Chapter Nine
Madelyn' s Pass
Seerville- School of the Seers
Being brought up by Seers was not what Maggie planned when she was a kid. At an early age of 5(five), she was taken from her family to serve as a seer in training. She even thought coming here would at least erase the memories she had. Her parents were killed in front of her when they did not release her to the soldiers who came looking for her. She carried that guilt for a long time before she learnt to live with it.
From what she remembered, the king then said all young Seers in the black capital must be taken and trained so they can help him later. Anyone who restricted were to be killed except black citizens. Being red, her parents were killed and she was dragged to Seerville. Thirteen years later, the memories are still fresh and she is about to graduate into a full seer.
It was her turn to offer incense to the gods. She could feel the unease around her as she was selected out of many students to do this. At 18, she was old enough to do that but the blacks were allowed to do more since the chief Seer is a black man. She did not want her powers even though she was born with them but time has made her give in and learn to harness and use them. She stood up from where she was sitting and moved closer to the altar. Just one more test and she is done. She would be posted to any place in the colonies or even the capital. Her dream was to be a seer in her homeland. She has never been to the place before but while growing up, her parents told her about the Red country. Being the seer of black capital or red country would be a dream come true. She shifted her focus to what was ahead of her. She picked some powder from the bowl beside her. She said some ancient words and sprinkled the content over the fire. The colour of the fire changed from red to green. Immediately, her eye colours turned red. She began to speak in ancient language for a while. After some minutes, she came back to her senses and stood up. As she was about to go to her seat, the atmosphere around the altar changed. There were rumblings and the room became dark. Fear gripped Maggie. "Did she do anything wrong?" She followed all the guidelines. She could not see others and was scared of what they would think of her. Just then, a voice came from a thin flame among the darkness saying " They exist now. The fate of the world in their hands. Send a Seer to Wentose". That was the end of the message. The atmosphere became normal and Maggie could see dazed faces. After some regained their senses, they looked at her in contempt. She looked down and prayed silently.
The Chief Seer stood up and calmed everyone down. He looked at Maggie and asked her to stand up. He knew what happened was not her fault and he did not blame her. He pointed to her and said "She will be the new Seer of Wentose". Everyone gasped and the hope on Maggie of being the Seer in her homeland was dashed. She looked at the Chief Seer and accepted all he had to say. "Maggie, you will leave fo Wentose in three days. You have passed your final test and so will begin your journey as a seer there" the Chief Seer added. Some leaders wanted to object but the Chief Seer did not give them the audience. He has made his decision.
8(Eight) years later.
"Do not come near us Freak!" A boy shouted and shoved Like aside. Luke was not happy with this. The boys were playing a game he enjoyed and he wanted to join them. When they saw him coming, they stood up and shouted at him. He looked around and saw the way the adults were looking at him. He knew his colour was different. They had white skins and black hairs but he, on the other hand, has black skin and white hair. Other than that, they all looked the same. His parents were also different from him. He was told by his parents that he was born with a rare disease which was contracted when his mother travelled. "What disease can make him look so different? Why do the others hate him like this? " He thought and headed home.
He was hungry and decided to buy a small piece of potato. The thought of eating the potato made him happy. He rushed towards the stall. He was about to talk when the seller warned him not to come to her shop again. He was surprised and began to cry. "I want a piece. I have money. I will pay" he said. The seller ignored him and answered someone else. As he was about to leave, he saw his mother coming towards him. "Mom, I want a potato but I can't get one" he said. Megan looked at the boy and patted his white hair. "I will give you one when we get home" . She watched the boy smile and she smiled back. She looked up at the seller and the scowled at her. The seller made no gesture in return.
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"Mom, why am I different?" Luke asked his mother. "Son, you are special and we love you. You are just like everyone else" Megan said and smiled. She knew this was not the end. She remembered how people reacted when they first saw Luke. Some cursed them. Their friends turned against them. They were not shown pity. The only reason why they were not reported to the soldiers was because of her husband's worth in the city. At a point, she was angry with her husband and refused to care for the boy. Arun was calm throughout the time. He believed the boy was sent from the gods. With time, she grew to love the boy. He was diligent, obedient and supportive. She knew things would only get harder for her but it's their time to care for him now. She looked at the boy who was busy licking his fingers while eating the potato. "Luke, stay at home. I want to get some things from the market" she said and headed out. While on her way out, Luke asked her "Mom, when will I finally be able to play with other kids? ". " Soon, my child" she said and smiled.