PRESENT TIME.
A knock was heard at the door.
Zander opened his eyes, and after a while he answered, "Come in."
The door opened, before Ian walked in. He sighted his lord at the balcony and walked towards him. He stood at his side and bowed. He was aware that Zander wouldn't be sleeping - because he was insomniac, the great impaler has been suffering from a serious case of insomnia for two years now.
"Ian, have you ever thought about those that have fallen by your sword?" the great impaler asked, his eyes overlooking the beautiful night view.
Ian took a while to process the question, before he answered "No, not really"
"I thought so too" Zander said.
Ian didn't want to ponder much on the question, "My lord we received a royal decree" he said as he brought out a golden scroll from his coat.
"From whom?" asked the great impaler as he took the scroll.
"The crowned prince" Ian answered. His lord sighed.
"He never learns" Zander said, before he dropped the scroll on top of a table that was at the balcony - he was not interested with whatever Ivo has written inside his so-called degree.
Then he walked inside his vast chamber with Ian following suite.
Apart from his chamber being the highest, twas also the largest with different set of rooms inside. Theo has often joked about Zander's chamber being used as the servant's quarters, because it had enough space for all the servants in the palace.
Zander's war beast emerged from the inner room, the wolf walked to his master - Zander ran his fingers into his fur without crouching down. The wolf was no ordinary wolf, it's kind was known for their enormousness, and that has sent shivers down the spine of many gods and goddesses.
Every single servant at the castle has always avoided being assigned to the great impaler's chamber because of the scary, gigantic wolf. But before Zander found the wolf and started raising it as his own, the female servants has always fought over the now avoided assignment - and Zander was more than glad.
The great impaler sat on his queen sized bed, his wolf lay down on his master's feet.
Ian pulled a certain chair closer before he sat on it, then he asked. "Have you forgotten about that mortal girl?"
Zander looked up at him, "How can I forget the mortal that actually saw me" he said remembering that night that he had met her, "What did you find out about her?" he asked.
"Well, she is well known...as the cursed lass" Ian said.
"The cursed lass?" Zander repeated, "What brought about that vulgar title"
"I found out that her father was the messenger of the gods before he ran mad, like demented. And because the people of Aztlan has never witnessed a messenger of the gods run mad before, they on their own concluded that they were cursed"
"Interesting" Zander said.
"Since then, they have been living like outcasts, treated likewise" Ian said and continued "The only people that she is associated with are her two female friends" Ian informed. But what he couldn't understand was how she was able to see them that night - aye, her father is the messenger of the gods, and likewise her also because it runs in the family. But the messenger of the gods are simply ordinary humans that the gods has chosen to rely and convey their messages to their fellow humans, since it was practically gods that rules over the human world - and what ever they says goes.
That was one of the many reasons why the people of Aztlan hated Carmen, because when he ran mad, the villagers assumed that they have lost connection and favour from the gods.
But it was well known that a messenger of gods couldn't actually see gods, it was only when they want to be seen that they reveal themselves to them.
"She has quite a story" Zander said. "How old is she?"
"Nineteen, My lord" Ian answered, before he added "You have great interest in her. I have never seen you interested in a person like that before"
Zander smiled, he knew that his right-
hand spoke the truth. "You know me too well" he said before he continued. "There is something about her -"
"There definitely is. If not how was she able to see us" Ian said.
"Nay, Ian it's not that. There is something fascinating and ... pristine about her" the Great Impaler said.
Ian couldn't say for sure, but since his lord said so he knew that they was another iota of truth in it, because Zander Leviathan isn't a god know for mendacity and falsehood.