THE ANCIENT HUNT

LET ME BE BESIDE YOU

Morgan watched as Ahiga ran back to his room to prepare for the journey while the disqualified contestants went out of the palace one by one.

"Are you that happy you made it? you keep smiling so hard ever since you have been announced as a winner and even a leader" Aditsan asked moving closer to tease him

"You are still asking such question? you should know more than anyone else man, I'm so happy" he replied patting his shoulder with a smile

"What do you think will happen at the hunt? I'm honestly scared, I don't know why I'm feeling that way but I can't help it" His friend said pouring out his mind with a sigh

"There is nothing much to worry about, we just have to look for it and the founder will be rewarded accordingly, I'm sure there will be something to reward the rest of the troops with so don't worry, let's just face the hunt and take care of ourselves for now" he replied climbing unto his bed

"Since this is our last night in the palace, should we sleep together?" Aditsan proposed

"Hey! sleeping together sounds kind of.." he said and Aditsan cuts in by slapping his cheeks playfully

"come off it, I didn't mean it that way. Come on! I love the opposite gender, what are you thinking about all of a sudden?" Aditsan countered and they both chuckled before he shifted for his friend to sleep beside him

"what do you think will happen after everything? will we still go back to the orphanage? I don't think I want to" he asked and Aditsan sighed

"Honestly, I don't think I want to go back there anymore, should we just live on our own now? we are old enough at least, we are eighteen years of age. Let's live together and start a fresh life" Adistan replied

"I know right? I also want us to start living outside the orphanage, I'll make sure to protect Morgan by my side till I can officially propose to her and we can get married right away" he stated

"all your life is just centered on her, do you even have a goal for your own life? what do you want to do with your own life?" Adistan mocked

"she's the only goal I have in life, I live for her and I will continue to do that" he muttered as he closed his eyes gradually

"You are such a lover boy, I wonder if she loves you with this same energy" Adistan remarked as he shook his head and closed his eyes too

They slept off immediately and were woken up very early the next morning for their mission. Their uniforms were changed and each of them were handed a backpack filled with necessities such as food and water with other necessary items they might need

"Now you will be going out of the palace to do that which is required of you, the king will be here soon to address you all so you better pay rapt attention while he talks, you do know he's a no nonsense man right? if you don't want to get in trouble with him, you had better behave yourselves" Liam announced to them before the entry of the king was announced and he stood mighty in front of them

He was putting on a long dragon themed robe which was flowing as long as a wedding gown behind him, his face was void of every emotion and expression, his shiny eyeballs were illuminated in the bright yard's light while he stood in front of them to address them

"I know you've all been told about the mission and what it entails. You are to bring back the ancient scroll back to the palace and the winner will be rewarded accordingly just as I have promised so please endeavor to do a great job" Great Maeil announced and they all listened carefully

"do you understand what choosing only one winner means? It means only the person that brings the scroll back to the palace wins" he added and murmurs sparked up between them

"This is simply saying that it's not over for you all when you find it, your battle will be who will be the luckiest one to bring it inside the palace? because only that person will be crowned the winner so do your best" Great Maeil explained before calling Ahiga forward with the Chief priest standing by the right corner with a covered bowl in his hands

"Come over Argan and do the needful, I'm done talking here" he instructed and the Chief priest scuried over to his side

"This is called the searching stone, it will guide you all to wherever the scroll is hiding so you have to be sensitive to its lead as you embark on the journey, you should just let it take you there naturally and don't argue with it" Argan explained and they all nodded in understanding

"You, Come forward" he motioned to Ahiga and he walked swiftly to the front to meet him

"Stretch forth your hands" he commanded and he obeyed immediately

"Whatever you need its help for, just talk to it and it will be solved. Make sure you lead the team well" Argan told him as he placed the shiny small smooth stone on his hand.

"I wish you good luck in your journey" he added as Ahiga pocketed the stone and they all trooped out of the palace to their destinations

They all matched into the woods as the stone directed them while the men just followed his guide without trouble while trusting Ahiga their leader, at least for now

****

Argan got home and requested for his food which was brought in on the small tray by Lebby. She tabled it in front of him carefully and turned to leave when she noticed his hard expression

"by chance is something wrong with the food? You can tell me and I will prepare another" she asked meekly

"Nothing is wrong with the food but with my mind" he replied with a subtle sigh

"Do you care to share my Lord? who knows, I might be able to offer a solution or two" she told him and he went silent for a while before answering

"Do you think I should take over the throne? I mean the people are groaning about how they don't like his reign, they want him out of the seat. I was the one that placed him on that throne but since people don't want him, should I just take over myself?" he poured out his mind

"if you place a human there and they are not doing what you want them to do then you are free to remove him, that shouldn't be any issue, you simply uprooted the crop you planted and no one should question you for that" she replied meekly and Argan smiled

"You've always tried your best to come up with great advises and I'm so grateful about that, you will be rewarded accordingly" he replied as he drew his food nearer

"The only reward is that I want is to be beside you my Lord" she replied and he turned to look at her

"as a?" he asked

"the strongest person who can back you up and support you whenever you need it without blinking or hesitating, the queen" she replied boldly and he smiled before yanking her close to him. His wife was sleeping by the corner but both of them couldn't care less

"Your food is getting cold My Lord, I think you should eat first" she stated as he fondled with her top

"I don't mind eating something warmer for tonight and that will be you" Argan whispered as he ripped her top to shreds

He dived into her chest and sucked on her flesh making her moan silently but he didn't stop, he explored every part of her bit by bit before finally sleeping with her for the first time with his wife sleeping on the bed at the corner of the room

"Just watch, this is how I will take over My Lord and this household, I will be the queen beside him and take your place, I wish make sure to take over everything you think you own, you should just rest comfortably like you have been doing all these years" She thought as she rode Argan while facing his wife, she was getting what she wanted bits by bits

He finished with her and gave her one of his clothes to cover up to her room before eating his food that was already tabled, he heard his wife groan from the other side of the room but didn't pay attention, all that was on his mind was how to remove Maeil from the throne and take over like Lebby had advised, he was the one that put him there after all

He sent messages to all the officials to meet at his house the following day so they could discuss what was next since they had been planning it together for a long time and he felt it was time to take over

"I think it's time for us to take over the throne, the men has been sent out today to find the scroll and we all know sooner or later, they will be here with the scroll which only means he will be strengthened the more, what are our plans?" He asked as he cleared his throat

"Of course, we can't let him get stronger because all of us will be in danger once that happens, we have to make our already planned move as soon as possible" one of them replied immediately

"The soldiers are waiting for your command, we are ready to follow anything you say" Liam replied with a wicked laugh

"The other soldiers you have trained secretly are lying there for you to just say your command, we are ready to take charge, just give us your words" another official replied making Argan smile in return

"if that is so then we will move on the day we get a message that the scroll has been found, that will be killing two birds with a stone" He said

"Do not worry, just like we have planned previously, none of the men that went for the hunt will come back alive, I promise you that" another official supported

"Yes, none of them must come back alive because they will create another problem as witnesses, the only thing we need them for is to get the scroll, after that they will be gotten rid of" Argan remarked before releasing a low grunt

*****

Lebby brought Argan's wife her medication as always but that night, she had purposely added another leaf to rid the poor wife of her life. As she was about to feed her, the woman grabbed her hand and tried standing up to counter her

"You! why did you do that? you slept with my husband in front of me? How did you come to this? I trusted you" she managed to growl with her sick voice but Lebby only scoffed

"So you saw me? I purposely moaned as I rode him yesterday so you will be aware, it's time you rest now because you have always been a liability to him instead of supporting him, don't worry, I will support him to the end and make sure to achieve his goals with him, you should just rest comfortably like you have been doing or should I say you can rest forever now" Lebby replied unapologetically before bringing the spoon to her mouth but the wife swatted it away making her annoyed

She grabbed her cheeks, pressed it and poured the herbs into her mouth forcefully before closing her nose to make her gulp it down her throat

"You should rest now, I will finish everything from here, don't worry about the master, I will make sure to take care of him well and also support him with my whole body" Lebby said and packed her plates before leaving for her other works

The wife was terribly sick throughout the night, her body was hotter than red coal as she fought the poison and finally gave up the ghost in the morning

"A new era has been opened for you my Lord, I will gladly take the blame but I will make sure to help you attain your goals just like you have been wishing for" Lebby said gently as she helped him put on his mourning robe

"I think you are suitable for my goals, what do you think? do you want to be my queen?" he asked drawing her closer by the waist before packing her scatterd hair to the side

"I already told you I'm at your service, my Lord, I fear nothing in this journey and I won't hesitate to help you lift any burden just like I did this time" she replied seductively

"We should say a proper goodbye first, the new dawn is closer than ever" he replied with a smirk as he matched out for his wife's funeral

"The new dawn is me and I will make sure I establish that" she said to herself before sneaking an evil smile as she watched him go out of the room