Misplaced Priority
The Palace. Kingdom of Havila.
"Who's he?"
The Monarch said standing up as the tattered man walked briskly towards the throne to lay his hands on Ja Lia who was being resrained by guards. Ja had wanted to run to the throne and hug the Emperor for safety.
"Hold him back."
The husky voice of the Emperor. A stern order.
At that, two attendants ran towards the man to hold him back, but he was much more stronger than they were.
He flung them away and kept on walking towards the throne. The more guards who went to restrain him, the easier he threw them off.
What he kept muttering was the,
"Where is Lailah?"
Ja had no faintest idea where the bird was at that moment. One thing he was sure of was the fact that the bird didn't enter the palace with them.
Seeing what had happened, the Emperor hurried down the throne and grabbed the hands of the man who was reaching for Ja.
He pushed the man back. The man staggered backwardly but didn't fall. He began to walk towards Ja Lia again. He seemed as though he was been controlled by some hidden remote control.
The Emperor was standing between Ja Lia and the man at the moment. The attendants were scattered all around the room watching. The chiefs were on their feet. Twas quite a scene.
"What do you want?"
The Emperor hit the man in the chest again. He staggered again but kept the trail.
"He isn't what he seemed to be."
The Emperor muttered. More to those who were present than to himself.
"Restrain him."
He ordered. The attendants dilly-dallied in the first place, but hurried to the man. Quite the numbers of them. After several struggles they were able to pin the fellow down.
The screeching of the bird came from outside again but no one paid heed.
"Have him in chains, else you'd keep to that forever."
He said to one of the attendants. The addressed left immediately and returned with a great chain.
The Wierd man was pulled to the end of the hall where there were two poles. He was tied to the poles. Though many of the attendants suffered several punches and swells.
"The mat."
The emperor called. The assigned chief hurried to the Emperor. Almost all the people in the palace were standing before the tied wierd man. Only few attendants with designated posts dared not to leave their positions.
The mat was held by two of the attendants as usual. The Emperor began to chant. That time twas more intimately. Not like he used to. He seemed to be doing this so personally.
There were wierd noises and echo made by the wandering winds in connection to the Emperor's chant. Twas hard to judge if the emperor believed more in his strength or in the black magic.
At once, he quit the chant and put down his outstretched arms. Then he made a trail of the usual quatrain,
"Let time and tide converge into a whole and attend my call,
Let mystery and spells on my wills and wishes fall,
Bring near that which is far and wide,
Bring in the scene I crave in a stride."
And immediately, there was a scene supplanted on the mat.
On the mat, there was a man walking down a road. The man was dressed in tattered robes. His face was not shown yet. Soon, the man saw a corpse by the road. The corpse's cloth was radiant and elegant. Such a royal apparel. So, the man in tattered attire changed his clothes with that of the corpse and left. Not quite long, a lady came into the scene. She changed into a huge raven a carried the corpse away. And that was all they saw. The scene was retrieved.
"That was Lailah."
Ja shot at the Emperor. But the Emperor didn't seem interested. He turned to the folk who kept asking about Lailah and said,
"He is a reincarnation. Not of his own will. Lailah or what do you call her name, revived him and used him for her will."
He paused and turned to the attendants and the chiefs,
"We should get hold of that bird. It's the spiritual form of Lailah."
Then the Emperor turned to Ja Lia and said amidst churning chuckle,
"Wasn't that the Nymph you said you killed? Dead indeed."
He began to walk towards the throne as they paved a way for him. He said over his head,
"Black magic make show things which are unknown. There's little I do not know."
He had gotten to the front of his throne and was about to climb, then there came a voice from the door,
"Tell me what you see in me now. You sure know all."
Walking through the door were the three warriors who had been drowned in the sea.
The three walked to the Emperor and stood before him. The supposed leader of the three was face to face with the emperor. He could feel the Emperor's warm breath on his large nose.
"What has Poseidon done to you, Aojen?"
That was the Emperor
Aojen chuckled, looked sideways and stared back at the Emperor,
"You sure take delight in changing topics."
The Emperor was vexed already. He aimed a punch at the jaw of Aojen, but the fellow was too swift. Aojen hit the Emperor in the face and he was blown into thin air.
The Emperor crashed several metres away, into the wall of the throne to the right. Several golden vessels fell and their content began to flood the hall.
The Emperor tried to stand in vain. There seemed to be something greater than his black Magic. The acts of Poseidon?
"Take him to the pit."
Aojen turned to one of the chiefs. The chief bowed and walked towards the Emperor. The chiefs had no choice. They were only to serve the new ruler. Whether he was popularly elected or usurped.
"And yes! Give him two of the chiefs in the pit and his mat. He probably might want to commune with his gods."
Aojen said. His voice was audacious and recently trained by wiles.
Then he looked immediately at Ja Lia, his eyes glowing. He ordered, pointing at Ja Lia,
"Kill him and dump his corpse in the sea."
He turned immediately and walked towards the royal chamber.
"Come brothers. More pressing tasks after a brief rest."
His brother and the third guy followed him. Twas hard to judge whether twas by choice or force.
Close to the corner of the chamber, Aojen stopped and called at one of the attendants,
"Get as many girls as possible, they'd be a feast when we wake."
He disappeared into the corner. There seemed to be a new era.