Birth of an Immortal – Part2
It was late in the afternoon. Prah was walking silently on a forest route getting close to the place where Harmah and the others were currently residing, a small cottage near the border of Straumrheim. This used to be an ideal place for carefree, relaxing vacations, but right now none of them were on vacation. They had no other place to go, so they were either here or stranded somewhere in the forests.
Prah arrived right on time, just as she planned. She was precise as usual, but now she was somehow not as confident as usual. Fear still lurked within her heart due to the recent events at Minas Fril. She stood there in front of the door of the cottage. She was thinking. If she opens that door now, she won’t only open the door of the cottage but a whole lot of possibilities in the future, most of which were quite grim. She knew, however, that if she wants to avoid the worst possible outcome, she has to stop Harmah. She had to overcome her fear of getting tangled up in these events and start acting in order to save the one she loves. She opened the door and entered the cottage.
The house was just as welcoming as it always was. A friendly little fire crackled in the fireplace right in front of the door. Paintings of landscapes from all around the world were beaming on the wall. On the right were a few wardrobes a table and some chairs. Prah noticed the robes of her comrades, all five garments lay there. Prah went to the back room, she was certain she’d find everyone there.
-Hello. – She greeted them simply.
On her entry, all five of the mages were surprised. They did not expect anyone to follow them. Not only surprised, but they were delighted upon seeing Prah. They all welcomed her in their own usual fashion. Prah was in no mood for small talk, but the friendly welcome felt good. It reminded her of the old days when all nine of them were still together. As much as she’d have liked to sit down and just talk with them, she cut straight to the point.
-Harmah, we need to talk. – She said quietly.
-I suppose we do. – Answered Harmah with a sigh. – You guys continue while we talk outside.
They both left the room. Harmah got his robe, and they went outside. The air was getting cold, far colder than what’s normal for the season. They started walking, but neither of them spoke, neither of them wanted to actually start the conversation. After a short while, Prah was the one to break the silence.
-What are your plans?
-Will you join me? – Harmah asked a question instead of answering.
-I don’t know. I probably won’t.
-I thought so. Revenge does not suit you.
-Maybe it doesn’t. Why are you doing this?
-We were betrayed, we have nothing left. If we want to have our freedom, not just some vivid illusion of it, then we have to fight for it, there’s no way around it.
-We have freedom.
-We don’t. At least I think we don’t. What makes you think we do?
-Master Jemmir said so. I trust him.
-Would the master you trusted so much do the things you saw at Minas Fril?
-That really wasn’t like him, yet I still trust him.
-I don’t, and this is probably what results in the difference in our opinions. I, unfortunately, can’t just walk past this.
-Will you two fight again?
-I hope not. You saw it as well. I’m no match for him.
-Then what’s your plan?
-Prah… Prah… I’ll tell you if you really want to know, but please promise me that you won’t interfere. I really do not want to see you getting hurt in all this.
-I won’t interfere, I value my life more than that, especially if I can have a peaceful one.
-Heh. That’s so like you. Anyways… I… Our plan is simple. We’ll raise someone who can challenge King Fridr. A new ruler, an immortal king.
-Immortal? That’s not possible.
-True immortality is indeed impossible, but creating someone who stands up right after a lethal wound is well within our abilities. And such a person will be more than enough to become a leader, and in the end after uniting Midgard someone who can defeat Fridr.
-I don’t like that.
-Prah, my dear, I thought you wouldn’t, still, we will press on with this plan. We will succeed.
Prah stopped. Harmah went a few steps further before he stopped as well.
-Is there no way I can stop you? – Prah asked.
-No, I think there isn’t. I’m sorry my dear.
Prah turned away. She knew Harmah was a stubborn man, and she never believed she could convince him to stop. But she had to try. She simply had to.
-I am truly sorry Prah. It’s just not meant to be.
-Yeah. It never was…
-I hope we can meet again. Maybe in better times, under better circumstances.
With that said, Harmah turned around and went back to the cottage. He still had to set all his plans in motion. Prah remained there, alone. She didn’t know what to do. She had nothing else left to do. It was dark already, but that didn’t really matter to her. All she felt was a deep sorrow and the lack of loving friends who were once around her.