Interlude VIII

Princess Larela Philipon, Sidherthan Capital

Being the youngest princess wasn’t easy. She had many classes on manners, etiquette, and geography that were all so boring. See Princess Larela knew she was destined for greater things, for she was a natural Seer. Or someone whose first magical ability was that of a Seer. Even before her awakening day she had known what the readings would be.

“Larela Philipon, youngest daughter to king Philipon. Skills: Beginner ranking for Literacy and Deductive Reasoning. Magical Ability: Beginner rank Seer.”

Those were the words that were said constantly in her head letting her know what she would be when she had her awakening. Of course, everyone knew that the awakening was just a pretext, that one would clearly have those skills and abilities before the time they were made public. So it was that Larela worked diligently on improving both her Literacy and Deductive Reasoning skills. Her reasoning for this was simple, if she did this already then that would explain why all her abilities began at the Beginner rank. The other thing this pointed was that if she tried diligently on these aspects of herself and was beyond what the rankings stated, then she could change or even improve her fate.

Seeing that changing her own personal fate would be a microcosm to the way to improve her country from a particularly bad vision, she began working in earnest. She spent every morning and evening reading. Preferring to read a lesson than to hear a lesson. She also practiced reading in many different languages. This was great, for while their library had many books from around the world, not all had been translated into Sidherthan. Her needing to know multiple languages was a given, especially if she wanted to have a role in shaping Sidhertha’s future. While she knew she would never be a direct line ruler, she vowed to make herself useful.

One of her first visions came when she followed the trail of being completely and utterly lazy. In that future she was married off to a terrible dictator, only to be killed when the local populace rose to slay her husband and then her in a coup.

Realizing that was not the future she ever wanted, she began taking her studies more diligently. After each day’s work she would sit back, meditate, and try to force another vision of her future. While these were incremental changes, and it took months of hard personal work to change the visions she saw, they did change.

So it was that since she could read and think rationally, that she applied herself constantly day in and out to her studies. As a princess of the kingdom, she was not expected to be tested right when she turned seven, but they waited two years for her to mature. This was often done for a bevy of reasons.

The first reason to wait was simple. The first reading of skills was made public knowledge, just like every other member of society. Every reading was done in earnest, out in the open where all could see the blessings from the gods themselves.

Thus Larela had spent the past four years working diligently on improving her craft.

Her first hiccup came almost a year ago, when her father was to give a man, she had never seen, nor heard about, an award for all to see. The man had done something only sung about in bardic tales of old, he slew a dragon in a duel. Not just that, but he had also managed to make all the dragons of the legendary Piran riders’ side with him. Or so the stories went.

The stories were so fantastic that she couldn’t help but think they were made up. After all who would believe that a mere mortal could kill a dragon and defeat their rider.

At first, she thought the story was just that, a story made up by her siblings. But when Glenda, Larela’s favorite attendant confirmed the rumors to be true and not some elaborate ruse made up by her siblings to torture her. She began to panic.

She had not seen anything about this at all.

Did this mean that she was not a good Seer?

Did this mean she would still have to work hard to become a true Seer? If she wasn’t a Seer, then would her magical ability change?

She didn’t know, so many questions flew through her mind. The only thing she truly wanted was to be a Seer and be needed by her older brother. That way she would not be discarded to a dictator who would be overthrown within a few years, resulting in her husband’s and her own deaths.

She worked hard, harder than ever. She wanted to see the future. She wanted to see who the man was that would earn such a title. These futures involving her were simple. Well easier to have than future visions that didn’t involve her at all. With her mind she could easily see the way to create a scenario, or to defuse a scenario before they happened. When it came to other people, it was tough as others were not controllable or predictable. But she was, as such she could have any vision that involved her.

Until it came to this random man.

During the award ceremony she was nervous, hiding behind her older sister as the man she saw was powerful. Perhaps too powerful for a human. He all but glowed with a magical golden light and had a muscular frame that showed he was beyond steady in his constitution.

The man Lykan Vita, at least that was his name at that time, was a heroic figure made flesh. As if a god had decided to spend a lifetime as a human and come down to show us that they were still watching and that they still cared. If he was a god, then everything made sense. The reason she could never see his future, well he was a god, and no one spies on the path a god takes.

So many things made sense.

She watched as Laural tried to zap him, but just as quickly as the skin-to-skin attack happened the man, Lykan Vita, avoided it entirely. Seeing the shocked reaction on Laural’s face was priceless.

Then came her interaction. He took her hand and instantly Larela felt a surge of electricity course between their touch. Then he kissed her hand.

It was from that simple act, that Larela’s mind exploded as she saw the past, present, and future of the man Lykan Vita. She saw his youth; she saw his rise to becoming the man he was currently. Then she saw the man he would soon become.

She saw all this and realized one thing. He wasn’t a god, not truly, as the gods had allowed her to see him for who he truly was. But with that vision, she saw one thing, a future where he would be her loyal knight.

She even made sure to point that out to her sister Laural, her sister who was shocked that she had blown her one and only chance at making a good first impression on the knight.

It was clear that whatever possible futures Laural and the knight could have, were well and truly ended.

This was great, for she would have always played second fiddle to the knight, if her sister had not ruined her chances. Seeing that everything was going as planned, Larela began practicing harder than ever.

Finally, the day of her awakening came. The day when she would have her own status read out to everyone.

A pit formed in her stomach. She didn’t want to have the ceremony as she knew something terrible would happen.

“It will be fine dear. Remember we will love you regardless of what the gods grant you.” Her father, King Philipon said.

Shaking her head Larela tried to describe what she was seeing. Finally, she said it as the words from a scout came to her. “Dunthir is burning.” Larela said.

Hearing that King Philipon paused for a second, wondering if his daughter was playing some type of prank to get out of the ceremony.

“If you think telling lies will get you out of the ceremony then you have another thing coming.” King Philipon said, anger tinging his words.

Hearing this Larela just shook her head frantically. Then she pointed to the large double doors that opened almost on cue.

A runner came in panting and wheezing. “The Azani they have attacked Dunthir. It is a massacre.” The runner said, panting as he tried to regain his breath.

Seeing the runner, King Philipon first looked confused, then turned to his daughter.

As she could no longer hide the fact, she knew she needed to act. Especially as she needed to send him there.

“I’m a Seer.”

King Philipon paused for a second, then asked. “How long have you known?”

“Since I was five.”

Thinking back that was about the time he remembered his daughter taking her studies more seriously. “Is that why you began studying?”

Hearing that Larela smiled meekly, “yeah. You were going to marry me off to an evil king who would be overthrown within a few years if I didn’t study.”

With that, a twinge formed in King Philipon’s mind as he had been toying with the idea of marrying her off to Tython, or one of the other northern kingdoms. Such thoughts had been cut off recently, but they had been a real option when she was younger and showed less talent.

Hearing this King Philipon nodded, believing his daughter, though he made plans to have her tested just in case later.

He was about to question her abilities, when suddenly her eyes glowed white and her body began spasming wildly. Moving quickly, he moved to catch his falling daughter, before her head could impact the floor. All the while her eyes flashed so brightly that they were a second sun.

The runner who had been gasping for air a moment ago stood stunned as he looked to the king who was holding his spasming daughter. Looking around the king saw his runner and barked out an order.

“You fool. Get a healer immediately.”

What was unknown at the time was during this time, Larela was receiving visions. Not just one vision, but hundreds of visions all played out over and over. Each showing the Sidherthan forces losing to a lone opponent in Dunthir. Then there was a golden thread that clearly showed Lykan Vita being part of the invasion force. Only in that scenario did the Sidherthan forces prevail.

Her mind was still being flooded by hundreds of visions. Visions where the future of Sidhertha was bleak at best. The only way to grow stronger was to follow this line of the future. But there were problems, something happened in that line of the future that caused Lykan Vita to be there at the helm of a ship. But what was it? How could such an event come to pass?

She didn’t know but began to do the impossible. She followed that one vision up the stream of its power, to the root that started the whole chain of events. Such a feat is impossible, or at least dangerous for a Seer. The gods even warned her.

Warning: What you are attempting could result in serious damage to your body. Do you wish to continue? [Yes] or [No]

Without even thinking of the future consequences, aided by the immortality of youth she pressed on. [Yes] she screamed from inside her visions. This was the first word her father and caretakers heard her utter since the stream of visions began in earnest.

Warning: This action will forever change your fate. Do you wish to proceed? [Yes] or [No]

Again, she received a cryptic warning, this one caused her to pause. But only for a second. She knew that the cost of some minor damage to her body would be more than worth the cost of saving her home. Again, she chose [Yes] this time she screamed with her conviction.

Let it be so.

Blessing Received: True Sight of the Divine Seer.

True Sight of the Divine Seer (Legendary): You have received the rarest single blessing a Seer can receive. You are now allowed to witness multiple streams of time simultaneously, only then to follow one path of the future back to its origin point. Attributes Increased: Power +5, Awareness +5, Intelligence +5. Flaws: You are now permanently blind to normal forms of sight.

When Larela awoke, her eyes were in a milky purple haze. One glance could easily tell that she was not able to see, at least not the way anyone had imagined.

At first panic set in, as Larela, an eight almost nine-year-old was blind. Filled in a dark room that would not brighten.

“Father?” She called out.

“I’m here child.” King Philipon said, going over to her side. Then he winced, “your eyes…” he began, but his words were quickly cut off by a shaking of Larela’s head.

“No time for that. I sacrificed them for a blessing from the gods…”

“What? What blessing? What blessing could be worth your eyesight? You know not to barter with the gods.” King Philipon said.

“True Sight of the Divine Seer.” Larela said.

There was a gasp as multiple attendants heard the claim.

Turning his head King Philipon asked the head healer, “is this true?”

At that Larela felt a wave of energy wash over her. Then there was a gasp from the source of the energy. The head healer had used a scanning skill on her.

“My lord.” He began, but then halted as he sent a second wave of energy to wash over Larela. With the wave Larela could feel her entire being seen and judged by the man before her.

“She is telling the truth. She does have the Legendary level of the blessing True Sight of the Divine Seer. This explains her eyes, but there is something else I must warn you about.” The head healer began.

“No time for that.” Larela said, cutting off the healer as she tried to focus on the immediate threat, the Azani.

“There is one set of futures where we can win against the Azani. They have found power sources that have made their already powerful shamans even more powerful. The only way to stop them is for Lykan Vita to be in the invading forces of Dunthir.” Larela began.

Hearing this, the King knew full well the legendary might that Lykan had. He had even given the lad a legendary war-bow for slaying one dragon. A bow that he then used to slay a calamity class monster.

During this time Larela’s eyes flashed.

Pausing his train of thought about the legendary psychic dragon who had been somehow empowered beyond normal methods he paused to look at his daughter.

“Yes father, that is correct. The same power source that fueled the psychic dragon’s transformation is the same power source that the Azani now attempt to use against us.” Larela said, her voice certain.

The king wanted to doubt, but then saw how the murky film that covered his daughter’s eyes seemed a little thicker. Was that a result of her powers?

Shaking his head, the King thought about the statement and realizing that Lykan being part of the force would at least be a good morale boost for the kingdom finally nodded.

“There is just one problem…” King Philipon said. The problem was obvious, Lykan was an untrained officer. To send him into the field without at least completing his training would be a breach of the binding contract.

“Then let him and everyone else graduate early.” Larela said.

From there, the two spoke and once or twice Larela used her powers to help divine the best way forward for the kingdom.

The war came and went.

Just as quickly as it began, it ended. Yet the kingdom of Sidhertha had one thing going for it that no other kingdom could claim. They had a Seer, a diviner of the future who could see and predict Lykan Vita’s future.

This was the reason for his cold treatment upon the end of the war. These actions had all been set in place so he could be released early from his contract. Bringing fame to Sidhertha not once, not twice, but three times was an accomplishment any soldier should be proud of. Also, with his treatment after the war he would immediately leave to stop the different stones of calamity that appeared as part of the regular tests from the gods.

Unbeknown to the King, the true purpose for Larela’s proposed treatment of Lykan was twofold. First this would lead him to destroy the stones, though that was always part of his future. It was part of his class, part of his calling in life. No destroying the calamity stones was just a cover.

The true reason Larela wished for Lykan Vita to be treated so poorly after the return, as so he would be forced to perform the third old-world law on her father. Or not forced but feel obligated for being released a year early from his contract.

These were all parts of the steps needed for Larela to achieve her goal. A goal she would never tell anyone. This was a goal so precious, that she would throw away many of her morals to achieve. The goal? That was simple, she wanted only one thing. For Lykan Vita to be her knight, in her court. With these seemingly random chain of events Larela knew she could have the future she but glimpsed that one fateful day, when a hero to the kingdom kissed her hand and set her heart fluttering.