Surprisingly the tunnel was quite spacious and airy. At first glance, he thought it would be cramped due to the size of the entrance. “Remarkable!” he gasped as he looked at the hieroglyphics that adorned the walls. Despite his education, even he could not decipher what was written down. What kind of language was this?
“Your Majesty, look!” a guard exclaimed and pointed to something in front of him. Hessin turned to look, and his mouth dropped at the sight. The tunnel has led out to an oasis of some sort. A large lake full of fresh, clean water was surrounded by soft, luscious grass; more water poured from the aqueducts above. Frogs jumped on and off of lily pads while tadpoles swam below the surface. Awed, Hessin walked to the edge of the lake and touched the water to make sure that it was real.
Who would have thought such place exist here? Imagine Tippet’s face when he sees this! But then, something was amiss; it was as if this place was manmade. If so, how? That was when he heard a bird’s wings flapped above him. Looking up, he saw the most beautiful bird that he had even seen sitting on a broken down wall.
A grayish-blue bird with large, round black eyes was looking at him curiously. It had three long tail feathers, which were green, red, and purple respectively, and the tip of its wings had the same color pattern as well. There was something bewitching about that bird because he felt drawn to it. Walking toward it, he raised his hand with hopes of petting it. “Hello, little one,” he said gently. “I won’t hurt you.”
The bird leaned closer to him and was only a finger’s length away when it suddenly flapped away with alarm. Startled, Hessin turned around to see that one of the guards was about to strike him with his sword. With no time to react, he quickly dodged though he felt his arm got cut. Leaning against the wall, he grimaced and confronted the man. “What is the meaning of this!?” he demanded as he quickly pulled his sword out.
“It’s nothing personal, Kahlin Hessin,” the man replied in an unfamiliar accent. “In fact, I actually admire you for your strong beliefs and bringing peace to the world, but business is business. And unfortunately for you, my client wants you dead.”
Hessin’s eyes widened in shock. An Enkrum assassin!? “Who hired you?” he wanted to know. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that the other guards were surrounding him as well. Dammit, that meant that his entire escort was compromised, which could only mean... “It was Maruk, wasn’t it?”
The assassin grinned. “Ding! Ding! Ding!” he said as he applauded. “Though, to be honest, I have no idea why he would want you dead, but too bad for you, you won’t be around to ask him why”
The Kahlin returned his grin. “Unfortunately for you, I don’t intend on dying today,” he retorted and charged at the man. Their swords clashed as Hessin forced the man to move back. However, the others came to their comrade’s rescue so the king had to focus on fighting more than one at a time. He was doing very well in spite of being outnumbered and managed to injure two of them. Then all of a sudden, a wave of dizziness struck him and caused him to fall to his knees.
“Feeling dizzy?” the assassin’s voice pounded his head, which gave him a headache. “It seemed like the poison has finally taken effect on you, Your Majesty. We have heard of your sword skills so we didn’t want to leave it up to chance. Now, if you don’t mind our intrusion, but Maruk had asked us to cut off your head. But since I like you so much, I’ll make it less painful for you.”
Hessin’s body jerked when he felt the sword pierced through his chest, and then his body became limp.
He opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by light. “Where am I?” he asked himself and squinted. This was definitely not the ruins or any other place he recognized. Hmm... If this was heaven, this was not how he imagined it to be.
“I never expect to see this old thing again,” a bemused voice said right behind him. He spurned around to see a white-haired man standing there. He wore a white robe with a green outer layer. In his hands, he held the Isharan scepter.
Hessin stood up and faced the man. “Who are you and how did you get my scepter?” he wondered. The man laughed.
“A scepter?” he chortled. “I would have never expected you human to use my sword like that. But then my creations always amaze me by their ingenuity and talents."
After saying that, he easily pulled the sword out of its sheath. The blade shone as brightly as the sun itself. “This is the Sword of Palenthor,” he continued. “It’s a sword made by the heaven itself so that only a god can wield it. However, that day has come when someone else will become its new rightful owner.”
He put the sword back and tossed it back to a bewildered Hessin, who caught it. “You, Hessin Soleri Ostrom, are my successor,” the mysterious man stated. “You have been chosen to become one of the Three Judges who will determine the fate of Samara’s people. For that, I’ve given you some of my powers to help you in your new role.”
“Powers? I don’t feel anything different though,” he confessed as he examined his body.
The stranger just smiled and waved his hand. That was when something odd happened. The light just… “danced” around Hessin before it was absorbed into his right hand. As the Kahlin stared at his hand with amazement, the other man said, “That is one of your powers. More will be revealed to you in time.”
“Wait! What do you mean by that?” Hessin demanded as he rushed toward this “god” and grabbed him by the front of his robe. “Who are you and how did you know my name?”
Before the man could answer, Hessin’s right hand began to glow and a burst of light blinded him. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a different place. He was on a platform and far below him was a sea of people; nevertheless, he thought he recognized one as his father.
“Welcome to Valendor, Kahlin Hessin Soleri Ostrom,” another voice said behind him. Turning around, he noticed a different man was sitting on a throne and surrounded by light orbs. The man has brown hair and wore a magnificent black robe. He stood up and offered him his hand, which Hessin shook. “My name is Pendance and this is my domain. You must be wondering what is going on so allow me to explain.
“First of all, yes, you’re dead but only temporarily. You are immortal just like the others and me. Second, my mother is searching for you and a few remaining others so we can fulfill our duty to sustain the world. Luckily for her, we know who you are and where to find you so that makes thing easier.” He chuckled as if he remembered a joke. “Maybe it’s to make up for the last two. Anyway, it looks like your time is up. I’m sure that you have a lot of questions, but I’m sure that my mother will provide you some answers when you meet with her. Until then, farewell!”
The next thing Hessin knew, Pendance and his surrounding began to look blurry. Then he felt himself being lifted up as he was floating into the sky and everything was swallowed up by the darkness.
Hessin woke up gasping as he sat up abruptly surrounded by ceraphilis flowers. He immediately touched his chest and was relieved to find it unscathed. As for his head, it was still attached to his body. Thank goodness! But what happened to the assassins? They were nowhere to be found. That was when he felt someone caressing his hair. Startled, he looked up and found himself captivated by what he saw.
A beautiful woman with pale blue skin and hair looked back at him affectionately. She wore a long, flowing dress, which covered her feet... if she has feet anyway because she was floating in the air. “Are you all right?” she asked. Her voice sounded otherworldly and seemed to echo. “Don’t worry about those men. I chased them away before they could cut off your head.”
Hessin felt his heart skipped a beat and placed his hand on the girl’s cheek to make sure she was real. “Who are you?” he managed to say.
She smiled and answered. “My name is Istra and I’m a water spirit,” she introduced herself. “I’ve been waiting for you for over two thousand years.”
“Over two thousand years?” Hessin was amazed. “How did you know that I will be here? Or that I’m supposed to be your new master?”
“My mistress, Neria, has the power of foresight and saw that I needed to be here to meet you. She ordered my summoner, who was her loyal worshipper, to stay in this place until he died. Then she told me that I needed to guard this location until ‘a man with the sun on his head’ arrives.” She pointed to his crown, which lay haphazardly on the grass next to him. Now that she mentioned it, the points on the crown did look like sun rays. “That man, she told me, will be my new master and that I was to aid him. That’s why when I saw you, I recognized that it was you and stopped my attacks on the people trying to disturb my master’s resting place. I also tried to warn you of the ambush but, unfortunately, couldn’t stop your death.”
“You warned me?” Hessin wondered and then it dawned on him. “You’re that bird I saw, weren’t you?” She nodded and transformed into the exotic bird before changing back to her human form. “But I thought you’re a water spirit. Why did you pick a bird form?”
Istra gave him a bemused look. “It’s because I can’t get around as much if I were a fish or any aquatic creatures,” she said matter-of-factly. “As a bird, I could go wherever I please. Any other questions?”
“Yes,” Hessin began. “Why me? Surely you can pick any other summoner to be your master. Likewise, I met someone who told me that I receive new powers. Do you know anything about them?”
“That is true,” she admitted, “but we spirits only serve masters whom we love and who love us in return. Do you remember hearing stories about men and women bewitched by spirits upon seeing them? Likewise, the same thing happens to us. Well, that is how we know who our masters will be. When I saw you, I just knew that you’re the one and the way you look at me, you feel the same way too. As for your new powers, I don’t know, unfortunately. You would need to ask someone else about that. Sorry”
“It’s all right,” he said. “I think I now know why most summoners never married now though my advisor wouldn’t be plea-” He stopped himself as he recalled what the assassin has claimed and stood up quickly, which startled Istra. “I need to go back to the capital. They most likely think I’ve been dead or...”
However, his legs felt weak and he stumbled to the ground. Istra placed her hands on his shoulders and soothed, “You still haven't recovered completely yet from your injury. You need to rest first before you can head out. Don’t worry; I already created a barrier to prevent anyone from entering. Now rest while I keep watch.”
He did as he was told and lie back down among the healing flowers. Closing his eyes, he wondered what was going on in his kingdom while he was away.
Dezmi 18, 1844
By the time he came out of the tunnel, the ruins were full of soldiers and archaeologists. The former searched every nook and cranny for the missing king while the latter grimaced and begged them to be careful not to damage the historical site. One of the soldiers finally noticed him standing there and shouted for the others. Before long, Hessin was surrounded by the large group. “Your Majesty, are you all right?” a soldier asked. “We were so worried about you! Maruk and Passeck had sent us here to look for you and we were about to lose hope.”
“I’m fine. Thank you for everything,” the Kahlin said gratefully, “but tell me what happened while I was away?”
“The capital is in an uproar right now,” another soldier reported. “When you didn’t come back, everyone began to worry so we searched all over the city since we thought you must have gotten lost. However, someone sounded the alarm when we found five dead bodies in a storage unit, and a few of us recognized them as fellow soldiers.
“Then a group of soldiers brought in some witnesses who claimed to see five men dressed as Isharan soldiers at the harbor, and that two of them seemed to be wounded. They discarded their uniforms and went on board on a ship to Enkrum. That was when Maruk realized that the escort he sent with you must have been assassins hired to kill you and accused one of the international emissaries of the crime.”
Hessin became intrigued. “And what happened to the emissaries?” he inquired.
“They’re still in the palace. Maruk had forbidden them from leaving the kingdom because he believed one of them is the culprit and worried that the citizens may desire to exact revenge on them due to your ‘death’,” he replied. “There is a lot of tensions right now because everyone is accusing the others of the deed. They are also paranoid about whether or not they would become the next victim.”
“I see. Thank you for your report, soldier,” the Kahlin said. “Do you, by chance, have a spare horse? I need to get back to the capital as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, we do, Your Majesty,” the soldier replied. “Shall we send someone ahead to tell the people the good news?”
“No, let’s not,” Hessin decided as he petted the bird perched on his shoulder. “I think I rather make this a surprise.”
Hessin had decided to arrive back to Soleri discreetly by dressing up as a soldier so not to get any attention; besides, his traveling clothes, which were packed into a bundle, were too bloodied. He sent Istra on ahead so she could provide information on him about what was going on in the palace. According to her, Maruk, Passeck, and his guests were in the throne room and were in a heated debate. She also noticed that his guests also brought in their personal soldiers, who looked like they would strike anyone who dares come close.
As he entered the city, he noticed the people peeking out the window curiously as they rode by. No doubt they had heard the rumor of his untimely demise. When he arrived at the palace gate, the guards immediately recognized him, but he quickly forbade them from announcing the news to others. Then, with a few trusted men, he marched toward the throne room and stopped in front of the door. He motioned to one of his escorts to open the door slightly so he could observe and listen.
“How dare you accused me of killing my king!?” Passeck’s enraged voice could be heard through the opened door. Hessin noticed that he was standing right below the throne, which was occupied by Maruk. Behind the throne was a large golden birdcage, which was two-story high and half as wide as the room. Over a hundred black, menacing birds that snapped their beaks hungrily; one could see the saliva spewing out from their mouth. The cacophony of their cries and banging against the cage were so loud that it was hard for everyone to hear.
“If you were more observant in your duty, you would have noticed that those men were Enkrum assassins, not Isharans,” his advisor accused. “You are originally from Sabin, correct? Perhaps you wanted to seek favor from King Rextin that you were willing to kill the man you once served!”
Passeck’s face flushed with anger and the King of Sabin bristled at that theory. “You of all people know that I denounce my homeland and became an Isharan citizen! I spent the last forty years serving his father and him faithfully. In return, they have treated me with respect and kindness. Why would I betray him like that?” the gray-haired general yelled. “What’s about you, Maruk? You were the one who chose the men to ride with him that day. That can’t be a coincidence! Not to mention the fact that you’re sitting on the throne as if it was your own!"
“Don’t make any accusation against me, Passeck!” Maruk shouted back angrily. “How would I know that those men were not Isharans? They put on disguises to trick me. As for the throne, someone needs to rule until we find out what happened to Kahlin Hessin. Now we have no time for this! I know that one of you hired those men and no one will leave this place until we found out! I’m sure that we will find evidence in one of your belongings!”
The guests began shouting out with frustration and anger as they proclaimed their innocence and that they needed to come back to their countries so that they could govern. Watching the spectacle, Hessin muttered disgustedly to his guards, “I’ve seen enough. Open the door now. It’s time that everyone sees that I’m alive, safe and sound.”
“Your Majesty, look!” a guard exclaimed and pointed to something in front of him. Hessin turned to look, and his mouth dropped at the sight. The tunnel has led out to an oasis of some sort. A large lake full of fresh, clean water was surrounded by soft, luscious grass; more water poured from the aqueducts above. Frogs jumped on and off of lily pads while tadpoles swam below the surface. Awed, Hessin walked to the edge of the lake and touched the water to make sure that it was real.
Who would have thought such place exist here? Imagine Tippet’s face when he sees this! But then, something was amiss; it was as if this place was manmade. If so, how? That was when he heard a bird’s wings flapped above him. Looking up, he saw the most beautiful bird that he had even seen sitting on a broken down wall.
A grayish-blue bird with large, round black eyes was looking at him curiously. It had three long tail feathers, which were green, red, and purple respectively, and the tip of its wings had the same color pattern as well. There was something bewitching about that bird because he felt drawn to it. Walking toward it, he raised his hand with hopes of petting it. “Hello, little one,” he said gently. “I won’t hurt you.”
The bird leaned closer to him and was only a finger’s length away when it suddenly flapped away with alarm. Startled, Hessin turned around to see that one of the guards was about to strike him with his sword. With no time to react, he quickly dodged though he felt his arm got cut. Leaning against the wall, he grimaced and confronted the man. “What is the meaning of this!?” he demanded as he quickly pulled his sword out.
“It’s nothing personal, Kahlin Hessin,” the man replied in an unfamiliar accent. “In fact, I actually admire you for your strong beliefs and bringing peace to the world, but business is business. And unfortunately for you, my client wants you dead.”
Hessin’s eyes widened in shock. An Enkrum assassin!? “Who hired you?” he wanted to know. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that the other guards were surrounding him as well. Dammit, that meant that his entire escort was compromised, which could only mean... “It was Maruk, wasn’t it?”
The assassin grinned. “Ding! Ding! Ding!” he said as he applauded. “Though, to be honest, I have no idea why he would want you dead, but too bad for you, you won’t be around to ask him why”
The Kahlin returned his grin. “Unfortunately for you, I don’t intend on dying today,” he retorted and charged at the man. Their swords clashed as Hessin forced the man to move back. However, the others came to their comrade’s rescue so the king had to focus on fighting more than one at a time. He was doing very well in spite of being outnumbered and managed to injure two of them. Then all of a sudden, a wave of dizziness struck him and caused him to fall to his knees.
“Feeling dizzy?” the assassin’s voice pounded his head, which gave him a headache. “It seemed like the poison has finally taken effect on you, Your Majesty. We have heard of your sword skills so we didn’t want to leave it up to chance. Now, if you don’t mind our intrusion, but Maruk had asked us to cut off your head. But since I like you so much, I’ll make it less painful for you.”
Hessin’s body jerked when he felt the sword pierced through his chest, and then his body became limp.
He opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by light. “Where am I?” he asked himself and squinted. This was definitely not the ruins or any other place he recognized. Hmm... If this was heaven, this was not how he imagined it to be.
“I never expect to see this old thing again,” a bemused voice said right behind him. He spurned around to see a white-haired man standing there. He wore a white robe with a green outer layer. In his hands, he held the Isharan scepter.
Hessin stood up and faced the man. “Who are you and how did you get my scepter?” he wondered. The man laughed.
“A scepter?” he chortled. “I would have never expected you human to use my sword like that. But then my creations always amaze me by their ingenuity and talents."
After saying that, he easily pulled the sword out of its sheath. The blade shone as brightly as the sun itself. “This is the Sword of Palenthor,” he continued. “It’s a sword made by the heaven itself so that only a god can wield it. However, that day has come when someone else will become its new rightful owner.”
He put the sword back and tossed it back to a bewildered Hessin, who caught it. “You, Hessin Soleri Ostrom, are my successor,” the mysterious man stated. “You have been chosen to become one of the Three Judges who will determine the fate of Samara’s people. For that, I’ve given you some of my powers to help you in your new role.”
“Powers? I don’t feel anything different though,” he confessed as he examined his body.
The stranger just smiled and waved his hand. That was when something odd happened. The light just… “danced” around Hessin before it was absorbed into his right hand. As the Kahlin stared at his hand with amazement, the other man said, “That is one of your powers. More will be revealed to you in time.”
“Wait! What do you mean by that?” Hessin demanded as he rushed toward this “god” and grabbed him by the front of his robe. “Who are you and how did you know my name?”
Before the man could answer, Hessin’s right hand began to glow and a burst of light blinded him. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a different place. He was on a platform and far below him was a sea of people; nevertheless, he thought he recognized one as his father.
“Welcome to Valendor, Kahlin Hessin Soleri Ostrom,” another voice said behind him. Turning around, he noticed a different man was sitting on a throne and surrounded by light orbs. The man has brown hair and wore a magnificent black robe. He stood up and offered him his hand, which Hessin shook. “My name is Pendance and this is my domain. You must be wondering what is going on so allow me to explain.
“First of all, yes, you’re dead but only temporarily. You are immortal just like the others and me. Second, my mother is searching for you and a few remaining others so we can fulfill our duty to sustain the world. Luckily for her, we know who you are and where to find you so that makes thing easier.” He chuckled as if he remembered a joke. “Maybe it’s to make up for the last two. Anyway, it looks like your time is up. I’m sure that you have a lot of questions, but I’m sure that my mother will provide you some answers when you meet with her. Until then, farewell!”
The next thing Hessin knew, Pendance and his surrounding began to look blurry. Then he felt himself being lifted up as he was floating into the sky and everything was swallowed up by the darkness.
Hessin woke up gasping as he sat up abruptly surrounded by ceraphilis flowers. He immediately touched his chest and was relieved to find it unscathed. As for his head, it was still attached to his body. Thank goodness! But what happened to the assassins? They were nowhere to be found. That was when he felt someone caressing his hair. Startled, he looked up and found himself captivated by what he saw.
A beautiful woman with pale blue skin and hair looked back at him affectionately. She wore a long, flowing dress, which covered her feet... if she has feet anyway because she was floating in the air. “Are you all right?” she asked. Her voice sounded otherworldly and seemed to echo. “Don’t worry about those men. I chased them away before they could cut off your head.”
Hessin felt his heart skipped a beat and placed his hand on the girl’s cheek to make sure she was real. “Who are you?” he managed to say.
She smiled and answered. “My name is Istra and I’m a water spirit,” she introduced herself. “I’ve been waiting for you for over two thousand years.”
“Over two thousand years?” Hessin was amazed. “How did you know that I will be here? Or that I’m supposed to be your new master?”
“My mistress, Neria, has the power of foresight and saw that I needed to be here to meet you. She ordered my summoner, who was her loyal worshipper, to stay in this place until he died. Then she told me that I needed to guard this location until ‘a man with the sun on his head’ arrives.” She pointed to his crown, which lay haphazardly on the grass next to him. Now that she mentioned it, the points on the crown did look like sun rays. “That man, she told me, will be my new master and that I was to aid him. That’s why when I saw you, I recognized that it was you and stopped my attacks on the people trying to disturb my master’s resting place. I also tried to warn you of the ambush but, unfortunately, couldn’t stop your death.”
“You warned me?” Hessin wondered and then it dawned on him. “You’re that bird I saw, weren’t you?” She nodded and transformed into the exotic bird before changing back to her human form. “But I thought you’re a water spirit. Why did you pick a bird form?”
Istra gave him a bemused look. “It’s because I can’t get around as much if I were a fish or any aquatic creatures,” she said matter-of-factly. “As a bird, I could go wherever I please. Any other questions?”
“Yes,” Hessin began. “Why me? Surely you can pick any other summoner to be your master. Likewise, I met someone who told me that I receive new powers. Do you know anything about them?”
“That is true,” she admitted, “but we spirits only serve masters whom we love and who love us in return. Do you remember hearing stories about men and women bewitched by spirits upon seeing them? Likewise, the same thing happens to us. Well, that is how we know who our masters will be. When I saw you, I just knew that you’re the one and the way you look at me, you feel the same way too. As for your new powers, I don’t know, unfortunately. You would need to ask someone else about that. Sorry”
“It’s all right,” he said. “I think I now know why most summoners never married now though my advisor wouldn’t be plea-” He stopped himself as he recalled what the assassin has claimed and stood up quickly, which startled Istra. “I need to go back to the capital. They most likely think I’ve been dead or...”
However, his legs felt weak and he stumbled to the ground. Istra placed her hands on his shoulders and soothed, “You still haven't recovered completely yet from your injury. You need to rest first before you can head out. Don’t worry; I already created a barrier to prevent anyone from entering. Now rest while I keep watch.”
He did as he was told and lie back down among the healing flowers. Closing his eyes, he wondered what was going on in his kingdom while he was away.
Dezmi 18, 1844
By the time he came out of the tunnel, the ruins were full of soldiers and archaeologists. The former searched every nook and cranny for the missing king while the latter grimaced and begged them to be careful not to damage the historical site. One of the soldiers finally noticed him standing there and shouted for the others. Before long, Hessin was surrounded by the large group. “Your Majesty, are you all right?” a soldier asked. “We were so worried about you! Maruk and Passeck had sent us here to look for you and we were about to lose hope.”
“I’m fine. Thank you for everything,” the Kahlin said gratefully, “but tell me what happened while I was away?”
“The capital is in an uproar right now,” another soldier reported. “When you didn’t come back, everyone began to worry so we searched all over the city since we thought you must have gotten lost. However, someone sounded the alarm when we found five dead bodies in a storage unit, and a few of us recognized them as fellow soldiers.
“Then a group of soldiers brought in some witnesses who claimed to see five men dressed as Isharan soldiers at the harbor, and that two of them seemed to be wounded. They discarded their uniforms and went on board on a ship to Enkrum. That was when Maruk realized that the escort he sent with you must have been assassins hired to kill you and accused one of the international emissaries of the crime.”
Hessin became intrigued. “And what happened to the emissaries?” he inquired.
“They’re still in the palace. Maruk had forbidden them from leaving the kingdom because he believed one of them is the culprit and worried that the citizens may desire to exact revenge on them due to your ‘death’,” he replied. “There is a lot of tensions right now because everyone is accusing the others of the deed. They are also paranoid about whether or not they would become the next victim.”
“I see. Thank you for your report, soldier,” the Kahlin said. “Do you, by chance, have a spare horse? I need to get back to the capital as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, we do, Your Majesty,” the soldier replied. “Shall we send someone ahead to tell the people the good news?”
“No, let’s not,” Hessin decided as he petted the bird perched on his shoulder. “I think I rather make this a surprise.”
Hessin had decided to arrive back to Soleri discreetly by dressing up as a soldier so not to get any attention; besides, his traveling clothes, which were packed into a bundle, were too bloodied. He sent Istra on ahead so she could provide information on him about what was going on in the palace. According to her, Maruk, Passeck, and his guests were in the throne room and were in a heated debate. She also noticed that his guests also brought in their personal soldiers, who looked like they would strike anyone who dares come close.
As he entered the city, he noticed the people peeking out the window curiously as they rode by. No doubt they had heard the rumor of his untimely demise. When he arrived at the palace gate, the guards immediately recognized him, but he quickly forbade them from announcing the news to others. Then, with a few trusted men, he marched toward the throne room and stopped in front of the door. He motioned to one of his escorts to open the door slightly so he could observe and listen.
“How dare you accused me of killing my king!?” Passeck’s enraged voice could be heard through the opened door. Hessin noticed that he was standing right below the throne, which was occupied by Maruk. Behind the throne was a large golden birdcage, which was two-story high and half as wide as the room. Over a hundred black, menacing birds that snapped their beaks hungrily; one could see the saliva spewing out from their mouth. The cacophony of their cries and banging against the cage were so loud that it was hard for everyone to hear.
“If you were more observant in your duty, you would have noticed that those men were Enkrum assassins, not Isharans,” his advisor accused. “You are originally from Sabin, correct? Perhaps you wanted to seek favor from King Rextin that you were willing to kill the man you once served!”
Passeck’s face flushed with anger and the King of Sabin bristled at that theory. “You of all people know that I denounce my homeland and became an Isharan citizen! I spent the last forty years serving his father and him faithfully. In return, they have treated me with respect and kindness. Why would I betray him like that?” the gray-haired general yelled. “What’s about you, Maruk? You were the one who chose the men to ride with him that day. That can’t be a coincidence! Not to mention the fact that you’re sitting on the throne as if it was your own!"
“Don’t make any accusation against me, Passeck!” Maruk shouted back angrily. “How would I know that those men were not Isharans? They put on disguises to trick me. As for the throne, someone needs to rule until we find out what happened to Kahlin Hessin. Now we have no time for this! I know that one of you hired those men and no one will leave this place until we found out! I’m sure that we will find evidence in one of your belongings!”
The guests began shouting out with frustration and anger as they proclaimed their innocence and that they needed to come back to their countries so that they could govern. Watching the spectacle, Hessin muttered disgustedly to his guards, “I’ve seen enough. Open the door now. It’s time that everyone sees that I’m alive, safe and sound.”