Enigmas Red 赤

By Stone Prisms Media

Together their epic journey takes them across the globe from the hillsides of Tosa, to the ancient country of Egypt. Passion and rage leads both of them to something much more sinister. In the end, only the two of them can prevent their secret, as the original enigmas, from being revealed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stone Prisms Media
• Release date: Dec 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005900052

Stone Prisms Media

For it is on bold wings that we take to the skies of independence, though we know not of the dangers in doing such. We aim to maintain transparent integrity, with a respect of people and culture, welcoming readers of all kinds to enjoy a wonderful experience!

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ENIGMAS

赤

RED

(Prelude)

BY

Brandon D. Fuller

Copyright ©Stone Prisms Media LLC

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Chapter 1: My Brother's Keeper

The potential of your power is astounding, unfathomable for a boy such as yourself. Don't allow your rage to control, and limit, that potential. The wise teacher's words carry more weight than the impact of Nikola's fist as he strikes a hole through the center of his target causing it to splinter. Blood begins to soak through the bandages that are wrapped around his knuckles. He routinely works himself into a maddening disposition, opening the wounds that have yet to fully heal. His blood seems to boil, the combination of the sun and his dangerously high body temperature. As he thinks more and more about his instructor's slight premonition, he clinches his fists even tighter and prepares for another powerful strike. Brother! The voice of Hannibal interrupts Nikola with his fist only inches away from another wooden target. His blood splatters from the force of his fist swiftly stopping. Holding his form temporarily he turns around slowly to his older sibling who continues, the hour for dinner is upon us. The chancellor has called a feast for Lord Naak (golden), we mustn't be late.

Nikola, well nobody really, thinks very highly of the obnoxious Lord Naak. His family's legacy is that of gold hoarders that stretch back as long as the order, even rumored to have sold out several members and secrets in exchange for a mass amount of the world's gold. Lord Naak just so happened to be a result of entitled conditioning, and he was the extreme manifestation of such family history. He was maniacally obsessed with capturing every piece of gold in the world, at all costs.

Walking through the copper corridors of Lord Naak's temple Nikola begins to express extreme displeasure with the idea of further service to the current holder of the High Lord title. He asks frustratingly, how much longer must we slave along to this false ideology, withering away under this fool!? Hannibal gives his younger brother a stoic look, only offering a patient sense of calm. He answers, we must fulfill our duties to the order, for in our service we shall find our kingship. Nikola snatches away and continues walking. I have served for fifteen seasons; each year becomes harder to willingly withhold my true potential. This time his brother's utterance forces Hannibal to grab his little brother by the arm yelling, you are but a boy! Your duty is worth seven lifetimes! Don't you ever forget your obligation to the scrolls, to our history!

Over the years Hannibal's skin has slowly darkened and his heart has hardened with it. The wise sages call it the spell of the gods that have been cursed to roam the Earth, the sum of knowing every single one of the world's tragedies as they happen. He once described the gaining of wisdom to be, like a blazing fire that sears his flesh as if it's being ripped from his bones. Hannibal understood that in order to be properly aligned with their forthcoming destiny, the brothers would have to be in position when the time arose, even if that meant prolonged servitude.

At the entrance of the dining hall the brothers pass a set of dwarfs, grimacing and grumpy, that represent the cursed result of thievery under Lord Naak's rule. The two of them had been caught attempting to pilfer food for their families in the village. Their stomachs were terribly distorted as they were force fed food for hours at a time. Lord Naak was notorious for his torturous punishments, and with most he was unrelenting.

The two dwarfs step in front of the boys at once, preventing their access onto the hall. You would think that they have already learned their lesson, jokingly chirps Nikola, clinching his fists, nonetheless. Hannibal extends his arm in front of his brother and withdraws two gold coins, placing one in each of their hands. He reveals, they have paid for their sins with their lives, whatever they collect will not change that. Besides, they only work under the instruction of the ruling lord. Inside of the dining hall is one long rather majestic looking table stretching from one end of the room to the other. The ceilings are unusually tall, an overcompensation of sorts, for the diminutive Lord Naak who is standing at the tables end. Before the boys can take their seats at the opposite end Lord Naak says simply, come, signaling for the boys to join him at two table settings directly in front of his very own. He continues, as heirs and future lords of this wonderful culture and kingdom, it is only natural that you dine as close as possible to the keeper of the sacred covenant. He makes his way back to his seat at the head of the table then declares, That is I, Lord Naak, High Priest of this providence, treasure keeper to the entire world! Nikola looks at his brother and shakes his head as they pull out their chairs. Hannibal only smiles.

Only those that can afford it will attend the celebratory feast, of Lord Naak's armies capturing the last of his enemy's gold reserves, and possibly initiating war with ruling the High Priest of the providence to the north. Nikola whispers to Hannibal, does he know that all of the gold in the world won't stop this place from burning to the ground because of all of his treachery? Hannibal only nudges his younger sibling as he raises his cup to congratulate the lord on his great expedition. Lord Naak smiles pleasantly, his grin almost as disturbing as it is conniving. Even his returning generals know to beware of his manic personality, possible of switching in an instant. The overbearing lord interrupts the round of hand claps as he declares, my endearing favorites of the Providence of Naak, let me be the first to bring you the announcement, of a change made to the last decree! Everyone pauses in immediate shock as his echo carries the news the distance of the table. Nikola and Hannibal exchange devastated looks, rivaled only by the soldier's that stand next to them.

What appears to be a commander of Lord Naak's army speaks up at once, but Lord our armories will take weeks to replenish, at least sir. Instantly the ego driven lord gives the soldier a nasty look! Then he calmly states, the favor of the gods is upon us, we will take what is rightfully ours at a moments notice. The commander slumps into a chair at the table. Sliding along a fully dressed ham to where his commander is seated Lord Naak gleefully orders, enjoy this great feast my great general! In the morning you will gather your troops and ride west to the least of the providences! Perplexed and terrified the commander asks, you mean in Lord Dean's territory sir? But he's a High Priest, like you right? It will be considered an act of war! Lord Naak digs his sharpened nails into the glazed ham, ripping out a large chunk from its center. In the midst of this he declares, his family does not descend from the order of our fathers, and there is gold sitting under the coast. That is my birthright, before stuffing the shreds of meat into his mouth. He pulls out a dazzling golden dagger and waves it slowly around the general's head. Of course, the man's face is covered with terror. In a swift motion he forces the blade through the soldier's back, piercing his heart, and withdraws it quickly! You! he yells, pointing the blood dripping dagger in Nikola's direction. Feast and prepare yourself, if you really are to be heir to the throne, then now is the time to show and prove it. You have just been made lead general. I expect excellence...and gold! His words and laughter as he returns to his chair feel like a death sentence in the room now filled with silence, and a literal one for the former lead general.

He knows what he is doing! declares an enraged Nikola as he enters the brothers’ sleeping quarters. We have to wait and see, maybe there is a method to his madness, urges Hannibal. Nikola instantly retorts, to wipe out the last true remaining bloodline connected to our history! To rewrite the entire thing as his own! Don't you see!? Hannibal in his honorable loyalty to the order has never thought of betraying something in which he has always held so dearly. Conversely, he has never thought of that very thing betraying him so flagrantly. Falling backwards, it is exactly the thought that races through his head, of a destroyed and starving land as far as the eyes could see. The once flourishing farmlands that had kept a number of the surrounding villages fed for centuries had long dried up and become either acidic swamp waste or disappeared altogether. But the elders... begins a stunned Hannibal before Nikola defiantly interrupts, the elders would've understood that the spirit dried up in this place a long time ago brother! The only way to change it, is to escape, snatch the throne for ourselves! Hannibal looks at his brother, troubled by his words and ambitions, still altogether befuddled. The even more fiery Nikola then attempts to appeal to his brother's trust in prophecy urging, once in our hands, we can restore it back to its rightful destiny! Hannibal is still too shaken to speak, only shaking in silence, thinking about the domino effect of Lord Naak's new decree. He knew that they couldn't just sit and let their fate be sealed, or broken, by a rogue ruler. Never before in the history of war had a boy of so few years been elected to lead a providence in battle, so Lord Naak's ploy was too sadistic to assume anything other than an attempt to assassinate his predecessors. Leaving would be no simple task though, as never before had a person within the order left without losing their life as well in the process. Abandonment was a treason justified only through death to even the most upstanding of the elders, sages, and teachers of the sacred wisdom. With Nikola's scheduled departure only a sunrise away, the two of them had to think fast.

In the middle of the passing night Hannibal is abruptly awoken by his younger sibling who is packed and ready to make a daring escape outside of the region that begins the enchanted forest. Brother we must leave now, urges Nikola as his brother struggles to stay fully awoke. Hey snap out of it man! Oddly enough, not only is Hannibal unable to speak, but his muscles have weakened, evident as he collapses to the floor! He's been poisoned! yells Nikola to no apparent help available, none on the way. In a mere second he is grabbed from behind, blindfolded, and forced to inhale sleep inducing toxins!

Wake up young prince, you have an entire world left in front of you to conquer. The man responsible for preparing Nikola for battle is Ivan Arrowhead, a master archer in Lord Naak's army, and an old loyalist to the sacred order. In chains to prevent his escape Nikola asks, what keeps you loyal to a man that's a murderer of children? Ivan lifts up a small cup of water to Nikola's lips, one he rejects, before answering, I remain loyal to those that are to come. Feebly, Nikola raises his head to allow his eyes to meet his caretakers. He responds, those that are scheduled to come, have came and went already. There is nothing left here, no reason for us to carry on like this. You are from a lineage of sun warriors; it is your civil duty prince to defend your people's honor. Ivan's words seem to pierce Nikola straight through the heart, hearing his obligatory death sentence. Before preparing to unstrap the young warrior from