By Hanny Morag
A familiar voice came from a corner near the palace exit. It was surprising to Asher because he wasn’t expecting it. He turned to his right. It was Prince David asking him a question he never expected.
“Aside from asking myself how he knew the right place to stab, I have asked myself how he got that close severally. I have also asked how he was able to jump that high. Impossible, isn’t it?” the words of Prince David strike more than a bullet, but Asher was diplomatic about his response. He told Prince David one would wonder how somethings happened, but sometimes it’s wise to ignore them like they never happened.
Asher left the palace without opposing or supporting what Prince David said. Like an older man full of wisdom, Asher never engaged in any secret conversation that could make it seem like he was conspiring against anyone. Instead, he decided to mind his business.
A few days later, another report came from the city center. It was about a teenager who raped his friend and blamed it on a voice that kept ringing in his head uncontrollably.
The guards locked him up, but he won’t keep quiet about it. Stefhen, who witnessed the small boy’s confession caught stealing at the market, was beginning to think what they are saying about voices are real, but he doesn’t know how to address the situation yet.
A report got to the palace about the boy they just caught and the need to do something about it. It was up to the king to determine the next step the guards should take, but he decided to allow Nabar to suggest the next line of action. Much was expected from him, but his decisions came as a shock to everyone.
“Wow, this is unbelievable. I can’t believe this is happening. It has to be a dream.” Stefhen was surprised and confused at the same time after hearing the decision of Nabar on the case brought before him.
Nabar told everyone children are easily controlled by what they see, and sometimes it becomes their imagination. He said the children could quickly become a victim of it and end up acting according to it. He declared the boy should be released because there is no voice anywhere. He said the boy only need some rest because he is currently in shock over what just happened.
Nabar completely waved off the idea of the voice telling the children to do anything. He even said no one could conclude about such except after there are a few more cases. Nabar’s decision for people to wait for more casualties wasn’t what took everyone by surprise but how the king accepted without objection.
They took the boy back to the cell and released him the next day. “Hey, you have to do something. He will be back to torment me. Do something. He promised to be back.” The boy pleaded with Stefhen when he was leaving the premises.
Prince David has not been able to get over his thoughts about Nabar, so he’s always avoiding any conversation or meeting that would involve the two of them sitting together. No one has noticed it in the palace, so he tried to prevent such from happening.
After three weeks, there was no sign of atrocities in the city. It made most people trust Nabar’s opinion that no voice was disturbing anyone but just imagination and fear.
There was a known enemy before this moment. Now, people don’t even understand what fights them and what to attack. They are just following instructions from those who seem to know about it while they await the return of Nacca, the wizard.
“You need not say anything about the creature you saw Nacca. You are far above them all in the city because you possess knowledge from ages.” Queen Reene didn’t wait for Nacca to explain himself since she already understood what happened.
Queen Reene told Nacca there would be an inevitable battle, but its end will not be the end.
The city is beginning to fall apart gradually without people realizing it. People started comparing Nabar’s wisdom and bravery to that of the king and the warriors in existence before him. Prince David knew about it just like several other people, but he decided he won’t act yet until he gets his facts right.
Princess Esther became a close friend to Nabar. She sneaks out of the palace on several occasions to visit him without the knowledge of anyone. Nabar gets to hear several stories from her even secrets that shouldn’t leave the palace walls.
Asher knew about her visitations, but he didn’t do anything about it. He focused on his studies. The older man whose desire for knowledge exceeds that of a thirsty horse never wants any trouble with anyone. He tries to avoid them as much as possible.
Once again, the city was in grave silence. It was a sign of another danger which would be happening soon. The feelings that came with the silence wasn’t strange to the people of the city.
No one was moving, not even animals. A strange wind blew through the city. Many people felt it, but some lost precious things to it.
Nevertheless, nothing was evident until morning. Many children were taken from their sleep without any trace. It became apparent at this point that the city was in great danger.
“Long have we existed, and long will we continue to rule over mortals. The child of prophecy is still alive despite the killings and all our efforts to prevent her existence. Now is the time to gather the armies because we must fight if we want to remain relevant” Tobi, the commander of the dark lord, told everyone of the dark lord in a meeting they held the night after they abducted several children in their sleep.
King Dominic summoned all his chiefs, including one of the elders in the sanctuary. It became essential to discuss and find a solution before the situation becomes the end of the city. They were there for several hours until they agreed upon a solution that would involve setting hidden checkpoints outside the city walls to prevent intruders from entering into the city and taking preventive measures to apprehend those that enters before they could make it out.
Nabar suggested so many things and disputed the points raised by Stefhen that the enemies are no mere mortals because of the voice’s incident. The meeting ended with two different parties being formed, even though it was not known immediately. Some people decided to follow the advice of Stefhen to think beyond the physical without saying it while some chose to follow Nabar.
That same night, the dark rider came into the city. He took the lives of ten soldiers who stood watch outside the gate of the town. He didn’t kill anyone in the city but went straight to the person he came to meet the other time. This was like a moment of breakthrough for Asher. He paid close attention this time and was able to see a familiar cloth that gave him a clue of the person the dark rider came to mind.
There was chaos at the royal palace the next day. David couldn’t believe anyone could find out about the plot to keep intruders outside so easily. He had his men look into the situation, and it was apparent they were ambushed.
The king asked if he was suggesting someone from those present at the meeting gave out information about what they discussed. David didn’t wait for his father to finish before responding with fury in his voice that he is not suggesting but saying it because he was sure about it.
Several people supported his idea that someone in the city has been aiding all the evil happening to them. Surprisingly, Nabar was in support of it and even advised they try everything possible to know the person.
The look on David’s face wasn’t only fierce. He was shocked that such a thing could come from Nabar because he suspects that he has something to do with the evil happening in the city.
When they were busy arguing over what has happened, reports came in from the city about two huge goblins killing people. David left with his men immediately to fight, and they came back victorious. A closer look at the creatures gave them an idea of what they would be fighting soon.
“Send words to the sanctuary,” David ordered one of his men who left immediately.
They Brought the creature to the palace so Asher will examine it.
Asher was already waiting for them because words have reached him from the palace to come over.
David told those present he had sent words to the sanctuary but
At that moment, one of his soldiers brought it to his attention; the person he sent never made it there. Strangely he dived into the sea a few distance from the sanctuary. Shouting a voice telling him to do so and he couldn’t resist.
“Could this be what I am thinking?” Asher thought to himself
While examining the creature, then he said to the king.
“I am sorry your majesty, but the war upon us is worse than what we understood, and it is so sad we don’t have Nacca here right now, but we must prepare for battle, or we all die in our sleep.”
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