COTN House of Karen Part 9

9.  The New Head Council

Kiring looked into the mountain crater now the tremors has stopped. The island still stands as the tower top marks it burial place. She looked at around the rising crater and only three towers still remain standing as before. Of the three towers, there is one which seemed to stand well before the other two.

Its the only one which still has the emblem of the Dragon in Flight with its talon holding the Serpent there. She remembered the tower. Its the Tower of Scholar and Magic. It reside across the lake. The main chambers of the place are libraries and workshop for magic while the rest are barracks for the guard. Its the place where the learning congregate and share their findings. Its also the burial chambers of the great leaders; packed into small containers and kept in the Inner Chamber.

Kiring need to get across the lake, and the lake is dry now but its muddy and slippery. Kiring finds no issue with that, as she may have experienced in such movements. She placed her hand on the ground and then the man sized serpent appeared. Its a young one but a size able one. Kiring spoke to her child and then the child pulled its mother across the wet surface of drying lake on a warrior shield as a sled. The trip was long and bumpy to Kiring but she soon made it. 

She got up from the sled and thank her child. She stepped forth to walked towards the main entrance of the Tower. If she recalled it well, the main Library is beyond this door, and the Inner Chamber is supposed to be hidden in the Library. Its a magical doorway to the chamber and not many know of where it reside.

Kiring pushed at the doors but it won't budge. She pushed harder and yet it won't open. She pull her hand back and reached for the four mini daggers. The daggers on her palm soon assimilate into her fingers and she used them to cut into the doorway. The doors dissolve on the cut and she is now looking at the library which was once her place of fun when Orina is not around.

The library is stacked ten floors high with many shelves of scrolls and parchments.

She searched for hours and till five days and nights fall and yet she cannot find the doorway. She searched the old scrolls and there was nothing to lead her to the Lord.

It was only when she was on the fourth level that she noticed something else when she looked down. The table that was in the center of the library looks like any table except the carving on the table top has seven keys drawn on it that points to the right of the library. Across the hall is a long scroll that hangs on the wall reaches from the base of the library to the second level; the scroll tells the story of a flying dragon who flew to the sky. The keys on the table top are arranged in a manner which the seventh key is in the center.

Kiring rushed down to the table on the ground floor. She climbed up the table and walked towards the center of the long table. She find herself standing on top of the seventh key symbol. She placed her feet over it and looked back at the scroll. The scroll is dissolving and now stands before her eyes is the entrance to another chamber. She rushed over and without any consideration, she jumped into the scroll.

It took her to dark void but her feet are on solid ground. She soon hear the breathing of a large creature which each exhale is burning flames that light up the creature. Kiring looked in shock at the creature and noted its a dragon lying on its its limbs, as in sleeping. Its  lying next to a crypt that probably contain the dead King physical body. It must be the magical chamber that holds the dragon here to guard the body but it stirred up soon as its caught the scent of the intruder. Its a real to her then, as the dragon breathes in deeply and then releases a bigger flame on its exhale.

"Serpent! Show yourself to me."

"I am here, My Lord and King of the House of Karen. My name is Kiring of the House of Karen. I was a Serpent Queen but I am back to my old self as a warrior of Karen." Kiring explained herself and find relief in the flame as the magical chamber is cold and devoid of anything that resembles a wall but yet its all dark everywhere. It could be a large chamber but its edges cannot be seen as its dark.

"A Serpent is always one and there is no such thing as turning back. Once a Serpent always a Serpent. So spare your talks and let me devour you." The dragon exhaled another spurt of flame at Kiring but she jumped aside.

"I see that you have moves in you, Serpent." The dragon got up to its feet and flapped out its wings. Kiring on seeing the agitated dragon immediately dropped to her knees and pleaded for mercy.

"My Lord, the First King of Karen. I would like to beg for your mercy and please do not kill me. I am Kiring, daughter of High Council Orina of the House of Karen. I was Set's lover but I have renounced him as my mother had done on her' too. I did not choose to be his bribe as my mother did not had that choice too. We are a living legacy which we cannot avoid. Our first daughter is destined to serve Set as his bride but the legacy also tell of our betrayal. Forgive me, my Lord."

"High Council? Legacy? Set' lover? So it Set has got his legacy working on the people of Karen. Its sad but its interesting how the link cannot be broken even though for ages, many have tried. What is your name again, child?"

"Kiring, daughter of Orina, High Council of the House of Karen." Kiring bowed once more to the founder of the House of Karen.

"Kiring, I created the legacy. I did it to keep my hold on Set. Just as I created the new House of Karen to be the nemesis of Set. Unfortunately, all through the ages., the House of Karen may hold sway over Set but not his power and his allies. That's where I failed to stop them permanently. Your people may had defeated Set many times but never destroyed his influence or resurrection." The dragon changed to his Elf form but only in a corporeal form, as only his soul exist here.

"Just as Set is my son, I had to stop him which is why among the brides of his would be one from Karen. That one would always betray him and kill him. Such was my legacy." The Lord continue on. "Its been ages since I met any one of you. Tell me Kiring of Karen, who do you seek me?"

"My Lord, I come to tell you that the House of Karen is destroyed and its people scattered in many places. I have to come here on the request of the Guardians of Water if I am to be their new Head Council."

"Head Council? You can be one without my consent. The previous ones did not seek my approval. Why now?" The Lord spoke out in defiant. "The House of Karen did not consult me at all."

"That's why they fell to defeat after defeat. Now you come here, and tell me you seek my approval. For what? The House is no more. The people scattered as your words. Now tell me, Kiring. Why did you not seek the consent of the Guardians of Water? They were the ones who counsel the people during those ages."

"They failed the people which is they asked me to seek you." Kiring had to think fast and watched the floating soul of the Lord paced around the crypt. "They knew they failed which they asked me to see you. They know their own limits and they want you back as their Lord as you were once before they banished you here."

"How did you know?" The Lord asked of her.

"The time in the library also allowed me to read some old scrolls. It was written in one and I read it." Kiring fell to her knees once again. "Forgive your people once more, my Lord. They only wanted to start the new House without the influence of the old House. Help them and yourself, and also the new people in rebuilding the House of Karen. Show me the correct ways to be Head Council but before that, give me the power to defeat Set and punished him."

"Kiring, you may defeat Set, but you cannot killed him. Its the duty of another. All your allies have their roles and yours is to defeat the Set only. Never killed him, Kiring. Its not your duty."

Kiring bowed lower but her head did not touch the ground as the dragon lifted her up by its claw.

"My Lord, are you here?" Kiring rise up to her feet and looked at the dragon.

The dragon motioned to Kiring to mount his back. She did as his instruction and they flew into the darkness which soon light up to be a portal. They flew through it, and they emerged into the library. Kiring looked back and saw that the scroll is behind them and the dragon let her off on the flooring. The dragon revert back to the corporeal form, and he walked the shelves.

"I need to find the scroll." The Lord went by the shelves and start looking. "I found it. They hardly move anything since I left. Help me with that."

Kiring took the scroll down for the Lord and unfolded it. She laid it flat on the floor and the Lord read lines to released the chant. A small box came floating towards her and land on her feet. She picked it up and slowly opened the box.

Inside it, is the bracelet. Its of iron design and yet its not iron. The bracelet is etched on it are seven dragon in flight together. She wanted to put the bracelet on her right hand but it would not fit.

"The bracelet would not fit onto yours. It would only fit on mine." The Lord reached out to it and it would not fit onto his.

"I forget that I am dead." The Lord sighed and then he looked at Kiring.

"I am sorry. I forgot that my time is over. You must overcome Set but you need the bracelet to defeat him." The Lord then smiled and looked back to the warrior.

"I can be your missing hand. Then you can wear the bracelet and also wield the power within it. Do you agreed?"

Kiring nodded. She removed her armor and shield that she fashioned earlier for her missing limb.