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Chapter 6.
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2021-10-22 11:48:50Felicia
It was before dawn when I gave up on getting a decent night's sleep. I could hear the wolves howling in the valley. They howled, and yapped, and barked and made many other sounds that filled the night. As I listened to them it came to me that it was like they were talking to each other. Which was, of course, what wolf packs must do, but this sounded odd. It was intricate and orderly. The whole pack didn't howl or make sounds together, but individuals placed throughout the valley would respond to each other, as though passing information along.
I went to the window and saw the red wolf sitting on a knoll just outside the tower. His ears twitched in response to every sound the pack made. When the pack fell silent he sent out a string of sounds, then they responded again. I watched in awe. I'd never seen anything like it.
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FeliciaThe next night when Gregor left for the night I stayed up. I sat in the dark by the window and waited. The moon was nearly full and the night was clear, so I could see the valley floor well. I wanted another glimpse at the red wolf or any of his companions. But the night was silent except for the insects that chirped in the grass and the trees. The moon wasps were out, trying to harvest as much nectar as possible before winter. Their bioluminescent blue glow blinked off and on throughout the undergrowth. Several night-blooming flowers grew in the valley.Fallen Starswith their abundant fire red petals,Midnight Violetswhose black petals were a warning not to eat them, they would kill you in seconds, andLuna Magnifica,&n
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GregorI heard Felicia leave the tower. She had not been out on her own since she had arrived. I was pleased that she felt comfortable enough to do so. But her absence made it hard for me to relax. My mind kept wondering where she was. And I missed the sounds of her movement around the tower. I drifted in and out of sleep all afternoon. When she still had not returned when it was time for me to get up, I began to feel a pang of concern. The Valley was a vast place, and it was easy to get lost. And while the wolves acted as a barrier to many wild animals there were still a few predators that roamed the woods.I waited for a while but then decided to go and look for her. As a Keeper, I could follow her scent almost as well as the wolves could. Her trail led to the lake and then through the woods. The pack was near, for I could smell them too. Th
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Gregor Her eyes widened. She hadn't expected me to be so blunt. She glanced at the wolves again. She was trying to envision them as the legend described them. I sighed heavily, I had a long story to tell and I was already exhausted. “Come inside,” I reached for her shoulder, but stopped just short of touching her, and let my arm fall. “I'll make us some tea and explain.” I turned and headed up the stairs, she seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon I heard her light steps following me. While I made the tea I tried to organize my thoughts, I knew I had to tell her the truth about the wolves, but how much should I tell her about myself? How much should I tell her about my suspicions? She had taken a seat at the table and silently
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Gregor*I left the tower already mentally drained and frustrated, but with an unexplainable pent-up physical energy. The wolves had stayed close and they could feel my general state of emotional flux. They appeared like pieces of the shadows created by the moonlight. I started to run, and the wolves fell into formation behind me. I figured a battle strategy exercise would be a way to release whatever was raging inside me. I projected imaginary enemies via my implants and the wolves and I destroyed an army of mock opponents in less than an hour.Feeling a bit better, I was ready to meet my men. So I headed to the shack via the river. There I took a quick dip to wash the sweat off from my workout. No need to make Clayton overly curious about my scent.
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GregorI didn't sleep much that day, despite ending my night early. It had been hard to walk away from Felicia's innocent gesture. I had so wanted to comfort her and take some comfort for myself. But that would cause more pain in the long run. I needed to distance myself from her. She did not need to be hindered by any accidental attachment. Her reaction to me was born of loneliness and a lack of options. If she truly knew the depth of what I was, she wouldn't want anything to do with me.I needed to know what she remembered about her past. The best clue to her identity was herself. But she never gave any indication of what she did or didn't know. I was at a loss how to bring it up without rousing her suspicions again. I knew after my aloof behavior last night she might be a bit upset or hurt. That had n
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GregorI had intended to meet Brollen that evening. I set out toward the hut but, it didn't take long to realize Felicia was following me. I smiled to myself. I let her, knowing that I would lose her on the mountain. Even then, she did surprisingly well. I was discovering she could be a tenacious little thing when she wanted to be. I was almost hoping she would make it to the top, but I finally lost track of her.I went inside to wait for Brollen. But I hadn't been there more than five minutes before I heard the pack start a howl. They were close by. I was surprised because they were not supposed to be up so high. I rushed to the window and listened. It was not a distress call or a warning. It was almost as though they were singing. The sort of song you sing when your heart is so full of joy you can't expres
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GregorWhen Felicia hit the floor, unconscious, I experienced a depth of fear I had only felt once before in my life. I was so terrified that adjusting to the implant had killed her, as it had done to so many before her, especially since she was the first one I knew of to have a king's switch. When she came too, her words were slurred, and her eyes were dilated, unnaturally. She looked green around the gills as well.Then the revelations started. She told me of her dreams and memories. When she was finished, I did not doubt she was the realm's lost heir. But I wasn’t sure how much of that she remembered, and I needed to take things cautiously. No matter what she said, I knew she was having a hard time dealing with everything that had happened to her in the past
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Faizah: When Braith caught sight of Zana, his roar made the mountain shake. But the guards jabbed him with a rod that sparked and filled the air with the smell of burning hair and flesh. Zana lunged against her captors, a deep growl emanating from her. I grabbed my head as the sheer force of her rage entered my mind. I realized she was trying to communicate with me. So I steadied myself and concentrated on her connection. Liars, betrayers! She snarled. I broke every bond with my pack, I betrayed them to save my mate, and these monsters betrayed me! They went back on their word! She sent me images of what she had done. I recognized the boy from the market in the body lying in the snow. That was hard enough. But I nearly crumbled to the floor when I felt her guilt, her anguish. I’m so sorry, she howled. And I knew it was true. I felt her sorrow. I felt how trapped she had been. How desperate she was to save her mate. My heart broke for her. “Help me now, Zana,” I pleaded “If we c
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Faizah: The stern woman turned and started straightening a few things around the room. “For what it’s worth, you look lovely,” my maid said quietly. I glared at her. Tears smarted behind my eyes, and I clenched my fists to control them. I would rather eat horse manure than let them see me cry. I turned back to the mirror and took in my reflection. “What a lovely-looking slave,” Felicia laughed inside my head. “I am no one’s slave!” I spat at her. I turned away from the mirror. “It’s time to go, my dear,” the woman said. I reached for my cloak where it lay, draped over the back of the chair. “Oh no love, leave that here,” the stern woman said with disdain. “It will deflect from the lovely gown I made.” “But...” I started to protest, not wanting to be parted from the last vestige of my life with Gregor. But the seamstress held up a firm hand. “You’re going to be late for your wedding.” She urged me towards the door and into the dark and chilly hall. I followed the seamstress
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Faizah:I spent a sleepless night, trying to figure out what to do about Felicia. Her utter confidence gave away that she had a plan of some sort. But I couldn’t read her to find out what it was. “Don’t beat yourself up, my dear.” She said after I had been trying to probe her thoughts. “I’ve had years of practice while you just discovered your switch.” “How do you know that?” I asked. “I can read you like an open book, dear.” She said wryly. She did not need to remind me, I knew I was outgunned, “Well then, I guess I have some catching up to do.” I said, gritting my teeth and probing again. I tried many times, but all I managed to accomplish was to make my headache return. While the echos of her laughter in my mind reminded me that she took sadistic delight in my struggles. By dawn, I had given up and sat looking out the window with sleepy eyes. The sun had just cleared the crags when I saw a skyship headed for the fortress. I had never seen one in person before, but I had heard
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Faizah:I don't understand, my lady. Dana had been silent for several seconds before she found her words again. “I’m a genetically modified clone, Dana," I sighed. “created to be put in the place of the real princess,” Why would they do that? “Because the real princess is apparently an evil sociopath.” So you’re not the Felicia we have been searching for? Dana’s confidence was breaking by the second. “Well, yes and no.” I sighed again, exasperated at this situation and by the facts of my very existence. “My mother called me Faizah, and I guess that's who I am.” She has a king switch too, doesn't she? Fear laced Dana's thoughts now. “Yes,” I said. This complicates things. This is very dangerous. Somehow I could feel that Dana had started pacing. There were never supposed to be multiple king switches. That defeats their whole purpose. “I don't know all the details, and my memory is still spotty. But I don't think Felicia is supposed to have survived this long.” Then why did sh
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Felicia:The maid agreed to keep me informed of anything helpful she saw or heard. Periodically I heard the agonized roars of the creature that used to be Zana’s mate, Braith. But, when I tried to reach out to him with my mind, all I could get was chaos. His mind was broken. Just a jumble of overwhelming emotions was left. It broke my heart, and I had no idea how to help him, or even if he could be helped. I also had to work hard at keeping Felicia out of my mind. She wanted to taunt and manipulate me like she used to. But I was stronger now, I could keep her at bay. I didn't want her to know anything about what I was planning. I couldn't sleep that night and I spent most of it pacing the room. Then, around three in the morning, I felt an approaching presence in my mind, Dana. I went to the window. She was bearly in range of my implant, so her voice came in and out. My lady, are y- the-re? her voice was broken by static. “Yes, I'm here.” my throat became tight with excitement an
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Felicia:Lucas sat dumbfounded when I finished catching him up. “Uh...I’m not sure what to say,” he faltered huskily. He stood up and paced the room, shoving both hands through his hair. “We have to get us all out of here as soon as possible,” I said matter-of-factly. “You mean you want to bring her with us?” Lucas's eyes bugged out, and he looked at me like I was insane. “We can’t leave her here,” I argued back. “Why?!” “Because we need to know where she is and what she is doing,” I explained. “If we leave her behind, she becomes a risk. A factor we don’t have control over. And trust me, we need to be in control of her.” Lucas stood silently looking at me, a plethora of emotions crossing his face. I realized the poor guy was suddenly out of his depth. I took a step towards him and touched him on the arm gently. “Don't worry, I'll think of something,” I reassured him gently. He looked at my face and frowned slightly, then gave me a crooked smile. “Are you sure you're not the Pr
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FeliciaThe next morning, when the maid returned, she was prepared for me, as I expected she would be. “Don't worry” I said, “I won't ambush you anymore. I'm hoping you will simply allow me to do what I need to do without such tactics.” “I want no responsibility in any of this,” she whispered. “If you get killed in your endeavors, be it on your head.” her eyes were hard. I didn't blame her for wanting to protect herself. No doubt the punishment for helping me would be nothing less than a death sentence if she were found out. But I had to do what needed to be done. “I won't blame you, and if we get caught, I'll do my best to convince them of your innocence.” “Innocence.” she scoffed “no one who steps foot in this place is innocent.” she stepped away from the door, leaving my way out clear. She stared at me with defeated eyes as I walked through the door. I felt a pang of guilt until I realized it wasn't me
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FeliciaWhen I returned to my room, the maid was pacing frantically. “What were you thinking? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Do you have any idea what they will do to you?” she hissed at me. Her eyes were wide, and beads of sweat were visible on her brow. “I need answers. Whatever the risks involved.” I hissed back. “Now you better run along before you're missed.” She gave me one last wide-eyed look then fled my room as fast as she could. I heaved a heavy sigh and shakily sat on the side of the bed. I was having a hard time processing what...she...had told me. I didn't even know how to refer to her. She was not my sister. She was my base code. So what was I? Who was I? No more than another experiment. A pawn. And that realization was the last straw. Whether I was their creation or not I was no one's pawn. I cast my eyes toward the vanity and the secrets it held. I thought of my mother, and my emotions oscillated
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FeliciaThe hall was cold and so I gripped my arms. The first thing I noticed was the smell. Damp, mixed with what smelled suspiciously like sick and excrement. The hall was long and dark. I began to think I had gone the wrong way, heading into an endless tunnel to oblivion. Then, I came around a corner and saw light shining from under a door up ahead. I slowed my pace and concentrated on listening. But, all I could hear was my rapid breathing and heart rate. Along with the distant drip of water on stone. I realized that this part of the facility was old, ancient even. Like they had just added on, delving deeper into the mountain as the years passed. How long had my country been experimenting on its fauna and subjects I wondered. I was only a few feet from the door and I could see a shadow moving around inside. Then I felt a ripple inside my mind, a recognition, from whoever occupied the room. Hello Faizah, it's been a long
