Grothia Blue (The Grothia Books Book 1) by Theo F.W.K. Cookson

Author:Theo F.W.K. Cookson [Cookson, Theo F.W.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780473629076
Publisher: FWK Publishing
Published: 2022-04-19T16:00:00+00:00

XXVII

‡

Around a thousand soldiers inhabit Eleferia fortress. The King spends most of his time projecting his consciousness outward and observing his surroundings. He ventures into his captors’ minds and oversees their motivations, their emotions, their lives. He’s tried to project himself further, to the Grothia castle to call for help. But as soon as he goes outside of the vicinity, everything turns completely black, and he wakes up back in his body.

With the time he’s had to work on his new abilities, the King has found value in simple emotion manipulation. Though it is not a battle technique, controlling one’s mood can be devastating. He’ll practice skewing soldier’s perceptions and sculpting their paranoia. He’ll create animosity between them, or paralyse them with anxiety. He doesn’t enjoy toying with these soldiers. Because of his heightened empathy, he hurts himself every time he hurts them. But he has to figure out a way to save his son, and this is the only power he has.

A rumour began to spread around the fortress that the Mother was tormenting the soldiers for torturing Her prophets, so they blocked off every window and entrance to the barracks, hoping that shutting out the Mother’s light would stop all the strange occurrences. Alas, it did not.

Agrios, convinced that the King is behind it all, visits him and tells him that there will be punishment. On the morrow, they will kill his son, and the only comfort the King will have, is the sight of his eyes dangling from her neck.

If the King is going to act, it has to be now. He projects himself out and checks on his son’s mood. Like always, it is beaming red with fiery hate, glowing mental fibres tangled and straining. The King wishes he could delve into his son’s mind and alleviate his pain, but whenever he tries, he feels as though he’s engulfed in flame, and he’s forced out of his projection.

This time, he watches from afar, terrified of what’s to come. He feels a presence approaching his son’s room: the boy’s torturer. He must do something.

The King delves into the torturer’s mind. It’s a man. The King can feel him psyching himself up, preparing himself for his job. Judging from his emotional stability, the man seems to be quite young, impressionable. The torturer gets to work. The King watches Theama’s mood flare and rage.

The King doesn’t dawdle. He forces his own emotions into the torturer’s mind. Images of Theama as a child; happy memories of them chatting and hunting. All the love a father could have towards a son and heir, bestowed on this weary captor. The King feels the man’s mood change drastically; his resolve gives way to a deep anguish. The King unplugs the man’s mental fibres and redirects them, turning the man’s sorrow into sympathy.

With the King as puppet-master, the young torturer makes his way into the King’s chambers.

“I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry!” The man pleads before the King, as he takes a tool to the King’s restraints.

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