How The Drenched Came To Be: Part Five

      “Sisters, please come meet me, I have good news.”

      Luck asked her, “What news?”

      “I’m feeling Fate and Struggle.”

      “This is good news. So what should we have them do once we call to them?”

      Dread thought about that and wasn’t quite sure, “I suppose we can train them and then send them off to other areas to spread doom amongst the people.”

      Luck asked her, “But Fate sees good things.”

      Fortune replied to her, “Yes, but I did too and I’ve changed. My news isn’t as bad as Dread’s news, but it’s still not good news.”

      Dread closed her eyes and nodded slightly as if to confirm everything that they had said, “Very well then, it’s a plan. As soon as I think I can draw them to us, I will do so.”

      Struggle shouted at Fate in her anger, “How can he say that about us? It’s not like we chose to be blessed by Dread or whichever member of the Drenched it was that blessed us. It’s not fair! Now we can’t be assured that we’ll be protected from the land creatures all because he thinks that the Drenched will force us to go with them or whatever. And I hate having visions, I always know when I’m going to fail a test.”

      Fate couldn’t help responding about grades, “Hey, I’m sure it’s as common as me seeing myself ace a test. Neither are all that common.”

      “I know, but that’s not the point that I’m trying to make. I’m just so annoyed that over something neither of us can control we won’t be hidden, though Caylis and Isca are being protected.”

      “Yes, but that’s only because they weren’t named when they were blessed like we were.”

      “Yes, I know.”

      “Anyway, I heard that Isca and Caylis are planning on running away and staying in Maraqua anyway to try to help out King Kelpbeard in any way possible. Well, Isca is. I also heard that the King is thinking about banishing Caylis because of something she said to him, though that could just be a rumor.”

      Struggle rolled her eyes, “That’s more than likely just a rumor and we both knew it, you should know better than to tell everybody about every small rumor that you hear.”

      “Quite trying to be the boss of me Struggle, okay? The point is that we’re going to have to stay in Maraqua because that’s what the King says. Got it?”

      Struggle muttered, “Just because I ‘got it’ doesn’t mean that I like it.”

      Fate laughed lightly, “I never said that you had to.”

      Struggle jokingly stuck her tongue out at Fate then went up to their room.

      Dread laughed gleefully, “Yes, I can feel Struggle’s pain and anger towards the King. Her time is coming, and as she grows angrier it will influence her sister Fate to become angry too. Hey, Luck, want to go and add to Struggle’s anger?”

      Luck laughed along with Dread, “I like that idea. Can you call them to go to the edges of Maraqua?”

      Dread thought about that, “Yes, I’m sure I can get them there.”

      “Hey, Fate, I feel like exploring. Want to come with me?”

      Fate thought about that and shrugged, “No thanks, I’ll stay home.”

      “Alright Fate, see you soon.”

      “Goodbye Struggle.”

      Struggle walked off towards the edges of both the castle and Maraqua, though she didn’t know why. She just felt like she had to go there. There, she met a creature that looked like a possible member of the Drenched. Angry, she walked up to the creature and demanded to know her name.

      “Why, my name is Luck and I’m a member of the Drenched. You’re angry at King Kelpbeard, aren’t you? Well, I don’t blame you. You have every right to be angry. You have as much of a right as we do. I don’t think you’ve heard our real story,” and Luck started to tell their story to Struggle.

      “So you see, Struggle, when you were born, nobody was all that impressed. In case you don’t believe me, I was blessed with knowledge when I was very young. Just like you and Fate were blessed with visions. So I know what I’m saying. Everybody just thought that you were another set of twins. When Dread blessed you, she gave Maraqua another chance to accept the special people in life. And in doing so, she also gave you and your sister a chance. But King Kelpbeard never learned his lesson with us. He doesn’t care about us, he cares about being King. He thinks that you’ll be like us, but he doesn’t realize that he’s the one who made us who we are. He doesn’t seem to understand that he’s the cause of us even existing as we live now. He doesn’t give anybody a chance. As I just told you, he never thought that I might now actually know the answer to his question when he banished me first from his castle. He’s so self absorbed that he never even considers that he might be the one to make us act the way we act.” Although Luck wasn’t lying, she wasn’t being outright honest, either. She was twisting the truth without technically lying to the child.

      “I guess I see your point. We seem to have about the same story.”

      “We do. You and your sister should join us. We actually understand you, we’re not like King Kelpbeard who just ignores your use and abilities.”

      “Well, I see no reason to not join you. I don’t know about Fate though.”

      “If you go, she’s sure to follow you.”

      “Yes,” thought Struggle, “she would.”

      Before struggle could say anything else, Luck swam away. When Struggle yelled after her asking where they lived, Luck just replied, “You’ll know the way.”

      When Struggle returned home, Fate asked her about what she did. “Well, I talked to Luck, and I think we should join her.”

      “What are you talking about Struggle?! Join the Drenched?! What’s going on?”

      “You see, the way Luck said it, I see her point. Nobody appreciates us or our abilities. The Drenched would understand us. You see, they were giving Maraqua another chance when they blessed us, and King Kelpbeard messed up again. She was also giving us a hope and a life. We should join them.”

      “You can join them if you want, but I never will. Don’t you see that this is EXACTLY what King Kelpbeard was afraid of? You’re bound to Dread, she must be pulling at your strings.”

      “What are you talking about? I have no strings. And even if I am bound to Dread, so are you, so get over yourself.”

      “Whatever Struggle, have fun with the Drenched.”

      “Fine Fate, I will, and you won’t be there to bother me either.”

      Struggle swam away, and she just knew the way to the lair of the Drenched, though she didn’t know quite how she knew.

      “Struggle will be joining us soon,” said Dread with a huge grin on her face. “You did a very good job with her, Luck. I’d say I’m impressed, but I’m really not. You did some fine work in talking to her. I don’t know what you said, but it sure did the job. Now Struggle seems positive that joining us is the right thing to do and she doesn’t care if Fate joins her or not, so then we don’t have to worry about Fate for the moment. Though we know that Fate is bound to follow her dear sister. In fact, you did such a good job I’ll say it again. You did a marvelous job.”

      “I did, didn’t I?” said Luck smugly.

      “I’m having a little trouble getting Fate, but her conversation with Struggle has gotten her mad and it’s becoming easier to call her. I think that me calling her in addition to her mild anger at King Kelpbeard and her worry over Struggle will get her here. It may take some time, but she’ll come, I’m sure.”

      Fate thought about Struggle and knew that she couldn’t allow her sister to go to the lair of the Drenched all alone, so she swam after her. Along the way she couldn’t believe that her sister was actually going to join the Drenched. It was like solidifying the King’s fears, but she wouldn’t let her sister be alone with those evil beings so she followed her.

      “Perfect,” said Dread with an even bigger grin, “Fate is coming after Struggle. Fortune, would you please be there to greet them?”

      Fortune said gleefully, “Of course.”

To be continued...