Hero's Journey Episode
Hooves were heard in the distance. The sound came nearer, nearer, and ever nearer. David heard the shouting and trumpets. He had no idea why he was hearing these things, but he was almost positive it was the king’s servants coming to take away the family farm, for they were behind on payments. As the parade of knights and noblemen arrived, the truth seemed to drop David to his knees. King Priam himself rode up to David on his beautiful white stallion followed by many more knights on horseback. The royal crier of the party started to unroll a scroll, but the king stopped him and asked, “Why were you going to speak for me? I am quite capable of speaking for myself, especially to our dear friend David here.” The royal crier nodded in submission.
The king then looked at David and smiled as he asked, “David, why are you on your knees?”
“My king, aren't you here for my family’s farm? I know we are behind on payments and the grief of thinking the farm was going to be taken from us just overtook me.”
King Priam looked shocked by this, but also perplexed. “Who is we?”
“My whole family, King Priam, my brothers, my sisters, and all of their families, also my mother and father.” he replied. At this the king smiled. “If you don’t mind me asking my king, why have you come to me?”
Once again the king smiled, “I am here to ask you a favor.”
“Anything!” David exclaimed.
“Good, I have come to ask the biggest, strongest, most skilled, most honest, and most worthy man in my kingdom, well other than me, to go on a quest for me. A quest to find a long lost treasure. This treasure is not like any other, it is of great worth, but only the mightiest and the worthiest can complete this journey. It will be a very dangerous quest and that is why I cannot go myself. I need to know that you will do anything for your king, whatever the stakes.”
“Of course King Priam, I am loyal to you and I thank you for trusting me to complete such an important task, so I may honor and help my king.”
The king smiled a bitter and sinister smile, “This is good to hear for if you refuse or if you fail the task I have given you, I will take away your family’s farm and all your loved ones will be imprisoned. Some will become slaves, others will rot in jail, and the lucky ones will be executed. Do we understand each other?"
Slowly David realized why King Priam had asked all of the questions he had and why he had smiled in the most cunning and sinister way. David nodded his head in understanding and said, “Yes, my king, I understand.”
The king then looked at David and smiled as he asked, “David, why are you on your knees?”
“My king, aren't you here for my family’s farm? I know we are behind on payments and the grief of thinking the farm was going to be taken from us just overtook me.”
King Priam looked shocked by this, but also perplexed. “Who is we?”
“My whole family, King Priam, my brothers, my sisters, and all of their families, also my mother and father.” he replied. At this the king smiled. “If you don’t mind me asking my king, why have you come to me?”
Once again the king smiled, “I am here to ask you a favor.”
“Anything!” David exclaimed.
“Good, I have come to ask the biggest, strongest, most skilled, most honest, and most worthy man in my kingdom, well other than me, to go on a quest for me. A quest to find a long lost treasure. This treasure is not like any other, it is of great worth, but only the mightiest and the worthiest can complete this journey. It will be a very dangerous quest and that is why I cannot go myself. I need to know that you will do anything for your king, whatever the stakes.”
“Of course King Priam, I am loyal to you and I thank you for trusting me to complete such an important task, so I may honor and help my king.”
The king smiled a bitter and sinister smile, “This is good to hear for if you refuse or if you fail the task I have given you, I will take away your family’s farm and all your loved ones will be imprisoned. Some will become slaves, others will rot in jail, and the lucky ones will be executed. Do we understand each other?"
Slowly David realized why King Priam had asked all of the questions he had and why he had smiled in the most cunning and sinister way. David nodded his head in understanding and said, “Yes, my king, I understand.”