He had to take a minute to process what he had just witnessed. He hastily scrambled around, gathering the materials he needed. He mumbled a quiet apology to the patrons, saying he'd be opening back up again in just a little while. He tied the flaps of the tent shut, mumbling to himself. This wasn't good. This couldn't be good. What was going to happen? Not a single one of his prophecies had been false. He wrote down all the details he knew. His handwriting was terrible. He could barely read his hurried scrawling across the page. It was all he could do however. He rolled up the torn piece of paper and stuffed it into his robes. He tugged on the chain around his ankle. He knew he would get punished for this, but he had to. With only a little effort, the ankle clasp came undone. He left the chain there and hurried out of the tent, fleeing towards his master's ship.
Dualscar sat inside counting money as tediously as he could. The seadweller had great big bags of it around his desk. There came a soft knock at the door.
"Oh what is it this time?" He growled. Obviously Dualscar was in a foul mood. Pollux pushed the door open.
"Mathter Dualthcar! Thomething terrible hath happened!" He panted, doubling over. He fell to his knees, groveling at the end of the desk. Dualscar slammed his hands on the desk, standing upright.
"Yeah I'll say something terrible has happened, you're not chained to your tent anymore." He growled, "What the hell is the matter with you!?" He approached Pollux, snarling.
"I had a prophethy! A really bad one, we don't have much time!" Pollux scrambled backwards, bumping into the door. "Pleathe you have to believe me!"
"Spit it out already then! I don't have all day!"
"Her Imperial Condethention ith in danger." He stuck out his tongue a bit, holding in tears.
"And how is she in danger?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Pollux dug in the front of his robes, pulling out the rolled up piece of parchment. He handed it to him. Dualscar opened it up, reading over it. He clutched the paper tightly in his hands.
"Is there anything else you saw besides this in your vision?" His voice was shaking.
"No." Pollux shook his head.
"You'd better not be lying to me. If you're lyin to me I swear I will have you culled." There was another knock at the door.
"Captain there has been an explosion off of the starboard bow. Flames must be hundreds of feet high! Smoke for miles!" one of the stewards said. Pollux swallowed hard. He lowered his head. Dualscar's eyes widened. He shoved Pollux out of the way of the door, rushing out to go up to the deck. Pollux hurried after him.
His suspicions had been confirmed. There had indeed been an explosion. There were tears in Dualscar's eyes as he stared ahead at the wreckage.
"Take him back to his tent." He told his deck hand. "I'll be going away on business." With that, a teary eyed Dualscar went and started barking commands. The deckhand, a blueblood, ushered Pollux back to his tent. Once he was chained again, the yellow blood curled up on his mat, turning the lantern off with a flick of his psionics. The sun would be up soon and sleep was a precious thing. As he slept, he dreamed.
He dreamed that some day, some time, there would be a troll who would sweep him off his feet and take him far, far away. He'd be free to live, free to walk, free to fly.
The next morning the news had spread of the Condesce's death. It spread like wildfire. People were talking about it in the streets. They spoke in hushed whispers. Who would rule? Who would take her position? There were no more tyrian bloods, the jade bloods had reported. Would the rule go to the violet bloods? Was there another blood color higher? Pollux sat outside his tent, munching on a piece of fruit, the sign for open on his tent. No one wanted a prophecy today. The town was in too much of a panic. Even the empress's lusus had died in the freak accident. Pollux heard passing mumbles of the fact that her helmsman had to have known what he was doing.
At the facility, they always made it seem that being a Helmsman was the best option. Willow had always told him that being a Helmsman was not a good thing and that they all had it wrapped in their minds that being a living battery was a life worth living. After all, they wanted nothing to do but to serve the Empress. It was a noble position after all.
That wouldn't work now that the Empress was dead, would it?
About a month passed. Things had returned to somewhat normal. Dualscar hardly ever spoke to Pollux, aside from to collect the early evening jar of money and tips from prophecies. Even then, he hardly spoke. Pollux guessed he was upset over what had happened. There had been no talk of someone taking leadership, for there had been no heir to the throne. Indigo bloods had declared that it was their right, but of course the sea dwellers were upset to hear that and fought back with their own angry shouting and glubbing. He had almost forgotten that he was supposed to be doing fortunes.
"I'll have next in." he said, pushing open the flap to the tent with his psionics. It went on like this for almost an entire sweep. Chaos had ensued near the capital, news passing by that several cities had been destroyed and thousands had been slaughtered the Subjugglator's moonrise festival. Traffic around the tent had dulled down. Pollux, now a sweep older, looked awkward in the tent. He had grown much taller, his voice deeper. His clothes didn't fit anymore. Luckily he had made a few friends, or at least a few trolls he reluctantly called "friends" who made him some new outfits. Dualscar had given him a slightly longer bed to sleep on, so he was a bit more comfortable. Dualscar had been not too happy with the fact that Pollux now looked like a bean pole rather than the tiny, short, and bony troll he had been a few sweeps back. The tent had also been given a little bit more height as to not make it any more awkward for the bean pole troll.
"Next." He said, flapping the tent open.
The next troll who walked in and sat down was wearing a long gray cape that was tattered at the bottom. It was made with holes in the hood, showing two horns protruding. As soon as the troll looked up and caught Pollux's eyes, he knew he was in for something special. His life was about to change forever.
