" You think she is ready?" Elissa asked, wary, and out of breath.
"I don't think so. Let us give her a little more time." Marcus replied, equally panting.
"The war does not have more time. Get her ready for her Ascension!!!!" Elissa said as they hurried to the king's chambers. Marcus saw fear in her eyes as they passed the guards but thought better not to mention it. He huddled closer to her as the king tossed a piece of paper angrily before hitting his hand on his desk, spilling ink in the process.
"CLEAN THIS UP!!! AAARGH!!" The king shouted. He seemed on edge, but anyone would be if given the hand of cards he had been dealt with. The kingdom was on the brink of war and his health was deteriorating pretty fast yet he maintained an authoritative figure to the outside world. His physician had given him three more months to live after diagnosing that his cells were degenerating at an alarming rate, even for a vampire. He was healing all right, but the rate at which his death was nearing surpassed his regenerative abilities by far. They had tried every known drug, plant, medicine to man but it seemed none would help. He had just received news a few moments ago that most of the witches had joined the Resistance's cause, leaving him at an unfair disadvantage. He needed allies, and he needed them fast.
"Right now might be the worst time to tell the King of our little delay," Marcus whispered. "He seems to be in a bad mood- his mood worsening by the hour."
"Either that or he kills both of us when he finds out." Elissa fidgeted. She was the bravest warrior the entire kingdom had a chance to witness but when it came to the king, she was trembling. The King was the only person Elissa feared, along with the whole kingdom, and she did her best to avoid confrontations. Right now, that was unavoidable, with the news that she had come bearing.
"Excuse me, my Lord. I have something I would like to share with you. It is of great importance." Elissa began.
"WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY TELL ME NOW?" The king bellowed, Marcus whimpering behind Elissa. He had heard tales of the Royal Temper but this was the first time he had been in the same room as an erupting king. It was said that whoever survived the end of the king's rant could as well survive a dragon attack, since either way, there would be spitting fire. No one would wish to be on the receiving end of Royal Wrath, as everyone called it.
"My Liege, it is about Thunder."
"Thunder? Are you sure?"
"Yes. I have developments about her. She is the ultimate weapon that we have in this war. She can save all of us."
The king sighed, shifted his weight on his desk, and swept the room with his eyes, before ordering everyone else but Elissa out. "What about that one?" The king asked pointing to Marcus whose knees had begun trembling already.
"He is with me. He is the key to unlocking Thunder's full potential. I believe so. Right, Marcus?" Elissa turned to face him.
"Yes. Yes, my lady. Yes, your highness. I am Marcus of House Salovar." Marcus managed something close to a muffled whisper but was audible enough for the king.
" House Salovar, one of my most loyal citizens. It has my favour. I had a personal relationship with Salovar himself during the War of the Mainland." The king smiled as he started reminiscing but a sharp jolt of pain on his side jostled him back to the more important matters at hand. His tone changed entirely. "And I believe you are already informed on what you are supposed to do. We may have the skills and numbers, but one thing we do not have is time. Is she ready?"
"She manifested her gift a fortnight ago. I still have to work on her for a little whi-.." Marcus said.
"WE DO NOT HAVE TIME. IS SHE READY?" The king shouted.
"She is not. But she will be very soon. I promise you that." Elissa chimed in, excusing Marcus who had worn a face full of dread.
"She better be. Plus you of all people know that a promise is a bond that can not be broken." The king told her, before slumping heavily on his chair with an exhausted look on his face. "What shall we do now?"
"We could use a freeze-frame, though it will use up much of the Mountain's energy and render us vulnerable for the said time," Elissa interjected, not sure if it was a hypothetical question or not.
"At what costs? The freeze-frame has not been used for thousands of years and we all know what happened last time."
"It won't happen this time my lord. It blew the previous time because it did not have an anchor but I will be the anchor this time round. I will hold it as we wait for Thunder to arrive." Elissa offered and was met by bewildered faces from the gents in the room. "That is a sacrifice I am willing to take."
"You are our bravest warrior, I will not let you do that. I can be the anchor. "The king retorted. "We need you on the ground. Besides, no one would dare come near the Mountain if I were the one guarding it."
"No my lord. I have to. Pardon me but you are hurt and in no shape to anchor the freeze-frame. Let me do it. It will be my absolute honour."Elissa countered.
"What do you say?" The king asked Marcus.
" I...She is right...I... I...honestly do not think it is a good idea for you to risk anchoring it my king..." He stuttered.
"Well then. You have my blessing-" The king bent over, erupting in a bout of coughs midsentence. "Now go and get her ready. We have a war to win."
Elissa and Marcus bowed before begging their leave, Marcus exhaling rather loudly as soon as they were out of his chambers. He felt relieved that he had not faced the Royal Wrath, let alone been killed in there.