There are many prosperous towns and cities in the Western Empire. Many that had the protection of the Empire. The kingdoms that served under the empire performed their duties well. There may be occasional fallouts here and there, but they served their people well. Though most warred against each other, under the pressure of looking at the bigger picture, those differences were put aside.
The Western Empire was just like every other empire, and every other kingdom. Where there were thriving cities, there would be failing ones. It was but a law of life- the law of balance. One would not find the rich without locating the poor. One would not find the strong without the weak. For it is because there are poor people that one can tell who the rich are. The strong are singled out because the weak are there to make their strength stand out. Over the past few years, many of the kingdoms had signed peace treaties. Many had become allies instead of enemies. Many who swore to never rest until the other fell under the cold steel that adorned their belts had become family. Why? The dark kingdom had brought them together, that's why. The threat of the kingdom of darkness had grown larger over the past few decades, leaving many rulers with no other choice than to band together. It was a classic case of unity against an elusive foe.
But the wall of peace that had been built due to the looming threat of the dark side was showing cracks- large ones too. Since the Hidden Cloak had appeared, the Kingdom of Darkness had grown quiet. The deadly predator that stalked the shadows returned to its slumber, terrified of the one who lay in wait for it.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind".
That was the predicament of the dark kingdom now. Just that this time, the mantis was very aware of the oriole behind. So now the mantis remained hidden. Zandorians were a strange bunch. They sought war even when war chose to remain hidden. The absence of the threat that kept them together rather threatened to destroy the peace that had been present for a few years now. Just when the tension had reached an all-time high, the dark kingdom struck again. And then they struck again. And again, and again, and again. The people cried out for the Hidden Cloak, but their hero wouldn't show himself. The one hailed as their god and savior failed to come to their rescue. It was almost as though they had been abandoned.
Many speculated that the Hidden Cloak was unhappy with them. "Our savior must know that our leaders are going after each other's throats", they said. The Hidden Cloak wanted the kingdoms to be at peace with each other. He had fought for their peace, and yet here they were, willing to give it up due to greed. Anyway, that was only their speculation. If only they knew that they were right.
Back in the cozy little room that provided shelter for the members of Hidden Cloak, Mane calmly burnt the letter Abe had picked up from the doorstep. He didn't ask any questions. He didn't ask where it came from, how it got there, or why Abe had not checked to see who had left it. It was almost as if he knew the answers to these questions. And know he did.
"So we aren't going to be carrying out missions anymore?" Jake asked, no longer sleepy.
"Nope", Abe replied.
"Why?" John enquired. "I thought we were just taking a break. But it's been a few months and we still aren't doing anything", Jake continued in his brother's stead.
"Well, we still are on a break. And it will continue for a while" Abe responded as he made his way to his bed.
"I don't get it. Breaks are for tired people. We aren't tired anymore. Can't we go back now?" John pleaded.
"We can't John. We have to stay out of the way for some time. Otherwise the consequences would be dire." Abe replied as he got under the covers of his bed.
Jake looked just as confused as John. They didn't understand. Initially they had assumed they were taking a break since they had been going on missions for so long. And frankly, they wanted that break. But even long after they felt better, they were still on the sidelines. The dark kingdom was running rampant without them to put a leash on them. The dark kingdom was basically a running tap, and they were its stopper. Without them to close the tap, water was bound to keep flowing out.
Mane could see the confusion in their eyes. It sure was nice to have a member as psychologically mature as Abe. He didn't need to explain to the other boy what he meant for he already understood.
"Let me explain. We began this journey due to the threat the kingdom of darkness held. We knew they were dangerous and had to be kept at bay. And we had ample strength to do so. So we started thwarting their every move. We succeeded in keeping them cautious and weary- effectively putting a muzzle on their previously wide and very open mouth. But we neglected one thing. Know what that is?"
The twins looked a bit confused by their captain's question. Jake spoke with uncertainty, "Too much peace?"
Mane smiled at his answer. "Yes. Too much peace. With a dangerous enemy kept in check, the people who were forced to band together did not see the reason to do so any longer. With their no.1 enemy gone, they began to look for new ones. So they turned to their neighbors. They began to covet the property of others once more. "
"Ah okay. So that means that we don't have to do anything. We'll only come in when things get out of hand."
The twins now had looks of understanding on their identical faces. Though John spoke up, it was easy to discern from Jake's expression that he had reached the same understanding. Still using the tap analogy, but this time imagining that there was a bucket under the tap, they had to wait until the bucket was full before they could make a move. The bucket was the container for turmoil. They couldn't allow it to overflow.
"Bingo", Mane said with his arms outstretched as though he was shooting a gun. It was a gesture that caused the twins to snicker softly.
"So what will we be doing till then?" Jake asked. This time Abe raised his head to look in Mane's direction, clearly curious about this as well.
"It is a surprise. We will be starting tomorrow. So you should get some rest, because when we start, you will regret not savoring your last afternoon nap."
The twins eagerly raised their quilts as they prepared to take their nap.
*Knock*Knock*Knock*
Three pairs of eyes once again locked onto Abe.