The Sandstorm King

by PioneeringAuthor

First published 27th of November, 2019

When tragedy strikes the kingdom of Saddle-Arabia, the second son of the Malik must take the throne and try to protect the kingdom.

After a tragedy, Karam Al-Asif must take the throne of Saddle-Arabia.
In the shadows around him, assassins lurk, and he must find the traitors and stop them before it's too late.
Sadly, they are not the only enemies he must face.
(Takes place about a thousand years before the show starts.
Part of Karamverse, my Parallel Universe.
Nothing too scary, don't worry.)

Chapter 1: Birth of the Wind

Author's Notes:

Two things:

1. This story is finished, BUT NOT ALL PUBLISHED.
If I recall correctly, I started this in 2016 and did not finish it until around Fall 2019.
It would've been finished sooner if I hadn't procrastinated and life hadn't gotten in the way.
I am truly proud of this and honored to show you all this backbone backstory of one of the main characters of my AU, Karamverse.

I am planning on releasing this one or two chapters at a time each week, just so you all have something to look forward to while I work on other things.

2. For most of these chapters, I found some music that would be good background music.
If you want to listen, click on the green words. Open it in a new tab and look at it to start it.
If you see red words, that means end the music.

If there is no red word, then loop the music during the rest of the chapter, if you wish.
If you're fine without music, just let it run out of time naturally.
If you see blue words, then it's a link to a picture. For some reason, some picture links don't work on the website and there's no true upload button, far as I know, so I may end up just doing blue words for most of the pictures in this story.

All right, that's all I have to say for now.

Enjoy!

--Turquoise Dreamer, the dreamer with a heart for others and a thousand stories to tell ~+~

170 years Before the Solar Era...

Saddle-Arabia

Capital city of Rikhab

It was a day when the wind did not stop blowing over the desert sands.
Everybeast in the palace was as excited as the howling breeze outside.

This was a major event.

King Khayri and Queen Nura of Saddle-Arabia were about to have their second foal together. As he paced up and down the halls, Khayri recalled his first wife.
Sadly, Khayri’s first wife did not give him any sons, or any children at all for that matter, and after she died he was lonely. For weeks he had walked around the palace with his regal, blue-grey head held low, and he barely spoke a word. Seeing how depressed he was, all the servants around him had become more and more somber, until the advisors had held an emergency meeting.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before they had convinced Khayri to remarry.
Finding a suitable Earth Horse, the tall Alicorn had found that his loneliness ebbed away in her presence. Eventually they had a strong, handsome son together-- Prince Daud.

He was grey like a rock, with paler patches on his hindquarters that contrasted his black legs, mane and tail. The palace adored him. Over the years, Khayri found himself laughing and smiling more than ever before.
Then things calmed down a touch, until Nura realized she was carrying another foal.
Now a second foal would be born.

This was exciting!

Another prince?

A princess?

Perhaps twins?

Everybeast-- Pony, Horse, Camel, other creature-- was incredibly excited. King Khayri had ruled quite a while without an heir, and now he would have two. It seemed the whole world understood the importance of this day, for the wind had begun howling over the desert early in the morning and had not yet subsided.
In fact, it grew fiercer.

Suddenly, one of the midwives exited the bedroom, galloping down the halls.

“IT IS A BOY! ANOTHER PRINCE!” She cheered.

Instantly, the palace felt both relieved and joyous. The wind outside turned and moaned its approval as well, it seemed. The willowy king and his older son gathered around the tired mother to inspect the newcomer. He was a dun colored Alicorn foal--golden yellow with dark legs, mane and tail. He lifted his head and his big, blue eyes darted around the room curiously, his nostrils flaring out with every excited breath he took.

“What are we going to call him, Father?” Daud whispered.

“Well… what do you think, Nura?” Khayri asked his wife gently.

Hearing Khayri's voice, the foal fixed his eyes on his father, and his ears perked up. Khayri's eyes widened slightly as he realized his son knew his voice. A soft smile crossed his face while his heart swelled with a deep, unconditional love for the tiny newcomer, just as it had when Daud was born.

Meanwhile, Nura, who was a light green mare with lighter spots akin to an Appaloosa, lifted her head and murmured, “I think we should name him Karam; I want him to be a generous ruler, like his father.”

With a grin, Khayri nodded. While little Karam looked around with confused, bright blue eyes, Khayri leaned his neck and head down and nuzzled him. Karam sniffed his father and mother and then sneezed, blinking his blue eyes in amazement at his own sneeze. Khayri, Daud and Nura chuckled at the cute little expression he had.

“Father, if he is a prince like me, who will rule the kingdom when you retire?” Daud questioned curiously as he turned to look up at his father.

He was such a young one that he didn’t realize how rude the question may sound.

“My son, since you are older, you shall have my throne-- but your brother here will have great political importance. Perhaps he’ll lead his own kingdom one day,” Khayri explained with a chuckle.

“At any rate, I’m sure he’ll be a powerful hero,” Nura predicted, “After all, the wind hasn’t stopped blowing all day--it must be a sign.”

“Did anything special happen when I was born?” Daud whispered, his own big, blue eyes looking expectantly at his father while his grey wings twitched with his mixed emotions.

“Yes-- on your birthday, we discovered a diamond mine in our territory,” Khayri said, “And I thought I already told you that story…. didn't I? Well, come now, your mother needs rest.”

After nuzzling his wife and newborn son, Khayri shepherded his older son out of the room with one of his large wings, quietly closing the door behind him with his magic aura.
It was a joyous day.

Some years later, Karam and Daud were flying together above the palace walls.

“You cannot catch me, Older Brother!” Karam shouted as he dived down and zoomed through some of the arches of the buildings.

“Ah, but I shall!” Daud declared, folding his grey wings and darting after his little brother.

The two brothers chased each other round and round until at last they both grew tired and landed on a balcony, flopping onto the stone floor and gasping for breath.

“I… say… I… won,” Karam huffed.

“No! It… was… a… tie,” Daud insisted.

For a moment, they glared at each other intensely.
Then they both rolled over and laughed. They really couldn't even pretend to dislike each other.

Over the years, the brothers bonded deeply.
Daud took on the responsibility of being a good role model, and did his best to obey his father and look out for his little brother. Indeed, everybeast noted that Daud would make a great leader, and Karam would be a wonderful advisor to him, or perhaps an ally in a foreign land. The two brothers were charismatic and energetic, and they brightened the palace together. In time, Daud's grey coat with white speckles and hindquarters steadily became darker over time whereas Karam was born golden yellow like his grandfather on his mother’s side, and didn't change much in color.
Both had their mother’s luminous blue eyes, and both inherited strong magic and large wings from their father. Certainly, their parents were proud of them, and the two had a strong, brotherly bond.

Unfortunately, Karam and Daud’s personalities were very different, and the two rubbed each other the wrong way often.

Daud was usually calm, resilient, and obedient.
Karam, however, was like a whirlwind--always dashing off someplace, and always chattering. While Daud accepted an order, Karam always had to question it. It annoyed Daud immensely--especially when he was trying to tell his brother to do something simple for him. In time, Nura and Khayri had many a laugh over their sons' petty quarrels.
Overall, the family was close, and their love lit up the palace, which lit up the whole kingdom. Indeed, things were looking wonderful for the future.

Even the wind blew its approval.

Little did they know....

Chapter 2: Left Behind

The two brothers grew up together, and both dearly loved their parents.

Of course, they didn’t always get along, but they still heeded the corrections their parents gave, though their mother’s words did have a special weight to them. Indeed, Nura was quite a skilled teacher, and a marvelous queen.
Whenever some disaster struck, she was the beam that held the family together.
Whenever the two brothers got into such a quarrel that they refused to speak to each other ever again, she was there to gently calm their storm.
Whenever King Khayri was confused, she was there to shed some light on the subject.
Everybeast loved and valued the queen.
Though she was no Unicorn, she seemed to have a magic of her own in those moments.
Indeed, she was dearly beloved.

Tragically, all good things end.

One day, she fell gravely ill with a fever.
The doctors did all they could, but even the strongest of healing spells could not save her.
The family gathered around the bed as she laid there weakly. Usually, her light green pelt would have a brightness and lustre that reflected in the light, but now her shine was gone and her coloration was a sickly, pale hue.
Sweat beads rolled off her matted forehead and down onto the damp pillow she laid on.
At one time, her beautiful mane and tail would be in an ornate style, but now they both were tangled, dampened with her sweat and withered with her sickness.
Daud, Karam and Khayri gathered near her, watching her struggle to breathe as the light from her blue eyes was slowly ebbing away.

“My sons.. Please… please remember to listen to your father, all right? He knows what’s best for you,” Nura murmured as she felt her body weakening every moment.

Daud and Karam nodded silently, doing their best to be brave and calm under the circumstances.
Of course, Karam couldn’t remain silent for long.

“Mother! Don’t talk like that! You’ll get better; I know it!” He sniffed as he laid his head on the pillow in front of his mother’s face.

“Karam, don’t get too close,” Khayri warned as he used one of his wings to pull his son back.

“He’s right… don’t… don’t get too close,” Nura agreed as she smiled at her family with some tears in her eyes.

“Mother… we’ll… we’ll miss you,” Daud sniffed as his ears and wings drooped quietly.

“NO! SHE’S NOT GOING TO DIE!” Karam wailed as he slapped his brother with a wing.

Daud reeled back and glared at his brother, but before either could say anything, Khayri stretched a wing between them, ordering, “SILENCE!... don’t upset your mother, please.”

Nura chuckled weakly as she moved a bit on the bed, bringing her head around so she could see better.
Karam and Daud gulped and hung their heads in shame while Khayri folded his wing again.

“Ah, My Sons… you were always fighting over my love… and now you fight over my death… ha ha…” Nura commented with a sad smile as her boys slowly looked up at her, “But… I really feel I’m dying now. Don’t fight. I’m ready to go. I only wish… I could watch you two grow up… but I suppose I… I never could, anyway, heh... “

Khayri gulped quietly while his sons sniffed and wiped their noses on their wings.
At this moment, Khayri wished he hadn’t been an Alicorn.
If he had been a horse like Nura, they could’ve grown old and seen their sons grow up together, but no, even if she wasn’t dying now, she’d end up dying of old age long before Daud reached adulthood.
Such was the tragedy of being of the ancient Alicorn species.
Daud and Karam knew this too, and it made their hearts ache as they watched their mother slowly fade from life.

“I love you, Nura,” Khayri murmured as he reached over and nuzzled his wife with tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I love you too--I love all of you,” Nura sighed as she felt her heart swell with pride and thankfulness for all the wonderful memories she had. Quietly, she put out one of her legs and hugged her boys’ necks for a moment.

“I love you too, Mother,” Daud sniffed as he nuzzled his mother’s hoof quietly.

“I do too,” Karam whispered as he sniffed loudly and put a wing on his mother’s neck.

With another smile, Queen Nura the Gentle closed her eyes. She laid down and breathed one last sigh.
Khayri, Daud and Karam hung their heads.
Nearby, the servants also hung their heads and sniffed quietly, taking in deep, heavy breaths.
Silently, Khayri lowered down until he laid on the ground with his head on his wife's deathbed.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Khayri breathed a deep, shaky breath and sobbed.
Daud and Karam glanced up at each other without a word. In each other's eyes they spotted more tears, and knowing that they both were crying, they returned to hanging their heads and allowed themselves to sob out loud, laying beside their father and resting their heads on his back.

All beasts mourned.

Her patience and love would be remembered forever.
The colts didn’t even have their Destiny Marks yet, and already Death had taken their gentle, wonderful mother from them.
Now they doubly grieved the times they angered her, the times they ignored her, and the times they broke her heart.

As for King Khayri, once again he was alone.

All good things had to come to an end, which meant mourning for those left behind.

Author's Notes:

Note:

I first saw this format of background music in a Kingdom Hearts-MLP crossover fan fic here on this site called "Kingdom Hearts of Harmony," by Steel Soul.

Chapter 3: The Strong Wind

“I am tired of your rules!” Karam snapped at his father angrily.

“My son, my patience is wearing thin with you,” Khayri warned, trying extremely hard to not say anything he would regret later.

“Your patience is always thin with me!” Karam whined, “But you never get upset at Daud!”

“That is not true,” Khayri retorted, “I do have my quarrels with Daud, but he knows to keep his arguments civil and calm, unlike some beasts in this palace.”

Karam snorted.

“Karam, it is not befitting for a prince---” But Khayri’s speech was interrupted by his son with,
“I CARE NOT FOR YOUR SPEECHES! I CARE NOT FOR YOU AT ALL!”

With that, Karam turned and bolted down the stone hallway.

“KARAM, GET BACK HERE AT ONCE!” His father roared as he spread his wings out and flapped them one time in frustration.

However, Karam refused to listen.
Angrily he sped away, zooming down the corridors until he reached a balcony. Immediately he leapt from the balcony, spread his wings, and flew away.
With angry tears in his eyes, he flew far, far away from the palace of Rikhab, the capital city.

As he flew, he began to feel calmer, but was still bitter at his father. Deep inside, Karam knew his father cared for him, but he felt that all his father ever did was chide him. Day and night, Karam would get lectures about how he wasn’t being a proper prince, or wasn’t doing this, or wasn’t doing that.
Karam loathed it all.
Yes, he was royalty, but did EVERYTHING have to be about rules?
Surely not!

With these rebellious thoughts, Karam ignored whatever his father was trying to say and flew away.

Into the desert he glided, and eventually he stopped to rest at an oasis. For a time, he ambled about, grunting and grumbling over his father, which he knew he should not do but he did anyway. Angrily he stomped around, kicking up sand and swishing his black tail back and forth.

Childishly he furled out his wings and mimicked his father's voice, saying, "It is not becoming of you-- WELL I AM THE PRINCE! IS IT NOT BECOMING FOR ME TO BE MYSELF!? WHO IS TO TELL ME OTHERWISE!?" "
He snapped his wings, reared up and stomped on the ground with his forelegs as he bitterly finished those words.

Breathing heavily, he glanced around as he folded his wings again.
He felt exhausted.
Grumpily he laid down to rest, tucking his head beneath one of his golden-yellow wings.
There was a gentle breeze blowing that cooled his pelt, playing a gentle rhythm in the fronds of the date trees far above his head. All his life he'd heard the breeze, and it felt as if an old friend was singing him to sleep as he closed his eyes and drifted off.

Suddenly, he awoke.
He smelled something all too familiar in the air.
Alarmed, he jumped to his hooves and spun around.
There, in the near distance, he eyed an incoming sandstorm.
It was much too close for comfort, to say the least.
Karam spread his wings and zoomed to the sky.
With all his might he pumped his wings and leaned as far forward as he could.
Behind him, he heard the howling winds and smelled the scent of the dirt and debris caught in the storm.

It was gaining ground.

After a minute, he could see rocks and bits of debris flying past his head. Craning his neck around, he could see the storm right behind him.
He gasped.

He couldn't outfly it.

Collapsing to the ground, he covered his head with his wings and prayed that the storm would pass over him soon. He felt layers of sand wash over him, as well as bits of debris. The wind tugged on his wings, pulling them away from his head, allowing sand to blow into his closed eyes and nostrils.
He choked bitterly as he pulled his body out of the sand, trying in vain to keep his head covered with his wings, playing a terrifying game of tug-of-war between his weak muscles and the powerful wind that pulled on his wings, tail, mane, and body. To the left and the right he was buffeted, and it felt as if his wings and ears would be ripped clean off his body by the storm.
With a pounding force a small rock slammed into the side of his head, causing him to cry out in pain, which only let more sand into his mouth and throat. Karam choked. The storm battered him. He wrapped his wings around his head again as the storm dragged him across the ground like a limp, wet towel.

I’m going to die out here!
NO! I can’t die! I can’t!
Not now! I must go home… I…
I need to apologize to Father!
I must live! I MUST LIVE!
Karam wailed in his mind.

At that moment, he felt a surge of magic within him.
Although he didn’t entirely know what he was doing, he closed his eyes and focused a beam of energy from his horn into the sandstorm around him.
His golden magic whipped into the wind, circling around into an enormous loop which swirled around the storm over and over again, forcing the wind to flow with it. In a few moments, the magic rope departed from his horn as he controlled it from a distance instead of directly, and the loop continued to speed through the storm, gathering everything into a huge dome around Karam.
The magic swirled faster and faster until the dome became a tornado with Karam at the center.
Coughing up sand, Karam was able to breathe again in the eye of the tornado, and looked around, stunned at what he was doing.
Slowly, gently, Karam lowered the tornado, pushing all the sand down while slowing the wind, until at last the storm was calm and there was nothing left except a wall of sand in a circle around him.

Exhausted, Karam fainted.

While he slept, one last surge of magic revealed his Destiny Mark on his flank: A sandy tornado laced with golden magic.

When he awoke, Karam was back in his own room, with his father and Daud standing beside him.

“He’s awake!” Daud sighed in relief.

“Indeed, he is,” Khayri whispered.

“How… how did you find me?” Karam asked, coughing up a bit more sand.

“I followed you, but I was quite far behind--and I watched from a distance as the sandstorm took you,” Khayri explained with a pained look in his eyes, “I thought for sure you were dead, but as I observed, I saw a yellow glow of magic take control of the storm, until it had died down....That was you, wasn’t it?”

Karam nodded, feeling how dry his throat was, as well as how his lungs stung with pain.

“You have your Destiny Mark now, Brother,” Daud announced after a few moments, looking very proud of his little brother.

“I do?” Karam asked.

Khayri moved the blanket with his blue aura, showing Karam his new mark.

At last, Karam got his mark. Daud had his own for a few years now--it was a mountain with three winds blowing it in a triangular formation. Though the wind blew at the mountain, it stood firm, just like Daud could harden his skin and withstand almost anything.
For a moment, Karam smiled, excited that he finally found his mark like his brother had.

“I wish you could have gotten your mark in a much more pleasant way, but it seems your destiny is not the quietest one,” Khayri reasoned with a sigh.

Hearing his father's voice, Karam looked up and his ears drooped in shame.

“Father… I’m sorry.. I’m sorry for being so angry earlier,” Karam apologized with another cough, “I know you are just trying to teach me, but… I don’t know. I am sorry.”

“I forgive you--and we can talk about this another day. Right now you need to rest,” Khayri comforted him by stretching one of his blue-grey wings over his son, gently giving him a hug, “And before I leave, I shall give you your Title of Destiny: The Strong Wind, for you are the one who controls the sandstorms.”

At that, Karam smiled and relaxed on his pillow. The Strong Wind… Al-Asif. Yes.
At last, he had his title, just like his older brother, who was known as The Rock-- Al-Butrus, for Daud could harden himself with magic until he was hard as stone, and nearly impossible to hurt. Now Karam didn’t have to be jealous anymore. However, he did have to recover from all the sand he inhaled.
That day, Karam rested. From then on he respected his father’s authority more, seeing how much his father cared for him.

Sadly, the peace would not last for long.

Author's Notes:

Note:
I am not sure what other people headcanon about languages in MLP, but in this parallel universe, Saddle-Arabia speaks mostly Arabic.

Everybeast here is speaking Arabic, unless possibly noted otherwise for brief moments.

The word for "King" in Arabic, far as I know, is "Malik."
You may see that word pop up later. I want this story to have an Arabian flavor without being too overbearing, so I'll probably use the two interchangeably.

Al-Asif means something along the lines of "Strong Wind".
I could write Al-Asif every time I mention Karam's title, but for this story I wanted to keep it "Strong Wind" just to sound better when certain people say it affectionately.

Also, in case you are confused, I headcanon that in Saddle-Arabia Cutie Marks are called "Destiny Marks", and when Ponies find their mark they earn a title. Titles are a big deal in my Saddle-Arabia.

--Turquoise Dreamer, the dreamer with a heart for others and a thousand stories to write ~+~

Chapter 4: Secrets and Promises

“What is it, Father?” Karam asked as he trotted across the bedroom alongside his older brother and father.

“Now that you have your Destiny Mark, you are old enough to know some of the secrets of our nation,” Khayri responded as he used his magic aura to ensure that the doors were fastened and all the curtains were drawn closed.

Karam gasped in surprise.
Was he truly old enough to know such information?
He looked at his older brother for a sign, and Daud nodded with a smile.
Karam straightened up and hoped he looked grown-up enough to be worthy of something so important.
Meanwhile, Khayri used one of his powerful wings to move a tapestry, revealing an odd hole in the wall. Slowly his horn glowed an unusual color, and then he turned his head downwards, inserting his horn into the hole like a key in a lock. Something rumbled from within the wall. Suddenly, a section of the wall moved backwards and to the side.

“Woah…” Karam breathed, watching as the heavy bricks of the wall all slid to the side, revealing the dark corridor beyond it.

Khayri nodded, indicating that his sons should enter. The three Alicorns quietly walked down several flights of stairs with only magic torches lighting their pathway. As they carefully walked down, the passageways grew colder and wetter. Karam looked at the eerie, purple torches that lit the way, and listened to the sound of his hooves clacking on the steps as he pondered what his father could be showing him. For the most part though he focused on not slipping and falling down the stairs. People had warned him about that, and he felt like it really could happen now.

Eventually they came to a small room with one wall that was covered in a solid metal layer of silver. Again Khayri made his horn glow in an unusual, purple tone, and the silver sheet reacted, changing into a purple glow of magic.

“Go on, Karam. You may enter first,” Khayri announced, nodding his head towards the portal.

“Enter… that?” Karam squeaked, unsure if he wanted to enter the glowing, sparking doorway.

“I promise it won’t kill you, Brother,” Daud assured him, “I had to enter as well.”

If Daud could do it, then so could Karam.
With this in mind, Karam straightened up again, took a deep breath, and walked through the portal. He closed his eyes and stepped into it, and as his nose hit the purple glow, he felt a tingle course all over him.
Quickly he jumped through the rest of the way.
His body tingled all over with the magic, and he sneezed roughly. As he slipped through, he felt almost as if he was swimming in sparkly water, and he felt a tad dizzy. Part of him wanted to open his eyes but he was afraid of what he’d see. Then, he felt his hooves hit solid ground, and the odd sensations ebbed away.
In another moment, it was over.
Cautiously he opened one eye, and spotted a solid dirt floor beneath him. Looking around, he found that he was in a vast underground cavern lit by eerie, lime green, magical torches. A moment later he heard the portal hiss, and then he leaped forward, spinning around to see who was next.

It was Daud, who smiled and said, “See? I told you it was fine!”

Daud shook himself, and in the limey light his dapple grey pelt took on a strange, crocodile-like look. Although his black mane and tail were a bit static-filled, he seemed fine. Realizing that his brother was okay, Karam relaxed some more.
In another moment, Khayri was there, and with a chuckle, he led the way down another corridor.

“Karam, do you remember the history lessons on The Great Famine?” Khayri prompted as his hooves thumped on the sandy floors.

The Great Famine happened at least 600 years before Karam was born. In those days, Khayri was still young, with his six brothers, mother, and father all still alive.
To Khayri, it was a tragic memory.
To Karam, it was an ancient story he had to memorize.

“Yes, Father,” Karam answered swiftly, “In the year 425 of Malik Al-Aziz, the land produced less and then rivers dried up, making a time of terrible starvation, but eventually some wise Unicorns and Earth Horses discovered what stopped the rivers, and this… with… with a special formula made by some Zarfaim, helped bring the land back to producing plenty of food… correct?”

“The formula is real,” Khayri answered somberly, “and the rivers truly did dry up for a time… but the rest of our restoration is a lie.”

“What?” Karam gasped, halting for a moment. Looking at his father, Karam could hardly believe his ears.

“The rivers did dry up,” Khayri explained, “But it was not Unicorns that helped them flow again--it was a magic artifact. That is what I shall show you today. Come, we are almost there.”

Surprised and curious, Karam followed his father and brother into a large room with a strange machine which whirred and clanked and hissed constantly. Inspecting it in the magical lights, Karam saw that from the right and left of the machine flowed two rivers, which were channeled into deep trenches that flowed beneath the walls of the room. In the center of the front of the machine was a golden breast color with a brilliant blue stone shaped like a drop of water in the center pendant, and the stone glowed steadily in its place of honor.

“This is what we call the Breast Collar of Water,” Khayri explained, “And it is this magic stone that creates the rivers you see flowing out of here, which branch out and feed the other rivers of the land. With good irrigation, our nation used this water to survive.
Nowadays we have other sources of water, but these two rivers are still our main supply, and they are provided by this magic stone.”

“But… how can such a small stone be so powerful?” Karam questioned, staring in wonder at the glowing gem.

“We do not know, but it is quite powerful. It is also because of this stone that we won the war against Ippeia which followed shortly after our terrible famine,” Khayri revealed quietly.

“How, father? Did you drown the enemy?” Karam piped up, instantly realizing how childish of a question that was.

With a chuckle, Khayri explained, “No, My Son: my father, The First King, wore this collar, and it gave him powers to infuse all his magic with the strength of a hundred rivers. Furthermore, it made him immune to poison.
I fought alongside him during the war, and beheld its strength myself. After the war, my father sealed up the collar here, and ordered that the historians speak nothing of it in their accounts, so that no one wicked would seek to steal the artifact after his death.”
With a sigh, he added, “If our army had recovered more from the famine, perhaps we could have won the war without using this… or heading to the frontlines ourselves…. The last three of my six brothers died on the battlefields.”

For a few moments, nobeast said anything.
Only the whirring and stirring of the machine filled the room with noise while the three Alicorns had a moment of silence for the family that passed away long ago.
The First King, whose true name had been forgotten after he was called Malik Al-Aziz for so long, was the one who united the various nomadic tribes under one banner, forming Saddle-Arabia. He and his wife ruled for centuries before their eventual deaths. In the same Great Famine that killed half of Khayri's brothers, Malik's wife, Khayri's mother, also died. Within a few centuries, Khayri was left alone.
It happened so long ago that even Khayri had trouble recalling the events clearly.
For several minutes, the three remaining members of The First King's family stood in the cavern, listening to the whirring, clanking machinery.

Mentally returning to the present, Khayri spoke again with, “Karam, you must never tell anybeast about this artifact unless they are family. We cannot afford this to be stolen. Furthermore, you must not unleash this in battle unless absolutely necessary--understand?”

“Yes, Father,” Karam agreed with a somber nod.

Magical beams zapped walls, scorched the stone flooring, and filled the room with noise as Karam and Daud trained each other in fighting skills. Unfortunately, it seemed that Daud had the upper hoof... Again. Although Karam was very nimble and a skilled flier, his brother had much more strength physically and also had the talent to harden his skin, making him very hard to beat in combat.

“Brother, can’t you weaken yourself for just one fight?” Karam huffed as he dodged another teal beam from Daud.

“No! If I do that, we’ll both get weaker,” Daud snorted as he fired another lazer at Karam.

“But how am I supposed to win if you keep using your signature spell?” Karam argued as he responded by creating a shield for himself from his golden yellow magic, deflecting the beam.

“That’s the whole point: you are supposed to strengthen yourself against me!” Daud laughed with a boyish flap of his grey wings.

“I liked this better when you didn’t find your Special Gift, and we were evenly matched!" Karam whined as he hovered in the air, crossing his forelegs and pouting.

“Well why not try using some wind to fight me?” Daud retorted with a toss of his tail, “Since you are The Strong Wind?”

Realizing his brother had a valid point, Karam flapped his wings, stirring up a breeze. Thankfully, the training room had an extremely high ceiling, making plenty of room for flying and stirring up wind.
It had been a few months since Karam earned his Destiny Mark, and he had been experimenting with his newfound gift, learning more and more about how to stir up wind and control it, but using it to fight was something he hadn’t done before now. He pumped his wings, like one of his Pegasus retainers showed him, making a small gust, then used his magic to amplify the gust and control it, turning it into a blasting whip, which he slammed against Daud with a final snap of his wings.
In response, Daud shielded himself with his own wings, which were also enhanced to be hard as stone yet still useable. The force of Karam's gale slammed into his wings, rattled his body, and threw him back several feet.

“Well, “ Daud gasped as he climbed to his hooves, “That was certainly tough! Perhaps if you try doing that every day, you’ll eventually beat me with it!”

Karam grinned. He puffed his chest out proudly while he landed on the ground with an elegant flourish of his wings.

“Perhaps, but right now… I’m exhausted. How about we take a break?”

“I agree, Karam. Guards, please fetch us some water!”

Hearing the order, one of the nearby guards bowed and then quickly exited the room.

“Well, Daud, I’m glad we don’t have to fight in a war like father did,” Karam noted as he lounged on one of the couches at the wall, giving his wings a well-earned stretch.

“Indeed, I certainly wouldn’t want to go and… have to actually kill somebeast. At least, not yet. Perhaps when I’m older I’ll be more ready to fight in a real battle.” Daud answered with a firm nod while his wings twitched with worry.

“Yes… and I’m so glad we don’t have to fight each other in a real battle!” Karam added, “Just think of how terrible that would be… and I would probably lose to you!”

“Well, you do not have to fear that! I will always be your older brother, and as such I shall protect you from danger. I will be your rock!”

“And I will support you when you take the throne, and I’ll… uhm…
I’ll be the wind that… that…
that supports you and blows away all your enemies!
You shall see! I will be there for you just like you will be there for me, and I will help you as much as I can!
I will!
I promise!
I will be an honorable younger brother! I will, I will I will!”

At that, the two young Alicorns laughed.
Both were old enough to keep secrets, both were old enough to protect each other, and both were old enough to make promises…
even if they couldn’t keep them.

Author's Notes:

Ippeia is basically Pony!Byzantium.
There are other nations in this AU besides Equestria and Saddle-Arabia.
We actually have a whole basic ancient history across the world for this AU.
Of course, I don't want to overwhelm anyone. In this one chapter you have learned a deep bit of history right here.

Turquoise Dreamer, the Dreamer with a heart for others and a thousand stories to write ~+~

Chapter 5: Be Brave, Karam

127 B.S.E.

“Sleep well, My Sons,” Khayri bid his young stallions as he walked off to bed.

“Sleep well, Father,” They replied as they slowly walked to their own rooms.

“Today’s feast was most wonderful!” Karam exclaimed to his brother with a tired, yet happy sigh, “I wish we could have more celebrations.”

“Karam, we already have plenty of festivals to attend each year,” Daud pointed out, “I think we have enough to celebrate.”

“Yes, but the energy, the joy, all the guests! If only we could have fun like that every day,” Karam piped up with a slight spring in his step.

“Although I do enjoy a good feast, I have a feeling that when we have to rule and attend all sorts of events that we both shall grow tired of it,” Daud chuckled.

“I suppose you are correct, Brother,” Karam admitted as he entered his room, “Well, see you tomorrow!”

Daud nodded and went to his own room.

It had been many years since Karam was old enough to learn the secret of the rivers, and he had matured much in that time. Although he was still a chatterbox and was a bit of a rebel, he was beginning to understand the importance and duties of princehood, and was determined to bring honor to his father and his brother as well as his own name. Over the decades he had stopped many sandstorms, learned new spells, and grown stronger in all things. Truly, his father and brother were very proud of him for his accomplishments. Certainly he would be a wonderful leader one day.
That day was coming sooner than he thought.

Karam awoke and stretched his wings in the bright sunlight streaming through his latticed windows. He quickly brushed his mane and tail, and then put on his silver shoes and necklace. Realizing what time it was, he wondered why a servant didn’t come and inform him breakfast was ready.

That was most unusual.

Curiously he trotted to the hallway and examined the area. There were guards huddled together at the far end of the hall, and they seemed distressed. At the other end of the hall were some servants crying over something. Karam began to worry.

He quickly trotted over to the guards and asked, “Guards, what is it?”

Instantly the guards turned and looked at the young prince in dismay. They all eyed each other, each willing one of them to speak, yet none were willing to say a word.

“Somebeast speak! Tell me!” Karam ordered, growing frustrated that nobeast was telling him what was wrong. In his nervousness, he adjusted his wings along his back and sides over and over again.

“Your highness… Your father, the king… He died in his sleep. It seems to have been poison,” The bravest guard replied as he hung his head.

Karam stared at them, unable to understand the words. Slowly he blinked his blue eyes, and straightened his stance.

“Wh...what?” He answered, blinking again, hardly able to comprehend anything at the moment.

“King Khayri… died of poison,” Another guard slowly repeated, gulping deeply as he finished the words.

“No… he… but… who? Why?” Karam gasped, feeling lumps gather in his throat.

“We know not, but if you wish… you can see for yourself,” A third guard answered, stepping aside for Karam to pass.

Karam barged through, cantering around the corner and down the hall to his father’s bedroom. The doors were already open and several servants were nearby, mourning.
One was a camel, who was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. Resting her head on the camel’s back was a young Pegasus Pony who seemed shocked out of her mind, staring blankly ahead. A third was an Earth Horse Stallion who had his head bowed in respect as he stepped aside for Karam.
Another servant was a Zarfaim camel who seemed to be reciting some kind of blessing in the Zarfaim language.
However, Karam wasn’t paying any mind to them: he was focused on the sight of his father’s regal bedroom, where various guards and doctors and some nobles were gathered around the bed in astonishment and sorrow. As soon as they saw him they straightened up, took a step back, and bowed low before him.
Steadily Karam walked into the room and approached the bed.
There, his father lay.
His blue-grey fur was matted from tossing and turning for long hours, and his feathers on his wings were ruffled in likewise manner.
One of his noble, soft ears was pointed in one direction, and the other was in another.
His face was scrunched up and his teeth were gritted in a contorted, pained manner.

Khayri was dead.

Karam wasn’t barging around anymore: he was silently studying the scene, unable to process it.

Karam heard nothing but heavy breathing in the room, and wondered who could possibly be heaving so loudly.

After some time he realized that he was the one sobbing out loud.

Steadying himself, he took one final deep breath and looked at the nearest Pegasus Horse and asked, “Daud, where is he? Does… does he know yet?”

At that, the Pegasus averted his eyes and replied sorrowfully, “We have not found Prince Daud yet, Prince Karam. We are uncertain if he was assassinated as well, or if he discovered your father’s death and ran away for a time to be alone.”

“Daud… gone?” Karam squeaked, “And… father… dead…”

Again he sobbed, and did all he could to stop himself from bursting into tears.

“Your highness, please, leave this place of death,” A calm voice broke through his shock for a moment, “Let us take your father’s body and prepare it for burial while you recover in your own room. You must be strong for the whole nation now.”

Karam turned to the voice and realized it was one of Khayri’s Zarfaim advisors, who was an Earth Horse wearing a plain black set of tack which covered his flanks, back, and chest modestly.

What was his name?

Oh yes, Avram… Avram the… the… Patient…

why couldn’t Karam think?

Why couldn’t he think?

He had to think….

Unable to reply, Karam nodded and somehow managed to reach his room, where he collapsed on his bed and stared out his window at the sky over his balcony.
Two agonizing days passed in which the kingdom mourned over their king’s death.
Daud never appeared. The funeral needed to go on without Daud, before the king’s body began rotting.
Though Karam ached for his brother to be there beside him, he had to watch his father's funeral alone.
Silently he stood at the front of the procession, leading the way to the graveyard where his ancient family was laid to rest.
Thousands of citizens followed, wailing over their wise, patient king’s casket as it passed through the streets.
To Karam, everything was blurred and he could barely believe it was happening. Soon his father was buried in the family tomb beside his mother, and Karam was in his room again, staring blankly out his window.

The sky was still blue.
The birds loudly sang.
The world moved on.

Didn’t the world know that his father died?
Didn’t the world know that his brother was missing?
Why did everything have to seem so perfect at such a horrific moment?
Karam couldn’t comprehend it.

That same day, one of the chefs died; apparently the same poison that killed the malik killed him as well, but he only had a small taste of it, hence it took him longer to die.
Immediately all of the kitchen servants were interrogated for days, except for one who mysteriously disappeared.
Although nobeast could prove it, all assumed the vanished beast was the traitor.
Either way, the chefs and remaining servants had no idea who could have killed their marvelous malik.
While Karam pondered what to do, somebeast knocked at his door.

“Enter,” Karam heard himself mutter, though he didn’t feel like he was really speaking out loud.

Gently the door opened and Karam heard somebeast say, “Sire, I apologize for disturbing you… but we think it would be best if you could say a few words to the citizens, letting them know that everything will be all right… somehow.”

Karam knew that voice. It was one of father’s chief advisors.
For a moment, Karam thought about the people. Perhaps in the countryside people still did not know the news, but everybeast in the city knew. Everyone was shocked. They needed comfort, but Karam himself was filled with agony, and barely had the motivation to brush his own tail out. How could he possibly give a speech to comfort others when he didn't even have the heart to care for himself?

“I know not what to say,” Karam sighed, refusing to turn his head or even lift himself from his bed.
For a few moments there was no sound, and then Karam heard the creaking of the door closing softly.
Once more, he was left alone, sprawled out across his soft, regal blankets.
For the next few days, the advisors handled all the major meetings with nobility and other leaders, doing their best to comfort everybeast. While they did so, they all looked out for Daud, but he was nowhere to be found, as if the earth itself swallowed him up to be with his father.

“My Prince,” Heydar The Great, one of Khayri’s advisors, asked politely as he poked his head in the door, “May I speak with you a moment?”

“Yes,” Karam muttered as he slowly picked himself up and stared at the Unicorn Horse glumly.

“Sire, I know you will not like to hear this, but we advisors feel that you must take the throne until your brother returns,”The red-brown Unicorn Horse announced in a calm voice as he bowed and then adjusted his silvery tack with his magical aura.

Instantly, Karam shot up to his hooves, spreading his wings angrily as he spat, “WHAT!? NO! DAUD IS THE RIGHTFUL KING! HE WILL BE BACK… He… he will… he will!”

His last words were slower, and he softly lowered his wings as the realization dawned on him that his beloved elder brother could be dead too. He hung his head and sobbed, and didn't even have the heart to fold his wings, allowing them to lay down and drag on the bed around him.

“Oh Great Wind, He will, surely, but for this season of time, the nation needs a leader to assure her that things will be all right, and to send a message to the assassins that they have failed; Saddle-Arabia will move on from this tragedy. We will surely find Daud, but for right now you should take the throne so that the people have a face to look up to,” Heydar persuaded him with a quiet voice and a reassuring smile.

With a sorrowful look in his orange eyes, Heydar stretched out one of his forelegs and lowered his head in a respectful bow while his ears folded back in sympathy.
Although he didn’t want to do it, Karam knew that Heydar was correct: the people needed a leader.

Sorrowfully bringing up his wings and folding them along his sides, Karam sighed, “Very well. I suppose we can have some ceremony tomorrow.”

With that finished, Heydar bowed low again, letting his red-brown mane graze the floor as he murmured, “I truly am sorry this has happened to you, My Young Prince. I promise I’ll do all I can to assist you through this terrible trial.”

Karam nodded to the Unicorn, who then backed out of the room respectfully.

During the ceremony, Karam felt as if he was betraying both his father and brother. Alongside the feelings of betrayal stirred a sandstorm of fear and anxiety, for he felt too young to be given such an immense task. Though he felt his heart race with a hundred feelings,he didn’t say one negative word at all. In his heart, he felt that he must hide his emotions and be firm, be brave, be strong for everybeast, like Daud would… like Father would.

For the sake of everybeast, he had to handle the important work of royalty, and be brave.

Chapter 6: The Advisors

Author's Notes:

Author’s note:

I had pictures for the new characters here, but they looked very awkward when I tried to put them in the story.

I trust you can have fun imagining them as you like, but if you want to see their designs, just ask and I'll put a link to what they look like.

No, there is no background music for this chapter. It didn't need any.

--Turquoise Dreamer

“I promise you all that I shall do my best to protect you and serve you until my older brother returns,” Karam finished his reassuring speech to the crowd gathered below his balcony.

The people of Saddle-Arabia were frightened after the death of their king, and deeply needed somebeast to comfort them. Seeing their young prince stand tall and give them those brave words helped reassure them that things would be all right in the end. Karam, however, did not feel reassured.
For the past week, nobeast had found Daud.
Where could he be?
Was he truly dead as well?

“Wonderful work, Your Majesty,” One of Father’s--no, Karam’s-- advisors, Jaffar the Peaceful, said calmly with a respectful nod.

He was a pale yellow camel known for his gentle nature. Although Camels did not have Destiny Marks, his blanket tack showcased his status as Advisor of Diplomacy with branches and leaves embroidered across it on both sides.

“I tried,” Karam sighed as he folded his wings and closed the balcony doors with his magic.

“Do not lose hope, Young Prince,” Jinan the Healer added, “The body needs hope as much as the heart does.”

He was an Earth Pony apothecary known for his ability to manage trade routes as well as his healing skills with herbs. His Destiny Mark was a bundle of herbs, showcasing he was mostly the Court Physician.
Compared to all the camels and horses, the Pony seemed short, but he was average height. In the golden light streaming through the windows, his pale green mane and tail lit up, and his dark violet eyes and orange-brown pelt seemed brighter.
His words were encouraging, but Karam’s tormented heart couldn’t hear them.

“I know, but what is there left to hope for? We can’t find Daud, Father is dead, and everything is on my shoulders now and I’m not prepared!” Karam moaned as he flopped onto his bed in sorrow.

“Fear not, Oh Strong Wind, for we are here to assist you in all matters,” Avram the Patient, a Zarfaim Earth Horse reminded him.

Avram’s outfit today was brown, with six-pointed stars embroidered onto it. According to Zarfaim tradition, his tack covered his back, sides, chest, and flanks in a loose robe, though the leg coverings stopped at his knees to give him breathing room. On top of his peach head was a short mane of white, covered with his black head tack.
As the court’s Spiritual advisor, he often prayed before and after meetings, and tried his best to give a more ethical stance in everything.

Looking at the calm Horse, Karam felt a little braver.
He looked at Avram’s plain, modest, tack and compared it to the fancier tack of the other advisors, and wondered if Avram felt hot with all that fabric on him.
Oh but Karam insulted himself for thinking such foolish thoughts at such a time!
At the same time, Karam insulted the others for how they were all acting.
How could Avram and all the other advisors manage to be so rational at such a horrid time? Weren’t they panicking too?

Perhaps Karam needed to learn how to maintain himself like they maintained themselves… for the good of the kingdom.

Sitting up straight in his bed, Karam sighed, “All right… well, assist me! Does anybeast have any suggestions of where to find Daud?”

At that, the advisors awkwardly eyed each other and then looked away from Karam. Well, it seemed that even the calm and collected council had their worried moments too.
“The best option is to send messengers all across the land seeking him! Perhaps he was kidnapped the night of the murder!”

Qadir the Swift quickly suggested as he spread wide his electric blue Pegasus Horse wings in declaration.

His white and golden tack had emblems showcasing that he was the Chief of the Aerial Defense part of the army.

“It seems that is the only option,” Heydar the Great acknowledged, using his Unicorn Horse magic to adjust his golden tack better.

His tack had a long blanket draped across his back that was woven with diamonds and marks of magic, showing that he was one of the two Court Magicians.

“Then so be it!” Karam agreed.

“Shall I offer a financial reward for whoever brings him back? Surely that will give some speed to their journeying,” Kalil the Prosperous asked.

As the one in charge of finances, the Unicorn Horse knew the perfect price for everything. He too was a Zarfaim, and his black modest tack was ornamented with symbols of golden coins, showing his place as Advisor of Economics.

“Let it be done!” Karam declared, feeling a bit braver at the thought of the messengers hurrying back.

“As for other matters, what would you like for luncheon?” Kamal the Faithful inquired.

He was a pale-colored Camel who was in charge of all the servants in the palace. His tack was embroidered with symbols of symmetrical shapes, showing that he was the Chief of the Servants, and that he loved keeping a tidy palace.

“I… I suppose just a plain salad; I’m not that hungry today,” Karam decided after a moment.

“Excellent! The greens will help your body and eating will help soothe your mind,” Jinan commented with a smile.

More days passed and still no word from Daud.

Slowly, Karam believed that his brother was dead.

What other explanation was there?

If he was alive, he’d be back by now.
Karam wanted to mourn for his father and brother, but didn’t know how.
He had to be strong for the nation, and mourning was… wasn’t strong.
Was it?
He didn’t know.
Because he didn’t have time to mourn, he buried his emotions away and taught himself to always look serious and strong.
Whoever his father’s assassin was, wherever that traitor was, he was probably watching Karam, waiting for an opportunity, and Karam refused to look like he was wide open emotionally.

Wherever Karam went, he stood tall and strong, and whenever he spoke he spoke clearly and soberly.
He halted several sandstorms during this time, and he used the violent winds to get out some of his anger by violently striking back at them with his magic. No matter what happened he would be strong for his nation, his brother, and the memory of his father.
Thankfully, he had some excellent advisors beside him.

Chapter 7: Plans and Preparations

“Again, My Liege! You are doing very well,” Ghayth The Fierce encouraged Karam.

Karam panted, and used his magic to pick up his training sword.

“No, My Liege, you must train your body, and not your magic right now,” Ghayth reminded him.

Quickly Karam grabbed the sword with his mouth and snapped his wings into position.
Ghayth stomped once, loudly.
A few servants rushed in and fixed new appendages on the training posts for Karam to attack. As soon as they were gone, Ghayth stomped one of his Camel hooves twice, and Karam flew into action.
Flying between the dummies, Karam sliced and kicked at them, cutting off wooden boards and clumps of stuffing as he went. Soon he had circled all around them and returned to the starting point in the training room.
Panting once more, he stood there on all fours, with his wings half- opened, waiting for the next exercise.

All together it had been two weeks since the assassination, and Karam was training himself hard.
As the Chief Advisor of Defense, Ghayth, who was a brown Camel known for his prowess in the arenas of his youth, decided to put Karam on a strict training regiment to fortify him in case somebeast tried to exterminate him with something other than poison.
On that subject, Kamal the Faithful had fired everybeast who worked in the kitchens and replaced all of them to ensure that nobeast would attempt to poison Karam.
It seemed that they were innocent, but just to be safe he fired them all.
Barely any of them made any complaints under the circumstances.
After that, extra food tasters were instituted to taste anything and EVERYTHING that Karam was about to eat, and guards were placed all around the dining areas in order to survey everything.
While Kamal ensured his protection from poison, Ghayth encouraged him to train hard in order to assure his protection from physical and magical harm.

While training under Ghayth’s command, Karam did his best to be strong physically, magically and also emotionally.
Unfortunately, he simply did not know how to handle his own emotions.
Although he wanted to cry, he held back the tears, pain, and fear, which led to him wearing a harsh, stoic mask every day.
The best way he found to let out that building stress was to attack the training dummies with everything he had. Every day he became more and more fierce, and it helped him to survive.
Thanks to Ghayth’s orders, Karam survived day after day.

Meanwhile….

“Once we have his confidence, we’ll start casually asking for more power; he’s so young and heartbroken he won’t be able to disagree,” Afzal the Tactician whispered to his partner-in crime.

“How long do you think that will take?” Heydar the Great snorted.

“Patience, Heydar--the best plans often take time,” Afzal replied smoothly.

Afzal was a grey-pelted Pegasus Pony whose talent for strategy manifested on his flank as a battle map Destiny Mark.
His black mane and tail were always groomed neatly, and his green eyes were sharp enough to notice the slightest details in the expressions of others.
His partner in crime, Heydar, was a maroon-colored Unicorn Horse with a deep brown mane and tail that was also neatly groomed.
Known for his magical prowess, Heydar had long ago decided that it was time somebeast other than an Alicorn ruled, and was glad to find that Afzal felt likewise.
Although they worked together, it was clear that Afzal had the most ambition, and would stand at nothing getting in his way. Heydar could tell it was best to never oppose him, so instead he joined him gladly, hoping to get his fair share in the coup which had already started.

The two had studied writings of radicals who declared that the nation should be ruled by a dynasty of a beast who was native to the area, and not by the Alicorns who were descendants of outsiders.
Over the years, Afzal believed more and more that he should be that leader, for Khayri had always asked him for advice the most, and everybeast knew that Afzal was the one who was most clever.
Surely, if he was the wisest, if even the kings valued him so much, then he should have the throne himself. He could probably do a better job ruling than any Alicorn could. Indeed, Karam had no idea that Afzal and Heydar were planning on making him a puppet king as they slowly took over, planning to kill him at the last moment.

Chapter 8: Advice and Concerns

One month had passed since Khayri’s death.

Although many messengers and scouts were sent out, still nobeast had found Daud. It seemed that Karam was going to rule Saddle-Arabia alone. Thankfully, he had his trusted Advisors beside him.
Unfortunately, he put his trust in too many of them.

“Sire, a revolt has broken out in Aseb,” Ghayth reported to him one day, “We must have a meeting about this!”

“Send for the other advisors and meet me in the greater meeting room,” Karam ordered with a wave of one of his golden yellow wings.

A revolt?
Now?
Of all times?
Karam prayed he’d have the strength and wisdom to act properly.

Once they were all gathered, Ghayth continued his report:

“Some traitorous Unicorn Horse has arisen with a small army, stolen the Fire Halter, and proclaimed he has the right to the throne of Aseb through an ancient lineage, from before your forefathers conquered the area. Forgive me, My Liege, for bringing such news in a bad season, but it seems we may have a minor civil war if we do not act immediately.”

“Horrid news indeed! But surely we can quell this--let’s remain calm at all times,” Jinan comforted the others around the table with a nod of his head.

“The best option is to completely obliterate them now, showing everybeast that you are the rightful king, My Lord,” Qadir declared, flapping his electric blue wings sharply.

“I agree! Give the word, My Liege, and I shall ready the finest troops for departure,” Ghayth added.

“And I volunteer to take this under my own wings, King Karam,” Afzal swiftly added, “I am, after all, the tactician of this land--allow me to do this so that you need not fret over these foals.”

“Thank you all,” Karam sighed, “Do you think they may listen to reason, though?”

“Your Majesty, although I do strongly support reasoning, some beasts cannot be reasoned with. In general, usurpers have no time or inclination to speak to anybeast attempting to dissuade them,” Jaffar shook his head sadly.

“Again, allow myself and Heydar to deal with this--his magic and wisdom combined with my tactics can quickly brush them all aside. You have much more pressing matters to deal with, such as Daud’s whereabouts,” Afzal reminded Karam as he smiled at the Alicorn.

Though his green eyes were filled with a comforting charm, Afzal's heart was filled with deceptive poison.

“I understand, but… I… I don’t want to go to any sort of war or battle now,” Karam groaned as he desperately looked around the table.

“Oh Strong Wind, none of us do, but it seems we must,” Avram gently replied in a sad, fatherly tone as he hung his aging head quietly.

“We do have stores of money in the treasuries to finance a quick rebellion-stomping, Sire,” Kalil reminded them all in an encouraging tone.

“... Any other ideas?” Karam pleaded.

For a moment, the advisors looked at each other sadly.

“My Liege, now is the time to demonstrate that you are serious about protecting your land,” Ghayth explained, “Send out the troops to dispose of this mess before it’s too late.
As a king, you must not tolerate usurpers.
Show them that you are the rightful king's son, and thus the true ruler of Saddle-Arabia and all lands in its territory.
Your grandfather, the First King, rightfully captured that land so the citizens could expand, and he and your father ruled it caringly for centuries. The Region of Aseb has no reason to rebel, and these brutes must be put in their place before they convince the citizens otherwise.” Ghayth declared.

“Take heart, Young King, and be brave. You needn’t go to battle yourself, remember,” Jinan soothed.

“...Fine then, Afzal… you are in charge. Do your best and dispose of this rebellion, and restore the Fire Halter where it belongs,” Karam decided. After that, he turned to some of the quieter advisors, “Any of you have anything to say?”

“I… I saw a bad omen in the stars last night,” Alem the Oryx Astronomer warned. He straightened in his chair, the light from the torches illuminating the white mark on his face and the curves of his horns as he spoke, “The Great Snake is attacking the Lion King. I have a sense that this means disaster for the throne. Please, do quell this rebellion immediately.”

“I do not take stock in omens,” Zahir the Loyal snorted, “But I will say this: I have wandered among the common beasts while researching new ways of magic, and they all seem on edge. None will say it out loud, but they are all worried. Ever since His Majesty Khayri died there’s been a sense of… uncertainty, Oh Great One.”

“What do you mean?” Karam prompted.

“I feel… I see… the commoners are… well… I wish not to offend but.. .I feel they all need to know that you indeed will protect them. If you do crush this rebellion you’ll prove you are indeed king, Great One,” Zahir summarised as he struggled to poke his head above the table.

There were some disadvantages to being a short Unicorn pony, unfortunately.

“I see… they are uncertain I’m fit for the throne?” Karam responded.

“Again, I wish not to offend, but that’s what I have noticed. Show them you are king, Great One, and you’ll set their hearts to ease,” Zahir encouraged him as he tossed his head to the side to get his blonde mane out of his face.

“And this omen… Amal, have you seen anything like this in the stars before?” Karam probed as he turned to the Oryx.

“The night before your father died, I saw a shooting star go through the heart of the Lion King, and told him about it. Other than that, I have not seen something like this before now. The stars move in a set order, so surely in the ancient past they went this way before today… yet… I find it… very… worrying… that NOW… this is showing in the stars,” Amal carefully replied, afraid to speak too quickly as his ears drooped nervously.

“Do not take too much stock in such things, Great One,” Zahir snorted again as one of his brown Pony ears flicked in annoyance, “Sometimes stars are merely stars.”

“Oh Strong Wind, I must warn you of something else,” Avram spoke, “I have a burden that’s been on my heart, but I’m not certain what it means. Please, whatever choice you make, make it wisely.”

“If you know not what it means, why speak it forth?” Zahir stared at Avram sternly.

“If he wishes to warn me, then let him warn me!” Karam snapped.

“Oh, I apologize, Great One!” Zahir quickly responded, bowing his head low, which made him almost vanish beneath the table.

“May I leave now, King Karam? There is much to be done before the army departs,” Afzal calmly piped up with a wave of one of his light grey wings.

“Of course--take whatever you need,” Karam agreed with a wave of his own wing.

“I shall inform the servants that the army will need provisions!” Kamal determined with a quick nod of his pale Camel head.

“So be it!” Karam agreed, “And… I suppose that’s all that needs to be said. Oh and uh, next time, someone get a box for Zahir to sit on.”

The advisors paused for a moment to look at Zahir, who poked up his head and said, “Great One, you needn’t worry about me, really, though I do thank you for the kindness.”

Some of the advisors looked like they were holding back a laugh, and even Karam realized how silly it sounded.
Karam coughed to hide his laughter and said, “Right, yes, heh.”

Ah, it felt good to have a silly laugh for a moment.

As the various advisors went to their posts to prepare, Karam slowly walked down the halls, uncertain of what to do. The burden of warfare weighed on him like a heavy stone tied to his heart, yet he knew that he truly had no choice. Hearing somebeast approaching, he turned and saw Avram coming to speak to him.

“Strong Wind, I… I want to encourage you again-- Fear not! The Creator will be with you, surely… as for earlier, I understand what that burden on me was,” Avram began.

“Avram, I am always thankful for your warm words, please tell me what troubled you,” Karam urged him, turning to face the humble Zarfaim.

“Strong Wind… I feel that… forgive me for saying this, but… I feel that you should not trust Afzal too quickly. Put your trust in all your advisors, and not just him.”

Confused, Karam stared at him for a time, unsure of what to say.
The Zarfaim were an odd group.
Though in blood they were Ponies, anyone who followed the Zarfaim faith was taken into their fold with open hearts. Through the ages, the Zarfaim had wandered from land to land ever since their own homeland had been destroyed, yet wherever they went, they did not look for war or strife, but merely someplace safe to dwell and serve their one God. Karam wasn’t exactly religious, though he did revere the many gods of Saddle-Arabia, but something in his heart felt that he should listen to Avram’s warning.

“I must go attend to the army now and ensure all is well,” Avram excused himself with a polite bow.

“Of course, you may go,” Karam allowed.

With that, Avram departed, trotting down the stone halls quietly, the firelight illuminating his aged, white mane, and showing that even his peach pelt was becoming grey from the hooves upwards. Karam watched him go, noting the horse’s modest tack.
After a moment, Karam turned and trotted down the halls towards the training room. He needed to destress again, and the best option for him to do that was to train.

Karam smiled at himself.
“The best option” seemed to be Qadir’s favorite phrase.
For a moment he imagined his father, Khayri, listening to Qadir over and over again… did Khayri ever notice that about Qadir?
Did he ever notice that Avram the Patient was getting old?

In fact, all of the advisors were aging… in decades to come, who would Karam choose to take their places? There were so many things to think about as king; Karam wished his father had lived a bit longer, to teach him such things…Oh, right, Daud was supposed to be king, and Karam would have been his right hoof.

Oh Daud… where was he?

No, Karam must be strong, He must throw away such pained thoughts. Although his heart ached, he must forget about his brother and father for now. With this rebellion, he had more pressing matters to think about.
No, Afzal said to not worry about the rebellion…
but Avram said not to trust him…
oh bother, Karam had no idea who to listen to anymore.

Chapter 9: Relief and Rethinking

Author's Notes:

Dear Reader,

Do colored links and text distract you in this story?

I was going to see if using black-colored links would be better, but when I put the story to nighttime mode I couldn't even read it.

I do apologize if it's distracting, but as you can see I have very little colored text overall. If I made it with no color, it would be a default blue link. If I make it black, you can't see it on some format settings, like night mode.
Not all my stories will have background music like this because it is truly a lot of work to find fitting music as well as draw pictures, so I do hope you can overlook the colored text and enjoy the story.

--Turquoise Dreamer, the dreamer with a heart for others and a thousand stories to write ~+~

“Long live Afzal the Tactician! Long live Heydar the Great! Long live King Karam!” The citizens shouted as Afzal and Heydar returned a few weeks later.

“Look at them all… praising Afzal, Heydar, and King Karam…” Zahir noted from a balcony, watching the parade pass through the streets.

“Indeed, Zahir. It seems all is well,” Jinan sighed in relief.

“...Afzal and Heydar seem especially pleased with themselves,” Zahir remarked, closely watching Afzal and Heydar as they led the procession.

“What is wrong with that? They just saved the kingdom!” Qadir retorted, flapping his wings with a “snap”.

“...I was simply making a statement,” Zahir calmly replied.

“I should go to the stables--the troops will be coming in soon, and I must ensure they are all healthy,” Jinan remarked as he quickly trotted away.

“Afzal and Heydar always work so well together, don’t you think, Zahir?” Qadir added as Jinan walked away.

“Indeed, they do,” Zahir agreed, “... indeed…. They do.”

Later, Afzal and Heydar entered the throne room and bowed to Karam.

“We have crushed the rebels, and restored the sacred Halter of Fire to its proper shrine, Malik Karam,” Afzal declared with his grey Pony wings spread wide.

“It was nothing for us!” Heydar added, “And we are pleased to return home to serve you, My Malik.”

“Excellent,” Karam sighed, relieved it was over, “I… suppose you may… rest now.”

What exactly was one supposed to say after one’s troops returned home from crushing a rebellion? Karam certainly did not know.

“Malik Karam, if ever such an event happens again, do not hesitate to send us to the front lines once more!” Afzal suggested as he straightened up.

“Indeed, My Liege! All the soldiers I asked noted how skilled they both were-- ha ha! Those rebels did not stand a chance! We should have a feast to celebrate!” Ghayth guffawed in glee as he shook his scarred head in a pleased motion.

“Oh, we… yes, we should!” Karam agreed after a moment, attempting to relax while his wings fidgeted nervously.

“A small feast, yes? We did spend a bit more money than we wanted to on the fighting, after all, Sire,” Kalil suggested with a nervous chuckle.

“And we must clean the stables! The troops brought in so much sand--and some of their weapons still have dried blood on them! It’s horrific! Please, I beseech you, let us clean first!” Kamal begged, dusting off one of his white hooves as he spoke, shivering at the thought of all the grime and blood--oh how terrifying!

“Oh, well, of course! Do all that first, and then we can feast, in the evening, yes!” Karam declared, trying to sound sure of his own opinion.

That's what Father would do, right?
He was always certain of his own opinions.

Kalil and Kamal bowed and backed out of the room quickly to prepare everything.

“Ah, My Liege! If only you had been there! Ah, the fighting was so invigorating!” Ghayth laughed, standing a bit closer to Karam’s throne as he spoke, “Would you like to hear?”

Karam swallowed hard, afraid to hear but trying to sound like a rightful malik as he answered, “Oh… of course!”

Afzal cleared his throat and asked, “Do you have any tasks for Heydar and I before we leave, King Karam?”

“Oh.. no, not really--please do get plenty of rest,” Karam answered after thinking about it for a moment.

“In that case, Afzal and I shall take my leave and check on the troops once more, My Lord,” Heydar proposed as he straightened his war tack with his magic aura.

“Oh, go ahead! Certainly!” Karam allowed with a nod.

Heydar bowed and then politely backed out of the room, with Afzal following.

“Ghayth, please do not embellish the story too much now,” Afzal chuckled before the doors closed.

“Oh My Liege, it was thrilling!” Ghayth began, “Afzal sent a messenger giving the rebels three days to surrender--of course they did NOT surrender-- and we all met in the Sand Dragon Valley, our forces lined up, staring each other down….
Oh, one could hear a single gnat buzzing if one listened closely, there was such a quiet.
Afzal flew into the air, demanding the rebels surrender or face the consequences, and that leader of theirs-- Alborz-- walked a few paces forward and shouted, ‘Never! Aseb will be free once more!’ Of course all the rebels cheered at that, and seeing they would not surrender, Afzal gave the signal to attack!
“After that, our forces rushed at one another, and oh the fighting!
The fighting!
The shouting,
the stabbing,
the kicking,
the sand in the air,
the heat!
The sweat!
Oh it was so marvelous, My Liege!
Marvelous, and all the time there were Afzal and Heydar in the midst of it all, giving their enemies a thousand deaths, screaming “IN THE NAME OF THE TRUE KING” over and over! Oh, if only you had been there….”

Ghayth went on to tell all the details of the battles they endured, and how they found the Halter of Fire… but all Karam could think of was “oh the fighting,
the fighting!
The blood,
the death!
The screams!”

Noting how pale Karam looked, Ghayth stopped after a while and looked down at the ground.
His brown, scarred face twisted a bit in guilt as he realized the king he was talking to was really just… a teenager.

“... Perhaps… I was… a bit over-enthusastic, My Liege… Nevermind, please--I believe you get the picture in your mind perfectly well already,” Ghayth quietly added, sensing that Karam was getting nervously sick.

“gulp No, I… I thank you. It does sound… quite… exciting. I am glad you, Afzal and Heydar survived, and… we did not suffer… too many losses,” Karam replied, clearing his throat a few times.

For a moment, Ghayth’s mature war-scarred face studied Karam’s younger, accident-scarred face. Although Ghayth loved a battle, he also knew that Karam was young, and had a soft heart. In the harsh environment of the desert it was easy to lose one’s soft heart, but Karam still had his.
Knowing how challenging things were for Karam, Ghayth wanted to protect his king, and help keep his king’s heart soft…
for as long as Ghayth could.

“... My Liege, some, such as myself, were made for war.
We cannot help but love the thrill of battle.
Some, however, were not made for such gruesome adventures, and that is perfectly all right. Someone has to stay home and guard the throne and comfort those left behind, after all,” Ghayth soothed as his eyebrows furrowed in a fatherly way, “Your father did not enjoy fighting much either, from what I gathered.
I understand, My Liege. I won’t bore you with details of war anymore.”

“I--no, wait, I… well… thank you for understanding,” Karam sighed, unsure if he should feel guilty or relieved as his wings twitched nervously.

Ghayth smiled and nodded calmly. The understanding look on Ghayth’s features comforted Karam, assuring him it was perfectly all right to not enjoy death.

“I guess we should go greet the troops,” Karam noted, stepping out of the throne.

“I shall gladly accompany you, My Liege,” Ghayth piped up.

As Karam thanked the returning soldiers, and ensured that the wounded were recovering, he wondered if he was being a good king or not.
What Ghayth said rang true--somebeast had to stay behind while the troops left… and yet… maybe Karam should have been there with them. He had to grow up already and face the worst situations head-on, right?
That’s what a good king did, right?
Oh, what would his father do?
Karam wondered if his father would be pleased with him or not. Through the day, Karam replayed the various scenes in his mind--Ghayth’s words; the faces of the exhausted, yet jubilant troops; all his advisors; and wondered if he was responding properly. Perhaps he should practice not getting so queasy over battle stories--yes, he really should. That should make him more king-like.
After all… if he was going to rule Saddle-Arabia… he was going to be brave… and strong… like his father…
like his brother… yes.

Meanwhile…

“Afzal, you brought the troops home safely--excellent work,” Zahir congratulated the Pegasus with a smile.

“Why, thank you! It is my pleasure to eliminate our enemies and bring the troops home,” Afzal thanked with a small bow.

“The citizens were certainly enthusiastic, and King Karam seemed pleased,” Zahir added as he adjusted his formal, black tack that hung on his chubby, short Unicorn Pony frame.

“Indeed, they were. Of course, magnificent work demands magnificent praise, does it not? And I am glad that King Karam’s throne is safe and secure,” Afzal agreed, smoothly folding his wings after a stretch, “If you don’t mind, I have some things to attend to at the moment,” He excused himself.

Zahir nodded and watched him leave, studying every movement Afzal made.

“...hmmm…” Zahir mused, noted something in Afzal’s eyes.

“Zahir? Why do you have that look?” Jinan probed as he entered the hall after making some rounds.

“Afzal was just here… I have… thoughts…” Zahir half-explained out loud.

“...thoughts? Well whatever it is, you are probably worrying too much,” Jinan soothed, “Come, it is almost time to feast.”

Zahir nodded, quietly pondering.

He’s lying… but what exactly is he lying about?

"Heydar I still cannot believe you banished Daud instead of killing him!” Afzal hissed as they wandered late at night in the palace gardens.

“Well he wouldn’t die, and my mute spells weren’t working, so what else was I going to do?” Heydar snapped back as the moonlight highlighted his brown mane and tail, which almost blended in with his red-brown pelt, which looked almost black in the darkness.

“If Daud ever does return, you know what he’ll do, right? Kill us all! Or fight against his brother--and a civil war between two Alicorns would be far too much for the nation to survive! Then what will I rule, Heydar?”

“I told you: the last thing I told him was that Karam wanted him dead. If he doesn’t die in the desert, he’ll eventually convince himself it’s true--as for a civil war, I think we can survive it--Karam is far weaker than his brother and if poison took Khayri it can take Daud as well.”

“If it can do that… why did you not poison Daud too?” Afzal snapped, his wings flaring out angrily in the darkness, turning silver beneath the moon.

“I told you--the poison was hard to make, and I did not have enough left after killing Khayri! Did you not notice how tall that beast was? Killing him took almost the whole vial!” Heydar groaned with a roll of his golden eyes.

“What did you do with that vial, anyway?” Afzal whispered as he held up a wing to conceal their heads.

“I… am still uncertain,” Heydar hesitated as his ears folded down nervously.

“...STILL? I thought you found it by now!” Afzal stared at him in shock.

“Small vials can easily be lost,” Heydar attempted to defend himself but was cut off by Afzal with,
“ENOUGH… enough… let us calmly follow our plan. Already Karam is trusting us much more--that rebellion was a blessing for our favor. We showed how worthy we are of his confidence… but I feel that Avram knows something.”

“Do you suppose?” Heydar whispered back, “Or is he just being an old, worried, beast?”

“He always seems a bit tense around us these days--have you not noticed? I think he knows something,” Afzal explained while folding his wings down at his sides.

“Perhaps you are right…perhaps his God is telling him something... should I kill him too?” Heydar asked.

“No… not yet… not yet,” Afzal cautioned, “But be wary of him--him and Zahir.”

Chapter 10: Hidden Clue Number One

While everybeast was busy tending to his or her duties, the servants quietly slipped through the hidden passages, cleaning, organizing and beautifying the palace. Carefully staying hidden from as many of the higher-ups as possible, they did all the chores needed to be done. It was their duty, and they fulfilled it gladly.
After all, not everybeast got to work in the palace, close to the king--and at such an important time!
Unfortunately, being a cleaning servant also meant… finding things not meant to be found.
As the servants tended to their duties, certain things were revealed.

A maid swept sand from Heydar’s room, attempting to collect every grain. Her Unicorn Pony magic was quite helpful for such a task, but it seemed she could never get any room completely clean, and it irked her deeply. While cleaning, she found other things that irked her, including a loose floor tile. Usually other servants cleaned Heydar’s room and she questioned why on earth they would NOT fix it.

Why?

Was she the only one who cared about things being perfect for the King and his advisors?

Well, there was Kamal the Faithful, who was in charge of all the servants, but other than that she honestly wondered if anybeast else even tried to clean a room properly.
After she swept all she could, she trotted over to the floor tile.

In frustration she lifted it up, examined the area, and mentally memorized it so that she could fix it later.
Putting the tile back, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye:
Behind one of the legs of Heydar’s bed something caught a bit of sunlight, glowing faintly.
Curious, she trotted over, kneeled down, and moved the bed slightly with her magic. A vial the length of her hoof rolled towards her. She picked it up and moved the bed back in its proper place. Intrigued by the odd find, she held the vial in her blue glowing aura, wondering what it was as she turned it around. In the bottom of the vial was some odd-looking, dried substance. Examining the floor again for anything similar, she memorized the place she found it.

Although she knew it was a bad idea, she couldn’t help herself: she had to sniff it.
Slowly she opened it and took a whiff.
The scent was… sweet… yet… sickening.
She coughed and plugged the vial with its cork again. A sinking feeling oppressed her heart and mind. Part of her said she was worrying too much but… the other part told her to give it to the Head of the Servants, Kamal. Perhaps it was a bad idea--maybe she was worrying too much, but she quickly made up her mind to take it to him anyway.

“Hmmm… how odd indeed… *Sniff *, Augh! *plug* You were right in bringing this to me. Thank you. Do not trouble yourself about this anymore, understand? And… in fact, do not tell anyone about this, all right?” Kamal ordered her swiftly.

The maid nodded and returned to her work, wondering what the vial held. Kamal, meanwhile, had his suspicions, and knew exactly who to take it to.

“You found this vial in Heydar’s room?” Jinan asked as he held the vial on top of one hoof, gazing at it with a pale look on his brown face.

“It was one of my newer maids--she found it,” Kamal explained, wiping one of his hooves off with a handkerchief, making sure that none of whatever was in the vial would be left behind on his pale camel feet, or fur, or face. Oh no, was his face infected with it? He better run to a mirror and check.

“...I have a feeling we are thinking the same thing about what this is… and I hope we are both wrong,” Jinan whispered as he used his other hoof to push his light green forelock out of his eyes.

“What? Oh… yes, I hope so too--tell no one of this, all right?” Kamal whispered back, returning to the present matter.

“I… may need some help in discerning what this is, but other than that, I assure you this will be our secret,” Jinan agreed, sliding the vial into one of his saddle bags.

Later, in the evening…

“I see… we were… right,” Kamal gulped quietly.

The torches lit the laboratory and all its instruments, highlighting the ceramic bowls of powders, the vials of liquid, and the creatures gathered ominously around the center table.

“Indeed, I have analyzed this multiple times, and Alem, Zahir and Jaffar agree… it is, indeed, poison of multiple flowers and herbs, including Desert Laurels,” Jinan quietly stated.

“The way it reacted to my magic was consistent with Alem’s research, and what Jaffar has seen in his travels… it is indeed a combination of various poisons… meant to kill… something very large,” Zahir elaborated, barely tall enough to see above the table between them.

At times like this he wished he was a Unicorn Horse instead of a Unicorn Pony so he could take his own statements more seriously.

“...It is no secret that King Khayri was taller than anybeast else… except for an Elephant… or perhaps some Karkadann,” Kamal snorted, “Clearly.. This is it.”

For a few moments, no beast said anything.

“...This doesn’t mean Heydar did it, of course,” Amal piped up, attempting to cut the silence. He felt a heavy burden come on him--not the kind that came when a storm was near… oh no… deep inside… he knew.

“Of course Heydar made it! Haven’t you noticed the worried look he’s hiding in his eyes lately? Certainly all of us have been stressed but this is more,” Zahir snorted, stomping one of his black hooves on the table.

“You have always been one for observing things the rest of us have not, but please do not say such things… there is always a chance Heydar did NOT make this poison or use it, but the true assassin somehow left it there while attempting to dispose of it,” Jaffar calmly offered.

“You are right.. Whether or not it was Heydar, how shall we know?” Zahir asked.

“Hmmm… well we cannot interrogate him outright,” Alem pointed out, “He often uses mind-altering spells on prisoners he is interrogating; he would do the same for us if he IS the assassin.”

“True; he could easily wipe our memories if he wished,” Jaffar sighed.

“...then we must gather evidence of such things,” Jinan proposed as he tossed his green mane out of his way.

“Of course! If he is the assassin, perhaps somebeast saw him and he used a mind spell on them so they would not recall!... we… oh bother, how are we going to gather evidence of something no one can recall?” Kamal groaned with a shake of his pale Camel head.

“Simple: they will try to remember that day but be unable to, when they should,” Zahir began, “We shall ask the cooks what they remember of that feast, and if they cannot recall it, they must have been mind-wiped.”

“Would that work, though?” Jinan questioned with a tilt of his brown head.

“My research suggests there could be a way to regain memories if there are ways to erase them,” Alem assured him as he somberly nodded his black and white Oryx head, being careful to not hit the lantern above them with one of his antlers.

“And we all know that Zahir’s Special Gift is magic--especially coming up with new spells,” Kamal added, seeing how things could fall into place, “Yes, it could work… but… still… what are we even looking for?”

“Suspicious activity from Heydar--and anything else suspicious in his room,” Zahir declared, “We shall have to send him away… him and Afzal both, so we may search every corner of their rooms in peace.”

“Where shall we send them though, and on what errand?” Jaffar calmly asked as he reached up one of his dark Camel hooves and adjusted the tack on his forehead.

“What about a border check? The rebellion was recent and they both were in it--it would be most logical,” Alem suggested with a flick of one of his ears.

“I’m certain Ghayth would agree!... now… would King Karam agree?” Kamal slowly thought out loud.

“Tomorrow is King Karam’s weekly physical check-up; I shall quietly lock the doors and tell him everything we know, and surely he will agree,” Jinan proposed with a slow nod.

“Then it is settled: Afzal and Heydar are suspects from this point onward,” Zahir stated, thumping one of his black Pony hooves on the stone floor of the room.

“Why Afzal, though?” Jinan asked with a tilt of his brown head.

“Afzal does have his pride… and his silver tongue… and as tactician, he could be working with Heydar… but I too wonder why you suggest Afzal, Zahir,” Jaffar interjected as he raised one of his eyebrows on his dark brown, Camel face.

“Afzal and Heydar are always walking side-by-side these days, and I notice them often having some odd look in their eyes; Afzal hides it better than Heydar,” Zahir explained as he narrowed his blue eyes angrily.

“I cannot believe this… two of King Khayri the Wise’s most trusted advisors… surely we are wong!” Kamal moaned, unable to believe it as he realized what they were suggesting. The realization sank in more a few seconds later, and Kamal put one hoof over his chest and sighed as he closed his eyes.

“...I pray we are wrong, but we must… be honest with ourselves,” Jaffar sighed as his ears drooped and he lowered his head close to the ground.

Hence the plan was made.
At last, there was a suspect… two, in fact. However, they needed evidence, which clearly would be even more hidden than the discovered vial.

Chapter 11: The Interrogations

Karam stood at the gates of the city, holding his lean body straight and dignified as he watched Heydar and Afzal’s caravan leaving for the Aseb border. As he stood there, the wind ruffled his black mane and tail and the sunlight kissed the silver accents on his black tack, making it gleam regally. Although he was completely calm on the outside, on the inside he was supressing his shock and fear at the things racing through his mind like a whirlwind. As soon as they were out of sight, Karam turned and walked back to the palace, refusing to utter a single word to his nearby advisors, who could tell something was up. Once the advisors entered the palace, some of them attempted to break the silence.

“Sire, is there anything troubling you?” Kalil the Prosperous prompted him. Although the Zarfaim Unicorn Horse had a snobbish side, he genuinely wanted to help anybeast who was deeply troubled.

“We shall all meet in our secure room, and I shall discuss it all… Jinan, Zahir, Alem and Kamal know what is going on,” Karam coldly stated.

At that, the other advisors looked at each other in confusion.

*Click*

The doors to the inner meeting room were closed and locked by Karam.

“Speak, Jinan,” Karam ordered as he sat at the head of the table.

Jinan quickly explained their suspicions.

“WHAT? Afzal and Heydar? Traitors? No! Preposterous!” Qadir snapped as soon as Jinan was finished, raising his electric blue wings and flapping them in anger.

“Again, these are only suspicions… we hope we are wrong… either way, we finally have a lead as to who the assassin was. Whether or not Heydar is the one, or Afzal, we are closer to finding the truth,” Jinan humbly replied, folding his brown ears back in fear. His Special Gift was herbs, not speeches or investigations; he felt awkward standing and saying such things out loud.

“But they both just quelled the rebellion! They….” Ghayth stopped, only to slow down in deep realization.

“They both did just quell a rebellion in King Karam’s name indeed,” Alem agreed, “But that does not mean they are completely loyal.” At this moment, Alem the Oryx began to question if their suspicions were accurate or not.

“Yes… and won over the love of the military,” Ghayth finish, the scars on his Camel forehead being pushed back by his furrowed eyebrows as he added, “And we should beware those who gain too much love from the military…. I still doubt it was them but… if it IS them… they may have many supporters if they wish to pull over a coup.”

“But surely you are all wrong! Besides, even if it IS them, how would we be able to prove it? They are both quite intelligent; they probably disposed of all evidence!” Kalil parried, his blonde tail swishing back and forth as his mind raced, “What are we supposed to do?”

“Investigate as best we can,” Jaffar replied, adjusting the tack that contrasted with his pale yellow Camel fur.

“We definitely must search their rooms… and try to keep this from the public as much as possible,” Zahir suggested as he sat on the box on top of his chair at the table.

“Yes, and we must question the cooks and other servants to see if they saw anything suspicious at all from Heydar on the day of King Khayri’s death!” Qadir piped up swiftly.

“Heydar can manipulate minds: he can force somebeast to say everything they know, or make them think what he likes,” Avram sighed with a shake of his aging head, “He probably manipulated anyone who may know anything.”

“That is true… there are spells to test for such manipulation… but reversing it… is very hard,” Zahir sighed, “If it seems someone has lost memories, I shall endeavor to create a spell to restore them.”

At that, everyone stared at him.

“Everyone knows it’s impossible to restore a destroyed memory,” Kalil snorted as he tossed his white head, getting his blonde mane out of the way.

“They only say that because the spell has not been invented yet,” Avram pointed out with a wave of one of his peach-colored forelegs, “And Zahir’s Special Gift is inventing and studying magic; if anyone can do it, it is him.”

Kalil stared at the floor, unable to process it. Could such a thing truly be done?
Furthermore… could the traitor be in their own midst?
One of the faithful advisors? Such a thing sounded impossible, and Kalil covered up his shock with another snobbish tilt of his head as he utilized his magic to adjust the small covering he wore on top of his head as part of his Zarfaim tradition.

“We must not waste time: Kamal, Ghayth, question the servants, starting with the chief of the cooks. Zahir, Jaffar, Amal, search Heydar and Afzal’s rooms. The rest of you, come with me. Let us speak to the palace guards to see what they think of Afzal and Heydar,” Karam ordered stoically with a wave of one wing.

“Oh… Master of the Universe… if they are indeed the traitors, let it be made plain. If not, then let them be found innocent, please,” Kalil prayed aloud with his eyes closed, taking a moment to put away his snobbish tendencies and throw himself and his fears at the feet of his Creator.

“Amen, let it be so,” Avram added with a solemn nod as he bowed his aging head and used a hoof to adjust his own small covering on top of his peach and white head, between his ears.

The other advisors solemnly nodded their heads and turned to their young king.
Karam nodded as well, glad for the unwavering faith those two had. There was something comforting about the faith of the Zarfaim creatures, and he was glad for any comfort at this moment. Sure, Kalil wasn’t exactly the most faithful, but now his deepest heart was coming out, and something seemed extra potent about that. Avram, of course, always had a genuine presence surrounding him. Although Karam wasn’t really religious, he truly hoped that whatever god or God was out there would be on his side, proving his innocence.

In two weeks Afzal and Heydar would return. They had that long to investigate. Of course, they had to go out into the city and find all the servants that had been fired. When they did find the former servants, their first major clue revealed itself.

“Oh yes, I remember many festivals and what we served--those days were always the most important, after all,” He declared with a firm nod.

“Well, what did we serve that day?” Kamal asked him with one of his white eyebrows raised..

“Oh that’s easy, we had…
had…
uhm… come to think of it, that whole day is rather… foggy for me… I suppose it’s all the stress, heh,” He nervously replied, wondering why he had trouble remembering it.

“I remember seeing you serve Malik Khayri,” Kamal recalled, “What did you feed him? Do you recall?”

“I… err… I don’t know! Wait, you don’t think I killed him, do you? No! I swear I did not!” The servant declared in a panic.

“Hush! We never said that… but we find it interesting that you can’t recall any food at all,” Ghayth hushed him with a snort.

“I… well I do remember… uhm… oh yes! Salad… with… some kind of… fruit… from… uhm… okay so I have a bad memory regarding that day, but I promise it wasn’t me!” The servant wailed miserably as his Pony ears drooped and his wings twitched.

“Oh be quiet! I just said we did not suggest it was YOU! *sigh* But can you remember ANYTHING of that day?” Ghayth groaned as he rolled his green eyes in frustration.

“Yes! I remember helping the cooks for hours--the soup took so long to make! I remember serving the first course, it was… wait, I DO remember! It was the steamed vegetables with the fruit glaze! *phew* Ha, I do remember!” He sighed in relief as he wiped some sweat off his brow with a wing.

“And the next course?” Kamal prompted as he polished one of his white hooves quickly.

“That’s when we did…. The soup! Yes! I remember… but… after that it’s a blur…” The servant sighed.

“... return to your home; we do NOT think you murdered anyone,” Kamal ordered him softly.

The servant nodded and quickly rushed away.

“All the other cooks remember the food very well,” Kamal noted as he began polishing his other front hoof, “But not him. Not only that, but he has a good mind for food--he was such a talented servant that I regret firing him.”

Ghayth noted some information on a pad, carefully holding a quill between the two halves of his cloven hooves.

“We’ll have Zahir examine him at a later time--we have more servants to interrogate, and it’s already been three hours; we must hurry,” Ghayth decided.

Kamal nodded as he examined his hooves, ensuring there wasn’t any dirt left on them.

Later their second clue came through one of the gardeners.

“I’m terribly sorry if I cannot say much today; I have such a terrible headache for some reason…” The aged camel apologized as he moaned.

“Oh? Headache? When did it start?” Kamal asked, worried if some sort of sickness might be spreading.

“The other day it… happened…” The camel tried to remember it but could not.

“What were you doing?” Kamal asked as he tilted his head, letting the beads on his tack click together as they moved with him.

“..I don’t know… all I remember is a bush… something about a bush… then looking around and wondering why I was there,” The camel answered, “And then Advisor Heydar told me to not stand around and return to my duties, so I left to the other part of the main gardens.”

“Heydar? Was anybeast else there?” Ghayth probed, his eyebrows furrowing in seriousness.

“Yes, Tactician Afzal was there too, glaring at me… I think… it’s a bit blurry… and ever since then I’ve had a terrible headache, on and off all day for the past few days,” The Camel admitted, ashamed that such high-ranking creatures saw him in the gardens when he should be unseen.

“...that’ll be all for today; return to your duties,” Kamal quietly ordered him.

The camel bowed and quickly left.

“...I have a feeling we are probably right about Heydar… and perhaps Afzal as well..” Kamal sighed as he rubbed his pale head in sorrow with one of his cloven hooves.

“ If they are indeed traitors, I shall ensure they get a traitor’s reward,” Ghayth snarled as he snapped his quill between the two halves of his hoof.

Indeed, the interrogations were quite interesting.

Author's Notes:

Note:

This was actually one of the harder parts for me to write because I usually don't write mystery.

I had to talk it out with Imperator Aetheris, and we came up with a solution.

Not this scene in particular, but this whole mini-arc.

---Turquoise Dreamer, the dreamer with a heart for others and a thousand stories to write ~+~

Chapter 12: Betrayal Betrayed by Texts

Meanwhile…

“We have searched all over this room! There is nothing!” Amal moaned, tossing aside a pillow with one of his Oryx hooves, “What are we missing? What are we not seeing?”

Zahir stared at Heydar’s cedar chest, which was totally empty now. Something about it seemed… odd.
Using his magic, he selected the bottom of the chest.
He knew it.
If it was one solid chest made of one solid piece, he would not be able to select only the bottom. Carefully he picked it up, revealing a hidden compartment.

“I found it,” Zahir stated firmly.

Walking over, Amal, Kalil and Jaffar inspected what was in the hidden compartment.

“...it all makes sense now,” Amal whispered with a quiet flick of his ears.

“The propaganda texts of Salaam the Outspoken!” Jaffar gasped as his eyes widened, “And of all of them, The Alicorn Invaders, which declares that the ruling dynasty should be destroyed and some other beasts should rule…. This is what Heydar was thinking.
Logical… most logical that he should turn traitor after reading these.”

“I warned King Khayri not to let such things exist… but he insisted that the people should be free to think,” Alem sighed as he looked at the ground and shook his head sadly.

“That is not all--look at these other texts,” Zahir pointed out, lifting the objects out with his green magic.

“We must take these to King Karam at once!” Jaffar declared, “... it is a pity that a traitor should be in our midst.”

“I knew it. I knew it!” Zahir snorted as he stamped one of his hooves, “I knew he was up to something! Treason! This IS treason! It IS him! IT IS.”

“We still have more searching to do, Zahir,” Jaffar gently reminded him, “We must search Afzal’s room next.”

Zahir nodded firmly. In Afzal’s room similar texts were found hidden in a metal container carefully hidden behind some stones in the wall.

“SEE? I was right!...I… was right…” Zahir shouted.

Kalil's anger spiked.

"HOW COULD THEY DO THIS?" He shouted, which alarmed the others and made them take a step back, "How could they?! Malik Al-Aziz was NOT an invader! He and his wife were survivors of a horrific war spoken only of in legend. Their homeland was completely ravaged and their people decimated. When they came here, there was NO united nation. All that greeted them was a mass of warring tribes with no set laws and no order! One of those tribes DID take them in, however, and healed them and nurtured them. In time, the tribe loved Malik and his wife, and the two Alicorns loved the tribe. It was entirely natural for Malik to become the new sheik. After that, he was filled with a passion to secure the wilderness and make it safe, protecting its people from outside harm and potential wars, and THAT is why Al-Aziz went out to unite the tribes, as peacefully as possible, though he was not afraid to fight back against more violent tribes. Was he an invader? NO! He was a hero!"

"Indeed he was," Jaffar agreed with a nod after smoothing some of his ruffled fur with one of his cloven hooves, "Thanks to him, Saddle-Arabia exists, under one banner, with one universal set of laws, and thanks to his rule and his son's rule we have prospered and become a powerful nation. Furthermore, the tribes that once lived here still do. The people are free to roam, or settle in cities, without fear of outsiders destroying their culture or values."

"EXACTLY!" Kalil exclaimed as he stamped one of his white hooves on the stone floor, "My people were persecuted left and right, but Malik Al-Aziz was happy to take us in, and let us settle wherever we pleased, and I am certain that the Hoof of God was on him and his family!"

"It certainly took the worst of famines and war, as well as the worst poison, to kill Al-Aziz and his sons," Zahir muttered bitterly.

"Yes... and the worst poison of all: betrayal," Alem noted as he hung his black and tan head forlornly.

For a few moments, nobeast spoke, for all of them were thinking of what this truly meant.
One of their brethren had betrayed their beloved king. Someone they knew for many years… had betrayed them all.
They all remembered the day they met Heydar and Afzal. They all recalled how it felt to be an advisor to the great king, and Heydar and Afzal were among the first faces they met.

Out of those four--Kalil the Unicorn, Alem the Oryx, Zahir the Unicorn Pony, and Jaffar the Camel--- Jaffar had arrived first.
Khayri had not chosen new advisors for many years after the Court Magician, Tactician, and another advisor had died of old age.
When the time was right, he chose a new Tactician from the army--Afzal the Pony Pegasus, and after that Khayri felt it was time to fill the other empty seats, and it was not long before Heydar was chosen from the finest Unicorns in the land--both pony and horse-- to be the Court Magician.
When Jaffar arrived, after meeting with King Khayri, he was introduced to the other advisors at the time. Avram was there, along with Afzal, Heydar, and there were others who died of old age within the next years.
Jaffar was honored to be chosen for his knowledge and calm attitude. Before being an advisor, he was in charge of a certain division of servants, and indeed he needed to have intense patience and understanding to deal with them all wisely.
In time it was said that if there was a troublesome servant or guard that they should be sent to Jaffar for gentle correction.
Even Kamal agreed and sent the worst workers to Jaffar. Although he was honored to be chosen as advisor for this, Jaffar felt he did not deserve it.
However, Avram’s quiet faith and reassurance helped him, and Heydar’s amiable attitude helped him relax.
Through the years, Afzal, Heydar, Avram, and Jaffar got to know each other well… Jaffar thought they were not only his fellow servants but also his friends…
but…
it seemed he was wrong…
very wrong indeed.

Within the next decade came Alem the Astronomer.
He was the apprentice of the previous astronomer, so it was quite logical for him to take over the position.
In fact, it was all very natural for Alem.
He had been groomed for this very position, and taking it made him feel as if he truly had come of age.
Being herd-minded, he quickly got used to being around the other advisors and working with them all.
Afzal and Heydar struck him as very polite and they had an air of genuine camaraderie about them.
Unfortunately, he did not always put his best hoof forward those early years. Since he was an astronomer, he often stayed up half the night, then slept half the day.
Alem remembered how he felt, being half-asleep when he tried to attend meetings in the mornings.
Heydar and Afzal and Avram never once questioned him or made him feel uncomfortable.
Jaffar seemed cold and uncaring, but over time Alem realized Jaffar was just as friendly as the others; he simply did not show it outwardly.
In the end, Alem felt he was part of a very well-knit herd, and he DID learn how to get sleep at night, which helped his reputation a bit….
Now… after all these years…
Alem saw that his herd was NOT well-knit…
in fact, it was fraying all over.
How had he not forseen this?
Was he blind?
What would his old master say?

Kalil was next. Being treasurer was not a popular position, nor was it glamorous, but he was honored to be serving under Malik Khayri, and took his job with the utmost sincerity and devotion.

He naturally wanted to know Heydar better since Heydar was the only other Unicorn Horse. Although they disagreed on many points, they still enjoyed having long discussions on various topics.
Now that he espied Heydar's true ambitions, Kalil mentally kicked himself for not seeing this coming. Maybe if he had been more observant like Zahir he could've warned Khayri to get rid of Heydar.
Mentally, Kalil cursed himself.

A few years after Kalil came Zahir.

Heydar heard of his gifts and suggested he be taken up as another advisor, and King Khayri gladly accepted.
Like Jaffar, Zahir felt unworthy and honored, and felt very awkward at first. The palace was nothing like he imagined, and he was never entirely sure how to act, but he tried his best to be presentable.
Seeing a fellow pony, he tended to follow Afzal and learned much from the tactician. When Jinan came, the three often sat together at lunch, discussing their hometowns and how they found their Special Gifts and earned their Destiny marks.
Through this, Zahir found his place and opened up to the other advisors, eventually feeling at home.
His keen sense of observation helped him solve problems others could not because they let their emotions blind them, or simply gave up looking.
For many years this helped Zahir, and with it he helped others…
and now his greatest strength was undoing the camaraderie he spent years building.

Nevertheless, he would not let himself be blinded by the feelings of betrayal, shock, and sorrow that tried to creep into his heart.
No.
He refused to call a traitor “friend” or “ally”.
In the name of King Khayri, he would make sure that Heydar and Afzal would pay for their crimes.

Chapter 13: Striving to Prove

“All our evidence is still circumstantial,” Alem pointed out to the others as they were gathered in the meeting room.

“CIRCUMSTANTIAL? THEY HAD TRAITOROUS TEXTS HIDDEN IN THEIR ROOMS! WHAT MORE DO WE NEED?” Ghayth shouted as he stamped one of his cloven hooves on the table.

“Ghayth, please… remain calm,” Jaffar reminded him politely in a soothing voice.

Ghayth snorted and sat back down, trying to compose himself better.

“Ghayth does have a point--we do have a good case, but Amal is also right: King Khayri would not approve of us rushing in without absolute proof,” Zahir sighed as he reached up a hoof and smoothed his blonde forelock away from his eyes.

“Which means you shall have to restore the memories of the servants,” Jinan quietly affirmed with a slow nod.

“Are we absolutely certain those servants were memory-wiped, though?” Avram interjected in a worried voice.

“I tested them many times, and the results were the same: magic interference,” Zahir explained one last time, “It’s not even been two months since the assassination--they should remember that night better-- and there are more recent event memories that are missing.”

“We are willing to help in any way, Zahir,” Jaffar assured him with a brave smile.

“I may be merely an Oryx without magic but I do have a head for knowledge,” Alem added quickly.

“I will help you as best I can as well, Zahir!” Qadir piped up as he snapped his wings quickly, “Just say the word and I shall get you whatever you need, or offer advice!”

“I have many magically-inclined herbs, if you need them,” Jinan interjected with a smile.

“I may not study magic as much as economics, but I can still help you as well,” Kalil offered as he tossed his white head to the side to get his pale mane out of his face.

“...I’m not even entirely certain if I can make a spell to restore memories… others have tried for centuries… how could I do what they could not do?” Zahir sighed, staring at his hooves in contemplation.

For a moment, no one said anything. Considering Zahir’s words, they realized that they may never get absolute proof; they could execute the wrong creatures… and yet, it seemed so obvious now to all of them who the traitors were….

“I sent them away for three weeks; it has already been three days,” Karam finally broke the silence, “You have until then to find absolute proof. If not… I’ll banish them instead of kill them.”

At that, everybeast turned to Karam in surprise. Certainly, he was strong and brave, but…
he was…
not the type to suggest banishing.
In truth, many of them felt Karam couldn’t emotionally handle the duty of executing the traitors and that somebeast else would have to do it--perhaps Ghayth.
Now here was Karam, saying he’d doom them to death in the desert heat.
Then again, these traitors killed his father.
Besides, he was king; if he did not want to dirty his hooves, he did not have to at all.

“I shall work day and night,” Zahir declared as he stamped one of his black hooves on the table.

That is exactly what he did.

Days passed, and Zahir stayed up far too late into the night attempting to make the spell.
With many herbs he experimented, and with many combinations he labored.
He fell asleep every so often, and no beast disturbed him when sleep finally came.
If it wasn’t for Kamal forcing him to eat at least once a day, he probably would have fainted somewhere. Indeed, it was not long before his room was filled with papers of failed tests.
By his side were Alem, Jinan, Jaffar and Qadir, all working together and attempting to help.
Unfortunately, the only Unicorns among them were Zahir himself and Kalil, hence none could provide any deep magic help.
Heydar was by far the most magically-inclined, but of course he was one of the suspects sent away for the time being.
Kalil, although he was willing to help, was never very talented with magic.
His magic mainly helped him do his work of maintaining the treasury.
King Karam was willing to help, but had no idea of what to do.
Although he studied much magic, he mainly focused on honing his own abilities with wind, or basic spells; he was still young and didn’t want to accidentally unleash something, and did not wish to ruin Zahir’s progress.
Hence, Zahir did almost all of the spell-making himself.
All the advisors were willing, but none could provide what he needed.
As Zahir worked, thoughts came into his mind that ate away at his heart:

what if they were all wrong?

What if someone else was the traitor?

What if those books had somehow been planted?

As these thoughts quietly came, answers came to them:

No! They WERE right.

No, it had to be Afzal and Heydar!

It made too much sense the more he thought about it--they both had ambition and if they had been deceived by the papers…

Those papers were NOT planted, they were NOT!

They had to be right, they had to…

they had the right suspects, they DID.

Days passed, and as Zahir worked, he hoped they were right.
There were a thousand signs pointing to them all being correct, and yet…
after remembering all they had been through…
all the years of devoted service…
could Heydar and Afzal really betray the king they served for so long?
No, Zahir must NOT doubt.
Not now, no.

Days passed and Zahir steadily strived for some absolute proof.

Chapter 14: Zahir's Destiny

“All right… we’ll try this one more time,” Zahir sighed.

The gardener nodded obediently.

Zahir closed his eyes, and his horn glowed. He gently tapped his horn to the gardener’s forehead.

“Remember anything?” Zahir asked.

The gardener closed his eyes, and thought hard. He opened his eyes slowly and shook his head sadly.
Zahir rested his head on the table with a sigh. Then, an idea came to him.

“Wait, let’s try again,” Zahir said, sitting up.

The gardener nodded patiently.

Zahir thought about Heydar and Afzal in the garden, talking. Then his horn glowed again and he gently touched his horn to the gardener’s forehead.

The gardener’s eyes glowed, and suddenly, he said, “Wait, wait!”

Qadir and Alem straightened up and watched as the gardener blinked a few times, and said, “I DO REMEMBER!”

“You do?” Zahir echoed.

“I do! Sire, I do!” The gardener declared, nodding his head quickly, “Heydar and Afzal were arguing over Prince Daud-- Heydar failed to kill him, and banished him instead!”

“Say that again, quick!” Qadir said, picking up a quill in his wing and preparing to write.

While the servant gave his testimony, Zahir immediately wrote down what he did for the spell. It seemed so simple that he was shocked nobeast had made it before! All this time he had tried to awaken memories in the patients without any direction. Until he had a direction and tapped into THOSE SPECIFIC memories, nothing came out.
Now, at last, the lost memories returned!

Zahir used the same spell with the other servants, thinking about the days he wanted them to remember, and they all shared what they knew--a piece of information here, an argument there, and all of it was Heydar and Afzal revealing that they were indeed the traitors.
At last, proof.

Centuries later, the spell would be passed down through teachers and books, and one day a Unicorn Pony named Twilight Sparkle would use her own twist on the spell to jog the memories of her friends, enabling them to restore harmony to Equestria once more.

Chapter 15: Wrathful Justice

Author's Notes:

Sometimes colors are not what you expect.

Sometimes feelings have colors.

---

The cheers of the crowds echoed through the palace as Heydar and Afzal returned. The citizens saw them as heroes, and were glad to have them back. Soon Heydar and Azal entered the throne room.
The throne room was a massive room with a ceiling that was two or three stories tall, and it all was built of the finest stone and brick, like the rest of the palace. On the stone walls were magnificent tapestries which told the story of Saddle-Arabia for all to see and take pride in.
In the center of the room was an oval-shaped, stone stage with steps leading up to it. The stage was draped in the finest colorful cloths, and on those were ornate couches for each advisor to sit. In the center of the thrones was a greater throne of gold, with silken pillows for comfort, and on this throne Karam regally sat in his best, blue and silver tack.
This tack included a long draping piece that went across his back and draped down to the floor, fastened to him by a belt underneath, around his middle. On his head was a matching, ornately beaded blue and silver halter, and his chest was adorned with a matching collar of equal beauty. All his advisors were wearing their own best tack, whether it covered the full body like Avram and Kalil’s or if it was merely some halters and saddle-back adornments. Indeed, as Heydar and Afzal returned, they were greeted with everyone’s best face.

“We have returned, King Karam, and are here to report that all is secure on the Aseb border,” Afzal proclaimed as he kneeled down and stretched out his wings in a bow, “And I am ready to return to my place at your side.

“We are honored that you would choose us to check such an important situation, and I have a full report of the area right here, Sire,” Heydar added, using his magic aura to give Karam a detailed scroll.

Karam used his aura to grab the scroll and put it down by his side for later.

“I thank you both, very deeply,” Karam said with a smile, and then lifted one wing, signalling for the guards to close the huge, heavy, doors to the throne room, “Now I have something I would like to ask you,” Karam added in a calm tone.

“Anything for you, My Lord,” Afzal said with a nod, “What is it?”

“...When did you decide to kill my father?” Karam steadily replied, his blue eyes narrowing. His warm smile was replaced by a stoic look that emphasized the old scar on his cheek.

Afzal’s confident smile was replaced by his own stoic look as he glanced at Heydar. Although he remained calm, Heydar felt his heart slow down, and his blood go cold.

“My Lord, why would you say such a thing? Who poisoned your mind?” Afzal asked in an innocent tone as he stood up and folded his wings tightly against his sides.

Karam stomped one hoof on the solid gold throne he sat on, and Zahir teleported in the small pile of forbidden texts.
At this point, Afzal and Heydar knew they were in trouble. Heydar shifted his weight on his hooves while Afzal folded his ears back in an indignant way, keeping up his facade.

“Who had such texts?” Afzal demanded, unfurling his wings quickly.

“YOU did, you traitors!" Zahir snapped as he stamped one of his black hooves on the ground.

“And to think I once praised you!” Ghayth snorted, spitting at them with his last word.

Afzal wiped the spit off his face with one wing and defended himself with, “No, they must have been planted! I vowed to--”

But he was interrupted by Kalil, who leaped up from his couch and shouted, “OH, now you remember your vows, do you? Hmph! Scum like you is not even worthy to be stepped on by the poorest souls in this nation! You are absolutely beneath even the lowest of creatures!”

“How dare you accuse us falsely!” Heydar interjected, the red-brown fur along his back rising in fear as he took a few steps back.

“Alas, we do have proof… much of it,” Jaffar said quietly as he closed his eyes, “And there is no denying it was you two.”

“Please! I beg you: tell us the truth, all of it, and repent before you die!” Avram beseeched them as he stood up from his seat and took a step near the traitors.

Nearby, the guards were gradually closing in on Heydar and Afzal with their weapons drawn.
Seeing it has hopeless, and refusing to repent, Afzal flew towards one guard, knocking him out and stealing his sword with his hooves.
Heydar used his magic to knock out three more with a small explosion, and tried to teleport away, but there was an enchantment in the room so that something could be teleported IN but not OUT.
Panicking, Heydar fired at another guard, but it was too late. The three remaining guards charged the two, and within a few moments the villains were chained with magic chains that glowed vaguely.
Karam icily approached them, breathing deeply. There was not a sound except the clicking of his hooves on the stone, the clacking of the silver beads in his regalia moving with his steps, and the breathing from his flared nostrils.

“...why? Why did you do it?” Karam coldly questioned as his wings twitched with anger.

“Your father was growing soft,” Heydar confessed as his ears drooped, “Afzal convinced me that we’d make better leaders--and showed me the texts. It was all his plan!”

“COWARD! We planned it together!” Afzal snapped angrily as he struggled against the chains.

“HOW could you do such a dishonorable thing? How!?” Kalil wailed as he shoved his pale face near Heydar, “HOW!?”

Heydar head-butted Kalil away, who reeled back with the impact and shook his head quickly to clear it.

“AUGH! You aren’t worth a COIN! You hear me!? NOT A COIN! NOT ONE OUNCE OF SALT! NOT ONE OUNCE OF ANYTHING! May the Most High curse you and your children!” Kalil snapped while feeling a bit dazed and wobbling two and fro on his hooves.

“They will both die today! I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT!” Ghayth shouted as he trotted over and helped steady Kalil with a raised leg for the Unicorn to lean on.

“You are the snake, Afzal! I should’ve known!” Alem sighed as he hung his black and tan head and gritted his teeth quietly.

“We all should’ve known! We should’ve!” Kamal agreed angrily as he glared at the two beasts a few feet away from them.

“How long have you planned such a horrid thing?” Jinan begged, “Was it long? Was this deceit in your heart for long?”

“DID ANY true words ever come from your mouth? Or have you always been lying?” Zahir interjected angrily with another stomp.

“Not everything I said was a lie, no,” Afzal sneered, “But I suppose I have no reason to defend myself anymore. Go ahead and kill me.”

With that, the room erupted into various shouts and wails as the advisors all said their peace. Hooves stomped on the floor, wings flapped, tails lashed, and it all blurred into one furious cacophony.
Karam didn't hear it, though.
Silently, he thought about his father--brave, wise, understanding, Father.
These beasts thought his father was too soft, and THAT is why they poisoned him.

Indeed, they thought his father was too kind to exist.

It occurred to Karam that these brutes thought that his wonderful father was too soft to rule.

TOO soft?

How dare they--

HOW DARE THEY!

Karam thought about his father again, and all the emotions he was trying to ignore came back in full force.
After so long of suppressing his feelings and barely dealing with them, they were breaking through the cracks in his facade.
He breathed deeper and harder, and suddenly it all came to a fierce head--no, a tempest.

Feeling his skin twitch and shake in a flurry of emotions, Karam looked at one of the guards and coldly ordered, “Give me your sword.”

The guard looked at him and nodded, using his wing to hand Karam the long blade. Hearing the blade unsheathe, everyone turned and looked at him, and grew silent.

“Move. Out. Of. My. Way,” Karam snarled in a firm voice.

The advisors slowly moved back, seeing a wrath in Karam’s quiet blue eyes they never saw before. All the guards did likewise, uncertain of what he’d do.
All along Karam's young body his fur fluffed up in fury, and he gritted his teeth as he stomped towards the traitors. His horn glowed a brighter tone of gold than usual as he held the blade in his aura. Atop his head, his golden yellow ears folded backwards, while his blue eyes narrowed into a dark, vengeful glare.

“You… killed… Father… and banished Daud…” Karam panted, looking at Heydar and Afzal angrily.

The traitorous Unicorn Horse and Pegasus Pony looked at Karam, and the fur on their faces grew pale. They never thought he could look like that. Karam had the blade in his magic aura, but he moved it to his mouth, and slowly walked towards them.

“Strong Wind?” Avram asked calmly, hoping his young king wouldn’t go mad.

“Be silent,” Karam warned, holding the hilt of the yatagan between his teeth.

Avram backed away, folding his ears fearfully along his black head covering. All the other advisors backed away a few more steps, too. Heydar gulped, and started panting.
Afzal's green eyes darted around as he struggled to think of something.

“W-wait, you must give us a fair trial!” Afzal objected, gulping hard.

He felt his sins crawl along the fur on his back.

“Oh really?” Karam said around the hilt, “But you forgeff somefing….
I AM KING NOW!”

With that, Karam used his magic to fill his body with the power and strength of a tempest, leaped into the air and dived down.

*SLASH*

*ZIP*

*SLASH*

*CLANG*

*SLASH.*

It happened so fast no one was entirely sure what happened, but soon Karam was there, with blood splattered on his fur and coating the blade he held.

Heydar and Afzal were executed.

Karam avenged Father.

Karam avenged Daud.

Shaking with emotions, Karam slowly turned around and looked at the gorey sight he made, and then lifted his crazed, blue eyes to study his advisors.

Everybeast was staring in shock at the scene, and they all slowly shifted their gazes to King Karam.
Abruptly Karam realized something: Heydar and Afzal thought he was soft too.
They were going to use him like a puppet, weren’t they?
They were.

Would his other advisors do that too?

He couldn’t trust anybeast, could he!?
Everyone was wrong, everyone! If one betrayed him why not more?
Why not?

WHY NOT?

No, that didn't make sense!! Why not, though?

Wasn't everyone a little power-hungry, deep inside?

Deep in their hearts, weren't they all corrupted?
If two could betray him, why not more?

Father was a beloved king, yet even he was betrayed.

Why shouldn't Karam fear for his life, too? Karam was but a child compared to his father, and but a speck of dust compared to Khayri's legacy. If they would betray Khayri, why not betray Karam as well?

That's what happened, right?

WHY SHOULD KARAM TRUST ANYBEAST!?

His mind raced so fast he wasn’t even sure it was his own mind anymore.

Turning around to them all, Karam used his magic to hold the blade away from his face while he gathered his thoughts.
He spread his wings wide, reared up, and with a fierce look in his soft, blue eyes, he roared with the power of a dozen winds,

“DOES ANYBEAST ELSE WISH TO QUESTION MY AUTHORITY?”

For a moment, he felt like he wasn’t himself--as if somebeast else was taking over his words.
For that same moment, his words were both amplified and projected with a vast gust of wind that blew everybeast across the floor and to the walls, pinning them down ferociously.
Immediately, everybeast shook their head and declared their loyalty to him.

He barely heard what they said.

“Oh, loyal, are you?
Truly?
TRULY?
They were ‘loyal’ enough to kill my father!
MAYBE YOU SHOULD ALL DIE TOO, JUST LIKE THEY DID!” Karam shouted out another gust, panting hard.

At that, everybeast bowed down low to the ground, assuring him they were truly loyal.
Their eyes were filled with terror and their voices trembled with every word.
However, their cries fell on deaf ears, for Karam was out for blood, deciding who he’d kill next.
They all begged him for mercy as he stepped closer, gripping the blade in his golden aura, studying them all.

However, there was one voice he heard.

“Oh Strong Wind, please, I beseech you, take a deep breath. You have given the traitors what they deserve… now please… just breathe,” Avram said in a soothing voice.

Karam looked at the Earth Horse of the Zarfaim faith.
Avram wore the same humble, modest, black robes he always wore, with the black covering on his head he always had.
In his brave, blue eyes was a deep courage and determination to reach out to the tempestuous young Alicorn and help him.
Something about Avram’s voice reminded Karam of Father.
For some reason, whenever Avram spoke, he felt almost like Father was still there, right beside him, and the feeling bonded him to the old Horse deeply. Slowly, shakily, Karam hung his head while glancing away.
He realized what he had done, and was shocked by himself.
With the adrenaline rush gone, he felt numb and shaky all over, and his horn sparked out, making him drop the blade. His sides heaved with his breath, making his ornate tack billow and fall with each motion. His wings limply fell down, dragging along the ground as he stumbled off to the side.

“You… you are… you may stand up now,” Karam said in a weak voice, staring at the mess he made in shock.

Cautiously the others stood to all fours.
Nobeast said a word.
They stared at the blood and the heaving, terrified prince-turned-malik in astonishment.
Surely this was a nightmare.
In no sane world would Karam do... this.
Tragically, it did happen, and he did do it.

After a few moments of gazing at the blood, Kamal regained his senses.
BLOOD? ON THE FLOOR? INCONCEIVABLE!

“Well, Guards, go fetch the servants! We need this cleaned immediately!... right, Sire?” Kamal hesitated to order anything at this moment as he held up one of his white hooves and waited on Karam.

All the other advisors held their breath and watched Karam's movements.

“What? Y-yes, clean up this mess,” Karam agreed, turning away from the sight, feeling sick at what he had done.

With that, the doors to the throne room were opened and servants were called for.
Repeatedly checking his pale Camel fur for any blood stains, Kamal gave orders to the servants on how to properly clean up the mess, while also trying to not feel sick himself.
Soon everybeast except a few guards and the cleaners were out of the throne room, recovering from the moment.

“Oh Sire… do you… need someone to talk to?” Kalil offered, using his magic to smooth his blonde mane as he talked.

Karam looked at the Unicorn Horse of the Zarfaim faith, and shook his head.
Oh, he needed to talk...
But didn’t know what to say.

“Well… I have two very good ears for listening, if you desire to speak,” Kalil assured him with a bow.

“As do I, Strong Wind,” Avram agreed with a warm smile.

“We all do, My Lord,” Alem added with a nod.

“Thank you… I… wish to be alone now,” Karam said in a steady voice as he walked away.

For the rest of the day, there was hardly any noise in the palace. No beast felt like speaking about what happened, and when they did it was always in quiet tones.
Soon the whole city knew what happened, nevertheless.
At last, the case was closed.
The traitors were executed by the wrathful winds of justice.