Kismet (Book One - Completed)

Chapter 11: Mayhem

Chapter 11: Mayhem

"Sir, I think that a typhoon is heading our way! The weather is experiencing huge aberrations." The guard informed the Vice-Chief.

"What? This can't be..." The Vice-Chief exclaimed, "We have to send out a flare."

"It is no use. With the flood, it's impossible for us to travel outside! All of our carriages have been bogged down by the mud, the roads are flooded and our courier services are unavailable...more people have drowned as we speak." The guard proclaimed, "As for those arriving to the camp late, many of them have been separated from their families."

"This is worse than we had expected." The Vice-Chief said and thumped his fist on his makeshift table, "We knew that the yearly flood was getting worse. But we didn't know that the situation would devolve into its current state."

"What can we do to improve the situation?" The guard asked, "The crates have exceeded their maximum capacity. Everyone is asking us to give them a lift even though the ropes have slackened. Some people at the waterfall are even taking this matter into their own hands and climbing the drop themselves!"

"Send me a scribe, a dozen workers and the captain immediately." The Vice-Chief demanded, urging his guard to move and relay his message to the survivors, "We need to build the second pulley system. Hurry!" The Vice-Chief said. He watched apprehensively as the guard made his way through the camp. An unsettling feeling bogged down his chest.

"Oliver...Oliver..." He pleaded desperately in his head, awashed with the need to speak to Oliver. But he was gone. A terrifying sensation struck the Vice-Chief out of the blue, leaving the man immobilised and incapacitated as he wheezed breathlessly. Succumbing to the tightness in his chest, the Vice-Chief collapsed onto the ground, eyes drawn up to the heavens.

"How is Oliver doing now, I wonder?"

There was a huge crack on the cave tunnel. It gave him a glimpse of the sky. The tree branches were swaying recklessly in the winds. He recalled the time when he and Oliver were sitting in his home, putting their plans together.

[Two Weeks prior]

"Lionel." Oliver's voice echoed through the hallway of Lionel's home. "I have come to you with a plan."

"What is it, Oliver?" The Vice-Chief said, "You have saved our village by warning us about D. Sareus at the expense of your safety. We cannot thank you enough. If you have any request for me, speak."

"I know that the yearly flood in your village has worsened every year. Your villagers have been building ditches and canals to curb it but to little avail. If this continues, they will lose their homes permanently."

"The flood has not escalated to the point that it is hard to handle. Besides, homes and buildings in Merdice are fortified with materials designed to withstand water pressure." The Vice-Chief dismissed Oliver's concerns. "There is no need for us to change our practices."

"But Vice-Chief Lionel!" Oliver argued his case fiercely, "D. Sareus and his men have destroyed the forests and tunnels around this area, resulting in the disturbance of ecosystems near Azure Lakis. That is why bad things are happening. The activities of the monsters within the cave have spiked immensely. What's more, these monsters are trying to get out and wreak havoc on the region. Your village will be destroyed if we let them escape."

"Disturbed the ecosystem, huh?" Lionel sighed, "So D. Sareus' army is responsible for the earthquakes. What do you suggest then?" The Vice-Chief continued, "If your plan fails, not only will I not reward you, I will have to punish you."

"I have found the right person to use the powers of the Water bracer." Oliver explained, "Based on my knowledge, the Water bracer was kept in this village by a sorceress who had used its powers to seal up the cave, maintaining the peace between monsters and humanity by creating a place where monsters and humans can reside separately. Legend has it that the previous users of the Wind Relic and the Water bracer were foster siblings; when one relic falls into the hands of its user, the other user is close by. I have found a young woman from Ferr who fits that description. Please let her take the trial and inherit the Water bracer."