GODS OF ASEROTH: The Prodigal Son: A monster is born (21 page)

    
“What should we do with the men?”

    
Virgil looked around to make a decision but all he saw was punishment. The men had suffered enough. They were bruised and battered and terrified with the sight of the carcasses of their fallen.

    
“They have suffered enough,” said Virgil “We should let them go.”

    
Barian was a little shocked, for he knew Leosher would not like it “What would we tell Leosher?”

    
“We will tell him that we let them go so they could tell the tale of his brutality, to inflict your terror in the hearts of Strinthiun citizens.”

    
“Do you think he would believe it?” Azar laughed and leaned on his staff.

    
“Of course he will, first of all, he will believe his own brother, Virgil, and second is that all he wants is power. When we tell him that, he will not even think about it.” Then Barian turned to Virgil “You are the second in command and he did not give any directions about what to do, therefore, you have the right to let them go. You do not have to lie to him.”

   
Virgil smiled with happiness and shouted out “Let them go!”

    
As the Empirion soldiers removed their weapons and got off guard, the Strinthiun army retreated like the hyenas, scared and terrified. They did not wait and stay to thank Virgil who generously, even after getting attacked by them, was letting them go.

    
“Now let us go back to the castle,” said Virgil and all the rest agreed. They picked their injured and fallen and began their journey back.

    
Leosher was now entering the gates of the castle. He entered the gates and made his way to the inner parts of the castle, where he found out that the people had seen the genocide of the enemy. Though they had sent their children to the ends of the castle where they could not see the gore and violence, they had seen what Leosher could do. Some felt safe but some felt threatened, for they thought Leosher was too young to possess that kind of power but though he was 18 years old, he was mature enough to know the difference between good and evil and whenever he needed guidance his brother, who was a grown man now, guided him.

    
“What happened?” Urey cried out from the top of the wall “Is he hurt badly?” He ran down and came to his brother.

    
“It is alright,” Usere tried to grin “I am fine brother, it is just a gash. I will be fine.”

     When
Neiham heard Urey’s cry, she came out from the back of the court hall and looked at Usere’s injury. She gave him some of the Lava flower elixir and healed him.

    
“You were brutal out there,” Neiham looked at Leosher. She did not show humor nor did she show anger. She said with a straight face “You should get changed now, for you look filthy.”

     He nodded and began walking towards his chamber and w
hen he entered the court hall, there was a cheer. All the fear of the people was gone and joy had entered their hearts and mind and they felt safe in the presence of Leosher because knew that he was capable of defending them. All those who opposed his power also came to their senses and believed in him now because they followed the crowd. The number of the believers was higher than the non-believers; therefore they had to follow the crowd. “Long Live King Leosher! Long Live King Leosher! Long Live King Leosher!”

    
All cheered for him and he liked it and wanted more of it, therefore he changed his course and began walking towards where his throne used to be and on the way, his dressers approached him

    
“Master, you do not have to worry about the blood for it was fall off after a dive in water. We thought this might happen that is why we designed it to withstand brutality and ruthlessness.”

    
Leosher nodded and kept on walking to sit on his throne but changed his course again when he saw that it was still in the yards. He decided to go and take a bath again. He plunged into the water and again made them muggy with blood but this time he kept his clothes on, for he knew there were children in the castle. He kept his royal clothes on and did not even bother to take the regal cloak off.

    
After he was done taking a bath, he went back to his room and wrote a rough list of rules that he wanted in his kingdom.

1. All rich residents must pay money to keep their gold.
   
2. All males shall be available at any time to serve their king.
   
3. All shall be loyal to their king.
   
4. All must travel to other countries with permission.
   
5. The king’s advisors must
   know about all trades going on within the kingdom and beyond the kingdom.
   
6. All shall do what the king wishes for them to do.
   
7. None shall question the authority of the king.
   
8. All criminals shall be put to death, no matter the crime.
   
9. Poor shall receive free food from the kingdom’s reserves, once a week.
   
10. All under the age of 12 shall receive education.
    
11. All must live near the castle.
    
12. The family must listen to the Father and if the father is dead, the son shall be the head of the family.
    

  
 
These twelve laws were the main laws that Leosher wished to be in his kingdom. He gave the piece of parchment to Virgil who was standing in the court hall. He had finished all of his tasks and now he was enjoying the evening feast that the people held in the court hall. There was dancing with joy and delicious food. Men drank rum in the corner and children played in the center. There was a cheerful atmosphere all over the castle and all the residents of The Empire loved their new kingdom.

    
The women of the kingdom shared their recipes for their delicious foods and the old shared their wisdoms. Many children sat around Lamfari as he told them the stories of his journeys to the far lands and many children sat around Barian, Usere and Urey as they told about their journeys and the fight against the Leviathan. Neiham and Azar sat with the Union where they discussed all that had been going on. Adne was happy and was now a regal and all of the residents respected her, for she was the mother of the King of The Empire. Everyone enjoyed and the smell of delicious meat, charcoal and sweet rum in the air was the best anyone had ever smelt.

    
“Listen well brother,” Leosher said to Virgil while handing him the parchment “This is a rough list of the rules I wish to be abided in my kingdom. I give you and the rest of the closest, Azar, Neiham, Barian, Usere and Urey, the authority to add some other laws.”

    
Virgil nodded and put the parchment in a pouch he had and continued enjoying. All enjoyed and loved the evening, for this was their first worriless evening. They had never had so much food to eat, not even the rich. They had never felt safer and the warmth of the fire under the pots and in the lanterns made it amazing.

    
Leosher looked for Meagon and went outside in the grounds with her. They both sat on a stone table in the moon light and looked around at the blue and white flowers that covered the grass.

    
“How are you?” asked Leosher in a softer voice than usual “It has been a long time since we sat together, alone.”

    
“I know,” she smiled “I missed you.”

    
“Do you like this castle?”

    
“Yes,” she smiled again and looked around “This dark sky and the bright moon light and the cool breeze makes it even more beautiful than the morning and the sweet scent of the flowers is even better.”

    
Leosher got up and took his boots off “Put your feet on the cool grass,” Meagon followed him and took her sandals off. Both of them rubbed their feet on the ground and enjoyed the sweet tickle under their feet.

   
“Meagon, can I tell you something?”

    
“Yes, Leo, you can tell me anything.”

    
Leosher blushed a bit “I am a king now. Call me Leosher, King Leosher.”

    
“No matter how regal you become, I will always call you Leo, in private of course.”

    
“Okay let us get serious now. I have to ask you something.”

    
Meagon blushed looked into Leosher’s eyes and smiled a bit “Go on.”

     Both of them got closer and closer
“Will you be my Queen after I am done with my quest of being the ruler of Thraenus and Aseroth?”

    
“Yes Leo, I will be your bride.”

     There was a huge smile on both of their faces and
both kissed and enjoyed the full moon night. The brisk breeze and the cool grass beneath their feet made it even more romantic. They both talked and enjoyed the moon light until midnight. It was now time for everyone to go back. All those who lived far, were to live in nearby towns.

    
Now no one was afraid of traveling at night, for they knew no one would take them hostage, rob them or kill them but before going, Virgil announced all of the laws. No one hated the laws and all thought that the laws were soft enough to let them enjoy life and were harsh enough to threaten the evil-doers in the community.

    
The night was splendid but every good thing must come to an end and the midnight was this party’s end. Adne, Meagon, Buntius and Lamfari stayed in the castle as well as the warriors and the Empirion soldiers but all the others left and took all the commotion with them. Leosher went back to his bed chamber and went to sleep as soon as he layed on the brisk and soft bed. He did not even take the cloak off; he simply unsheathed his weapons, took the sheaths off of his body and slept.

CHAPTER 12

     It was dawn and the suns shone into Leosher’s bed chamber through the huge window doors that opened up to the balcony. They struck his eyes and he had to get up. He sat up with his legs haging down from the high, white bed, and rubbed his eyes. He sat there for some moments until he gained his conscious and soon he got up and changed his white toga and wore the royal clothes. He opened the huge doors to go outside in the marbled halls and he swaggered to the dining halls with his cloak dragging behind him.

    
The dining room was beautiful. It was filled with flowers and had giant door-like windows with white and crystal blue see-through curtains. They fluttered in the morning breeze and the flowers bloomed and made the atmosphere pleasant. The floor was cobble stoned and there was a big dining table in the middle. It was a long, heavy table made with red wood and had dozens of chairs around it. It was a bit gothic style with strange carvings on the chairs, for this was Geluna’s table and had not been replaced; only refurbished and cleaned. The new workers of the castle had also placed a huge chandelier in the ceiling, above of the table. It was made with blue and yellow crystals with light blue flames blazing within it.

    
Leosher came and sat on the first end, on the throne like chair of the king and waited for all the others to come out there for breakfast too. Just as he sat there, his servants, many of them who were humans, came out of the grand kitchen with trays and trays, all filled with food. There were meats of all kinds, fruits of all kinds and bread, all prepared especially by Adne as a coronation gift for her son.

   
Adne followed the servants out of the kitchen and she was wearing the same, fancy clothes from yesterday. She walked to her son and kissed him on the forehead and sat on one of the chairs and soon, all of the warriors came out of their chambers as well, including Virgil. Meagon and Buntius joined them too and all began enjoying the breakfast.

    
“Tonight, we shall journey to attack the Strinthiun castle” Leosher said while taking a bite from a loaf of bread “We shall conquer the kingdom of Colossus too.”

    
“But brother,” Virgil interrupted “Strinthius is 4 days’ worth of journeying. We will need a place to stay.”

    
Urey coughed and laughed “You all might be forgetting something. My brother and I are from Strinthius and we were bounty hunters. We have men who shall accommodate us. Just tell us the route we shall travel.”

    
Usere gnawed on a buffalo leg “There is only one way to get to Strinthius and that is to go back towards the outskirts and cross the mountains and then travel through the strip of land that connects Strinthius to The Empire.”

    
Barian joined in the conversation too “If we sail, we will get to the land of Strinthius faster. I suggest we take the biggest ships we have and go by sea.”

    
Leosher thought for a moment and looked at Virgil “Bring me the map.”

    
Virgil got up and brought the war maps from the soldiers’ quarters and put them in front of Leosher.

    
“I believe we should leave now,” Adne smiled and got up “We do not belong here.” She looked at Buntius and Meagon and both of them followed her out and left the warriors alone.