Prologue:
“There is always a defeat in every fight; if not, there’s a quitter.”
I live in the third kingdom in the city of Zakania, where this kingdom is called the Most Holy. We—ourselves—are polytheists. First and foremost, we respect the two main gods, Zhasta and Zharmanun. Zhasta is our goddess of heaven to whom we bow our heads. If we pay her proper respect, we will get a ticket straight to heaven as we do good deeds. However, Zharmanun is our god of hell and jealousy, and if he sees us praying to Zhasta, there will be something bad happening. He’s the most feared god, and we follow his rules of terror.
We always wear our necklaces around our necks to show our respect and loyalty to the gods. The symbol of the necklace is a circle with many-thorned rose, symbolizing Zhasta as the rose and Zharmanun as the thorns. The necklace is emblazoned with many colors, and the crimson petals of the rose glimmers as we touch it.
Our kingdom, Stonemass, was perfectly built by the villages and by our ancestors, for our kingdom is built using different kinds of firm stones. They are effectively durable that no kingdom could conquer or destroy it. Our vast green fields outside our kingdom are very fertile and the river next to it is very clean, which where we get our drinking water.
Our king is still corrupt these days. He still sees us as slaves, not as friends who aim to help each other when in need. If I was the king, I would banish him out of my kingdom.
Selfish is the exact word that best suits his kingship. He only sit and eat. He doesn’t even know how to hunt animals, climb trees, or command his halberdiers. The halberdiers do the work for him, where there is a leader who commands his fellow soldiers.
As long as this tyrant stays on the throne, we will be slaves forever.
+ + +
The first kingdom that is built in Zakania is still very clean and the people there are lamentably old. They do not take prisoners, for they believe that people there lives by the voice of their conscience. They are trilingual; however, as they age, they forget some of the words of their languages.
They can’t eradicate those people who try to conquer their kingdom. The old people in the kingdom aren’t officially trained in combat, mostly in self-defense. As everyday they pray for peace and amity, the more war they make.
This is the kingdom where my grandfather lives. I know it because he is the king, the rightful king. He liberates all of the old slaves and makes them happy until their last days. The second kingdom in Zakania has been destroyed and burnt to ashes. It used to be a happy-go-lucky kingdom, especially the king. I am just glad that our king is alert on every kingdom that will try to devour our kingdom.
The kingdom has not gone to fight for a long time, and the king from another land annihilates his adversary without sweating.
They say that the king of Zakania has fallen in battle, spiked by a mace and with a spear through his eye. The people have surrendered, and there was nothing else they could do but pray to the gods for them. I am glad that our king is ruthless about protecting Stonemass from its enemies, even if he is useless at nearly everything else.
Upon hearing the tragic news, I quickly run to the temple to pray to the gods. “Palur Zhasta, I pray for the innocent souls that died in Zakania today, help them cleanse their soul and accept them as your friends. Prama.”
Palur and Prama are words used as prelude and postlude of every prayer.
After going to the temple, I have made my way to the river. I kneel down the river and pour water onto my face, calling Aquanezen—the god of water—to help our kingdom whenever it comes to a total danger. Then I walk through the fertile fields to my home, eyeing with one of the archers aiming his bow to me.
“Halt!” says a voice I barely recognize, and that archer puts down his bow. “He’s a friend.”
A friend? I don’t remember having friends in Stonemass. Or would he mean that I live here? These thoughts baffle my mind. My palms are getting sweaty, so I rub my palms to my tunic. The gates have opened, and I enter with people staring at me. I don’t get it… is this the wrong place to enter my kingdom?
I heave a sigh.
I am glad that for now, we are safe from our enemies, but dreaming of the day when we would have a better king.
