CORONATION OF THE THIRD FORCE

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

‘Ha ha ha’, he laughed,

‘Why do you laugh’, I ask my invisible guide, ‘Seeing that I am lost, among strange beings’.

‘No, my son, you are freed instead to take your revenge on your enemies. If you are in the world of humans you have no chance, but here, you shall go back and do just that to destroy them.’

‘How will I go back, in what body? Why did you direct me to where pain was my welcome?’

‘So the pain can drive you back to where you belong. If you had gone the other way, you will be so nicely treated and our purpose, your purpose in life will be lost.’

What is my purpose?’

‘Who are these people?’

‘They are the people of the Mercury planet, they are called Iglobins. Their bodies extend to any length and are indestructible by man.’

‘Is this where you want me to be?’

‘You shall not be here for long. You shall reincarnate to your world after they have prepared you for your mission.’

‘And what mission is that, father?’

‘Your mission is to go back to the earth, to your kingdom, the kingdom of Water, and appear as the lost son of king Agorim, Jokhara. He will receive you as his lost son; throw a feast for the kingdom to celebrate your return. Thereafter, you shall destroy all those who betray me, your father and mother, and only then will you prepare for the great combat with Prince Radia and Bosakia. Your father the king shall send you further into the Magic Flyers Academy to acquire more magic skills. But you shall be underestimated by your rivals and that will be your strength.’

‘To what purpose is the combat and what makes them underestimate me?’

‘Your purpose then is to avenge your parent’s death and establish for yourself in posterity a universal dynasty.’

‘After that what follows?’

‘You are a quick learner, son. Quick learners ask questions. Our history is one replete with conflicts between our three kingdoms. We never agree until the powerful kingdom of Ileac, made up of equally powerful beings, aliens, who began to attack us, so we decided to come together as one to fight them. But how do we agree as one when conflict is our food? So we sort a combat challenge between us, to put our princes who are trained in all training to face each other and whoever triumphs will be crowned Emperor of the Universe and then lead the rest kingdoms to defeat our alien invaders.’

‘Have all these things happen already’, I asked.

‘No son, I am giving you foreknowledge of them as they will happen and how you shall be a crystallized part of them’

‘Now, to answer the other part of your other question; you are underestimated because King Agorim’s son Jokhara is known to be lazy and his father is protective of him. He lacks the training princes acquire and is never seen where danger is so he is considered as a no rival. When they will hear his father has agreed to let him join the combat they will laugh him to scorn and they will call you the third force. Yes, my son, we are the third force, because, after the reign of king Sophari, I was the next in line for the throne before the deceit and betrayal. You shall conquer them all.’

As we spoke, the Beings, the Iglobins, as he called them, gathered around me, none touching me. It seems they understood I was conversing with an invisible being and were quiet and so I asked my guide,

‘Do these beings know you are here?’

‘They even know your coming. They sense every spiritual presence, if it constitutes a danger, they destroy it, and if not it is allowed to exist, and help is given. We shall proceed to the next stage, they are waiting.’

Immediately, one of the beings, the tallest among them, in their height of no more than four feet, extended his long loose hands and took me, lifted me like a paperweight, and marched forward while others lined up behind him. They Mercury kingdom, from what I saw is a small kingdom with few beings and if all I saw is the population, then they are less than ten thousand.  They are scattered around the kingdom living in low door houses all light up, but interestingly they watch us from a distance, none venturing close.

From the position we left, in five minutes we were in what is like a fast speed train station, and all around are pave roads with precious stones that produce the light of the kingdom. And soon came a snaky designed express train that is powered by light and we boarded, the interior of it was all gold and light which made me conclude it is powered by light since no sound is made to suggest an engine. I was not placed on a seat, the being still held me in his huge and strong hand while he sat and was automatically strap with a seatbelt. The train moves at the speed of light and sloped downward on a steep curve and plunged further as if into a pit but just as soon leveled up and slowly halted inside what is a very sophisticated laboratory.

Inside were Iglobins workers, draped in coveralls, and none of them spoke and as I was wondering why I have not heard them made a sound, my guide, who I understand now is my grandfather, said,

‘Do not bother about that, they are speech deficient, but perfect in every other sense.’ And like that in that mute silence, the workers received me from those that brought me and proceeded straight towards a tall, broad machine covered round with shiny glass and inside was designed like a bed, but fitted with six-point handheld drilling machines hanging over it from the sides. I was led inside and the machine closed but not before my guiding voice spoke and he said,

‘You shall be fitted with indestructible life that only those who made you can destroy you, and when you come out you cease to be your former self, but king Agorim’s son, Jokhara. Twenty-one days you shall be in here.’ Those that put me in strapped my body with hanging machines and what I saw again was darkness, and I was rolling and tumbling in thick darkness just to find a way but the darkness was so impenetrable and finally, I was blank out.

After what seems days without consciousness or knowing I began experiencing some faint stream of light, and some form of infilling of force into my body like one is filling a tube with water. It was a gradual sip as the spiritual refill occupies my body from the toes going up to my head.  I began to see myself in different life forms, beasts, humans, insects, reptiles, fish, and back to humans. I tried to move but it was like a heavy rock was placed on me and as the slow refill was going on so did I continued to exist in different worlds, even arriving in the kingdom of seventh Heaven and going first to the kind and peaceful side where they asked me who invited me, and I ignored them and immediately went to the wicked side and they were all astonished to find me alive whom they have destroyed with their life-sapping whip.

When I came back from the tour of the worlds in the spirit, I then heard a voice asking me questions, questions of my identity and mission which shall ingrain in me a new memory of my new self and result in a transfer of personalities as I prepare to reincarnate as Prince Jokhara. The voice asked,

‘Who are you?’

‘I am Prince Jokhara’.

‘Who made you a prince?’

‘I am of noble lineage from the kingdom of Water and Snow’.

‘What is your mission?’

‘It is to avenge my parents and reign as an emperor’.

‘And how do you accomplish this mission?’

‘I don’t know, but I guess I just have to take control’.

‘Take control of what?’

‘Take control of the events that create my mission.’

‘Are you aware?’

‘I am aware’.

‘Now listen’,

‘I am listening.’

‘When you leave here you shall be indestructible, but a single mistake shall destroy you’.

‘And what is that mistake that shall destroy me?’

‘It is you destroying yourself’.

‘I don’t get it’.

‘Prince Jokhara…’ this time the voice has an echo and I said,

‘Here I am’,

‘Do not pity your enemy that is what shall destroy you’.

‘Do I look like one to show pity?’

‘Then do not or you perish’, he said very sternly.

‘I will not, I dare not’, I assured the voice.

‘Now’, he said, ‘your mission is a strenuous one. The combat for survival is terrible and your opponents are human but with the hearts of beasts. They will fight dirty and will not show mercy or pity. Your three kingdoms shall adopt the combat system of Iglobins, my people that see the survivors move on to the next level based on a code system.  It is made of thirty-two codes, each code representing a system change when flipped. Each combatant will be equipped to manipulate the codes to his advantage and how well you do that gives you the advantage over your opponents and eventually becomes the champion.’

I listened attentively and then asked my instructor,

‘Who are my opponents?’

‘Princes from your neighboring kingdoms, you shall familiarize with them on your return’.

‘Who trains me for this combat?’

‘You are in your training even now. Your new body shall be equipped with self-operating codes to respond to your new mission’.

‘You mean I am equipped with the code system of the combat?’

‘No, that will make it no combat if you have the advantage over your opponents. The Iglobins are an honest race, no cheating is allowed here. But you shall have the advantage over your opponents because of your body system, it will alert you of danger ahead, while it traps your enemies, you shall be aware and escape.’

‘Is that my only advantage?’

‘As a Prince, you shall equally be sent to the magic school where your skills for survival shall be horned and sharpen for the combat.’

‘You are almost through. How do you feel now Prince Jokhara?’

‘I feel like the whole world is on me.’

‘It is the first sign of transference of burden and responsibility you shall carry until your mission is accomplished. You are ready now.’

‘One more thing’, I said to the voice.

‘What is that Prince Jokhara?’ the voice asked

‘Who choose me for this mission?’

‘Your destiny did, Prince!’

The moment the voice said that it was again that total blackness and I felt lost, alone and deserted, and shortly I was glad when the faint traces of light returned and I began to see my new body growing like the tendril of a sprouting plant. When I finally stood up but I saw me strapped down in the machine and I knew that isn’t me anymore.  It was time to move on.

For those twenty-one black days, I did not hear the voice of my grandfather nor did I feel anything, my senses were dead and whatever they did to me I knew not until the day I got up to find myself at the open water side beach of the kingdom of Water, in my kingdom looking exactly as Prince Jokhara. It was dark, the beach was empty, these days my people retire early to their homes because of the alien invasions and I was alone.

 I was four years old when my mother ferried me out to safety to the Seventh Heaven and now I am twenty years old, the very age of the disappeared prince. I was dressed in princely attire, linen cut loose-fitting trousers tied to the ankles and a tight top but loose in the arms tied also at the wrist. I wore a round head cap and armed with a golden sword, I stood surveying my new environment. I did not forget that I was dead but now reincarnated to become another me in another form.

Has my guiding voice abandoned me? I barely finished asking myself the question when I heard the familiar voice sounding in my ears, I was frightened as he so suddenly spoke,  I jerked to one side.

‘Welcome’, he said, ‘you are about to begin your mission. See yourself as the prince and later as the emperor. You have been equipped with indestructible life, at the Magic Academy of the Flyers you shall be equipped with skills to best your opponents but it shall not come easy, but you shall prevail. Go now, the king is still mourning his son.’