I.

Myrneck Agath was a tyrant. A vicious, evil creature in all respects.

So had all the previous Myrnecks been, before his rulership and stretching back through countless centuries. In fact, Agath had forced his own father into abdication with a dagger through the head.

His kingdom was a semi-oasis in the desert, a dusty city that had stood since time immemorial protected by towering stone walls built of great spindly rocks protruding vertically from out of the gargantuan dunes.

And the people of this city, which they called Nyar were all slaves to the Myrneck aristocracy.

Deep in the recesses of their collective unconscious, the people remembered their freedom. A time without strange creatures of oppression. It was easy to distinguish these commoners from the "royalty." The ruling class were not quite human. Their heads were adorned with a great many tentacles, looking as if they were half squid.

All the commoners feared their reclusive rulers, but obeyed their laws without question. At the first hint of sedition, the Myrnecks would extinguish its sources immediately. They kept a firm grip on the populous with their well paid army of Tisch¹Mon, the Myrneck word for "halfbreed." For indeed, the cephalopodal race, however dimorphic from humanity, had occasionally spawned with them, and the results were a disproportionate bunch of creatures, neither Myrneck nor human and their eminence was only acknowledged if they joined the infantry.

These military men, all had some aspect of the Myrnecks, such as squid eyes, or betentacled heads, but their physique belayed their origin, for they had broad shoulders whereas a Myrneck¹s shoulders would always be heavily arched.

It was a commoner holiday, the day Myrneck Agath looked out his palace window which o¹erlooked the rustic town square below, and saw the people reveling in the streets. There was an extravagant parade marching through Nyar that sultry afternoon which went straight on until evening and into the night. The aristocracy never involved itself in the commoner¹s petty feast days, but would have had they known the true natures of some of them.

Particularly this one. A celebration of an oblique prophesy, hinted at only in the Book of Telo¹Rokama, which was almost non-extant in any tangible form, rather was memorized by every man woman and child commoner, scholars and proletariat alike.

The prophesy was said to occur sometime hence on that day, the Feast of Lonnai, and its fulfillment signified the end of the tyrannical Myrnecks.

It stated "the unnatural son of the presiding king would rise up above the authority of the evil that had forever gripped the humans and set them free from their power." It was spoken of in hushed tongues that day, but only in hopeful speculation, since Myrneck Agath was a young tyrant and had no sons nor even a queen yet.

The religion of the commoners, oft referred to as "Rokame", held that all the bravest souls were stored up after they departed the land of the living in a great tree of immense proportions, The Lonnai Tree for a time when they would again be called upon for one last act of bravery. They and all who died were meant to serve the one who would some day be sheltered by that ethereal tree.

This fabled "unnatural son" was to be that fledgling of the great tree, a character the Book of TeloRokama named Lonnai Warrior.

Agath looked down at the parade below, with an almost feline boredom.

But after a time he saw a thing that rapt his attention so profoundly he stared out at her for hours.

She was called Aronah. Her hair was velvet black, and her eyes were the same. Her hands were delicate little things , and her frame too was petite.

She had an olive complexion, and thin illustrious lips. She walked with a subtle sensuality that Agath was instantly drawn to. She walked in this way through the great parade, helping an elderly man hold a banner with the symbol of Telos on it. Instantly Agath felt lust grip his faculties so strongly he vowed he must have her. He did not care that his actions would be illegal, since he was Myrneck royalty of the highest order and she was but a sniveling street urchin. However, for him, that mattered not in the least. He was King, he could do as he pleased.

II.

Several days went by, and then Agath sent his men out to find and capture Aronah. Her beauty was renowned amongst the commoners nearly to the point of legend, and so was not difficult to locate. Some said that even those beyond the impenetrable walls of Nyar knew of her.

Aronah was brought willingly before the tyrant King, and said:

"My sir, why is it you bring me here, and with such coarse means? I would most certainly have come had you simply requested..."

Agath silenced her with a marriage proposal.

Aronah grew visibly alarmed, but instantly composed herself once more.

She was too terrified to cry out. After an awkward moment of silence, she pleaded with him to understand that she was tending her sick adopted father, and that it would not do to leave him behind under the circumstances.

At first he refused , demanding her acceptance to the proposal. Agath was not used to being told "no." But she fled his men¹s grasp and ran to home, which was on the far opposite side of the kingdom. But upon arriving, she found her poor father slain in his bed, defenseless to the last. Agath¹s men had beaten her to the house, and expecting her, they seized her not long after her discovery there, and took her back to the Palace.

This time, Aronah knew her marriage to the ruthless creature was inevitable and she quietly acquiesced. She was taken to a cell in the cellars below.

When the others in the aristocracy learned of Agath¹s lust for Aronah , there were some who spoke out against the unholy union, knowing their children would be Tisch¹Mon, unspeakable as heirs to the throne and fit only for lives as lowly soldiers.

But Agath had all criticizers killed, and after this, no one dared question his authority in the matter again. If the King wanted to marry a commoner , so be it. But for the public to know of such an absurd arrangement was out of the question, so it was kept secret. At least the children might look partially Myrneck-like , in which case it would be possible to disguise their infirmities if kept out of the direct sight of the public.

When Agath finally did release Aronah from her cell, he led her to a large stone-walled room with a tiny window and locked her in it, joining her at night. She never made any attempt at escape, but simply stared out the slit-like stone opening, mournfully dreaming of freedom. Agath himself brooded over this, but saw nothing he could do. He could not, as much as he would have like to, force emotions on people. He could see no way to force her out of her grim passiveness, and her subservience nearly angered him as much as if she was the opposite. It was one of these times that she was staring sadly out the window that she realized how much worse her predicament had gotten . She was carrying a child.

III.

When the child was born those present at his birth were shocked when he appeared to be an entirely normal human infant. Not a trace of Myrneck blood seemed apparent. This so infuriated Agath that immediately after Aronah was finished birthing the child he had her mercilessly thrown back into her cell.

He took the disgusting little boy and without hesitation went to the High Priest of the palace court. The High Priest, who normally led a scholarly life amongst books and papers and illuminations, was startled at the King¹s fury. Agath quickly explained his predicament.

Now the High Priest, although by birth a Myrneck was not one in practice.

He instantly felt compassion for Aronah and her newborn, but hid his feelings to Myrneck Agath.

When Agath pressured him to somehow destroy or banish the lamenting Aronah for her great sin against the monarchy, he complied and told the impatient King he would send her to a place the Myrneck Theologians called the Void of Black Ether. A separate dimension , which he neglected to mention, kept all who entered in a state of suspended animation.

Satisfied, Agath returned to the throne and looked with utter contempt at his new son. He decided he would call the boy Lo¹Gath, which implied weakness in the Myrneck tongue.

He brooded much over his great misfortune, arguing that at least Aronah could have shown him the decency to bear a child that somewhat resembled him. But this vile little thing was nothing more than a simpleton, a worthless commoner.

IV.

With no mother and an apathetic father, the boy grew awkwardly, but retained his distinctly human characteristics as he got older. Lo¹Gath was banned from any and all public appearances, and was by no means entitled to the throne. He spent much of his time in the Monastic Libraries, reading volume after volume of ancient texts.

At an early age, Lo¹Gath proved himself to be very intelligent, despite the fact that his father ordered all the scribes and monks not to speak a word to him. Agath was quite adamant that his malformed son should not exceed him ion any way, be it intellect or any other matter. But there was not much Agath could do aside from lock him up. However, he feared that would breed discontent in his son, so instead he gave him a silent run of the library.

But back to Lo¹Gath¹s intelligence.

He taught himself to speak, read and write seven languages and as he grew older he grew more and more fluent in each. He also learned much of what the Myrnecks called Aga Teremnji, or higher mathematics, and in addition, he wrote poetry in all the tongues he could speak.

But it wasn¹t until he turned to the books of theology, of which there were the greatest number, that he truly became intrigued by something for the first time in his life.

One day, which was much like the ones that had preceded it, Lo¹Gath came upon a particularly dusty leatherbound volume called "Deni Ghuma ohj TeloRokama," or "Book of the Commoner Religion." Holding it in his hands, he had no idea how rare it was. It was probably the only one of its kind in existence, since the commoners had long abandoned trying to hide actual copies of the thing, and instead handed it down via oral tradition. It began much like most of the other religious volumes in the library, with a creation myth. But as he read on, the book spoke more and more frequently of a prophesy that stirred and chilled him.

"It was spoken in all the lands that on the Feast of Lonnai,
That one day the Great Tree
To whom all the brave souls of the past still cling,
Shall depart from their eternal resting place,
For a fusion that will make them and all to come whole.
Freedom shalt be brought about by the unnatural son of a presiding king."

He paused momentarily to digest the passage over again. The words "unnatural son" evoked a sullen sense of unfulfillment in him, and intuitively was convinced it was referring to him. Somehow he knew. But he was at a loss for what to do. He read the rest of the book and finished it in a few days, but still that single passage rang in his ears incessantly.

It had spoken to him, directly to his soul, and awoke fervent passions and ambitions that had lain dormant all his life.

V.

Lo¹Gath was a healthy seventeen year old when he made his first determined move towards freedom. Without the consent of anyone, he left his quarters near the Libraries, taking only the book of the commoner religion, and snuck past the dozing guards in the upper chambers.

It would have been haunting to Agath had he seen it, since the scene so paralleled his own sniper crawl through the dark years ago to the throne of his father. But where Agath had taken a murderous action as his father before him had, Myrneck Lo¹Gath took no interest in murder or conquest, simply gliding past the throne room towards the small balcony overlooking the square. The rocks that nestled against the ancient castle afforded him an easy descent. As soon as his nimble feet touched the ground, he ran, farther and farther into ominous, pressing streets. He spent the remainder of the night sleeping on a street as far as possible from and out of view of the palace.

However his comparatively fine clothes made him distinct among the midnight drifters and riffraff. For a time Lo¹Gath wandered the streets looking at all the curious buildings and houses which he had only glimpsed distantly before, and seldom even that. The morning found him a few blocks from a bustling market, and for a week he found odd jobs in scattered areas about that slummish district. By the end of that time, his clothes had been worn to rags, and he was unkempt and uncleanly.

VI.

Myrneck Agath hardly noticed his son was missing for the first few days after he had left. Only after the guards noticed he had not taken his last few meals, which were often on small trays slid through to him through a trapdoor in the wall, that his escape was noticed.

But after the tyrant¹s initial rage at this stunt, he calmed down, realizing that in actuality this turn of events might behoove him. If the boy were to disappear for good, then his unpleasant sins might finally be absolved. He would no longer have to go through such great lengths to keep his dirty secret hidden from the prying eye of the public.

Agath decided that even if the boy tried to claim the throne no one would honestly believe him. But even if that were so, it would, he figured, probably be better to make sure the boy never tried anything of the sort.

VII.

Lo¹Gath tried desperately to incorporate himself into Nyarine society.

But to no avail. Any job he took, he simply stuck out like a sore thumb. He was completely inexperienced at everything, having lived locked up in that dreadful castle for his whole life. He tried, after several more attempts at employment to locate his mother, for he thought hopefully that she might still live amongst the commoners from whence she had come. No one had ever been kind enough to tell him her true fate.

His inquiries brought nothing. Dejected and achingly alone he found himself in an abandoned lot, the dust swirling forbiddingly around him.

A figure approached him.

At first he was unsure if this strange specter meant him good or not.

But he decided he did not want to stick around to find out. He began a quicker pace, then a trot, and a quick glance behind him proved the character¹s malign intent, for he could clearly see the thing¹s tentacles, and broad shoulders...this was a partisan of his father for certain.

Lo¹Gath reached the rock wall which signified the very ultimate border of Nyar. Beyond the great barrier was anyone¹s guess, and it had been often said that no soul had entered nor egressed from it in over three hundred generations.

But Lo¹Gath cared not. He searched for a handhold, and began climbing the horrific wall. The Royal Guard saw this and did not quicken his pace, but merely kept walking ever forward, with a hideous confident manner. His murderous intent was obvious.

A million thoughts dashed inside Myrneck Lo'Gath¹s mind, and one thing in particular: His father was trying to kill him. The thought impacted him in ways difficult to describe. On the one side of it, he felt terrified that the assassin would succeed. On the other, he was justifiably saddened and dejected. He had no mother, and his father wanted him dead.

Surprised by his own skill, he had made it halfway up Nyar¹s unforgiving walls, and the guards posted at the top looked down with interest more than malice. A scene was emerging below that was certainly of note, as the royal soldier began an ascent after him. Terrified, Lo¹Gath scrambled upwards., and in a few bursts of rapid climbing was nearly to the top.

Fortunately, he made his way to a spot between two guard posts, so that he was not within direct range of the arrows from either.

No one had left Nyar in centuries. That much everyone knew was true.

And the Lookout Guards were determined that this should stay that way. They brandished their great spears, and began to heave them loftily at the boy, who occasionally had to hang onto precipices dangling from one hand.

They missed, but missed only narrowly.

The hideous Tisch¹Mon, his tentacles writhing in the still air continued to pursue. Lo¹Gath, perched like a gargoyle at the top of the barrier ducked in time to avoid yet another spear and terrified leaped over the edge to the ground below. Death, he thought, would be better than fending off attacks from the minions of his father. But as he plummeted and then crashed he realized the fall would not be as crushing as anticipated. He landed on a very large dune of soft, loosely packed yellow sand.

He got up, found that asides from perhaps a broken rib, he was alright, and staggered breathless away from the evil-looking fortress city. He knew they would come no farther for him. They would never leaved they beloved Nyar.

But Lo¹Gath had become utterly disgusted with the place, and held no desire ever to return.

For days he toiled in the sun, walking farther and farther, and for a long time could not escape the black smudge of the city on the horizon. He walked as far as he could, and eventually the city receded to nothing.

He was more alone now then he had ever been his whole isolated life.

Days more went by, and Lo¹Gath was close to death. The sun baked his skin, he had no food and had not had a drink since he left. A sandstorm had begun to whip up the dunes around him, and he was too weak now to run from it.

He collapsed onto a gently rising dune, sprinkle trails of sand fell from the dune¹s crest, and were whipped up into the air. He cried, desperately trying to lap up his salty tears in thirst-enduceddelirium, and let the course winds buffet his frail body.

In time, a peacefulness transcended Lo¹Gath, and he no longer felt the despair of mortality pressing on him. Only darkness pervaded his senses, and he drifted away in it.

VII.

When Lo¹Gath awoke he was startled by a cool wind. He dimly remembered the circumstances that he had fallen asleep under, and was baffled by the things that now bombarded his senses. This cool wind, a sensation altogether new to him, tousled his hair. A dark substance had stained his hands and bedraggled clothes... it was a loamy, earthen soil. Alien as well, to a child of the desert.

Mystified, Lo¹Gath sat upright, and slowly took in his surroundings.

Many times in his precious books he had read of places like this. Forests.

Woods. Trees. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined its beauty.

The trees were short yearlings when his sight had been blurry and dim.

Now, although with bent and gnarled frames, the trees were growing above him, taller and taller. When he had first opened his eyes, the trees had been but bare leafless bones. But as he grew more conscious he noticed buds, and was shocked to see the buds burst open before his eyes into brilliant multi-colored blooms. It seemed the forest was growing with an unnatural rapidity.

All the while a peculiar creaking, snapping noise rustled the trees.

Lo¹Gath at long last stood and walked bewildered through the brush.

He wondered to himself how he had been transported to this magic place, and the thought of an afterlife was vaguely disturbing to him. Was he indeed deceased? Perhaps. He pondered this fast growing wood had simply sprung up around him in his sleep. It seemed possible, he thought, considering the fact that the blossoms had wilted and the trees had begun to sprout leaves.

Or was it that this strange place had existed all along and he had somehow been transported? He had to admit the possibility of his own demise as well.

Now the forest had reached the climax of its foliage, and amidst the greenery, it was clear the canopy was ascending higher and higher. Ever curious, Lo¹Gath attempted to climb one of these trees in hopes of seeing how far the woodlands extended. He soon reached the pinnacle, and was astonished to see that the forest reached beyond the horizon in every direction, and at its utmost center stood a truly gargantuan tree, almost inconceivably high.

The outline of this magnificent tree was indistinct from that distance, but it reminded Lo¹Gath of a person bent on one knee. However, the tree extended beyond where the person¹s head should be, and its uppermost branches were lost in a haze of clouds above. It towered above all the other trees.

VIII.

It took Lo¹Gath nearly four days to locate the massive tree, but when he finally did he was dumbfounded by its surreal beauty. Each bough, niche and crevice seemed to be the half-suggested outline of a human being.

Indeed, ingrained throughout its immensity were thousands of vague human figures, frozen, it seemed, in time. The figures were of men and women and even children.

"The Great Tree to whom all the brave souls of the past still cling," whispered Lo¹Gath, reading from his dog-eared book.

There was no other possibility. It was the Lonnai Tree. Shaken, he recalled again the prophesy. But the tree was obviously a myth...it could not possibly exist in the real world. Yet...this supposedly intangible place of the honored dead stood before him. Stood before him in all its ancient splendor.

It was the Telo¹Rokaman vision of heaven, an afterlife of eternal bliss and free from the sufferings and oppression of the Myrnecks.

Awestruck, he placed his hand upon the smooth surface of the Great Tree.

He passed his fingers along the glassy bark, and took in the strange, almost grotesque figures that adorned its surface. As if in response, a wooden hand reached from out of the tree and took hold of Lo¹Gath¹s wrist, startling, but not harming him. More hands followed after and more and more laid themselves on his body. Runners and creepers began encircling him, and he soon found he could not move from the spot. The vines pinioned his frail body like snakes, and he became hopelessly entangled. He shouted out in fear, but his screams were muffled as he became entombed in the side of the tree, covered in a cocoon of creepers and bodies. And when the last vine moved into place to seal the great chrysalis all the trees in the forest dropped their leaves at once and everything lay dead and dormant.

IX.

X.

"See how he sleeps?!"

"Aye. The time draws near. They have already begun the gift procession."

"See how the deeds and feats stick to him!?"

"Go! Go! Tis your turn!"

"Stop your talking and get to it!"

"Right! My gift I have given to no one, now I pass it to thee Myrneck Lonn!"

"All hail Myrneck Lonn!"

XI.

A year and a day passed. The forest had completely withered away, the only tree still standing was a mere skeleton on the verge of crumbling to dust; The Lonnai Tree. And at the base of the giant tree was a knotted bulge of snake-like roots.

Root by root the chrysalis began to split, until at long last a loud crack raked down the cocoon¹s midsection. Naked and trembling, covered in a sickly film, Lo¹Gath dropped to the sand gasping for breath. He had almost lost himself in that dark ether of sleep and on his way back to consciousness seemed to gain strength upon strength. He had the impression of being slammed back into his body much larger than he once was.

As he stood the Tree itself began to crack and split and great shards of wood flew in many directions. Slowly the Lonnai Tree sank below the dunes and fell partially to pieces as it descended.

"Like the proverbial caterpillar that sheds its ugly coat to be a splendorous butterfly...I...am....Myrneck Lonn."

XII.

By this time, Nyar¹s crops had failed miserably; a great drought had descended villainously on them. And to compensate, Agath had ordered three fourths of the peasants reapings to be brought to the castle so that he might not be inconvenienced by the famine. And so it was, discontent reached still deeper into the bound hearts of the commonfolk.

They prayed diligently for mitigation from Agath¹s avarice, but things had grown steadily worse since Lo¹Gath had left. Many had lost homes due to their inability to pay their share of crops...too many mouths to feed.

Many starved to death in their homes, clutching emaciated children. Agath¹s greed was nonpareil in Nyar¹s history.

However, once again, the Feast of Lonnai was to take place, although this year there would be no jovial parade or feasting as they faced their gravest hardship to date. No music nor dancing, only somber echoes as the people stood hopeful in the streets.

However, unknowing of the holiday, Agath had ordered a rare public address.

It was actually a measure of desperation, as even the royal Myrneck¹s had begun to run out of food. He was soon to impose a claim on yet another portion of their harvests. A few Tisch¹Mon made ready the preparations, mostly as armed guards to protect the king in case of a not infrequent assassination attempt.

Some of them were posted at the edges of the city, some to escort loafers to the address. However, most were assigned to guard the walls as usual, and from this vantage point could be seen a strange dark blur on the horizon.

Curious at first, the guards of the West Wall, rang to their superiors, and stood their ground.

The Lonn Warrior found that speed was nothing more than moving with extreme fluidity. He ran effortlessly, and so fast he appeared as only a black blur.

His armor, which did not seem to weight him down at all was quite peculiar.

It was entirely black and shiny, and seemed metal, and yet yielded to the touch. Strangely, this black, skin-tight carapace seemed fused to him, as if it were a protective layer. When he reached the wall he stopped at once before it, despite the fact the inertia should have heaved him into the barrier with fatal force. With cold slowness Myrneck Lonn tilted his head up to the towers above, and saw the guards with spears ready. He grew angry with the remembrance of his escape, and he saw his father in his mind¹s eye.

"I will have my injustices rectified." he said inaudibly.

And slowly his body began to rise, his clenched fists began to blaze with a brilliant blue flame and before the guards could throw the first spears, he was at eye level with them.

"A flame of purity burns not the pure of heart or intention."

The guard looked questioningly from Myrneck Lonn to the other guard, and before he could look back, was incinerated with the blazing azure fire expelled from the warrior¹s hands. The other guard dropped his spear and his jaw, and watched as the lifeless, smoldering body dropped over the rails to the ground below. Before he could say a word he too shared this fate and Myrneck Lonn soared off the rim of the wall and landed unharmed amidst the decrepit houses and streets of Nyar.

XIII.

Myrneck Lonn closed his eyes and heard the voices that watched him and guided his every move. He talked with the souls of the dead, and when his eyes opened again, he knew his body was cloaked in invisibility. He slipped through the once busy marketplace, only to see a few grimy kiosks.

Confident in his safety, however, Agath appeared before the people of Nyar on his balcony. The dusty square below was packed full of onlookers. It was not every day that normal citizens got a chance to see a full-blooded Myrneck. However, the commoners really did not have a choice. Attendance of the address was absolutely mandatory, so many who stood looking up at the warped figure of the King held an apathetic air about them. Surrounding the bedraggled crowd in a ring were the Half-breeds.

Myrneck Lonn walked casually past a lumbering Tisch¹Mon and stood at the center of the crowd peering up at Agath as he began to speak.

"Fellow Nyararians! Let me congratulate you on a wonderful harvest this year. I have enjoyed it in great comfort. My subjects and I have been well-fed thanks to your efforts."

His tactlessness mockery of the famine had begun to anger many of them, and those who shouted boos and hisses were dragged off and beaten senseless by the Tisch¹Mon.

Agath drew another breath to continue, but was cut short by a startling deluge of blue fire which hit the underside of the marble balcony sending it and the King to the ground below.

Agath stood after he had pulled himself free from the wreckage, unharmed but furious, and hissing at all the commoners to stay back. From the crowd emerged a single dark figure. Tall, thin and ethereal, Myrneck Lonn approached Agath, reaching down and pulling the tyrant up by his collar.

A look of horror crossed the King¹s face.

"...Lo¹Gath?" he said in disbelief.

"Yes father. It is me..and yet, it is not."

The crowd gasped. Could it be...? Could it be that this bizarrely human character was the King¹s unnatural son? At these words a joy had begun bubbling up in the sleeping hearts of the people.

XIV.

"Stand up," said Myrneck Lonn to Agath.

Livid, Agath stood and reared back to strike him. But as Agath¹s arm came down Myrneck Lonn caught it by the wrist, and his hand ignited with a flash of blue, burning the King¹s hand and arm.

Agath jerked back, stunned.

"What did you do with Aronah!?" shouted Lonn loud enough for the commoners to hear.

Agath did not respond, but was filled with rage that he had spoken of his human mother in front of the masses.

The Lonn Warrior again asked the question, this time substituting "Aronah" for "Mother."

Myrneck Lonn charged with vengeance leaped into the air, and hovered there unnaturally. His blue flames intensified and threatened to rain down upon the tyrant.

"Did you kill her!?"

Agath scrambled past the commoners trying desperately to flee like a rat from some huge dark predator. All around him however, they laughed at this parody of a ruler.

"Wait!" shouted a single voice from the ocean of people.

All turned. It was yet another Myrneck, the High Priest.

"It was I Agath charged with the responsibility of dispensing of your mother. But I never killed her, despite his orders. I sent your mother to a place where I thought she would be safe. I knew...somehow..."

When Myrneck Lonn had returned his attention to Agath he found the coward had run. But the Lonnai Warrior ran faster and faster, his outline blurred and unseen forces guided him to the cowardly Agath.

Agath stopped short, terrified that they were now alone together.

"Son..forgive me...you do not understand."

Lonn made no answer. He simply raised his arm, as if to ignite his hands, but stopped just short of this and simply extended his index finger.

"Go."

Agath, momentarily unsure, quickly frowned; and stepped cautiously toward the Lonnai Warrior.

He leaned right next to his son¹s head, and whispered, "Never."

Agath lunged at his son, pulling his ornamental saber from its sheath in one fluid motion. The blade struck Myrneck Lonn directly in the chest, but instead of penetrating into his heart, it simply fragmented irreparably.

Myrneck Agath¹s face paled still further, and the boy struck him down with bursts of flame.

"Leave now Agath! And never come back! Abdicate now!"cried Myrneck Lonn.

"You¹ll have to kill me first you snivelling little brat!"

"Agath, you killed your father to take the throne just as the generations before you! I will not do the same."

Myrneck Lonn had risen into the air again as he spoke this and seemed to be emanating a strange glow as if he were absorbing unseen energies from all around him. The blue light swelled and swelled until the boy¹s figure was barely discernible in the brightness.

At last, the light was discharged toward the horrified Agath in a blinding magnitude which has never been paralleled since.

When the eerie glow had faded, all that remained of Agath was a small wooden likeness in the form of a tiny fruit tree. His stare was one of profound confusion, and it stood as a reminder to all who saw it that the aristocracy was fallen.

Most of the other Myrnecks fled, except the High Priest, who had a good soul, and offered to help the Lonnai Warrior retrieve his lost mother from the tendrils of the void.

The people cheered when they saw what had become of Agath, who had steadily begun to grow bigger, and sprout more and more limbs, each of which bore fruit. They eagerly crowned Lonn their King and benefactor.

In fact, everyone was so joyous, nobody seemed to notice that from the dusty cracks had sprung more sprigs, evidently grown from the fruit that had dropped from Agath¹s Tree.

And by nightfall , the entire desert had been replaced by an immense forest at the center of which stood the Agath Tree. The forest grew more and more, so much so that it broke through the stone barriers surrounding Nyar, and crumbled the old walls that held the people in.

At last the people were free, the prophesy fulfilled and years later Myrneck Lonn did find his mother Aronah, and had her brought back to the splendid woodland palace, to live out the rest of her life as royalty and matriarch to a long line of good and just rulers.