The War Of Time Part One: The Orphan Chapter one: A Storm Ensues The evening grew darker with the approaching storm. Black thunderous storm clouds covered the starry sky. A furious wind blew and the sound of pursuing rain came racing across the cliff tops as thunder roared overhead, an answer to the blinding flash of light. A massive old grey stone building sat isolated and forbidding in the hills and mountains, enveloped in the gathering storm. Tiny lights could be seen through the darkness at each arched window. The large wooden doors that led inside withstood the pelting rain as they looked across the once dusty path that led away between the hills, winding it�s way to a distant city. Along this muddy path came a hunched and weary figure struggling against the opposing elements. He wore a brown cloak that gave little protection against the bite of the wind, as it was drenched through. The hood was pulled up and the head bowed against the wind, making the man unidentifiable. His progress was slow and the beating of the weather wearied him. His strength was failing him even as he reached the old wooden doors. Upon arrival he reached out for the heavy, rarely used knocker. The rusty iron was lifted and released with a tremendous bang, half drowned out by the raging storm. Through the deafening pounding of the torrential rain against earth and rock, the faint sound of metal grinding upon metal, wood upon stone drifted through the doors. One of the doors swung inward and the man was hurried in by a young lady, no more than twenty-three summers. A man a few years older pushed the door closed against the autumn wind and went about re-locking the doors. The cloaked figure turned his attention to the woman. Her ebony hair reached her hands perfectly straight and undisturbed. Her eyes were a warm bright blue flickering with the firelight from a candle held in her left hand, which was as pale as porcelain. She wore a simple royal blue gown, the sleeves split just past her elbows and flared out, a small silver chain ran from the end of each sleeve to silver rings on her middle fingers. Such style of dress hadn�t been seen in the kingdom of Kujarin since King Theo the Shrewd a thousand years hence. �Welcome, sir. What brings you out into the middle of nowhere during a storm as ferocious as this one?� she greeted him. Her eyes taking in what little she could see of the stranger. Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled. � I�m on a journey to the City of Kaskos to retrieve a set of rare scrolls for my research, I lent them to an acquaintance of mine. I still have a fair few hundred miles to travel yet but progress is slow and this weather would be the death of me. I�d sooner reach my grave than Kaskos.� he said his voice muffled by the fabric of his hood. He watched her eyes dart to the man at his back then slowly back to himself. She smiled warmly �You will be staying? This may only be an orphanage but I�m sure there is something to occupy your time. I am Katerleen, this is my brother-� �Jitsuu.� The man who had remained out of the cloaked man�s sight stepped forward to his sister�s side. His hair was combed and parted neatly, the brown tint in his hair matching his eyes. He wore the clothes of an average Kujarin workman; brown trousers and a white shirt with a rich red waistcoat adorned with a pattern of gold thread, fit for a king five hundred years ago. �It is a pleasure to meet you sir�?� The stranger took off his soaking wet cloak to reveal his long white beard that tucked into the belt round his dark red robe. He had long white hair and a moustache. � Well if it�s time for introductions I am Killigan from the City of Flame.� � Sir Killigan, Please follow me� Katerleen turned and started to walk across the entrance hall, heels hidden beneath the dress hitting the flagstones with a click. If it weren�t for the dress it would have resounded around the room, rebounding off the stone walls. � Just Killigan, �Sir� makes me feel old.� he said with a smile. She laughed and said, �As you wish� Killigan looked around the entrance hall; inky black shadows covered most of the hall. Solitary candle sticks stood on either side of a stone staircase, he believed they were the room�s source of light not moments before. Hot wax was steadily dripping down the candle and metal candlestick but had not yet reached the stone floor. Katerleen pulled a torch from its bracket on the wall setting it aflame with the candle she held; they travelled the dark and deserted halls. He passed many rooms; all had a heavy wooden door closed tight. The corridors would be lit brightly with brilliant white light for a few seconds then plunged into an even darker gloom. They halted at a door at the end of a corridor. � This is your room si-Killigan. You will be shown around tomorrow and I will send someone up to get you for supper.� She was on the point of turning when he called out to stop her with his question.� Where are all the children, I haven�t seen a single one?� � They go into hiding when there�s lightning. They can often be found under beds and tables. The braver ones are usually by the windows with candles looking out and counting. They will come out when the bell for supper sounds, I�m sure. I must bid farewell for the time being Killigan and please stay in your room, you may look round tomorrow though I daresay you would be more interested in the library than walking round an orphanage. I�ll see you at supper, sir� She handed him the candle and retreated back the way they had come. He watched her walk down the corridor and with her the slowly diminishing torchlight, her black hair flowing out behind her. Finding himself alone in the dark with the meagre flame dancing nervously on its wick, he fumbled for the door handle and the door swung in wards to find the room well lit. A bed stood in the corner with a rich red cover, at its foot was a wooden trunk covered with carvings depicting knights, archers and jousters. Above the trunk was a window; dark lead outlined the pattern of diamonds and the pounding rain drummed upon the glass. A wooden desk and chair stood against the left wall beneath a lit sconce. The room was to the old mans liking and he settled in quickly. He discarded his drenched cloak on to the back of the chair, the candle on the desk and looked out at the black night. The sound of thunder seemed distant to him as he thought about recent events. Lightning lit the land outside and Killigan found himself looking back in the direction of the City of Flame. His mind drifting from one thought to another like a bee from flower to flower. Why had Katerleen and Jitsuu welcomed him and let him in so easily, are they that trusting? Why does this place look so forbidding? He spun and moved towards the desk. The candlelight flickered with the sudden movement of air. Sitting down he pulled a scroll from a pocket buried in the robes folds and began pouring over it; soon to become lost in its lines until a knock came at his door. With surprising speed he hid the scroll from view and uncertainly said, �Come in�. A small boy with messy chestnut brown hair came hesitantly and rather shyly into the room. He wore a bright orange oversized t-shirt, two stripes passing through the front. His dark blue trousers touched the ground only just displaying the dark brown leather of walking boots. He stood with his head slightly tilted to one side in open curiosity, his icy blue eyes bright with perception. Killigan had the feeling the boy had taken in everything he could about him within seconds and endured his further scrutiny. Lightning flashed. Thunder struck. The boy jumped. � Well you look like a nice lad, what�s your name?� � S-Squall, sir. I�m here to take you to supper, sir.� He was still looking at the man curiously and Killigan noticed this. � Why so curious Squall?� he said with interest. � It�s just that... well we don�t get many visitors, sir and well... are you a magician, sir?� he said shifting his weight. Killigan showed open surprise. �What makes you say that?� �Well you look like a magician and you carry scrolls like a magician and you�re old like magicians.� Killigan looked down at his sleeve, the end of a scroll was just visible to anyone who was looking hard enough. �You are quite right, I am a magician, and just like all wise old men I have an insatiable curiosity and therefore I was wondering if you would be so kind as to lend me the answers to some of the questions rattling around in this head of mine. They do give me a headache when they go unanswered, � he said with a smile. The boy sat down on the floor, looking up at him expectantly. �You�re name it is unusual,� he frowned, �how is it that you have such a strange name?� �All the kids here have strange names, Katerleen said it was good to be different from the people outside the orphanage, sir. The kids my age are named after acts of nature... or something. I was also told my mother was fond of bad weather, she believed it to be atmospheric,� Squall said, half of his mind still dwelling on the statement of him being a magician. � There must be a lot of kids with the same name then?� �No, when they run out of names they change to a different...different type of name. Before nature it was Past Royalty. I�m glad I missed it, I�d hate to be called Teo.� The old man nodded before continuing, �What exactly do you do here?� � Well-� Thunder rumbled interrupting the boy but he continued after its echo died. �Well we are taught about the different ways of people and how to write and things like that.� � And in your spare time?� � Well we do what we feel like doing, playing games in the garden or reading in the library. Anything really.� � Tell me has anything strange ever happened in this castle.� The magician said frowning again. � I dunno. Can we go down to supper now, I can smell it from here?� He got up and began to walk to the door. The magician followed him down corridors back to the entrance hall. More than once he stubbed his toe on the corner of walls or old suits of armour, rebuking himself for not thinking to bring a candle, even if it was just the one he deposited on to the desk. No matter the size of the flame, it would have been something. The sound of the pouring rain echoed more here than in the higher corridors. The boy took him through a room to the left of the front doors. It was the great hall and the seats were filled with frightened, edgy children. Killigan gazed round the room; he could see eight long wooden tables, children who jumped at the sound of a goblet being placed on to the table and a group of ten year old boys cruelly creeping up behind the younger girls, although they did seem to be enjoying the torment with a giddy shyness. Squall walked straight up the middle of the hall and into a room to the left with Killigan not far behind. Wooden tables were set out round the perimeter of the room, pushed against the walls. The centre of the room was filled with large black cauldrons all of which contained a bubbling substance that let off a large amount of steam. Katerleen was sitting next to one of these cauldrons, long wooden ladle in her hand she was stirring the contents of the cauldron. Looking up briefly she saw them entering the room and turned to the lady next to her, a short conversation passed between them before she stood, surrendering her stool and ladle to the lady and walked graciously over to them. �Welcome to the kitchen, sir.� Kneeling down in front of Squall she said, �Squall you may join the others in great hall now and wait for supper.� He turned and sped off out of the room disappearing into great hall. �It�s so noisy in here you can hardly here the storm. How long will it last I wonder?� Katerleen said as she looked out the window. She turned to Killigan suddenly with a questioning look. � My knowledge of the way weather works is my weakness but I think it will last till mid-day. But not too far away I saw another ferocious storm coming up the coast and if the wind stays at this speed and in the same direction it will hit us tomorrow night.� � Another day and night with terrified children to look after.� She sighed, and then turned to him. �Sir, you certainly have the markings of a Magician although that�s not surprising with you coming from the City of Flame. You might want to keep it from the children you would be harassed into telling stories every waking hour.� � I thank you for your hospitality and am afraid if any of the children here are as perceptive as Squall the secret is out.� As soon as the words left his lips the large gold bell that hung from the high ceiling of great hall rang, one long note rebounding off every wall supper was ready. Katerleen smiled and turned to the boiling cauldrons behind her and Killigan turned to the closed door leading into the hall. The children�s chatter grew louder as the frightened forgot fear and waited impatiently. Opening the door he found the noise deafening, the kitchen walls gave quite a protection to the people inside. He walked amongst the tables receiving quite a few curious glances but most were too irritated to pay much attention. At one of the tables he stopped to talk to Squall and was invited to sit down, giving Killigan the perfect opportunity to find out more about the boy. �Do you mind helping me tomorrow, it�s just a small task, nothing big. Do you have any duties that you need permission to get away from for a day?� Squall sat thinking. Killigan looked up waiting for his answer while the boy was trying to remember something. Lightning flashed and no one paid the slightest attention to it. � If tomorrow�s Tuesday then yes and it will be tutoring writing, history and defence sir.� � And who do you need to ask to be absent from these Lessons?� � Well I could ask Lady Gwen, Lady Sonwynn and Master James or I could just go to Matron Katerleen and she will tell them.� � Do which ever you like but I would like you to meet me in the entrance hall after breakfast.� � What are we going to do all day sir?� Squall said as he finished his drink and put the goblet down on the table. Before Killigan could answer the kitchen doors opened and the cauldrons came through. The big cauldrons were put on to square wooden boards with wheels and pushed along. The Ladies started to serve the children the soup as Killigan looked back to Squall. The boy appeared to be in two minds. One was to press Killigan for answers and the other was to keep his eyes on the pot to make sure it gets to him. � You�ll have to wait and see.� Killigan said with a smile and he too turned to the cauldron making its way down the aisle. The night was drawing on and everybody had had their fill of soup so Katerleen dismissed them. Squall left Killigan at the entrance hall and went to find Katerleen. When he entered the great hall she left the other ladies extinguishing the thousand of candles on the tables and walked over to him. � Why do you stay behind and face walking the dark corridors alone in the middle of a thunder storm?� she asked. � Sir... the magician told me to ask for permission to be released from lessons tomorrow so I can meet him in the library.� � The magician�s name is Killigan and yes you may join him if he wishes it so. Now off to bed with you,� she said with a laugh. � Okay� and he was off running through the door and into the still well lit entrance hall to find Killigan still standing they�re looking rather confused. �Sir Killigan, why are you still here?� � Squall, I have a very good memory but all that soup and the conversations of children have made me forget the way back to my room. I would usually remember even in such a big place as this.� � Oh, you sure you�re not like most old men and can�t remember things five minutes back?� The mischievous smile on the boy�s face made Killigan see he was joking. � Most old men! I would like you to know I am not like most old men. Now can you please show me the way back?� Without a word Squall lead him through the maze of corridors to his room. � See ya old man� and he was off walking down the corridors. Killigan walked into the welcoming room muttering to himself, �Old man indeed, impudent little rascal.� He lit the lamp next to his bed and fiddled with the little golden catch on the window till it swung wide open and the pouring rain came pelting in. Lightning then thunder came. He leaned out and pulled the window back in. He stood drenched through after just a few seconds in the rain. � No wind, that�s strange.� He looked down at his bed and found a bed robe that was favoured amongst magicians. It had a rather musty, disused smell about it but would do fine he assured himself. He got changed and he was just about to get into bed when he spotted the script he had put down absent-mindedly when Squall had come to get him. Killigan picked it up and was about to open it and again become lost within its lines when a warning sounded in the back off his head telling him to keep it to himself till he reached Kaskos and even then only when he was with Harnzolo, a minor magician of the city court. He lay down and suddenly noticed how fatigued he was and wasn�t surprised when he thought of how many days he had been travelling with little food and how the weather had slowed him down. Sleep came quickly and before he knew it the sun was on its way to rise again.
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