Part 14. Awakening

A dozen different images flashed in front of Amber's eyes as she woke, each related to the last. She remembered for a moment being known by a different name, and how much she'd wanted to rebel when someone told her that she would have to act according to rules set long before she was born, and that she was an ancient knight rather than the person she'd grown up believing herself to be. There was the awkwardness of armed guards patrolling the corridors, constantly watching out for the tainted ones. They weren't a real threat, but the fact that they were there was strange enough. An image of Ammadrine, looking as beautiful as ever, creeping into Orsertro's chambers with tears streaking her face, and a crude knife in hand.


Her eyes opened, and over the course of a few seconds, she tried to remember where she was, and who she was. Not a knight in some ancient court, she decided. Not a tainted outcast, arguing against exile. No, she was a child, trying to understand mysteries that most people in this world would never even hear about. And the room she was waking up in was itself a dream, a simulacrum of a throne room whose real version had existed in the caves of Mimas a million years before.


She wasn't sitting in her usual chair, which made her worry for a moment. Somehow she was lying on the floor, and the others were standing around her. She knew right away that something important had happened, but the memories at the front of her mind were all Orsertro's, even if she had no idea which of his incarnations they had come from.


"What's wrong?" she asked as soon as she could catch her breath, "Did something happen?"


"Another dream?" Violet knelt on the floor beside Amber, and handed her a cup of wine. Amber sat up and took a big gulp, clearing away the dream version of a dry throat.


"Uhh... I think so. Why am I lying on the floor?"


"Jack said it was important," Violet explained, "I tried pulling you straight here from a memory, instead of waiting for you to go back to normal sleep first. I'm not sure if that was a good idea."


"We need to know that dream, though," Jack pointed out, "We're putting off acting. So tell me, was your dream something you need to tell us about? We've nearly tracked down the Enemy, and I want us all to be there. We have no idea what he'll try to pull."


"What, Ammadrine?" Amber gasped. She was trying to track down the janitor herself, and she'd had no idea that the others were following the same trail, "How did you–"


"No time for questions. If this dream might tell us a weak point, or something we can use, then tell us now. If not, you can tell Alex while we're preparing, and join us as soon as you can."


"It's nothing," Amber gritted her teeth, "Belmadir broke into my room. He thought Ammadrine was there, like she was going to assassinate me or something. I think I'd have been happier with her there than him."


"That's not a fair thing to say," Mel started. His voice slowed after a couple of words, and it was obvious he regretted opening his mouth, but he already knew just how much time Jack would waste pushing if he didn't finish the sentence. "Criticising a man who's too dead to defend himself."


"I'm sorry. Was he your brother?"


"I... what?"


"I just realised, Nico and Madir, back then I kept thinking of you like brothers. I mean, I don't know if you were just good friends, or you had stuff in common, or actually brothers. Your original selves, or your first or second incarnations on Earth. But maybe you were. I don't know if that matters or not."


"I don't know, I haven't thought about it. There were a few kind of like... in-jokes, I suppose? Things that made perfect sense at the time, but didn't mean anything after I woke up. So we could have been."


"I'm sorry then. I don't want to say anything bad, it's just... I get the feeling Orsertro didn't like him that much. Just little things, like I thought he was a bit creepy. A bit too full-on, like everything's his business, you know?"


"Sometimes people don't get on," Alex shrugged, "You couldn't be blamed for that. But remember, it's just a feeling. You don't start judging people until you know there's some facts behind it, right?"


"Yeah," Arnie nodded, biting her lip, "I think Urdia didn't trust Orsertro that much, was kind of jealous or something. But it's probably just because you got some job I wanted or something. Got to command a big mission when it could have been me? I'd never actually distrust you because of that. It's part of being human, our brains pick up all kind of baggage, prejudices and whatever. Half the time it's just someone's mannerisms, or accent, or something. Not something you should listen to."


"I guess," Amber nodded.


"Anyway," Jack interrupted, "We've got things to do, right? Tell Alex what you have to, or we'll have the whole mission full of distractions, with her worrying we might have lost information. I'm riding with Arnie today, strength and speed. And Violet's going with Mel. So you two can follow when you're caught up. But don't be too long."


"Sorry," Violet shrugged, and disappeared. The whole group vanished at once, and then there was just darkness.

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