PART SIXTEEN Cont'd:
When pay day is also pain day:
There was a child writhing on the floor in agony. Her distraught mother looked on, tears streaming down her drawn face. The sorceress shook-up her cowry beads in the clay bowl, before pouring and spreading them on the floor like she had done a few moments earlier. Behind the distressed and weeping mother, burning wood sputtered and smoked from an open fire. As sparks of glowing embers shot into the already smoky air, before dissipating into weightless and floating ash. This was the scene that 'shiny-shoes' and her assisting companion walked into at the coven.
"I don't know what to do," cried the woman desperately. While repeatedly looking from her child to their hostess.
"I cannot loose her, she can't die on me now." She wailed, further emphasizing her agony. Eyes bored into the witches forehead, as if in expectation of an unspoken answer.
Conveniently, that one had her head lowered. Still in the process of observing the constellation of her strewn beads.
"So you say," responded the witch nonchalantly, obviously unimpressed and unconvinced. It was the same story she heard every time. They did what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it and how they wanted to do it. Then ran to her demanding an opposite and incommensurate result of their actions. She welcomed the business of course and hoped they continued with the idiocy. But it was the heckling and demanding for a miracle, that tore at her already frayed nerves. Both darkness and light knew that one would eventually harvest what they had dilligently and faithfully planted or rooted. Why was she being bombarded for an unfavorable result that was just a recourse of an unfavorable investment?
"She is convenanted. A child deeded before they were born. You can either carry out the details of the deal, or break the convenant."
"Break the convenant! Break It!" The woman interrupted in excited demand. "I don't want it. I never made it. Tell me, how can I break it now?" She seemed tethered on the verge of despair.
"But you did inherit it. And you have favorably fed it to your advantage all this while."
"How so?" She was staring at the sorceress in confusion.
"For every action that you executed and every scheme you concocted. Thereby enjoying its harmful effect, you aligned with the convenant. Feeding and stabilizing it, you made it thicker, stronger and deeply established."
"Oh no..." Was all the mother could manage. Hopelessness had never felt so tangible.
"I thought so too." Snapped the witch with irritation and a tired sigh.
"But then, why the child if I am guilty?"
"It makes no difference, you or the child. Destruction is hardly selective. You do not tell a raging fire where and how to burn. You pass it on. Or it repossesses a different vessel, another generation. Right now, her age is more lucrative for the convenant."
"Then I must break it!" The woman's fierce determination and visible resolve, was applaudable.
"Of course you must and will!" Shouted the witch, trying to match her enthusiasm. Howbeit in mockery. "As soon as I jump on my broom and fly across the room, you will." She was now laughing hysterically as she dumped all the beads into the clay pot and pushed it aside. Stopping her laughter abruptly, the sorceres lifted her head and addressed the woman seriously.
"The convenant can only be broken by a greater source. Whose power can be accessed by recognition and alliance. When I say alliance, I do not mean 'seems to be an alliance',' possibly an alliance', 'or could pass for an alliance'. The strenght and potency of an alliance is in the strenght of it's real and existing bond."
"So how then can you help me?" Pleaded the woman. All previous show of bravado and determination, evaporated and vanished. "I will give and pay anything you ask." She continued.
"I should not tell you this. But it might get you out of this place faster. And darkness knows I need my time." Indulged the sorceress without camaraderie. "I can only give you temporary and/but fleeting relief." She stated finally, as she turned to 'shiny-shoes' and her companion. Those two were now silent and gaping spectators.
She raised her eyebrows inquirily at her latest and enthralled customers. As if asking permission to keep them waiting a little longer. Yet everyone concerned, knew that was hardly the case.
"Oh no, I can wait." Assured 'shiny-shoes' eagerly. The scene and conversation before them, had been intriguing and informative to say the least. And she dreaded for it to stop.
"Very well then, wait. I still have a legion demanding my attention. And the sooner I get to it, the better."
"A legion?" The high priestess appeared fuzzy.
"Yes a legion. I have a group of people who are experiencing a mounting feeling of entitlement. Apparently it was a numb feeling when they observed their subject struggle and not with little uncertainty. Now feels like a convenient time and they are spurred on to action."
"Stop. Even I think that is ridiculous." 'Shiny-shoes' snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Even you think. Now that is ridiculous indeed."
"What?" Demanded the high priestess, suddenly feeling hot under a figmental collar.
"Now keep calm and stay focused." Cautioned the witch with her left hand raised. "You should really. Before your foolish and misguided rage gets the best of you. You would not want to abort the answers to your questions. Having come this far now, would you?"
'Shiny-shoes' only grunted and averted her eyes. As if considering the offer, if at all there was one. The witch continued her speech undeterred. "Anyway, Its most likely that you cannot impress or scare me. So listen up. We might well be getting to the part that directly affects you."
A tale of two kingdoms cont'd:
The war between the divided kingdom, never subsided. The rift only grew wider and fiercer. The great-granddaughter of the great king, granddaughter of the good son. Was an only child. And when her father the king died, she became a very young queen. Wealthy merchants from far and wide had come to seek the queen's hand in marriage. The reputation of her beauty and graciousness, had spread across the land. Eventually, she would the marry the bravest and most noble of the merchants. Not long after the grandest of wedding balls the land had ever seen, a beautiful baby girl was born to them.
Their season of bliss would be threatened and tragedy strike again. You see the other kingdom an off-shoot of the rebellious son was in constant turmoil and extreme unrest. And they attributed their misery and mayhem to all external, but to none internal. Tossed to and fro by insurgents at every season. No natural born royal had ruled nor reigned in the kingdom for three generations. As a result of the anarchy and confusion on the rebellious side, they became dangerously transfixed and obsessed with the good side. They observed and studied every progress, success and thriving results of the good kingdom. They tracked their movements and even sent spies to dwell among them. Bring them news of all that happened in the envied kingdom.
One of the spies on the covert mission was a mid-wife. And here is what she had for they that employed and sent her. "The queen was delivered of a female child last night. It came earlier than we expected, so I could not send a warning call ahead. However, something appears different and somewhat strange about this child. And physically, it bore a....."
"A female you say?" Interrupted her master.
"A female indeed, my lord." Assured the devious implant.
"We are hardly threatened by the birth of a girl. But for the sake of precaution against posterity, kill them both."
"And so it shall be my lord," agreed the midwife.
Ha! We 'be' faster than you:
They had barely walked for five minutes and past eight market stalls, before someone came running and calling from behind them. It was a young man waving what appeared to be a small satchet in his right hand. He was almost out of breath when he got to where Reinah and the other girls with her, had now stopped to wait for him.
"Glad I caught up with you, before you dissappeared. Like you always do." Quipped the excited young man, who was addressing the princess. The other girls looked on with a mixture of chagrin and deeply festering resentment.
Reinah recognized the young man who was a couple of years older than her, as a distant relative of the market woman. He had often visited the stall to either drop off or pick-up errands for her. The last time he had stopped by, the woman had congratulated him for gaining the opportunity to be tutored at the largest learning hall in the province. Not many were able to do so and some hardly had the resources. The market woman had wistfully stated, that she wished Reinah would have the same opportunity too when the time came. This very day, the young man had heard news that there might be a possibility for Reinah to try and test. So he had stopped by the stall to inform both of them. The market woman thought there was no better time than the moment. And had asked the young man to chase the princess down, before she left the area of commerce.
"Okay, thank you." Was all the princees said, as she waited for an elaboration of what he meant. "They might have an opportunity, for the younger people like you to learn too! Here is the...." The young man started to open the satchet. Glad that he had caught up like his older relative advised.
"Well, well, well, what have we got here now?" Manipa cut in. Systematically shoving her chest between the two conversants. Prior to the desperate call for attention, the young man had barely acknowledged nor looked the way of the other girls as he enthusiastically described his mission. "I also want to learn!" The intruder continued, shrieking. At this point, she was completely standing between Reinah and her informant. Then before anyone present could blink, she turned and moved closer to the young man.
"And I am sure there are a lot of things, I could teach you too." Proceeded Manipa, petulant and seductive.
The princess stepped back a few paces, to allow room for the performer. Who was at the present stolen moment, swaying back and forth and side to side doing her thing. She now had a stunned and mesmerized audience in the young man and a familiar supportive 'knowing' in her fellow group members.
Reinah thought of the poor hardworking market woman. Silently wishing she was there to save her drowning relative. Then it was the young princess' turn, to pitifully shake her tired head.
Access denied: Only light can scare darkness:
Bronid found he could not move his feet as he attempted to step away and backwards. 'Shiny-shoes' was advancing towards him at a possibly breakneck speed and a seductive vengeance. The glint in her priestly and insidious eyes, proved she had him cornered. The healer struggled some more. To lift heels that did not feel like they belonged to him. However, it seemed his efforts were as futile as they were late. The high priestess was now a few feet in front of him. And the darkness that permeated from her soul was almost palpable. Bronid stopped struggling then and awaited the doom that would engulf him.
Suddenly, a shaft of blinding light broke out from the right side. 'Shiny-shoes' shrieked and jumped back instead. In an abrupt and unforseen reversal of roles, the hunter became the hunted. As the light's expanse widened and got brighter, the high priestess began to retreat in horror. Whereas, the other side of the light had the astonished healer invigorated. And just as quickly as the spectacle had begun, it ended. Leaving in its wake, a completely retreated enemy. And a light beam that had now condensed itself, into an exquisitive piece of gem stone.