Storm of Souls (Book 2 of The Tempest Series)

Chapter 3

Enyeto

He watched from beside Achak as Isi stepped towards her future husband and silently, he began to pray to the spirits for her safety and protection for he didn't trust any other to protect her. His heart stopped beating entirely for that moment as he yearned to stop her; he fought the temptation to draw his sword and hide her behind him, so that he could stop the entire ceremony of tradition. He couldn't just stand there and watch as she was ripped away from him by the duty that had haunted her all of her life; he knew that this was something that she didn't want and so, he wanted to stop it so that neither one of them had to experience the pain that he knew she was feeling as well as himself.

She mounted the horse so that she were in front of Keato before her fiance placed his arms around her, enraging him. In a spout of jealousy, he gripped the handle of his sword with one thought in mind before Achack grabbed his arm, stopping him from being able to move and in that moment, it occurred to Enyeto that his friend may have already been aware of his feelings towards the younger sister of the Chief.

"I know of how you feel my friend, I do not wish to see her leave either," said Achak as he removed Enyeto's grip of his sword and caused him to lower his hand, "but in order to keep the peace of this land and keep those we care for safe, we both must let her go regardless of how much it may pain us,"

"How do you know that Keato will treat her right? Treat her the way she deserves?" Muttered Enyeto as his jaw clenched, "What if he abuses her?"

"Keato is a fine chief and I trust that he will treat her in the correct manner. He has often proven himself to be an honourable man that places the safety of his tribe above all else"

"Then you have far more faith than I," muttered the young man; the hot sun fell upon his copper shoulders giving them a slight glow as he stood and watched as the woman he loved was ripped from him, and taken far away so that he was unable to protect her any longer. The hot sands danced around his ankles, scratching at his bare skin though he didn't care; instead, he wished that it would cause him some form of physical pain so that he would be able to ignore the paid within his heart.

The desert lands could have swept him under the burning sands and he wouldn't have cared for his heart ached far too much. The pain inside of him spread like a wildfire causing his body to remain unresponsive as he stood there and became as still as stone whilst he struggled against the internal turmoil that that took place.

On the edge of his hearing, Enyeto could hear the songs of sorrow in the distance and in that moment, the music had never seemed so fitting; as Keato rode with Isi in his arms, taking her from her home and those she cared for.

He could only hope that she would be safe though he had started to wonder many things; for so long she had spoken about running away together, never to return and on many occasions, she had spoken to him of their future and his children that she was bare. Her words had often given him hope for he never wished to see the day that they were to be separated; a hope that had proven to be false.

What had caused her to have such a sudden change of mind? What had made it so that she would put her duty in front of her heart, something she had never considered nevermind done before?

"Come," said Achak, pulling Enyeto from his thoughts and allowing him to gain control over his body once more, "we must begin to prepare, there is much to do,"

"One would think that a wedding would be easy to prepare for especially one that has been arranged in advance as much as this one has,"

"One would believe so, yes however it isn't as simple as one may believe. It may have been her duty from the day of her birth but no one was to know who she would choose," replied his dearest friend. "I am certain that Isi shall want everything to appear perfect and who better to choose the decorations for her marriage other than her brother and her closest friend,"

"I doubt at this moment, she would care so much for decoration. We both know that this isn't what she wanted," he muttered as he looked in the direction to which she had disappeared, "we know the truth. Isi didn't wish to marry like this, none of it is what she wanted,"

"She is no longer a child, she has bloomed into a beautiful woman. She has sacrificed her childish dreams in order to fulfill her duty just as woman of her descent should,"

"Since when has Isi fulfilled her duty? She has never cared for it, she's never cared for any of it,"

"Since she flowered," replied Achak, grabbing Enyeto's attention more so than ever before.

"Isi has flowered?"

"Yes, recently," replied his friend.

For a brief moment, Enyeto panicked as her thought that if she hadn't stopped seeing him as soon as she had done, he could have impregnated her and if he had done so, the punishment would have been worse than he could have imagined.

She has flowered which means, she shall soon be birthing Keato's children... he thought before he felt the sudden flurry of rage and jealousy rush through his body, washing his veins and preparing him for murder.