By Hanny Morag
"David, look! It is hopeless. The king is going to die." David turned to see what one of his soldiers was trying to show him. He dropped to his knee and considered himself a failure at that instance. Hope was lost. Even if they eventually win the battle, there is no point because it's worthless once the king and entire royal family are dead.
They shifted attention from the creature and watch the fireball until there was an explosion. Tears rolled out of the eyes of Prince David uncontrollably. Nothing could be more terrible than a soldier watching his family die before his eyes without being able to do anything to rescue them.
"Hey, did you hear that sound. I think everyone just exploded. Do you think we should go out and see for ourselves?" "Are you crazy? He told us not to go anywhere?" the children kept whispering to each other in the house without actual knowledge of what was happening outside. Like every other person, Asher remained in his home and was trying to observe what was happening outside. He recognized the creature from a distance. Asher has seen it during one of his studies. "Kill the host, and all the fire would go out," he said to himself. That is the only way to stop the whole city from burning. Asher knew the only way to bring down the creature is to strike it through the heart, but it's almost too late because he can hardly make it to the soldiers before becoming a victim of the creature's destructive act.
He decided to give it a try, so he ran outside to save the situation and prevent the city from further destruction. However, what he saw was more amazing than anticipated.
"No way, this can't be happening" David could not hold back his surprise when he saw Nabar holding a sword to the heart of the creature and the palace castle still standing tall in its glory without any damage. Everyone stood like an electric current was passed through them for minutes. Asher got there right on time. He was baffled with what he saw. Saving everyone wasn't surprising, but for an ordinary man like Nabar to know the right thing to do and also do it correctly without getting hurt means a lot.
Asher became suspicious because he already had feelings that Nabar was the person he saw with the dark rider. People rushed towards Nabar like anyone would run towards their savior. It was apparent he just won his way to the heart of the entire royal family and the citizens.
Asher observed from a distance for a while before returning home. The whole fire got extinguished, leaving the city in a total mess, but it is much preferable than what was meant to happen.
The king demanded that Nabar be brought into the palace. Asher knew that would happen, but there was nothing he could do about it because his actions would be seen as pure hatred towards Nabar.
"You saved us all today. This won't go without a reward." The king announced happily. David went back with his soldiers. They went around retrieving the bodies of every soldier that fell during the battle with the creature. Although the battle was over, tears never stopped flowing from the eyes of those who have lost people dear to their hearts. It is not a day that would be forgotten easily. The king ordered everything that was destroyed should be rebuilt in three days, after which he decided he would make Nabar his advisor.
"Hahahahahahaha. Oh yee fools, you are about to experience evil far greater than you have." The dark rider stood far on a mountain, watching the city as they rejoice over their victory. He went away through the dark mountains that hold the pathway people call the pathway to hell. No one knows where it leads because none has passed through it ever returned home to tell tales.
Nabar was in the palace for two days after he was made an advisor to the king. Princess Esther had the opportunity to speak with him for an extended period. It was a dream come true for her. He sat at the same table with the king and several dignitaries for dinner. Nabar felt honored above all men in the city because he believes he doesn't deserve such respect and opportunity.
Being a man who was once a wealthy trader, Nabar wasn't too carried away with the luxury of the palace. He pleaded to return home on the third day. He told them he prefers life among the commoners, and he would always come to the palace to visit, especially when his services are required.
Princess Esther was blown away by his simplicity. She was expecting a man who just saved the city to come up with some attitude that would earn him a permanent apartment in the palace, but the situation was different.
Asher got back home with thousands of questions running through his heads with no precise answer to them. He didn't only wonder why Nabar was able to conveniently stop the creature alone but also wondered why he has never mentioned anything about returning home since he was given shelter in the city. He thought out loud to himself, "who is he exactly? Does he truly have a home?"
After the incident that made Nabar a superhero overnight took place, peace seems restored to the whole city. There was no more appearance of any creature anywhere. Not even the dark rider visited, but something more dangerous visited them.
A boy from a luxurious home was caught in the market stealing from traders. It was a difficult thing to believe for the market guards who found him. The boy kept saying, "He told me to do it." But no one could see the person he was trying to point. Some people felt the boy was making excuses, so they took him away.
"We can't throw him in prison; he's just a boy," Stefhen, one of the guards told the others who wanted to put him in the cell. However, they don't understand why he kept saying he didn't want to do it, but a voice told him to do it. After much deliberation and the boy's father's interference, who is well known in the city, they decided to let him go.
The boy kept telling his father he didn't do it intentionally, but the voice forced him to do it. When the father got tired of it, he shouted at him and forced him to keep quiet.
Later that same evening, Stephen got home and narrated everything that happened to his wife Gwen, who seems surprised they didn't take time to confirm the boy's story. Stefhen told her it's just one of these things' children do to escape punishment. He went in straight to the bathroom to have his shower, and without wasting time, he descended on the delicious meal the wife prepared for him. When dinner was over, he didn't wait twenty more minutes before slowly fading into dreamland. Gwen also decided to overlook everything and get the story off her mind to avoid any controversy in the house.
"Where did you get the courage to do such a thing?" princess Esther asked Nabar not because she was curious but because she wanted to start a conversation. Nabar made it clear he did it because of the love he has for the city, but Asher, who was also in the palace that day, asked a question that got no right answer. "I just wonder how you got to know the right place to stab to kill the creature," said Asher.
It was like Nabar was expecting such a question because he answered like he was prepared for it. He told them about bedtime stories he heard as a child and how one of them was about such creature that he just killed.
Nabar told them in the old story, the goblins revealed the secrets to a prince who wanted to become famous and a hero of the city. The king was pleased and amazed at how Nabar could be brave enough to believe a bedtime story and act on it without fear.
"Isn't he a brave man, father?" princess Esther asked with excitement written all over him. Asher didn't wait for the king to respond. He responded by telling her that he is the best that has ever happened to the city. Asher refrained from asking further questions because he doesn't want anyone thinking he has a hidden agenda or negative thoughts towards Nabar.
Princess Esther continued the conversation she started and took Nabar away while the king and Asher continued discussing other issues. Asher told the king what he saw the other time when the dark rider came to town. However, Asher was careful about what he revealed to the king Dominic because Nabar has already won his heart. He left the king and decided to go home after some hours of discussion.
"Are you thinking something is strange too?"
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