Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

ZURA

My heart feels as broken as my body does right now as I watch them take OrO away. I struggle helplessly against Lagduf , so weak I can barely stand, let alone break his hold on me. OrO glances back at me and for the first time, I see longing in his eyes. Runes I have never noticed before dance upon his arms and I could crumble on the ground as it hits me what they mean. My mind drifts for a moment as I try to remember if he had these marks when I went to see him earlier. He has a Kismet out there and she must be close or his runes wouldn't have come forth. He sacrificed his one chance at happiness to save me.

I don't know who the female is. God knows I hate her already, but I wish she would come forth. Their Kismet bond could save him, and I would rather see him with another … than dead. When he is no longer in sight, I turn all my anger towards my mother. " You would have rather found me dead?"

" Always the one pointing fingers, Zura . I didn't make up these rules, daughter. I simply enforce them. Here , take this, she has done nothing but cry since you left." She practically throws the youngling that I entrusted in her care at me.

Reaching for the little female, I almost crumble under her slight weight and would have if Lagduf had not grabbed me. Lowering her to the ground, I put my hands upon her shoulders, keeping her right in front of me. Her steady tears rip at what's left of my heart as her little hands wrap tightly around my leg.

" Have you always been this heartless, Mother ? I know you take your position seriously, as you should, but look around at what has happened this rising. There isn't a soul on this planet that was not affected by these events. There should be some leniency in times like these. The last thing you need at the moment is to lose more of your people. You have the means to eliminate some of this suffering."

Mother turns on me in all her fury. " The rules for the Sacred Lake and its waters were put in place for a reason, Zura . If its healing properties were announced throughout the galaxy, all would annihilate us to obtain it. I'm not letting you or any other send out a bulletin with our planet as the bullseye for all to target."

" What I am saying is, if you don't heal your people and stop destroying the ones who do, there will be no one left to defend our planet. What will you do then? You have the power to take the physical pain away from the ones who protect and care for you. Your people have lost everything material wise. Do you want their lives as well?"

" Your youth makes you ignorant, Zura . Even if I choose a different path, I could not act on it. I am the Head Priestess of Xuias . I swore an oath to protect the Sacred Waters from all who would abuse it, and I will uphold that oath. When you take your rightful position next to me. You will understand the hard decisions that have to be made, no matter what ... or who."

My anger gives me some well-needed strength, " I will not! I refuse to partake or even pray to a god that will not allow me to care properly for the people he has me ruling over. I refuse to be the tyrant you have become, Mother ."

Her eyes blaze in fury at my outspokenness, " Take her to her room I will not stand here and discuss this any longer." Lagduf pulls on my arm gently and I reach down barely able to pick up the youngling who has been clinging to me silently this entire time. Mother is a few steps away when my words stop her.

" What are you going to do to OrO ?"

" You know the laws, Zura . He will be beheaded at first light, then his body will be given back to the waters in which he partook."

" He was only in there because of me. Shouldn't I also be punished?"

Lagduf interrupts my next words. " If I may speak, Head Priestess , when we came upon OrO , Princess Zura was unconscious. She did not give him permission, he acted upon himself."

" Thank you Lagduf , but I was already informed of this. However , I appreciate you confirming the original account. Because of the witnesses, Zura , you were spared. However , OrO knew he was giving up his life for yours when he stepped in that water."

" Mother , banish him if you must, but please don't kill him for saving me. I will never survive it."

" You will … in time, as I have since the loss of your father."

" Mother , I miss Father too, you were not the only one of us to lose a loved one that rising. Nevertheless , I don't believe for a moment the King of the Orcs would have stood by and allowed this tragedy to cripple the people or our world. But wait a moment, that's not really what this is all about, is it? You're not thinking about your people, only the death of OrO . In your mind, this is your way of getting back at his mother. Well , what about his father? Are you ready for DaR's wrath? You are more naive than I thought if you think he will be alright with this."

" DaR will be notified once our planet has once again stabilized. I will not refrain from providing Commander DaR with the charges or the proof of OrO's crimes at that time. The commander is well aware of the rules that govern our world. Now go, your body's weakness is showing, daughter. Instead of arguing with me you should be resting so that you can regain your strength. Zura , you should also know that you will not be permitted to leave the fortress grounds until you are cleared by a healer. That may take some time, as they are trying to save as many as possible below."

I don't waste another word on her. She is determined to see this through one way or another. Turning towards my room, I sway unsteadily. My left leg is barely supporting my weight, let alone the youngling who has her small arms wrapped around my neck tightly. Lagduf reaches for her, but she refuses to go to him. I don't know who is more shocked, me or the youngling, when he scoops down and picks both of us up at once. I hate the feel of his arms around me but relieved at the same time as I am only moments from collapsing in front of everyone.

" Pardon me, Zura , I respect you far too much to let others witness the weakness that is plaguing your body. Anyway , OrO would want us to take care of you in his absence. You should know Blog and I watched you both from a distance before we approached the waters. It was obvious you were moments from death when OrO stepped into the Sacred Lake . I have never witnessed such grief on another soul before.

" OrO could have cared less about his life at that moment, only yours mattered. His love showed in the way he handled you … it was like you were a piece of fragile glass in his hands. When the rising comes, I will unlock your door so you can stand witness to his sacrifice." He places me gently on my feet in front of my door, making sure I was steady before stepping away. " Do you need me to assist you further?"

" No , … Lagduf , as the things I need you cannot do without bringing danger or shame upon yourself and your family. See that your own wounds are looked after before you leave the fortress. I pray that your loved ones are safe within its walls. Before you go …" I hesitate to ask this. " You really believed that what you saw on OrO's face was … love?"

" Seeing is believing, princess. I understand your mind is distressed, but you should know, your people will stand behind you always. Think on my words, I will leave you now."

I don't even remember walking inside; my mind and heart are so shattered that I am in a daze. The very thought of losing OrO is tearing me apart. I have never doubted that he cared for me, but we were too stubborn to act on it further. I look down at my own unmarked skin. Realizing the Kismet runes on his body mean that he is tied to another, but that feels wrong. Lord of Light I am so confused. Why do I feel like I am missing something?

The feeling of small fingers patting the side of my face has me stopping in the middle of the room. " Oh , my sweet thing, please forgive me, you have to be scared and confused. Are you hungry? Let's sit down for a moment and get to know each other better. What is your name?" Not so very gracefully we plop down on the bed. That's when I notice how dirty we both are. " Looks like we could both use a bath."

It takes me a moment to unwind her arms from around my neck so I can look at her. I can tell she has been crying for quite some time now because her eyes are puffy and red.

" You came back," she whispers.

" I told you I would. That big Orc you saw earlier brought me back to you when I was too weak to do it myself." Fighting my own tears, I try to focus on her. " What is your name?"

" Momma calls me Rosad . Is OrO your friend too?"

" Ahh … yes, we have been friends since we were as small as you are now. How do you know him?"

" He plays with us all the time in the training yards. Every once in a while, he sneaks us in snacks. He is only growly because he's always sad, you can see it in his eyes. Even when he tries to smile, it never reaches his eyes, his heart is heavy."

I am shocked to hear this from her. Not knowing how to respond, I change the subject for now. " You have a very pretty name. I know you were trying to find your mother when I found you. Did you look for her while I was gone?"

She shakes her head and a few more tears seep out. " She isn't here."

" I promise, once everything calms down, we will look for her together. Until then, we need to get you cleaned up and something in that tummy of yours. I can hear it growling, like there's a monster in your belly."

She pats my face gently, and I fight the sob that is trying to break out of me. I don't have time to fall apart, too many are counting on me, and I have to find a way to save him. Picking her back up, I limp into the refresher room. For once, I wish we had the convenience of an Ionizing cleanser like they do on Darverius .

The viewing wall has me stopping in my tracks. Lord of Light , I am a mess. I must have been worse off than I realized. My skin is red and blotchy all over. My hair has chunks missing out of it and is so tangled I am not sure if any of it can be saved. Taking a deep breath, I cough, my throat hurts and I can still taste the ashes in my mouth. I don't recall ever feeling this weak.

Rosad doesn't look much better. " Come on, let's get these rags off you and see if there is a little female in here somewhere." Pulling the torn dress over her head, we both giggle when I get her hair stuck in one of the buttons. Reaching over, I turn the shower on. " Can you wash off by yourself, or do you need some help? Right now, I am not sure which one of us is dirtier."

" I have a hard time washing my hair, but I can do the rest. Mommy always checked behind my ears when I got out to make sure I did a good job."

" She must be a great mommy to take care of you so well. What is your mother's name, Rosad ? Maybe I could ask some of the others if they have seen her."

" Lursha ."

" Where was your mother when the skies exploded? Was your father also there?"

She has stepped into the water and her words are so soft that I almost don't hear her. " They were both home. I snuck off … I don't like it when they say bad words to each other."

I am not ignorant in the ways of the world. Everyone argues and fights, that is just the way it is. No two females or males look at everything the same, but how do you explain that to a child when they look up to the ones responsible for them?

" So , you were home? I mean before you left."

" I was walking around, not going anywhere in particular."

" Ah , Rosad , were you in the habit of doing this?"

" Yeah , I always felt like I was in the way."

The more she talks the angrier I get, but I'm doing my best not to show her. This little Orc female has been through enough, and I refuse to make this any harder on her. " Who was your father, little one, maybe we will be able to locate him?"

At first, I don't think she is going to tell me. " His name is Grom , and you won't find him either."

" How do you know this? Many have survived."

She looks away from me, " We won't find either of them. The Lord of Light took them home, then he gave me to you. I was yelling for you when you found me, I just didn't know it. Something whispered to me right before the sky started to rain fire and it told me to run to the barracks. It said that my new mommy would be there. That she would keep me safe, and I would never be in the way again. I ran as hard as I could, and that's when I found you."

At first, I was stunned at her words, but following my heart, I hug her tight and the words come easy. " Then with me you shall stay, Rosad . I will make it known and you will be safe as long as there is breath in my body. You are the daughter I always wanted, just didn't know I needed."

I bite the inside of my jaw to keep from crying as I hear the sincerity in her tone. She didn't question the voice that whispered to her, telling her to run. She simply believed the words spoken. The innocence and faith of this child is humbling, and it makes me wonder how many times in my own life I ignored the little voice in my head.

It takes me several times washing her hair to get the ash and smoke smell out of it. Deep in thought, I allow her to take over and move back out of the water while she finishes. A sound in the other room has me stepping up to the door, but not so far that I still can't see Rosad .

" Princess Zura , I knocked, but no one answered. I brought some sustenance and clothing for the youngling."

" Thank you, Priestess Murga , I appreciate you taking the time to see to our comforts. How are our people faring below? I feel bad returning to the comforts of my chambers when others are suffering."

" The healers are doing the best they can. I fear it will only get worse before it gets better. Mount Caldera seems to have settled, but the floor still shakes, so it could simply be slumbering for a brief season. Princess , you should rest while you can. Once you are stronger it would lift your people's spirits if they saw you amongst them."

" I have had several say those exact words to me lately. What do you mean by that? I have just returned to Xuias and don't even know if I plan on staying, especially now. So , why would my people be encouraged by me?"

She lowers her head and turns to go.

" Please Murga , speak freely and in confidence. I can't fix what I don't know."

" When the Head Priestess , your mother, cut off the comm units, she did it because of all the unrest within our people. Her goal was to hinder their ability to communicate with each other. She feared they were rallying together to remove her from her position. You see, none of us understand this useless suffering any more than you do. We have heard you question and stand up to her your entire existence and if the Lord of Light leads you to that path, your people would follow you fully. Princess , things must change … if they do not, Xuias will fall into chaos and disorder. The suffering they are all going through right now could all be prevented, or at least lessened. Please forgive me if I have overstepped my bounds."

" I asked for your wisdom, Murga . You have nothing to fear. However , I have never been so confused in my life. I need to ask a favor from you."

" Anything ."

" I will need several, actually."

" Princess , I will help in any way possible."

" I need you to go get three of our strongest warriors and bring them to my room within the next half a rising. These Orcs need to be trustworthy and willing to give their lives for the cause, in case this fails. Do you know of any you can trust?"

" I do."

" Proceed then, and once you're done, could you come and stay with Rosad as darkness falls?"

She nods her head, turning from me quickly. " May the Lord of Light guide your steps. I will return as quickly as possible."

Murga walks out of the room and I take a deep breath. I have started a wheel rolling that, if wrong, I will not be able to stop, but change is never easy. The sound of little feet has me turning.

" Let me see behind those ears."

Her giggles lighten my heart and I know what I must do to ensure her future and the other younglings we have been blessed with. Slipping the gown over her head, I lean away, trying not to get her dirty again. When I gather her long red hair in my hand to braid it, her dark eyes watch my every move. " What are you thinking about, little one?"

" Why do they call you princess?"

Not prepared for this question, I have to think about how to answer this, some things her youngling ears should not hear. " My father was the king of Xuias , my mother was not always the Head Priestess , at one time she was his Queen consort. They had a good union, but it was not a love match. However , Mother still mourned his loss when an accident took his life too soon. I was about your age when it happened. Soon after, Mother took her vows, and we have resided here in the fortress ever since."

" Does that mean … this is not your home?"

" It has become my home after all this time. My father's estate is … or was, in the forest. Even though I made sure it didn't fall into disrepair while I was gone. I am sure it didn't survive the wrath of Mount Caldera . Father had no male heirs, and because of his youth, he did not appoint another to take leadership in case of his early demise. So , the ruling factor went to the fortress and the Head Priestess ."

" Your mother could not rule even though she was his queen?"

" No , not that it stopped her, she simply found a way around the rules."

" Does this mean one day you will be queen?"

" I have no such ambitions, little one. There is a platter on the table, eat all you want while I go get cleaned up. I should only be a moment." Her words roll around in my mind as I slowly wash my tender skin. If I don't find a way to stop this, I will take Rosad and leave here, but if things were different… Do I want to be Queen ? Without OrO , I know the answer is no, but if he was by my side would I view this the same? As much as I love my people, without him by my side, I would be my mother. A ruler without a heart.