Dawn of Dusk
Chapter 7: Palace at Karron

Borrial finished filling his saddle pack for the hunting trip. He put on his riding gloves and reached into a special container. He grabbed the creature and went to his horse, he pushed a small button on the side of his saddle horn and the top of the horn opened up. Inside went a devastator bug.

A devastator bug is a beetle that has both a horn and a stinger. The horn is hollow and poison is injected into its victim through the horn. The stinger does the same. These beetles are very aggressive. Any movement near them sends them charging. They have been known to charge a man or a horse causing death within minutes in either. Riding gloves allow enough protection that an individual would have complete safety handling them, but clothing or bare skin left one vulnerable.

“Well Krakal,” he thought, “I hope you have enjoyed your life. Your heir, Lemmal is a trusting fool. I expect that his brother, Lymeel, who has wanted to be counselor to a king all of his life, will happily fulfill that responsibility for him.

In one day I will cement my claim on two kingdoms. Mine because my father agreed to step aside when I got married and Fulsimter through control now and later I will have it by reign.”

He climbed up in his saddle and rode over to where the hunt was assembling. He rode over to the king of Fulsimter was sitting on a spirited stallion. Borrial had made sure that the king had that horse. He knew exactly how to make that horse buck and do everything he could to dismount his rider. Only the best of horsemen could stay with it when he decided he didn’t want to be ridden.

Borrial had a whistle that could not be heard by humans. Horses could, however, and this particular pitch sent Ranger, the king’s horse, into fits. When he and the king were alone, he would blow the whistle, when the king fell, the devastator bug would appear and the poor king would be dead within minutes the result of an unfortunate accident.

Lymar gave him the deference he wanted and he spoke to the king. “Your majesty, we need to speak privately today about the future of our kingdoms. I must discuss with you the hand of your lovely and gracious daughter.”

“Well, Prince Borrial that is a subject that I would be most happy to discuss with you. Will your father take a part in the conversation as well?”

“No, he had pressing matters today, he will most certainly ratify our agreement tonight, and after all, the repurchase of Princess Mirtar’s dowry will be coming from my own funds, Father could not make too much of a fuss now could he.

“Well I would hope he had no objections, I know he has not been feeling well. He is all right isn’t he?”

“Is father alright? He is fine; he is worried about the Elves right now. Most Men don’t have to deal with the Sub-humans, the Dwarves and the Elves, but since our kingdom shares a border with both races, Father sent the Duke of Cryarlac to negotiate with them. He is particularly good at sucking up to lesser creatures, he did wonders with the Dwarves, and they refine all our iron ore now.”

“Yes, I heard about that. You were sent to the Elves were you not?”

“Yes, thank goodness I convinced Father that Vistyral was especially talented in that area.”

“Well Prince Borrial, stick with me today, we will get an opportunity to get together alone sometime during the day and we will discuss your marriage to my daughter.”

“I will do as you wish your Majesty.”

The two men joined the group and shortly the hunt was on. Borrial stayed close to Krakal. He was afraid that Lymar might hover around him, but obviously she realized that the two men had business to discuss and kept her distance riding with some of the ladies in the castle and Borrial’s younger sister, Kaymar.

Krakal led Borrial off into a more secluded area and looked over the agreement that Borrial had prepared.

“This looks like a perfectly good arrangement. The dowry is a bit high, but she will be a queen, and that is worth a little more now isn’t it.”

“If you could date the document yesterday, Your Majesty, I would be most glad. I met with your daughter last night for a few minutes and I told her that I had your blessing.” Borrial smiled as Krakal looked up.

“She played hard to get did she? Good for her, okay it is dated for yesterday.” He placed his seal on the wax that was there and handed the document to Borrial.

Borrial read over the document, smiled, placed the document into his pouch, and put the whistle in his mouth. He checked to make sure that they were out of anyone’s vision and blew into the whistle. Ranger went berserk. Krakal was a fairly good horseman, but Ranger was determined to dismount its rider.

As Krakal fought Ranger for control, Borrial opened up his saddle-horn and grabbed the devastator bug. Krakal fell to the ground and the devastator quickly followed.

Borrial couldn’t have been luckier. The beetle gored Krakal and then stung him with the stinger. Krakal died within seconds.

Borrial got on his horse and started to cry. He rode after the chase crying and shouting for help. At last, he found a group who would follow him, and he led them to the deceased king.

“The horse bolted, I don’t know what caused it. I followed to try and steady the horse, the king fell and was stung by a devastator bug. He died almost instantly,” Borrial told them. I tried all I could do to save him; but he died.”

To the world Borrial was inconsolable; he couldn’t get over the loss of the friend he had just recently made. He blamed himself needlessly because he had done all he could do to save the king. In reality, Borrial delighted in the knowledge that he could murder someone so easily.

He was acclaimed the hero for trying to save the king, when in reality he was the murderer. The next day, Lemmal, crown prince of Fulsimter granted him their highest honor, Defender of the Crown, and offered him an honorary knighthood. Of course he could not accept the latter as crown prince of another sovereign nation but he made a speech showing his loss and grief.

That night he laughed into his pillow, but the servants outside thought it was tears of grief and brought him herb tea to help him sleep.