Pitch took over for Scien, looking over his little sister.
“You move!” their mother told him furiously.
Spirit, it’s-
“Not now, Night. Pitch, you are supposed to protect her. You’re supposed to be looking out for her. She’s your little sister and you were negligent,” she reprimanded him, her black eyes ablaze with vexation.
“You know what she means to us, all of us.”
She turned her attention to her daughter. Giving Taya a look over, she snatched the three arrows out.
Scien wanted to object but thought better of it.
She smelled one of the arrows and looked at Pitch.
He looked away, “Posine.”
“What?” Mya asked hysterically.
“It’s a poison meant for people with abilities. It temporarily hinders one from using their abilities. It’s also meant to effect any unknown. Potentially deadly. It’s a slow killer,” Pitch said softly, eyes closed.
“I’m taking her back with me.”
She picked Taya up and was about to take flight when she noticed Pitch.
“Where are you going?”
“With you.”
“Why? To make sure she’s okay? Too late. You are relieved of duty. You’d better hope. In the meantime, stay here. Help them clean up this mess.”
“Mother, I-
“I don’t want to hear it.”
She looked at him in disappointment then she was gone, panic and haste making her exit invisible.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Garrett spoke breaking the silence.
“I don’t know.”
His wings disappeared into his back as he gathered up debris.
“Spirit rapidly made her way to the queen. Algen who noticed Taya followed.
“Permit my entrance,” she demanded.
When the two male algen- both having brown wings, hair, and eyes- saw her they immediately opened the large iron gates.
At the head of the room, seated on an iron throne, was Queen Livi. When she saw that the lifeless figure her second in command carried was her granddaughter, her green eyes became wide and doubled over with tears.
“What is the meaning of this?”
When she stood, she towered over Spirit by about four or five inches. Her long white gown swept over the floor. Her eyes were the exact same as Taya’s and her worry exposed the crows feet at the corners of her eyes. Her delicate white wings almost gave off their own light, her wings were so white. Her silvery hair fell over her shoulders and hung a little beyond her back. She had a wise goddess like presence from years of ruling and years to come. But right now, her only concern was Amber.
“There was an attack.”
“Where is Pitch?”
“I left him in Haria.”
She shook her head and motioned for her daughter to put Taya on an alter like table.
“Explain this.”
“Keen…”
When Scien found time, he cornered Pitch.
“What’s going on?”
“I do not know of what you speak.”
“Jest with me then. Your mother said ‘what she means to us, all of us.’ she wasn’t just talking about everyone here, she meant the algen too, didn’t she?”
He didn’t answer.
“Taya’s more than what she seems, isn’t she? Spirit slipped and tried to cover. She’s something sacred to you all, isn’t she?”
“She is the one. She is written in a prophecy.” Amber is our hoped for.”
“Amber?”
“Her ambition is a fire. This is her destiny. She doesn’t know about the prophecy; doesn’t need to.”
“What if she dies?”
“She mustn’t. She won’t.”
“But-
“She will live. She will be saved but I’m afraid you will never see her again.”
“What?”
After Livi thoroughly inspected Taya, she made a conscience decision.
“There may be a way.”
“Mother, anything to save her.”
“I can speed up her algen growth progress. There’s no telling if she’ll be the Amber we know when she wakes. She may be off balance.”
“Save her.”
Livi slowly put her hands on her granddaughter’s chest and stomach. A white glow began to emit from Taya’s body. Livi gritted her teeth, putting all her energy and power into saving one of the love of her life. Taya also grit her teeth, the imitation of her elder. Sweat dripped from both their faces and the queen began to tire. Soon after she stopped. Taking some of her feathers, she spread them over Taya.
“Amber, it is time.”
She kissed Amber’s forehead and the feathers melted into her, overwhelming the posine.
“When is she coming back?” Mya was asking Pitch.
She’d been following him around repeating the question in hopes that her being bothersome would produce an answer.
“Mya, I’m a very patient individual but I do not know. I’m not a physic. I’m waiting just like you are. Now please, leave me with my thought.”
She walked away and found Garrett.
“You’ve been quiet.”
She sat across from him in Jonah’s. his arms were on the table. His head down with his hair shading his face.
She touched his arm across the table.
“She’s always been there for me. We’re a team. I always know what injury she could or couldn’t survive. But three arrows makes me think that I’ll never see her again.”
“Don’t say that. Taya’s strong. She’s too stubborn to die. She was made to live.”
He covered her hand with his own. “Thank you.”
“Besides, I don’t know how to explain this but it’s like I can feel her. She’s not dead. She’s a fighter and that’s what she’s doing ; for her life.”
She got up to go and outside she bumped into an older woman.
“Excuse me.”
“I heard you talking to the young man.”
“Yes. He and Taya are very close.”
“I also heard that you said you could feel her.”
“Strange, I know. “
“I can explain why this is so. I am called Knowla.”
“Knowla. Can you help me?”
“Has she told you from whom she orginates?”
“She didn’t give me names. She had to kill her own father and her mother is--she said nothing of her mother.”
“Why did she have to kill her father?”
“He was being accused of a crime that did not belong to him. The kingdom was after him. Her arrow reached him before a soldiers sword.”
“Your father‘s name?”
“Tabios Falon. Beheaded.”
“His daughter?”
“Exiled and later died.”
“Describe Taya to me.”
“You’ve never seen her?”
“Describe her.”
“Black hair, taller then me, hypnotizing green eyes, nocaw.”
“Who does she remind you of?”
“The girl who would be my kin, my sister.”
“Remember that girl’s name?”
“…Taya. But she said-
“She is a hard put girl, kind when you get to know her. But the get-to-know process can be very difficult where she’s concerned.”
“She must hate me to with hold this information.”
“Fear not. Her loyalty lies with you rather you see it or not.”
Mya suddenly heard the villagers talking hectically but couldn’t make out their words. She turned to see them all heading in one direction. She turned back to the woman.
“Go. See your sister.”
Before Mya could ask what she meant, she’d walked away.
She met up with the people, pushing through the crowd curious of what was causing the commotion. When she made it to the front, she stopped in her tracks. Garrett was on her left and Scien on her right.
They all stared goggled eyes at the epitome of ambition. She stood solidly on bare feet. The loose black pants and crisp black shirt belonging to a former Taya. Two leather straps crossed over her chest meaning she still carried her swords. Her green eyes were permanently plashed with amber making them more exotic and hypnotizing than ever. But what really had everyone’s attention were the wings, her wings. They were folded at her sides, a powerful red matching the color in her heart. The color that was a name for her. The feathers were in awesome detail, every one looking as soft as the last. Collapsed in, they stopped at her ankles, her wing span about the same as Night’s.
“Taya?” Scien’s voice cracked.
“No. This is Amber,” Pitch told them.
“I am to serve you.”
Everyone looked confused.
Taya walked over to Mya, got down on her right knee and unsheathed her swords, placing them at Mya’s feet.
“I am yours to command.”
“What?”
“I am your vessel to command.”
“What?”
“I am swearing my allegiance to you. To protect you from those who wish to harm; to assist you in whatever it is you wish me; to carry out your will; to advise you.”
“I don’t want your sworn loyalty. It’s pointless to serve one you dislike.”
“That was before I grew up.” she looked at herself. “I’m not who I used to be. I’ve grown up, in a sense.”
“We need to talk. Alone.”
“Follow me.”
They walked away and the onlookers kept watching as the wings faded into her back, leaving no sign that they existed.
“I’m a valuable person, yet useless.”
“I’ll teach you all you need to know. Hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, bow and arrows, how to fight with, catch and throw daggers. Which weapon do you prefer? Axe, spear?”
“Most certainly not an axe. I don’t want anyone getting that close.”
“Bow and arrow it is. Maybe some training throwing daggers. As long as I’m looking after you the most you’ll have to endure is a scratch. Maybe not even that.”
“That’s very reassuring.”
“I have a duty to you. I do not fail.”
Mya saw the fire in her eyes. It made her feel safe.
“I trust you with my life…sister.”
Taya’s confidence did not falter. Mya’s comment had not thrown her off balance.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Maybe I didn’t think it was important.”
“Tell me, Amber.”
“Ah, using your newfound dictatorial superiority over me already.”
“That’s not what--that’s not how I meant it.”
“Fine, princess. You may not have been ashamed of him but I was, am.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I made a fool of myself because I thought he was an honorable man. Because of him I was kicked out of my home.” She began to give off a certain degree of heat. “I told you about his daughter. That was my story.”
“You said she died.”
The heat she gave off became hotter.
“She did. I’m not the happy, carefree Taya I used to be. She’s dead. What was left is what you see before you.”
“What I saw. You’re different today than yesterday. An algen. You also have great flood flowing through you. Our father and now your mother and brother, both algen. That’s why you’re immortal. How did she save you?”
The heat ended abruptly.
“She didn’t. Queen Livi did, my grandmother. The first and eldest algen, brillant in herself. Glorious in her own light. Maybe you’ll meet her one day.”
“I’d be honored.”
“Queen to queen.”
“You think I can do it?”
“I know you can.”
They became quiet. A pleasant silence. Then her uncle’s body. Rye led her to the body. He lay a couple paces from the other village casualties.
“Baba, I need you.” She rubbed her hands together.
“Amber?”
She looked up into the face of her mother.
“It’s too late. He’s been gone too long. Had he been attended to beforehand there may have been a chance. Besides, you have no training in that method.”
She picked her daughter up and held her while she cried.
“Keen sent Aiden.”
“Vengence is not the algen way. You know that.”
“I’m not all algen.”
“Aren’t you?”
She looked at the experience in her mother’s eyes and questioned going after Keen with vengence.
“All I can say is I’ll try to contain it.”
Spirit sight, “That’s all I ask.”
Taya went to Lady Genna’s home. The older woman opened the door slowly.
“I’m very sorry I let this happen to Violet.” She fell to her knees and the tears that hung to her lashes dropped to the ground.
Lady Genna picked her up and softly ran her hand over Taya’s cheek.
“You taught her well. She is strong and so is her heart. She is a little you. For that I am hopeful. But it is that same reason that makes me uneasy.
“I promise to bring her back. Alive and kicking.”
Lady Genna chuckled and hugged her.
“I know you will.”
On her way to Jonah’s, Pitch stopped her. Neither of them spoke. Their stare went on uninterrupted. Then Taya walked over to him and hugged him.
“It’s not your fault. Don’t listen to momma.”
He hugged her back, “I’m still sorry. I do love you.”
“And I love you.”
“How is grandmother?”
“I tried to talk to her but I think you’re officially relieved of duty.”
With that, they heard a loud bell only heard by algen.
“Right on time.”
He took off leaving her on the ground.
She went to see Night and Rye next.
“Where’s Rye?”
Around. Look at you. Lets have a look.
Taya smiled shyly then released them.
Very nice. Your color to match your name. The first of your kind.
“A hybrid.”
That what they calling you? What else did they tell you?
“Just that I should be careful with my power. That it’s grown and I need to get used to it.”
Rye appeared from around a corner.
Truly the promised one.
“What?”
She’s being an idiot as usual. Night shot Rye a look.
So, Amber? How do you like it?
“I love it. Makes me feel closer to Pitch, mother and grandmother .”
Okay, now how you holding up?
Taya thought for a moment.
“I’m trying. My mother told m e not to be vengeful. I’ve never disobeyed her.”
Vengence is an emotion, not disobedience.
Rye! I’m not going to agree with her but I will say among all else, vengence is controllable.
“Let’s hope I have that kind of control.”
It is obtainable by any and all.
“Thank you.”
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
“Goodnight.”
She pulled her wings into her back and walked into Jonah’s Spread. The silence that followed was not the same as the one previously. Most importantly it was filled with fear, anyger and resentment.
She looked around and slowly took a seat with Garrett and Mya.
“Tough crownd.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
She offered her hand over the table. He smiled and gave her his hand to do their special shake. They smiled at each other. Then her friend Dex the blacksmith made his way over to her. He grabbed her up affectionately and squeezed her tightly.
“I’m not breaking them, am I?”
“You can’t.”
“The knight looks at you longingly. Is he your lover?”
“Maybe.”
She walked across the room and sat next to him.
“Scien.”
“I think you’ve outgrown me.”
“I’m the same person.”
“The same person who loved me?”
“I am. But on another note, you were the only one who selfishly thought of yourself.”
“It’s obvious that you’re unharmed.”
“Only because rushing the algen in me saved my life.” Her green eyes became shadowy.
“Jonah! It’s getting kinda hot in here,” a man shouted.
Mya looked at Taya.
She stood up, “Maybe you’re right. I have outgrown you.”
She met Taya at the stairs.
“I’m going to turn in.”
“Alright.”
Taya followed Mya upstairs.
“That’s better!” the man shouted.
They were getting settled in one of the vacant rooms.
“May I ask you a question?”
“Yes.”
“Is your protection-
“Necessary? Yes. They came here for us. People in this village lost family today. They’ll make their problem with the easy target instead of the real one.”
“May I ask you a stupid question.”
Taya smiled, “Sure.”
“Are you scared?”
“No. But you are.”
“All this talk of war and bloodshed on my behalf, just because of who my mother is. Am I coward?”
“No. You are not used to these sort of things. You’ve become a princess out of no where. You were a commoner when the sun rose and royalty when it set.”
“And you’re not scared?”
That stifled a giggle out of Taya . She sat next to Mya.
“No. I was raised by knights and wild animals. Not to mention algen. There are no better teachers of combat. I don’t think, I react. We both have a role to play. You are the heir to the throne.”
Mya nodded her head in understanding.
“And you are my back. My promoters. My friend?”
“No. I’m your sister. And for some reason, I’m just seeing how much you really need me.”
“My lady knight.”
“I like that one too. How old are you, princess?”
“I demand you not call me princess. I’m sixteen.”
“Well, little princess, you should get some sleep. Training starts at dawn.”
“Training?”
Eden_Quinn Community Member 
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