Changing the Tide: The Six Realms

Chapter 10

Cody mounted his steed and set it back towards his kingdom. He was almost there when a figure appeared in the middle of the path. “Gage, I told you to tell my wife I would be right there”!

“But sir,” Gage started.

“No buts Gage,” Cody looked down at the young messenger.

“Please, sir, just hear my message”. Gage’s face was serious and sober.

“Alright Gage, you hive five minutes. But no more, I must get back to help my wife and realm.” Cody swung his leg off his mount and stood in front of Gage.

“Sir, this type of news is never easy to give,” Gage shifted uneasily.

“Spit it out boy.”

“Sir, I have received news that Annabeth, your wife, is-”                     

“Is what”?

“She was assassinated sir.”

Cody’s heart dropped to the floor. He had just lost his only child and now he had lost his wife. He wanted to curl up into a ball and weep. He looked up and saw Gage still standing there. “Thank you messenger,” Cody said and pulled himself back onto his horse.

Gage nodded, “I’m so sorry your highness,” and with that he swept his cape over his body and was gone.

~~~

Cody reached his castle and rode with a new motive. He would find whoever it was that had killed his wife and give them the same fate. He reached the armory and put on his armor. He wore his helm with the crest of the Realm of Water on the side.

A new feeling reached him at that time. Rage. Rage took over his mind and it clouded his discernment. He pushed the doors of the armory open and marched out of the building determined.

The cries of battle raged on in the distant courtyard. He ran toward the outer wall of his palace ground, the heart of the battle. He could see the two armies clashing and metal against metal clanged. There in the middle of the battle he saw what he was looking for.

Jasmine Kum. Ridding on the back of her Phoenix, in the midst of the raging battle she wore a devious smirk as she looked in his direction as if she could actually see him. She kicked up her ride and it flew towards him, So I guess she does see me, Cody thought.

He dug his heels into the ground and set his jaw, hand at the hilt of his sword. It only took the bird a few moments to reach him. When it did it landed lightly about twenty yards in front of him, kicking up dust from the ground that clouded around her. Cody could feel his jaw muscles tense as well as the rest of his body.

He heard her hop off the mount onto the ground. He could see her green eyes glowing with wickedness. “What have you done,” he shouted at her.

Jasmine chuckled softly at first, but then it grew into laughter, the most evil laughter he had ever heard. “What do you mean? You were the ones that did not agree with me.” Another smirk played across her lips and it made Cody scowl.

“You would kill your own kind to gain power that not even the Elders can find!?” He shouted, tightening his grip on his sword.

She laughed again.

It disgusted him.

“You want to fight, is that it?” She jumped off her ride and took her own sword with her. “Bring it,” she smiled.

And the fight that came after turned the tide of history. Jasmine defeated King Cody and the realms were never the same. She ruled with iron fists. She was undefeatable. She had power that no one in the realms had ever seen. She defeated the rest of the rulers and took over all six realms.

However she could never truly have control of the realms like she wanted. She could never have the books she longed for. The heirs were beyond her reach. . . For now.