June awoke early the next day. Training would start at first light, and June wanted to learn about her training and new weapons. Having been a camerawoman and photojournalist for fifteen years, covering war-ravaged areas in the Middle East and Africa, she knew about weapons.
As June sat on her bed waiting, she heard a knock on her door. She bid them enter. It was Carmen, the Healer-Magi, apprentice to Lady Oliver.
“Blessed day. Lady June, here is your training gear. I need to measure your feet. Until your boots are ready, you will need to use these leather bindings. They will protect you, but I advise you not to get them wet. The wet leather will make your feet stink for weeks.”
“Thank you, Carmen. Stinky feet—got it. I’ll remember that. Oh, do you have some food with all this gear? I’m ravenous.”
Just then Starr’s head appeared around the door frame. “Good. I have a basket full of food. I will be waiting outside your door. Training will start while we break our fast. There’s a lot to learn,” said Starr.
Carmen took the measurements needed for June’s new boots. June got dressed and, as mentioned, Lady Starr was sitting on a rocking chair placed in the living area. Four doors of four different colors marked the sleeping chambers of the Companion Judges. The doors all opened into a common area, with a few chairs and a fire pit where a soft white fire was burning in the middle.
They left the slepping area, walked through the caves, out far into the forest, into a clearing hidden by tall trees and dense shrubbery. There they sat and Starr began talking.
“June, we have a lot to say and only four months to say it. You learned our language while in the tree and you gained knowledge that only you can unlock, but we must give you the reason why you are so important. We will teach you how to use your weapons, but first you must know about this place you now live in,” said Lady Starr.
“That’s fair. I promise to listen and learn, but can we eat as we talk? I’m newly born out of a tree, a still-growing blue girl. Food please?” Asked June.
Starr chuckled, and they opened the basket.
“Your first lesson is a bit of history.”
June rolled her eyes. History had been her worst subject growing up. June raised her hand and said, “Professor Starr, instructor, your honor, ma’am, I’m awful with history. I almost had to repeat a school year because of it.”
“June, relax. I’m just going to explain the basics of our people and why you are so important. Yesterday we made a mistake by giving you too much information all at once. We will chunk the story into smaller pieces and let you make your own judgment. Fair?” said Starr.
“Yes, I think it will work.” June sat feeling more comfortable.
“The Empire of Quetza has had over 480 years of continuous human ruling. We have five different races: Humans, Athany, Lavei, Koddy, and the Fairies.”
“Wait, Fairies like little, winged, sparkly girls that dance and pick flowers?” asked June
“No, they don’t have wings. They are protectors of swamps, rivers, and lakes. They are smallish people, but I’ve never seen a race who works harder than the Fairies. They do have a lot of magic and are hard to find now that the Emperor hunts them down for their magic.” said Lady Starr.
“I’m sorry, Starr. In my world, we have a very different type of fairie. Please continue.”
“There used to be a sixth race called the Geners, but they were exterminated in the Geners’ War,” said Starr.
June was about to take a bite of her bread when she said, “Hold it! Exterminated?”
“Over 480 years ago, Tatiana Falesto went to war with the Geners. She found evidence they were creating beings called Scroungers to use them as weapons to take over the Empire. In the end, she won the war and as a result the Geners no longer exist,” said Starr, oversimplifying a much more complicated matter.
“That is genocide. A whole society wiped out for what probably only a handful were doing?”
“It is more complicated than that. I’ll explain what happened when we go over the Imperial Family ascension,” said Starr.
“Fine. Continue on to the ruling of Quetza.”
“After the war against the Geners, the Humans stayed in power as rulers of Quetza. However, before the war, we selected a leader by having the Gift-Vessels travel around the Kingdoms and each region would put forward a worthy candidate. The Companion Judges would accompany the eight Gift-Vessels and give them both protection and counsel. The four Companions and eight Gifted would then consult together and select the leader from the candidates the people would recommend. In turn, the leader ruled the Empire for thirty to forty years depending on how old he or she was when they took power.” Starr sat stretching her back.
“Starr, that is too long a time to have the same person ruling. Power corrupts, especially total power over long periods of time,” said June. Her backe was starting to hurt.
“June, the system worked for us. We lived harmoniously, mostly because the Athany arbitrated conflicts among all peoples. We were supposed to be impartial and for many centuries that form of government thrived. The Athanys only loyalty was to our god and then to Quetza. We listened to the people and we settled disputes. The Emperors ruled over land, economic matters, border issues with neighboring Kingdoms and the exchange of information and knowledge.”
“But that is not how it is now?” asked June.
“No, it is not. Five Kingdoms make up Quetza. Vanyan is the fifth Kingdom, the one controlled personally by the Emperor. The Kingdoms are interconnected and dependent on each other. How are you doing, June? Do you understand?”
“These drawings you are making are helping, but I have a question. If this Kingdom is so vast and there are so many different types of people and places, how can the Emperor keep everyone in check? And money, the coin I mean, the laundering of commodities. Business must be booming in a place this large and with no computers!”
“June, why would anyone want to make a business of washing coin? And what’s a cumpute?” said Starr.
“A computer is a machine that thinks for people.”
“Sorcery—a machine that thinks for a person!”
“Forget what I said; let’s focus. Ma’am, Starr, please continue on the running of the Kingdom and such.”
“But a machine that thinks? Not even the Geners could make these types of machine.”
“Lady, please, continue. I’ll explain later.” June regretted mentioning computers. She made a point to remember not to bring up things like computers in this place.
“Very well. You want to know about commerce and coin?”
“Yes, Starr. How does all the coin work here?” asked June, curious as to how an empire this large could be kept together.
“The Emperor controls taxation with strict laws, tax collection points and mindless collectors. The Emperor keeps the law by fear of the King’s Legion. We, the Athany, against our will, are the Emperor’s King’s Legion. For the people of Quetza, we are killers at the beck and call of the Falesto Imperial Family.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, ma’am, hold it right there. ‘Killers’? Like, let’s go out and plunder, pillage and murder? I thought you all were Judges, like good, like Justice League or X-Men type of people.”
June couldn’t believe her ears. These people were killers. They had a school full of kids and they were instructing them to be killers!
“Lady Starr, are you all teaching children in your school to be killers? Pardon my French, but what the fuck?”
“June, please listen. We are cursed to obey the Emperor. He sends us to war, so we must fight. Our numbers have been dwindling for years; many of us refuse to have children because we don’t want to see them become what we are. The curse is passed down through our generations. Currently, we only have sixty-five young from the ages of four to twenty, and none below the age of four or any pregnant females. We have a curse, June, and this is our cross to bear. We instruct our children in what is required to be a traditional Judge, but they eventually learn about the curse. Once they turn twenty-one, they choose to become a healer if they have the aptitude, an instructor, a servant to other Judges, or a part of the warrior Judges. None have wanted to fight for well over one hundred years. But now the Emperor has threatened to kill any Judge who refuses to fight from this new group of graduates.” Starr became sad. June could tell the topic was hurting her. She decided to postpone her questions on this issue for another time.
“Starr, let’s drop this one subject. Talk to me about the Empire of Quetza. Tell me how the Emperor keeps all this running. How does an Empire this vast stay together? He must have dissidents everywhere, if he so evil.”
“Well, each faction of commerce has their own organizations and rules. Each leader is responsible for their own group and the monarch has an overseer for each. The supervisors and tax collectors form groups of about one thousand corpse eaters, called Hagos, with a varying number of night crawler supervisors, called Changers. Each Kingdom has one thousand Hagos who collect taxes and keep the books. We have about forty Changers.”
June dropped the piece of bread she was holding and almost choked on a mouthful of apple-like fruit she was eating.
“Ohhh, wait a minute! Did you just say there are zombies collecting taxes on this land?”
“What are xumbies?” asked Starr.
“Zombies are fictional monsters in my land which are dead, but they still walk around hunting people. These things, the Hagos who collect the taxes, are not really, you know, dead, are they? Like one day they were eating and breathing and the next they were under the ground pushing daisies and then they were above ground again, collecting taxes?”
Lady Starr looked at June with curiosity. She scratch her head and rub her face.
“June, I’m having problems understanding you. You have a peculiar way of talking. Let me explain. The Hagos were never dead. They are criminals who broke the Emperor’s law. The punishment for serious crimes is to become a Hago. People that get life sentences serve the Emperor as Hagos. The empire doesn’t waste resources on criminals. Hagos are people who have been caught doing things like murder, high theft and any transgression against the crown, like treason. A Destroyer takes the criminal and performs an incantation that creates a Hago. The Changers were also criminals, but with a different spell for a minor crime. The Changers turn back into their previous selves, but only to die two months later. There is only one Destroyer in Quetza, Jürgen. However, no one has seen him in about a year,” said Starr solemnly.
June tried to eat another piece of fruit, and again she almost choked.
“Starr, I’m hating having to ask the next question, but I must know. How long do the Hagos live, or can they be killed?”
“No one touches a Hago. Hagos cause diseases on the skin of anyone who touches them. But in answer to your question, fire, Thunder Blades or a Destroyer can kill a Hago. However, Hagos naturally die after twenty-five years of being turned into Hagos.”
June got up and rubbed her face and hair and shook her head. This Quetza place sucked if all these crazy things walked around, on the loose.
“Starr, that is all I can take for now. I need a break. This place has my worst nightmare type of monsters, in an action-packed Halloweeny land from Hell. And I mean no disrespect—I know this is your home and all—but dang, this is deep. I even lost my appetite.”
Starr then taught June stretching exercises that helped her jump higher than regular people and run faster than animals like wolves.
June woke up tired and sore from all the running, jumping, pushing and pulling Lady Oliver had made her do. How could these old women move so fast? Ladies Oliver, Uhna and Starr were supposed to be over five hundred years old. June cursed the moment she had explained to Lady Oliver what a burpee was. Now, that was the old Athany woman’s favorite warm-up workout exercise. June got up and did her morning ritual. She couldn’t get over the toilet-hole in the wall. The expression “hole in the wall” had a new meaning for her. As she was exiting her cleansing room, she heard a knock. She bid enter and Shasso came in with a tray of food, Lady Uhna walking in after him.
“June, good day to you,” said Shasso.
“Good day to you as well, Shasso, and to you, Lady Uhna,” said June. Shasso gave June a smile, placed the platter of food on the table and walked out. June was surprised to see the Headmistress at her door with her breakfast. It had always been Starr or Oliver bringing her food and training her.
“Good day to you, June. I’m going to be your instructor today. However, you will need these.” Lady Uhna gave June a set of leather armor that appeared to have chips of brown metal in little holes encrusted over the leather. The armor was very light and it covered her entire body. She also received a pair of boots with the same metal protection at the ankles and legs.
June and Uhna ate and talked about the food and from which regions the food came. Uhna explained how the castle got the goods they needed and how they kept the children a secret from all the residents of the Empire. The children were innocent of all. Their parents were Judges who were compelled to go on campaigns under the orders of the Emperor. Some were children of parents who were in slumber, to allow for healing. The Judges married other Judges, and as far as Uhna knew, there was only one other Castle of Judges left in the world aside from the castle in Quetza. The other castle was in the Empire of LaRose. However, the Athanys of LaRose had been silent for over five hundred years.
“How does your armor fit?” asked Uhna.
“All fits well,” June said.
“Good, you will have easy access to your weapons.”
“My weapons? Okay, this I want to see!”
Lady Uhna chuckled. “You will today. Are you ready to start your weapons training?”
“Ohhh yeah.” June tied her hair back and made sure it was completely out of her way.
“Shasso is going to keep Light inside. He needs to be away from our training session today.”
They walked to the clearing where they trained daily and June waited for Lady Uhna to bring out the weapons. June thought that probably the weapons were some small knives or maybe a staff. Lady Uhna calmly walked to one side of the clearing and took off her cloak and her dress. The woman was intimidating, like a real-life Amazon woman. She had bluish-white hair all tied in French braids and curls, with hairs that escaped around her head. Underneath, she was wearing leather armor almost identical to June’s. However, she had nothing in her hands. June could see no sword, club, knives—not even a fork!
“Lady Uhna, I thought you said we were going to train with weapons?”
“We are!”
“Okay, so where are the weapons?” asked June. That was when, from Lady Uhna’s forearms and wrists, came blades of fire. Lady Uhna began to move her arms and her fiery swords moved with her in a motion resembling a fire dancer. June’s amazement left her dumbstruck. This place seemed more and more alien as each day passed.
“What the hell are those?” demanded June.
Lady Uhna went for June at a run with eyes wide and full of fury. June saw the jolly old Headmistress go from Mrs. Debbie Fields to Beatrix Kiddo. June turned and ran in the opposite direction, only to hit a massive wall. It was Lord Randall. He came out of nowhere, turned her to Uhna and bellowed, “FIGHT!”
“With what?” shouted June. “Sarcasm? Look at her; she looks possessed. She’s gone kamikaze on me.” Lady Starr and Lady Oliver were around the clearing. Fighting was not going to be easy. Uhna kept running toward June. June kept evading and running backward, jumping sideways and back, until June’s back hit Lady Starr.
“In five minutes, I’m going to join in the fight. You better take out your weapons,” said Lady Starr.
“FIGHT!” screamed Lord Randall, again.
“You’re fucking crazy. Take my weapons out from where? My Gucci purse?” June said breathlessly.
Lady Oliver kept stopping June from running away with her long staff which she held like a Japanese bōjutsu master. Lady Uhna kept charging and June kept avoiding, side-to-side—rolling, jumping and evading. Then June felt as if a stampede had pushed her forward. It was Lady Oliver and her favorite weapon. June couldn’t believe she was fighting against two giant women. Lady Oliver walloped her so hard she lost her footing and she couldn’t breathe. But Lady Uhna was charging with her flaming swords. June rolled and evaded Uhna. She was on one knee, but then Starr was standing over her with a club, ready to hit her head. June raised her arm in self-defense and was about to cover her face from the attack when a sword of blue flames erupted from the ridges of June’s arms. She controlled them with her hands. June moved her arm and hit the club, but Lady Oliver swept her legs from underneath her.
“STOP!” yelled Lord Randall.
June was lying on the ground with her eyes closed and her arms covering her head, her swords crossing and sparking. She opened her eyes to see all four Athany around her.
“Are you all out of your ancient minds? What was that? You could have killed me!” June was screaming and looking from one to the other, arms over her head, shaking from head to toe.
“June, stop screaming. Bring down your arms and look at them!” said Lord Randall.
“What? Am I bleeding? I’m bleeding! This is crazy; that loon wife of yours cut my arm.”
June paid attention to her weapons and exclaimed, “WHOA! What the hell? This is effing crazy!”
“June, this is how we get when we go into battle for the Emperor. We lose our control and just fight,” said Lord Randall. In the meantime, Lady Oliver was holding Lady Uhna back and was talking to her in a different language. Lady Uhna had her eyes closed and was shaking and nodding as Lady Oliver was talking.
“We get hurt, but we don’t feel it—we just fight. We’ve just let you see a little of how we get, just to push you to the point where you instinctively used your weapons. We didn’t know any other way to teach you to bring forth your swords,” said Lady Starr.
“Is Uhna Okay?” asked June.
“Uhna is just short of breath. Don’t worry this fight was a warmup for her. Her state comes from her great exertion to try to quell her need to keep fighting until she could see blood spilled.” Said Lord Randall.
“I’m sorry if I scared you. I hate it when I let myself go and fight like I just did,” said Lady Uhna with her eyes still closed. Her face red and her hands trembling, she then made a cut on her own leg, making it bleed. She screamed and walked away.
Lord Randall, Oliver and Starr went to stand in front of June to obscure Uhna’s view of her opponent.
“Whoa, what has just happened? Why did she cut her leg?” That behavior was puzzling to June.
“My dear June, this is our curse. We can’t help getting in this state. That is why we must fight for control,” said Lady Oliver.
June understood what it felt like to be helpless in the throes of an illness you couldn’t control without help.
“I understand.”
Lord Randall and Lady Starr congratulated June on her progress and then walked back to watch over Uhna, while June rested near Lady Oliver. June kept looking at Lady Oliver with consern.
“Uhna will be fine. They need to ensure Uhna is herself again before they’d let her train you.” said lady Oliver Uhna walked back to the group with a strained face, shoulders tight and a new fresh cut on her burned leg.
“June, now you know you have those, I’ll teach you what you can do with them,” Uhna said. “Only a small group of Athany have flaming swords, and none but you have a blue flame. I will train you in how to use them for defense and offense. From now on, Oliver will teach you offensive and defensive methods using objects other than your swords. You will learn hand-to-hand combat with my husband. Do you need a longer rest?” Uhna’s words were strained. June was sitting on the ground drinking some water.
“Are you ready to continue with your training?” asked Uhna.
After Oliver had attended to June’s cut, she got up and training started again. By the end of the day, June had had her ass handed to her by an old Athany woman more than once. June carried her tired, humorous, sarcastic, but determined rear end to her room, knowing that no one could take her weapons from her.
Two weeks later, on an afternoon like any other, Uhna had June looking at the wrong end of her flaming swords yet again. Starr called a break. June hated training with Uhna, especially when Uhna was winning, but fortunately Starr was always there to prevent Uhna from getting carried away. While they took their breaks, Starr and Uhna would give June history lessons.
“Why are the Judges cursed? Who did your ancestors piss off?” asked June, while drinking water and drying her face.
“Athanys are supposed be impartial. However, about 480 years ago, the leader of Quetza, Tatiana Falesto, went to war against an entire ethnic group called the Geners. A Gener tribe chief, Adam Palas, had been the leader chosen to replace Tatiana Falesto. The week before Adam Palas’s ascendance, his eldest son and eldest brother were assassinated. Tatiana Falesto gathered evidence the Geners were creating weapons of mass destruction in a bid to take over the Empire. They were deliberately making Scroungers – a deadly and forbidden transformation – to use them as soldiers in the war. Geners were constructors of machines and artifacts that made things move faster and life easier.
“The Geners blamed Tatiana Falesto for the assassinations and that’s how the war started. The war had been going on for a year when Tatiana came to the Athany to join the fight against the Geners. The people started to put pressure on the Athany to help end the war. The Helathy Priest warned us to stay out of the war, but after great pressure from both the Humans and Koddy Elders asking for assistance to ensure a quick end to the war, our Council of Elders chose to join the war. The Athany Council of Elders had twenty-seven members. Fourteen voted to go to war and thirteen said no. The Helathy Priest said to choose a side in the war was to serve that side.
“The Athany sided with the Falesto,” said Uhna. “The Athany murdered Adam Palas, the chosen leader to replace Tatiana Falesto. Thus, Tatiana Falesto won the war. We have paid dearly for our actions. We killed the rightful ruler of Quetza and thus we broke the cycle. The last of the Gener Helathy priests cursed us to serve the Falesto family until a cure stepped forward, and the curse remains to this day. The Falesto wanted power and they have kept power for over 480 years. They not only use us as assassins in wartime, but they have ordered us to kill men, women and children for centuries to keep the Kingdoms in fear.
“June, you don’t know sorrow until you are forced to kill a child. It is against our nature to hurt anything or anyone. We were made big and strong to do the heavy lifting for those who can’t lift or carry their burdens. By our nature, we are peaceful. Now we all have in our hearts the stain of dozens, and some of us hundreds, of kills. Humans, Koddy, Lavei, Geners and Fairies alike have been killed by orders we have not been able to refuse. If we say no, we start to die, lasting only a few weeks at most. But we must continue to live because the Blue Companion Judge is always born from a Judge and that starts the cycle. Thus, we know that if we all die, there is absolutely no hope for Quetza.
“We believe the curse will break by having a new Assembly of Thirteen, and having the eight Gift-Vessels and the four Companions together, who will call for representatives and select a new Quetza ruler to replace the Falesto. That can only happen if the Blue Companion Judge protects her charges and helps join the other Gifted to the other two Companions. When we found you in our Blue Tree like the first of the Athany Blue Judges, hope took flight.” Said Uhna.
“I understand. Ladies, are all the emperors this bad? I mean, what makes the current one, in your words, the ‘worst demon incarnated’?” asked June
“Emperor Klastos is slowly exterminating all the other races. He is committing genocide and even the Humans are becoming slaves, but they don’t even know it. June, we can’t stand by and watch each and every race be exterminated just because they are different,” said Uhna.
“Oh, I know about discrimination and people being killed because of the color of their skin or their faith. I’ve seen it first-hand in my world,” said June.
“Then you understand?” asked Starr.
“Yes. But you said the Blue Companion Judge protects her charges. I’m blue and you call me a Judge. Uhna, please will you explain and tell me what this is all about?”
Uhna took a deep breath and looked at Starr. They sat under the cover of a large tree.
“June, you remember when I explained about the Gift-Vessels and there were only eight per generation?” asked Starr.
“Yes, and they were supposed to go around looking for the next leader of the Empire, who will lead for forty years. Which I think is loco, because forty years is too long for anyone to rule, but anyway.”
“June, you are the Blue Companion Judge destined to protect two of those Gifted. Yours are the Teacher-Magi and the Water-Magi. They depend on you to deliver them safely to the Assembly. However, you are also the leader of the first two Companions. They all must follow you to complete the union. You and the other three Companion Judges start the Assembly by presenting your charges.” Uhna said matter of fatly.
“Uhna, this is too much responsibility for one person. How can I protect these people? And now you are telling me the only way to break your curse is for me to get twelve others to an Assembly. I’m going to have to fight an Emperor and his army, who want me and all these Gifted dead. And heaven knows who else I’m going to have to fight to make sure these twelve get to their destination. I can barely fight you four, and you treat me better than my family.” June got up and paced in her usual, rhythmic four steps one way and four steps the other way. June sat back down, then she lay on the grass and took a deep breath.
Uhna looked at June. June was nervous and overwhelmed. Now that June understood why she was so important, June stood up, paced, and sat again. She bowed her head, shoulders slumped, and her face became a pale, baby blue. She was the poster child for overwhelmed.
“My lady, I noticed your bruised arm from our last fight. Does it hurt you?” asked Uhna, trying to get June’s mind off the mind-blowing mountain of responsibility she now had on her shoulders.
“It hurts,” said June.
Uhna got up, and she asked June to stand. “If you close your eyes and concentrate on your arm, you have the power to help your arm heal faster. Look at my hands!” Lady Uhna had a bad bruise on her left leg. She then lifted her leg and placed it on a nearby tree root. Uhna rubbed her hands gently over her leg, and her hands began to shine blue—first a little, then an intense royal-cerulean shine. She then held her hands still over her bruise and the color and swelling lessened.
“June, you try it. You can speed up your healing, but you can’t heal others unless you are a Gifted Healer-Magi, like Lady Oliver. However, you can pass feelings like peace, joy and love to the two Gifted you protect. We will try your healing touch today, do three more fights and then go back to the castle. I must get ready for dinner,” said Uhna.
They trained for another hour, but on the second to last fight, June made Uhna fall on her back after a set of complicated moves. Starr applauded and Uhna got up from the ground with the biggest smile June had ever seen on her face. They fought the last fight and June won again. The Athany women congratulated June. Lady Uhna went back to the castle limping. Lady Starr stayed behind to accompany June to the Queen Blue Tree so she could touch it and get energy. They walked back to the castle in a tumultuous, emotional silence.
Later that night, June was trying to read. But with her mind in a fog and in a million different places, the task of reading was nearly impossible. When Lady Oliver knocked, June was thankful for the interruption.
“May I come in?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I have your medicine.”
“Thank you.”
“June, I heard Uhna explained to you about the first two Companions,” said Lady Oliver.
“I’m not sure how this is even possible. I’m a regular but ill woman. Not sure how I fit into all this or why. I know it’s true. I feel it inside of me, but I have doubts too,” said June.
“My dear June, we believe why doesn’t matter. What matters is that when our god entrusts us with big things to do, he gives us what we need to get the job done. Don’t worry. Just do what you can and when a big decision comes your way, just do what’s right,” said Oliver.
“Ha! How will I know what’s right?”
“Remember two things. First, life is the greatest of gifts, and second, the good of the many outweighs the good of the few. Trust your heart,” said Lady Oliver.
“Thank you, Lady O,” said June. Lady Oliver liked the way June referred to her. She never had a child, but with June she felt she had a part in her creation. June was hers.
Three months later
June awoke at 3:23 a.m., although there was no clock to prove it. For June, it was the same as the night she found the bright orange box in her kitchen. However, this time she had a purpose.
Where are my boots, my clothing? I must go. Someone is calling for help. She’s in danger. I know where she is! I can hear her distress; she is near, very near.
“Light, get up. We must leave now!”
The calling is making my head hurt.
“This girl appeared in my dreams. She’s such a young woman, with blue eyes and thunder for a voice. Light, we must help this girl.”
June’s heart was pounding. Fear enveloped her head like a towel wrapped around her hair after a bath. Her thoughts were racing. June’s feelings were in turmoil and she couldn’t make sense of any one of them. It felt as if she had a million cuts on her body. It wasn’t her body; the pain came from outside.
Light, the wolf-chameleon dog, had felt the commotion of feelings in June. Already awake and ready to run, he was waiting for June at the door. He knew it was time to go.
June knew she had to run and run fast. The one who needed help was near, and she was hurt. As June got out of her chamber, she ran to Shasso’s room. Without knocking, she opened the door. Light entered before her and licked Shasso’s face, waking the young child.
“Shasso, please wake up. Get up, sweet boy—this is important. Tell the Headmistress that Light and I left the castle and I need her help. She must watch out for me up in the battlements. I think I’ll be heading back from the Plato Forest. Tell her I’m going to need help reentering secretly. And you must not tell anyone but the Headmistress. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lady.” Shasso got up as fast as he could.
June ran through the sleeping chambers, through the labyrinth of caves and stopped at the waterfall entrance. She had to fix her boots. In a corner, Lord Randall was waiting. June could hear in her head the voice of the woman. She heard the voice of a person in pain. Opal—that was her name. The name of the Gifted she needed to find. Opal. Her charge, the woman prodigy, talented in her Gift.
“Do you hear her?” asked June.
“No, my lady, that call is for a Companion Judge to hear. You are the only one who can help this life,” said Lord Randall.
“Why are you here?” asked June.
“A friend came in my dreams and told me to be here,” said Lord Randall.
“I must go,” said June, and she went.
There were no second thoughts, no hesitation on her part. She made her choice in an instant with a step and a run. Light followed with joy and pride for his mistress who worked for good.
It didn’t matter how far June had to run. She was pulled like a moth to a flame. It was an urge that couldn’t be contained. June felt she could understand what a drug addict might experience. She couldn’t think of anything but getting to the source of the pull. The life of the one calling became her drug. June needed to find and protect that life, but it was extinguishing. Time was escaping. The young woman had a warrior spirit. She would fight to the end, but at the moment the finish line was too close. The battered woman’s life became like a flickering light of a candle about to burn out.
June moved and Light camouflaged himself with the forest colors. They were going to get their charge. June had no idea where this drive to bring a person home came from; all she knew was that a young person must get the help needed.
Lord Randall had seen June’s hesitation and uneasiness had lasted but a microsecond. He smiled at her decision. He turned and knew he needed to work faster to make his vow a reality. June had become the Blue Companion Judge with her decision to help. A possibility, born at that moment—the time when June made her choice to rescue her charge.
June moved forward. She went to get the Gifted and start on the path of finding her true nature. Lord Randall knew that with June’s actions, he had little time left to finish his own task.