CASCADE PALACE, CAPITAL CITY ZENARLI, KINGDOM OF VENDARYA.
* Eagles are used as a means of sending discreet letters*
Hattori laid face up in his chambers, studying the pale green horse painted on his ceiling under the faint glow of his candle. It was a habit that he had grown accustomed to every time he felt troubled. Beside him, his wife–the queen–was fast asleep, the sound of her light snores drowned out at intervals by sudden gusts of winds, but even through all the noise, he heard them nonetheless.
Them.
The sound the wind brought in. The pain and cries of his people as they stood over formerly tall buildings...their homes. Hattori knew all this because he had been there some hours ago, accompanied by two of his most skilled guards, weaving through the rubble of bricks and stones, aligning themselves amongst the civilians under guises. He had seen for himself how they ran back and forth,carrying pails of water to put out the fire but all to no avail.
In the end, they had contented themselves by standing aside, watching the flames eating their furniture, burning their linen, consuming their home. The young huddled between their mamas' laps, with blankets–one of the few accessories saved from the fire–draped around their bodies, watching the fire, fiery red and crackling as it devoured a new piece ravaging everything it touched.
The same faces that smiled happily some hours back were now distraught in pain, fear, and a sinking feeling of hopelessness.
As they all watched in companionable silence, Hattori realized that they weren't just standing by, but had seen no point in trying again and again...they had given up. With no choice but to remain where they were, they continued their lives in despair.
Hattori had left the scene some minutes after. The fire was consuming the last of their homes and was dying down slowly, the night was getting dark, and he could tell by their dark expression that the area was bound to get rowdy.
He didn't feel their pain, at least not as relation or a loved one. But he did feel their sorrow like a king would his subjects, and he had tried his best by sending the injured to the capital to be attended by the kingdom's finest physicians in his palace.
He had also made efforts towards finding a cure to this demonic plague, one of which was sending his emissaries to Antioch, where there lived the rumored witch that was the cause of his Kingdom's situation but so far, they hadn't returned with any news or their presence.
It seemed like his efforts weren't enough.
He shifted his body to another position, laying on his side, facing the window and looking at the nightly orange sky. Far beyond the walls of Vendarya, Antioch spread with its dense forest.
Hattori remained that way, staring into the starless skies, his thoughts on the days when Vendarya was a must-visit Kingdom what with its beautiful monuments, waterfalls, and other tourist attractions bringing in lots of revenues, but all that seemed to pale in comparison with the current situation.
Well, heavy lies the head that wears the crown. Hattori thought as his eyelids drooped, his body feeling light. He was on the route to sleep when a soft knock steered him wide awake.
'who could be knocking at an ungodly hour?'
At first, Hattori thought to ignore it, but when the knock persisted, he was forced to leave his bed, placing a short kiss on his wife's forehead, her snore rising at that particular moment, such that Hattori felt endeared by her subconscious reaction.
King Hattori didn't have time to dwell on his wife's reaction when the knock sounded far more urgent than before. Not wanting to disturb his wife, he walked over to open the door. King Hattori had no idea as to what could have warranted the sight before him.
A dark-skinned man in blue robes, his black hair slick against his forehead, his face was attractive and his physique suggested a muscular framed man.
"What brings you here Kali?" Hattori asked, as he stared down at his assistant.
"Sorry to disturb your excellence but I had to report–" Kali began in his androgynous voice.
"Cut to the chase Kali," Hattori urged as Kali began his usual rant, one unnecessitated by the look of urgency on his face.
"A girl was found buried under the rubble of a collapsed building."
"A girl? Is she alive?" Hattori asked, worried.
"Yes, luckily she sustained no injuries but is unconscious at the moment."
"Well then, see that she is properly taken care of, and inform her relations about her whereabouts," King Hattori said hurriedly, he was feeling drowsy, and he found it difficult keeping his eyes awake.
"Your Majesty, the civilians don't recognize her and so far, our scouts don't recognize her either,"
"Have you seen her before?" Hattori directed the question to him, seeing as his assistant hadn't opined.
"No, they carried her to the ward before I could see her."
Hattori thought for a moment before responding. "Okay, make sure her recovery is ascertained; we can deal with her background later. At the moment, we have bigger fish to fry," Hattori said, his mind on the repairs the city needed.
"As you wish, my lord." Kali said, bowing slightly.
"Let's leave it at that. May we live to see the sunrise..."
"...and beyond the sunset," Kali finished, and he turned away as per custom. Hattori stared at Kali's receding back till he could see it no more.
Hattori returned to bed, his lids closing shut as he landed on his bed.
Had he waited a few seconds later before sleeping, he would have spotted the messenger eagle flying past his window, carrying a scroll that held information crucial to his kingdom's sovereignty.
Had he watched it, he would have noticed the eagle flying towards Antioch, flapping its wings in the clear night sky, swerving and diving towards the dome-shaped building top, and landing atop a body of warm flesh and blood.
"What have we here, Zion?" Anlai asked unscrolling the letter.
Anlai read the letter for some seconds and tore it to shreds. His eyes glinted in glee.
"You've outdone yourself my sable spy," Anlai spoke to the eagle like it was a person, and the eagle cooed in agreement.
"Send my regards," Anlai said, as the eagle took off into the night sky, screeching, flying towards the milky white moon.
I'm coming for you Adi, Anlai thought in anticipation, his hands covered with purple tendril-like wisps of energy.