The Destiny of Amalah (52 page)

The images rushed through their minds: slavery; assassinations; famines; genocides; plagues and everything bad and ugly about humanity. Waldon and Kenaz trembled and begged Salwar to stop but he was relentless.

‘You must see,’ Salwar said firmly.

Salwar showed them despair, loneliness, mental diseases and indifference and then he showed them the third world war. The war that decimated the planet, leaving less than a million survivors. Survivors who suffered and then died as the planet then burned for decades. They felt the despair and pain and they felt the hopelessness and when the images were firmly etched into their minds, Salwar let them go.

‘It cannot be,’ Waldon cried, as he dropped to the ground and clutched his chest in fear and despair. ‘No!’ Waldon shouted. ‘That cannot be our fate.’

‘It can and it is,’ Salwar said, knowing that he was twisting the truth.

Salwar had shown the worst of humanity and their darkest times. He failed to show the good that you were capable of. He deliberately left out the triumph of the human spirit following tragedy or struggle. There was no love or hope in the vision he showed; nor was their any sign of selflessness and sacrifice. He deliberately left out the ‘big ones,’ as the gods call them. He deliberately did not show: self determination, evolution and ascension.

‘Do the other gods’ know of our fate?’ Waldon asked.

‘All the gods know,’ Salwar said plainly. ‘They see what I can see,’ omitting to tell them that the future was not set.’

‘And what say they?’ Kenaz enquired.

Salwar laughed with contempt. ‘This is your destiny, some say. Some do not care either way,’ he said twisting their words.

‘But you do?’ Kenaz whispered.

‘Yes I do, very much so,’ Salwar said vehemently. ‘That is why I am here and that is why I defy them.’

‘But what you ask of us…’ Waldon croaked. ‘We will be the cause of the very suffering that we have just seen and felt.

‘I know,’ Salwar said, his face grave. ‘I know what I ask you,’ Salwar admitted, his face exhibiting empathy; ‘but this will be the best way. If you are at the seat of power, the kingdom will be yours and you may do with it what you will. If you do as I say, the gods will have no choice but to alter their position.’

‘And if there is a war to get to that seat of power?’ Kenaz asked.

‘This will be the war to end wars,’ Salwar said, blatantly lying. ‘You saw the future. War will be a way of life for humanity and in the end – it will be your downfall and your complete destruction,’ he finished.

‘Do we have a choice?’ Waldon asked.

Salwar smiled a knowing smile. ‘You all have a choice,’ he told them. ‘I know I am asking you to risk your soul, to do evil but it will be for the greater good. You all have a choice,’ he repeated. ‘I came to you because I saw great strength in you all,’ he finished.

‘And if we win?’ Kenaz asked.

Salwar leaned forward and touched both Waldon and Kenaz’ head and showed them a paradise. A paradise where they and their loved ones, past and present were together.

‘There are no guarantees,’ Salwar warned; ‘but having climbed Qomo, I know you can face impossible odds,’ he said, clearly massaging their ego.

‘I will join you,’ Kenaz said vehemently.

‘What choice do we have?’ Waldon asked sadly.

‘You must come to me willingly,’ Salwar told the two warriors. What I ask will change the fate of the worlds and potentially irk the remaining gods. As such, it can only be your choice.’

‘How many gods are there?’ Waldon asked.

‘That I will not reveal,’ Salwar replied.

‘How many stand with you?’ Waldon asked.

‘None, as yet but some have indicated that they will support me if I convince humanity to question the universal status quo.’

‘Were we to do this, our actions would be evil, would they not?’ Waldon queried.

‘Yes.’

‘And we would be known as such for all time?’ Waldon said aggrieved.

You may be immortalised as evil, but if you succeed you will be immortal and your actions erased from history – that is what you will fight for. But as I said before, it must be your choice.’

‘I see,’ Waldon said staring ahead, his face solemn and aged as he contemplated Salwar’s words.

‘Pain and grief are diseases,’ Salwar said ardently; ‘virulent ones at that and they must be eradicated.’

‘I will join you,’ Waldon said, nodding his head. ‘I pray we succeed, for I do not wish to be immortalised as a monster.

Salwar nodded in approval. ‘Young princes one and all, you have shown that you will do what it takes to better your world. You have taken on a mantle that most mortals would shirk from but not you. From here on in, you must work towards taking those council seats in Amalah. That is the heart of the nation – the heart of all nations.’

Salwar’s words were enough to plant the seeds of doubt in the minds of Waldon and Kenaz and get their initial loyalty. Salwar left Rakan and Rufus to finish what he had begun and to introduce them to dark power and over the next three years; not only did Waldon and Kenaz join Rakan and Rufus; they embraced the dark plan that had been set out by Adriel and Salwar.

From thereon Kenaz adopted with fervour the promise of immortality and reunion. Waldon was still somewhat torn between his loyalty to all that he held dear and the vision that he had been shown. To him, the fate of humanity rested with him and his friends and it tore him apart, the lengths that they had to go to achieve it.

From those days on, the four men spent most of their time meeting and conspiring and practising their sorcery or fighting skills.

‘We must divide the Guard,’ Rakan said forcefully, to his friends. ‘If we do not we will fail before we begin.’

‘I agree,’ Kenaz said.

‘It pains me to say it but so do I,’ Waldon added.

They spent much of their time together to the exclusion of Kalon and Ellora, who at first, did not seem to mind, for they were happy to spend whatever time they had with each other. However as time went by, the young couple noticed that the four friends were often meeting without them and often, when they made plans they would make no attempt to ask the other two.

‘I wonder why Rakan, Waldon, Rufus and Kenaz no longer wish to spend time with us?’ Ellora asked Kalon one day.

‘I do not know my love but it troubles me more and more.’

‘Do you think it is something we could have said or done?’

‘No I do not.’

‘Then why?’ Ellora asked perturbed.

‘I am at a loss also,’ Kalon said taking hold of Ellora and holding onto her. ‘But I will speak with Rakan.’

‘What will you say?’

‘I will ask him outright.’

‘How things change;’ she said despondently. ‘We grew up together, travelled the world together, and we have been friends since the beginning of time and now, the four of them treat us like distant friends – strangers even,’ the hurt clearly showing on her face

‘They changed,’ Kalon said forcefully, as he took hold of Ellora and held her close to him. ‘I don’t know why they did but they did.’

The young couple discussed Rakan and their friends until the early hours of the morning until they both fell asleep and when Kalon awoke, he got ready for a days work at the palace. He kissed the still sleeping Ellora on the forehead: ‘I wish I knew why my brother and friends abandon us,’ he said sadly as he stroked her hair gently before he left for the day.

Kalon joined his father for the morning and at lunchtime, he went in search of Rakan, he found him working with some of the guard in the north block and greeted him. Rakan, who was somewhat surprised to see his bother, raised an eyebrow before greeting him, while the other guards shifted uncomfortably.

‘Kalon, this is a surprise.’

‘Rakan I came to find you, I wish to talk with you if I could have a few minutes of your time.’

‘Of course,’ Rakan said agreeably, and curious as to what was so clearly troubling his younger brother.

The two young men began walking through the palace corridors and as they passed, some of the female maids who were passing by stole glances at them or smiled coyly at them or blushed, because by now, the two brothers were indeed very handsome men. They were both tall and Rakan who was six feet three was only two inches taller than his brother. They both had piercing blue eyes and jet black hair that Kalon wore to just past his shoulders and Rakan wore down his back. They both looked unique, but they still shared their mother’s strong facial features.

Many women were attracted to the brothers; especially Rakan, for not only was he striking but he was confident and charming when he wanted to be and unlike Kalon, his heart did not belong to another. The two brothers acknowledged the women and smiled and then Rakan looked at his younger brother for a few seconds before:

‘What troubles you Kalon?’

‘You do brother,’ Kalon said candidly. ‘As do: Rufus, Waldon and Kenaz.’

Rakan did not hide his surprise. ‘Why?’

‘For a while now, I have noticed that the four of you are inseparable and that you are all very close but I think that this development has been at the expense of Ellora and myself.’

‘Kalon that is not true,’ Rakan protested.

‘But it is true brother, I have noticed and Ellora has noticed. Remember we all grew up together, travelled the world together and have been through so much together throughout all of our lives. Lately the four of you meet without us, make plans without us and exclude us often – why is that?’

‘I do not know what to say Kalon,’ Rakan said adopting a humble approach. ‘I did not realise things were that bad. I think the four of us just presumed that the two of you preferred to be alone and I also think that lately, the four of us have just enjoyed time after our work is done. But Kalon from now on, we will include you and Ellora. I am very sorry that we have excluded you and we would never do that deliberately, I hope you know that, I hope you know me.’

‘Very well,’ Kalon replied, not wanting to express more unease when his brother was taking a conciliatory approach.

But something gnawed at Kalon, for he sensed that his brother’s actions had been deliberate and he felt that lately, he longer knew his brother. He had felt uneasy of late and something about his brother and three friends bothered him. Kalon let it go for now; he would wait until he knew exactly what it was that irked him so.

‘Why don’t we all have dinner tonight and tomorrow, we can all get together and spend time together?’ Rakan suggested.

‘I would like that,’ Kalon replied.

‘Good then let us make it so,’ Rakan said cheerfully. ‘We can eat here and then perhaps spend an evening on the balcony.’

‘I look forward to it, I shall ask Ellora.’

‘Very well,’ Rakan said amicably.

The two brothers continued to walk and talk for a while before they parted company and went back to work. Rakan went back to his work and throughout the day, he arranged to meet Waldon, Kenaz and Rufus. At the end of the day and in the early evening the four men met in the north east tower, which had become their meeting place and they discussed Kalon and Ellora.

‘Kalon and Ellora feel as though we are ignoring them and leaving them out of our friendship, they feel shunned,’ Rakan said explaining to the three men.

‘So?’ Rufus asked.

‘So,’ Rakan said testily. ‘They are going to grow suspicious and for now, everything must remain the same, as much as possible. So from now on we will make extra time to include them in what we do.’

‘That’s superb,’ Rufus said superciliously. ‘If the plan were to hold as many meetings as we could before we die then the plan is so far ahead of schedule and going like clockwork.’

‘Patience,’ Rakan said. ‘Everything in time.’

‘Why don’t we just bring Kalon and Ellora in with us?’ Kenaz asked.

‘No,’ Rakan said assertively.

‘Why?’ Waldon asked.

‘They will not,’ Rakan replied.

‘How can you be so sure?’ Waldon asked again.

‘Kalon is my brother I have known him all my life; I know he will not turn and neither will Ellora. Do not forget they have a strong bond of love to each other, Amara and my father that has been in place for years. I do not think that we could break it and we would have to if they were to join us. We cannot afford to be stopped before we start and they
will
stop us,’ Rakan warned; ‘you know they will.’

‘Or perhaps you simply don’t want to turn your brother,’ Rufus said, sounding too much like an interrogator for Rakan’s liking.

‘Perhaps I don’t,’ Rakan said quite sharply. ‘We do not turn Kalon or Ellora – we don’t even try,’ he said to the others, asserting his authority.

Waldon and Kenaz were not minded to argue with Rakan but Rufus was, but when he saw Rakan’s face and his hard eyes staring directly at him; Rufus changed his mind about arguing for the time being.

As planned, the four friends began to spend more time with Kalon and Ellora but still, they continued to scheme and put their misguided, yet nefarious plans into place, which they had kept well shrouded up to now.