Prologue

A Chapter by Scottly

Naru knew that tonight was his last day living in the One City, but he when all was said and done he would be taking the king with him.

He sat in the banquet room of the High Temple, sipping his wine, and listening to the soft harmonies of the lute and lyre. He was seated to the right of his holiness as the guest of honor. This was all part of the plan, a plan that had been set in motion when he was just a child.

But none of that was important now. It had all gone as intended, and now he had to simply keep up appearances until the time was right.

Naru was being honored as the youngest graduate the Academy has ever seen. It is customary for would-be guardians of the city to study until the age of 18, at which they would be divided into one of three bodies.

To say he had exceeded expectations was an understatement. He had shown such promise that the king himself had taken notice, and suggested that he begin his advanced studies at once to see if he would be a good fit to join the ranks of the scholar-kings. Naru was only 15. Again, this was all according to plan.

He turned and smiled at the king, “Thank you so much, your graciousness, for this excellent feast.”

“It is I who must thank you, child,” the king replied. “It is not every day that one such as yourself is born.” The aged man brought up his hand to softly stroke his beard in thought. “I was quite impressed when my scholars first spoke to me of you.”

“Please, you rate me too highly.” Naru had not only been guided in his studies, but also in the way of the tongue. “I am but a humble servant to the One City. This home of ours requires excellence, and excellence is what I provided.”

Truth be told, the credit to his success belonged more to his hidden advisors than to Naru himself. He was intelligent, sure, but they knew how the system worked and were able to guide him through it with ease.

“Truly, you are a remarkable child. Such devotion you show to your city, even at your age.” It was hard to believe how effortless it had been to fool the king. Naru would be worried that they were being played, if not for the assurances he had received from his counselors. They guaranteed to him that the king would not question someone he felt to be truly virtuous, and they had maintained that was exactly how Naru appeared.

High king of Lycee stood up and rapped his knife against his cup to get his audience’s attention. “People of Lycee, the One City, it is today that we honor the character and fortitude of Naru, future guardian of virtue.” The king continued on, but Naru let his mind wander and looked around the hall.

It was a humble room, but that was to be expected. The table they were all seated at was long and well stocked with food. The utensils, however, were a simple iron. As for those in attendance, they were dressed in plain robes. They were all much older than Naru, late 50s or older. This was the entire body of scholars-kings; the ones that pursued knowledge and discovery, and ruled Lycee toward virtue and examination, both inward and outward.

If Naru was truly as he appeared he would be in awe of those around him. Instead, he felt nothing but disgust. He knew the truth about the city. His advisors had filled his head with stories that would make anyone feel great hatred.

The king was winding down in his speech now. “Please, join me in welcoming Naru as a scholar-in-training, and let us pray that one day this extraordinary young man will join our ranks.” The old men, and a few women, stood up and clapped in his honor. He felt gratitude well up inside him, but he quickly suppressed it.

Naru smiled and waved as the applause died down. The High King touched his arm. “I would very much like to show you around the temple and what the life of a true scholar looks like.”

The 15 year old took one last swig of his wine, and followed the soon to be ex-king of Lycee out of the banquet hall.

***

Naru’s temple tour ended in the king’s study, just like he knew it would. The kindness the king had showed him made him feel funny about what he must now do. He just kept reassuring himself that the king was putting on a façade just like he was. The king’s demure nature was no more real than Naru’s eagerness.

“I thought we could end the night here, and take the time for you to ask any questions you may have for me.” The king looked at Naru from across the hearth in the center of the room.

The king and the child were seated in high backed chairs. They were upholstered simply, but offered enough comfort for the hours of reading the king spent each day.

A thought crossed Naru’s mind of the kind of life he could live as a scholar. He could spend his time reading the classics and attain the level of knowledge that each of the scholar-kings possessed. It sounded peaceful, but it would all be a lie. The One City was full of them, and by removing the king, Naru’s backers hoped that these lies would be revealed to the populace.

“I only have one question.” Naru spoke softly.

“I cannot hear you my boy. You will have to speak up.” The king leaned towards Naru and turned an ear towards him.

Naru’s question was barely a whisper.

“Louder, Naru. No need to be shy.” The king again leaned closer. As he did so, Naru reached under his chair for the dagger that had been planted by one of the kings auxiliaries.

“I said, how can you live with yourself?” This time Naru’s query was loud enough for the king to hear, and his eyes widened with shock. It was not the question that surprised him though; it was the dagger that was now planted firmly in his chest.

The king did not cry out, in fact other than his initial shock, he showed no outward signs that he was even in pain.

Naru stared at the dagger sprouting from the king’s chest and realized that there was no blood. The king’s simple white robe remained unsoiled, although it was plain to see that the knife was in his chest.

“You have made a grave mistake, boy.” Naru’s look shifted upward to meet the king’s gaze. His eyes were a cold green. They seemed a little too green, a color so striking that Naru was surprised he had not noticed the them until now.

Naru felt a warm sensation that started in his chest and spread out from there. He broke the king’s gaze and looked down at his body. The knife that had been in the king’s chest was now in his own, despite the fact that the king had not moved.

The would-be assassin’s last thought was of a green that was too-green, and then everything went black. . .