All The Things That Had Been Given To Us Without Cost

Like a hammer in my chest, my heart attempted to beat its way out of my chest, I was sure. Why?!

[This will be fine. Calm down; this will not be something easy, but now it is said, and Ahna will speak. All you need to do is look at her and listen; this is still the same girl that you talked with casually, and also amazed with your abilities.]

Easy for the voice in my head to say, but I was the one standing here.

"Is that how you feel? That was god talking for you, right?" Ahna asked me, and I was so surprised that my nervousness fled me without my notice.

[Wow, this one has progressed quite far already!]

"Yes, it was him speaking, but it is also my fears and insecurities," I said, and took a deep breath and let it out as I looked into Ahna's eyes.

"I understand that, and only time will prove that I am not going to act like the others, but I was raised in a place where there are no Castless. Everyone can use magic in the capital, so you are the first one that I have ever really talked to. I am here for your help to stop my father, so I put my life and future in your hands," Ahna said to me, and I held her eyes the entire time.

There wasn't a trace of hesitation in them as she spoke, and I dealt with people lying and false information all the time. I knew to look for most of the time when a person was trying to lie or lead me on, but I sensed nothing from her.

Only a radiant conviction seemed to burn deep inside of her; that was all I could feel, and it pulsed from her. I didn't know what I wanted in this world, but she was definitely heading in the same direction that I was for now.

"Good, then I will try out trusting you. There are very few people in this world that I trust or even care about, but you are now going to be one of them. I have rules," I said, and Ahna gave me a strange look.

"What do you mean, rules? Are these from God?" Ahna asked curiously, but I shook my head no, my shaggy white hair tossing out as I did.

"No, these are my rules. From what I have seen so far, you act and then think and run into danger. There will be none of that without my approval. There will be things that we see, and we won't be able to do anything about without putting ourselves in greater danger," I explained, but Ahna spoke up, cutting me off.

"Wait! No, you can't just leave people if you know that you can help!" Ahna protested, and I bit my lip and then took a deep breath, sucking back my insult I was about to shout, and let out the breath.

"This is exactly what I mean. This time, it was just a few people and me! What happens if you do that for someone that can't help us? Why did you survive in that fight when you rescued me?" I shot back.

"Fine. Yes, you helped, but together we," Ahna started to say, but I put up my hand to stop her.

"No, we can not deal with the garrison of the city or even a small territory patrol! Once we reveal ourselves, then they will put tracks on us. After that, it's only a matter of time. Then we will get to the capital, just so your father can cut our heads off himself!" I almost shouted at the end, knocking the fire out of Ahna.

She finally looked away from me and turned, looked bothered, and I could understand that, but there was going to be hell trying to get to the capital. If we were going to do this, I would have to follow the rules, and we would have to turn our backs on many people along the way.

If we didn't, it could only end up one way.

[While I do agree with you, that is a dark way to look at it, and there will be times where you will be able to help people without raising alarms. You can't always look at the negative side of things, or it will start to change you into a dark person. Is that what you really want to become? I am with you no matter what path you walk; I made this choice when I wrote this into your code. This can't be removed.]

What I wanted?

"Maybe you are right, but it isn't going to be easy for me," Ahna said, but I barely heard the words she spoke, but I felt them and understood.

What path would I walk?

"None of this will be easy, but if you choose to fight, then it will be in the way that allows us to achieve the goals that we want. I have been walking this path my entire life, and I know what it takes to survive," I said but then paused.

Survive.

Was that what I wanted?

Change.

That is what I really wanted, but I would need to change myself and my world. I would return what has been given to the Castless so freely.

Despair.

Chaos.

The feeling of losing everything that they had ever held precious. These were all the things that had been given to us without cost.

"I ask that you fight by my side, and we will burn this world to the ground and remake it in our image. Everyone will learn to treat each other the way we do, but the world needs to change. You and I will train and learn to become that change, and then we will walk that path."

Something that I had never felt before welled up inside me as I spoke. Some might call this feeling hope, but to me, this feeling was something different.

Comprehension.

For the first time, I understood why C6 had called me that name. I was to be the one that breaks all the molds, casts new ones, and changes everything.

I would become the Deviant.