Stampede!!!

"I have an idea..." Jaden said rather doubtfully.

"You do...?" Eager asked seriously.

"I'm not so sure. But, won't looking for the gate in the bazaar be better? I mean this is not an idea, but this can be a suggestion. Can't it? I mean, those kids appeared in the bazaar. So it wouldn't be bad to start searching from there."

"I had thought of that too. But search for what? It can be anything. From a nail to a mountain. It can be anything. And, we aren't sure that such a thing exist. We aren't sure at all. If I do not find that thing as early as possible, the master might kill me. So. We are apparently going to run a search for a nonexistent thing and if we donot get the thing, I'll die."

"Everyone dies one day or the other."

"You really feel like joking now?"

"I'm not kidding. Everybody dies." He broke into peels of laughter. He was feeling rather pity for his friend. But he wanted to lift his friend's mood light. He knew what would happen if Eager was provoked.

"My life is under threat here! And you are joking there! What a friend!!! And... Everybody dies isn't an excuse to get me killed."

"I give up! I'm not someone who can pick a fight with you."

Eager regained his composure. He was now the brave General of the Royal Army.

"Everyone! Lock down the whole bazaar! We donot want any shop to be open in the city bazaar. Run a search! Search everything! Everywhere! From a nail to a shop! Search each one! We need to find the gate! Jaden!"

"Yes sir! The orders will be implemented."

Jaden couldn't help but let out a sigh seeing his friend. He knew that Eager was working for someone he didn't like.

Huge changes occurred ten years ago. Both of them were about twenty back then. They had just enrolled the army. Their former king was an amiable person. He treated everyone with respect. The army served him with respect too. But now... The new king was obeyed only because everyone was he was powerful.

Jaden and Eager had been very close to the king back then. Even though their family backgrounds weren't great, the king treated them well. They were loyal to the king. But then... This monster came. Murdered the king and forced the army to obey his orders. Everyone working in the palace, worked there only because of the Master's overwhelming power. Jaden and Eager were forced to join too. They had to because, those who left were killed.

The princess was the one who suffered a lot. She lost both her parents. She was made to live inside the palace. She had to serve the very same person who killed her family. That was unbearable for the girl. She tried to escape. Escaped several times. But was brought back in. The all servants and guards sympathised her.

But there was no way they could help her. Eager had tried to help her several times. But Denver never let him help her. Eager was forced to be loyal to the Master. And, yes. He is loyal. He wouldn't betray the Master. But his attachment to the former king and his family was just...

*******

In the bazaar, the Royal Army marched in with loud beating drums. The one carrying the drum shouted on top of his lungs.

"Order from the army General."

Then, the person next to him read out the order from the general. He asked everyone to stop the trades. Everyone listened to the announcement with great attention. The words of the announcer was crisp, loud and clear. Everyone in the bazaar could hear it. He asked the buyers to leave the bazaar within five vadiums (ten minutes).

The buyers started to leave one by one. When all the buyers were out of the bazaar, the vendors were disappointed. Their goods wouldn't be sold thst day. But the thing they were curious about was why the Royal Army instructed them to leave.

The the announcer, asked the sellers to leave the place too. The sellers were astounded. Why did they have to leave? Then their things? Their goods? They couldn't believe it.

But before one second if astonishment had passed, the announcer asked them to leave the goods where it was. The sellers were reluctant to leave. But they had to go, for it was the army commanding them. They could just bow their heads leave before murmuring among themselves about the 'motive' of the army.

The army rushed in as a stampede. They turned over every vessel, every fruit, every chair, everything in front of them. The sellers were not far from the scene. They could see the army's actions clearly. They could only bow their heads down and let out long sighs. All their goods were being overturned ruthlessly.

Minutes later Eager arrived with Jaden. The inspected the area well to see of the army had missed anything. But they couldn't find any thing. The buildings were thoroughly checked. Even the wall weren't spared. Every thing was checked with great vigor and interest.

Eager could see them shaking mud pots and some even ransacking a jewelry store. He turned a blind eye to those things aside as it was not the priority here. He asked the soldiers to search everywhere they can.

Some time later, all he could see was a completely destroyed market place. There was nothing left to check. Everything was either broken or dirty. The dust was hard to shake off. He sighed. The hope he had while issuing the order had died along with the stampede of the soldiers.