The Prince of Ilios

Fifty-One

Lightning and Thunder flashed overhead. Nicola. It had not taken much to light his temper again. He marched into the ballroom, past all of the girls. Water dripped from him, his boots sloshing as he left the storm behind. Letting it rage for him because he could not, trapped in the schemes of his father's manipulation.

Alyn ran into him in the hall, knocking him down, "I'm sorry, Prince Nicola."

Nicola did his best not to yell. Alyn was solid as a stone wall. He grasped Alyn's hand and was lifted to his feet.

"Prince Nicola, where is my sister?"

"Your sister, what do I care." Lightning flashed outside the window. The downpour continuing. He tried to continue on. What do I need with such a dramatic female. One moment joking and having fun with me, infuriating me the next.

"Please, sir, if you know, you must tell me. Or we could all be in danger."Alyn had never pleaded so desperately with someone before. Nicola's ears pricked.

"What do you mean?" He did not like the sound of this. He and Alyn had sparred together again last week, and had competed in the tactical game a few weeks back, and he was not one who would easily be defeated, yet here he was begging.

"My sister. She is the strongest Water Bearer in the Southern Isles. Stronger than me, stronger than my father. On our Island it only downpours like this when she is extremely upset. She almost took out the entire Island with a Tsunami before she came here. She doesn't know how to control it. We must find her and calm her, or the port, village, even perhaps the castle may be sacrificed to the waves."

This time Nicola did yell, a string of unintelligible curses. A long string of lightning bright and bold played across the sky in a sweeping motion. He paced for a moment. He could continue to ignore what was happening and make Ellora right, or he could do something to help his people. His people were in danger, he had to do something. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself, "She ran into the hedgemaze. I don't know if we will find her in time."

"Prince, she is not malicious. She would hate herself if anything happened to the people here." Alyn was trying to reassure him.

What if the Prince of those people had just threatened her people? Nicola could not keep the thought from his head and began running down the hall toward the hedge maze.

Mrs. Brook was gathering the girls, drying them with towels when the two men ran past them. On the way out Nicola yelled to one of his commanders, "Take your men and go to the port, the soldiers there will need help. Evacuate the people away from the water, bring them here if you have to." He stepped outside. The sky was a tumultuous green purple haze.

"You are a lightning bearer right?" Alyn yelled. Although, his voice sounded like a mere whisper in the storm.

Nicola nodded.

"We can help while we search by calming the storm. It should hold off the worst." Alyn held his hand up to his eyes, blinking back the rain. The wind already felt like a hurricane.

Nicola nodded again. He quieted himself. Feeling the rain touch his skin. At first it was a stinging needle. He breathed deeply, and focused on the things that kept him at peace, ignoring his current disdain for the girl he was trying to find. His people living happily, His mother and her smiling face. His sisters laughing and playing. He looked over at Alyn. He was doing the same. Calming himself. Turning off all of the alarms in his head, trying to find peace. The rain slowed to a summer downpour. It dropped and slid softly down their skin.

Alyn nodded to Nicola. He followed Alyn half-heartedly into the maze.

Nicola tried to focus and keep his calm. Every time his mind wandered, lightning struck and the storm grew again. He took a few deep breaths. He had to find Ellora before things got any worse. Even if he had to throw her in prison for this. For the sake of expediency he and Alyn had split. Nicola went to the left and Alyn to the right.