“Pleasure meeting you,” Auron said and shook hands with Ganicus.
“That was one interesting Eedahlan. It takes great magic and spirit to be able to use summoning magic,” Auron said and bowed his head in respect.
Ganicus only smiled back and scratched his head.
“Could you help us to enter?” Akielas asked.
“The guards are giving you trouble? Leave it to me.” Ganicus turned towards the gate and with a scowl, he trudged towards the guards.
The guard with the silver mask took a straight posture in the presence of the prince and said, “Prince Ganicus. These foreigners are not allowed inside. The king said…”
“They are coming with me,” the prince snarled. “These men are friends. Next time, you will let them in. Understood?”
“Yes, Prince Ganicus. As you wish,” the guard said. He spun around and shouted at the men at the top of the wall. “Open the gate!”
**********
Inside a circle of guards, Prince Ganicus, Akielas, and Auron walked to the king’s palace. Palm trees grew around pools. Women of the city wore garbs that covered their entire body, only revealing their eyes. Men wore turbans and ornate bandanas. Some wore robes; others wore vest with baggy pants. Big beards seemed to be their fashion and walrus mustaches, as well as dreadlocks, like Ganicus. Most people had olive skin. Civilians hauled baskets of food on their heads, and others performed on the streets. Children ran kicking a ball into a vertical hoop; it was a sport of the Zolan country.
Houses and edifices were built with cement, bricks, and granite stones with dome roofs and round designs. Ahead was the palace. Its towers gilded and ivory with pools at its perimeter. Soldiers paddled on boats towards the palace carrying supplies for the king’s kitchen, and silk to design rich royal clothes.
They arrived at a small port, and got on a boat. A scorpion soldier propelled them to the palace.
“Beautiful city,” Auron said, admiring the architecture, and culture of the people of Zolan. “So much different than Burnahdujf, and Verday.”
“Thank you, Auron. Perhaps, one day, Akielas will take me to your country,” Ganicus said. Akielas looked at the boy frowning at his reflection in the water as they rode on the boat. Last time he saw him so depressed, the boy had been punished by his father.
“Ganicus, I saw what happened in the desert with that masked girl,” Akielas told him.
Ganicus rose into a tall posture. “You saw me. How?” he asked.
“Through my crystal ball. I saw everything that happened. Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. I came to stop that masked fiend. I won’t be able to do it alone. I need your help, and we need to warn your father. His army must be ready. Fiends will invade the palace and take all the kaminyte that he has been collecting.”
Ganicus sighed wearily. Auron patted him on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. I know how you feel. Akielas has a way of giving people more responsibilities. You’ll get used to it. I dealt with him all my life.”
“What is father doing with all this kaminyte? Why does he want more of it?” Ganicus asked in a whiney tone. “He cares more about his collection of rocks than he does about me.”
“I don’t know either. However, that masked girl you fought, I know that she will be returning, and this time, she will attack the palace,” Akielas warned.
“At least, I know my father will listen to you,” the prince said. “Now, let me ask you, Master Akielas. Why do you need my help?”
Akielas smiled and answered, “Because you are one of my best students. Your summoning powers and your aeromancy have grown tremendously. As the prince of the Zolan country, you are one of the top mages. We need you in our alliance to stop these masked foes. If not, then your country, as well as other countries, will be at risk of destruction.”
Ganicus stared at Akielas. There was silence, and only the sound of water colliding against the wooden boat was heard as the soldier paddled towards the palace.
“Well, you are taking it better than I did, when Akielas first invited me to save the world,” Auron said and laughed, breaking the silence.
“You are asking too much of me. I am just a prince,” Ganicus said. “Even if I agreed, what can I possibly do to make a difference? You saw how I was defeated in the desert. How can anyone stop someone so powerful?”
Auron looked at Akielas solemnly. He didn’t need any words to tell Akielas that he was pressuring the boy too much. Akielas nodded and understood Auron’s gesture. I believe in all my students, Akielas thought of Auron when he raised the young Amaranth at the age of thirteen. Auron was much more daring even in his youth. Ganicus was talented but lacked motivation, and Akielas knew how to trigger those motives.
“I think you will change your mind, once we speak to your father,” Akielas said, optimistically. He looked at Auron and saw him grimacing.
“I hope you know what you are doing, Akielas,” Auron said, apprehensively.
The boat arrived at the small port of the palace, and with haste, they walked up the ivory stairs without the guards. They stared at the golden statues of legendary kings that reigned by the archway entrance. Above the entrance was a greater statue that stood up to thirty feet in height. Akielas remembered it from his last visit. It was the statue of Majithus, the god of Zolan, a deity of the desert.
After the ivory stairs, they entered the grand hall of the palace. They paced amongst the columns and gazed up at the gilded lotus flowers ornate in the roofs. The floors were tiled with marble stones, and wind from outside billowed rich silk curtains. Female servants walked by and bowed to the prince. They wore fewer clothes than the women in the streets of the city. Their tops were transparent; many bangles hung from their wrist; their skirts had bells and golden scales, ringing and clanking for their dance to entertain visitors and the king. Ganicus kissed one of the servants and slapped her buttocks.
“My father is this way,” the prince guided Akielas.
Auron could not resist looking at the beautiful women of the palace.
“Please, do not touch or flirt with the king’s servants,” Ganicus warned.
“At times like these, I wish I was not married,” said the Amaranth.
The three men walked into the king’s throne room. Their steps echoed inside. Akielas saw King Mahamuth talking to his soldiers. The king clutched a scroll and his fist shook as if he were angry. Mahamuth looked over his shoulder and ended his conversation with his soldiers. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them then paced towards his son.
“Ganicus. My son. You are alive,” said Mahamuth. His voice was strident, deep, and masculine. The man was six feet tall. Brown skin. The sides of his head shaved and tattooed with mandarak circles. His Mohawk was divided in three tails like horse mane. The king wore black eyeliner, and around his neck was a golden choker. The jeweled crown sat on the throne surrounded by a harem of half-naked maidens. The king was topless with only a gilded tasset. He was muscular, and just from his stare, Akielas could feel his power.
“Father,” Ganicus said, “I bring you horrible news.”
“I already heard about Donkor village,” the king said. “I have also been informed about the pyramid from soldiers who survived in the village. My only question is, how could you let anyone get away with our kaminyte?”
“Don’t you mean your kaminyte,” Ganicus snarled. “Father, it is about time you tell me what you are doing with these dark items. Back in the pyramid, I did everything I could to protect it… and for what? What is this thing worth? You seem to care more about it than the people of Donkor village.”
“Oh, King Mahamuth. Please allow me to help your son vividly explain the situation,” Akielas joined the quarrel.
“And who are you?” Mahamuth asked.
Akielas was sure that the king would remember him. “Do you not recognize me? I am Akielas Neous. We met about two years ago.”
Mahamuth squinted and stared at Akielas for a moment. The king raised his thin eyebrows and as
his lips widened into a smile, he began to recall memories of Akielas.
“Akielas. Yes, now I remember.” Mahamuth chuckled. “How could I forget the man who trained my son in the mystic arts and showed me how to use kaminyte. How could I ever forget?” Mahamuth locked his arms around Akielas and lifted him, giving the man a tight hug. Akielas could barely breathe.
“It’s good to see you too, old friend,” Akielas struggled to say.
Mahamuth released him, and Akielas’s torso ached. The king was a bear of a man. It was like being hugged by a gorilla.
Akielas noticed that Ganicus glowered at him with arms crossed.
“What is wrong, Ganicus?” Akielas asked, but he already knew what was coming from the boy’s mouth.
“You taught my father how to use kaminyte?” the prince said hoarsely and clenched his fist. “You taught my father how to use that dark steel? What has my father been doing with it? Tell me!”
“My personal plans are not for you to know, Ganicus,” Mahamuth said. His voice vibrated and echoed in the throne room. The harem by the throne startled. Ganicus shuddered, hearing the voice of his father, and became silent. He dare not make eye contact with the king.
Mahamuth then looked at Auron and asked. “Akielas, introduce me to your red friend.”
“Ah, yes. This is Auron Fox of the Amaranth tribe.” Akielas presented his son.
“To be correct, I am from Burnahdujf. The North Empire,” Auron said. “It is an honor to meet the king of Zolan for the first time.”
“Thank you, Auron of Burnahdujf. May I ask what has brought you here, Akielas?” Mahamuth asked his old friend.
“It is regarding your son’s previous encounter with a masked villain. I know the person who stole the kaminyte. King Mahamuth, I came here to warn you that the same person will soon be invading this palace. As long as you possess kaminyte in this palace, this villain will haunt you. Ganicus did his best to prevent this foe from taking the dark steel. Fiends will attack, and their darkness could corrupt even the purest of hearts. I have fought them. You must…”
“Fiends!” Mahamuth rasped. He interrupted Akielas. “Fiends, like demons of the underworld. You expect me to believe this rubbish. No one has seen a fiend since the time of Bracka Mahamuth, the great summoner and companion of the legendary Prodigus Kollos. Fiends are but a tale that adults use to scare children. A folklore, a fairy tale. They do not exist.”
Akielas had never heard of Bracka Mahamuth, but he assumed it was a king in the ancestry of the people of Zolan. King Mahamuth was stubborn and a house of masculinity. Akielas always had trouble getting through to him from the very first time he met the king.
“This is more ridiculous than when you came here asking me about the Golden Sun,” the king added.
“But father, we have the G…”
“Ganicus! Be quiet!” the king bellowed. Mahamuth prevented Ganicus from finishing his sentence.
What was he going to say? Akielas thought at that moment. Could it be…Yes…So it’s true…It has to be… They do have the Golden Sun. One of the Valiarmos of Hettakus Kollos, the pioneer of magical items. I knew they were hiding it. If Ember finds the Golden Sun, she can use it to cause even more havoc. I must get my hands on it before she does. The king won’t give it to me, but I am sure Ganicus will cooperate.
“Akielas, if you would like to stay and enjoy my hospitality for a few days then you are welcome,” the king invited. “I will have my maidens give you the special treatment, but I don’t want to hear about these fiends again.” Then Mahamuth turned to his son. “As for you, Ganicus, I will talk to you in private, much later.”
“Your majesty, whatever form of defense you have, I recommend that you start preparing right now,” Akielas advised.
“Father, please. Listen to him. I saw them. They are black monsters,” Ganicus pled, but his father turned his back on him. The king lifted his jeweled crown and sat on his throne. His maidens served him wine and fruits and fanned his face.
“Think about the people of this city, your majesty,” Akielas persisted, trying to persuade the king.
Mahamuth gave a long sigh and finally decided. “Just this once, Akielas, I will tell my warriors to prepare and patrol the city. However, I don’t believe in these fiends you speak of, but I know you did not come here in vain after two years. I will trust you, for now, Akielas. Do you know when this foe will strike?”
Akielas smiled. He knew that he was able to persuade the king one way or another as he once did. Auron had been silent for most of the time; the red-head nodded and brushed his ruby mustache, holding in a laugh of triumph.
“I am not sure, but most likely, it will be soon enough, at an unexpected time,” Akielas answered.
Abruptly, screams echoed in the palace. Everyone in the throne room jerked their heads at the arched door. The sound of clanking armor was heard coming from the hall. Soldiers chimed in through the arched door. They breathed heavily, and their eyes looked as if they had seen a monster.
“How dare you barge in like this!” the king yelled.
“King Mahamuth. They are coming. They have entered the palace.” One of the soldiers panted, and they all panicked. One soldier had a gash on his shoulder. It was an ugly wound. Blood gushed on the tiles and crimsoned the carpets.
“What are you talking about?” the king rasped; his voice was like gravel.
“They were black monsters.” The soldier shuddered as he spoke. “They were black, your majesty. A herd of them are running towards the palace.”
Mahamuth looked at Akielas with wide eyes as if his fears were manifesting. Akielas and Auron looked at each other, nodded and drew their swords.
“It has begun, your majesty. Tell all your soldiers and mages of the palace to attack full force. Prevent these fiends from entering at all cost,” Akielas commanded. “Ganicus, come with me.” At that moment, King Mahamuth followed Akielas’s every word.
The three men sprinted down the hallway with swords at hand. Already, they saw the fiends approaching. Large canines, thrice the size of dire wolves, swarmed in like a flood of darkness.
“Auron, Ganicus, use pyromancy!” Akielas commanded. “Pirara azue!” he yelled out his spell. He clapped his hands, and between his palms swelled a ball of blue flames. He launched his spell at the herd of fiends, and a blast of sapphire flames burned the creatures to ashes. Blue flames were deadly and burned faster than red fire. The archway of the palace became charred, but the gilded roof remained untouched. Auron and Ganicus joined in and blasted their flames as well.
There were too many fiends. Akielas noticed that their numbers increased with every new encounter.
After they ceased their flames, many fiends had turned to ashes and a few remained. There had to be more than one hundred fiends entering the palace. How are they multiplying? Akielas thought.
Auron dashed and slew fiends with his falchion. Ganicus battled, this time with twin swords; his saber split into two blades at the twist of the pommel. Akielas didn’t bother fighting; he just continued to burn them with blue flames and ran outside the palace, leaving behind Auron and Ganicus. He wanted to stop her at all cost. Akielas tossed his cloak aside as he ran down the stairs. As fiends ran up, he diced them with his one-handed sword, and they shrilled after every blow.
At the bottom of the stairs, he saw her. Five horns twisting up on her white mask. She held the relic of Odiamus. It hung from a chain in her hand, releasing dark clouds. Those dark clouds shape-shifted into fiends of fangs and claws. Some were canine creatures and others thirty feet tall trolls. Fiends with arms like mantis, jumped to the roof of the palace, and the trolls trudged through the city.
“Eckxio, I wish you were here right now,” Akielas said as he saw the massive number of fiends invading the palace and climbing its towers. Soldiers defended the city, but they were too weak. Even the mages of Zolan were not strong enough.
“Ember!” Akielas screamed. She looked up at him as he ran down the ivory stairs.
“Pirara suz!” Ember launched her spell.
A red beam streamed from her fingers. Akielas deformed the spell with his bare hands. He reversed it, turning the red beam into a ball of fire, and hurled it back at her. She slapped the fireball away, and it went flying into the city detonating on a cement edifice. People screamed and huddled to safety.
Damn it, Akielas thought, watching the damage that the spell had done. I don’t want to fight where there are too many people.
“Trondass suz!” Akielas launched his lightning spell. The energy chirped like a thousand birds, and once it touched Ember, she took the hit and withstood the spell, screaming. Akielas watched as she endured and could not believe how she resisted. Has she found a way to resist lightning? That is incredible.
Ember balled the lightning with two hands. She manipulated the maju, and with two fingers, she launched it back at Akielas. He dodged it, hopping aside, and the lightning shattered a pair of stairs, turning them to rubble. Akielas gazed at Ember almost afraid.
“Like my new trick, Master Akielas?” Ember said and cackled. “I had to do something about that annoying spell of yours. I won’t bother learning air and water magic to cast lightning, but I can redirect your spells.”
“Well done, but perhaps, you have forgotten. I have mastered all six elements. Do you seriously think I don’t have other ways of stopping you?” Akielas said.
“None that would kill me, old master,” Ember replied. “My fiends sensed kaminyte in this palace, and I will take it all. If you don’t want the people of this city to be harmed, then tell the king to surrender his entire supply of kaminyte.”
“Master Akielas!” he heard Auron’s voice coming from behind. Ganicus and Auron ran down the stairs. They joined Akielas and faced Ember.
Sin of Mages_An Epic Fantasy Series Page 12
