As soon as he woke up, Reginald noticed that he was next to a naked woman… The whole room was full of people sleeping. Men and women everywhere. He then realized his lack of clothing and grabbed a blanket to cover himself. What happened? he wondered, and felt an excruciating pain in his head. I need to get out of here.
Carefully, he walked through the crowd, trying not to wake anyone up when he left. However, it was impossible for him to open the door without dragging a man.
Outside, Aslan waited against a wall. He wore his flawless silver armor over the blue robes of the king’s emissaries. “Is that what you are wearing?”
Reginald lifted up the blanket. “I think… I’ve misplaced my clothes… and my coin sack… can’t seem to find it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Aslan said. “I’m sure they also need to forget about yesterday. You should have mentioned how entertaining you are.”
“What happened?” Reginald asked. “I don’t remember much.”
“It’s better this way,” Aslan said, “your mind is protecting you. But hey, let’s get your light back.”
“Do you mean it?” Reginald said with a sparkle in his eyes.
“But, first we will have to find something for you to wear.”
A short distance from the brothel they found a common boutique. Reginald didn’t like how the fabric itched his skin, and he didn’t like how it looked either. The prince turned into just another kingdom worker, exactly what Aslan wanted.
“You could pass for a peasant… Now we need a couple of horses,” Aslan said.
“But… how am I supposed to pay for them?”
“You worry too much,” Aslan said. “I’ll arrange it with the king when we return.”
“Thank you Sir Aslan,” Reginald said. “I don’t know what my dad would say if he finds out what happened.”
“This will be our little secret.”
The sunlight was brighter than Reginald expected; the city looked different early in the morning. There were hardly any people on the streets.
“Follow me,” Aslan said. “This is where the stables are.”
Reginald was discovering the world outside of his family’s castle. He saw strangers walking by with tired expressions on their faces, while empty wagons headed for the gates of the kingdom. Everyone had to make the most out of this new day; Reginald could only think of having breakfast.
“Do you think we can have something to eat?” Reginald asked.
“Sure,” Aslan said and took a couple of loaves from a bakery basket. After handing one of them to Reginald, he paid and kept walking.
“Where are we going in such a hurry?”
“I need you to regain your powers. We have to help your father,” Aslan said.
“Do you think I can get them back?”
Aslan turned his head to look at the young prince and raised an eyebrow.
Once they got two of the best horses the kingdom has, of course, with the gold Aslan stole from the prince, the two of them rode for hours. Reginald didn’t know the lands surrounding the kingdom very well, but something told him they were headed in the wrong direction.
In the distance, the mountains of the ridge could be seen behind an immense black construction, Zurkaks, so tall that it looked like one of the mountains. The obelisk had a blue flame at its highest point.
Reginald was surprised to see Zurkaks for the first time. “What’s that?”
Aslan pulled out a booze-filled boot and sipped some of the liquid. “Zurkaks… marks the border between kingdoms.”
“But… why is it there?”
“I figure it helps Chaleine expand her beliefs.”
“Are you taking me to a temple of darkness?” Reginald asked.
“We are already here,” Aslan said, “it would be good if we find out how the powers of the knights of darkness work.”
“You lied to me,” Reginald said, getting off his horse.
“Have you forgotten your training already?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Do you think you will return with news of the destruction of your sacred scriptures and they will welcome you with open arms?” Aslan asked, and jumped off his horse.
“But—”
“Life goes on,” Aslan said. “You must find a new path and stop focusing on the past.”
“Why?”
“Losing something you love is difficult,” Aslan said. “It’s important to accept the loss. Only then can you continue.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do…” Reginald said, wiping a tear off his face. “That was all I had. The only thing I’ve been truly good at.”
“I understand,” Aslan said, reaching for his copy of holy scripture hanging on a chain from his waist. “I don’t know what I would do if something like that happened to me. But you must be strong, the gods are testing your faith. Your mission must be very important.”
Reginald fell to his knees. Accepting for the first time what happened to him, certain that this will be the last time he considers getting his powers back. “Who am I without my light?”
“You saw how easy it was for me to fight that warrior,” Aslan said.
“You lost.”
“You are young and will be able to develop new talents. The weight of the kingdom rests on your shoulders,” Aslan said. “You must learn to let go.”
Reginald remembered his encounter with Shasera, how easy it was for the sorceress to humiliate him. “How are we going to beat them?”
“Now you’re thinking like a king…” Aslan said. “You have a very important role in my plan.”
“Sure,” Reginald said. “Anything to save the kingdom.”
“You just have to use this—”
“Wait, what is that?”
“It’s just a little mascara for the eyes,” Aslan said.
“Are you crazy?” Reginald asked.
“You’ll have to use this too,” Aslan said, pulling a black blanket out of the leather bag hanging next to the horse’s saddle.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought I’d told you,” Aslan said. “You are going to infiltrate Zurkaks and obtain information about the knights of darkness.”
“I’m doing what?”
“It’s all part of the plan.”
“But… how do you expect me to get into Zurkaks?” Reginald asked.
“We’ll take care of that when it’s necessary,” Aslan said. “Hurry up, we don’t have much time.”
“For what?”
Aslan pointed a finger in Zurkaks’ direction and people dressed in black began to file through the doors. “They are your invitation to get in.”
Reginald was afraid of what was about to happen, but he decided that he was willing to do whatever it took to save the kingdom. “OK, I’ll do it.”
“Let’s hurry, there’s not much time left.”
Once Aslan finished painting Reginald’s face, the prince changed into the black robe of an acolyte of darkness. The two of them got closer to Zurkaks, then Aslan took the two horses and left.
The prince was left alone, he quickly became part of the crowd. Noting that most of the acolytes had black marks on their faces, others only had mascara on their eyes. The group was diverse, men, women, tall, children, thin, fat. Infiltrating this place will be easier than I expected, Reginald thought.
Shortly after enjoying the warmth of the sun, the group began to return to Zurkaks, without an apparent order, but they all knew where to go.
Once inside the tower, Reginald noticed how big it really was. Corridors divided the ground floor, although some acolytes took the stairs to continue to the next floor. Where am I going to go? he wondered.
“Recruit,” someone said to him.
Reginald turned slowly.
“I’m talking to you,” Lady Night said.
Reginald looked at her and noticed the marks on the woman’s face.
Lady Night removed her hood. “Are you lost?”
“Returning to my chambers,” Reginald said, staring at the woman’s red lips, beautiful eyes, and long red hair.
“You shouldn’t even be here,” she said. “Who is your supervisor?”
“Actually…” Reginald said, “I don’t feel very well.”
Lady Night reached out to grab him before he fell to the ground—passed out.
Everything went dark until Reginald was finally able to open his eyes. He found himself in a strange room, and immediately tried to get up, noticing that his hands were tied with leather straps. Where am I? he wondered, trying to loosen the bonds on his hands and feet.
“… the recruit I told you about,” Lady Night said, entering the room with another person. “It’s an unusual situation.”
Reginald pretended to be unconscious.
“You realize that his body is clean,” Lady Night said, running her hand over Reginald’s naked body.
“Interesting,” Atuj said.
“It was the first thing I noticed when he passed out,” she said.
“He’s probably not one of us,” Atuj said. “In that case, he will die soon enough.”
“He has the body of a warrior,” Lady Night said, running her hand over Reginald’s abdomen. “Let him join the order. I will personally take care of his training.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“I’ll end his life if something goes wrong,” she said.
“Fine,” Atuj said. “Let’s start with the ritual.”
Reginald didn’t know what to do. His hands and feet strapped down, pretending to be unconscious was no longer a good plan. He felt a leather strap against his head. “No wait…”
“Cover his mouth,” Atuj said.
Lady Night gagged the prince with a leather strap.
Reginald struggled to free himself from the restraints until he felt a needle in his neck and lost the strength of his body. However, he still heard everything that happened.
“Ready to start?” Atuj asked, taking a black metal rod from a tray. “The first is always the one I enjoy the most.”
Lady Night grabbed Reginald’s left arm, while Atuj pressed the small metal rod against the palm of the prince’s hand and raised a hammer. The blow sent the rod through the hand.
“One down,” Atuj said, “Sixty-five to go.”
This is a beautiful fiction.
I had many thoughts/feelings reading this… but I could be way off with my comments or not even understand it correctly…
Reginald perhaps didn’t know how to move forward or even which direction to go…and was trying to forget his problems…but he had to trust in others. But were these leading him in the right direction? Did they know him? They seemed to… He had questions and felt unsure…
He felt great loss from past, and unable to let go of past…and he felt weak, and yet at the same time he had courage, strength and adaptability. But it seems ended up in an unfamiliar situation, strapped down and unable to move and you are wondering if he will get his powers back whatever they are or if he will be able to withstand what is coming next?
“His mind protects him”…so maybe it will here too? Who knows?!
His body is clean… and it seems almost unique even desired…
He seems like he is a Prince but does not realise he is one, and maybe the potential he actually has.
🤔
Gosh reading all this leather made my innocent tummy turn.
Yet we all wear it. Our shoes, gloves, coats, jackets and boots are made from leather, and her with Lady Night and Atuj the thought of leather makes me cringe I want to run away from here, leather and the tormenting rod.
Hey Sebastian! Please keep penning short stories but aim for a book now. We’ll be happy to read the chapters and give feedback. Goodluck!
That’s disturbing! But I love your short stories. Such quick reads. It breaks up my day, especially when I have nothing going on at work and I am bored! Keep them comng.
Yikes, this is scary!
Was interesting, How about searching the cities and churches for divine moments to write around.
I love the stories! Absolutely fascinating!
Awesome!!
Don’t know what to say.
Couldn’t make head nor tail of it. Is this part of a larger piece of work? Addressing this to the people commenting, not to the author – he doesn’t seem to reply.
Curious,
Robert.
I do not know Robert. I do not know the author, and have only recently started to follow him. Have you tried the “contact” tab in the menu?
I have seen on earlier pieces he has replied, but maybe he doesn’t have time to get back to everyone.
Hold the press – he replied!! 😀
This is the last installment in my Kingdom of Glory series.
Following the yellow brick road … 😉
Amazing content ❣️🔥
Nice work
I love this story, Sebastian. Very intriguing. I hope you plan to continue it. I want to know what happens!!! I seriously was hoping there was more… 😓
Interesting… Would you be expanding on the story? Or is that the end of it?
Good story. Sucks you right in.
Aw man the last sentence…
Heyy Loved this story! Like others: would you be expanding this one?
Very nicely done!
Awesome fiction, great ending too!I loved this work.
Deception and betrayal, a mysterious tale of initiation into a secret order and covert eroticism, where does it lead, what will be revealed?
thanks for sharing…
You are such a great writer!
Lively and full of changes. Do work towards a collection of short stories this year.
Gripping. I do hope there is a sequel…
Why?? I liked him for some reason!!!
Your style gets more clear with each story, making the flow seductive and ease of reading more pleasurable.
Nice job I love how you give us subtle clues.
“As soon as he woke up, Reginald noticed that he was next to a naked woman… ”
OK. She had me at ‘hola’, er…. ‘hello.’
To quote Ah’nold: ‘I’ll be back.’.
Too busy getting smashed at this moment, but to quote from another movie:
“Tomorrow is another day.”
I would like to thank you for your continued support on my blog Sebastian. I am so grateful that you read in like them. I will continue to read your post to to pay back what you have done for me for you. Thank you again!
Same here. S supported my wildly unpopular blog for a long time. Thanks.
Sebastian thank you for reading my work and I like this piece, it sounds like it could be made into a movie it has a lord of the rings and hunger games feel to it, keep up the good work!
In order to bring the uninitiated into your story use what they used in the old movie chapters that you con find on youtube. Give a synopsis. Your story is good, but if you don’t know what proceeded it, then the reader feel lost, as I did. But I enjoyed it anyway.
This is my first reading of this series. My curiosity is peaked. I look forward to the next installment to see what happens next!
Sebastian, kind sir, you are the only author who can encourage me to read storylines based in particular periods of time, which I have often avoided in the past. I appreciate that you embed (the reader) within the time period without using the vernacular of that time. Just one of several reasons I keep coming back.
Ah. Now it makes perfect sense. 😃
I sensed that this must have been part of a larger piece of work. I thought it was incomplete but a good read.
Hey thanks for the likes Sebastian, much appreciated. Your blog looks fantastic btw, I’ll check it out soon when i’m done uploading these old threads. Cheers
To be naked is to be vulnerable which Reginald was in the beginning of the story. Aslan is the lion representing Jesus in the Chronicles of Narnia and the name Reginald means King. Reginald who seems to be undergoing a trial. This is a disturbing short story about someone trying to find the power of darkness when the power is within the light. Do not look for the source of power of darkness, expose it with light. ” And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” John 3:19-20. The number 70 has a number of meanings in the Bible. I am unsure which meaning the author is referring to when he says 69 to go.
Fantastic blog. Keep up the good work!
This is nice.
Hey, I see that you like most of my stuff on my blog so I decided to visit yours. Absolutely amazing blog. Do you think you could possibly help me set up my menu? I cannot figure it out.
Cool
Amazing
Wow!! I came here after you like one of my recent post …and i was stunt! Your story is not fictitious Sebastian …at least not to me after my podcast yesterday….infiltration is a strategy indeed…take care
Gut-punching dialogue. I love the purr of this piece and the way you leave the reader confused, tied up and gagged alongside your mc and still begging, “Yes, please.”
Hi
I ndira I’m fine
You look very beautiful
You look. Like your mummy this is your latest
I feel like seeing you
wow! incredible!
I felt Reginald’s confusion and terror every step of the way. Wonderful work.
Wow. You really got skills . The way you write is just so interesting 👏👍
Thank you for the likes on my post. I didn’t think I’d get noticed. You do an amazing job, really. Thank you.
I wish I could write half as well as this. Perhaps I should stick to playing Spider Solitaire 🙂
you seem to know what your subject is. Though that did not seem to be his past.
Damn! That’s some stellar writing right there. Poor Reginald dancing to a tune he doesn’t even know.
That was great Seb!!!! I look forward to reading more of your work buddy. Keep it up man!!!
OH. MY. WOWS. And great visuals, I saw everything!
Amazing story
Awesome👏👏
Reginald is the hero this kingom needs.
Nice pictures, nice text! 📖
Scary amazed 👏
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