The Five Calamities

Chapter Two

Ahlan hated the council room with passion, though the room itself was a testament to great architectural minds of Zaid kingdom that designed it.

The room was a complete circular hollow space, with a domed glass roof, with gold tinted glass, that covered the entire room in golden light. White marble pillars held the entire roof and were at an evenly spaced interval around the perimeter of the room, with each marble pillar having carvings of water spirits engraved in them, a sign of respect to the Ring of Waters that gave this kingdom its power and prestige.

The floor was the color of the ocean, with a focal point emerging from the center of the room and bursting outwards, climbing up the walls in waves topped with foam. And at the point where the roof met the walls, a single line of silver was the horizon line at which the blue sea met the golden skies of the roof.

Ahlan could spend the entire day just looking at the carvings on the marble pillars, and the waves that rose to touch the sky, however, what he hated about the council room was the way the seats had been arranged. There was a high-raised throne where the king sat and his council men and advisors fanned out around him, forming a crescent moon shape.

Ahlan thought the seats were arranged in such a manner to invoke a sense of intimidation on whoever was standing before, and below, the council men, while they looked down at that person, feeling high and mighty in themselves.

The throne was gilded in gold and silver, the council men's seats more silver than gold, and before the crescent seats, the wartable with a map of the kingdom and all its features.

Something about the seats' arrangement made Ahlan think that the reason why it was so was so that the council men could look down, literally, upon the person who was before them. And at that time, it was none other than Ahlan himself.

"Ahlan, my boy," the King's voice sounded from his rather too shiny chair.

Ahlan bowed gracefully before the king and spoke, "May your reign be long and prosperous, your Majesty, and may the waters of Zaid show favour upon you and your Kingdom." The words rolled out of his mouth without so much as hesitation. They were spoken more from habit than actual respect for the monarch.

"Yes, yes," the king dismissed his pledge with a wave of his hand, "I am more interested in hearing what you have to say about the waters in Zaid turning bitter. My subjects are complaining and since you are the holder of the Ring of Waters, surely you must know what is causing this, don't you?" The question was directly accusing him of turning the water bitter, and right beside the King, prince Crek snickered as if trying to stifle a laugh.

'Of course that fat pig pinned the blame on me,' Ahlan thought bitterly towards the prince. 'Should he tempt one more time, I will drown him in his bath.'

"I am as confused as you are, your Majesty," Ahlan answered, head still bowed. "However, I am trying my best to find out what the cause might be." Even as he spoke, he could hear the words of the Calamity of Water in his head. This is just the beginning of my revenge. He shuddered at that uncomfortable thought.

The king smacked his lips, "Your best is not good enough!" He barked.

"Father...?"

'The fat pig just had to open its mouth...' Ahlan thought in exasperation as prince Crek stood from his seat, and came to stand beside Ahlan.

"I actually have a proposal to ensure our dear Ahlan here does his work excellently," the prince said has he placed his hand on Ahlan's shoulder, who wanted to shrug it off and take a bath in a vat of acid just to wash himself clean of prince Crek.

"Well speak up boy," the king ordered.

An unspoken rage passed through Crek's eyes and then returned to normal, had Ahlan not been looking at the prince, he would not have seen that reaction.