Episode 5: Battle of Royalists
Inside the golden halls of Der Prismona, the castle of the Phizer family who rules the entire nation of Edindale, footsteps grew tired. The waking steps of a young blonde boy the age of Malakai and Zadic huffed. The boy wore a golden cloak with the emblem of Edindale imprinted around the back. A red tiger prowling on both hind legs. The boy shirtless with a shredded physique, began to put on a white tunic. In front of a small mirror, the boy sat down bothered by the thought of the day that would come to him. He tied his tunic up before putting on a red velcro coat with the cloak over it. The boy brushed his blonde wavy hair back charming himself with a smile in the mirror.
A knock on the door shattered his focus. “Milord!”
The boy stopped and faintly yelled. “Seize your voice. I am coming.”
He turned to the door in a hurry, walking out with one focus stored inside of his mind. The guard knocked and saluted before the boy speedily walked past. He ignored the existence of the guard like he was nothing but a swine to his feet. “Hail.”
“King Phizer wishes to speak to you.” The guard responded. He followed behind the boy rushing down the stairs. “Milord.”
“Does he now? Well, I am quite busy and can't answer him at this moment.”
“Lord Damian.” The soldier panted.
“If someone wishes to dishonor those who feed them with a spoon, I shall personally handle them. That and which the man bedding the fiend of my bastard sister I have will suffer tenfold.” Lord Damian Phizer answered while finishing his tunic and descending the staircase.
The young lord turned to an open window on the seventeenth floor of the skyscraper castle in the middle of the city. The clouds cleared the way for the heavenly-looking young man to embrace the light. His eyes shut as he sniffed in the fresh ocean air. The guard remained behind him as he turned his hip to try and wave the other guard over.
“Milord. I do ask you to come with us now. Rebellion is as treacherous as usurping the throne.”
The guard cracked his knuckles with the other guard forming a line behind him. Prince Damian grinned brushing his hair back.
“My father never said when he wanted to speak now did he?” The young boy said turning to the guard and holding out his two middle fingers, then simultaneously falling from the skyscraper.
“Lord Damian!?” The guards shouted all hurdling half their bodies over the ledge.
The young lord still held out his middle fingers chuckling from his fall. About halfway from his descent, a winged beast caught him, landing softly on the creature's wool skin. It was a Shaegon. Shaegon are wooled feathered dragons about the size of a Pegasus horse. The creature moaned slightly from the harsh landing of the rebel lord. The guards couldn’t hold back and began to run for the exit.
“Get to the lord!”
…
“From the moments where one takes upon themselves to follow a fate they create, will the world finally find salvation through the age of ambition and power. That is what it means to move past the Lotus Wars.” Malakai whispered to himself.
“Malakai!?” Zadic questioned his friend.
Malakai stuttered and fell back a bit. Lessons and words from his father clouded his mind often and repeated out loud sometimes. He turned to his friend in an awkward glare laughing. “I must have found myself lost once more.”
Zadic turned his body for Malakai to see his hand showing the way. “Well, relax. The boys are ready. Streets are clearing.”
A dozen or so boys all between the looks of street urchins and the royalists shopping about the center pulled up to the stone bridge. Malakai stood in the middle of a stone bridge connecting the lower cities to the royal capital. Where two sides united together with one banner. People noticed the dozen young men all standing around up to no good. Royals shopping around with the poor folk judged the boys who ignored them all.
The Bridge of Destiny most called it. A symbol of when the Edindale power came together to fight off all the other continents. This bridge signaled the unity of both poor and royal communities. The poor would be drafted into the republic army, and provided with good benefits to their families after being sent to their deaths. And on this day another form of unity arrived.
The dozen boys and Zadic rallied around the bridge, with Malakai pacing back and forth in front of the boys. He kept a confident expression on his face cracking his knuckles.
“Malakai. I don’t know where Lord Damian would be. Are you sure this is all worth it?” Zadic asked.
Malakai turned to his dozen group of men from the lower cities, holding his fist high. “To freedom and peace, brothers! The boys all held their fists high reciting the same verse Malakai sprouted out. They repeated it over and over for the common folk to all retreat from the bridge.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“You all know why we come here. Today we come here despite the failure in the capital. My father was humiliated by the King and his family, after nearly giving his life for this continent. Your families fight to this day for an ambitious lord who cares only for greed and selfish gain. Times are to change now. We are the focal points of it all. We deserve a life that is ours. Only if – “
A screech echoed from the sky. Malakai turned to the river reflecting the golden sky beside them. His eyes noticed a particular image shifting through the clear skies. An arrogant smile rose as the figure flew over them.
The Shaegon rider and his creature flew over the bridge observing all that stood on top of it. The young prince rode down to the end of the bridge on the royal side. He grabbed the leash for the creature, tying it to a stone pillar. Enough royals gathered to form a small militia gathered around the young prince. He greeted every one of them like they were his family. Prince Damian looked upon Malakai and his posy from the lower city with a grin of disgust. He flapped his hair back resting his hand on his hip. “So… the vermin of Der Prismona decided to show up. Here I thought your kind would be climbing trees with the other monkeys. I applaud your commitment, however.”
“Oh, your highness. It is such an honor… I figured you would send the guard or mercenaries to do your dirty work.” Malakai sarcastically grinned.
“Hah. You lower-level scum would have rather that now would you. You all have such a thing for being beaten into submission, huh?” Phizer ranted.
“Must run in the family then.” Malakai sarcastically claimed. The other boys behind him all fell into deep laughter.
“Enough of this.” Phizer grinned with his eyes narrowed to the target which was Malakai. He bit off more than he could chew, snatching a stone from the hand of one of the royals behind him. Malakai wasn’t aware, nor paying attention to the throw from Phizer that flung dozens of feet in the air. A stone rock launched towards Malakai just as he turned, pelting him right on his left eyelid.
Malakai fell off balance to a knee. Phizer yelled out from the other side of the bridge. It felt like an echo. An echo added with the dizziness of taking a stunning attack rocked Malakai’s senses. “Show this scum who runs this continent.”
The rest of the boys behind Malakai ran in front of him, to confront the royalists. Malakai shook off the attack and helped himself up back to his feet with a stone ledge. His senses were still weary as he couldn’t put himself together alone.
The boys fighting on the stone bridge continued to brawl by throwing haymakers back and forth. Everything elegant about Edindale disappeared on the bridge. In life, the battle between men will always be for two things. Freedom and ambition. Two very powerful things that could very much destroy the world on either side.
“Show these mongrels the truth of their faults.” Phizer laughed.
Malakai came to his senses and noticed the boys all falling to the royals. Guards finally appeared slapping down his friends with the blunt of their blades and shields. “No… no. Stop this madness. Phizer!”
Malakai screamed from the top of his lungs, where Damian Phizer stood ten feet from him. Everything became a still wind. The boys being beaten down by the guards and royalists were shoved down deeper in the dirt than they already were. Bloody mud and water covered the bridge like a battlefield of war. Guards brought fertilizer and began to plant it on the boys, burying them alive. Of course not deep enough to kill anyone, just embarrass.
Malakai turned his head to Zadic. His deep childhood friend. Being beaten down by wooden clubs by three guards. His mind flared like fireworks. A group of ambitious men disrupting the peace and freedom of young men battling out differences. It is now what became of the era of the Lotus Wars. Ambition will always have power over the freedom of the people.
The royalists and guards all laughed at the disgusting sight. “That ought to teach these urchins to never disrespect those who feed them.”
Damian Phizer held his hands out in the open laughing along with his friends. Malakai angered began to try and take a shot at the young lord. “Damn you Damian!”
The shot missed as Damian fixed his hair dodging to the left. “Oof!”
Guards and the royalists carrying weapons surrounded the young man. Kicking and punching the boy till he turned black and blue. After a while, Damian held his hand up. “Alright, the pig has had enough.”
Damian dragged the beaten Malakai to the edge of the bridge, holding him by his collar. He spat in the boys face and laughed along with his friends.
“Now, worm. I want you to look at the difference between us and you all. We are the golden figures of destiny. Blessed by Altira and the future of this realm. You all are little white sheep for serving our ambitions. The freedom you speak of is the life you are given.”
Malakai’s voice hummed with a sorrowful note, attempting to speak.
“What was that worm? You are free to speak of your ambitions. But sheep don’t speak.” Damian laughed.
Malakai held the collar of Phizer and stared him in the eyes with his beaten-down face. Men, women, and children began to crowd the bridge after the disaster of the lower levels being treated like garbage once more.
“One day… I will free this world…” Malakai whispered looking to the Lotus Crystal in the sky. His eyes wandered around its magnificence as it radiated its power off of him. For a moment, he lost his words before the image itself projected his feelings.
“I am going to claim the Lotus Crystal and all the powers it has granted this world. And create a world truly free from the power of deities and ambition of men.” Malakai promised. The faces of all the surrounding people, royals, and the poor were in awe.
The bridge fell silent for a moment. Everyone took it in. “Are you that foolish!?”
Damian and all the royalists laughed at the statement of Malakai. They couldn’t take anything he said seriously. The mentally worn-out Malakai could only sigh at the sliver of disrespect now. Damian held Malakai closer over the edge.
“I will do it. Maybe, not now. But before my last breath, it will happen!” Malakai promised.
“Then a swig with the river should drowse those false promises!” Damian chanted, grabbing the legs of Malakai and tossing him over the ledge of the bridge. A giant splash ensued after.
“Malakai!” Zadic called out. “Damn royalists. Have you no shame.”
Damian turned around. “I shame those who dare to shame the ones who sought to protect this continent. Yet, you bash our ambition. Careless. You all will suffer tenfold someday. Let us go men. Nothing for us here, but a bunch of talkers.” Damian ranted, walking back to the capital.
Zadic fell unconscious soon after. Many of the crowd members began to help the poor lads who were beaten down by all the royalists. A country that has seen the damnation of the empire striving for more powers because of the Legend King's message. It is what kept this country divided even longer and washed away any dreams of freedom.