Chapter Forty-Six: The Fates Design

After breakfast, Zain strolled down a hall with Percy ridding on his shoulder the two peeking into a large gallery where the tour group stood in the middle of the large room where many royal family portraits hung all around.

"And here we have my favorite room in the entire palace, the Royal Gallery, here we have over a thousand years of family portraits of every great Emperor and Empress but some pale in compression to the famous Empress Tali," the tour guide spoke gesturing to a picture of Tali on the throne with her family with Logan standing at her side and a child in Logan's arms and a child sitting on Tali lap while Percy in a ferret form was around Logan shoulders.

"Does anyone here know why Tali is an important figure in Samarkand history?" the tour guide asked the children before pointing to a little girl who raised her hand, "yes dear?"

"She freed Samarkand during the Great Samarkand War!" the little girl answered.

"That correct, Empress Tali when she was still a Princess fled Samarkand when the Corruption took control of the kingdom, the unknown witch known today as 'The Evil Empress' seized control of the throne and unleashed the darkness over our kingdom, forcing Albion army to retreat who had come to our aid," the tour guide explained while Zain listened in and approached.

"Tali would later ally herself with her future husband and newly awakened Hero, Prince Logan, Saker founder of Albions Defenders Guild, and Echo the Hero of the South Islands, together the four set out freeing Albion of the same Corruption that took our kingdom, rebuilding Albion army then led the army back to Samarkand. Does anyone here know how Empress Tali was able to free Samarkand people from the curse of the Corruption?" the guide asked seeing a boy lift his hand, "you there."

"The Divinity Gems!" he answered.

"Correct! With Logan's aid, they located and brought together the three legendary gems to Samarkand, now does anyone know what tall building Empress Tali took the gems to reach out to the hearts of her kingdom people?" the guide asked.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Me! Me!" an eager child spoke.

"Haha, okay dear what's the answer?" the guide smiled at the child's enthusiasm.

"The Grand Library!" the eager child answered.

"That correct! Out of all the buildings here in Samarkand the Grand Library towers over all, a symbol of our kingdom's rich history and passion for knowledge, now here is a tricky question, at the top of the Grand Library Empress Tali sang a song to reach out to her people hearts to pull them from their darkness, who was this song about?" the guide asked.

"I know," Zain spoke getting the children's attention who all turned and gasped seeing one of Samarkand royalty had joined them.

"Oh Prince Zain, what an honor," the teacher of the students bowed.

"Hello children," Zain smiled walking around the group and hearing a few giggles when the handsome prince walked past them and stood at the guide's side.

"Tell us my prince, who was the song about?" the guide smiled.

"Well, some history books would argue that the love song was for Logan, others would argue it was for the love she had for her people and country, the true answer is, it was both, it was because of her growing love for Logan at the time that gave her the power to reach out to her country people, Empress Tali loved her country and her people, that love became a light that helped freed our people from the Evil Empress darkness," Zain spoke looking to the portrait.

"That correct! It was both, Empress Tali lifted the curse which allowed the Hero King Adam and his akh, his brother Logan to strike down the Evil Empress and the monsters she summoned to our kingdom!" the guide explained, "since we have the prince with us does anyone have questions?"

At this, all the children stuck their hands up making Zain chuckle, "Okay, let's start with you with the pretty one there with the glasses."

Blushing a girl with braided hair giggled, "Prince Zain, why is there a white animal in every portrait after Empress Tali?"

Zain knew the real answer to this question, this was Percy faithfully watching over the royal family for five hundred years and counting, no one outside this castle knew this fact so Zain would have to spice up his answer, "Ah, that is an excellent question! You see legend has it, before King Adam left, he entrusted the royal family with a guardian, a mighty beast who faithfully protects the kingdom."

Approaching a painting where the royal family has a white wolf Zain pointed, "Sometimes he takes on the form of a wolf, other times he appears harmless like a rabbit, in fact, he could be in this room right now!"

On cue Percy made a ferret-calling sound jumping down and scurrying around the children's legs before climbing back up Zain's leg and onto his shoulder, "Or the royal family just like white fur blue-eyed animals!"

At this, the children laughed some coming up to pet Percy who Zain held out, letting each child get a pet, "I think they bring us good luck, any other questions?"

"Are you a hero like Prince Logan was?" a child asked.

"Haha sorry, I'm afraid not, there hasn't been a hero since Prince Logan himself, I suspect that because our kingdom never needed one, though that never stops us from keeping an eye out, Does anyone know what happens when a new child is born into the family?" Zain asked seeing the children shake their heads.

"Well, a day or two after the birth of a new prince or princess and before their public appearance before the kingdom the royal family places Prince Logan's seal on the child's belly, legends say that if a child is born with that same heroic blood the seal will transform, unfortunately, the seal didn't transform for me so guess I'm not a hero," Zain shrugged while Percy glanced to Zain before turning to the picture of Tali and Logan.

After saying his goodbyes to the tour group Zain walked down the hall where he entered a hallway where he looked out the balcony to the palace gardens below and the city past the palace walls.

"Say, Percy, wanna head into the city? Bet there something exciting happening down there," Zain suggested.

"Your mother won't like that," Percy warned side eyeing the prince.

"Eh, we'll be back before she even notices," Zain smirked.

Dressing in casual commoner attire Zain snuck out of the palace covering his head with a hoodie where he made his way to the city by using the palace back entrances.

Heading to the center of the city of Zahadar, Zain approached a massive Everblaze crystal that was embedded in the ground with now metal circular plates spinning around the gem, a war memorial from the Great Samarkand War.

Each ring had the names of every Samarkand and Albion soldier who perished during the war, as well as the names of the royal family members who were killed by the Evil Empress.

Approaching the site where flowers and offerings were placed on the rings Zain approached placing a jar with lit incense and placed his hands together doing a bow in silent prayer.

In Samarkand there are many bows for different situations, the one Zain did was a common form of showing respect to the departed while also praying for the souls to remain at peace.

After doing his prayer Zain opened his eyes before walking into the market district.

Smiling Zain entered one of the many market lanes where high above a light show advertised a sale at the fish market before moving to a toy ad.

On both sides of the rows were rows upon rows of booths some selling souvenirs to all the visiting tourists, some cooking foods between every four or five stalls where cherry blossom trees.

The trees themselves were a symbol of many things, life, death, beauty, violence, and many deeper meanings to the Samarkand people and their culture, with each spring, with the blossoming of each tree so begins a cycle of new life.

Trees like these were only allowed behind the palace walls long ago when the deserts of Samarkand began to spread but over the last five hundred years oasis began expanding, for Samarkand, the city itself was seeing more life, and grass and soil began to expand and so the trees that were once protected by the palace was now shared among the common people.

The theory behind the returning life to the lifeless sands was the hero blood that entered the royal family five hundred years ago, when Logan and Tali married the ossias that once only surrounded the palace began to grow.

The Magic of the most ancient bloodline began to return life to the sands of Samarkand.

Most of Samarkand contributes its advancement in technology and wealth to the neighboring city of Lemuria.

Once lost and then founded by the Hero Sand the city became a treasured ally of the kingdom, little did the rest of the world know of the technology and the guardians Samarkand had to protect itself from any attack.

Some of the new protections the kingdom had were Stone Guardians who lie dormant waiting for the first sign of an attack to do their duty.

A breeze blew several trees sending its petals floating to Zain who reached out to catch one in his hand where he smiled and blew it away to scatter in the wind.

Walking by an electronics booth Zain took notice of a TV monitor where a man was adjusting the setting and a new feed from Albion began to come in showing the defeat of the New Bowerstone Resistance, the screen glowing with blurred images of bodies being dragged out of the base.

Frowning Zain read the headline when it brought up the mugshot photos of Connor and Seth with a reward for information to lead to their arrest.

"Oh wow," Percy spoke looking at the screen.

"What is it, Percy?" Zain asked looking over to the ferret on his shoulder

"That man in the picture, that man looks just like an old king I once knew! The resemblances are so uncanny," Percy spoke studying Connor's mug shot.

"Must be a small world," Zain shrugged walking away about to buy something to eat but the emotion of ill intent suddenly washed over him.

Glancing over his shoulder he saw a hooded blind man with a cane slowly make his way down an alley and two men who had seen him go in were whispering to one another before following the old man.

Narrowing his eyes Zain followed peeking down the alley where he watched one of the men grab the old man and slam him against the wall making his hood drop and reveal the man with the blindfold over his eyes.

"Hand over your money old man before we have to rough you up," one of the punk men demanded holding a knife to Gabriel's neck.

"I have no money," Gabriel spoke holding up his hands.

"Hey those look expensive," the other punk spoke taking notice of Gabriel's gauntlets.

"Hand over the gloves old man!" the man threatened.

"They're gauntlets," Gabriel mumbled.

With silent footsteps, Zain approached where he grabbed the second punk by the back of his head and with a powerful swing smashed his face into a wall.

"What the?!" the other man yelled when Zain attacked ignoring Gabriel and swung his knife at Zain who dodged with a quick move, he sidestepped to dodge the stab grabbing the man's stabbing arm and with his free arm and palm laid flat, he slammed his hand against the arm making a loud snap of breaking bones.

"GAAAAAH!" the man screamed stumbling back with his arm lying limp.

"Let that be your one and only warning! Get out of here!" Zain growled watching the second man with a broken bloody nose grab his friend and both took off, letting out a sigh Zain turned to the blind man, "Are you okay sir?"

"Thank you, Zain," Gabriel spoke catching the prince off guard who glanced at the blind old man raising an eyebrow.

"But your eyes...oh you must have recognized my voice," Zain concluded thinking the man must have heard a video interview of him in the past.

"In a normal situation you'd be right," Gabriel smiled looking to Percy who was studying the man's face trying to remember why it looked so familiar, "hello again Percival."

Almost as if a flash of memories came Percy gasped, "You're that seer!"

"Seer?" Zain repeated looking to the man who bowed.

"Prince Zain, I was your ancestor's Logan and Tali guides on their quest to save Albion and Samarkand, it is an honor to finally meet you in person," Gabriel smiled.

"Impossible! How would you even be alive? It has been five hundred years!" Percy asked seeing Gabriel chuckle.

"I have my secrets," Gabriel smirked before looking to Zain, "I can sense it, the power inside you, waiting to be brought forth."

"Excuse me? You must be mistaken, I didn't inherit the family hero blood, the seal current state proof of that," Zain spoke this statement making Percy look away almost as if he wanted to say something.

"You know that's not true, don't you Percy?" Gabriel smiled.

"What?" Zain spoke looking at Percy, "What is he talking about Percy?"

"I...I can't say! I promised I wouldn't say anything!" Percy spoke seeing Zain turn to Gabriel.

"Return to the palace," Gabriel spoke ditching the walking stick he had used to lure the punks into the alley, "examine that 'seal' for yourself, see the truth for yourself."

Curious about why Gabriel put preference on 'seal' Zain decided to return to the palace, he needed to see for himself now if the seal that hung in the war room was ever placed on his belly after his birth.

Sneaking in and out of the palace was an easy task, slipping in with the staff leaving for the evening Zain slowly made his way down the hallways.

Approaching the war room guarded by two guards they moved when Zain approached allowing the prince to enter and close the doors behind him.

Not checking if the room was clear Zain approached the Guild Seal that hung over a fireplace where he then approached reaching out and removing it off the mount it hung on.

Examining it Zain turned it around when his eyes widened to see the seal had chipping paint, the real seal didn't have paint, this was a replica, "it's a fake."

Looking over to the map table where Percy sat, Zain held up the seal, "How long has this fake hung here?!"

"Twenty-one years," Percy replied honestly.

"Twenty-one?" Zain repeated realizing that was his age, "That means-"

"So now you know," Zain heard Rayan speak seeing behind a deck his brother who sat in a spinning chair turn around to face him, "I'm sorry we kept this from you."

"Akh, I don't understand, why would all of you keep this from me?" Zain asked setting the fake seal on the map table to approach the desk.

"It was our abii wish," Rayan explained standing up to approach their family portrait when their father was alive and all of them were still children.

"Baba?" Zain replied wondering what his father had to do with this.

"It all started the night you were born," Rayan spoke retelling the story of what happened the night Zain had been born.