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Chapter 9
King Obed of Francmort had known about the birth of Princess Eraph and Elish for eleven years. All the while he knew, King Tero of Baliamort was unaware. For those eleven years, he had made plans and strategized on how to attack Baliamort, because the war that was about to happen was a big deal.
The King had sent men to camp on an empty field for weeks. He had them grouped into different camps, with leaders commanding each group. The warriors camped beside a river so as to have unhindered access to water.
At the end of each week, King Obed and the Queen would come to see how the training was going.
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Trees were felled, for bows and arrows were chiseled out of the hickory and oak trees. Amongst the warriors were black smiths. These black smiths melted metals to construct mauls, sledge hammers, spears, bows, face masks, shields, mauls and battle axes. Each camp had their crafts men.
Many of the warriors wondered if their King had super powers but none was bold enough to ask him. They wondered how their King found out about the twins born to King Tero.
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The Queen Ashra continued to have the same dream, where she saw the faces of two identical women calling to her for help.
She had ignored it for too long but eventually, after the birth of the twins, the Seer Mawrer visited her in her chambers.
One afternoon, when the weather was humid and the wind scanty, there appeared a strange bioluminescent light which entered her room. The Queen awoke in fear as she saw a man covered in a white hoodie step out from the bulb of light that she had been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of. It was the seer!
"Oh it's you Mawrer", she exclaimed!
"It is I your majesty", he replied, as he served her a hasty bow.
"The time has come for that mystery which you sought to be uttered", he continued.
"Speak Mawrer, speak", she indulged him as her eyes lit with curiosity.
I was summoned a few days ago by King Tero of Baliamort and there in the sky was forged something mysterious.
"Do not exhaust my patience O seer", the Queen mildly pleaded.
"In the sky, were two loops. One crimson and the other white. In that day, hours later, the Queen Elif put forth twin girls. And on the eight day as our tradition, I presided over their initiation to god Phrates and goddess Aris when suddenly, I was overtaken by something. Something beyond me…. Something divine"!
….. I quivered like a leaf, like one down with a fever. My eyes flamed and spinned all at the same time. My words were many and few at the same time. I spoke as one man with many voices when I uttered the words from the mouth of the gods: "Eraph is peace and Elish is war"! That was the last thing I remembered of it. The next day, I awoke in my mucky shed, weak and sickly, what I encountered was indeed beyond me.
"I couldn't speak for many days. Phrates had shut my mouth for a season. I am here today because harvest is come.
"I am neither for any of the Kingdoms your majesty, I am only the mouthpiece of the gods", Mawrer said.
"Justice must be just to all. Baliamort sinned many years ago. There is blood on their hands. And the blood on the soil of Francmort cries out against them. Francmort must avenge her loss or subdue Baliamort" He included.
When Seer Mawrer had finished speaking, he vanished into thin air.
The Queen looked dumb founded. She had wished that day never came. She was a wise woman and she hoped there was another way out besides going to war.
The king had to be told but she wished he didn't have to hear it. She knew Obed had longed to avenge his forefathers.
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"Oh! What privilege it is to be my father's avenger", he remarked while exhausting a brief smirk. When the Queen was done narrating what the seer had told her, she tendered her plea to Obed, but he paid her no attention.
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King Obed thought deeply to himself what they must do to win the war head long, for he knew that Baliamort would be ultra-prepared because of the 'hidden secret' they sheltered amidst the walls of their palace.
He had clapped his hands, as a code revealing that he needed the attention of his assistant, Luper.
"What shall we do about Baliamort", he asked Luper.
"We shall give them much time my Lord, because revenge is best served cold". When he said this, he give a smirk as he dallied his finger for a second like a wizard about to conjure a potion.
"How shall we go about the plot"? The king inquired as he peered through the golden goblet on his table. That was the object of his brief trance.
"We shall make our tents along the Bareb River and shall bring with us, the most skilled of warriors. There shall our plot ground be. Our knights shall train the valiant warriors… and then shall we take down Baliamort!
The blood of their twain heirs and many men shall drip like rain as they soil their land. Their heads shall be hung on bludgeons as exhibit for other kingdoms to see and take learning" suggested Luper.