The next few days were extremely busy. Otto was hesitant at first to use my method of treating people, but as the quarantine numbers began to swell, he quickly released the method of treatment to every person and city that would listen. Those who could siphon the energy was still the preferable method, but even though we found a second person with the talent, the numbers were far beyond what they could handle. At least this way, we had a way to treat those who had begun to mutate. they were not beyond saving.

The quarantine area outside Aktaio now housed over five thousand people in various stages of recovery. The number of sick we found far exceeded any of the councils estimates. I shuddered thinking of this many Demonkin going on a rampage inside the city.

Even now, we were still finding more afflicted. The ten soldiers under my command marched through the mud-covered streets of the lower city. We had already found ten more sick today and the sun had not even reached its highest point.

Kadmos was the greatest help. His innate talent laid in his eyes. He could see through solid objects and into the many houses with ease. He was able to find people no matter where they hid. He could even watch a person’s heartbeat to tell when they were lying. The talent made me uncomfortable every time he used it, but it was batter then knocking on doors to a house with no one inside. He even found a hidden cellar once, full of half mutated people chained underground.

As I pulled my boot out of the viscous mud, I looked at Donte. He had been following me on patrol for the past few days and had quickly grown friendly with the soldiers. Many knew his mother, which helped him fit in more easily.

“Two more streets, and we can take a break.” I spoke. Walking in full armor, was exhausting for the guards, but it was better than being unprepared when they got attacked.

“Yes, lady Wren!” the soldiers shouted, suddenly full of energy.

“You mind if we take a small detour before the break?” Donte asked.

“What is it?”

“My home is… was up ahead. I haven’t been back since mum died.”

“Of course.” I replied, place my hand on his shoulder.

We trudged through the street, stopping at every building we passed, but did not find any more afflicted for the moment.

Eventually, we came to a stop in front of a small shack. The door was still busted, but at least the bodies had been cleaned up. The smell of blood had faded and now all that remained was the pungent odor of stagnant water that filled all of the lower city.

The soldiers stayed back, feeling it was not their place to get involved. Donte stepped into the small shack with an unsteady gait. I could see him shaking in the dim light.

He looked around the now empty home. He moved slowly around the single room, hand lightly grazing the wall as he walked. He reminisced in silence. The minutes ticked by, but no one complained.

He stopped moving now as he looked at the ground where a clay cup laid, broken and shattered. Slowly, he reached down, picking up the broken mug. Tears dropped to the ground as he picked up all the pieces.

“I made this for Mum when I was little.” He said as tears fell freely down his face. “It was such an ugly little thing, but she said it was her favorite in the world. She drank from it every day.”

Donte gripped the pieces tightly. The sharp edges cutting into his skin. He did not seem to notice as blood dripped to the floor.

“Mum… I miss you so much.”

…

..

.

He collapsed to the floor, wailing loudly. Broken pottery scattered back across the ground as he dropped the broken cup. I reached out, holding him tightly in my arms till the tears subsided.

“I’m sorry.” Donte mumbled when his tears finally subsided. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“It is ok. Sometimes people just need to cry.” I whispered, stroking his head the same way my mother used to when I was sick. “Come, let’s go home. Kadmos and his soldiers can handle the rest of today without our help.”

“Home?” Donte asked, looking down at the floor.

I paused, praying he did not start crying again. Home might have been the wrong word. Not knowing what else to say, I grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the floor.

He did not put up any resistance as I led him out of the shack, and away from the memories that still haunted him. I practically dragged him away, saying a few words to Kadmos as we passed. Donte’s steps were robotic, lacking any life, as I pulled him through the streets and out of the slums.

It was only after walking for more than an hour that he started to talk again. He talked about the little things he used to do with his mother. How his mother would nag him when he came home dirty. The songs she used to sing while doing chores around the house. The times he and his mother would lay of the roof of their home, watching the stars.

It was the first time he had talked about his mother since the incident. The stories seemed to cheer him up. Vigor came back to his voice as he rambled on about the past. He even laughed once while describing how bad his mother had been at patching and sowing clothes.

We stopped for food one of the many stalls that lined the central street thorough the city. I introduced him to the fried fish snack my mother had been so excited about our first day in the city. He was every bit as weirded out by the small faces staring back at us as I had been. In the end, Sylvie and Nox were the one that profited the most, eating almost all of the bag themselves.

The remanence was broken when we entered the noble district. There, standing in the middle of the street was someone I had honestly forgotten about.

Damian paced back and forth in the middle of the street, limping badly with every step. He was mumbling to himself with his head down. Every couple of steps he stomped his one good foot hard against the ground, and began tearing at his hair. His movements seemed… twitchy and unnatural.

I tried to pass quietly, shielding myself from view by hiding behind Donte, but Damian noticed me anyway. He looked up, eyes wide as saucers and glowing with an unnatural light. At the corner of his mouth, I could see remains of a glowing orange powder.

“You!” he shouted wildly. “It is all your fault!”

Damian rushed across the street, which ended up looking more amusing than threatening as he fought against the limp in every step he took.

“It is all your fault! I told him! I told him it was you, but he did not believe me. Now my father is in jail because of what you did!”

I put my hands on my hips as I faced the hysterical ranting with a smile. “I also set your house on fire. Do not forget that. It was my favorite part.”

“AAaaaAaa! I knew it! I knew it was you!” Damian shouted, pulling at his hair. “Everything is ruined because of you! Make you pay. I am going to make you pay! No, no, no, no, no not just hurt you. I will make suffer for ruining my life!”

“I think you had a little too much spark powder. We are in the middle of the noble district. There are guards everywhere. Attacking me here would just get you arrested and thrown in jail right beside your father.” I replied with a smirk.

“Attack? No, not attack. I have power now. Real power! I can do whatever I want. Nobody can stop me!” Damian laughed maniacally as his eye began to glow with a golden light. “Everyone will Obey!”

Not good! I took a step back as an invisible wave of power washed over me. My body became ridged, unable to move. I struggled, but no matter what I did, my body would not respond. I stood there, looking at Damian’s twisted smile, incapable of resisting.

Mental domination, it was a power I had seen before. Those under its effects would even kill their own brother if it was commanded. The orders were absolute.

Now more than ever I wished I had my Chronicle. With it I would have been able to resist the mental control, but without it I was helpless.

“On your knees.”

I struggled against the command, but the effort was pointless The command was absolute. I fell to my knees in the middle of the street. Hard stone dug into my skin, but I could do nothing. Beside me, Donte was in the same predicament. Even Nox had bowed down on the ground.

“With this power I can do anything! You are just the first of many I will bring under my command. Even the great Chancellor Otto will bow before me.” Damian laughed. “But first, I am going to spend a very long time playing with you. Oh, the things I have planned.”

“You are an idiot if you think you can maintain this control for long.”

He simply smiled down at me and looked over a Donte. “Punch your friend for me, hard.”

“Please no! I do not want to do this.” Donte cried as he got up from the kneeling position and stood in front of me. I could see Donte struggling against the command, but it was useless. His hand balled into a fist and slammed into my stomach. The wind was knocked out of me as I hunched over in pain.

“Again! Again!” Damian commanded, clapping excitedly.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Donte Cried as he pulled me up and hit me twice more in the stomach.

Nausea welled up within me as my lunch was thrown up across the ground. I struggled to breath as I collapsed to the ground. “I am going to kill you!” I weakly growled up at Damian.

“Silence!”

I fell silent for a moment, but then grinned at Damian confidently. Fighting against the pain, I stood up, clutching my stomach against losing my lunch again. “You do not understand your power very well, do you?”

“You will be silent!”

I paused for only a second before continuing. “You really are an amateur.”

“How... How are you resisting my commands? My word is absolute! You will obey!”

“of course I will.” I replied shaking my head as I pulled out the dagger I kept in my boot. With a grin from ear to ear, I took a step towards Damian.

“S… stop!” he stuttered, his eyes shining even brighter. He was using everything he had to force me to obey.

I stopped, but only for a fraction of a second before taking another step towards Damian. He stumbled back; eyes wide with fear. “I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“And that is why you will die.” I replied, taking another step. I was almost within reach of him now. The dagger shined in the afternoon light.

Unfortunately, before I could take that final lunge, another voice spoke from nearby. “What is going on here?” Shouted a guard on patrol. Our little incident had gained his attention. He sprinted over, standing between him and me.

My eyes narrowed. I hesitated on whether or not I should kill Damian anyway, but decided against it. Killing in such a public way would cause no end of problems. I would find a way to deal with him later.

I was worried for a moment that Damian would take control of the guard, but once I looked closer, I knew that would not be a problem. his eyes now barely glowed. His breath was ragged and his face was covered in a sheen of sweat. He had run out of energy. He must have put everything into that last command.

Seeing the guard eyeing my dagger, I decided to put my acting skills to the test. My hand started shaking as the dagger fell to the ground. I covered my eyes with my arm and pretended to cry. “I… hic… was so scared. He has gone crazy from spark powder. He attacked me!”

“you brat! I will kill you!” Damian shouted hysterically. He tried to rush at me, but the guard held him back.

“See?” I said through fake sobs.

The guard looked at me skeptically. He then looked at Damian, the orange powder still prominent on the corner of his mouth.

“I don’t get paid enough for this.” The guard said with a sigh. “I don’t like to get involved in a squabble between nobles, but I know who you two are. I am not crazy enough to arrest the daughter of two commanders.” The guard paused, looking at me, then at Damian. “It is obvious you have been using spark powder. Come on boy, you are coming with me to quarantine.”

“No! No! you can’t make me. I will have your job for this!” Damian shouted.

The guard grabbed Damian roughly and led him away while shaking his head. “Crazy noble brats the both of you. What am I supposed to do if one of you had gotten seriously injured?” I heard the guard mumble before he got out of earshot.

I suddenly stopped crying and stuck my tongue out at the retreating figures.

“That was… You are a terrible actor. I don’t know how you got away without being arrested.” Donte said, shaking his head.

“The guards in the noble district are probably briefed on everyone important. He did not want to lose his job angering my parents.” I replied, patting down disheveled clothes and sheathing my dagger back into my boot.

“Are you ok? How did you resist his commands?”

“I didn’t resist them.” I replied simply. “He just did not understand his own ability. He told me to be silent, but not for how long. He commanded me to stop, so I stopped for an instant before continuing.”

“That works?”

“Understanding your innate talent takes time. Every ability has its own limitations and rules. How far you can stretch those rules is what separates the powerful from the pathetic.”

“I am just glad you stopped him. Being forced to hurt you like that…not having control of my body… that was terrifying.”

I hit Donte in the arm. “Speaking of which, he told you to hit me. He did not say to slug me in the stomach three times. Why did you not punch me in the arm or leg instead?”

“I…I…” Donte stuttered, trying to find the right words.

I placed my hands on my hips, glaring at him. “You better be prepared. When my dad gets back tonight you are going through hell training unlike anything you have experienced before.”

“Wait! Have mercy!” Donte cried, grabbing my shoulders. “Your pops already leaves me black and blue every day. If it gets any worse, I will not be able to get out of bed for a week.”

“A week?” I asked with a malicious grin. “Once we are done with you, you will be lucky to move in a month. I still have not paid you back for trying to peek on me in the bath either. You did not think I had forgiven you for that did you?”

Yes! Payback!

“But… I…” Donte’s floundered as he tried to find an excuse. Failing, his shoulders slumped as he surrendered. “I don’t have much choice, do I?”

“Nope.”