“If you ever speak of yester night’s events, I shall gut you like a swine and throw your innards to the wolves in the Dead Forest, while using your carcass for practices you yourself know to be the foulest in any kind of magical arts.” Mila had a murderous look on her face as she sat opposite of Azra in her mother’s house.
He had been most generous enough to reminder her of her actions and her near proposal to him. And the reaction he got from her was well worth all the sixty eight death threats she had thrown his way currently.
“Is this before or after you confess your love for me to your mother?”
Mila’s porcelain white cheeks colored a shade of bright red as she found some new curse words to sling at him.
“Mind you tongue, child. It’s bad enough that Edga already resembles you. I do not want him having your mannerisms as well,” the plump woman spoke as she came and lay fresh bread between Azra and Mila.
Azra didn’t know why the woman bothered controlling Mila’s mouth. She would never stop cursing anything and everything that did not agree with her.
“And where is the small delinquent?” Azra asked the elder woman as he took a bit out of the hot bread and almost moaned out loud. There had to be some magical element that the old woman put in her cooking because this could simply not just be wheat and oil.
“My child is an angel, you worthless excuse of a man.”
“But apparently worthy enough for you to make me your husband. So what does that say about-” he didn’t get to finish his statement as he had dodged the spoon chucked at his head. Ella was still scolding her daughter for behaving, in her words, like a rabid infested dog, when there was a loud knock on the door and she went to open it.
“We are looking for the Outcast.”
The look on Mila’s face, the accelerated breathing of Ella by the door and the tone used to address him were all clear factors to Azra that this was not such a cordial visit. He turned around to see four Socra Knights. He was right.
This was a summon.
“You have found him.”
“The Black Mother requires your presence immediately… and alone,” the Knight added the last bit on when Mila made to rise from the table with Azra.
“Why?” Mila’s gazed could have withered an entire field of corn.
“You are not privileged enough to know about the Elder Mother’s wishes, Knight.”
“Enough Mila,” Azra spoke when he felt the anger boiling in Mila. She was already in a bad mood without these idiots antagonizing her. She might just forget herself and kill them. It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened, “I shall be back.”
Azra was midway to the door when something occurred to him. There were more Knights beyond the doorway outside. A quick count estimated them at ten. Also there was a carriage outside. It would explain how the many Knights made the journey here. This was more serious than he had anticipated.
“But in case I am too long, tell Edga to being working with the sword without me.”
The two maintained eye contact for a few seconds before Mila nodded her understanding. Azra wanted to say more to her but he held his tongue. He did not want the Elder Mothers waiting longer than was necessary.
The journey to the Yori Motherlands was quiet. Too quiet for Azra’s suspicion not to spike. He had been glancing over the Kinghts in the carriage with him. There were all armed to the teeth, whereas he was almost naked with just the tunic and pants he had on. The Knights had told him he would not need any of his gear. The meeting was only to speak to him.
A very good lie if ever Azra heard one.
They were soon in the border of the Elenka Villages when Azra felt the carriage turn slightly to the left. There was something very wrong with this trip. Was this how he was to meet his death? Were the Elder Mothers tired of tolerating him in this land? He was not sure of what he was going to do. He could easily overpower the people “escorting” him here.
But that would mean spilling Yorite blood, the highest of crimes in all of the Motherlands. Even the people of Oak would never forgive him for that.
“We are here,” the announcement came from up front and the carriage stopped. Azra was led out and it took him a few seconds to adjust to the daylight. When he did, he noticed he was at the very edge of the Dead Forest. A few paces forward was the Elder Mothers. But not exactly the same Elder Mothers he knew.
There were the usual number of Elder Mothers, but the Black Elder Mother was missing. In her place and her colors was a blonde girl who, from the swelling in her eyes, was from crying.
“You called for me, Elder Mothers,” Azra suspended his surprise and sank to one knee. He was going to get through this first and ask the questions later.
“Yes, Outcast. We require your services once again,” The Yellow Mother spoke with a smirk on her face. The last time Azra saw that smirk, someone was being killed. He rose from his prostrating position and awaited the commands.
“Our sister has finally made her way to the next adventure of her life, the gods be with her in Valhalla.”
Everyone in the vicinity made a circular motion with their right hands three times before resting it on their breast. The three motions were to signify the Circles of Life in Yori; Birth, Death and the Afterlife. Azra finally understood Wendi’s outfit and presence here. He had also understood many another things.
“I am at your service, Elder Mothers.”
“Our sister had confided in you important information,” The Blue Mother almost hissed. It was a clear indication that she was only aware of this very recently, “A mistake, it was, but we cannot speak ill of one who is not with us now.”
Azra almost rolled his eyes. The Elder Mothers present must have spoken ill about the Black Mother when they discovered the work she had been giving him. He was never supposed to know more than what was required. It would not surprise him if the Yellow and Blue Mothers actually allowed the Black Mother to die because of that.
“But as it turns out… it might have been fortunate that she did,” The Red Mother spoke and Azra could not ignore that tone. Something was very wrong here.
“I do not follow, Elder Mothers.”
“Let us elaborate then. Your task is simple. We want you to go back.”
The ringing in Azra’s ears continued long after the Elder Mother has spoken. He could not believe what it was that they were asking of him. He had done every kind of service they had asked. Every kind of filthy task no mortal could do and remain spiritually clean. All of that, he did so that he would never do the one thing that he was facing now.
Going back to the place Bolin took him from.
“Why?”
“The Darkness of the Dead Forest is starting to become too powerful. Something must be done about it,” the Blue Mother spoke off handedly.
Azra could not believe it. These old fools! They knew why he did not go back. That place was worse than the hate that he faced in Yori. He could never defeat them. Not even with the power he had, more or less, stolen from them.
But was he to do now? He had vowed to Bolin that he would never go against Yori no matter what he faced. The wishes of his father... the face of Miral… those were the only things Yori had given him that he cherished. Now these lights were going to be the reason he was going to plunge himself in an abyss of pure and unrelenting evil?
“It… it cannot be done.”
“What did you say?” the Yellow Mother spoke, moving closer to Azra.
“It is impossible Elder Mother. They loath me more than you do. They will never listen to me.”
“And who mentioned anything about dialogue?” the Blue Mother jeered and Azra had to steady himself before the anger in him showed.
He had been right all along. The Elder Mothers were twisted in the head. They actually expected him to and do battle with a race ancient enough to be known throughout the entire world by every man, woman and child in existence? And come out victorious at that? It was bad enough that he could actually hear them in his dreams, now he was to seek them out in real life?
“You expect me to do battle with the Thirteen Witches?”
“We expect you to serve Yori, as your father had promised us,” the Yellow Mother growled at him, “This is not a request, Outcast! You will seek out the Thirteen Witches and eradicate this disease from our world! Or find new residence in the Dead Forest.”
Azra knew this day would come. The Elder Mothers had always made it plain that they wanted him gone. They had spoken it to him on several instances he had crossed them. They wanted him gone because they suspected the darkness was following him everywhere he was. He had suspected it himself when he first went out to a battlefield and was the only one to come out alive.
But hang on… the spirit in the bandit on his last mission. It had spoken to him about returning. Going back to them because he was living separate from his kind. Could this be a coincidence now that he was being forced to return? It was not. He did not believe that this, nor the Black Mother’s death, was at all coincidence.
“Then it would seem my time in Yori has come to an end, Elder Mother.”
The Yellow Mother could have just reached out and chocked the life out of him there and then. Azra had never seen her this infuriated. To be honest, he did not care much about this place. Wendi had been right when he spoke to her last. The Dead Forest was not an ideal home, but it would serve well aside from Yori.
“You forget that you hold more than one life in your hands, Outcast,” the Red Mother spoke almost to herself, but the picture she was trying to put out there was received louder than any Thunderstorm Azra had ever created.
“My sister speaks wise words, Outcast. You would do well to listen to her before this matter escalates,” The Blue Mother had a sly smile on her face as she spoke this. She was quite thrilled with the leverage her sister had given her.
“Are those my only options then, Elder Mothers? Run to my imminent death or be banished to the Dead Forest with all who know me being massacred?”
“No one need die, Azra,” Wendi said as she pulled closer to him, about six Knights matching pace with her, “You told me in the woods that you were serving the wishes of a dying man by serving Yori. He was your father, wasn’t he? What would your father do in this situation?”
Bolin would no doubt protect the people the people that he cherished most in his life. He had risked his life just to see them freed from slavery. The penalty had been servitude for life. And he had included Azra in the bargain no matter what anyone would say. Azra did not regret doing anything that his father had instructed him to do. Bolin had saved him from darkness. Taught him that saving even one life was enough to dispel the darkness in anyone’s soul.
He knew Bolin would accept this quest to save his peoples’ lives. That was why he knew the answer to Wendi’s question long before he spoke it.
“I am not my father.”
The Knight standing behind Azra was the first one to fall. The stone flicked by his foot caught him square on the temple. That caused just the right amount of distraction for him to remove the sword from his falling body.
“AZRA NO!” Wendi could have as well spoken to the wind and hopped to get a response than from Azra. He had not drawn the blade from the sheath, but he was still inflicting damage with it that was enough to go by.
Azra knew that he had to leave here. There was no way he could outmatch the Elder Mothers in magic. That was his thought as he made for the horses. He was close to his goal when a wall of fire rose between him and the steeds.
“You will do as we say Outcast!” the Elder Mothers spoke in unison as the fire grew higher and closer to Azra. He was completely spent in options. He knew what he had to do. If he was to survive this, he would need to slay everyone here. Maybe that way, Mila and Edga would never look over their shoulders again. He turned towards them, the cloud cover obscuring the sun. It was time his friend helped him.
The first drop of rain had barely touched the earth when the three old women dropped to the ground, clutching their heads and screaming. Azra was surprised for only two seconds until he saw Wendi’s outstretched hands glowing purple.
“You do not have much time! Leave now!”
It was mind blowing. What had the girl done?
“Please Azra! Leave!”
The rain was now falling hard on the earth. Azra did not know why the girl had done this to her own grandmothers. She had actually helped an outcast escape the rule of Yori.
“They will kill you for this.”
Wendi’s eyes glistened with tears at that. She didn’t want to die, Azra could see that. But she was ready to make a difference in this world they lived in. Maybe it was time Azra did the same.
“Come with me.”
Wendi looked at him with a pitiful look on her face. She did not need to say anything. Azra already knew that she was not going to leave her home. No matter what she had just done for him.
“Promise me, Azra… promise me that you will try.”
Azra did not want to break any more of his promises in this lifetime. He had broken one with Mila, today he had also broken the one he made to Bolin and Miral. He was done making promises he could not uphold.
So he turned and sprinted to the Dead Forest’s enclosure, but not before giving Wendi a nod of understanding.
A/N: Awesome. I hope you are enjoying "Thunderstorms". The fifth part will be the last in the short series. Drop a comment and let me know how you feel about this story✌