Kareivis: Warrior

It was on this day three hundred and twenty-seven cycles ago, that is nine hundred and eighty-one Zeme (years) years. Yes, I have been counting. You would count too if it was the day when your entire existence was set ablaze. You would count if you had been betrayed for the most insignificantly feeble and tedious of reasons. You would count if all you loved most had been so violently ripped from your unsuspecting gentle hold. I was left with nothing; I was left with no one. I had saved them. I had neared the brink of death just to save their pathetic existence. It was their betrayal that brought me back from death’s unyielding grip. Now I have become destruction itself, especially for them. My every breath is now dedicated to vengeance. My heart yearns for and craves blood, their blood. By death’s crooked jaws, whatever love they have, I will decimate it. Whatever joy they have, I will pillage and plunder it. And their hope; don’t you fret about it because I will scatter it in all the corners of the universe. This much I can do for them, since they sought it fit to reward my sacrifices with a sword buried so meticulously in my back I cannot reach it. And the gratitude for my kindness was shown by a dagger etched so strategically through my heart it cannot be removed. But for now I will have to settle for my meagre mischief. “If you have not located her, then you have not searched everywhere now, have you?” the King responded in a soft yet stern and irked tone. He was a tall, regal and statuesque man. He had broad shoulders and strong hands. And he had a perfectly chiselled jaw that could cut through any ego. His eyes were a strikingly piercing Prussian blue. Whenever he looked at someone, it was as if he could see into their soul. It was almost as if his eyes could read that individual’s secrets. But this gaze, it was cold and aloof, which made him seem tough and unapproachable. The poor boy who had delivered the news of his daughter’s disappearance looked almost pressed. His hands shivered though they were firmly pressed on the flawlessly shiny marble floor. His feet were wobbly and it seemed as if fear would topple him and keep him sturdy at the same time. His right knee was on the floor while his left was bent next to his face as if he were about to sprint out of the room. He kept his head downcast, ensuring to not make eye contact with his king. He was sure if he were to look up that cold glare of the King’s-alone would end his short-lived life. “Kareivis… Let the poor boy be. It is not his fault that she has vanished again. This is her nature and you are well aware of this. After all she is her father’s daughter.” the Queen gracefully glided into the conversation. After hearing her, the King wore expressions the guard had never witnessed before. He seemed to respect and fear her. And unlike the King, she had warmth about her. Even the sound of her voice felt like the warm rays of the Rammenu sun. She was beautiful, and she knew it, but she did not take herself too seriously. It was evident in the way she carried herself and in the manner in which she spoke. Humble yet extremely elegant. She had round brown eyes with a warm, inviting demeanour. Her smile revealed a single dimple on her left cheek. She had long silky thick hair that swayed side to side when she moved as if to praise her hour-glass body. She was not as tall as the King, but she was tall. After speaking to the king, she looked at him with expectation of a response, but all he did was curl his lip and look aside. “If I may your Majesties, has anyone checked the Nedrag in Citadel. She recently rescued a Katzi from the Badlands. The caretakers have informed me that it has been having trouble adjusting to its new environment. Knowing the princess, it is her habit to take care of these kinds of issues herself.” one of the commanders quickly jumped in. “Thank you Commander Rokas. That sounds like our Muhali…” the Queen replied. Commander Rokas was a well built woman with beach blonde hair and clear blue eyes. She often refered to herself as 'The Commander of the Royal Coffers'. But the proper title for her was Minister of finance. Though she was 'the money man' she was still every bit the warrior that she was trained to be at Thyatira. She had been awarded the title of Commander even before she had taken over from her father as the Minister of the Inthian Finances. That very moment, King Kareivis turned around and headed for the exit without so much as a word. The commanders knew where he was going, and no one dared to stop him. The young man who was still bowing stood up and bowed to the commanders, turned around and followed king Kareivis. Citadel was Commander Rokas' territory, so naturally she and her escort guards along with the royal personal guard followed as well. Citadel was the largest territory in Inthia and the most diverse. Citadel was full of your common man with no military rank or noble blood, pure blood they called it. It was situated in the southern part of Inthia. When they arrived in Citadel, the Nedrag was chaotic. All the caretakers were outside. One of them informed Commander Rokas that Muhali’s other pets had become increasingly agitated with the new arrival. The tension had only got worse when it appeared the Katzi she had named Lauva would not submit to the hierarchy that was already in place. His arrogant and boastful nature had sparked a war of sorts. King Kareivis did not care about the situation nor did he care for the petty jealousies of animals. He burst into Nedrag without giving it a second thought. At this point he was past being irked and he was now livid. He saw the feuding animals growling at one another with vicious intent. The odds were stacked against Lauva as he stood alone cornered by the other animals. Lauva stood regal with a proud demeanour. He looked much like a lioness but twice its size. His body looked like it was covered in soft scales which would flair up into thorny spikes when he was provoked or angry. His paws and tale would light ablaze when he was angry. His eyes were as cold as ice. And he would often use them to stare people or other animals down from the top. He was from one of the few planets in the Badlands where only one species inhabited the entire planet. Half of his planet was entirely immersed in magma and because of this his kind had an extremely high tolerance to heat. He was from a dying breed mostly because Katzi were often captured and hunted for sport in the Badlands. That is how Muhali found him, he was being hunted. As the King watched, Lauva seemed like a proud beast that would not back down or bow down to any intimidation. His eyes moved side to side with lightning fast speed and intensity. His left front paw was on alert gently grazing the ground, but for the most part bending a little in the air as if he were preparing to charge at any moment. The King for a slight moment forgot his anger and took an instant liking to Lauva. Something about the lone beast with a cold glare struck a nerve with The King. At that very moment he saw someone summersault from a rock and land directly in-between the warring animals. The person’s face was covered by a mask, but the piercing stare was unquestionably familiar. It was the same stare he always had in his eyes, the same one he saw in the Katzi she had named Lauva. It was her, Muhali; his daughter and the one they had come to Citadel in search of. She was just as tall as her mother with the same curvaceous hourglass shape. She had short silky black hair that always covered part of her face along with part of her left eye. But her eyes were not like her mother's, in-fact her eyes were unlike anyone else on Inthia or Inthian colonies. Because her eyes were ember even though they wore that icy stare of her father's. She raised her hands with each palm facing the direction of the warring animals. Her hands did not move and neither did the animals. Her stance seemed to paralyze them. “Enough!” she said in a thunderous roar as she put her hands down to release them from her grip. On hearing this Lauva stretched his front feet and lay on his belly with his head held high as if he were the king of the Nedrag. The other animals simply puffed their noses and walked away. “So… This is where you prefer to be instead of attending a royal summons with the rest of us.” the King spoke in that cold demeanour of his. Upon hearing his voice, it was as if Muhali had been zapped by a jolt of electricity. She quickly knelt on one knee with one hand touching the ground and her head bowed down. “Your highness, I can explain…” she responded but before she could finish her sentence he quickly jumped in. “I don’t need your explanations. Everything is quite clear. But let me remind you of something. You are a royal princess and not a royal animal wrangler. Your responsibility is at the House of Kareivis not Citadel. Do not make me regret allowing you to build this place. Because my Princess if any such situation ever arises again I will dismantle the Nedrag piece by piece. And then I will donate all these animals to the first scavenger of the Badlands I come across. Do I make myself clear?” The Badlands was a lawless place where there was no order or honour. It had no ruler or law enforcement. The strong took what they wanted with whatever means they deemed necessary and with no apologies. And the weak merely scurried around picking up whatever crumbs the strong left behind. Only the worst kind of species resided there which was why purebloods were needed. Their sole duty was to protect their people from such evils. Purebloods were referred to as ‘keepers of peace’. They possessed special abilities that set them apart from the rest, and with these abilities they kept the residents of the Badlands at bay. “I understand, what of the summons…?” “You need not bother about that now. What needed to be discussed was discussed-in your absence. Your mother will update you. Oh… and clean yourself up, you are quite filthy.” She kept her head down seemingly unmoved by his words. She waited for him to turn around before getting up and once he had started walking she got up and followed him. Neither one of them spoke to the other. They boarded the carrier, sat down and still they did not speak to one another from Citadel all the way to The House of Kareivis. This was their nature. And even after they had entered the palace grounds and the palace itself they still did not speak. The King walked in front of her and she remained exactly five paces behind him. He led her to the hall of Tryst where the meeting with the Inthian commanders had taken place. There they found the Queen along with Prince Skydas. He usually wore a mask that covered half his face. He had long silver hair. He was as tall as the King, statuesque with the body of a competitive swimmer. His eyes were striking and extremely dreamy, such that one could get lost in them with just one stare. They were amethyst, an indication of crossbreeding with a species of the Badlands. And like the Queen he too had a warm demeanour about him. On seeing the Queen and the Prince; the King stopped near the entrance. He tilted his head down and looked over his shoulder at Muhali from the corner of his eye and said: “My Queen, Prince Skydas. The Princess has finally decided to grace us with her royal presence.” For a moment she lifted her head and looked right at him as he spoke. The Queen saw something she had not witnessed in a long time. Her beloved daughter Muhali was showing emotion. But it was short lived because as soon as she realised what was happening she quickly wiped the look off her face. And then she wore her indifferent countenance once more. Once the King had said this he went on to exit the hall of Tryst using another door. “I would like to be left alone with my Princess please…” the guards at the entrance along with Prince Skydas exited without hesitation and with extreme haste. “…oh, my beautiful and most precious Princess. You know he is not upset with you. He is just worried about your safety and your wellbeing.” The Queen walked over to Muhali. She raised her hand toward Muhali’s cheek. But Muhali turned her head aside before her mother’s hand could even touch her and she took one step back in protest of her mother’s actions. She immediately knelt on one knee with one hand on the ground, the other hand on her lap and her head facing the floor. “For my absence and tardiness, I beg for yours and the King’s pardon. As a princess in the house of Kareivis I am aware my conduct did not reflect positively on my character and discipline. I take full responsibility for this and as such I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate. If it pleases my Queen, respectfully I have but one request. I humbly make enquiry into the matters that were discussed in the summons.” The Queen released a heavy exhale as she put down her lonely hand. “Yes. The matters that are of concern to you are about the submission you made regarding the coming council of Inthia. The King, myself and the current council accept your proposal without question. The second matter is regarding the crowned princess of Inthia. In the next fair moon, the royal introduction will be made along with the royal pairing. The other matters shall be made known to you as and when the need arises. Ah yes, the final matter pertains to your sister. The royal council of Inthia has nominated you to be part of the ceremony of Maanda as a proctor…” “…but my Queen…” the hand of the queen quickly went up to silence her. “…had you been prudent enough to present yourself before the council when you were summoned then you would have been able to voice your objections. And perhaps we would have graciously taken such concerns under advisement but right this moment the decisions have been made. The decisions were made in your absence and it is your duty to obey without question. Am I understood?” “Yes, your majesty.” “And yes, do clean yourself up you are quite filthy. It is unbecoming a royal princess such as yourself. Also make sure you are well rested because you will depart for Thyatira at the earliest with an escort of our choosing.” after speaking The Queen left Muhali with her knee still on the ground and her head still bowed. Muhali’s face was completely unfazed. And as soon as The Queen was no longer in her line of sight she got up and hurried out of The Hall of Tryst. She was never the gracefully gliding type of princess. She was more of a faster than lightning striding type of princess. And as she exited the hall of Tryst she caught a shadow from the corner of her eye. And she stopped instantly. She took a deep breath and then released it. She looked over her shoulder without turning around. It was prince Sky or the masked soldier Wraith as most people referred to him. He lifted his finger and opened his mouth to talk but the words did not come out. He put his hand and finger down hesitantly. He did not speak and neither did she. They just had a silent understanding. He understood that whatever had just happened she did not wish to discuss it. And she understood that he was the one to escort her to Thyatira. She resumed walking and he ran and caught up with her. He stretched his neck as though he wanted to seem taller than her even though he was already taller. He slid his hand underneath hers and held it forcibly. When she tried to free her hand, he tightened his grip and he looked dead ahead as if he was not the one holding her. As soon as she felt his grip tightening she gave up trying to free herself. He knew there was only one reason for her giving up so easily. Her sister Vesma. She had spent an entire cycle without her beloved Vesma, which was the equivalent of three years. He knew how much she missed her and even though she behaved coldly and standoffish, she was giddy with excitement about seeing her sister. And as Sky and Muhali walked hand in hand he wondered what Vesma was doing at that very moment because he knew Muhali was wondering the very same.