Life At A Storm
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The storm was a big one. It had been building for days, and the first hint of it came early in the morning when I awoke to find my bed wet with rain. The sky outside my window was dark gray—a color that hadn’t existed on any other day since we’d arrived at this place.
“It’s going to be a bad one,” said Breena as she finished getting dressed. “I can feel it.” She paused long enough to look me over before continuing. “You’re not looking so good yourself, either.”
She wasn’t wrong about that part. My stomach felt like someone was trying to twist it inside out while simultaneously punching it repeatedly with a sledgehammer. And even though I knew better than anyone else how much magic could help heal wounds, there were still some things that couldn’t be fixed by spells or potions.
In fact, the only thing that seemed capable of making anything worse right now would have been if I tried to use my powers too soon after recovering from them. With all the energy I’d expended during our fight against those two monsters, I needed time to rest and recharge.
But despite knowing all that, I also wanted nothing more than to get moving again. If we didn’t do something quickly, then we might lose track of the wyverns who’d attacked us earlier today. We had no idea where they went once they left the crater behind.
But whatever happened next probably wouldn’t happen until tomorrow afternoon. So we had plenty of time to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, none of the options available to us looked particularly appealing.
Breena took a deep breath as she surveyed her surroundings. Then she sighed. “Okay, let’s go out into the storm and see if we can spot the wyverns’ trail. Maybe you’ll feel better if you actually start doing something instead of just lying here feeling sorry for yourself.”.
“That sounds finished helping me put everything together, I asked her, “Do you think we’ll ever reach the end of this mountain?”
“If we keep heading straight up, yes. Eventually, we will hit the top of the rock formation. That should take us back to the entrance of the cave system, which is where we started.”
I nodded slowly. “So…we’ve got three choices: stay here forever; climb higher and hope that we don’t run into another monster along the way, or try to find an alternate route down through the side tunnels. Which do you recommend?”
“Well,” said Breena thoughtfully. “Let’s assume that we want to avoid running into any more monsters. What are your chances of finding a safe path around these cliffs? Even if it means crossing open space between the rocks?”
“Not great,” I admitted. “We haven’t seen any signs of life anywhere near here. There aren’t even any plants growing in the cracks. Everything seems dead.”
Breena frowned. “There must be some kind of plant life somewhere nearby. Or maybe there’s a tree that grows down off the cliff face. You know, like the ones you saw back home.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Maybe there is. But it doesn’t seem likely that we’d find a branch large enough to hang onto without falling to our deaths. Plus, I’m pretty sure that climbing trees aren’t exactly normal human behavior.”
“Oh, come on!” Breena rolled her eyes. “You’re a demigod! Don’t tell me you never climbed anything besides buildings before.”
“I did climb trees once,” I replied defensively. “When I was little.”
Breena snorted. “Really? Because every time I see you, you’re always walking around on city streets or flying above clouds. Have you ever walked across the grass before?”
I shook my head. “No. Why would I walk on grass?”
“Because it feels nice underfoot. Like stepping barefoot into the warm sand. And because it looks cool. Just imagine how impressed everyone will be when you show up to class wearing shorts made entirely of blades of grass.”
I didn’t bother arguing with her. Instead, I just gave her a meaningful glance. “Are you really suggesting I wear shorts?”
“Yes,” she answered simply. “And I’m not talking about the kind that has pictures of comic book characters on them. I mean real shorts, with pockets and stuff. Real pants. Shorts.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. “I guess I’ll give it a shot. But I’m warning you, I won’t enjoy myself very much.”
“Good,” said Breena. “Then I’ll make sure to bring lots of snacks. Okay? Now let’s go find out if there’s a way down from here.”
***
The first thing I noticed upon leaving the safety of the cave mouth behind was that the rain had gotten considerably heavier. The second thing I noticed was that it smelled awful outside. It reminded me of the smell I’d encountered whenever a thunderstorm raged overhead at night. Only this time, it was daytime. And it wasn’t raining hard enough to wash away the scent.
As we stepped out into the open, I could hear the sound of rushing water echoing up the mountainside. At least, I assumed that was what it was. My sense of hearing hadn’t been working properly since I’d fallen into the hole.
But now that I was standing upright, I could see that the ground beneath us was covered in shallow puddles. They were filled with dark brown sludge, which seemed to be mixed with bits of dirt and other debris. It looked like the runoff from an enormous waterfall.
“What the hell is all that?” I muttered.
“It’s called mud,” said Breena. “Remember? We talked about it last week.”
“Right…” I blinked. “But why does it look so gross? Is it poisonous?”
“Probably,” said Breena. “Look, I told you I’d help you figure things out. So listen closely. This is important.”
She pointed to one of the puddles. “That’s actually a stream. A small river, anyway. If you step in it, you’ll get muddy, but not hurt. Probably. Unless you fall in. Then you might die.”
“Great,” I sighed. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Don’t worry,” said Breena cheerfully. “I brought some dry clothes. Just follow me.”
With that, she turned and headed up the mountain slope. She moved quickly, so I hurried to catch up with her. As soon as I reached her side, she took off again.
I followed along, trying to keep pace with her long legs. After several minutes of hiking uphill through the muck, I finally caught sight of something familiar. I stopped in my tracks.
“Hey!” I shouted. “Wait up! Where are we going?”
Breena paused, then glanced back over her shoulder. “To the top of the mountain, obviously.”
“Why?” I asked. “Didn’t you say this place was uninhabited? Are you planning on living here permanently?”
“Of course not,” said Breena. “This is where I live. In the sky. And I need to get to the top of this mountain. That’s where my house is.”
“Your…house?”
“Yup,” she said. “My parents built it after they got married. They wanted to build their own home together, far away from the rest of the world. Back then, I thought it was a great idea. But now I realize it was stupid. You can’t hide from people forever. Eventually, someone will notice you. Especially if you start building a giant mansion in the middle of nowhere.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “So, you want to get to your house. Which means you’ve already been here before. Right?”
“Yeah,” she said. “In fact, I think I know exactly how to do it.”
“How?” I demanded. “There must be dozens of ways to reach the top of this mountain. How are you supposed to remember which one is yours?”
“Oh, don’t worry,” she said. “I remembered it by thinking of the most obvious solution. I figured that if I couldn’t remember it, no one else would either. Plus, it’s easy to remember. All you have to do is climb straight up until you hit clouds.”
“You’re kidding me,” I groaned. “Seriously?”
“Nope!” said Breena, grinning brightly. “Now come on. Let’s go.”
We continued climbing for another fifteen minutes or so. The trail didn’t change much, except that it became more difficult to walk. The ground began to rise gradually, forcing us to scramble up rocks and boulders. Soon, our feet were soaked with mud, and we were breathing heavily.
At last, the path leveled out. There, directly ahead of us, I saw a massive gray wall. It rose hundreds of feet into the air, blocking out the sun. Above it, I could see a thin layer of clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
The thing that surprised me the most wasn’t the size of the fortress. Or even the sheer number of towers and gates scattered around its base. What shocked me was the color scheme.
The entire castle was painted black and white. That meant that every single door, window, gate, balcony, and the chimney was made entirely out of two different colors. Black for the outside, white for the inside.
I stared at the monstrosity for a few seconds, trying to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. Then, when I realized I had nothing better to do, I started walking toward the front entrance.
“Where are you going?” asked Breena.
“Home,” I replied. “Or, well, wherever this is. My guess is that it’s either an old castle or a new one. Either way, it looks like it needs some serious work.”
“Maybe,” said Breena. “But I’m pretty sure it doesn’t belong to anyone right now. It just sits there, rotting away. So why don’t we take advantage of that? We can fix it up, make it ours, and then…”
“…and then what?” I asked.
“And then we rule the world,” she finished.
I laughed. “If only it were that simple.”
“It isn’t?”
I shook my head. “No. Not unless we can find a way to control the weather. No matter how many armies we gather, none of them will ever win against the rain. Or the snow. Or the wind. If we try to conquer the world, we’ll end up destroying ourselves first.”
“That sounds depressing,” she said.
“Not really,” I said. “Just realistic. Come on. Let’s get inside before it starts raining.”
Together, we crossed the courtyard. At the other side, we walked through a set of double doors. Beyond those, we entered a dark hallway lined with torches. The walls were covered in intricate carvings depicting various scenes from mythology: gods fighting monsters, heroes defeating villains, and lovers escaping from danger.
As we passed each carving, I tried to imagine who might have created them. Were they the handiwork of a master craftsman? Or perhaps the creations of artists whose names were lost to time? I wondered if any of these figures actually existed in real life. Did Hercules really slay a hydra? Was Perseus really able to defeat Medusa without turning to stone?
After several minutes of wandering down the hall, we reached a large staircase leading upward. On the steps, I noticed a small plaque carved into the marble. As we climbed higher and higher, the stairs grew increasingly narrow. Eventually, we came to a landing, where the second set of double doors stood open.
Beyond them, I found myself standing in a grand foyer. The floor was made of polished wood, and it stretched as far as the eye could see. In the center of the room, a giant chandelier hung from the ceiling. Its light reflected off countless mirrors hanging on the walls.
To my left and right, the halls continued onward, stretching out of sight. But beyond them lay a vast chamber filled with tables, chairs, couches, and bookshelves. A dozen people sat at each table, talking quietly among themselves. They wore robes or long dresses; their hair was tied back. Some of them looked very young, while others seemed ancient enough to be my grandparents.
One man, in particular, caught my attention. He was sitting alone, reading a book. His eyes were closed, and he appeared deep in thought. I couldn’t tell whether his expression was happy or sad. When I glanced over at him, though, I immediately recognized him.
He was the same man who’d been waiting by the front door earlier. The one who had called himself…
“Branwen,” I whispered.
My voice echoed throughout the room. Everyone stopped talking. All heads turned toward me, and everyone stared.
Then, slowly but surely, the group of scholars began to smile. And laugh. For a moment, I felt like I was being watched by a pack of wolves. But after a minute, the laughter died down.
Finally, the man in the corner raised his head. He opened his eyes and smiled warmly at me.
“Hello, Hero,” he said. “Welcome to our home.”
***
The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed. After all, I hadn’t slept much last night. Instead, I’d spent most of the evening staring at the ceiling and wondering about Branwen’s invitation.
Should I go? Would I regret not accepting? What would happen if I did accept?
Eventually, I decided to follow her advice. I went downstairs, ate breakfast, and got dressed. By the time I was ready to leave, the sun was already shining brightly outside.
Once again, I followed the path to the front gate. This time, however, I didn’t walk straight past it. Instead, I stepped onto the porch, knocked on the door, and waited for someone to answer.
A few moments later, a woman wearing white answered the door. She was tall and slender, with short brown hair and pale skin. Her face reminded me of an angel.
She smiled when she saw me. Then, she invited me inside.
With her help, I managed to find my way to the dining hall. There, I met a handful of other students. One of them introduced herself as Lila. Another was named Mabel. Yet another girl—she must have been the youngest in our class—was called Annalise.
Lila, Mabel, and Annalise were all older than me. Their ages ranged from twenty-five to thirty. Each of them was beautiful in her own unique way. They were also smart, kind, and funny. It was easy to see why they were so popular.
Over the course of the meal, I learned that Lila was studying magic. Mabel was learning how to use a sword. Meanwhile, Annalise was working on a project involving herbs and potions.
I nodded along as they talked. However, I wasn’t listening to what they were saying. My mind kept drifting back to the conversation I’d overheard the previous night.
What exactly had happened between those two men? Why did one of them want to kill the other? And why was the third man trying to stop him?
As I listened to the girls talk, I realized something else. These women weren’t just friends. They were family. They cared deeply about each other. That meant Branwen must’ve known them well before inviting me here.
But then, who was this mysterious man who’d attacked Branwen? Did he know these three women too? Or was he a stranger?
Before I knew it, lunchtime had come and gone. We took a break for the afternoon, and then returned to the dining hall. Once more, we gathered around the table.
This time, there were only five of us: me, Lila, Mabel, Annalise, and a boy named Rufus.
Rufus was handsome, with dark hair and blue eyes. Unlike the rest of us, he didn’t wear a robe. Instead, he wore a simple shirt and jeans. Like the other kids here, he was friendly and outgoing.
We chatted for a while. Eventually, I learned that Rufus was training to become a knight. He wanted to fight evil. To protect people.
At first, I found myself admiring him. But after a few minutes, I started to feel uncomfortable. Wasn’t fighting evil dangerous? Didn’t it mean getting into fights every single day?
Besides, I didn’t need anyone to protect me. Not anymore.
After dinner, I headed upstairs to my room. As soon as I entered, I noticed something strange. A piece of paper was lying on my bed.
It was folded neatly in half, and written across the top was the name Branwen. At the bottom, the note read:
Dear Hero,
Thank you for coming to visit today. I hope you enjoyed your stay.
Please join us tomorrow morning for breakfast at 9 AM sharp.
Sincerely,
Branwen
P.S. Please don’t tell any of the others.
My heart skipped a beat. Had she really asked me to meet her alone? Was this some sort of trap?
Still, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I’d seen Branwen’s handwriting. So, reluctantly, I grabbed the sheet of paper and unfolded it.
To my surprise, the letter was handwritten. And it was addressed to me specifically.
Was this a joke? Maybe she thought I wouldn’t notice. Or maybe she had no idea I could read.
Either way, I decided to play along. After all, I hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with Branwen yesterday. Plus, I was curious to learn more about her.
So, I set down my bag and replied.
Yes, thank you for having me over! I’m looking forward to meeting everyone tomorrow.
In the meantime, do you think you can give me directions to your house?
Thanks again.
The next morning, I arrived early. The sun was still low in the sky, casting long shadows across the grounds. Even so, I felt excited. Today would be my first real adventure.
When I reached the dining hall, I spotted Branwen sitting by herself. She looked up as I approached.
“Good morning,” I said. “Is everything okay?”
Her smile faded instantly.
Then, she stood and walked away without a word.
***
I chased after her. When I caught up, she turned around. Her expression was cold.
She glared at me. Then, she stormed off toward the front gates.
I followed behind, but she was already gone.
Once outside, I glanced around. There were dozens of students milling through the grass. Some were running laps. Others practiced their archery skills. Still others sparred against one another.
A few dozen yards ahead, I saw a girl wearing black robes. She was walking briskly, carrying a stack of books under her arm.
That must have been Branwen.
However, when I tried to catch up to her, someone blocked my path. It was a tall man with short blond hair. His face was covered in scars, making his skin look like leather.
The End