“Father, come look at this,” Prince William called out as he scanned the map. The king headed toward him, curiosity piqued. William pointed to a tiny land, barely visible on the map. “Wait, how did we miss that?” the king muttered to himself, eyes narrowing. “We’ve been searching all this time, and yet there it is… a place we never considered.”
The bitter cold had taken its toll on the villagers of Zayd, and though the sun finally made an appearance that day, the chill clung stubbornly to the air. The sea’s proximity only deepened the cold. One villager, out in the mountains gathering herbs, squinted at the horizon. Something was moving—large ships, their sails cutting through the water toward the village.
"They are here... I smell blood." Ellen’s voice came out of nowhere, startling the others. She had been frozen for a moment, standing alongside Eva, Zayn, and Kyle at the market.
"Huh? Who are here? What are you talking about?" Eva asked, frowning.
Ellen’s eyes widened with urgency. "We need to hide. Now." Her voice cracked with desperation, leaving the others confused.
Suddenly, the villager from the mountains came sprinting into the square, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The Roudans are here! They're here!"l
Panic spread like wildfire as villagers scattered in all directions. Doors slammed shut, market stalls abandoned in haste.
"Those blood-sucking leeches," Eva cursed under her breath as they bolted toward home.
Once inside, Kyle glanced at Ellen, still visibly shaken. "They’re pretty harmless if you cooperate. All they want is money, nothing else." His words, though calm, did little to ease the tension. The family gathered, confusion painted on their faces. "What's going on?" their mother demanded, sensing the unease in the air.
"The Roudans," Zayn answered grimly.
"No," Ellen interjected, her voice low and foreboding. "They are not Roudans... but something much worse." She looked around the room, her expression darkening. A cold fear settled over them all.
“We need to get everyone out of here as soon as possible,” Ellen urged, her voice tight with fear.
“And how are we going to do that?” Zayn challenged, arms crossed, his skepticism clear.
Ellen paced, her mind racing for a solution, but before she could answer, the ominous creaking of ships docking reached their ears. From the windows, they watched as the crew disembarked.
“Where is everyone? The place seems abandoned,” Prince William remarked, his sharp eyes scanning the eerily empty village.
“Hiding, I assume,” the king replied with a cold smirk. “Perhaps they were warned of our approach. No matter. Today, we take what we came for.”
“People of Zayd, we mean no harm! We just seek answers to a few questions. Cooperate, and you will be spared!” William’s voice boomed across the village, echoing through the narrow streets.
The king, however, was preoccupied with something else. His gaze swept over the landscape, his brow furrowed. “The unholy religion… its stench lingers heavily in the air,” he muttered to himself. “I see no temples, but the people’s hearts are tainted. They hide it well, but I can feel it.”
Summoning one of his men, the king whispered something in his ear. The man nodded and hurried off, his steps quick and deliberate.
“People of Zayd, I will say this once more: we mean no harm,” the prince repeated, though the tension in his voice hinted otherwise.
A young boy, trembling with curiosity, peeked through a window. His heart pounded as he took in the sight of the strange visitors. Quickly, he ducked back down and whispered to his parents, who clutched a younger girl tightly.
“Those aren’t the Roudans,” he whispered, his small voice trembling. “They’re much scarier than them.”
“Who are they?” Xavier asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“King Idris and his son, Prince William,” Ellen explained, her voice barely above a whisper. “They rule over Eris, where I come from. I assume they’ve come for the map to Arika. From what I’ve heard, the king has been searching for the Midorian stone—it’s said to have vanished to Arika long ago. If they get their hands on that map, we’re finished. Idris will gain the stone’s power—immortality—and we’ll be trapped under his ruthless rule forever.”
“This keeps getting crazier,” Crystal muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
Ellen’s face was grim. “It’s not just about the map or the stone. Idris’s hunger for control knows no limits. With the Midorian stone, his cruelty will become boundless. He’ll crush every village that stands in his way, and Zayd will be just the beginning.”
A tense silence fell over them, the weight of Ellen’s words sinking in.
YOU ARE READING
Arika: The legend of the lost jewel
FantasyA forbidden religion leads to a violent execution of many believers after the rein of a new leader who despised it's existence and declared himself to be worshiped instead. However during the execution two survived, twin sisters gifted with divine a...
