Entering the throne room, the young prince felt small and insignificant to the sheer grandeur of the room, almost to say that everyone who comes before the king or in this case the queen is insignificant and meaningless in comparison to them. The young prince's mother was a tall slender woman, muscularly defined from all her years of constant battle, her eyes solid and absolute, unyielding and unshakable like the very boulders that held the foundations of the capital, she was those very foundations. While she sat upon that golden throne, she held herself with a sense of prestige and reverence as she stared down the young prince. The prince's mother wore a long crimson red flowing dress with gold wristbands on each of her hands. The dress had an ornate plated gold V-neck. The plates were shaped like the feathers of tai wa jangwani (Desert Eagle). The V-neck ended at the base of her abdomen, exposing some of the prince's mothers side boob. On her neck she wore a golden ringed choker from the choker, a necklace stemmed from it ending at the centre of her chest. Upon her head she wore a majestic headpiece shaped like God rays of Allight, the golden reflection from the headpiece gave it an almost ethereal-like glow. On the queen's face she had an intricate pattern of simiturised golden lines and dots implanted into her skin like tribal marks. These tribal marks linded her from head to toe. On the Empress's ears she wore a simple looped earpiece. 

“Young Prince, what took you so long?” the Empress questioned.

“Forgive me, High Queen, whilst eating I accidentally dropped my plate causing it to shatter. Princess Omarai then ordered me to clear it up, that is the reason for my delay.” The young prince took the knee as he spoke to his mother. 

Looking to the left of the Empress the young prince saw the representative of the Alang tu vewat, the great prognosticator of Sight, the mwonaji mwanamke Azrahi. The Mwonaji had an ornate headpiece of interlocking chains that covered her face like a veil, the centre of her headpiece on her forehead had a sapphire black gemstone to represent the awakening of greater Sight from Allight. At the top of Azrahi's head she had a second headpiece with gold plated slick fabric. The headpiece had a main plate of gold and oval in shape, and was placed on the crown of the forehead which held the headpiece together. On this main plate of gold three spiked prongs emerged from it. One at the centre of the oval plate the other two were angled at 45 degrees and the other at -45 degrees. The headpiece covered the sides of Azrahi’s face and ears like a hijáb with its silk fabric. Azrahi’s eyes were a glazed grey colour, as all the Alang Tu Vewat would go through a ritual which would make their first sight blind as a dedication to Allight to only use the Sight given to them by Allight. On her face she had a thick black bar of permanent face paint that went over her eyes and eyebrows like a mask. From the base to the point of her nose she had a golden line painted. The mwonaji wore her usual assortment of robes. The robes were made out of a special material called Vebruzoreta. This material was like silk but was very good at dispelling heat as Alang tu vewats would wear their robes in the festering heat and if they were made from any other materials, they all would cook under Allights gaze. The robe was broken into five consecutive different pieces. The first thing that was put on was a simple white dress, this dress would go all the way to the bottom of the feet. On top of that the Alang tu vewat would wear something similar to a towel robe that was dyed gold, and on it had intricate symbols and designs. No one knows what those symbols meant as they work a secret kept within the Alang tu vewat and outsiders of the order were not allowed to know the inner workings of the Alang tu vewat. The third layer was again another dress but this time from the waist down the dress was cut up into thick ribbons. This layer was coloured black with gold patterns woven into the silk like fabric. The fourth layer was a long diamond shaped cowl coloured bronze-yellow with gold patterns lining it. The cowl had two sections of blue ropes. The first section twisted from the front of the third dress around to the back of it looping under the arms. A second section of blue ropes flowed down all the way to the floor. The end of the blue rope was noted with gold bulbs and some of them rings. The final layer was a layer of two stashes that were placed on the shoulders of the cowl. These were all the layers that the Alang tu vewat had on their dressing. 

“Mwonaji Azrahi, Allights gaze shines upon you.” The young prince greeted the Seer.

“As to you, Second son of A’brahelm.” Azrahi responded, her voice coarse and rough from countless hours of chanting. 

Looking around the young prince seemed to be searching for something.

“O’ high queen, where is uncle Omgran?” the young prince returned to his standing position.

“I have sent Bwana (Lord) Omgran ahead of us to announce your imminent arrival and to prepare for your reclamation ritual.” The empress responded. “Once we return a banquet will be held in your honour, as to commemorate your coming of age and reclamation of Sight. You should be honoured.” The young prince gave his mother a confused look.

“Empress, is it not customary for such a celebration to happen for those who gain their Sight. Why would I be such an exception?” The young prince retorted.

“Because if your father had not ordered it there would be no celebration, not for you!” This caused the young prince to be more confused.

“Mother, what do you mean!?” The young prince exclaimed. 

“Do not forget your place, while in my presence you are to address me as your highness, empress or high queen, do you understand!” Her voice was controlling and abrasive.

“Yes, your highness.”  A visible anger flushed the princes face. 

“Everyone be ready to leave, we will fly for the city of Minarjoni within the half hour.” The empress ordered.

“Yes, your highness.” everyone responded.

The young prince stormed off out of the throne room, bursting through the doors taking long strides as he blitzed through the hallway. His guards struggled to keep up with him. Finally, he came to a stop. As he stared out into space.

Why? He thought. That's all the young prince could think. Why? Was the question he asked himself over and over again. Walking onwards the young prince entered the hallway to where the war room was. Noticing that the door was opened the young prince entered the room. The war room was the simplest of all the rooms in the castle. The war room was a large room with a big spherical table at the centre of the room. On the table there was the map of the domains of the Ayu Empire, Principality of Bengar and the explored areas of the Sultanate Kijar, and at the centre of all the domains the Bahari wa chumvi. Looking closer the young prince could see pawn pieces on the table. As the prince remembered, each pawn piece represented around fifty soldiers. Looking to the southern border of Ayu where the Waterland was between the Ayu and Bengar domains, the young prince noticed that six pawn pieces were stationed on the borders on the Ayu side. “Six pieces, three hundred men. So, war is knocking at our borders.” 

“The cost in water would be tremendous if war were to break out.” The young prince turned around to find Makena standing behind him. 

“Ya it would.” The young prince agreed.

“But that's why father has gone to meet the prince of Bengar.”

“So, war isn't on the horizon?”

“If father has his way, then yes there will be no war.”

The young prince looked around and saw two pawns at the edges of the Bahari wa chumvi. 

“What's father doing there?” The young prince turned around only to see Makena gone. Confused, he looked for him. Finding him at the end of the hallway he went over to him.

“Ah good you're here, I was about to come get you, we are leaving for Minarjoni.” Makena said as he started to pace down the hall. The young prince sprinted after him, finally catching up to him at the end of the hall. Both exited through the doors leading to the landing outside on the northern side of the palace. On the landing four dragons lay waiting for them. 

On the far right of the landing were the dragons, Daraka and Nivea. Daraka was the male bond of Makena and Nivea was the female bond of Sharray. Daraka was a mseto wa mrengo wa nneaey (hybrid four winged) dragon, this was a very rare breed of dragon that had four wings instead of two, the second pair of wings were on top of the first pair. Daraka had leather-like skin smooth with an absence of scales. The skin of Daraka had a grey and black varientation of pigmentation with stripes of bright blue along the belly of the beast going down all the way to the tip of the tail. 

On the far left of the landing lay the bond of Omarai, Kimarjoni named after the great Hin’doma Kimarjoni Abwalla Kocha Joka of house Kocha Joka, a great warrior that fought in the Hashari ba no gewti wars and won many victories in the name of Her great great grandfather Mfalme Juu Danu Hasani Baraka Kucha Joka. 

At the centre of all the dragons was the queen's dragon, the largest of all of them. Her name was Malkia kwa neema (Queen by grace). On Malkia kwa neema’s head was an ornate headpiece similar to a crown that she seemed to wear with pride. 

Daraka, after hearing the creaking of the doors, turned his head to look at Makena, before slumping his head back down onto the ground. 

“Come on lazy, we got to go on one more trip.” Makena said as he and the young prince approached his bond. Heeding the call of Makena, Daraka slowly lumbered towards both Makena and the young prince before lowering one of its wings to allow them to climb onto his enormous body. Once both Makena and the young prince were on, Daraka lumbered back to the rest of the Dragons. 

“Are you ready?” The Empress questioned her two sons.

“Ready Mother.” Makena responded back to her. 

The Empress looked at the mwonaji. “Will you not be accompanying us Mwonaji mwanamke Azrahi?” The Empress questioned.

“Though present I am not, you have Allights Blessing wherever you may go.” As mwonaji Azrahi spoke she did a strange hand gesture as if she was placing Grace's blessing upon the Empress. With that the Empress mounted her dragon. 

“Malkia kwa neema, to the air.” And like that the Empresses bond lifted slowly to the air and out of the oval roofless ceiling of the landing, the others followed slowly behind. Makena and the young prince were the last to exit the landing. The sudden increase in intensity of light from Allight forced the young prince to wince as his eyes slowly adjusted. Finally able to see the young prince surveyed the ground below, there he saw the marble white city finally awake to the early morning shine of Allight. Allights gaze reflected on the rooftops of the city making the city twinkle and shine. The sky was a bright baby blue with white Noctilucent Clouds overhead. In the direction of Allight the moon pierced through the horizon slowly converging at the same point of Allight. 

“Makena, where have you been?” The young prince asked his brother.

“What do you mean?” Makena looked at his brother in a confused way.

“Well, what you said, you said to Daraka, we got to go on one more trip. So, what was your last trip?” Makena realised the mistake he made.

“Oh… um… why are you so good at listening, what I do is none of your concern!” Makena snapped back at his brother.

“I see, so you went to go and see her.” A large grin spread on the young prince's face. Makena turned his face to try and avoid the situation. “So, you did go and see her, tell me what happened, spill the beans.” The young prince got closer to Makena in anticipation of his response. Makena gave a sigh.

“It’s complicated, she’s having a lot to go through and um I don’t want to impose anything yet.”

“Oh, come on, don’t give me that, do you want to marry this woman?”

“Well yes but….”

“Then no buts, is she coming to the celebration?”

“Yes”

“Then ask her to marry you at the celebration.”

“What no, I can't do that.” Makena now turned around completely to face his brother.

“Why not, you're afraid of all the attention.”

“No, it's not that, it's just, this celebration is for you, this is the day you are recognised as a man, it would be wrong if I were to make this day all about myself.” The smile on the young prince's face slowly faded as the realisation of what Makena said hit him like a brick wall. 

“Thank you, Makena.” A sudden flush of sadness hit the young prince's face.

“What is it?” Makena asked his brother.

“Oh nothing, it's just… this celebration is supposed to be for me, but… no one really cares.” The young prince slumped his shoulders as if all the strength had left them.

“That's not true.”

“Yes, it is! You think Omarai or Shaaray care that I'm taking my first steps to being a man, and that today is my day to celebrate. Or mother, you think she cares that today her beloved son takes his first steps into becoming a man and wants to celebrate that, no she couldn’t care less, you heard her, if father had not ordered there would be no celebration. They all look at me with disdain, all they see is an ill, limp, weak boy.” Silence as the young prince let what he said sink into Makena. “Do you know what Shaaray said to me earlier this morning before we all communed in the great hall. She said that I’m practically a walking corpse, and that it’s only a matter of time before I disappear. None of them care about me, so I want you to use this celebration that moment to propose to your wife to be, I give you, my blessing.” Makena wanted to say something but decided not to, before turning around facing the front end of his dragon. By now the four of them were far away from the city and well truly in the desert, high above giant sand dunes and small pocket storms. Looking out to the horizon the young prince saw a structure floating in the sky. “Makena what's that?” The young prince pointed towards the structure in the sky.

“I don’t know, Mother” Makena called out, before pointing to the floating structure. Once seeing the structure, the Empress looked out in awe at to what she witnessed. This caught the attention of Omarai and Shaaray. “What is that thing?” Shaaray asked her mother. With awe and reverence the Empress stood on her dragon and shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Mabaki ya ulimwengu wa kale, mabaki ya ulimwengu wa kale, mabaki ya ulimwengu wa kale!” She then burst into hysterical laughter as she continued to shout those same words. 

“Mabaki ya ulimwengu wa kale (Remnants of the old world)” the young prince thought to himself. Does she mean that that is a remnant of the times before the salt and sand? The young prince continued to think.