Seventy-Five Roccurem. One Day Later

The small study was filled with slow music and Miska clapping her hands, but my attention was on the street corner below. A man I’d seen change his fate twelve times finally met his future wife by bumping into her on the corner below.

“They had this small music player that I asked for, and it was only three silver coins,” Miska said. “Can you believe that?”

“Absolutely not,” I responded.

She giggled. “Okay, it was five, but Orym helped.”

Orym shook his head and said, “Miska, can you give us a moment, please?”

Her eyes widened as she looked between us. “Sure, but the music player is yours, Reggie. I always hear you humming at night, so now you have something to sing along with.” Miska smiled once more before heading out and closing the door behind her.

“You hum?” Orym asked.

I merely shrugged. “Not that I am aware of.”

“Are you aware of a lot recently?”

I gave the elf a soft smile before sitting at the small table in the center of the room. I took a sip of the tea Miska had made earlier, and the slow throbbing in my head subsided.

“I believe you have news, yes?”

Orym nodded and came to stand near me. “Nothing good.”

I said nothing, waiting for him to go on.

“A casmirah was spotted last night shooting across the sky. I take it that you know its meaning?”

“Very well. I have seen only five in my existence. They are never wrong about their choices.”

Orym scratched his brow. “Then you know the East is gone,” he said, placing a small handwritten note on the table. “Veruka sent me an update. Everything is gone because of—”

“Dianna,” I interjected, placing my tea down.

“That’s what Veruka and I assume. The more Dianna challenges Nismera by killing her troops, the bolder and more hostile the rebels grow. The more they recruit and expand their numbers. Nismera is nervous.”

“She has a right to be, yes.”

“Well, Veruka says that Nismera now thinks that the casmirah appeared for her because she rid the world of Dianna and her beast, eliminating the threat.”

“Hubris is a gift not only for gods, you know?” I said, adding one sugar cube to my tea and stirring.

Orym took a seat across from me. “What do you know? I mean, we’re talking annihilation here, Roccurem, on a massive scale. There had to be at least fifty planets out there.”

“She is a goddess created from destruction and fear. If those she rules no longer fear her, she loses her upper hand. Now, she thinks she has gained it back,” I explained.

“And that does not frighten you?” Orym’s panic only increased. “It’s nothing but floating shards of rocks there now. What weapon does she have that can do that?”

“Many.” I leaned back, taking another sip. “But what frightens me has not arrived yet.”

“What does that mean?” Orym asked.

“You should get some sleep and spend at least one more day resting.”

Orym’s face paled as he stood. “We need to tell them.”

“We will when they return.”

Orym sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m going to send another message to Veruka. Maybe with more information, we can get ahead of her.”

I said nothing as he headed for the door, nothing about his concerns or worries about what was to come and nothing about the harsh cold that followed him from the room.