The Four Faces

He is the ruler of the kingdom and the most powerful man in the whole empire, and yet he is powerless when it comes to his son. Looking down at his son and his three friends he concealed his emotions of a father who loves his son dearly and asked the question: “Son, what is the purpose of you and your three friends? Think carefully before you answer, because your answer will determine what type of king you will be and whether you are ready to begin taking up kingly duties.“
The sons smiled broadly and answered with confidence: “Oh that Is very easy father, Lion is there to protect us, Eagle is there to provide food, Ox is there to carry our possessions and I am there to rule them and to tell them what to do.”
A shocked silence descended on the throne room, the elders bowed their heads, preventing them from seeing the reflection of their own shocked faces in another’s, but most of all out of respect for their king to try and not add insult to injury.
The king felt as if a fist had hit his heart and smashed it into pieces. A single tear began to form, but the king quickly gained control, and with a soft voice addressed the four young ones in front of him. “Lion, Eagle and Ox do you have anything to add to my son’s answer?” A gasp ran through the room, because this is totally unprecedented. The heir-in-line needs to answer this question; it is not the place for others to take part in this conversation, because this is between father and son.
The three looked at each other and shook their heads and then each smiled broadly. Relief swept through the audience, but too soon. One by one, Lion, Eagle and Ox took a step closer to the throne, looked up to the king and answered him with confidence: “We four are friends and we three are bound to your son, so his answer is good enough for us, because we have no other purpose than to be friends with your son.”
The parents of these three were part of the king’s council, and it took every nerve in their body not to step forward and force some sense into their sons, but they did not. They stood there with the rest of the council and elders, totally aghast at the folly of these four, the future of the kingdom. Then the king looked at their parents, each bowed deeply before the king, the king gave each a slight nod and turned to the four faces staring at him, for they had begun to realize that their answers were not clever at all, and that they could be in some kind of trouble.
The king looked into each of the four faces hoping for a flicker of understanding, but nothing and therefore he gave his verdict: “Gather what you need and leave the palace and the city before nightfall and do not come back until you know who you are and what your purpose is. Remember the future of this kingdom rests upon you finding the truth. Now go!”
Flabbergasted and a bit scared the Four Faces, the king’s son called Human, Lion, Eagle and Ox bowed before their king and left the presence of the king.
The king called a private meeting with the fathers of Lion, Eagle and Ox. Behind closed doors the parents came into agreement about what would be best for their children and most of all for the kingdom. They also agreed what they would do if their sons came back without the answer. All four agreed in unity that the kingdom came first, but being fathers as well, they discussed to what extent assistance and support will be available to their sons on their journey. They agreed that their sons would not know of this and that assistance would only be given if there was no other outcome. From that day forward they would refer to their sons as the Four Faces.
With heavy hearts the meeting ended and each left to say goodbye to their sons before they left.

Trembling slightly but with excitement to go on an adventure the Four Faces packed their bags, said their goodbyes and met each other at the city’s gate. It was late afternoon when the Four Faces walked through the gates of the capital city to begin an adventure of discovery. They were excited for they thought to themselves: “What could go wrong if they stayed together?” Not one of the Four Faces was prepared to admit that they were anxious because of the unknown and that they were sad to say goodbye to family and friends.
They began walking down the king’s highway chatting merrily about the adventures which lay ahead and not really taking notice of their surroundings until Eagle with his keen eyes brought every one back to reality. The sun was setting and they were not close to another town or inn.
Exiting! That meant camping in the open air, away from civilisation, noise and people that ask embarrassing questions. The Four Faces decided to find a spot to settle down for the night. They had food in their packs, firewood was plenty and the weather was perfect for camping outdoors.
Eagle flew into the air, had a quick look around, and saw the ideal spot, not too far from the road. They set up camp, gathered wood and settled around the campfire. There was food in their backpacks, everything was good.
The Four Faces had a wonderful time around the campfire, singing, telling stories, but after a hearty meal and with a warm drink in their hands, reality crept in and they began to talk about the events of the day and what to do.
The Four Faces woke up refreshed the next morning, early enough to experience the beauty of the dawning day. They had finished their breakfast and they were ready to take the next step, but the questions was, where to?
The Four Faces decided to follow the road until it would stop or eventually lead them back home. It was wonderful, an adventure that allowed them to see the kingdom; there were so many towns to explore. They had food and shelter in abundance because in every town they were recognized and treated as royalty. They did not need to pay for anything and slept in warm beds every night. When the town life became too boring, the Four Faces would camp outside a town and enjoy the beautiful weather and nature. Life was good and the Four Faces were not in a hurry.
Days became weeks and they completely forgot about the reason for their adventure until one day……
The Four Faces arrived at the border of the Royal Province. A river divided the Royal Province from the Green Province. Laughing and enjoying themselves and eager to explore, they crossed the wooden bridge to the other side. The bridge was narrow and the Four Faces had to walk in a single file. Ox was the last one to cross the bridge. As he stepped off the bridge, everything went quiet; it was as if nature was waiting for something to happen.
Before the Four Faces could act or say anything, something was thrown over their heads, their hands were tied and they heard a voice demanding them to start walking. The Four Faces were in shock and to be honest a little scared as well. Each had his own capturer that pushed him forward, and so they stumbled along, tripping over logs and stones and unknown objects, feeling their feet becoming wet and water coming up to their knees. Then they were back onto dry ground and leaves and plants brushed against their legs, sometimes they felt the scratching of twigs, and they heard funny noises.
It was as if the atmosphere was changing, gone was the warm sunny day, the Four Faces were not even sure whether it was still day for they had walked for a long time and it was starting to get cold and damp. Where were they going? What was happening to them?