The lost book of Slytherin
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Second Time Through - Book IVChapter 14: Challenging The Gods free porn video
Thursday, July 22, 1971
The girls let me out in front of the Royal Barracks, which were just across the street from the northeast corner of the Imperial Gardens.
“Aren’t you all coming in to watch?” I asked.
“Oh, no,” Ileana stated. “The Royal Barracks is the only place in all of Tapato where women cannot go. Even the queen is not allowed inside there.”
“Well, uh, okay then. I guess I’ll see you later?” I told her apprehensively.
“I doubt that you will see me again until tomorrow at your coronation, Michael. So relax and go have fun with all the other Y chromosomes,” Ileana said as they drove away.
Turning to face the barracks, I saw Gerald and Kip standing by the entrance, so I went to join them. Gerald had been Kalani’s escort when she visited the ranch earlier this year.
“Welcome, Prince Michael,” Gerald said, grasping my arm with the palm of his hand just inside my elbow, his fingers wrapping around my forearm. This allowed me to grasp his arm in the same way. It was a standard greeting among warriors on Tapato.
“Gerald invited me to tag along. For some reason, he thinks that it might be fun,” Kip told me as we followed Gerald into the barracks. “At least for me anyway!”
We followed Gerald through the great hall that served as a lobby or reception area for the Royal Barracks. Immediately, you knew that this was a man’s world. The dark paneling looked to be teak and the furniture was masculine as well. Large leather sofas and woven Peacock chairs were scattered in small groupings, along with displays of both ancient and modern military weapons, were everywhere with military maps, pictures of men in ceremonial dress, and even ancient weapons, adorning the walls.
Without doubt, this was a house of war.
Large double doors on each side of the great room led to wings on either side, but Gerald steered us straight through and out onto a large covered veranda that also served as a permanent reviewing stand for the parade ground that stretched out in front of us. The other three sides of the grounds were marked by the two story barracks where those that served Tapato’s Royal Family were housed.
When serving as a formal reviewing stand, the veranda would have rows of chairs set out, all perfectly aligned for reviewing the troops on parade. Today, however, was evidently considered a less than formal occasion, with chairs scattered around the veranda in clusters, some surrounding tables with cards or dice and drinks on them. I hoped that was a good sign.
To one side of the veranda sat several older men, much too old to be active soldiers, nor did they appear to be military leaders. And they did not smile as Gerald led us toward them. Stopping in front of the group, Gerald bowed to them and backed away, pulling Kip with him. That left me standing in front of them, alone, not knowing what to expect. Most of them I had never met before, however I did nod to Kalani’s father when I saw him. He acknowledged me with a slight movement of his head, but he did not say anything.
As I stood there, waiting, a small platoon formed on the parade ground in front of the viewing stand. Four men stepped forward from the others, wearing combat fatigues and boots, but without their shirts. You could see their muscles bulging, and the hungry looks in their eyes.
Finally, one of the old men rose to his feet and looking at a scrap of paper in his hand, began to read:
“Prince Michael,” he read in English. “While your enthronement as a Prince of Tapato is solely at the discretion of the queen, your investiture as the Protector is not so easily attained. Throughout Tapato’s proud history, the position of Protector of the Crown has always been settled on the field of honor. As it has been for over five hundred years, so it is today. You must earn this coveted position.”
I wasn’t liking his tone. In fact, I wasn’t liking any of this. Surely Kalani or Gerald warned them.
The speaker now turned to the sizable crowd of soldiers and warriors that had gathered behind the platoon and spoke even louder.
“Before you are four mighty warriors who would also claim the investiture of Protector of the Crown. If you will be our Protector, you must now prove yourself on the field of honor. The contests are, as they have always been, to first blood. This, you understand?” he asked me.
“I understand,” I replied. Then turning towards the parade grounds and the four shirtless warriors, I clapped my hands for effect as the four warriors all simultaneously dropped to the ground, paralyzed.
As everyone looked at the four warriors lying on the ground where they fell, unmoving, I turned back to the old men, connecting to everyone that they all might hear my words.
“Are the old men of Tapato so foolish as to challenge the gods with your pitiful games? Were you not warned? Have you not waited for more than three hundred years for my return? And when I do, you would endeavor to treat me with so little respect?” I asked them.
Most of the men were not well educated and became alarmed when they heard my voice inside their heads. There was an uneasiness as they looked first from one to the other, and then to the old men who had been their leaders. When none of the old men would answer my accusations, I called out to the assembled men, “I AM the Pele Solakanali. Let him who would challenge my claim as Protector come forth now!”
While I waited, I scanned the whole area.
“Kip. There’s a kid with a rifle perched on the roof above the third window on the south side. If I zap him, he’ll fall.”
“I’m on it,” Kip thought back as he melted away.
I waited a while longer as I watched the crowd fidget. I was trying to give Kip some more time. Finally, since no one in the crowd came forward, I turned back to the old men.
“It seems that the young men of Tapato are not as foolish as her old ones. So which one of you will challenge me?” I asked.
There was another long drawn out silence. I used the time to check with Kip again, and this time received the ‘all clear’. I let out a sigh of relief and looked to the old men again.
It was Kalani’s father who stood. For a moment, I thought HE was going to challenge me. But he simply nodded to a young man who came and stood at the foot of the reviewing stand, near the old men.
Then Kalani’s father pulled himself up as erect as he could, removed his beret and taking a deep breath, he began. As he spoke to me in Tapatoan, the young man translated for me.
“The Pele Solakanali is correct. We are foolish old men who should have known better. But we have lived a long time, awaiting your return. And while we waited, we tried to protect our Queen and our people by scrupulously guarding against those who would covet that which was the Gods. Please forgive our poor reception, Great Son of the Gods. It was indeed an ill-conceived plan. But it is how we have survived as we awaited your return.”
“You have spoken the truth, old man. This day I would honor you for your courage and your wisdom.”
“Thank you, Pele Solakanali. Won’t you also accept the apologies of this humble group of old fools and, if possible, return our warriors to us?” Kalani’s father asked.
Quickly I released the four warriors and scanned them for any damages. One of them had some massive bruising on his back that was not related to what I had just done. Instead, it was caused by a fall from a horse yesterday, but I went ahead and healed it anyway.
Now came the awkward part.
“How do I get out of this with as little embarrassment as possible, to both myself and to them?” I wondered. “And where did Kip go?”
It was Kalani’s father that eased the way as he spoke to me once again, using a voice loud enough for all to hear, as the young man translated once more.
“We, as the Protectors of our Queen, are relieved that the Gods have sent their Son to lift that heavy burden from us. On behalf of the Protectors, the Royal Guards, and all the good and true men of Tapato, we salute you and pledge our strength, our skills, and our loyalty to the Pele Solakanali.”
Then turning to the parade ground that was now filled with men, he looked to one of the young officers and nodded.
The officer stiffened his back as he squared his stance to face the assembly, and with a flick of his wrist snapped his sword to a vertical position with the tip dangerously close to his eye.
“ATTENTION!” he commanded the warriors (as translated for me by the young man), before turning back to the old man.
“Long live Crown Prince Michael. Defender of the Royal Family, and the new Protector of the Throne of Tapato!” cried Kalani’s father, in his native tongue.
“Long live the Protector!” the assembled men cried back.
Then gently taking my arm, Kalani’s father guided me to the center of the steps leading to the parade grounds. Dropping to one knee, with his head bowed, he spoke a few words in his native tongue. When I looked at the interpreter, he simply shook his head no. I found out later that, by custom, he was not allowed to repeat an oath.
I reached down and helped Kalani’s father shakily to his feet.
“What do I call you, old man?” I asked him gently.
The young man started to interpret my question, but the old man waved him off.
“Most men call me Ha’tu. But I hope that you will call me Papa, Michael,” he said in perfect English
Then turning once again to the assembly, he called out in a loud voice, “I have sworn this day, my allegiance to the new Protector. Let every man who would also serve him do the same!”
When Ha’tu moved away, the next man took a knee. I remained standing there for well over an hour, with the setting sun in my eyes as it bathed the parade grounds in a shimmering orange light, while every man who was present that day, swore their allegiance to the new Protector. Then, in the few minutes between daylight and darkness, when the men had pledged their oath, I withdrew Flaminia and holding her high in the air, her blue blade blazing in the twilight, I cried, “Men of Tapato, as the Protector, I swear to protect the Queen and her family unto death!”
A rumbling sound came from the parade grounds that quickly became a cheer. I simply waited until they were through.
“Men of Tapato,” I cried again, “as the Son of the Gods, I swear to protect and uphold the Sovereign Nation of Tapato. And to serve each man here with honor, courage, and dignity! Long live the Queen!”
Rowan
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