Rise Of Pandora

PART TWO. Rise Of Pandora: LXXI. The King

Suddenly, a large thud followed by a cloud of dust coming from behind the king's home seized the crowd's attention. Curious and fearful, the people began to flinch and jitter. Any noise that broke the relative silence in the capital, unnerved them, sending chilling reminders of the catastrophe that assailed the small town and much of the empire. Then, abruptly, they heard a shout followed by another large thud. A pile of dust was beginning to rise from behind the king's home.

The attention of the crowd was now on the dust that was rising high into the air. Everyone was on high alert. Many were hesitant to investigate the source of the noise. Fearing it was a Deathknight or some other strange mystery, they stayed close. They all felt it...that eerie dripping of fear that poured down their bodies like sweat, instilling them with horror until their bodies petrified like statues.

Few ventured off to see what the source of the noise and rising dust was. But the majority stayed behind, stiff with fear. It was no more than thirty who went to investigate, some had makeshift weapons in their possession. Turning the corner, they saw a large Shadowbird lying lifeless and still on the king's estate. It crushed several statues and other property belonging to the king underneath its unbearable weight. It was a horrid sight to see such an enormous beast no matter whether alive or dead. It was something born of one's most disturbing nightmares. 

The people were in reverence. It was almost unbelievable to maintain the idea that their king and his army had gone to battle with beasts of such incomprehensible size and power, let alone slay many of them. 

Unexpectedly, the bird's tattered wing was beginning to tousle and move. A few feathers were coming off of the bird.

The people took several steps back, some were even so tapped with fear they ran off. Under the moving wing was a slight purple glow. Then they slowly began realizing that there was someone or something pinned underneath the bird's wing and they were gradually beginning to see who or what it was. An arm was forcing its way out from underneath and soon a head full of ruffled purple hair wrestled its way out. The people recognized the person. It was Erebus.

On the dirtied ground, Erebus saw them gathering around him, and he saw several more approaching the crowd. He was pinned down on his stomach underneath the wing was trying to wrestle himself free.

Some grabbed his hand and some others tried pushing the wing off. More joined in on the effort to pull Erebus free.

An elderly man with a large gray beard yelled out to the crowd, "One! Two! Three! Push!" The crowd strained and pushed but the wing proved heavy.

Hearing the commotion, the people who were in front of the home came rushing in. Seeing the people attempting to push the wing from off of Erebus, they all tried their hand in helping. Gradually, the rear of Brais's home was filled with two hundred people, man, woman, boy and girl alike who were able to help.

"One! Two! Three! Heave!"

"One! Two! Three Push!

But the enormous wing of the bird did not budge in the slightest. After several minutes of trying, the people began fearing their help was in vain and that Erebus would not make it out. They were tired and gasping for breath trying to push what felt to them like a tall building. The wing was thick and wide. Some took a break and some kept pushing.

Erebus struggled to free himself. He looked sore and overly-fatigued. His face was a hot red and his arms, which he used to try to push himself up, were shaking. Seeing that he did not give up, they did not give in either.

"One! Two! Three! Push!"

They groaned painstakingly.

"One! Two! Three-"

With some help from the people, the wing began to budge. Erebus had enough space to begin pushing himself up. Parts of the ground were breaking under the sheer force of his glowing fists. The hefty wing was slowly lifted off the ground. Erebus used his left arm to push it off and his right arm to keep himself up and slowly he began to stand up with the wing dangling over his back. He pushed the wing off and massive swirls of dust scattered. His breathing was dense and he was sweating slightly.

"Thank you," he said looking at all the tired people who had helped him free whilst beaming at the mouth with a cheerful smile.

They were amazed. There was not a scratch on his body and he was back on his feet in a matter of seconds as if that wing had never fallen upon him. 

"Are you okay, Purple Man Erebus," someone in the see of gazing eyes asked.

"I have been through worse," Erebus laughed off while patting dust and pebbles off of his clothes, face, and hair.

"I was moving the Shadowbird but I must have slipped and fell," he laughed off. "Oh, what a long day," he sighed.

"Wow...I cannot believe it is him," someone whispered. 

They were in reverence at his presence. He was as awe-inspiring as the stories intimated. It was like staring at a purple star that did not burn them.

An elderly woman walking with a stick approached him offering a flask to him, her hands shaky and her face reminiscent of a pale raisin. "It is water. Please drink it. You look so tired, young man," she wheezed. 

Watching her desperately suspend the flask nearer and nearer his hands, he thought to deny her gracious offer. But, the longer he looked at her expression, there became a deal of understanding that he felt. He knew she was thirsty, he could sense the dryness spread from the pink of her gums to the tip of her tongue. He knew that her belly was drying like a bone, he could feel the emptiness roaming through it like air flowing in an empty barrel.  He knew that her body would surely need it more, it was all told in her rosy colored eyes. 

But, the look on her face communicated to him a hero, reminding him that a hero need not be only a fierce warrior or that of a brave knight but heroism was an abstract power endowed to all living beings and that each of them had the ability, no—each had the right to show their heroism at those bleak and heart-ailing times when it was of utmost necessity. This is what the Rare Men stood for and it was what they believed was good. So, in one gradual motion, he delicately lifted the flask from her, relieving it from her old, unsteady grasp. 

Seeing the way the wrinkles surrounding her eyes tightened like coils as she smiled, lit a rampant fire in her. He smiled. But the truth was he did not need the water. His power would allow him to live on for an entire year, or perhaps more, without the need for neither food nor water. But, he believed deeply that every individual deserved their moment of heroism and he was more than happy to have been the one to help her show her heroism, her bravery, her time of intrepidity. 

 "Purple Man Erebus! What is happening? We heard you and the other Rare Men were fighting with the king," a young girl walking closer to him asked.

Erebus nodded. "I did aid the king against the Deathknights and Shadowbirds."

"Then is it true? Did the king truly save the empire from them?" 

"Yes, my dear. Your king fought with everything he had to keep Shyonnississ and all of its people safe." He rubbed the girl's head and beamed a contagious smile. "Are your parents with you?" 

The girl's beaming smile then mutated into a sorrowful frown. She covered her eyes so he would not see tears coming from them. Her face was dirty and her hands even more so, nearly every part of her body was stained by the roaming dust in the air. 

"I am so sorry my sweet child," he said while crouching down to embrace the teary-eyed child with a delicate hug. "And where is your uncle now? Is he in the crowd?" Erebus said whilst looking around for a face that vaguely resembled hers.

She nodded with tears still slipping down her rosy cheeks.

"What is your name," he asked with a low tone of voice.

"A—Amelia," she whimpered.

Erebus let go of her and then held her by the hand. "Amelia, go find your uncle. He must miss you dearly." Erebus said.

"Everyone!" Erebus announced. "I know these past weeks have been hard but I promise it will all be better. Your waiting will not be in vain. The king is riding northbound as we speak. Arcadia and the empire is not lost!"