The Destiny of Amalah

by Thandi Ryan

  ‘Then I would say you had selected the wrong mushrooms on your field trip,’ Waldon said, laughing slightly.

  Kenaz also laughed but Rakan shook his head and stared at them, he was unimpressed by Waldon’s joke and he stared at them with his intense blue eyes.

  ‘I’m serious,’ Rakan said, raising his voice. ‘We could live in a world where we would be immortal. Our loved ones would be immortal.’

  ‘What you speak of is the power of a god,’ Waldon said warily.

  ‘I know,’ Rakan replied, holding Waldon’s gaze. ‘Rufus also knows.’

  Waldon and Kenaz looked at Rufus and he nodded once more: ‘It is true what Rakan speaks of,’ Rufus told them. ‘I have witnessed it too.’

  ‘Speak!’ Waldon said simply.

  ‘It may involve a war,’ Rakan began; ‘one right here in Amalah,’ he finished.

  ‘Then tell me no more,’ said Waldon. ‘We are at peace now and I would like it to stay that way.’

  ‘What about immortality?’ Kenaz asked Waldon. ‘No pain and no grief. A world where our parents…’ he trailed off.

  ‘If a god deemed fit to make us immortal, they would have done so,’ said Waldon, eyeing Rakan and Rufus with askance. ‘Why would a god approach two mortal beings and ask them to create a world in such a way, when they have the power to make the world?’

  ‘There is more than one god,’ Rakan said simply; ‘and they are not all in agreement.’

  ‘And you wish to take on the gods’ do you?’ Waldon asked, incredulously. ‘I know you like danger Rakan but this time, you have surpassed the wildest thing I could have ever imagined. I will hear no more of this,’ Waldon said, as he stood up to leave.

  ‘Then grant me one favour,’ Rakan requested.

  ‘What may that be?’

  ‘Say nothing of what we have spoken about.’

  ‘Then do nothing of what we have spoken about,’ Waldon warned.

  The three men watched after Waldon as he left and they sat silently for a while.

  ‘I do not think we will convince Waldon,’ a pessimistic Rufus said.

  ‘He just needs time,’ Rakan told his friend.

  ‘You have not yet convinced me,’ Kenaz told them.

  ‘But I thought you were with us?’ said Rufus.

  ‘I am intrigued – yes,’ said Kenaz; ‘and I am willing to listen to what you have to say but still – I will need convincing,’ he said, as he stood up to leave. ‘You have my word, that I will not divulge what was said here today.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Rakan replied.

  ‘What now?’ Rufus asked when only he and Rakan remained in the room.

  ‘Give them time,’ Rakan said calmly. ‘They will come around.’

  ‘How can you be so sure?’

  ‘I know Kenaz is tempted and Waldon, well, we will just have to convince him.’

  Rakan and Rufus were relentless in turning their friends. They employed the same tactics as Adriel had done with them; telling half truths and using their strengths against them and playing on their friendships and to their strongest desires, so they were blinded but still, they were not completely sold.

  ‘When you climbed Qomo, the odds seemed insurmountable, did they not?’ Rakan asked his friends one evening.

  ‘This is true,’ Waldon agreed.

  ‘Yet we did it,’ Rakan said passionately. ‘We did the impossible.’

  ‘But this…Rakan, what you ask of us…’ Waldon began, bowing his head and shaking it.

  ‘I ask you to do the impossible,’ Rakan said. ‘You are both warriors are you not?’

  ‘Yes,’ Kenaz answered.

  ‘That is your purpose in life; you know that to be true, do you not?’

  ‘Yes,’ Waldon said, nodding his head in agreement.

  ‘Then why would the world create great warriors like you, if there was never going to be a war; if you were never going to fight? Answer me this?’ Waldon and Kenaz looked at each other and then back at Rakan. ‘You will be fighting for the world,’ Rakan said passionately. ‘You will fight for a higher power and for a world where there will be no pain and no grief,’ said Rakan, as he turned to Kenaz. ‘I know you both want that.’

  ‘But Rakan, what you speak of, it sounds so…’ Kenaz said.

  ‘Impossible?’ Rakan cut in.

  ‘Yes,’ Kenaz answered, nodding his head in recognition of Rakan’s point.

  ‘So did Qomo,’ Rakan countered; ‘and look what happened there.’

  ‘And if we fail, all of our actions will stand for all time?’ Waldon enquired.

  ‘Yes,’ Rakan said. ‘But we will not fail.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Waldon said, clearly disturbed by what Rakan was saying. ‘I promised to protect the Empress and the nations and all that they stand for – we all did! Now you, my lifelong friends, tell me I should tear asunder, everything I hold dear. And for what – a chance at something that we perhaps were not destined to have in any event? I cannot believe that that is my destiny.’

  ‘Then believe what you see in the future,’ Salwar said, as he appeared from thin air.

  ‘My Lord!’ Rakan and Rufus said in surprise as they instantly dropped to their knees.

  Waldon and Kenaz gaped at the colourless giant entity that stood before them and Salwar smiled at their stunned faces.

  ‘What are you?’ Waldon asked in a hushed tone.

  ‘I am what Rakan has told you to be,’ Salwar said softly, as he lay a hand on Waldon’s shoulder. ‘I know you’re afraid of what Rakan speaks – rightly so! What mortal would want to get involved in a – shall we say – dispute between the gods? None I would wager,’ Salwar said, answering Waldon’s question. ‘But, this is your fight too,’ he lied. ‘Let me show you what your fate – the fate of humanity will be if you are not made immortal. Let me show your the world as it will be if pain and suffering are allowed to go on,’ Salwar said, looking at Waldon and Kenaz.

  Waldon and Kenaz instinctively stepped back from Salwar as he went to touch them, afraid of being touched by a being that they knew was not of their world.

  ‘It’s alright,’ Salwar said nodding to reassure them. ‘I just ask that you see what I see before you decide,’ he said holding out his hands. ‘Let me show you what is to come in your world, if you are not made immortal and if you are made to suffer and grieve,’ Salwar lied

  Waldon stepped forward slowly, as did Kenaz and Salwar placed a hand on Waldon and Kenaz’ head.

  ‘Relax,’ he told them. ‘Clear your mind,’ he commanded. ‘That’s good, now, let go,’ he said softly, as he sent the first image of the future world to their minds.

  The first image was a woman screaming for her lost child, her anguish was felt by Waldon and Kenaz but Salwar held them fast as they tried to pull away from him.

  ‘Don’t fight me,’ he said firmly.

  Then, the images came, one after another, seamless in their minds; grief, pain and despair and Kenaz and Waldon felt it all. Then the images went by faster and faster; Salwar showed grief turn to anger and anger to vengeance. He showed a future of murders’, crucifixions’ and executions’. Waldon and Kenaz desperately wanted to pull away but Salwar still held them firm. He then showed them wars: the crusades, the two world wars and all the other wars before that.

  The images rushed through their minds: slavery; assassinations; famines; genocides; plagues and everything bad and ugly about humanity. Waldon and Kenaz trembled and begged Salwar to stop but he was relentless.

  ‘You must see,’ Salwar said firmly.

  Salwar showed them despair, loneliness, mental diseases and indifference and then he showed them the third world war. The war that decimated the planet, leaving less than a million survivors. Survivors who suffered and then died as the planet then burned for decades. They felt the despair and pain and they felt the hopelessness and when the images were firmly etched into their minds, Salwar let them go.

  ‘It cannot be,’ Waldon cried, as he dropped to the ground
and clutched his chest in fear and despair. ‘No!’ Waldon shouted. ‘That cannot be our fate.’

  ‘It can and it is,’ Salwar said, knowing that he was twisting the truth.

  Salwar had shown the worst of humanity and their darkest times. He failed to show the good that you were capable of. He deliberately left out the triumph of the human spirit following tragedy or struggle. There was no love or hope in the vision he showed; nor was their any sign of selflessness and sacrifice. He deliberately left out the ‘big ones,’ as the gods call them. He deliberately did not show: self determination, evolution and ascension.

  ‘Do the other gods’ know of our fate?’ Waldon asked.

  ‘All the gods know,’ Salwar said plainly. ‘They see what I can see,’ omitting to tell them that the future was not set.’

  ‘And what say they?’ Kenaz enquired.

  Salwar laughed with contempt. ‘This is your destiny, some say. Some do not care either way,’ he said twisting their words.

  ‘But you do?’ Kenaz whispered.

  ‘Yes I do, very much so,’ Salwar said vehemently. ‘That is why I am here and that is why I defy them.’

  ‘But what you ask of us…’ Waldon croaked. ‘We will be the cause of the very suffering that we have just seen and felt.

  ‘I know,’ Salwar said, his face grave. ‘I know what I ask you,’ Salwar admitted, his face exhibiting empathy; ‘but this will be the best way. If you are at the seat of power, the kingdom will be yours and you may do with it what you will. If you do as I say, the gods will have no choice but to alter their position.’

  ‘And if there is a war to get to that seat of power?’ Kenaz asked.

  ‘This will be the war to end wars,’ Salwar said, blatantly lying. ‘You saw the future. War will be a way of life for humanity and in the end – it will be your downfall and your complete destruction,’ he finished.

  ‘Do we have a choice?’ Waldon asked.

  Salwar smiled a knowing smile. ‘You all have a choice,’ he told them. ‘I know I am asking you to risk your soul, to do evil but it will be for the greater good. You all have a choice,’ he repeated. ‘I came to you because I saw great strength in you all,’ he finished.

  ‘And if we win?’ Kenaz asked.

  Salwar leaned forward and touched both Waldon and Kenaz’ head and showed them a paradise. A paradise where they and their loved ones, past and present were together.

  ‘There are no guarantees,’ Salwar warned; ‘but having climbed Qomo, I know you can face impossible odds,’ he said, clearly massaging their ego.

  ‘I will join you,’ Kenaz said vehemently.

  ‘What choice do we have?’ Waldon asked sadly.

  ‘You must come to me willingly,’ Salwar told the two warriors. What I ask will change the fate of the worlds and potentially irk the remaining gods. As such, it can only be your choice.’

  ‘How many gods are there?’ Waldon asked.

  ‘That I will not reveal,’ Salwar replied.

  ‘How many stand with you?’ Waldon asked.

  ‘None, as yet but some have indicated that they will support me if I convince humanity to question the universal status quo.’

  ‘Were we to do this, our actions would be evil, would they not?’ Waldon queried.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And we would be known as such for all time?’ Waldon said aggrieved.

  You may be immortalised as evil, but if you succeed you will be immortal and your actions erased from history – that is what you will fight for. But as I said before, it must be your choice.’

  ‘I see,’ Waldon said staring ahead, his face solemn and aged as he contemplated Salwar’s words.

  ‘Pain and grief are diseases,’ Salwar said ardently; ‘virulent ones at that and they must be eradicated.’

  ‘I will join you,’ Waldon said, nodding his head. ‘I pray we succeed, for I do not wish to be immortalised as a monster.

  Salwar nodded in approval. ‘Young princes one and all, you have shown that you will do what it takes to better your world. You have taken on a mantle that most mortals would shirk from but not you. From here on in, you must work towards taking those council seats in Amalah. That is the heart of the nation – the heart of all nations.’

  Salwar’s words were enough to plant the seeds of doubt in the minds of Waldon and Kenaz and get their initial loyalty. Salwar left Rakan and Rufus to finish what he had begun and to introduce them to dark power and over the next three years; not only did Waldon and Kenaz join Rakan and Rufus; they embraced the dark plan that had been set out by Adriel and Salwar.

  From thereon Kenaz adopted with fervour the promise of immortality and reunion. Waldon was still somewhat torn between his loyalty to all that he held dear and the vision that he had been shown. To him, the fate of humanity rested with him and his friends and it tore him apart, the lengths that they had to go to achieve it.

  From those days on, the four men spent most of their time meeting and conspiring and practising their sorcery or fighting skills.

  ‘We must divide the Guard,’ Rakan said forcefully, to his friends. ‘If we do not we will fail before we begin.’

  ‘I agree,’ Kenaz said.

  ‘It pains me to say it but so do I,’ Waldon added.

  They spent much of their time together to the exclusion of Kalon and Ellora, who at first, did not seem to mind, for they were happy to spend whatever time they had with each other. However as time went by, the young couple noticed that the four friends were often meeting without them and often, when they made plans they would make no attempt to ask the other two.

  ‘I wonder why Rakan, Waldon, Rufus and Kenaz no longer wish to spend time with us?’ Ellora asked Kalon one day.

  ‘I do not know my love but it troubles me more and more.’

  ‘Do you think it is something we could have said or done?’

  ‘No I do not.’

  ‘Then why?’ Ellora asked perturbed.

  ‘I am at a loss also,’ Kalon said taking hold of Ellora and holding onto her. ‘But I will speak with Rakan.’

  ‘What will you say?’

  ‘I will ask him outright.’

  ‘How things change;’ she said despondently. ‘We grew up together, travelled the world together, and we have been friends since the beginning of time and now, the four of them treat us like distant friends – strangers even,’ the hurt clearly showing on her face

  ‘They changed,’ Kalon said forcefully, as he took hold of Ellora and held her close to him. ‘I don’t know why they did but they did.’

  The young couple discussed Rakan and their friends until the early hours of the morning until they both fell asleep and when Kalon awoke, he got ready for a days work at the palace. He kissed the still sleeping Ellora on the forehead: ‘I wish I knew why my brother and friends abandon us,’ he said sadly as he stroked her hair gently before he left for the day.

  Kalon joined his father for the morning and at lunchtime, he went in search of Rakan, he found him working with some of the guard in the north block and greeted him. Rakan, who was somewhat surprised to see his bother, raised an eyebrow before greeting him, while the other guards shifted uncomfortably.

  ‘Kalon, this is a surprise.’

  ‘Rakan I came to find you, I wish to talk with you if I could have a few minutes of your time.’

  ‘Of course,’ Rakan said agreeably, and curious as to what was so clearly troubling his younger brother.

  The two young men began walking through the palace corridors and as they passed, some of the female maids who were passing by stole glances at them or smiled coyly at them or blushed, because by now, the two brothers were indeed very handsome men. They were both tall and Rakan who was six feet three was only two inches taller than his brother. They both had piercing blue eyes and jet black hair that Kalon wore to just past his shoulders and Rakan wore down his back. They both looked unique, but they still shared their mother’s strong facial features.

  Many women were at
tracted to the brothers; especially Rakan, for not only was he striking but he was confident and charming when he wanted to be and unlike Kalon, his heart did not belong to another. The two brothers acknowledged the women and smiled and then Rakan looked at his younger brother for a few seconds before:

  ‘What troubles you Kalon?’

  ‘You do brother,’ Kalon said candidly. ‘As do: Rufus, Waldon and Kenaz.’

  Rakan did not hide his surprise. ‘Why?’

  ‘For a while now, I have noticed that the four of you are inseparable and that you are all very close but I think that this development has been at the expense of Ellora and myself.’

  ‘Kalon that is not true,’ Rakan protested.

  ‘But it is true brother, I have noticed and Ellora has noticed. Remember we all grew up together, travelled the world together and have been through so much together throughout all of our lives. Lately the four of you meet without us, make plans without us and exclude us often – why is that?’

  ‘I do not know what to say Kalon,’ Rakan said adopting a humble approach. ‘I did not realise things were that bad. I think the four of us just presumed that the two of you preferred to be alone and I also think that lately, the four of us have just enjoyed time after our work is done. But Kalon from now on, we will include you and Ellora. I am very sorry that we have excluded you and we would never do that deliberately, I hope you know that, I hope you know me.’

  ‘Very well,’ Kalon replied, not wanting to express more unease when his brother was taking a conciliatory approach.

  But something gnawed at Kalon, for he sensed that his brother’s actions had been deliberate and he felt that lately, he longer knew his brother. He had felt uneasy of late and something about his brother and three friends bothered him. Kalon let it go for now; he would wait until he knew exactly what it was that irked him so.

  ‘Why don’t we all have dinner tonight and tomorrow, we can all get together and spend time together?’ Rakan suggested.