32 The cursed child! - 1

"Where are the rest of my men?" screamed Nubeous - "Where are they?"

"They have been killed in Ambracia, my Master!", replied the keeper while counting his breaths as he never knew which one would be his last one.

"Killed? Killed by whom? Those villagers?", asked Nubeous with an irritated tone.

"No master!", replied the keeper meekly.

"Then how they all are dead? Who all killed them?", asked Nubeous.

"There was no all, there was... there was just one man, who killed them, my Master!"

"One man? One man killed them all? What the hell are you talking about? Call the soldiers!" fumed Nubeous and started patrolling around the room at an increased pace.

"Yes, Master!" said the guard and ran off to call the soldiers upstairs. He was relieved that now he didn't have to bear the brunt of his master's wrath alone.

The soldiers who had returned back from Ambracia were waiting down the stairs of the tower and when they saw the keeper descending the stairs they stood in attention, in anticipation of the next order.

The keeper came close to them as said,

"Master wants you upstairs. You need to tell him what happened there in Ambracia."

The soldiers looked at each other hesitantly and then followed the keeper to enter the Royal Chamber and the moment they did, Nubeous commanded,

"Leave out your courtesies. Tell me what happened there?"

"My master, we were digging up the lands and then came in a man from the village. He asked us to stop the digging and begged for more time and there was some foul exchange of words. We assumed he was a normal peasant and one of our men attacked him, but in return, he killed them all," replied one of the soldiers.

"I had sent the best warriors in our kingdom. How can a mere human kill them all? Are you sure there was no one else at the scene?" asked Nubeous in surprise.

"He... He wasn't a mere human master. He was something else. With his bare hands, he blocked all our arrows and then killed our men one after the other with the same arrow. With his hands when he hit the ground...."

"Enough... Then have you run away from him? Did you dare to flee?", roared Nubeous with his face burning in anger like never before.

"No ... No, my master. We have brought him here for you to punish him!" said the soldier and took a step back as he got scared when Nubeous came close to them.

Gritting his teeth, Nubeous asked,-"Where is he?"

"We have tied him near the palace ground master. We are waiting for your order to execute him," replied the soldier and counted his blessings for the anger inside Nubeous hadn't ruptured yet.

He looked at the soldier with his eyes full of lament and then said,

"Send out one thousand soldiers to Ambracia first. I want the ingot today at any cost. I don't care if it rains fire or hail storms hit the ground. I want the ingot today."

"Yes master !", said the soldier and bowed again.

"But wait... Do not execute that man. I want to punish him myself. You can take your leave now and yes before you go, send my keeper inside."

"Yes, master!" said the soldiers and left the Royal Chamber and sent the keeper in who was waiting outside the main door.

The keeper announced himself and came in after knocking on the door.

"Yes, master? How can I serve you?"

"Pick up my ring!" said Nubeous with a straight poker face but his eyes swarming with darkness.

"Yes... Yes Master!", said the keeper and picked up the sapphire ring which was earlier flung by Nubeous, and took it to him, assuming that he wanted it back.

Taking that ring from his hand, Nubeous went close to the window and dropped the ring down.

"Master!", exclaimed the keeper and rushed towards the window. That ring was more expensive than his yearly wage.

"I do not like to keep unwanted, unlucky things!" said Nubeous with a devious smile on his face.

"Master! my apologies master. I will go down and fetch it back."

But before he could go out of the room, Nubeous pushed him out of the window.

'Thud'

As the body of the keeper turned limp, Nubeous muttered standing in front of the window,

"Including you!".

And then behaving as if he turned a page from a book, he picked up another robe to wear. It was time to meet the man who had killed his men single-handedly.

.

.

As they reached the pastures, Nicholas slowed down his horse and moved towards his stable. Tying back his horse, he said,

"There is one guard on the east side of the palace whom I know, who can give me information about the whereabouts of Morpheous. I will go and check with him, meanwhile, you can stay here," said Nicholas and gave a glass of water to Damianos who looked exhausted after the long ride.

"No, I cannot wait, Nicholas. Let me come along with you. I will disguise myself as a common man and walk behind you," said Damianos and looked around the stable in search of normal clothes.

Nicholas understood what he was searching for. He definitely looked awkward in those pristine white robes, which had been soiled in the mud. He went inside his rooms and got some spare clothes for himself and Damianos.

As they were switching into these clothes, Nicholas asked albeit a bit hesitated,

"I... I wanted to ask you something. It has been bothering me..."

"Ask Away," said Daminaos as he untied his robe knot.

"Why didn't Morpheous fight back? How could mere three soldiers drag him away? I have seen his strength... What just happened to him?"

Damianos took a deep breath and wrapped the robe around himself and said,

"It is a long story, Nicholas. Maybe I will tell you some other time. But just know that even though he is the chosen one, there will be times when he will be as scared and as submissive as a mere mortal."

"Why so?", asked Nicholas.

"Becasue he might be the chosen one, but he is also a 'Cursed Child'!"