A horse galloped through an appian way, a way out of the kingdom. Anyone who heard the hooves of the horse on the ground would understand that the rider was on an urgent and impromptu journey. The more he rode the horse very fast, the darker the sky. Hence, it was totally dark when he arrived to his destination; an entrance to a cave. He climbed down from the horse, patted his body and whispered into his ears, "Stay here."
The arena was vegetation free. One coul only see the blur image of rocks and valleys. The man walked towards the cave, lit a stick and entered inside. He could see his path with the help of the flames from the stick until he got to a larger part of the cave where old voluminous books were arranged on encraved rocks with burning candle on a centre rock that serves as a table. Suddenly, a rock like door opened, an old man with long grey beards came out with a stick of bone marrow in his mouth through which he popped out a smoke of marijuana. His garment was not just heavy but also odd. Nevertheless, he stopped at the sight of the man who entered into the cave. "Bruce!" he called his name. "What brought you to my place at this hour?" he walked to the center rock.
"Thank the gods i met you at home, Cyrus." Bruce hurriedly hung the stick of fire on the wall of the cave and met the man at the center rock in a way both faced each other. Cyrus' physiology would tell anyone that he was more advanced in age than Bruce.
"You seem worried my good friend. What's the problem?" Cyrus blew off a smoke of marijuana.
"I came to see if there's any book that talks about Kadura being a human being." Bruce replied.
Cyrus gazed at him for a moment. He turned to one of the shelves on the wall and brought out one of the voluminous books. He dusted the cover page to clearly see the book title, 'History of Ukran culture.' He hit it down on the center rock which produced more dust. "Here it is, but of course Kadura is flesh and blood." he said.
Without uttering a word, Bruce quickly flipped the book open. There was another rock beside him that serves as a chair, he never hesitated to sit on it as the silence lingered.
"Bruce why do you seek the answer to this statement?" Cyrus asked him.
"That's because I think I know who Kadura is which i also think is impossible." he replied with his eyes fixed on the book. He began to flip to several pages anxiously and unease like one who was about to go mad. Cyrus observed him to know that his friend was very unrelaxed and scared. So he called him, "Bruce."
No reply.
"Bruce?" he called for the second time, yet the man never replied as he haphazardly turned the pages of the book. "Bruce!!" Cyrus shouted for the last time and hit his hand on the table-rock which echoed in the whole cave. Bruce startled and came back to his senses, so he looked up at his friend, breathing hastily. "Tell me why you think you know who Kadura is." Cyrus gently demanded.
"I saw it, it was like a vision." he replied, moving away from the table.
"Who did you see as Kadura?" Cyrus was still anxiously inquisitive.
"Julius. I saw Julius as the Kadura." Bruce replied, gazing at him. "I never wanted to believe it until this evening king Corbett confirmed that according to the great lion Kadura is already in Ukra which has brought about the delay of the plague."
"You mean Julius, your son?" Cyrus stepped out from the table to his friend with the bone marrow popping out more smoke of marijuana from his mouth.
"Don't be ridiculous, Cyrus. You and I know that Julius isn't my son."
"It doesn't change the fact that you have a glimpse of who Kadura is."
"What must I do? Should I let him know?"
"No!" Cyrus exclaimed. "The gods aren't stupid. You must let the boy find the true purpose of his life. You just let him discover his own destiny. You can only guide him without him knowing what you're guiding him for."
"Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. What if he chooses the wrong destiny?"
"That's why the gods placed him under your care. Do not let him go astray until he discovers who he truly is. No one must know about this, not even the king. They might be people playing puzzle with the destiny of the young boy."
"The secret is too much for me to keep. I can't believe I have Kadura under my roof."
"There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. Julius is meant to be under your roof if truly he is the Kadura."
"I have no doubt!"
"Then you must go and live with the secret!" Cyrus concluded.
Quickly, Bruce grasped his stick of light, surged out of the cave and galloped home on his horse.
:
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Same night, Maximus creepily hid beside a window at the residence of Nero, the captain of the knights of Ukra and the only man who knows the secret agenda of the king to kill Kadura. But that wasn't why Maximus behaved like a thief at the window. It was because of Avera, the only daughter of Nero.
"Avera!" he called silently at the window. "Avera!" he called again before the girl brought out her head through the window to see him standing with another flower. She had a white hair and a white skin with golden eyes, but a disgusting character.
"Max, what are you doing at my window!" she asked aggressively.
"Why would you ask me the same question my friend asked me when I was at the river? Am I an outcast?" Maximus began. "Why can't you see that you're the reason why I've suddenly turned into a rat at a window? Avera, I love you so much that's why I crossed the seven rivers of Ukra to get you this beautiful rose."
The girl rolled her eyes. "I'm not interested in you and your flower." she said
"You don't need to be interested in me. Just allow the interest to interest me. My interest in you has supercedes every interested interest you do not have in me."
"Max, you're going insane. What part of 'no' don't you understand?"
"The part that is opposite of 'no'." Maximus replied.
Avera entered into the house, came back with a bucket of water and began to pour it down on him. It wasn't funny but Maximus was blinded by love. So as the water was running from his head to his toes, he stretched his hands and looked up into the sky saying, "Let your love rain on me, Avera! Let me be filled with it never to beg for it! Let it...."
The sound of a drawn sword beside him put the remaining words into his mouth while Avera locked the window and ran inside. Maximus turned to see Nero, Avera's father, positioning the sword on his neck. His heart skipped twice.
"What are you doing here?" the man asked him.
"I... I... I was.. I was taking my bath, sir." he stuttered.
"Oh, really? Beside my daughter's window." Nero placed the sword closer to his neck. "If I see your feet here again, I'll cut your throat. Now, leave!"
Maximus took on his heels. He nearly fell down on the way with his wet clothes.
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The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep. The king had a secret why he needed to execute whoever that would immerge as Kadura. Same night, a chariot ran through a lonely road with the possible speed the horses carried it. After several miles, they stopped before a local house in another kingdom where they snuck into. King Corbett stepped out of the Chariot and briskly walked into the house while guards guided the Chariot.
Inside the house was a woman and a man at his middle twenties. His name was Damon. He had beards all over his cheek with short hair. The woman beside him was his mother, Abigail. When the king walked in, they stood up hastily.
"Is it time?" Damon asked the king.
"They have been some complications." The king replied walking to the window while they anticipated to hear more from him. He turned after closing the window. "Kadura is already in my Kingdom." he added.
"But that wasn't the plan?" Damon stepped forward.
"I know!" King Corbett shrieked silently. "The plan was that after a few days of plague, you'll come and disguise yourself as the Kadura and become the crown prince of my Kingdom, your rightful seat." he placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.
Damon is King Corbett son, born by Abigail out of wedlock years ago during a war between the Ukrans and the Troys. Corbett was only but a crown prince of Ukra then. Unfortunately, he was made to marry another woman, Elena, who died after giving birth to Adriana. Now, culture demands that the king must not marry another wife or marry two wives. None of his seeds outside wedlock can also take his place in the royal castle of Ukra. That's why king Corbett was face with the coming of Kadura who will assume the throne after his death. But he swore never to allow another man takes his throne when he has a son outside wedlock. This is why he needed to kill anybody who would come out as Kadura.
"Trust me, son." King Corbett began as his hand rested on Damon's shoulder. "Over my dead body will I allow anybody sit on the throne except you. Your coming as the Kadura is only being delayed. Surely, you'll come." he assured him.
"Do you realize the consequences of what you're embarking on?" Abigail's anger rose from behind. "Do you realize that if Damon comes as Kadura, he will marry his sister from another mother. That's sacrilege!"
"I do not care!" The king roared with anger too.
"You'll be going against the gods!"
"There are no gods!"
"There is always a supreme being."
"Everybody is a supreme being in their own way." The king patted Damon. "Wait for my call." he began to walk out of the house. Just at the door, Damon called him. "Father!"
He turned.
"Don't you think the plague will continue after I disguise myself as Kadura because the plague is meant to stop when Kadura arrives?" He asked.
"Leave that to me." the father replied and finally left.
The king was as stubborn as a mule, as strong as an ox, as fierce as a lion, very ferocious. And as wise as an owl. He had defeated several kingdoms in battle that many fears to go for war against him. Nevertheless, that same night, he rode to a powerful wizard, Ivo, who was not only spiritually powerful but also magical. He lived far away from residential areas, old but strong with grey beards and hair. He was inside his local room when the king entered.
"What do I owe this visit, my King." Ivo asked.
"I learnt that Kadura is in my kingdom that's why the plague is delayed. Can you tell who the person is?" he asked.
Ivo stood up. There was a pool of water at the center of the room where he looked into to see his reflection. He touched the water which produced nothing but waves, yet his reflection remained there. He shook his head. "Give it time, Corbett, I'll tell you who Kadura is." he said.
"I came to update you. I hope you still stick to our plans."
"Of course. I will stop the plague when Damon arrives as the Kadura." Ivo waved his long nails in the air.
The king nodded his head and left.
:
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A faint blush below the horizon, as the first kiss from the Sun wakes the Earth from its slumber. Yes, it was a bright morning, the sun reflected on Bruce's window where Julius admired Albat who was escorting the princess into a chariot. The two young girls had the same height, almost the same beauty except that royalty made Adriana more beautiful. Bruce caught Julius smiling at the window. He gently inquired the cause of the smile then said, "You already like her."
Julius looked at his father with that broad smile. "She is a storm; she is a river untamed; untouched she will engulf you; she will shatter you; she is fragile like a rose petal, she is tender like the touch-me-not leaf, she is the warm glow of the morning sun, she is the magic of a full moon night!"
Bruce laughed. "It's a good thing, Julius. Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another." he said.
"So my destiny is with the maid, Albat."
Bruce looked at him surprisingly. "Is it the maid you are in love with?" he asked him.
"Who else do you think I was talking about? The princess? I'm not worthy to befriend her thoughtless of falling for her. Is Albat I like." he stepped away from the window.
Bruce knew that things were going wrongly since Julius was in love with the princess' maid. So he said, "Julius, you'll never be able to find yourself if you're lost in someone else." he began to walk away.
"What do you mean by that?" Julius spread his hands. "I thought you supported me. You just told me that love is my true destiny and I cannot find the meaning of life by myself alone. But after I told you it's Albat not the princess that I like, you're telling me I will never find myself if I lost in someone else. What is it that you're not telling me?" he asked seriously while Bruce became speechless, staring at him...