Revelations (2)

"It's been only one year since I went against the government. Before joining the rebels, I was something I despise today more than anything. I was one of them; a General." He stopped and analyzed my face, searching for any sign of rejection. I kept my expression serious without showing the surprise I was feeling. A general. One of the men who tortured me so many times during my life.

"My father is a renowned naval admiral, and I followed in his footsteps, only in the Army. I worked directly for Orion. I did the services that were considered special, the dirtiest possible. I killed many people with my own hands, Althea. Few believed that I had such strength and therefore underestimated me. I was too young and used to even be proud of what I did."

"A little over a year ago, my father said that I would be honored by Orion, that I was old enough to know the plans that the World Government had and that I had also achieved a position of high prestige in the Army. I, too, had already gained Orion's trust, as had my father. So, I was taken to the most feared and safest prison in the world; a place where Orion sends his greatest enemies and strongest opponents or threats to his government. And that is when I met you."

I couldn't contain the shock in my eyes. It all made sense. That's how he was able to recognize me when he and Joseph were rescuing me from the prison. He had met me before.

"When I saw you, I was... amazed." Dominic continued. "I couldn't find any explanation for that. How could such a fragile creature be the government's greatest weapon? It was clear that you were the other descendant. Orion's plans for you were perverse. When I saw you, it was like my heart was beating for the first time, in many, many years... I tried to ignore it, but I was no longer sleeping, just thinking about you, thinking about what he wanted to do, and I couldn't allow that. When I realized all my loyalty to Orion was gone. I had been loyal to him since I was little, since when I first met him. I always wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. But that loyalty was over that day."

"You opened my eyes and my heart, and that was something that had no turning back. I was not the same; my conscience had finally awakened. I felt the need to protect you, and I couldn't take that anxiety anymore. I decided that I would do my best to get you closer to me, and I promised myself that I would keep you safe. So, I deserted. I left everything I had, and with the help of my mother, I ran away and joined Joseph. Actually, he was the one that found me. He has quite an interesting gift." Dominic paused for a second and then continued. "But just after I ran away, they hid you. They moved you from Carthage and sent you to a prison on the other side of the world. We spent a year looking for you. And at last, we finally found you."

Dominic had seen me before... but I didn't remember. I remembered being transferred from where I was and the long voyage by ship, but I had no notion of time and no memory of Dominic. However, I felt that, somehow, I knew him. Perhaps, just as he had an 'awakening' when he first saw me, I also had one when I saw him. And that feeling made me trust his words, even when I hardly knew him or Joseph.

For that very reason, I couldn't lie to them. They couldn't trust me.

"I don't want to deceive you and Joseph. I would like to help end those who harm others, but I must insist that I am more of an enemy than an ally. I am weak, and at the same time, I can kill anyone in front of me. I don't know to what extend goes my powers. Nor do I have the slightest control over it. I don't know how I could face Orion and be of any help to you."

"I want you to understand that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You saved my life, my soul. You should not rush to say that you are not capable, as we are sure you are. Don't worry about fighting now. We will protect you. We cannot destroy the government in one day. In time you will become stronger; I will help you. But it all depends on what you will choose. You are not obliged to fight, and we will understand if you don't want to get involved in this. It's a dangerous path."

"I make your words mine." I told him. "I want more than anything to go with you, however..."

"Great! I'm going to call Joseph." Dominic spoke with a smile, not letting me finish my sentence.

In a matter of seconds, I was alone in the heated room. I could only hear the sound of my heart beating. Was that... happiness? I finally understood. I understood who I was. Why I existed.

I was a Descendant. And that was the reason why I was imprisoned. That was the reason why I was... different.

A few seconds after leaving the room, Dominic was already back with Joseph. I tried to get up, but once again, Dominic stopped me.

"How are you feeling now?" asked Joseph.

"I feel... a bit confused. And overwhelmed." I replied with sincerity. "But overall, my wounds are not hurting anymore."

"Very good." said Joseph with a big smile. "I will leave early tomorrow to hunt and collect supplies for our trip to the island of Lyrus. You will stay here with Dominic. We will have a lot of time to answer all the questions that you will have and, in any case, it's already late. You must sleep well tonight to fully recover by tomorrow."

"Yes, I will. Thanks for everything, Joseph. Good night and good luck tomorrow on the hunt."

"Good night, Althea." he said.

While Joseph left the room, he closed the door without noise, and I could still see a smile on his face. It was also amazingly natural the way that the conversations were flowing with him.

Dominic, in the meantime, was still standing in the middle of the room, analyzing me. I didn't want him to leave as well. As if listening to my thoughts, he pulled out a chair and sat next to me. Dominic then pushed me gently, forcing me to lie down once again in the bed while covering me with a thick blanket.

"Do you want me to stay here until you sleep?"

"Sincerely... yes... but I think you'd better go to sleep as well. You must be tired after today." I replied.

Dominic then reached to my right hand and held it. He stroked my head with the other hand as if I was some kind of a small animal. At that moment, I could see the kindness in his eyes, and I questioned myself for fearing that man before.

I tried to force myself not to fall asleep. I wanted that moment to last an eternity. Nobody had ever treated me that way before, and the feeling of safeness and warmth started rising on my chest. I didn't know that people could be that kind towards others.

"You are safe now, Althea. You can rest."

Yes. I was safe. They knew who I was and still accepted me. I had finally met people who were not afraid of who I was. They treated me as human. I felt so relieved that my eyes were closing little by little until the moment when sleep overcame me.

I had a dreamless and peaceful night. I woke up with the sun rays entering through the window, touching my face. One more day had passed, and I was still living that fantastic dream.

I got up and found the bathroom on my own. It seemed that I was on the second floor of what looked like a small chalet. I realized then that I was possibly in the house of the doctor who attended us. I found the stairs and went down, arriving at an empty room. I walked a little more until I finally reached the kitchen, where the doctor was eating breakfast at a round table with four empty chairs. He then noticed my presence and made a gesture, inviting me to sit down. It took me a few seconds to overcome the feeling of embarrassment for not knowing very well how to greet him. The doctor then served me milk and food while I got accommodated.

"You already look much better than yesterday, young lady. Those boys did very well in bringing you here. You healed at an amazing speed, almost like you have special powers." he said while laughing. I then smiled at him shyly without knowing what to say. " Oh, of course. I forgot! We haven't been introduced yet. I am Valmir. I am the doctor of this village." he continued, very excited, stretching out his hand.

"I am Althea." I spoke taking his hand and shaking it. "I am very grateful for your help and care yesterday. It is thanks to you that I feel much better already."

"Yes, yes! We can remove the bandages now. I just hope you and your friends don't get in trouble again. Joseph told me that you came across a group of Hunters." Valmir chattered, pulling me aside, cutting the bandages, and throwing them in the dump next to the bench. I moved my arm, happy to have it free again. " In fact, I have to thank both Joseph and Dominic for taking care of them. Those savages were tormenting the residents on our small island."

"Doctor Valmir, did you see if they left?" I asked when I noticed the silence in the chalet.

"The youngest, Joseph, went out early to hunt in the forest; I didn't even see him. Dominic is finally asleep. He's been up all night, watching you, I must say. He only laid down after I woke up and when he was sure I would keep an eye on you. He's a great kid and seems to care a lot about your safety. You have very reliable friends, young lady."

" Yes indeed, they are great. And I think some sleep will do well for Dominic. "I replied. "Would it be alright if I took a walk around? I didn't have a chance to see the surroundings yesterday."

" Excellent idea! But don't go too far, or I will certainly have problems with the young lads." laughed once again the doctor.

I finished my breakfast and left the chalet. The moment I stepped outside, the fresh wind touched my face bringing a feeling of relief. It was not a dream. I was free.

I was able to see the village to the east, but I decided to go to the opposite side, towards a lake. It was a beautiful day. I contemplated the blue sky for several minutes, lying on the grass in the shade of a tree. Everything felt wonderful. Everything shone, and there was so much... light. None of it reminded me or had any resemblance to the darkness I lived in for so many years. It was still hard to believe it was all real.

"Beautiful day, no?" spoke a cheerful voice, making me jump.

"Dominic! Did the doctor wake you up? He shouldn't; you must rest."

"I woke up by myself. I've had enough sleep for today."

He sat beside me and observed the landscape in front of us.

"This place is beautiful." I spoke, breaking the silence.

"Yes, it is. But I believe that any place seems magnificent for those who spent so many years in the darkness."

Silence again. He was right. But... how many years...

"Dominic... I'm sorry if that question sounds a little... strange. But could you tell me how old... how old am I? Do you know what my age is?" I told him, blushing in embarrassment.

"Althea, you don't need to be ashamed to ask me anything, especially about yourself. I will be delighted if I can help you clarify any questions you might have." he answered, holding my hand. "I can't tell you with full accuracy, but you are between 15 and 16 years old as far as I know. I believe you will still be 16 this year."

I was covered in shock. I was already 15 years old. Fifteen. Years. Old. I was definitely not a child anymore.

And that also meant that I...

"Nine years?"

"Yes." Dominic immediately confirmed, with a sad countenance. "You have been imprisoned for at least nine years."

The wind got stronger and colder at that moment. I had spent more years of my life in the dark than free. It was not unexpected, but it still came out as a shock. My body also showed signs of the passing of time. I still didn't dare to face my image in a mirror, but I could see how much my body had changed. Also, I constantly noticed the lack of the weight of the chains on my arms and legs. I felt tired walking for more than a few minutes, and the light still hurt my eyes. It was unbelievable.

Dominic's expression went dark. It was better to change the topic.

"You seem to know the surroundings well. I don't even know where we are, to tell the truth. I can't even remember where I was born. Everything is too new for me, so I hope I don't cause too much trouble for you." I said, smiling. I had never talked to anyone for so long, and it was fascinating! "And before I forget this detail, I'm warning you: I have had a serious problem of balance since I was a child, and I believe it has intensified with these years of sedentariness. I feel my legs shaking just from walking from the Chalet to here."

"Sedentariness? Where did you learn that word? Anyhow, I promise you that I'll try my best to keep you standing. " he then laughed.

At that moment, I saw a big bird diving into the water and rising a few seconds later with a fish in its beak. It enchanted me, and Dominic seemed to have fun with my expression. Then he seemed to remember something Joseph said last night and stood up in a quick motion.

"Well, I prepared something for us to do today. But I think we're going to have to walk a little bit until we find the right place."

"What part of my problem with long walks did you not understand?" I spoke sarcastically.

"Yes, yes, I know. But I'm afraid we have no other option. I promise I will try to hold you when you stumble, but in case you fall, I don't know if I will be able to avoid laughing."

"That's inhuman."

"Another complex word... where did you learn to talk like that? "asked Dominic, with a curious expression.

"I always liked to read. Besides, I used to listen to the conversations of passersby people on the island I lived with my aunt. But it has been quite a while since I had such a long conversation with someone. The words seem to be resurfacing in my head, and I feel like using them all simultaneously."

Dominic then held out his hand and helped me get up, laughing as he imagined the scene to come. Then we started walking towards the forest while we continued the conversation.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I've always liked to unveil my aunt's books at home. I spent hours reading, sometimes even until I fell asleep. It was the only way I had to discover the world." I explained. "I believe this contributed a lot to my vocabulary."

"Impressive. At the age of six, I could barely keep my focus on the books I was obliged to read. In fact, who taught you how to read? Can you write too?"

"I kind of... learned it on my own." I spoke, soon regretting to see the amazement on Dominic's face. "I used to watch hidden some of the classes at the school in the village... but I never had the opportunity to study. So, I had to learn by myself. I can also write a little... but my handwriting is terrible."

"Orion also has a superior intelligence. I believe this may be one more of the characteristics of the Descendants." said Dominic. "But still, you are incredible for doing it on your own."

I felt my face turning red with those words. A compliment. He had praised me. I couldn't say anything else afterward.

All along the way, I had the displeasure of stumbling on several roots and almost falling every few minutes. As he promised, Dominic stayed by my side and helped me pass by fallen trunks, holding me at each stumble. While I was furious about my imbalance, he had fun at my expense, making me even more embarrassed. It was a very long walk, and finally, we arrived at a beach with a vast strip of white sand and crystal"clear water. Separated from the beach, about 50 meters away, was a massive sandbank floating in the middle of the sea. As the beach was shallow, we could reach it on foot.

"I will take a test with you today; I will test your powers. You can consider this as our first day of training." he said. "I'll take it easy with you because you're hurt. Still, I think it's safer to stay as far away from anyone as possible. I just want to get a sense of your ability, and it will be good for you to release your powers. The faster we start, the faster you will gain control over it."

I swallowed compulsively. What he was asking me was something I feared, something I had spent my whole life avoiding: my powers. But Dominic was right. Avoiding using my abilities did not make them disappear. Quite the contrary, I could feel them accumulating and became more and more uncontrollable.

Dominic went ahead by walking through the water. I made sure that the water was indeed shallow and went after him, trying to control the tremors in my body. I had only entered the sea once in my life and almost drowned. I also had no idea how to swim. But the route was quiet, although I found myself utterly wet in the end.

"We have arrived. No time for resting; let's enjoy the adrenaline. Ready? "he asked.

Ready? Me? Not in a million years would I be.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Attack me." he answered as if it was obvious. "Don't worry, we'll take it slow. Imagine that I am your enemy and that I want to hurt you. I'm going towards you. What would you do?"

Mad. Dominic was a mad person. Did he really want me to attack him?

"If that would be the case, I would run away." I replied sincerely.

Suddenly he came to my side.

"You can't run away. Attack me!"

"No, Dominic. This is madness. I might hurt you."

"So, I will attack you." he spoke.

Then with a sudden but controlled movement, he threw me in the air, and I landed with my back on the ground. When I recovered and looked in Dominic's direction, I saw that he was no longer there. In an instant, a tall figure appeared close to me. The power Dominic had was incredible, but I was afraid. I didn't want to release what was inside me. I didn't want to risk hurting him.

"Attack me, Althea. You won't hurt me, so don't be afraid." insisted Dominic. As I still didn't react to his demand, Dominic started to sprint again in my direction with full speed.

This time I dodged it by turning my body to the opposite side. But, as fast as before, Dominic followed my movement, and again, I had my body thrown in the air.

I then got up before he could reach me once more and walked away from him; however, it was no use. In a few seconds, Dominic was next to me again.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" I asked, pouting.

"Attack. I will not stop until you defend yourself."

And then I attacked. When Dominic raised his arm toward me, I raised my right fist and struck his blow without touching him but pushing him about ten steps away from where I was. I saw a smile on his face.

"Great, but it won't be enough to stop me."

He flew towards me and used another blow that almost hit my face. I deviated by very little, and he attacked me again, only this time I held his hand. The force of the impact made the ground shake at my feet. I pushed him away and put myself in a defense position.

It was wonderful. I felt alive. That was part of me. All that power inside me that I had held so tight was finally free. But it was not under control.

Dominic then jumped in my direction and kicked me. I fell to the ground, on the top of some rocks, scratching my hands on them. I was concentrating as much as possible to contain myself, and that distracted me. On the other side, Dominic had already noticed this weakness.

He breathed a sigh of disapproval and approached slowly. I closed my eyes and turned my right hand towards him. I released the energy inside me and threw an Impulsum in his direction, by instinct. The air wall then hit Dominic with a loud sound and a strong impact, making him fall to the ground. When I opened my eyes, I panicked.

"I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I can't believe I did that." I screamed, extremely nervous as I ran towards Dominic.

"Are you apologizing to the enemy? It's the strangest thing I've ever seen. " he spoke, laughing as if nothing had happened. Then, I noticed that his leg had a wound, already covered in red color.

"B-blood." I shuttered without a voice.

"Yes, I seem to have hit a rock. Don't worry; it takes more than a little wound to knock me down." he replied, spotting my horrified expression. "It will heal in few minutes."

"I didn't want to..."

"I told you not to worry." Dominic insisted. "But I think that's enough for today. We have made significant progress to tell the truth... I thought you weren't even going to lift a finger to fight. The good thing is that now I know you can defend yourself in case you're in danger." he continued while I was trying to clean his wound. "It's much better, thank you. Now let me see the damage I did."

Dominic then took my hands and ran his finger through the scratches. "Damn it," he murmured. He tore the sleeve of his shirt and started to tie it in my hands.

"You don't need to do that." I said. The cuts were barely bleeding and were much smaller than his.

"Yes, I do. I think I crossed the limit with today's test... I got a little inspired, I'm sorry."

"It was nothing Dominic, it's just a scratch. You don't need to apologize..."

"Sure, I need it. And since I was the one who assaulted you, I have every right to take care of you. I won't forgive myself if you have an infection or something worse." he insisted while staring at me with a serious expression. His eyes were hypnotizing.

"Alright, you convinced me. Now stop staring at me like that, please!" I said, getting blushed.

"So, is this your weakness?"

I gave him an angry look, trying to imitate one of the furious expressions that aunt Guitan used to give me, but it didn't do any good. Dominic found it more and more amusing, laughing out loud. It was hard for me to face someone else when only a few days ago, I was almost invisible to the world.

Suddenly, Dominic lay down and looked up at the sky. His wound no longer bled, and neither did mine. I found it incredible that he didn't ask questions about my abilities while I had to control myself to not ask him about his. So many questions...

"Don't overthink and get some rest. Remember we have a long walk back." he said. Another question came to my mind at that moment. How did he always seem to know what I was feeling or thinking? I lay down in the sand as well and closed my eyes.

"Do you remember anything more besides what you told us? I mean, memories from before the government took you?" he asked me, still staring at the clouds.

"Not much. I don't remember my parents. I remember the harbor where I spent hours admiring the sea. I remember my aunt's house where I lived, but my most vivid memory is the last day. My last day of freedom."

"Tell it to. All of it in detail." Dominic asked.

I didn't want to talk about that day. I was scared that the memories would bring feelings that I had locked away, painful emotions. But I also wanted Dominic to know the whole truth about myself.

"I remember it was night, and it rained a lot. I was alone at home, waiting for my aunt."

"Guitan Fournier." he affirmed.

Fournier. I couldn't remember that last name anymore.

"Yes. I remember it was an old wooden house, two floors and an attic. In some rooms, it smelled musty. But the place was well maintained for its age."

"It was already too late when she finally arrived. The moment I saw her face that I felt an enormous, dreadful fear. My aunt was with the biggest and darkest smile I had ever seen. Also, at that moment, I already knew something would happen."

"Then they came. Dozens of soldiers were led by a powerful man. They tied me up and blindfolded me, treating me as an extremely dangerous person. To be sincere, I didn't even resist." I confessed.

"After that day, there were very few times I could see the light again. The pain they inflicted on me was nothing compared to the pain I felt in my chest since I thought that no one in the world would miss me… I knew my aunt never loved me. I felt that my life was expendable and useless. And as time went by, this pain became a void, and I ended up forgetting the world. I never really found any meaning in my life." I said, with the words gushing out of my mouth. "But still, I think something inside me didn't let me lose my mind. I never believed I would get out of that cell alive... but for some reason, my mind didn't give up. Maybe I had some hope hidden inside me."

Silence.

"I'm sorry about all this. I'm sorry I couldn't find you earlier. " said Dominic, now sitting while looking at me.

"Nothing of this is your fault."

"Many things are my fault, Althea. It's my family's fault. Since I was born, we have served Orion. We obeyed every order given by him and his late father." replied Dominic, with once again a dark semblance.

"But..." I tried to say, but Dominic interrupted me.

"The officer responsible that night for your capture... his name is Albert Knight. My father."

Dominic remained silent and analyzed me, expecting some kind of reaction. What he said had left me very surprised, but I still contained my expression. Still, nothing was his fault.

"He is one of Orion's main Admirals." he then continued. "I had heard a version of this story before but from my father's point of view. He always bragged about being assigned to the most important mission of all. At no time did he seem to have considered it absurd to lock up a child. I can't help but be ashamed of that."

"You're not your father, Dominic. And none of this matters now." I insisted while touching his arm lightly. "I'd rather forget the past. Right now, I am alive and free and it is all thanks to you and Joseph. I am recovering all I lost."

"I hope so." he spoke, now looking at the horizon. "To be honest, you seem to be dealing very well with all this. Joseph and I expected that you would have a hard time adapting and absorbing all the new information. I'm glad you are well but don't hesitate to talk to us in case you feel anything ominous."

I smiled. Yes, I was dealing very well. Only because I still believed it was all a dream, and I wanted to make the most of every second. However, I felt that my mind was made of a very thin and fragile crystal, which at any instant could break if not handled correctly. I didn't want, however, to cause any alarm.

My deep thoughts were interrupted by Dominic's voice, now sounding more cheerful than before.

"I think it's about time we got back. It's been hours since we left, and Dr. Valmir will be worried. We don't want him to think that we got into any more trouble."

He stood up and stretched out his hand to me. We walked towards the water to cross back to the beach when I was stunned to see that the tide had increased. We would have to swim across.

Dominic went ahead into the water and started swimming. I stood still. He saw that I was not following him and came back to where I was with a worried expression.

"What is the problem, Althea? Are you in pain?"

"No, that's not it. It's just that I..."

"Speak.

"I can't swim." I admitted, blushing once again.

He looked at me, relieved and at the same time surprised by my answer.

"That's no problem. I'll carry you." – Dominic said with a smile.

"It is a problem. That doesn't change the fact that I can fall in the water and sink." I answered back.

He took my hand gently and stroked my hair.

"Trust me. Come here. " he said, pulling me to the water, which was already reaching above my waist. At that moment, I remembered that Dominic was incredibly taller than me. He then turned his back on me and bent down to my height.

"Now get on my back and hold on tight."

The way he said it, it sounded like a simple solution.

"Ok..." I agreed, still feeling nervous while I passed my hands around his neck. He easily lifted me up and held my legs tight, squeezing me against his body. After that, I closed my eyes.

Then we enter the sea. I held my breath, but it was not necessary. Dominic was very strong, and my head was not even close to the water. In a few seconds, we reached the shore. He helped me get off his back, picking me up in his lap and putting me on the ground. It was so fast that it didn't even seem to happen.

"Was it so bad?" he asked.

"I have to admit that it was much better than I expected." I said happily, but still a little shaky.

"Sure, it was, apart from the part where I almost suffocated from you tightening your hands so hard around my neck."

"Be quiet, and let's just go." I spoke, trying to sound furious. It didn't work out very well, and we ended up laughing. That feeling was incredible. Was that what they called... friendship?

The way back was so peaceful that I didn't feel the time passing by. During the whole way, we spoke about random topics and about the nature around us.

As we left the forest, we sighted Dr. Valmir's house a few meters away. It was about noon, and my stomach rumbled loudly. Dominic looked at my face as if he had forgotten something.

"What? I bet you are hungry as well." I said indignantly.

"I'm hungry, to tell the truth, but for a moment, I forgot that you had to eat too." Dominic replied, laughing.

We then rushed in the direction of the chalet. I realized that Dominic seemed to slow down to follow my speed.

We arrived at the doctor's house in a few seconds and met Joseph, waiting for us standing on the terrace. He smiled at us and called us in. The smell of lunch was all over the house, and we followed quickly to the kitchen. When we got there, I saw the doctor sitting at the table with lunch served and a charismatic woman by his side.

When we finally got noticed, the doctor and his wife stood up and came towards us.

"Althea, I want you to meet Yana, my wife." He said.

"I'm pleased to meet you." I spoke, smiling.

"The pleasure is all mine, young lady." she said. "Sit down. You must be hungry. Joseph told me you left early to exercise, so I prepared plenty of food."

"We appreciate your hospitality." Spoke Dominic.

We sat down, and then Dominic took my plate and started filling it. It was no use telling him that I did not want much food as he began to build a mountain. When he finally finished, Dominic put the plate in front of me, told me to eat everything, and started to fill his plate. It was half the size of what he gave me. Joseph sat next to me, and we started talking about traveling and the islands surrounding us. After finishing lunch, the three of us went outside.

"Joseph, how is this next island that we are heading to?" I asked.

"How Lyrus look like? Well, it's a big island, much bigger than this one, and it is very famous for having the biggest shipyards in the world. That's also where we'll meet an old friend of Dominic who will help us with a new ship. A bigger one."

Joseph then stopped talking, showing us a smile.

"I see you won't tell us anything else, right? This guy here knows things, but he likes to surprise us. " Dominic said.

"That is undoubtedly true. You will not regret it. Surprises make our life more amusing."

"Can I at least know when we are leaving?" I asked as I was drawing mental images of what a shipyard looked like.

"Now." said Dominic.