The King's Challenge

Dover Beach

Matthew Arnold, 1822 - 1888

The sea is calm tonight.

The tide is full, the moon lies fair

Upon the straits; on the French coast, the light

Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,

Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.

Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!

Only, from the long line of spray

Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,

Listen! you hear the grating roar

Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,

At their return, up the high strand,

Begin, and cease, and then again begin,

With tremulous cadence slow, and bring

The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago

Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought

Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow

Of human misery; we

Find also in the sound a thought,

Hearing it by this distant northern sea.

The Sea of Faith

Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore

Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.

But now I only hear

Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,

Retreating, to the breath

Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear

And naked shingles of the world.

Ah, love, let us be true

To one another! for the world, which seems

To lie before us like a land of dreams,

So various, so beautiful, so new,

Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,

Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;

And we are here as on a darkling plain

Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,

Where ignorant armies clash by night.

The King’s Challenge

Stew Stunes

The Knowledge XXIV:1,4-7

This is the final commandment I pass onto you. The people of our nation must keep this knowledge from now until the end of times or risk a second death for all of creation. This I swear be the only way to prevail when darkness falls over the land.

The king’s challenge has been handed to our people directly from the kings and magici who delivered us from our darkest days. This is the only way to ensure that the leader of our people is fit and just, that he is strong and mighty, that he will not waiver cowardly in fear at any threat to his kingdom. And if the leader is noble and worthy, so too will be the people of our great nation, and in this way the strength to defeat the dark one, should he return, will always remain strong.

For every future king, now and until the end of time, the king's challenge must be completed by the eldest of the king's sons. If the first challenger should fail, the challenge will then be transferred to the next of kin. If none in the king’s family can complete the challenge, then it is the people’s rightful place to remove the family’s surname from the pages of history and end the bloodline. Once the old king’s bloodline has been extinguished, the people must then face judgment. And out of the Judgment shall come the neverending Death. Best ye be dead than to be alive during the time of neverending Death. As many stars light the sky will years endure of rule under undying torture, this shall be the price you pay for your failure. All nations of Aura will surrender until the one king can be found and finish the king’s challenge. Darkness falls, light ascends.

PART ONE

May 5th, 75.

From the journal of Princess Khymn Xupiter.

Today was so flippin’ awesome! Got to hang out with all my friends and even had a moment with HIM!! WE didn’t even talk, but that’s okay. It was just so nice to see HIM. I am totally going to marry ADRIEN MONDRE!! I hope I’m not too young for him. Maybe tomorrow I’ll bump into him.

Choices

Welcoming horns blew in the summer night, signaling the return of the king. Tonight there would only be a single horn to let the kingdom know all was well. Tomorrow there would be celebrations, parades, and festivals all over the kingdom as they welcomed their king back to the island.

Khymn rustled in her bed, constricting the sheets around her body, as she tried to fight her way out of a terrifying nightmare. She consciously knew that it was a nightmare, and if only she could jiggle her arm or head enough to wake, then everything would be okay. The nightmare proved to be stronger than her fight to wake up, so it held onto her mind. Pushing at every fear that Khymn had ever known; exposing the facts of her sickly mother, a weak brother, an old king and exploiting the thoughts she dared not think about, ever.

The nightmare began with Khymn looking down a long cavernous tunnel. The tunnel led for miles, straight into the heart of the earth. Once at the bottom, total blackness engulfed her. Her body felt weightless as she was being moved down the tunnel by hundreds of tiny fingers. The tiny fingers inched her along to a crystal chamber where she met a tall man, whose face she couldn’t see. Looking at the man took all of Khymn’s will power as her whole mind was filled with fear. The fear was so strong that on the other side of her nightmare her slumbering form screamed out in the night for death, as that seemed less terrifying than the faceless man.

You’re not supposed to be here, the faceless man spoke to her. Oh well, better now than later, I suppose, he said waving his hands like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Khymn remained silent as she was too frightened to respond. She let her eyes adjusted to the supreme darkness and noticed a strange orange light coming from behind the shadowy person in front of her.

I see you are frightened, and for that I apologize, but I see things about the future that I simply do not like, and it’s all your fault. Trick, Trick, tricky girl.

Who? She trembled out with barely a whisper.

Ah yes, let me go ahead of you and answer a few question you will have, the faceless man spoke with a calming level voice that contained a hint of mockery. My name you do not know, nor do truly any, the same goes for my face. No one in the history of your kind has gazed into my eyes. But you can call me Mikulak.

The name sounded familiar to her, but her frantic mind drove out her ability to reason. Khymn finally remembered to breathe as her vision hazed over for a moment. This is only a dream, a bad bad dream, she whispered.

What did you say? The mocking tone was gone from Mikulak’s voice, in its place was a raspy screech that was so terrifying even the little fingers around Khymn’s body shook. Let me repeat myself, what did you say?

Finding a previously unknown amount of strength, Khymn curled her fists and screamed back at the living shadow. This is only a dream and you have no power over me!

Pin-drop silence echoed in Khymn’s ears as Mikulak disappeared into a black cloud of smoky shadows. The light and atmosphere in the room changed, the dark didn’t seem as evil. Now it just felt damp, like she was deep underground in some sort of labyrinth. The little fingers that held her suspended in the air lessened their grip on her body, allowing Khymn to drop to the ground.

She felt around in search of something to hold in order to give her a sense of the scale of the place she was standing in. Carefully inching to her left, the strange golden light seemed to grow more prevalent.

This must be the way out of this hole, she thought. Her left hand jumped back as it collided with a large rock. "Land Ho!" She chuckled nervously and silently to herself, wondering why, in the middle of a nightmare, a sailor’s phrase jumped into her head.

Her feet quickly met the edge of the rock wall that her hand had already discovered. She decided that it would be easiest and safest to stick to the rock she was holding onto and walk towards the source of the amber light. As she felt her way slowly through the dark, Khymn couldn’t help but tilt her head trying to make sense of what she was looking at.

In front of her appeared a honey-colored waterfall of solid stone. Something about it bothered Khymn; it felt like someone was watching her. Khymn stopped walking, almost deciding to turn back and walk away from the amber light, when a small voice called out. Don’t leave.

Who's there? She questioned straining her eyes to see far into the darkness.

Over here! The voice echoed around the dungeon. Khymn spun around trying her best to locate where the voice had came from. No not that way, back down here.

Khymn steadied herself; the voice was coming from the amber stone and she did not want to get any closer to it. The whole cave felt erie and made her skin crawl. Hugging herself, she gritted her teeth and shuffled closer to the amber rock.

She gasped openly at what had previously been hidden from her eyes. A little boy, who looked to be the same young age as herself, was mostly encased within the amber rock. Only his face and one arm was free of the rock. The rest of his body was encased in the golden-waterfall stone.

Silence loomed in the dark cavern as the two children looked at each other. After staring into the boy’s dark eyes, Khymn broke the silence, You have sad eyes.

The boy nodded silently, slightly blushing, You seem to have...eyes. What’s your name?

It hardly matters at the moment, can I help you? She responded.

I, I don’t think so. I think I’m stuck like this...forever, the boy said as quiet tears fell from his sad eyes.

I can help. I promise I will get you out, Khymn confirmed by reaching up and holding the boy’s one free hand.

Bingo! With a bright flash the faceless man was now occupying the space between Khymn and the boy in the wall.

Khymn jumped back, while shouting, What do you want? Leave us alone!

Trick, Trick, tricky girl. I’ll make a deal with you. I know what you want, and I can give it to you.

Don’t... the boy whispered as a glob of the amber rock jumped onto his mouth sealing it off.

Shh. Shhh. shhhhh. Mikulak shushed the boy. Our friend here, Damion, has a nasty nasty, nasty tongue with which he likes to tell lies and blasphemy. If poor little Damion would only learn to keep quiet and not be so curious, he would still be at home with his loving family. Instead, he chose the wrong path which landed him here.

Shut up! Khymn shouted. Just stop talking!

I’ll do no such thing, princess of Redren! Mikulak yelled back.

How do you know who I am?

Because I know EVERYTHING, and EVERYONE on this entire planet, he growled. I also know, that although you are unaware, you are the one through which all future events revolve around. All of it, the future, the past, is on your shoulders. You have to make a choice. If you decide one way, lives will be lost and my master will smile on you. But if you decide the other way, you can save the world, be a princess...even maybe the queen. But in exchange you have to allow this rock to grow over this loud-tongued boy.

Khymn ignored Mikulak’s postulation and stared up at the sad boy stuck in the amber rock. He looked so small and helpless with only one visible arm projecting through the rock like it was his last chance for someone to grab his hand and pull him out of the rock. If she didn’t help him no one would and then he would be gone, crushed in the rock. But what about everyone else, she worried. There has to be another option, another way to save the boy, Damion, and the kingdom. Then the realization hit her, she was still in a dream, and dreams weren’t real they have no effect on the real world.

She took a deep breath before facing the faceless man. This is only a dream I will not let you hurt Damion. Release him now!

You might want to reconsider...

NOW! Khymn shouted and stomped her foot.

The rock around Damion began to melt and slip off in a an agonizingly slow manner. Like a fly stuck in molasses, he slowly melted down to ground level with the biggest smile spread across his face. I can’t believe you saved me. I don’t understand why you chose me over the whole world.

Since the amber rock had mostly melted away, the ambient light in the dungeon began to fade leaving behind more darkness. Khymn could barely see the frame of the far-too-skinny boy. He stood no taller than her shoulder and was visibly shaking and having trouble supporting himself. She rushed over and put her shoulder under him, supporting him with her arm around his back. Don’t worry, I think it was worth it.

I’m so sorry, the boy suddenly cried.

Why, why are you sorry? Khymn felt like she should be worried but could not figure out why.

What about your mom?

What about my mom? She asked, fear audibly rising into her throat.

You had a choice, Mikulak spoke calmly from an unseeable corner of the cavern. And choices have consequences. You see my master requires at minimum one sacrifice this very night. You spared the boy’s life, but in return someone has to take his place.

No! I don’t believe you. This is only a dream, Khymn pleaded with him.

Is it a dream? Isn’t life but a dream, through death one from which we finally wake? One can never be certain, but I believe this to be real as rock and so does Damion. Don’t you boy?

Damion nodded his head sadly.

No...my mother is fine. I am going to wake up now and everything will be okay. I will be at home, safe in my covers, she pushed away from Damion, backing up into a corner.

I tried to tell you, he defended quietly.

Khymn shook her head as tears freely flowed down her cheeks. She was unwilling to listen. This is a dream, this has to be a dream.

You should have asked more questions, Mikulak’s words cut through Khymn’s fearful fog.

I’m done with this stupid dream! Get out of my head! She screamed at Mikulak.

The faceless man shrugged and disappeared without another word, leaving the two children in the endless darkness. Their ears rang with the deafening silence as the only noise was Khymn’s heavy breathing and Damion's timid apologies.

I’m so sorry, I wish you hadn’t saved me, the boy started but fell silent as Khymn turned to face him.

I’m not, she offered quietly, her temper calming as her head cleared allowing her to process the last few events.

But you don’t know me at all, and you chose me. You must be an angel or something special.

I didn’t know all the facts, so it wasn’t like I really had a choice, Khymn defended her actions remembering that she chose to save this one boy over her own mother.

But...

No, this is just a bad, bad, dream. Nothing real was at stake, that’s why I chose to save you. Because you seem more real than even the stone I am standing on, she finished.

I am real. I’m so sorry that it was me who will cause you so much pain, Damion said before grabbing Khymn and pulling her into a tight and comforting embrace.

Khymn closed her eyes, wincing at the sudden tangle she was in. Not sure how to react, she breathed in the warm-damp smell of horses mixed with grass, trees, and a general hint of adventure. He also felt warm and so full of reassurance. Oh no.

What, what’s wrong? Damion worriedly asked.

Dreams don’t smell, dreams don’t feel...this is real, she realized as the blackness around her evaporated and she jumped out of her bed.

Breathing deeply, taking in the room around her, everything looked normal and safe. The overly large bed adorned with the grossly expensive dyed sheets looked roughly the same as it had when she had fallen asleep. Her bedroom was larger than most people's homes. A small fire still burned, providing more light than actual heat. The quiet moment passed as the events of the dream rushed back into her memory.

Mom! she shouted and jumped off her bed, racing to the door. Khymn gracefully flung the door open and fled across the long hallway, down a flight of stairs, passing the palace garden. A large crescent moon carved out of the finest marble twinkled in the night, reflecting off of the water surrounding the sculpture, creating a fairy tale sanctuary. Her feet pounded up one last spiral staircase and she was at her parents bedroom door.

Khymn kicked in the door and was instantly met with the scream of her mother and a flash of silver light.

The little girl froze, unable to comprehend what she saw. It was the faceless man, and he stood holding her mother with a dagger still embedded into her chest. He gently laid her on the floor, glancing up at Khymn.

Maybe this is all a dream, but I certainly don’t think so, Mikulak spoke before turning around and fleeing out the large bay windows.

Mom...Mommy, Khymn called gently, fearful that if she raised her voice it might make everything real. She couldn’t help it as the sudden rush to scream ran through her body and out of her mouth. Her body shook with violent tremors as her heart filled with enough guilt to make it burst. She wanted to run to her mom and never let go, but her legs wouldn’t work. Instead she stood frozen, watching her mother’s still body.

Khymn took a deep watery breath and found the strength to cross the room to her mother's side and kneel down beside her. Brushing her mother’s hair out of her eyes, Khymn noticed her mother blink.

Khymn wanted desperately for her mother to speak or show some sign that maybe she would be okay. Mom, I’m so sorry. I thought it was a dream. I didn’t know better, how could I have known. If only I hadn’t saved that poor boy.

A small smile spread