The Son of Thunder

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lightening lay on the bed. Rhysya busied herself with the cassata. She loved it and harped at Lightening for not trying it. Lightening's mind was fettered. Even if he could escape from the room, he was wary of wandering the labyrinth castle. Rhysya confirmed what he had suspected. Lightening had become immune to them faster than they expected. Probably due to his rashaman blood.

The mattress sagged in the middle and the sheets were so worn that Lightening wasn't sure if they were satin or silk. The color was pink. It had been red once. Lightening could see through the fabric when he held it to the light. Only the wood was well-kept.

Yadrow tiptoed into the room and Lightening stood as a reflex. Yadrow put a finger to his lips. "You have to get out of here. King Abel is going to kill you."

"I knew that before."

"We can't keep you alive if you oppose us," Yadrow whispered. "We've made ourselves defenseless now."

"You're intentions were always to kill us."

"No, Lightening, friend. I want peace," he said, moving toward him. "Please, what can I do to make you trust me?"

"Nothing."

Yadrow stepped back, his face sober. He had no pastries this time. He sat at the foot of the bed. "The war has been orchestrated by the Wolfdrums."

Lightening sank onto the mattress.

"You know the threat they would pose if they came to power."

"They have no power," Rhysya said. Lightening tugged her to the bed next to him. He couldn't form words.

"The Wolfdrums don't have the resources to destroy Valley of the Star and Thundonia at this juncture, true." So much played in Yadrow's head. "But we do." He took a deep breath. "We've been able to sneak into Thundonia unnoticed for sometime. It's quite a joke watching your guards patch fake holes. Thundonia's power has never sat well with any of the neighboring lands," he said. Lightening had to know that everyone tiptoed around his people. "The Wolfdrum leader approached King Abel. He offered us a treaty if we defeat Valley and Thundonia."

"Stupid," Lightening muttered.

"Very," Yadrow said, "considering they're the reason we're like this."

Lightening stood and positioned himself opposite of Yadrow. He hadn't taken off his mask in phases. His rancid breath filled the folds of the fabric. He looked into Yadrow's yellow eyes, at the little red veins coloring the corneas. "What are the details of the treaty?"

"Money, power, land, treated with dignity by all, as if they can promise us that." Yadrow paused, gazed at the dusty floor. "The Wolfdrums also offered us a cure."

"Ridiculous," Lightening said. Lowering his voice, "They don't have the resources or the knowledge."

"I know that," Yadrow said. "King Abel would sacrifice the kingdom to be normal," he said, studying his yellow nails. "I like being this way. It's fun." He smirked, splayed his green fingers. He should have approached Lightening sooner. He should have stopped this madness before the killing started. The number of dead haunted him. "I don't want the Wolfdrums in power anymore than you do."

Lightening pulled out his whittling knife.

"Lightening, my friend," Yadrow came forward, "I know more about you than you can guess. It's insanity to get in bed with the Wolfdrums. If they knew you were alive, they would kill you."

"They're still trying to kill me," Lightening said. "They just don't know who I am."

Rhysya said, "You're the Son of Thunder. How could they not know that?"

Lightening and Yadrow traded glances and exchanged a smile.

"Does King Abel know who I am?"

"No," he said. "He hasn't heard the prophecy." He snickered. "He wouldn't have concocted this silly plan if he knew."

"What plan?"

Yadrow waved it away. "I never believed for a moment you'd join us. Shawna's made a proper lapdog out of you." Picturing Lightening as a Pomeranian was funny. Yadrow's laughter cascaded off the walls. As funny as that lion-like headdress the Son of Thunder was saddled with. "He wanted you to join us, then denounce Eternity and Shawna. Hoped the two peoples would end themselves in their own war. Then he was going to kill you."

Lightening's eyes narrowed. "You said the woman who snuck into Thundonia—"

"I lied," he said. "All part of King Abel's plan. It would have never worked. Your peoples are coexisting too well."

Lightening ripped one of the bedposts down, a crack erupting through the room. He told Yadrow, "Leave Acidonia now. I don't care where you go."

Yadrow watched Lightening draw his whittling knife down the tip of the post. Yadrow's pace was steady as he headed to the door. He left the heavy wooden slab open behind him.

"Lightening, what are you going to do with that?"

"I'm going to kill the King."

"Lightening, are you sure you're hands are all right?"

"Yes." He flexed the digits. They were stiff, but he was ready.

He pulled her behind. Rhysya screamed "no" all the way. He only passed a handful of people. They shrank from him, but he said, "I won't hurt you. Only one will die tonight."

"Lightening, I don't want you to fight. What if you get hurt?"

He paused. Lightening gazed into Rhysya's blue eyes, then glanced at her round stomach. He dragged her in a different direction, found the stables and put Rhysya on a horse. Lightening sent the horse flying away and turned back to the castle. Rhysya scrambled, but couldn't maneuver herself.

"Lightening," she screamed.

Lightening didn't remember enough of the castle layout to get to the court. Logically, the king's court would be at the center of life. The king's bedroom would be the most removed and safest. It was evening, but too early to retire. The king would be in court, so Lightening headed straight forward, his instincts leading him.

King Abel stood, while other Acidonians cleared the area.

"What are you doing here? Where's Yadrow?"

"Dead. So are you."

Shela crept behind the throne while one of the citizens flew at Lightening. He threw him off the way he would have dropped a cloak from his shoulders. The Acidonian sprawled on the floor. Lightening raised his makeshift spear and threw it at King Abel like a javelin.

A waterfall of dark green blood came over King Abel's lips as he fell face down on the floor. His blood was thicker than Lightening's as it poured from the wound. For a moment, he thought himself no better than Beast. He shook his guilt away. He would pray later for his caprice.

Shela stayed hidden, stifling her tears as best she could. Lightening pushed at the King's body with his foot. Dead. He left the room, content. He lifted not another hand to harm anyone else.