Magnifico

Impediments of power

The former king of Alaphas, Jonas suddenly started to learn hard lessons about life. People in Quinax still think that he is the king of Alaphas and he still controls the affairs of his country, but things have changed, power has shifted and has been taken over by Magnifico by force.

He is the new boss and the new king, nobody listens to Jonas anymore. Everyone feared Magnifico more than they feared Jonas even though they exhibit the same wicked character. Jonas has started to acknowledge what shame is and what being without power could result in. He has started to see things differently from the way he used to see things. He is more open to common sense now than he was before; it didn’t matter to him what your opinions were or what your advice was or what your advice can possibly solve for him in the past but recently, he is a sharp thinker. The problem is, nobody comes closer to him to comfort him or hear what he has to say or even attend to his requests; not even his dear lions.

Jonas was returning home one day from a council meeting when he bumped into his door. He noticed his door wasn’t fully jammed like it was before he left. He hurriedly went inside and saw that the sitting arrangement he had kept in order before leaving for the meeting wasn’t as he had left it.

He wondered what could have tampered with his room or who could have visited his room when he wasn’t around and left it scattered to the extent that he noticed it. He walked close to his reading desk and that the candles standing on the table in the morning when he left were on the floor.

“who could have been here? What happened here? Someone did break into my room when I was away.” Jonas mumbled to himself as he sits down on a chair beside his reading desk.

He started thinking; who may have done such a thing and his mind came across Magnifico. Immediately he looked at his cabinet, where he had hidden the scroll he stole, and saw it was unlocked. He quickly got up to the wardrobe, opened it, and quickly searched for the scroll but couldn’t find it. He searched the whole room and even opened all the shelves but he found nothing. He became tired, angry, and devastated. He went back to the chair he was sitting on before he started searching for the scroll to think carefully of what his next step would be. He sat down and closed his eyes, and he unknowingly slept off.

He slept for a few minutes and suddenly woke up; this time around he knows quite well that Magnifico is capable of doing unimaginable things. He sat calmly thinking of what to do next, he thought of going to Quinax but it seemed like it won’t be a nice idea since the people of Quinax sees him as a monster which he is. He didn’t know which would guarantee him a longer life; staying in Alaphas and remain a puppet that begs for his life to be spared or to go to Quinax and leave destiny to what fate brings.

He was still thinking when he heard a knock on his door.

“Who’s there?” he asked.

“We are the palace guards, Magnifico requires your presence.”

He became confused and afraid, he didn’t know why Magnifico had summoned him. He wondered if it’s somewhat related to the scroll that was taken from his shelve.

“I am coming, let me get dressed” he replied as he quickly rushed to wear his official cloth.

He went with the soldier straight into the palace where Magnifico was sitting. When he came in, he saw most of the palace officials standing in their normal positions, their necks were bent as though they were looking at their shoes. Jonas had wondered who could make them look so timid and terrified. He became terrified too and was scared of what may happen next.

“Jonas! Something about you amazes me. You think you are smart but you are not. Do you think I won’t ever find the scroll you think you have hidden? Ha-aah-haaaaha-ha!! Now, you delivered the scroll directly into my hands and I will give you a brief list of what I’m planning to achieve with it; listen, you will be amazed. I am going to reincarnate my brothers who will be my own personal guard and also an ally. With them on my side, the whole world will now to my feet and all the kingdom of the world will be under my control.” Magnifico said as Jonas stood looking at him in total panic. He now understood why other officials were watching as though they were frightened.

Magnifico continued, “ In eleven weeks, I will be going to the land of Sytrits and I will be coming back with glory. But before we move, I need to sort some things out before I take my leave. Some kingdoms need to be sorted out.”

At this point, Jonas knew that his life is hanging on a thread. He didn’t want to die sooner than he expected, at least not too soon. His usefulness is suddenly reducing and very soon, it might wane to a point where Magnifico won’t find any reason to keep his head still standing on his neck, so he thought.

“My lord, please forgive me for I have acted foolishly and arrogantly. I wanted to show you the scroll but I decided to wait for a while. I was so foolish and I didn’t think my actions through.” Jonas begged while kneeling on the ground.

Magnifico laughs! “ my lord? That’s very pleasing. Yes; that is what the whole coasts will be calling me very soon. I will lord over them all. Wasn’t that your dream before Jonas?”

“That was my dream for Alaphas but not anymore,” Jonas answered hurriedly.

“Dream for Alaphas? You are a man of monkish virtue. Why would you say it’s for Alaphas? It was all for you, you wanted to acquire everything for yourself and not for your people. You only use your people as a platform for this glorious acquisition of Kingdoms and that what I like about you. You and I are just alike but with a different body, sometimes I wonder if you were to be me, would I still be alive till now. You may have led me to one of those hungry looking lions you have long ago.”

“No my lord, I wouldn’t do that.”

“Shut up,” Magnifico said with anger as he stands up and rushed towards Jonas and jacked him up with his left hand, hanging him in the air while he looks at Jonas with total rage. His eyes turned red and his veins became very thick, his voice became deep and his breathing rhythm changed into a faster pattern. Jonas had concluded within him that he is dead already, he thought that there’s nothing that would get him out of this one. He wanted to beg but he couldn’t breathe properly and he was barely gasping for air. After a few seconds, Magnifico dropped him on the ground and Jonas started panting.

“You are a lucky chap, Jonas. I even consider myself more human than you are. Even your parents will be astonished at who you grow up to become. If you were to be, I don’t think there will anyone left in Alaphas. Isn’t he a lucky chap minister?” Magnifico asked while looking at an official standing next to Jonas. But he didn’t respond because he was engulfed in fear, he didn’t know what he will say that may turn Magnifico's anger towards him.

“I asked you a question. What’s your position here?” Magnifico asked.

“A mi---nister” he responded as he voiced cracked as though he was stammering.

“Minister for what?” Magnifico asked while he leaves Jonas who was already kneeling on the floor and approached him.

“Minister for human affairs” the official responded.

“Minister for human affairs or whatever you call your self, is your former King, not a lucky chap?”

“Of course. He is, he is.” The official responded with great anxiety. Then Magnifico started caressing his neck with his hands and touching the Minister's eye as though he has some dirt in it. Magnifico quickly brought out a little dagger from his pocket and forcefully chucked it inside the Minister's throat and killed him instantly.

“Your ministry is useless... Which affairs are you going to minister for me?” Magnifico said as he leaked the blood in the dagger and swallowed it down his throat before he inserted back the dagger where he brought it from.

“Feed him to the lions.”

The soldiers around immediately took the body of the minister and threw him right inside the cage the lions were and they devoured him.

“You see, power is good but it doesn’t suit everyone. When I ask questions, you answer. When requiring something, you go get it. I don’t entertain useless questions or flimsy excuses” Magnifico warned.

Jonas was terrified, he almost urinated on himself but didn’t. At that point, he knew that he has to fasten his plans and strategize on the quickest way to escape Alaphas and go wherever life will take him. He certainly doesn’t want to die in the hands of Magnifico and he knew that if he keeps lurking behind, his life may be in great danger.

“Now, I don’t want to see anybody here. Everyone should get out” Magnifico said with a deep voice.

Everyone hurriedly left and Jonas had to leave too because he was iso scared as well. He felt a bit relieved when Magnifico ordered them to leave. Jonas came outside the door and looked back at the palace door and nodded his head and left. When he came home, he opened his door and went straight to his bed, dropped down on the bed like a falling tree. He was sweating profusely even when the weather wasn’t hot. He laid down in a way that made his face staring at the ceiling, he crossed his two legs and raised it in a way that made him feel more comfortable. He started devising means of escaping from Alaphas.

“What am I going to do? This monster is going to stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. I can’t remain an object of ridicule for him. I can’t watch him humiliate me in the face of the people I have once ruled over. What am I going to do?” Jonas was questioning himself.

Magnifico has given strict instructions to close down all the entry points in Alaphas and every entry point to be heavy guarded by the military. He made the military understand the consequences of opening the gate to anyone apart from him.