DESCENDANTS OF THE BLACK MOON

Chapter 13

The King hurriedly walked out of his room and called for an instant gathering. 

The people gathered around in the big hall beside the King's throne. After they have all settled down, the king began, "I saw something, more like I saw… Ravana." Instantly, everywhere became quiet.

The people silently marveled at how exactly did he see Ravana. Did Ravana drag him to hell to discuss with him or what? How can he see Ravana and then come back alive? Is that even possible?

"You can start asking your questions." The king said and leaned his back on his chair with a raised brow.

"What?! How exactly did you see Ravana?"

"You mean you saw Ravana in person? How is that possible?"

"What did he say to you?"

"What does he look like in person?"

"I think you need rest cause, I think you've been thinking to me. To me, there is no way you would see Ravana and then come back alive!" The person who said this mumbled the last part to himself.

"Point of correction, I never said I met him in person. And I didn't mention to you that, I and Ravana had a discussion. It was more like, I saw him in a… trance." The King pointed out.

"Trance? How?" This time, Kath finally spoke up.

"I was sitting down in my room today when I saw Ravana. No, how will I say this? I saw a monster. Okay, here is what happened. I was sitting down thoughtfully in my room when I suddenly felt sleepy. Immediately I closed my eyes to get some rest I saw a monster staring down at me." The king explained.

Again, there was a moment of silence with everyone in the palace staring at him.

"Ask your questions and stop staring at…"

"You saw a monster? How sure are you that it is Ravana." This question came from one end in the crowd, and before the king could utter a word, another question came in. "Ravana, what does he look like?"

The King opened his mouth to answer their questions, but again, another question came in, but this time, from his daughter: Kath, "Dad? Are you… okay?" A small smile immediately found its way in the lips of the king. He nodded his head and replied, "I am fine." He turned to the people of Nazirites and said, "now, for your first question, here's your answer: remember when Ravana told us three days ago that, his eyes are always around us and he is watching us?" The king hesitated for a while and the people nodded their heads, "good, now listen to this, I don't know if Ravana made me see this, or the gods of our ancestors wanted me to see Ravana; we can never tell. But, I can easily tell the creature I saw was Ravana. He was staring down at him. He wasn't moving now does his eyelids blink. If that creature was staring intensely at me, it simply insinuates that he has his eyes on all of us here," the king paused for some seconds and continues, "to summarize it all, Ravana has been watching us, even right here and right now." 

For the hundredth time, there was a moment of silence. It seems like even the birds outside of the king's palace were also in terror cause everywhere was as silent as a graveyard. The creepy atmosphere has rendered the people of Nazirites in fear and out of words.

From everything the king has said, the last part of it got them; deep down in their skin. Ravana is watching them even in this hall they are gathered. He listens to their conversation and even their plans to take him down; he listens to them all.

"I never knew you were this smart!" A creepy voice whispered these words in the king's ears. The King scanned his eyes around the palace, but nothing. Besides, no one was close enough to say those words to him, so, where is that voice coming from?

"Dad, what's wrong?" Kath asked on realizing how uncomfortable her dad was now sitting on his throne

The King bat his lashes and asked, "did any of you say something to me not quite long?" The people stared and one another and said, "No! No one did." In unison.

The King leaned forward and locked his already trembling hands together. Was he hearing things? 

"Dad, what's wrong?" Kath inquired worriedly. She could see the sudden fear in her dad. He was so calm some few minutes ago, so what could suddenly make him startled?

"No… it… It's nothing. Am fine," the king stuttered with an obvious fake smile on his face. He cleared his throat and said, "is there any question you would love to ask?"

"Yes! I have a question, why are you so scared?" Again, this creepy voice said to him in his ears and make a slight chuckle.

This time, the king couldn't hold it back as he jumped out from his throne covering his ears with his hands and at the same time, using his eye to look around the palace.

"Little boy, do you know you look stupid right now? Besides, why are you covering those little things you call ears? What is the essence of it when you can hear me loud and clear?"

Looked stupid? 

When he turned to look at the people, they were all staring at him with the 'insanity looks.' Like he has gone completely nut. 

The King manages to keep his composure as he made a nervous laugh and sat down fearfully on his throne. He pushed a huge lump which he didn't notice till now down his throne and again, plastered a smile on his face.

After a moment of silence, the people in the hall turned to themselves and started asking questions that no one has an answer to.

"What the hell just happened now?"

"Is he… insane?"

"What's wrong with the king?"

"Has he been possessed by Ravana?"

"Yeah, that's true. After all, he said it himself that he saw Ravana."

The last two questions were the only question the king heard after zooming out of reality a while ago into a land of, "thoughts." He dart his eyes to the crowd and said confidently, "no, I am not. Something happened a while ago; you all should ignore it. As I was saying…" The king paused when that creepy voice said to him again, "of course, you are." 

The King welled up and yelled, "what?! Possessed? You are making me act silly right now and then you say am possessed?" 

After the king's thunderous voice has almost broken the walls of the palace, another moment of silence engraved the hall. This time, they didn't lack words but, the king's yell has made their mouths mute, that even the question they had couldn't come off their mouths.

Kath walked a little bit fearful of him and uses her hands to hold his hand. She said soothingly, "dad, calm… down, please." 

The King took in a large intake of breath and nodded his head, "I am… fine, Kath. Do not worry about me."

Kath stood still watching at her dad to ensure that he is perfectly fine. Of course, she had so many questions to ask which she needed an answer from him, but for now, it is obvious that her dad doesn't want to mention what happened to him a while ago. She will ask her questions, but definitely … not now.

Once she was sure her dad was at least a little bit settled on his throne, she squeezes his hand a little bit and returned to her seat. 

The one who was sitting very close to her leaned forward and asked, "who was he yelling at a while ago?" 

Instead of replying, Kath gave him a dirty look. Okay, that was enough reason to keep his mouth shut as he leaned his back on his chair.

One, two, there… thirty seconds has passed but, the king still hasn't said a word. Silence has taken over the hall. Everyone had their gaze fixed firmly at the king who they thought was still sitting on the throne, meanwhile, the king had zoomed out of reality.

He was thinking deeply about out who exactly was saying those words to him. Who has made him act so insane that, sitting right in front of his people was so embarrassing to him?

Little boy? Those words sounded familiar to him. It seems like he has heard those words or someone has called him a... his eyes widened when it occurred to him that Ravana called him a little boy when he descended three days ago.

Hold on, Ravana himself is in their midst? Ravana is here in their midst and probably, Ravana was standing right beside him and was whispering all those words to him.

The King raises his head and said confidently, "Ravana is here; here within us!"