The Will

After the commotion of the Kirlic ambush, Noan; the king of the empire of Kino, was pondering the situation. The grand city of Golam was breached by the enemy. Unlike previous attacks, the Kirlics entered into the city through the main gates, which was not only heavily guarded but was the strongest point of the city's defense. As Noan pondered deeply in the throne room, the silence was interrupted by the four Seyes of Kirlic. These men and women were the eyes and ears of the king. Their identities are so secret that only the king knows. This secret quartet has been part of the royal family from the birth of the empire. During their meetings, the floor above and below the throne room were cleared. There are some who believed the king to be part taking in dark magic during these moments of isolation, but none dear to make such a claim without bearing witness. The members of the Seyes are the only four persons besides the king who knows the secret entrances to the throne room. As the four line up before him Noan began to speak.

“As you have already known, we were “ambush”. So I am told by my counsel men. We have been attacked at a strong point and the mixture of stories I have heard has lead me to believe that there is a traitor in the counsel. According to the street rumors the gate was not being guarded at the time of the ambush.” Noan paused, “You as well as I know that the gate is to be guarded at all times. So I need to know, who dismissed the guards and why. I need that information as soon as possible before we are attacked again. You have been loyal not only to me but the people of Kino, but this time your aid is needed the most.”, he requested intensely.

“Dear king, we understand the urgency of your request and would report back to you within the second quarter of tomorrow night.” the lead Seyes responded and then the group hastily departed.

The next night came and the king received all the information he desired. That very night the king sent out message to all the citizens of Golam, commanding their attendance of a meeting midday of the next day.

Tomorrows arrived, and all the citizens gathered at the square before siting area of the king. After two consecutive nights of isolation many rumors were being passed around like an epidemic. As the crowd waited for the king arrived, different variations and new rumors were being born. It has been a tradition to sound the royal horn when the king is arriving but this time, the horn of The Will was sounded. Many were confused by the sound of the horn for most have forgotten the gift of the royal family from Hevanohe. The original king of Kino, was blessed with a taste of Hevanohe's power called Willbedone. With this power, the kings will would always be satisfied once he used the power of the Willbedone. But this power came with limitations. While the king's will would always be satisfied with the power of Willbedone, the intensity of the desired request would affect whether or not another desire can be satisfied. This was imposed by Hevanohe to prevent the king from having infinite power, so the kings of Kino depended on the trinket given to them by Hevanohe to gage the intensity of their will. Inside the golden trinket was a green gem that was aligned vertically. The amount of will remaining was determined by the intensity of the gems glow. If the gem stops glowing, then the power of the Willbedone has been exhausted.

Noan carefully ascended the stairs towards the seating area while the citizens cheered on. When he reached the top he pointed his fingers towards the crowd and in a gist moved it to the right and immediately the crowd was silent. His fellow counsel men stood alongside him and when he sat, they followed. Noan collected his thoughts before he stood up and spoke.

“ My people and my family of Golam. I ask for your forgiveness, for I have allowed your brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers to be killed by the Kirlics. It is with great displeasure that I have called this meeting. As you have already known, we were infiltrated at the Gate of Golam which is an unlikely suspect of an attack or should I say ambush.” he quickly glimpses his counsel men.”But I have gathered us here today, so that we may disclose the greatest weakness of our defense. With the help of our counsel men, we would be able to defend and fight back the Kirlics.”, Noan shouted and power fisted the air causing the crowd to go wild. Meanwhile, counsel men were whispering among themselves.

“My dearest king.” Hukan a fellow counsel man interrupted, “What are your plans or strategies for this undertaking and are we ready for a outright war with the Kirlics?”

“My first step is removed the weakest stone in our defense.”, the king replied.

“Do you mean we should rebuild the wall?”

“No, there wouldn't be any need for that.”

“I am sorry my king but I do not understand.”

“All would be clarified Hukan my friend.”, the king smiled, leaving Hukan more confused as he took his seat.

The excited crowd was now quited to rumblings as they were also confused by the king's answer.

“My dearest king,” another counsel man interrupted, “I do not believe we are ready to wage war on the Kirlics.”

“Why is that counsel man Ralkan?”

“As you have seen, the Kirlics are force to be reckon with, for they have penetrated the strongest part of our defense.” the crowd was starting to get uneasy.

“The strongest part of our defense is our walls.”

“The walls are useless if the gates are penetrable.”

“So then, the gates are the weakest part of our defense. Well done, Ralkan. Now all we need are stronger gates.”, Noan said as he power fist the air again to excite the crowd.

“No!” Ralkan shouted and the crows quickly silence, “The gate is our strongest point of resistance, once that is breached all our defenses are significantly weaker. If the gate can be breached ;in which it was,then we are in great danger.” Ralkan shouted with intense emotion.

Noan pondered then responded, “But the gate was breached because the guards were dismissed.”

The crowd was in shock, for the rumor was now confirmed.

“Thats not true my king, the gate was heavily guarded as usual.”

“Then how did the Kirlics breached the gate?”

Bewildered by the question Ralkan stood speechless, but his mentor came to his aid.

“The Kirlics found the gates weakness and were able to breach the gate.”

“This information was not brought to my attention Jinkan. Why is that?” the king asked slyly.

“My king, this information has only recently been brought to my attention.”

Noan pauses for a moment, dips into his pocket and took out the trinket of Hevanohe. As he opens it, he sees that the gem is glowing with a bright green. He quickly closed it and placed it back into his pocket.

“Who were the men that brought this information to your attention?”

“What do you mean my dearest king?”

The tension was growing and crowd responded to it in intense silence. Meanwhile the members of the counsel looked at each other suspiciously.

“Who were the men that brought this information to your attention Jinkan?” The king shouted and the crowd jerked back. Jinkan was speechless and nervous as he desperately tried to contain himself.

“The guards my dearest king.” Jinkan answered with authority.

“Thats interesting counsel man Jinkan, for there weren't any guards present at the time of the attack.”

“How dear you call me a liar?”, Jinkan responded viciously.

“And you are calling your king a liar.”

“You bear false witness my king.”, he humbly accused.

“No, your king does not.”, Noan then looked to the crowd and continued, “The guards who were supposed to be at the gate of that night come forward now and redeem yourself.”

Slowly fifty guards separated themselves from the crowd and gathered on the base of the throne. The crowd was in shock, as family members look upon their sons and daughters in shame.

“I have grown tired of this foolishness, counsel man Jinkan. While I wanted to play along with your lies, time is not on our side. You have persuaded fifty men to betray their people and have caused hundreds to die because of your betrayal. Join them now.”, Noan commanded as the the guards surrounding the throne persuaded him with their weapons drawn.

“This is not the end of this king.”, Jinkan said grudgingly as he boastfully walked towards the crowd of traitors. At this time the citizens pulled further away from them as if they were diseased.

“You fools,”,Jinkan condemned as he spoke to the citizens,” If you side with this man you call king you will all die. The empire of Kino is no longer the great empire it used to be, it weak because their king is weak. Join us, join the Kirlics if you want to survive.”, he pleaded with the people but his request fell on deaf ears.

“Then you will all die.”, he completed and began to depart with his men through the crowd.

“Wait.”, Noan shouted, “Where do you think you are going?”. The group stopped.

“We are leaving and don't try to stop us, unless you are willing to spill more of your people's blood.”, immediately after all fifty former guards drew their weapons.

“You are not leaving here today, Jinkan.”

“What are going to do king, kill us at the cost of losing all those innocent folks around us?

“No!”, Noan said regrettably, “but you shall be imprisoned at heights that now man can reach and shall be surrounded by the decaying bodies of the men you have lead astray for the entirety of the Kirlic's existence. You may seek death but death shall deny you and any fatal wounds you inflict on yourself shall not heal. You shall hunger and thirst but the nothing would satisfy that desire, not even the rotten flesh of the betrayers among. You shall know anguish, pain and suffering. Let the cost of betrayal be as bitter as the tears of a grieving widow and orphan because of what you have done.”

Jinkan began to laugh, “If only you could my king, if only.”

“How you of all people have forgotten? I am the king of Kino and I have the power of the Willbedone.”

Jinkan eyes opened in terrify fear.

“You and the people of Kino has forgotten the blessing of Hevanohe and now you shall remember and be the symbol of remembrance for my will be done.”, with that said the earth shook and the ground on which the betrays stood began to crack open on around them.

“Kill him now.”, Jinkan screamed to his men. Before they can even fire a shoot, their feet were immediately penetrated by a spear out of the ground in the shape of a fish bone. The all cried out in agony as they were fastened to the ground. Shortly after the area on which they stood separated from the rest of the square. Jinkan, unlike the others wasn't hurt and began climbing over the injured men to escape and at that moment the outer perimeter of the ground grew a wall of spiked concrete like vines which formed a dome imprisoning Jinkan and his men. Jinkan cried out as the prison completed itself. At the very last formation of Jinkan's new prison, the entire platform shot up in the air like a rapid growing tree. After about ten seconds of continuous growth, the earth stop shaking and before the king and people was a tower of epic size and height. The disturbed parts of the tiled ground slowly came together, perfectly blending the new tower with the rest of the square.

“Depart to your homes now my people, for we have removed the weakest stone in our defense.”, Noan shouted and then collectively descended the stairs as he makes his way to his palace. The demonstration of the will was talked about for months and the tower in the square now called the Tower of Jinkan, stood as a symbol of The Will's power and prevented all future attacks from the Kirlics.