Yet Again

That Evening.

~Kie Azholophased~

"Hey Handsome."

Shamaica teased him from the hanging cage next to his.

The both of them had been brought to the palace straight and King Wealene had had the best of Kie... having him flogged severally by the captain of his guards, Jaith.

And twas evening already, the time for judgement to be passed on the both of them. And all the people were gathered in the square, the gaurds stationed, the princess at the upper porch staring at Kie who was held up in a drooping cage.

Everyone was awaiting the arrival of King Wealene, who would pass the judgement.

The wooden cage in which the two of them were locked had iron doors. Kie's hands were tied as well as his legs. He could hardly move in peace in the tiny cage, tossed by the crashing wind, let alone break himself free.

And of all the pains and rage he was plying through, Shamaica had just gone out of the mark and line to tease him. The hell!

"You want to die, huh?"

He barked at her but she made a joke of it. Sniggering.

"You know too well, mortal that if I dim fit to leave here now, I would."

He pushed a frustrated sigh, looking away from her cage which was directly swinging slightly opposite his. He was somehow looking for his mother but all he saw were deranged group of folks who had been blinded by the undying thirst of blood as fashioned by their obnoxious ruler.

Many of the people, especially men, loathed King Wealene greatly but none of them had been able to make a move against him. And that was why Kie had isolated himself from all the cowards.

Even though he knew of some group of rebels who had raised a mob against the king. And on the day they had planned to attack the palace, they had all gotten to the Palace gate chanting and raving. But it'd turned out that the leader of the rebel was an infiltrator, King Wealene's spy amongst the group. A spy sent out to shun all tongues risen against the [Magnanimous Era] of his, according to his acclaimed facts. They were all burnt.

The thought of it was sickening. He tossed the thought aside. He remembered how he had called few men after the first tragic incident to form another group which would have no leader. But all of them feared.

He got weary of the thoughts.

"Why did you do that for? Why did you let us be caught by those--"

He held up the remaining words as he looked closely at the empty cage swinging rapidly before him.

"Where did she go just now?"

He quizzed, trying to stand up, but the cage wasn't so big. It allowed only one thing at a time.

He searched in vain and couldn't find her. And then suddenly, the chatters and noise of the populace died out as the king stepped out to the elevated porch; an elongated portion of the top palace floor.

"That dog."

He cussed. Since he couldn't stand, he knelt as he looked in the direction of the crazy King; the cage was like a dog's, with tiny intervals between the row of logs held together with nail.

King Wealene was dressed in his usual, Chinese King's robe. A sick ass who tossed aside his own culture and embraced all Cultures; a puppet of shame.

He'd said, he dressed like a Chinese Emperor, rule like a Roman Emperor, and act like an Egyptian Pharaoh.

"Greetings to you, lovable citizens of Agranah. What quirky and impromptu occasion brings us here!"

He started as a deafening silence paced the space,

"We've once gathered here because of this unbridled tongue and inconsequential youth who has no regards, neither for the gods for their king. Like me!"

No one dared make an exceptive reaction. He continued,

"Since we had once gathered here to have him beheaded, and he did escape by some act of sorcery. But now that we have him again, with that same sorcerer I believe. His punishment no longer carry the same weight. He shall no longer be beheaded. He shall be burnt at that stake."

He pointed at the stake in front of the square, behind Kie.

"Himself and the sorcerer!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he signalled Jaith who hurried with few of his men to Kie's cage and the other cage.

They grabbed Kie as soon as he was let out but they were stunned at Shamaica's empty cage.

"His Greatness, the sorceress is gone!!!"

Jaith called with a loud voice at the King. The crowd gasped but the king cackled.

"Be at ease, lovable citizens of Agranah. This is some other trick of the sorceress."

As the noise waned out, he continued,

"At first I was surprised when I heard that she was caught. Knowing what she was capable of. But now, her intent had been made known."

He paused and continued,

"She wants to cause a distraction for you all. And by that, her little pet shall be spared again. How diplomatic you would say."

He stepped forward, as though he was going to jump off the rails bordering the elevated porch.

"But shall we give to her what she wants?!"

"Never! Burn him!"

A man from the midst of the people called. And at that, others started chanting,

"Burn him!"

And at that, Kie was led towards the stake.

But suddenly, fire came out of nowhere and the stake where Kie was headed to was set ablaze. And in the twitch of an eye, a young Sorcerer, the same the Princess had visited, showed up tied to the stake, burning.

The Princess gasped at the sight and the people moved back. Even the king and his guards were moved.

The burning sorcerer started screaming on top of his voice, wailing and fighting to get off the position as though he'd been tied there.

But as the king considered closely, he discovered that neither the cloth, hair, nor skin of the sorcerer was stung by the flames. He was stirred at that to words,

"Sorcery. Lovable citizens, this is sorcery."

The people began to close in the pace, being themselves, as the king continued,

"What's this charade, Sorcerer? Who are you and what brings you here?"

"Wealene!"

The sorcerer started, in a rather thick and thunderous tone. Such voice which calls his age, stature and proportion into question.

"This shall not be me but you on the stake... your wail increasing and pain growing continuously. Set ablaze on the stake of the gods if you stand in the way of the lovers the gods have chosen for the land. The princess and the condemned."

The young sorcerer paused and threw his gaze at Kie who was wielding a recent ogle,

"Be warned, Wealene. For a sign lies at hand."

The sorcerer disappeared at that. The princess smiled at the view, her bedazzled father was an enough spectacle.

And while they were all still wrapped in the recent deliberation and mood, an unknown mob from the crowd, who had been pretending to be onlookers, advanced towards the guards and attacked them.

A great fight swelled in the square, and Kie found an excuse to escape.

"Catch him, catch him."

Wealene called, but no one was listening. Every guard fighting for his own life.