STEEL AND FLESH

NIGHTMARE

King Lauihnio stood almost solemnly at the window, gazing at the great mountains of Lahda, the evening sun about to set splashed golden Rays which lit up his chamber making it more admirable at first sight, it looked like the gods were passing by, as the distant panorama was filled with elegance, perhaps it was a sign from the gods that all was well for the harvest was rich and plentiful.

The people of Bauthinia lived in peace and abundance, love and joy, joy that was brought about by the never ending entertainment and banter especially among the male civilian folk who never saw complecancy as a beautiful enemy that had been responsible for the downfall of the numerous kingdoms, dynasties and civilisations that had dominated the Azarian world.

From the ale House, whore house and inns to the combat arena at loeia the Bauthinian capital, great pleasure was never far away from anyone even the common man.

"You look troubled, anything the matter." His wife queen Lana asked, she had been going through some religious literature that were contained in scrolls she got when she went on pilgrimage to the great Oridon temple in Sergia. The texts on the scrolls were some holy writings myths and prayer guides derived from the Serran the holy book of the oridists of which there was no duplicate.

The scrolls were written and blessed by the arch cytix priest the only man allowed to have access to the Serran which is believed to be written by the five gods of the Oridists, Duzatag god of the underworld and death, Heykzan god of war and strife, Andus god of wisdom, Satti goddess of love, beauty and fertility and Oridon the supreme god.

"I don't know, there is a disturbance within me, it refuses to go away." The king said looking sour. Indeed he was greatly troubled which was unlike him, for he usually looked cheerful.

King Lauihnio was a man of decent weight not slim and certainly not fat, he was straight as a dirk, tall about six feet and he was thirty two at the time, the curls of his dark hair framed a face sculpted and imperious: highbrows, sharp cheekbones, straight nose and a light smooth skin that was not spared of scars.

He had a deep scar on his chest, abdominal region, his left arm and his back which were the results of injuries he sustained during the invasion of Quania, his eyes were blue in colour and he had a salt and pepper beard which made him look more pious than matured.

The queen Lana However was a strictly religious woman to a fault. She spent quality time at the Oridon temple that was located at a stone throw distance from the palace gate, she served as an encouragement to members of the royal household on the need to improve their spiritual life so as to attract blessings from Oridon.

Because of her zeal for Oridon she ordered the erection of shrines in almost every chamber of the palace, however her piousness and zeal for her religion did not stop her from performing her duties as a wife and a mother for she had two sons Aynam the crowned prince and Daeymen, she also had a daughter called Titana.

"And what is it that disturbs you?" She stood up from her golden stool moved to him and held both his hands. "Common share it with me I will do my possible best to be of help with the wisdom of Andus." She looked graciously into his eyes. Queen Lana was a beautiful woman. red haired, pale skinned with no blemish, bulging eyes, flat nose with a thin structure, although she looked like a woman in her late teens she was in her middle twenties.

"Ever since you came back from the war at Quania everything about you changed, your cheerful smiles, your sense of humor and your spiritual life I could tell have grown weaker." She said. "You look dreadful." The queen was concerned first because it was her duty to and second because she found it strange for any man living in Bauthinia to look gloomy at the time of the harvest.

"You judge correctly. I fear I may never be the man I was ever again, the war changed me. Spilled guts, severed heads, men castrated, gross massacare, anytime I lay down to have my sleep I see this things, I see blood." He said breathing heavily.

It was two years ago in August king Lauihnio and his army accompanied Rashur king of Mocini into campaigns against the Quanians who sought to expand their borders and establish their influence on Mocini.

The Mocinians being aware of their plans needed support from king Dougan king of Zimbe who was an ally of King Rashur and king Lauihnio.

Both Kings agreed to March with king Rashur to Quania and they immediately launched attacks on the Quanians a war that lasted for four months.

With the campaign successful and king Brothlander fleeing his lands, the Mocinians offered the Bauthinians a chance to be allies with them but king Lauihnio flatly refused.

The campaign at Quania was the first time Bauthinia had gone to war in over a hundred years, but that never meant they lost their skill for the sword and thirst for blood which was always made fresh all thanks to the blood letting arenas, where various types of skirmishes occurred, for the entertainment of the people of Bauthinia.

The Arenas served as execution grounds for prisoners and grounds, were honor and fame, could be grasped. I

it was the first time king Lauihnio ever went to war since he became king of Bauthinia a decade ago perhaps since his conception. Despite his inexperience in the ways of war, the king was a fine swordsman who showed skill and precision when wielding the sword against opponents when sparring or when he fought at the arena.

He won the title champion of Bauthinia three times, a title that was reserved for the best combatant at the arena games a tournament which took place once in a year precisely at the harvest.

Throughout his career as a combatant he fought in seven final duels which was the duel that decided who would eventually be crowned champion of Bauthinia.

King Lauihnio's participation in seven final duels was the highest any combatant ever fought, however some Bauthinians at that time saw his success at the arena as a result of bias given the fact he was the crowned prince at the time but many Bauthinians held him in high regard for his technique in combat won the hearts of many.

"You went to war for the first time since your birth, I understand how you feel, it is a normal feeling." She said. "You would get over it." She assured him.

"I killed men, I saw women and children slaughtered, babies seperated from their mothers, holy men castrated sometimes burned alive, human flesh rotting away, large acres of land turning into feasting grounds for vultures, crows and any scavenger you may think of. He scowled feeling extremely guilty. During his days as a combatant king Lauihnio never killed a man because his vanquished opponents always yielded, giving up in combat either due to massive injuries which made them unable to continue or out of compulsion in combat when he put his opponents in a very vulnerable state were they had no chance of winning or escaping.

"But you should be grateful you survived the war and not only did you survive, Heykzan gave you victory." she said rather imposingly than comforting. The king sighed.

"During the war I saw the destruction that we had brought upon Quania, I and my men participated in the dissolution of their powers, we tarnished their status quo and razed down buildings, monuments and artefacts the Quanians took pride in." He said. "My love I fear, such may be the fate of our home Bauthinia."

"I forbid that in the name of Oridon." She rebuked him and took few paces backwards, she stared at him shocked and filled with bewilderment. "Have you gone mad? - now I am convinced you need to see a healer." She then moved to him and placed her palms on his cheek and stared fervently at his eyes. "Now what makes you think that our rich lands, beautiful gardens, fertile livestock, beautiful maidens and ever smiling hardworking men would be lost through disaster or war." She said "Why do you think that the beautiful smiles that beautified the faces of our people both young and old for over a hundred years would be swept away and instead filled with gloom, despair and strife."

"I have been dreaming Lana." He looked sideways towards the window speaking more to the distant view that caught his gaze than his wife. "Not once, not twice." He turned to her. "I saw Duzatag, I saw death and sorrow ravage our beautiful lands, maybe the gods are..."

"You know nothing of the gods." She snapped interrupting him. "You are not a cytix priest, and if I remember correctly ever since you retired from combating at the arena to become king of Bauthinia you let the politics of the land overwhelm you making you lose your zeal and passion for the gods who gave you victories and saw you through an illustrious, decorative and enviable career every man who ever fought in the arena dreamt of."

She turned sober tears rolling down her cheeks as she was filled with fear and pity for her husband. "my love." she lowered her tone. "please relax, I am here and I am ready to give you my body for your immense satisfaction, if you are not okay with my body you are free to take as many women as you want to warm your bed." she hugged him passionately still crying. "Just quit behaving like this, you are really scaring me." king Lauihnio wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead and felt sober also.

Thereafter there was a knock on the door of the king's Chambers. "get in." King Lauihnio called. A middle aged man probably in his late forties with a face that showed no emotions walked in, he was skinned head and had no facial hair, he wore a golden scaled armor with a white short sleeved tunic and golden bracers decorated with some precious stones and ancient Bauthinian writings, he wore a very long xiphos sword in his gold scabbard and golden greaves on his legs while holding his golden helmet in hand. It was Lord Garthine Polion and he was the chief commander of the Bauthinian army.

"Good evening your majesty." He knelt on one knee then bowed his head. "Rise up Garthine Polion, what brings you to my Chambers?" king Lauihnio said facing the chief commander. Lord Garthine Polion stood up and looked straight at the king's eyes.

"The Elerians are here and they demand your presence immediately." He said. the queen frowned and took hold of her husband's hand. "no the king is not in a good shape, provide the Elerians with food and shelter, by the morrow the king would be ready to meet them." she ordered. Garthine Polion did not take any notice of the queen.

"My king, they say it is an urgent matter and you are needed immediately." he said ignoring queen Lana. "and I said he won't be seeing them today. "she yelled, annoyed by the fact she was being ignored, king Lauihnio turned to her and held her shoulders. "my love, it's okay, I am fine, let me go see these Elerians and know why they have come, I promise things are not going to get ugly." he said.

"But..."

"I said I am fine - now I would go see them attend to the reason they have come and I would come back to you okay."

"At least let me come with you." the queen persisted.

"No, these are the Elerians, meaning this is an external issue and whatever they want to discuss with me can get you hurt when things get bad and I am keeping you here so that you would not become a liability okay." the king said.

"Guards!" the king called out, two men walked in, they wore a sleeveless bronze scale armor, red knee length tunic, an attic helmet and they held a bronze spear in hand. "Make sure that queen Lana doesn't leave this room till I get back from my meeting with the Elerians." he ordered "And Garthine Polion make sure her maids keep her company and make sure you are present in the courtroom."

He headed for the door. "What, you can't be serious, you want to lock me up, like I am a special prisoner of your's, this is an insult." She was indignant, she tried to reach for her husband but was restrained by the guards. "get your hands off me." She frowned.

"You have enough time to read your spiritual scrolls and pray for the continuity of peace and prosperity in Bauthinia." he smiled at her "keep up the good work my queen."

Queen Lana shook her head and went back to reading the holy scrolls while king Lauihnio stepped out of his Chambers and headed for the palace courtroom.