Tinko instinctively sat down on a ledge and looked up eagerly at his professor. It was like he was back in school again.
“From what I have surmised, The Scales exist first and foremost to maintain the balance of power. And that means that sometimes, not everyone returns.”
Tinko appeared confused, so Lucan continued. “The Scales are just that – a scale. They only tip when one side is heavier than the other. During battles, like the one at Octavian’s Pass and the brief one we had up here in the courtyard, Reytana and Gartune are both killed at roughly the same time. It makes sense then, that their auras would reach The Scales at the same time.”
The strained look on Tinko’s face made it apparent that he was trying to work out the solution but was still having trouble. “Think of it like this, Tinko. If the aura of two Gartune and two Reytana reach The Scales at the same time, would The Scales tip?”
Understanding dawned on Tinko’s face. “They wouldn’t, because the weight on each side would still be even,” said Tinko.
“Correct,” replied Lucan. “The Scales only tip when their balance is off – when one side sustains more casualties than the other. I suspect, during the initial ambush, that most of the Reytana who died were replaced because the Gartune did not sustain many fatalities. During the confrontation at the river between Loras and Hadrian, the Gartune sustained more losses thanks to Regan and Xander’s assistance. During this time, more Gartune were replaced than Reytana.”
“Then during our fight up here in the courtyard?” asked Tinko.
“That one would be more difficult to predict. Both sides sustained roughly the same amount of losses, but again, it all depends on exactly when the deaths occurred. I imagine it only takes a few seconds for the aura of a fallen Reytana or Gartune to tip The Scales into the lake on Pinecrest Mountain, thus releasing the aura back into the water. It’s only when equal amounts of aura reach both sides of the scale at exactly the same time, that The Scales don’t tip.”
“So, what happens to the aura that doesn’t get spilled back into the water for reincarnation?” asked Tinko.
“I suspect it is just… collected,” explained Lucan.
“Fascinating…” mused Tinko.
Just then Regan let out a little moan. She rubbed her forehead and grimaced.
“Are you ok?” said Tinko. “You don’t look so well. And I noticed that you haven’t been eating much lately.”
“It’s nothing,” said Regan, continuing to rub her temples. “I’ve just felt a little… off… lately.” She gave Tinko a weak smile. “Must be the stress of the job.”
Lucan examined the queen. She seemed a bit peaked to him. He took one of her hands in his. It felt clammy.
“Seriously, it’s nothing,” said Regan as she took back her hand.
“Maybe, but I think the doctor should take a look at you anyway. Mr. Tinko, can you please go fetch him?”
“Anything for my queen,” said Tinko. He turned and walked back to the ladder. As he descended, they heard him muttering about an elevator.
“You’re lucky to have him,” said Lucan.
“I’m lucky to have all of you,” replied Regan as she turned her attention to the courtyard below. It was nearly seven in the morning, which meant training was about to begin. The Fallen Reytana had taken to their lessons like a mendkin to moonlight. It wasn’t only the sword and the shield that they had picked up quickly, but also the basic fundamentals of being a person. Regan was most impressed by how quickly they had learned to speak. For beings that had spent their entire lives in silence, language came surprisingly easy to them. It had only been a few months, but almost all of them could not only speak coherently but read and write a little as well.
It helped that they had excellent teachers. All of the Lost Reytana had volunteered to teach their younger brethren in some way or another. Be it language, swordplay, or even the basics of being part of a civilized society, there was always an older Reytana there to help one of the young ones. During their mentorship, several of the older Reytana had grown very close to their pupils and had decided to adopt them. Only a few of the Fallen remained without a mother or a father. Regan was confident that, when the time was right, they would all be adopted. In the meantime, a group of torman Reysene had taken it upon themselves to foster the remaining Reytana until proper parents could be found. Of course, Lucan was the head of this group.
A few Reytana had begun to fill into the courtyard and began stretching for their morning exercises. The first one to arrive was always Dario. And right behind him, without fail, was Adem. Adem was the first of the Fallen to be adopted. The Gartolians hadn’t been gone two hours before Dario informed the young Reytana that he would be his new father. Somehow, Adem had known exactly what that meant and the two had been inseparable ever since.
Regan smiled when she spotted Dario and Adem walking together in the center of the courtyard. Adem was excitedly trying to show Dario some new maneuver he had just learned. He swung his sword wildly in front of him and ended up singeing the cape of a nearby instructor. Dario apologized to the instructor, then patiently took Adem’s arm and corrected his form. He watched approvingly as Adem practiced the maneuver again, except slower this time.
“Fatherhood suits him nicely,” said Lucan.
“And you as well,” said Regan. “What you’re doing with the orphans is invaluable, Professor. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Ah,” said Lucan, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Besides, it won’t be long before they’re all adopted. Then I’ll have to go back to enhancing the hearts and minds of the regular old torman children.”
“Hey, I was once a regular old torman child!” said Regan. “They need enhancing just as much as everyone else.”
“True, but you were never a torman.”
“I suppose not,” said Regan. “How were you able to keep that secret for so long? I know if it was me, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
“I almost slipped a few times,” recalled Lucan with a chuckle. “There were several instances when I wanted to tell your brother to start acting like a king!”
“I’m not sure that would have gone over like you wanted,” said Regan.
“No, probably not. I would have hated to see how Loras acted if he thought he was royalty.”
They both laughed.
“I miss him,” said Regan.
“I miss him too,” said Lucan. “We’ll get him back. I promise you we will.”
Regan smiled at her professor, but her eyes said that she didn’t entirely believe him.
“What’s all this about you not feeling well and why am I just now hearing about it?” Xander leapt lightly over the ladder and onto the roof. He nodded at Lucan as he strode over to Regan and put a concerned hand on her head.
“Is this why you haven’t been eating?” he asked, moving his hand from her forehead to her cheek.
“It’s nothing, really. Just stress.” said Regan.
“I told you that you’ve been doing too much. You should let me take some of it off your plate. After all, I did basically run this city for five years. I think I know what I’m doing.”
“Like I said the last ten times you offered, thank you but I need to do this myself. The Reysene need to see that a Reytana is in charge – for real this time. I don’t want anyone thinking that you’re pulling my strings like you did with Dario.”
A mischievous grin crept on Xander’s face. “Pulling your strings, eh? You mean like this string?” He playfully plucked an imaginary string on Regan’s side and she jumped backwards.
“You two get a room!” shouted Tinko from the opposite side of the roof. He had the doctor with him.
“Oh good, you’re just in time!” said Xander. “The patient was starting to get unruly.” Regan playfully shoved Xander with her elbow. “See what I mean!” he said.
The doctor examined Regan in silence for several minutes. It was not the first time that he had attended to her
, but it was the first time as the queen. Normally, the doctor liked to joke and make conversation while he was checking out a patient. Regan remembered a time when she was ten and she thought she had broken her arm. The doctor had unloaded what seemed like an endless supply of jokes on her. She couldn’t believe how many jokes he knew. She guessed it was just part of being a doctor. But as the doctor’s silence continued and his examination got longer and longer, concern began to grow among the group.
“So, what’s the story, Doc?” asked Xander. He was starting to get agitated. The doctor said nothing. Instead, he rummaged through his bag and eventually emerged with an instrument that he had already used twice.
“I said, what’s going on?” asked Xander again, his voice raised. The doctor raised his hand to quiet him. He continued to examine Regan.
As he progressed, his expression varied between confusion and concern. Several times he rummaged through his bag, looking for a tool that apparently did not exist. Each time he returned to Regan with the same mixture of worry and confusion. The tension among the group was palpable. Finally, the doctor zipped up his bag and shook his head.
“What does that mean?!” shouted Xander. “There must be something you can do! You’re a doctor for gods’ sakes!”
“There’s nothing I can do,” said the doctor, staring down at his bag. Xander lost it.
“This is all your fault!” he pointed at Lucan. “I told you not to push her so hard! She wasn’t ready for all of this!”
Lucan started to respond but the doctor interjected.
“Actually, I suspect it’s your fault,” said the doctor. He looked up at the Gartune with an odd expression on his face. Xander was so worked up that he couldn’t speak. Regan placed her hand gently on Xander’s shoulder and a calm came over him. He looked at her and then took a deep breath and placed his own hand on top of hers.
“Doctor, please,” said Regan calmly. “It’s ok. Just tell us what is wrong with me.”
The doctor looked from Xander to Regan as if he was looking at one person. Then he smiled. “There’s nothing wrong, my queen. You’re pregnant.”
The End of Book One.
◆◆◆
The Omega Prophesies:
Chapter One
Loras sat on the ground of his subterranean cell and imagined the sun. With closed eyes, he let the warmth in his mind radiate down his neck and through his entire body. Not until each finger and each toe had touched a delicious trickle of warmth did Loras release the image in his mind. Slowly, the warmth left him and the chill of his cell pressed hard against his skin. He clenched his fists and some lingering heat deep within him rose to the surface and fought with the cold until, eventually, a lukewarm equilibrium was reached. There was no cold. There was no warmth. There was just air. Loras let out a sigh and opened his eyes.
It took a few seconds for his surroundings to come into focus. The cell didn’t offer much by way of scenery. Three roughly hewn walls of thick rock and a row of iron bars in front encompassed Loras' small, square cell. A thin blanket on the floor made up his bed and a hole in the corner his latrine. The rest of the cell was empty. Over the past three months, Loras had memorized every inch of it. He could close his eyes and trace every contour in the rock walls, each crack in the floor and each stalactite in the ceiling. Before he had taught himself the sun visualization trick, memorizing his cell had been the only thing he could think of to keep his mind occupied; to keep him from going insane.
For a Reytana like Loras, being trapped underground was more than imprisonment; it was torture. As a Tormada, Loras needed the sun like tormans needed food and water. It was how he drew his power. It was what fueled him. Cut off from the sun, Loras was quite literally suffocating, so much so that he almost didn't make it through the first couple of weeks after his capture.
The first few days were the worst. Stuck in the cold, dark cell, alone and confused, Loras nearly lost his mind.
Madness began to visit him in his dreams. Suddenly, he wasn't alone in his cell. His twin sister, Regan was there too. But she wasn't alone. Xander, the prince of Gartol – Reysa's sworn enemy – stood next to her and the two of them laughed at Loras as he cowered in the dark. Xander kissed his sister and then winked at Loras. The couple laughed harder. Loras tried to stand and fight Xander but some unseen power held him down. He could not move. Xander and Regan laughed even harder. He tried to scream but no sound came out of his mouth. Then they were gone, and everything was black again.
As the days went on, Loras was visited by similar dreams. Sometimes it was his sister and Xander laughing at him. Other times, his old school teacher, Professor Lucan, was standing over him with an admonishing scowl. Even friendly faces like his best friend Tinko would turn on him, saying that his imprisonment was payback for all the times that Loras had teased him.
One day, Loras dreamt that his old waif companion, Declin, was standing outside his cell whispering through the bars. Loras had not seen Declin since the two of them arrived at Gartol. But he had heard him. They had been put in separate cells, and Loras could sometimes hear Declin's screams from down the hall as he was mercilessly interrogated for the first couple of weeks. However, he had not heard a sound for quite some time. Loras assumed that his old companion was dead. He was ashamed to admit that the thought relieved him. He didn't think he could stand to hear much more screaming.
But now, the old waif stood battered and beaten, but very much alive outside of Loras' cell. He whispered something through the bars, but Loras couldn’t make it out. Declin nervously looked around and then beckoned for Loras to come closer. Groggily, Loras waved an arm at Declin.
"Go away... you're not real," said Loras. Declin kicked the bar in front of him and the sound echoed through Loras' cell. "Leave me alone," whined Loras.
"Get your floater arse off of da ground and get over 'ere!" yelled Declin. This time, Loras could hear him quite clearly.
"You're dead!" yelled Loras. "This is all just a dream!"
"Come over 'ere and I'll show ya how dead I am!"
"Fine," said Loras as he grudgingly got up from the ground. "If that's what it will take for you to leave me alone." Just as Loras stepped within a few feet of his cell bars, Declin reached through one of the gaps and poked Loras with something sharp.
"Ouch!" yelled Loras and he jumped backward, holding the spot where Declin had stabbed him. He looked down and there was blood on his fingers.
"Der! Still tink dat I'm not real?"
"Ok, now I'm undecided," said Loras as he licked the blood off his fingers to see if it was real.
Declin rolled his eyes. "Dey don't make 'em much thicker dan you, do they? So how is ya holdin' up?"
"I'm still alive," said Loras, "which is more than I may or may not be able to say about you."
"Ay, they gave it der best shot, they did. But ol' Declin ain't no pipken."
"Ok, well then assuming that you're not dead, how did you get out of your cell? What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on you, dummy! Ain't the first cell I've ‘ad to break out of in my time, and likely won't be da last. Unless you plan on makin' this yer new home, I recommend you do da same."
"Great! Then let me out of here!"
Declin shook his head. "Ain't as easy as dat. I don't have no key."
Loras looked confused. "Then how did you get out?"
Declin smirked. "Yous gotta work for it." As he said this, he tossed the sharp object that he had used to poke Loras into his cell. It clattered on the ground behind him. Just then, the sound of footsteps came from down the hall.
"Dis be where I leave ya," said Declin, turning away from Loras' cell.
"Wait!" shouted Loras, reaching through the bars. "You've got to get me out of here! I don't know if I can make it much longer. It's so cold. I can't breathe down here!"
Declin turned back and whispered to Loras, "Just because your body is trapped down 'ere doesn't mean your mind has to be." And with that he turned and disappear
ed down the hall.
Loras grabbed the sharp object off of the floor and tried to jam it into the lock of his prison door, but the keyhole was much too small. The footsteps grew closer. Loras jumped back into his bed and covered himself with his blanket just as the footsteps reached his cell. Two Gartune sentries stared down at him through the bars. Loras pretended to be asleep. One of the sentries tapped his eüroc against the bars, but Loras remained still. The other Gartune grunted, and then the two of them walked away.
As he lay there, he tried to imagine that he was back in Reysa. It was difficult. The underground cell made it hard to remember anything bright or warm, but he tried anyway. He imagined fighting with Tinko with tree sticks in the street after school. He remembered the wind flowing through his hair as he flew on a giant hovercraft through Octavian's Pass. Each memory only lasted a couple of seconds before the cold washed it away. Loras became frustrated. He decided to concentrate on something simpler. He thought of the sun.
At first, it was nothing more than a yellow dot in the back of his mind. But the more he concentrated, the larger the dot became. As it grew, warmth began to fill Loras' body. He concentrated harder. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. Still, he concentrated more until the sun became so large that it filled his mind completely. Heat radiated all over Loras' body. Suddenly, he realized that he had been holding his breath the entire time. As he opened his eyes and gasped for air, darkness slapped him in the face. The sheen of sweat covering his skin immediately chilled, sending a tingling sensation all over his body. It was a shock to the system, but a welcome one. For the first time in a long time, Loras felt alive.
Over the following weeks, Loras taught himself how to ease the transition from hot to cold when he did his visualizations. He found that he only needed to warm himself a few times a day in order to fight off the cold. It helped that he also had a new way to pass his time. Digging.
The object that Declin had given to Loras was a rudimentary pickaxe made out of stone. At first, Loras had thought that Declin used it to pick the lock of his cell, but as he examined the worn edges of the tool, the truth became clear. Declin had dug himself to freedom. And Loras would have to do the same.
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