It's getting late,the night, but Johnathan didn't see the end of this blizzard. It's his first time experiencing a blizzard in the late season of spring.It should be a starry night sky in Aira this time of year.
"Haah, this is crazy..the prophecy, they take it by force when the gods didn't give them the sign" a smoke of cigarette coming out of his mouth.
"Who is crazy?" Marina come into the tent, and take some of his cigarette.
"You should stop smoking already Marina"
"You should stop too, you are almost forty John"
"I'm still in my mid of thirty you know, you old hag!" Marina turn her head and looking sharply, didn't believe who is once her classmate just said.
"Look at us, bickering when there is something more dangerous in front of us"
"I know.." Marina let out a small laugh, remembering what she just experienced.
"How is she doing? the older one"
"Madelaine you mean?" how short the memory span of her friend is
"She is unstable as you can see, the weather she created doesn't get any better"
"She looked like a corpse... her skin turns pale and eyes like a dead fish, are you sure she could survive the night?"
"Show some respect, John!"
"I'm sorry, she has been through a lot, does she?"
"I already gave her a stabilizer and some sleeping pills, I couldn't help much since the rest of my medicine is in the office"
"She is a regressor, am I right?"
"Yes, and her karma is more than what she could bear I'm afraid"
"Well of course, the karma is forced upon her, it's a miracle she could even survive all of those experiments" Johnathan sighing, taking another cigarette into his mouth.
"Seeing the aftermath of her awakening, this is no ordinary karma"
"We are lucky that she survived the attack, it's a good sign for your promotion news!" Marina is laugh at his anxious looking face, "Imagine if the engagement of the princess doesn't come sooner, it would be our country that burn into ashes"
"You're right, or maybe Rurevican knew our plans all along so they choose to destroyed the orphanage and it's children"
"There is a rat in your department John"
"How long gonna be the reports to the King!" Johnathan let out his frustration and got a little bit tense just because the imagine of papers that need to be reported after this incident.
What are you gonna do with those two child, John?'
"I don't know, this kind of thing is your expertise no? since this is your uncle doing, haha.." Johnathan's laugh sound almost like a mocking.
"Shut up! you know I don't want to get tied with that mad man!" Marina shouted while kicking Johnathan feet.
"Poor child, she doesn't even know she become a sacrifice of a mad king obsession to melt the ice of the century that froze an ancient kingdom"
"What is the prophecy said anyway?" she's asking curiously. Marina isn't one who interested in any kind of prophecy or a legend, she thought of it as another bed time story before this night.
"Only the karma of the righteous lineage that could open the door to the heart of the castle" Johnathan try to remember the rest of the prophecy that he heard when he's in a mission to Aeles Frozen Nation in his twenty.
"What lies in the heart of the castle anyway that make every nation try to claim it"
"Nobody knows, maybe it's wealth or immortality, but one thing for sure they try to claim the power that could froze an entire nation and even change the course of weather around its border"
"That is crazy.." Marina sounds disbelieve of what she just heard.
"Now, that is kind of crazy that I was talking about"
"That child..will going through a lot in the future just because she survived tonight"
"That is your responsibility now Marina"
"What are you talking about!"
"Maybe this will be your chance, redemption of what your uncle has been doing, to prove that you are worthy of your family name"
"It's something he needs to do, not me!"
'I'll write it on my reports to the king, just wait for the imperial order haha.."
Marina does't have any strength left to respond to his difficult request. It's just become silent between them, only smokes of cigarette that is coming out of their mouth. No exchanging words as they know what each other are thinking right now.
The sound of the wind break the silence between them, someone is coming. Focus shift toward the door, it's almost like instinct, their 22 years of experience as an Imperial Officer is beyond imagination.
A child figure is coming out behind the door, it's Rose. Upon seeing this, Johnathan hurriedly put of his cigarette. Marina, seeing his friend attitude, give her quiet an amusing scene.
"Something's wrong Rose?"
"The storm.." Rose asking with a trembling voice.
"Come here, it's cold outside" Johnathan holding out his jacket toward her.
"I'm gonna check her condition" Marina break the sweet moment that happen between them, it's weird, she didn't know John has this kind of side.
"Madeliaine, is she gonna be okay?" Rose ask the question just before Marina leave for the tent.
"She will"
Rose felt conflicted hearing Marina answer. Her anger toward Madelaine, almost turn into hatred but she is the only connection to once Rose called family. It's a difficult emotion a seven years old need go through in just one night.
"Get some sleep, this would be a long night" Johnathan said while add some wood into the furnance.
"What would happen to me, sir?"
"Well, I have something planned for you, but let's talk about it tomorrow with your sister too!"
"She isn't my sister.."
"Your friend then?" Rose is quiet, she just could't find the right word for that question, she don't know what Madelaine mean to her after this night.
"I know maybe she did something wrong in your eyes, but she did save your life by taking you out of those place" Johnathan said it carefully, afraid she might take it wrong of what he really means.
Rose just being silent, there is anger that just does't go away even after she let out her frustration toward Madelaine ealier this night. I don't know how she could face her tomorrow, seeing her face just made her remember all the misfortune that is happening.
Johnathan, who is just as clueless as her, doesn't know how to handle a little girl. He just tried to make her rest comfortable as possible, giving his bed, cover her with a blanket.
Once again, the silent has come into the tent. The sound of the storm, almost like howling are the only thing they heard.
"Let's just survive the night" he whispered.