Legacy

Chapter 25 - Awakening

The shadow theatre was even more impressive than the young prince had hoped. It didn't have the mysterious quality of Smiling Jack's shadow box but the life-sized puppets and coloured lights made for a fantastic show and watching it with Dawn Marie made it all the better. The rest of the day had flown by – there was laughter, smiles, and shows to amaze and amuse.

The snow had started falling in the afternoon and had grown steadily worse as evening had drawn in. Large heavy flakes blew through the night air as the wind howled ferociously. The temperature was dropping rapidly and large fires had been set in the great fireplaces throughout the manor-house to fend off the cold. The snowfall continued to grow in intensity until the world was a sea of white.

Seven and the other servants were busy setting up the storm blinds and sealing the rooms that weren't being used in case the blizzard lasted for more than a few days. Glowing warm lamps and spare candles had been set up in each guest room and there were murmured fears throughout the darkness of the house. The City of Winter's Breath had long suffered the great northern storms. The heavy winds and snow blew down from the mountains gaining speed and ferocity. The great whiteouts often lasted for days and battered the storm wall relentlessly. The great barrier of living stone that surrounded the city endured the brunt of the storm's wrath.

In the countryside things were far worse. It was not uncommon for houses and sometimes even villages to be buried completely, homes vanishing beneath mountains of snow and ice. Those poor unfortunate souls trapped within the frigid depths were cut off from the rest of the world. There was nothing to be done but wait and hope the blizzard ended before supplies ran out. Everyone prepared for that eventuality. They stocked up what they could when times were good, always ensuring there was enough food and supplies to outlast the icy grip of winter. They built their buildings low and squat with strong frames and well insulated walls to withstand the press of snow without collapsing.

The coming of the Praxis Republic had done much to improve the lot of the people of the north. The Architects had devised all manner of improvements and life-saving devices: clean burning stoves that could be used even when the house was trapped under the snow and the ice-melters that allowed the family to cut through the snow and ice when it came time to dig their way to freedom.

Such fears were far from the mind of the young prince that night. The storm wall and sturdy foundations of The House of Thane would weather almost anything the mountains unleashed and, for him, the night was a night of firsts. Seeing a blizzard first-hand was awe inspiring. Never before had the awesome fury of the elements or the futility of man's existence better showcased themselves. Like a beacon in the night the city stood alone in the darkness, the ingenuity and tireless work of the former empire all that prevented it from being swallowed whole.

The prince wondered if this was what it was like when the nameless wanderer had faced off against the Storm Eater. Had he stood there atop the lonely mountain in a world without wind, the beast unleashing the fury of nature upon him and blinked? Or had he been unwavering in the face of a god?

Staring at the lamp burning on the stand and the shifting azure blue text of the Chronicle the prince decided that he had waited long enough. It was time at last to make his move – tonight the wheels of destiny would begin to turn and he would take centre stage in his own life.

The awakening formula was in his hands. He'd found a seeker store in town and had acquired nearly all that he needed. The only piece that remained was the Keid seed. To think, all those years that strange plant had sat on a shelf in the old farmhouse and never once had he given it a second thought. Now it was the key to everything. How could he have ignored that pale blue flower for so long, never once showing it the slightest bit of interest, only to have it become so vital to his plans? Archon and matron had tended to it every day, nurturing the funny thing so that it would produce its annual seed. Now their hard work would finally come to fruition.