Chapter 6 - Thick Clouds and Rusted Iron

"Have you seen Mul?", a large framed man asked Annik. He was Breto, Mul's Keeper. He was almost double Annik's size. In both height and width. A large scar ran from top of his bald head down to his neck—which was covered in tattoos. His voice rough and heavy, rumbled Annik's chest as he spoke, making him anxious. 

"N-no" Annik stuttered as he took in the man that towered over him. 

"From what I heard, he was last with the 3rd prince, maybe I should go see him." Breto's bulky frame moved forward, but before he could move any further, Annik stepped in front of him with his hands wide, stopping Breto as he looked at him in confusion, raising his thick eyebrows.

"Haha…You see, The- The Prince…" Annik smiled nervously, quickly trying to come up with a good enough excuse. 

"Ah! Yes! He has retired to bed. You see, tomorrow is a big day for us. It would be great if you don't disturb him. Well you can unless you want him to unleash his wrath on you after he becomes a God. Then go ahead" Annik opened his arm wide in the direction of the door with a nervous smile on his face. 

In his mind, he was praying that Breto would take the bait. According to what he had heard, Breto was a religious man, the symbol hanging around his neck was somewhat of a proof, but with men like him you could never be sure. 

"Also, I heard when the Prince and Mul were leaving the halls.. Mul left towards the temple saying that he had some preparations left to do….."

Breto just stared at him. After a long second, he nodded his head and left in the other direction mumbling a thank you. 

"Phew!" Annik sighed in relief. He had hoped the Prince's plan of intoxicating Mul and finding out about the security arrangements would work. 

I have to go see Mio. He thought as he headed towards where Mio was supposed to be after completing her task. 

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In the Prince's quarters, Vaughn had completed his task. He sat sipping on the fermented rice wine in solace. Complete silence and bliss of revenge. His eyes trained forward to his reflection in the mirror stationed across the stoned wall. 

Tomorrow was a big day after all, all of them. 

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.

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🎶 the day has come…

A man to become a God

We sing thy praises…

We sing thy praises….

A song chimed playfully through the air, the thin ray's of the rising sun, pierced through Vaughn's lids, making him flutter his eyes open in annoyance. He had slept at the table. His head was aching from the alcohol he had downed in the evening, his back aching and his hands sore. His entire room smelled of Rusted Iron. 

The old voice continued to sing in the background, the priests would be at his door at any second now. 

"Shut up old man!", he yelled groggily as he slowly got up. 

Vaughn limped towards his bed slowly, pulling off the sheets and throwing them onto the table as they covered the table as its surroundings. Changing into his white robes that the maids had handed him last night, he left through his golden wooden gates for the last time. 

He stopped in his steps, he turned around and took in a good look at the place he had called home for the past few week's. His eyes ran past his cozy and warm bed to his expensive gold artifacts decorating his otherwise dreadful room to his art that laid at the centre of his room. 

Sighing. He closed the door with a thwap! Behind him. 

"Prince! Prince!" Every voice called for him as he walked down the hall is white cotton robe. His eyes vacant of any thought as walked slowly on his step. Everyone was dressed in their finest attire. Silk robes, gold makeup, expensive metals, diamonds and rare gemstones dawned on their body. Each one looked more spectacular than the other. 

He finally reached the Grand Halls.

His Keeper and Bellator were already there. Both also in white robes. Everyone was present. The King decorated in his finest armour, the 1st prince and the 2nd prince, who had not attended the previous ceremonies, The scouring Grand Advisor, His minions and every other minor member of the Senate. Not Mul. 

The Ceremony proceeded with the priestess, undressing the Trio to the eyes of the spectator's. Vaughn stood proud, with his head straight, but the other two looked like they wanted to disappear as they stood barren in the halls. 

The Priestesses garbed them in the same attire as the last ceremonies. Vaughn noted that the music and the old man signing still had not stopped, though he could not find the source of the song, anywhere in the crowd. The song seeped through the cracks of the marble walls as the lute kept playing, and the man kept singing…

"We are ready for the march", the head priest announced to the crowd as the priestess had finished dressing the trio.

"I am scared-d Vaughn…" Mio stuttered as she side eyed Vaughn.

"Well, that makes the two of us.", Vaugh said from under his mask, chuckling.

"You are finding this funny? I am about to shit my pants?", Annik said from beside him. 

"Well we already have a bedwetter, a pant shitter next… Mio?! Would you like to take the title of bombardeos fart keeper? I heard you are a smelly girl…" Vaughn snicked from underneath his mask. 

"You wanna die?" 

"You were never funny." Annik added. 

Their whispering turned to silence of shock, as the priestess brought forward a thick rope.

"Wait…"

"What the …"

"Are you kidding me!?"

"Which one of you made that shitty plan?" This time Vaughn spoke up. He was the one who made the plan. 

"Why are they tying us up? This is going to ruin the plan.", Annik whispered.

"What is this about?" Vaughn asked out loud in an authoritative voice. 

"During the last ritual, we ran into some discrepancies with the candidates, this is to prevent that." The priestess spoke in a monotone. 

"Are you saying we are going to run away from our duty?!", Vaughn said angrily as the priestess flinched at his tone. 

Well, this was exactly what they were going to do. 

"This is a disgrace. I ask the king, why are the future gods being tied up like some petty criminals? I refuse to take part in this ritual if we are to be tied up like some petty criminals during the entire procession!" Vaughn asked turning towards the King in the crowd.

The King raised his hand, "The Prince is right. No tying!"

The trio breathed a sigh of relief.

"Until the procession is over!" The king ended.

The trio gasped for breath in unison