The King's Possession -- Book Two: Water

Chapter Sixteen

Thank you for being patient while waiting for an update loves! It means a lot :) And I'm sorry for the short chapter. I hope to be able to work on another one soon that will be longer. Writers block has been a bitch! Anyway, onto the book!

Enjoy! :)
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         The early morning light broke through the leaves in the trees, swaying and singing in the soft breeze that kissed the land. I walked with my staff, the branch on my hip, swaying softly with each step. The journey that I was taking had passed by quickly, and with only one destination in mind, I didn't have any other choice than to move forward. The sun was slowly lifting higher and higher in the sky, seeming to be lifted with each step I took. But, even as it lifted, time seemed to be at a stand still. Nothing moved, nothing breathed but the wind, and I felt a chill of fear rush over me.

      The sounds of the wind speaking stopped suddenly, causing the calming rustling of the leaves to instantly fade away as another song echoed across the valley and meadow. I recognized the echoed tune, the lifted and sorrowful melody needing no words to express the depressed feelings that held their hearts. Turning to look over my shoulder at the sea, I could see the fog roll over, seeming to be the cause of the mournful melody.

      Tightening my grip on the staff, I turned my body towards the sound, taking a few steps forward to bring me closer to the edge of the cliff that seemed to come from nowhere. How far had I walked? Why was I not in Marinas? I was supposed to be sleeping in the arms of Kratos, the man who I wished to hate, but found myself lacking that emotion. Instead, something... foreign was starting to fester and grow. Like a wildfire spreading during the dry months of the cycle.

        Everything seemed to slow down to a crawling pace of a babe as I looked over the cliff, seeing the steam turn into black, billowing smoke, which soon followed the sounds of screams of terror and building collapsing. The air was pierced with the screams of men and women, crying out to the gods that did not seem to listen. But, as those cries started to grow, they were met equally with a different sound of screams and terror. Flames licked the forest floor around me, the heat burning my skin and causing the air to grow hot and unbreathable. Everything seemed to turn from colorful joy, to black and grey dullness of death.

       With only a few minutes strength of running in my legs, I pushed off and headed towards the side of the cliff, keeping me as far from the flames as possible. All the while, I held the branch of my Father onto my hip, never releasing it from my grip, but I had dropped the staff.  All the while, I pushed forth, feeling the burning fire start in my legs as I ran further, looking to see if there was a way to escape the fire, and letting me still have a choice of jumping into the sea, or running to find help to remove the flames. But, as the fire grew, seeming to be running beside me, consuming everything at an alarming rate, I was met with not the sea, or the cliff, but the islands of my people.

        My feet stopped without my consent, causing my body to tumble forward, only to roll as I dogged a few trees that blocked my path from the vines that hung below. Everything was swimming around me, my vision was blurred, the fire in my lungs and legs burned, but not to the degree that the flames were on my side and back. I only had one option, and that was to go upwards to Mother Tree. Looking around me, I could see only flames, as they had consumed the trees, flowers, bushes, wildlife, everything was burned to the ground. Everything but the stream that flowed through the middle of the meadow and forest, only to come to the Cliffside and jump over to meet the sea once again. I looked from the water to the Island, seeming to be given a choice once again.

        Wake and Knock...

        My eyes widened as his voice echoed around me, seeming to calm the flames and storm that were raging inside of my mind and heart. Everything stopped then, there was no fire, no smoke, no trees, no land, only water.