by Mark Omodia
Chapter 3
The King's Court
There was a fortress some miles away, in another part of the forest. That was where the other creatures dwelled. Creatures like the one that was after me in the forest. They were called Morrs.
The gigantic walls of the fortress enclosed a vast expanse of lush green land. In there, the massive population of Morrs lived, building skyscrapers with gothic-like architecture and breeding a doughty army. They were a successful and self-sufficient race and they were mortal enemies of the Morflon who were crude compared to the more sophisticated Morrs.
Somewhere around the centre of the fortress, the King's palace stood tall, a massive building that seemed to reach the heavens. Like all their buildings, it was made of stone and had gothic-like architecture. The land around the palace was landscaped with beautiful flowers and carpet grass demarcated by walkways and the air around was filled with the sweet scent of the exotic flowers. Guards were all over the palace, some on the ground while some flying around the palace. The palace was filled with steps as they were the only way, besides flying, to get to the around.
Unlike the Morflon, the Morrs didn't have a council of elders. They had a king who surrounded himself with prominent Morrs as members of his court. Each courtier controlled a sector in the fortress. They met with the king in his palace almost every day, deliberating on issues of national interest.
Around the time I was before the council of elders, the King was at court. They had sent out some spies to find out the whereabouts of the creature that wanted me dead. The spies had returned with the body of the creature and they brought it before the king's court. They all wore black hooded cloaks.
The foul stench of the creature's decaying carcass spread across the room as the spies laid it down on the beautiful marble floor. The courtiers, who sat on either side of the room facing each other, covered their nostrils to reduce the nauseating odour. The king shut his eyes for a while as he held back his tears.
He was seated on his throne which had a diamond frame and golden leather cushions; his crown - a diamond band glittering as he shook his head. The king, like other wealthy Morrs put on a lot of jewelry. The only perk was that he alone wore diamond jewelry all over. Other Morrs could have diamonds, but before the king none was to appear as magnificently clad. He and other influential Morrs put on beautifully embroidered robes. The Morrs dressed in attire similar to that of medieval times and they did not keep dreadlocks.
'When did this happen?' he slurred. 'How did this happen?'
'Your highness!' said one of the spies. 'We found Lord Boas' corpse in the valley just beyond the Alpha tribe. From what we gather, Lord Boas was chased into the woods by the Morflon who caught him trespassing...'
'Trespassing...?' Egon, the son of the king asked. He was seated amongst the king's courtiers. He had a ponytail. 'Trespassing...! We rule the entire forest!'
'I am sorry my lord', the spy replied.
'Your highness!' Egon said, turning to the king. 'It is no doubt that you my lord wield the most power in the forest. But your power, the entire authority of the Morr lineage is being weathered with time. Beyond the walls of the fortress, certain rebellious creatures seek to smite the head that wears the crown! They seek to trample upon the crown and bring this mighty fortress to the ground. My lord, we must hold the fort, for if things fall apart the centre cannot hold! I say you send an army to confront those savages and take back what is rightfully yours - your dignity! Your respect! Your authority! We must let them know that we are not weak. We are and will always be a superior race!'
'Are you suggesting I start a war?' King Sett asked.
'No your highness', Egon replied.
'Then why suggest confrontation?' the king asked. 'It will only end in unnecessary bloodshed. We must be more subtle than that. That is why we are Morrs; we must utilize our intellectual prowess!'
'Your highness, we gather that the Morflon have a strange creature dwelling in their midst', the spies cut in.
'Really?' the king asked. 'How long has he been with them?'
'About a month Your Highness', they replied.
There were murmurs as the king pondered a cause of action.
'Your highness!' one of the courtiers said. 'They must be forming an alliance.'
'How many are they like the creature in the forest?' King Sett asked.
'So far just this one', the spies replied.
'They must have some hidden agenda', one of the courtiers suggested.
'Perhaps this one is paving the way for others', another said.
'Do you know why he is with them?' Egon asked.
'No my lord', the spies replied.
'I say we stop them now before they become formidable!' a member of the court said.
'Send some troops and put a stop to this at once!' another said.
'We must act now before it is too late!' yet another added.
Members of the king's court were hysterical. Everyone was in support of an all-out assault, everyone but the king.
'Lords of the court!' he roared, signaling them to be silent.
'You are only being paranoid', he continued when all was calm. 'We cannot let unfounded fear cloud our reasoning!'
Turning to the spies he said; 'You would go back to the Morflon and find out all there is to know about this creature. Find out what the Morflon are up to and report back to this court as soon as you get any vital information... one more thing, find my brother's killer and bring him to me alive. He must answer for his crimes before me!'
He then waved his hands and the spies bowed and took their leave, putting on their hoods as they walked out of the hall.