Make peace with it# 9

The marketplace is silent, yet the people can not stop talking. They are connected in their minds, all of their people are. They are one mind, sharing their thoughts and words among themselves. Every one can talk to each other, through both pictures and words.

Thousands of people talking together would have been incorrehent and pure torture, except as a Romanian it came naturally to you, your friends and family you could hear all the time, everybody else you learned to block.

But they are always there, like twinkling lights, and you can access anybody you want, whenever you want to.

The Ancient's return has sparked a fire that was extinguished a long time ago. The land buzzes with their power, the earth waking up a thousand years of slumber. They are more than the royal family, they are power itself. Their essence running through the earth. They are not just connected to it, they are the earth. They give it life and power.

And connected as every romanian is to the earth, the power running through it fuels their strength. The feeling is heady, the colors are back in nature. It is singing with life giving energy again.

People are so drunk on their presence they do not even think of contemplating why they suddenly came back. Why did a thousand years of sleep come to and end just like that?

**********

Stefan Balaur (pronounced ste-faan) stands in the dark of his castle. His eyes go to the hall of his ancestors. Standing for a thousands of years, the hall has statues of every single ancient to exist.

And since the world was created, their have only been 3 generations. For romanians live long, thousand of years, millions even for they can not be killed. All of those who had passed away had done so of their own will, when they had finally tired of this life.

He steps towards the hall, as his fanily watch from where they stand. They let him go, knowing he needs it.

His knees are weak with sorrow. At the state of his home, at the plight of his people. In front of the watchful eyes of his ancestors he stands, wanting to draw some strength from them. A dragon does not die. He just passes from this world to the next.

He thinks of his father and his father before him, waiting for him in the hall of warriors.

He is king, because he needs to be. Because the man who sleeps under the earth cannot be here, and he would not want Stefan to give up. He would never forgive him if he did. Taking a breath, he strenghthens his resolve.

He walks back outsife, to the jungle that stands just besides his castle. His feet touch soft earth, it breaks under his weight, making its way between his toes.

He feels the delight of his people, their relief and joy. He feels them drawing strength from his presence. He smiles, and stands a little taller.

He can do this. He is strong enough, his people need him to be, to step up and lead. And so he will. He is an ancient, the earth runs through him; he is powerful beyond belief.

Even if he cannot be king.

For that title has passed him. It belongs to someone else now. Stefan can be unbelievably strong and yet he cannot compare to him.

They had left Romania, all 5 of them. And yet even unconcious and supressed, his life force had kept the land and his people alive for the last 1000 years.

He walks back inside to his family. They see it in his face, in the stiffness of his shoulders. His mate looks at him, smiles and nod.

They had run from the sorrow last time. This time they will bear through it.

They will mourn their loss, and then make peace with it.

*********

A mother stands at the corner by the window, her heart heavy by the suffering of her family. A father mourns his helplessness, his failiure to protect the people he loved.

A brother blames himself for his brother's loss. A sister cries for the pain that has made her brother into a monster, her mate aches at the unability to make her stop hurting.

That night took everything from them. Their joy, their hope, their family and the warmth of their home.

Once a proud man, he became an unmentionable mosnter.

Crazed by his loss, destroyed by her death.

Killing for the rush of it, leaving corpses in his path. They feared hin beyond belief, for who could defeat thd strongest of them all.

Until helpless by his unability to kill him, they hunted him down and caged him in the earth.

A son.

A brother.

A mate

A king.

*******

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