Red Cloak-2 The Room

We highly recommend you to
read Red Cloak – 1 before reading Part 2.

I was born on the holy day. The only day we consider holy in Cakar, is the day the room was built. Many people don’t know much about the legend around the room. But, luckily I am the son of a preacher who teaches about The King and I always ask her what’s inside the room even though she answers the same every time, The King is inside. Somehow I wanted to really see if the king is still inside of the room alive. My mother is a descendant of the Holy preacher, Sarin, who traveled with the king himself 600 years ago. No one knows what the real name of The King is. So I used to call him with my made up name Arick. According to some preaching norms, my mother is not allowed to share some stories of Arick. They believe those stories must be carried but not told. But luckily she told me. It has been six hundred years since Arick, The Legend ordered his followers to build this holy room around him. According to the words of The Legend himself, The King is watching over Cakar being inside the holy room. During the days, when Arick roamed all over Cakar, he made rules and restrictions to keep everything in order. No one dared to cross his opinions and intentions. Fact is that, no one can argue with his perfect planning and ideology. It is well known that, how organised a civilization might be, there are always people who want to object and take control over the week. But Arick can detect treason without even happening. He has a power to foresee things. No one knows how he got that. Before he was announced as a King that is before he turned 21, people questioned about his worthiness. He was a young man who lacked art of war, art to handling power and position. Someone even says that he hears voices in his head. His father was a great King. So many respected his legacy.

Until the day of his coronation he was just a young man who lacks confidence and completely unready to be a King. On the day of his coronation he turned 21 and a complete new man was born. In Cakar, the king’s ceremony takes place in an open ground to address every citizen. As the ceremony began, Arick walked through the way, confidently with his stiff posture. He suddenly looked like a perfect prototype for King. Though people accepted Arick as a leader and as a king, the ministry council were not so pleased with that decision. Paridh the head of ministry decided to question King about the worthiness of Arick during his coronation when the entire Cakar is watching. So, as King held his crown to place it on Arick’s head, Paridh stood and said, ‘We cannot give power to the person who doesn’t even know how to wield a sword, who doesn’t even know anything about politics and who is completely worthless.’

King became furious and was about to say something then Arick raised his hand to stop his father. He then took a step forward and asked Paridh, ‘Lord Paridh, what can I do to make you believe that I am worthy to be the King.’ People are surprised to see such a confident statement from Arick. Paridh said, ‘I am watching you since you are kid and I know how stupid and insane you are.’ King’s face turned red. Arick took an other step forward and asked, ‘Lord Paridh, what can I do to make you believe that I am worthy to be the King.’ With an angry face Paridh shouted, ‘You are in this position just because you are a prince, if not I won’t even consider you as my servant. What do you know anyway? Can you swing a sword dashing through the defense lines of enemies can you give a commanding statement at least? You can never prove yourselves to me.’ Arick took one more step forward and asked again, ‘Lord Paridh, what can I do to make you believe that I am worthy to be the King.’ This time Paridh frustrated and started smiling and in a sarcastic way he said, ‘The ability to speak won’t make you powerful. Make me float in the air and I’ll believe you are wo..’ Words are no longer coming from his mouth and he could feel that some one grabbing him up by his neck. Arick held his hand forward and started lifting it up. Paridh’s feet lost their contact with the floor. He started moving up as if he is floating in the air.

People are shocked and stunned with terror filled faces. Such abilities are considered as god powers which are possessed by the ancestors of Cakar. But such powers were extinct thousands of years ago. As Paridh was floating in the air choking, the ceremonial head kneeled down in front of Arick considering him as the descendant of god and so did every citizen in the Cakar. Arick with his other hand pulled someone from the crowd to the open place making him hit the ground with his face and asked him, ‘Tell the truth.’ With a shivering tone he answered, ‘What truth my lord?’ Arick with a thundering voice said, ‘Tell the truth about what you and Paridh had planned. Or else unlike Paridh, your head alone will float in the air forever.’ He started shivering on hearing this and looked at Paridh floating in the air kicking his legs to catch breath. He finally said, ‘Paridh planned to kill you and the majesty my lord. He bribed all the council so that after your death he can declare himself as the king of Cakar.’ On hearing this, the king was shocked to believe such a treason from the most trusted minister. Arick lowered his arm letting Paridh to fall down beside his companion and said, ‘Lord Paridh, I guess you have spent enough time floating to make yourself believe that I am worthy. I think it’s time to show you that I know how to wield a sword.’ He ordered his servants to get his swords. Two swords were carried by ten people and are placed in front of Arick. Each one is of ten feet length. People never saw such weapons before and are stunned to see such big swords of enormous length. He held them in his hand, took a few steps forward and swung them, cutting two heads.

All this happened 600 years ago and from then people considered him no less than the god. But I always wonder why Arick locked himself in the room. If he is so powerful and can live forever to watch over Cakar why couldn’t he do it by staying outside and protecting it by himself? Why create eight if he can do it himself? All this enthusiasm grew inside me as I am getting older. Now I am 20 yet I have so many questions left unanswered about the room. I cannot even question the existence of Arick as it is considered as a crime.

From many sources it is confirmed that Krimson, our greatest enemy, is now made allies with many other countries gathering thousands of army to attack Cakar and break the room to get the so-called treasure inside. I never believed that the room contains treasure inside. My enthusiasm to find what’s inside is never ending and grows with each second. As the next holy day is arriving people wanted to celebrate the day but because of Krimson’s attack everyone is busy. I just had a thought that what if Krimson wins the battle and secures the room and takes what’s inside? I could never know what it contained. While I am rolling with such thoughts, I heard thumping from the center of the city. I asked my mother what that was about. She said she heard nothing. But, I can still hear the thumping. I started moving towards them and when I was getting closer, the thumping grew stronger. I wonder where it would direct me. As I followed it, I came to ‘The Room’. Thumping are coming from inside the room. When I put my ear to the wall of the room I can hear them much more strongly. I came back to my house and couldn’t sleep all night as the thumping grew stronger and stronger. I somehow felt like it was calling me in. So I decided to get inside of the room.

As the war is a few days away. A good friend of mine who is a soldier has to move out of the center to the front. I took his house which is very near to the holy room. I wanted to dig a tunnel from his house to the room. I should finish this before the war ends. As per the date the war will happen on the holy day. I locked his house from inside and started digging the tunnel as I am digging more I can hear the thumping grew stronger and stronger. I worked for three continuous days. I almost got to underneath the room. The holy day came and war cry had started. I am still under the room struggling to get past the floor. I am as excited as I am terrified. With a solid blow I broke the floor. Suddenly the thumping stopped. I was suddenly scared as hell. I can hear my heart pounding faster than anything. I hopped up to the floor and looked around holding my lanther up. There is no one inside the room except a box and a skeleton. I went to look for the skeleton as this is the only remaining part of the legend. I wonder if this skeleton is Arick’s or not. There is a key beside the skeleton and I remember I saw a box too. I took the key and went for the box. Box is locked and I tried this key to open the box. Inside it there is a blazing shining white cloak and a letter. The letter read as follows.

‘My name is Arick. I am so called ‘The Legend’. If you are reading this, I guess you heard the thumping too and came looking for me. I was a numb young prince before I heard such thumping. On the day before of my ceremony I heard these thumping grew stronger and stronger so I went looking for the source. Here under this floor I found the same such letter which you are reading right now left by another legend. We are the chosen. Our ancestors are alive with us in this very nature and looking over the people of Cakar. When they feel they need a hero to be born, they’ll choose a person from their descendants. My ancestor was a legend. I made children with my preacher Sarin. Our holy ancestors blood runs through me so it runs through you too. It is all part of the prophecy. By the time you finish reading this letter, you’ll turn 21 and you will be a new legend. You will die when you turn 28. Pass on your blood before you die and make sure they are protected. When I defeated Krampton in the battle I knew he would attack us again the moment he knows that I am dead. My time was running low. So I decided to create the eight to teach them my knowledge. Mostly importantly I wanted to give hope to the people of Cakar and a belief to live peacefully and a fear to the enemies that I am still watching over. So I created the room. Now our ancestors chose you to save Cakar. Now you are the legend. Do what you must do.’

As I finished the letter I started feeling dizziness in my mind. I closed my eyes and I can feel an external force running through my veins. I can sense the knowledge inside my head filling and power flowing through my body. It is enormous. I felt I am being filled with the power of god himself. It all happened in a second. Then I opened my eyes. I can see through the walls of the room. I can hear people screaming and running. I wore the white cloak and covered my face. I somehow knew that the swords of Arick were kept hanging from the roof. I reached out and took them into my hands. And I can see my friend Mason lying on the floor about to take a strike from Sha. I pushed the stone and it went flying and struck Sha down. Then I told myself, ‘It’s time to get some red blood on this white cloak.’