Interlude: She Gives Her Harness Bells A Shake
"Whose woods these are I think I know," she sang, as she danced with the butterflies in the garden, "his house is in the village though."
Her hair was gold, her eyes grey. She wore a long white dress, frilled at the edges, stained slightly from the grass.
"Alicia, petit pois, come get ready for the game!"
"Oui, mama." The young girl called back, stopping her game to rush towards the house. It was framed by snowcapped mountains, all dark wood and tall windows, and the valley was a lush green.
She lived with her papa, and mama, and her granpapa, but not her granmama because she was with Aubin, her old dog, and not them. She went to school, too, and it was okay.
Papa told her it was built in an old church, because he liked things like that when he was away from the oil rig.
Her granpapa also taught her to fish over the summer, which she enjoyed, because the little fishies scales would glitter in the sun.
Alicia was happy.
It would not last.
()()()()()()()()
She triggered with a useful power, and so she was kept alive.
Alicia was allowed to sing, too, as long as she helped them steal, and kill. They became very successful because of her, and Alicia knew it.
Enough that she would push, and push again after being punished, learning the limits of what she was allowed to do. Learning when to stand, and when to give. Their leader called her 'Lepin Blanc', because he thought her lucky and himself witty.
She would learn their lessons of violence as well, and apologised in her head for what she had to do to survive. Alicia did feel sorry for them, but they would die anyway.
For a time, they roamed Europe, and grew fat from their crimes and her strength.
It would not last.
She could see, now. They had won because of that, and her Tinker partner. Her love.
The Earths were ruined, scarred and burnt by the rage of a petty god, but they lived and he did not. That was a lesson Alicia had never forgot.
She carried on, for a time, as did they all, but now there were no green valleys, no white mountains, and the streams were clogged with soot and ash.
They turned to her, and for all she could see still she was blind to a solution.
One by one they left, turned away, and Alicia let them go. She let herself leave, too, because she had also learnt when to give.
"My name is Eden. I do believe we have much to discuss, Alicia Oberg. Do have a seat."
For a time, she had faith.
It would not last.
()()()()()()()()
She loved her little sister very much. More than her brothers, but they loved little Khepri more than her too.
They believed, much as Al... much as Ali... as she did, and so they watched, and hoped. Khepri grew, came into her powers, forged her own path.
She stood tall, and when the moment of awakening came she did not falter. She learned to push. It worked, and as time went on Khepri became Taylor more and more. She remembered before, and she learnt from it. As Al... as she had.
Khepri needed a final nudge. Her cape friend was lost, in the storming sand, and Al... and Ali... and she saw her opportunity.
"I am sorry, little sister. I have promises to keep."
She had learned when to strike for her own survival a long time ago in years that will never happen, and so the human was guided to make his sacrifice.
Khepri's grief burnt over their link, and the three of them hoped, but then she was distracted by a foe and the moment passed.
Khepri returned, unchanged, but Ziz did not lose herself to despair despite the chains.
They would not last.
Quotes taken from 'Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening' by Robert Frost.
Poor Cauldron, taking all the blame. Shame on you all.