Human and Ender: two sides of the same coin. The Day Walkers and the Night Prowlers. Forever in opposition, forever in balance.
A shadowed figure held a large orb in his hand, his glowing, white-hot eyes gazed into the glassy sphere to watch the outside world. Scenes of toppled cities, war-torn fields, and countless graves encompassed the surface of the orb. As the scenery shifted, a woman's face graced its surface. The shadowed man grinned. Everything was unfolding according to plan; the very balance of the world and its history bending to his will. Soon he would be savoring his release and freedom.
And then the Great Cleansing would come.
The soft rhythmic tapping of footsteps echoed loudly down the long stretch of arched hallways within the large castle. Guards stationed at various posts bowed to the one walking past them but their presence went unnoticed. Yet none took offense. The one walking before them, their King, was burdened in deep contemplation. His body moved as if by memory as his legs took him to his destination, although he had little recollection of actually walking there himself. Thoughts of the decade-long war and constant sightings of new discoveries consumed his mind and haunted his sleepless nights. It was upon these new discoveries that the King arranged a meeting with his advisers; a diverse team which represented the unity of their people. He did not waste energy on petty debates of prejudice or favoritism as was the custom- he sought after only the goodness for his people and the pursuit of unadulterated knowledge. While lost in thought, the soft call of a young male's voice broke his concentration.
"My Lord!" The dark ender held a briefcase close to his chest as he rushed out of breath from the exertion towards his king who towered over him. Upon reaching the King, the younger male lowered his eyes and bowed in respect.
"Elliot, you have something on your mind." The King was all too aware of what his secretary was going to say but allowed him the honor to speak for himself.
Elliot raised his head and adjusted his half rimmed reading spectacles before continuing. "King Anden. Chef Daziel has informed me you have not been eating proper meals- if anything at all! I am afraid his concern for your well-being has extended to compromising my well-being. He has threatened, should I 'not insist you maintain a balanced diet' then I too would be forced to undergo a fasting," he spoke in exasperation.
A ghost of a smile tugged at Anden's tight lips. "I am certain Daziel's words hold no actual threat. You need not concern yourself." Although stoic, his violet eyes seemed to glimmer in amusement.
"That is not the point, Sire!" The secretary sighed and ran a hand over his lavender hair feverishly to gather his composure. "I see arguing this point will lead to no success, so I will leave the matter as is and inform the chef I did as instructed," he digressed. The interval of silence was short lived as the secretary opened his case to extract various hand-written notes. "I will however bring up another subject. I know that you favor yourself a historian, so I took the liberty of researching the monarchy of Endium- namely your grandfather King Balderick. While he reigned, our people were consumed in a time of war as we are today. It was only upon the betrothal of King Balderick and our late Seer, Aldrea, was the war dissolved and peace finally established!"
"The implications of your studies are out of the question." Anden replied dryly without warranting a glance back as he continued walking ahead.
Elliot grasped for words in desperation. "My Lord. I am only suggesting it is time to look for a Queen! The people would be thrilled! This union would help boost the morale of not only our people but to you as well-"
"How can I indulge myself in lust or love while my people suffer?" Anden came to a halt, his cloaked back facing the other male. "You cannot liken the war of my forefather to today. His was a civil war over petty politics."
Elliot lowered his gaze to the floor in humility. "My apologies, Sire. My only intention was to look into what would bring happiness to the people." His dark plum eyes lifted to meet the King's in boldness, "and you deserve to be happy as well, King Anden."
There was a silence and a soft sigh before he continued and reached the closed door of the meeting room. "I suffer because my people suffer," Anden cocked his head back to meet his eyes, "not because I am unwed."
*Disclaimer: The End is Minecraft Inspired. (Inspired being the key word here) I took inspiration from the Tekkit modpack and used heavy doses of creativity and artistic liberty. The End has evolved into something so much deeper and complex than "canon" Minecraft. If you are looking for something 100% accurate to the Microsoft video game- this is not for you.
