CHAPTER 23 – ALL-TIME BACKFIRES


    The next morning a council of action convened. When Mitakahn told Anilithyìstad about his dreams, his uncle did not doubt him like the rest of his family. Instead, he sent word to Metuchen to prepare for the worst and spent the last couple of days setting up this meeting.


    Mitakahn stood outside on his balcony and took a moment to greet the sunrise. The air was damp, the sky was clear, and the sun was oversized. Mitakahn looked at the red haze waving the fading blue night away, a purple dance of the sun’s bent rays. It was going to be a hot day. Mitakahn could tell, ‘almost unbearably hot’ he thought.


    After a while, Mitakahn got dressed and went downstairs. He entered the main council room of the citadel. The members of the meeting included: judges from the Prestigents, politicians in the senate, the lords of the greater and lesser houses (including Lord Mercinestor Casterosi) of the Pride, and of course, Commander Cel’a, Anilithyìstad, Jericho, Anilithion, Mortikahn, Excelsior, and Mitakahn. Queen Adyána still wanted no part of dealing with politics. She heard everything directly from Mitakahn and had no need to endure a sit-down with the state.


    The council met around several large roundtables, a floor below the throne room, inside the citadel at Zepathorum. They talked about key issues. The threat of Mitakahn’s dreams soon entered the conversation.


    “So… we do not know for sure if this danger will ever come?” asked one of the lords.


    “Tell me you are not buying into this, Amalki?” interrupted a Prestigent named Jirulian.


    “No, that is why it is not worth alerting the Senate just yet,” answered Anilithyìstad, ignoring Jirulian.


    “I know this seems crazy,” Mitakahn led on, “but every bone in my body is telling me that there is something out there. Some nameless threat grows in secret and it is going to storm these shores.”


    “Nonsense!”


    “Whatever it is, it could be the explanation to Theomitus’ curse that we have been waiting for,” said Commander Cel Adora.


    “No ship has ever been able to sail the Barren Sea, it is impossible-” chimed in a councilman.


    “Yes, but how can we be sure? Who knows what evil magic is out there. There is no reason to be ignorant towards this possibility and risk dooming an entire nation upon one presumption,” explained Mitakahn taking the opportunity to cut off the councilman from furthering his argument.


    “Do you honestly expect us to believe you?’ asked another senator.


    “I…I don’t know, we must keep an open mind,” confessed Mitakahn.


    “And if these shadows do attack…how do you expect us to fight them off?” said Demeter, the governor of the Lion Nation, finally sharing his deviously withheld thoughts.


    “Only a king can order Liege Lord Casterosi to summon the army banners,” said one of the lords from the greater houses.


    “There is a bylaw for times such as these,” pointed out Lord Mercinestor.


    “The named heir can take the throne if the born heir is declared incompetent.”


    “Mitakahn, is that what you are saying?”


    “I do not want my brother’s throne. I must follow my dreams.”


    “What?”


    “Ha!” mocked the other councilmen.


    “This is madness!” They shouted.


    “What if the only way we can rally the kingdom’s banners is if you institute the named heir bylaw? Will you take the throne then?”


    Anilithyìstad felt a shiver go up his spine. It was too specific of a question. From the other side of the room he could see Mercinestor twitch in his seat as well. Before either of them could intervene Mitakahn answered.


    “I will do whatever it takes to save my kingdom.”


    “He wants the crown for himself!”


    “That’s not what he is saying.”


    “All princes dream of the crown!”


    “Prince Mitakahn has always walked a different path.”


    “That must have been his plan all along.”


    “Mitakahn loves Axion and would never betray him!”


    “Your father-”


    “My father!” interrupted Mitakahn as he launched to his feet, “…is the one who brought me these dreams, so bite your tongue before I-”


    “Easy Mitakahn,” mediated Jericho.


    “…rip it out,” persisted Mitakahn, “saving us all from having to hear you finish your foolish and pointless thought, you pathetic excuse for a man!”


    “STAY YOUR GROUND, PRINCE! And know…your…place. You have come to us declaring our nation under certain death, preaching about dreams as if they were prophecies, this is all sacrilege, and, must I say, highly illegal. Prince Mitakahn, there is no doubt that you have been suffering after your father’s death,” Demeter pretentiously rambled on, “we all have…but for you to come into our kingdom and threaten the very lives of us all under false prophecies and inaccurate assumptions! I will not stand for it! Obviously, your grief has taken a negative toll on you, prince. And I fear for the worst. Feed into your hallucinations and delusions we will not! Nor will we give into your attention-seeking behavior. Just because you are a child of royalty does not mean you can play games with the well-being of the entire kingdom! I thereby, call a trial in the high courts of Zepathorum for the false-prophecies and blasphemy of prince Mitakahn.”This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    “What?!” stumbled Cel’a.


    “Wait a second!” screamed Anilithyìstad.


    “You can’t do that,” interjected Mercinestor from the lords table.


    Mitakahn sat down in his chair, dismayed, dumbfounded and yet, not completely surprised. He glanced over at Excelsior behind him who was maintaining his stature. His friend leaned forward for Mitakahn’s ear, “So this is how they treat royalty in the north?”


    Mitakahn shook his head and sat there as words were thrown around him by his family and the politicians, muffled in a melancholy trance.


    “I second the motion,” starkly added another senator.


    “Then it is settled,” concluded Governor Demeter, “this time tomorrow, a session of court will be ordered for the prince’s misconduct. This council… is adjourned.”


    “I must return to Castle Rosi and inform Cipher of this at once.” Mercinestor said to Mitakahn before storming out, “We will be there at the trial, my prince. This will not stand.”


    All of the diplomats exited the council room. Mitakahn sat in awe of how the flow of the meeting had drastically gotten away from him. He never would have thought that he would be the one to hand over the monarchy to the politicians. Demeter walked by Mitakahn, still sitting, and just before he exited the room, sinisterly whispered in Mitakahn’s ear, “Consider this your arraignment.”


    The governor took one more step and his head smacked the upright spear of Commander Cel’a, who was now standing right in front of him. Was that wetness on his forehead now? He dabbed it and examined. Blood. He dare not address it. He could barely make eye-contact with the fierce look coming from the warrior’s glare as she then escorted him the rest of the way out of the citadel.


    Anilithyìstad sneered at Demeter as they crossed paths, Anilithyìstad went to Mitakahn’s side and helped him up out of his seat, “Come now, Mitakahn, it’ll be alright, let’s go upstairs.”


    The boys followed Anilithyìstad. “I don’t understand,” said Mortikahn, “wouldn’t they just be trying to convince Aunt Adyána as the judge in the trial?”


    “Not when there is no king, according to Zepathorum law it befalls the highest level of judges in the kingdom.”


    “What does that mean?”


    “It means no one else can get involved, not the Arkenoirs, not the Casterosi, nor any of the Pride’s major and minor houses. We’re going to have to sit back and let this happen.”


    “All because of Axion.”


    “Do not be so quick to blame your cousin. He is doing his best. Just like any of us can.”


    Excelsior stayed with Mitakahn. Now that they were out of the hall Orion was able to once again join them. They walked down the street and when the coast was clear Excelsior suggested, “Why don’t I take care of this the epitaph way?”


    “And what precisely would that entail?”


    “Let’s just say it’s nothing compared to how they do things over at Demeter’s precious senate.”


    “That’s non-specific.”


    “I would make the trouble makers stop making trouble.”


    “Much clearer! I appreciate your willingness to break the knight’s code so easily, but I must ask something else of you, my friend.”


    “What is it?”


    “I have a feeling there is no stopping the chain reaction now, if they imprison me or execute me-”


    “Mitakahn don’t say that your own kingdom will not execute you.”


    “Either way, the innocent people need to be saved. You are completely up to speed on the quest. We need the Crucifire Sword. Go, find the others, I will catch up with you if I can.”


    “Mitakahn we don’t even know where it is? The book said the White Desert.”


    “Echo gave me one more outlet if all else failed. A contact in Epitaph City named Demascus.”


    “Demascus!?”


    “You know of him?”


    “I apprenticed under him at the library. He is the one who nominated me for the knighthood.”


    Mitakahn laughed. If he had just remembered to share that one piece of information before, they could have avoided all of this. They probably would’ve been on the road by now.


    “I will go and gather our friends to your cause Mitakahn,” Excelsior brought the prince in close, “but we will see you on the road. This is your quest not mine, and I have faith that your kingdom will not abandon you.”


    “Thank you my friend. Make haste. I fear time is against us.”


    “I will leave tonight. Tell everyone I bid farewell and give them the wanderer’s blessing for their hospitality.”


    Mitakahn bowed to his friend and patted Orion’s head. He watched them leave the city limits and regretted not just going with them. But as prince he had a duty to face the charges held against him. So, Mitakahn went back to the Citadel and waited for what happened next. He had taken a while to get to sleep that night, in high anticipation of tomorrow. He was losing all hope again. Something inside of him felt the evil growing. He looked outside each day, and it seemed as though the sky was getting darker and darker. He was growing worried that the evil would strike, and they would not be ready, and thus die without much of a fight.


    ‘What evil?’


    A moment of exasperation rushed his thought process. Calling it evil was a vague attempt at validating what was otherwise an empty threat. ‘Evil’ The word echoed in Mitakahn’s dark mind. The only evil present in their kingdom was trying to falsely convict him in attempted mutiny. He will soon be condemned by what he was trying to stand up against.


    And then it hit him. What if the sinister shadow in his dreams can take more than one form? What if war, and sword and shield, are not the only tools for destruction? What if his dreams just put into motion a self-fulfilling prophecy? Perhaps, the evil he feared had already infiltrated his kingdom. If so, things were worse off than he thought. In a day’s time he could be in shackles, the monarchy dissolved, and the nation irrevocably doomed. Mitakahn cursed his brother for staying in the mountains.


    It was all going wrong. Mitakahn missed his father. Then again, he could not think of a more suitable ending for such a miserable turn that his life had taken. But no, he couldn’t think like that. There is no life in hopelessness. And so, he treaded on, he kept his head up and waited for something to come to him. He opened his mind and his soul followed. Mitakahn fell into the deepest of slumbers…


    Awakening. But I am still dreaming. Another dream. Keep attention. Rain’s coming. A wicked storm overhead. Wind billowing, trees swaying, temperature cracking. With the storm comes darkness. The winds carry me to a forbidden kingdom. I must get out of this cursed land. Wait a second. A hole in the darkness. Above that peak. I climb but the cliff is too steep. I am trapped on this wall in the storm. The current of the rain trying to peel me off the rock-face.


    Just then I reach up to dig my hand into the stone and the sword of flames comes back to me. It cuts through the stone without problem, and I quickly rise to the top of the mountain. But that is not to say I was finished with the mountain. I took the fiery sword to the mountainside and carved from its face all the stone and dirt.


    The stone retreated in on itself and the fire from the sword baked it bright. I stood upon a massive diamond. I stood upon the Carbon Terra. As soon as I say the name aloud it breaks apart between my feet into four massive slabs. They plummet and so I plummet with them. We fall together to the edges of the earth, and I struggle, but I am able to keep paying attention…Tonight I take the name back with me for I know I am in a dream.