"Get him!" the captain, the commander of the soldiers, roared. His men's were swarm of angry bees, surged forward, their swords glinting in the fading light.
Micah's heart pounding like a drum in his chest, was frozen in place. "Obed! Are you out of your mind? What have you done? Just give them the bow, and this will all be over!" He pleaded, his voice trembling.
Obed's eyes burning with a fierce intensity, didn't even flinch. "Micah, get down!" he commanded. Micah, instinctively obeying, dropped to his knees. In that instant, Obed released the arrow from his bow, a single, silent whisper of death. The arrow arced through the air, a streak of fire against the darkening sky, and in a heartbeat, the entire army was decimated.
The captain's eyes was wide with disbelief, stared at the scene before him. He had never seen anything like it. This man, this Obed, was a force of nature, capable of taking down an entire army with that weapon he was holding, just a single touch and there were release of countless arrows from that bow which killed all his men. But where did he get such a weapon?
The captain's breaths coming in ragged gasps, watched as his men, their faces contorted in pain, crumpled to the ground. He was the only one left standing, untouched by the arrows. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat of fear.
The captain couldn't stand himself anymore, he became so paralyzed by fear, didn't know what to do. He spun around and fled, his legs pumping like pistons, desperate to escape the scene.
"What are you doing? Shoot him! Stop staring at him while he gets away!" Micah shouted, his voice laced with panic. Obed, however, was unmoved. He watched the captain disappear into the darkness, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Don't worry," Obed said, his voice deep and resonant, "I let him go. He'll tell the king what he saw. And I'm coming for them all. Every single one who had a hand in my sister's death. I will return, but first, I need an army, a force to stand beside me."
Obed had never realized the extent of his power and the weapon he had created, but he's just realizing. This was the first time he'd used the bow, and the sheer force of its magic had left him breathless. He was unstoppable, a force of nature. Only King Genesis in his youngest form, the most iconic legend in the seven kingdoms, could possibly match his strength. But Genesis was gone, leaving Obed as the most formidable warrior in the land right now.
Obed turned to Micah, who was still sprawled on the ground, and extended a hand. "Come on," he said, helping Micah to his feet. Micah's chest heaving, he shook his head. "This was a terrible idea," he said, "You could have killed him. Now they'll send more men after us, and we'll never be safe, we will keep on running! forever!."
Obed chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "Don't be afraid," he said, "If the captain tells the king exactly what he saw here, the king won't dare send anyone after us. He'll know that we're not to be trifled with."
                    • Unknown Place •
Dara sat inside the dimly lit hut, his anxiety growing with each passing moment. His eyes darted nervously around the room, his heart pounding in his chest. When Ruth finally walked in, Dara sprang to his feet, relief washing over him like a tidal wave. He had been so worried, convinced something terrible had happened to her. She was supposed to deliver a message to Master Reuben and return within minutes, but hours had passed, and she was nowhere to be seen.
"You're back!" Dara exclaimed, his voice trembling with relief. "Thank goodness. I was so worried. What happened? Did you see Master Reuben? Did you deliver the message? What was his response?" He bombarded her with questions, his eyes pleading for answers.
Ruth's face etched with sorrow, approached the bench and sat down. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice heavy with grief, "I have terrible news. Master Reuben... he's gone. He's been killed."
Dara's breath hitched in his throat. He stumbled towards her, collapsing onto the bench beside her. "What happened?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Who killed him? What did he do?"
But he was just asking to be sure though, he's aware what might have happened to him. He already knew. He knew it in his heart, a chilling certainty that settled like a stone in his stomach.
"Why was I even asking, it's definitely my sister who did it" He said.
"Of course," He muttered, his voice laced with bitterness. "It's my sister's handwork. She tried to persuade him to join her, but he refused. He was always an honorable man. She killed him for it." He folded his hands, resting his head on them, and stared at the floor, his frustration growing. He didn't know where to begin. As using Ruben could no longer work, as the plan had failed, that's a lot of big problem now because he would have to convince Ruth to go out there alone, to help him rally the people. But he knew it was a dangerous proposition. His sister wouldn't hesitate to hurt her. But what choice did he have? They couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Ruth was is the only hope right now.
"Actually, I think you should forget about that," Ruth snapped him out of his thought, her voice serious. "We have bigger problems to worry about. It seems your sister isn't the only problem you have now. She has enemy friend in the castle now. When I got back to the Golden Castle, everything was upside down. Nothing was as I expected it to be. And nothing was as it used to be"
Dara looked up, his eyes wide with alarm. "What happened?" he asked, his voice urgent.
"Your sister Mara isn't on the throne anymore," Ruth revealed. "Karl is."
Dara stared at her, his mind reeling. Karl? It was impossible. What business did Karl have with the throne?
 
Dara's frustration boiled over as he pondered the situation. He has no right to claim the throne, yet here he is, sitting on it. Did he conspire with Mara to eliminate any opposition? Perhaps he promised her countless benefits in return for her support. But how could she have agreed instead of fighting for herself to rule? something must be fishy.
"How do you mean?" Dara asked, intrigued.
Ruth continued, "He claims he isn’t even fighting for the throne for himself; he’s doing it for his son, Myth."
"Neither he nor his sons have any right to the throne!" Dara exclaimed. "So why is he even fighting for it on behalf of his son?"
Ruth explained, "He insists he never wanted to rule the Kingdom. But since you’ve been absent, he believes there’s no one more suitable for the throne than his son. He argues that with you gone, no one else is fit to lead. Your sister is just a girl, and your brother Peter is too weak to protect the kingdom. Therefore, he announced a single combat between Peter and Myth tomorrow at noon. If Peter can defeat Myth, he will claim the throne. But everyone knows Myth will likely win; Peter doesn’t stand a chance."
 Dara sat stunned, speechless. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the chaos. Mara had betrayed the family, seeking his death after murdering their father and framing him for the crime. Yet, she couldn't hold onto the throne herself, allowing Karl to usurp her power. What had she been up to all this time? Was this all part of a plan with Karl? Dara couldn't believe it. The sister he knew would never act so selflessly for anyone else, only for her own selfish gains.
But what could he do now? His sister wasn't the only enemy. He had to reclaim his rightful throne, but the people were against him, believing he was responsible for the kingdom's downfall. He had the current king, the king's son, and the people to contend with, and even with his sister also. It was an overwhelming task for one man to handle.
"What are you thinking?" Ruth asked, sensing his turmoil. "I think you need to escape this kingdom. Go to another one, find an army, and return to claim what is rightfully yours. The people don't want to see you now."
"They still hate you," Ruth said, his voice laced with anger. "They so much believe you murdered the king and caused all the kingdom's problems." Ruth added only to be sadly interrupted by Dara.
"I told you, I didn't kill my father! Mara did!" Dara yelled, his anger flaring.
"I know, I know, you told me and I believed you" Ruth said calmly, "but I'm not talking about myself, I'm talking about the people. They believe so hard that you're guilty. If you go out there and claim you're innocent, they'll kill you."
"I have a better plan," Dara said, his eyes gleaming with a spark of determination. "You said there's a fight at noon tomorrow, and the winner takes the throne?"
Ruth understood where he was going and immediately shook her head. "No, no, no! That's not an option. The people hate you, they don't want to see you. You can't just walk into that fight and expect to survive. This kingdom needs you, Dara. If you die, everything will fall apart!"