A book, book of legends, open, laying on his lap as his child lays on his tattered bed. He looks at him with a smile as he looks at this book. "The Tale of the Lost City" it was called, a small old legend of a naive king. "Do you what books are, Jera?" Khal`En said.
"What, Pa?"
"Power." He paused. "Power so great that leaders forbid it." He placed his hand against the book. "My Noama use to read me this to me when I was a boy."
"What's a Noama?" his child grew wide-eyed.
"In our native tongue, it means father, my son."
"Will I meet your Noama?"
"You can't, son."
"Why?" he smiled at his son.
"He's gone, Jera`En. He's gone to the void, a wonderful place full of loved people and to give your past experiences to your next kin."
"Do you think I have his past experiences, Noama?"
He gives a polite laugh, "I hope so, Jera. Now lie down, let me read you this tale."
"There was once a great city, a place of wonders and lead by a kind king.
He was favored for his leadership, he was given all the respect of his people.
Men and women would give him gifts of gold, food and riches.
Some would plead for his help, and yet he would give them his gifts to solve their troubles.
Men asking for pay, women asking for help, he gifted them and in return was gifted for his kindness.
One day, a man with eight legs came, holding a grey orb in his hands.
'Sir," he pleads, 'This orb I carry is a lost soul of a man, weeping and
crying in distress for he has not found love in his arms, nor a friend to grasp.
Would you help him please?'
Such a sad soul, and a strange man has approached, the king had no choice, but to grab the orb
and help this poor soul. He feels happiness, but something of him starts draining.
His arms become frail and thin, his face becoming old and torn,
he turned to dust to make this soul happy.
Since then, the people vanished, left without a trace. Without a king they could not find happiness.
The only one to stay was the eight legged man, sitting on his throne."
He closed the book as his child lied wide-eyed. "Why did the king do that?" his child whispered.
"Because, he was too kind to see the what was the price to this souls happiness." He looked at Khal`En with the same face. He laughed. He closes the book, puts in a box and kicks it under his bed. "You'll understand the story when you're older, Jera." He picked him up and sat him on the open window. "It's getting late. The guards will be out soon, so go back to your room, before they find you"
"Okay, Noama." His father pecks his lips on his forehead as he leaps out of the window. He sneaks through the grass as lantern lights glow behind corners. His window, he climbs in and puts his covers over himself, he pretends to sleep as a lantern glow passes.
A sound in the distance, hooves stomping on the dirt, the snuff of the horse and the rattle of battle armor. Am entire row of them, a raid group of Joraal watch the farm as Lantern glows light every corner. Some were on the ground as suppliers, not attackers. Each one wearing hoods covering their face as their eyes glow under them. "Mz`Alandla!" one cries. A horse gallops towards him, hooded and eyes glowing a beautiful blue. "What is our plan, Bong?"
"We still need word from Gallingway."
"It has been hours in the night, Bong! We must make our move." His voice rose. "We have the advantage here. We must make this attack before it's too late."
"So we can be know to the kingdom and have us be wanted men and women like those cowardice Khaja Revolutionaries? I rather us be hidden from the public eye, Kos`El. You don't want to lose your family again, do you?" He shrugged and looked defeated. He had his horse look towards her.
"I hope that Englishman of yours isn't trying to get us caught like those Khaja Revolutionaries. I'm watching you and your lover, Mz`Anandla." The sound of a messenger came to them by foot, grasping a envlope in his hands.
"Bong, it's a letter from Gallingway."
"I thought he was to tell me himself."
"He has official business, Mz`Bong." She opens the letter with the red mark on it. She puts it down as she signals the group to go back home.
"We have to go home, we can't risk anything."
"Why Bong?" one of them asked.
"Their will be a royal cargo being shipping through this farm soon, we can't have them be witnesses to what we've done."
"You better be right this time, Bong."
She looked at Kos`El with stern face and said, "You rather risk your family? What would your wife say about this?" He growled at her as he followed the troops home. The sun was about to rise as Bong took a long look at me. "Jorra," she whispered as she led her horse home.