The Immortal's Warrior The Coming Storm

Chapter 4

With a rumble of thunder in the sky, a light rain began as Seth made her way back to the village along a small game trail. She walked slowly through the trees, taking her time and letting the soft kiss of the cold wind comfort her and the soft patter of rain soothe her. There wasn't anything that Seth didn't enjoy about the rain, it could be a raging storm with whipping winds and a torrential downpour and it would only make Seth feel alive. She had yet to experience a storm like that, from what she could remember, but she just knew it. Seth couldn't say if she was a goddess or not, but the Waketo people definitely got her affinity for storms right.

Seth took in a deep breath of the rain-infused air, relishing the smell. Maybe she should leave the village and travel somewhere that stormed constantly, Caldour had told her the coast was always experiencing storms and Seth couldn't imagine a more perfect place to live. She felt that if she was constantly happy and energized like she was when it stormed, then maybe she would have a better time unlocking her power. Perhaps if she brought that up to the elders, they would even allow it, like a pilgrimage. She didn't really need their permission, but it would make things easier for everyone.

As Seth continued along the trail, letting her mind wander and daydream, her thoughts were suddenly pulled back to reality when she heard someone calling her name. "Seth! Where are you?"

Seth's brow furrowed, that sounded like Caldour. "Over here!" She called back out. "Caldour, is that you? I thought you went back to the village!" Seth picked up her pace to a light jog, cutting up a small bluff to her left to connect back up with the main trail through the forest; she saw Caldour down the road, covered in sweat and breathing hard, already running. When he spotted her, he immediately ran over to her but slowed down and stopped a few paces away.

Caldour's brow was knitted together as he carefully looked her over. "Is it- still you?" He asked, pausing mid-question as his gaze continued to flick about as if he were looking for something. Seth could definitely tell something was up but her friend was still being rude, so she gave her usual cheek response.

"Of course it is, you ass," she said back as she looked him up and down in a mocking gesture. "What's going on? You look like hell."

Her friend just shook his head and quickly cleared the rest of the distance between them. "Then how are you making the storm? Have you remembered anything? Or do you know?" He asked rapidly, ignoring her own questions out of haste.

Seth shook her head and reared back a little. "One question at a time, Caldour. What are you even talking about? Is something going on?"

"Something is definitely going on, haven't you noticed the storm? The one you've made?" Seth could hear Caldour speaking but at that moment it was as if he was a mile away and she could barely make out what he was saying as a feeling of dread spread over her. Did she make the storm? No, impossible.

"What are you talking about? I didn't make the storm, it rolled in on its own. What's wrong? You know I can't use any goddess powers." Panic rose in her chest as questions piled up, she could tell something was really wrong; she had never seen Caldour so stressed before.

Caldour took a deep breath and looked up at the storm. "Seth, the elders watch the sky and always observe storms." He looked down and met Seth's gaze, "this one isn't natural, it formed from nothing and far faster than it should have. At first, everything was fine, everyone thought that you managed to remember something and that you conjured it, but as the storm grew in size people began to think that you were angry. Then one of the fishermen ran into town saying he saw Vuasnu hunters dragging two children along and everyone knew you were angry. The village is a mix of panic and anger right now, our own hunters obviously want revenge on the Vuasnu, but everyone is also worried about you and that storm. I overheard one of the elders say that when it starts to rain, it could cause a flash flood and destroy the ravine. It would wipe out the Vuansu for sure, but it would also wash away our way of life, too."