AC: Here's another chapter.

I'll invent the method which a year passes in this story.

Second, minute, hour remain the same. They import it from the humans.

Day (24 hours) = Solar flow.

Week (7 days): Celeste moon.

Month and season is the same (91 days):

Spring = Floral season

Summer = Flame season

Fall = Colorful season

Winter = White season

4 seasons = 1 planetary flow

Planetary flow begins since existence of the creatures.

Story 4: The ordeal of the desert: Episode 1

Chapter 5: The sacred ritual of royalty

13 127 361 planetary flows: Floral season: Solar flow day 22, 10h15

Mudeenu POV:

I was finally ready to accomplish the ritual. Peyton was a little late, but he seems to prepare everything he needs for this event. Peyton don't know but he will witness one of the most important events of the desert.

"Sorry...I finish preparing everything so I won't bother you too much." He says with a smile.

"I see." I answer. It was typical of Peyton to try and made everyone smile. I don't feel really happy today...not after all what happen. My own perception of the world has been crush and I can do is proving my royalty by my will and not by my blood. If I...no...I'll succeed. I can't let Iflar down. If Irlan is trying to put me out of his way...he will do this to Iflar too. "We have no time. We have to go now."

"Worried about Iflar." Says Peyton. He was damn right.

"Yes...We can't be sure when Irlan might try something." I say.

"Relax; your father will watch him." Says Peyton.

"Of course." I answer. I must be strong.

We move to our mount and we climb it. We then proceed to the desert. It's going to be a long day.

16h22

"Just a moment please." Says Peyton.

"What?" I ask a little angry by his demand. He took out a communicator:

"Yes...So did you find them...Where are they now?...They went to the Underworld...You are sure Seraphin?...Alright, As for us...so far so good...I'm not worried. It's Mudeenu where talking about. Understood." Says Peyton.

"You were talking with Seraphin?" I ask.

"Yes. The kidnaper has escape to the Underworld and I tell them that everything was alright with us." He says with a smile.

It then clicks in my mind.

"So...that's why you were late. You were explaining what happen here." I then smile. "I don't plan to fail rest assure...thought you already say that."

"You finally smile again." He says. Honestly, it was good to smile.

"Yes...Were here." I say.

We then dismount and we proceed to the oasis.

"What is that?" Asks Peyton.

"That's the royal oasis. It the only water that's color is gold. It is there that all future or possible king must accomplish the ritual."

"What do you need to do?"

"I just sit in the water and wait until they came." I say.

"Alright. I'll just wait and I won't touch the water." He says, understanding what I didn't need to say.

17h00

Iflar POV:

I was getting frustrated by the reunion in the high council room.

"I say we need to call the conjurors for help. We must be ready for anything." I shout.

"We don't know for sure if we really need them. They are too dangerous after all. They can't even perfectly control their warbeast." Says a noble.

"Iflar's right we need their help. We can never be sure who will attack us and how strongly they'll do. We must reinforce our defense in any ways possible." Says Darini.

"Sorry, but the majority has won so we won't call for their help." Says Irlan.

I sigh with frustration. The meeting end that way and I feel like we are still too vulnerable. We raise our surveillance of the desert. We prepare ourselves for a war, but we are still too week for my taste. When all of the noble were out, Bajar came next to me and say:

"Do not worry my prince. The conjurors are wise and they will come to our help even without permission."

"I'm not sure...I just want them to be accepted by the rest of our tribe. They aren't dangerous like they say. They are mipedians too and they don't need to live outside our town because of this...Also, We need to show our strength. If we can show our power, it will drop the risk of attack. Now, we show our weak state and we are calling them to attack us."

"...You're right but we won't fall from them." Tries to cheer Bajar.

"I need more influence if I want the noble to be by my side. I must first obtain their trust. I'm just the crown prince...not the king." I say with discourage.

"You will have it. When Mudeenu succeed, you will have the influence you need." Says my uncle.

"He won't fail. I know it." I say. I trust him with my life.

22h30

3rd POV:

The six more powerful conjurers were united: Ailav, Appelai, Drimesse, Fivarth, Ranun and Habekh. They were waiting for their spiritual leader Adomo to come around the fire they made.

They heard a sound and they saw Adomo coming their way. He was accompanied by a human who help him walking. Adomo was a very old mipedian now. He has 155 years old and has some problem walking. The human who was helping him was a girl named Usagi. She has 15 years now.

"You're all here." Says Adomo with a smile. "You can all sit down."

They all did as he demands, except Fivarth, before he also sits down himself. Fivarth had took some wood to nourish the fire and then sat down.

"I have learned from Usagi that our king has been kidnapped today." Says directly Adomo.

They all look him surprised. When Adomo goes straight to the subject, it means something bad will happen.

"What do you mean?" Asks Habekh.

"I mean we are vulnerable to the enemy. I feel like our tribe will soon be in grave danger." Says Adomo.

"I feel it too. I saw more guards and they were being more vigilant today." Confirms Drimesse.

"What do we do then?" Asks Fivarth.

"For now nothing...If we help them now...they will fear us and will try to eliminate us again." Says Adomo. "Sadly, we have to wait for them to call us."

"But we can't let them down like that!" Says Appelai. "We have to give them our support."

"The noble will chase us out of Windale. It's useless to help them now. We will only distract them from the future attackers." Counters Adomo.

"What do we do now?" Asks Ranun.

"We will wait for their call and watch what will happen. We must stick together now. The desert is now a dangerous zone." Says Adomo.

"Master Adomo...the girl, doesn't she has anything to say?" Asks Fivarth.

The girl was looking at them in silent. She was also listening to everything that happens.

"She can't talk with her mouth, but she can communicate with her soul." Says Adomo. "For now she has nothing to say."

"I guess we must sleep for not." Says Ailav. "Good night master."

"Good night my apprentices."

They all fall asleep. Usagi look at them. She then uses her soul to cast a spell that will protect them for the night. Once the shield was in place, she falls asleep next to her friend Adomo.

Solar flow day 23, 02h30

Mudeenu POV:

I was sitting in the water for hours. My butt was starting to hurt but I won't complain or back down. Peyton has given me some food and I decide to eat it and staying there. I knew Peyton was waiting silently without disturbing me.

Then, suddenly, all was dark around me. I was floating in the darkness. Nothing exists except me. Then, golden symbol appear around me.

"Who comes to pass the ritual?" Asks a deep and unknown voice.

"It is I Mudeenu, son of Bajar by adoption." I decide to be honest in such sacred place.

"You may not have their blood but you still wish to pass the ritual?"

"Yes." I answer with conviction.

"...Alright. The ritual needs you to answer question honestly and visualize your pass. Then, we will see if you are worthy of being a royal mipedian."

"*Glup*" I didn't want him or them to saw my moment of humiliations.

"First, let's see one action that can be considered nasty. Says the voice."

Then I saw that moment. When the humans decide living in Windale. I saw myself being nervous about this. When a human hit me incidentally, I saw myself hitting her and shouting at her. The others mipedians look at me with anger and their eyes show accusation at me. It was one of the moments I regret my actions.

"First question. What was the reason you've done such a thing?"

"It was because..." I took a breath before telling the true. "I'm...I was nervous and I was easily irritable. Also, I was afraid the humans might weak us and...I'm rude, have a big ego and aggressive toward lots of people."

"Which was the principal cause in your statement?"

"It was I. My aggressively push me to do wrong and nasty actions toward others. My rudeness and ego also stop me from apologizing or even help her after this."

"In the end, you feel guilty about this but you never done anything to correct this behavior. This one wasn't your worse and also wasn't less worse nasty actions you've done in the pass but it shows the cause of it." Says the voice without any emotions.

"Let's see one of your good actions."

I immediately recognize it. I was when we rescue Seraphin 4 years ago. Iflar was about to go and rejoin our king when I try to stop him. When I knew I couldn't, I decide to join him. I say to him that I only want to protect him. They rest...you already knew.

"This action shows you compassion and also the desire to protect someone else. Are they any reason else than protecting you cousin that push you to help the human?" Asks the voice.

That answer was hard to find. It took me 1 year before I realize the second reason I decide to follow Iflar.

"Secretly, I also desire to help Seraphin. He was young and something pushes me to help him. If it wasn't from that...I don't think I'll even let Iflar go out there...even with me. It was an egoist reason that pushes Iflar in danger." I say.

The rest of the test passes that way. I answer honestly to all of his or their questions after each event until the last question:

"If you day you have to choose between finding the Cothica or saving Iflar's life. Which one will you choose?"

"..." I have absolutely no answer for that. I can't give a true answer. "I...don't know."

"...That's an honest answer. This question cannot be answer by words...It can only answer by act...The ritual is over."

"That was the ritual." I say with surprise. It was only to answer questions.

"Yes. The ritual demands a mipedian worthy to be the king. A true king must be honest and transparent during his life. A king must be strong and accept his mistake. He must also protect and cherish his tribe like if they were his own children. Mudeenu, you are worthy of being a royal mipedian. I shall give you 2 objects that will help you."

I receive the 2 objects. One was a necklace and the other: a pentagon mugic stone.

"The necklace is the proof that you succeeded the ritual of royalty. No one can take it off from your body. It will follow you during your life and after your life. The other gift is a special mugic that can be use when you soul will show you what you really want. The mugic is call: SONG OF THE COTHICA. This mugic can only be use one time and in a specific moment."

"When shall I know the moment?" I ask. The name of the mugic surprise me and I wonder how much powerful it is.

"You will know...You soul shall guide you." Answer the voice. "It is time you wake up."

Solar flow day 25, 07h45

I open my eyes and I saw I was still in the golden oasis. I thought all of this was a dream when I saw the necklace and the mugic in my hand. I decide to put it in my bag when I'll take it. I stand up and get out of the golden water. I saw Peyton was sleeping on the ground. I smile when I gently and weakly kick him at his back. Peyton wake up and look at me.

"You're awake." Says Peyton. "You were sleeping during more than 2 days."

"The ritual has begun when I fall asleep." 2 days, it was a longer ritual than I first thought.

"Then you succeed it right." Says Peyton with a smile when he points my necklace.

"Yes...It was...hard to be honest with myself."

"?" Peyton made a strange face.

"No worry. It's time to go home." I say.

"Wait." Then Peyton took out his communicator again. "This is Peyton...I see...Want me to do a detour for what?...You're serious! I'll go check this up now." Says Peyton.

"What is it?" I ask.

"We have to make a detour." He says.

"What happen?" I ask.

"Seraphin suspect Theeb-Saar was taken in an ancient and dangerous place." Says Peyton. "It is link to a war we have in the past."

"What was it called?" I ask with great curiosity.

"The war was call: thirteen hours case." Answers Peyton with dark look. It wasn't good at all.

AC: Cliffhanger. You'll have to wait for a while before it will be answer. Please, feel free to review. I really want to know if you like this story and I began to be worried.