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Chapter 32 - Mud
Metheus
“Who is that?” I asked Samara. The Seer is invisible, but she should be somewhere near, covered by the vision that she had on display.
“The woman whose magical marks are on the dart – a witch.”
“Is she from Rama?”
“We have not asked her yet. She could be, based on her features, but she is part of the Touch.”
The Touch was a coven that had never been willing to cooperate with Prozeus or with any other kingdom. They were too proud to submit themselves to anything – or anyone. However, it still came as a surprise that they would do anything to harm anyone who had not done anything to them. I reminded myself that it was me that they wanted to kill.
“Why does she look like Rowali?” I asked, unnerved by the fact that Samara could see me and I could not see her. I was still looking at the witch tied up in the middle of the Seer’s main house.
“She is from Rama.”
“Are you telling me she could be a relative?”
“Yes, it is possible. Your mother left and did not want to go back. She had several siblings. One of them could have borne this witch.”
“But why? Why would the people of Rama – people who understand what fire stealers are – want to kill me?”
“Close your eyes, Your Majesty. When you do, you will hear the voices and not just the vision.”
“Has this come to pass?”
“Yes. You will be looking at my memories,” Samara said in her silky voice.
“With no changes? No interruptions?”
“You will see it as I saw them. You will hear the voices as I heard them. The only thing that you must guard against is human error, but my senses are strong and undefective. I can at least assure you of that.”
So, I closed my eyes.
Then, I started hearing the voices.
“Why did you try to kill King Metheus, then the prince of Prozeus?” asked Aruna. Her anger was controlled. I admired her ability to rein her emotions.
“He is a fire stealer,” the witch who looked like Rowali rasped.
“And what of that?” Aruna demanded.
“Don’t you see what is happening all around us? The signs are all there: the changes in temperature in Arrowspear and Mogochislenia, the union of the two continents in marriage, and the rise of the Ninurta.”
My nostrils flared, but I kept my eyes shut. I did not like the witch’s implication that my marriage was a sign of something terrible.
“He has awakened?” asked Aruna, although I suspected that she knew it all along. She wanted to hear it from the young witch.
“Yes, he has.”
“But we know that only time will tell after Erishkigal has descended into the dead. She had made a deal with Ninurta. She takes care of the world’s balance and keeps everything where it should be.” Aruna was trying to give the witch a way out, see if she would grab it.
“Yes. When Erishkigal tipped the balance through her death, she had given Ninurta a chance to rise again. He was bound by a steadying of the scales. After all, he is a glutton,” the captured witch spat the last word out.
“Is? So, we are all sure now that the Ninurta had been freed?”
“Yes. We are sure. Fire stealers are just like him. While we cannot kill Ninurta, we can at least try doing away with his minions.”
