

### Legend of the Murfs

By Mark Omodia

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 Mark Omodia

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of contents

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Encounter

Chapter 2: The Alpha Tribe

Chapter 3: The King's Court

Chapter 4: New Moon

Chapter 5: Abduction

Chapter 6: King Sett's Demand

Chapter 7: Ransom

Chapter 8: The Red Clan

Chapter 9: The Rho Tribe

Chapter 10: The Little Black Pill

Chapter11: The Break-in

Chapter 12: Uprising

Chapter 13: Trinidos wakes

Chapter 14: Bad News

Chapter 15: Reunions

Chapter 16: Exodus

Chapter 17: The Red Campaign

Chapter 18: Clash of Warriors and Immortals

Chapter 19: Aftermath

Epilogue

Prologue

Everyone has a journey; a journey of discovery, discovery of self and new horizons, new ideas and new worlds. Everyone has a path to take, a road to walk. No one knows what lies ahead; stumbling blocks or stepping stones, a bush full of thorns or a shade for rest.

You might not understand it and you might not know where it will lead, but you just keep going. After all it is predestined and there is no turning back. But one thing is for sure, all journeys come to an end and once you get to your destination, everything finally makes sense.

# Chapter 1

### The Encounter

My journey began in the forest. Through some hand of fate I wound up there. The full moon lit up the dark sky and illuminated my path as I wandered through the forest. My body ached as I walked. I had no idea of where I was or what I was doing there. The Rubik's cube that brought me there was gone.

I had always been a lover of nature. I loved wildlife. There was always this warm feeling I got whenever I was in the wild; a feeling of comfort as though I were at home. I loved to wrestle with beasts and sing with birds. There was this oneness I felt with nature. There was nowhere else I felt happier. It was this passion that made me an explorer and a wildlife expert. I made wildlife documentaries.

I was filming a documentary with my crew in a forest when my life took an unexpected turn. About two weeks into my stay in the forest I came across a Rubik's cube. But this one was different. It was larger and made of silver. It had an elaborate design made up of several inscriptions and patterns all over it. I unconsciously began twisting the cube as I examined it, admiring its aesthetic appeal. As I did so, I was forming a pattern on the cube. Suddenly, and rather quickly, a bright light emerged from the cube and engulfed me. In a flash I was gone. I blanked out.

By the time I gained consciousness it was night and there was no one in sight. I felt as though I had been turned inside out and back again. I felt weird. I knew something strange had happened to me. It took me a while before I could get to my feet and back to my senses. Walking slowly, I paused to replay everything that happened in my head. "The cube!" I thought. It must have been the cube! I searched all around where I was. Alas! The cube was gone. I was perplexed.

Though I panicked, nature got the best of me as I soon got tired and sleepy. As I wandered through the forest, searching for a place to spend the night, I saw a creature lurking in the dark. A cold shiver ran through my spine. I could see its silhouette as it drew nearer towards my direction. I reached for my pen knife as I hid behind a tree. A few feet away, the creature slumped. Curious, I walked slowly and cautiously towards it with a firm grip on my knife. When I got to where it lay, I bent to see what it was. I focused my flashlight on it. Behold! A strange creature lay seemingly dead. It had a tail and it was covered in fur. It had a face similar to that of a lion or other big cats and it had dreadlocks. It had the physique of a man, though it was much larger and it walked on two feet. It wore a piece of cloth around its waist. I was thunderstruck. Was I on earth, or had the cube taken me somewhere else?

The creature had several stab wounds, some of them fatal. It seemed whatever had attacked it wanted it dead. Blood soaked its fur as it lay lifeless. I didn't know what to feel. I was lost and seeing strange creatures. Maybe I was dreaming. I gave myself a tap on the head. "Wake up!" I said to myself.

My spirit almost departed from my body as to my greatest shock, the creature opened its eyes and stared at me. Its big brown eyes opened wide as though in terror of something. It tried to say something as it pointed behind me. As I turned back I received a blow which sent me to the ground some feet away. I got a grip of myself, picking up my torch which fell nearby. I moved the flashlight to see what hit me. Another strange creature stood some feet away. It was just like the other one only this one had wings and didn't have a tail. It was slightly smaller than the other one though it was still much bigger than a human. This creature also did not keep dreadlocks. Instead it had long flowing hair. It wore gold bracelets on both wrists and it put on ear rings and a necklace also made of gold. It wore sandals and a black tunic which made provision for its very large pair of wings, similar in appearance to that of a dragon, to move conveniently. The wings were retractable such that one might not even notice them unless they were spread out.

I could see its large sharp canine as it snarled. Maybe I wasn't dreaming. I shuddered at the thought that this might be real. I trembled in fear as it gazed at me. I could not move. I just stood there trembling. I felt goose bumps all around and my white skin quickly turned red. I could feel my sweat drench my clothes as I wondered what to do next.

The creature spread its wings and flew towards me, its arms outstretched and its claws shooting out, ready for the kill. The other seemingly lifeless creature came to my rescue as he dived and knocked the other creature down. They both struggled on the ground while I took to my heels. I didn't know where I was going, but I kept running, working my way through the labyrinth of trees all around. 'Anywhere is better than here!' I thought.

Both creatures continued to fight. The injured creature was already weak so it didn't take long before the winged creature overpowered it. The winged creature brought it to its knees and snapped its neck. Blood gushed out as it pulled out the other creature's vertebral column from its lifeless body along with its head. It roared as it raised the other creature's head in victory.

The creature soon stopped roaring and began to sniff around. It was searching for me. It picked up its sword, which had fallen down during the fight, and followed my scent in a bid to track me down. It was much faster than I was so it didn't take time before it got to where I was. I had noticed it coming so I climbed a very tall tree. All was quiet as the creature walked slowly around where I was, trying to find me. I could hear the leaves move as a gentle wind blew past. But that was not as loud as the sound of my heart pounding. My heartbeat was so heavy and so fast; I thought my heart would burst out of my chest. I tightened my grip on the bough I lay on, my gaze fixed on the creature that sought to annihilate me.

The creature used its sword to clear the bushes as it searched for me. After a while, it gave up. It was about leaving that place when it heard something move in a nearby bush. With swift precision it hurled it's blade to the source of the noise in the bush. It was disappointed when it carried its sword only to see the split skull of a snake stuck to it. It waved the blade to fling off the snake. It was about to move on when suddenly, my pen knife slipped from my pocket and fell to the ground. The creature's ears pricked up as it heard something drop from above. It turned and walked towards where it heard the noise. It picked up the penknife and examined it. My heart skipped a beat when it looked up to where I was.

Maybe I would have fainted out of shock, but the ferocious roar of the creature kept me wide awake and literally on my toes as I got up and stretched my arms behind me, clinging to the tree trunk. The creature flew up to get me. My survival instinct immediately took over. I suddenly summoned courage. I was not ready to die that night, most certainly not at the hands of this creature. I began to move down from the tree, jumping and sliding from branch to branch. The creature kept growling as it followed me down. The creature could not fly towards me because the tree's long branches obstructed it, so it cut them down to get to me.

I missed a branch and I fell to the ground with a thud. I moaned in pain as I tried to regain my senses; my vision blurred for a while and my consciousness distorted. I lay on the ground, trying to summon the strength to get up while the creature walked slowly towards me. It knew it had me. It gave a slight grin. As I moved my hands across the ground in a bid to recover from the fall, I felt a small stake and grabbed just before the creature grabbed me by the neck raised me up. Its hands were just like a man's except for the fact that they were covered in fur and it had claws. My eyes and my entire face rapidly turned red as the creature threatened to squeeze my neck till it snapped.

The creature examined me in amazement. It obviously had never seen anything like me. The feeling was mutual. I immediately stabbed the creature on the neck with the stake. The creature threw me down as it howled in pain. It held its neck and moved about in discomfort, flapping its wings in pain as blood trickled down the fingers it placed over the stab wound. The creature removed the stake from its neck and growled. The creature picked up a rock as I ran and hurled it towards me. The rock hit my head and knocked me unconscious.

# Chapter 2

### The Alpha Tribe

I woke up in a room. Was this afterlife? The air was filled with medicinal incense. There were herbs beside where I lay my head. What had happened? Where was I? Did the creature have a change of heart? I was definitely confused. There was a bandage around my head. Someone had pulled off my clothes and left me with my boxers only. Someone had tended to my wounds but still I felt pain all over.

I could tell the bed was made of hay for it scratched and poked my back as I looked around the room. There were all sorts of herbs and concoctions all over. The room was not so large. The walls appeared to be made of adobe while the floor was made with stones interlocked. The windows were made of wood and they were flung open so that fresh air could enter the room. The door was also made of wood. I could tell it was daylight as needle-like rays of sunlight penetrated through the tiny holes in the kenaf curtain.

I began to hear murmurs from outside. The noise I heard was like that of the creatures I encountered in the forest, only this time they appeared to be speaking to each other in a strange language. I began to panic. Why had they abducted me? What were they? What did they want from me? I struggled to get on my feet. I saw my clothes at the foot of the bed and I put them on quickly.

I was doing so when a creature similar to the one which was killed in the forest walked in. We paused for a moment staring at each other; its blue eyes met mine. The creature had a commanding presence. It had dark brown fur, a grey goatee and dreadlocks which stopped just below its shoulder. Suddenly it spoke in a deep voice. The language was strange, but to both our astonishments, I understood.

'Ai! Do not be afraid!' it said, making gestures as it spoke to make me understand. 'I am not going to hurt you!'

'What do you want from me?' I asked. The creature looked astonished. It took a step closer, rather curious.

'Stay back!' I yelled, wondering why it looked at me the way it did.

'Ai! You speak our language!?' the creature asked. It was then it dawned on me.

'How is it...?' I slurred. I was perplexed. 'Why do I understand what you are saying?'

'Calm down!' the creature said, drawing nearer with caution. 'I am not going to harm you! You can drop the knife now.'

I looked at my hand. To my surprise, I was holding a knife. I didn't know when I had carried one. I immediately dropped it.

'I am Morriah', the creature said. 'I am a Morflon... I am a member of the Alpha tribe... What is your name?'

'Eric Harper', I replied, obviously still perplexed as to why I was able to even communicate in this strange language. Then I remembered my previous encounter in the forest.

'There was another creature in the forest... it tried to kill me...' I said.

'The one with wings', Morriah cut in.

'Yes!' I replied sharply.

'Ai! That was a Morr. I took care of him', Morriah said. 'He would not be bothering you again, at least not in this lifetime... When I found you, you were almost dead. I had to bring you home because I didn't want you to die out there. It took some time, and we didn't know if the treatment would work seeing as you are not... you know... our kind; but nature surely has other plans for you.'

He walked up to me as we spoke and we both sat down on the bed.

'How long was I out?' I asked.

'Three days', Morriah replied. Just then, someone called him from outside and he had to leave.

'You get some rest!' he said. 'I'll be back!'

And with that, he walked out. He seemed rather excited to see me alive.

It took me about two weeks to fully recover. My once clean shave was fast becoming a full beard and moustache. I began to smell like the Morflon and my hair was unkempt. I still put on my old clothes which were dirty and torn. The Morflon were carnivores, so their diet was meat. The only variety was in the source of the meat and the manner in which the meat was prepared. They could serve the meat grilled, or fried or in soup and once in a while they ate fish. But they were considerate and helped me get fruits, vegetables and nuts from time to time.

The Morflon were an established civilization much to my amazement. They weren't as barbaric as I thought. Obviously they were carnivorous, but I was sure they were not interested in having me for a meal. They had several tribes scattered around their patch of the forest. The Alpha tribe was one of them.

Before I was accepted into their fold, I had to appear before the council of elders. The council of elders was the authority in each tribe. They governed each tribe. To become an elder, a Morflon must be at least sixty years of age and a patriarch of his family. If the patriarch is not up to sixty and the matriarch is, then she will represent the family amongst the council of elders.

In the Alpha tribe, the council of elders had fourteen members, each representing the founding families from which all other families in the tribe sprung. They usually met in a hall at the centre of the tribe, right next to the square. The hall was made of pillars of white oak and cedar and a conical thatch roof. Flags bearing the symbols of each family were hung behind each elder's throne.

On my way to the hall, I saw several Morflon; from the young and vibrant playing in the fields to the old telling folklore. Some Morflon had long dreadlocks; some had shorter locks while some had no locks at all. Morflon had predominantly dark, reddish brown fur. However, some were lighter than others. They all stared at me as I headed for the hall, accompanied by Morriah. Some Morflon even followed me as I walked into the hall, though they were stopped at the entrance. They watched from outside as I made my way to the centre stage with Morriah. The elders sat on their wooden thrones, arranged in a concave arch facing Morriah and I.

There was discomfort in the air. Some elders were obviously displeased to see me; some were just afraid and skeptical while others were overwhelmed with astonishment. Some younger Morflon stood guard with spears in their hands.

When all was settled, an elder began to speak.

'It was very reckless of you to bring an alien you know nothing about to this tribe Morriah', He said. 'However, you had the wisdom to inform us and bring him for approval. That is the Morriah we know and respect.'

'Your parents would be disappointed!' Azadus, a short, bald and obese Morflon cut in twirling his bushy white moustache. He slung a piece of cloth over one of his shoulders so he was not totally bare-chested.

'How could you be so foolish?' he bellowed, obviously trying to suppress his ire.

'Calm down Azadus!' an elder intervened.

'You say the creature understands our language' he asked. 'Then let him introduce himself to us.'

'Ai!' Morriah replied.

He then gave me the floor. I had never felt more out of place in my life. I drew a breath as I summoned the courage to speak.

'Elders of the Alpha tribe', I said. I trembled inside. 'I greet you all!'

There was silence as the elders barely uttered a word in response to my greeting. Some elders looked away anytime our eyes met.

'I am Eric Harper', I continued. 'I am a human. I am not from these parts and I do not know how I got here... I remember twisting a cube... it zapped me here I guess...'

'Where is the cube now?' a female elder asked.

'I do not know', I replied. 'I think I lost it in the woods... I searched for it...'

'You do not have it!' she continued.

'...No', I replied. There were murmurs across the hall until Ozin, an elder and a good friend of Morriah spoke up saying; 'The transporter! That is what the cube is called. It brought you here?'

Ozin seemed as though he wanted to get up from his seat as he stared at me in curiosity.

'How is it that you could use it if you say you are not from these parts?' he asked. 'In all my sojourns I have never come across anyone who has seen it, let alone used it.'

'Really?' Azadus interrupted, turning Ozin's attention to him. He still twirled his bushy moustache. 'You really believe this...? Fellow elders I urge you, do not believe what this... human is saying. I mean, first he understands our language, next he says he was brought here by the cube! How many creatures have come across the transporter... how would someone who doesn't know what the transporter is use it so efficiently? Why is it that of all places, the transporter brought the creature here, to our neck of the woods?'

'What are you saying Azadus?' Ozin asked.

Pointing his finger at me, he said; 'This creature is a spy!'

Morriah and I gasped. There were murmurs around the hall. Azadus got up from his seat and advanced towards me.

'Who sent you? What sorcery did you use? What do you want from us?' Azadus bombarded me with questions. I tried to speak but he drowned me with more questions. He moved towards me with each question as though he wanted to attack me before Morriah stopped him.

'Azadus!' an elder yelled. 'Restrain yourself!'

Azadus immediately stopped. It was as though he did not know what he was doing a while ago. Everyone watched silently as he went back to his seat, quietly.

'My fellow elders', Ozin said. 'If we do not accommodate other creatures then we are no different from the Morrs! I mean I have fought enough battles to know the importance of allies.'

A female elder said; 'We have seen the creature. This is not an issue we must waste our time on. We must now reach a verdict. All those in favour of this creature staying with us, indicate by raising your hands.'

There were murmurs as nine elders raised their hands.

'Alright then', she said. 'We have a majority.'

Then turning to me she said, 'Eric Harper, the elders welcome you to the Alpha tribe. You are to stay with Morriah in his home and dwell with his family because you are now a part of it. From now henceforth you are our brother. Your enemies are our enemies and your friends are ours. We will share in your pains and your joys. However, we shall be watching you. Should we find out that you have a hidden agenda, or find you do not stand for our progress, you shall pay with your life.'

'We shall inform the rest of the tribe', Ozin said. 'You will be properly introduced at the feast of the new moon tonight.'

I was relieved. I had nowhere else to go in this strange forest. Azadus stared at me with a big frown on his face. He didn't take his eyes off me until I left the hall; all the while he stroked his moustache.

'Ai! Congratulations!' Morriah said to me as we left the hall. 'You are one of us now.'

# Chapter 3

### The King's Court

There was a fortress some miles away, in another part of the forest. That was where the other creatures dwelled. Creatures like the one that was after me in the forest. They were called Morrs.

The gigantic walls of the fortress enclosed a vast expanse of lush green land. In there, the massive population of Morrs lived, building skyscrapers with gothic-like architecture and breeding a doughty army. They were a successful and self-sufficient race and they were mortal enemies of the Morflon who were crude compared to the more sophisticated Morrs.

Somewhere around the centre of the fortress, the King's palace stood tall, a massive building that seemed to reach the heavens. Like all their buildings, it was made of stone and had gothic-like architecture. The land around the palace was landscaped with beautiful flowers and carpet grass demarcated by walkways and the air around was filled with the sweet scent of the exotic flowers. Guards were all over the palace, some on the ground while some flying around the palace. The palace was filled with steps as they were the only way, besides flying, to get to the around.

Unlike the Morflon, the Morrs didn't have a council of elders. They had a king who surrounded himself with prominent Morrs as members of his court. Each courtier controlled a sector in the fortress. They met with the king in his palace almost every day, deliberating on issues of national interest.

Around the time I was before the council of elders, the King was at court. They had sent out some spies to find out the whereabouts of the creature that wanted me dead. The spies had returned with the body of the creature and they brought it before the king's court. They all wore black hooded cloaks.

The foul stench of the creature's decaying carcass spread across the room as the spies laid it down on the beautiful marble floor. The courtiers, who sat on either side of the room facing each other, covered their nostrils to reduce the nauseating odour. The king shut his eyes for a while as he held back his tears.

He was seated on his throne which had a diamond frame and golden leather cushions; his crown - a diamond band glittering as he shook his head. The king, like other wealthy Morrs put on a lot of jewelry. The only perk was that he alone wore diamond jewelry all over. Other Morrs could have diamonds, but before the king none was to appear as magnificently clad. He and other influential Morrs put on beautifully embroidered robes. The Morrs dressed in attire similar to that of medieval times and they did not keep dreadlocks.

'When did this happen?' he slurred. 'How did this happen?'

'Your highness!' said one of the spies. 'We found Lord Boas' corpse in the valley just beyond the Alpha tribe. From what we gather, Lord Boas was chased into the woods by the Morflon who caught him trespassing...'

'Trespassing...?' Egon, the son of the king asked. He was seated amongst the king's courtiers. He had a ponytail. 'Trespassing...! We rule the entire forest!'

'I am sorry my lord', the spy replied.

'Your highness!' Egon said, turning to the king. 'It is no doubt that you my lord wield the most power in the forest. But your power, the entire authority of the Morr lineage is being weathered with time. Beyond the walls of the fortress, certain rebellious creatures seek to smite the head that wears the crown! They seek to trample upon the crown and bring this mighty fortress to the ground. My lord, we must hold the fort, for if things fall apart the centre cannot hold! I say you send an army to confront those savages and take back what is rightfully yours - your dignity! Your respect! Your authority! We must let them know that we are not weak. We are and will always be a superior race!'

'Are you suggesting I start a war?' King Sett asked.

'No your highness', Egon replied.

'Then why suggest confrontation?' the king asked. 'It will only end in unnecessary bloodshed. We must be more subtle than that. That is why we are Morrs; we must utilize our intellectual prowess!'

'Your highness, we gather that the Morflon have a strange creature dwelling in their midst', the spies cut in.

'Really?' the king asked. 'How long has he been with them?'

'About a month Your Highness', they replied.

There were murmurs as the king pondered a cause of action.

'Your highness!' one of the courtiers said. 'They must be forming an alliance.'

'How many are they like the creature in the forest?' King Sett asked.

'So far just this one', the spies replied.

'They must have some hidden agenda', one of the courtiers suggested.

'Perhaps this one is paving the way for others', another said.

'Do you know why he is with them?' Egon asked.

'No my lord', the spies replied.

'I say we stop them now before they become formidable!' a member of the court said.

'Send some troops and put a stop to this at once!' another said.

'We must act now before it is too late!' yet another added.

Members of the king's court were hysterical. Everyone was in support of an all-out assault, everyone but the king.

'Lords of the court!' he roared, signaling them to be silent.

'You are only being paranoid', he continued when all was calm. 'We cannot let unfounded fear cloud our reasoning!'

Turning to the spies he said; 'You would go back to the Morflon and find out all there is to know about this creature. Find out what the Morflon are up to and report back to this court as soon as you get any vital information... one more thing, find my brother's killer and bring him to me alive. He must answer for his crimes before me!'

He then waved his hands and the spies bowed and took their leave, putting on their hoods as they walked out of the hall.

# Chapter 4

### New Moon

We all gathered round the bonfire which lit up the square as we waited for the new moon to appear. The square was alive with music, meat and lots of wine. Yes they drank wine. I put on the typical male Morflon attire - a skirt made of jute and kenaf. I sat with Morriah and his family. His wife Euphina carried their youngest child Kayne who was still a baby. The little, chubby and furry Morflon was fast asleep. His mother cradled him as she watched her other two children, Gaiel and his younger sister Lily play.

Gaiel appeared to be in his mid-teens. He was smaller than an adult Morflon and he had short brown dreadlocks in the form of a high top fade. He looked so much like his father. Lily on the other hand looked like her mother; petit and long haired, although she was much smaller. Like all female Morflon, Euphina was curvaceous and had the figure of a woman, only she was covered in fur and had tails. Their faces had some semblance to that of a lion or other big cats. They were not bare-chested like the males. They wore cropped tops over their skirts.

I saw them all, different shapes and sizes, all frolicking round the fire awaiting the new moon. I also saw the obese Azadus sitting at a distance. Our eyes locked as he looked at me in suspicion, twirling his white moustache with his fingers. I felt rather uncomfortable.

'I apologize for the way my uncle reacted today', Morriah said, taking my attention from Azadus.

'Who is your uncle...?' I asked before it dawned on me. 'Oh...! Oh...!' I was speechless.

Morriah giggled.

'Ai! Azadus is my uncle', Morriah said with a smirk. 'He is the patriarch of my extended family, the Bighearts.'

'Bighearts!' I exclaimed.

'Ai! I know what you must be thinking, what an irony', Morriah continued. 'He is not always like this. He just doesn't do well with strangers. He is always suspicious. Do not worry! He is nice when you get to know him.'

'Really', I asked.

'Relax!' Morriah comforted me. 'You two would get along. You'll see.'

Ozin got up and called everyone's attention. The music was reduced so everyone could hear him.

'Brothers and sisters', he said. 'Tonight is a special night. Not only is there going to be a new moon, it marks the beginning of the cycle 2255!'

The Morflon cheered.

'But before we commence merriment we must first welcome a special guest', he continued. 'Brothers and sisters, behold the newest addition to our family, the human, Eric Harper!'

The Morflon cheered on. They were ecstatic to see me. I got up so that all could see me.

'I am grateful to all of you', I said. 'You took me in and treated me like a brother. I look forward to having a wonderful time with each and every one of you. Thank you.'

Many Morflon, especially the young ones, surrounded me and began bombarding me with questions. Questions like where I was from, what my home looked like, were there others like me, etc. even those bordering on the ridiculous. They flooded me as though I was a celebrity. Some were even touching me to see what I felt like. The music was on again and they pulled me to join in their dance. I was reluctant at first, but I eventually gave in. We all danced round the fire to the rhythm of the local drums.

We continued to dance as time flew by. Some Morflon slept in the square. Others, especially the young and the female went home to sleep. The bonfire had become dim. The thunderous drum solo metamorphosed into a mellifluous melody of flutes which soothed our nerves as we got tired and sat scattered around the square waiting for the moon to appear. Morriah and I sat together. Euphina and the children had gone home.

'Morriah', I said. 'I have been wondering... I mean it's not that I am ungrateful... but, one thing has been on my mind for quite a while... Why?'

'Why what?' Morriah asked.

'Why did you save me in the forest?' I asked. 'Why have you been so kind to me?'

'Ai...! You know', Morriah replied. 'I cannot say the same question has not crossed my mind. But to be honest with you I do not know... I really don't. I just believe it is the right thing to do... But one thing is for certain, it is not merely a coincidence that you were brought here. I believe nature has something in store for you.'

'Thank you Morriah', I said. 'Thank you for everything.'

We stared at each other in silence before Ozin came and sat beside us, holding a jar of wine and three cups.

'I hope I am not interrupting anything?' Ozin said giving each of us a cup and serving us wine before he sat down.

'Not at all', we replied.

'Euphina?' Ozin asked.

'She's gone home with Lila and Kayne', Morriah said. 'Gaiel is still here. He is with some friends.'

'Well that leaves us three', Ozin said.

'Ai!' Morriah said.

'...To the new moon!' Ozin toasted.

'To the new moon', we replied, raising our cups.

'The new moon always brings back fond memories of my late wife and I', Ozin said after taking a gulp from his cup. 'We were an inseparable pair she and I. But whenever I was out in battle sometimes we could stay moons away, even cycles. Whenever the golden moon was out and I was at camp, I would sit outside, gazing at the moon with a smile on my face.'

He then looked at us and asked; 'You know why?'

We shook our heads.

'Because I knew that back home my lovely wife was also staring at the moon', he continued. 'It always felt comforting to know that though we were miles apart, we could share the same beautiful sight. It was always surreal... It's too bad nature took her away from me.'

'When did she pass away?' I asked.

'It's been a while now', he replied. 'She suddenly fell ill and after two moons of being bedridden, she died.'

'I am so sorry to hear that', I said.

'Such is life', Ozin replied. 'One just has to move on...'

Showing me a strand of his locks, he said; 'I weaved a strand of her hair with my hair and I also weaved a strand of my hair in hers. That symbolizes that a part of me died with her while a part of her lives on in me...'

'Do you do it every time a loved one dies?' I asked.

'It is not mandatory', Morriah replied.

'It just depends on how you feel', Ozin added. 'I have done so for a few comrades I lost in battle... Enough about me... I hope you had a good time tonight Eric?'

'I had a lot of fun thank you', I replied.

'Do you have such events where you are from?' Morriah asked.

'We count down to the new year', I replied. 'Every December thirty-first, we gather in large numbers around the world just before midnight... some stay at home, party with friends... do fun stuff... you know... to count down. Impressive fireworks are exploded and everyone cheers as we usher in the New Year.'

'What is December thirty-first?' Ozin asked.

'December is the last month of the year. 31st is the last day of December', I explained. Both Morflon looked lost, much to my frustration.

'On earth, seven days make a week and four weeks make a month', I continued. Twelve months make up a year.'

'Oh!' they exclaimed.

'Is that how you measure time on...?' Ozin asked.

'...earth', I replied. 'That is where I'm from.'

'It's pretty much the same here', he continued. 'Only here, we do not count our "months" like you do. We just recognize the moons. Every four to five weeks, a full moon appears, rising from the North, precisely at midnight.'

'So how do you identify each moon?' I asked.

'That, my friend is the best part', Ozin said, rather excited to tell me. 'It is one of the most awesome sights to behold! Each time a moon rises, it displays a different colour. We have the green moon, the red moon, and a couple of others. There are nine moons in one cycle. The last moon in the cycle is the red moon. That was the one before this one. What you would see tonight is the golden moon.'

My eyes were open wide in amazement.

'Would it be golden throughout?' I asked.

'No', Morriah replied. 'It would only be golden as it rises. Before long it would turn back to its normal white self.'

'The moon would be out any minute', Ozin said.

'Ai! There it is!' Morriah said, pointing frantically towards the moon.

The Moon was awesome. It looked like the sun, only it was not as bright and one could look directly at it, almost like dawn. Everyone awake gazed at the new moon as it rose out of the darkness due North. It was magical. It illuminated the forest with its soft Golden rays.

'For over seventy cycles I have gazed at this new moon', Ozin said as we stared on. '...and it is still a wonder to behold!'

We were not the only ones gazing at the new moon. Up in one of the balconies of the king's palace, Egon also gazed at the moon. Although he found it magnificent, he had other things on his mind; top of the list was his grieving father.

Egon left the balcony and walked into the throne room were the king lay on the floor drunk. There were empty jars of wine beside him. He sipped the last drop from his golden cup as he soliloquized. All the while he wept. Egon helped his father get to his feet.

'Wipe your tears father', he said. 'All is not lost.'

'They killed my brother', King Sett sobbed. 'My only kid brother...!'

King Sett broke down in tears. He reached for another jar of wine but Egon took it from him.

'You have had enough drinks for one day', Egon said. 'Get yourself together. No one wants to see the most powerful creature in the forest like this.'

Egon picked up the King's crown from the floor and placed it on King Sett's head. He helped King Sett sit on his throne.

'It is not your fault Lord Boas is dead', Egon said. 'Everyone knows he had mental issues.'

'That doesn't change a thing!' King Sett snapped. 'Boas was not always like this you know. He used to be calm, charming, respectable... fate was unfair to him.'

King Sett wept again.

'Do not despair father', Egon said. 'I have had the soldiers who were supposed to watch him executed.'

'Punish them, most definitely. Kill them, why?' King Sett said.

'They failed to perform their duties', Egon defended himself. 'They had to be made examples of'

'And you think killing them was the best way to do so?' King Sett scolded. 'If you kill every single soldier who falters, who would defend the fortress?'

Egon was silent. Just then, Nyra, the King's second wife walked. She was much younger than King Sett and just a few cycles older than Egon. Egon turned his face away as she came in.

'Can you not see I am speaking to my father?' He said, scowling.

'Be quiet Egon!' King Sett scolded him. 'You shall not speak to my wife in that manner!'

'It is alright my King', Nyra said, sitting on his laps and caressing his chest; much to the fury of Egon who she ignored. 'I woke up and I didn't see you in bed.'

'How can I sleep when my brother's corpse is all I see when I shut my eyes?' King Sett asked.

Egon stormed out as they began to romance. He was obviously not happy.

'I know dear', she said in a soothing voice. 'He was your beloved after all. But you should try to let go. The kingdom needs their king. I need you. Do not let grief take your life.'

'Oh Nyra my sweet', King Sett said. He became more and more tranquil as they pecked each other several times. She rubbed his chest and massaged his shoulders.

'You do know how to lighten my mood. What would I do without you?'

# Chapter 5

### Abduction

As the moons went by my shaggy hair and full beard grew bigger. I was sitting in front of Morriah's house one day when suddenly, someone covered my eyes.

'Let me guess', I said. 'Morriah is out hunting with Gaiel. Kayne is playing with his mother who is sitting right next to me, and judging from the rather small, furry hands, this must be... Lila!'

'You always get me every time!' she said, giggling as she removed her hands from my eyes and came in front of me.

'That is because you are so predictable', I replied, tickling her sides and drawing her near me as she tried to resist it. She was a lot smaller than Euphina who was about my height. Young and female Morflon were the only one that were my height or smaller, with the exception of a few taller ones. There were also some short Morflon male who were my height or slightly shorter.

'You have lovely children', I complimented Euphina.

Euphina was always demur and sweet.

'Thank you Eric', she replied, pecking Kayne.

Kayne could barely speak. He just sat on his mother's laps facing her as she played with him. He made noise as he tried to utter some words.

'They are my bundle of joy', she continued. 'Nature has been really kind.'

'I noticed you always talk of nature as though it is some kind of deity. Do you worship nature?' I said.

'Who doesn't?' Euphina asked. 'We believe that we are part of nature's great big family. We consider ourselves as nature's offspring. I would not necessarily use the term "worship", but we respect nature. We acknowledge that some things are predestined and others still just beyond our control. That is why we turn to nature. We meditate and sometimes pray to nature because in this forest full of uncertainty and mystery, we see nature as the force which controls the flow of everything and everyone.'

Just then, something hit me on my head. I turned and saw that Lila was throwing something tiny at me.

'Stop it', I said. But she continued. I ran towards her and caught her, holding her hands so that she could not stone me again. I forced what she was holding out of her hands.

'You are very naughty you', I said, examining what she was throwing at me. I noticed they were not stones. They were orange coloured seeds. I never felt more excited in my life. I was so excited I could barely speak.

'What is the matter?' Euphina asked me.

'Where did you find this?' I asked Lila.

'At the backyard', she replied.

'Take me there now', I said.

Lila hopped her way to the backyard with me following keenly behind. Behold, a single cornstalk hidden amongst bushes.

'...Corn!' I yelled 'You have corn!'

'What is corn?' Lila asked.

'This!' I showed her with excitement. 'This is corn!'

I checked around to see if there was anyone else. To my disappointment it was only that one stalk. Luckily for me it still had some cobs. I plucked one cob and broke it into two, the smaller part I planted while the larger part I roasted.

'Do not tamper with this plant. Tell your friends, your brother... nobody should tamper with this', I warned Lila who all the while stared at me as I moved like a lunatic.

But all that didn't bother me as I was only concerned about my corn. It was as though I had found gold. Finally, a little more variety, I thought.

'Is everything alright?' Euphina asked me.

'Yes', I replied. 'I found corn.'

'What are you doing', Lila asked.

'I am planting the corn', I replied.

'Why are you planting the corn?' she asked again.

'So that it would grow and produce more', I answered.

'Why do you want it to produce more?' she asked.

'Go inside!' Euphina told her. 'You are disturbing Eric!'

Euphina made sure Lila went in, but she was also curious.

'Why are you planting it?' she asked me.

'I eat corn', I replied. 'Where I am from, corn is used to produce a lot of things we eat.'

'Well if you are going to eat it, I guess you should bring down the corn you are roasting before it burns to ashes.'

'Oh!' I exclaimed.

I had forgotten that I put the other half on fire. I rushed towards the fire, quenched it and removed the corn. I burnt my tongue as I chewed on the charred seeds. I felt so much relief as for the first time in weeks I ate something other than meat or wild fruits. I offered some to Euphina who reluctantly put them in her mouth. She soon spat them out, her countenance showing utter disgust.

'You eat this?' she asked.

'Not always in this form but yes, I do', I replied. 'Do not worry; you'll learn to like it.'

Euphina spat again, trying to remove every particle of corn in her mouth while I chewed my corn hastily.

It was then we heard voices of a crowd coming towards our house. We ran in front of the house to see what was going on. The crowd stopped in front of our house. Gaiel was with them. He had some blood on him. He also had a wound on his leg. He was with Ozin and Azadus. They were accompanied by a small crowd. Everyone was melancholy.

'What is wrong?' Euphina asked, sensing something bad had happened. 'What happened to you Gaiel? Did you get into another fight...? I thought I warned you to control your temper.'

Gaiel was crying. He was too weak to respond. Euphina rushed to examine his leg which was bandaged. Everyone in the crowd was looking at her.

'Where is your father?' she continued. Gaiel continued weeping. His eyes were red as he had been weeping for quite a while. Euphina began to panic as she noticed all eyes were on her. They tried to calm her down.

'Where is Morriah?'

'We are sorry', Azadus told her.

'What do you mean you are sorry?' Euphina snapped. 'Where is my husband?'

'Calm down Euphina', Ozin tried to console her.

'What do you mean by calm down?' she retorted. 'Where is Morriah?'

'Morriah has been abducted!' Azadus said.

Euphina immediately stood still and in seconds passed out. The Morflon held her before she fell and took Kayne from her.

Euphina regained consciousness a while later. She sat in the sitting room with Gaiel, Ozin and Azadus. I watched them from the room where Lila and Kayne were preoccupied by some female Morflon.

'Do take heart', Azadus consoled Euphina.

'All will be well', Ozin added.

'I was on my way home from a friend's place when I heard Gaiel scream for help', Ozin continued. 'He shouted that his father had been kidnapped. I sent word to Azadus and together with a band of Morflon; I rushed to the scene only to realize it was too late. The abductors were miles away by then.'

'How did this happen?' Euphina asked.

'Come on Gaiel', Azadus said. 'Tell your mother how it happened. Tell her what you told us.'

Gaiel was still sobbing, but he managed to speak.

'We were deep in the forest... a couple of miles away from the square...' he slurred, sobbing. 'We... we were tracking a deer when... out of nowhere... a... a... a dart hit father and immediately sent him to sleep... Before I knew it, Morrs surrounded us... I tried to fight them... they were just too many... They took father and flew away... They shot my leg with their crossbow as I tried to chase them... They got away... they got away and they took father with them!'

Azadus and Ozin comforted Gaiel and Euphina who were both weeping bitterly.

'We suspect that Morr spies are definitely responsible for this'; Azadus said when Euphina calmed down. 'I suspected this would happen ever since he killed that Morr. You see, it turns out that the Morr that was killed was Lord Boas, the King's lunatic brother.'

'Lord Boas had fled the fortress and was roaming about the forest', Ozin said. 'Somehow the lunatic made it to the Alpha tribe. Some Morflon spotted him and began to chase him. He killed several Morflon that night. That is before Morriah brought him down.'

'The spies must have found out', Azadus added.

'Now they want their pound of flesh', Ozin said.

'I think this is more than that', Azadus said. 'This is rather a show of power. They want to remind us who is king of the forest.'

Euphina burst into tears again.

'Do not worry', Ozin said. 'Morriah is our brother and we would do anything in our power to get him back.'

'Ozin and I will go to beg the Morr king', Azadus assured.

Euphina was shocked at that statement. She obviously disapproved of the idea.

'We know it is dangerous, it has probably never been done... it is even against my better judgment, but Morriah is family. And we Morflon would do anything for family. We would be accompanied by two or three other Morflon. We shall take the fastest route there so that we could reach there as soon as possible. As for you and your children my wife and I would be checking on you from time to time and we would give you whatever you need. I believe Ozin would do the same.'

'Yes!' Ozin nodded.

'We shall also put measures in place to ensure your safety', Azadus continued, twirling his moustache.

'Thank you my elders', Euphina said, sobbing.

'It's nothing', Ozin said. 'Do not worry, all will be well.'

# Chapter 6

### King Sett's Demand

Ozin and Azadus travelled before dawn the next day accompanied by two other Morflon. They reached the fortress after several days of trekking. They requested to see the king and they were brought before the king and his court. Everyone in the room was shocked at their braveness. However, the Morrs were condescending.

'To what do I owe this august visit?' King Sett asked.

'King Sett...' Ozin tried to say before he was rudely interrupted by Egon.

'You shall not refer to his majesty the king in such manner!' he howled, scowling. 'You shall address him as "his highness" and extend every form of courtesy!'

The Morflon reluctantly genuflected and remained in that position as they addressed the king.

'Your highness' Ozin began again. 'Some days ago, our brother was captured. We have reason to believe that he was captured by your... troops.'

'Really?' King Sett asked sarcastically. 'What would make you think that?'

'Your highness' Azadus spoke. 'Some of us saw them.'

'Is that so?' King Sett asked.

'Yes your highness', they replied.

'Hmmn...'King Sett sighed, thinking aloud. 'That must be the one that was brought here days ago; the one who killed my brother.'

Turning to the Morflon he asked; 'So, what do you want? You surely did not brave the perils of the forest to just admire the Morr magnificence. You must have a request.'

'Your highness', Azadus spoke. 'We wish that you temper justice with mercy... I mean consider the factors that resulted in his actions.'

'Meaning?'King Sett asked.

'We wish that you forgive our brother and set him free', they said.

The courtiers murmured amongst themselves. Many gasped in shock.

'Impossible!' Egon bellowed, getting up from his seat in rage. 'How dare you make such a demand?'

'Calm down Egon', King Sett said. He was surprisingly calm.

'I admire your "fraternal" love', he said to the Morflon. 'I mean you must really love your "brother" to even risk coming into this fortress. I admire that. But you see; your brother killed mine. And like you I loved my brother so very much.'

'Your highness' Ozin said. 'Taking one life would not bring back another...'

'This is not about vengeance', King Sett retorted. 'Lord Boas, my brother - the Morr your brother killed; was the second most powerful creature in the forest, beloved of the king. Surely you cannot say that his killer would not be punished. Murder is a crime. Murder of a royal Morr is even graver. Such a crime must not and cannot go unpunished.'

'We agree', Azadus said. 'But you could at least reduce his punishment. You could whip him or make him do manual labour... we could even offer you anything you ask for, anything you want, but let us take him home. Please!'

'Yes your highness' Ozin added. 'Besides, you have to understand the circumstances behind his murder. Your brother killed two Morflon. Morriah only acted in defense. Lord Boas was a lunatic...'

'How dare you?' King Sett snapped. 'He may have been a lunatic, but he meant more to me than your entire Morflon race! Depart from my presence if you have nothing better to say.'

'Please your highness!' the Morflon begged.

'You heard the king!' Egon yelled. 'Flee before you lose your heads!'

Just as they got up to go, King Sett called them back.

'Today is your lucky day', he said. 'I am in the mood to negotiate. You see, word has it that a certain alien dwells among you. I want that creature. Bring the creature to me and I just might give you your brother back.'

There were murmurs.

'Your highness, you would have to request something else', Ozin said. 'I am sorry but we cannot do that...'

'We would think about it your highness!' Azadus quickly interrupted Ozin.

'What do you mean by that?' Ozin asked Azadus. 'Eric is also our brother. We cannot trade one brother for another.'

'Please your highness!' Azadus said. 'Give us some time to think about this. I am sure my brother here would reconsider. I mean... I will personally bring him to you.'

'You know...' King Sett said. '... I am the king of the Morrs and by implication the most powerful creature in the forest. I do not negotiate. I give orders. What I want I get. And let me remind you that I have little patience for your kind. Thus, make up your mind quickly before I chop off your brother's head. Now leave!'

The Morflon left. Anger was written all over Ozin while Azadus was excited.

Egon and some courtiers were surprised that the king would make such an offer.

'How could you father?' Egon asked. He was furious.

'We could get the alien anytime we want to, yet you are willing to release Lord Boas' murderer for him? I do not even know what you see in this creature. The spies have said that so far the alien is harmless and stranded here.'

'What if that is what he wants us to believe?' King Sett asked. 'I mean, it has never been heard before that a strange creature just appeared in the forest, and you are not the least bit curious. Then you are more ignorant than the Morflon.'

'But there were other ways to get the alien', the elders said.

'Do not let sentiment cloud your sense of reasoning', King Sett said with a smirk. 'I know exactly what I am doing.'

These were the same words Azadus told Ozin as they went home. He spent the entire trip trying to convince Ozin to give me up. By the time they arrived home, they were not on speaking terms.

I was watering the corn I had planted at the backyard when I heard Azadus' voice. He had come to speak with Euphina. I went to eavesdrop. Euphina was eager to hear from Azadus who in turn was anxious to tell her what he considered good news.

'We got back yester night', he said. 'How have you been?'

'Nature has been kind', Euphina replied as she offered Azadus a seat.

'The children?' Azadus asked.

'They are fine', she replied. 'How was your trip?'

'Fine', Azadus replied. 'Please sit.'

Azadus was anxious to tell her what he considered as good news so he sat her down and began to speak.

'I have good news for you', he said. 'King Sett has had a change of heart. He has offered to release Morriah in exchange for Eric.'

Euphina's smile quickly faded. Her countenance changed.

'What is the matter?' Azadus asked. 'Aren't you happy that your husband will be released to you soon?'

'Morriah would never agree to that', Euphina said. 'Eric is one of us now. We cannot just trade him.'

'This is your husband we are talking about', Azadus said.

'Someone I love dearly', Euphina added. 'But I know him all too well. He would rather die than have an innocent creature take his place.'

'Well then', Azadus said. 'It is a good thing he is not here to make that decision. Think about your family. Your children need a father. You need your husband. Even if Morriah would refuse, you should know better.'

'I am sorry', Euphina whimpered with tears in her eyes. 'I would not give Eric up.'

'This is your only chance to see your husband again', Azadus said. 'He killed the king's brother. We are even lucky that he is making us an offer. If you refuse this offer, then you will never see Morriah again. Do you understand how serious this is? Your husband's blood would be on your head.'

Euphina shook her head, tears trickling down her face. When Azadus noticed Euphina was not going to give me up, he decided to forcefully snatch me from the house. Euphina tried to stop him, but he overpowered her. She wailed, begging him to stop but he would not budge.

'I am disappointed', Azadus yelled. 'I can see you lack the guts to do what is right... You would thank me for this later.'

'Cease this foolishness at once!' Ozin roared as he stormed into the house with Gaiel and two other elders.

Azadus stopped struggling with Euphina and they both faced Ozin and the others.

'What is it that you see in this human?' Azadus asked. 'What spell has he cast over you? Morriah is in the dungeons and you are acting as though you do not understand the urgency of the situation.'

'We are as concerned as you are', Ozin said.

'I am disappointed in you Ozin', Azadus said. 'You call Morriah your friend yet you leave him to languish in the dungeons while the human still roams free in our tribe, such treachery!'

'You are the treacherous one', Ozin retorted. 'You know what Morriah stands for, what we all stand for and yet you choose to dishonor our name with this contradiction.'

'I am his patriarch', Azadus said. 'It is my job to do what is right even if he doesn't see it like that... Why are you even here? Leave us alone. This is a family affair.'

'Not when it concerns Eric', one of the elders spoke.

'How are we even sure King Sett would keep his promise?' Ozin asked. 'There is no need taking this risk. You know the Morrs cannot be trusted...'

Just then I came out. Everyone was silent. All eyes were fixed on me as I walked towards them.

'I will go with Azadus', I said to the utter shock of everyone, including Azadus.

'Why', Ozin asked.

'Morriah is my friend', I said. 'A Morflon I have grown to respect even more. He saved my life and took me in as part of his household. He defended me before the council of elders... I guess it is only fair if I return the favour.'

'You do not have to do this', Euphina said. 'You do not owe him anything.'

'But I want to', I said.

'Do you know what you are getting yourself into', Ozin asked.

'No... but I guess it is worth the risk...' I replied. 'Please do not try to stop me... He saved my life once. Let me do this... If this is the only way to get Morriah back then I want to do it.'

Everyone was silent.

'Since it is your decision, who are we to refuse?' Ozin asked.

# Chapter 7

### Ransom

We left at first light the next day. A handful of Morflon, among whom were Ozin, Azadus' wife, Euphina and her children all bade farewell. Everyone's eyes were filled with tears, including Azadus. My selfless act seemed to have perplexed him. Lila had been told that I was going home. She was crying.

'Who would take care of your corn now?' she asked.

'You take care of them for me', I replied. 'You will watch them grow tall and produce more... You do that for me okay?'

'I want to go with you', she said.

I smiled but deep inside I was sad for she didn't know my fate; neither did I.

'I will miss you', she continued.

'I will miss you too', I said trying to hold back my tears as I embraced her.

'Will you come and visit us sometime?' She asked.

'I might even come with some of my people', I replied. 'You just make sure you take care of the corn. I am going to prepare a nice meal with it when I get back.'

'Be strong for your family', I told a teary eyed Gaiel before we hugged. 'Try not to get into trouble.'

'I am sorry we have to part this way', Euphina told me.

'All will be well', Ozin said to me.

I nodded my head.

We had an emotional farewell. I took one last glance at everyone before Azadus and I departed. It was at that moment that the tears which I tried so hard to hold back finally burst out.

It took several days through the route we took before we got to the fortress. I was filled with awe as I got into the fortress for I beheld their architectural marvels right from the fence of the fortress to the king's palace. It was in sharp contrast to where the Morflon stayed. I could easily see why they considered themselves superior to the Morflon. They were more advanced. While we were before the king's court, I could not help but notice the sharp contrast between the scruffy Azadus and the groomed Morrs whose clothes were bathed in sweet fragrance. Once again another set of creatures were completely astonished by my presence. The King was excited but he composed himself.

'Your highness' Azadus said. 'The alien is here as you requested.'

King Sett looked at me in curiosity. He got up from his seat and took two steps forward.

'He is a human', Azadus said. 'His name is Eric.'

'You are welcome Eric', King Sett said. 'Come forward Eric.'

'Not so fast', Azadus said, scowling as he held me back. 'We had an agreement; the human for Morriah, and I do not see him anywhere.'

The soldiers in the court had their hands on their swords, ready to draw on command.

'Let the human come forward!' King Sett demanded.

'Release Morriah first', Azadus retorted.

'You do not give orders around here!' Egon bawled, scowling.

'But I have something you want', Azadus said. 'If you do not release Morriah right now I will snap his neck!'

'I see you have trust issues', King Sett said. 'Go ahead. Snap his neck. But be sure to snap yours as well because there is no way you will leave this room alive. And think about it, coming all this way with the human only to snap his neck? If you do so, I will not only slay you; I will have Morriah killed in three different ways!'

All was silent. Azadus trembled inside. He felt defeated. Obviously, the odds were against him.

'How do I know you would release Morriah once I let Eric go?' he asked.

'I am afraid you have to rely on fate', King Sett said.

Azadus let me go. King Sett beckoned on me to come forward. Everyone watched as I walked slowly towards King Sett.

'You are such a creature to behold', King Sett said.

I could feel his eyes move all over me as he examined me.

'Once again I welcome you to the Morr fortress, the most magnificent place in the entire forest', he continued. 'I assure you, you will have a wonderful time here.'

King Sett beckoned on the servants to come and take me to my room. I was shocked. He said they should bathe me and cloth me with the finest robes and ornaments. I was confused. A while back, I thought he wanted to kill me; now he was giving me royal treatment? Was I being fattened before slaughter? This was too good to be true.

Azadus watched as I was led away. He was worried King Sett would not keep his bargain. He looked around to see if orders were given to release Morriah. When he noticed nothing was happening, he asked; 'What about Morriah?'

King Sett smiled. By then he was sure I was gone.

'Elder Azadus', King Sett said. 'You betrayed someone who put his trust in you. You are a disgrace to your kind.'

'What do you mean?' Azadus asked sheepishly. 'The human came on his own accord... anyway; you said you would release Morriah... where is he now?'

'I said I might release your brother!' King Sett interrupted Azadus. 'I didn't say I will. It was just for consideration.'

'Are you double crossing me?' Azadus asked furiously.

'I will only allow you walk out of here alive because you delivered the human to me', King Sett said. 'But do not test my patience Morflon! Now leave!'

Azadus tried to put up a fight, but he was out numbered. He rained curses as he was bundled out of the palace. He was dumped outside the fortress. He knelt on the ground and began to weep. He was bruised and covered in dirt. What would he tell his tribe? He was confused and above all, he was ashamed. He just knelt there in desolation.

While Azadus was broody, the Morrs gloated in triumph. King Sett hosted a banquet later in the evening and he invited a select few from the Morr aristocracy. This was to be my welcome party. The banquet hall, like the rest of the palace, was beautifully decorated. The banquet table was long to accommodate all guests and it was covered with white table cloth embroidered with gold. The king sat at one end of the table and I was to seat at the other end. He and all the guests had arrived and they waited for me whilst being serenaded by the melody of harps. The room was abuzz as they were all chatting. Sitting beside the king on either side were the prince at his left and the queen at his right. Sitting beside the queen was her elder brother Oldric. Oldric was the general of the Morr army, and as always he was dressed in his official attire; bronze body armour and a black cape. His helmet, which had a black crest, was held by one of the servants as Oldric could not wear it while he was at table.

Egon was having a conversation with his father.

'I was impressed earlier today father', he said. 'I never saw that coming!'

'I am glad you were impressed', King Sett said. 'I told you I knew exactly what I was doing. Those Morflon... they had the guts to waltz into the fortress and make such demands!'

'They got what they deserved', Egon said as he and King Sett began to laugh.

'Inferior creatures', King Sett added.

'However father', Egon said when they stopped laughing. 'I fail to see why you have taken interest in this human.'

King Sett was not pleased with that statement.

'When you become a leader', King Sett replied. 'There are certain things you cannot take for granted. One day you will understand.'

'Your highness' Oldric chipped in much to the disappointment of Egon who was not fond of him. 'I have no problem with you bringing the human here. I think we might benefit from a friendly relationship with his kind.'

King Sett was happy to hear that. He smiled at Egon and said; 'Exactly my point; finally, someone who understands.'

'What makes you think we need such a relationship?' Egon asked. 'I mean for all we know he could even be a spy and yet we are according him such a magnificent banquet. Why go through all this trouble.'

'We have been through this before', King Sett said, obviously disappointed that his son failed to reason with him.

'We are the most dominant creatures in the forest', Egon said. 'We do not need all these shenanigans.'

'Diplomacy is always better than war', Oldric said.

'You are a soldier', Egon sneered. 'You are not well versed in regal matters. This is the king's palace not some chaotic battlefield. Here sane and superior minds prevail. Leave political issues to the royals and stick to your fighting.'

'Egon!' King Sett said. 'You must not be so rude! You do realize he is your mother's elder brother.'

'Step mother', Egon said. 'She is not my mother. She is just a cheap replacement.'

All parties affected by his statement were silent. Nyra was sad. Tears quickly filled her eyes. Oldric held her hand to comfort her.

'I see you want to spoil this evening', King Sett said. 'You must apologize to her immediately.'

'I only spoke the truth', Egon replied rather calmly.

'You dare disobey me?' King Sett asked. He was furious. Egon was silent. He just gave a sheepish smile.

Every tension amongst them disappeared when I walked in. I was introduced to the crowd by the royal announcer. I could not help but look around in astonishment. The room was amazing. There were paintings everywhere. Beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling. I was so carried away I didn't remember I was before the Morrs. It was only as I nearly missed a step that I came back to the hall. All the Morrs had stood up. They only sat after I and the king had sat. They made a toast to me and merriment began. As usual, meat was the main course.

While we dined, King Sett asked me; 'I am sure you like this treatment Eric. I assure you this is much better than whatever the Morflon can offer.'

Indeed it was. For the first time in several months I smelt good. My skin was radiant again and my hair was well oiled. They even wanted to shave my hair and my beard but I refused. I was clothed in a Morr gown, from one of the finest of tunics and adorned with priceless jewelry. This was one lifestyle I could easily adapt to without thinking twice. I liked the new me, but I was not going to tell him that. My conscience would kill me if I did. It was not that I did not appreciate. It was just that I missed the Morflon and I felt indebted to them. They had become my family. The Alpha tribe had become my home. And it didn't matter how they treated me or what they gave me, there was no place like home.

The harps kept playing while we made merry. One thing though was still on my mind; what was their plan? What was all this leading to?

# Chapter 8

### The Red Clan

Ozin had taken a few Morflon and embarked on a covert journey. He wanted to save Morriah but he knew he could not do so without help. Thus he packed a few things and headed somewhere he knew he would get help. He left the Alpha tribe with three Morflon. Within days, they had already passed three other tribes. While they were in the bush, they heard some noise. They knew they were being followed. They stopped and began to sniff, their ears and fur standing up as they growled. Just then, Ozin heard a faint noise in the bush and he hurled his spear in that direction. Someone screamed and sprang out of the bush. It was Gaiel.

'You almost got me!' he shrieked.

Ozin was glad he missed. He heaved a sigh of relief.

'What are you doing here?' he asked Gaiel.

'I overheard your plan to rescue my father', Gaiel replied. 'I want in!'

'No!' Ozin yelled. 'Go home!'

'Please!' Gaiel said. 'I can handle the heat. I mean, I was able to follow you unnoticed this long.'

'I noticed someone was following us moments ago', Ozin said. 'What I do not know is why I could not make out your scent till now.'

'I have been following you for at least two days and you only noticed me moments ago', Gaiel said. 'At least give me some credit.'

'Does your mother even know where you are?' Ozin asked. He was really concerned.

'I told her I was going to see a friend in the Lambda tribe', Gaiel replied.

'That is not acceptable', Ozin said. 'You know what we are embarking on is dangerous. None of us might even make it alive. Euphina has already lost your father, why do you want to put her through this?'

Gaiel was silent.

'Right now, your family needs you as the eldest male', Ozin continued. 'Lila and Kayne need an elder one to look up to, to inspire them. You owe them that responsibility... now head home.'

Ozin and the other Morflon left Gaiel there. Gaiel knew Ozin was right. He just stood there thinking about what Ozin said.

Ozin and the Morflon had not gone far when they heard Gaiel scream. They knew something was wrong. They traced the noise and saw some Morflon had abducted Gaiel. These Morflon painted the left side of their entire body red.

'The Red clan!' Ozin exclaimed. 'Get them!'

Ozin and his Morflon chased the members of the Red clan who worked their way seamlessly through the woods. They were fast and hard to catch up with. Ozin, on seeing he could not catch up, tossed a rock at one of them who in turn was sent to the ground. He was one of those holding Gaiel, who had been gagged and bound hands and feet, thus, as he fell, Gaiel fell as well. The other members of the Red clan stopped to help their comrade and secure Gaiel for themselves as Ozin and his Morflon caught up with them. They immediately drew out huge daggers with jagged edges. Everyone was roaring and growling. A fight immediately ensued.

The members of the Red clan were brutal and fierce fighters. Ozin and his Morflon were equally skilled but they were outnumbered. After a quick bout of bone cracking and bloodletting, the Red clan finally subdued Ozin and the others. They were made to kneel down as they bled from their bruises and stab wounds. The members of the Red clan laughed as they surrounded Ozin and his Morflon. They grabbed one of Ozin's Morflon and slit his throat to the utter shock and trepidation of the others. They sprinkled his blood all over themselves and even drank some of it.

They grabbed the next Morflon for the kill. This Morflon was able to sight a wasp hive a few steps away. He pushed the Red clan member about to slit his throat and they both fell on the hive. The hive immediately broke and red wasps flew out in their thousands swarming the area. Everyone fled, apart from the two Morflon who fell on the hive as they were immediately stung and became unconscious. The wasps split into groups, each group chasing each Morflon as the Morflon went their separate ways.

Ozin, Gaiel and their comrades were able to regroup after close to an hour. Somehow, they were able to ward off the wasps.

'You see why I said you should not come along?' Ozin asked Gaiel who was silent and recovering from what just happened. 'These parts of the forest are dangerous! You were lucky to have survived... we all were! Those Morflon who attacked you, they are called the Red clan. They are bloodthirsty lunatics who only know the dance of death. They have perfected the art of slaughter...! We were lucky to have made it out alive! And those wasps, one sting resets your entire brain and you become like a baby, you cannot talk, you cannot walk, and you cannot think... you become pretty much a vegetable.'

Ozin then turned to the surviving Morflon and said; 'I can understand if you want to go back...'

'Certainly not', the Morflon replied. 'You didn't force us to come along. We came on our own accord... look, we want to rescue Morriah as much as you do... our comrades did not go down for nothing... we did not come all this way for nothing... Let me finish what I started, let me embark on this mission with you... if we die, it will be an honour to die by your side.'

Ozin was impressed. For a while, they stared at each other.

Miles away, in the Morr king's palace, I was staring out the window of my room, lost in thought when King Sett walked in.

'I knocked but you did not respond', he said to me. 'How are you doing today? I hope you enjoyed the banquet yesterday?'

'Yes I did', I replied. 'Thank you.'

King Sett noticed I had a sad face as he came closer.

'Why the long face?' he asked. 'Has anyone done anything wrong? You know I will deal with such a miscreant.'

'No your highness', I said. 'No one has wronged me.'

'Then what is the matter?' King Sett asked. 'I do not like it when my guests are sad. It makes me sad'

'I have been wondering', I said. 'Why? I mean... do not get me wrong... I appreciate all you have done for me, the clothes, the food, the room... it's just that I do not know where this is leading to. Why are you being so nice to me?'

King Sett was rather surprised by my question.

'Do you not enjoy the special treatment you are getting?' he asked.

'Most definitely', I said.

'If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so a long time ago' he said, for he knew that was what I was afraid of. 'I only want to extend a hand of friendship, one which the Morflon obviously do not have. You saw the way they gave you up.'

'I came on my own accord', I said.

'Only because they demanded it', King Sett said.

'Actually', I said. 'It was you who demanded it.'

'I merely suggested that they bring you in exchange for their brother', King Sett said. 'I never forced them to do anything. I just exploited their wickedness. And you should be glad I did... you do not know the Morflon as much as I do.'

'You two creatures do not get along', I said. 'What made you mortal enemies?'

King Sett sighed.

'It started many cycles ago', he began. 'During the reign of the immortal Trinidos; some scruffy, appalling creatures that had close semblance to us, except they lacked wings and elegance, came before the king and his court. They said that they were Morflon and that they had come to seek their long lost 'brothers'... You see, the Morflon are descendants of some of our ancestors that were banished several cycles ago. They mingled with other lowly creatures and thus their offspring lost their wings and had some other subtle differences from us...

Anyway, the Morflon traced their roots and wanted to associate with us. The immortal Trinidos was benevolent enough to let them dwell with us. However, the trust was betrayed when it was rumored that the Morflon were responsible for a foiled attempt to usurp the throne. This failed attempt had led to the death of Trinidos' wife. Such treachery! The immortal Trinidos was never the same again. He became ruthless. He had them captured and enslaved. For many cycles after that they worked for us and whilst living under the harshest conditions, they grew in number and strength. Several cycles after the death of Trinidos, they finally summoned the courage to revolt. It was easy for them to rebel against us then, we had stopped working and had become lazy as the Morflon did everything for us. They looted from us and fled into the woods where they have remained up till today.'

I was surprised. I knew they looked alike, but it never occurred to me that they could be related

'Was that when you built this fortress?' I asked.

'Yes', King Sett replied. 'You see now that they are not to be trusted. They betrayed us, they betrayed you. It is in their nature.'

We both took seats.

'Enough about us', he continued. 'Tell me about you... I know virtually every creature of the forest so I can tell you are not from these parts.'

'Yes', I replied. 'I am not from these parts. I was brought here by a cube which I was made to understand is the Trans...'

'Transporter', King Sett said, finishing my sentence.

'How is it possible?' he thought aloud. Turning back to me, he asked; 'Where is it now?'

'I didn't see it again when I got here', I replied.

King Sett looked at me in awe. He paused for a while as he was lost in thought.

Ozin and his crew went back to get their comrade who had been stung by the baby wasps. The other Morflon carried him on his shoulder as they headed for the Rho tribe. Gaiel was restless.

'We've come this far' he said to Ozin. 'You could at least tell me where we are headed.'

Ozin looked at him in shock.

'You mean you do not even know where we are going?' Ozin asked.

'Let's just say I didn't get to hear the full details of the mission', Gaiel replied.

Ozin shook his head.

'We are going to the Rho tribe', Ozin said. 'We should be there any moment now.'

'Isn't that the tribe of smugglers and illegal traders?' Gaiel asked.

'That is just a misconception of the uninformed', Ozin replied. 'It is true that they smuggle most of the time, but not every item they trade in is illegal, most are just rare items.'

'But other tribes do not think highly of them', Gaiel said.

'True', Ozin replied. 'But they are not bad Morflon. The members of the Red clan, those are the bad ones. The members of the Rho tribe just like to do things differently, that's all... do not get me wrong, I do not support illegal trade, and I am not saying that they are all doing right, but sometimes, creatures fear and loathe things they do not understand or things that do not go their way and that is the case between the Rho tribe and other Morflon tribes.'

As they walked on, Gaiel suddenly noticed a booby trap. Ozin had unknowingly triggered it. Gaiel immediately sprung and pushed Ozin away. They both fell as a massive log swung over them. The log narrowly missed them. Ozin, Gaiel and the other Morflon started looking around cautiously. They had barely moved further when Gaiel set off another trap. This time, a cage fell over them and covered them. Alas! They were trapped. Before they could do anything, a number of creatures completely covered up and wearing masks surrounded them, each of them aiming a crossbow at Ozin and his crew. They had leaves and dirt all over them to camouflage with the forest.

# Chapter 9

### The Rho Tribe

The creatures drew closer Ozin and his crew who were growling in the cage. After examining them, one of the creatures much smaller than the rest removed her mask. She was a Morflon. She didn't hold a crossbow. The others tried to stop her but she forced her way and went right in front of the cage.

'You are trespassing on foreign soil', she said to Ozin and his crew. 'Identify yourselves!'

'We come in peace!' Ozin replied. 'We are headed for the Rho tribe.'

'What business do you have at the Rho tribe?' she asked.

'I wish to see a friend', Ozin replied.

'And this friend is?' she asked.

'Cylas', Ozin replied. 'Cylas Silverton!'

The young female shuddered when she heard the name.

'And you are?' she asked.

'I am Elder Ozin of the Alpha tribe...' he replied. 'The patriarch of the Bastion family... And you are?'

'That is not important', she replied.

'That is enough!' one of the masked creatures yelled.

The masked creatures opened the cage and led Ozin and his comrades out.

'Elder Ozin, we are sorry for the inconvenience, but these are desperate times', the creature said. 'You are welcome to the Rho tribe!'

All the creatures removed their masks. Behold, they were all Morflon. They led Ozin and his comrades to meet Cylas. The Rho tribe was a far cry from the typical Morflon tribes. They embraced sophisticated technology and development a lot more than the other Morflon did. Their buildings were similar to that of the Morrs and so were their streets. The only difference was that their buildings were not as tall as the Morrs'. The members of the Rho tribe also dressed like the Morrs, only they did not wear as much jewelry.

As they went towards Cylas' house, the leader of the guards said; 'Once again I apologize for the way we treated you. You see, the Red clan has staged a series of attacks on our tribe. They come here to pillage, leaving nothing but defaced corpses drenched in their blood.'

'I am sorry to hear that', Ozin said.

Cylas was the brother in-law to Ozin. He was one of the prominent and wealthy Morflon of the Rho tribe. Because of that, he had a vast expanse of lush green land where he built a massive elegant mansion. He had several Morflon working for him. Ozin and his comrades were generally impressed at what they saw in the Rho territory.

By the time they got to Cylas house, they saw several guards and servants kneeling down and begging in the courtyard. They all quivered in fear. Cylas' voice could be heard from inside as he roared in anger. He was punishing them.

'All I asked was that you keep an eye on her', he yelled. 'Is that hard to do?'

He soon calmed down as Ozin and his comrades approached with two guards.

Like other Morflon of the Rho tribe, Cylas did not keep dreadlocks. He had a ponytail and a hulihee.

'If it isn't Ozin Bastion', Cylas said as he ran to embrace him. 'In all my days I never thought to see you again. This really is a pleasant surprise.'

'How do you do brother?' Ozin asked.

'I am well', Cylas replied. 'I could not have been any better.'

Looking at Ozin's companions he asked Ozin; 'I see you brought some companions. Something is obviously wrong with the other one I presume' he was referring to the Morflon that was stung by the wasps.

'Yes', Ozin replied. 'He was stung by wasps in the woods.'

'What a pity', Cylas said.

Signaling some of his servants, he said; 'Take this Morflon to the inn and take care of him.'

'Thank you brother', Ozin said as the servants took the Morflon away.

'It's nothing', Cylas replied.

'Meet Gaiel Bigheart and a friend of ours', Ozin continued, introducing his comrades.

'...The son of Morriah?' Cylas asked.

'Indeed', Ozin said.

'I didn't even know Morriah was married', Cylas remarked. 'My! How they grow these days.'

They both laughed.

'Please come in', Cylas said as he led them into his house.

'What's it been, like twenty three cycles?' Cylas said as they all took their seats.

'Indeed', Ozin replied.

Ozin then called Cylas aside and spoke to him.

'I am sorry for the past', he said. 'I should never have tried to stop my sister from wedding you... I should not have treated you so...'

'Never mind that', Cylas interrupted. 'We all make mistakes. All is forgiven.'

'It hurts me every time I think of it', Ozin continued.

'I have told you that all is forgiven', Cylas said. 'I am not like that. I do not like to keep grudges. I would not have been this successful if I did. Besides, I cannot afford to be at war with my wife's elder brother.'

'That means a lot to me', Ozin said. 'Thank you!'

They embraced each other affectionately.

'Speaking of my sister, where is she?' Ozin asked as he and Cylas took their seats.

Cylas shook his said. His facial expression changed.

'She passed away two cycles ago', he said in a sombre tone.

'I am sorry to hear that', said Ozin who was in shock. 'What happened?'

'She was ill', Cylas continued.

'You know, she was my rock. She meant everything to me. Now the only one I have left is our daughter Lya.'

'You named her after her mother', Ozin said. 'Where is she now?'

'That young one has a passion for the outdoors', Cylas replied. 'She's a tough one you know... She slipped out of the house this morning. Can you imagine? I have all these guards and servants and no one saw her leave.'

'Is that why you were punishing them', Ozin asked, referring to the servants and guards.

'Exactly', Cylas replied. 'I mean I pay them handsomely and they cannot even keep an eye on my daughter.'

'Do not worry', Ozin said. 'Children of these days behave like that.'

'But she is a female', Cylas said. 'She should not be allowed to run wild. I mean no one knows the trouble she might be getting herself into right now.'

Ozin remembered that he had seen a young female among the guards, so he said;

'Could it have been your daughter we saw amongst the guards this evening?'

'What?' Cylas said, shocked.

'She did have some semblance to my sister', Ozin said. '...and she shrieked when I mentioned your name.'

Cylas immediately got up and summoned his guards.

'You make yourselves at home', he said. 'The servants will show you to your rooms. I have to go fetch my daughter. I will see you when I get back.'

He then took off accompanied by some guards.

It was dark by the time he got back. He dragged his daughter into the house. He was scolding her. He was very furious. His daughter did not help matters too as she grumbled and tried to resist. He then ordered his guards to take her to her room and lock the door. He also ordered them to keep watch.

'Imagine!' Cylas said. 'They now recruit young ones. She is even female for crying out loud.'

Ozin and his crew were all chatting together when Cylas walked in.

'Did you find her', Ozin asked.

'Yes', Cylas replied. 'The guard in command said they recruit Morflon as young as sixteen cycles old, but she is not up to that. She is only fourteen.'

'Then how was she able to convince the commander otherwise?' Ozin asked.

'It baffles me', Cylas replied.

'I think she took that trait from you', Ozin said jokingly. They both laughed.

'Such a confident smooth talker', he continued.

'She is my daughter after all', Cylas added.

'I am just glad she is safe', Cylas said when they had stopped laughing. 'She is in her room now. You will see her tomorrow.'

Elsewhere, at some other time, the Morr King Sett was walking along one of the walkways in the lawn just outside the palace with Oldric.

'Your highness', Oldric said. 'I believe it was not fair that you did not release the Morflon as you promised.'

'I never promised to release him!' King Sett said. 'I never intended to release him. Why would I release the creature who committed the highest atrocity in my book?'

'You waste your time responding to Oldric' Egon said as he caught up with them. 'His intellect has proven too meager to comprehend superior strategy.'

'What do you want?' King Sett asked Egon.

'It has been days since the human arrived here', Egon said. 'He has experienced the Morr elegance, a lavish banquet was organized for him and he now resides with us in this magnificent palace... I still cannot put a finger on what you hope to achieve by this.'

'Sometimes I feel ashamed to call you my son', King Sett said. 'I thought after all this time you would have had the slightest understanding of my plan, I mean given that you are my offspring one would expect that you have inherited some of my impeccable traits... to say you have no inkling of my plan shows that you are not yet fit to be a leader... you should have noticed that I am trying to make him warm up to us. As time goes on he would reveal things about himself to us... he already has told me that he is not from here and that he is the only one here, but I cannot help but think that there is more to him than meets the eye, I mean very few get to use the transporter. Some say it is a tool of nature to help fulfill destiny... I don't know how true that is, but I believe that he didn't stumble upon here by chance, he must be someone great or important. That is why I did not abduct him. I could have had him whenever, just like the other Morflon; but that would have sent a wrong message. You do not abduct someone you want to be your friend. Besides it would have only proven any sinister idea the Morflon had put in his head about us.'

'You cannot be serious father', Egon said holding back his laughter. 'You actually think this human is of importance. If he was, the Morflon would not have given him up that easily.'

'Sometimes you do not know what you have until you see it with someone else', King Sett said. 'Besides, the Morflon might not have noticed his potential, but they were taking care of him, thus he was their ally. And whenever the need would arise, he could come to their aid. And you know how things are between us and the Morflon. But now he is on our side, and I intend to make sure it stays that way.'

'What if he finds out you didn't release their brother?' Egon asked.

'He would not', King Sett replied.

'But your highness', Oldric said. 'The human so far has not shown any quality that matches ours.'

'Deceit is a powerful weapon', King Sett said. 'He might just be pretending. Or perhaps he has not noticed his potential yet.'

'I cannot believe this', Egon said. 'Amidst all this tension between us and the Morflon, you base your strategy on a hunch? What if he is a spy? What if he doesn't have all these qualities you speak of? What then?'

'This forest is more mystical than you think son', King Sett replied.

'Oh please father', Egon interjected. 'We are the most superior species in this part of the forest. We have a large, organized and well equipped army. Yet we allow ourselves to be threatened by these feral creatures. Look at the fence of the fortress, so massive and impregnable, believed to keep unwanted creatures out. But in reality it is a cage we have built for ourselves. We hide behind the walls of the fortress because in truth we are afraid of what lies outside. We claim to be the most dominant species in the forest yet we hide and watch while our enemies wax stronger and even try to challenge us. We have become prisoners in the forest we claim to rule. The fence should have been broken down cycles ago.'

'Please do not go down this road again', King Sett pleaded knowing fully well what Egon was going to say next.

'I say we do what should have been done many cycles ago', Egon said. 'The Morflon are feral creatures. They were under us before. I say we send out our finest battalion of soldiers and remind them who is in charge. It is time we tamed them!'

'You are a blood thirsty oaf', King Sett scolded Egon. 'You do not know the slightest thing about battle. If you did, you would know that this would not end well.'

'That is because we have allowed their insolence to last this long', Egon said. 'Things would only get worse if we do not nip it in the bud now.'

'We have the human now', King Sett said. 'We have already taught them a lesson.'

'A very temporary measure', Egon said. 'After we subdue them in battle, we would have reminded them who is superior; but we do not stop there, we would demand an offering from them every year to remind them that the fear of the Morrs is the beginning of wisdom. That is a more permanent measure.'

'I cannot lead my army into such a senseless battle', King Sett said. 'Modern battles are won by wit, not ruthless aggression.'

'I know you are not cut out for such', Egon said. 'That is why I am suggesting we wake the immortal Trinidos.'

Both King Sett and Oldric gazed at Egon in shock. They literally stopped walking.

'Who has been feeding you with all this thoughts?' King Sett asked. 'Who have you been speaking to?'

'I understand that you are shocked', Egon said. 'But we all know that of all the creatures in the forest, the Morflon fear the immortal Trinidos the most. Besides, he is the only one ruthless enough to lead such an assault as he has the most hatred for them. Plus he would serve as a morale booster for the soldiers.'

'This discussion is over', King Sett said.

'Think about it father...'Egon said.

'Depart from my presence at once', King Sett said.

'Your highness' Egon greeted as he bowed before taking his leave. King Sett and Oldric stared at him, amazed at what he had just said. The thought of waking Trinidos was a step too far.

# Chapter 10

### The Little Black Pill

The next morning, Cylas was strolling with Ozin and his comrades in his courtyard. Just then, Lya came to meet them.

'Ah', Cylas exclaimed. 'My lovely daughter is up.'

'Good morning father', Lya greeted.

'Good morning my little sunshine', Cylas replied.

'You must have met these Morflon yesterday didn't you', he asked Lya referring to Ozin and his comrades. 'Meet your uncle Ozin, your mother's elder brother.'

Lya bowed as she greeted him. Ozin and Cylas laughed much to the bewilderment of Lya who didn't know why they laughed.

'She is the son you never had', Ozin said.

'Lya', Cylas said. 'You are a female are you not? Greet him as a female would.'

Lya felt uncomfortable as she curtsied.

'That is more like it', Cylas said.

'I see you are a feisty one', Ozin said.

'Tough as nails', Cylas said.

'That's good to know', Ozin said. 'How has my lovely niece been doing?'

'Very well thank you', she replied.

They continued to talk as they got acquainted with each other. Ozin introduced his comrades to Lya. When he introduced Gaiel, their eyes met and stayed that way for a while.

Even when they were at lunch, Gaiel and Lya stole glances of each other as they ate, each one looking away when the other looks on. They were the only Morflon at the table in their age group. In fact, they were the only ones in Cylas' household within their age group. Cylas cracked jokes which left the room abuzz with roars of laughter. They had a good time as they talked about old times.

After lunch, Lya was restless. She seemed to be looking for something. She entered her father's study and began to ransack the place. She had not gone far when she heard footsteps coming towards the study. She immediately hid under the table. Gaiel walked in. He was looking for a place to hide as he looked around. He heard footsteps and voices coming towards the study. He immediately ran under the same table. Gaiel and Lya stared at each other.

'What are you doing here?' Lya asked.

'I met you here', Gaiel said. 'What are you doing here?'

Two Morflon walked in as they were arguing, thus Gaiel and Nyra became silent. The Morflon who entered were Cylas and Ozin. They were already discussing on their way in.

'You cannot be serious', Cylas commented. 'I know you were a warrior, but this is plain foolishness.'

'Once a warrior, always a warrior', Ozin replied. 'A true warrior never backs down from a challenge. Besides, there is no other way. Morriah would die in their hands if we do nothing.'

'You know this is suicide do you not?' Cylas asked him.

'Look at this' Ozin said referring to the scar on his chest. '...Cycle 2213, during the first Red clan invasion. Those vagabonds dug their serrated blades deep in my chest, ripping out some flesh. They wanted me to die slowly, that was why they did not aim for my heart. They just drew the blade closer to my heart and stopped right here, right next to it. He dug the blade again, doing the same thing. I was supposed to bleed to death that day, but I survived... Don't worry about me. I have seen worse.'

'I know you love Morriah', Cylas continued. 'He is the brother you never had... What I do not understand is why you do not know when to quit.'

'It is never over until it is actually over', Ozin replied.

'This is actually over', Cylas retorted. 'Why can you not see it? The walls are impregnable, a metre thick and as high as the skies, not to mention it is made of stone and the numerous soldiers always on patrol... even if you enter, how long will you stay before you are caught?'

'That is why I came to meet you', Ozin said. 'You know the way in. You can help me undertake this task successfully.'

'...At the risk of your life?' Cylas asked. 'I don't even know why you love that rascal so much?

'Morriah has changed', Ozin said. 'He is not the Morflon you used to know.'

Cylas was surprised to hear that. He paused briefly, as if he was processing what he just heard.

'I thought it was already established that I have seen worse', Ozin said. 'This is nothing; this is child's play... Cycle 2224... The great battle of the north... In chilling temperature and high altitude, we chased down the hounds and smoked them out of their caves. That was a battle...'

'Think of your children', Cylas continued. 'I know they are all grown and married, but they still need their patriarch.'

'I have thought about it...' Ozin said, obviously bothered by what Cylas just said. 'Please do not try to discourage me.'

'I have lost my wife', Cylas said. 'I do not want lose my in-law.'

'Are you saying you will not help me?' Ozin asked.

There was silence in the room. Ozin looked at Cylas desperately expecting a reply.

'Please brother', Ozin continued.

'I am sorry', Cylas managed to say.

Ozin was disappointed. He walked out of the room. Cylas stood still, staring at the empty space.

Gaiel and Lya ran out of the room immediately after Cylas left and went their separate ways. Lya later saw Gaiel standing on a balcony of the house, deep in thought.

'I am sorry about your father', Lya said. 'It is too bad my father would not help.'

'Every time I close my eyes I see him', Gaiel said. 'I feel his pain. I feel every torture he is given.'

'I know it must be hard for you', Lya said. 'I know what it's like to lose a parent. My mother died two cycles ago. I was devastated... for a while I hated everything... I blamed nature for the death of my mother, but at the end of the day, I realized that I had to let go. I had to let go and fine my inner peace; at least that is what my mother would have wanted... I think your father would want the same.'

'My father is not dead!' Gaiel snapped. He then left a speechless Lya on the balcony as he stormed away.

Ozin had gone to visit his ill comrade in the inn. He watched as his comrade frolicked on the ground like a baby. He was even sucking his thumb. That was when Cylas came in with a jar of wine and two cups.

'The early stages of treatment', he said as he stood beside Ozin. 'It's like you are growing up all over again... Sometimes I wish I could be a child again, free from responsibility with imaginations running wild... I wish I could relive those moments, even for a day.'

'Don't we all?' Ozin said.

Cylas offered Ozin wine. Ozin obliged. They were silent as Cylas handed Ozin a chalice and poured some wine into it. Ozin fixed his gaze on his recovering comrade all the while. Cylas soon did the same.

'I know you are still embarking on the journey with or without my help', Cylas said.

Ozin remained silent, sipping his wine.

'Typical Ozin', Cylas continued. Even when you know you are heading for doom, you still move on... it is against my better judgment, but I am going to aid you as best I can.'

Ozin sipped his wine.

'I was only being protective. But I know you have made up your mind. Even if I do not help you, you will still go so, against my better judgment, I will aid you. Meet me when you are ready. Cheers!' Cylas said before taking his leave.

Cylas' home was not the only place in a somber mood. The Morrs also had their fair share of melancholy. One night, at King's King Sett's palace, queen Nyra was on her way to her room when she saw Egon lying on the floor in one of the rooms. She ran towards him and she helped him up. He was sobbing and he smelt of booze. He was slightly drunk and he clenched a cup in one hand and a jar in the other.

'Pull yourself together', she told him as she snatched the items from him.

'So what the maids say is true', she continued. 'You get drunk and roam around the palace in tears... What is the matter? What is wrong with you?'

'What does he see in you?' Egon asked accompanying his slur with hiccups. 'Why does he not see you for the gold digger you are?'

'What is that supposed to mean?' Nyra asked.

'Why are you here?' Egon slurred.

'I saw you on the floor and I...' she said before she was rudely interrupted.

'I am an adult!' Egon snapped. 'I do not need your help!'

He then reached out for his wine but Nyra stopped him.

'Look, female!' he snarled. 'You better let me have that!'

'You have had enough for one night', Nyra said.

Egon reached out for his wine again and Nyra stopped him. They began to struggle over the wine. Eventually, Egon sent Nyra to the floor and took his jar of wine. He was furious as he began to pour the wine on Nyra who was in tears.

'Stay away from me!' he yelled. 'You are not my mother!'

Fortunately for Nyra, Oldric came in and knocked Egon down by pounding his fist on the back of Egon's head. Egon reeled in pain while Oldric helped his sister up. He got up and tried to attack, but Oldric stood in front of Nyra, ready to fight if Egon took any further step.

'You both should pray to die before my father', Egon said, holding the back of his head in pain. 'You wouldn't wish to see the day I ascend the throne.'

Seeing that there was nothing more he could do, he walked out of the room. When he was gone, Oldric checked to see if Nyra was alright.

Back in the Rho tribe, a party was organized in Cylas' courtyard. A bonfire was lit and Morflon frolicked around the fire, dancing to the rhythm of the drums which put everyone in high spirits. There was plenty of wine to go around. Gaiel sat with his comrade who accompanied Ozin on the journey. He had his eyes fixed on Lya who was one of the Morflon beating the drums. She really seemed to be having fun. From time to time she would leave the drums to dance with her friends. Gaiel just stared at her the whole time. He felt bad that he yelled at her, but he did not have the guts to face her again. He just stared at her, hoping that fate would make a way.

His thoughts were interrupted when his comrade spoke to him.

'You could always walk up to her you know', he said.

Gaiel was startled. He quickly looked at his comrade who continued, saying; 'You have been staring at her all night.'

Gaiel blushed.

'I do not know...' Gaiel said. 'We met earlier today... we were discussing when she said something that got on my nerves... I... I yelled... I know now that I overreacted.'

'So you messed up and you do not know how to fix things', Gaiel's comrade said.

Gaiel was silent.

'Remember that it is much harder to build a relationship than to destroy one', his comrade continued. 'Think about that when next you want to throw a tantrum.'

'What do I do now?' Gaiel asked

'Just summon the courage and walk up to her', his comrade replied. 'What is the worst she could do?'

He encouraged Gaiel to walk up to her. By then she was sitting down and fiddling with a flower which she had plucked. Gaiel walked up to her and sat beside her. Before he could say a word, she got up and left him. He sat there in shock while Lya went to dance with her friends.

Meanwhile, Cylas took Ozin to his study.

'I do not want Gaiel to come with us', Ozin said as they walked in. 'I sent him back before and he was abducted by the Red clan. Thus I brought him here... he does not know it yet, but I do not want him to follow me.'

'You have nothing to worry about', Cylas said. 'I would make sure that child doesn't set foot outside this tribe until you return.'

He went into his drawer and brought out a satchel. He put his fingers into the satchel and brought out a little black pill. He gave Ozin the pill and urged him to swallow it. Ozin obliged and soon felt tingly all over. Cylas then took him to a mirror. Ozin was stunned as he saw his reflection. Cylas quickly calmed him down before he could overreact.

'How is this possible?' Ozin asked, feeling his face with his palms.

'It is the pill', Cylas replied. 'It is a little something I got from the Far East. It is called the Disfrazer.'

'I look just like you...' Ozin said. 'I even sound like you.'

'That is the way the disfrazer works', Cylas said. 'Once you swallow it, you transform into the very creature you were thinking of at that moment.'

'I wasn't exactly thinking of you', Ozin said.

'It doesn't work for plants and inanimate objects', Cylas said. 'It is the superior living creature on your mind at the moment you swallow the pill that counts. You could also look at a sculpting or a painting of a creature and still turn into the creature.'

'I thought you said it doesn't work for inanimate objects?' Ozin asked.

'You would transform to a living form of the painted or sculpted creature, even if it is fictional', Cylas said.

'This is ... amazing', Ozin said, still examining himself.

'The pill lasts for about an hour', Cylas said. 'You just wait here so you do not cause a scene. Besides we still have a lot to discuss. Have a seat.'

Ozin sat down while Cylas went back to his drawer and brought out a map. He spread the map on the table in front of Ozin and sat beside him to explain.

'The fortress is impregnable', he began. 'The fence surrounding the fortress is made of stone, a metre thick and it is so high some say it goes beyond the clouds. The gate is also made of stone and is just as thick and as high as the fence. In fact, many cannot tell were the gate is because it is so similar to the fence. As if they were not fortified enough, battalions are sent on patrol every six hours. The soldiers patrol round the fence, both inside and outside. They are an elite force; specially trained... In essence, what I am trying to say is, there is no way you can just break in. You have to be extremely subtle and discreet... You see, the fortress may be impregnable, but the system is not. Like every civilization of institution, perfection is an illusion. There are always loop holes.'

Ozin sat up. He paid full attention to Cylas who continued, saying; 'The Morrs pride themselves as a superior, self-sufficient nation; whereas they could not be more wrong. There are several creatures dwelling in the fortress besides the Morrs.'

Ozin expressed surprise.

'Yes', Cylas continued. 'There are Morflon, Rhines, Wolves... you name it... They live, work and even raise families there. Some are slaves but most are not. They dwell in the slums on the outskirts of the main city. Most times, they put on disguises so as to avoid being caught. The disfrazer is one of such means.'

'Is the king not aware?' Ozin asked.

'He is', Cylas replied. 'But you see his courtiers are corrupt. So from time to time some are caught and killed, deported or imprisoned. Most times they just turn a blind eye towards the issue.'

'How did they get in?' Ozin asked.

'The system', Cylas replied with a grin on his face. 'They knew how to ride the tide... I for one would never go there or advice any one to go there, but there are some who see greener pastures behind the confines of the fortress... Like I just said, the King's courtiers are corrupt and they hold sensitive positions in the fortress. They are the captains of industry. But they are the ones who encourage smuggling. You see, they know they cannot get everything they want in the fortress so they smuggle what they need in. There is no law as to whether this is illegal. That is where we come in. We and others like us do business with them. The gates open every six hours and only then do they open. They are only open for an emergency which rarely happens. So as the soldiers march in and out for their shifts, they bring along wagons. Most of the smuggled items abound there.'

'Are they not checked?' Ozin asked.

'The order is from above', Cylas replied. 'They do not check the wagons unless mandated to do so by the authorities. Thus, the gate is thick, but it is more porous than a basket. Everything and anything gets in. In fact, one wonders why they even bothered building the fence at all. The getting in is the easy part. Getting Morriah is the hard part. Since he is a Morflon and he murdered the King's brother, he is definitely in the hole.'

'The hole?' Ozin asked.

Cylas pointed to its location on the map and said; 'Some call it the pit of agony. This is the Morr's dungeon, located around the western wing of the fortress. It is the second most guarded place after the fence. The pit is cylindrical and it goes underground. Because they can fly, they did not build stairs. So they chain the wings of their prisoners. The hole consists of five levels. Your level of depth depends on the gravity of your sentence. Since Morriah is an enemy of the state he is definitely on the fifth level. Many say it is hard to breath down there and it is perpetually dark and hot. Prisoners on that level are the most neglected.'

Cylas stopped when he noticed Ozin was staring at him as though he had something to say.

'How do you know all this?' Ozin asked.

'I have my ways', Cylas said with a smirk. 'Any way, you cannot rescue Morriah because you cannot fly, so you cannot get to any level let alone the fifth.'

'But how are you sure he is in there?' Ozin asked.

'Trust me', Cylas said. 'It is either that or he is dead... you would take the disfrazer with you so you can disguise as one of the soldiers. That way you could get as far as the dungeons, but I cannot teach you how to fly so you are going to have to figure that one out... Like I said, it's against my better judgment but you have made up your mind so... good luck... I guess.'

# Chapter 11

### The Break-in

It took days for Ozin and his comrades to prepare for the mission. They scratched every surface to ensure their plan was ironclad. Now they were ready. They left just before sunrise. Cylas instructed two of his guards to accompany Ozin and his comrade. They were all clad in hooded capes. They also had a wagon which contained Morr military attire so they could change when they get into the fortress. Ozin held the map and each Morflon had a satchel of the disfrazer.

'What about Gaiel?' Ozin asked.

'We gave him a little something yester night', Cylas replied with a grin. 'By the time he wakes up you would have been long gone.'

'He is a tricky one', Ozin cautioned. 'Make sure you keep an eye on him until we get back.'

'You have my word brother', Cylas assured Ozin. 'You would come pick him up when you return... you should be worried about yourself, not Gaiel... You know something has been on my mind. Why? You are not related to him... I get that you are friends but to risk your life for him? What makes him so special to you? Why do you love him so much?'

'You take care, brother', Ozin replied. 'I'll see you when I return.'

Those were Ozin's parting words as he and his comrades left the Rho tribe.

By evening, they were near the fortress. They hid from a distance as they watched the Morr soldiers fall in line in order to march into the fortress, the drums of parade resounding everywhere.

By this time, another shift was due. They each had a picture of different Morr soldiers. They brought out the pictures and gazed at them as each of them swallowed a disfrazer pill. Just as they changed, they heard someone coming in the bushes behind them. It appeared to be a Morr. They ambushed him and pinned him on the ground.

'Wait!' he yelled as one of them was about to slit his throat. 'I am one of you. Check my left pocket and you will see a satchel of disfrazer.'

They held him as they searched his pocket. They found a satchel of disfrazers.

'Who are you?' Ozin asked.

'My name is Bilok', he replied. 'I am a native of the Rho tribe. When I heard you where embarking on this journey I decided to come along.'

'Why do you want to come along?' Ozin asked him.

'The Red clan captured my brother and sold him as a slave to the Morrs', he replied.

At Ozin's command, they let go of Bilok.

'I am sorry but you cannot come with us', Ozin told him.

'Please let me come along', he begged Ozin.

'You would jeopardize our mission', Ozin replied.

'I know the fortress well', he then told Ozin. 'I could show you the way to the hole.'

'We do not need your help', Ozin replied.

'Please', he begged. 'You of all creatures should know how it feels to lose someone important to you. How it burns inside knowing your loved one is going through torture and you cannot do anything about it... Please! At least let me get in then I'll find my way from there.'

All eyes were on Ozin as they awaited his decision.

'Fine', he said. 'You can tag along. Once we get into the fortress we go our separate ways.'

'Thank you so much', he said as he sprang up and embraced Ozin in joy. Ozin was stunned.

'We should get moving', Ozin said. 'The soldiers are marching in.'

They immediately blended into the army as they marched inside the fortress. The massive stone gates gradually slid open as they were pulled by chains connected to motors. It was as if the gates of paradise were opened. The hearts of Ozin and his comrades raced as they marched in. Their mission was just getting started. Finally after days of preparation, they were finally in.

In order to identify themselves, they stained their right arms with red mud. In addition to that they used a clenched fist as their symbol. It took half an hour for the army to march through the stretch of interlocked stones with flowers on either side. Just as they passed the road, the wagons began to break away from the parade, each one going to its destination. Ozin and his comrades also broke away and went into the slum nearest to the hole. In a deserted alley, they changed into Morr military attire and ditched the wagon.

'You can head your way now', Ozin told Bilok. 'Good luck finding your brother.'

'Thank you Elder Ozin', Bilok said. 'I hope you find Morriah.'

They parted ways and Ozin and his comrades headed for the hole.

The hole was horrifying. They could feel the misery of the prisoners as they approached the hole. They were stopped at the gate.

'We are here on orders from the king', Ozin said.

He then showed a forged document containing the King's seal. The guards examined the document. He looked at them with steely eyes and after a nerve wracking silence, he let them through.

They could hear wailing, growling and sneering as they passed by each cell. There were guards all over the place. Ozin and his comrades had devised a plan to get to the fifth level. They made a sort of parachute to control their fall to the fifth level. One by one they jumped down roughly landing on the fifth level. They were searching the cells when they were stopped by a guard. He looked at them in suspicion. Some other guards were watching. The guard had noticed that they used parachutes fly down to the fifth level and he found that suspicious.

The guard drew closer to them, examining them. The Morflon's hearts raced as other guards came closer as well. Unknown to Ozin and his comrades, the disfrazer had worn out on one of them and he had turned back to his Morflon self. The guard just noticed this and luckily, so did Ozin who was quick to realize that the gig was up. He immediately slit the guard's throat and the other guards came attacking. It was an all-out assault. The Morflon one by one transformed to their normal selves as they fought valiantly, uprooting guard after guard from the ground. But Ozin and his comrades were outnumbered. Morr guards flying in from all angles like a swarm of bees attacked them, taking jabs at them whenever they could. There entire dungeon was filled with frenzied roars and cheers as the prisoners watched the fight.

It was not long until Ozin and his comrades were subdued. They were bound in chains and taken before the king.

Meanwhile, at the Rho tribe, Cylas was prancing about. He was hysterical. All his guards and servants were serving punishment. Gaiel was missing.

'How could you let him leave this mansion', he yelled. 'Can you do anything right?'

'My lord', they begged. 'We did as you instructed. We drugged his food and tucked him in bed.'

'Then how did he escape?' Cylas raged. 'What do I tell Ozin? What do I tell his father?'

Back at the fortress, the king was at court with his courtiers and me when some guards came in with the Morflon. Bound in chains, they were made to kneel before the king. King Sett recognized Ozin who was badly bruised. King Sett stared at him as the guards spoke. I was also watching keenly.

'Your highness', the guard began. 'These Morflon broke into the hole.'

The room was immediately abuzz with murmurs and gasps.

'I know you', King Sett said to Ozin who just spat blood out of his mouth. 'You were the one who came to beg for your brother to be released.'

Just as he finished speaking, some guards came in with Bilok who was also bound in chains and forced to kneel beside the rest of the Morflon.

'Your highness', they said. 'We caught this one tailing them.'

Bilok threw up on the marble floor to the utter disgust of everyone. In doing so he threw up the disfrazer he had swallowed. Everyone watched as he turned back to his Morflon self. My heart raced as his hair turned into high top fade dreadlocks. My fears were confirmed as he totally transformed into Gaiel. Everyone was shocked. I didn't know what was going on. First Ozin then Gaiel; obviously, something was wrong.

'Your highness', the guards continued. 'The Morflon have discovered a means of disguising themselves to look just like us.'

Raising a satchel for all to see, he said; 'This is what they use. We seized it from them.'

'One pill of this and they become whoever they want to be', he continued as he poured some into his palm for all to see.

There were loud murmurs.

'How dare you sneak into my fortress?' King Sett asked in anger.

'You refused to set my brother free', Ozin replied. 'Did you expect me to idly fret?'

'Your brother's case has been resolved', King Sett snapped.

'Is that so?' Ozin asked sarcastically. 'Then why is Azadus broken and miserable? You double-crossed him.'

'You lie Morflon', King Sett retorted.

It was then Ozin noticed me. Surprise was written all over me.

'Eric', he exclaimed.

'I see he didn't harm you after all', he said.

I was shocked and disappointed. Had King Sett lied to me? I was perplexed.

'Take these Morflon to the hole', King Sett ordered his guards.

'Your highness', I said. 'What is this I hear?'

King Sett was silent.

'Tell me you released Morriah', I continued.

'Why do you not tell Eric what you did?' Ozin said as the guards moved to grab him. I am surprised you didn't even know.'

'Your highness', I said. 'You promised to be truthful to me. Now is the time to prove that you are one who keeps his word. Please tell me the reason for my stay here wasn't a lie. Please tell me I have not been deceived all this while.'

There was silence as the Morflon were bundled out of the palace. I was furious as King Sett could not reply me. Guilt was written all over him and I knew at that moment that King Sett had deceived me.

'Fine', I said. All eyes were on me.

'I have a request to make' I continued. Release Morriah and all his comrades and I will renew my trust in you. All this will be bygone, forgotten.'

Everyone was shocked that I could make such a request.

'Impossible!' Egon yelled. 'Who do you think you are? You think you can just make demands?'

'Be quiet Egon', King Sett said.

Turning to me he said; 'Eric you know what you are asking for is impossible. I cannot release them. Their actions are grave. You have to understand.'

'Understand?' I asked. 'Your highness you deceived me, and all along you said they were the treacherous folk.'

'I was going to tell you eventually', he tried to explain.

'Your highness', I said. 'Words alone cannot correct the damage you have done. They must be followed up with appropriate action. Set them free and all will go back to normal between us. I promise you that... otherwise you can lock me up as well because I already feel like a prisoner within these walls.'

King Sett just bowed his head in shame. He was confused and weary. He could not figure a way out of this mess.

# Chapter 12

### Uprising

King Sett became aloof. He had dismissed his courtiers. He just sat on the floor, facing his throne. He gazed at his crown which he had removed and placed on his throne; downing jar after jar of wine. There were jars everywhere. Just then Oldric came in.

'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown', King Sett said to Oldric. 'I had everything mapped out. Everything was going on fine with Eric, until now...'

'You must be strong your highness', Oldric said, trying to console the king. 'Sometimes life does not give us what we want. It does not saddle us with what we plan for. But for what it's worth, life never burdens one with something one cannot solve. It may take time, but once you find that inner strength, there is no problem you cannot surmount. Find clarity your highness.'

Just then, Egon ran in.

'Father', he said. 'There is a mob out... side...'

He stopped as he saw his father's state. He gave a faint smile as he walked towards his father saying; 'This is ludicrous father.'

'Can you not see your father is sombre?' Oldric said.

'...Over what happened earlier at court?' Egon scoffed. 'Frankly, I find it rather mawkish... Have you looked outside? There is a growing mob that is trying to make its way in here... There is nothing difficult in your majesty's situation. Simply do what ought to have been done - dispose of the human and his comrades.'

King Sett ignored Egon's advice and asked him; 'Why is there a mob outside?'

'Apparently I am not the only one put off by your majesty's antics lately', Egon started. 'The masses have gotten word of all that has been going on in this palace. First you refuse to kill the Morflon who killed your own brother as custom dictates. Then you harbour an inferior creature in this palace and give him the finer things of life that the masses have toiled to produce and yet even they cannot enjoy. And to make matters worse, you even wanted to release the Morflon in exchange for the human. Even today, some Morflon attacked and killed some of your guards and the same creature you harboured demands that you set them free... Quite frankly the masses are speaking my mind. They want to know who runs the fortress. Because from what they hear, it seems like Eric dictates to you.'

'I never yielded to Eric's demands', King Sett said.

'But you have not done anything yet', Egon replied. 'Surely you must be considering it.'

King Sett was silent. Egon drew closer to him, saying in a persuasive tone; 'The masses want a king, not some figure head. They want to see a strong leader who stands by his word and is not afraid to dispense justice as is due. A public execution of Eric and his comrades will put you in the masses' good books. The head that wears the crown must be ready to bear its burden.'

'Strong words for a misguided cause', King Sett said. 'Why are you so keen on putting them to death? Surely there must be another way.'

'The more time you waste the less patience the masses have', Egon said.

'A leader must not be in a hurry to please the masses...' King Sett said. '...No matter how impatient they are.'

King Sett was able to silence Egon, but he could not silence the masses who quickly lost their patience. The masses formed greater mobs and with time became violent. Riots began to spring up here and there. Within days, the masses began to push for the king to step down.

King Sett was at court when he got the news. He was stunned.

'This is nonsense!' he yelled as he paced about. The court was silent and every eye was on him.

'Political blackmail...! Propaganda! Who is responsible for this?' he continued.

'Your highness', Egon said. 'You cannot say you were not warned. You refused to dance to their tune when you could, now they have raised the tempo.'

'My enemies are behind this', King Sett said.

'And it seems they are succeeding', Egon said.

King Sett sat on his throne, his head bowed in thought.

'What do I do now?' he asked.

'Salvage your reign', Egon said. 'Do what you ought to have done a long time ago; execute Eric and his friends before the entire masses. Then they will consider that you are coming back to your senses. They will see that you still have a firm grip on the throne.'

After serious thought, the king obliged. He sent his soldiers to arrest me and take me to the hole.

I was bound and locked up on the fifth level in a cell. The cell was dark. The light from flame torches at a distance made it possible for me to see vaguely, though most of my cell was pitch black. I was tossed in by the guard that held me and the bars were shut. I was sweating profusely as the place was very hot. I was just cleaning off the sweat on my face when I heard a familiar voice say; 'Eric is that you?'

I was scared. I could hear the sound of chains hitting against each other and dragging on the ground as some creatures drew towards me. I was so shocked I could not move or say a word. I just stared into the darkness, afraid of what was coming from it.

To my relief it was Morriah and the other Morflon. We embraced each other and sobbed.

After an emotional reunion we sat on the ground and began to chat. Morriah recounted his ordeal to us.

'Ai! This is the pit of doom', he said. 'Ai...! Here, there is perpetual torture. Wailing and gnashing of teeth are the leisure activities one can get here. Every now and then I hear the lashes; whips peeling the bare flesh of the prisoners, their wailing and screaming all flowing in harmony with the sound of the whips... Ai! Down here, the wardens are the law. They viciously harass the prisoners who have lost their freedom, their identity and their self-esteem. All that they have going for them is the certainty of pending death. Yes death is the only way out of this misery. But I envy them. At least they get to see the sunlight; they get to move their limbs. I would give anything to get a lash on my back so long as I would take a breath of fresh air. I would rather carry out manual labour as long as I get to feel the wind against my fur. Ai! It is eternal damnation down here. Words cannot describe the horrors that go through my mind down here.'

As Morriah spoke we could hear screams and whip sounds. Scary thoughts filled my mind as I heard dreadful sounds. The mood in the cell was melancholy. When we were all tired each of us dozed off one by one. It was appropriate though as we could not tell night from day. From where I lay I idly scratched the ground in the hope of getting sleep. I didn't know how low I had scratched. I just kept tossing stone away from the spot I was scratching. Just then, I felt something like metal. I began scraping around it to get it out. I used my finger to feel it. The more I felt it the more it made sense, it seemed familiar. Suddenly it hit me. I got up in excitement. Everyone in the cell woke up to an ecstatic me.

'The transporter!' I yelled. 'I have the transporter!'

Everyone got up as I mentioned the transporter. They all came closer, taking turns to feel and admire it. The excitement was quickly replaced with tension. None of us knew what to do with it or how to use it. Amidst all the confusion, Morriah took the transporter and gave it back to me.

'Ai! You have used it before', Morriah said. 'Let your spirit guide you. You will know what to do.'

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. I then slowly began to twist the cube. In split seconds the cube emitted a great light which overwhelmed us all. We all blanked out.

When I woke up, I found myself in a shallow stream. I was already drenched. As I looked around me I saw the others too just waking up. We were scattered around the stream. It was under the sunlight that I could see Morriah well. He had emaciated. He squeezed his eyes as he was no longer used to such bright light. He knelt down, shut his eyes and spread his arms as if trying to soak in the atmosphere. He gave a great sigh of relief. He did not have the energy to scream and run about like the others who splashed the water around in excitement.

After our lengthy jubilation we settled down to figure out where we were. We began to walk round in hopes of finding a nearby King Settlement. Our prayers were answered as we soon found ourselves in the Lambda tribe.

We were all injured, though some injuries were more severe than others and Morriah took ill almost immediately, becoming bedridden. Thus we decided to rest in the Lambda clan before embarking on any journey. While they were in the Lambda tribe, Ozin and Morriah did not talk to Gaiel for they were disappointed in him. Gaiel made attempts to make amends but neither of them was interested. I too was shocked at his exploits, but I felt for him. After all I was willing to give my life for Morriah and I knew Morriah would do the same if roles were reversed. So I organized a meeting with the three of them. By this time, Morriah was at least strong enough to sit up. Morriah and Ozin were both seated in a room when I walked in with Gaiel. Gaiel fell at their feet and begged for their forgiveness.

'You disobeyed me', Ozin scolded. 'I warned you of the perils of the journey. I told you that it was fraught with danger, but you wanted to see everything for yourself. Look at your father. How do you think he felt when he saw you walk into his very cell, to await the same fate? How do you think I felt when I found out you were Bilok...? How did you even escape? Think of your mother and your siblings. Think of Cylas who must be worried sick. I lack sufficient words to describe how you disgust me right now.'

All the while Morriah was silent. He did not have the energy to speak for long.

'I have only one question to ask you son', he finally said. 'You say you are sorry. But should a similar situation occur, would you do what you did again?'

Gaiel was silent.

'Ai...! Then you are not sorry', Morriah said as he got up and left. Ozin helped him up and escorted him out, leaving me and a sobbing Gaiel in the room. I stared at him as he broke down in tears, lying on the floor.

# Chapter 13

### Trinidos Wakes

All was not well in the fortress either. King Sett was at court with all his courtiers. He was furious. He could not believe what he was hearing.

'How can you say they are gone', he asked the guards who came to report to him.

'Your highness', the guards said. 'We carried out a thorough search. They are nowhere to be found. As we speak now there are soldiers all over the fortress. The fortress is on lock down until we find them.'

'Seven creatures', King Sett said. 'How could seven creatures leave the hole unnoticed?'

King Sett sighed wearily as he reclined on his throne. He was troubled, but his troubles were not over yet as, a steward ran in and said; 'Your highness, there is a mob threatening to besiege the palace!'

Looking at the guards he asked; 'I thought you said the fortress was on lockdown!'

The guards were speechless.

'What do they want now?' King Sett asked.

'They claim that you let the prisoners escape', the messenger replied. 'They say your allegiance to the human has clouded your judgment, thus they want you out.'

'Impossible!' King Sett yelled. 'How did they find out?'

'I think that should be the least of your worries father', Egon said. 'You should be thinking of how to clean up this mess you got yourself into.'

King Sett was drenched in confusion. He went to the balcony and gazed at the fierce mob below. He paused for a long while to think. After a while of deafening silence, he snapped. He summoned Oldric who was out at the time.

'Go out and silence the crowd!' he ordered Oldric when he arrived. 'I do not care how you do it. I do not want to see any living creature down there. I have had enough of this. Henceforth anyone who tries to organize any rally of any kind shall be arrested and sent to the hole. Go!'

Oldric gathered some soldiers and dispersed the mob. Thanks to their military might, they were able to send everyone home in peace or pieces. But King Sett did not stop there. He ordered mass arrests of several foreign creatures. He had soldiers raid the slums. He turned the entire fortress upside down in hopes of finding my comrades and I. Several masses organized riots and they also fought the soldiers who flooded the streets in a bid to quell any riots. A civil war was gradually brewing. King Sett became dark, so dark even Egon was scared. After about a week, Egon decided it was time to have a chat with his father. He met him in his room where he sat on his bed, drinking.

'Three creatures were killed today', he said.

King Sett was silent.

'Yesterday it was four', he continued. 'The day before that, six and the day before that yet another was killed. The fortress has become a slaughter house.'

'When did you begin to care?' King Sett asked.

'I do not', Egon quickly replied. 'But it is not only the Morflon you are killing. Even Morrs are being slaughtered. That is my worry.'

'They resist my authority and blatantly disobey me!' King Sett snapped. 'I thought you of all people would be pleased at my actions.'

'I am', Egon said. 'But you are not that kind of leader. Besides if you slaughter everyone, who would you rule? Fighting the masses would only widen the gulf between you and them. Right now we are on the brink of a civil war.'

'What do you suggest I do then?' King Sett asked.

Egon took a chalice and poured some wine for himself.

'Give the masses what they want', he said.

'Are you suggesting that I give up my throne?' King Sett asked.

'Not necessarily', Egon said rather calmly. 'I will lose my birth right if you do so and I certainly do not want that... what I want you to do is simple; wake the immortal Trinidos. He has enough hatred against the Morflon to carry out my plan. Besides, waking Trinidos would calm the masses down. He would assume power and then lead the army to conquer the Morflon.'

'What if he refuses to step down after all is said and done?' King Sett asked.

'Immortals are not known to cling to mortal things', Egon said. 'They say that when immortals sleep, it is as if they are living in a dream. They live in paradise. That is why they do not wish to be awake for long as they want to go back and continue that dream.'

'Even if that were not the case', Egon continued. 'At least you would still be in power as his right hand Morr. It is much better than losing power entirely and probably facing death or exile... Trinidos will once again make us a united front and that is what we need against the Morflon.'

'What if the masses still want me out after everything?' King Sett asked.

'You should know that the masses are forgiving', Egon replied. 'You just need to show them that you have turned a new leaf. Besides, I believe waking Trinidos and enslaving all Morflon would put you back in their good books.'

'Why do I need to wake Trinidos to fight a battle I am capable of fighting?' King Sett asked.

'You cannot go out and fight when your house is not in order', Egon replied. 'What then would you be fighting for?'

King Sett was still not comfortable with the idea of waking Trinidos. He showed reluctance.

'There is nothing to worry about', Egon said. 'It is the best option you have right now. Think about it.'

After gulping his wine, Egon dropped the chalice on the table and walked out of the room, leaving King Sett once again in thoughts.

King Sett considered every word Egon said. For once, he thought about Egon's opinion.

It took him days to arrive at a decision. After serious consideration and persuasion, though with a little reluctance, he obliged. He gave orders for preparations to be made to wake Trinidos.

Special incense they called RUBINCENSE was prepared. Rubincense was red incense gotten from one of the trees in the forest called Quercus. The incense was used to wake an immortal and send him back to rest. It was also used to immortalize creatures i.e. make them immortals.

On the appointed day, King Sett, accompanied by Egon, Oldric and some of his courtiers walked into the shrine where Trinidos slept, chanting. Everything in Trinidos' shrine was magnificent, made of marble. His bed was at the centre of the shrine, covered with a glass case. Around the bed were clay pots filled with burning red coal. King Sett went to each pot, sprinkling the grains of rubincense into them. Within seconds the entire room was filled with the red incense. Some stewards lifted the case so as to allow the rubincense flow into Trinidos' system. Trinidos' body was pale and dry, but not decayed and he was dressed in regal attire and jewelry. The Morrs surrounded his bed and began to chant;

Arise, you worthy child of nature

Wake up from your slumber

Behold your children for you to nurture

Behold so great a number

Though you dwell in places divine

Remember your purpose

To aid all those you left behind

Whenever they summon you

Arise Trinidos for now we summon you

Within minutes Trinidos' body began to get life. He gasped as he began to breathe in more of the rubincense. He opened his eyes wide as he kept gasping, all the while the Morrs continued chanting. Soon he was back to life. He sat up and looked round him, seeing all the Morrs who had woken him up. They stopped chanting and genuflected before him. He just stared at them.

The bells were rung all over the fortress to announce the awakening of Trinidos. The masses were of good cheer. They felt a breath of fresh air brought about by a new regime. Little did they know they were in for a great shocker.

Trinidos had a long full beard which he stroked constantly. He was a towering figure who had a short fuse. He sat at court with King Sett and his courtiers who wanted to give him the crown.

'Do you wear rags?' Trinidos asked King Sett who was bewildered by his question.

'Certainly not', King Sett replied.

'Why?' Trinidos asked.

'I am a King', King Sett replied, still unsure where Trinidos was heading with these questions. 'Rags are beneath me.'

'So too I cannot wear your crown', Trinidos said. 'Be it made of diamonds or all the riches of the forest, the crown and everything associated with it are beneath me. I am an immortal. I have seen the better part of magnificence and glory. I have transcended beyond all mortal things... Besides, before my sleep I was an emperor.'

'But your highness', King Sett said. 'Who would lead us then?'

'Are you not the king?' Trinidos asked him. 'You do your duties... and do not refer to me as your highness. I am greater than that.'

'What do we call you then?' King Sett asked.

Trinidos thought for a suitable answer.

'...Call me the great one', he finally replied.

'Great one', Egon said. 'Even if you refuse to be the king, at least grant our request... the reason we woke you up.'

'I know that you did not disturb my slumber just to see my pretty face', Trinidos said. 'I am all ears.'

A rather excited Egon hurriedly disclosed everything to Trinidos. King Sett was not particularly pleased with Egon's impatience.

'Great one', Egon said. 'It is the Morflon.'

'What', Trinidos asked. His facial expression showed he was totally oblivious of the Morflon.

'The slaves', King Sett said trying to spark Trinidos' memory.

'Oh! The ones I enslaved?' Trinidos asked.

'Yes great one', King Sett replied.

'What this time?' Trinidos asked. 'Are they planning a revolt or did they attempt to usurp the throne again?'

'They are no more slaves, great one', Egon replied sheepishly. 'They broke free.'

Trinidos roared. In the twinkle of an eye, he grabbed King Sett by the neck and threatened to snap it. He was furious. King Sett struggled to breathe, his feet dangled for they no longer touched the ground. Everyone was shocked.

'It was not during his reign they broke free!' a scared Egon begged.

Trinidos let go of King Sett who fell to the ground, holding his neck and gasping.

'I will not tolerate weakness!' Trinidos yelled.

He walked back to his seat where he seemed to be devising a plan.

'They have challenged our authority several times over since then...' Egon said, afraid of Trinidos' reaction.

'We want you to lead an assault on them... to remind them who is in charge', Egon continued.

'Oh they would remember who is in charge', Trinidos said with a grin. 'Only it might be too late for them... Are your soldiers combat ready?'

'We have not fought any battle in a long while but I guess they...' King Sett tried to say before he was interrupted by Trinidos who asked again; 'Are they combat ready?'

'Yes Great one', King Sett replied.

'Good', Trinidos said. 'Starting today begin a recruitment exercise. All adult able bodied males shall be recruited into the army. Come tomorrow, intensive training shall commence for all soldiers. I will not tolerate incompetence. Any soldier found wanton within two weeks will be terminated. Only the strong shall survive. In three weeks' time we shall launch an all-out assault on the abominations called the Morflon and we shall take no prisoners. We shall roll out the drums of war and dance to their rhythm, so that the Morflon shall behold our might in battle.'

Trinidos was not one to mince words. Everything went as he ordered. All males were forcefully recruited into the military. Those who did not qualify were terminated as he ordered. He rounded up as many foreigners as he could in the fortress and executed them. Only a lucky few were able to escape. Within three weeks, the entire fortress was a military camp. No one could take a breath unless Trinidos decreed. Though he did not wear the crown, he ran an absolute tyranny. King Sett and his courtiers began to regret their actions. Maybe waking Trinidos was a step too far.

# Chapter 14

### Bad News

After about a week and a half, we got back home to an elated Alpha tribe. Everyone was shocked to see us back alive. Ozin's children and their families welcomed him. Euphina, who had been bedridden, leapt for joy as she saw Morriah, Gaiel and I. Lila and Kayne were all over us. Lila showed me my corn and I saw that the stalks were now taller than me.

We were all in a merry mood. Cylas' guards went back home as well, bringing word of Morriah's safe return to Cylas who was more than relieved as until then he didn't know where Gaiel was. Time healed all wounds as after pressure from friends and loved ones, Gaiel was forgiven. But just when it felt like nothing could go wrong, the unexpected happened.

From across the plains in the Alpha tribe, certain Morflon were spotted, staggering whilst burdened with their belongings which seemed hurriedly packed. They looked haggard. One of the Morflon slumped. Alas, it was Cylas. His daughter who had been beside him the whole time panicked as she tried to resuscitate him to no avail. She cried for help and the indigenes of the Alpha tribe came to their rescue. Cylas was immediately rushed to Ozin's house where he was laid down and water was sprinkled on him. Lya watched in anxiety. It would take a while before Cylas would regain himself.

When Cylas was alright, he freshened up and was given food to eat. And after a good rest, he narrated his ordeal to Ozin. What he told Ozin was grave, so grave the council of elders held a meeting to discuss it.

Cylas appeared before the council of elders to officially narrate his ordeal.

'Elders of the Alpha tribe, I greet you', he began. 'I had just come back from the south. I arrived only to behold the Morrs spilling the blood of my brothers and razing our houses to dust. Smoke was everywhere as Morflon scrambled like animals being smoked out of a hole. The Morrs had no mercy. They sporadically fired their crossbows and thrust their swords into the chests of helpless Morflon... an all out massacre, that's what it was.'

Tears began to fill his eyes as he spoke.

'I thought of my daughter Lya', he continued. 'Could she have survived all this? I raced to my home which was already in flames. Many of my servants and guards had been slaughtered. From beneath the rubble I saw Lya unconscious and badly bruised. I grabbed what I could and fled, placing Lya on my shoulder. I was lucky. All those who fled were lucky. I say this because from the way they attacked, they had no intention of keeping prisoners.'

The elders stared at Cylas in horror. Each of them had horrid images in mind as they paid attention to Cylas.

'Why would King Sett attack your tribe?' some elders asked.

'I am afraid King Sett is not behind this', Cylas said. 'The immortal Trinidos is. He it was who spearheaded the massacre of my brothers and sisters.'

The elders all gasped as they heard the name Trinidos.

'Why would they wake him up?' they asked.

'No offense', one elder said. 'But the Rho tribe is notorious for their antics. Perhaps they got themselves into this mess.'

'It is probably to punish them for aiding Morriah's escape', Azadus said.

Just as they were speaking, a Morflon ran in to break sad news.

'Another tribe has just been attacked!'

The elders were immediately filled with trepidation. A cocktail of confusion and hysteria filled the air. No one understood what was going on. Why were the Morrs attacking them? The issue was now a general issue. Thus the elders of each clan all came together to dialogue.

A general meeting was held in the Tau tribe. By this time, several Morflon had migrated north as more clans had been attacked.

'Four clans have been attacked now!' an elder said. 'More and more Morflon are migrating due north to avoid slaughter. How long can this continue?'

'What did we do to warrant these attacks?' another asked.

'It definitely has something to do with Morriah's escape', another said. 'Perhaps we should hand him over to them, maybe they might reconsider.'

'That portrays weakness!' yet another said.

'Morriah is our brother. Even if he is guilty of killing Lord Boas that does not warrant our total annihilation', Ozin said.

'You brought this upon us', an elder said to Ozin who immediately took offense.

'There is nothing wrong with saving a brother', he snapped.

'What we need now is a cause of action', Azadus said, twirling his moustache. 'Pushing blame would not get us anywhere.'

'You members of the Alpha tribe always try to lord it over the rest of us', an elder said. 'You expect us just to leave Morriah just because he is part of your kindred.'

'That is a very foolish analysis', Azadus retorted.

The place was rowdy as Azadus and the elder almost began to fight had they not been restrained by the others.

'Each minute we spend bickering at each other, the Morrs advance towards us', Ozin said.

'The Morrs have declared war', he continued. 'We must be prepared to match them strength for strength if we want to survive.'

'How do you propose we do that?' an elder asked. 'Their army outnumbers ours and they are more equipped than we are.'

'Where there is a will there is a way', an elder replied.

'You forget that they have an immortal with them', another said. 'How do we even the playing field?'

Everyone discussed amongst themselves as no one could figure out a way. Suddenly, an elder came up with an idea.

'Let us wake an immortal of our own', she said.

'That is ridiculous', some elders immediately replied. 'All the immortals are Morrs. They are more likely to support their cause, not ours. Besides, all the known shrines of the immortals are within the fortress.'

'There is one immortal that could support our cause', an elder finally said. '...and his shrine is not in the fortress.'

'Who is that?' the other elders asked, paying keen attention to him.

'The immortal Radok', the elder replied. '...the greatest warrior that ever lived.'

'That is impossible', an elder said. 'No one ever saw his body. How are we even sure he is immortal?'

'Radok's body was never found because it was burnt to ashes', an elder said. 'But the body is not what makes a creature immortal, it is the soul. They carried out the immortalisation ritual without his body.'

'No one knows if the immortalisation ritual actually worked for him', Azadus said.

'But it is worth trying', the other elder said.

'Concerning the immortal Radok', an elder said. 'How do we wake him up if he has no body?'

'He will need a vessel; a creature, Morr, Morflon, whoever, with the supernatural ability to house more than one soul in one's body, even immortals' another one said. 'The good thing is that he can be woken anywhere, by anyone.'

'So how do we get a vessel?' another asked. 'Vessels have no distinct physical features. Most creatures don't even know they are vessels. So it will be hard to find one.'

'I suggest we split in to our separate tribes and each carry out the ritual', an elder said. 'Select any of us who volunteers to be a vessel then carry out the ritual. We would continue the ritual until he wakes up.'

'...Or you get tired', Azadus said. 'Let us say we succeed in waking him up. What makes you think the immortal Radok will support our cause? What if he ends up being the one to annihilate us?'

'Relax Azadus', an elder calmed him down. 'Radok was a selfless and compassionate Morr. He is more considerate than the other immortals. He might listen to our plea... it is worth the shot at least.'

'While you are taking a shot in the dark...' Azadus said. '...at least have a contingency plan, should all else fail that is. Supposing he does not wake up or he is not even an immortal, what then do we do?'

'Elder Azadus', Cylas said. 'I think I have a solution to that.'

'You!' Azadus yelled. 'What are you even doing here? Who let you in?'

'I am representing my family the Silvertons', Cylas replied. 'Our patriarch is badly wounded from the Morrs attack and he is recuperating thus he cannot be here now. Besides there are only a few families represented here from the Rho clan as many were massacred.'

Everyone was silent. Cylas took their silence as an approval as he continued.

'We all know that strength for strength we could match the Morrs, at least with some certain improvements in our arsenal. But the real problem is the one leading them to battle. Trinidos is an immortal, which means he is stronger and faster than any mortal. To make matters worse no magic can affect him. He seems invulnerable but that is not the case. Everyone has a weakness no matter how small. And I have gotten his... you see, rubincense is essential to immortals. It is the incense used to immortalise someone and it is the incense used to wake an immortal up. But it is also the incense used to make an immortal sleep again... You see, it is believed that the rubincense shatters the divide between here and the spirit realm; it blurs the line between both dimensions. It creates the passage between both realms. An immortal who is awake does not need the rubincense unless he is going to sleep, thus if the immortal comes in contact with the rubincense, it distorts his reality and he loses control over his body as the rubincense is trying to force his soul back to the other realm. Although it is only temporary if you do not chant the words that make him sleep. But so long as there is rubincense, no immortal soul will be at rest... I believe we can use this to our advantage.'

Everyone watched as Cylas dipped his hands into a sack he had beside him and brought out a smoke canister.

'It has been discovered that the rubincense can be compressed into cans and other items', he continued. It is based on this principle that we made this. This is a smoke canister. Once I remove this ring, the pressurised rubincense bursts out and diffuses all around. Watch...'

Cylas removed the ring on the canister and threw it in their centre. The gas shot out and spread all over the room, filling the place with red haze. The elders were amazed.

'Elders', he said with a grin. 'With this, no immortal can harm us.'

'We can even chant the words to make him sleep', an elder yelled ecstatically.

'We shall paint the entire forest red with burning rubincense', yet another yelled.

The hall became rowdy as everyone lauded Cylas' invention.

'As for the weapons', Cylas continued. 'I believe there are enough blacksmiths to produce sufficient weapons for our arsenal. I have ideas of catapults and other massive equipments which we could make.'

After a tumultuous meeting, the elders arrived at the following decisions which were relayed to the others: Each tribe would provide volunteers and carry out the waking up ritual, the adult males would begin to train for battle while the females would get rubincense from the Quercus trees around, all Morflon would gather as much food as possible and head to the valleys due north where the female and children and the old would hide within the caves and sufficient weapons would be forged for the battle.

# Chapter 15

### Reunions

The Morr soldiers made camp just after the rubble that once was a Morflon tribe. In one of the tents, King Sett sat trying to catch his breath. He was disgruntled as he massaged his neck whilst he sat down on a stool. Oldric was with him, consoling him. They were both clad in armour.

'Take heart your highness', Oldric said. 'I am so sorry for what just happened.'

'If Trinidos wants me dead he should get on with it', King Sett said. 'Scolding me for the short comings of my soldiers... what was the shortcoming? Some Morflon ran away unscathed. He wants us to kill everything that moves.'

'Trinidos is a tyrant', Oldric said.

'Be quiet', King Sett immediately warned. 'You know the walls have ears, and they are all loyal to him now.'

Just then, Egon walked in. He too looked depressed.

'I am sorry father', Egon said. 'I never meant for any of this... if I had known...'

'It is not your fault', King Sett said. 'I would not have woken him up if I did not want to... I should have known better than to heed the advice of a child... He brought us here - you and I to witness the war. He said it is our responsibility... it is my responsibility, not yours! I am the king. I should lead my soldiers in battle, not you. He didn't have to bring you here. He didn't.'

'I am more than delighted to be here father', Egon said. 'Any worthy leader would be.'

'At the expense of your lineage', King Sett retorted. 'You stay here and risk your life whist Lord Buron acts in my stead? What if something were to happen to the both of us? Who will carry on my name?'

'I am old enough to fight father', Egon said. 'I am no longer a child. Stop treating me as such!'

'The prince does have a point your highness...' Oldric said. 'You pamper him too much. After all you were much younger than he is now when you first went to battle.'

'I can speak for myself!' Egon said.

'You are my only child', King Sett said to Egon. 'You are all I have left. I do not want to lose you like I did your mother and Boas. I will never forgive myself should anything happen to you.'

'Are you afraid we won't win?' Egon asked. 'Perhaps you have not observed what has been going on. Three tribes have been brought down, razed completely to dust and not one, not a single soldier has been hurt. The odds are in our favour. We have Trinidos on our side. Don't fret about me. I will be fine... Cheer up father. Instead, think about the spoils of war, the loot that we shall divide.'

King Sett became cheerful. He and Egon laughed as they talked about the loot they had gathered. But Oldric did not share in their fun.

'Why worry about loot when you have treasure chests stacked in your bed chambers?' Oldric complained.

'We are insatiable creatures', King Sett replied. 'Nothing is ever enough.'

'What is his problem?' Egon asked.

'Are you not bothered that several innocent creatures are going to be massacred?' Oldric asked. '...an entire race is being wiped out, erased from the annals of time... and all for what? The amoral conviction of one evil immortal... I pray we find forgiveness.'

'You would do well to kill that compassion before it kills you', Egon said.

'So that is it?' Oldric asked. 'We just continue with this senseless slaughter? Soldiers fight for the good of posterity. We fight so we can make things better, for a just cause. Not to annihilate an entire race. This is just plain evil.'

'What will you have me do?' King Sett asked. 'Trinidos holds the power now and you know he has a short fuse. You would do well to remember to stay in his good books.'

'There is nothing good in Trinidos', Oldric said. 'Such a creature cannot have good books.'

'Perhaps you should relay your message to Trinidos', Egon said scathingly.

'Maybe I just might', Oldric replied.

'That is enough!' King Sett ordered. 'No need to be indignant... You must be tired Oldric. Go get some rest.'

Oldric bowed before his king, then he walked out, very disappointed.

Meanwhile, back at the Alpha tribe, preparations were being made to raise the immortal Radok. I was watering my corn stalks when Morriah came. He watched as I watered the plants with a smile on my face as I eagerly awaited the cobs to ripen.

'You do know we would be leaving here soon', Morriah said. 'What happens to your plant then?'

The news was hard to take. After weeks of toiling and seeing my corn grow, I was not going to have the chance to eat it. I was heartbroken.

'Ai! Why that look?' Morriah asked me as he noticed I had a sad face. 'Don't tell me it's because of your plant.'

Morriah gave a smirk.

'There is more of this scattered all over the forest', Morriah said. 'You don't need to fret about this one... Gaiel could even get some for you. He will be going to fetch some rubincense. You could accompany him if you like.'

My countenance immediately changed.

'What are you using it for anyway, this...' Morriah asked. He did not know what it was.

'Corn', I replied. 'It is called corn... I eat it.'

'You eat it?'Morriah asked. He found it very strange.

'You should try it sometime', I said. 'You might like it.'

'I doubt that', Morriah said.

'Well you will never find out if you never try it', I said. '... King Sett told me all about you. I never knew you were related. There should be a collective name for you both... maybe I'll call you moorrolfen... mor...'

Morriah laughed as I mumbled words that sounded pretty ridiculous.

'Muuurfs!' I finally said. 'Murfs! That sounds alright.'

'Murfs?'Morriah asked, trying to make sense of the word.

'I would call you Murfs', I said with a grin.

'Ai!'Morriah said. 'We may have a common ancestry, but we are nothing alike... What did he tell you about us?'

'He said one of you tried to usurp the throne', I said. 'He said it led to the death of Trinidos' wife. He said that was what made Trinidos cold towards your kind.'

'It was a set up', Morriah said. 'Ai! Such calumny! We know that story a little differently from what King Sett told you. The Morflon were pawns in the scheme plotted by a sinister group called the order. They work on a principle that Morrs are the most superior race in the forest and they would do anything in their power to enforce that. You may wonder how that has anything to do with what happened to the Morflon... As part of their "superiority campaign", Morrs are not allowed to mingle with other races in such a way that would produce offspring. Thus, Morflon appear to contradict every conviction they have, given our history. Thus, they did not like the fact that we were equals. They always tried to persuade Trinidos into enslaving us, but he somewhat refused. Thus they set up an attack and killed Trinidos' wife and the unsuspecting Morflon who had ignorantly joined in their attack on the palace were held responsible for everything... That was what happened. It was not as if all the Morflon ganged up against Trinidos. What else did he tell you?'

We dialogued some more as I told him everything I could remember from King Sett's tale.

'At least he is not a total liar', Morriah said, acknowledging that King Sett's tale was surprisingly true for the most part.

I found a ripe corn cob much to my delight. I plucked it and prepared to boil it.

'Of late I have been hearing you talk about immortals', I said. 'Even King Sett referred to Trinidos as an immortal. Who is an immortal?'

'Ai! Every now and then' Morriah said. 'A creature does something special or develops an amazing skill or characteristic. Nature rewards this creature by giving him or her immortality. This is because this trait the creature has developed is considered so great and unique to just lose in death... good or bad, from a murderer or thief to a healer or king; provided you impress nature by being outstanding, you would become an immortal... It is not your natural abilities like strength or speed that make you immortal. It is the skills you develop or the feats you achieve... There is no yardstick mind you for becoming an immortal. You may be outstanding and still not become an immortal... it is nature that decides.'

'So why was Trinidos made an immortal?' I asked.

'I don't know', Morriah said. 'These things are never that straight forward... However, I believe he was made an immortal because of his ability to scheme. Many say he is a schemer, a very malicious one.'

'I guess Radok is an immortal because he was a great warrior', I said.

'Ai! You can say so', Morriah said. 'But no one is sure that he is immortal.'

'How can you tell when one is immortal?' I asked.

'When an immortal dies, his body begins to glow', Morriah explained. 'Once you see the body, you will know that the creature is immortal. Immediately, the body is greased with olive oil from head to toe. Then rubincense would be burnt and the immortalisation spell would be cast. Only then will the immortal's soul get to the other side. Only then would he be certified as an immortal. Otherwise, the soul will become an unknown... the immortalisation process is through, the creature's corpse can no longer perish.'

'Who is an unknown?' I asked.

'An unknown is...' Morriah tried to explain before Azadus walked in, twirling his moustache.

We were both silent as we waited to hear what he had to say. I was uncomfortable. Just then, Gaiel was about to go out to fetch the rubincense with a group of friends. I put down my corn and gladly tagged along, leaving Azadus with Morriah.

'I have not had the chance to meet with you since you returned', Azadus said. 'I didn't know how to face you after I failed... I came to say I am sorry. I am sorry for what went on while you were away. But you have to understand that I did it for you, for your own good.'

'You do not need to apologise to me', Morriah said. 'I am not the one you wronged. You need to apologise to Eric, not me. He is our brother and you traded him off like a yard of kenaf.'

'I did it for you', Azadus said.

'Eric saved my life', Morriah said. 'Ai! He saved us all in that dungeon... He used the transporter again you know. Many would never even see the transporter, but he has used it twice. Can you not see that he is special...? Even if you do not like him, be grateful that he saved me, your nephew.'

Whilst Azadus and Morriah were having some family time, I was on my way to get some rubincense with Gaiel and his peers. They were discussing amongst themselves.

'I hear an immortal is fast and super strong', they said. 'It is said that even magic cannot affect him. He is quite super... Trinidos must be unstoppable then.'

'No one is unstoppable', Gaiel said. 'We would smoke him out of his immortal body with this rubincense.'

'You really think the rubincense can stop him?' they asked.

'You just wait and see', Gaiel said.

'The immortal Radok...?' I asked. '...why does he not have a body?'

'His body was burnt in a battle', they explained to me. 'He fought an evil ruler called the Rhine king. Their battle was so heated; they went farther away from the other soldiers. Next thing the soldiers saw was a fire. The fire engulfed everything where they were. By the time the soldiers searched, neither Radok nor the Rhine king was seen. It is believed that they were both burnt to rubble. But Radok's soldiers believed he was worthy to be an immortal judging from his conduct while alive. So they immortalised him without his body. They burnt the rubincense around the area and chanted the words of immortalisation.'

'That means you are not sure if he is really immortal', I said.

'It is a shot in the dark', Gaiel said.

'We believe so, but we do not know so', his peers answered. 'Radok was a great warrior, the greatest in several cycles; selfless warrior of good conduct, with good combat skills to match. Thus we believe he must have been blessed with that privilege.'

'If he has no body, how will he be woken up?' I asked.

'We do not know', they replied. 'But the elders say a vessel could volunteer for him to use his body.'

'What is a vessel?' I asked.

'A vessel is one who can accommodate more than one soul in his or her body', Gaiel said.

'We have not seen one in a long while', they said. 'However, some Morflon have volunteered.'

As we walked on, Gaiel showed me several corn stalks. I was amazed to see just how rampant corn grew in the forest. We walked a distance before we saw a Quercus tree. Quercus trees grew in clusters. They were large and had twisted trunks and green leaves with yellow edges. They drew the sap out of the tree's shoots which were very succulent. The sap raced through the channel they used to draw it out, filling their gourds rather quickly. The Morflon took as much as they could carry and headed home.

Back at Morriah's house, Azadus was still having a heart to heart conversation with his nephew when Cylas walked in.

'Look who just walked in', Azadus said. 'If it isn't good old Cylas Silverton'

'Ai! How did you find here?' Morriah asked Cylas.

'You are Morriah Bigheart', Cylas replied. 'You are hard to miss. Besides, Ozin directed me here. He would have come with me, but he is quite indisposed at the moment.'

'What do you want?' Azadus asked.

'It has been several cycles now', Cylas said. 'Give it a rest.'

'Give it a rest you say', Azadus retorted.

'Uncle!' Morriah begged Azadus, prompting him to keep quiet.

'After all these cycles', he said to Cylas. 'We finally meet again... it is so good to see you.'

They embraced themselves to the surprise of Azadus, who expected Morriah to be angry at Cylas.

'It is true what they say about you', Cylas said. 'You are a changed creature.'

Both creatures sat down.

'My rascally days are far behind me now', Morriah said.

'That is good to know', Cylas said. 'You know, after I wed Lya, word around the tribe was that you were coming for my head.'

'I considered it several times', Morriah said. 'I felt I should just go with my gang and kill you both. I was heartbroken. For days I would punish myself for I thought the fault was with me. I thought I was the reason she left me, there must have been something I did wrong. Ai! But over time I realised that it was not worth it. She had found true love in you. Then I met Euphina who would later become my wife. It was after that it finally hit me. Lya wanted a ready-made Morflon, one who fit the description of her dream husband; but Euphina, she made me into her dream husband. She made me quit my gang life and become the responsible Morflon I am today... where are my manners? What would you like to take?'

'Wine would be alright', Cylas replied.

Morriah went and got the wine. He brought three cups and poured the wine out from the jar into the cups which he gave to each Morflon.

'I am immensely grateful for the role you played in my rescue', Morriah said. 'I am also sorry about Lya. Ai! It must be really hard to deal with. Please accept my sympathy.'

'Nature gives and it takes', Cylas said. 'Who are we to judge nature? What about your wife and children?'

'They are out at the moment', Morriah said. 'You know, everyone is preparing for the great exodus.'

'I hear you have a daughter', Azadus said.

'Yes', Cylas replied. 'She is currently staying with one of Ozin's grandchildren. Her name is Lya.'

'How sweet', Morriah said. 'She bears the same name as her mother. Ai! I hope we do not fight for this one's attention.'

They all laughed.

'I think I have already won that contest', Cylas replied as they continued to laugh.

'What about the creature that stays with you', Cylas asked when the laughter subsided. '... The... human...'

'Eric just left with my son Gaiel', Morriah said. 'They went to fetch some rubincense. You just missed them. They left not long ago.'

'I heard he has used the transporter', Cylas said.

'Ai! He has', Morriah replied. '...Twice!'

'Imagine how that could ease transportation', Cylas said. 'One could save a lot from travelling with the transporter.'

'Cylas Silverton', Azadus said. 'Always thinking profit and loss'

They laughed. For a while, they sat, chatting about different things, old and new.

# Chapter 16

### Exodus

Towards evening, everyone in the Alpha tribe assembled in the square to attempt to wake Radok up. An altar was set, a kind of podium where all those who volunteered where to be laid down. The volunteers and their families wept as they were laid on the altar and olive oil was smeared all over them. Morriah, his family and I were part of the crowd that surrounded the altar; all watching what would take place.

'Why do they weep?' I asked Morriah who stood beside me.

'They do not know what to expect', Morriah said. 'It is believed that if a superior spirit takes control of your body, you lose your consciousness. Ai! And most times such spirits might not want to let go. As such, whoever allows a superior spirit into him is as good as dead, in limbo in his own body.'

Several pots were placed around the altar, all filled with burning charcoal. Some elders went round, placing the rubincense into each pot. It was not long before the entire square was filled with red haze which made it a bit difficult to see what was going on at the altar. The rubincense had no smell. I felt it move inside me, seeping through my innards. Everyone began to chant the words;

Arise, you worthy child of nature

Wake up from your slumber

Behold your children for you to nurture

Behold so great a number

Though you dwell in places divine

Remember your purpose

To aid all those you left behind

Whenever they summon you

Arise Radok for now we summon you

We chanted for quite a while but to no avail. Suddenly, I felt something, like a gust of wind force its way inside me. I became uneasy as I felt something move inside me. I gasped as I could no longer breathe. My eyes turned white just before I passed out. Everyone was shocked as I slumped. Morriah picked me up and took me out of the square.

I woke up in Morriah's house to behold Cylas, Ozin, Azadus, Morriah, Euphina and a few other Morflon in the room. They were all staring at me especially Cylas. He was amazed at seeing me.

'How long was I out?' I asked.

'A whole day', Morriah replied.

I was shocked.

'What happened to you out there?' Ozin asked me.

'I don't know', I said. 'We were reciting the chants when I felt something seize me. I could not breathe... That is all I remember.'

The silence in the room made me uneasy.

'Did Radok wake up?' I asked.

'No', they replied. 'Not even in the other tribes.'

'That is not good is it?' I asked.

'No', Ozin replied.

'I am just glad you are alive', Morriah said. 'Get some rest.'

'Such a sight to behold', Cylas said as he drew nearer to me. 'In all my travels I have never come across anyone like you; and believe me I have travelled wide... your skin, your hair... pretty unusual in these parts... I am Cylas Silverton, Ozin's brother in-law.'

'Let the human rest', Morriah said. 'You could speak with him later.'

I lay on the bed while the Morflon walked out one by one. Morriah had a smile on his face as he went out. He called the Morflon together just outside his house.

'Could it be', Morriah asked. 'Could he be the vessel Radok chose?'

'I doubt it', Ozin said. 'If he was he should have transformed into Radok. I think he was exposed to so much rubincense, his body reacted.'

'Would he react so badly that he would slump the way he did?' Morriah asked.

'He is a human', Azadus said. 'He is different from us... I mean he eats corn...! It should not be surprising that he reacts to rubincense.'

Trinidos and his army arrived at a deserted tribe. He walked round, stroking his beard and using his claws to pick out strands. He was the only one without armour. He just put on his regal garments. He ordered his soldiers to search the entire tribe for any sign of life. They ransacked the adobe buildings which seemed deserted in a hurry. They searched the woods around and shot crossbows into the streams and lakes around. After an extremely thorough search, there was still no sign of Morflon life.

'Great one', Oldric came to report. 'They appear to have fled north.'

'Is that so?' Trinidos asked rhetorically.

Trinidos began to laugh, much to the bewilderment of the others who were silent.

'They have made this campaign a lot easier', he said. 'They would put up a united front against us. That would save us the stress of travelling all over the forest...But I know they would keep their vulnerable as far away from the battlefield as possible.'

Summoning Oldric he said; 'Take some of your best and brightest and search for where the Morflon hid their female and their young. Search the entire forest. If you find a hideout, mark the place and look for others. Do not come back if you do not find any.'

He then dismissed Oldric who immediately selected some soldiers to accompany him on the mission.

'The rest of us would head north to confront their army', Trinidos said to King Sett, Egon and the other soldiers. 'We shall continue to follow their trail until we get them. Be careful now, for they could be anywhere... But first, burn down everything in sight. Erase any memory of the Morflon's existence here.'

The Alpha tribe was the northern-most tribe. As such, they were the last to leave. They joined the mammoth crowd of Morflon from other tribes who were migrating north into the valley in the hills. The very old, the very young and the female were all to go on this journey whilst the able bodied adult males were to assemble at the Alpha tribe before heading to their camp. I went with them to the valley, Azadus went with them, even Gaiel, though reluctant, went with them. Everyone was leaving, except Ozin. Ozin refused to follow the vulnerable Morflon to the valley. He insisted that he would fight with his comrades, insisting he was fit as a fiddle. Morriah, Cylas and some of Ozin's offspring came to beg him to leave. They met him in his house shining his spear.

'You are over seventy', Morriah said. 'You are too old to wield a spear.'

'Do not insult me', Ozin scolded Morriah. 'Age is just a number. Once a warrior, always a warrior. It is in my blood. I proved that when I came to save you.'

'You got lucky then', Cylas said. 'Remember you were nearly killed in the fortress.'

'Even the younger Morflon were caught weren't they?' Ozin retorted. 'That had nothing to do with age.'

'Everyone has to retire', his offspring said. 'Everyone needs time for his family. How can you be there for us if you are always fighting?'

'I am fighting for posterity', Ozin replied. '... For your own good...'

'Let the others do that', they continued. 'You should not place the burden on yourself. Hurry up. If you leave now you could still meet up with the others.'

'I don't want to go with them', Ozin protested. 'Why do you all not see it from my point of view?'

'Because we love you', Morriah replied. 'We have your best interest at heart.'

'If you love me, you would let me do as I wish', Ozin said.

'Even when we know it is dangerous for you?' Cylas asked.

'You all need me for his battle', Ozin said. 'Very few of you have had experience of great battles. You need my expertise.'

'We need you alive', Ozin's offspring said.

Ozin became irritable.

'So what do I do?' Ozin asked. 'Fold my arms and do nothing? Look at the strokes on my chest. I got them from doing nothing... Some Morflon from the Tau tribe came to our tribe to seek the aid of some Morflon. They begged us to help them stop an emerging terrorist group, the Red clan. By then I was not a warrior. I just wanted to lead a normal life in my father's winery. I declined. Many others declined as well. They left, disappointed. Days later, the Red clan attacked the Alpha tribe. It was the worst attack we had in ages. They sacked the tribe and abducted many of us. One of them grabbed me and put his jagged dagger straight through my chest. He drew it closer and closer to my heart as he laughed. He said he could have stabbed me in the heart, but that would have made me die quicker. He said he just wanted to see me reel in pain as I bled out. He took a cup and with it he collected some of my blood as it gushed out. Right in front of me he drank it. I lay there in pain as I watched my father's winery burn to the ground... I survived that day, but I was a changed Morflon. I could not help but think that things would have been different if I had accepted to go with the Morflon from the Tau tribe. I became a warrior, along with a number of us who had initially declined... Two cycles later, the Red clan came again, but this time we chased them down and slaughtered them like beasts. They have never come near the Alpha tribe since then.'

The Morflon were silent. They were moved by his speech, but they still thought Ozin deserved to rest, to get away from the rigours of battle. It was written all over them.

'Why do you all think I am going to die if I fight one more battle anyway?' he asked, rather disgusted by the notion. 'I am going to battle and that is final. Anyone who has a problem with that would have to face me in combat and defeat me to convince me otherwise.'

He then began to sharpen his spear. They just stared at him, utterly disappointed.

Ozin silenced them, but they were not ready to quit just yet. That night they met again to discuss Ozin.

'What do we do about Ozin?' his offspring asked. 'He is a stubborn old Morflon.'

'Since he insists, I think we should just let him be', Morriah said.

'Why would you say that?' Cylas asked. 'You know that is dangerous. He is your best friend but he is also dear to all of us. We must do what is in his best interest.'

'Then what do you suggest we do?' Morriah asked. 'Drug him?'

'I already tried that', Cylas said to the surprise of everyone else. 'It did not work. I suggest we take a more direct approach. I have made arrangements for that. Don't worry. By tomorrow Ozin will be on his way to the valley.'

It was midnight. Ozin lay in bed fast asleep when seven masked Morflon stealthily broke into his house. They came into his bed room and surrounded his bed. One of them brought out a piece of cloth and soaked it with a kind of sedative. He then placed it over Ozin's nose. Ozin struggled as the others held him down. He shook and shook, trying to fight his way out. Slowly but surely, his struggling reduced until he was finally still. It appeared as though he was knocked out.

Just as they let go of him, he opened his eyes and sprung up, leaving the masked Morflon confused. They surrounded him, each one wondering how to grab him. Eventually, one of them attempted and met a bad blow on his forehead from Ozin's palm. They all attacked him at once. He broke free and began to beat them one by one, slamming each one on a piece of furniture or on the bare floor. Bent on finishing the job, they kept on getting up and trying to attack again though they were in pain. They fought all over his house, wrecking the entire place. Ozin began to render them immobile by breaking any of their bones he could lay his hands on. One by one they came, and one by one he grabbed a part of their body and snapped it. Crack! That was the sound made as he dislocated or fractured each of his assailants' hands, legs or necks.

After a while, the chaos was over. Ozin was breathing hard as he looked round, staring at the seven Morflon scattered all over his room. Each of them wailed in pain. Ozin went to one of them and removed his mask. He forced him to his feet and began to interrogate him.

The next morning, Cylas was in Morriah's house with some of Ozin's offspring. They were discussing.

'Elder Ozin wants to fight and yet you are looking for an excuse to flee', Ozin's offspring said. 'What a shame!'

'You insult me', Cylas rebuked. 'You and I know that I want nothing more than to see the Morrs pay for what they have done. I have helped you with the smoke canisters and others are working on catapults, but I fear that might not be enough. They have Trinidos and their army is twice ours. That is why I want to embark on this journey... In the cause of my travels, I have made a few friends on the other side. I am going to see if I can get help from them.'

'Do you think they would want to get involved in our battle?' Morriah asked. 'Ai! You know they are all afraid of the Morrs and they would want to stay in their good side.'

'Evil never has a good side', Cylas said. 'Let me try. It is worth the risk.'

'When would you be back?' they asked him.

'I can't tell', Cylas said. 'But I will try to come back before the battle is over...Who has heard anything from the Red clan? Are they not supposed to be with us in battle?'

'Ai! They operate in anonymity', Morriah said. 'They can be anyone, anywhere. They will just integrate into the system and fight with us. After all, they are Morflon as well. They would not want to die. That is what I believe.'

'I think they would just flee', Cylas said. 'That is what they are good at. Such cowards they are. They will flee and come back when the war is over to cause more trouble. Reckless, evil beings...'

'So when are we leaving for camp?' Ozin's offspring asked.

'It should be later in the day', Cylas replied.

'Ai!'Morriah said. 'I am ready any time.'

He proudly raised a wooden club as he spoke with a smile.

'Whoa!' the others exclaimed.

'Are you not going to wield a spear?' Cylas asked.

'Ai! Spears are good', Morriah said. 'But this is my favourite. I call it the Banger. It's been with me for a long, long time.'

'I think I remember this now!' Cylas exclaimed. 'You still have the banger.'

'I caused a lot of chaos with this beauty back in the day', Morriah said. 'Don't you just love the curves?'

'The club will be sliced in half once it comes in contact with Morr steel', Ozin's offspring said.

'Ai!'Morriah said. 'The banger is really hard. Besides I am an artful dodger. I dodge more than I block.'

'So this is what you hunt with?' Cylas asked. 'I pity the poor animals you have banged to death.'

'Ai! Far from it', Morriah said. 'The banger is used for creatures like the Morrs.'

'You shall bang on their helmets with your stick' the Morflon joked.

'Lord Boas felt the wrath of my banger', Morriah said.

They were laughing when suddenly, Ozin stormed in and walked straight to a startled Cylas. Everywhere was silent.

'Surprised to see me?' Ozin asked furiously. 'Your thugs failed. You are lucky I did not kill anyone. What were you thinking, trying to abduct me? How could you be so foolish?'

'I ...' Cylas tried to say before he was interrupted by a fuming Ozin whose breath could be heard across the room.

'No wonder you did not sleep in my house yester night', Ozin said. 'After everything I have done for you... I should have given you a serious beat down. I would have, but I won't. Consider this as payback for helping me rescue Morriah. But the next time you or anyone else tries anything this foolish, blood would spill.'

Everyone was silent as they watched him storm out of the building, just the way he came.

'I hope this has convinced you that I am fit for battle', He roared as he left.

Cylas was literally speechless. He was stunned. He just sat still, eyes wide open; bewildered.

# Chapter 17

### The Red Campaign

The Morrs marched north, destroying the empty King Settlements they came across. They left no trace that Morflon ever existed in the King Settlements they destroyed, burning everything to fine ashes. The Morflon on the other hand were preparing their newly formed army for battle. The Morflon used spears to fight. There was a feeling of gloom as they prepared for war. The disappointment of not waking Radok was a huge blow to them. Now they had no one to match Trinidos. They felt the playing field was not level and that the odds were against them.

The very old, the young and the females all hid in the valley far north. They each made tents and stayed near the caves around. I stayed with Euphina and her family who stayed with Azadus and his family. Lila stayed with Ozin's offspring. The entire King Settlement was filled with trepidation; fear of impending doom. Everyone was afraid, worried if they would ever see their loved ones again, that is if they could make it alive themselves. Uncertainty; that was what lingered on in their minds, causing them serious heartache.

The Morflon army, with the help of the Rho tribe survivors, built catapults with which to hurl boulders at their opponents. They mixed rubincense and combustible fluids into paste and smeared the mixture on the rocks, so that they could ignite them before they hurl them at the Morrs. They also made a lot of smoke canisters. The camp was busy as the Morflon worked with Godspeed for they were fully aware that they had little time before the Morrs caught up with them. By now, Cylas had already gone with some Morflon to seek aid from his allies.

Many Morflon claimed that they dreamt of impending doom whenever they closed their eyes. Some even fell ill. That was the gravity of fear that gripped them. The only thing that kept them going was the words of encouragement they gave each other; and of course the fact that they would have to fight in order to survive. Days quickly ran by and weeks were fleeting. They all said prayers constantly.

The leaders of the Morflon army came up with a plan. They knew that the Morrs had the numbers and weapons advantage, so they decided the only way to win or at least give them a tough time was to ambush them. They understood the pattern in which the Morr army moved. The Morr army had already taken out seven tribe King Settlements and were heading to the Tau tribe. The Morflon decided to ambush them there. They dug trenches and set traps all around the King Settlement. They also hid their catapults at a reasonable distance. The element of surprise - that was their wild card. Quite frankly, that was their only card.

As expected, the Morrs marched into the Tau tribe. Some soldiers flew to the skies, using telescopes to get an aerial view of the place. They could not see the Morflon and their gadgets hidden amidst the thick bushes. They signalled that it was alright for the soldiers to go ahead. The Morrs, already used to seeing deserted territories, were pretty calm as they walked at ease into the territory, literally strolling by.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers in the sky noticed something in the woods. He adjusted his telescope to get a better view. Alas, it was one of the Morflon catapults. He looked round. Suddenly he started seeing more catapults. Soon he saw Morflon lurking in the woods, drawing nearer stealthily. Before he could do anything, a boulder coated with burning rubincense was hurled towards the Morrs. The rock fell and hit an unsuspecting Trinidos. The rubincense on the rock literally pushed his soul away from his body. Trinidos fell along with the rock which continued to roll and crush those in its path.

More boulders were hurled, crushing several Morrs who were caught unawares. The soldiers grabbed Trinidos, who had lost consciousness, and retreated. The Morflon roared as they hurled more rocks at them. There was chaos as the rocks fell like hail. The rocks fell with mighty thuds, causing the earth to quake. The Morrs could not understand what just happened. All of them ran for dear life, unsure of where the rocks were hurled from and where they would land. They ran, not knowing where they were going. They just wanted to flee the attack and re-strategise.

King Sett and his son also ran for dear life. They were running when a rock hit them. The rock narrowly missed King Sett as it brushed him to the ground. Egon, however, was unlucky. The rock fell directly on him, stamping him into the ground. The rock rolled over, inflicting more damage while Egon lay, coughing up blood. King Sett got up and ran towards his son, holding him in his arms. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he held his gasping son. Egon's body was slightly charred and his bones were broken. He lay there paralysed, his armour destroyed. Suddenly, he stopped breathing and his eyes were still, staring into nothingness. He was dead.

King Sett wept as he used is fingers to shut Egon's eyelids. He gave his son a warm embrace as he howled in pain. He was oblivious of the hailstorm around him. At that moment, nothing else mattered. It was other soldiers that saw him and dragged him up. He struggled with them, refusing to go as he stretched his hands, yearning to hold his son one last time. They bundled him with them as they too fled for safety. They also took Egon's corpse with them.

After a while, the Morflon ceased hurling the rocks and ran after the fleeing Morrs. They slaughtered Morr after Morr as they caught up with them. They surrounded a good number of the already disoriented Morrs and went berserk on them. The Morrs tried to fight back, but what they wanted most was to flee unscathed. The Morflon split them open, stabbing them with their spears. Blood was spilled that day, all amidst the red fog of rubincense. It was indeed a red day, a red campaign.

The Morflon roared in triumph. Their first battle was such a success. Within hours, they had struck down a number of Morrs and very few Morflon sustained minimal injuries. The element of surprise had worked. But they knew the war was far from over. Even though they had killed many Morr soldiers, the Morr army still outnumbered theirs. However for now they revelled in their glory, even if it was to be short lived.

The Morrs were able to flee from the chaos and hastily set up camp when they were sure the coast was clear. In one of the tents, Trinidos lay with stewards all around him. He gasped as his soul finally got hold of his body. He was still a bit disoriented. King Sett just sat silently at a corner while the servants bandaged his wounds, lost in thought.

'What happened?' Trinidos asked.

'Great one', the soldier replied. 'You were hit by a rock laced with burning rubincense.'

'So you fled?' Trinidos asked. 'Who gave the order to retreat?'

Trinidos looked round at all the soldiers present. They trembled in fear of what could happen next.

'Any way', he continued, trying to keep calm. 'How many Morflon were killed?'

'None great one', they replied, quivering in fear of what he was going to do.

'How many Morrs were killed?' Trinidos asked.

'We lost count...' they mumbled.

'How many?' Trinidos bellowed.

'A hundred and three', they stuttered.

Trinidos roared in anger as he smashed the table beside him to pieces.

'How is this possible?' Trinidos asked. 'We obviously underestimated those scoundrels... any way, they have dealt their hand. It is time we showed them ours.'

Just then, Oldric walked in.

'Perfect timing', Trinidos said. 'Did anyone see you?'

'No great one', Oldric replied. 'We were very discreet.'

'Good', Trinidos commended. 'Tell me you have good news.'

'Great one', Oldric began. 'We have found where the vulnerable Morflon are hiding.'

'Good', Trinidos said.

'They are hiding in the valley in the up north', Oldric said.

'Are you sure?' Trinidos asked 'Did you comb the entire forest?'

'Yes great one', Oldric replied. 'That is why we took so long.'

'Alright', Trinidos said. 'Anything else I should be aware of?'

'They are guarded by about a hundred Morflon... and they burn rubincense constantly to keep immortals away', Oldric said.

Trinidos laughed.

'The Morflon must really fear me to go to such lengths', Trinidos said. 'But their incense would not stop me. Nothing would stop me from achieving my goal...! What about the alien... that creature you talked about...?'

'The human', Oldric replied.

'Yes... the human', Trinidos replied. 'Is he with them?'

'Yes great one', Oldric replied. 'One of the troops spotted him.'

'Good', Trinidos said. 'Prepare your troops. Tonight we shall head for the valley. I want to see this creature you all raved about. We must move with stealth for I do not want the Morflon to be aware of this... King Sett and Egon would lead the forces here... where is Egon?'

There was silence as all eyes were on King Sett who just sat down by the corner, brooding. His red eyes were tired of crying.

'My son is gone', he said. 'My only son is gone.'

Oldric and Trinidos were shocked. They felt for King Sett.

'I am sorry for your loss', Trinidos said. 'I am sorry for the loss of any Morr soldier in the battle field. Their blood would not be shed in vein. For every Morr blood they spilled we shall massacre a thousand Morflon. Their wives, their children, none of them shall know peace until we strike our blades in their sides...! Since your son is gone, you alone would command the fleet here. I trust you would do well with the other army chiefs.'

While the Morrs were re-strategizing, the Morflon were gloating in triumph. They could not believe that they had been so successful. Some Morflon ran around, wearing Morr helmets and armour and mocking them. They packed up the corpses and burnt them, causing huge pillars of smoke which could be seen from a great distance. They just sat in small groups, chatting away; each narrating how he slit a Morr's throat or brought him down with his spear.

But not everyone shared in the excitement. Morriah lay in his tent, lost in thought. His countenance was sombre. Ozin walked in with one of his offspring to check on Morriah. On their way there, they came across some younger Morflon who were boasting about their exploits earlier in the day. Ozin was disgusted by their exuberance. He walked into their midst, causing them to be silent as they watched him walk around with a frown on his face. His offspring just stood at a distance, also watching.

'Happy you about today aren't you?' Ozin asked.

'Sure', the Morflon replied, unaware of where Ozin was headed with the question.

'How many Morrs were killed today?' Ozin asked.

'A hundred and five', they replied.

'It was a hundred and three', Ozin retorted. 'Do you know how many Morr soldiers remain?'

They were silent.

'They are still almost twice our number', Ozin said. 'And you stand here gloating. The war is far from over. I bet none of you killed any Morrs yourself. Just hiding at the rear... In a normal battle, creature like you always survive to tell the tale of the greats, those who gave their all and were struck down in the blaze of glory. But this is not a normal battle. If we do not win, the Morrs would hunt you down and kill you, your wives, your children, your heritage...'

He then stormed off with his offspring trying to catch up, leaving the others speechless.

When they got into Morriah's tent, they were surprised to see him the way he was.

'What is the matter?' Ozin asked as he drew nearer to Morriah. 'You should be celebrating like the oafs outside. What is wrong?'

'Nothing', Morriah said. 'I am happy that we won the battle, but I know the war is far from over. We killed over a hundred Morrs today, yet their number is still almost twice ours. I think about my family. Not a day goes by that I do not miss them. I think of Eric. Ai! I feel for him. He has been through a lot. He does not deserve this, my family does not deserve this... sometimes I wonder if I would ever see them again.'

'I do feel your pain', Ozin said. 'I loved going for battles, but anytime I went, one thing was always on my mind, burning my chest - my family. I wanted so bad to see them again. I thought about them day and night, wondering how they were faring without me... sometimes I still do... but one thing kept me going.'

Ozin then showed Morriah the battle scar on his chest.

'Every time I see this, I remember that I am fighting for them', Ozin said. 'Every time I felt these two stripes on my chest, I knew I was doing the right thing, I was fighting for my family, for posterity. I knew that if I did not fight, I might not have a family to go back to, but even if I died in battle, at least they have a chance to continue my name... Cheer up Morriah. You shall see your family again.'

'Morriah', Ozin's offspring said. 'Ever the thoughtful one...'

'Has anyone gotten word from Cylas?'Morriah asked.

'No', they replied. 'We have not heard from him since he left. He has not returned.'

'I was sceptical about his trip', Ozin said. 'I hope he is alright.'

'Maybe he has run away', Ozin's offspring said. 'You know these Rhos can never be trusted. Elder Azadus also warned us.'

'Be quiet!' Ozin scolded him. 'After all he has done, you still see him in such light. I am disappointed. You should know better than to listen to every word Elder Azadus says...'

Turning to Morriah he said, 'No offence Morriah.'

Returning to his offspring, he continued, 'He is weary of everything. He is so pessimistic. You should know that.'

There was a brief silence afterwards.

'Ai! All will be well', Morriah said. 'All will be well.'

# Chapter 18

### Clash of Warriors and Immortals

The Morr King Sett found it hard to sleep. He wept beside his son's corpse day and night. He became terribly quiet and his eyes reflected his dark desire for vengeance. He stopped taking care of himself and he was unkempt. He sat and watched while the army chiefs briefed him on their strategy for the next battle. He barely contributed to the strategy they proposed. Only one thing was on his mind - revenge. He anxiously awaited the next clash.

The next time the Morrs stormed the Tau tribe, King Sett sent a group of soldiers to fly around and scout. As usual, they saw no one. The Morrs began to shoot flaming arrows into the forest from the sky. They burnt the entire Tau tribe from the top. But the Morflon had left there. They were not going to play the same trick twice.

King Sett was furious as he inspected the ruins. He could have sworn the Morflon would still be there. He ordered the soldiers to level the ruins to dust. But that was not going to be the only time they would get the better of him.

In the dead of night, while the Morrs slept in camp, the Morflon sneaked in and attacked again. They killed hundreds in their sleep before the Morrs realised what was going on. The Morflon burnt the Morr tents and stole some of their weapons. Once again, the Morrs were bested. King Sett was confused. It was obvious the Morflon knew these parts a lot better than the Morrs; after all it was their home. They knew how to blend with their surroundings and spring up from nowhere with an ambush whenever they wanted. They were beginning to get the Morrs scared. In a final effort to salvage a victory, King Sett sent spies to track the whereabouts of the Morflon. In record time, they returned with favourable news for King Sett. Finally, he could fight them, face to face, no more surprise attacks.

King Sett marched his troops just beyond the Tau territory where the Morflon camped. The Morflon noticed Morr soldiers flying above them, pouring down some kind of fuel. The Morrs began to shoot flaming arrows down on the Morflon camp. The Morflon ran helter-skelter as they tried to avoid the heavy down pour of flaming arrows which set their camp ablaze. The Morflon began to shoot their catapults, hurling rocks at the flying Morrs, thereby temporarily reducing the downpour. But the Morrs soon found the catapults and one by one they brought them down. There was smoke and fire everywhere.

The Morflon tried to retreat, but they were surrounded by the Morrs who outnumbered them. The Morrs above stopped their downpour and came down to fight. A fierce battle ensued. King Sett, who was eager to smite Morflon with his blade, quickly drew his sword and joined the frenzy. He made his way seamlessly through the crowd of Morflon, smiting them with so much viciousness. He mowed several Morflon down with so much hatred and viciousness. The gory image of his dying son filled him with so much rage as he slaughtered the Morflon like livestock. The Morflon spears could not stop him as he skilfully used his sword to push the spear aside and aim for their throats. He knew how to aim for their throats in one strike as he went berserk on them. He killed so many Morflon that his armour was drenched in their blood. He moved through them like a hot blade through butter.

King Sett was not the only star on the battlefield. There were several others among whom was Morriah. In a stunning display of lightening quick agility, he banged on the Morrs. Morriah had a strong swing. With one bash from his club, he could crack a Morr's skull. He pounded on them, one by one, denting their helmets and leaving them fatally wounded. His speed was unrivalled. He used it to his advantage as he dodged the Morr blades and tactically deflected them with his club. He struck with precision, going for their jugular. Then there was Ozin. He moved the spear like it was a part of his body. He was one with it, poking Morrs with its pointy end. He beat the Morrs with the shaft of his spear, sweeping many off the ground. All Morrs were weary of him as he spun his spear, waiting for whom to attack next. He roared and jumped right back into action, sticking his spear through the neck of a Morr, right into his head. He went on and on, lifting the Morrs from the ground as he stabbed them with his spear. The drums of war had been rolled out and only those who could dance to its tune survived.

Along the line, Ozin and King Sett came in contact. The two titans stared each other in the eyes as they roared. Everything around seemed to fade into the background. For these two creatures, the war did not matter at the moment. They had a score to King Settle. They walked round, staring at each other, and each one waiting for the other to make the first move.

'I should have killed you', King Sett said. 'You and that human Eric'

'Nature had other plans for us', Ozin said. 'I wonder what it has in store for you'

'You will not be lucky this time', King Sett roared.

'We will see about that', Ozin replied.

Both creatures rushed instantly to attack each other. Ozin spun his spear and performed stunts, while King Sett used his sword to block his every attack. This process went on for a while until finally; Ozin used his spear to knock King Sett down.

'I heard about your son', Ozin said. 'It's a shame he did not make it. I would have loved to put a spear through his potty mouth.'

King Sett was furious. He rushed to attack Ozin. Ozin tried to block with his spear, but King Sett moved his blade so ferociously, Ozin lost grip of his spear. He had to resort to dodging as he tried to get back to his spear. Just before he grabbed his spear, King Sett swung his blade. Ozin barely managed to dodge it, but he lost some fur in the process. When he got back his spear, he went on the offensive. For a while, the battle seemed to be going in his favour. He bruised King Sett several times with his spear, although none of them were fatal.

'Really', Ozin complained. 'Is that the best you can do? Is this the one they call the king of the forest? Really! In all my battles you are the weakest leader I have faced.'

While Ozin was coming to attack, King Sett got the best of him. In the split second when Ozin's guard was down, King Sett plunged his sword into his chest.

'Of all the leaders you fought, I am the one that killed you', King Sett said, staring a shocked Ozin in the face and smiling.

King Sett's countenance soon changed as to his shock, Ozin head butted him. This disoriented him and made him stagger a few steps back. Ozin grimaced as he reeled in pain. When King Sett got himself, he brought out a dagger. He quickly ran and stabbed Ozin again. He held his head, still reeling from Ozin's head butt as Ozin howled in pain, slowly falling to his knees. He was about to stab him again when Morriah rushed to the rescue.

Morriah ran and slid on his knees, passing just behind King Sett. While he slid, he used his club to scoop King Sett's both legs off the ground. King Sett fell with a mighty thud. Morriah sat on top of King Sett and banged ferociously on him, hitting him several times on the head. He wept as he banged King Sett like a drum. Leaving an unconscious King Sett, Morriah went to Ozin who was coughing blood.

'Ai! Hold on Ozin', Morriah said. 'It will be fine... Just hold on... stay with me... please.'

Ozin was too weak to speak. He tried to talk, his body already getting cold. He began to cough and he was shivering. Finally, in Morriah's arms, he drew his last. He died with a smile on his face. Morriah wept amidst the ambient sound of clashing steel and ferocious roars. He howled in pain, totally oblivious of anything else.

He was still crying when he heard a Morflon yell; 'Trinidos is not here!'

He knelt there with Ozin's lifeless body, thinking about what he just heard. Where could Trinidos be? Surely the rubincense could not have made him stay away. Trinidos would have found a way to attack. After all, the Morrs had given them a surprise attack. Something was amiss.

Meanwhile, in the valley, I was reacting to the rubincense. I was shivering and sweating profusely. I was not myself as my consciousness was distorted. Euphina told Gaiel to take me out of that area. I slowly recovered as Gaiel lay me down at a distance from where the others were.

'Sorry Eric', Gaiel said. 'You are going to be alright.'

We were there when we began to hear footsteps. We hid in the bushes nearby. From there we saw the Morrs, led by Trinidos racing towards the valley. My heart was pounding as I saw them march past. We waited for them to pass as we could not afford to let them know we were there. Gaiel put me on his back and took me into a cave.

'Wait here', he said to me. 'I'll be back.'

Following another route, he raced back to the King Settlement to warn the others. Gaiel raced back screaming; 'The Morrs are here! Trinidos is here!'

The news was unbelievable. They did not want to believe him at first. Some stared at him as he told his mother and siblings that they had to run. Just then, the guards noticed the Morrs coming from a distance. They raced to attack them, trying to defend the fort. But they did not know it was a trap. The Morrs had split themselves into three groups. While the guards rushed to attack the first group of Morrs led by Trinidos, the other group, led by Oldric, came from the other side and held the unsuspecting Morflon hostage. The third group scoured the bushes in search of anyone hiding. Everyone panicked as the Morrs stormed in and forced them to their knees. The Morrs led by Oldric put out all burning rubincense.

The guards that went to attack Trinidos met a brutal death. They threw their smoke canisters at him. As usual, the canisters disoriented him. The soldiers on his flanks fought the Morflon guards as Trinidos got a hold of himself.

'I hate rubincense', he said.

Trinidos roared as he sprang into action. He slapped the Morflon guards, one by one. His slap packed a punch. The guards fell as one slap from Trinidos was enough to break their necks. He just sped past them, slapping them to death. One slap was enough to deal the fatal blow. Once they had taken out all the guards, Trinidos roared.

The Morflon were filled with trepidation as they saw Trinidos walk towards them, flanked by his soldiers. They had a surreal feeling as he walked by, looking at them with disdain. Some were so afraid, they passed out. The third group of Morr soldiers came with a handful of Morflon who they had caught in the woods. They brought me as well. I was taken before Trinidos. Azadus, Euphina and her children all had their jaws dropped as they watched, afraid of what Trinidos would do to me.

'So you are the one Sett raved about?' Trinidos asked, seemingly unimpressed. 'Apparently the Morflon like you as well... tell me, what is it about you that they all love so much? What makes you so special?'

I trembled as I stared at him. I was terrified. He had a larger than life persona. Compared to him, I was puny. I quivered as I looked into his steely eyes. He walked round me, stroking his beard while examining me. His countenance showed he was not impressed.

'King Sett nearly lost his throne because of you', Trinidos told me. 'He said there was something special about you. But after seeing you, you know what I think... How could someone as stupid as King Sett ascend the throne?'

He grabbed me and stuck his hands into my abdomen, digging into my body with his claws. I coughed out blood and blood also trickled down his fingers from my abdomen. He stuck his claws deeper into my innards. Everyone was shocked. Euphina wept. Gaiel sprung up to attack, but he was quickly brought down. He lay on the ground as some soldiers put a sword to his neck.

'You are just as pathetic as the Morflon', Trinidos said to me.

He removed his hand from my innards and left me to fall to the ground. I reeled in pain as I bled out on the ground, creating a pool around me. He began to walk round the Morflon again.

'No one would save you!' Trinidos bellowed. 'You shall join your males in the afterlife... that is if there is any for the likes of you.'

He then summoned Oldric.

'Kill them all!' He ordered Oldric. 'Burn down this King Settlement!'

Trinidos noticed Oldric did not move. He stood defiant, questioning the morality of Trinidos' order.

'I thought I just gave an order?' Trinidos yelled.

'Great one' Oldric begged. 'They are the vulnerable... the female and their young...'

'Are you challenging my authority?' Trinidos retorted.

Oldric was silent. Trinidos was furious.

'I would say this one last time', Trinidos roared. 'Kill them all!'

Trinidos' voice echoed around the valley as there was pin drop silence. Everyone, Morr and Morflon, watched to see what was going on. Oldric was silent.

'No', he replied when he finally summoned the courage.

Trinidos was furious. He roared as he moved to strike Oldric down. But Oldric was prepared. He opened a smoke canister which disoriented Trinidos again. The Morr soldiers were confused. The Morflon were shocked. They just watched on. Oldric began to chant the words to make Trinidos sleep. But Trinidos was able to knock Oldric down. Oldric lay on the ground while Trinidos got himself back.

'You insolent fool!' Trinidos yelled. 'I will pull out your treacherous tongue from your living body!'

Trinidos grabbed Oldric by the neck and forced his mouth open. He was about to put his hand into Oldric's mouth when an arrow hit him. Suddenly, smoke canisters were everywhere and the valley was red again. Much to the relief of the Morflon, Cylas had returned with help. A few creatures had agreed to help Cylas in the war, and boy did they come at the nick of time. All the Morflon ran helter-skelter, each trying to get as far away from the battle as possible while Cylas and his crew fought against the Morrs.

When the rubincense subsided, Trinidos got a hold of himself a little bit. He struggled to keep body and soul together (literally) as he knocked his enemies down one by one. In the heat of the battle, the rubincense was reduced to the barest minimum, much to the delight of Trinidos.

Gaiel too joined in on the action. When he saw a Morr trying to attack Lya, he disarmed the Morr and took his sword, killing him with it. Lya was stunned as she looked at Gaiel who was confused as it appeared to be the first creature he had ever murdered. They had not spoken to each other since their misunderstanding at the Rho clan so they felt rather awkward. They just stared at each other.

'Run Lya!' he said.

Lya took to her heels along with the other Morflon who did not really know where they were going. Recent activities had overwhelmed her and she did not want to be a part of the war.

Gaiel may have had a cocktail of emotions as he killed his first Morr, but that did not stop him from slitting more throats. Everything happened too fast for him to grapple with. He just went with it. He was eventually knocked down with a sword through his back.

All this while, I lay on the floor. My body became cold as my heart began to beat slower. I became dizzy as I saw blurry images of creatures running round the valley. I lay on the floor as I breathed my last. My eyes were wide open, but I saw nothing. My heart beat one last time... or so I thought.

A sudden flow of energy moved round me. My wounds began to heal rapidly. My bones grew larger and began to take another shape. Fur tore its way through my entire skin. My back began to bulge and soon a large pair of wings burst out. In a matter of seconds I was a Morr, not just any Morr - the immortal Radok. It turned out he woke up after all, and I was his vessel.

Radok roared as he came to life as though he felt a breath of fresh air. He took a piece of cloth and wrapped it round his waist. He began looking round for Trinidos who was really hard to miss as he slaughtered his opponents with so much panache. Radok made his way towards him, knocking down all who tried to attack him. He grabbed the unsuspecting Trinidos by his collar.

'What are you doing?' He asked Trinidos, looking straight in his eyes in disappointment.

Trinidos was stunned. He knew no mortal Morr could handle him the way Radok just did. Radok threw him down and roared in order to get the attention of all in the valley.

'Cease this foolishness!' he roared.

In time, a good number of the warring creatures paid attention to this commanding figure.

'Look at you two fighting', he continued. 'You are brothers, of the same ancestry'

'Who are you?' Trinidos asked. Frankly, he spoke the mind of everyone.

'I am Radok!' he replied much to the amazement of all.

'You lie!' Trinidos said. 'If you were Radok you would support this battle.'

'Just because I was a general does not mean I would encourage bloodshed', Radok retorted.

'Radok's body was never found', Trinidos said. 'You are a hoax!'

Trinidos tried to attack him. A battle ensued. Everyone soon came to a standstill as they all watched Radok and Trinidos slug it out. Trinidos was a skilled fighter, but Radok used military experience to subdue him. He knocked him to the ground, pinning him face down with his foot. Everyone took him seriously now.

'You should not fight each other', he yelled. 'You are one. You are...'

Radok thought of a name. Everyone's ears pricked up, eager to hear what Radok would christen them.

'You are... Murfs', He finally said.

They looked at each other, some nodding their heads.

'That's alright', some said.

'It has a nice ring to it', others said.

Radok was a good speaker. They listened to every word he said. But while he spoke, he loosened his grip on Trinidos who had just spotted a smoke canister nearby. Trinidos broke free and dashed for the canister. They both stared at each other, waiting for the first move.

Trinidos smiled as he thought he had the upper hand. So he thought. As expected, he removed the ring from the canister in a bid to throw it towards Radok, who was already flying in his direction. Radok pushed him down just before he could throw the canister. This caused the rubincense to engulf them both. Everyone watched as the drama unfolded. Pinning Trinidos to the ground, Radok chanted the words;

Farewell, you worthy child of nature

Go back to your slumber

Your children who you have nurtured

Bid farewell in so great a number

Go back to the places divine

Trinidos go back, go back

You have our permission to leave

Trinidos go back, go back

Radok was also disoriented as he chanted the words to make Trinidos sleep again. He fell on top of Trinidos.

In a short while, dust settled and the red fog was gone. All the creatures drew nearer, cautiously. They were clueless as to what was going on. They just stood there, gazing at the two immortals, lying unconscious on the ground. Radok's body transformed back to mine.

The Morr soldiers surrounded Oldric, who wondered what they were going to do to him. He gripped the handle of his sword, ready to unsheathe it for a showdown. He was soon put at ease as the soldiers genuflected to him. He was shocked. It was clear they shared his sentiments, most of them though.

The creatures put up a final front; each on either side, staring each other down as they snarled. On the side of the Morflon were Cylas, his allies, Azadus and the several surviving Morflon. The Morr side was led by Oldric.

'Your immortal Trinidos', Cylas said, pointing at his body on the ground.

'Your immortal Radok', Oldric replied, pointing at Radok's body.

They just scowled at each other, threatening to fight.

Oldric ordered his soldiers to take Trinidos' body and retreat. They did so while the Morflon stood guard, watching them. After a tumultuous afternoon, it appeared that the war was over.

# Chapter 19

### Aftermath

After several bouts filled with bloodshed, the war ended in a stalemate. Both parties lost important creatures to the war. The war was so tough that they had mutual respect for each other. Amidst all the gloom, there was a sigh of relief for the Morflon. It was a consolation to them that they did not all die as the odds appeared stacked against them then. They just picked up the pieces of their lives and started to rebuild their homes, their territories, their lives.

Every one mourned their dead. Cylas wept as he heard of Ozin's death; so did Ozin's offspring. A mass funeral was held for all the fallen heroes of the war. All their corpses were cremated. It was a tearful day. Before Ozin was cremated, several Morflon each took a strand of a piece of Ozin's hair in exchange for theirs. Morriah, Euphina, Cylas, Azadus and some of Ozin's offspring were part of them.

While several Morflon died, scores of Morflon were injured with varying degrees of severity. Gaiel was one of them. He was bedridden as he received treatment. By his bedside was Lya, who seemed to have put all grudges aside. Then there was me. I remained unconscious for a long while. No one knew what was wrong with me.

Morriah and Euphina kept watch of both Gaiel and I. Morriah had heard of everything that transpired in the valley. He was tending to my unconscious body one day when Cylas walked in.

'So it turned out that you were right', Cylas said to Morriah. 'He really is a special one Eric.'

'Ai!' Morriah said. 'I said it. I knew that he was the vessel Radok had chosen, but you were all quick to refuse that thought... Behold the man who saved us, the man who ended this battle.'

'I still wonder though', Cylas said. 'How is it possible that of all the creatures in the forest, he was the one chosen - an outsider who is not even from the forest?'

'I don't know', Morriah replied. 'I am just as confused as you are... You know, when I first came across Eric in the woods, I saw a creature that was going to die if I did not save him - a helpless creature. But now when I look at him, I see greatness, someone who is destined for something huge; someone who is going to do something that would shake the entire forest to its roots.'

'Do you think that Radok has left him?' Cylas asked. 'You know he was exposed to a lot of rubincense.'

'Ai! I don't think so', Morriah said. 'Although it is a possibility, one cannot say for sure. But I do know that the immortal Radok has chosen Eric to be his vessel. And he cannot use any other vessel until Eric is dead, and by dead I mean a natural death. So long as Radok is awake in him, he would not let Eric die through any unnatural means.'

'The immortal Radok must surely be kind', Cylas said. 'Someone like Trinidos would have taken over his body and rendered Eric as good as dead. Radok, on the other hand waited for the right time before coming out. He might not have come out if Eric was not in danger.'

'Ai!' Morriah said. 'I believe that the immortal Radok could see through Eric's eyes and that though he was not physically present, he was fully aware of everything going on since we woke him up.'

'True', Cylas said.

'He mentioned a word, a collective name for us and the Morr. He called us Murfs', Morriah said. Eric called us the same thing. Just before we began to prepare for battle, he mentioned that name when we were chatting. He said it should be our collective name.'

'Seems like the immortal Radok agrees', Cylas said.

They both smiled.

'I don't know what happened to Eric', Morriah said. 'But I hope he recovers soon.'

The Morflon may have been having a tough time, but they were not the only ones. The entire Morr fortress was in a standstill for days. Everyone mourned the death of their loved ones. A few sympathisers mourned Trinidos. King Sett did not die. Somehow, he survived the pummelling Morriah gave him. But he was badly wounded. He had multiple fractures including a crack in his skull. He was bedridden. He was pretty much a vegetable, nearly brain dead. Their best physicians took care of him, trying to resuscitate him; but everyone knew his chances for survival were slim. His future on the throne was bleak.

One by one, several Morrs began to scheme for the throne. The most notable amongst them was Lord Buron who began to act as regent. He used his new found position to consolidate his grip on the throne. He began to make allies and put strategies in place to ensure his smooth transition to the throne.

While the king's courtiers vied for power, Nyra spent her days and nights by King Sett's bedside. She wept for days without end, hoping that somehow, through some miracle, King Sett would recover fully. She was at his bedside one day when Oldric walked in. He too was weighed down by King Sett's anguish.

'Such a barbarian', Oldric lamented. '...whoever did this to the king. The creature must have felt a lot of hatred for him.'

Nyra just sat by King Sett's side, sobbing.

'Take heart sister', Oldric tried to comfort Nyra. 'All will be well.'

Nyra collapsed in his arms as she broke down. For one who had cried so long, one would have thought she would have stopped mourning, but it seemed her stream of tears just got wider with each day.

'But you have to keep your eyes open', Oldric continued. 'Certain Morrs are eyeing your husband's throne... Don't look surprised. You should have seen this coming.'

Nyra was further saddened by Oldric's news.

'You are King Sett's wife', Oldric continued. 'You are the queen and only surviving member of his family. His brother is dead, Egon is dead. You are all that is left. You are the rightful heir to the throne, should King Sett not make it.'

'Don't say that', Nyra retorted, slowly distancing herself from Oldric. 'Why would you say that?'

'I want him to live', Oldric said. 'Honestly! I would give anything to see him recover again, but I know that the chances are bleak. Some might even want to kill him, but I have put measures in place to prevent that. However, even so, there is a limit to what we can control.'

'Don't speak like that!' Nyra yelled. 'Don't be pessimistic! He will live...! He will live!'

She broke down in tears. Oldric moved to comfort her, but she refused. He just stood there with a heavy heart.

After about one moon, things began to look up. The Morflon had already begun to rebuild from the rubbles left from the war. Cylas stayed in the Alpha clan until Gaiel was well. But he soon had to leave so he could start up a new life. Before he left with his daughter, Morriah's family and Ozin's came out to bid him farewell. Gaiel was still recovering from his wounds, though he was a lot stronger. He still had bandages.

'You have been so nice to me', he said to them. 'I am eternally grateful.'

'Oh please Cylas', they replied. 'You played a major part in our battle against the Morrs. You saved our wives and children. We are the ones who should be eternally grateful.'

'I was only doing my duty to my kind', Cylas said.

'No need to show such modesty' Azadus said. 'You know we speak the truth.'

'Stay with us' Euphina said.

'As much as I want to I cannot', Cylas replied. 'The Rho territory may have been destroyed, but it is my home. And I intend to build it back to its former glory.'

'How do you intend to do so?' Ozin's family asked. 'Would it not be better to stay here?'

'Have no fear', Cylas replied rather calmly. 'We Rhos are good at starting from the scratch. It is not the first time we have suffered such, although it has never been to this magnitude... Don't worry about us, we will be fine.'

Lya said goodbye to the children in Ozin's family and Gaiel. When she got to him, they stared at each other in silence.

'You saved my life', she told him. 'I would miss you.'

'You take care', Gaiel replied, trying to hide his emotions.

They embraced each other.

'Some other time eh', Gaiel said.

'Some other time', Lya replied before going to meet her father who was also embracing everyone.

'I guess it is goodbye then', Cylas said.

'Ai! Till we meet again', Morriah said.

It was a very emotional moment, the Morflon watching Cylas go with his daughter and his surviving stewards. But they were not the only ones leaving. Morflon from the other destroyed clans also went back to pick up from where they stopped, to start from nothing.

Both Morrs and Morflon had tasted the bitter side of war and they had grown weary of it. All they wanted was to move on, to rebuild and to get over the pain that gnawed at them. It was a time of great uncertainty for all. The total ambience was dull with nothing but hope for a better future. Both sides had their issues to contend with, thus for now all was relatively calm. The only question on everyone's mind was 'for how long?'

Epilogue

It was the dead of night. The streets were empty as everyone had retired for the day. The sound from nocturnal creatures echoed all over the otherwise silent fortress. But not all Morrs were at rest. A hooded Morr walked briskly into an alley looking over his shoulder to see whether he was followed. After surveying the area, he slipped through a hidden doorway. The doorway led to an abandoned hall. The hooded Morr walked in to behold a few other hooded Morrs seated round a dim light from a dying fire. He took a seat amongst them.

'Were you followed?' the one who appeared to be their leader asked.

'No', he replied.

'Good', the leader said.

Turning to the others, he said 'The immortal Trinidos was put back to sleep. Our efforts at destroying the Morflon have been rendered futile'

'Trinidos failed us', one of them said.

'No!' their leader said. 'Trinidos did his best. Everyone knows that it was the immortal Radok that saved the Morflon... Who would have thought that they would think to wake an immortal...? Who even knew Radok was an immortal...? What baffles me the most is that an immortal took sides with them...? Until now I almost certainly believed that no immortal would come to their aid.'

'We underestimated them', another said.

'Indeed', their leader said. 'Now we are back to where we started. Prince Egon is gone. It is such a shame. We had just recruited him. He was instrumental in our plan to wake Trinidos... He proved very useful to us. Now all we have left is that obstinate King Sett...'

'He lies helplessly on his sickbed', one of them said. 'We could just put him out of his misery and put one of us on the throne, one who would do the bidding of the order.'

'Yes', their leader agreed. 'Now is our chance. We shall strike while the iron is hot.'

###

Thank you for reading my book. I really do hope you had fun. If you enjoyed it, why don't you take a moment to leave me a review on your favourite retailer? Spread the word! And yes, be sure to look out for **Legend of the Murfs: Helmet of the Rhine King** , the next in the series coming out in future.

Thanks!

Mark Omodia

