It had all began three years ago when the King of Zambe had died. Ezra had been one of the many Kingsmen who had aspired to ascend the throne. But after seven full moons of political battle, the oracle had spoken, and Ezra had not only been denied the throne, but he was also to leave his position as a Kingmaker. So had his long descent begun.
Ezra took it all in stride at the time, he knew that indeed no oracle had spoken. It was all the handwork of those who hated his prolific rise to prominence among the Zambe people, and now they had fully shown their hands to him. He knew that he was definitely on his way down, but he also knew that he would not fall completely, at least not if he could do something about it.
That was when his quest for the fabled Fountain of Doom had been sparked...
In Zambe folklore, the Fountain of Doom was what helped the Zambe army conquer their enemies during the great wars. It had also made a few of their generals immortal, and the immortal ones had then spearheaded waves of attack on the enemy ranks without sustaining a single casualty. Thus, all enemies of the Zambe people had fled for their lives. Ezra always thought that it was ironic that it was called the Fountain of Doom, because its waters had given eternal life.
But then no one really knew where the Fountain was, at least no one who was alive. Folklore on the other hand, had it that the fountain was hidden deep in the dangerous forests of Kudu, there where the Zouls (the spirits of those immortal generals who had later been sacrificed after the wars) protected it from mere mortals.
So it was that Ezra had set out for the forest one day, with the sole intent of returning an immortal, and showing the people of Zambe who truly deserved to ascend the throne...
That was a little over two years ago, and Ezra's journey had been far from smooth. First, at the outskirts of the forest he had encountered all sorts of wild and strange animals. He had expected this so he had come armed with his spear, a slingshot and a machete. He was to find however, after his first kill, that only a weapon laced with a bit of his own blood would harm any of the animals in Kudu. So he had taken his blood, and smeared it over his spear and machete.
For three moons Ezra fought bravely. He put down all and any strange animals which he encountered. And then on the fourth moon he reached the place where folklore referred to as the "Hazy Thickets of Kudu". Here weapons were of no use, as this was the home of all the dead sorcerers and high priests who once lived among the Zambe people.
Ezra knew about this as he had consulted a high priest before he began his journey. At the edge of the hazy thicket, he brought out some items from his bag, placed them on the floor alongside some remnants of his last kill, and proceeded to recite some incantations. After hours of repetitive recitations, a shadowy figure appeared, towering high above Ezra. Ezra didn't look to the figure's face, for according to folklore, that would mean instant death. Instead he simply waited with his head bowed, until the figure handed him a slender object; that which folklore termed the Sindle-Wand.
With the wand Ezra made his way safely through the Hazy thickets, but even with his newly acquired weapon, it still took him a full year to negotiate its magical paths. But finally, finally... Ezra came upon the fountain, and of course, the fabled Zouls...
They were many, as far as Ezra could see, they were Zouls everywhere. The battle that ensued was better seen than told. Ezra, summoning the power of the wand, fought with the skill and magic of a thousand sorcerers. But what truly gave him the victory was his raw untainted determination. His desire for vengeance over what the Zambe kingmakers had meted out to him towered far above the will of the Zouls to prevent a mortal from reaching the fountain. The battle lasted for a couple moons, magic against mystery. And when it was at its end, Ezra stood. He was finally at the verge of fulfilment...
Tell me, will you be seeking vengeance today...?
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