by Mark Omodia
Chapter 13
Trinidos Wakes
All was not well in the fortress either. King Sett was at court with all his courtiers. He was furious. He could not believe what he was hearing.
'How can you say they are gone', he asked the guards who came to report to him.
'Your highness', the guards said. 'We carried out a thorough search. They are nowhere to be found. As we speak now there are soldiers all over the fortress. The fortress is on lock down until we find them.'
'Seven creatures', King Sett said. 'How could seven creatures leave the hole unnoticed?'
King Sett sighed wearily as he reclined on his throne. He was troubled, but his troubles were not over yet as, a steward ran in and said; 'Your highness, there is a mob threatening to besiege the palace!'
Looking at the guards he asked; 'I thought you said the fortress was on lockdown!'
The guards were speechless.
'What do they want now?' King Sett asked.
'They claim that you let the prisoners escape', the messenger replied. 'They say your allegiance to the human has clouded your judgment, thus they want you out.'
'Impossible!' King Sett yelled. 'How did they find out?'
'I think that should be the least of your worries father', Egon said. 'You should be thinking of how to clean up this mess you got yourself into.'
King Sett was drenched in confusion. He went to the balcony and gazed at the fierce mob below. He paused for a long while to think. After a while of deafening silence, he snapped. He summoned Oldric who was out at the time.
'Go out and silence the crowd!' he ordered Oldric when he arrived. 'I do not care how you do it. I do not want to see any living creature down there. I have had enough of this. Henceforth anyone who tries to organize any rally of any kind shall be arrested and sent to the hole. Go!'
Oldric gathered some soldiers and dispersed the mob. Thanks to their military might, they were able to send everyone home in peace or pieces. But King Sett did not stop there. He ordered mass arrests of several foreign creatures. He had soldiers raid the slums. He turned the entire fortress upside down in hopes of finding my comrades and I. Several masses organized riots and they also fought the soldiers who flooded the streets in a bid to quell any riots. A civil war was gradually brewing. King Sett became dark, so dark even Egon was scared. After about a week, Egon decided it was time to have a chat with his father. He met him in his room where he sat on his bed, drinking.
'Three creatures were killed today', he said.
King Sett was silent.
'Yesterday it was four', he continued. 'The day before that, six and the day before that yet another was killed. The fortress has become a slaughter house.'
'When did you begin to care?' King Sett asked.
'I do not', Egon quickly replied. 'But it is not only the Morflon you are killing. Even Morrs are being slaughtered. That is my worry.'
'They resist my authority and blatantly disobey me!' King Sett snapped. 'I thought you of all people would be pleased at my actions.'
'I am', Egon said. 'But you are not that kind of leader. Besides if you slaughter everyone, who would you rule? Fighting the masses would only widen the gulf between you and them. Right now we are on the brink of a civil war.'
'What do you suggest I do then?' King Sett asked.
Egon took a chalice and poured some wine for himself.
'Give the masses what they want', he said.
'Are you suggesting that I give up my throne?' King Sett asked.
'Not necessarily', Egon said rather calmly. 'I will lose my birth right if you do so and I certainly do not want that... what I want you to do is simple; wake the immortal Trinidos. He has enough hatred against the Morflon to carry out my plan. Besides, waking Trinidos would calm the masses down. He would assume power and then lead the army to conquer the Morflon.'
'What if he refuses to step down after all is said and done?' King Sett asked.
'Immortals are not known to cling to mortal things', Egon said. 'They say that when immortals sleep, it is as if they are living in a dream. They live in paradise. That is why they do not wish to be awake for long as they want to go back and continue that dream.'
'Even if that were not the case', Egon continued. 'At least you would still be in power as his right hand Morr. It is much better than losing power entirely and probably facing death or exile... Trinidos will once again make us a united front and that is what we need against the Morflon.'
'What if the masses still want me out after everything?' King Sett asked.
'You should know that the masses are forgiving', Egon replied. 'You just need to show them that you have turned a new leaf. Besides, I believe waking Trinidos and enslaving all Morflon would put you back in their good books.'
'Why do I need to wake Trinidos to fight a battle I am capable of fighting?' King Sett asked.
'You cannot go out and fight when your house is not in order', Egon replied. 'What then would you be fighting for?'
King Sett was still not comfortable with the idea of waking Trinidos. He showed reluctance.
'There is nothing to worry about', Egon said. 'It is the best option you have right now. Think about it.'
After gulping his wine, Egon dropped the chalice on the table and walked out of the room, leaving King Sett once again in thoughts.
King Sett considered every word Egon said. For once, he thought about Egon's opinion.
It took him days to arrive at a decision. After serious consideration and persuasion, though with a little reluctance, he obliged. He gave orders for preparations to be made to wake Trinidos.
Special incense they called RUBINCENSE was prepared. Rubincense was red incense gotten from one of the trees in the forest called Quercus. The incense was used to wake an immortal and send him back to rest. It was also used to immortalize creatures i.e. make them immortals.
On the appointed day, King Sett, accompanied by Egon, Oldric and some of his courtiers walked into the shrine where Trinidos slept, chanting. Everything in Trinidos' shrine was magnificent, made of marble. His bed was at the centre of the shrine, covered with a glass case. Around the bed were clay pots filled with burning red coal. King Sett went to each pot, sprinkling the grains of rubincense into them. Within seconds the entire room was filled with the red incense. Some stewards lifted the case so as to allow the rubincense flow into Trinidos' system. Trinidos' body was pale and dry, but not decayed and he was dressed in regal attire and jewelry. The Morrs surrounded his bed and began to chant;
Arise, you worthy child of nature
Wake up from your slumber
Behold your children for you to nurture
Behold so great a number
Though you dwell in places divine
Remember your purpose
To aid all those you left behind
Whenever they summon you
Arise Trinidos for now we summon you
Within minutes Trinidos' body began to get life. He gasped as he began to breathe in more of the rubincense. He opened his eyes wide as he kept gasping, all the while the Morrs continued chanting. Soon he was back to life. He sat up and looked round him, seeing all the Morrs who had woken him up. They stopped chanting and genuflected before him. He just stared at them.
The bells were rung all over the fortress to announce the awakening of Trinidos. The masses were of good cheer. They felt a breath of fresh air brought about by a new regime. Little did they know they were in for a great shocker.
Trinidos had a long full beard which he stroked constantly. He was a towering figure who had a short fuse. He sat at court with King Sett and his courtiers who wanted to give him the crown.
'Do you wear rags?' Trinidos asked King Sett who was bewildered by his question.
'Certainly not', King Sett replied.
'Why?' Trinidos asked.
'I am a King', King Sett replied, still unsure where Trinidos was heading with these questions. 'Rags are beneath me.'
'So to
o I cannot wear your crown', Trinidos said. 'Be it made of diamonds or all the riches of the forest, the crown and everything associated with it are beneath me. I am an immortal. I have seen the better part of magnificence and glory. I have transcended beyond all mortal things... Besides, before my sleep I was an emperor.'
'But your highness', King Sett said. 'Who would lead us then?'
'Are you not the king?' Trinidos asked him. 'You do your duties... and do not refer to me as your highness. I am greater than that.'
'What do we call you then?' King Sett asked.
Trinidos thought for a suitable answer.
'...Call me the great one', he finally replied.
'Great one', Egon said. 'Even if you refuse to be the king, at least grant our request... the reason we woke you up.'
'I know that you did not disturb my slumber just to see my pretty face', Trinidos said. 'I am all ears.'
A rather excited Egon hurriedly disclosed everything to Trinidos. King Sett was not particularly pleased with Egon's impatience.
'Great one', Egon said. 'It is the Morflon.'
'What', Trinidos asked. His facial expression showed he was totally oblivious of the Morflon.
'The slaves', King Sett said trying to spark Trinidos' memory.
'Oh! The ones I enslaved?' Trinidos asked.
'Yes great one', King Sett replied.
'What this time?' Trinidos asked. 'Are they planning a revolt or did they attempt to usurp the throne again?'
'They are no more slaves, great one', Egon replied sheepishly. 'They broke free.'
Trinidos roared. In the twinkle of an eye, he grabbed King Sett by the neck and threatened to snap it. He was furious. King Sett struggled to breathe, his feet dangled for they no longer touched the ground. Everyone was shocked.
'It was not during his reign they broke free!' a scared Egon begged.
Trinidos let go of King Sett who fell to the ground, holding his neck and gasping.
'I will not tolerate weakness!' Trinidos yelled.
He walked back to his seat where he seemed to be devising a plan.
'They have challenged our authority several times over since then...' Egon said, afraid of Trinidos' reaction.
'We want you to lead an assault on them... to remind them who is in charge', Egon continued.
'Oh they would remember who is in charge', Trinidos said with a grin. 'Only it might be too late for them... Are your soldiers combat ready?'
'We have not fought any battle in a long while but I guess they...' King Sett tried to say before he was interrupted by Trinidos who asked again; 'Are they combat ready?'
'Yes Great one', King Sett replied.
'Good', Trinidos said. 'Starting today begin a recruitment exercise. All adult able bodied males shall be recruited into the army. Come tomorrow, intensive training shall commence for all soldiers. I will not tolerate incompetence. Any soldier found wanton within two weeks will be terminated. Only the strong shall survive. In three weeks' time we shall launch an all-out assault on the abominations called the Morflon and we shall take no prisoners. We shall roll out the drums of war and dance to their rhythm, so that the Morflon shall behold our might in battle.'
Trinidos was not one to mince words. Everything went as he ordered. All males were forcefully recruited into the military. Those who did not qualify were terminated as he ordered. He rounded up as many foreigners as he could in the fortress and executed them. Only a lucky few were able to escape. Within three weeks, the entire fortress was a military camp. No one could take a breath unless Trinidos decreed. Though he did not wear the crown, he ran an absolute tyranny. King Sett and his courtiers began to regret their actions. Maybe waking Trinidos was a step too far.
