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The Prophesy Tower. Chapter 69. Write a Novel Challenge.
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The Prophesy Tower. Chapter 69. Write a Novel Challenge.

by Cydnee HowardSeptember 9, 2020

As the light faded, and the Queen’s wails coiled down to pathetic whimpers, Isla slowly opened her eyes. The antechamber of the tower that they had been standing in had been reduced to blank walls and smooth stone, the finery and decoration scattered around the room in thousands of pieces.

Ahead of her, in the middle of the room, lay The Queen, huddled against the floor in a pathetic embrace. For once, her countenance was weak. For once, she was deceived and defeated. For once, she was not in control. Spiraling outwards from Orla, scorch marks created an intricate pattern on the floor, like the energy had left them, as a beautiful yet permanent reminder of what had happened here. They looked like letters, and Isla’s theory was confirmed as Neina dubiously stepped closer to take a look. With a sarcastic bark of laughter, she turned to Isla, her grinning face covered in muck and dirt and soot.

‘It’s The Prophecy. The Mors World has surrounded Orla with The Prophecy’.

Isla let out a huff of laughter at the irony of it all, and walked past Neina to where the wretched woman lay on the floor. With an ungraceful shove of her foot, Isla turned The Queen onto her back. Her eyes were glassy and distant, her chest unmoving. She was gone; her lifelong obsession finally surrounding her completely in death.

The realisation of the events hit Isla’s body like a brick wall- relief entangled with bewilderment dancing with grief: coursing through her veins and flooding her exhausted mind. She fell to her knees and could barely keep herself upright through the sobs that wracked her fragile frame. When Neina sat down beside her, Isla crumpled into her arms, and lay there crying until the salt tracks on her face were dry, and her breathing was slow.

Chapter 69 Write a Novel Challenge The Four Realms

Isla, in a state of romantic reflection, took a moment to appreciate the beauty of The Prophecy Tower. Despite the destruction of the added finery, the actual room was intricate in its own design. The four quarters of the circle represented the four realms of the Mors World. The bog, her unfortunate home. The meadow, seeming paradise. The desert, desolate and ever changing. And the area most recognizable to Neina, the mirror. The twisting patters of the lands climbed up the walls and collided into a mural in the middle of the ceiling. The face that was up there was that of The Mother, the creator of the Mors World and the acting God (as what was a true god when people like The Queen ruled unchecked). Isla was fond of the Goddess; her ideals were those of creating yourself and finding your own path, seeming bliss when every breath had of Isla’s life had been dictated by the Queen, who assembled her philosophies using pitchforks and fire. Around the Goddess ran an inscription; Isla could barely make it out from her spot on the floor, but it read ‘The blood of the cult is thicker than the water of the womb’. A twist on the well-known saying, and Isla smiled as she understood its meaning. Familial bonds are created by the people you surround yourself with, not those who are bound to you.

Neina was reading this inscription at the same time, and thought back to her Archie, and for the first time in weeks, the grieving widow smiled.

Isla’s eyes fell down to her grubby hands. The Queen: her ruler, adoptive mother, abuser, and redeemer, would never breathe again. After years of emotion and heartache and loss,

the only thing that Isla felt was exhaustion. God, she was tired. She was desperate for a mundane life, without the need to prove herself to anyone that she didn’t choose. That was freedom. Living without the need for the gratification of others.

But there was still work to be done. The part of the Mors World that Orla had governed was now without leadership and, with the nature of the environment that she had created, would soon fall to unorganised chaos.

Taking a deep and steady breath, Isla sat up to face Neina with a hardened expression.

‘You need to get to the bog. The people there are waiting for either The Queen, or the one who defeated her. If you take the stone with you, they will undoubtedly fall in line.’ Isla’s voice was shaking, but she forced a bravado. Now was not the time to break, despite the thousand cracks that ran across her character. Isla leaned to the side to look around Neina, but didn’t see the stone anywhere. ‘Where did you put it?’ her voice high pitched and panicky now, her own control slipping. ‘Neina we need that stone, please tell me you have it’.

But Neina’s face revealed the truth. The stone was gone, as well as The Queen. Now the bog was doomed; they would never accept Neina as the person from The Prophecy without it. It was then that Neina said something that would change everything. Something to curdle the blood and quicken the beatings of the heart…

‘I didn’t kill the Queen. Your mother did.’

Isla stopped her frantic search. ‘…What?’

‘She grabbed the stone out of my hand, and that’s when everything happened. Isla, I don’t think I’m the person in The Prophecy. I think your mother was.’

Isla looked into Neina’s eyes, waiting for the joke to reveal itself. But she kept speaking in a grave and sincere tone. ‘It makes sense. The Prophecy never specified it was the daughter of the mother whose life had been lost. And I wouldn’t call what your mother was doing… living.’

As Neina spoke, it struck Isla, deep in her heart, that she was right. Her legs trembled as she began spinning around, searching for her mother. She was gone. Not dead, just disappeared. This loss was easier for Isla. She had already borne this bought of grief 10 years ago. This time she had closure. Isla took a deep breath inwards, letting a singular tear carry the memories of her mother into the world, and Isla could almost hear her sigh in relief as the tear dropped from her chin onto the floor. She was free at last.

‘But-’ began Isla, pausing with an expression of pain and concentration. ‘If my mother is gone, who gets to rule the bog? The people won’t follow just anyone.’

‘Well, if we are working as if this was a kingdom, the leadership would go to the next heir, right?’ Isla nodded slowly, Neina’s words dawning on her before they were said. ‘You are an only child Isla, the next queen of the bog, is you.’

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The Prophesy Tower – A Novel.

To read Chapter 1, click here.

To read Chapter 2, click here.

To read Chapter 3, click here.

To read Chapter 4, click here.

To read Chapter 5, click here.

To read Chapter 6, click here.

To read Chapter 7, click here.

To read Chapter 8, click here.

To read Chapter 9, click here.

To read Chapter 10, click here.

To read Chapter 11, click here.

To read Chapter 12, click here.

To read Chapter 13, click here.

To read Chapter 14, click here.

To read Chapter 15, Click here.

To read Chapter 16, click here.

To read Chapter 17, click here.

To read Chapter 18, click here.

To read Chapter 19, click here.

To read Chapter 20, click here.

To read Chapter 21, click here.

To read Chapter 22, click here.

To read Chapter 23, click here.

To read Chapter 24, click here.

To read Chapter 26. click here.

To read Chapter 27, click here.

To read Chapter 28, click here.

To read Chapter 29, click here.

To read Chapter 30, click here.

To read Chapter 31, click here.

To read Chapter 32, click here.

To read Chapter 33, click here.

To read Chapter 34, click here.

To read Chapter 35, click here

To read Chapter 36, click here.

To read Chapter 37, click here.

To read Chapter 38, click here.

To read Chapter 39, click here.

To read Chapter 40, click here.

To read Chapter 41, click here.

To read Chapter 42, click here.

To read Chapter 43, click here.

To read Chapter 44, click here.

To read Chapter 45, click here.

To read Chapter 46, click here

To read Chapter 47, click here.

To read Chapter 48, click here.

To read Chapter 49, click here.

To read Chapter 50, click here.

To read Chapter 51, click here.

To read Chapter 52, click here.

To read Chapter 53, click here.

To read Chapter 54, click here.

To read Chapter 55, click here.

To read Chapter 56, click here.

To read Chapter 57, click here.

To read Chapter 58, click here.

To read Chapter 59, click here.

To read Chapter 60, click here.

To read Chapter 61, click here.

To read Chapter 62, click here.

To read Chapter 63, click here.

To read Chapter 64, click here.

To read Chapter 65, click here.

To read Chapter 66, click here.

To read Chapter 67, click here.

To read Chapter 68, click here.

To read Chapter 69, click here. 

About The Author
Cydnee Howard

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