With the conspiracy of the gods all hell broke loose. The West ruled as an independent kingdom powerful in its rulership and as well as foes.
“I defeated my so called brother….the dragon”, Phoenix sat in the midst of the mundane. “He dealt himself well to consume the Black Earth with his unquenchable fire.”
“Noooooo!”, the children all trembled in fear. “Why would he want that”?, a random girl stood up to the queen.
“He wanted to avenge the death of the Old One”, Phoenix bowed with that sadness in her eyes. “Raega saw the Black Earth as a planet that needed to be scorched by fire.”
“What about us”?, a little child bursted into tears. “Would he wipe us too”?
“Listen”, the Phoenix’s words encouraged the winds. “I am the queen of this great land and no foe is powerful enough to take me on, not when I overpowered the dragon and stole his powers.”
“That’s awesome”, some of the naughty boys behind jumped in joy.
“Don’t jubilate yet”, the slow paced movements came from a teenage girl who walked in with blood on her hands. “I am Mesemir my queen.”
“Lantern servant”, the Phoenix quickly recognized her facial tattoos.
“Yes ma!”, she replied.
“Whose blood is that”?, the children all chorused their anxieties.
“The blood of my father”, she knelt before the queen showing no element of remorse.
Phoenix gasped at first but then a smirk ensued later. It turns out Mesemir had suffered in the hands of an adoptive drunk.
“You’ll do well to be remorseful in my household”, she picked the young lady by her cheeks.
“I won’t be a lantern servant to any one ever!”, the teenager responded with rage in her eyes.
The children were immediately dispersed by the guards leaving the duo to stare at each other.
“Don’t you dare disgrace her royal majesty”?, a guard almost unsheathed his sword.
“It’s fine Kubrio”, the Phoenix smiled. “Get her new clothes! I love this one.”
“But her majesty….”, Kubrio intercepted. “Best to not let any lantern servant in the palace.”
“And why is that “? Her eyes grew fiery by the second. “They are just humans with the gift of hearing the heart.”
“My queen”, another guard rushes in. “,Not to interrupt you but Mazareign the elven god has been murdered.”
“By who”?, The Phoenix rose in concern.
“Turns out there are clannish wars between elven species in the East Kingdom.”
“Should we ally”?, She turned to Kubrio.
“Not best my queen”, Mesemir intruded. “The East at this point would take out any obstacle in their path.”
“Fact!”, Kubrio sided with her.
It came to pass that the Phoenix heeded their warnings and sent her condolences instead. However the elves didn’t take it lightly. They considered her apologies nothing but a joke especially with the fact that she sides with the humans.
“An insult”, Centyelion roared to the newly inducted king.
Vorthagann on the other hand sits majestically at the centre of the royal council. His hair was rather dark as his other siblings surrounded him with admiration.
“This would make the other elven species laugh at us”, he tossed away the scroll.
“Calm down Centyelion”, one of the twins spoke.
They were Vorthagann’s immediate duo especially Kaithermis who was older by fifteen minutes. Her ability to read maps was an astounding gift that no other elf nor human could comprehend.
“It’s best we accept her condolences. It might signify friendship”, she aired out her opinions.
“I agree”, her twin Kalispell smiled at her. “The Phoenix is a creature of importance particularly in the investigation of our father’s death.”
“That’s ridiculous”, Centyelion kept looking at Vorthagann. “The twins are rather naive my Lord. Mazareign of blessed memory would be disgusted at this.”
“He was our father”, Wiser spoke as he held his baby sister on his laps. “Our mother is plagued with a strange sickness because of him. Tell me Centyelion….for in all your years of service, how has Mazareign ever ruled right”?
“My….my Lord”, the leader of the council stuttered. “I, Centyelion have served as royal council for over two thousand years. Mazareign in all honesty wasn’t the best Shadow Heir to me but his murder was quite impossible. He is a bloody immortal, one who sits on the throne with gods.”
“And that is why I killed him”, Vorthagann cleared the air.
His soothing voice felt like knives inserted into everyone’s heart.
“What”?, Kalispell acted surprised.
“I need the Phoenix. She’s the main piece of this puzzle.”
“My Lord”, Centyelion started to tremble. “This would break your mother’s heart.”
“Already broken”, Wiser laughed. “I knew all along that our big brother was smart enough to take it from that old fool.”
“Language around Caetyr”, Kaithermis halted her junior brother. “It is best we think first how to end the war prophesied by the Old One.”
“No!”, Kalispell raged on hearing how mild they reacted towards Mazareign’s death.
He was utterly bitter and full of revenge but what better way to take it than storm the Phoenix’s inner chambers at night.
“I will lay waste to my brother’s plan”, he said to himself but he had to formulate the perfect lie and who else than Centyelion to do it for him.
“Half of this kingdom would be yours when I take down my elder brother”, he promised the leader of the royal council and thus he was able to teleport miles away to where the Phoenix laid asleep in her bed.
“An eye for an eye”, he said holding in his green sleeves a knife forged to kill gods. He however met Mesemir who caught him by his whispers.
“I hear your heart”, she crept on the floor. “Her death would bring you nothing but more chaos.”
“Of course”, his knife glowed.
This was his powers informing him of what would lead to the war of the kingdoms.
“You need to die Mesemir”, he smiled as they both vanished immediately.
The Phoenix woke up at once like it was a bad dream. She called for Kubrio to search for the lantern servant but he couldn’t find her.
A few minute later a portal opened at the shore of River Brehem as Kalispell held Mesemir’s brutally stabbed waist in his hands.
“It didn’t have to come to this”, He tossed her into the waters. “All I wanted was her death not yours.”
“But you did kill her”, his mind wrestled with him. The Phoenix’s roar echoed around the entire West causing the elf to mischievously smirk at the moon.
“This is over”, he dropped the knife onto the neat sand.
Meanwhile Centyelion took his place in his chambers laying there with fear.
“I will not be killed today”, he began to sweat profusely.
The door immediately creaks open as the Shadow Heir walked in with grace.
“Kalispell”, Vorthagann sat in the darkness on a warm sofa. “It is with a heavy heart that I have come to confess my grievings.”
“Let me be”, Centyelion tried to mimic the prince’s voice.
“Wake up and rant at me all you want”, the king softly pleaded.
“No! I’d rather not look you in the eye ever again.”
“Brother”!, Vorthagann sniffed the air. “Mazareign our father was hellbent on sacrificing our mother for his cause. I heard him planning to attack the North and it’s surrounding territories.”
“Lies”, Centyelion heard his steps draw closer. “All you do is lie big brother.”
“Funny enough”, the king sat at his bedside. “I will never want to fight you. It’s my promise to mother.”
“Be safe Vorthagann”, Kalispell countered. “And I hope you’ll save this kingdom from the coming storm.”
“I will”, the king walked away ensuring that his steps were precise.
A chuckle ensued immediately as Wiser visibly appeared leaning by the wall outside the door.
“What’s your plan big brother”?, he asked Vorthagann who was furious that Kalispell went against his orders.
“We play along”, he replied. “Kaithermis must not have a clue.”
“And what of the North”?, Wiser held his shoulders. “Should we still attack it”?
“No!”, Vorthagann opposed. “Until we know the plan of Charlotte Grudder, they
remain apex predators.”
NEXT STORY: WARDOM ORIGINS: THE VILLAGE OF REUYAH
READ – MONARCHY OF BLOOD
