wife was heartbroken and wept bitterly. After some time, she urged him to find out what had happened to their daughter. The old man set out again, tracing the path where they had dropped the millet. Miraculously, the spilled grains had grown into plants, forming a trail. Following it, he reached a nomadic tribal region and spent the night with a family. Upon hearing his story, the tribe mentioned a mythical kingdom beyond the horizon, called Svalur, where polar bears ruled as royalty. The old man, compelled by faith and longing, continued his journey.

He soon encountered a brown bear, who spared his life upon recognizing his scent. The bear led him to a cave, which opened into a mystical realm of icy beauty—the Kingdom of Svalur. Upon entering, the bear transformed into a tall, blue-eyed humanoid with long hair and slightly elongated ears. He welcomed the old man and brought him in a royal dog-drawn sleigh to the palace, where he was received with honour.

There, the old man reunited with his daughter—now queen of Svalur and wife to the Silver King, a regal bear who appeared human in the kingdom but transformed into a white-golden beast outside it. She explained that according to the kingdom’s ancient prophecies, a human of pure soul was destined to marry the Silver King. Their union would produce a child imbued with divine powers—an heir capable of protecting the kingdom from a mysterious and impending threat posed by an invisible kingdom. The millet grains her father had given her were also foretold to sustain the kingdom during this future conflict.

Before leaving, the old man was advised by his daughter to request a goat that laid golden pellets from the Silver King. The king agreed. On his return journey, the old man stayed again with the same tribe. Fascinated by his tale, the tribespeople deceitfully swapped the goat for a lookalike. When the old man returned home and invoked the magical hymn, the goat did nothing. His wife, suspicious and angry, dismissed his story as delusion.

Determined to prove himself, the old man visited Svalur again. This time, the tribe demanded he bring something back for them in exchange for passage. He returned with a Magical Spatula and Ladle, which, when placed over a fire and accompanied by a sacred hymn, produced any food desired. Again, the tribe seized the gift. On his third visit, he brought back a Magical Rope and Stick, which, when invoked, bound and struck wrongdoers. He used it to punish the tribe and retrieve the stolen goat and utensils.

The tribe, now enriched by stolen magical gifts, drew the attention of the Invisible Kingdom—a lost empire that had cloaked itself using advanced technology. Led by King Phush Walker and General Condoleezza Grace, this militarized kingdom sought to reclaim power by seizing Svalur’s resources and spiritual energy. Torturing the tribespeople, they extracted the secret of Svalur and traced the old man’s path.

During the old man’s fourth visit, his wife accompanied him and joyfully reunited with their daughter and their newborn grandson—the Prince of Svalur, a child of mixed human and Svalurian lineage. Raised with scripture, ethics, and virtue by his human grandparents and trained in leadership by the Silver King, the prince became the prophesied defender of the kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Invisible Kingdom deployed drones to follow the old couple and discovered the cave to Svalur. Using deception and poison, they eliminated the brown bear guards and launched an invasion under the false pretense that Svalur’s beasts had attacked the tribes. The battle began during a sacred month of worship.

The grandmother reminded the prince of a prophecy: that only he, through prayer during this holy month, could receive divine powers to command nature and save the kingdom. Though uncertain at first, on the final odd night of worship, the prince attained mystical control over the elements. He froze the seas and immobilized the enemy’s war machinery. Then, summoning crabs, jellyfish, and seals, he engulfed the enemy army, saving Svalur from destruction.

His powers, temporary and divine, faded after the war. Yet, the wisdom and ethical strength he retained—born of crossbred virtue and spiritual upbringing—enabled him to rebuild and flourish the Kingdom of Svalur once more. The untouched psheno seeds brought by his mother grew across the land, resilient and pure, nourishing a new era of peace, balance, and spiritual sovereignty.

Next Chapter: Chapter Plan