Harbinger Of Doom: The Attainer

21. The First Assignment

A week later, Prince Mo had successfully planted spies all-around. Some stationed along the streets in the pretext of selling buns, tactfully interacting with each other with the phrase:

"The bun will go cold If not eaten." The answerer would reply.

"Like the snow in winter."

Neeman (the king's eunuch) hurried into the study room of King Elead. Shelves were arranged in an organized manner, several books immaculately stored in them. An opened book was on his table along with some stacked books, a censer and then a cup of hot brewed tea that effused steam.

A knight's effigy stood few feet away at one end. One of his attendants was performing the duty of walking to and fro which he obediently did in the absence of a complaint or a dark countenance. He was rather wearing a suppressed frightful look.

The king, clothed in a gray apparel draped on a milky inner garment, had a bow in one hand. His hair that was cupped into a bun was looking a bit messy. He'd been studying for a while, so he opted to take a recess. Archery was used as his avocation as it jogged his memory of how he fought and usurped the throne some years ago. Taking the last shaft from the quiver hung on a closeby furniture, he leisurely attached it to the string and sighted the hole that simulated the bullseye in the chest region of the dummy knight.

He released the projectile and it flew with accuracy into the hole. The attendant went forward to retrieve the arrows from the hole, and pocketed them back into the quiver. The king took an arrow and placed it in position to repeat the exercise for the third time.

He suddenly paused after pulling the drawstring that later retracted to normalcy, as though he had lost interest in the practice.

"Say, that object was further away, do you think I would have still gotten the target hole?" The ambience had been very quiet. The king intended to lighten up the mood by chatting with his skittish and overly unnerved attendant. The man mulled for half a beat with his eyes staring at the floor. The king may not be pleased if he replied out of fear and revere in his favour hence he implied that his superior had the final say.

"Your Majesty, I dare not evaluate your ability. You know best." Every word he said was enunciated well, head still downcast. King Elead looked at him for a while, and then his gaze fell back on the effigy.

"mmm, are you saying that you're not sure of my ability?" An indifferent smile appeared on his face after speaking. The attendant started as if the time of his death had been announced. He sharply brought his gaze to meet the king, lips parted as tremor rumbled in his stomach. King Elead had probably misunderstood him. The only option was to opine his thought in the best possible way that it would be as clear as daylight.

"I dare..."

"Why don't we see for ourselves?" The king interrupted, turning to the far end of the room. His attendant did not reply out of perplexity. "Go and stand at that end." He commanded, vision stalling at the designated area. His attendant's look at that moment displayed an embodiment of trepidation. He was close to peeing on his clothes. But who was he to contravene the order of His Royal Majesty?

Summoning courage, he slowly paced through one of the passageways between the shelves, and stood at the end. The king's face turned stoic as he stretched back the drawstring. His subordinate squeezed one frightful look, then brought his head down while humming some prayers, heartbeat racing like it was threatening to hammer a way out of his ribcage. He waited for considerable while, but he was still standing healthy. What could be stalling my journey to the underworld, he thought, head inertly lowered.

King Elead cracked a little laugh. His attendant raised his face, eyes like saucers while he heaved a sigh. The last thing he saw was the angry head of an arrow pinpointing at him. He only knew at the moment that the king had been bluffing.