9: Luck in Malief - A future warrior

I was pumped by the force within my Critical Appreciation of Drama class. Bukan nak cakap that this is literature. Of course not. But would be so & sangat awesome if it were to be considered as literature. Then high schools can use it as a novel 2 b studied. Then i'll be well known & remembered. (hehehehe) Just now was a doa. Amin kan, would people please??

*

The day was never as bright as it was that one morning. Prince Clan went outdoors, 

hunting goateps that roamed around the forest of Malief. With him, were his helpers as well as fellow noblemeows. 

Hunting had always been one of the prince’s doings, ever since he earned his rights to claw proudly. Ganka, the king’s close assistant, used to train the young prince. He taught him how to claw with honor, move with speed and roar with much might.

Ganka watching, from afar, Prince Clan practicing his hunting skill.

 When the moment came for the prince to prove his worthiness, he had proven it without doubts. Ganka’s teaching not only molded him to be a fighter, he also instilled in him the true meaning of being a prince, and to have heart. Never once that he was allowed to boast over his winnings in tournaments. 

However, many agreed that the prince had the claws for battles. Even the very own Ganka had many faiths in the young prince.

“Bless the dirt that I walk upon! This land grants many goateps. Never have I felt this lucky in hunting, Larwin”, shouted Prince Clan to his helper excitedly.

Controlling his movement and lowering his purrs, Larwin whispered to Clan,

 “Sire, better that we keep ourselves camouflaged from the goateps’ sight. They will hear us and once they do, it will only take them less than a second to be gone”.

Hearing the whisper as a warning given to him nicely, Clan just nodded with an approval. He knew the rules well. He was just too excited. 

The thought of capturing hundreds of goateps and returning them to the palace where the king will see him, made Clan smiled. And perhaps, Sanea.

“Sanea will see me”, said the prince to himself. 

He was still smiling.

“Are you ready, Sire?

“what?? Ohh… Yes. I am. I have always been”, slightly shocked by the sudden question from Larwin.

*

8: The Meeting

…

They kept on defying the prince’s orders until a flamed arrow suddenly shot through the chaos. It went through one man’s chest. Silence came at once. The arrow flew from the gate of Mountain Kaz. All eyes were set upon the gate, even Prince Thom’s. There, standing firmly with paws armed with sharp claws, were the Mercilesste Bobo with his men.

“Hold!”, shouted Prince Thom to Bobo’s men.

“What reasons have you to attack us?!... Answer me!”

No answer was voiced back. Bobo’s men, people of the Araw were as still as stone at their stand. 

One of Bobo's men, armed with claws.

Those with their bows and arrows were pointing at the Meowens, ready to release their shots. After a while, Bobo finally walked towards the Meowens. He was then standing directly in front of the gate of Mountain Kaz.

“and what reasons have you, Prince Thom, for such an assemble here, at this forbidden place?”, asked the Mercilesste sarcastically.

Without any fear, the prince replied, “Such concern does not matter to you, stranger”.

“Why… it is indeed a matter of mine, my Lord. You see, I have given my words of honor to protect this place from the Meowens. and I am a mimiao of my words, dear prince.”

“I will not have you stop my men from entering Mountain Kaz. My reason does not lies in you, stranger. I do not seek you. I seek only the Mercilesste.”

“Bless the Lioneds, for I am the one that you seek”, answered Bobo with a firm face. 

The anger in Prince Thom was suddenly gone. He was quite shocked. Standing in front was the Mercilesste, the mimiao that is ordered to be captured and killed by King Bobeus. For a moment, Thom was without purrs. The time to finally decide had come.

Face to face, Prince Thom against The Mercilesste

Ignoring the prince’s silence, Bobo opened the gate and walked towards Thom.

“Beyond this gate, lies the Lioneds. They have been guarding this mountain for many years. If you value your life and your Meowens’, my Lord, turn back and never to return.”

The prince was beginning to speak out when Bobo interrupted and purred again.

“Since I am here now, there is no concern for you anymore, for going through this gate. Tell your men to move back.”

“No, Bobo. My men shall stay. Orders have been made, concerning you.”

“Ordered by the damned, old Bobeus, is it not? I am aware of that, young prince. And to bow and surrender to him, I will never!”

The Mercilesste roared loudly that the Coal armies shivered out of fear. Then waves of roars from Bobo’s men were heard. Many stories were told and told again, but never had the prince believed them. The strength of the mimiaos of Araw was indeed powerful. Thom was overwhelmed by the force he felt from their presence. It was unlike any other. And he knew at once what his next move would be. A decision had been made.

*

7: Defying roars of the Coal armies

King Bobeus ordered Sanea away. He was satisfied. 

He got what he wanted from her. Sanea or her maiden name, Sikhra, had been in his capture for almost 10 years. And ever since that, the king had been aided by her. Sanea was an Elmish. However, unlike other Elmish, she had the power to foresee mimiaos’s future, but only after hearing their true name. Bobeus had her ‘looked’ into Marid.

*

“My Lord, are you certain that we ought to enter through the mountain?”, asked one of the armies, doubting the rightness of the decision.

Prince Thom did not immediately answer him. But the prince did look partially taken aback by the question. He was indeed considering about the possibilities of another path to the Valley of Araw. 

Being one of the princes of Meowen, Thom knew well about the stories told by the Elders. Every Meowen knew about the Lioneds and their stories. Mountain Kaz was haunted by them and if any Meowen dares to enter it, they will die.

“True or not, do not let the stories we listened to stop us from doing what it is meant to be done. No Meowens shall bow to such myths!”, said the prince loudly while facing towards his troops of Coal armies.

“Then we will die to it!”, 

shouted one man somewhere from the back line.

Chaos stirred all around. Some shouted against the prince. They refused to take the path through the mountain. They feared for the spirits that walk and wait beneath the woods of the mountain. 

Thom shouted and ordered them to the brick of silence but the men were as if deafened by his purrs. They kept on with opposing the orders until…