RECOVERY

TYRANT

    Wildest throngs of unimaginable glances bore down on the suspecting villain who cared less about whatever anyone said or thought about him. “Did you ever imagine that someone could defy the imperial court?” “Never” he answered him and they walked on in silence.

    The king of Zorak was an evil creature of a man. He was called Dex much to his displeasure by many. He hated it when his name was shortened and he had killed many people on account of that alone including his only daughter’s newly wedded husband who thought he had become part of the family of the king after the marriage and referred to the king as “Dex”. The king had him beheaded almost immediately and promised his daughter “a new one” as if it was a kitchen ware.

    His absolute wickedness was well known and acknowledged by all in the kingdom. His daughter hated him after he killed her husband and wanted nothing to do with him after the incident.

    There was however someone in the kingdom who stood unflinchingly in the face of Dexagon’s tyranny. His name is Simon. Simon was never observed to be scared or trembling before the king as almost ev       eryone did. He was an old man and no one understood the reason behind the king’s powerlessness towards him.

    At some point, a rumor went flying around Zorak that Simon had delivered a slap to the king’s face while in an argument but despite his reputation, many found the rumor untrue and hard to believe.

    The king was aware that the majority of the people in his kingdom despised him and secretly talked about the day someone would challenge him and try to kill him. this knowledge did not bother him because apart from having an excellent control of the use of the sword, he had a secret weapon that only Simon knew about – or so he thought.

    It was magic which aided his overthrow of power and he guarded his secret weapon with diligence. The element of surprise always has the upper hand. The few who had seen him use magic with exception of only Simon did not live to tell it to others.

    Zorak is the biggest in all the kingdoms of the west both geographically and economically and Dexagon the king maintained order in the land having outlawed every form of communication with other kingdoms.

    The punishment for this was decapitation and everyone knew the king did not bluff as he had already executed the punishment on offenders quite a number of time for them to see. Getting out of the kingdom was equally not a small deal as one had to obtain an express permission from the king himself. The prospect of going before Dexagon discouraged all and they resorted to smuggling themselves out of Zorak when they needed to.

    When caught, I believe you can guess the punishment. It was death through hanging. The king believed that every communication with people outside Zorak was a plot to try and kill him as well as leaving and coming as people pleased.

    He placed sentries all over the kingdom but he could trust no one to serve as his general to he took up the position himself. However, there was soldier – Pavalon an excellent swordsman whom the king had served with in the cavalry of the former king of Zorakl.

    Dexagon trusted him and made him captain of the palace guards. They were good friends but after Dexagon led the coup, killed the king and took his place, their friendship was extinguished as Dexagon no longer regarded anyone. Yet Pavalon considered his appointment as a proof that the king was still human despite his brute effort to convince people that he was not. At one time he even referred to himself as the “god of the earth”.

    Pavalon watched the king as he went about everyday and marvelled at his old friend’s transformation into the tyrant he now was as well as the most hated man alive. He was on a bright morning engaged in sword-combat training with some palace guards when he received word that the king wanted to see him immediately.

    He left the training site which was by the way inside the palace and hurried to hear what his friend turned king wanted to relate to him. When the guards at the door saw their captain hurrying towards the throne room, they pulled apart their spears and saluted him as he passed them and entered into the king’s presence.

    Dexagon was receiving reports from one of his spies and when he saw his captain walking towards him, he dismissed the young man and he left.

    “My liege, you sent for me.” He stood at attention with his right hand folded into a fist and firmly placed on his breast.

    “Yes captain I asked to see you on a matter of great urgency. I have been informed that a man and his family are in constant communication with unknown individuals outside Zorak, and also that it was the same man that gave shelter to that felon who escaped and eluded execution the other day. I need you to bring the entire house hold to the palace for questioning.”

    When the king finished speaking, he got up from his throne and was walking away when Pavalon called to him. “excuse me my liege.” “Yes captain what is it?” The king turned and asked him arrogantly. He ceased to call his friend by his name and only referred to him as ‘captain’.

    Pavalon had called to the king on a different note but seeing the way he responded, he dropped it and asked instead.

    “Where does this man live?” “Close to the north gate past the narrow end that leads to the river. Make sure you arrest everyone in the house. I await your return.”

    The king was already walking out of the throne room by the time he finished speaking and Pavalon stood alone in the magnificent throne room with enough gold and diamond adornments to beautify the entire earth and hoped the man the king had just ordered him to arrest was not Cloud the father of his best friend Raven.