AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 30 - Storm
Metheus
My men and witches had been sent on their missions, but the weather had other plans. The last time it rained so hard was the day of my birth. Of course, the only one who said so was my father. People I asked about that fateful night evaded my questions. They did not want to remember.
Perhaps if I were fortunate enough to live through these next few days and had children of my own, they might ask about tonight.
What could I say?
The rain pinged angrily onto the glass windows. The servants were quick enough to close the shutters as the downpour almost sounded as if it could break the stained glass. Then, the torrential rains proceeded to hammer on the shutters, banging a little because of the wind.
I had never witnessed a storm in all of my life in Prozeus, but now I was seeing it in full swing. I had braved one desert storm in the middle part of Arrowspear, a tiny kingdom called Zibi. In Ruzata, I’d experienced ice pellets fall on our carriage as we rushed to the shelter of a cabin I owned there. At least I had stopped those, with the heat I had gathered deep inside me.
The past few days had been uncharacteristically cold. Without Luella, it had become downright chilly as I tossed and turned in bed.
“I have never seen rain like this!” Clem exclaimed, running about to help the others. He kept on returning to where I was as if he simply wanted to say all those things. The confusion. The fear, and bewilderment. They were crystal clear in his pale blue eyes. His gaunt face seemed to frame that fear, and I would not be surprised if my face mirrored the look on his own. We were approaching uncertain, dangerous times.
“Neither have I,” I muttered, although that was obvious considering I was younger than him by at least two years.
It was a little past midday, but the sky was dark as if it was midnight. The wind howled outside, and I swore I could hear coyotes whimpering. The camels had been brought to safety, and my guards had made sure the peasants were secure in their village huts. However, we were unsure how long we could keep them safe as the ground sloshed with mud, and the water seemed out of place.
While Prozeus was not as dry as other parts of Arrowspear, it was not a haven of moisture, either. Because of this, the dryer parts may experience flash floods. That was what happened when too much water made contact with unyielding soil.
The shutters and doors had been secured, but I was anxious about what the deluge was doing to the land. It was not used to this kind of abuse. It only wanted gentle absorption of heat. It did not want to lose everything. The thing about fire stealers was that if there was no heat in the first place, there would be nothing to pass on.
So, I was there, caught with nothing but a slight warmth that I could not throw out. Could not share to evaporate the water. The only good thing was that, like any other Arrowspear domain, Prozeus still leaned towards higher temperatures. Nobody would die from the cold, but the usually well-maintained crops would suffer. I would suffer from the lack of any kind of power.
But I had never been a warlock.
I had not even been a medium like my mother. She let spirits pass through her to help her see visions. In those short moments, she also got hold of their powers. Little bits of it. However, it was enough for her to accomplish what she set out to do most of the time.
We slammed the last door shut. The courtiers gathered in the Great Hall to eat the midday meal in the gloom, with candles lit. The servants set fire to the torches. The flames flickered slightly but not enough to extinguish them.
I settled with my people. Food was served, and everyone seemed ravenous, but silence reigned. For awhile. Outside, the rain continued to pour. Then, the hall was filled with the sounds of chatter, chewing, gulping, and dragging objects on the wooden tables. They grated at my ears.
Suddenly, there was a loud banging. It was coming from the front door. With the entrance twice the length of the hall away from us, whoever was at the door urgently needed us to open it. I could not say I blame the person, what with the storm raging outside. However, everyone also recognized the possibility that it was an enemy – even the assassin. I could tell from how the cacophony of noises in the hall suddenly stopped. Everybody tensed, their hands on their weapons, more likely slung around their waist.
Leevar strode towards me purposely. He was a large man, all muscle and strength. His long black hair was tied into one tight braid, reaching his waist. His family came from a different continent, with green lands and rich forests. Yet, they chose to be free in the arid lands of Arrowspear. He stood by me, willing to protect me from anything. Anyone.
I stood up, and he followed. Leevar knew I was used to Razuku and Emir, but he would gladly take the helm of both protector and friend while my closest friends were away. Two other men joined the small procession to the front door.
We walked briskly. We did not want to linger on the possibility that we were about to open the door to someone who could be dangerous.
As we got closer to the door, we heard the banging had weakened. It was almost as if the person on the other end could feel our presence. Knew we were about to open for them. Then, the noise stopped. A pleading voice replaced it.
“Your Majesty, please let me in. Aruna sent me,” the young woman said.
Pale grey eyes. Blonde hair. It was a rare sight for a Seer and an Arrowspear resident. It was Samara. She was in her early thirties but looked a decade younger.
“Come inside, Samara,” I ordered as Leevar and my other men hauled her in from the cold. “Are you alone?”
“Yes, I journeyed alone. The elders are better off in the Seers’ Village. There, the land is still dry even though we are not too far away.”
“Are you telling me only Prozeus is suffering through the deluge?” I demanded.
“I am afraid so, Your Majesty.”
“What is this all about?”
