NIGHT OF BIRTH AND DEATH

A dark night. A wet night.

In Amarkale Kingdom, a land situated far from the Earth, dark clouds hang low.

A heavy downpour of rain pounded the fields outside the king's palace.

The old stone houses shook by the foundation as thunder rumbled continuously and the intensity of the rain increased.

A shiny but dark green mist could clearly be seen making its way rapidly towards the Great palace. It reached the top of the buildings and suddenly vanished inside. Not even the royal guards perceived its strange presence.

Unlike the weather condition outside, things were different inside the palace.

A cozy atmosphere was kept up because of the fire burning in the chimneys and its warmth bathed the entire room of the king's chambers.

King Omanyi, whose name meant "the wise one" was, however, not comfortable inside these chambers. His heart was unsettled. He kept pacing up and down the chambers. At one point he would sit on his throne and the next minute he would be up walking about.

He went to the window that faced the East and looked outside. He clasped his hands to his chest.

"My fathers, if it pleases you, let this night be a fruitful one. Even if this once only...!" the king sighed.

Slowly he turned his gaze towards the corridors that led to the queen's chambers. He waited anxiously for the midwives who were attending to his wife to summon him.

Until then, he would not dare to go there unannounced because that would signify bad luck. He would not want that on such a night he was set to have his first born baby after many years of childlessness.

Unknown to the king and all those in his chambers that night, Vaarup, the great sorcerer had arrived just when the queen went into labour.

He who once served in this palace before being banished had learnt from his sorcery that a child would be born and that the expected baby would play a big role in fulfilling a prophecy which had been clinged to by all generations.

Vaarup moved faster to ensure it doesn't happen. He disguised himself as the green dust and entered into one of the midwives attending to the queen.

"It has been quite a while," the king spoke as he yet again rose from his seat. Just then his Chief Seer appeared inside the chambers.

The seer could magically appear anywhere he chose, as he did right now before the king. He was the one who had seen into Vaarup's evil plans in the earlier days and occasioned his removal from the palace.

He noted how restless the king was.

"My King, may your heart find rest and comfort!" the seer greeted.

"My Wise Old Seer, how can I find rest at such a moment? I fear what has always been happening at such times as this!" the king replied.

The seer knew that the king's wife had suffered three miscarriages before this. The king was sorely afraid of loosing this child too. He desperately needed an heir to his throne.

"My King I assure you this child will live, and a great future beckons!" the seer boldly said.

"Oh! That is quite a relief Chief Seer!" the King said, coming face to face with the seer. "That's absolutely amazing, right?" the king's excited voice boomer as he looked at the seer.

Then he noticed his heavy sagging eyebags. "Is there any bad news my seer?" there was a sudden slight tremor in the king's voice.

"My Lord the King. The child would live but am afraid, neither you nor the mother would raise it up!" answered the seer.

"What is the meaning of your words?" there was a grave concern in the king's voice.

"If the child is to live, you must agree with the wishes of the Great Fathers. It is their plan that this child be raised in the time beyond here, for the sake of the future of this kingdom. The parents for the task have already been identified!" the seer spoke candidly looking at the king.

The king sunk into contemplation. He understood every word said by his trusted seer.

After a moment of silence and deep meditation, the king looked at the seer and asked in a low firm voice.

"What about us? Shall we live? When will our child come back to us?"

"My King, the stars are still aligning themselves. You will continue to keep safe the Seven Elements of power until such a time when the child is ready to come back to Amarkale!"

"I see," he replied and his eyes again blurred.

The king was about to say something more to the seer when they were beckoned by one of the maidservants that the queen had successfully delivered. Both the King and the Seer hastened into the queen's chambers.

The queen was holding the baby and tears of joy streamed freely her face.

"Oh my cute angel!" she exclaimed.

The king arrived. His eyes burnt with anxiety. He went straight for the baby.

"Indeed, you are a cute living being! A real child at last!" Then his eyes travelled to the gender section and he realized the child was a girl. He turned to the seer and wanted to say something but let it slip.

"My first born! My princess! I love you my Princess! From hence forth you will be called Nila, for you have brought greater light in our darkest hour!" the king named her.

"And may she live to her mandate to bring even greater light in the whole of Amarkale!" The Chief Seer said as he came along to touch the baby with his staff.

"I love the name, my King. Nila means Light, for sure, I see great light before us now!" the queen said cheerfully.

"Thank you my queen! Thank you for bringing this bundle of joy to Amarkale! Sound the Gong! Let the whole kingdom know that an heir has been born today!" the king ordered.

Just then, an ominous presence filled the room and dark green dust suddenly engulfed all of them. The Chief Seer reacted just in time to shield the King who was still holding the baby in his hands. His staff emitted bright lights that enveloped them.

From the other side, one of the midwives was on the ground coughing blood. The second midwife was nowhere to be seen but instead in her place stood Vaarup. His sorcerer's staff was emitting the green dust and with one hand he pointed at the queen.

The queen seemed to be choking and started vomiting blood too.The Chief Seer swung his right hand at Vaarup and blasted him with a single hit of white radiance from his hand. Vaarup vanished.

There was shock and confusion in the chambers.

The queen was choking on her breath and did not respond to the resuscitation efforts from the Chief Seer.

She died.