Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Sight ❯ The Sight ( One-Shot )

Author's note: I hate the ending. I'm saying it now. The ending sucks. I like the events leading up to it, but the very end? I hate it. But until I come up with something better, this is it.

 

 

The Sight

© 2008 Ohne Sie

 

 

Ramok knew his time was running out. That is, he knew that he was aging and that in less than ten years, whether he died or not, his reign would end. He had grown used to the power he had; the power to see things before they happened, and all of the respect and envy that got him from the others in his village. He also knew that soon another one would replace him; another person who could see the things he saw. And he also knew that he could prevent that from happening. All he had to do was to snuff out the life of the next one before he or she reached his or her full potential.

 

The problem, of course, was finding said seer. The child was probably already born, but there was a chance he or she wasn't. The gift tended to be granted randomly. The usual age for the old seer to be when the new one took power was around fifty, but Ramok had become one when the old one was only forty-six. Ramok was now forty-five. And if the new seer came into his power at any early age, as Ramok had (he had only been sixteen), he might only have one year to reign. Or less.

 

Ramok tried to shake those thoughts out of his head. “No,” he mumbled. “I'll just have to watch closely. The new seer will betray himself, and before he can take over, I'll kill him.” He smiled to himself.

 

“Father?” a voice asked. Ramok turned around abruptly. His daughter, Reia, a lovely young girl of eighteen, was watching him intently. “I don't mean to interrupt, I mean, if you're doing something important…” Her hands were behind her back and she was biting her lip nervously.

 

“No, it's nothing. What is it that you wanted?” he asked, smiling warmly.

 

“Oh, it's…Mother has invited Teye over for dinner tonight, and Teye has accepted. And he's asked that he may speak with you privately,” she said. “I told him I was sure that you would agree, but he said that he would prefer that I asked you first.”

 

“And why does he not ask me himself?” Ramok asked.

 

Reia laughed. “Well, he's very shy, generally. He doesn't like to do anything without express permission. And he looks up to you, so he wants to make a very good impression.”

 

Ramok nodded. “Of course. Well, tell him that I will speak with him after dinner tonight. Is that fine?”

 

“It's perfect, thank you.” Reia smiled. She turned to leave, but as an afterthought, hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek. “I'll see you at dinner,” she said.

 

“I'll see you, then. And tell your friend that there's nothing to be afraid of,” he added.

 

“Of course I will,” Reia replied. “Goodbye, and don't be late or Mother will kill you.”

 

“I won't,” Ramok said. He watched his daughter leave and, when he was certain that she was gone, sat down in his chair. He closed his eyes and was assaulted by images of the dinner that was going to happen that evening. His cook had roasted chicken, by the looks of it, and had made potato soup as well. Ramok smiled. Now he saw his conversation with Teye later on that night. Teye appeared nervous. He was shuffling his feet and biting his lip, as Reia was often prone to do. Ramok wondered vaguely if that was a habit of Reia's that Teye had picked up or if Teye had acquired that habit elsewhere.

 

Teye was saying something, but Ramok couldn't make out what it was. Usually he could read lips in his visions, but Teye was staring at the floor, and it was difficult to see his face behind his long hair. Ramok frowned.

 

Teye suddenly looked up, his lips slightly parted in anticipation. Ramok saw himself say something. “Yes.” He wondered what he had just agreed to, as Teye's mouth formed a huge grin and he ran forward to hug him. And then the images faded. Ramok was back in his office, surrounded by the paintings and sculptures the local artists had created in his likeness and presented to him as payment for his own art. The office didn't really live up to its name, however. Ramok never did any real work in there. He just sat down and closed his eyes and visions came to him. It was as simple as that. There was no work involved, at all. But he liked for other people to think it strained him. Every night he came out of his office, looking exhausted, and telling his family how difficult his job was, and how happy he was that soon, he would get to retire permanently.

 

Truly, though, he was worried. The past few times he had told his family those lies, they hadn't actually been lies. The visions were becoming rare, and they were starting to drain his energy. The same had happened to the old seer when Ramok had started to experience the visions. Ramok was not yet ready to admit to himself that his time was at an end. He told himself that he still had a few years, at least, to find and kill the new seer. Realistically, though, he had less than a year. And as soon as the new seer reached his full potential, he would die. All of his power would be drained from him on that day. He had drained the seer before him of all of his power. It wasn't intentional, but he had done it. Every seer did it, in order to become powerful. It was the only way to reach the apex of his potential.

 

He yawned. He hated to admit it, but that last vision really had taken a lot out of him. He decided that he had done enough work for the day. He rose from his chair and picked up his candle, carrying it with his to the door, where he snuffed it out and placed it on a stand. Then he walked into the dining room.

 

“Gaile,” Ramok said to his wife, who was busy setting the table, “You shouldn't be doing that. We have servants for that sort of thing.”

 

“Well, you know…I figured I should get used to doing this, since I'll have to anyway in a few years…” Realizing what she had said, she widened her eyes and quickly looked away from Ramok. “I mean…being a housewife is boring sometimes…”

 

“It's okay. I know what you meant to say.” Ramok sighed. “I suppose you're right, though. Soon, I will lose my power and I'll leave you and Reia all alone.”

 

Gaile smiled weakly. “Although Reia may get married, and then I won't have her, either.”

 

Ramok was about to say something in response, but Reia walked in at that moment, holding Teye's hand. She immediately dropped it when she saw her father standing before her.

 

“Oh…Father. You're finished with your work already?” she asked.

 

“Yes,” he replied. “It became exhausting and I remembered what you said about your mother killing me.” He winked at Reia, who stifled a giggle. Gaile glared at Ramok.

 

“Well, I might kill you if this town didn't need you so much.” Gaile's glare disappeared and was replaced with a look of affection. “Sit down, all of you. I'm going to get the dinner.”

 

“Roasted chicken and potatoes,” Ramok said. Gaile rolled her eyes.

 

“Well, I intended it to be a surprise,” she said. “Reia said it was Teye's favorite.”

 

“You really didn't need to go through the trouble for me, ma'am,” Teye said softly. Ramok noticed that Reia and Teye were holding hands under the dining table. He sat down across from them.

 

“Did Reia tell you what I said, Teye?” he asked.

 

Teye nodded. “Yes, that we'll speak after dinner.” He smiled. Ramok noticed that Reia was smiling, as well.

 

“Well, you all seem happy,” Gaile said, carrying a tray with the food on it. She placed it on the table. Ramok rose to carve the chicken. He cut a piece off for everyone, and sat down to eat his own.

 

The family ate in silence. When they finished, Reia decided to help her mother clear the table, while Ramok and Teye walked into Ramok's office to talk. Ramok lit his candle upon entering the room, and closed the door when Teye followed him in.

 

“So what is it that you want to tell me?” Ramok asked. Teye did just as he had in Ramok's vision. He bit his lip. Then he stared at the floor, his hair dangling over his face. His feet shuffled. And he spoke. “I would like your permission to marry your daughter,” he said quickly. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for a negative answer.

 

Ramok thought for a moment, but he already knew what he would say. The young man seemed to love his daughter, and his daughter seemed to feel the same way. Still, there was something about him Ramok didn't like. “yes,” he said, because he knew he done the same thing in his vision.

 

Teye grinned madly and ran toward Ramok, hugging him. Ramok absently hugged him back. Someone was in trouble and calling to him. He pulled away from Teye. Or maybe Teye pulled away from him. Ramok wasn't sure. He was only sure that someone was in trouble. He concentrated, trying to decipher what was going on. Whoever it was, he was surrounded by snow. There had been a snowstorm. Ramok had foreseen it, and as a result, everyone stayed inside the night before. Perhaps someone had wandered into the wilderness and fallen into a snow drift. Ramok's head was beginning to hurt, but he concentrated even more furiously. Yes, the man had fallen into a snow drift. He was in a nearby valley. Ramok opened his eyes.

 

“Teye, I have to…”He frowned. Teye was gone. “Go?” He blinked a few times, and shrugged it off, figuring that Teye had gone to tell his new fiancé the good news. He ran out of his office and out the front door to his house, ignoring the questions his wife was asking from the doorway. He continued running through the village, toward the area where he knew the man was in trouble. Ramok stopped suddenly when he saw two men approaching him. One was Teye, and being carried over his shoulders was another man. Ramok narrowed his eyes. The other man was shivering and mumbling something incoherently, but Ramok recognized the voice as the man from his vision. His mind went blank and he ran toward Teye.

 

“Ramok,” the man draped over Teye's shoulders said weakly. Ramok ignored him.

 

“How did you know where to find him?” Ramok demanded angrily.

 

Teye stared at him incredulously. “Are you mad at me?” he asked, clearly confused. “I just had this feeling that someone was in trouble…”

 

“A feeling.” Ramok shook his head. “Really.”

 

“Yeah, like…he was screaming in my head,” Teye replied.

 

“Does this sort of thing happen often?” Ramok asked.

 

“Um, yeah, sort of. Please, sir, I have to get this man home before he freezes to death, so…”

 

“Yeah.” Ramok waved his hand absently. “Go on.” He turned away, walking back to his house, while Teye carried the man toward his own home. Ramok made two fists with his hands and gritted his teeth. “I'll kill him,” he muttered to himself. “He won't have my daughter and he won't have my strength.” He continued to talk to himself as he walked through his door.

 

“Honey?” his wife asked. Again, Ramok ignored her, walking into his office and slamming the door. He paced around his office for a few moments, cursing his daughter's fiancé under his breath. Then he heard a knock on his door. He took a deep breath, calming himself, before opening it.

 

“Father?” Reia looked worried. “Are you alright? First Teye ran out of here and then you followed…is something the matter?”

 

“Has he come back? Teye, I mean?” Ramok asked. Reia shook her head. “I would guess not,” he said.

 

“Where did he go?” Reia asked. “Is he okay?”

 

“He's fine,” Ramok said. “He'll probably be back soon.”

 

Reia nodded, but she was clearly still worried. “I don't know what's going on. Did your talk not go well?”

 

“It went fine,” Ramok said. “Fine…”

 

Reia frowned. “Then…I suppose I'll go wait for him…” She backed out the door, staring at her father, who was mumbling something. “Good night?” She waited for a reply, but none came. Sighing, Reia closed the door and walked away.

 

“He'll kill me if I don't kill him,” Ramok rationalized. “But Reia loves him and I love her more than anything. Or do I?” He cocked his head to the side rolled his eyes upward to look at the ceiling. “Do I love her more than life, or the power and prestige I have now?” He decided that he didn't know the answer to that question. And because he didn't know, he knew that he did know. He didn't love her more than his own life, and his own power. “And that's it, then,” he said. “Teye must die.”

 

Ramok slept well that night. Teye had come back in the night to ask Reia to marry him. She accepted. But Ramok slept through that. In his dreams, he formulated a plan to kill Teye. When he awoke, he knew what he would do.

 

Later that night, the temperature would rise to thirty-two degrees. The water in the lake would be frozen, but it would be very thin ice. Ramok would walk on it, and he would fall in. He'd call for help, and Teye would come to his rescue. Then Ramok would pull Teye in. Ramok, however, would be tethered to a rope and would be able to pull himself to safety, while Teye drowned or froze, whichever came first. It was foolproof, Ramok decided.

 

So that night, Ramok left the house, carrying a rope. He tied one end around a tree branch on one side of the lake and walked around to the other side, where he walked across. He got halfway to the other side when the ice cracked and he plunged into the freezing water.

 

“Help!” he shouted. He shivered. He had anticipated that the water would be cold, but this was worse than he'd imagined. He tried to block out the pain. “Help! Somebody! Please!” He hoped that Teye would come soon. When he had formulated his plan, he had forgotten to figure out how long it would take for a body to freeze in the lake. Fortunately for him, he did not have to wait long for help to arrive.

 

“Ramok!” Ramok heard Teye's voice. He couldn't prevent himself from smiling.

 

“Teye! I'm out here!”

 

“Hold on, I'll save you!” Teye walked tenderly on the ice, feeling for spots that seemed more solid. He approached Ramok, and as soon as he was next to him, he reached his hand out to grab Ramok's.

 

Ramok was prepared. He grabbed Teye's hand, but instead of letting the young man pull him up, Ramok pulled Teye down.

 

Ramok swam away, pulling himself with the rope. Teye was disoriented for a few seconds. Then he realized what had happened. “A rope?” he asked. “Ramok, help me!”

 

Ramok shook his head, laughing wildly. “I am immortal!” he shouted.

 

“Teye!” Ramok had reached the other end of the lake when he whirled around to face the owner of the voice. His face blanched when he saw that it was Reia.

 

“Reia, don't!” Ramok and Teye both shouted, but Reia had already begun to walk across the ice. She reached Teye, holding her hand out to him.

 

“Take it,” she said. Teye shook his head. “Take it, Teye!” she shouted angrily. He still refused. Reia reached in the water and grabbed his arm, yanking Teye up with a surprising show of strength.

 

Ramok winced. His daughter and her fiancé were staring at him.

 

“Father,” he heard Reia whisper.

 

Ramok looked away, toward the ground. Then he saw a crack appearing in the ice. It ran down the ice, heading for the two lovers in the middle. “Look out!” he shouted.

 

But it was too late. Teye and Reia fell through the ice with a splash. Ramok was still tethered to his rope. He dove into the water, pushing the floating ice sheets aside as he swam toward his daughter. Both she and Teye had disappeared, and were likely submerged beneath a giant ice sheet. Ramok took a deep breath and dove down to find them. He saw them, exactly as he had imagined, beneath a sheet of ice. He swam toward them. Teye was apparently trying to force his way through the ice, while Reia had already lost consciousness. Ramok reached out to Teye, who simply stared at him before his eyes closed and he lost his grip on Reia. Ramok pulled Teye toward him, and reached for his daughter, who was sinking toward the bottom of the lake. With a sudden burst of energy, Ramok dove deeper and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him. He hugged both teenagers against him with one arm, and pulled himself to the surface with the other. Within a minute, he had them all on shore.

 

He laid Teye and Reia beside each other on the snow-covered ground and tried to resuscitate them. Teye awoke almost instantly, coughing up the water from the lake. Reia was still not breathing, however.

 

Teye pushed Ramok away angrily and began trying to resuscitate his fiancé himself. She didn't respond.

 

Ramok stared at the lake, praying silently for a miracle; for his daughter to live. Beside him he heard Teye trying in vain to save her. “I'll gladly die if you only save her. Please, God,” he said, looking up at the sky. “I love her more than anything. I love her more than my life.”

 

And suddenly, as if his prayers had been answered, Reia coughed. Teye hugged her close to him as she continued to cough up water. When she finally stopped, she pulled away from Teye. “Where's my father?” she asked him.

 

Teye turned to point to where Reia's father was. But he was motionless, his eyes closed. “Father?” Reia asked. She fearfully crawled toward him, until she was kneeling over him. “Father?”

 

Teye grabbed her hand. “Reia, don't look.” But she yanked her hand away.

 

“Father!” she cried. She shook him.

 

Ramok opened his eyes. “Reia…”

 

“Father…” She smiled. “You're alive.”

 

Ramok turned to look at Teye. “You're glowing,” he said simply.

 

Teye frowned. “What?”

 

“Your potential…” Ramok closed his eyes again. “It's been reached.” He reached for his daughter's hand. She took it.

 

“What are you talking about? Father, we have to get you home.”

 

“No. I'm dying.” He turned to Teye again. “Take care of her. And the village.” He struggled to take a breath. “Reia, I love you. Tell your mother…”

 

“Tell her yourself,” Reia said, holding back tears. “You're going home with us. Teye, pick him up. We're taking him home.”

 

Teye stood, but Ramok shook his head. “Listen. Tell your mother I love her. And…” He looked at Teye once again. “I'm…sorry…” His chest fell and did not rise again.

 

“Fath…” Reia turned away, sobbing. “Father…”

 

“Reia…” Teye hugged her. She buried her head in his chest. “We have to go back…”

 

Reia shook her head. “But…”

 

“We'll send someone to get him in the morning,” he said.

 

Reia choked back a sob. “Why…?”

 

“I don't know,” Teye said. “I don't understand any of this.” He frowned. “But we're freezing and we'll die out here if we don't go home.”

 

“Y-yes…” Reia was, in fact, shivering, and her hair had become nothing more than a series of icicles. The temperature had dropped about five degrees since they had been in the water. Teye pulled Reia to her feet and they walked back to Reia's house, leaning on each other for support.

 

And a light snow, originating, strangely, in the very spot where Ramok had died, began to fall.