The Sovereign - the One of Fire (Book 1)
Chapter 2 – Acceptance

Seraphina

I did not leave immediately, my body did not allow me to.

I stood there rooted to the ground, facing the door with tears dripping down my face. They had grown sticky, with new tears overlapping the half-dried ones on my face. I wiped them away hastily.

I was leaving my parents behind, I don’t want to leave them behind. I couldn’t accept the fact that I was leaving home.

Home, where my parents are.

“Where we will always be.”

I forced myself to stop sobbing, allowing myself to take in my surroundings. I was used to the darkness, I wasn’t afraid. The tunnel clearly led to the forest, I was going to leave the village behind, and I was going to leave my old life behind.

Though I was kept away from the village elders who taught the children, my parents brought me up in a different way, a way of their own.

Come to think of it, it’s like they had foreseen this, arming me with a soldier’s mindset to survive. I knew I had to calm myself down and analyze the situation. The clockworks in my mind sprung to life.

Can I stay? No. They are coming for me. They are coming for my family too, that was what my father said.

Where should I go? Anywhere but here. Look for help. I’m sure my parents gave me enough supplies to at least survive for a few days.

Why would they want to kill my parents? I’m the only one cursed here. The Sovereign has its laws, and killing has always been the best option for them, saves cost, saves the hassle.

Is there any way to save my parents?

The clockworks jammed.

But I already knew the answer. There was no way, I didn’t know anyone that could help, and I didn’t have any powers to fight the officers with. I was literally useless.

Can I exchange myself for them? Negotiate with them?

“Always remember Seraphina, the Sovereign are cold-hearted and unforgiving scoundrels. They will never negotiate with normal people like us, never make the mistake to do so, they will condemn you further for those actions.”

I remembered every single word my father taught me, and he had taught me well.

It all came to a conclusion. Two dead bodies are better than three. I wanted to slap myself for thinking that way, but my mind was screaming at me.

“This is the truth, whether you like it or not. It’s happening, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

I forced myself to walk towards the other end of the tunnel.

I had to, I had to leave.

From slow steps, to a steady walking pace, I allowed my mind to slowly settle with the current situation. It was hard but there was no other choice.

The cold night air helped clear my mind, yet it couldn’t take away the dull ache in my chest.

When I finally reached the end, there was a small clearing that separated me from the forest. It was the dead of night, the villagers were all asleep. It would take less than 5 seconds to pass that clearing but I hesitated. Crossing this line meant a decision that I may regret. My heart wanted to scream in sorrow, the pain was so hard to bear. But there was no other choice, I had to leave.

I ran into the forest, taking huge leaps towards it, and I kept telling myself there was no other choice. My tears have stopped, but my heart refused to grow numb to the pain.

My mother had an array of maps back at home, and I have studied some. The village after the stretch of forest is Gairon, some of them had earth-controlling powers. Whereas my village, Suyoi, was known to have strength that exceeds normal human beings. There were other villages too, but they were much further away.

After some speculations, I knew I couldn’t pass the entire forest within a night and I had to replace a place to rest before continuing on my journey. I heard a wolf howl not far away, the trees towered above me, covering me in their shadows. But the moon guided me with its serene light. I managed to replace a hiding spot under an old tree’s roots, where the soil had fallen away. I was small enough to fit into it and I clambered in.

“It’s getting crowded in here,” a voice called from within and I jumped.

Was it one of the villagers?

Oh no.

A sandy-haired lad poked his head out. He had light brown eyes, a hint of green reflecting in the moonlight. Judging by the clothes he wore, he was definitely not from our village. He should also be a few years older than me.

“Sorry, could I stay for the night? I’ll continue my journey tomorrow,” I asked softly, not daring to look him eye-to-eye.

It was a habit I had since I was young, I was the cursed child, and no one would want me to look them in the eyes.

“That mark on your chest.”

He climbed out of the hiding spot swiftly. He probably does this often, it showed in his fluid motions. He stood up to his full height, not more than 6 feet tall with a lean figure.

My eyes widened. I didn’t notice that a button had gave way. I quickly covered the mark with my hand and started to back away.

“Legends says the person with that mark will bring about the downfall of the Sovereign,” his eyes met mine.

“And we all want to bring down the Sovereign.”

☙

“You can stay here for the night,” he answered.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, though I’m not sure if I understood what you just said about bringing down the Sovereign,” I said slowly, looking down at my toes.

The lad gestured for me to climb in and I did. I clambered into the hole clumsily, making the loose soil around the entrance fall off the edge. Once inside, I noticed that it was much more spacious than I originally thought, and this guy had a small food storage in it too.

“My name is Terron, I’m from Gairon, what is your name?” he climbed in after me.

“I-I’m Seraphina.”

“Why won’t you look at me? Am I that hideous?” I could hear the grin in his voice.

“They said I’m cursed, so it would be impolite of me to look people in the eyes,” I whispered.

The lad scratched his head, not really knowing how to reassure me that it was alright. After a minute, he finally spoke.

“I don’t really, uh, turn into stone if you look at me you know. So don’t worry about it, I’m sure you’re not ‘cursed’. Of everything you would be, you are far from being a curse. You are a godsend to all of us normal civilians.”

I looked at him like he was nuts, and he raised an eyebrow at my expression.

“No one had ever had a good word to say about me back in my village.”

“That’s because Suyoi’s people are very territorial and protective. They refuse all outsiders except for the officers from the Sovereign. That’s why all of them are brainwashed about how great the Sovereign is, being fed with all the propaganda. But trust me, the information that they are fed are nothing but lies. But because Suyoi refuses outsiders, we aren’t able to help them or enlighten them about the truth nor is there any other way of telling them what’s really happening outside of their village.”

I took a little time to process all the information Terron was telling me.

“So… what exactly is this about?” I pointed at the mark on my chest.

He looked surprised at the question. No, he looked flabbergasted.

“Wait, you don’t know?” he spluttered.

“No.”

He went into deep thought for a moment, as if summarizing all the information he had.

“Alright,” he finally spoke, straightening his back.

“The mark on your chest is the mark of the Eshban, the main High House of the past ruling government before the Sovereign took over. The Eshban clan was the High House of Fire, with the powers of flame. Their rule was overthrown because someone close to the leader – Valkan Eshban, betrayed him and the entire clan, leading to the total wipeout of the Eshbans.”

He waited until I nodded before he continued.

“The Tahkii, the High House of Ice, was behind the betrayal. And after the Eshbans were all gone, they took over the government and the power over all the other High Houses, hence forming the current Sovereign government.”

“So it’s all political?” I frowned.

“No, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Eshbans had one of the best ruling governments in history, our land and our people flourished under their leadership. But once the Sovereign took over, the ruthless Tahkii allowed their people to bath in luxury, exploiting normal citizens and forcing labor onto us. Eventually, it led to weakening and corruption of our economy. The poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer. The leaders do nothing to help, and hence it had continued till now. The people are suffering, the economy is falling, yet the Sovereign stands unfazed and unbothered.”

I could hear the anger in his voice.

“They kill whoever that stands against them. Whoever voices out their disagreement would be prosecuted. The Sovereign made strict, bias rules to ensure their solid stand in the government, pushing down the power of the minor High Houses,” Terron shook his head. “It is hell out here, and there is nothing we can do about it.”

“But you,” he grabbed my hand, and I jumped, surprised at his sudden movement.

“You bear the mark of the Eshban. The legend says that Valkan Eshban sacrificed everything he had to bring a destined one to us, and you are here,” his eyes shone with wonder and hope. But I had something disappointing to tell him.

“I’m sorry, I may bear the mark but I’m powerless,” I whispered, waiting for his disappointment.

“I can see that. I don’t sense any elemental powers on you,” he frowned as he let go of my hand, a little embarrassed at his outbreak.

“But I have almost forgotten to tell you,” his tone turned serious. “There is a group of Sovereign soldiers currently resting for the night at Gairon. They should reach Suyoi tomorrow afternoon. From the looks of it, they’re coming for you, the girl of prophecy, aren’t they?”

I nodded sadly.

“I doubt there’s any other reason. My parents had asked me to run,” my heart ached at the thought.

The lad fell silent for a moment, then he squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.

“Your parents made the right choice.”

I must look like a sad puppy.

“Because we believe that you, girl, will overthrow the Sovereign one day.”

I don’t understand. I am powerless and the Sovereign is the corrupted, ruling government, I definitely wouldn’t be able to do that.

Before I could answer, an animal poked its head through the entrance of our hideout. I nearly let out a shrill scream in shock.

The creature had a head that looked like a giant dog, its canines large enough to kill a human. Its rounded ears turned in attention, its fur the color of mud, brown with a yellowish hue. Its eyes were emerald green, contrasting with its dull coat.

“Sorry for the sudden entrance, this is Land, he’s my friend, he’s a hellhound,” Terron patted my back, looking apologetic as he tried to calm me down.

The creature slanted his head to a side, looking as apologetic as Terron. Land was too big to fit in, so he obediently stayed outside.

As things quieted down, I realized I was utterly exhausted.

Terron seemed to know and he told me to rest. And so I did, but this time, I didn’t have my family’s presence with me, the bitterness in my heart spread and tears stung my eyes. I grabbed my father’s necklace, rubbing it and holding it close. It was an egg-shaped amber with a bronze base, with strings tied in an ‘X’ around the amber.

I held it tightly in my small hands. It seemed to radiate the presence of him and my mother.

Memories replaced my nightmares tonight.

“The Sovereign rules from their high thrones. They are people who have utmost power, they are rich and corrupted, like a parasite they manifest on us normal people, and we are their slaves, to work endlessly for their good and not ours. The Sovereign’s high officers also have very powerful elemental powers, their most powerful magicians and warriors mainly uses the power of Ice, but there are also other powerful elemental wielders among them. Although the Sovereign is cruel and inhumane to its people, they shower their warriors with luxury. Anyone who fights for them will be rewarded handsomely, so many warriors train as hard as they can to reach their ranks, and many maidens dream of marrying into a Sovereign warrior’s family. But we, the normal people hate them to our very cores, they treat us as mere tools because we don’t have any significant powers. These days, there have been rumors of a rebellion schemed to overthrow the Sovereign, but till now none have stood up, there had been no real news, but only rumors,” My dad had told me before, stories to help me sleep.

“Would you be happy if the Sovereign was overthrown? Will it bring peace?” I asked innocently.

“Of course! We’ll all be happy, we wouldn’t live such hard lives if not for them. It would be a time of peace and happiness if they were overthrown, but no one would dare to stand up against their ice mages and warriors, they are corrupted yes, but not weak. And legends say that one day, one of fire, one of the Eshban will bring them down, we shall hope for that day yes?” he chuckled and tousled my hair.

I fell asleep gradually, realizing all the bed time stories my parents had told me were all somehow related to the prophecy revolving around the mark I bore.

☙

I was awakened by a booming sound. It was around noon and Terron was nowhere in sight.

“Seraphina Monard,” the voice boomed and I froze in my seat.

Land poked its head into the hole, its ears sharp and listening.

“You are given time until the night comes, to surrender yourself to the Sovereign,” the voice paused.

“Or we will have a delightful time getting rid of your parents.”

The announcement was enough to send shivers down my spine.

They’re here, they’re really here to take away my parents.

It isn’t a dream.

They’re going to kill my parents.

I looked helplessly at the hellhound, scrambling up to peek out of my hiding spot. The hellhound graciously took its head out of the hole so I had the space to do so. More loose soil fell onto my face but I just wiped them off.

The trees swayed gently in the wind, and everything was peaceful. Terron was not outside, I wondered if he had returned to Gairon.

A surge of panic struck me, would he be part of the Sovereign? Was it possible that he’d bring them here to capture me? Would it be alright to trust this stranger?

I sat back down, not knowing what to do.

My stomach grumbled, and I simply grabbed the first thing I touched in my bag. It was an apple, my favorite fruit. My mother would often go through the trouble to get them for me.

I was in a dilemma, not knowing what to do next.

Land was still looking at me, his head slanted to a side, seemingly waiting for an order.

“Can you help me replace a place in the woods where I can oversee the village? Would you be able to do that?” I asked softly, patting his head.

He nudged my shoulder, a sign of support, nodded and ran off. He seemed to understand what I was asking for.

As I chewed on my apple, I tried my best not to let the fear get to me, stopping my tears before they could fall. I had to remain calm, being afraid wasn’t going to help.

I was still sane enough to know that I cannot turn back. I sighed and buried my face in my hands, feeling helpless.

Hours passed and I still didn’t have a plan.

As I starred helplessly at the ceiling of soil, I could only question my existence, the very existence that would be the death of the people I love.

I heard something outside and saw the shadow of the hellhound’s large head. He poked his head into the hole again, nudging my shoulder and then gesturing his head to another direction.

“Did you replace a good spot?” I asked, tickling his chin and rubbing his head as a form of gratitude.

“That tickles, and yes, I did,” he answered, sounding amused. I stared at him, my brain not processing the fact that the hound was talking. After a few seconds, I finally got to my senses, yelping and backing away.

“Wait, you- you can talk?”

“Duh, I’m a hellhound, not a normal dog,” Land replied, rolling his large eyes, sounding like a frustrated mother. “Now shall we go?”

Calming myself down, I took a deep breath and clambered out of my hiding spot.

☙