Chapter 7

❤️❤️ Separate Ways (Part 7) ❤️❤️

The ground beneath the blind seer cracked open a little and a black snake entered inside her feet.

Grace and her husband returned and saw the blind seer scratching her head vigorously, but then stopped as she started breathing heavily.

"What's it great seer?" Grace quickly asked, bringing the onions she carries in arms closer.

"Take those back, I did not sense anything, I think I am getting old," the blind seer said, shifting backwards from the onions. "I will take my leave now Lord Emera," she added and without waiting for another word, she quickly left the house, running.

"Rumi, what happened?"

"I do-n't kn-ow, fa-th-er, she sta-rte-d be-hav-ing stra-nge-ly al-l of a sud-den," Rumi stammered and a shrug shoulder.

"It's okay my dear, go to your room," Warlord Emera said and she left them, entering the long passage that led into her room.

Juno returned almost immediately and started off towards her room, ignoring her father and mother, she had seen the blind seer running out of their command like someone possessed. Her parents didn't notice her presence, they were so absorbed with what just happened. that they didn't see Juno passing them.

The following day, Storm paid Juno a surprise visit. Two carriages and Guards entered the compound of Warlord Emera and Emperor Ariadne with his son stepped out from one.

Warlord Emera and his wife were surprised to see the Emperor at their house and the duo were quickly offered a seat in the living room which they gladly did. Grace quickly prepared tea for her visitors.

Storm couldn't hold his smile when he saw Juno coming out with Rumi, both girls were wearing the same attire, blue gown.

"Hello there crying baby," Juno said playfully as she saw him. "Did anyone else look for your trouble again?" she added smacking both hands together.

"No, no one looked for his trouble," Emperor Ariadne said with a smile, "He is here to see you and also to thank you for saving him yesterday and the gift in the other carriage is yours."

"Oh, I always make sure everyone in Ashland kingdom is safe, after it is my responsibility soon to look after the people of Ashland in terms of fighting,"

Warlord Emera coughed out once, "But I am not dead and won't be for years to come."

"I am taking a stroll, do you want to join me?" Juno asked Storm.

"Of course," Storm said and stood up to meet Juno.

Taking his hand in hers, she left with Storm and Rumi and some guards followed them.

"Does it mean you won't carry out the plans to move him away?" Warlord Emera asked once the children are out of hearing shot.

"Yes, there is a little change of plan but nevertheless, just ready the guards just in case something happened."

"Yes your highness, how is your Empress and children doing?"

"They are fine, and as for the children, she doesn't allow them to close to Storm, after the children had breakfast together for brief, that was the last time they neared him. My wife has been on my neck to get rid of Phoenix's son or else she leaves the palace with my other children or worse still, she kills him." Emperor Ariadne told his childhood friend. "He slept in my room last night, I'm afraid of what my wife could do to him."

"There is nothing to fear, it's a mere thought your highness and the Empress wouldn't carry it out."

"Didn't you see that those servants followed her orders, I don't want him to feel scared in my own kingdom."

"You are right and speaking of kingdom, your brother is expanding the kingdoms he rule everyone in his kingdom is skilled in swordfighting, both the males and the females, my spy told me in his last message he sent that your brother is planning to break down the walls and start taking down the villages one after the other."

"When was the message sent?"

"One month ago, and he hasn't sent any other message again."

"That means he has been caught and killed."

"Yeah,"

"There is something I want to tell you," at Warlord Emera nod of head, he continued. "He is special too, none of my children has the gift except him,"

"That means he is your successor"

"My wife wouldn't be happy,"

"Then don't let her know that he is your successor and not her first son."

"They will hate him,"

"That shouldn't be your problem since you are not dying now, you should focus on finding out who took Phoenix away, whoever it is might come back for him."

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

"Can you teach me how to be a strong fighter like you?" Storm asks Juno.

"That depends on which category you wish to be strong,  so do you wish to fight with a sword, or fist or your legs or all of it." Juno told him.

"All of it, when do I start, oh great master?" Storm asked.

"I like you, you know how to make my head swell, anyway, I will teach you how to be strong like me."

"Thank you, so when can I start?"

"What is water?" Juno asked him.

"Water is for drinking when you are tasting and for bathing."

Juno stopped walking and turned to face Storm.

"What I mean is to be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes a cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot and it becomes a teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

"Thank you Juno, I will try hard to become like water."

"Yes, water can save, water doesn't have an enemy and water can also kill."

They reach the market and Juno sees a woman who was selling apples pushing an old dwarf woman to the ground.

Reacting quickly, she rushed to help the dwarf woman that was shorter than her by half an inch to her feet and turned angrily to stare at the woman selling her apples.

"Why did you push her, dork?"

"She used her dirty hands to touch my Apples, she should be happy that I didn't kick her," the woman didn't get to finish her sentence before Juno pushed everything to the ground and started stepping on it. Once she was done, she looked at the woman and smiled. "I thought you were going to push me like you did with her." she added and faced the dwarf. "Follow me to my house, I will fill a bag of apples for you."

"Thank you Miss...."

"Juno," she supplies her name and the dwarf woman motion with her hand for Juno to come closer.

Juno bent her head closer to the dwarf who whispered into her ear.

"You are a good person Juno, but you will become evil, darkness swims around you and you cannot escape your fate, for his sake, I hope you get to see the light inside your darkness."