CHAPTER 7 (Part one)
Four days later, they finally reached Cental and Mahnu was convinced that, somehow, The Chest of the G.o.d"s has already been found and opened. The people being controlled was evidence that a G.o.d was somewhere.
As they had come this way, she had come across more people thinking only about finding the tablet but otherwise their mind was completely blank.
Cental was still busy with daily routines but Mahnu knew that the town had mindless people in it just by looking around.
They changed horses, Mahnu also allowing William a short rest as she tried not to think of anything and they continued east. As they travelled close to Brackan, more and more people were blank, making it known from which direction they were coming from.
During Mahnu’s travel towards the north east, the King was trying to wonder how he should feel. Due to this, Mahnu could feel his suffering.
He was mostly worried about how he should act so not to chase her away. He had no doubt there were many sorrows she had come across that he may not be able to help with.
Would it be asking her too much for her to stay beside me? Especially when I know that she is immortal now...She wouldn"t grow old and die like me...Is it a completely selfish request? Maybe...I should let her go...
King Richard became conflicted with his thoughts and, sometimes, they overflowed into his actions and people became aware that something was wrong.
He had travelled back to Conrella but spent much time alone and rarely spoke to anyone outside of his duties. Marcus was sure that since the King had become aware of The Siege, he had changed. He decided to simply watch him and make sure that nothing embarra.s.sing happened to the King that he may regret afterwards. Having so much news known to him might have been too much and Marcus wanted to make it up to him but was unsure how.
He watched as the King continue his duties and noticed that he was drinking more then he used to. Marcus was unable to tell whether he should try to get his Majesty to confide in him or to hope that he might do so himself. But as the days went on, the King persisted to remain temperamental.
***
Mahnu finally arrived at Brackan and stared at the mindless people walking around.
How had she not noticed? They might not suffer but surely why didn’t I notice the whole town becoming like this?
She hated herself for spending her time in other areas. Her opinion of the other towns needing more help than this one, was very wrong! Had she not come here to get meat at some stage recently? No, she thought. When she was at Nowell all those years, she had decided against meat and got rice and wheat instead, thinking it would have been better for the humans.
Mahnu sighed unhappily and was interrupted by William, whom she had forgotten was by her side. William had seemed to become the perfect travelling partner. He was always doing what he thought was best for her and their situation. His thoughts were simple and didn"t make her existence harder. She had even gotten used to them. But he knew, even though he was human, that something bad was happening.
“There’s something wrong here.”
“Yes. Change your horse and get it ready, you’ll be riding at full speed towards the capital shortly.”
He looked startled but nodded.
"I"ll meet you at the inn there, when you"re ready." He said pointing.
William had grown to like Mahnu as she seemed so determined. He still did not understand what was going on but he trusted her and the importance of what they were doing.
Already exhausted, William tended to the horses to trade for another fast one. Once the saddle was in place, he went to get some food and water for his trip.
After he was completely ready to leave at any given notice, he climbed into a bed at the inn, to wait for Mahnu to return.
Mahnu ran through the town trying to track down where the G.o.d’s were hiding.
It is all confirmed, she thinks. There are definitely G.o.d’s making slaves out of the people here in Brackan...But where were they?
Following one of the slaves, Mahnu finally found two G.o.d’s. Shaking her head, Mahnu hated that she had found evidence to prove that she had been right. They were in front of her eyes now, she could no longer deny it and think history wasn"t going to repeat itself.
She remembered them as Thelmos, a lazy male G.o.d and Eliza, a female l.u.s.t G.o.d. Both, in which, had power to make slaves. But it was mostly the slaves of Thelmos that were looking for the tablet, as Eliza"s slaves were different. The powers of the G.o.d"s are connected to their personalities, meaning the slaves of Thelmos might be slow but they were easy to manipulate, just like Thelmos. But, Eliza"s slaves had a slight temper and preferred to appease to s.e.xual desire, like Eliza herself. To that, most of Eliza"s slaves were male and they fought for her attention.
Mahnu overhears them talking about the tablet and other small details before she decides to return to where William was sleeping. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, she was surprised that it had taken so long to find them. It was already dark now as she came in through the window, near William, and searched for ink and parchment.
Mahnu wrote to Marcus and woke William up, telling him to not give the letter to anyone else and to ride as fast as he could.
"I know you are probably hungry and in need of rest. But..."
"Understood, I will go. You can count on me." William nodded before picking up the bag, that was prepared earlier, and left.
Mahnu turned to the town, that now had so many mindless people, and knew she was heading towards something that could result in torture...But she was resolved to try and talk things through first. She also needed some time to figure out what was going on...If by chance she could find out if there was more G.o.d"s or if they had found a way to open The Chest of the G.o.d"s and anything about the tablet, it was something only she could do.
Their residence was quite unusual but Mahnu didn"t care to waste time and continued through a window. It had been over a thousand years, and now, she finally stood before two of her own kind and they recognized her straight away.
"So...it was true...One of our own kind..." Eliza stuttered.
"Mahnu?" Was all Thelmos said, neither surprised or emotional.
Eliza stopped him walking towards her and said, "Why are you here?"
"I want to ask you to stop using humans as slaves and live together with them as..."
"What? Friends?" Eliza interrupted and then spat on the floor. "We are their master"s! They need to beg for mercy from us, their G.o.d"s!"
Mahnu sighed in her head and continued, "Is there anything that will change your mind, sister?"
Eliza charged at her, "I"m not your sister!"
As Mahnu lost consciousness, due to her neck breaking, she heard Eliza spit again and say, "You...Betrayer!"
During the onslaughts of pain from her own kin, Mahnu stopped talking again. They tortured her to a point that humans would have died countless times and that G.o.d"s could not stop feeling an enormous, unstoppable pain. Their thoughts and feelings went through her as well, making her wish that she wasn"t immortal.
How could you? To us!? With those puny humans! Break her for every G.o.d she betrayed! Break her for every human she saved! Make her hate the humans, that"s right, Mahnu, if you want to blame someone for the pain you feel right now, it"s the human"s fault!
A small spark of hope ignited in her when she heard Richard"s sufferings and it helped Mahnu calm down. She was able to ignore their pressure to hate the humans and to start thinking rationally about her next step.
***
William rode to where the King was with Marcus in the palace. Even though horses weren’t allowed, he rode till the door, and ran to Marcus with Mahnu’s letter.
Marcus waved to the guards chasing after William and hurried to open the letter.
“What is it that someone rode a horse here?”
William bowed to the King, “I apologize your Majesty.”
The King was silent and when Marcus finished reading, he knew something was wrong.
“William, ride to Havlish and gather the army. Ride to Brackan and I’ll meet you there, I expect to see you within four weeks near the river, just outside of the town. Understood?...Wait!” Marcus looked over William"s face and saw that he was already exhausted. "Bring another to me, I"ll get them to do it, then you can go have a rest."
William? The King thought.
“Yes, Sir!” William said, running off. Meeting another of the Loyal Royal Knights just outside of the room, he told them to go inside for the leader"s orders.
Leaning against the wall, William fell limp against it and then found himself falling to the ground. He had stopped minimal times and had very little sleep. Because he had rode so fast, he had to change horses three times because they had gotten too tired to continued further. William had never been so hungry or tired in his life but when he had heard his leader say something about the army, he knew he had done the right thing. It had been that important that the whole Loyal Royal Army is getting involved and he couldn"t believe he still didn"t understand what was going on.
His head finding the ground, William felt himself drift into sleep. It didn"t even matter that he wasn"t on a bed, that was how tired he was...His last thoughts were of Mahnu and why she had stayed behind...
Marcus sighed and shock his head. After giving such an order, it still didn"t seem real that the land of Kralaide was slowly getting overtaken by G.o.d"s again.
“What is it? He was the one with Mahnu wasn’t he? Let me read the letter!”
Marcus hesitated but gave King Richard the letter.
‘Marcus, it has been confirmed that in Brackan there are two G.o.d’s. It is unconfirmed if there are more or if The Chest of the G.o.d"s has been opened or found. The people here are slaves to them and I have not found the governor. I am going to try and talk to them, as a war as big as The Siege should never happen again but to also try to get more information. On the case that I am unsuccessful, please, you must get a lockable box made from both gold and silver. As long as it has those key ingredients it doesn"t matter where you get it from or how big it is. I will meet back with you as soon as I can. Mahnu.’
The King looked up at Marcus, “What? She intends to talk to them?”
Marcus sneered, “She is a fool! If they have the tablet and find out who she is, they will not talk! Peace will not happen!"
The King stood up and started to Pace. “Are you saying...They will torture her?”
Marcus sighed, “Yes, I would a.s.sume so your Majesty.”
“We have to save her!” The King said, stopping his pacing.
Marcus still didn’t quite understand the relationship they had. Had he spent so much time with Mahnu to worry over her to this extent? If that was the case how could I not know?
“Yes, Your Majesty. I have already dispatched someone to get the Loyal Royal Knights Army. As you saw yourself.”
“I will join you!” The King said.
“It’s dangerous! They are immortal and strong, Your Majesty!”
“I don’t care! I’m going to retrieve her!” The King said stubbornly.
Marcus breathed hard, “Your Majesty please reconsider! You are this lands King! If something were to happen to you…”
The King interrupted, “And you told me that without Mahnu, Kralaide would not have any free humans! How can I sit idle when she is in danger!”
“What are you speaking of?”
Marcus and the King turned to the Queen standing in the doorway.
“Im…Immortal? Free humans…I don’t understand. Mahnu? Isn’t that…”
“My Queen, please don’t repeat what you have learnt here and leave.” The King said, sighing loudly.
“But…Your…”
The King interrupted her again, staring at her intently, “I will not repeat myself!”
The Queen stared at him, dumbfounded, she had never seen him this cold before.
In stunned silence, she bowed and left.
...What...? The Queen slowly walked away and tried to understand what was going on...But none of it made any sense.