THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS

The Traveling Musician

Chapter VI

 From the vast ocean, a full rigged cargo ship is travelling towards Shuixron. Standing on its deck is a curious man wearing a traditional clothing, carrying a banjo. 

The man began playing the instrument as soon as the ship enters a vast water gate along with the other ships. The gate is sixty feet tall including under water. It surrounds the terrestrial territory from the sea, and is only far enough to witness the tiny view of Shuixron’s Palawer harbor and the magnificent Ostheo’s ring

“How long will you keep staring at that ring?” a Strong muscled man in shaved head came approach. The man with the banjo suddenly act dramatic. He started pinning every string to make a sound that would match his exaggerated viewing of the scarlet sky

“It is not even a real ring—But did you know why did they call that Ostheo’s ring or the ring of King Ostheos?” says the man turning to his companion in a deep voice “No, and I don’t have any plans of knowing” he responded coldly. The banjo man inclined himself on a mast and began teasing his companion with his sniggering response “How poor of you bestowed only a little knowledge about the enemy” this man grinning with excitement is the prince of Kamuary, known only by his name, Prince Liero. His unusual habit of traveling around the world prevents him from living a princely life inside the Kamuary’s castle

 “The King and the Queen will be furious about this your highness” Prince Liero placed his banjo on his back as the ship is getting nearer to the land area   

 “Calm down Xiao, no one will know if you keep your mouth shut. Besides, I did not come here for nothing. I am looking for someone remember?—she will lead me to victory Xiao, just wait for it” Prince Liero has his keen to settle the war between the real prominent kingdom. His motive is to reveal the weakness of the prince Shuixron has been hiding. 

This is his revenge to Shuixron for meddling in a war that wasn’t theirs.  “Ostheo’s ring Huh! We will start from there” sighting the top of the mountain. The Ostheo’s ring is a mountain not bigger than NIHA but one very intimidating and eye-catching with an orbiting trails from the bottom revolving towards the top. Only a few people knows what is it above there

 “Shuixron secure it with more soldiers than that Giava gate” says the prince referring to the gate they passed by.

 Xiao lifted his eyes to examine the two, from the gate to the peculiar mountain. It is true that the gate is exaggerated with armaments since it is built primarily for security and defense purposes. Even prince Liero himself, who’s been illegally pervading highly circumspect kingdoms had a hard time entering Shuixron. But a single odd mountain is protected as much as the main castle

“How utterly inquiring indeed!” said the prince                                                                                                                                     

 “Are you talking about that woman the prince of Shuixron about to marry?”                                                                          

 “Who else am I talking about? If not her?”                                                                                                                                       

“But I heard the wedding was cancelled! And the woman is now missing” 

“She has nowhere else to go, she will come home and seek for his brothers help, the Ayah of Ligayun is not the smartest girl one could possibly meet. But she will be wise enough to ask for a superior’s hand. Believe me I have met her before” he took a gaze into the ocean to swallow its peaceful scenery before stepping into the plank that connects the ship to the land area. He reminds himself of what this kingdom used to be like. Perhaps nothing has changed. From that time when he first lost his way into the forest of the northern borders of Shuixron. A little girl was abducted by a Mourhak. He chased after them and ended up finding its nest. The Mourhaks easily gets distracted with noise and he realized that when he played his flute outside its nest. The Mourhak climb off his warren and appeared before him. He suddenly felt frozen as he stood before the gigantic monster who probably eats children—scared enough to cry, but the tears just won’t fall from his eyes—the Mourhak roared the loudest noise he could possibly hear in such young age. He took his weapon and tried to firm himself against the terrifying beast. And when the Mourhak attacked him, he pointed his weapon straight up to it, and charged forward, till his sword felt its aim. He was so surprise when the Mourhak seems reacting from his attack. He let go of his sword and let the Mourhak fell into the ground, watching his weapon deeply planted on its chest and spurting black and stinking blood. He was so scared that he forgot about the little girl inside the warren. But just when he recovered his sanity, an Elf came approaching. He hid on a bush and saw the elf went towards the dead Mourhak, trying to examine its body. He made sure that the elf sees the girl before he left. He figured the girl is the Ayah of that little village, his grandfather told him about, and she is no doubt Arayan. Her necklace hanging from her neck that time tells him who she is entirely 

“Let’s go ” Xiao suggested                                                                                                                                                                      

 “So!—is this the Kingdom who defeated Kamuary?”                                                                                                                       

 “You are the Prince yet you know nothing about your enemy” Xiao sent his words back to him. Prince Liero spend less time to his Kingdom and more time traveling across the world, that no matter how much insult his father and Xiao throws at him, his travels are far more interesting than being a prince                                                                                          

“Nice! Now you know how to use the words properly”                                                                                                                

“Your highness, no one might know you here but please refrain yourself from being caught”                                                     

 “You don’t have to remind me. Besides, I am not a prince” he danced his way to make a distance from Xiao and faced him with a resolve 

“I am just a traveling Musician after all”.   

Meanwhile, Arayan, Quamran and Magnus reach the capital city of the Qionar, the Lonan

 “So! Here we are!” said Arayan who’s not so comfortable with the new clothes she is wearing to hide their identity in the enemy’s territory

“It’s great that the people here are busy doing their stuff” Magnus said sarcastically. He is referring to the merchants around them. Some are selling goats and cows, some are advertising their goods such as beans, vegetables, fabrics, equipment and other stuff. The place is entirely messy and loud, and overly crowded. Which makes Magnus slightly irritated “excuse me, May I offer you something?” held the merchant before them “ah no thanks!—but perhaps you could tell us, where can we buy a----- slave?” Magnus asked “oh! Slaves, did your master ask you so? Hahahaha! You see a crossing over there? Go straight to it--- the selling of the slaves is in there” replied the merchant, Arayan is bothered how the merchant seems to be proud of telling them where the slaves are, just like telling them where to buy some nice pork. She thought, Shuixron would never do this to their people. But on her second thought, they may have done worst

 “Thank you, what about it? The master thing?” says Magnus “Maybe this clothes we stole is for the servants” Arayan whispered. In Qionar, only those affluent people can wear silks and the common people can wear basic clothing, while the servants are only allowed to wear clothes with dull or dry colors. This is to divide the people in accordance of their social ranking. In that notion, Arayan’s first step in Qionar granted her a least status.

 The three rash towards the place where the merchant told them. But even in their haste they can still notice the poor condition of the area. So different from the outer view of Qionar. The houses are associated in a chaotic arrangement. The curtains and garments are revealing from the outside, carpets are hanging from their windows, and some of the children are n***d running along the street. As they gone further and further the place has become more concrete and overcrowding. Until at last they reach their subject.