The Fountain

The city was bustling with activity. Markets were open, with various goods being bought, sold, and traded. 

Sir Lucan passed many clothiers, their sellers yelling out prices and new arrivals. The food markets were exceptionally busy. The Capitol was a place for farmers all around the world to sell exotic, colorful fruits and vegetables that he'd never heard of. They even sold unique animals that Sir Lucan had only read about in books. Some had horns, some had wings like the dragons of old, and some had claws that looked as sharp as swords.

But he wasn't interested in any of that. Not only did he not have the coin for it, he didn't have the time either. 

This mission left him with no time to rest. He had searched day and night for the woman, but so far to no avail. 

The king, justifiably, was furious with him. "This, Sir Lucan, will be your first failure since you began serving me. You can kill sixty men for your king, but you can't find one damn woman?"

But I will find her, Sir Lucan thought. He had to admit that what she'd done was wrong. Directly insulting the king to his face was almost as horrid a crime as declaring war on them. 

Athena, just like Styte, would face execution by King Leandis's hand.

All his life, Sir Lucan had never been a leader. He never took charge when a problem arose, or looked for solutions when all seemed hopeless. But he had looked to those that did with an undying respect. 

King Leandis always seemed to be playing a constant game of chess. Each movement had intent behind it, yielding multiple options of where to move next. But one wrong move, and the king's life could be in danger. That was the real game he played. A gamble over his own life. 

Sir Lucan existed to support the king's decisions and enforce them. Nothing more. 

It is too bad Balian. Too bad that I must hurt this girl who has captured your interest. I will make sure King Leandis gives her a painless death, brother. 

He was on her trail now. She was still in the city; he was sure of it. 

And then there were the rumors, of which he hadn't yet given much thought. Multiple stories had reached his ears now. 

Stories of a witch.

She foretold distant futures and wore a dark hood over strands of brilliant purple hair. 

Not many have purple hair. Athena does. 

The possibility was very high. If she'd somehow tricked Balian and escaped two guards, she had to be skilled. But witchcraft?

Sir Lucan wasn't a believer in those bullshit stories. That's all they really were. Stories. A fantastical idea, made merely for entertainment. No one believed in them, besides kids. So what were the rumors about?

He was about to find out.

A commotion was breaking out just ahead of him. Sir Lucan could hear gasps and murmurs, and every few seconds someone would shout.

"The Violet Witch!"

"She's here again!"

"Let me be next."

Sir Lucan began pushing through the crowd, searching for the center. He wondered what he would find there. Part of him feared the powerful witch that people spoke of. What if her mystic powers proved to be stronger than his hammer? No enemy he had ever encountered had survived his hammer.

He breached the center, where an opening allowed him to finally breathe. The people had circled around a fountain, which held a golden statue of the king in the middle. Athena stood inside the fountain, her entire body soaking wet. Long strands of purple hair swung in front of her face, partially covered by a gray hood. He could see her green eyes beneath it all, scouring the crowd. Her eyes landed on him, and she gestured him forward.

"Oh, great knight, kneel before your king." She leaned against the golden statue, a look of bemusement on her face. Her thin linen clothes, soaked with water, were nearly see-through, and Sir Lucan had to avoid his gaze.

"I'm here to take you back in," Sir Lucan said, resting a hand on the handle of his warhammer. He heard murmurs from the crowd, and Sir Lucan raised his voice. "Hear me! Everyone! This woman is no witch. She is no savior. She cannot foretell what is to come! She is a fugitive, who has defied our king! And you dare to spur her on?"

Athena flashed a quick smile. "Sir Lucan, come now. It's time for your fortune. Do you not want to know? Some part of you does, I'm sure of it."

She raised a barefoot out of the water and stepped on to the stone outside of the fountain. Droplets of water fell onto the ground around her as she raised up her arms.

Sir Lucan unsheathed his hammer. This was not a time for games. He would bring her in, now. For the king. "Not another move, woman."

She didn't respond, instead looking beyond him toward the crowd. "Good people of the Capitol, here you see it once again. The king's rule is tighter around all of you than manacles. You are all bound! Trapped within these walls as slaves to a man who sits in a hall of pure gold! He has statues all around the city, just to prove his wealth! And do you know where he got it? From you! You work everyday to make this society run, not the king. He is a parasite, who feeds off of the little wealth you already have!"

"What in the Six are speaking of, woman?" Sir Lucan said. "Look around, heretic. No one will believe this folly!"

"You should look around, Sir," she said, the last word filled with poison. "I am showing these people the truth. And yet you are blinded by the king's commands. Do you see it, my people? Even the great Sir Lucan has bent beneath the will of a mad man. The strongest knight to have ever lived! And yet he is subservient to that pathetic husk of a king?" Athena flashed a row of brilliant white teeth. "Do you see it?"

The crowd around him cried out with approval. How could they agree to such absurd accusations? Sir Lucan spoke over them. "She is a traitor! For years we have flourished here in the Capitol, all thanks to King Leandis! Now this whore has shown up to destroy what little stability we have left! There is war in the North! If we riot against our king now, we will all be slaughtered!"

The crowd grew quiet. 

Athena took another step forward.

"Don't get any closer," Sir Lucan said, brandishing his warhammer.

"Good people, Sir Lucan cannot see the truth. Only I can see it. Take his words lightly, as they are meaningless. Thirty-seven people. I have successfully foretold the futures of thirty-seven people! I will tell you how to fix your lives to avoid certain futures, such as an early death. You beautiful people will flourish and live your best lives as long as you follow what I say. Even Sir Lucan."

"Foretell his future!"

"What do you see for Sir Lucan?"

A smile played across her lips, and she pushed her hair away from her eyes. "I see violence. Sir Lucan dies a sad, pathetic death. Right here in this square. Today."