Zachania (35 page)

“Ganasis I know
where the cave is” Talon suddenly snapped causing Ganasis to
stiffen his back.

“Talon if we
had that book and the treasures, the power we would have in our
hands would make us impregnable.”

“But what about
the treasures Ganasis do you know where they are.”

“I spoke with
Apollo many times about them, there are twelve of them and Apollo
possessed two of them.”

“What are
they?”

“I only know a
few, the two Apollo had was a skull from an ancient dog that used
to guard the gates of the home of the gods and he had some soil
from the highest mountain of Zachania.”

“What else
Ganasis?” interrupted Talon.

“There is water
from the well of the gods, then there is lava from the molten pits
of Degrain, a pearl, some candles from the temple of the gods, oh
yes and some hair from the beasts that live in the forest of
deceit”

“What
else?”

“I’m sorry
Talon that’s all I know but I have heard a myth that a sacred map
is in the possession of the Pangkor.”

“The
Pangkor.”

Ganasis
shrugged at Talon.

“It’s a myth
Talon, only the Pangkor would know if it’s true.”

Talon suddenly
fell into silence as his mind raced ‘only a myth but I know how
personally how secretive and mysterious the Pangkor are’ he
thought.

Ganasis then
got up and stretched.

“You must get
some rest Talon, today has been a long day and tomorrow we travel
to Zachra for another meeting of the council.”

When Prince
Arun, Talon, Zalon and Lord Heikan along with their aides and
wizards rode into Zachra they were greeted by vast crowds of people
cheering and applauding them. News of the battle had travelled fast
and the story of Talon had travelled even faster, the crowds lined
the streets right up to the Palace gates.

The council
meeting that evening was attended by everyone who was important,
the only important person absent as usual was the King himself, all
the Lords of Zachania’s great houses were there, Heikan, Tanaga,
Zargar, and Krazmos and its newest Lord Talon’s Grandfather Zalon.
Talon sat next to Ganasis and Zumal and the Lords took their usual
seats with all the walls lined with the Lord’s Generals and
aides.

Prince Arun
rose to his feet and the room fell into silence.

“My fellow
Zachanian’s you have all heard of what took place in Zafra where
the treacherous wizards were finally rewarded for their crimes.
First thing I wish to do tonight is welcome Lord Zalon to this
council, it is my wish and my decree that all of Korvak’s property,
possessions and titles now fall upon him, and from this day forth
the house of Korvak will be forever known as the house of
Zalon.”

Zalon nodded
and rose to his feet with a giant smile on his face showing that
this was without doubt the proudest moment in his life.

Most of the men
applauded Zalon except Lord Zargar who remained seated only for the
Prince to notice and ask him if anything was the matter.

“Sire I have
heard news that troubles me, I have no time for Korvak as he made
his own noose by the way he spoke to us and treated you my liege
but I have heard that his sons are also imprisoned with him and
this I find hard to accept.”

Zumal rose to
answer the question.

“Lord Zargar
thank you for bringing this up and indeed we have given this great
thought. The boys were taken into custody because we were in the
midst of a battle, I myself will be questioning them where we will
decide what to do with them, Lord Zalon has already suggested that
a they be given some land in their homeland along with servants,
the matter will be resolved and they will not be held in the gaol
for long, it’s just process that’s holding them there.”

Lord Zargar
nodded then rose.

“Very well but
I will be keeping myself updated. One of them is my godson, and if
it helps then I throw my hat into the ring, and say that they can
live with me if they wish.”

“Thank you Lord
Zargar.”

Prince Arun
rose once again and resumed the meeting.

“My next duty
is to formally introduce someone you have all heard about, he has
mythical status but he has returned, I introduced Ganasis the
wisest of the wise and Apollo’s own wizard.”

The Prince
pointed at Ganasis who just stayed in his chair looking stone faced
next to Talon as the room broke into whispers and surprise at the
legendary, feared and respected Ganasis sitting before them.

Ganasis then
rose to his feet and the called for silence.

“It’s true I
have returned, I have returned to advise you on what will soon
come, forget your past lives that is finished! Forget how you lived
in the past that too is finished! The future is now banging on the
door and how you live in it is up to the men in this room, now
listen carefully to what the Prince has to say.”

Ganasis sat
back down and looked across to the Prince who smiled and nodded to
him to say thank you.

“Men of
Zachania! Brave men of Zachania! The emperor and his armies are
gathering at our border! And the town of Zanlia is already under
martial law, what else do we need to know, is the writing not on
the wall! This can only mean that once again the emperor will
invade our land.”

Lord Krazmos
forever the cautious one interrupted the Prince.

“We have no
proof that the Empire will invade.”

“No we have no
proof but surely the build of soldiers does prove one thing, that
the Empire is interested in us again.”

Zumal then rose
and added something.

“Everyone here
knows of Korvak’s wizards, their treachery has been discovered and
it was also discovered that they had for centuries been reporting
on us, but now they are dead so those reports are finished and the
Empire will be worried, they know of our strengths and of our
armies, I am certain that they will want to wage war upon us.”

Lord Tanaga was
next to talk.

“What do you
suggest sire?” he asked the Prince.

Prince Arun
took along breath as he looked at the faces around the room.

“I say we
attack! We land the first blow and make them think twice.”

Suddenly the
room broke into individual discussions about the bombshell Prince
Arun had just landed on them.

“Gentlemen!”
shouted Zumal trying to get the meeting back to some kind of
order.

“The time is
right, Ganasis has returned and the Zararhakzar is with us, our
armies have never been stronger, now is the time” Zumal added
shouting above the din.

Talon who so
far had been silent rose from his chair and walked besides Prince
Arun and placed a hand on his shoulder asking him for permission to
speak, the other men noticed this and after a few calls for
silence, Talon had the room.

“By now you all
know who I am, if anyone here does not then I am the words and
wishes of Apollo! The same Apollo who died fighting besides our
ancestors… I am here to bring revenge, to cast out the old and take
what we once had, Freedom!, our time is upon us and now we take
back what the Empire took, ready yourselves Zachanian’s and be
ready for war and in the words of Apollo we shall unleash a wrath
that no army can withstand.”

Lord Bolson
Heikan rose proudly to his feet.

“I Lord Heikan
agree and I vote for war!”

Once again the
room broke into uproar until Prince Arun stood up showing that he
was voting for war, Talon did the same followed by Ganasis and
Zumal and then Zalon, Lord Heikan then turned to the remaining
men.

“What say you
Tanaga?”

Lord Tanaga
paused in his chair for a moment before slowly raising.

“I say yes but
with caution.”

The two
remaining Lords, Lord Zargar and Krazmos both looked at each other
and then together joined the other men on their feet. Prince Arun
looked around the room at the five Lords all voting for war and he
felt a feeling of deep caution as the reality of what he had just
done sunk in.

“What have I
done” he thought to himself.

Ganasis ever
the wise noticed the look on Arun’s face and walked over to him and
placed an arm around him.

“You are brave
my Prince, you will be spoken about for centuries, now let me
address the council” he said confidently which made the Prince snap
out of his thoughts and ask the council to sit back down again.

“This day, this
epic day will be remembered for a thousand years! I salute each
man’s bravery in this room, now we have agreed, we must now act, we
have already discussed a few plans and Lord Zalon has been asked to
undertake the task of building battle ships, we have three but we
will need ten.”

Prince Arun
spoke next.

“My own army is
currently being prepared but I have forty legions already in place
at the border.”

The discussions
went on late into the night with the council making plans among
plans all agreeing with what had to be done.

The next
morning Talon knocked on Ganasis’s door and the old man opened it
and invited him in.

“You’re up
early Talon.” yawned Ganasis.

“I have not had
much sleep Ganasis; I want to speak with you.”

Talon walked in
a sat down where Ganasis noticed that something was troubling him
and asked him what the matter was.

“When do think
we will attack the Empire Ganasis.”

“Why do you ask
weren’t you at the conference Talon.” replied Ganasis slightly
puzzled.

“I’m sorry
Ganasis but the talks went on and on and my mind began to
wander.”

Ganasis
shrugged his disappointment at Talon’s remark.

“Three months!”
he barked pouring himself some water.

“Good.” replied
Talon.

Ganasis poured
his water and then sat down facing Talon and spoke to him like
father speaking to his son.

“Talon you do
not attend a meeting like last nights and stop paying
attention.”

“I am sorry
Ganasis.” answered Talon looking sorry for himself.

“For goodness
sake what is wrong?”

Talon paused
then raised his head.

“I am leaving
today Ganasis, I am going for the book.”

Ganasis frowned
confused before answering

“The spell
book!”

Talon nodded
back.

“I think I know
where it is.”

“I will come
with you.” added Ganasis now excited.

Talon slowly
shook his head and looked the wizard in the eye.

“You are needed
here Ganasis.”

Ganasis thought
for a moment as his face dropped.

“Your right, I
can’t go.”

“I am sure it’s
in the mountains of Zachania.”

“That mountain
range is over a hundred miles long.”

“If I see the
mountain I will know it.”

“Apollo never
told anyone where his cave was, he would go there from time to time
but always alone.”

“I will find it
Ganasis.”

“When will you
leave?”

“Now.”

“NOW! Who have
you spoken to about this?”

“Only you
Ganasis, tell the council I will return shortly.”

General Krustov
sat frustrated at his desk in Zanlia, he had been organising passes
and reading reports for the last three hours when his door was
suddenly pushed open. The General jumped out of his chair and was
just about to lambaste this rude intrusion into his room when he
saw with shock and fear that it was Grarlin the wizard Grand of the
Imperial wizard guild. The General flinched as the giant wizard
approached him with a fearsome scowl upon his face.

“You have
failed in your orders.”

“I have not.”
Krustov interrupted speaking very softly.

“SILENCE! I
told you to crush the resistance here, it still thrives give me a
reason why I should let you live” Grarlin snapped back and brushing
some books off the desk in anger.

The General
froze as he knew how terrifying the wrath of the wizard who stood
before him could be, so very carefully he tried to explain.

“Your highness
we have tortured and killed hundreds of Zanlian’s but we have found
nothing, I believe there is no resistance in Zanlia.”

Grarlin leaned
forward and placed his hands on the table now looking even more
sinister.

“Would I send
you to Zanlia to destroy the resistance if I did not know they
exist?”

General Krustov
flinched as he frantically looked for an answer.

“No your
highness.” he uttered bowing his head.

“If I let you
live what will you do to satisfy me.”

“I will step up
our interrogations and increase our scrutiny your highness.”

“You will stage
public executions and show Zanlia what happens to anyone who
disobeys the Empire.”

“Your highness
public executions could cause uproar!”

“Good I want
Zanlia in pieces and when you hold these executions make sure you
execute the wives and children as well, then they will fear
you.”

Krustov
swallowed very deeply at the horror that he was being asked to do;
he was a soldier and not a murderer.

“Your highness
Zanlia has thousands of citizens; such an act will bring hate upon
the Empire.”

“Are you my
teacher now General? The emperor is very discontented with the
Zanlian’s, we have shown them benevolence and all they have done is
show empathy for the Zachanian’s, we have information that the
Zachanian’s habitually visiting the Zanlian resistance, this will
end and they know what it is to be in terror.”

Krustov having
no choice bowed his head and agreed with Grarlin.

“Yes your
highness I will follow your orders to the letter.”

“Good! Your
first order is to burn every boat in Zanlia, small or large,
fisherman or merchant you will burn them all, then make it law that
no one will own a boat and if anyone is caught in possession of one
or building one then the punishment is death, death to them and
their family.”