It was a full moon. The usual night silence was ruptured by the howls of the heathen hordes from the marshes of Jei Zed, home to the once formidable clan called Supr Ar. For decades, the Supr Ar had tried to breakdown the Northern Great Wall of Nis San, but they could not surmount nor break the 20 feet high iron barricade.
Ever since the defeat in the Battle of Quarto Myle, named after the highest peak in the land, Mount Quarto, they have been trying to make their way back into more hospitable terrain. The King had driven them out of Myle's Creek, their motherland, and erected the Great Wall to protect the Kingdom from Supr Ar's attacks.
Casualty of the Battle of Quarto Myle.
It had proved to be a masterstroke by the King. By pushing them back to the marshes, the Supr Ar were walled in by the ferocious Sea of Karrat to the west, the arctic cold of Gon Subsidee mountain range to the north, the haunted Forrest of Yam in the east, and the Northern Great Wall of Nis San in the south. Their numbers had dwindled over the years and, subsequently, they had grown weaker from the harsh conditions of Jei Zed. Whatever attempts to breach the wall were only made by the Supr Ar younglings desperate to lead a better life. However, their efforts had, thus far, come to naught.
Supr Ar's numbers have declined over the years.
Tonight was no different. However, the futile attack was not the only ploy at work. Deep within the Forrest of Yam, away from the illumination of the moonlight, Hijau Tertiuar stood at the altar of Gayn Ting, beside him, the sultry witch, Breadegg Yamyam.
"Father's affection for Merah is increasingly suffocating... not to mentioned, annoying! If I don't put an end to this, the throne will forever be lost from my grasp," groaned Hijau.
"Did you... bring... what I... asked for?" asked Breadegg in her slow haunting voice.
"Yes."
Hijau handed over a lock of hair to Breadegg, who placed it in a wooden mortar that was filled with a concoction made from the waters from the River of Dhal, the Hotspring of Sham Bal, and Teapull. Immediately, the mixture effervesced and released a pungent smell.
"Hmmm... most... in... teresting."
"What is? The smell? I can tell you it isn't. Even Arbi's fart smells better... and that's saying a lot!"
"Where... did you say... Merah... come from?"
"I didn't. We were told he was an orphan from a small town in Joe Hur."
"Anything... else?" probed Breadegg in her usual sloth.
"No! What are you getting at?! Did the spell work?" Hijau was running out of patience with the witch.
"The spell... only works... on those... with common blood."
Hijau turned pale when he found out the truth about Merah.
Hearing that, Hijau's face turned ghostly white. "You mean he is... actually... my half brother?"
"Yes... lucky... bastard, eh?" Breadegg turned away and chuckled, amused by her own wittiness.
"So how do I get rid of him then?!" demanded the impetuous prince.
With his back against Hijau, Breadegg reached inside her cloak, pulled out a vial containing a yellow substance, and threw it at Hijau.
"What is this? Is this urine?"
"Die Zel... you... idiot."
"Will it kill him?"
"No. Just... paralyze."
And with that, Breadegg disappeared into the night.
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