Catch Vulcan, Marry The Princess

The same day. Tahni and her mother's hut.

"You're the only one who would be believed. You should see what I'm trying to say. Don't think me stupid or drunk or crazy. If I were all above, I have my father to heal me."

Tahni inspected the annoying Miargos who would not stop disturbing her about seeing her father and sister.

She stopped the cloth she was weaving and looked towards the only direction which led to their hut through the south.

"I don't think you're stupid, drunk or crazy. I know you're stupid, drunk and crazy. And you won't see that until I boil you in hot oil."

Miargos shook his head in frustration. He was standing before Tahni who was seated on a stool and spent in her weaving invention.

Of course he sure was thinking about how to make her see his point. How to convince her that he wasn't crazy or under some spell.

He squatted instead to match up her height on the stool. He wanted a connection between his eyes and hers. Probably when their eyes meet, she would believe him.

He said, his breathing pace pressured,

"Look into my eyes, Tahni and tell me what you see."

Tahni dropped the fancy needle again and looked down at his face. His rough face had few contours along the path of the jawlines.

She brought her face closer to his such that, both could feel the warm breaths of the other person tracing light dances across their faces.

Her face was so close to his that their noses almost brushed against each other. She could see him closing his eyes as her lips paved and her eyes peered tenderly at his.

He began to pave his lips too in expectation of the clash but he heard her instead,

"I've looked into your eyes, Miargos. All I see are foolishness, craziness, stupidity and joblessness."

She kicked him in the chest and he tumbled over his head. He almost sank his ribcage in a file of erected but short pegs beside him as he stood on his feet.

He watched the annoying Tahni continue,

"And I know why you're jobless, because you think being the son of the priest will earn you whatever you want? How wrong you are."

She paused and stood up immediately.

"Do yourself a favor of leaving now never to return again. And from wherever you buy the wine which gives you this vibe, you can buy more and give it to my mother too, so that she can lose it and see only what she wishes to see."

She turned away from him and began to walk towards the door of the hut. Miargos just stood there watching as though he was under some kinda strange spell.

But as she got to the door and was going to push it open, there came a noise from behind the both of them. A familiar voice making a unfamiliar scene.

Miargos was the first to turn. As he turned, he called at Tahni,

"Tahni!!!"

His thick but smothered accent swept past her and turned her around. Such untamed wave.

She hurried towards him and stood beside as they both watch Tahni's mother rum towards them shouting as though she was being chased by a panther.

"What's the matter, mma?"

Miargos ran to her aid. She fell before him, but he was quick to hold her in his arms as he stooped.

Tahni was as concerned as Miargos but she was quite far from being vulnerable.

The woman was panting and tried to catch her breath. As soon as she did, she muttered,

"Your father."

That was all that she said. Then she sprang on her feet again as though she was bewitched and began to run back through the path she had come.

"Tell me what happened."

Miargos called in vain. He had no choice but to run after her. Tahni was no exception. As she ran, she tamed her hymn,

"Mother ..."

Was all she could sing. The middle aged woman seemed faster than what her form said about her. Her weak legs travelled faster than the reindeers. Neither of the two knew what happened, but they by hell were sure that twas something tragic.

"She's not leading me to the cave."

Miargos complained to Tahni as they hurried through the path.

"The palace it seems."

Tahni panted a response. They kept the swiftness and skipping on as though twas a dog and wolf chase.

Soon they began to draw closer to the King's palace. And the state of the palace said it all.

There were already clusters of the citizens before the castle of the king. An aisle was made between these assemblies of the populace.

"What's wrong?"

Tahni asked, not sure to whom she had directed the question.

"Vulcan."

One of the crowds said to her. She looked at the person as though he was drunk. She looked away.

The two saw Tahni's mom halting before a man covered in a blanket and the king of the land standing by his head.

Miargos rushed to the man lying unconsciously, not sure what to think. Only to see his father gagging. There was only blood in his eyes. No pupils, they had been plucked out.

He held into the cheeks of his father panting and munching at the same time,

"Who is this daring to had done this to a priest?"

Since Myclops couldn't see, he tried to move his hands to touch his son. He was able to. He tried as much as possible to fight a word out,

"Vulcan."

The word flew out as well as his life. His hold on Miargos softened immediately and it began to slip till it fell, void of life. Miargos screamed.

Tahni only stood there watching. She didn't know what to think. They all watched her father, Vulcan, die. Beheaded for that matter. She picked her devastated mother in her gaze firstly, then torn Miargos, then long faced King.

"We won't have this in our land."

The king started as the wailing and shouting was swapped with whimpering. The king continued,

"I do not know what kind of sorcery this is. But whoever did this will be brought to justice. Miargos once said it is Vulcan. But as hard as that is to believe, the priest said the same thing. And even till now, we do not know what killed the leader of our villaint men in the pit. All we knew was that he was stung to death by snakes. But we all know that no one would stupid enough to fall inside a pit of his own will."

He paused for a while then continued,

"Miargos said he had seen Vulcan and his first daughter in the  forest living in a cave. It seems like Prium had used dark magic to bring back her father. But irrespective of that, we shall not shudder. As an honor for the great priest of our land, all able men would be sent into the forest to search for Vulcan and his daughter. For the sake of honour, the leader of the search group will be Miargos. And whoever gets his hand on Vulcan shall marry my only daughter, the princess of our land."

The men stomped there feet in attestation and shouted. What a great deal that was.

Tahni only stood there wondering. Quite a drama that was! She thought, was she in a trance or was a trance in her? Quite hard to judge.

She hurried away from that place immediately.