Eel's eyes flutter open in the darkness. He's back in the fortress, strange voices scream into his conscience. He sees his father pacing the halls. He looked younger and his beard was darker. His body glowed brightly in silk robes. A woman enters with Jupiter towering behind her as they bow their heads in greeting.
"Any news?" Destro asks, his eyes plagued with worry.
"No, Regent," the woman replies. "Krva struggles to birth the child, and I'm worried about their survival."
Destro holds his head in frustration and looks to Jupiter, who shakes his head. "You are Krva's best student. Is there no spell you can do to help?"
The woman looks troubled as she responds, "No, Regent. Magic doesn't work that way. I've given her potions to ease the process, but—" She pauses, looking up at a distraught Destro.
"Well? Out with it. But what?" Destro yells, his voice echoing through the hall.
The woman takes a deep breath. "But if she doesn't birth him soon, I'm afraid you'll have to choose between them."
Destro's face falls flat as he hears this. "Krva can't leave me," he whispers, walking away.
Jupiter approaches him, equally worried. "Krva is strong, my Regent. She will pull through this."
Destro walks to the edge of the hall, the glass windows glimmering under the stifling sunlight. He turns back to them, tears gently sparkling in his eyes. "Save Krva," he says. "Save my wife."
Eel watches as they all leave the hall. His mind flutters as they move toward the inner sanctum. He hears a woman's scream echoing as they get closer. They pass his father's office and enter his room. The guards and maids bow their heads in greeting. The screams grow worse as they enter the room. The glass windows shatter to the savage howl of the winds. Laid on the bed is his mother, looking pale and screaming viciously each time the woman yells, "Push, my lady. Push."
Eel watches as his father goes to her side. Jupiter stands by the door, anxiety stamped on his face.
"My heartbeat," Destro says, clutching her hands.
"Our son is too big," she chuckles gently through her labored groans. "He will be so strong, I imagine."
Destro smiles at her, grasping her hands as she pants heavily. "N'dîr thinks we have to choose… I can't lose you, Krva. We've come too far. We'll make another," he says, running his hands through her ruffled hair.
She looks at him, her pale face tired. "My Destro, at my age, it's a miracle the gods gave me this child." She runs her hands through his thick beard as she groans in pain. She turns to N'dîr. "We didn't give up when we were outnumbered ten to one by the Talantian forces, N'dîr. Do not give up on me now."
"But, Krva," Destro begins.
"No buts, Destro. Go back to the hall and pray for the gods to give me strength." She grabs the wooden frame, determined.
"No, my love. I will not leave you in your hour of need." Destro grabs her hand. "Breathe," he says. "Concentrate and breathe, my own." Eel watches as his mother's screams turn into a savage yell.
"Yes, Krva, push!" N'dîr shouts. "Push!"
Eel watches as his mother groans in agony, her eyes rolling back as she yells. Glass shatters across the room as loud winds burst in, darkening the skies over the fortress.
"Everyone out!" Destro screams through the ravaging winds. "Jupiter, get them out!"
The windows shatter as thunderclaps. "What about you?" asks Jupiter, shielding his eyes from the raging winds.
"That is an order, Captain. I will stay with my wife till the end," replies Destro, holding Krva's hand tight and whispering into her ears.
The clouds crack with lightning, the walls break down, and the room is in disarray as the strong winds ferry everything in their way.
"Come on, Krva. You are almost there. Push!" yells N'dîr. "Push this beautiful baby out of you."
Destro grabs the wooden frame of the giant bed, holding onto Krva. "You've almost done it, my love. We are almost there."
Krva yells in agony as the baby slips out of her. The roaring winds ferry the shelf across the room, crashing against N'dîra as she wraps the baby in white clothing. Lightning strikes the building.
"Fire!" yells Destro. "Fire!"
Eel reaches out, hoping to touch his mother. "Calm," she whispers. "Calm." The wind slowly halts its attack. Eel watches as Jupiter runs to help N'dîr. The bell rings as people rush to clear the damage and stop the fire. He looks at his mother, her eyes whited out, and her mouth opens into a void.
Eel wakes up to Æsà shaking him. "Wake up," she yells.
Eel wakes to the roar of forceful winds pushing against the carriage. "Where in the gods' asses did this storm come from?" yells Archi as they gallop through the dusty winds.
"It came out of nowhere," yells Oriòn. "Try to find shelter—a cave or something."
"Yes, Captain," replies Ratchet.
Eel watches as Nymèŕa cuddles close to him in fear. He turns to Æsà and smiles. She reaches out to wipe his teary eyes.
"Are you okay?" she asks. "How could you sleep through this terrible storm?"
Eel looks at her, wanting to respond but unsure what to say. "Calm," he whispers to Nymèŕa, feeling the leopard's heartbeat. "Calm." The winds slowly halt their barrage. He looks around, seeing the dark clouds give way to the spring sunshine.
"Are you seeing this, Captain?" asks Ratchet, pointing at the sky.
"Yes, Ratchet. The gods must be in a weird mood today," replies Oriòn, patting Ratchet and Archi on their backs. He turns to Eel, smiling as he moves beside him. "We are almost there, young lord. Ready for your first mission?"
Eel looks out at the clear skies, thinking back to the dream, wondering if it was all imagined. He finds it hard to convince himself it's just a dream but doesn't know who to ask for help.
"Could a sorcerer attack one in his dream?" Eel asks Oriòn.
"What's that about?" replies Oriòn, puzzled.
Æsà turns to Eel. "Are you having nightmares, my lord?"
"No, no," he replies. "I'm just worried about this whole dead kid and sorcery thing." Eel turns away, resting against Nymèŕa as he lies.
"Keep your focus," Oriòn responds. "We've entered the forest of the Borderlands, and our destination is approaching. And I don't know enough about sorcery to answer your question. All I know is if such magic exists, it might have died off during the last War of the Regents."
The carriage shivers as they ride into the forest. Eel looks around, watching the trees swoop by as they ride along the trail. They reach a guard post. A tall watchtower stood tall in the middle of the forest, and Royal guards were beneath it stopping travelers and searching them as they passed. Archi stops the carriage as a guard signals for him to halt. Oriòn sticks his head out of the carriage and speaks to their captain.
"You are the squad from the city they sent to the village of Urum," he says, reading the letter handed to him by Oriòn. "Clear the road for them, these are emissaries of the Regent."
The guards clear the road of travelers and horses held up till they are searched.
"Why the checkpoint sir ?" Asks Archi
"Orders from the capital came through. We are to search anyone that's heading in and out of Urum until you guys solve the mystery." He replies.
Oriòn hands the captain a map, "Could you point out the best route to Urum?" He asks
"Yes sure, it's not hard though. Keep heading East till you get to the river. Then follow the river till you get to their gates." He replies, waving them on their way.
Archi speeds past the line of waiting people. Eel stares at them as they ride on. Their faces look as tired as he feels. He wondered what the village would be like and if the dreams would stop when they got settled in their residence.
Æsà grabs his hand, her thick locks falling down the side of her head. " Are you okay, Eel?" She asks, rubbing the head of a slumbered Nymèŕa.
Eel grabs onto her, feeling the warmth of her palm heat his worries away. "I am now." He replies, resting his head on her shoulder as the carriage shakes them up. They reach the river and follow it to Urum like the guard by the outpost said. Urum's fence stretches across the edge of the river till they get to the gates. Two guards were there, they saluted Oriòn as they let them through, pointing them to the village head.
Eel watches as people walk around the village. They are a small community of different buildings built with the same red clay used to make tiles for the ceiling back home. He liked how each house had a sigil that represented the different families that lived in them. They ride slowly, and the people stop and bow their heads when they go past them. Eel stared at the villagers walking back from the river with huge fishes in their hands, he marveled at the craftsmen sweating it out as they honed their skills by their stalls. He sees two children, playing by the building that seems to house the village blacksmith. A small queue of people stood by them, holding knives, pots, and spoons in their hands as they waited outside the building. Eel sees the smoke fumes out the top of the building, he remembers his dream and how bright the fire burned in the inner sanctum. He turns away, looking ahead to a tall building at the village center.
"That's probably where we'll set up," says Oriòn as they stop and get down the carriage.
Nymèŕa yawns as he follows Eel out of the carriage. Children and people in the village all stare at him in amusement, leopards are extinct in the jungles of Emeral. so most people marvel when they see Nymèŕa walking about like a pet.
"Are you the guards I requested from the regent ?" Says an elderly woman who walked slowly towards them.
"Yes ma, and are you the chief of this village?" Oriòn responds.
"Yes captain, you can set up inside, you'll be staying in this building with me. Till you leave." She says, coming out of the shadows and into the sunlight.
There was something about her voice Eel recognized. He stared at her, she looked slim in her silk robe and she had a dark scar across her forehead. He looked on and wondered where they must have met each other. He tried hard but still, the face eluded him as he tried to place its picture.
"What do I call you all?" She asks as they unload their supplies.
The squad walks by her with their supplies as they all introduce themselves by their first name. Eel stared at her face, he could swear she looked familiar. It gets to his turn and he stops at her front to get a better look at her. Her face is pale and her white long hair shimmers under the sunlight. "My name is Eel." He finally says, giving up on the mystery that plagued his mind.
"Eel?" She asks, her face cracking into excitement. She walks towards him, stretching her hand out to touch his face. Eel moves backward startled. " By the gods, it is you." She continues, finally touching his face gently with her hands.
The squad looks at them amused, "You know him?" Asks Oriòn.
She nods her head as she responds, "I was great friends with his mother, Krva. You have her eyes too." She says, grazing his eyebrows with his thumb.
"You knew my mother?" Eel asks excitedly.
She laughs softly as she responds, "Knew? I delivered you young lord, and still have the scar to prove it." She says pointing at her face.
Eel's eyes bulge open, he got it. He knew who she was and didn't know how this was possibly happening to him.
"My name is…"
"N'dîr," they say in unison.
She smiles as she hears this, " Yes Eel, My name is N'dîr, and it's finally nice to meet Krva's child again.