by Brad Clark
The demeanor of the king changed as he described his time with Micheal. Thoughts of his brother were gone and in its place was something else, but Conner wasn’t sure what it was. The tears and emotion were replaced with deep thoughtfulness, especially when he mentioned the Ark of Life. He continued to recap his adventures as he was revived by Hargon, the former Taran emperor and escaped from Taran to return to South Karmon to retrieve the Ark of Life. His mouth was becoming dry, and his jaw was tiring as he described the fight at South Karmon where the Taran Centurions had launched their attack against the city, the arrival of the Stone Ogres, and the appearance of the dragon.
“They destroyed our city,” Conner said. “Ripped it apart stone by stone. I don’t know how many thousands were killed, or even if anyone survived. There was no way we could fight back, so our only recourse was to go with Glaerion to his people and ask them for help.”
Conner paused long enough for the king to finally ask a question. “So you convinced them?”
“Not at first. Their Eleven Council wanted to stay in exile and simply hide from the war. In the end, with the help of Glaerion and his wife, and my wife, we did convince them.”
“Not all of them,” Glaerion interrupted. “At least half our number remained behind and will be hiding even deeper in the jungles.”
“Married?” Princess Nikki asked. “When did you get married?”
A smile came across Conner’s face, and his heart was warmed by the thought of Elissa. “I married Elissa when we were with the Elves,” he said, unable to stop smiling.
Princess Nikki looked away and rolled her eyes. “Of course you did.”
“What does that mean?”
She laughed. “It means nothing. Finish your tale.”
Conner gave her a long look and realized that Princess Nikki did mean something by her statement, but he wasn’t sure what it was. He turned back to the king and continued. There was not much else to tell, so he quickly gave a recap of their adventure at sea, getting lost after the storm, and ending up on their island.
“Fates have brought us here,” Glaerion added as Conner took a moment to rest his jaws.
Slowly, King Loshin shook his head. “There is no fate involved. Your story is not just a story, but an event that has been prophesized. Not the details, perhaps, but the event itself. It was not fate that brought you here, but it was the One God himself. Our Creator has done all he could do to put you in this spot, right in front of me. He has brought the signs to our world, to show us that the prophecies are true. Did you see the bright star in the sky? That was the One God showing His people that their faith is to be rewarded, that He will make his triumphant return to reclaim this world for his own.”
“I saw the star,” Conner said. “I know that Master Goshin was curious about it and maybe even a little concerned. That was why he left South Karmon, to seek out what it was and what it meant. Should he not have come all the way back here?”
King Loshin slowly shook his head. “My brother could not have returned here, as he was sent away. Exiled for life.”
“Exiled? What did he do?”
“Do? Nothing. It was who he was. He was a servant of the One God, and he was called to your kingdom as a soldier in His army, to protect His kingdom. Sak’Hurai are not just warriors, but they are soldiers of His army and must do the One God’s bidding when called upon. Many others of our kind are called in the same way. We spread out through the nations, the kingdoms, the empires, and spend our lives serving in one capacity or another, waiting for the time when the One God needs us. For Goshin, it seems as if he was called to South Karmon to watch over the Ark of Life, though I don’t know if he ever knew that was truly why he was called there.”
“It was a man by the name of Arpwin that was the Guardian of the Ark of Life, not Master Goshin.”
“This man Arpwin would not be not one of us, as no Hurai would be called to serve as Guardian, as the power of the Ark cannot be used by one of our kind. Only through the touch of another Human can the power be used. But Master Goshin was placed in your city to be there because He knew the time for its revealing was coming. The One God does nothing without reason. He would be there to help defend it from being used.” King Loshin turned to Glaerion and added, “There is no such thing as fate. There is only the will of the One God.”
Glaerion asked with a little too harsh of a tone, “Then why does the One God will that his enemy the Deceiver come to this world and destroy it? If he knows it is going to happen, then why doesn’t he just smite all his creatures and soldiers before they kill thousands or millions?”
“The will…”
“Stop it!” Glaerion took a threatening step forward, and Princess Nikki reacted by drawing her swords. Glaerion continued with a voice and tone that was loud and almost to the point of being disrespectful under the roof of royalty. “There is no will of the One God! Are you so blind that you cannot see this? The Creator put us on this earth and left us to thrive and survive on our own. Whatever you may think or believe, the armies of the Deceiver are marching through this world and will destroy it without someone fighting back. Conner and his people are but a handful. The Elvenkind are but a handful. With your help, with your warriors and your Sak’Hurai, maybe we have a chance. So will you help us or not?”
Conner said softly, “Glaerion, your anger will not help us convince them to help.”
Glaerion shrugged him off. “I am tired of talking. It is time to fight. We have been shushing Ryshak for his outbursts of anger, but maybe he was right. The time for diplomacy has passed. It is time for action.”
“The fight might come sooner than later,” Princess Nikki said, her swords up and ready.
“Nikki,” the King said. “Sheath your weapons.”
Her eyes remained focused on Glaerion as she reluctantly put her swords back in her scabbards.
“Do you not believe in the One God?” the king asked.
“Of course I do, but I am not going to sit and wait for His will to save us. We need to fight, and we need to fight now!”
Unflustered by Glaerion’s anger, King Loshin looked at Conner and asked, “What about you? Do you believe in the One God?”
“Master Goshin taught me all I know about the Creator, which I guess is not very much. If I had not met Micheal when I was dead, I don’t know what I would have believed. I knew of the One God when I was young. My aunt talked about the Creator and even prayed to him sometimes, but I never really understood what He really was. Even now I don’t know what He really is.”
King Loshin leaned back in his chair. “I have studied and worshiped him all my life, and I know so little about him. I study the books and scrolls written by my predecessors and others that have devoted their lives to living for the One God. I have meditated and prayed for many thousands of hours over my lifetime. I have spoken to Him, and I believe He has spoken to me as well. In all of this, I know that I am still an insignificant part of His Kingdom. The Hurai are insignificant. Even our world is insignificant. The One God rules the entire universe. Look up at night sky. See those stars in the sky? Those are bright balls of light just like our own sun. Each and every one created for a purpose. Countless stars in the sky and we are but one of them. It may be His will that the Deceiver wins this battle so that He may eventually win the final, eternal war against darkness. That is what I mean by His will.”
“Will you not help us, then?” Conner asked. “You will just let the Deceiver’s army kill us all? Take over the world?”
“There was a time when the One God walked the earth with his people It was a time so long ago when the world was a much different place. Mountains were but the tiniest of hills. Deserts were where forests are, and forests are where the oceans were. Some knew who He was and worshiped Him, others did not know of Him and ignored Him. Many more knew of Him and hated him for who He was. He embraced the Hurai as we embraced Him. He called us His own, as we worshiped Him and were devoted to Him. To us, and us alone, He shar
ed His prophecies. Over the course of time, each and every one has come true. The bright star in the sky signaled the start of the latest and possibly the greatest of them.” Loshin paused to take a breath and let out a sigh. “I have spent much of the last two years studying what this sign means. Fortunately, the kings of our history have been wise enough to write down the prophecies and the words of the One God as He has spoken to them. Your arrival here has confirmed the greatest of these prophecies and also my biggest fear.”
Silence fell across the chamber as the king slowly stood and walked towards Conner. Until he saw the king walk, Conner had not realized how old he really was.
“There is a prophecy of a final battle between the forces of the One God and forces of the Deceiver. It was foretold thousands of years ago and written about many times through the ages as each strange event was mistaken for the coming of this one last prophecy. The bright star in the sky that you saw was not the first time that has happened. Six times in our history a star like that has come, and each time the Hurai King has prepared his people for the final battle. In each of those six times, time marched on without the battle coming. The world changes and grows, or changes and gets worse, depending on your perspective. This seventh time, however, is different. Like all other times, I have prepared my people, trained my Sak’Hurai, and readied everyone for battle. Yet, until you arrived, I was not sure that the time had come.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Do I dare say the will of the One God without being lectured by your friend? But it is. The prophecy reads that the final battle will be preceded by the coming of the bright star in the sky, the arrival of the creatures of darkness, and the return of the lost two. You said that dragons have returned to our world. That is one of the last two. For years beyond that of the Hurai, dragons have been myth and legend. And now they have returned. The other lost can only be you, Conner.”
“But I am not lost?”
“The blood of the Hurai flows through you, does it not?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
Conner looked at Glaerion and said, “The Elves cast a spell upon me, but it did not affect me. That proves I have Hurai blood, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, I would say it does. You are lost because you appear not of Hurai, but you are. And now you are found, as you have returned home. It is said the lost will be reunited with the blood of royalty to bring our people forward into the next Age of Man. The prophecy calls for a new king to be crowned, who would be the offspring of the new blood. It is your blood, young Conner, that is the new blood, and your child will rule the Hurai.”
“Wait, what? My child?”
“Your offspring will rule the Hurai after we have defeated the Deceiver. It is what the prophecies foretell.”
“But Elissa is not Hurai. She is Karmon.”
“Elissa? This Elissa you speak of will not be the mother of your child, nor your eternal wife. You should be joined into Hurai royalty to bring forth the new king. Princess Nikki shall be your wife, and it shall be your offspring that will rule the Hurai.”
Conner was stunned by the king’s words. “I am not marrying her! I am already married to Elissa! She is my wife and the love of my life! I am not going to marry anyone else! I don’t even like her. She tried to kill me!”
The king’s face turned grim. “This is a time when your will is meaningless to the will of the One God. You cannot deny the prophecy of the One God.”
“I can and I will!”
Glaerion stepped between them and said, “I have heard enough of this. If they are unwilling to help, then we will just leave.”
Anger flared across King Loshin’s face. “You will do no such thing! You will not leave!”
Glaerion spun on the king and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. Princess Nikki sprang forward and grabbed Glaerion to push him away. His quickness and strength showed, and he shoved her aside. Princess Nikki drew her swords and Ryshak jumped to be between her and Glaerion.
“Stop!” the king called out. To Conner, he said, “You would defy the One God? You would ignore the prophecy for your own purposes?”
“I know nothing of this prophecy other than your words,” Conner said. “I love Elissa, and I will marry no other.”
“And doom our world for your selfishness?”
“I will fight for our world, but I am not going to listen to your words and go against what I feel and what I believe.”
“Even if you are wrong?”
“I am not wrong! Prove your prophecy. Prove that your words are truth.”
“They are the words of the One God and do not need proof or your validation.”
“Then our time here is done,” Conner said. “We will return to our kingdom and fight our war without you.”
Silence filled the room. Conner kept his gaze on the king, who returned the stare. Just as Conner started to turn to leave, the king raised a hand and the room filled with Sak’Hurai, swords drawn and ready to fight.
“You would kill us now?” Glaerion growled, drawing his daggers and crouching into a defensive stance. “We will not go without a fight. Many of your warriors will die.”
“These are the best of my Sak’Hurai,” the king said calmly. “They are the One Hundred, my personal warriors. There are five hundred more Sak’Hurai on my palace grounds. There are thousands more that are Kin San, warriors who are as good as any in the world but will never attain the privilege of calling themselves Sak’Hurai. They will all travel east towards your kingdom and join in your fight. With them, your armies will be formidable and will have a chance at victory.”
Conner glanced around, confused. He relaxed just a little “You’re going to help us? You will send your warriors with us to fight the Deceiver?”
The king nodded his head. “I will send my army, but not with you. You must fulfill the prophecy.”
“I will not marry her! I am already married!”
King Loshin took in a deep breath and stepped closer to Conner. For several long and uncomfortable moments, he looked into Conner’s eyes. Conner returned the king’s gaze without flinching.
Eventually, the king dropped his gaze to the floor and slowly shook his head. With a low and soft voice, King Loshin said, “I have fought many battles over the course of my lifetime, and I know a battle that cannot be won when I see it. I also know that I will not convince you with my words. The world is a bigger place than just you and Elissa. Someday, you will figure that out.”
“I understand,” Conner replied. “I have learned just how big the world is and how small my kingdom is.”
“I hope so. Someday, you may be asked to make a great sacrifice, one which will help win the war.”
“I have trained with Karmon Knights. They are, or were, devoted to the preservation of my kingdom first and foremost. Although I am not a Karmon Knight, I understand what that meant. I am ready to die in the fight for our world, but don’t ask me to break my vows.”
“They were made before the One God,” Glaerion added. “The Elven Ceremony of Marriage that he went through is a sacred ceremony that is done with the blessing of the One God. You may ask much of him, but not that.”
King Loshin let out a grunt. He turned and walked back to his plush chair and sat down.
Conner waited for the king to say more, but the king just sat in his chair stroking his beard.
After a few more moments of silence, Conner said, “Now that you’re going to help us, should we not head back to our ship and get on our way?”
Almost as if the king hadn’t heard Conner, King Loshin spoke, “The Ark of Life is not the only artifact that exists from the Age of Beginning when the One God walked the earth alongside His people. There were many items forged with the power of the magic and all of them have disappeared with time and drifted into myth and legend. It is probably good, though, for if they existed in this world today, they would be used not for peace, but for war. However, if any of them were to be found, then they coul
d be used in this war that we are about to fight.”
“You’re talking about a weapon?”
“Not just any weapon, but one that will allow you to kill the Deceiver, or at least send it back to the hell that it came from. Without it, mere sword or arrow could not kill it.”
“My swords had an Elven spell cast upon them.”
King Loshin shook his head. “Powerful as your swords might be, they would not be able to counter the power of the Ark of Life. You need a weapon that is forged from the same power that created the black gem and the golden necklace.”
“Father?” Princess Nikki said. “You talk as if these weapons are real. They are but myths, stories told to our children.”
King Lorshin shook his head slowly, his eyes locked on Conner. “No, my dear, these artifacts of ancient times are real. As real as the ground we walk on. You, Conner, will retrieve one such artifact and use it to kill the Deceiver. This artifact is a weapon called the Spear of Salvation. Its shaft was cut from the largest tree of the Creator’s personal garden, a giant oak tree that stood two hundred feet tall. Its head was forged from a metal that is so strong that its tip will never break nor chip. As it was forged from the power of the Web of Magic, it can kill even those creatures that are protected by the Web, or in the case of the Deceiver, one who is protected by the Ark of Life.”
Conner wasn’t sure how to respond. He knew he needed to get back to Karmon and to Elissa. The more he thought about her, the more he missed her. Yet, if he were able to get a weapon that could kill the Deceiver, then it might be a worthwhile quest.