The Obsidian Arrow

The Obsidian Arrow: Chapter 34

Chapter 34:

[Noraes’ POV]

            A quill in his hand, a bottle of ink at his side, scrolls scattered lazily across his desk, throbbing that constantly ached his hand as he wrote, and yet still he was far from being finished. The candlelight was dim by his side, yet there was enough light to continue on. Many scrolls needed to be drafted and it felt like it would take all night in order to complete them all. Noraes wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to make it. For many nights he hadn’t been able to sleep through the night, nor had he been able to hit his pillow at a decent hour. There were so many things to do now that the king was dead. A week passed since the demise of the great lord, and the work hadn’t stopped in the slightest.

            He knew he was top three that the people would choose for king, and yet he didn’t know the decision would come so swiftly. His mind still couldn’t comprehend the thought that he had been chosen over Admiral Jarreyn or Earl Dresct whom had practically been the king’s right hand man. Scrolls seemed to come to him to no end where he had to choose this and that, and never a moment of rest. He needed to appoint a duke in his place, a captain of the guard, council, and even treaties. Everything needed to be resigned and resealed with the new king to do any good in the land. There were to be no issues between the old king’s rule and the new, and so to make certain that everything was in compliance – all orders had to be relooked at and resigned. Noraes’s eyes felt burnt out of their sockets with the reading, writing, and signing that he had to do.

            Some of the old orders he had changed and stamped, in order for his council to take a look at and agree to the changed aspects. His hands felt numb, his eyes blistered, neck stiff, and his mind near insane. He hadn’t dared move his things over to the castle yet, for he wanted everything in order before he made the transition. Besides, he wanted to head into the city and greet the people with his presence before being admitted into power. Secretly he had always wanted to rule, a passion craved at him to leadership. He wanted to be a just, kind, and compassionate king if it were possible. When the scroll announcing him had been delivered, it came with ten guards to protect him, which he hastily sent away in respect for his privacy.  There was no way he would be able to focus on all the scrollwork he needed to do with ten guards breathing about him at all times.

            He finished the last scroll on his table, a scroll that asked permission to form an alliance with the cities on the north side of Calthoria against the evil creatures of the land. If there was one thing he wanted, it was no wars between humans. There was too much happening in the land for a few power staving men to start a rebellion. When he was finished he dropped the quill on his desk, creating a small round ink stain on his cherry wood desk. He tasseled his medium length dirty blond hair away from his eyes and sighed heavily, feeling at the large round mole above his eyebrow, and stretching his arms as high as he could get them.

            A knock at the door startled him and he turned to stare at it. Nobody should be coming to his door this time of night, unless it be assassins or a message that couldn’t wait. He waited patiently as he stared at the door, feeling for the dagger that was tucked inside his satin blue cloak. The last important message that should have come was the death of the king, unless of course the people started an outrage to him becoming king. Noraes got to his feet carefully and sauntered his way to the door. He held his hand on the doorknob for a long moment before sucking in his breath and opening the door.

            Outside it was storming, rain poured down like a stampede of antelope through an open pasture, lightning burst through the sky like a cloud of flickering fireflies, thunder forcefully beckoned all around him. In the center of all the chaos stood a woman clasped in plate mail, holding herself up with her hands clasped to the doorframe, blond hair drenched in rain that cascaded all down her petite frame.