The Clockwork Chronicles Side Stories

The Prophecy

            Amber looked up at the wide mansion beyond the gates, the honey suckle trees blew into the wind, the sweet pollen spread out onto her light blond hair. People moved past her with parasol umbrellas and gossiped and giggled along the stone paved streets. But Amber paid the girls no mind. She had other things to worry about. 

         Her stomach clenched at the front of The Supreme High Council's home. Victoria. The richest sorceress in all of Cronus, probably the world. 

         And she was requested to work for her. 

        She gulped, and stepped up to the two guards, both in an orange uniform decked with golden lace. Their spears raised towards her. "What do you want?" one snarled from underneath their brown curled mustache. 

    Her hands trembled and went towards her pocket. "I'm on business," she said. Her voice sounded strange and hollow. So, it was no wonder why the guards looked at her with suspicion. She handed the papers over to one of them, slow and careful. "I was hired by the decree of Lady Agatha to prophesy for The High Supreme." She paused. "I...I'm a Seerer." 

    They looked up from the note, their eye rested on The Official Seal that was common in all notes officiated by The High Court. It was impossible to copy, even charms fail to replicate the intricate design. "You may pass," the man said. They stepped to the side and opened the gate. 

  She took a deep breath and stared out at the mansion above her, and took a step forward. 

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     Ramsey walked out of the large boat behind him and onto the dock, the fishers net hung over his back that reeked of fish and oil.  It had been what. Four, five days since he had a decent night of rest? Well...whatever.  He had caught a lot of fish and that's all that mattered. Maybe it would actually sell.

   He sighed and sat on the edge of the wooden platform that stretched out into the sea. The sound of chattering came from behind him, but they might as well have not been there, because he had no interest in conversing with them. The boat was his house, the sea was his haven. Land was nothing to him, just an obstical that kept him from his true home. 

  Sitting there on the dock, he tasted the sea salt condense on his lips, the air breeze against his ruddy brown hair. Bliss. The song of the sea. 

  The sound of footsteps interupted his thoughts. 

   "What do you want James," he groaned. 

    The burly man was large and stout, his grey beard tangled and meshed. He tipped his green hat to him and tried to sit by his side. Bow-legged and ridden with rickets, this proved to be difficult. "Can't an old sod have a nice conversation with a close friend." 

    "James, there's only three reasons why you would want to talk to me. You need money, need help with the rigging, or," he turned to give him a hard stare. "You want to talk about what I have been seeing." 

    "I'm wounded that you would think so lowly of me," James said with a simpered grin. He looked forward towards the sea that, like Ramsey, had adopted him with a harsh yet loving embrace. As a human like himself, ostracized by sorcerers, he found control away from the prejudices of the world in the waters. Where there was no racial divide between magic and none magic users. A world ripe for the taking."But about that third option. Have you been seeing anything? Anything at all?" 

    "Have you?" 

  "I'm not a Seerer Ramsey, you are," James retorted. Ramsey remained quiet for a moment, letting a soft sigh out in confusion. Ramsey was useful, very useful indeed. Like most seerers, he was able to see things, hear things that had yet to come. James often used him to predict when another storm was going to hit. But he was mostly smitten with the idea that Ramsey could lead him to something...much more valuable.