The Rings of Ran Kingdom: A Battle Won but Lost
Prince Trabaki rose to peep through the window in his room where he had been confined for five nights. It was as he had feared and warned his father, the king of the Trabate clan. He had seen it coming, had worked hard to prevent it only to have his plans thwarted by his father and king, Batrinte. Batrinte was not prepared to lose his only child. Now, the people of the powerful Krainke clan were bringing the war to them and if they succeeded, all that they lived for and held dear would be lost.
Of the four clans that made up Ran Kingdom, Krainke was and had always been the most powerful. The other three clans were Trabate, Kinku and Girat.
It is said that the four clans were brothers sired centuries ago by a powerful warlord named Ran with different women. Their mothers had turned the brothers against one another until Ran had reunited them shortly before his death. He had bound them together forever by ensuring that each son received something from him which the others needed to survive the war-torn era in which they lived.
Ran was widely reputed to own five rings that were behind his famous war successes. His bitter rival, Zunta, remained second best in matters of war and tried as it was rumored that he did, he never set his eyes on the rings let alone possess them. The existence of these rings remained at best a rumor even to Ran’s immediate family until the warlord gifted four of the rings to his sons on his death bed.
To Kinku, his first son, Ran gave the ring of wealth. None amongst the four clans were richer than the descendants of Kinku and it was them who mostly provided the resources they needed each time they went to war with other kingdoms.
To Krainke, his second born son, he gave the ring of strength. The Krainke clan was famous for their army of strong and well-built men who always stood at the war front, acting as a shield for the trained armies from the other clans who barely ever got to fight. The Krainke army never lost a battle.
Trabate, Ran’s third son was gifted the ring of wisdom. He and his descendants after him were the masters of strategy and tact. They won battles from behind the scenes.
To his last born son, Girat, he gifted the ring of craftsmanship. Girat had been a blacksmith since his teenage years. It was only befitting that he received the craftsmanship ring. Soon after, his craftsmanship prowess became sought after by people from far and wide. His descendants were not only renowned blacksmiths but were also skilled in various crafts. The Girat clan prospered.
The fifth ring, Ran told them could never be possessed but would exist as long as all four brothers remained united and fed from each other. The ring was called Matsuki meaning “plenty”. Matsuki thrives on harmony, exists as a star in the skies and would watch over the four clans for as long as they remained possessors of the four rings.
As long as it watched from the heavens, it would heal their sick, ensure bountiful harvests, let their lands flow with milk and honey, and so much more. Matsuki would never exist in the face of dissonance among the ring bearers.
Long after Ran passed, the clans coexisted peacefully for centuries, passing the rings and their tales from generations to generations. Kingdoms that rose up against them were defeated such that the Ran kingdom was feared. Not even their arch enemy, the kingdom of Zunta dared meet them on the battleground. The clans of the Ran kingdom, like their ancestor, were warlords and masters of the battlefield.
Peace reigned until Zappa; the new ruler of Krainke was enthroned. As was customary for the people of Krainke, Zappa was crowned king as the undefeated champion of their fighting ring. He had an unquenchable thirst for boundless power and had made it his mission to possess all four rings. He ruthlessly slayed anyone who dared caution or question his quest and pulled out all of the stops. Zappa believed that the fifth ring would not turn its back on him as forewarned if he possessed all four rings. So began his journey.
King Zappa of Krainke sacked a whole village of the Girat clan to send a message to the king of Girat. The military strength of the Krainke clan was feared and this, King Zappa used as leverage. He wanted the ring of craftsmanship and would release his army on the Girat clan if his demand was not met.
Word about King Zappa’s betrayal travelled fast to the other clans of Ran kingdom. When it reached the ears of Prince Trabaki of Trabate clan, he went at once to his father, King Batrinte to ascertain what was to be done about Zappa.
Prince Trabaki was of the opinion that the three clans of Girat, Kinku and Trabate had to join forces immediately to attack Zappa and his people before it was too late. If Zappa wanted the ring of craftsmanship, he would in no time want to covet the rings of wealth and wisdom too. For Trabaki, Zappa’s tyranny needed to be nipped in the bud immediately.
While Batrinte, king of Trabate clan agreed with his son, he and his cabinet of sages insisted they needed to take time to map out a strategy which they would present to representatives of the Kinku and Girat clans at their scheduled meeting. It was true that when it came to military strength, the Krainke clan bested them but the elders believed that if they formed an alliance, they could withstand their brother clan turned enemy.
The Girat clan could forge weaponry that had never been seen, the Kinku clan would provide them every resource their wealth could possibly buy and Trabate would map out an infallible strategy that would guide their battle. Together, they would train their able-bodied men and women to defend their homes and heritage. It was a looming war that needed time for successful execution.
Time that Prince Trabaki felt they did not have. Trabaki like his ancestors was a wise man, but his love for his people and hatred for evil sometimes made him act on rage. King Zappa was on a rampage, sacking more villages and wreaking havoc on the people of Girat. And so it was that Trabaki going against his father’s counsel, secretly assembled some youth from the three clans. They planned to steal into Krainke clan and murder Zappa.
Batrinte, king of Trabate got wind of his son’s foolhardy plans and ordered his confinement. He was not only averse to losing his sole heir to Zappa’s tyranny and betrayal; he was also averse to poking Zappa until they were ready. Knowing what he knew from experience, King Zappa would have to be a fool for Trabaki and his cohorts to succeed with their shallow plans.
While this went on, the myth about the existence of the fifth ring, Matsuki was proved true. It became obvious to everyone including King Zappa that Matsuki had turned its back on the kingdom of Ran. Asides from the wreckage and streams of crimson Zappa caused to flow wherever he visited, things were slowly turning around for the worst.
The abundance of good tidings and peace which the kingdom of Ran had known for centuries was no more. Rival kingdoms who heard of the tear in Ran’s loincloth wanted pieces of it which they had so longed for. These were trying times for the people of Ran.
These changes did not deter King Zappa who was blinded to everything else but achieving his goal. As far as he was concerned, this was a small temporary price to pay for when he would eventually unite the four rings harmoniously in his care.
Sparing no time for the other clans to gang up on him, he executed his plans swiftly and mercilessly. Soon, a great number of the descendants of Girat especially women and children had abandoned their homes to seek refuge in Trabate and Kinku. The men who remained worked towards creating weaponry as planned for the war to come. The king of Girat would not give up his ring.
Next, King Zappa decided to topple the Trabate clan. The influx of those who had survived his attack on one of the Trabate villages into the palace was what Prince Trabaki had noticed through the small window. The people had come to their king for justice.
As he watched them, the door opened to admit servants who prepared him to meet with his father, Batrinte. In the five days since his confinement, a plan had been made.
For the first time since his birth, Trabaki saw doubt color his father’s words as he spoke of his plans. Batrinte agreed with his son; they barely had time to strategize if they were to survive Zappa’s onslaught. This time, their weapon of warfare would be different and entirely reliant on the charm of a woman.
King Batrinte was obviously worried as were the kings of Kinku and Girat. They were not accustomed to leaving their fate in the hands of a woman, much less one they had never met.
Every man has a weakness or a soft spot. For King Zappa, it was a woman named Drede.
Word came from Drede of Krainke through her trusted servant girl disguised as a man. Drede said she knew a war was looming and that they were coming for Zappa. However, they were to give her seven days to do away with Zappa without resulting to a full out war which would inadvertently lead to the loss of innocent lives.
Apparently, many of the Krainke people were opposed to their king, Zappa’s goal and lived in silence for fear of the ruthless punishment that would be their fate if they dared speak up against him. King Zappa had set examples with scapegoats in the early days of his quest. Drede’s father had been one of such examples. While Zappa adored his late adviser’s daughter, the love he had for her clearly did not exempt him from his wrath.
On the fourth day of the seven days allotted, King Zappa slumped to his death from his horse. He had been on his way to sack yet another Trabate village with his army of warriors. At his death, his army laid down their arms and returned his corpse to Krainke. At the news, the people of the four clans rejoiced in victory of a battle won without arms and ammunition. They finally felt safe.
It remained a mystery what had caused King Zappa’s death. The greatest physicians could not name it, not even after examining his corpse for days before it was thrown to the vultures.
Drede of Krainke would not speak of it either. For her, Zappa was part of a past best forgotten. The people of Ran Kingdom celebrated her nonetheless for the feat she achieved without swords or daggers.
Now that the reign of the tyrant, Zappa was over and the clans once more felt safe in their villages, they looked forward to when Matsuki, the fifth ring of plenty would shine its bliss upon them again. This was never to be.
Matsuki had departed permanently from the Ran Kingdom and as they soon discovered, so did the four rings of wealth, wisdom, strength and craftsmanship, never to be seen again. Although King Zappa was no more, his rampage had caused bad blood among some of the people especially between the clans of Girat and Krainke. The time when they coexisted harmoniously was gone. Again, the myth was proven true; Matsuki would never exist in the face of dissonance.
Soon, the people of Ran Kingdom left their homes and villages in search of greener pastures; an end to their strife and hunger. What was left of it was soon conquered by the kingdom of Zunta who had waited so long for this opportunity.
The sages of Trabate kingdom are remembered for their words; “It is not always he who fires a shot that pays for it”.
The Kingdom of Ran had fallen.
The End
All images were obtained from pixabay.
Fiction authored by @royalrose
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At first I can see the war between clans is inevitable. It is interesting how Krainke clan and other three are tight together. Each one has something the other needs to survive the war. Leaders of each clan are brothers and each one received a special ring before their father past away. They believe father is watching them from above. The fifth ring is meant to keep them all in harmony. However, where are humans, there becomes a greed and Zappa, one of the brothers has a mission to posses all four rings. That’s how the war of Zappa against other clans started. They plan to assassinate Zappa. But unsuccessfully. They are trying different strategy. They are trying to take advantage of his weakness. A beautiful women. But before they could try their strategy King Zappa slumped to his death from his horse. People of all clans felt safe at that moment...
Interesting story and well written!
Even though it’s a fiction, I can clearly imagine it happen in real life.
Great words of Trabate kingdom that fits the story!
Thank you. You got the gist. However, the woman is responsible for Zappa's death and defeat although it remains a mystery how she achieved it. Thanks again for the compliments.
Women solved it! That’s good!
Thank you!
Amazing
it is extremely extraordinary amd stunning story.
Each time I see your post, I generally feel upbeat and cheerful.
I am exceptionally upbeat to peruse this post, indeed you are an extremely imaginative individual..
I take after your work since I began chipping away at the stage, I generally make delight visit your blog, congrats for every one of your accomplishments and proceed with your prosperity..
I appreciate your your post..
And I follow your every story..
Just mind blowing story.
Upvote and resteemit done..@adsactly😘😘😘
Thank you so much. We hope that you keep following our stories.😘
woooow I was impressed with your imaginative ability, in a way it reminded me of the game of thrones, which is certainly a tremendous series, I would like to know more about your story that I am very interested in, you transported me and made me feel that I was within what you wrote, I mean, I felt that I was in the story, everything was extremely real, someone who persevered in the struggle to achieve the throne, when he achieved it he gained the respect of even his worst enemy, all respected them for their strength, basically it was the greatest and most powerful kingdom, it is unbelievable all, that great way to write your imagination my friend...
I must admit that I admire you, that I am a fan of your stories and that even though I don't always have the possibility to tell you about it when the weather allows me, let me tell you that since I read your first post I was impressed and decided to follow you and your content, because I really love it.
I look forward to seeing more stories like this from you, hopefully in the future they will be digitized and we can watch them on TV or DVD, I'm sure it will be a great success.
My friend, I only have to desert the greatest of successes, I hope you will continue to do so, delighting us all with your magnificent content, it is incredible to see the way in which you capture the stories you imagine, I hope to see more and more soon, I wish you all the success in the world, you have a lot of talent, take charge of exploiting it and become a great, although for me you already are, you have all my respect and admiration.
Greetings from Venezuela my dear friend, I send you a big hug, YOU ARE THE BEST, THE ONLY NUMBER 1!! @adsactly
Thank you so much my friend. Your words are really warm and encouraging.
Not everything can be resolved with force sometimes the gentler non-violent approach can be much more effective.I love your style of narration..great work @royalrose.
You deserve all the accolades 👏 👏. I have been waiting to see someone pick this message from the story and here you are finally. You got the gist and I'm very happy you did. Thank you for reading between the lines.
Wow thanks I am flattered @royalrose. I thoroughly enjoyed your work.Hope to read more great content from you and @adsactly.
I have to say I have not read your stories before but this is a nice one. The thing that drew me to your post was your initial image, as I do have that ring :). Wondered if the story was about the origin of the ring. Unfortunately it was just a metaphor. A good one though.
Thank you for your story.
Lol. Thanks for reading. I'm glad the image was captivating enough for you to read the story behind the rings.
A new creative story
It has many meanings
Continue with it
Thank you. I appreciate the love.
You'd just like to give a massive shout out to all the people who voted on this post.
It's really blown me away, this is just so amazing!
you have been working so hard on writing this story and to have it finally receive so much support is just more than you could have hoped for.
Thank you so much you really made you feel like your work had been seen!
A special thanks again for share it
Thank you ✊❤
@adsactly your The Rings of Ran Kingdom is really awesome.
Daily Learn some new from your post. Love to read it.
Great story and good writing.i like your post and upvoted.
enjoy read thus post. that is a good staff.
I also love good content, so I'm waiting for posts from you with impatience!
"with impatience" got me laughing 😂. Thank you friend✊. Be certain that we update new stories and articles within hours of each other, so there are always interesting piece for you to read and guess what? You won't have to wait too long. Thanks again for your feedback.
@adsactly it is really great amd amazing story.
Every time i see your post, i always feel happy and happy.
I am very happy to read this post, without a doubt you are a very creative person, I follow your work since I started working on the platform, I always cause pleasure to visit your blog, congratulations for all your achievements and continue your success !!! !
What does this comment mean?
Are anyone reading this comment? LOL LOL LOL
Thank you my friend ✊
very creative story..new some thing new metter...and good shareing,thanks.
Thank you too. I appreciate .
Wow, is amazing that a ring i used to sell 30 years back is important in history. I forgot about it thank you for present it, and with history. When i used to try to sell it the customers couldn't put them together no matter how many time u showed them how. I kept them .
I see your comment. It would be cool to have one of these rings to try to solve the puzzle. :)
Time will bring one back.
I believe that idea, @magia.cinco. Time is the only thing that value has.
Absolutely!!
Wow. That's really interesting. I would have loved to try my hands at putting them together. Hopefully, time will bring them back like you said and I just might get a chance to. Thanks for reading.
Thank you
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Cool story! I hope there would like a serious of episodes about this story.
Thank you✊. Un/fortunately, we like to keep our stories short hence this one has ended. I appreciate your thirst for more of it though. Thanks again.
Awesome
Very interesting... i like to read your story.. nice writing @adsactly
Thank you.✊
Awesome..... You did it again; i love e this storyline; looking out for more
Thank you .✊ Be certain that as always, we will deliver "more". Be on the lookout.
Sure i will
Your post is very helpful. I have read carefully. Hope to be with me
wow very excellent good story
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You just said "wow very" and in your your last 100 comments you used 51 phrases considered to be spam and you made this exact same comment 1 times. You've received 4 flags and you may see more on comments like these. These comments are the reason why your Steem Sincerity API classification scores are Spam: 57.90% and Bot: 2.20%
Please stop making comments like this and read the ways to avoid @pleasestop and earn the support of the community.
This sounds a bit like the story of Deborah who killed a ravaging king to set her village free.
There's. Always a King Zappa in every generation- but we mustn't let them carry the day.
Greed and fear are part of why people destroy legacies. The Ran Kingdom failed because of one man's greed.
Very true. What's worse is that we can't always control the actions of others hence there's often not much we can do but advice when one has their mind set on a path that leads to ruin and damnation. Then the worst part is that like the people of Ran, a generation sometimes pays for one man's sins. Thank you for reading and commenting your thoughts. I appreciate.
your post is rich
Thank you ✊
I read a story that began many years ago with a dream and ended with a kingdom. When I read your story, I remembered this story from the beginning of history. Tales can be unreal, but human development continues with it. I always believed in the power of literature.
Good to hear my story struck a chord. Fiction and unreal as these are, the ideas behind them are drawn from happenings in reality. I believe in the power of literature too. Thank you so much for this feedback.
A fascinating paradoxical story.. Thanks for disbursing @adsactly
Thank you very much ✊
Enjoyed it!
I'm a bit of a rookie writer myself (Learning...Through practice) so looking at your amazing writing helps gives me ideas and help by learning by example!
Yeah, this is something I can easily relate to. When reading or watching a story play out, my mind begins to conjure up varied creative ideas. I maximize this discovery each time I find myself wanting for original ideas. You should too. Thanks for reading.
By any chance have you ever read my work? I've been posting horror short stories and novellas since June of 2016.
Tbh I find fantasy hard to get into because it romanticizes the past, and I've always had one foot in the future. Then again sometimes I wonder if that's an unhealthy way to live, always looking at what's over the horizon rather than what's around you, living in the present.
It could not be said better
😊I know right? Thank you ✊
My friend @magia.cinco used to sell rings like this. Thank you for sharing.
Interesting. Well, the rings image was just used to represent those in the story. Thanks for reading.
wow! very interesting! I really like it
I really don't know what to say. This fictional work woven around mythology and fantasy caused enough spark to make me enthused and nostalgic about the past life of primitivity. Also, the imagination of the author is contagious and seems to work its way into my heart. I look forward to more imaginative pieces like this one.
Thank you so much Funmi.😊 Your words warm my heart
Its like I'm reading a bible story and I presumed a more like story happened before in real life.
You copy/pasted your own comment? Really?
Not copied.accidentally posted twice due to network error..
You know what? I'm glad to hear that. I apologize for even suspecting something else.
It's fine.Im happy also that you understand.
hello friends I hope they are good as your post, is very good and great and the image too, you can count on my vote and my comment, without anything else to say I say goodbye for NOW your friend @manduto are wanted
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This sounds somewhat like the narrative of Deborah who murdered an attacking ruler to set her town free.There's. Continuously a King Zappa in each age however we mustn't give them a chance to convey the day.insatiability and dread are a piece of why individuals devastate heritages. The Ran Kingdom fizzled due to small time's insatiability.
Thanks for sharing this story.personaly I like story and I read always..that's all..
please do not copy other people's comments
You copy/paste and upvote to leverage it? Asshattery in the first degree. FLAG
Thank you. ✊ You are very welcome to do that.