The Warlord

Chapter 13: Evelaen

I stand in my own private garden, just outside of my chambers, breathing in the dusk air. The sun has left the sky in billowing violet pieces, and somewhere, the moon is waiting for its time to rise. Right now I want nothing more than to feel the cold wind tingling my skin, the hushed rustle of the emergence of night and its creatures, the sense of being one with Serestine. Serestine, the kingdom I will abandon to fight for, the kingdom I will stray away from to carve a better path. My emotions on my departure, on my mission, and on my queen have been shredded and layered and tangled into a mess of knots. I know that the assassination plan is the best option, but the fact that I will have to suck up to the gods, to play the part of the passive ambassador, is something that I can barely tolerate.

It doesn't matter anymore. I cannot fight my queen's command now, not when I have already accepted it. All I can do now is try until my very last breath to fulfill my mission. Which leaves me with the trouble of convincing that little witch to come with me. If she followed through with my instructions, she should be here sometime.. now.

As if on cue, a foreign magic's presence appears, and the light from a purple flash behind me illuminates the darkening garden. Right on time. Wonderful.

"What is this place? Why did it bring me here?" Her voice quivers from fear, but also from anger. She can feel the agonized cries of the ancient witches then. This chamber used to belong to the healer witches, and when the people of Serestine chased them out, they left magical reminders of the unjust actions done to them.

"We are standing in my private garden, little witch. Tomorrow morning, we will depart to the upper realm. No doubt you are brimming with excitement. After all, you are going to meet the gods you love and praise so much." I make sure the contempt in my voice is perfectly clear, and I feel her anger bristle in response.

"The gods granted us life and magic! They are to be respected and worshipped! Without them, we would be nothing! They helped us grow and spread across this world, and yet this kingdom decides to wage war on them!" I go completely still. For a moment, I almost laugh at her stupidity, at her complete ignorance of what has happened between the middle realm and Heaven.

Then I whirl around at her, and she pales at the sight of my rage-hewn face. "The gods were the ones that turned on us, little witch. When Serestine was at its full might, around the time I was just a child, the gods withdrew their heavenly powers and left us to rot. They bombarded us with blistering summers and freezing winters. They manipulated the minds of our own kind and made them turn against us. Do you know why?" She only gives a small whimper, and I bitterly smile as I say, "They were afraid, the cowards. Afraid after they saw what sort of empires we could build, what we could do with not only our magic but also our bare minds and hands. Famine and disease spread like wildfire. The crops wilted under the weather conditions, and death became as common as a housefly. We waged war to gain back some control of this realm, and though we have wrested the seasons from their grip, the outskirts where you come from are still suffering from their ruthless choices."

I turn away, letting my rage cool and calm, letting it blow away with the night wind. I cannot afford to scare her away, to breed any hatred between us. She is crucial to my mission, and that is all that matters.

"I did not ask you to come here to challenge your beliefs. I asked you because I need you to be the negotiator between me and Heaven. They will not trust me, but they will trust you. They know what the witches are, and there is not much you can do to incite their wrath. Earn me their trust, little witch, and I promise that no harm will come to you in the upper realm. Do you accept these terms?" I know she will not turn down the offer; she loves the gods too much to throw away a chance at entering their realm. And with me as her guardian, almost nothing can touch her.

Her voice is breathless, almost as if she is floating in her godly fantasies, as she says, "I accept."