Chapter Four: The Petrifying Woods

After bidding farewell to his father, Samson went out to the stable that housed his winged unicorn Rainbow. He groomed her, changed her horse shoes, fed her, and packed enough food for her on this journey. He saddled her, mounted her and, after bidding farewell to the village chief and Ebonie, he rode her off into the distance towards the Petrifying Woods.

Maqsedeth sighed, "I wish he didn’t have to do this," he said.

Trenton put his hand on his shoulder, "It's gonna be okay, Maqsedeth," he said, "Your boy'll be alright. He's got a strong spirit about him. So don't worry. He'll make it."

Maqsedeth smiled and Trenton led him into his house where they visited with each other for a while.

Meanwhile, Samson rode Rainbow through the clearing by his house until he passed by the Sunflower Palace. He rode her through the Palace’s Gates and into the Magical Forest. Then he turned left, crossing into the Petrifying Woods.

The Petrifying Woods loomed over him sinisterly and even though it was still daylight, the forest wrapped him in a deep darkness with only a few patches of sunlight seeping through the trees. Samson reached for the lamp Queen Martha had given him at their last meeting but he remembered he was in the karate garb his father had given him.

He silently cursed when he realized he had no pockets then he closed his eyes and concentrated. He imagined the lamp inside the palm of his hand as he held his hand out before him. He closed his fist around a small orb and opened his eyes. He turned one of the knobs and painted the area around him in a bright white light.

The Petrifying Woods caved around him much like the forest Fine Divine, except there was no giant black tree at its center and the trees were Weeping Willows not maples.

He slowed Rainbow's pace into a trot as he looked around the forest trying to spot the Deadly Surprise. Okay, if I remember correctly, the Deadly Surprise is just before the Swamps of Gorger, he thought, but exactly how far away is that? As he tried to recollect the stories his father told him about the Petrifying Woods, he heard the forest shift lifelike around him and what sounded like birds in the distance.

As he rode Rainbow through the Petrifying Woods, he began to notice vultures perching on the branches of the weeping Willows one by one. As he passed under the trees he noticed they were closely watching him with a hungry glint in their eyes, as though they were expecting to feast on him right where he was. He gulped, I wonder why they're staring at me like that, he thought, nervously.

He continued to ride Rainbow deeper into the forest, as more vultures collected on the branches of the weeping Willows and joined in the staring contest. He soon reached a dark area where not even the lamp Queen Martha had given him could shine through. At least he thought it was a dark area. It wasn't long before he realized that it was none other than the queen of vultures.[She used to be a beautiful young woman before she got overcome by gluttony and began to feast on everything she could get her hands on. After she devoured all the subjects of her kingdom, she was condemned by Xerox, transformed into a large vulture, and sentenced to life in the Petrifying Woods as her punishment. Legend has it that all the vultures on planet Xerox are her offspring, though there is no proof she even had children.] Samson came to a halt on his winged unicorn and stared blankly at the large black bird perched on a weeping Willow branch before him.

The large black bird gave Samson an evil grin and licked her lips, "Well, hello there, delicious looking man," she said, her voice an ugly shrill. "What brings you here tonight?"

Samson glared at her, “And who are you calling delicious looking?” he demanded. “Do I really have to tell you why I’m here? I’m pretty sure you get a lot of traffic around this time of day.”

The large black bird cackled, "Ooh, a spunky one," she said with glee. "I like spunky ones. They’re the most fun to kill." She spread her wings and allowed her power to bake Samson and Rainbow to their cores. Immediately, Samson felt his willpower diminish, his bravery retreat, and all that he was shut up inside. He felt like a little grasshopper facing a giant and he suddenly felt like curling up into a ball, waiting to die. He felt insignificant against this large bird and he wanted to run away and hide. Rainbow whinnied in fear and he tried to shake himself out of it, but the feeling just kept coming back. He immediately knew who she was.

The large black bird cackled, "Give up, yet?" she asked him, "Ready to die? Or are you hungry for more?"

Samson felt heavy and weary under her power. He wanted to cry and run back to his father, but he found himself frozen under her power. It took everything inside of him to finally say, "I didn't come here to die! I just want to find Demise!" But, even to him his voice sounded like that of a frightened two-year old.

Devouress cackled and continued to bake him and Rainbow in the shadow of her power, "Well, if you want to find this 'Demise', you'll have to go through me!" she said.

Great, Samson thought, now I'm gonna die! How can I defeat her? I'm just as good as dead. Somehow, he knew those thoughts weren't his, they were the products of her power.

Devouress flew to the branch of another weeping Willow tree and continued to bake Samson and Rainbow in her power, while Samson continued to stay frozen in fright. This went on for some time before Samson closed his eyes and concentrated on diminishing those thoughts and feelings Devouress filled his head with. He remembered what his father told him at lunch: “Don’t let Devouress make you fear because she will. That’s how she survives. She’s called Devouress because she devours anyone who allow themselves to fear.”

Suddenly, he no longer felt like a grasshopper in comparison to her, but rather like a world conqueror. He dismounted his winged unicorn and faced her.

Devouress stared at him in shock, "What is this?" she asked, "You finally have the guts to move?" She cackled as she continued to allow her power to surround him and Rainbow, but her power no longer had an effect on him.

Samson smiled, "Sorry, Devouress, it looks like you have reached the end of your road," he said. He spread his hands out beside him and concentrated. He felt his hands spark with electricity and he pointed them at the branch Devouress was perched on. The blast was so powerful that the entire tree collapsed to the ground beneath the weight of Devouress.

Devouress struggled to stand on her claws. She faced Samson with a look of pure hatred on her face, "You," she said, "are going to pay for that." Samson glared at her as she flew to the branch of another weeping Willow. Bring it on, Devouress, he thought.

She called on all of the vultures in the Petrifying Woods and, while Samson watched, they combined to form a large black vulture 100x that of a normal vulture. Rainbow whinnied terribly and Samson hushed her as he tied her to the bark of a nearby weeping Willow tree using the reins.

The vulture creature that Devouress and her offspring formed shrieked in Samson's face, causing his hair to part and the ground to shake. It spread its wings, baking Samson and Rainbow in the shadow of its power. Samson fought with all his might to stand on his two feet. He kept reminding himself to not let her cause him to fear. He made it his final decision to defeat Devouress once and for all.

When the creature saw that Samson resisted its power, it flapped its wings trying to draw Samson's willpower in like a magnet. Samson saw that while she flapped her wings, she left her chest wide open. He concentrated, igniting his hands into flames, and shot white hot flames in Devouress’s direction. She squawked and tumbled out of the weeping Willow tree causing it to crash on top of her. He studied her as she fumbled helplessly beneath the weight of the Weeping Willow tree. She rose again with a loud angry shriek, knocking the tree off herself.

She approached Samson and attempted to peck him but Samson punched her in her beak, causing her fly backwards and her beak to bend. Devouress was furious at how easily she was being pulverized by Samson and she flew at him with the full force of her fury. He stood and waited for her to come closer before grabbing her by her feet and swinging her around into a weeping Willow tree, causing her to break a wing.

While she was dazed, Samson approached her, the ground stirring at his feet. Once he stood facing her, he concentrated and stretched his arms out beside him. The sky lit up and a large lightning bolt of a high voltage power struck the tree Devouress lied under. The strike from the lightning bolt engulfed the tree and Devouress in its power and fried them both to a blackened pile of ashes. Samson fell to his knees, drenched in sweat and fought to catch his breath.

After a while, he returned to the area he left Rainbow tied up. He opened his satchel, ate the sandwich Maqsedeth had packed for him and fed Rainbow while he ate. After he and Rainbow finished eating, he untied her and mounted her. Samson closed his eyes and imagined the lamp Queen Martha had given him was in his hand. He closed his fist around an orb and opened his eyes. He turned one of the knobs, and the lamp came on, painting the area he was at in a bright white light.

He rode Rainbow forward and, after a while of trotting in silence, he began to hear a sound like a snake hissing. He stopped Rainbow to listen, but when he did, he didn't hear the sound anymore. He resumed riding Rainbow forward and he heard the sound again: a sound like a snake hissing. He stopped Rainbow for a second time to listen but he didn't hear it again, so he kept going. He heard it again, so Samson finally decided to stop completely and scope the area out. He dismounted Rainbow and he went ahead through the thickets until he came to a clearing.

There was humidity in the air and puddles were everywhere. Samson flashed his light on all corners of the clearing until he saw a dark figure in front of him. Samson peered closer and saw that the figure before him looked just like Maqsedeth. It was the same height as him, it had the same body shape and size, and it looked to be dressed in the same clothes Maqsedeth wore that day. It wore a white button down shirt, blue jeans, and boots.

Samson gasped, "Father?" he called as he approached the figure, "What are you doing here?" He studied him for a while, "Father? Why won't you answer me?" he asked, and the figure faced him. "Are you okay? What's wrong with your eyes? And your skin is gray. What happened?" Samson asked.

Not long after he asked that question, he remembered one of the stories his father told him as a child about The Petrifying Woods. His father told him about how The Petrifying Woods also housed a creature that had glowing yellow eyes, gray skin, and makes a sound like a snake hissing. He began to remember that this creature also takes on the form of those dearest to the victim’s heart. He almost forgot its name when he recalled what his father had told him before he left: Be on the lookout for Consumption, his father’s words rang in his ears. Don’t let him fool you, he chooses to take the form of those dearest to you. That’s how he kills most of his victims. Keep your eyes open. Keep them wide open…

Samson immediately stepped back and the figure slowly approached him. Then when Samson backed into a weeping Willow tree, the creature hissed, a sound like a snake hissing, and Samson's eyes widened, "So, it was you that made that noise," he said. The creature reached for him and his instincts caused him to duck and sweep his foot under its feet, knocking it to the ground before it could make another move.

He formed a whip of flames from thin air and wrapped it around the creature's body. The creature shrieked and lashed out at Samson with the intention of biting him, but he dodged, letting it bang its head on the tree behind them. He allowed the flames from the whip to engulf the creature, entirely. Once the flames died down, all that was left was the remains of the shirt the creature wore. Samson touched them and they disappeared into thin air.

He went back to where he had left Rainbow, mounted her and rode her along the path until he made it back to where he had fought the creature that looked like Maqsedeth, where he saw someone else. He dismounted his winged unicorn and went closer to discover the figure before him looked just like Queen Martha. It had the same waist-length wavy hair and body shape as her. And it was dressed in an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved, purple dress and flats just like Queen Martha was when he met with her before going into the Petrifying Woods.

Samson smiled and ran towards the figure, but he remembered that this was the exact same spot where the creature that looked like Maqsedeth stood. He slowed to a halt and he looked closer to discover that this figure was also gray like the Maqsedeth figure and they both had the same glowing, yellow, pupil-less eyes. He gasped and backed up slowly. The creature turned to face him and hissed.

The creature made it right where he was, before he could move, and reached for him. He swept his foot under its legs, causing it to lose its balance and fall unto the ground. He formed a whip of lightning out of thin air and wrapped it around the Queen Martha figure's legs. The creature hissed and lashed out at him. At the same time, he dazed it by punching it in the forehead, but the creature still ended up grazing his arm. He engulfed it in his lightning power and the creature disappeared into thin air. Samson sighed exasperated, “I let it get too close,” he said, rubbing his forearm.

He mounted Rainbow and attempted to ride her out of the clearing towards the path before him but the wound on his arm began to ache, swell, and turn green. He cried out and clutched his arm in his hand. Don’t let Consumption fool you… his father’s words rang in his ears. He took his lamp and shined a light on the wound to find that his whole arm had turned green.

“I’m so sorry, Father…I failed,” he gasped. He heard blood roaring through his ears, his vision went blurry, and he began to feel weak. His breathing slowed and he fainted, falling off Rainbow's back. Once he hit the ground, he felt the poison grasp his heart and he breathed his last.

As soon as he fell unconscious, he saw a vision. He was surrounded by a bright light and before him was the city Paradise. Samson saw that he wore white and a winged unicorn rode by Paradise Utopia approached him from the sky and landed in front of him. The unicorn was yellow and had a golden mane, golden wings, and golden hooves.

Paradise dismounted the unicorn, "Hey, Samson," he said.

Samson was confused, "Am I dead?" he asked.

Paradise sighed, "No, Samson," he said, "But, you came pretty close."

Samson looked down at his hands, "Then, why am I here?" he asked.

Paradise smiled, "I received a distress signal from the Petrifying Woods and I was asked to rescue you," he said. "But, instead, I decided to leave you to my helper."

Samson looked at Paradise, "Who is your helper?" he asked.

Paradise smiled and winked at him, "She doesn't reveal herself to inquiring minds, but has agreed to help you complete your quest. She was awakened when you nearly died. You'll find her when you get back, but you won't know who she is unless she sees fit to reveal herself to you."

Samson raised an eyebrow, "'She?'" he asked.

Paradise nodded, "It's nearing the time for you to return," he said as he reached into his satchel, "Take this as a reminder of our meeting. It won't work until the time is right. You'll know when it happens if the time is right." He handed Samson a weird stick with white and gold markings on it.

Samson studied it for a while, "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a staff. The staff Ataraxia," Paradise said, as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a large needle. "Now, hold still."

He stuck Samson in the arm with the big needle and Samson cried out in pain. Not long after that, his vision of the city Paradise faded into darkness around him. He awoke with a holler at the mercy of Rainbow. She had stuck him in his arm using the horn on her head, removing the poison and purifying his wound. The wound closed up and Samson lied back on the ground. He let out a sigh of relief and relaxed.

Rainbow nudged him and nickered, licking his face. Samson finally stirred, "What Rainbow?" he asked as he sat up, "What's wrong?"

Rainbow whinnied and he was about to stand when his hand rested on a stick. He took his lamp from the ground where he sat and shined it on the stick to find that it was the staff Paradise had given him. It was in that moment that he began to think that the vision he had wasn't really a vision, but the real thing. "I really was in the city Paradise," he said, "And, I really did see Paradise. But, I thought that he was just the Family Physician for the king and queen."

He placed the staff in the satchel his father gave him and mounted Rainbow. He rode her towards the path that led through the trees surrounding the clearing. The path led him deeper into the Petrifying Woods and he continued to ride Rainbow until the trees parted to reveal another clearing. This one differed from the other clearing in that it had a large cave in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by tall grass and fertile soil. He rode Rainbow as close to the cave as he could get, "This looks like a cave,” he said. “Maybe it’s the Deadly Surprise…” He dismounted Rainbow and removed the satchel from his shoulders. He placed it on Rainbow’s saddle before continuing forward.

He checked out the surrounding area as he entered the cave. The inside of the cave was very dark and damp, and it looked more like a place that a creature would dwell, not a person like Demise. Nonetheless, Samson continued to go deeper into the cave. He found a room that looked like it could be used to cook and eat in, but he didn't find Demise so he pressed on. He came to another room that looked like it could be used as a living room: it had a small table and two chairs and a fire place but Demise wasn't there either, so he continued to go deeper into the cave.

He came to two smaller rooms: one looked like a bathroom, it had a large wash basin with a faucet and there was a faucet mounted to the wall, to be used as a sink; the other looked like a bedroom, it had a small bookshelf in one corner, a small bed in the other corner, a nightstand, and a dresser. He entered the bedroom and shined his lamp around the room and he found a small lamp in the corner. He lit it and he continued to look around in the room, but he didn't find Demise. He peered out the door to find that this was the last room in the cave.

He reentered the bedroom and checked out his collection of books. He had an odd collection: books about necromancy and sorcery and spells, and he discovered one of his father's favorite book collections, familiar to him only by their colors. He was looking at the collection when Demise came in, "Can I help you find something?" he asked. He startled Samson so much that he jumped violently and dropped his lamp.

"Demise," he said, as he reached down to pick up his lamp, "Hi, um, I was just checking out your collection of books, that's all." He switched the lamp off and made it disappear. He faced Demise.

Demise slowly approached him, "How'd you get in here?" he asked, "No one ever makes it this far, alive."

Samson crossed his arms, “Well, I guess you haven’t heard about me then,” he said. “I was lucky enough to survive through two deadly cataclysms: the cataclysm of the City of Aristotle and the cataclysm of Summer Breeze. Why is it such a surprise that I’ve made it this far?”

"I had a dog named Lucky," he said, sternly, "And he died. He went outside during a thunderstorm and he never came back alive. Lightning struck him and blew his brains out all over the Petrifying Woods. Luck doesn't cover it, so give me another excuse."

Samson cleared his throat, "Well, I have good reflexes,” he replied. “After all I was taught by the best. I was taught by the very best.”

Demise looked at him for a while, "'Good reflexes’, eh?" he asked, "Yeah, but no one ever gets past Consumption, so tell me another one."

Samson sighed, “Well, I just did,” he snapped. “So, how about that, huh? The very first visitor to The Petrifying Woods to survive through Consumption.”

Demise sighed, "Well, don’t get too cocky, Samson," he said, "You still have to get through me. You do remember when I said 'I'll be back', right? Well, here I am, so let's see if you can defeat me this time. And no cheating, this time."

Samson glared at Demise, "I didn't cheat the last time," he retorted.

Demise chuckled, "Yeah, right, Samson," he jeered, "You made your right hand glow. This time, no magic."

Samson sighed exasperated, "I didn't make my hand glow," he retorted. "I was told that my hand glowed because I just received my full powers, so up to that point, I had no powers."

Demise grinned, "Hmm, interesting," he mused, "Well, I sure hope you don't plan on using any of your powers on me, though I'm sure that you may have used them on the others. If you do, I will know, because I have charmed every inch of this place. My cave will turn you into a werewolf once the battle is over and I will still live. If you don't use any magic, I'll be totally defeated. Notice, I don't have any weapons, so let's make this a fair fight. Unarm yourself."

Samson grinned and uncrossed his arms, spreading them out beside him, “I am unarmed and prepared,” he replied. “Didn’t I say I was taught by the best? Oh, yes the very best.”

Demise chuckled, “Alright, prove yourself,” he said. “Let’s begin.”

Demise came in with a kick and Samson grabbed his foot, throwing him onto the floor beside the bookshelf. Demise stood and threw a series of punches at Samson but he blocked them all with ease. Samson threw a series of punches and kicks, and was able to catch Demise off guard, kicking him in his lower back and knocking him onto the floor by his bed. Demise did a jump kick towards Samson, but Samson ducked, sweeping his foot under Demise’s leg as he landed and knocked him to the ground. He tried to sweep his foot under Samson’s legs, but Samson leaped over his foot and kicked him as he stood, knocking him back towards the entrance into his bedroom. Demise charged Samson as he turned around to study an odd crevice in the wall of the cave by Demise’s bed. But before Demise could attack, Samson grabbed his arm with both hands and threw him over his shoulder onto the ground.

Demise got back up and looked at Samson, "How is it that I can't attack you?" he asked, "Are you using magic to be able to see my attacks coming before I perform them?" Samson shook his head and Demise raised an eyebrow, "Are you lying to me?" he asked. Samson shook his head again and Demise sighed, "Okay, well if you are, my cave will let me know," he said. Demise threw a series of punches at Samson, but he blocked them all with ease. He threw a swing kick at Samson, but he grabbed his leg as it came at him and flipped him onto the floor.

Demise stood, “I don’t understand, why I can’t attack you,” he said, frustrated.

"I won’t let you, that’s why," Samson replied.

Demise gritted his teeth and threw a series of punches at Samson with more force and speed than before. Samson blocked them all with one barely missing his face. Demise threw a series of jump kicks and flying jump kicks at Samson, but Samson blocked and dodged every single one. Demise swept his foot under Samson’s feet but Samson jumped and kicked Demise in the chin. Demise kicked him again, but Samson grabbed his leg and flipped him onto the floor.

The impact from the fall sprained Demise’s shoulder so he wasn’t able to fight with one of his arms. Demise threw a few punches at Samson, but Samson blocked them all. Demise spun and kicked Samson in the groin, but Samson grabbed his ankle and flipped him onto the floor again, dislocating both his shoulders.

Demise got frustrated with not being able to attack Samson and he did a series of kicks towards Samson, but Samson dodged and blocked each one and did a flying jump kick, hitting Demise right in the nose. Demise staggered back, clutching his bleeding face. Samson did a spin kick and hit Demise in his chest. Demise fell to the ground. He stood up again but Samson swept his foot under Demise’s legs, causing him to lose his balance. He fell to the ground on his back, breaking both of his legs and his neck.

He wept as he began to disintegrate, "How could this have happened?" he asked, "How could you have beaten me like this? I'm the master of all kinds of Martial Arts! I have the black belt! You have nothing! How could you have beaten me?"

He disappeared into a pile of ashes and the Deadly Surprise began to rumble and shake, for the charm that held it together was broken. Rocks and debris fell from the ceiling and the walls tumbled to the ground as the ground began to split apart. Samson bolted for the exit as fast as he could, with little time to spare. He had just seconds to jump through the tiny hole that used to be the entrance to the Deadly Surprise before the entire cave was reduced to a large pile of enormous rocks behind him. He slung his satchel over his shoulders, mounted Rainbow, and rode out of the Petrifying Woods as fast as he could.

Once he had escaped the Fearful Forest, he went to go back to the Sunflower Palace to meet with the queen again, like she told him to. He rode his horse to his right, through the trees where he found a gate that read, "Welcome to Manorá". The gates were closed, for it was nighttime and everyone was asleep. So, he waited a while for someone to come open the gate, and, to his surprise, someone did. The queen’s messenger, Aaron Nickelback, came to the gate and opened it. “Come, quickly,” he beckoned as he opened the gates for him. “The queen is waiting.”

Samson followed him through the gates until he stood at the steps of the Sunflower Palace. The queen met him at his horse, Rainbow just as he dismounted her. He faced the queen. She was dressed in dirty jeans, brown boots, and a grey tank top. Her waist-length, dark brown, wavy hair was tied back into a ponytail. “Hey, come on in,” she whispered. “I think the king just fell asleep.” He followed her inside and discovered that the queen had went through great lengths to restore the Sunflower Palace back to its former glory, and it looked nice, too.

The diamond-glass chandelier was repaired and it hung where it used to hang: right in the middle of the ceiling; the paintings of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and the prophets were restored to their former glory, as well. Also, the walls, the floors, and the staircases had all been repaired while Samson was away on his expedition. The same couldn't be said for the rest of the palace, though. As Samson followed Queen Martha and her messenger Aaron through the hall to the king's Sitting Room, he could see that the palace's restoration process was still underway. The walls of the hallway were still rubble and the floors were still cracked. It seemed, the only room in the palace that didn't look half as bad as the hall looked, was the king's Sitting Room. It was the only room in the palace that didn't suffer from the flood, earthquake and meteor shower of Demise’s visit.

The king sat on one of the sofas reading a newspaper. When Queen Martha saw him, she gasped, “Let’s keep going into the bedroom,” she whispered as she led him towards the end of the hallway. She led Samson to the right, down a corridor that was in front of the entrance into the Infirmary. The door to the bedroom was lined with decorations and as she led him inside, she dismissed her messenger. She turned to face him, “Thank goodness you’re okay!” she said throwing her arms around his shoulders. She still smelled lovely despite the clothes she wore. “Excuse the mess. I should have worn something…else.”

Samson smiled, “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I’m not so fresh myself. I guess we’ve both been busy today, huh?”

Queen Martha chuckled, “Yeah, I guess, so,” she said. 

She examined Samson’s arms and noticed a scar where Consumption bit him. “Oh my goodness, Samson what happened?” she asked. “How’d you get this scar?”

Samson sighed, “I dropped my guard a little,” he replied. “But, I’m okay now.”

Queen Martha gasped, “Oh my gosh, Samson,” she said as she leaned down to kiss his forearm. “I’m so sorry I put you through that. I practically killed you!”

Samson shook his head, “No you didn’t,” he said. “Okay, well, the creature may have looked like you, but that doesn’t mean you did it.”

Queen Martha giggled. Samson gathered her in his arms and pulled her close to him, “Samson, we’re not supposed to be this close…” she said as their lips touched. She kissed him for a few heartbeats and just as he kissed her back, she gently pulled away, “Oh, Samson, we shouldn’t"we really shouldn’t be doing this…” she said. He sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. She sighed, “It’s wrong…this is all wrong…” she said. She lowered her gaze and blushed.

Samson sighed, “I know it’s wrong but it feels so right,” he replied as he leaned in to kiss her. He kissed her again and as she kissed him back, the door knob rattled, “Martha, who is that you’re talking to?” King Silus asked. “And what are they doing in the bedroom?”

Queen Martha and Samson stopped kissing and looked towards the door, “That sounds like my uncle,” she whispered.

“I thought you said he was asleep?” Samson whispered.

“He was in the Sitting Room napping, but he was up reading a newspaper when we came in,” Queen Martha whispered back.

They stood and she tried to hide Samson in the closet just as the door to the bedroom opened. King Silus approached the closet and smiled, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Lady and the Tramp,” he said.

Samson glared at him but said nothing. Queen Martha stepped forward, “Uncle, it’s not what it looks like,” she said. “Samson was just, um, leaving.”

“Oh sure he was,” the king replied sarcastically. “If the closet was an exit. But, he wasn’t just leaving, was he Martha? I already know what’s going on. In case you’ve forgotten, I have messengers all throughout this palace that keep me well informed. Now, I can see that Samson is just getting back from the Petrifying Woods, is that correct?”

Samson and Martha exchanged looks and King Silus laughed. “Oh boy, you thought I would let you get away with this?” he asked. “Well, you’re wrong. The only person in this palace authorized to give quests to the Xeroxian Warrior is me. You will do well to know your place!”

He slapped Martha and Samson punched him. “You b*****d!” he shouted.

Queen Martha held him back, “Samson, please,” she said, sobbing, “I’ll handle it, okay?”

“He has no business hitting you, Martha,” Samson protested.

Queen Martha wiped her eyes and faced King Silus, “Actually, Uncle, if you don’t already know, Samson’s the Chosen Warrior of Xerox,” she said. “My"my Chosen Warrior, he works for me, so I’m the only one authorized to give quests to the Xeroxian Warrior.”

King Silus chuckled, “Are you kidding me?” he asked her. “How dare you tell me what you are authorized to do? You know that your primary role is to keep me satisfied and happy. And I’m not happy, so you’re not doing your job!”

“Actually as queen, I’m supposed to be looking out for the best interests of the kingdom, not your best interests,” Queen Martha replied. “I wholly follow the Manorá Enactments, and I did my duty for the kingdom.”

“The Manorá Enactments tell you that you are to keep me satisfied and happy,” King Silus retorted, raising his hand to slap her again.

Queen Martha flinched, “The original Manorá E-Enactments didn’t say that,” she replied.

King Silus slapped her, “I wrote them!” he said. “And you will be put away for breaking the law!”

“I’m The Living Circle and Prince Smith wrote the law,” Queen Martha protested as the king dragged her towards the prison, by her hair. “No! Stop! You can’t put me away! I was doing my job! Ow, you’re hurting me!”

Samson blocked his path, “Halt, let her go,” he demanded, firmly.

The king glared at him, “You can’t order me to do anything,” he taunted.

“Yes, I can,” Samson retorted. “You work for me and I said let her go.”

King Silus glared at him, “No, you work for me!” he shouted.

“Actually, I work for The Living Circle, so you have no authority over me whatsoever,” Samson retorted. “Now, I believe you have my boss in your hands and I told you to let her go or we’re gonna have a problem.”

King Silus glared at Samson and Samson glared back. When King Silus wouldn’t budge, Samson grimaced, “I guess we have a problem then,” he said as he swept his foot under King Silus’s feet, causing him to fall to the floor. He let go of Queen Martha and Samson caught her in his arms. He hugged her, “Are you alright?” he asked her.

Queen Martha nodded, “I"I think so,” she whimpered, shaking.

Samson examined her face and noticed a bruise where King Silus had struck her. It took everything in him not to crush the king into the floor as he handed her off to the Family Physician to get treated. He faced King Silus and tightened his jaw, “How dare you abuse her like that?” he snapped. “That’s your niece!”

King Silus glared at him, “Where did you hear that you were my boss? Who told you that lie?” he asked, ignoring his question.

“That isn’t a lie,” Samson retorted. “I’m the Chosen Warrior of Xerox, making me the second highest authority in the planet. I know all the Manorá Enactments and the laws of planet Xerox and you have broken every single one of them. Now, I have a warrant to arrest you and have you hanged for your crimes. Anyone associated with you will go down, as well. In fact, your whole precious kingdom will fall so what do you have to say for yourself? Any last words?”

King Silus chuckled, “You can’t arrest me,” he said. “I’m still the king and besides no one will ever believe you anyway! I bet Maqsedeth told you that damn story about how you as the Chosen Warrior of Xerox are my boss. I will get him back for that!”

Samson growled and grabbed King Silus by the collar of his tunic, “If you ever lay a single finger on my father and another finger on the queen, I will come back and personally rearrange your face!” he said. He threw him into the bedroom and stormed off. The king slammed into the wall of the bedroom, head-first and crumbled to the floor unconscious. Samson departed the Sunflower Palace, riding Rainbow back to the Chopin district of the village Fruits and Berries.

Once he made it back, he was greeted by all the villagers there. “Hey, you guys! It’s so great to see y’all alive and well,” he said as they all hugged him.

“It’s great to see you, too Samson!” Rob said as Samson left their presence to go find his father.

He found Maqsedeth in the kitchen, drinking tea. When he saw Samson he stood up and rushed over to him, "Samson, are you okay?" he asked, "Demise didn't hurt you, did he?"

Samson shook his head, "Father, I'm fine," he said.

Maqsedeth was relieved, “So, you’re okay then?” he said. “That’s good.”

Samson sighed, "Yeah, it’s good to be alive,” he agreed.

Maqsedeth smirked, “So, I know you met with the queen again,” he teased. “What did y’all talk about? Or did y’all even talk?”

Samson blushed, “Father, please,” he said, quietly, “it wasn’t even like that. She just wanted to check to see if I was still okay. That’s all.”

“Oh yeah,” Maqsedeth teased. “I’m sure that was all.”

Samson’s face became redder, “We didn’t finish our discussion, though,” he remarked. “We were interrupted by the king.”

Maqsedeth smirked, “What did you do about it?” he asked.

"Knock it off,” Samson said. “He came in and told Queen Martha that she didn’t have the authority to give me a quest. Then he slapped her.”

Maqsedeth gasped, “What?” he asked. “And you let him do that to her?”

Samson shook his head and grimaced thinking about how Queen Martha flinched at the king’s merciless rage. The thought of her bruised face reignited his fury and he fought to suppress his anger, “No, I…” he said, his voice taut. “I really wanted to put him somewhere where not even the sun would shine on him. He…just made me so furious back there…”

Maqsedeth placed his hand on Samson’s shoulder, “Samson, just calm down, okay?” he said. “If you don’t, you could cause the destruction of The Living Circle.”

Samson gritted his teeth, “Father, if you were there, you’d want to kill him, too,” he said, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. “I just can’t believe the nerve of that guy!”

Maqsedeth sighed, “So, what did you do?” he asked. “Did you handle it?”

Samson nodded, “Yes, Father, the situation is contained,” he replied. “I set him straight, but he didn’t like it. He thinks you told me that as the Chosen Warrior, I’m his boss. He’s now thinking about getting you back for it, whatever that means.”

“Did you tell him that it was Ziero Destroy who told you about your role as the Chosen Warrior of Xerox?” Maqsedeth asked him.

Samson shook his head, “No, I just said that if he laid a finger on you or Queen Martha, I would personally rearrange his face,” he replied. “Then I threw him into the bedroom.”

“Why’d you do that?” Maqsedeth asked.

“It was time for him to go to bed,” Samson replied.

Maqsedeth bit his lip to keep from smiling, “You really need to loosen up your grip on the king,” he said.

“I did loosen up my grip on the king,” Samson retorted, “and he just so happened to end up in the bedroom. I didn’t hear the Queen complain.”

Maqsedeth sighed, “Alright, Samson,” he said, stifling his laughter. “Get to bed. You have to destroy that pendant in the morning.”

Samson went upstairs to his bedroom with Maqsedeth following behind him. They went into their rooms and got ready for bed. Samson put on his pajamas, brushed his teeth and went out to the backyard to check on Rainbow. He fed her, groomed her and gave her some water.

He sat inside the stable and kept her company for a while before finally going back inside his house to go to bed. His exhaustion from a long day’s work caused his eyelids to feel heavy and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Samson awoke before sunrise to a deafening silence. He left his bedroom and discovered his father was still sound asleep. He showered and got dressed, grabbed his guitar and karaoke machine, and went downstairs into the kitchen. He lifted up the cluster of cabinets in the back of the kitchen and went inside. He turned on the lights to reveal a grand piano and a large harp in the corner of the room.

The room was enormous with cream colored marble tile on the floor and neutral colored walls. At the far left end of the room, there was a door which led into the gym where he trained for his quest into the Petrifying Woods. A golden and diamond chandelier was in the middle of the room and it painted the whole room in a golden light.

He found a wall outlet on the far right end of the room and plugged up the karaoke machine. He sat down on the stool in front of the piano and strummed a chord on his guitar. He played a few notes for a few heart beats, filling the room with beautiful guitar music. He stopped and turned on the karaoke machine. He removed the blank compact disc inside and inserted a new blank compact disc into the machine. He pressed the record button.

He shifted the guitar in his lap and strummed another chord on his guitar. He began playing a soft melody, playing a lot longer than before. He allowed himself to get lost in the music and, tapping a beat to complement the tune he played, he began to sing a song:

Our tongues collide and spark a flame

Your beauty sets my heart on fire

Such a lovely and graceful dame

Your enticing aroma takes me higher

You’re like an angel sent from above

Your hips attract me like a magnet

I think maybe I’m in love

Baby, you’ve got me so excited

Kiss me softly if you dare

And where there is devotion, my heart will be there

Let me hold you in my arms so dear

Hold you close, pull you near

Kiss me sweetly with your darling lips

And while we dance, I’ll hug your hips

Let me catch you in my arms, my love

And it’ll be known to the heavens above

Of our endearing love

Our endearing love

Let me kiss you, darling

Let me kiss you

His baritone voice harmonized gracefully with the guitar music, filling the air with a lovely sound. He played another chord and continued the melody while deep in thought about Queen Martha. He continued playing for a while longer and began to sing another verse:

You hesitate and you pull away

You say we shouldn’t be together

You know in your heart you want to stay

How can you expect me to forget you?

Your eyes dance just like the stars

Your laugh lightens up the dark

You are the queen of my heart

I knew I loved you from the start

Kiss me softly if you please

And while we kiss we’ll enjoy the breeze

Let me hold you in my arms so tight

Your love brightens up my night

Kiss me sweetly with your darling lips

And while we dance, I’ll hug your hips

Let me catch you in my arms my love

And it’ll be known to the heavens above

Of our endearing love

Our endearing love

Kiss me softly if you dare

And where there is devotion, my heart will be there

Let me hold you in my arms so dear

Hold you close, pull you near

Kiss me sweetly with your darling lips

And while we dance, I’ll hug your hips

Let me catch you in my arms, my love

And it’ll be known to the heavens above

Of our endearing love

Our endearing love

Let me kiss you, darling

Let me kiss you

Let me hold you, baby

Let me hold you

Let me love you

He played few more chords for a while and continued the melody before finally concluding it. He pressed the record button on his karaoke machine and heard something coming from the kitchen. He stood, grabbed his guitar and karaoke machine and went into the kitchen to find Maqsedeth cooking breakfast. When he saw Samson, he grinned and fixed his plate, “Alright, Elvis Presley, if you’re done singing to ‘your lady’, I have some grits, eggs, and bacon prepared for your breakfast,” he said.

Samson blushed and set his guitar and karaoke machine on the floor by the table. He took his seat at the table as his father passed him his plate and picked at his eggs, “How much did you hear?” he asked.

Maqsedeth took his seat at the table and sighed, “Don’t worry about it, son,” he said. “I didn’t hear too much. Just the beginning, the middle, and the end.”

Samson’s face got redder, “Oh, so the whole thing then,” he said. They ate their breakfast in silence before they heard a loud noise from outside that shattered the silence. Screams of terror followed, and Samson and Maqsedeth exchanged looks. They departed their house to investigate the noise and they saw a purple murky water flowing their way.

Samson gasped as the villagers scurried as fast as they could to get away from the water. They gathered around behind Samson, Maqsedeth and Rob. “Alright, everyone calm down,” Samson said. He turned to Rob, “Do you think you can hide the villagers in your mansion until I can figure out what’s wrong with the Rainbow Falls?” he asked him.

Rob nodded and led everyone into his mansion as Samson ran towards the purple murky water flowing towards him. “Samson, come back! That water is toxic!” Ebonie called after him. But, he was already gone.

Samson trudged through the rising murky purple water before he finally found the path that led to the Rainbow Falls. He followed it and found himself neck deep in purple murky water before the Rainbow Falls, which was no longer multicolored. He held his breath and swam deep into the Falls to find out what was going on with them. He found a spot that looked like it had been dug up and discovered the Nieaockonioan Sapphire was missing. He returned to the surface for air just as a purple light came from behind the Rainbow Falls.

He began swimming back the way he came when the purple light blocked his path. Samson stopped swimming and studied it, as it began to transform into the purple silhouette of a man. He levitated before Samson and smiled.

“Who are you?” Samson asked him.

“I am Nieaockonioan Sapphire,” he replied. “Where is my sword?”

Samson gasped and swam until he made it to higher ground. “You said, you’re what?” he asked. “You can’t be the Nieaockonioan Sapphire…”

“Where’s my sword?” Neo Sapphire bellowed.

“Um, Demise had it, but he’s dead, I think,” Samson replied.

“Then I shall go and retrieve it from his cold dead hands,” Neo Sapphire said. He turned and flew away.

“Wait, what have you done to the Rainbow Falls?” Samson demanded.

Neo Sapphire was already gone. Samson swam back towards Rob’s mansion and saw that the water wasn’t that high there. He was drenched in the purple murky water of the Rainbow Falls when he went into his backyard. He went inside the stable to check on Rainbow and discovered something glittering gold underneath the hay. He pulled on it to find that it was one of Trenton’s golden electrical guitars. He strummed a chord on it and saw that it still worked. He sat on the chair in the corner of the stable and began playing soft rock, deep in thought about the village Fruits and Berries when he and his father first moved there.

The water subsided and the Rainbow Falls was restored to its former glory. The sun peeked from behind the clouds and shined its radiant golden rays over all of Chopin. Everything was as if Neo Sapphire hadn’t come. Samson stopped playing the guitar and looked around at his surroundings. He saw that the village was no longer flooded, the ground was no longer cracked and filled with craters, and that the sun was out. He smiled and went to the entrance of Rob’s mansion. He knocked, “Hey, it’s alright,” he called. “The water’s gone. You can come out now.”

Rob opened the door and peered at Samson, “You’re not joking are you?” he asked.

Samson shook his head, “No, I’m serious,” he said.

Rob opened the door and saw that Samson was right. The water had subsided. The rest of the villagers followed Rob outside and basked in the warmth of the sun. They saw the village didn’t look like it had been flooded nor like an earthquake or meteor shower had ever touched the ground. Everything looked brand new, like the cataclysm of Summer Breeze had never happened. Trenton and Ebonie smiled at Samson, “What did you do?” Trenton asked.

Samson shrugged, “It’s not over yet,” he said. “I have to go back into the Petrifying Woods. It’s a long story but Nieaockonioan Sapphire has gone there to look for the Termination Sword. I have to find him and stop him before it’s too late.”

Trenton and Ebonie exchanged looks. “Wait, what?” they asked.

“I don’t have time to explain,” Samson said as he turned to rush through the clearing by his and Maqsedeth’s house. “Oh, and I think this is yours,” he said as he handed Trenton his golden electrical guitar.

Samson rushed through the clearing by his and Maqsedeth’s house, passing by the Sunflower Palace and through the Palace’s gates until he finally made it into the Magical Forest. He turned left into the Petrifying Woods. He summoned the lamp Queen Martha had given him and turned it on as he rushed through the dark thickets of the Weeping Willow trees.

He ran until he finally made it back to where the Deadly Surprise was and he shined his light around the surrounding area. He heard a sound like snake hissing but he ignored it because standing before him, in full power, was Neo Sapphire. He was completely purple with a glowing purple orb on his chest, which was the Nieaockonioan Sapphire. He had amber eyes and he held the Termination Sword in his hand. Samson was stunned at how much his figure closely resembled his father Maqsedeth.

He slowly approached Samson and smiled, “I think I recognize you now,” he bellowed. “You’re the blacksmith’s son. He’s the one who buried me deep within that cursed spring. But, now, I have my sword so I’m not worried about you and your father anymore. I’m finally free.”

...The jewel is self-sustained. It can only be destroyed with a pure magic now… Maqsedeth’s words rang in Samson’s ears. He finally understood what he meant. The jewel doesn’t need someone to harness its power, it can harness its own power. “But, why come now? Why not before?” Samson asked.

“The Rainbow Falls resisted my energy for many years before I finally had the right seismic disturbance shock to advance,” Neo Sapphire replied.

Samson recalled the recent cataclysm of Summer Breeze. There was a thunderstorm that flooded the Rainbow Falls, an earthquake that shook the ground apart, and a meteor shower that wreaked havoc on the entire village Fruits and Berries. He gasped, “The earthquake,” he said, “that was you.”

“Yes it was me and I drained the Rainbow Falls of its power before I finally emerged,” Neo Sapphire said with a chuckle. “There’s no stopping me now.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Samson said gazing into Neo Sapphire’s amber eyes, “there’s me.”

“Then I must dispose of you and anyone else who stands in my way,” Neo Sapphire bellowed as he formed a blue-violet projectile in the palms of his hands. He threw it at Samson but Samson blasted it out of the air with a lightning bolt. He charged towards Neo Sapphire, building a shield around himself using energy from the surrounding environment. He grappled with Neo Sapphire and shot into the sky, carrying him in his arms.

Neo Sapphire struggled to break free but he found himself helpless in Samson’s grasp. “What have you done?” he asked.

“I’m getting you as far away from planet Xerox as possible,” Samson replied. His shield was much stronger now as he released his hold on Neo Sapphire and levitated to keep himself afloat in the upper atmosphere surrounding planet Xerox, just below the clouds.

Neo Sapphire grimaced, “I should have known,” he said. “The blacksmith wants me destroyed so he has sent you to destroy me because he can’t destroy me himself.”

Samson spread his arms out beside himself and summoned a lightning bolt. He increased the voltage charge of the bolt to the maximum just as a smile spread across Neo Sapphire’s lips, “Do you know why Maqsedeth couldn’t bring himself to destroy me?” he asked. “How can you kill someone when you have the same face? You may as well kill yourself!”

“Alright, that’s enough talk,” Samson said as he blasted Neo Sapphire with the lightning bolt he summoned. He almost lost control of his levitation before he finally regained the strength to stay afloat. He looked at where Neo Sapphire was floating before and saw that he had moved. He felt something strike his shield from behind him and he turned to see that it was Neo Sapphire. Samson formed a whip of flames out of thin air and used it to pull the Termination Sword out of Neo Sapphire’s hands. He dissolved it with the flame whip and looked at Neo Sapphire’s angry face.

“Oh, were you going to use that?” he asked.

Neo Sapphire growled and charged towards him at full speed. Samson summoned the power of the four corners of planet Xerox, drawing on the powers of Aerial and Shore. The wind surrounded him as the clouds above him and Neo Sapphire burst with rain. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky. Samson summoned a high voltage lightning bolt while a whirlwind surrounded him, growing much larger than before. He sent it hurtling towards Neo Sapphire and blasted him with a high voltage lightning bolt just as it rained harder. Neo Sapphire screamed as the tornado, thunderstorm and lightning engulfed him, and he disintegrated into dust.

Samson was blinded by the wind and the rain, so he didn’t register that Neo Sapphire was destroyed. He soon felt his strength leave him and the storm he created grew weaker. His shield flickered and disappeared, and he immediately stopped levitating. He passed out and fell out of the sky towards planet Xerox like a comet.

When he awoke, he found himself sailing to safety in someone’s arms. “Next time, give us a warning before you decide to rain over the Golden Twinkle Kingdom,” a voice very similar to his said. Samson blinked and beheld a man in dark garb placing him on the ground. Since it was daylight, he was able to see his eyes more clearly and noticed that they were a deep blue just like his.

He gasped, “It’s you again,” he said, standing up.

The guy sighed exasperated, “You’re very reckless, you know that?” he snapped. From his tone, Samson could tell he was annoyed. “You need to start being more careful,” he said before storming off.

Samson’s stomach growled as he smelled food coming from within the Sunshine Palace. “I’m famished,” he muttered.

Prince Smith met him, “Hey, you want to join us for dinner?” he asked him.

Samson started to protest when his stomach growled again. Prince Smith chuckled, “I take that as a ‘yes’,” he said as he led Samson towards the entrance into the Sunshine Palace. The Sunshine Palace was an exact replica of the Patriarch’s palace, with ivory pillars instead of golden pillars.

The first room they made it to was the Foyer and it was designed with the intention to mimic the sun. The walls were made entirely of shimmering blocks of gold and the floor was made entirely of gold. In the middle of the dome ceiling, where a chandelier would have been, was a large hole covered with a large transparent diamond through which the sun shone and broke into four beams of light that bounced off the walls creating the illusion that one was actually walking through the sun.

Samson summoned his sunglasses and placed them on his face because the light inside the Foyer was too bright. Prince Smith led Samson through the golden double doors into the hallway where he saw Prince Rueban and Prince Jesse. Prince Rueban wore a Sapphire blue tunic, khakis, and brown boots while Prince Jesse wore a stark white tunic, khakis, and white boots. They both had the same dark brown hair, olive green eyes, and golden tan as Prince Smith, although Prince Smith was the oldest.

“Hey guys, here’s my plus one,” Prince Smith said, smiling.

“Hey, Samson, it’s good to see you again,” Prince Jesse said. “Come on in. You can sit beside me.”

Prince Smith led Samson into the dining hall, where the rest of the princes sat. Servants came in and set the table as Samson and Prince Smith took their seats. Prince Jesse sat next to Samson and looked over at Prince Smith, “Why didn’t Ptolemy join us for dinner?” he asked.

Prince Smith glanced at Samson and cleared his throat, “Um, he had indigestion from the shellfish we had for lunch,” he lied.

Prince Rueban looked at Prince Jesse, “Um, actually, I thought I saw him outside with---”

“Shhh, not another word,” Prince Smith whispered to him. “You remember he made us promise not to tell.”

“Right, sorry about that,” Prince Rueban whispered back. He cleared his throat and raised his voice, “Uh, yeah, he has indigestion. I’m sorry, he won’t be able to, um, join us tonight,” he said.

Samson began to wonder why Prince Rueban had suddenly changed his answer and he wondered whether this was a trick. “Who’s Ptolemy?” Samson asked Prince Jesse.

Prince Jesse hesitated, “Um, how about we eat dinner first?” he asked. “I’ll answer your question afterwards. In fact, we’ll all answer your question after dinner, right guys?”

The other princes nodded and Samson sighed, “Alright, I’ll have dinner with you guys,” he relented. “But, I’ll hold you to your word, so you must tell me who Ptolemy is after dinner.”

Maqsedeth came to the door of the dining room and looked around, “Hey, um, am I too late for the party?” he asked.

Prince Smith looked up and smiled, “Oh, no Mr. Maqsedeth, come on in,” he said. “We saved you a seat right by Samson.”

Maqsedeth entered the dining room and sat next to Samson. “You know, you’ve gotten all the villagers worried about you,” he said to him.

“Did you tell them that I’m okay?” Samson asked him.

Maqsedeth shrugged, “I’ll tell them when we get back,” he said.

A metal container filled with lemon water was placed before each of them to wash their hands in and they were each supplied a towel to dry their hands on. The cook entered the dining hall and served them Beluga Sturgeon roe with crackers, goat cheese and wine for appetizers. After they enjoyed the appetizer, the cook returned with the first course: rice stuffed roasted quail and lobster. For the second course, they had wild salmon and Kobe beef and for the third course the cook supplied them with a blueberry pie, cheesecake and Constantia wine.

Samson inhaled all three courses before finally stopping for air. After dinner, they all departed the dining hall as the servants came in and cleared the dining table. Prince Smith led Samson and Maqsedeth through the golden double doors into the Foyer and up the stairs into their parlor.

The parlor was pure gold and had two white plush sofas with an ivory-diamond coffee table in between them. In the center of the ceiling, where a chandelier would have been, was a large hole covered with a large diamond through which the sun shined through and broke into four beams of light that bounced off the four golden walls. Samson felt like he was inside the sun as he and Maqsedeth took their seats on one of the sofas. Samson placed his sunglasses back on his face as Prince Smith, Prince Rueban, and Prince Jesse sat on the sofa in front of him. The rest of the princes stood behind the sofa facing Samson and Maqsedeth.

Prince Jesse sighed, “We promised you we’d tell you who Ptolemy is, so here it goes, um, Ptolemy is one of planet Xerox’s best generals,” he said. “He was adopted by our father after he was found abandoned in the middle of the City of Aristotle, as a baby.”

“So, in other words, he’s y’all’s brother?” Samson asked.

“Well, he doesn’t accept us as family,” Prince Smith chimed in. “He is determined to find his birth father and his twin brother at all costs. He only thinks of us as, well, his friends.”

Samson sighed, “So, does he know where his father is?” he asked. “His birth father, I mean.”

Prince Smith shook his head, “No, he hasn’t found him, yet,” he replied. “He was, however, able to locate the whereabouts of his twin brother. He has kept tabs on him and has been watching over him ever since, like his own personal guardian angel.”

“So, who is his twin brother?” Samson asked. “Is he someone I know?”

Prince Smith sighed, “That, I cannot tell you, but only because Ptolemy wants to tell you who his twin brother is, himself and I don’t want to ruin his moment,” he replied.

Samson sighed, “Okay,” he relented, “so, where is Ptolemy, now?”

“He’s at work,” Prince Rueban replied. “He works for the Patriarch as his right-hand man, aka most faithful servant. He won’t be back for a while.”

Samson and Maqsedeth stood. “Alright, I think it’s time for me and Samson to return to our village. Thank you for having us for dinner, your Majesties,” Maqsedeth said as he shook their hands.

“The pleasure was all mine,” Prince Smith said as he led Samson and Maqsedeth to the door. They bid each other farewell and Maqsedeth led Samson back to the village Fruits and Berries.

“My eyes hurt,” Maqsedeth complained.

“How’d you know I was at the Sunshine Palace?” Samson asked.

“You remember that man you saw? The one dressed in the dark garb?” Maqsedeth asked.

Samson nodded, “Yeah, what about him?” he asked.

“He told me where to find you,” Maqsedeth replied.

“How did he know?” Samson asked.

Maqsedeth didn’t answer as they crossed back into the village Fruits and Berries. The villagers ran and hugged Samson as soon as they saw him and expressed their concerns. Samson sighed and pried them off him, “I’m fine,” he insisted.

“We saw you falling out of the sky,” Ebonie said. “Some man in black caught you and flew you away. I thought you had been kidnapped!”

Samson shook his head, “No, I’m fine, really,” he insisted. “I just got back from the Sunshine Palace.”

“Ooh, really? How was it?” Molly and Butch asked.

Samson smiled, “I’ll tell y’all later,” he said as he followed Maqsedeth inside the house. He faced him, “You still haven’t answered my question,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What question?” Maqsedeth asked.

“How did the man in the dark garb know where to find me so he could tell you?” Samson asked him.

Maqsedeth sighed, “How do you think?” he asked him. “He was the one who took you there.”

“But why tell you?” Samson asked. “Does he know you?”

“He knows you too, Samson,” Maqsedeth sighed. “He said he watched you grow up, remember?”

Samson nodded, recalling the night of the man’s first appearance. “Who is he, father?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you, son,” Maqsedeth replied. “When the time is right, he’ll reveal himself to you. But, I dare say, brace yourself because it will be soon.”

“When?” Samson demanded.

“I’ve said too much,” Maqsedeth sighed as the doorbell rang.

Samson sighed and went to the door to see who it was. It was the queen. She was dressed in blue jeans, a t-shirt, and brown boots. Her waist-length dark brown wavy hair was tied back in a pony-tail. She looked much better than she did after their meeting the night before, like the king had never hit her. She smiled at Samson, “Hey,” she said, “may I come in?”

Samson blushed and glanced back inside the house. He saw Maqsedeth facing the entrance into the kitchen and sighed, “Um, sure,” he stammered. He opened the door and led Queen Martha inside.

When the front door closed, Maqsedeth turned around. He smiled when he saw Queen Martha in the Foyer with Samson, “Oh, um, I’ll leave you two kids alone,” he said as he turned to go up the stairs.

“Um, actually, Mr. Maqsedeth, I would like to talk to you,” Queen Martha said.

Maqsedeth turned to face her, puzzled, “Um, what about?” he asked.

Queen Martha worked to steady her breathing, “Pardon me, I’ve never really made a house call before,” she sighed. “Um, I would like to know if you wouldn’t mind helping me rebuild the Sunflower Palace.”

Maqsedeth looked at Samson, curiously, and returned his attention back to the queen, “Your Highness, with all due respect, I’ve never really received payment on that residence, so I’m not obligated to repair any damages done to it,” he replied, firmly. “I’m sorry but my answer is no.”

Queen Martha lowered her gaze and worked to hold back tears, “Um, I could pay you for the repairs I need done,” she managed.

Maqsedeth shook his head, “I can’t accept that and I can’t take a repair job on a building that hasn’t been paid for,” he stated, firmly. “It’s illegal and unethical. I’m sorry but my answer is still no.”

Queen Martha sighed and nodded, “I understand,” she said. “Thank you.”

She departed their house and Samson faced Maqsedeth, “Why did you say that to her?” he asked him.

Maqsedeth sighed, “It was the truth,” he replied. “King Silus never paid me for the Sunflower Palace even though I was entitled to receive payment on that project. His father paid one half of the total cost of the Palace but before he could pay the other half, he died. After King Silus became king, I never saw a single cent of the money he owed me. This was fourteen years ago, so there will be added costs for paying late even if they do pay now. Since, they never paid for the Palace, they own that residence illegally, meaning I’m not obligated whatsoever to do repairs on that building. I would’ve discharged them, but, you know, him being the king and all. He wrote a different law and introduced it to the entire kingdom, so I can’t remove them from the Sunflower Palace.”

Samson sighed exasperated, “Does the king know about the money he owes you?” he asked.

Maqsedeth nodded, “Yes, of course,” he replied. “Why do you think he wrote a new law?”

Samson gritted his teeth, “Then, you’d also what that law says the queen has to do, right?” he asked.

Maqsedeth shrugged, “He never let me read them,” he sighed. “He knew I wouldn’t agree with them. That’s why we don’t get along. Why? What does she have to do?”

Samson sighed and worked to suppress his anger, “The king said the law tells the queen that she has to keep him satisfied and happy,” he said. He has the queen slaving away to rebuild the palace all by herself, he thought bitterly. He knew he owed money for that palace but he didn’t pay it. Now, she can’t get the help she needs to repair it.

“But, the queen has to look after the kingdom’s best interests,” Maqsedeth said, appalled. “What has the king done to her?”

“He treats her like she’s his slave, that’s what he’s done to her,” Samson snapped. He took a deep breath and worked to suppress his anger. He sighed, “I’m sorry, let’s just talk about something else, please?” he added. “The thought of the king makes me sick.”

Maqsedeth sighed, “Okay, I’ll give you a minute to calm down,” he said as he went into the kitchen.

Samson went upstairs into their parlor and dialed the Patriarch’s number. It took a few moments for him to pick up, “Hello?” Samson said into the speaker of the phone.

“Hey, Samson!” Juan said, elated. “How are you?”

Samson sighed, “Listen, we need to talk,” he said, gravely. “It’s about your sister.”

Juan could hear the urgency in his voice and he knew immediately that something was wrong, “What is it? What’s happened to my sister?” he demanded gravely.

“I’ll tell you when I get there,” Samson replied and he hung up the phone.

He departed the parlor and went outside. He discovered Martha sobbing by the Jagged Cliffs and gathered her in his arms, “What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows furrowed.

“I can’t go back, I just can’t!” Queen Martha sobbed. “The king wants the palace repaired by tomorrow, but I just can’t get it done in time. He says I’m too slow and he’s threatened to imprison me if I don’t have it done! I’m finished.”

Samson shook his head, “No, you’re not,” he said. “He’s finished. You’re coming with me.”

He grabbed her arm and the queen cried out in pain. Samson stopped and examined her arm. There was a bruise on her forearm. He gasped, “Martha, did the king do this to you?” he demanded.

Queen Martha sobbed and nodded. Samson gritted his teeth, “You’re coming with me,” he insisted.

He took her to the Paradise Hills to the Patriarch’s Palace and knocked on the door. Queen Martha gasped and turned to run away, “Please, Samson,” she said. “You mustn’t tell him! You mustn’t!”

“You mustn’t tell me what?” Juan demanded.

Samson crossed his arms over his chest and faced Martha, “We have a friend and she’s been living under harsh conditions and we would like to know what we should do?” he asked.

Queen Martha’s face turned red and she wouldn’t meet Juan’s eyes. She hid her bruised arm behind her back. Juan sighed, “Is this true?” he asked her.

She wouldn’t answer. Juan saw her hiding her arm behind her back and noticed the bruise on it. “Martha, who did this to you?” he asked. “The only person I left you with was our uncle, King Silus.”

Samson’s jaw tightened, “What should we do about the situation?” he asked Juan.

Juan took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, I’m gonna beat his a*s, he thought. “Well, does she want to get out?” he asked Samson.

“Does she, Martha?” Samson asked her.

Queen Martha gulped and nodded, “Yes, but the law won’t let her,” she replied.

“The law will be the least of my problems when I’ve unleashed my fury on him,” Juan growled. “How dare he abuse you like this? You are staying here tonight, do you understand?”

Queen Martha quivered, “You don’t understand! King Silus will find me and he’ll kill me if I’m discovered missing,” she said, holding back tears. “The king has me under a deadline if I don’t rebuild the Sunflower Palace and he’ll put me away if it isn’t finished.”

“Over my dead body,” Juan snapped. “Thank you for letting me know, Samson. The situation will be taken of.” He took Queen Martha inside the Patriarch’s Palace and closed the door. He demanded a first aid kit be brought and tended to her wounds.

Samson returned to the village Fruits and Berries and went back inside the house. He found Maqsedeth in the Foyer waiting for him. “You snitched on him, didn’t you?” he asked.

Samson sighed, “I didn’t know what else to do,” he said. “She told me that she couldn’t go back inside the Sunflower Palace to face the king because he would imprison her if the repairs on the Sunflower Palace aren’t fixed by tomorrow.”

Maqsedeth gasped, “What?” he asked. “He can’t do that! That’s against her rights!”

“She also said that if she is discovered missing, the king will kill her,” Samson sighed, “I may have practically killed her.”

“He can’t do that,” Maqsedeth insisted. “That’s unethical. She’s the queen. Not his"Wait a minute, you said he treats her like she’s his slave. Maybe that’s why he rewrote the Manorá Enactments. You’re gonna have to do something to stop this.”

Samson sighed, “I have, Father,” he replied. “The Patriarch said the situation will be taken care of. I leave it in his hands. After all, that is his sister.”

Maqsedeth sighed, “Yes, but you know the original Manorá Enactments and the laws of planet Xerox,” he said.

“Yes, and so does he,” Samson replied. “After all, his grandfather and Prince Smith wrote them.”

Maqsedeth sighed, “Alright, Samson,” he relented. “Let’s get to bed.”

Samson followed Maqsedeth up the stairs and they departed into their bedrooms to get ready for bed. Samson got dressed in his pajamas, brushed his teeth and went outside to check on Rainbow. He fed her, gave her some water, and groomed her. He sat inside her stable and kept her company for a while before going back inside the house to go to sleep.

Author's Note

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