U – Unique

This story was written for the 2025 April A to Z Blog Challenge. Twenty-six words, one for each letter of the alphabet, were pre-selected by a random word generator (MacChatGPT) and were included for each section of the appropriate letter in the Challenge. The chosen word is highlighted within the text. To start the story from the beginning, go to https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=4443.

When last we met in Part 20 – Travel: 

Rowan and Alondria have a plan; now they need to spread the word and gather supporters. With the assistance of Luvtrue (a galea bird), they are led to a village outside the Forbidden Forest where they can share their plan and code word with others, including those who must work for King Yarek, but do not support him. Meanwhile, Luvtrue will inform Sparrow-White, and together they will inform other animals and birds to join the fight in support of Princess Alondria. Meanwhile, King Yarek is making his own plans. 

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Destiny – Part 21 (unique)

King Yarek was angry and frustrated. He could hear the undercurrents of discontent in the kingdom, which had heightened since the arrival of the Princess Alondria. His plan to burn her up in the field of blue flowers had failed, as had the quake he had created, in the hopes that some debris would fall on her and kill her, or have her buried in a fissure, equally as deadly. But what to do?

He needed to think outside the box and come up with a unique idea that no one would suspect. For this, he needed the assistance of more soothsayers and wizards. There were plenty to be had at the right price. Unfortunately, his reputation for killing anyone knowledgeable of his plans did not help find ones that were willing to assist him. 

Yarek needed more information about Alondria’s past. He needed to know where she had been for the past nineteen years. Maybe there was something from her past that would provide the solution to her disposal. 

Yarek found both a soothsayer and a wizard who would work for him. Their price was high, and the conditions of their contract were perfect for his needs. They were to be paid in advance for their work, and the results of their findings would be delivered remotely. They then would disappear from Tirea, never to be seen again. Any attempt at finding either the soothsayer or the wizard again would be dealt with magically; those involved would not see the light of day again. 

The soothsayer was the first to be given his task. His task was to find out what he could about Alondria’s past nineteen years. Who were the people close to her, and where did they live? The other task assigned to him was to determine what weapons she might have to fight with, whether they were magical or physical. 

Keep in mind that soothsayers are experts in seeing into the future, not the past. However, they can glean information from events that happen in the future to make some assumptions about the past, which is what this soothsayer did. Only, he didn’t mention that they were assumptions, but spoke of them as facts. There were also things that he saw in the future that he decided not to share with the king. 

A day after King Yarek gave the task to the soothsayer, an image of that soothsayer appeared before Yarek with the results of his search. 

The image spoke, “The family that raised her exists in a land called Glendan. They are a mother, a father, an older brother, and a sister. She was known by the name Adriana. None have the bloodline of the princess, and pose no threat to your reign. As for the weapons she might carry, she keeps a magical blue flower in her backpack that survived the Burn. It has the power to destroy. One needs to hold it high and order it to destroy whatever is named, and it shall be done.”

When the image of the soothsayer finished his remarks, it dissolved into nothingness and was gone. 

It was now time for the wizard’s task. 

Yarek ordered, “There is a place called Glendan. You are to find it and go there. You will find a family of four: husband and wife, who have two naturally born children, a son and a daughter. They are all connected to a nineteen-year-old foster child named Adriana. Transport the four of them here to me unharmed, but restrained.  

It was but two days, this time. Again, only an image of the wizard appeared before he king. On the floor in front of the king lay four bodies, in a magically induced coma.

The image spoke, “Here lie the people that you requested. They are alive and well. They will awaken when needed. Use them as you will.”

With that spoken, the image of the wizard dissolved into nothingness, and he was gone. 

“At last,” King Yarek spoke out loud, “I have what I need. Victory is mine!”

To be continued in V – Venture