King Aquilo sat on his throne in his temple. He looked down amongst the city he had grown to love. The city was built of pure gold. Golden Rivers flowing down the mountain with golden fish in it. Each river glittering up to Aquino from upon his throne.
He watched closely as his people worked, weather it was farming, or building houses, or markets, he enjoyed the view. That doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy going down there and helping either. Which is what he was about to do.
But before he did he made sure to check the horizon for any intruders. Towards the right far off and close by were mountains so steep and so high no one could possibly reach, and to the left was a pond as endless as the sky’s. Untouched by any man. His city of gold was, and always will be, safe from the wicked men from amongst the mountains.
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Captain Meredith stood on the edge of her ship, eyeing the mountain ahead of her. The waves bouncing off the ship just to crash amongst the edge of the land. She knew they couldn’t ever climb these damn peaks, but Jake claims theres a way into the bay just beyond the corner. So that’s where they are headed, to another damn bay with another damn mountain where they will find another damn dead end.
”Meredith” Jake called for her as he stepped onto her ship. She never notices his was sailing so close, he was easily able to put down a board to make a bridge. As dangerous as it was to do without anchoring the two, Meredith wasn’t surprised. This isn’t the first time Jake did something stupid and reckless.
”Are you excited?” His crooked smile cocked too far to the left for her to feel any excitement “It’s just beyond that mountain I swear”.
”I know Jake, you’ve told me.”
They both stood and watched the corner grow as they slowly inched their way forward. The only sound was the crew behind them working and the waves crashing into their vessel.
Once the other side of the corner came into view they braced for the turn.
“Land Ho!”
Meredith looked up at the crows nest at Dax and looked back down to the corner. Behind it was sure enough land. A beach that stretched around the bay at least a mile wide.
Danial came up behind the two Captains, put a rough hand on Jakes shoulder, and whispered into his ear. Jakes side grin grew on both sides as he laughed.
“Danial you crazy.” He hit his back and looked back to Meredith. “I’m going to go, Danial and I have some business to discuss. I’ll meet you on the shore.”
He walked back onto his ship with his not-so-friendly friend. The whispering. The secrets. Meredith has always had trust issues but there’s something different about Jake, she can’t read him. He never tells her his ideas or plans anymore, he just does whatever and expects her to just follow. And every damn time his damn friend “Danial” shows up and they laugh and tell each other secrets. Sometimes she feels the secrets are about her but others times she thinks the secrets are against her. That they are against her. That at the end of the day, maybe the two of them are here for something different then they claim.
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The King made his way to his city. On the way no one kneeled or greeted him. He didn’t allow such nonsense in his city. We are here to work and relax. Everything else this world has to offer is useless.
This city was already huge but it was his duty to make sure it kept growing. So, every day when the sun came out, he was down the mountain in his city. Helping the men build, or the elders pick fruit. Helping the teachers teach or the women sew. Everyone had a place in this society and his was everywhere. It’s not that he liked his hand in every work of art, but because he wanted to hold the hands doing it.
These people rightfully looked up to him not only for protection but comfort and peace. And that’s just what he was going to do. Give them a solid foundation to live their life. Somewhere rich and safe. Where no tears would fall or no blood had to be spilled (except, of course, for the meat that they eat.
The sun was starting to beam down into the sparkling gold littering the city when he reached the newest construction sight. He took off his fancier robes and hooked them somewhere safe to join the men building.
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Their expedition was'nt too long. It only took them five dead ends and three hours to finally get them on the right track.
Jake and Danial were the head of this whole operation it seemed, even though Meridith clearly outranked "Danial". Whoever Danial really was Meridith could never tell.
They had left there two ships on the shore of the bay and brought both armies on the trail with them. The trail was quiet damn small so the line of men must have gone on for miles. Only Jake and Danial could stand side by side and Meridith had to walk behind the. Every once in a while one would whisper something into the others ear and they would just laugh. This might be the main reason they got lost so many times. They couldn't pay any attention.
It was no matter, once they reached the cities front gates everything else would be simple.
Jake and Danial stopped dead in their tracks. Again. "I'm teling you Jakie." Danial was looking down on the map and showing Jake where he believed the town would be.
"Jakie?" Meridith wasn't sure if she heard Danial right. She slowly let herself into their conversation of navigation. "We lost again?"
Jake shook his head and put his hand in front of her. "No, no. Danial just doesnt trust me as much as he claims."
"And why should'nt he? Its not like you got us lost four times already."
Jake stopped her again. "No, no. I swear, its just a little further."
"And how would you know?" Meridith crossed her army and leaned her hips to one side.
Both the men eyed eachother and very clearly decided not to answer with the full truth.
"Lets just say." Danial started.
"That I saw pictures of it back home. And I have very good photographic memory, so like I keep saying." He turned back foward and started to walk. "It should be this way."
And sure enough, he was right.
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The explostion was loud enough for even people on the temple could here. It knocked Aquilio on his butt. The men he was working with looked towards the city gates in confusion.
"Everyone needs to get weapons ready." The king said as he stood back on his feet, grabbed his robe and swung it over his back as he ran towards the armoury. His people were falling behind him. First the men he was working with, then eventaully more workers, strong ones and small ones. Men and women alike. Eveyone followed him to get what they needed to fight. All but the elderly and young. But even being yound did'nt stop the thirteen year old boys to try for a sword as well. But they had laws on children trying to get a weapon and Aqulio would never allow even a full out war to disregard any law. They need to keep their rules in place in any situation. That is something the armourer has always been preached about and he would'nt let it happen today. So by the time Aquilio and many other men and women had got their weapons, the children tried to sneak in and take weapons as well. The armourer denied every one.
Aquilio was the first in the fight. He wasn't sure who these people were or why they wanted this war but he was sure to give them hell for it. By the time he and his army could reach the stabels the other army was already there, raiding and piliging every house. Letting every horse run free. This gave Aquilios army a disadvantage but they were still going to win.
He unshiethed his sword and yelled "FOR OUR WORLD".
Across the opening the other two armies stood united and ready to charge. Meridith looked over at Jake and saw him grinning in that same damn smile. He bothered her more then she could even understand but today was the day for gold. Not for whatever cause Jake might have up his sleeve.
"FOR GOLD!" She took out her weapon and raised it to the sky. Their armies ran forward.
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When the armies clashed it would have seemed Aqulio's blade was the first to cross the line, but with careful observation he fell back in the last moment and let his army behind him push ahead. He carefully slipped behind the fight to watch for any stagglers.
Unfortunatly, his attention wasn't where it should be. To the left theifing soldiers found the armery and fought past the one man that stood protecting it. It was a hard fight for the three invadors, however, not a very long one.
The armorer died, and the three soldiers wernt the only people to see it. Across the road the women and kids were hiding quietly in the houses. One very mischievous child kept his head just a tad bit higher then the ladies told them to and he watched out the window as the guards left the man dying.
He snuck to his friends and whispered "Lets go, I know a way into the fight."
Three other kids followed him behind a table and quickly slipped down the stairs of the building.
"We have to get out from the side window to try and keep out of the fight. We need our weapons before we incounter anyone."
"Agreed." The only girl that was with them said and grabbed his shoulder to jump out the window.
Once they were all out they all followed the leader through the mess of war. Trying to keep under all the fighting, they made it their mostly unscratched. The mistivous one grabbed swords small enough for their arms and handed them over to his friends, but when they turned around they were no longer alone.
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Meridith and jake charged forward side by side with their armies racing towards the city.
"Flank to the left side and go around the houses. Make sure every man with a sword in their hands either stands down or dies."
Meridith listened to his orders carefully to choose the words for her army careully. "Flank around the right side." She began to explain to her right hand. "Plunder every house you can and bring all the gold back to the ships. I want this city dry by the time we're done."
The two armies fanned out the city as Meridith fought forward with Jake. They took a corner without checking it first and saw a knight there, waiting. Meridith quickly put her dagger in his neck and shoved him aside.
Jake looked at her with his special grin. "You seem to not know what to comand your army. I didn't know this was your first rodeo."
"This is not my first raid." She said "not" with an ugly atitude but Jake paid her no mind.
They fought a few more knights and found some stept that led up the moutain.
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Lucky for the children, Aquilio did indeed see them enter the buidling. It wasn't an easy fight and he had to menouver his way past three forign soldiers trying to kill him. Luckily he had soldiers of his own that blocked every swing that should have killed him.
By the time he made it to the armery the man had already stabbed through the mistivous boy. There was blood dripping from the boys sword where he had gotten three good hits on the man's arms. Those cuts where deep enough to let the man bleed out but he wouldnt live long enough to. Aquilio brought his sword infront of him and shoved it into the mans back.
The foreigner dropped his sword that was still stuck in the boys stomach and they all watched as he tumbled over to his side. Aqulio froze in fear as he watched the two souls vanish. The other kids fell on their kneese and crandled their dying friend. Aqulio turned and left the armery, but first he made sure the door was locked.
Carefully Aquilio ran back to his temple. He was afraid and lost in his own Kingdom, his own world. He forgot his weapon stuck in the back of that man and it didn't take him too long to realize that mistake. But it seemed every man who tried to fight him got taken by the war. Aquilio, tears in his eyes for what he had done and for what he has seen, cowarded back to the temple where he kneeled and waited for it all to be over.
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The two intruders came up the stairs together and found themselves face to face with the King. Aquilio stood up from his knees to meet his foes.
Jake tried to draw his sword first but Meredith already had her dagger out and ready. The king made no jest to fight back.
Jake and Meredith eyed each other quickly without taking their attention off their foe.
“This war is over, Aquilo. If you’d just hand over the stone.” Jake's voice was firm.
Meredith looked over her shoulder to eye this man suspiciously. “The Stone?” She looked down at her feet. Clearly distressed. “I knew you were crazy Jake but I never knew you were stupid. That stone is the one thing we can’t touch.”
“You’re wrong Meredith. The stone is the only reason I’m here.”
The king looked at the both of them silently, and tried to back away.
“I knew you weren’t here for the right reasons...” She looked away from him to look down again, only this time all she saw was red. She was angry.
“The stone can never leave this temple Jake. I can’t let you take it.” She flipped her dagger to point forward while she whipped herself behind him and quickly, suddenly, thoughtlessly, slid it into his neck.
The king watched in horror as her knife left his body and he fell to the floor. She stepped over his body only after running the blade on his clothes. Wiping it clean.
“I think we can both agree this little interaction with the three of us doesn’t have to leave the room.”
The king backed away and fell on his back shaking his head in agreement. “Yes of course.” He gulped out of either fear or nervousness, no one could be sure. “We both want the same thing. The stone to stay in it’s home.”
Meredith considered his words carefully. And for a long time just stared into his eyes. “Than I suggest you get rid of the body. His crew will be up soon to grab as much gold as we can. It’ll be much easier to understand I lost him in the battle then for him to have died up here.”
”Y-yes. You’r right.” He got up to move the body and he was gone just in time for the two armies to storm the temple and take every last brick they could find. All but the one rock.
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Danial never entered the battle. Instead of charging into the gates he vanished towards the mountains. Where he alone climbed across them and found himself at the temple. This is what Jake asked of him. And at first, he would do anything for the money promised to him. But after careful observation at the encounter between the three siblings, and of course the words Jake told him in private, he is beginning to realize the money is becoming less and less of importance.
He watched from the sidelines, emotionless, as Meredith slit her brothers throat. Just like Jake claimed he envisioned. Her and the King shared a quick conversation, and he left with the body.
Danial followed him to the edge of the temple to toss Jake over and watch him fall. Danial was now crying from afar. Not nearly close enough to be spotted, and watched as the King slowly found a place to hide as he waited for this raid to be over.
After the last raider wasn’t heard in hours, the Cowardly King came from his hiding spot and walked back to the center of the temple. Where no more gold laid. But there was still the stone. He carefully reached for it and cradled it in his hands as Danial snuck in behind him.
“He was right.”
The words scared the king almost enough for him to drop the rock. But instead he quickly slid his hands behind his back and carefully placed the stone back in its place. Trying not to draw attention to it.
“The war is over.” The kind said, quietly. “Your friends are all gone. They took everything.”
”No, not all of my friends. And they didn’t take everything.”
“Look around! What left is there to take?”
”Jake said he’d die. He knew it would happen.”
The king looked pained by the name but fought on anyways. “Jake? I know no Jake.”
”Your brother? No? The one your sister killed?” The king shook his head. “No No No, their DEAD!...” he trailed off as tears fell down his face. “They have been dead for years.”
“Your brother saw visions of a future. One where that stone of yours wasn’t locked up, hidden in these mountains.”
”My brother was the stupidest one of them all. Which is why he is now dead.”
”No, he’s dead because civilization can’t handle the truth he preached.”
“He preached lies.”
“If it was lies that got him killed then Meredith is the truth?”
The king had nothing to say to that. All he could do was look around his empty temple. All of what Meredith has done. In truth, he never did feel what his brother had always claimed to back when they were kids, and that made Aquilo jealous. The way his little brother used to tell him about the dreams he would have, how the stone always showed him ideas, and thoughts. How to make this city a better place. That is why he had to get rid of him so long ago, before their father noticed who the stone truly picked. And his sister leaving to find Jake was a bonus, making him the only child. The heir to this god/like throne. With a Stone of thoughts and a Temple of Gold. Only to soon find out, the stone will never choose you. Even if it had no other king to rule it.
Danial started towards the king to get to the stone but Aqilio reached over for his weapon. Danial stopped right where he was and reached over and took out his. For a second the two men stood motionless, waiting for the other to move. After some time Danial pushed on, and the king coward away.
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Danial knew the two ships were long gone by the time he left the city gates. But luckily, so did Jake. That’s why the two of them set up a smaller boat on the far side of the beach, behind the cliffs.
Danial hiked his way down and around to find his boat untouched. He set sail with the stone. Exactly how Jake claimed he would. He said their would be a storm showing up from behind him once he left the bay. As soon as he cleared the open sea he turned his head and sure enough, the nastiest clouds were coming straight for the island of gold. The darkest clouds Danial has ever seen. They swallowed the island so Danial could never see the fate of the mountains.
He pushed on, knowing the storm would never continue down the path towards him. Jake promised as much.
Not even a day has past and he already felt the stone trying to invade his thoughts. Jake said this stone would have a new home. That Danial would take it there. Where Danial would help build a new city for it. With new people. People not of temptation and greed but of love and family.
Danial didn’t know where he was going but he knew what he needed to do. He would help build this city of his friends dreams. And a New temple to help protect this precious stone. Not a temple a gold, but a temple of thoughts.
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