By Hanny Morag
“Why don’t we just give them what they want so we can all have peace” this speech from Nabar came as a shock to everyone in the room. The king asked what he was talking about, but he turned the conversation around. He said he was only suggesting they find out what the enemies want from the city and give it to them so that they could stop coming back to torment the people.
Asher wasn’t surprised, and prince David saw it as a confirmation of his thoughts about him, though he doesn’t have proof yet.
The king asked, “How do you suppose we do that with an enemy we can’t see?” Nabar said they would find a way to fix it.
After everything was over that day, David decided to monitor Nabar and find out where he has been getting information about giving the enemy what they want.
He found something surprising; he found out his sister has been sneaking out of the palace to see Nabar.
David didn’t hide it this time. He confronted his sister, who couldn’t resist him because she loved her brother, so she told him she was carried away and mistakenly mentioned to Nabar something about the prophecy of a girl that would liberate everyone.
“How did you know about this?”
He asked his sister with anger, and she revealed it to him, that she was behind the door when the messenger came to deliver the message.
Prince David was shocked and disappointed because they were small when the prophecy was given. He couldn’t understand what discussion his sister could be having with Nabar that led to revealing such secret.
He left her sister in the palace without saying anything and head downtown with his sword.
Princes Esther was afraid the prince could be heading to Nabar’s house to kill him, but there was nothing she could do. She decided to take another route five minutes after his brother left the palace to warn Nabar, but she was shocked to meet Nabar at the castle’s entrance. Where could Prince David have gone with such anger?
Everything was happening so fast. Fear was everywhere in the city. Many people never believed in the story regarding the voice, but this time, the proof was given, and several people experienced it. The sound was like a whisper. It targeted those with the vulnerable mind. Those who are living in greater fear of what could happen to them soon. “The king knows the solution, but he wants you all to die.” Many people heard this whisper at the same time. Some believed it immediately and acted while some struggled to fight it off.
The higher the control the voice has over the people, the more it can make them act against their will.
Within three days, mixed feelings had increased significantly. Some people were supporting the king while others were obeying the voice in their head. People’s attention shifted from the reality facing them. Instead of preparing to fight a common enemy, they divided against each other.
Some of the soldiers have equally fallen for the voice, and they are beginning to rebel and ask the king to give the enemies what they want so they won’t come back again because killing one person is better than killing everybody.
The king in his palace highly protected. He began to ponder the whole situation with Nabar, and few chiefs he believes could give useful advice. After hours of deliberation, he decided to let them go home to avoid any attack on their way.
Prince David has refused to talk to his sister since the time she confessed to him about what she did. Princess Esther knew what she did was wrong but didn’t know how to start apologizing. Prince David knew what would happen if the king hears about it so, he kept her secret and continued to work on preparation for the battle they don’t know when it will occur while also trying to control the situation in the city.
Asher remained indoor as the situation gets more complicated while the king decided to address the people on the case. However, prince David advised against it as the number of people advocating for him to give the enemy what they want keeps increasing.
Night after that day, the dark rider visited once again. This time, a strange thing took place, some people could see the mysterious rider, but instead of running, they bowed their head to him as he rides straight into the city with no one to oppose him because even the guards on duty at the gate that night have fallen for the voice.
This time things worked perfectly for Asher; he saw the face of the person he has been trying to trail and not just the cloth. As expected, the dark rider was supposed to notice that someone was observing, but this is the second time Asher will be seeing him without his notice. Asher remained quiet inside his house as he paid attention to everything.
The rider engaged the informant in a conversation that took longer than ever. He asked if the king is under their control and the location of the girl. When the informant said he has nothing about the girl yet, he became angry, but the informant pleaded to give him more time to sort everything.
The rider spoke the dark tongue, which could be interpreted as
“It’s time to visit those white wearing elders.”
It is time for Asher to act else things would fall out of hand, and the whole city would fall faster than imagined. It is a risky thing to do, but he has no choice but to make a move.
Asher didn’t wait till morning. He took a secret passage to the sanctuary. He found the body of the missing soldier sent by prince David to tell them about the situation. His body was brought back to the shore by the sea after it floated for days without rest. It is a mystery how the body floated back to the position where it could be found easily. The sea might be trying to pass a message to Asher.
Asher made his way into the sanctuary and began narrating what he saw to the elders. The elders understood the situation correctly. Asher told them about the planned attack and decided to return to the city before anyone would notice.
He was escorted by a light bearer who made it difficult for anyone, including the dark lord, to sense him passing through. He got home safely, but few minutes after the light bearer left, Asher remembered he forgot to mention the name of the dark lord’s insider at the sanctuary. It was too late to follow the light bearer because she moves like the wind when she is alone.
The next morning was crucial to Asher because he holds information that could save the city from destruction. He sat on his study chair all night, waiting for dawn. Nabar was staring at the stars, and the king already brought out his armor while David was wondering where it will end.
The minds of so many people have been messed up, yet some still stand in their genuine sense.
It is dawn once again. The light has pierced through every darkness, and the morning breeze brought several feelings as usual. People set out for their place of work. Some gathered for a protest to the palace to force the king to do something before they all die. Prince David left home very early without informing anyone.
When he got back to the palace, the king sat him down and asked a question he had never asked any of his chiefs or advisors. “David, does it mean the woman who would bear the child is still out there in the city or is there something hidden in the dark, too far from where my eyes could see it?” David felt the pain in his father’s voice. He couldn’t give any answer but the encouragement that everything will be fine.
Asher prepared himself. He gathered evidence and solutions before leaving his house. He left home for the palace but met with an unexpected situation on his way. “I have always known you would be trouble for me. You have stayed out this far. You could have stayed out of it till the end.” It was the first time Asher would hear a strange voice speaking to him without seeing the person.
He waited without fear for the person to reveal himself.
Asher told the voice he has always known it from the beginning, but he was waiting for a day like this to make it right and reveal it to everyone in the city.
It was a lonely path, no one was going, and no one appears to be coming in their direction.
I want to ask you, “where did you keep her?” Asher didn’t give any response.
Then the same voice told Asher:
“I am afraid the end has come for you, Asher. It is such a sad thing that no one would get to hear anything from you. They will all continue in their stupidity until the city falls.”
Did you like the story, want more, do not forget to SUBSCRIBE