I can hear the essences sing. Someone is coming, they will help or something. I don’t know, I can just hear the singing. It’s so beautiful.
I need to go faster. I need to get there now. The essence tells me it’s time. I can join with them, sing with them. Its time. I need to go faster. The faster the better…faster, and faster, and faster.
Oooo…a plum. Stop, eat the plum. Fresh plum. Juicy plum. The earth sings with the plum. The plum is singing. Wait, I need to go. I can’t wait here, I need to run. Faster.
Ooooo…..it’s another plum. Fresher than the last. Juicy plum. More singing. Burn the essence, faster.
——————————————————————————
I really should have asked Sandy to forgive me. I probably won’t find anyone like her around this village…and I have looked. I already decided that this village is probably the best situation I can get in the kingdom. There really isn’t anything this village doesn’t lack.
Looking at a boy and humongous bear sitting in essence gathering poses in the middle of a field, really does put things in perspective.The fact they are both glowing at this moment just seems to make everything surreal.
As my internal clock tells me to check my surroundings, I stretch my senses to the wind essence around me and begin to look.
I check on the disturbance from earlier. I can see the masking that someone is using. It’s good, real good. However, once you know something is in the area, it’s not too difficult to discern the where they are sitting. They haven’t moved. I also don’t see movement around them, so I don’t think their party is breaking up.
The commander said this is not a problem, but anyone powerful enough to have someone do an untethered transport…probably the King, now that I think about it…is probably someone up to something.
Looking away from the them I sweep out looking for the Strong heading in…and it’s close, way too close.
Looking down to commander, in the field, I can see someone running out of the trees towards him. I can see the brief interaction, and the commander looks up to me, and mimics ringing the bell.
Not waiting a moment more, I jump up and run to the tower bell, ringing the bell three times. Evacuate. The ringing of the bell is repeated around the village, as towers begin to pick up the ringing.
——————————————————————————
“Oh shit.” I have to admit I have never heard Lieutenant Collins swear before, and it’s not something I am fond of.
“Language Lieutenant.What is wrong?”I can see the Lieutenant focusing and re-focusing on the far side of the village…or at least in that direction.
“The Strong has accelerated, Princess. At the current rate, he is 15 minutes out. We have to move location. This is not secure.”
With his statement finished, the rest of the team begins to stand up and gather. I am surrounded and without asking me so much as permission, we begin to quickly hike to the village.
——————————————————————————
‘Sir, we have movement from our guests. Should we wait for them?” The Entry’s statement is a little panicked. I can understand him, but we don’t know who these people are, or who they represent. As such, we need to continue gathering people and moving them to the transport pads.
“No Entry. Let’s keep herding the villagers to the pads, and not take on worries outside of our purview. I am sure you are not the only Scout in the village, and the others are at a higher authority. If they do get locked out of the village, they can climb the rope ladders.”
“Yes, sir.” After I turn from him, a guard comes running up from the alleyway. The chaos on the street is not totally unprecedented…but the urgency is. We usually have more warning.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Sergeant Charles, Entry Lewis is getting beat on by an old lady. She refuses to move. She states, and I quote her sir…because that is the way she wanted it said, ‘I will not move a foot out of this village, until someone of true authority can tell me why.’ Sir, she is an earth Parity, and, well, she is strong as hell.”
“Ok, on my way Lewis. Take over here. We finished up this block and are moving in to the next block.”
“Yes sir.”
——————————————————————————
“Father, Father, Father…you need to come to the transport pads.” The voice of my son echos through the halls of the estate. This is probably not a good sign. I moved out of my office and meet my son halfway down the hall. Turning the little, speed demon around, I begin my impromptu interrogation.
“What’s going on William? And, you shouldn’t be yelling through the house. You should have directly to me and then told me.” At this point, the whole household will know what’s going on, and at least 3 of them are spies for the other Dukes.
“Ah, yes…umm..but, Sir Wainsburg told me to find you immediately when the transports pads started to fill with people.”
“William, you should have lead with that. Hurry, pick up your pace.” Something bad is happening at the village. They must be evacuating, but if it’s a true Avatar, then these people may be the only survivors. We need to get information from them.
As we make our way to the transport pads on the side of Ducal house proper, I can already see the pads lighting up, one after another. We don’t have enough room for everyone here, we need to get them past the force I was holding in reserve, and through to the assembling field.
“Lieutenant Barker, report!” The guard to the left of the estate doors turns to me and straightens a bit.
“Sir, we have villagers from the Whispering Village coming in on all pads. Twenty at a time, no baggage, and they know very little. Your NEPHEW, arrived with the first group. He is currently badgering the reserve commander on the far side.” Hearing my nephew was the first one through doesn’t surprise me. The kid has only one opinion, and that revolves around him being the greatest human to ever stand foot on this plane. He is also a coward and an idiot. Very much like my sister.
“Lieutenant, get some people together and guide them through to the assembly grounds. Also, send someone to the cookery on the estate, and probably another to the city prime cookeries. These people will need something to eat in a couple hours. Also get the tents out of storage and have someone set them up. You, personally are in charge of their well-being Mr. Barker.” The statement at the end is probably not necessary, but I need someone in charge of these people, and it can’t be me.
“Yes, sir.” And with that he jogs off to the guard barracks screaming at individual guards along the way.
Walking over to my least favorite nephew, I can already smell the pompous, entitled, twit.
“I need to get out of here and get a message to my mother, the Duke’s sister. You are more than capable of repeating my statements to the Duke. I need to leave now.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary Nephew. Why don’t you tell me directly what message you are suppose to deliver.” The little twit, turns with a jump, and then quickly settles himself.
“Ah, yes Uncle. I didn’t think you would be here with all the activity going on. Well. The village is evacuating.”
“I gathered that from the several hundred people standing around the transport pads. If you were sent through first, why are you not guiding them to the assembly point. This was part of the brief given to all of you prior to leaving.”
“Ah, yes, well, I thought it best to inform my mother of issues with the village. She has connections, I am sure she can help.” Ah, yes…my sister’s connections. The ones she coddles in hopes of my early demise, so she can effortlessly step in and run the Ducal holdings.
“I am sure she can, but your priorities are crap, nephew. Get these people moving, if we can’t clear the pads, we can’t get more people in.” I can see the hesitation after my insult, he is torn between anger and embarrassment. I didn’t hold back the volume of my voice. Now everyone in the entire structure knows what he was commanded to do, by his Duke.
“Now.”
The twit turns around and begins moving people. Poorly. But right now, this will buy time for the Lieutenant. Then we can get someone who isn’t an idiot to take over.
The pads are still flashing, the amount of essence being used here is astronomical. I can see the transport team moving in storage cell after storage cell. We should have plenty, but it will take years to replace. We might have to buy some…maybe the King can supplement.
Walking over to Sir Wainsburg, I can see the man counting off each storage cell.
“Sir Wainsburg, how are we doing?”
He looks up without even a hesitation and begins his report. “We are doing well. Faster than expected. The prep time and the fact that the village has the reserve pads makes this less life threatening. At this rate, we should have the village evacuated in an hour, maybe two, if the village transport operators tire.”
“I am not sure that is fast enough, but we need to keep pulling people. With that in mind, here is a gold missive. Send it now. We may need additional people if this spreads.”
“Yes, sir.”
I don’t know what’s going on in the village, but it’s not good.
——————————————————————————
The sight of the black darter flying in the top windows is not a good sign. Furthering this feeling of dread is the gold missive dangling from his head.
Slipping the harness from the bird, I gently pat the bird, feed a little treat, and hop down to a lower platform.
It’s a repeat of the information I gathered this morning, but it is asking for help dealing with the problem.
The meeting with my father is a little overdue, but kingly schedules often slide.
Stepping out of my tower, I yell down the stairs. “Francis, I need you here.” A small boy, well he is a teenager by now, but still looks like 10 year-old, comes bouncing up the stairs.
“Yes, Princess.”
“Take this missive directly to the King’s man. He is probably somewhere between the kitchens and the King’s office.”
“Yes, Princess.”
And with that, he takes the missive from my hand, and bounces down the stairs.
I hope my sister is ok. It would complicate things if she were to die right now.
——————————————————————————
More and more singing. My heart is exploding with joy. I can feel it. I can feel the joy in the earth essence.
Oooo…another plum. Faster, I must go faster.