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“Orin Stormweaver,” I greeted.
“King Nykor,” he answered, the soft rumble of his voice comforting.
“It has been a very long time,” I began.
“That it has,” he replied.
Orin was a wizard of prophecy. All my life, I hadn’t made it a secret that I put no weight in prophecy, that I believed in a person’s means to choose their destiny rather than being slotted into some unescapable fate that had been foretold long before they were born. Knowing this, Orin had taken his leave from my castle long ago after seeking my permission to do so, which I’d readily given.
Wizards of prophecy were exceedingly rare. To my knowledge, Orin was the only one of his kind within my realm and had been for a very long time. Blessed with an exceedingly long life, he still looked the same as he had when he had left.
“Did you send the wolves?” I asked, cocking my head and searching his gaze. His sudden appearance had taken me by surprise. There had to be a reason, and I knew he would reveal it very soon.
“The seer sent the wolves to me when I summoned Ella to our realm. It is with her help that we are where we are today,” he replied, smiling as he appraised me in return. His words were vague, but I understood his meaning enough.
Orin was an extremely powerful wizard. If the two of us clashed in battle, I wasn’t certain which one of us would emerge as the victor. He needed to be, because of the power he had access to. In the wrong hands, his power for prophecy could be used for nefarious reasons, or it could be misinterpreted in ways that could prove extremely dangerous and deadly.
I was not certain if the story was true or steeped in myth, but it was told that an entire species of wood elf had been wiped from the realm thousands of years ago in such an instance.
“I’m not sure if they are tied to me or Ella,” I continued, pressing him gently to explain.
“They are tied to the magic within your one true mate,” he replied, smiling knowingly.
“I have no mate,” I sneered.
“King Nykor, you are Dragonborne. It is your duty to take a mate for the sake of your realm,” he scolded lightly.
“The rift has been mended. I have done my duty,” I replied.
“You cannot fight prophecy forever, my king. You know as well as I do that the rift has not sealed for good. It is only temporary, and the Dark King knows this. He is preparing for it to fail, and he will be ready for you when it does,” he chided.
“Where is she? Have you taken her?” I pressed.
“No, my king. She has been taken by a disciple of the Dark King,” he replied.
“Then why am I here?” I asked, my agitation growing by the second. I could be out searching for her right now.
“I need to show you what will happen if you do not claim her. The Dark King’s taking of Ella triggered a forked prophecy that could result in the end of times for Icegard.”
“I do not believe in your prophecy,” I countered.
“It does not matter whether you believe it or not, my king. The prophecy has been triggered, and it will only end in one of two ways. I have allowed you to live your life as you see fit, but you must see what is to become of Icegard should you not succumb to your destiny. When you’ve seen what will come to pass, then I will help you find her,” he continued. His body language had turned tense, and it was clear that if I didn’t listen to him, this interaction was going to culminate in a heated battle.
I didn’t have time for that.
“Then show me,” I answered, unable to keep my sigh of aggravation to myself.
“Come here,” he demanded. He lifted an arm towards me, beckoning me closer. Without another word, I did as he asked. His knuckles brushed against my forehead, and I braced myself for the harrowing experience I knew was coming.
He’d done this to me once as a boy. I’d avoided it ever since.
The ground beneath my feet fell away and the endless sensation of falling caught me by surprise even though I should have known to expect it. I gritted my teeth, trying not to flail because I knew it would be useless to try. The only thing to do was accept that I was falling and could do nothing about it.
I looked down to see the rolling frozen plains of Icegard beneath me. In the distance were the Frostpeak mountains to the north, but there was a reigning violet, black shadow beyond their jagged peaks that only seemed to be growing more sinister by the second. The shadow billowed up over the mountains and cloaked them completely in darkness. It continued its trek south, and then the screaming started as Orin’s voice echoed in my head.
“When the snows of winter fall, and the winds of change blow,
The kingdom of Icegard shall be no more.
