The King

Dark stood there leaning against the solitary tree, a shrimp for its age, the small bush like leaves right above Dark’s head provided shade from the setting sun. He listened to Grom sitting in the center of a crowd, a campfire smoldering at his feet, as Grom cleared his voice commandingly. The chattering crowd of children reluctantly settled down to pay attention. Behind the dying fire Grom was settled in a big oak throne. The throne itself was clearly over fifty years old, tarnished, the natural color of the oak had finally began to churn a deep darker beige with darkening cracks of auburn. Covering up the sides from the dusty ground was the sweep of Grom’s tattered cloak, it hid the still black scorch marks that scarred the sides of and bottom of the seat. Even if Grom didn’t take this precaution many people would not have noticed the existence of the burns ripped up the sides of the throne unless they knew they were there to begin with. But from where Dark stood nothing was visible except for Grom’s torso up, illuminated by the firelight in the waning day. It struck Dark as odd to see Grom suddenly older before him; add on the age of the throne beneath him and Grom and the throne seemed to come from another time all together, one ancient being. Silent now the crowd waited, only the back-round of the celebration of the Festival could be heard now. Expectantly Grom sucked in a giant breath, cuing Dark to close his eyes as Grom began to weave the tale:
“Long, long, Long ago, fifty years or so ooooo.” Grom began, cutting off very quickly to wiggle his fingers at the children threatening to tickle if they didn’t pay attention. They shrieked and laughed in response breaking the eerie mood that had lead the silence.
“There was a place once ruled by the elements, fire, air and earth and water. Now many of you don’t know of the stories that were once told. Of men and women, warriors bent on mastering these elements to become a user of Magikcs. An art lost over a long time, you know fifty years or more.” Grom crackled clearing his throat.
“But those stories laddies and lassies are not the one of which I speak.” There were sad awes and groans from the little older boys who were hoping for a good thrill.
“No, my friends, this is a story, the story of how that prosperity has ended in our land. And it all started with a King.” Dark smiled recognizing the tale, fore he heard it once when he was very young and had been his favorites for many years since then. “Now the real story would start.” Dark thought knowing this for a fact, if Grom would interrupt himself again it would be to get the children into the story more. If interrupting were needed, for such a tale like this.
“Back then there were four kings in all the land. Five technically but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Now I digress.
These four kings represented each kingdom of an element. There was the Fire king, Earth king, Water king and lastly the Air king. As each season changed to reflect the land, so would each king, to rule over the others the lesser kings of that season. It was a natural rule, Spring for Air, Fall for Earth, Summer is Fire and Winter is Water. It happened this way because each element of the season would be overpowering to the other three. So rule could not or more likely was not wisely challenged.
There were of course high tensions between opposing elements and season, when one ruled over the others. Mind you this was actually before the fifty years ago that I am getting to in a minute.” Grom took a minute to find the childrens' reactions to this, hoping they were not lost in all the “boring” history he was teaching them. In fact the children were not bored, nor lost for that matter but had faces of attentive stares. Chuckling Grom resumed, “Tension does lead to problems though and problems lead to Conflict. This is exactly what happened I assure you. A civil war broke out first between the Summer and Winter, Fire and Water kings. Earth and Air tried to settle the dispute but all war broke out when Fire turned air on Earth and Water and Water turned Earth on Air. Tragic fighting lasted until the fifty years ago, this Day in fact. When a reoccurring problem brought the disputing kingdoms back together.”
Grom leaned forward in the throne whispering, “Do you want to know what this problem was?” The question was rhetorical, not directed towards anyone in-particular. But a few children gave little squeals of entranced delight and even shouted “Tell us!” It was an older boy of 12 summers old. Grom smiled appreciating his audiences’ enthusiasm though he knows how he went and drowned the younger ones to boredom. To get their attentions back it would take something real great, and Grom knew exactly what he needed to do.
Dark who opened his eyes to all interruptions got a good look at Grom as he crouched down in the throne and tense up ready. With a huge explosive boom Grom jumped up, the throne detesting to the force of Grom’s weight as Grom fell to the ground, arms out, face a hideous cluster of teeth and wrinkled rage, expelling from his mouth, “Dragons!” For the benefit of the children Grom acted out flying around, poorly for his age, chasing children around pretending to be a vicious fire-breathing Dragon. Playfully he roared swooping down and picking up a cheering boy who growled along with Grom as they pretended to be a baby and papa dragon terrorizing people as a hobby. When all the fun was sucked out by the children Grom sighed content, setting the boy back down in front of the throne and sat down to being again.
Settling down into the throne Grom was already off into the world of his story, “No king knew where the Dragon’s came from. One day the sea was shaded by the giant beasts as they flew in rampaging the land, nesting in our mountains, creating families to take over after they were long gone. This resulted in a new war, a war to be called the Dragon War.
Soon though it was noticed that the Dragons were invulnerable to all the Magikcs. Each kingdom was powerless against the onslaught of the Dragons. It is now the moment you have all been waiting for, The King.” Grom’s dramatically paused to emphasize for the young ones that this truly was what they have been waiting for during the whole story.
“He showed up out of nowhere an experienced warrior ready and willing to fight for freedom. Although many people thought he was very odd. His hair was a chestnut brown, not the black or the fiery ginger, or even the blonde of all the kingdoms. He was very, very tall; many people thought he has giant blood in him for he stood six feet above the Earth or more.” Grom gestured this, Dark knew from the laughter of children that erupted following the short pause. “Weird clothing covered him, stuff of the most particular material, all a sort of metal. Armor, many believe it was armor for certain because it had a sort of glittering shine to it that only chain mail and plate bore. But it was the softest and the hardest of all armor anyone has ever seen. Felt like velvet but a Dragons talon could not pierce it. Word spread across the kingdoms to the four grieving kings over their loss of the land, there was an old man wielding a sparkling blade, not unlike the armor, holding off the Dragon’s might to protect a village in the Air Kingdom.
It did not take long at all for the four kings to bring him up to the fifth castle that was in the center of all the kingdoms, having the perfect position for a king to rule each from. The kings demanded the young man’s help. Ordering him that it was his duty to the country to protect each one and not just one village out of the four. They wanted him to tell them his secrets on how to destroy each and every Dragon that came in their path. It was to their surprise that the old man laughed, scoffing and swearing at each king. He claimed that these were not his kingdoms, he only came to this land for a love of his; that He, Himself, brought the Dragons here to conquer the land for his love and him to rule!” Grom was shouting in almost disbelief in his own story, so convincing that each child had gasped in revelation. Dark on the other hand, opened his eyes with confusion. This was suddenly not the story from a familiar childhood memory, which Dark knew like the back of his hand. Puzzled Dark stared at Grom as he continued down a new path in the story, to see where it went.
“To emphasize the old man’s truth to the story he called a Dragon right out of the sky and watched as the Dragon massacred the four kings and the majority of the fifth castle fell in bits and pieces across the land. With that done the self-acclaimed King brought his Queen to be to what was the Castle of Water, near the ocean and ruled the kingdom after destroying the other castles and any who got in his way with Dragons. It did not take long for the kingdom to accept this new King as their ruler. For the kingdom has been through enough with the old kings and the Dragon enemy that anything different would be accepted immediately widely through the kingdom.
“There was a short time of peace. Lasting only until the King was too old to rule anymore. Then his first born would take the throne. And as I keep saying this is the whole truth down to every detail. The day after the swearing in of the new King, his sweet heart at the time was kidnapped from the Castle itself. There was a demand for the King to step down from his throne and give the kingdom over to the invading forces from the East.
Not many people knew about the Eastern invasion. Many people believe it didn't exist at all when the truth of the matter was the Army of the Eastern fleet moved its way through the whole kingdom to get to the castle. They mowed down anything in their path and landed right on the castle's doorstep within three days of the ransom. By act of intimidation and lack of planning the King rode out a day before the ransom would take place and presented the crown of Air, the only crown left from the Dragon War.
Now that the Eastern King had his new crown he dubbed himself ruler and killed the current King and his sweet heart that was kidnapped. Word was instantaneously sent to the original King that the Eastern folk have won and gave no fight, for the old man had no fight in him, when the army stormed the castle. Why he did not call down Dragon's on the other hand, is another matter entirely. You see after the Dragon War, almost all Dragons had disappeared from our kingdom. No one knows where they went, not even the new conqueror.
The Eastern King took the original Kings son and stripped him of his magikcal armor. His intent was to put it on and wear it but as soon as he donned it upon his body it burned his skin with such an intensity that the Eastern King grew fearful of the armor and demand it be destroyed. With the body of the original Kings son, he threw into the river that was near by along with his sweet hearts lifeless body, where they made their way to the ocean peacefully dead.
The rule of the Eastern King was a hard one. The Eastern King ruled all magikcs be outlawed and killed on sight, along with all enchanted weaponry and armor. The people of the kingdom did not like this but had no choice. Everything, everywhere was being watched by the army of the Eastern King whether you knew it or not. And even now, you never know who could be watching.” Grom paused to glance left then right, as if suspicious that a man of the Eastern King's army was near by. Some of the children did the same, others whimpered in fear.
After a moment of this Grom decided that he would end the story. It was now getting late, the fire stoked up to provide light, the Festival dying down. Parents were going to want their children for bed soon.
“And what about the original Kings armor you ask? It was not obliterated you see. The armor could not be penetrated by anything, this was proven before and so instead of destroying the armor the Eastern King had it dismantled and hidden away in the most bizarre of places. For instance, the ruin of the center castle of the ancient elemental kingdom, holds the resting place of what is thought to be the very sword of the King during the Dragon War. And in honor of the War the name of the armor was Dragon Bane, and in the honor of the Dragon Bane sword, the town was called Dragon's Rock, long ago because the Dragon Bane was rumored to be set in the grave of the body of the original King's son. But because of reasons from recent events the town Dragon's Rock became Dragon Stone.
But what does it matter? Oh it matters a dear lot. For things are changing fast in our great kingdom. Thing I cannot mention to you. However, I do tell you this: There is a true heir to the throne, my children, and the only hope for this heir and our kingdom itself is the Dragon armor, scattered across the land.” Grom ended swiftly standing up outstretching his arms to emphasize the vast world. “Off to bed, now children go get some rest.” Grom commanded shooing with his hands as kids got up groaning, some sleepy, some wanting more.
As if on cue Dark walked toward Grom as Grom strides in Dark's direction. “What was that?” Dark asked, unsure.
“That Dark-ness is the story of your heritage, of your ancestry, of your Parents.” Grom answered, waiting a moment for the words to sink in. When there wasn't a reply but a simple bewildered expression on Dark's face Grom hastily added, “You Dark are the heir to the throne, and as heir, and now a young man, I had to tell you what to do, where to go. And your first stop,” Grom paused to point in a direction, “Is Dragon Stone.”