The Corin Chronicles Volume I: The Light and the Dark (30 page)

“I have to say, General,” cut in Abaros. “For the commander of the armies of Corin, you show very little courage. True, it may be an impossible task. But would you not like to try to save this planet, even if it means sacrificing a few young men? We are already planning to do that with the summons scheduled to start tomorrow, and that is without just cause.”

“If you do not mind me asking, Lord Abaros,” said the prince. “How do you know the location of the Philosophers?”

“My young prince, many years ago I crossed into the dark side, where my party were all killed by the Kronos, who we know as the winged creatures of the dark Corin sky. They left me for dead, and I would have died indeed, had it not been for the Philosophers. They saved my life and returned me to the Light World.”

“You mean you actually saw them?” Prince Ramon said.

“Not in the traditional sense, no.” Abaros took two more sips from his goblet. “They came to me in my dreams, through a vision, as I was crossing the boundary between life and death. That is how I came to know where they are imprisoned. They told me that I had a higher purpose to serve, and that it was not my time to die. They told me that the time was approaching for Corin to become the great planet it once was. That is why I started to seek higher position in the council, to see their words fulfilled. I thought the sacrifices of all the firstborn men might be enough to bring about the return of our gods, but now… I believe your coming here is a sign that we must go over to the Dark World and bring the Philosophers back to where they truly belong. Only the Philosophers can help us now.”

“Enough of this!” screamed General Kratz. “Do you realize what that will mean? It could take weeks, months, just to reach the Caves of Sena. Must I remind you that we would have to cross the River Crasus, with all the serpents of the sea? We would then need to cross the great desert, where the Kronos will kill everything that roams in the dark. And, if somehow we manage to get past them, there is the small case of two Noboros we must defeat. I would go to the depths of eternity for our great planet, but an entire army could fall in such a mission, leaving us further weakened before our enemies.”

“With all due respect, General,” interrupted the Prince authoritatively. “I have studied the Dark World all my life. I have trained to serve Corin since the day of my birth, and I believe it can be done.”

Silence fell over the room for a few seconds, before Abaros began to clap loudly, while nodding his head at the Prince. “Your bravery humbles me, young prince. If it were my will, I would have requested that Master Ndu made you a full Colonoy by now. Truly, you are the future of this great planet.”

“Thank you, Lord Abaros,” said the Prince, smiling.

“I thank the both of you for seeking my counsel on this matter,” said Abaros. He approached the door. “We will continue with the ritual as planned, my young prince, but I will discuss this with your father at that time.”

“Again, I thank you, Lord Abaros,” said Ramon. “That is all I ask.”

“That will be all, gentlemen.” Abaros clapped twice, and his servant reappeared. “Please see the prince and the general out,” he said.

With a hopeful smile, Prince Ramon calmly walked out of the chambers with his head held high.

4.5

T
HE
R
ITUAL

T
he day of King Oncelot’s infamous ruling had finally arrived. Across the Light World of Corin, emotions flared, and the cities plunged into a heightened state of unrest. Families were torn apart, and mothers wept into the skies, but the king’s mind remained fixed.

As his servants dressed him in his royal armor in preparation for the sacrifice, Oncelot’s mind went back to happier times, when he first held Ramon as a baby. He distinctly remembered the joy he felt, knowing that his children were born at a time of peace within Corin. Upon assuming the duties of king, he certainly knew that everything would change, but never did he imagine having to sacrifice his only son.

The king suddenly noticed that the servants had stopped dressing him. He looked up to see his beautiful, elegantly dressed queen had entered the room.

“Could you give me a moment with my husband please?” Mariam said.

As the servants vacated the room, the king walked toward the window overlooking the great Sea of Corin. He could not look directly into the face of his wife. Although he felt justified in the action he was about to carry out, he had known all along that it would forever change his relationship with his queen.

“Can you not even look at me, Oncelot?” muttered Mariam with the utmost disgust. “You have not spoken to me in days. You plan to sacrifice our son, and yet you cannot talk to me. Please help me understand why.”

“My love, I fear you will never understand why I am doing this.” Oncelot approached her.

“But that is just it. I do understand. It is that weasel, Abaros. You are afraid he will take over your kingdom. But please, Oncelot, do not let him make you sacrifice your only son. It will destroy you. It will destroy us.”

“Please, Mariam. You have to understand that I have no other choice here.” Oncelot held on to Mariam’s right arm. “Abaros is the reason I am king. He is the reason the plot of the Simieran Pirates to murder me failed. I owe him my life and this kingdom.”

“But he is not the king. You are,” she snapped. “Do what you feel you must to repay him for saving your life, but do not sacrifice your only son.”

Oncelot turned away from Mariam, his face in his hands. “There is no other way, my love. I have thought of every eventuality, and we have no choice but to proceed.”

“But why must it be our only son? You know that the ritual will kill any host the hyper lord rejects. Even if he is the one, he will be gone forever. There will be nothing to remember him by, for our eyes will only see the Hyper Lord of Sand.”

“If there is any man in Corin who is suitable for a match with one of the hyper lords, then who else besides our brave son?” Oncelot said. “It must be Ramon, and that is why he must be first. I cannot allow other innocents to be sacrificed to spare my son.”

“But why do this at all?” asked Mariam. Tears streamed down her face. “We do not need to bring back the gods. For five thousand years, we have lived without them. Why should you be the one to change that?”

“I am not having this conversation, Mariam. I know what I have to do, and Ramon knows what is expected of him.”

“If that is really what you believe, then do not expect me to stand by your side while you kill our son.”

“But you have to be there, my love,” said Oncelot. “We need to show the people of our planet that we always stand together, even at such painful times. It will send a message.”

“What kind of message?” asked Mariam sternly. “That I married a weak fool? That I married a man who will let a monster like Abaros dictate his actions? No, this is your decision, and only you can make it. I still have hope you will do the right thing. I really do.”

Mariam turned and stormed out of the room, leaving the king in a cloud of thoughts. He knew of no other alternative, and his increasing difficulty to refuse any of Abaros’s requests continued to haunt him. The required course of action was clear, but it deeply troubled him. Within the recesses of his mind, however, he truly believed that Ramon remained the only candidate capable of surviving a bond with Simus. He must proceed, even though it meant never seeing his son’s face again.

A sea of spectators gathered inside the Royal Palace of Tustodes, awaiting the potential return of the once great gods of Corin. There were literally thousands crammed within the large, open courtyard. The entire Corin army was present, along with all the royal subjects. Outside the castle walls, many thousands more waited for any news that the sacrifice of the firstborn children of Corin would fulfill its purpose and resurrect the Hyper Lord Simus.

With many in the crowd growing restless, scuffles broke out between rival factions. The fracas went on for a short time, but the noise gradually turned to silence and attention, when King Oncelot emerged from the long corridor leading from the castle’s inner chambers. He was clad in the finest armor of Corin, molded directly from the mountains of Anobis. The breast and backplates were solid gold, with the leg plates a deep, black metal. To the shock of all the spectators, he was accompanied by his radiant wife, Mariam, who wore a long, red gown, with dark shading on her left arm.

The royal couple emerged with a distinctive look of gloom and anguish, much to the mixed reaction of the awaiting crowds. Closely behind the King of Corin followed the astutely postured Abaros, who walked with his head held high.

The three walked to the raised platform at the edge of the courtyard, where they had a complete view of the restless spectators standing a few feet beneath them. Silence gripped the crowd, as the king and queen settled into their seats. Abaros made sure he was clearly visible to everyone, by taking a seat directly beside King Oncelot. Before, he had been known for shunning public spectacle, content to remain in King Oncelot’s shadow, but on this occasion, he deliberately placed himself in the forefront.

As the royal party sat in silence, restlessness began to set into the crowd once more. Some began chanting, but this was interrupted by sudden flashes of light, followed by thunderous noises. Moments later, a full parade entered the gates of the courtyard. Scantily dressed women rode upon a team of Ekons, their two enormous tusks, huge oval-shaped ears, and massive frames dwarfing their petite riders. They were followed by Raelos, Samanas, and Koaers, all different species of flying birds, and each chirping and twittering their own distinctive tones.

The crowd quickly fell back, as the entertainment progressed toward the royal box. The parade continued for several minutes and began to lift the mood in the castle. Before long, the crowd got involved, with young men assisting the ladies in their routines. Queen Mariam watched the spectacle, now in full swing, and thought back to happier times in Corin. Through her tears, she glared at her husband, searching for any kind of emotion. In that moment she realized that the love of her life was no longer within the body of the man sitting next to her. All she could see on his face was blind patriotism.

As the parade continued, Mariam rose from her chair and stood directly in front of her husband. Both the king and Abaros looked up at her in bewilderment. Mariam calmly turned and gazed over the masses before her, and the celebration came to a sudden halt, as everyone within the castle became quiet and still with anticipation.

Having gained the crowd’s attention, the queen slowly knelt down in front of King Oncelot, taking hold of his palm. “My love,” said Mariam, as tears streamed down her face. “It is not too late to stop this. I know you no longer see anything past your great planet anymore, but I beg you to reconsider. There must be another way.”

The king opened his mouth to speak, but halted himself. He knew the crowd was watching, along with his council, who had assumed their positions on either side of the courtyard. “I wish there was another way, my love,” he said finally. “But it will show the utmost hypocrisy if I spare my own son, after condemning all these other young men to the same fate.”

“Then why do you not simply stop this debacle?” Mariam turned her attention to Abaros. Her voice took on an icy tone. “I know all this is happening because of you! Your meddling has become a cancer. Now my husband stands ready to kill his own son to satisfy your quest for power.”

“ENOUGH!” shouted the king. He rose from his seat and lifted his wife to her feet. “No more words. This is the only option. There is no other way.”

“That is not entirely true, my lord,” uttered Abaros. He flicked his beard as he spoke.

The king looked at him with an expression of shock and confusion. “I do not understand,” he said. “Only the gods can select a host for their hyper lords. What else can we possibly do?”

“There is another legend besides that of Siroco.” Abaros stood up and approached the king. “It is rarely spoken of, my lord, but true nonetheless.”

“I am listening,” said the king, sitting back down.

“As you know, during the confinement of our great gods, there were those known as the Philosophers who were imprisoned within the Caves of Sena, under the guard of the Noboros.”

“Noboros?” said the queen, her eyes widening.

“Yes, my queen,” replied Abaros. “You are right to be frightened at the mention of their name. They guard the Philosophers, who are among the immortals and have the power of foresight, as well as other magical abilities. I believe they could help us find a host to bring back the hyper lords.”

Queen Mariam cut in, “But the Dark World is certain death for whoever goes there.”

“It is very dangerous, my lady, but rescuing the Philosophers from their prison in the Dark World may be the only other option to today’s sacrifice.” Abaros turned to Oncelot. “I will not lie to you, Lord King. Such a mission would likely cost the lives of many young warriors, but the Philosophers served our great planet at the time of Baran, so they will know what needs to be done.”