Mister Chaudbury

Chapter One - Life At The Palace

     When Virgil called the guards away, he'd call Melody up to him and told her she was done for the day. She laid the basket of grapes on a nearby counter.

     "Here, sit down, let's have a talk," Virgil eased his arms around Melody's shoulders and sat her down.

     Melody stayed still, she didn't speak a word. "I don't like the way those guys talk to you," Virgil went on saying. "You should speak up for yourself more, or come get me and I'll handle them right for you whenever you need it." He moved his arm down Melody's back.

    "You really are different than the other slave girls, your complexion, your soft skin, your flowing hair. It's attributes you'd see of perhaps a princess or a fair maiden in this castle. But these heavenly gifts were bestowed unto you, my dear, and I find that irreplaceable, in you," Virgil spoke softly, he relaxed any of Melody's muscles that were tense from field work and other labor they threw at her malnurished body.

    Virgil and Melody would just sit there, until some great force shook the palace and rung all the glass and expensive jewelry and ornaments in the long halls. It was attacked. Everyone was on alert, the Masters came out from their rooms. Slaves were called in case of back-up protection for the king, all the guards and king's soldiers rushed down the hallways to entrance where the intruders made their crude appearance.

    The attackers were none other than King Tashil's long-standing enemy, Prophet Vashti and his men. Wyatt and Izan tagged along side Vashti on his journeys and important missions with which he carried out in Galacia. Tashil could never kill Vashti, he was too loved by the people for a public execution, assassinations never worked for he was too evasive, so the only time Tashil had the chance to eliminate was to do it himself whenever those two came face-to-face with one another. Which was quite often to say the least. Vashti would always intrude upon Tashil and challenge him to some sort of fight, or Tashil would come with soldiers to Vashti's places and duel him, but there would never be a victor.

    When it was reported to the king that the prophet Vashti entered the palace, he immediately clothed himself in his royal robes and came down, dagger in hand, to face off against him. His guards lined a wall between the broken door passage and the rest of the palace and main lobby. Tashil walked down the stairs, creating a moment of suspense between the two rivals and the guards standing back. Tashil stood before Vashti, aiming his dagger at him.

    "Tashil! Your long and unforgiving reign will be put to an end by my hand. Your terror will be stopped," Vashti announced to him. The king only shrugged his shoulders.

    "Vashti, you're a fool. I am the inherited king of this entire land. Overthrowing me would mean overthrowing the entire royal bloodline. You are nothing, just a low-down prophet who tries to suade his words and forbade the masses. Yet none of these masses which you've contaminated with your doctrine have come after me. Only you and the two goonies behind you," Tashil replied harshly.

    "It doesn't matter how powerful you think you are, or how pitiful you think I am. All men are born and all men die the same. Don't think being king prevents that," Vashti warns.

     "I'm aware of that, but when you're only given one life and you're the king, why not make the most of it? And you're just an ant who's in my way, but refuses to be squashed," Tashil held his fist in anger.

     "Being able to do whatever you want doesn't make your life fulfilled, but walking righteous paths, and keeping close to your community in love and brotherhood, that is fulfilling."

     "All just meek words that mean nothing. Every man wants power and money in the end."

     Prophet Vashti paused for a short moment, but then spoke, in an almost powerful yet soft spoken vibe.

     "You know Tashil, there was a time when people lived together before money existed..." Vashti tried to open Tashil's eyes to the truth, but they were sealed shut.

     They held the words in their tongues, but not in their hearts, so they clashed. Tashil ran at Vashti, and Vashti did the same. Vashti's knife went against Tashil's dagger, and they dueled for moments at a time, their arms flailing at one another, aiming to cut each other into ribbons.

     Part of Vashti's raiments were and Tashil's fur coat were sliced up, their faces had scratches of blood on them. The soldiers behind him persisted that they'd fight for the king, and despite Tashil did want to settle things himself, he listened to them for the time being and fell behind them so they could charge. Vashti, Wyatt, and Izan all charged the same and were able to fight off the guards with ease, embarrassing Tashil's power. He was fueled with anger. Again, he came to the forefront and faced off against Vashti and raised his dagger, only to fall onto Vashti in one fell swoop with his might, and larger body.

    Their clashes would always be fierce, their relentless hatred of each other created incredible confrontations.
    
     Vashti's knife against Tashil's dagger would meet each other at hot clashes and swift speeds as they went on. Eventually, Vashti went to cut Tashil and sliced him by the arm. Tashil had to fall back, holding his arm and giving an evil glare to Vashti.

    "I'll say it again, Tashil. Give up this throne and repent from this evil," Prophet Vashti charged him.

     But King Tashil did not listen, and sent his soldiers out again, this time tenfold, along with his masters in the back, and set traps against them near the palace entrance. Vashti was forced to retreat, but he still charged Vashti more and more that his kingdom would come to an end, and he would not have much longer to continue wickedness as he rode his horse farther down the other way. Tashil and his men gave no regard to the prophet's words.