King Gombar has actually changed his mind and has made the High Priest wait for three days before sending a messenger to inform him that he is to appear in front of His Majesty the next day.

“Maybe that will blow some steam off his wicked pride. He’s got so much of it that I think I’m actually doing him a favor. And while he waits in my lobby, maybe I’ll have a sneak peek through the secret window and see in what kind of mood he is. If he is not humiliated enough, maybe I’ll make him wait a whole day and tell him to come tomorrow.”

The idea seemed so marvelous to the king that he had to chuckle just thinking about it. “For him to treat me will all that disrespect ever since I became a king. Now that I think about it, I really need to put that pompous ass in his place.”

On top of that, to humiliate him even further, the king decided not to receive him in the Great Hall, a customary reception area for all the high dignitaries and diplomats that can be packed with a great audience. No, he decided to receive the High Priest in his personal library. Although three-story grand, and impressive with thousands of leather-bound books and finely carved furniture featuring all the wild animals of his realm, it was a very subdued place.

“Your Majesty, it is not wise to make the High Priest wait,” Furgan the Fragile, one of King’s top advisers has replied as the King has informed him of his plans. “He is still considered a very powerful person, maybe down on his luck, but the Mage with power our kingdom has not seen in a long time.”

“Mage my ass! He’s nothing more than a cheap trickster.”

“That is not what I saw, your Majesty. And our spies were specific in their descriptions of his abilities. I’m begging you not to play with this man. He is very dangerous.”

“Fragy, are you going to deny me the pleasure of humiliating him?” the King asked, his big stomach suddenly raising up and down as he breathed heavily.

“Not at all, your Majesty. Just trying to avoid any possible unwanted confrontations.”

“Avoiding confrontations, you say. If I wanted to avoid confrontations, I would never be king, leave my brother to rule in my place. But, fine, I’m in a jovial mood. Show him in.”

“Your Majesty, it is just two of us. Don’t you want to summon some of your… other advisors to be present? Some of them might be helpful.”

“Rubbish. We’ll deal with this clown on our own. Show him in!” the King barked the order and the guards opened the gate, with the Head Sergeant stepping out to show the Head Priest in.

The High Prince, the First of Mage had walked ceremonially slowly inside the library, completely robed in a thick white silky gown with gold threats decorating its sleaves and emeralds and rubies placed like shining stars over his chest. His hands were folded in front and covered by the loose fabric. The hood that entirely covered his face did not come off even at the protest of the guards who he completely ignored.

“King Gombar, it’s so good we can finally talk,” a deep voice came from under the hood as the man stopped at a half way distance across the room. “And in such a private setting. We are truly honored. And very wise indeed. For what I’m to tell you is better to be heard by as few as possible.”

King Gombar coughed, suddenly not knowing what to do with this man. Such an insult that the High Preist would only nod his head, not even bow to him, not even bow to him even a little in his own castle!

The heads were rolled for less of an insult than that. Maybe it was better that they were not in the Great Hall and in front of a big audience.

“I see you in good health, High Priest.”

“Why would High Preist not be in a good health? He is blessed by the Creator, guarded by Creator, empowered by Creator. Don’t you know that to be true?”

“Oh, I know a lot of things to be true. But some, I still… do not. For example, do you know what happened to your monastery? Because I do.”

“Of course we know what happened to our monastery. And it is of little concern to us. Our desire, the only desire is to serve the Creator. And if our monastery needed to be destroyed in order to serve him, so be it.”

“So, what happened to your monastery, to your home, then?”

“We would rather not say.”

“Last I heard there were no two stones left on top of each other.”

“If that is Creator’s will, so be it.”

The king chuckled. “Creator’s will. Do you know who destroyed it and why?”

“Of course we do. Do you take us for idiots? And those that are responsible will be dealt with in due time.”

The lack of respect made the king twitch, needing a moment to compose himself. “So, what are you doing in my kingdom, priest? Looking for shelter?”

“I’m here on the command of my Lord to speak to you.”

“Your Lord… creator?”

“No, King Gombar, my Lord, High Price, the First of Mage, the…”

“What the hell? Who are you?”

Only then did the man decide to unfold his hands and with gracious motion took the hood off his face, revealing a bald head and a skinny face belonging to a man not older than thirty.

“You’re not High Priest!” the king shrieked in protest.

“Of course I’m not High Priest. Do you believe my Lord, the First of the Mage, the Prophet Who Walks Among Us, do you think he would wait for you to see him??? Oh, no…”

“So, what the hell are you doing here?”

“To give you a message, of course.”

The king instantly became mad with fury, his face reddening. “And what is the message? And pick your words carefully for they may be the last to leave your mouth!”

“I am to tell you that my Lord has decided to offer you the knowledge that so many desire to have.”

“What knowledge??”

“The one that would make you the most powerful person in this whole world.”

“And why would your Lord want to do that?”

“He spoke of Creator's goodwill to those that build shrines in his name and let the priests preach his words.”

“You think I will build shrines for you? You think I’ll build you a new monastery??? YOu are mad!! And your Lord is no Lord at all! He’s a-”

“If they knew all the knowledge he has, you would call him the grates of Wizards that ever lived. You would kiss his robe and be thankful to be in his presence.”

“Never! A wizard you say? Never! The last wizard I met… was in the Book of Seven Skies when I was nine years old! And between you and me, before I tell my Captain to take your head off right here and now, I never was much impressed even at that age. Not impresssed at all.”

“So, then you do not want ro be blessed with the power of the Creator? You do not want to be his whip to-”

“What power??” the king yelled enough to make the windows tremble. Then he pointed his finger at the young priest and said, “Captain!”

The soldier went for his sword, but the priest was faster and he plucked out one of the rubies of his robe and threw it to the ground in front of Captain’s feet. The blueish flash blinded instantly everyone in the room, the thunderous sound followed making the floor tremble, and the king and his advisor instantly covered their eyes, trying to protect themselves.

When they dared to open them again, the room was filled with a strange haze, and no matter how wide King decided to open his eyes, he could not see his Captain anywhere. Only specs of brown dust slowly falling down.

“You, you, you…”

“You want to see the power of Creator. Do you deny it?”

“What kind of power is that? What kind of sorcery is it?? You killed a man! Turned him into… into… dust??” KIng Gombar would have raged at him with insults and fury especially since he could not help but see how calm the young priest was, mocking him even with a little smile?

But he stopped himself as he saw the priest take two more of the rubies out of his robe decoration.

“Some refer to it as the Star of Bardan," he said calmly, looking at the stones in his hands. "Others have other names for it. That is not important. What is important is that it can be yours. Imagine what you could do with it. Such is the generosity of Creator.”

"Where, where did you get those??"

The young priest looked at him as if he could not understand how King Gombor could not know it. "But from the Creator himself! Where else? My Lord uses his staff, hits a rock, and with our Creator's blessing, he creates."

“What, what??” the King stuttered still unable to completely accept what was going on.

“But then, if you are not interested in being part of doing Creator's work, my Lord can always offer it to others, see who else would be generous to build shrines to worship his presence, please his will, and allow us to spread the word of his power and might.”

“I… I want to see your High Priest.”

“Certainly. You can do that. He will see you.”

“When?”

“But when he returns from the City of Lan.”

“What??”

“He left two and a half days ago on an invitation from King Weeslow to attend a great celebration there. He said it would not be polite to be late to such an event, not since all the Kings and powerful people would be attending it.”