Day 83

Netedinark warns anyone who praised the healer will be punished. The healer is still a mystery. If the Reveta figures out it was me, they will kill me right before Netedinark knows. I do my duties. There are no union meetings. I am wondering if the union is only a short-time deal or if I'm missing them. I never heard from Aeprhis or heard any rumours from any Teketa. I just keep doing my work as a soldier, knowing the more the days add up, the closer to being let go.

The longer I am staying here too, the longer I am getting paranoid about Netedinark finding out who I truly am. I keep my eyes forward as the Lord passes by, hoping he doesn't stop to talk to me. There is also my body adapting to the Teketa culture. I pray that Netedinark doesn't make an arse out of himself, then the war will never come. If he gives his citizens more independence, there will be less rebellion. Now everyone is following the code that if we stay in line and we won't get killed.

I patrol the second floor of the palace, axe in hand. The axe is bigger than me, but weighs like a ghost. The guards rotated recently. There is nothing to guard up here, only to be on guard. It's very peaceful. Guards tend to get too relaxed and wander around, pretending that they are busy or they joke around. Only the idiots will horse around and get heavily screamed at by a higher-ranking general. The military structure goes by this:

The Lord: Netedinark (Duh!)

Elder Admirals (Senior War Generals. The most intimidating soldier ever here in Teketa.)

Ofaka (Officers):

Maketa (Majors)

Caras (Captains)

Lutent (Leuitenant)

Saetes (Sargeants)

Retchas (Specialist)

Cubuta (Not-Newbies, the Private First Class. I am in this class.)

Grochas (Cadets).

The organisation of the military's structure keeps my mind occupied. Ilit struts by. She looks at me, she stares at me blankly. She stops and I stop too, rules do say to talk to the Queenetas if they want to talk to you. She has this gaze that she remembers from before.

"It's you," she says to me in a whisper.

Oh, crud. I made it so obvious. Why didn't I keep moving while she was silent? There are no officers on this floor to penalise me if I did.

"Yeah," I whisper back nervously, hoping no one notices.

"How can you heal and change your vibrations?" She asks.

"I just can," I shrug, "N- Lord was pretty mad." They don't say Netedinark; they say Lord first. Get it together, Nao.

"So you tried to fool me. You're one of a kind of Reveta," she compliments, "All Teketa are special to me. Revetas are rare, but you're rarer."

I can't help, but smile beneath my veil. "Thank you," I say.

"Who are you?"

"Kursa."

"Kursa? None of my children were named that, but they named themselves. Were you born by Natoko?"

"Yeah," I lied, "Been a while..."

"Honour to her and your soul, Kursa. Wanna chat in my room? It seems you can get a break."

"Uh, sure," I said hesitantly, "Will the others mind?"

"Oh, Kursa, a Queeneta can override an official's orders if they seem fit," she smiles and winks, "Even the Elder Admiral can't fight against it."

Queenetas are a class below the Lord himself in the social hierarchy and the racial hierarchy. Ilit must get more special treatment due to the fact that she is the only one alive, and she is making sure she can use it.

I sigh in relief, but still timid. Ilit and I talk to each other as we go back to her room. Her room is large like an actual royal bedroom. Her floor is a glaze black with white markings that resemble a tree. Her brown canopy bed is held up in the air with the hardened slime that it looks like flying. Her bed is larger than where she was before in the palace. She shuts the door and makes sure no one is listening. She glances back at me with a friendly smile.

"So when did you have those healing powers?" She asks.

I lie, "I was born with them. I kept it a secret for a long time."

"Perhaps, you can explain to the Lord? Try to get him on your side. He is sometimes pessimistic," she suggests.

"Pessimistic?"

"Yeah. He enjoys his honour from his people and fears it will go to someone else- Someone who hasn't been here long enough as he has."

"Even if it meant violence to take it?"

"Yes," she says as if it's the most casual thing in the world.

"Why would he ambush Gaeriscelleh then?" I blurt, too late to retrieve. I gasp a bit, hoping Ilit won't scream-snipe me now. She doesn't. She stares at me for a moment.

She sighs, "I have no clue. It might be personal. I disagree with this whole rivalry, nor do I know the story. Alpha didn't do crap to us, other than defend his territory when Netedinark sent his troops. Got'ta stop."

I am aware of the love and hate relationship between Netedinark and Bracus. That is not enough for Netedinark to become extremely hostile towards Bracus. There is something else at play here and it's foul.

"I think he needs to get laid again," Ilit teases, "Outsiders must taste better anyway."

"What?!" I blurt. Gosh, that was so unexpected.

"But this time, do it to his kind."

"Why didn't he do it before?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Our kind is dying and he wants to get another birther naturally even if he has to get two kinds to mate...Maybe he will do it to you then."

My God! Hell no! I almost yelled that out. I perk back a little. "No thanks," I shake my head.

"Seems so. He is going to get one with the newcomers of Verantuvia. I mean, he is studying their DNA, seeing who is compatible. He does care about us. He doesn't want to see us die. I am the last Queeneta and I hope I will be able to reproduce in the next batch."

That piqued my interest. "Any data?"

"Thus far, for hybrids, P is incompatible, R is incompatible, M is incompatible, E is incompatible, A is incompatible, I is compatible, B is compatible, D is compatible and N is compatible."

I thought Netedinark would assign us with numbers, not our first name initials. That was a dead giveaway. And, oh no! I am on his list. What I am thankful for is Markus is safe. God, he already went through enough. He wouldn't be mentally capable of handling a child.

"He is running tests to see if they can carry a Queeneta inside them, The compatible ones at least."

A pale flat disc appears on the floor behind Ilit. I know it wasn't there before. I stare at it closely.

"Kursa, what are you looking at?" Ilit asks. Finally, noticing the disc floor.

"Why won't 'e accept extinction t'en," a distorted voice comes from the disc. The disc expands and moulds into a person. It's like goo turns subhuman. Ivelisse emerges and stares at us intently.

"What are you doing here?!" I clutch my large axe, ready to polarise Ivelisse.

"Sometimes extinction will happen," she says. She warps gravity, forcing Ilit to the ground against her will. A dagger appears in her hand, "But let's end it faster." She charges at Ilit.

"Nooooo!" I charge at her, swinging the axe without a second thought. The giant axe slices within her side, going upwards. Her shiny red blood blasts out of her as she screams in pain. My body shivers and time freezes in place. It feels like the normal Naomi has intervened. I glance towards Ilit. She's frozen too. I look back at Ivelisse, my axe is still inside her with blood freezing up in the air. I miss being able to do what I want without losing myself in the process. I sigh heavily. I unfreeze Ivelisse and heal her. Ilit won't notice the time has stopped.

"Why?" I ask her, upset, "Who told you to come here?! I am doing Bracus's dirty work, not you! What you just did was uncalled for!"

"No one did," she answers honestly.

"What the fu-"

"Why did you attack me? I t'ought you were on our side."

"I am. I am pissed off that you had the nerve to come here. If we weren't on the same side, I would've killed you by now! I am collecting info and being off my way. Now, go home, Ivelisse! I will cast the illusion that I've killed you, but you need to get out of here." I go into a warrior stance with my axe, "Unless you want to battle me and get your face split open, be my guest."

"W-W'y are you bein' so mean to me lately?" She says, hurt.

"'Cause you never think!" I scold harshly. I am shouting at this point, "Now please, go home! You don't bloody understand that Teketa needs help."

She nods and turns her back against me. She tries to hide the tears within her eyes before she vanishes.

I cast an illusion and unfreeze time. Ilit has never been thankful to me, for saving her life. I smile, but deep inside, I don't. There's this ache that I have done something wrong again or something is going to go wrong.