Chapter 23: To The New Kingdom (Arc: Sandx Kingdom Ends)

The next morning, Zed opened his eyes and woke up, he said:

"It's morning? I was tired last night."

Zed looked next to him and saw Eva sleeping beside him, Zed said:

"Yeah, just rest, you worked hard last night."

Zed looked over again and saw Elastor, Julia, and Lamalia all sleeping on the bed. Zed said:

"What the hell? Is everyone sleeping here?"

Suddenly Alata emerged from under the blanket at Zed's feet and said:

"You could say so."

Zed screamed in fear and kicked Alata in the face, he had a nosebleed and said:

"Damn it, it hurts."

Zed replied:

"Why the hell do you sleep here with us?"

Elastor also just woke up, he said:

"Ah, he crept in here by himself."

Zed replied:

"And why is everyone sleeping here? Are you guys too tired to go back to your beds?"

Elastor said:

"Yeah, we like to sleep together."

Zed replied:

"I'll kill you Elastor. Ouch, I'm still in pain."

Elastor replied:

"Last night was crazy, had to deal with Alata and then also take care of you. Last night you fought so madly that you ignored all your injuries."

Zed said:

"I seemed to have lost all consciousness at that moment, which is crazy. Did I do any harm last night anyway?"

Julia was lying in bed and had just woken up, she replied:

"Destroy several places in the castle, deal heavy damage to the court troops and enemies, mortally wounded King Zenhector and of course, us."

Zed said:

"Are you guys awake or asleep?"

Lamalia replied:

"Wake up since you woke up."

Zed said:

"Say nothing more Eva."

Eva sat up and yawned, she replied:

"Good morning Zed."

Zed said:

"Good morning. All right, before you guys hit me I wanted to say sorry, ok?"

Immediately everyone kicked Zed in the jaw and made him hit the wall hard, Zed shouted:

"Taking turns, why hit me at the same time?"

Alata replied:

"In retaliation for a few days ago."

Zed said:

"And you realize there are five of us."

Alata thought to himself:

"Damn it!"

And Alata was beaten just like Zed. Later everyone sat at the dining table to have breakfast even Alata was there even though he was an enemy. Alata ate normally as his enmity with Zed and Elastor was gone. Elastor said aloud:

"How can you just sit and eat like that? Last night you said you would kill me."

Alata replied:

"Of course I'll never let it go of yours. For now, I'll recuperate, and when I get better, I'll kill you."

Elastor said:

"Okay, I'll wait."

Zed was eating and Eva touched his little orange hair, she said:

"Hmm, your hair has changed. It's turned orange."

Zed replied:

"I know and I don't care what color my hair turns."

Eva said:

"Hey, even though you've been freed from your dark past, your cold personality is still the same."

Zed replied:

"That's what I've always wanted, so cold and badass. Thank you Eva."

Eva said:

"What? Just saying thank you? I've made a lot of sacrifices."

Zed replied:

"How about this. The day I met you, I didn't know I would live again. Thank you for today, Eva."

Eva blushed from embarrassment, Zed said:

"Just kidding."

Eva replied angrily:

"Don't let my thoughts drop, you idiot!"

Suddenly Zenhector burst into the dining room and grabbed Zed by the neck, he said:

"You bastard, last night you got mad and hurt my people. And you took the Loyalty sword of your own accord?"

Lamalia hastily stopped Zenhector, she replied:

"No father, I gave Zed my big brother's sword. Then the evil spirits in that sword entered Zed and attacked us."

Zenhector said:

"What did you do? You gave Zed your big brother's legendary sword!"

Lamalia replied:

"Yes father, you can punish me but don't harm Zed."

Zenhector slapped his head dejectedly and then sighed, he said:

"Okay, I can't hurt you. And Zed, give me back the Loyalty sword."

Zed replied:

"Okay."

Zed summoned the Returner sword and said:

"But I have already combined the two swords."

Zenhector summoned Champion axe and angrily said:

"I will kill you!"

Zed immediately ran, suddenly he went back to the dining table to get a bottle of wine and said:

"All right, I'm running."

Zed ran away from Zenhector. Eva said:

"King Zenhector, consider that Zed's proposal to fight the rebellious nomads has been completed. Now I want to talk about something else."

Zenhector replied:

"What is that?"

Eva said:

"Make peace with those rebellious nomadic tribes and improve the lives of the people."

Zenhector said:

"Maybe Zed pushed them back last night, but it's unlikely they won't come back."

Eva replied:

"I know that if we continue to fight them, there will soon be civil war in this city between the poor and the soldiers. You will lose your kingdom."

Zenhector said:

"You dare say that to me? Don't forget you asked me for help."

Eva replied:

"We have an agreement but I am willing to break that agreement to help those poor people. You may agree with Urizen's agreement but I still do not give up to regain my throne even with you. or not."

Zenhector got angry, he left the room immediately. Julia hastily said:

"But Eva, the warriors of Sandx kingdom are the strongest. We only have a very low success rate in Lanxter kingdom and a 50/50 ratio in Newlaphaine kingdom."

Eva replied:

"I know, but I can't let go of the poverty of the Sandx people, who have suffered because of Zenhector's wars with the rebellious nomads tribes."

Lamalia said:

"I'll try to talk to dad."

Lamalia left to chase after Zenhector. Eva said:

"Julia, Elastor, pack your bags. We're going to the Newlaphaine kingdom tomorrow."

Alata replied:

"What about me?"

Three of them looked at Alata and conferred for a while. Later, Alata was tied up and sat on a camel to return to the kingdom. Alata said:

"You bastard!"

Elastor said:

"So Alata is done, let's get on with my work."

Referring to the Reaper's assassin team, Renoe, Oma, and Sherma became prisoners of the Arena of Champions and they also became gladiators there. Alata easily untied the ropes and said:

"I can't return until I kill Elastor. But I still don't have the strength to fight him. Damn it, I have to follow him."

Alata rode the camel and returned to Sandx city but he waited outside so he could follow the Crusadia team. Zed was walking in the street and drinking, he said:

"I have to go around for a bit, until Zenhector's anger is over."

Suddenly Zed saw a man trying to pull his cart up because the wheel had fallen off. Zed reached there and easily lifted the cart with one hand. The man was shocked at Zed's strength and put the wheel back on. Zed put down the cart and said:

"You're welcome."

Zed continued walking when suddenly a group of children rushed around him asking for food, Zed said:

"Hey kids, I don't have anything for you. Go away."

But the kids still didn't leave him, Zed said:

"Oh no."

And Zed went to buy food for those kids, he sat bored among the kids and said:

"Sorry Elastor, guess what I took from you this morning."

Zed had Elastor's bag of money on his hip that he had stolen this morning. Suddenly a kid grabbed that bag of money and ran away, Zed said:

"Hey, stop. That bag of money belongs to the idiot who followed me. Damn it, I didn't plan to spend any money."

Zed chased after that kid, although not as strong as Zed, he knew every corner of this city, so he easily escaped from Zed. Zed said:

"You think I don't know? Watch me."

Zed ran so fast that he followed the kid very close. At an alley, the kid suddenly turned into another street, causing Zed to slip and fall over the laundry basket. Zed stood up and said:

"Damn it."

Zed returned to that street to find the kid giving his mom a bag of money in a tattered hut. Zed silently left and thought:

"Okay, I need to find a reason to lie to Elastor."

Zed walked in that alley and he got lost, he said:

"Well, where should I go?"

Zed looked at the alley with many forks. Zed tried to enter an alley but returned to the alley just now, he wondered:

"What the hell?"

Zed continued into another alley and returned to the alley just now. It took a while for Zed to reach the main road and he saw a group of nomads on horseback entering the city. Zed wondered:

"Are they outsiders or soldiers of the court?"

Zed saw them walking towards the castle, he said:

"I should go back to the castle too."

Zed then went back to the castle. He did not know that the caravan was the five chiefs of the five rebellious nomadic tribes. When the people saw them, they were very worried because they feared that there would be another war. Zed entered the castle and beside him were the chiefs. They looked at Zed as fierce and dangerous, so they were always careful with him. Zed wondered about those chiefs:

"Who are they to look at me like that?"

They then went into the Throne Room where Zenhector was preparing a meeting with the chiefs. Seeing the chiefs enter the Throne Room, Zenhector who was sitting on the throne greeted warmly:

"Gentlemen, welcome to meet me in this meeting."

Seeing that Zed was also present, Zenhector shouted in surprise:

"Zed! Why are you here?"

Zed replied:

"I just got back to the castle. Where's everyone?"

Zenhector said:

"Go to your bedroom now!"

Zed replied:

"Ok, ok. Geez, this old man."

Zed left. Zenhector said to the chiefs:

"Sorry, let's get back to the main story."

Edengaz's meeting with the five chiefs began in tension. They sat around a round table, and Zenhector said:

"First, we should put aside our years of grudges and focus on this meeting. I want to make peace with the chiefs."

One chief replied:

"Why is that? For all these years you have despised our peace and won't stop fighting. Why are you asking for peace all of a sudden?"

Zenhector said:

"I was foolish, I swore to all my ancestors to build a united kingdom of nomadic tribes and become a king. After The First War, I thought there was only war on kingdoms that this country can be reunited. I have forgotten all the traditional customs of our ancestors and only focused on building an army to fight with you. My people also because of the war, life became poor and bad. It's time to end this senseless war."

Another chief replied:

"How can we trust you Zenhector? You hate ancestral practices and have been at war for a long time. Now you want to make peace, or you want to lure us in here and deal with it all so that you can have the greatest power."

Zenhector said:

"No, I have listened to my daughter Lamalia Corput's words. She is the last daughter I have left, I have been obsessed with my son's death for a long time and forgot about her. Who knows she is the only one who still respects her the customs of our ancestors and understand the people's lives best. I will follow my daughter's wishes, if all the chiefs agree, I will cede the throne to Princess Lamalia."

The chiefs looked at each other and nodded, and together they said:

"So we all agree, the war in Sandx kingdom is over."

Zenhector replied:

"Thank you chiefs, thank you for unifying the kingdom."

Then Zenhector and the chiefs signed the blood to end the war. Finally after twenty years of war, the Sandx kingdom was finally unified into one. Back to Zed, he reunited with everyone and prepared their luggage with them. In the bedroom when everyone was packing their bags, they heard a loud shout outside. They looked outside and saw that the people were cheering at the news that the war was over. Zed said:

"What are they getting excited about?"

Julia ran into the room, she said:

"The war in Sandx kingdom is over."

Elastor replied:

"What? Zenhector didn't even agree this morning."

Eva said:

"It wasn't me who convinced him, it was Lamalia."

Lamalia entered the room and looked at Eva, she said:

"What, what's wrong?"

Eva hugged Lamalia and said:

"Thanks Lamalia, you saved everyone in Sandx. What did you say to convince him?"

Lamalia replied:

"I just say what I've always wanted to say."

Back to this morning when Zenhector disagreed with Eva's suggestion and left the dining room. Lamalia went to convince him. Lamalia stopped Zenhector and said:

"Soldiers, get out of here. I want to speak to my father alone."

The soldiers immediately left. Lamalia said:

"Princess Eva is telling the truth, the people's situation is dire."

Zenhector replied:

"I don't care about that. I'm the king and I'm the only one with power here."

Lamalia said:

"War has ruined our kingdom. Enough is enough. The nomadic tribes rebelled because of you."

Zenhector replied:

"They don't agree with the new laws, if they live by those traditions, the kingdom will be poor and backward forever."

Lamalia said:

"Those are the traditions that helped create this kingdom. I can't forget our origins. They rebelled because my father was so focused on fighting that he forgot about those traditions. Maybe you're the who forget those traditions."

Zenhector replied:

"I hate those traditions, they hold back my power."

Lamalia said:

"Big brother Edengaz is someone who respects those traditions."

Zenhector replied:

"Edengaz is a warrior, he also hates and fights with rebellious nomadic tribes."

Lamalia said:

"He prayed under the stars for the fallen warriors, for the people he took their lives. He prayed every night with his people for a new future for the kingdom. He also thinks those rebellious nomadic tribes are the source of war, not you. Edengaz died because of your stingy thoughts."

Zenhector became angry and slapped Lamalia. She spat out blood and said:

"You always look down on you because you're a girl. Then I should also stop being the princess of this kingdom."

Lamalia threw away the princess's golden bracelet and left. Zenhector picked it up and said:

"Edengaz died because of me? He still respects the traditions."

At that time, Zenhector really regretted, from the time he was king at the time of The First War, he always thought that only war could solve all conflicts. Zenhector forgot the duty of a king to protect and develop his kingdom, he waged war against people who respected their ancestral traditions because they were backward. Because of that thought many people died because of his selfish thinking. It was time for a change, that was to unify the Sandx kingdom. Returning to the present, keeping his promise, that afternoon Zenhector gave up the golden crown with motifs of desert creatures such as tigers, cobras, scorpions and gorillas to Lamalia. Lamalia was seated on the throne in the traditional royal dress and golden crown of the royal family. Zenhector proudly said aloud:

"Kneel before the twenty-first queen of Sandx kingdom. Queen Lamalia Corput."

Everyone in the room knelt before Lamalia to welcome a new queen, a new era for the Sandx kingdom. Crusadia team also knelt before Lamalia. That night the city held a big party to congratulate Lamalia on becoming queen and the war in the kingdom was over. Never before have they danced, partyed and been so happy. Because they knew there would be a bright future after this. Back to Alata, he was hiding behind a sand dune in the distance and observing the castle. After a long wait, Alata said:

"Damn it, when will they come out of the city, I've waited so long. It's been so hot this morning, I might have to eat my own camel."

Alata turned and saw that the camel was gone and there was only a pool of blood where it was standing. Alata said in surprise:

"Uhmm, what the hell?"

Suddenly something pulled Alata into the sand and dragged him away. The next morning Crusadia team had finished packing and were about to leave, they took their horses and stood outside the city gates to say goodbye to Lamalia. Eva hugged Lamalia and said:

"Perhaps it's time to say goodbye, see you again someday."

Lamalia replied:

"I'll see you again someday too. Good luck on the journey ahead."

Eva then sat on the horse. Lamalia said to Julia:

"You have become very strong Lamalia, always be Eva's shield."

Julia replied:

"I've always been Eva's shield, don't worry."

Lamalia said to Elastor:

"And Elastor, remember to protect Julia. She means a lot to you."

Elastor replied:

"Haha, never."

Julia said:

"Don't say that."

Elastor replied:

"Don't be like what you say when you get drunk and talk about me."

Julia blushed, she said:

"What did I say about you when I was drunk?"

Elastor replied:

"Guess what it is."

And Elastor and Julia kept talking about how she said she loved him when she was drunk. Zed said to Lamalia:

"I don't know what to say but goodbye."

Lamalia grabbed Zed by the collar and kissed him. Everyone blushed at Zed and Lamalia. Lamalia stopped kissing Zed and said:

"I'm sorry, that was a bit of a surprise."

Zed replied:

"It's okay."

Lamalia said:

"Edengaz has helped you get rid of your sinful past. This journey is not just a journey of redemption, but a journey to find your life's purpose. Go Zed, find who you really are."

Zed replied:

"Thank you, Lamalia."

Zed mounted his horse and said:

"When the starry sky looks like a wolf, that's when I have completed my journey."

Zenhector, Lamalia and Avator bowed to Crusadia team. Lamalia said:

"Let's continue the great journey."

Crusadia team bowed to everyone and raced away from Sandx city, they had gained a first ally but the journey was still ahead. The Newlaphaine Kingdom was their next destination. From afar the souls of the five thousand Wolf Warriors watched Zed, they smiled at the leader who had been freed from their past and ascended to the sky. The journey in the Sandx kingdom had ended with new friends, new maturity and a let go of the past.