of the Kingdom would gather in the capital as well for this culturally significant event. The ambience around the capital was energetic and lively. The princes had been born in the same week on two different days, just as one day transitioned to another. To ensure that both princes’ birthdays would be celebrated on the same day, the people of Hetheil decided to make it a tradition to celebrate their birthdays at the end of their birthday weeks. It wouldn’t be two days in a row, it would be on the last day of the week, one huge celebration.
A day before this annual event, the boys had to be patient and go through a day of lessons. To their displeasure of course. “Elis, Allan! Get out of bed this instant, Wilmot is waiting, the two of you have lessons today”, shouted Henriet, trying to get the sleeping princes up. The two had been dreaming about the long-awaited festivities on the following day. It seems that the princes were not responsible yet, they still have a lot to learn. The now irritated king then yanked Allan out of his bed followed by pushing Elis out of his as well. Both slumped to the floor, still clinging to their covers. Allan awoke to find himself on the floor and his father angrily gazing at him all the while his brother Elis was still snoring away. “Oh, the youth nowadays, Allan please wake your lazy brother up and get yourselves ready to go for class”. Allan nodded as he watched his father slam their bedroom door behind him as he went. Doing just as his father told him, he crept his way around to his sleeping brother and yelled into his ear, “Elis wake up!” The boy jolted up out of shock and in response to the sudden scream into his ear. “Ow, why’d you have to do that?” questioned the half-asleep Elis, to which Allan replied, “sorry brother but the sun has already risen, father is angry at us, we were supposed to be at the temple by now”. “Oh, then we better hurry to class”, the boys packed their wooden swords, notes, and their quill pens. But before they whisked off, they had to put on their royal medallions, these were to signify proof of being the two princes and they would always put these on when they left their quarters in the palace. Two guards would escort them to the temple as a precaution, it may be a time of peace but crime within the city is on the rise.
The group exited the city from the northern gate to arrive at the Temple of Pedna, just beyond the city walls. At the entrance, they departed and the guards went back to the city. The boys were very late that day and their teacher, Wilmot, would surely punish them for this. He was not at the temple’s entrance, they climbed the steps that led from the entrance into the old barracks, where they usually met him. “Allan, if the old man asks why we are late, tell him that father detained us as there was a guest in the palace” to which Allan replied “okay, Elis”. The temple was the oldest in the land, to the Humans it is a temple devoted to the god of war and it dates to before the first century. It was once a part of an army encampment during the Diamonheimian Civil war that predates the city of Ohith where the wounded soldiers would be treated here. Many were dying and the hospital had many patients to pander to, the war had left its mark on the temple, its dark history stained unto its walls. Now it lies in ruins, a shadow of its former self. In its many years in service it not only served as a temple but also as a hospital for the sick and wounded. The temple also had a barracks, practice range, an armoury and a pool. Wilmot was its current caretaker. Deep within the temple in a room that was at a time used to host an oracle, a staircase leads from the chamber down into a small underground crypt, heaps of gold, weapons and jewellery are kept there unbeknownst to all in the land except for Wilmot. Though in ruins with vines growing out of, into and all over it, it was still quite a beautiful place and all the people in the kingdom envied the princes for having had the privilege of learning in and from the building. The princes on the other hand did not yet treasure the temple or even appreciate the fact that they were royals.
The boys darted up the steps into barracks, coming to find no one there. They then went to the practice range. Just as they turned the corner to enter the outdoor range, a stern looking Wilmot the elder emerged from behind a pillar in his usual black robes. He was quite muscular for a man of his age, his body covered with scars from his past involvements in the military. A mind that has not found its equal, he was a true genius when it came to knowledge and his skills as a fighter made him a man of much worth. He towered over the young boys, he bent down and asked. “You are late my young princes, what detained you?” said the smouldering mentor. Elis wittingly replied “sir we were detained by our father, there was a guest to the palace, we would have been here on time if not for our father’s guest”, “I see, though Elis the words from your tongue have not always been reliable” said Wilmot. He then turned to face Allan and asked him “Allan is what Elis said, true? My boy you have never told a lie a before, at least to my knowledge, I trust you more than him, tell me the truth”. Out of fear, Elis gulped a mouthful of air, for he knew Allan would tell him the truth. “Sir, we were not detained by father but rather by our own sleep”.
After that a moment of silence came between all of them. “Thank you, Allan, that’s all I needed and as for you Elis, I once gave you a lesson on lying, you only lie if you are a politician and if I was your political enemy or if I was your enemy on the battlefield, for this both of you must tidy up the entire temple while I step out, after your lessons. Now go join the others!” The boys nodded in agreement. They went into the practice range to join their two other classmates. A young boy and a girl would join them for class, they were both born into noble families the children of high ranking aristocrats, should the Reeves’ be absent to the thrown their families would step in to take their place.
Wilmot was giving a lesson on the corruption of a person. After having taken their seats the brothers looked at one another disappointingly, tidying up the old temple is not an easy task. “Your mind is your most powerful tool but remember it is a tool, never let it use you, never let others use it as well. You are your heart and when your heart corrupts, everything that made you, everyone around you will mean nothing, whatever it is you are after will consume you, darken your thoughts and you will do anything to obtain your goals. It is easy to turn away from those you love for something you love even more, as Humans we are responsible for each other, corruption amongst just one of us could spell disaster. Let your heart corrupt and you will be more beast than man. Our minds are never to be taken lightly, there is nothing more powerful…”
After a day of lessons, the other two students were escorted out of the temple. The princes stayed behind as they complied with their mentor to remain and clean up the temple. “The two of you can leave for the palace when I return”, “yes sir” said Allan and Elis. Henriet allowed Wilmot to give the boys harsh punishments, to him it was the only way for kings to be made. Through serving, obeying and not just living the posh lifestyle of a royal. They began just as he left. “Why Allan? Why’d you have to tell the old goat? Look at what we have to do now, this could have been avoided if you’d just backed up my story” asked Elis. “Sir is smarter than that, I am sure he already knew why we were late, he isn’t the old goat you think he is, if I had lied as well, we would’ve been in bigger trouble, anyway it’s not good to lie to our superiors” said Allan. “Fine but he is not our superior, we are the sons of the king, he is just an old man, shout for me when he comes back as I am going to explore the temple while I sweep” said his upset brother. “Okay Elis, I will and I’ll do the same” said Allan.
After a while, their mentor still had not returned and the boys were still tidying up the temple. The boys were sweeping far apart from each other as it was a large structure. Elis then went into the oracle’s quarters, in the corner of the room he noticed a broken wooden cart. He moved it to sweep under it, he spotted a handle hidden in the floor, the curious seven-year-old he was, he gripped it and with his body weight pulled the hatch open, a staircase appeared. “Woah, that looks cool, I shouldn’t tell Allan about this I know he’ll tell the old goat, wonder what’s down there” Elis whispered to himself. He took a torch in the room and shut
the door to the oracle’s quarters and locked it. He then descended into the darkness with his torch.
He closed the hatch behind and climbed down the staircase. The fire on his torch suddenly died, it was dark all around him, then he noticed a golden light coming from deeper in the crypt, he journeyed further down, until a room greeted him, full of gold. There were piles of gold and silver coins, there were many mighty weapons buried underneath the coins, chests in the corner and a mysterious door at the end of the room.
Elis had never seen anything like it but before he knew it, he heard Allan calling out his name at the arrival of their mentor. He panicked and hurriedly ran up the stairs, he then pushed the hatch open, scouring the room to check if the cost was clear. He hoped out and closed the hatch and then pushed the cart over it, he pushed another cart against and covered the mess with a sheet, ensuring no one would discover it. He ran out of the room and into the hall where he heard his brother calling for him.
The two were there, his mentor and