“The Legend of Kaiko - Chapter Two” By Aun Haider (A Fantasy Novel)

The heavy veil of night fell and with it, surrounding mystery. 
Udeniya was cloaked with darkness. The meeting had long been over, the guests had all left. But Kaiko couldn't recall a word that was spoken that evening. His mind was constantly daydreaming about the letter left by whoever 'M' was. 
All the royals of the different factions ever did was debate politics and it bored Kaiko to slumber. 

Above several floors, was Kaiko's chambers, in it was his open window and curtains that flapped against the wind like the wings of a dove. Kaiko was planning his escape. He couldn't leave the palace via the front doors as they were often guarded by their palace knights who slept in the day and stayed awake during the night, just like the Udeniyan owl. 

The starlight hung bright in the skies, as the only revealed secrets of the night. But soon, more mystery would come into the limelight, thought Kaiko. 
He knelt down towards the velvet floor of his chambers and tightened the straps of his boots, in preparation for the early night journey he was about to embark on. He then swung the mahogany doors to his wardrobe open and swiped out his favourite amethyst hooded cloak. He then swung it around his shoulders, fastening its golden buckle and medallion; a symbol of Udeniyan royalty. 
Finally, the last step in his preparation was to pull his ninja's mask over his face as the art of Udeniyan combat was taught to all Udeniyan royals from a young age and was a badge of honour to be worn by all of them in pride. 
After putting on his mask, he leapt through the window as though it were a hoop in one swift movement. 

He landed straight onto the slabby surface of the palace roofs and slid down its spires and domes until he reached the palace gardens painted with the complexion of midnight moonlight. 
"Right," Kaiko whispered, eyes wandering around his surroundings in thoughtful calculation. "Let's do this," and with that Kaiko carefully tracked the shadows of the rose hedges and circular rocks that were placed beautifully in a neat row leading out of the gardens and deeper into the night. He hadn't even told Chi-Shi about his decision to meet 'M' under the Udeniyan bridge, they all called 'The Silver'. 

He danced through the streets of Udeniya in the trajectory of a flying bat, the curiosity that the letter had sparked in him rising like a flaming sun on an inevitable day. 
A part of him wished he had the company of his good friend Chi-Shi but he knew that his current absence was for the best. Because along with the curiosity that lay on one scale of his heart, on the other was the coins of fear and doubt. He suspected that this 'M' person may be setting up a trap for him to perhaps capture a royal such as himself and use him as leverage to get copper coins and countless dimes from his parents. 
But his grandfather who had since fled Udeniya to escape the divided people of Light-Realm, had always told him to give everyone the benefit of the doubt as people were innocent until proven guilty in his eyes. While he wasn't sure he agreed with such a sentiment, he could respect it and try to uphold it in his memory. 

For a moment he froze in the shadows, a thought cast into the past, to the memories he held near and dear to his heart of his paternal grandfather and him and the good times they had spent during his youth. He wondered for a second what his grandfather would think of what he was doing. If he was making the right decision. 
Kaiko believed he would, which was why he stepped forth and continued his journey until finally, just before the horizon, the Silver could be seen. A lovely silvery bridge that looked just like the fallen crescent smile of the moon. 

Boats and lilypads alike sat afloat over the see-through skin of the lake, the lilypads devoid of flowers just as the boats were devoid of people. 
But as he approached stealthily in the quiet, ominous tranquillity of the night, his eyes caught sight of the same ninja who had presented herself as 'M' earlier on at the front doors of his palace. 
There she sat, on one of the birch boats that sat almost still over the lake's clear face that resembled the glass face of a mirror; reflecting the night sky and stars in a magnificent spectacle. 
Udeniya was a beautiful civilisation. Kaiko would hate to see it burn to a crisp due to the rising political tensions that constantly surrounded the palace of Udeniya. Or worse, he would lose it, and everything else to the inky taint of Dark-Realm. 
Forcing his fear to flee, Kaiko snapped out of the world of 'what could go wrong' and approached 'M'. 

The small boat docked, gently embracing the grassy earth of the ground Kaiko walked upon for a moment. 
"I'm glad you could make it," 'M' said, pulling down the mask that covered her mouth to reveal a pretty face. 
Kaiko hesitated for a second, taking a step back and thinking this through. 
"Don't worry, you can trust me," 'M' reassured. 
"Your name? You can't seriously expect me to call you 'M', can you?" Kaiko asked, still far too reluctant to sit on the boat with her. 
'M' giggled. "Milini," she said. "you must be prince Kaiko," she smiled.
"Yes, I am," Kaiko introduced, kneeling down to step into the boat, which shook against his slight weight. "Now, tell me, what could be so urgent that you brought me way out here in the dead of the night?" Kaiko tried to find Milini's eyes but they were avoiding his gaze as though in guilt, as she continued to eye the waters that lay beneath them like an ocean of tears. 
"I know what this looks like, it looks romantic, and believe me, it is supposed to," she said as she grabbed two of the oars of the boat and pushed them under the bridge. "But I assure you, this is nothing like that," Milini highlighted. "I," she then looked around to see if anyone was watching before finishing off her sentence in a hushed whisper. "I am starting an alliance," she revealed. 

Silence befell the two of them momentarily before Kaiko spoke up. "And, you want me to join this alliance of yours? But why me?"
Milini finally looked him in the eyes, her eyes wide with fear as though her very soul was crying out for help, as though she knew a great worrisome fact he didn't.
He wondered if she knew what he knew, about the absence of the Amulet of Hikara at Hikara's Temple.
"I need someone with status and sociological power," Milini admitted. "If the people learn of the new alliance that I am forging and see credible people that the Udeniyans have trusted for years, then they might actually join my cause." she said. 
"But what exactly is your cause?" Kaiko pressed on, his questions still left unanswered. 
"It's a cause of unity. You know as well as I that the people of Light-Realm are heavily divided. And it's distracting us from this great strange shift in energy that we've all felt," Milini murmured quietly under the bridge as though her words were blasphemy, but Kaiko was realising that maybe she was paranoid of the intentions of the average Udeniyan. 
Maybe because she wasn't from around here. He noticed the necklace she wore of the symbol of Nean royalty. 
That's when he realised exactly who she was.
"You're the princess of Nea, aren't you?" he asked. 
Milini nodded. "Quiet!" She whispered an embarrassed smile flickering across her face like the wavering curve of candlelight. "If my people discover that I am the one who is starting this alliance they won't forgive me. I'm sure you know this already, but my parents, your parents and many other royals have just signed a treaty. One that states that they will only unify under one rule if they sell all gold including melting and selling the gold from the Shrine of Hikara which is complete blasphemy! We have to protect the Temple of Hikara, find the amulet - which by the way has gone missing, and protect the barrier." Milini said. 
"Shh!" Kaiko said, almost placing a finger on her lips. "Someone could hear you. And also, how do you know about the missing amulet? You didn't steal it did you?" Kaiko asked.
Milini scoffed, offended. "Of course not! Who do you take me for?"
"Sorry," he said. "How do you know about it?" 
"Rumours spread. But this one, I had to see for myself. So I did." Milini explained. "Besides, I love travel." She then looked around before choosing her final words to him carefully. 
"Listen, prince Kaiko," she started, "the Temple of Hikara needs a guardian. And Light-Realm needs an alliance. I can't protect the peace on my own. What do you say?"
"Yes. Of course, I say yes. Count me in already. I won't let anyone lose Light-Realm. Whether their Nean or Udeniyan. What matters is that we're all human. I won't let the greed of our elders rob the future of the youth. It's unfair." Kaiko said. 
Milini smiled, as the two of them grabbed the oars and swayed the boat in the direction of where Milini had gotten it from. 

Kaiko stepped off the boat and turned around, offering a hand to Milini, who took his hand as she dismounted the boat with grace. 
"If anyone says they saw you and I together, just go with it, no-one can learn of the beginning of this alliance." Milini said. "Also, here," she dug into the depths of her fuchsia dress and pulled out a sack of copper coins. "This money can only go towards our alliance's base. Nowhere else. Got it?"
"Sure. Also, is this confidential or can my trusted friend Chi-Shi also join?"
"As long as this Chi-Shi remains tight-lipped about this all," Milini agreed.

"Ah," a voice boomed from the distance. Milini instantly jumped in shock and so did Kaiko, as the two of them turned around only to find Kaiko's father. "what a beautiful union," commented King Udeniya. "Kaiko, my son, I didn't know that you would surprise me so pleasantly. Why don't we arrange this together. Think of how good such an arrangement would be for the kingdom!"
But Kaiko was absolutely lost for words. This was not what it looked like. But it was about to be what he didn't want it to be. 
Oh how twisted was the path of fate, thought Kaiko. 

-30th March 2026.
Chapter Two Coming Soon!

(Image of Kaiko the Ninja by Aisha Haider)