Part 6 of the adventures of Ziona of Asgoroth
Part 1: https://steemit.com/novelette1/@themagus/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette
Part 2: https://steemit.com/writing/@mrprofessor/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette-or-part-2
Part 3: https://steemit.com/novelette1/@krabgat/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette-or-part-3
Part 4: https://steemit.com/writing/@twolittlebirds/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette-or-part-4
Part 5: https://steemit.com/novelette1/@krabgat/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette-or-part-5
While galloping over the open veld Ziona’s mind drift back to a year back when she embarked on her mission to the south. It started when she was summoned by the king. Still a young girl in her late teens, she shyly appeared before the king who was sitting in a chair in front of a warm fireplace. He invited her to sit down and then signal to the guards and servants to leave the room. What he shared with her changed her life forever.
“Your mother was a good and gentle person” the king started out. Ziona confusedly looked back at him. “How do you know my mother, your majesty?”, she asked. “Your mother, my dear Ziona, was my sister.” For a while, she just stared at the king with wide confused eyes. Eventually, she succeeded to get a few words from her dry throat. “How, how is that possible?” The king waited a while before he answered. “You never knew your mother as she died with your birth. Your father was sworn to silence never to mention the relationship with the royal family as her children would have become targets. The intention was to leave it at that because there was no need for anyone to know. Unfortunately, the time has caught up with us, and therefore you are sitting here in front of me.”
“But before I can continue, you need to do something” the king continued. “You need to touch this dagger.” He bent forward to open a little wooden container on the table between them to reveal silver dagger. “Why... why, your majesty?” Her words only came out as a whisper. “You will see. It is a test to see if you are who I expect you to be.” She bent forward with an outstretched hand. Slowly she moved nearer to it, cautious what might happen. The dagger displayed a strange behaviour. It started out as a vibration before it rose from the container. When she pulled her hand back, it settled back in the container. Without a word, the king kept on studying the situation. She reached out again, but this time did not pull back when the dagger started to rise. Slowly she moved her hand nearer until it touched her palm and stuck to it. With a confused expression on her face, she looked at the king and barely got the words out, “What is going on?”
“The dagger is yours, Ziona, and it will always stay with you. Not by your choice, but because it is linked to your blood.” “Your majesty, my apologies if I act out of place, but what are you talking about and why is it that an old dagger can be linked to me?” The king sat back before he started his explanation. It was the story of his family and know also the story of Ziona’s family. It started many years back in the days when the old people still ruled Asgoroth and more. They were a fierce nation who conquered a lot of others. The nation around them paid tribute to them and it was the golden age for these lands.
As with everything in life to moment one power grew strong an opposite power is initiated which took shape in the darkness with the purpose to overthrow the first power. The same happened in the kingdom of the old people. The Xenium cult was formed in the darkness of the back streets of this mighty empire. As the years past the cult grew stronger and stronger. The royal house’s continuous isolation from the people also helped their cause. Until one day their power was strong enough to challenge the existing system. The war fought was long and destructive, not only to the empire but also to the Xenium. After years of conflict, both armies were destroyed and the neighbouring tribes started to invade the lands to establish a new ruling house.
Through the time of darkens, the bloodline of the old people's kings kept on ruling even under the disguise of a foreign royal house. “And that bloodline is us, Ziona,” the king ended his explanation. “What happened to the Xeniums, your majesty”, Ziona’s wants to know. “The Xeniums disappeared, well, that was what we thought, but it does not look like it anymore.” “What do you mean your majesty”. “The conflict currently brews between us and the south, is not coming from the south. It is a conflict initiated by a third party and I expect it is the Xeniums again who after all these years built themselves up again and is now ready for a second attempt to take over the kingdom.”