by Dasrim Hasik
It felt like even the smart ones masked their intelligence in order to get guys to like them better. He didn't want to deal with a woman who had to play those games. He wanted something real. It just upset him because he felt like he finally had something that felt real and he gave it up.
We can't turn back, Jackson. We can only move forward. He figured that the male voice was right. The tone was more soothing than mocking, and he figured that the voice was probably trying to apologize. There was something that he was supposed to learn, but he really wasn’t sure how he was supposed to actually learn it.
There were so many questions he wanted answered, but he didn't know who to ask anymore. Anyone that had answers sent him on a wild goose chase. That made him tired.
He would count the hours until he had Bridget back. Then he would finally team up with Bridget and continue to serve the City the best way that he knew how. It wouldn't be easy, but it would always be worth doing.
Bridget felt tired. Even though she had been in the prison for two weeks, she wanted to keep fighting. It would be easier to turn on everyone, take the rebel side. She had been promised so many things, but she knew that was part of the trap. A golden cell is still a cell, and there was no way that her captors could convince her otherwise.
She remembered all of the teasing that she had received from girls from the leadership classes, and even girls from the lower classes. They didn't understand her. She could be happy anywhere. Even right now, in prison, she held onto hope and believed fully she would be seeing Jack Stonewell again.
When they got back together, she decided that she would ask him to be part of her life forever. She had studied Earth Culture and knew that it was often the male who asked the female, but this was Reversia. Nothing was ever like Earth, not really. She wanted to ask him, and truly mean it.
She wondered what Jack would be as a husband. Would he want children with her? She had slipped off to the hospital one evening for a quiet appointment and discovered that she could indeed have children, and her chances for a healthy birth were quite excellent.
There was nothing to fear and certainly nothing that would make her feel like having children was off limits to her. She wanted to have a big family because every child would remind her of Jack. But that future felt far away, and no amount of positive thinking could keep her from counting the hours.
A set of heavy and light footsteps startled her. It was that high ranking female again, and another male with her. She grinned at Bridget.
"I'm taking a little trip. When I get back, I think I will have the perfect solution for this little problem that you have of disobeying commands. I will break you, little girl. You have no idea how bad I want to crush you between my toes." She walked off; leaving Bridget with no reply she could give. That's how it always was.
Bridget hummed to herself, keeping her energy up through good thoughts of Jack. She remembered him in the shower, his copper colored hair wet from a quick wash -- he never liked to stay in the shower long. We will be together, my good king. We will save the nation...together. I will not believe anything else.
Restless didn't begin to describe Delise Ridgeway's mood. She hated living under Raest's thumb, but she couldn't figure out how to shake him. She didn't think the new king was really all that bad, but to voice such an opinion would be treason.
So she covered her tracks by thinking about overthrowing Raest instead. It was what he would predict her thinking, so it pleased him. Keeping him satisfied was a constant battle.
A man of Raest's mental power was not fazed by mere sex alone -- after all, he could invite any fan of the rebel faction into his bed at any time. She didn't feel special because he favored her for the moment.
There would always be a moment, and nothing more than that. There would always be a time where she would wish for something more, but wishes wouldn't get her very far.
Most did not know this part of Rollander, but she knew it well. Once upon a time, she had actually had a happy life there. She had met the man of her dreams, a Reversian man that had wanted a quieter place to raise a family.
For a while, everything felt good. But when the City of Reversia went through the Great Desertion, as many Rollanders called it. That meant times got lean for a lot of people, including her family in the merchant class.
Without the rapid spending that everyone indulged in, her family struggled. They called her back home to them in order to have an extra set of hands, but her Rollanderian mate wasn't as welcome there.
The rebels came sweeping in, and the skirmish left her being pulled into the new faction in order to spare her family's lives. Her mate was killed in the battle, leaving her adrift. That was the last time she thought about her heart.
Lately though, she had been seeing a new dream rising, becoming stronger and stronger. It wasn't like she was directly connected to the new king at all. She had hardly known him when she was living in Rollander, the city that was off to the east of Reversia. But she felt drawn, and there was nothing she could do about it.
"You are always so stuck in your head. Dreaming of overthrowing our Commander again?"
Graig was a man who followed orders. That was all you could really say about him. He certainly wasn’t attractive, and he definitely wasn't charming. But he could be bought and paid for as long as you had the right currency.
He would do anything to move up in the world, and he never failed to let people know. He wanted to make sure that he would be safe in case things in the revolution moment didn't work out.
It was silently understood between the two of them that they would never speak out loud what both of them knew -- they needed the king to stay. Reversia during the Great Desertion was awful, and nobody wanted that again. If the king was killed, the land would get dry again.
The last few months had been paradise everywhere except Schaler, which was cut off from the benefits thanks to Raest's mentalcraft.
Graig wasn't skilled in the mental arts at all, but he was handy with a sword and could pretty much use any other weapon you could think of. The man knew everything there was to know about making weapons bigger, better, and more deadly.
He enjoyed the curveblade's power to really maim a foe, but he adhered to a set of laws that only he could understand. Some victims were spared, while others were viciously destroyed under his hand.
Graig was loyal to Delise for the moment, but even he had his price. He was leering at her, pouting. "You still smell like him. I want you to smell like me."
Delise fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Whatever. Look, keep your wits about you. We have to go to Outer Rollander where I know the Weavers think they are undiscovered. I have a plan within a plan that needs to be done." She flicked her fingers, bringing mental energy up through her body to her hand, ready for anything.
"The Weavers are a people who do all things for their own benefit. We have to tread carefully, and well... you're a meathead, Graig. If anyone is going to get snared, it's you. Do what I tell you to do."
"Whatever. I got you."
She manifested a long scooter that had a handle for her to steer. It wasn't as flashy as that red car that Jack Stonewell enjoyed, but it was going to be fast enough to take her where she needed to go.
There was a bit of fear and nervousness. When they were a free people, the Weavers were a force to be reckoned with. The rebels should have never slaughtered one of their camps. There would be a lot of sacrificing that would need to be done, but she knew she could handle it.
Under Raest's command, she had already committed a thousand atrocities. What would be one more? I count the hours until I am truly free. For Reversia's sake, I hope that I'm not too late.
Chapter 6: Consumption
Alara paced. The days and nights were beginning to blend into each other. She knew it had been three days since the scary woman had left, and she wasn't sure when she would be back. The woman felt odd to her, but she couldn't figure out why. It would be time to start looking for a way o
ut.
Over time, Bridget's attitude was becoming more and more relaxed, calmer with each passing day. She smiled at Alara a lot, and seemed to almost take joy in Alara's frustrations. "Do you think that you scare me, merchant girl?"
Bridget waved a hand. "There's nothing to fear from me, but I can say the same about you. I don't care about you anymore. You've shown your side. I know what I need to do now."
The eerie replies bothered Alara as well. What did that really mean? What was going to actually happen to her here? The guards were even getting nervous about it. Bridget's eyes began to turn a pure white, without pupil, while her freckles turned a smoky purple. It gave her face a strange beauty, and Alara felt mesmerized by it.
The pure calm that floated around Bridget seemed to both frighten and soothe Alara. She didn't know why Bridget seemed to be so at peace, and she didn’t really care. It meant a lot of different things happening at once, but she wasn't sure what.
She felt something pulling at her, but she couldn't place what was happening either. She just knew that something was going to happen eventually, and that meant she was going to need to keep her guard up at all times.
It was better than feeling like she couldn't accomplish anything just because she was imprisoned. As odd as it was, she wanted to work with Bridget. She never liked Bridget before, and she really didn't want to see Jack end up with Bridget. She wasn't even on the same level as she was, so why even try to pretend? They weren't from the same world at all. And yet…she wanted to help.
She still missed her family, and wanted so badly to be home, but she knew it wasn't going to happen. Things had just spiraled out of control and there was no turning back. It really was like she had been told: you just can't go back. You can never go back. Something was changing in Bridget, consuming her completely. Alara didn't know what it would be, but she had a feeling it would be manifesting itself very soon.
Outer Rollander was beautiful, in its own way. Delise navigated the thick river on her scooter, unfazed by the spiny fish that were waiting to gobble her up if she made the wrong move. Graig held on to her tightly, partially out of fear of falling. He also wanted to get close to her without having to fear her curveblade taking more than just his eyeballs.
They were in the Land of the Weavers, and they both knew it. They could feel the mental energy crackling in the air. If the Weavers knew they were there, they didn't do anything. They could both see mental traps, calling to them. It was a song that sounded so good, even though the music wasn't actually audible. The mental traps played on the wants, dreams, and hopes of the viewer.
That's why Outer Rollander was protected -- very few people could make it there and back without losing a piece of themselves. It was a land that didn't tolerate outsiders, but loved its residents with all its soul.
Delise continued to navigate, focusing her thoughts. The traps didn't mess with her, choosing to sing mostly to Graig. She bound him tightly to her with her own mentalcraft, determined not to lose him.
"Graig. We are almost there. Hold on. Don't let it consume you."
Graig moaned, but didn't say anything else. His grip on her was enforced by Delise's mental movements, but his mind was very loud on what it really wanted.
He wanted to jump in the water and give his mind over to the mental traps that lay in wait, for the mind spiders that would feast on him. He didn't know that part, but Delise knew that. She had lived in Rollander, and knew more about this land than anyone else.
It felt like hours had passed before they got to their real destination. It was a flat piece of land bordered by high hills, with a circle of thick black slabs. There was a grand throne made in the center, where all eyes could look at the storyteller.
She did a fast transport number to get them onto the landing, and she moved into the circle. Graig dutifully followed her, smirking out of the corner of her eye. "You know, this is a nice quiet spot…we could talk about that other part of my fee now."
He grinned and pinched her lower back.
"I wonder what really makes Raest want you in bed."
Before he could make another move, a blue haired woman fluttered onto the scene, waving a long staff at the two of them.
"Why have you come here? What is your desire, and what is your gift?"
She moved her hand, breaking the mental bond between her and Graig without batting an eyelash.
"You will not harm anyone while you are in these lands, strange male."
Graig tried to look apologetic. "Forgive me, lady. I...ah..."
The woman moved to look at Delise. "And you? What is your desire?"
She took a deep breath and took down all of the shields around her mind. There was a shift in mental power as the woman began to smile, truly understand.
"I will verify this dream. If you are attempting to hide, it will destroy your mind in the process of discovery. Do you accept?"
"I do."
"Very brave. You may stay."
"Thank you."
"And your gift?"
Delise smiled and the woman laughed. "How fitting."
For a few moments, Graig didn't really know what the women were talking about. He just wanted to go. He just wanted to get back to looting or terrorizing or something.
But there was a lovely music going around him, and he saw a young girl waving to him. When he waved back, she giggled. That set him off -- he wanted to get his hands on her. She was clearly smaller than he was, and she would be easy prey.
What Graig didn't know was that it was all in his head. He fed on being the stronger party, the conqueror. The land would soon conquer him as he walked dutifully into the same river of spiny fish and mental traps. He was so lost in the illusion that he didn't feel the insistent mental tendrils tearing apart his mind piece by piece, until there was nothing left.
That was the danger of threatening anything vicious on land owned by Weavers. You just never knew when you'd fall prey to consumption.
Raest had to win. He had to -- he could not be consumed by the boy king. That's what would happen if he were captured. He would like to think that the boy king would at least give him a trial, but he knew the political pressures on the king would be too high.
He was a rebel now, and even if he was captured, he would not be allowed to live. They would fear too much that he was going to escape. They were right to have that worry, very right to have it. It wasn't like he couldn't escape out of just about anything.
He was glad that he slaughtered his competition. He couldn't be stopped at this point. His mind was too powerful, and his physical prowess was just as strong. It was something that he knew he could rely on even when everyone else failed.
Once he beat Jack Stonewell at his own game, he would get rid of Delise. She would just try to overthrow him anyway, so why should he keep her longer than what he needed to?
That was only going to complicate matters. If he had a heart, he would love and cherish her. In a way, she was just like him. Ambitious and determined, dedicated to a cause.
But he really never knew if she would stab him in the back or not. He couldn't tell much of anything. He would sometimes wake up with a growing sense of dread, but he brushed that off.
Last minute nervousness hadn't plagued him since he was a boy, but that didn't mean that it couldn't creep up on him. He was capable of winning, and he knew it. He just needed to have his mental skills as sharp as possible.
Yet there was something squeezing him a little more each day. When he figured out what it was, he would crush it immediately. The only question was how fast he could work, while this invisible force threatened to take everything that he had? He would not be consumed. He would not be consumed. He would NOT be consumed.
Chapter 7: Dreamer Meet Dreamers
Jack!
He was awake yet still asleep, floating on a strange island of possibilities. This wandering island of maybe was in his head, but the woman he loved more than anyone else in the world was calling to him.
> I'm alive! We'll be together soon! Don't give up on me!
He could hear her, but he could barely see her. As he focused though, her outline became clearer. He noticed the lack of pupils, her pure white eyes looking at him. It was eerie, and it scared him.
You've changed, but I know it's you! Bridget, I'm sorry...
Jack, I don't have a lot of time right now. I forgive you, darling for everything and anything you wish to seek forgiveness for. Wait for me!
He was going to respond. He was going to tell her that he never wanted to stop thinking about her, that he wasn't going to give up on her. But she began to fade away completely, leaving him crushed all over again.
It felt like he was so close to having her, only to be disappointed again. It was a lot to live with, and he was tired of living with it. It was agony in spades -- he had to sit and know that she was alive somewhere that she didn't want to be, and he had to get her back.
One way or another, he really needed to get her back before it was too late. He wanted to reach out for her one more time and smell her skin fresh from the shower. He wished that he had spent the off times more with her than on all of the business and political demands of a businessman turned king.
He consoled himself a little bit, here and there. There was still going to be time to make everything right. He would make it right. He would still go to Bridget. He would still make sure that she was there for him. They would be together and he would actually make her his wife this time.
And if someone tried to take her away from him again, he would be there. He would show them that they couldn't be separated like that again.
Very good, Jack. But are you really ready to have the power to take back what belongs to you?
Yes! How can you ask me that?
The road will not be easy. With the speed that you need, this will be very painful for you. What is your answer now?
I need to commit, don't I? I need to fight, don't I? If you want to be there for me, then fine -- support me, but show me the way. Allow me the opportunity to adjust. I...