War Of Men

Kaya

Moonlight trickled in through the window. Kaya didn't remember having left her curtains open. Even if she had, she would have expected Mirja or somebody else to have closed them. Why did everything have to be confusing? She was starting to go mad.

There were shadows on the wall. Kaya jumped up, her hands balled into fists. Before she could investigate, a hand clamped over her mouth and she was pulled back down onto her bed.

'Hello, Kaya.'

Kaya recognised one of her former captors. It wasn't any of the original ones, but a girl she vaguely remembered. Her bushy brown braids stuck out below her gray hood reminded Kaya of her and the touch of her hand on her forehead.

The memories came back. The dirty room, the filth, the punishments when Kaya tried to escape. The shadow manipulator sending darkness after her to hold Kaya back and afterwards, Thaia came to soothe her, planting affirmations and false memories in her mind. The happy times spent playing cards weren't real. The tasty food was just an illusion. Her gratitude wasn't real.

'Shhh, Kaya, don't think of such things. Remember what I told you.'

I am grateful.

I want to be a perfect Eseterrian.

Cines is my home. I have no other home.

My captors are my saviours.

One by one, the true memories faded. All thoughts dissolved until her mind was a clean slate. It was a fruit, ripe for plucking.

No. I won't let you control me.

The girl laughed softly and cruelly. 'Tsk, tsk, Kaya. Your problem is that with me here, it doesn't matter how you feel, what you want. Before I was conditioning you for the shadow whore and Adrastos, but with me here, such things are rather trivial. Besides, I can make sure you forget this. Wouldn't be the first time.'

There were footsteps outside. Kaya contemplated screaming, but the girl held Kaya's forehead down and chased the thought away. A smug smirk played on her lips. Her accomplice pulled out a dart to play safe, but whoever was passing, disappeared.

What do you want?

Greed flickered in the girl's eyes. Kaya had become accustomed to seeing it since she was in the court. They were wolf eyes.

'Don't worry, you won't have to do anything too bad. You'll just be on distraction duty.'

What do you want?

'Thaia, we need to get a move on.'

She looked over to the boy and nodded. An odd, cold sensation spread through Kaya's head and the mission was clear. As much as she wanted to resist, she couldn't. All she was, was a puppet.

She put on a skirt over the loose pantaloons of her nightwear, buttoned up a coat and slipped into some boots before leaving her room. A patrolling guard started, then bowed.

'Ponyéva.'

He was facing her room. She needed to make him look in the opposite direction. With that aim, she walked past him and he turned around to watch.

'Do you need a guard to accompany you, Ponyéva?'

Behind him, the wolf and her tall companion were creeping out of the room. Their movements were incredibly silent, they were like curtains blowing in the wind. The girl met Kaya's eyes briefly.

'Tell me, who else is on duty?'

'Uh... Zazhil Feyer, Damascus Myèv, Katryn Paulei and Phinneas Smay.'