Hi everyone!
Sorry for the late update, I did mean to post yesterday but it's been a very busy weekend of working, cleaning and food shopping! Next update will be Saturday, as per normal.
Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I really love reading them and seeing what you think so thank you for continuing to give them to me! Thanks and keep them coming please!
The big fight scene will be mostly from Maren's POV. I think she's the best person to do the major fight scenes from, and Marina and John are better for little action and more thoughtful scenes xD
You might have noticed that I've been cutting down on POVs. I used to have (Adam, Sophia, Nine, Ella, Cody and of course, John, Maren and Marina) although there were never more than five maximum at one point as it gets too confusing! I've cut down a lot to have just three: John, Marina and Maren, and aiming to have a chapter per POV. I've thrown in an Ella POV here because it's suitable and I may throw in an Adam POV later on, and maybe even a Nine one.
Please read on and enjoy!
Chapter 51 – Bound
Ella
I have my eyes shut but I can see everything.
My eyes might only see darkness and yet they study all.
My friends lie in front of me, fast asleep, their unconscious minds filled with images from today. As I lightly touch their minds with mine, flashes of fire and deathly-pale mutts flash in front of my own eyes. Nearby, Nine's conscious mind is the most coherent, but I try to steer away from his thoughts, not wanting to spy on him. Unconscious minds are often filled with images people don't intend but conscious minds can choose to think of whatever they want to. Despite shying away from him and my closed eyes, I can see an aura of dark blue shining around his body, tinged with red, black and the tiniest hints of gold. The colours have meanings; grief, anger, despair and hope.
Further away from here I can see more. I can see the city centre, deadly quiet in the dead of night, as no one wants to fight in the darkness. Nonetheless they prepare; mogs stand in their barracks, maps spread out on tables as they chart areas they have lost and areas they must defend. Their auras are filled with fear and a waning determination; they're losing the will to fight. The rebels are coming closer and closer but their great Leader does nothing to help them. Seeing their failing confidence strengthens mine.
Close to the mogs, closer than they could ever imagine, I can sense the Loric rebels too, hidden behind the mogs' makeshift barricades of overturned trucks and great slabs of concrete from destroyed buildings. Such a blockade won't do much to stop the Loric's march forwards. Their minds are more hopeful; they're so close to the end now and they have the mogs cornered. Many don't even believe the news footage of our deaths shown just a few days ago. Many are sure that it's just a hoax to destroy all confidence. Those that do believe it want to fight in our memory.
But overpowering both the mogs and Loric minds, is the cloying fear emanating from mog citizens trapped in the war zone. Some huddle in the many evacuation centres, others in their own basements, and their fear so strong it hits me even from the great distance between us. Their fear is overpowering, and crashes into my mind in waves of renewed fear with even the slightest noise or movement. From their minds, I can see fires, buildings falling, people dying, and more terrible images as they relieve their past few nightmarish days in the Capital. I fight against the intense feelings, trying to worm away from them. If I get too caught up in their minds, I'll never escape.
But my mind is not just restricted to the Capital. Almost as if I can detach my soul from my body, I can see the rest of the planet, the millions of shining auras that fill this world. Some are darker than others, whilst some shine as brightly as the sun. I can see Loric gathered in the great city centres around Lorien, flying the new flag of Lorien representing peace and democracy even as the battle rages on in the Capital. With all mog troops outside of the Capital beaten, many celebrate what they see as a sure victory. Many do not realise that the fight for the Capital is the deadliest and bloodiest it's ever been.
I pull myself back a little further and I can see all of Lorien, as it would be seen from space. A perfect planet; green and blue and lush and alive, even despite the war going on. I take in the points of pulsing blue lights where colossal Loralite stones rest, usually by a great natural power; a river, a waterfall, the mountains, the forests, the lakes…so many great points of power. And running through every crevice, and sinew of Lorien is Legacy. Like a winding, brilliant blue ribbon, Legacy winds itself around Lorien, touching every object and every person. All the auras have this magical blue in them; it shines most brightly in the auras of Loric but I watch as those of the mogs start to light up too, not the vatborns but the trueborns like Adam. Legacy is accepting them. They are no longer alien, but one of us. They are part of Lorien.
The war is almost over.
There is only one soul, one aura on this entire planet that is pure black. There used to be blue in it, the tiniest speck, but it has been crusted over, consumed by a dark crust. Setrakus. Almost like I zoom in I focus entirely on him. I picture him in my mind and then I can sense him, so strongly that I could be next to him. I can touch all minds and yet his is the easiest for me. Thanks to our earlier bond, he is almost a part of me.
It no longer terrifies me. It just fascinates me.
He is in his temple, kneeling by a statue of himself. Despite the bombs and smoke and fires raging outside, he sits calmly, as if his final days are not approaching. He has been there for days now, waiting for us to come to him. He knows of course that we made it past the mogs and the other obstacles. He's not scared, he refuses to be, and he must appear in control and calm for the Generals who come to him for direction in regards to protecting the city. No, he's not scared, but his aura gives away his uncertainty. His uneasiness. Lorien has visited him too, through me, and he has seen things, futures that could be. He was warned long ago that Pittacus would return. He might be ready for us, he might have recuperated in the vats, but he knows we're stronger too. He knows I can find a weakness, I just have to be close enough to dissect his mind.
In the darkness of the temple with only flickering braziers shattering the darkness, I watch as he sighs, looking up at the tall statue. Images of a woman with red hair rushes through his mind, and a young man crawling on a snowy mountain top. I can sense the tiniest bit of grief, but it's so warped with anger and hatred that it's impure and twisted. I try to dig deeper but I immediately know it's a mistake. I know he can sense me. He cannot reach out to me, but with me so close to him and vulnerable too, he knows I'm there. Walls go up in his mind, protecting every thought that could give him away.
Granddaughter? He asks.
I retreat from his mind and the connection between us is over.
I feel safer when my mind is my own and not wandering over Lorien, touching all the minds. I know it is tied to my telepathy but Legacy has amplified it enough that I can contact every people in Lorien, not just people within a certain distance of me, and so I can see their minds instead of just talking to them. Sometimes it has its advantages, like allowing me to see what was happening in the City Centre when no one else had any idea. It allows me to see things going on elsewhere and sense what people hundreds of miles away are thinking and feeling. I can see how the balance of the war is playing out without having a communicator.
But it has its downsides too. I was trapped in the visions, tormented by them, and my mind had been overwhelmed. Had Adam not knocked me out, my mind could have been broken. It's a stark reminder that although I have these powers I must be careful with them. Legacy gave them to me to defeat Setrakus but I must not use them for a purpose that is not necessary. I must only use them when I must.
It's hard though. When such power lurks inside me, deep down in my body, the temptation to tap into the power is almost too strong to resist. I know that it will not last forever and one day it will disappear as suddenly as it appeared and I want to use such powers when I can. I want to appreciate them before they leave me forever. At times, my desire to do this terrifies me; it reminds me of Setrakus too much. I can't be like him.
I refuse to be.
Nearby a soft sigh breaks me out of my musing and I can sense someone rolling over in their sleep. It's Marina. Every mind has a slightly different flavour so to speak, a different tone, and every aura is a different colouring. Hers is often icy blue with colours changing dependent on her current mood. I think her colouring is linked to her legacy of ice, particularly as John has Lumen and his aura is often red, even when he's happy or sad. Now I can feel Marina's aura settle to a normal blue with flashes of black streaking through: fear. She's having a nightmare and a terrible one at that; images of Asher and mutts chasing her down never-ending tunnels as Joseph and my screams echo in the darkness. Slowly and softly I reach out with my mind, touching hers. Her unconscious mind recoils from the alien touch but using convinco and telepathy as one, I flood her sleeping mind with images of Joseph and me and Adelina and Hector. Slowly, her aura turns from black to yellow and I can sense her relax. I withdraw my mind, feeling at peace now I know she's all right.
Maybe I shouldn't mess with minds like that but I can't help it. The last time I saw Marina in the Capital she had been a shell of herself; starved, beaten, mentally broken and in desperate need of help. I don't even know the half of what Setrakus did to her but it must have been enough to break a normal person. Rescuing her had been a non-negotiable and even knowing Cody died because of it, I wouldn't change it any other way. It was worth it to see the person she is now. Happy, confident and strong. I don't want to see her ever return to that state again and if I can help it, I will.
I withdraw to my mind and then, not even sure how I'm able to do it, I turn off the auras. The colours swirling in front of my eyes disappear and I'm left with darkness. I do this often; it's hard to maintain a conversation when someone's glowing with different colours. I'm not concerned that it's gone for now. If I want to, I can turn the legacy on easily.
"Are you meditating?"
I open my eyes at the sarcastic voice. Nine watches me curiously, his brown eyes not malicious. He's unconsciously turning his retracted pipe staff over and over in his hands.
"No," I reply. He jumps to another conclusion.
"If you want to sleep, go ahead," he offers. "I'm not that tired,"
"Neither am I," I say. He pauses, looking confused and curious.
"If you weren't meditating, what were you doing?" he asks.
I could lie. I could pretend I was being normal and just thinking about everything that had happened to us earlier today. But Nine has always been close to me, even despite this new lack of age difference between us. He was one of the first to accept me for what I am now.
"I was watching the world," I say. His eyebrows raise and he smiles despite himself.
"Kudos for sounding mysterious," he replies lightly, but I can feel the effort behind it. "I have no idea what that means," I smile softly, appreciating his attempts to lighten the mood.
"I can use telepathy to sense minds everywhere on the planet," I explain in detail, not holding back. "I see auras around people that tell me their emotions. When my mind touches others, I can almost see what they're thinking; images, pictures, memories…I was travelling over Lorien just now, seeing what was happening," Nine looks impressed and a little intimidated but to his credit he just nods.
"So your powers…they're still amplified?" he asks. "Lorien's still there?" I shake my head, frowning as I try to explain how I feel. It's almost impossible because I don't know how I feel myself.
"Legacy has gone," I say. "It left me gradually but it's gone. Although I'm pretty sure Legacy could return to me whenever it wanted if it had to or if I asked it to," I admit and Nine winces. Maybe he's thinking of when I was blue and shining. As much as he joked about it, I don't think he ever wants that to reoccur.
"Having such a power inside can change someone forever. It…it leaves imprints on me and my powers, leaving traces of it behind. Part of that means that my powers are more than they used to be," I explain.
"Will they always be like that?" he asks.
"No," I say slowly. "I don't know I know but I'm sure that if Setrakus dies and once this war is over, however that ends, the powers will go and I'll be as I used to be. With my normal legacies and my normal abilities," I sigh. "Legacy is just waiting for the right time," My voice turns sad at the end without me even meaning it to.
"That might not be so bad," Nine muses kindly, looking sympathetic. "As much as it's cool, seeing you go all mysterious and blue freaks me out," I roll my eyes at him and he grins cheekily in response.
"So what did you see?" He continues. "In your visions just now?"
"The rebels are close to winning the city," I reply. "The mogs are losing faith in Setrakus. And he's…he's waiting for us," I summarise shortly.
"Good," Nine looks pleased. "It's good they see him for the coward he is. Maybe they'll surrender. Saves more death and fighting," I raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"You're usually advocating death and fighting, especially when the mogs are on the losing side," I point out. Usually he'd laugh and say something witty but he just sighs, looking at the weapon in his hands. All this talk of legacies and death seems to be getting to him.
"Even I can get sick of fighting," he admits. "All we've ever done is fight. A world where we have to fill in paperwork and go to school doesn't sound so bad anymore," he sighs.
"You'll get bored of it in a year," I say softly and he smiles sadly. "You'll be desperate for a fight. I bet you'll start a training academy to coach young Loric to fight," I predict.
"Probably," he admits. His smile soon fades as he turns the pipe staff over and over in his hand.
"We won't be fighting forever," I go for a gentler approach, sensing his inner sadness. "Soon this will be over. I promise,"
"I'm sick of fighting, El," he admits. "I'm sick of pretending I like it. I'm sick of the killing. I just want it over," he sighs.
"It will be," I echo. I don't know what else to say. I might have these new powers but I can't fool Nine. I never could. He knows the minute I lie and the moment I try to make him feel better, he'll sense my deception. He knows me too well.
"Maybe I'll think differently tomorrow, when we're out there and fighting again," he continues. "But when we're here, I can't help but think how empty it is. Losing Anderson, Holmes, Lees, Amir, Cleo, Asher, Blake…we lost them all. And that's nothing compared to how many we've lost in total," Maybe it would be shocking for the others to hear him so low but it feels normal to me.
"So many people have died to get where we are today. I can't help…I can't help but wonder if their deaths could have been avoided," he admits. He looks up at me and I can see the sadness in his eyes. In that moment, I don't have to read his mind to know what he's thinking or feeling. In that moment, I know him better than most would. I know he's not thinking of me or the mission or even the war. He's thinking of a time long ago, on a stage in a different Capital. A time that feels centuries ago. And I know instinctively that even though he'd never admit it, he wants me to comfort him.
"Sophia didn't die for nothing," I tell him softly. "Maddy didn't die for nothing. Your parents didn't die for nothing and everybody who has ever fought along or for us did not die for nothing. They died so that we could be here today. They fought so that we can finally set Lorien free," I whisper, wholly believing every word. Nine seems to struggle at accepting my words.
"Sophia…when you showed me her in that dream," he swallows almost painfully. "She said the same thing. She forgave me. She said she would make the same decision. I know she meant it. Sometimes…sometimes it's hard for me to believe," he admits. Even though I try and block it out, images of Sophia fill my mind and I have to fight the uncomfortable feeling inside me. I hate myself for those feelings. She's dead and I shouldn't be thinking of the dead like that.
"Nine, she might never have said it but she loved you," I say, forcing the words out. "She would never want you to feel this way," I say truthfully.
"I know," he admits. "It's just…soon we might really live in this world that we never thought we would. And I'll love every minute of freedom. But sometimes it won't feel right, knowing that they never lived in that world and never got to see it," he admits, looking almost embarrassed. I feel like I'm the older one and he's the younger one and I feel sorry for him. I know he'd hate me for that.
"I'm not so sure they won't see it," I whisper. "When I died…I heard voices of people I recognised. There were all there, with Legacy. Maybe they weren't aware they were there, but they were. And I'm sure they're happy. They might not live in a new world but I know they live in a better place," I whisper. He looks up at me and I can see a sort of lightness to his face, a relief at my words.
"Really?" he asks softly.
"Really," I nod. "Where they are now is the ultimate place to go. It's perfect and safe and relaxing and all bad emotions just disappear. Wherever they are, they're happy," I promise. I can see him relax, as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
"I'm sorry," he apologises. "For being so pathetic. I know it's not my fault…I just…sometimes I let myself wallow in guilt because it's easier than forgiving myself," he admits. I smile softly, shaking my head and a few strands of hair hang in front of my eyes.
"You're so strong all of the time," I say kindly. "You're allowed to feel as upset as anyone else. But you should never blame yourself for what has happened," I say.
"The past is in the past," he agrees. "We can only move on,"
"Exactly," I nod. He sighs, looking down at the pipe staff once and then shoves it into his pocket. His face seems clearer, more open when he looks back at me.
"Never remembered you being this intelligent," he smiles. "This also another side-effect from Lorien?" he teases. I roll my eyes.
"Watch it," I warn him jokingly. "I can still blast you into pieces if I wanted to,"
"You wouldn't dare damage my pretty face," he grins. I roll my eyes again and his smile widens. I like that he doesn't linger on sad topics for too long but moves on, pushing whatever he felt earlier to the side. It makes it even easier to be around him.
"In all seriousness though," he tilts his head to the side. "Does it feel weird after everything that's happened to you? Like, the dead part…and I mean, you should technically be thirteen…fourteen right now?" he asks. I shrug; it was so long ago that Setrakus aged me that it feels like I've been seventeen my whole life. This is normal now.
"Not really," I say. "Thanks to Aeternus I can be thirteen whenever I want. But I like being older. I feel like I'm part of the group even more than before," I explain. He shrugs, still watching me. I'm not quite sure what to make of him analysing me like that, his eyes taking me in. I shift, embarrassed and he looks away.
"I think it suits you," he says at last. "It would be weird to hear the things you say come out of a 13-year-olds' mouth," he says. Having his approval kind of makes me feel better and I can feel myself blushing a little.
"Well, thanks," I reply, kind of awkwardly. "It's…it's nice to be accepted. It's nice to be one of you," Nine looks at me kindly, and his face reflects a certain tenderness that is so at odds with his normal, brusque personality.
"El, you were always one of us, no matter what," he says softly.
"Not when I was with Setrakus," I whisper. "You don't know what I did,"
"I know that you sacrificed yourself to destroy the machine and sever the bond between you and that monster," Nine says firmly. "I know that you were willing to die to save Lorien. I almost lost you, El. You will always be important, always," he vows. "You will always be a part of us," He looks fierce, believing every word he said.
Before I can respond, Joseph suddenly jerks awake and I jump, not realising how absorbed I was in the conversation with Nine. Joseph looks around blearily, his eyes blinking in the darkness. I think I hear Nine sigh but I'm not sure. I watch as Joseph shakes his head, chasing whatever nightmare he was suffering out of his mind.
"Man, those mutts are bothering me even in my dreams," he tries to make a joke but his voice is shaky. "Anyone want to sleep? I'll take over," he offers. I can see the hollow look that tells me he doesn't want to sleep. I feel sorry for him looking so vulnerable.
"Try and sleep again," I tell him. "You've only barely had an hour," Joseph bites his lip, looking torn.
"If you get a nightmare, I'll make them disappear," I add. "Trust me, I've done it before," I ignore Nine's puzzled look and focus entirely on Joseph. He pauses, confused, but then nods, settling down. Nine doesn't even say anything, he just pulls out his pipe staff again, signalling the end of our conversation. It's almost a relief and yet a disappointment.
"Night," Joseph whispers, shutting his eyes. He's so tired after today that it doesn't take him long to drift off. Nine remains silent and I do too, both of us listening to the breathing of our friends and the noises of the night outside. The time for talking is over. Now we have to watch.
As Nine watches the night for mogs, I chase away the nightmares haunting my friends and replace them with images of a future that could be ours in just a few short days.
Xxx
I wake up a few moments before it happens, as if my body is now physically tuned to every move he makes. Sitting upright, I startle Marina, who was until now guarding a silent and still room. My sudden movement shocks her but she doesn't say anything as I draw my knees to my chin. Maybe she assumes that I had a nightmare; it wouldn't be so out-of-place considering everything we'd already been through so far. I draw my knees up to my chin, watching the glow of the sun lighting up the room, even despite the thick curtains.
"We should wake the others up," I say and Marina looks at me confused. "They'll be awake any moment anyway," She opens her mouth to reply when she's interrupted by a noise.
The screen in the corner of the room lights up, just like it did in that apartment only a few days ago before all the nightmarish events in the Catacombs. Marina jumps again, reaching for her weapon, but she relaxes when the symbol of the Capital flashes onto the screen. The others jerk awake at once at the loud noise, piercing the deadly silence just a few moments before. Maren and Nine are up on their feet instantly, whilst Joseph has been slightly more relaxed and only drew his sword.
"It's ok," I reply softly. "Just a compulsory broadcast," Marina looks at me in confusion, her brow furrowed.
"You knew it was coming," she accuses me. I shrug, not sure how to answer. Even I'm not sure how I knew it was coming. But I just knew.
The screen changes and Setrakus appears on screen. Maybe he appears normal to the others but I can see a change in him. His eyes have a weariness in them that wasn't there before and he's not smiling calmly; he instead has a controlled expression plastered onto his face. His skin has a dark tinge to it and I can imagine the black liquid running through his veins, making him stronger and amplifying the legacies he already has. It also means that if he's injured in battle he can be healed internally. I know drawing that liquid out from his system is the key to winning but I'm not sure how we're supposed to eradicate it from his veins. It usually takes a while for it to pass through his system and by then he's replaced it with more injections.
"My citizens," he speaks calmly. "These past few weeks we have evacuated areas of the city in order to protect the innocents from a terrible fate. Now I speak to the remaining citizens within the half-mile radius around the Inner city, whose homes are no longer safe," he says, his voice neutral.
"I am now ordering a mandatory evacuation for any citizen left in the city," he clears his throat. "Come to the Training Centre. I promise food, shelter and protection to anyone who comes to the gates. Only the Centre is strong and large enough to adequately protect you all from the rebels," he looks down the lens of the camera, his eyes piercing.
"All refugees," he says and his voice could almost be described as fond. "Come to my fortress. And you will have food, safety, medicine, protection and my solemn oath to protect you until I have won this war for you,"
Nearby Nine snorts and Maren purses her lips in annoyance.
"Our enemy is not like us," Setrakus continues. "They do not share our values. They have never known our comfort or sophistication and they despite us for it," His voice turns more dangerous, and it's a warning, not for the mogs but for us.
"Make no mistake," he continues. "They come to liberate their race. Despite their promises of peace and collaboration, they do not come to liberate you. They are coming to destroy our way of life. They are coming…to bury us,"
The screen flickers for a moment and then cuts off.
"Will the mogs believe him?" John asks Adam. "We don't need them to be misled by his lies about us destroying them," he scowls. I'm surprised that those comments, of all of them, are what annoyed John the most.
"Capital residents will," Adam says slowly. "The mogs in the city here haven't been in the camps or the outer cities. They don't realise that the Loric have been helping homeless and injured mog citizens as much as the Loric refugees. Those mogs, the ones I worked with, they're starting to realise we're not as evil as Setrakus is trying to make out," he smiles slightly but it's forced.
"That doesn't matter," Maren straightens up. "We need to figure out our next move," She's straight to the point, as always.
"He's in the Training Centre," Nine comments but I shake my head.
"No, he's not," I reply automatically. "He's in the Temple. He pre-recorded that for when the time was right. He knows we're coming. He wants to draw us to him," I explain.
"Then why in the Temple?" Maren demands. "Surely it would work in his favour to have guards and mog citizens, to slow down our fight? Unless he's been planning a trap," her eyes narrow suspiciously. I have a certain feeling about Setrakus and his plans and I decide to listen to it, not to ignore it.
"There aren't any traps," I reply with certainty. "If there are guards, there won't be many. He doesn't want to trap us anymore. He doesn't want to run. He wants this to be the final fight too. No hiding behind distractions, no more battles and then retreats. This is it and he doesn't want to be disturbed," Maren and Nine look unconvinced for a moment and I try again.
"He doesn't want pointless players there anymore. This is a matter for the Elders, all of them, former and current," I add, not entirely sure where that certainty came from. I'm just learning to roll with it now.
"Ok, so we go to the Temple," Maren mutters, hunching down and resting her elbows on her knees.
"It makes no difference," Joseph points out. "The two are practically in the same area, just on opposite ends of the Promenade. In fact, it makes it easier, as everyone will be by the Training Centre to get to safety,"
"I could try and find a secret way to get the Temple," Adam muses. "I'd need a map or something, but there are surely other entrances apart from one," he muses.
"There are," I agree. "But all entrances apart from the main one are blocked," I say again.
"So we go another route," Nine suggests. "Take a back route and then go through the front way," Joseph shakes his head at once, and I can see images of the Temple in his mind; the great stone foundation with only one set of great steps cut into the stone, the steps leading down to the promenade, with no other access to the steps.
"It would be too difficult, too risky and could take too much time and effort," Joseph says softly. "We have to go by the front entrance, up those steps,"
"And the only way to get to those is by the Promenade, with the only entrance to that by the Training Centre!" Maren snaps. "They've blocked it all up so they can filter every single person in the area. They're doing it so they know they're not being infiltrated,"
"We'll be stopped by mogs," Nine summarises briefly. Nearby Marina looks up, an idea forming in her mind and there's an excited look in her eyes.
"Not if we're mog refugees," Marina looks up. "If we dress like refugees, we can get to the front of the crowd to the Training Centre without a problem. The only major obstacle would be to slip away down the Promenade,"
"Slip down the Promenade!" Nine shakes his head. "It'll either be deserted and we'll stick out, or it'll filled with mog soldiers. We can't just slip down it. They'll stop any refugees that walk down it, and besides, why would they go in the opposite direction to safety?" Nine's amazingly got a point for once and Marina falls silent, blushing a little. But her idea wasn't stupid, in fact it was brilliant, and I can see Adam's inspired by her idea.
"We could slip down without a problem if we were mog soldiers," Adam says slowly, the gears in his mind turning.
"And how are we going to get the uniform? Or even pass as mog soldiers?" Maren demands, scrunching her eyebrows up in annoyance.
"There might be some spare mog uniforms in here," Adam suggests. "There are usually a few in weapons' shops. Or we go hunting for some. There will be enough patrols around now that we can take down some mogs and swipe their uniforms," His face fills with energy.
"Sounds gross, wearing a dead mog's uniform," Maren mutters and John nudges her gently.
"It could work," Marina says in excitement. "We wouldn't get stopped by mog refugees or the soldiers. If we were, Adam can bluff his way. He's a mog, they'd fall for it," she offers, placing a lot of trust in a famous General's infamous traitor son.
"And if I can't?" He blushes. "I'm not exactly conspicuous," he mutters. "Mog soldiers are bound to know me and hate me," he reminds her.
"Then I'll sort it," I jump in. "If I could convince Setrakus I was on his side, then I can easily use convinco on a group of mog soldiers," My confidence surprises some of the others but they don't say anything. They look around at each other, almost as if unsure after all this planning if we're actually going to do this. All this planning, all the 'what ifs' could soon be a reality and it's scary.
"It's a weak plan," John says slowly at last. "There are lots that could go wrong…" he pauses. "But it's the best we have. And if we pull it off, then we can get to the Temple as quickly as we can," he looks around. "Which is just what we need,"
"Then let's go hunt some mogs," Nine grins, standing up. His eagerness after his admission last night is surprising and I wonder if he's putting on a front or really is eager to get going. The thought of finishing this war so soon is appealing and I get up myself, gathering a few items.
Nearby the others prepare their items too. I see as Maren rummage through her backpack, taking out some extra rounds of ammo and strapping it to her large, hooped belt. She also secures a spare knife that was in her bag, as well as taking out a drinking flask that she attaches to her belt. She has her sword on her back, but I know that we can cover this with the typical mog flowing coat. We just need to make sure we grab the mogs with their special helmets, to cover our faces. I look around, noticing the others are emptying their backpacks too, leaving them in a pile in the corner.
So. They're planning on finishing this today. I look at my own small backpack, filled with a small dagger and food. I take out the dagger, shoving it into my belt, but I leave everything else. I know my role in this battle won't be physical, but mental. Besides, we might as well use all the mogs' weapons we can before we waste our own resources.
"Right, Joseph and I should be the ones to grab the mogs," Maren says to the others. "We'll be the least obvious. We grab them, take them to you as we get more," she gestures to Nine and John and Marina. "You finish them off and when we have enough uniforms, we move out," I listen to their whispers, their plans to getting the uniform. I move to join in when it happens.
It's like something grazing my mind, a tentacle of thought reaching out and touching my conscience. Instinctively I throw up a wall around my thoughts and mind, not liking the cold tinge or alien feel to the inquiry. A dark shadow seems to linger over my mind and I shiver, feeling colder and more vulnerable. I throw everything I have into the mental barriers, blocking out every snippet of my thoughts that could give away our moves and position.
Granddaughter. The tendril forms into words. Granddaughter, where are you?
I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself. How can he contact me? How is he able to do this? He's never been able to do this before. I wonder if he's been down into the vats, but last I checked in with him a few hours ago, he'd been in the Temple for the past few days.
Come to me. He whispers again. We should be working together, not fighting. Come to me and we can be as we were before you left me.
He doesn't seem to dig for any weaknesses in my wall. He doesn't seem to be trying to break down my barrier or invade my mind. Rather, he just seems to want to beckon me to him. He seems to genuinely think I would ever help him again. The arrogance makes me angry and I can feel my energy building up in me, strong and deadly.
We're coming. I reply and my voice is ten times stronger and more powerful than his was. This is almost impossible for him, but it's easy for me. We're coming for you. I imagine it as a verbal attack, every word hitting his mind with a painful blow.
I look forward to our meeting. His voice is even weaker, as if my words are hurting him. I'm not deceived.
So do I. I reply coldly. I can sense him trying to say something but I don't want to give him the satisfaction. For too long he's always had the last word in a conversation, always pulled the trump card. Not anymore.
When we find you, your time will be up. I snarl, keeping every thought under lock and key. Pittacus is going to kill you. And I'm going to help.
Before he can respond, I shove out with my mind, imaging a mental force field billowing out and striking his mind. He's too weak, the connection for him is too fragile, and he's sent spinning out of my mind in a daze. I slam up my walls again, protecting my mind. My mind falls silent.
Nearby, Nine looks at me, his face twisted in a weird expression. He doesn't say anything but I think he knows something just happened between me and Setrakus. Maybe he's guessing from the conversation we had earlier or maybe he just knows me well enough to know when I'm using my powers. Either way he doesn't say anything about it, he just comes over and lightly touches my hand.
"You ok? Good to go?" He asks gently. I nod, appreciating him not weirded out by everything.
"I'm ready," I say and I mean it. I'm ready for this all to be over.
"Well then," he straightens up, fixing me with his devil-may-care grin. "Let's go,"
With my mind still buzzing, we step out of the shop and into the City Circle. Bright sunlight shines down on us as we peer around the empty courtyard. Already, though, I can hear voices from a crowd of people, moving down a main street not too far away. And close to us, closer than we ever imagined, the Temple looms up above us.
I take a deep breath.
I'm ready.
Ok, so the battle pretty much begins next chapter! Going to be a few chapters of fighting I think (need to double check my plan, but this is it! I wonder who's going to win…haha)
Also, if Ella's new powers were confusing, they're not lasting forever. I just wanted to show that Legacy had a longer impact on her than just the blue skin and her powers are amplified so she can use them in ways she never knew she could. Unfortunately, or fortunately, that won't last forever.
Please review!
