KING JONARY

“Why do you do this everyday, Blue?” I ask with a tone of asking him to stop his foolishness. “Do you lost your mind every time I passed by here every morning?” I make it sound fun to offend him.

“Of course not. I only wanted to test my power if it’s the same level as you already.” He laughs as he is scratching his rooster head, and dust is all over him. I feel that those words coming from him are filled with apology. “You are far very strong, my friend,” he tells me with a proud smile and spirit.

“No, I’m not,” I answered as I grin.

“Yes, you are. For me, you are the strongest Legionnaire in the Kingdom of Chamenos, Zinvul, my boy!” he says with abrasiveness.

“Oh, I hope Commander Fritz will not hear you say that,” I say while I look away wanting to escape his presence.

We then both take a walk towards our alcoves.

We arrive at the hearthstone of the Kingdom. The huge open space that is in-front of the Bastion where the king resides. Scattered and massive legionnaires are all over the place. They are like black ants diverging.

“See you later, Zinvul,” Blue shouts and motions his hands as he’s already a few meters away.

“I don't want to see you again, Blue,” I reply.

So I begin walking going to my Alcove where I belong.

The horn make a sound, and it takes everybody’s attention right away. And all brigades rush to form their lines and formation with discipline and order. Enveloping the hearthstone with massive crowds wearing dark armors. The Legionnaires of the Kingdom of Chamenos.

There stands before us, on the elevated platform—the great Lord Commander Alvin. The one who commands the commanders of all the brigades. Not only that, this man is ‘The shield of the king.’ What makes him great is his existence and triumphs. As he’s been into war for almost 100 years fighting for the kingdom. He has defeated great legionnaires from other kingdoms, well, that’s what the tales say. There he is, a giant man standing like an old strong tree with his sharp and veteran look wearing his mustache. A face with scars on his skin everywhere that his armor can’t hide. It’s the proof that he’s a masterful legionnaire.

He then roars with his gigantic voice, “Good morning, Legionnaires of Chamenos! Today is a day of war. We fight as we are born out of this war. The strong will live out war. The weak will die at war. Die for the kingdom to win this war!”

Everybody’s spirit is rising like a flood as we are being boosted by the Lord Commander’s words. I can see it in everybody’s face . . . which is amazing because he always utters those words every day! Here comes the final phrase . . .

“May the Kingdom of Chamenos outlive the war! May you go now to your respective alcoves.”

I belong to the ‘Extinct brigade’ where its members of the group are Spartans-like and A-list legionnaires. We train every day, increasing and harnessing our skills and power. And there are more brigades of the same level as our strength. And every Brigade has a commander. I belong to a brigade under the Command of Lord Fritz.

Every day is a training day unless you are assigned to a mission. And today is a normal day for me. I take a few swings of my sword to show off my skills, a few sparring with my brigade mates, then I take a break. I grab a bottle of water. My hand is shaking that the water is spilling because of it. I’m exhausted. So I goes outside at the backside of our alcove to take my time to rest and catch some air.

It seemed like I’ve been busy in my life that I haven’t notice that there is the ‘Bastion’ of the kingdom near our alcove. It’s in the center of the Kingdom, the home castle of the king.

All I could see from here is the dim drum chateau towering up above—the black bastion.

Now I begin to think if how’s the king doing? We the legionaries rarely see the king since we are always being sent off for wars and missions. I’ve heard many kinds of rumors about what’s going on with the king. Some say that he is already dead. Some say he doesn’t want any audience, and he only relays his message and orders to the commanders. Well, my opinion is that the king is busy and must not leave the Bastion as his life is the source energy of the kingdom. His grace is the only thing that is keeping the kingdom alive.

The Bastion is absorbing his grace, and it runs through the kingdom’s caboodle. Sustaining all the mechanisms in the kingdom.

And the greatest power that our kingdom can do is to disappear in this world. That is the Kingdom of Chamenos. We vanish from the face of the earth. Evading the radars of other kingdoms and from any threat. This is how we have survived these past hundred years.

We have shunned any surprise invasion from the enemies. Especially the evilest and dangerous among them—the Kingdom of Paradeiso. And now we are strengthening our kingdom to rival theirs. And one day we will destroy their reign and annihilate their Kingdom.

I start to think of how hard it is to be a king. You don’t sit there only and command like a boss like the kings in the ‘Archaic age’. Today, kings sacrifice their life using their grace to protect the kingdom and its people.

And when a King dies, the heir to the throne will succeed him. Yet the heir and his family can consult with the ranking leaders. If his grace and power are enough to succeed the king.

If not, then they’ll find someone among the strong commanders to replace the role of a king. And that is someone who is worthy. And the word worthy here is not only with a name. But someone who has a tremendous amount of grace to sustain the kingdom. Someone who also mastered the full power of his cherub sword. He must be the best in the kingdom.

And the best option who can succeed the king—if the heir is not worthy in strength and might—is the shield of the king.

If in case the king has no children in the first place whom he can give up his throne. The throne will be succeeded by the shield of the king. Yet the shield of the king can decline the throne. That’s the time when the king and the council should choose among the elite commanders. Who are qualified to have a powerful grace, a good account of missions, and the best of the best. After all, the commanders and the Lord commander are the kings of the king.

And I’ve perceived by now that the king doesn’t have a family, no wife, and no children to be an heir to the throne. Well, the choice among the commanders is the auxiliary.

I’ve never seen how our king fights. Well, some say he is old and can’t fight anymore. But I doubt that as grace and cherub sword don’t fade away. Youngsters like me have never seen him in person. But I’ve read his conquests in the Bibliotheca, his triumph, and about his wars that he fought. He is about 500 years of age, an old man indeed.

A king that can cut anything. That’s the ‘uncloak’ of his grace. He wields one of the legendary cherub swords—the ‘Entwine Sword’. Forged by the early kingdoms who fought and believed in a fairy tale about a ‘Promised King’ that would come.

But today, kingdoms wage war against each other to survive and protect its pride. Scrambling for grace only to survive to keep the kingdom alive. Even killing people and invading other kingdoms and absorbing their grace. These selfish acts are for the kingdom to survive only.

Should I go and ask an audience with the king and ask him myself if what do we live for? What does our kingdom believe in?

Yes, that’s what I’m going to do. No matter what, I need to meet the king, our king whose name is King Jonary.

I don’t know why I get this excitement, and I became oblivious. And I snap my sword and uncloak my grace, and my power dispersed itself on where I am standing.

The alarm in our alcove starts to ring aloud. Before I know it, I am already girdled by commanders. With their edged and sheeny swords pointing all around me. Enthused to kill me at any moment of time.

“You are prohibited to uncloak a fiend amount of grace outside of the alcove and next-door of the bastion,” whispers a female’s sexy voice at the back of my right ear.