AWAKE

  Tanner wakes up screaming, with a pounding head. It takes a few seconds to realize he is awake and not dreaming. A few seconds more to understand he is feeling the soft sheets and blankets surrounding him, not tentacles. ‘I’m naked,’ he thinks. “Thirsty,” he croaks, from an over dry throat, while opening his eyes. “Too bright,” Tanner mumbles. He closes his eyes again. He can feel his dry throat burning when he attempts to talk. “Ow my head. Where am I?” Tanner closes his eyes in the glare coming from the room’s windows. He whispers, “Where are my clothes?”

  “Shhh, it’s okay, you’re safe.” Samantha tells him.

  Samantha’s familiar voice calms Tanner. “Water.” he croaks again. Feeling Sam’s hand on the back of his head raising it so he can drink.

  “Just a sip now. The healer needs to check on you.”

  “Better,” he sighs.

  “I’ll get the healer.” She runs, leaving the door open. Light from the hallway making an already too bright room into a blazing agony of white.

  The large Healer from the docks enters the room. “Good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

  Tanner winces in pain, keeping his eyes shut. “Thirsty, it’s too bright, and my head hurts,” he rasps. A few breaths later. “Where are my clothes? Where am I? Why is Sam here?” he asks again.

  “You, young man, are in the Imperial Manor in Volks Harbor.” The man he sort of remembers from the docks tells him. “Let me do a quick scan, and we’ll see what we can do about your headache.” It’s not until the healer asks, “Close the blinds please, and get him some water.” Tanner notices a maid had entered the room with the large healer.

  “Wait.” Tanner croaks, trying to move his head away from the man. “I can’t afford to pay you.”

  “Do not worry,” the man smiles. “No payment needed.” He says, laying his hands once again on Tanner’s head. Tanner feels a cooling wave run through him and seems to wrap around his head.

  “What was that?”

  “You have some minor inflammation from the kraken venom. Which is normal after your recent experience.” The man smiles again. “Hows the headache now?”

  “Better. Who are you and why am I here?”

  “How are your eyes? Room still too bright?” The healer asks, ignoring Tanner’s questions. “Please answer, sometimes healing magic can be imprecise, I need to know that you are feeling okay before we continue our discussion.”

  “Just feeling thirsty, everything else is good now.”

  “Oh, forgive me, Sir. I would have offered you a drink sooner. I did not want to interrupt.” The maid speaks up, holding out a glass of water.

  “Just sips now.” the healer warns him.

  “Oh, that’s so much better.”

  “We will give the water time to settle. Then you can have some more. To answer your questions, young Tanner. I am Rhys Brightstar, Healer to the Imperial Family, official sounding title, isn’t it? You are in the Imperial manor house in Volks Harbor.” He laughs, “I’m afraid you’ve fallen in with noble company. Tanner.” He looks on, still smiling.

  “How do you know my name?”

  “Your friend Samantha accompanied us, and the children you were with on the docks kept saying your name. They were quite concerned. Still too much light?”

  “No Sir, whatever you did fixed everything. I am still thirsty, though. Can I have more water, please?” After Tanner gulps from the glass, handed to him. “I thank you for everything, but I need to get back and let the Matron know I’m okay. How long have I been here?”

  “Rest easy, we let her know you were okay, and where you would be.”

  “Oh.” Tanner says after a pause. “Thanks.”

  The Healer informs him, “You’ve been asleep since yesterday’s adventure, and it’s now mid-morning. The children that were with you are fine and the young lad, that your timely distraction from the kraken saved is also fine. Good work.”

  Tanner gives his own smile. “I’m glad he’s okay.”

  “Well, let’s get you clothing. I’m afraid your fishing partner shredded what you were wearing, kraken can be quite hard on the wardrobe.” Rhys laughs at his joke. “You have several people that want to meet you. Celeste, please bring Tanner his new clothes.”

  Celeste lays a bundle on the bed. “Here you are, Sir.” She smiles, “I’ll leave you to get dressed, unless you need help?”

  “I can dress myself.” Tanner blurts out with some embarrassment.

  “I’ll be right outside the door if you need me.”

  “Alright, I need to let everybody know you are awake and doing fine. See you in a few minutes. Well done yesterday.” Rhys tells him while leaving the room.

  Tanner gets out of bed and looks over the clothing. ‘What have I gotten into?’ he thinks to himself. ‘This is way too fine for me. If I go out in this, they will either laugh at me or rob me, likely both.’ He sighs and gets dressed. “Nothing to do but press through it.” He mutters, under His breath, one of the few things he remembers his father saying.

  Tanner steps out into the hall, to see Celeste waiting on him. She smiles and motions down the hall, “This way, Sir.”

  “You don’t have to call me Sir. I’m not a noble or anything.”

  She smiles again at him, “You are in my charge, so Sir you will be.” She gives a small laugh. “This way please, Sir,” she teases.

  Tanner can only shake his head and follow. “Where are we going?”

  “You will find out soon enough, Sir.”

  “No hint huh?”

  “That would spoil the surprise.” The older woman winks and opens the door they’ve arrived at.

  The door opens, a tall, athletic built woman with beautiful reddish brown hair and warm blue eyes, along with a younger brown-eyed girl around his own age, the two looking enough alike to be sisters. Both stand in the center of the room. The older woman seems to dominate the space. Both smile at him. Tanner spots Samantha. “Have you been here the entire time?”

  “I’m making sure you’re alright.”

  “Thanks Sam, how’d you know?”

  “I ran to the docks to look for the crowd, knowing that’s where I would find you and there you were.” Sam, hugging him snickers.

  “Oh, ha ha, you are so funny,” Tanner deadpans. Hugging her back. “Does Aden know you are here?”

  “No, and I missed six classes, Mom.”

  “You are so grounded, young lady.” Tanner snarks back. The two laughing hug again.

  “Glad you are alright.”

  “Me too. It hurt.”

  The Empress, putting her hand on Samantha’s shoulder, “I’ll have someone accompany you to the academy and have you excused for the classes you missed. So, you can make up your work. Maybe they should escort you to this Aden?”

  “My boyfriend. That may be best, he … worries. Thank you for allowing me to stay.” Sam bows her head.

  “Miss Dellwood, it has been a pleasure to meet and get to know you. I mean this, If you need anything at all please contact me.”

  “No one will believe I met the Imperial family,”

  “We can’t have that.” the Impress hands Sam a box. “This will offer proof and if you need to contact me a shortcut through official channels.”

  When Sam opens the box, she finds a dagger with the Imperial crest on the handle.

  “Only friends get one of these. Hold out your hand,” The empress pricks Samantha’s thumb and presses the drop of blood to the dagger handle. “There we go, soul bound to you now. It can not be stolen or lost.”

  Sam takes a last look at Tanner before she leaves. “Bye Tanner, when you graduate, come see me. We can delve together.”

  Tanner, moving to hug her once more, reaches up and tucks her hair behind her ear. “You can wear you hair like you used to. Scar or no scar, you are a beautiful woman.” The two friends hug one more time, then part. With hugs and grins exchanged, Samantha departs the room.

  Turning to watcher her leave he feels an odd sense of a chapter closing on his life. Spotting a large sideboard with several platters of food loaded on top, Tanner almost doubles over with hunger pains, stomach growling out loud. “Oh, gods. I’m so hungry.” He exclaims out loud. All eyes are on him. He feels his face flush hot with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he looks around the room.

  The older woman reassures him, “It’s fine. Honestly, I am surprised you lasted as long as you have. I would think the healing has you starving. Please have a seat and eat your fill.”

  “Thank you Missus,”

  Celeste gasps and whispers, “You keel, and address her as, Your Majesty.”

  Tanner kneels, “Sorry, Your Majesty.”

  The Empress smiles. “It is fine. Get something to eat, then we can talk. Celeste, thank you. You may go about your duties.”

  “By your leave, your Majesty.” Celeste asks as she rises and leaves the room.

  “Do not worry about formalities for now. We are in my family’s private wing.” The empress said.

  Tanner walks up to the table. A man steps forward, pointing to a chair to sit in. “Thank you.” He tells the servant, as the man seats him. The man dishes up servings on the most ornate plate he has ever seen and sets the plate in front of him. Tanner grabs a fork and shovels food into his mouth, so hungry he can think of nothing except the food in front of him, let alone where he is or who he is with.

  The Empress smiles and sits across from him. “We will talk after you have eaten your fill.” The girl, who looks to be about his own age also sits and stares at him, like she can not believe how rapidly he is shoving the food off of the plate and into his mouth.

  “More please, sir,” Tanner asks the man who seated him.

  The Empress laughs when he starts on his second plate. He then pauses and looks at the Empress. She smiles, “Eat. I am always starving after healing, too. When we get healed it takes energy and nutrients from our bodies to work, so all of that needs to be replaced.” She explains. “Once you feel full, stop and wait a few minutes. You may need to eat again after waiting. Your injury was significant.”

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  Tanner nods and mutters, “Thanks,” around a mouthful of food. The man serving him frowns at his table manners and lack of respect, while Her Majesty just smiles at him.

  Another door opens, and a boy that also looks a lot like the Empress walks in. “Your awake.” He exclaims and runs up to Tanner.

  “Let him eat, Richard.” The girl scolds with exhaustion of an older sister to a younger brother.

  “I am sure, he can hear me thank him, and still eat, Claire.” He replies with a loud, put-upon sigh.

  “Children, please let Tanner, our guest, finish eating before we start the interrogation.” Her Majesty says with the long suffering patience of a mother, while still smiling at Tanner.

  Rhys, the healer, and the blonde woman from the docks enter. They both bow to the Empress, their eyes on Tanner. “Tanner, I pronounce you healthy. Eat as much as you feel you need. Your body will signal when it’s had enough.” The healer said.

  The blonde woman rolls her eyes at Rhys’ statement. “Hello, Slugger, you tagged me one.” The blonde said, appearing proud of him. “You aren’t even attuned yet, and you tagged me and left a mark.” Pointing to her bruised cheek. Shifting to a more serious tone, “How are you feeling?”

  “Tanner, you have met Healer Rhys. This is Knight Commander Brightstar, the head of the Imperial Body Guard. She is the person responsible for pulling you out of the water.” The Empress said.

  Rhys gives an impish grin. “Or is it now Commander Pretty, Pretty Brighteyes?”

  Tanner blushes scarlet with embarrassment. The Commander smiles at Tanner, “Kraken venom has the effect of lowering inhibitions. Your words were sweet.”

  Tanner, thinking the Healer’s embarrassing comment bad, now wants to sink into the floor and hide for several years. “Oh gods, sorry Knight Commander,”

  The Empress, trying to suppress a grin, and failing, asks, “Oh my, what did I miss? Rhys, I order you to inform your Empress of all the details.”

  To which Healer Rhys replies, “He told the good commander. ‘You’re beautiful. I like the way your eyes look like the sun glinting through the winter ice.’ He was very smooth, I might add. Then reached out a loving hand to run across her cheek and told her, ‘Pretty, pretty.’” Mortified, Tanner stops eating and tries to hide his face in the napkin.

  Feeling an arm wrap over his shoulders. The commander’s voice sounds in his ear. “Tanner, it is okay. We are all just teasing. I apologize for any embarrassment. This uncouth Healer is putting you through.”

  “I said it. I just can’t believe I did. Now I find out you are one of the empire’s heroes.” His voice trailing off.

  “Finish eating. You need the nourishment. We all need to talk soon as you are done.”

  “Yes commander.” Tanner agrees.

  With a full stomach and a sense of nervous dread, Tanner pushes away from the table. The Empress stands and gestures for everyone in the room to follow her. “Join us in the morning room for a conversation.” She calls over her shoulder. She asks everyone to be seated once they are all present.

  Bree begins the conversation. “Foremost, Tanner, you’re not in trouble. I’d like to thank you for your courage yesterday morning. You not only rescued your fellow orphans from a dangerous situation. You distracted a very dangerous predator from one of the scullery boys that had fallen overboard when the kraken had bumped the ship. Thank You. I would like to discuss your future. Healer Rhys has given me assurance that you have made a full recovery. How do you feel?”

  “I feel okay, better than ever.”

  “Good. First off, Introductions are in order. Present are Healer Rhys Brightstar.” Rhys smiles and bows to him. “Knight Commander Penelope Brightstar, she is the one that rescued Richard’s companion and yourself.” The Knight Commander smiles at him. “My daughter, Imperial Princes Claire Penelope Contigo. Like you, she is also going to attend the 12th district Attunement ceremony in Madison this summer’s end.”

  “Wait, I am going to the one here in Volks Harbor,”

  “You will be accompanying us to the 12th district capital to attend the ceremony there.” The Empress explains, smiling. The Princess also smiles at him. “My youngest son, Imperial Prince Richard Harold Rhys Contigo.”

  Thanks for helping Philly.” The Prince speaks up.

  The Empress gestures to herself, continuing with the introductions, “I am sure you have become aware. I am Her Imperial Majesty Bree Maeve Alexander-Contigo. I need to make you aware of who we are and what our purpose is today. Are you following so far?”

  Tanner nods his head. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness,”

  “Please, no formalities right now, the proper term would be just your Your Imperial Majesty, as we are in an informal setting, it would be Your Majesty. I want you to call me Bree, okay? We are not trying to make you uncomfortable with all the attention.” The Empress says, “I have my reasons for all of this. I am sure you are aware of Affinities, Attributes, Classes, and Skills?”

  “Yes, I know of them, all I know is what they teach us in public school. I haven’t had much opportunity to learn about them. I know we will get them if we become Attuned. We will be level 0. We get a Status Sheet that we can see our attributes on. At level 0, we can start getting skills. When we hit level 10, we get Class options. After reaching level 10, delvers can develop talents.” He replies.

  The Empress nods her head. “That is the basics. Only talents can show at Level 0 and above. What do you know of Talents?”

  “Their presence is possible after the Attunement. They are kind of like skills, only they don’t level like skills.” He answers. “Sorry, I don’t know much about them.”

  The Empress smiles. “Close enough for now. You will learn much more at the academy. I have a minor talent in divination. This is not common knowledge, so keep it to yourself clear? This is not something we share.”

  “Yes ma’am.” He replies.

  “The Emperor desires to have a discussion with you,” she informs him. “No need to worry,” she reassures him. “Remember, this will be nothing bad.” She smiles at him. “I’ve had a premonition about you, just so you know.” She pauses and looks at him.

  Tanner looks back at the Empress with a stunned expression. Shocked by the thought. “Me?”

  “Yes, you. Nothing earth shattering, so don’t panic.” She smiles at him. “Claire was watching you and your friends and informed me of what was happening. I had Penny on standby to help if you needed it. Since the Knight Commander was in the thick of events. I’ll have her relay what happened after you took your nap. So Tanner be at ease. Knight Commander, if you please.” She laughs. “See what I did there?” Penelope rolls her eyes.

  “Penelope, if you would continue, please?” The Empress gestures to the Knight Commander.

  Penelope clears her throat and speaks up. “The children with you were distraught. I’m sure you can remember that much?”

  Tanner nods his head in the affirmative. “Lots of screaming.”

  Rhys tells him, “You lost a significant amount of blood. The skin was peeled off of most of your leg. The kraken also broke your leg in several places and dislocated your lower spine, hip, knee, and ankle. You had most of the muscles and connecting tissues torn from your mid back and chest down the left side of your body to your ankle.”

  Penny resumes the tale and tells the room. “You were fighting like mad. I got to you before the damn thing tore your leg off. While I was bringing you to the dock, you tagged me.” She grins again, touching her cheek. “Once Rhys stabilized your condition, then we got the children settled and met your girlfriend.”

  Tanner interrupts, face heating. “She is not my girlfriend. We are close but not that.”

  Penny smiles at him and winks. “No judgments here.” Penny clears her throat and continues. “We learned about your orphan status. When we attempted to remove you from the docks. The crowd were concerned enough to stop us and ask what we planned to do with you. Not usual behavior in the face of Imperial troops. Let me tell you. They all seemed to know you. We discovered you’re a popular young man. We let the Matron know of your circumstance. Rhys and I went to visit with her.”

  Before Penny can continue, Rhys interrupts, “While there, I healed all of your fellow orphans, your matron, her helpers, and several neighbors. It is amazing how many people will talk after you heal them. Penny talked with everybody about you. You had many people concerned about you. You seem very popular in another part of the city far removed from the dock area. The City Lord seems to favor you, his wife does not. The city guards all speak in your favor. A fascinating puzzle.”

  “Why? Why go to all this effort?” Tanner wondered out loud.

  “I wanted to find out everything I could about you, Tanner.” The Empress interjects. “Please continue, Penelope.”

  Penelope speaks again. “We’ve learned that you haven’t had a bed or stayed at the Orphanage for the last four or five years. You gave up your bed for one of the new charges. Commendable.”

  “Mary, I gave up my bed for Mary, she was two.”

  Penny nods, smiling at him with approval, and continues. “You have been living on the streets since your eleventh summer.”

  “Just the first year, and not exactly on the streets. The Guardsmen have let me stay in the barracks, or in their homes. I also stayed with Sam a few times,”

  “We also learned about this arrangement involving the guards. We did not know about Sam,” Penelope replies to him. “Why was this allowed, we wondered. It is against Imperial Law for civilians to live in the guard barracks.” She fixes her gaze on Tanner.

  “The City Lord allowed me, I am a junior Guardsman, I help the Guardsmen and train with them. They have also offered me a job after the academy.” Tanner replies.

  “Again, this is irregular. I have never heard of a ‘junior guard’ position” Penelope smiles. “You were fast becoming mysterious. So we looked deeper. We found out about your adventures during your twelfth summer.”

  “They instructed me to remain silent no matter what.”

  “They being the City Lord and the Chief Guardsman?”

  “Yes Commander.”

  Penelope arcs an eyebrow in question. “Care to elaborate? We are aware of your involvement in many activities. We have talked to the City Guard Captain. He has told us about your involvement with the Kid-Hawks. He has also told us about your Mother and Father.”

  “So you already know just about everything about me, huh?”

  “Just about, Tanner” She says in a gentle voice.

  “She knows too?” Tanner gestures to the Empress.

  “Of course, she’s the boss.”

  The Empress smiles at Penelope. “Tanner, I would like to hear about what happened, your twelfth summer. In your own words, please.” The Empress asks in a gentle tone of voice.

  “Okay,” Tanner replies. “A street gang was chasing me. I ran into a side alley and hid. The gang couldn’t find me. I stayed in the alley for several minutes. A man chased them off and a gang of men dragged a young girl into the alley. She was screaming. I tried to blend into the shadows even more. The man in charge killed one man for cutting her face. They beat her and did other things to her. It seemed to take forever, she got quiet to the end I hoped she had died. I know, I wanted to.” Tanner pauses and starts to tear up. “I couldn’t do anything to help.” He tells them all with tears in his eyes. “I had to stay hidden and quiet the whole time. I got so angry.”

  “The girl was Samantha, I take it,” the Empress inquires.

  He sighs. “Yes, after they finished with her. They wrapped her in a tarp, treated her like a sack of garbage, then carried her out. I followed them. They took her to a whorehouse on the docks. That's when I discovered it was the Kid Hawks who had taken her. I looked around the building’s outside, Where I discovered a back entrance. I looked around inside. I found several people in cages. Sam was bound and on the floor. Then I discovered an office with a few ledgers and took them. I ran all the way across the city to the Chief Guardsman’s house. Then I woke him up, told him about what happened in the alley. I informed him about the cages and the girl. He didn’t believe me at first. I showed him the ledgers. He read them and got angry. He took me to Lord Zephyr. The Lord got furious too. Next thing I know, they called up the all the off duty guards, the church paladins, the deacons, and the city lords' personal guard and raided the whorehouse and a bunch of the noble houses. They killed or captured all the Kid-hawks and most of the street gangs, and released the victims. They arrested and killed several nobles. I got a reward. I gave it to the Matron, for the Littles. The guards started giving me odd jobs around the barracks and let me train with them. I run messages here and there. A few other things I’m not supposed to talk about. I check with the matron, give her as much money as I can. At the Orphanage, I eat and work alongside the others. The City Lord, he checks in on me sometimes. The Chief and the Lord told me I could have a job with them after I graduated. The Chief lets me train with them. I enjoy it.” He smiles.

  “Why are the City Lord and Chief Guard so certain you will have an Affinity?” The Empress asked him.

  “Both my parents were Delvers. They died when I was three summers old. When the local Dungeon evolved. The old lord forced my mother into the Dungeon somehow, my father waited outside for her, they both died that day. Same day the old Lord died. Gran took care of me for a year or so until she passed. Then I went to the orphanage. That’s my life.”

  “Emperor Contigo and Lord Zephyr are going to meet to clarify your story. The City Lord’s actions are a bit puzzling. And possibly treasonous.” The Empress informs him.

  Tanner stands up in alarm. “Don’t you dare. He’s one of the few people that have protected me. He watches out for me cause my dad died defending the city and I helped with the Kid Hawks. They think I don’t know about the Tidewell's, and the Hasting’s not getting caught in their crimes. The Lord and Lady protect me the best way they can. And so do the city guard. If they get punished, you're no better than the Kid Hawks and the other nobles that support them.” Tanner glares at the shocked room.

  An armed female guard bursts into the room, sword drawn. Penny moves in front of Tanner, between him and the guard. “Stand down.”

  The guard woman sheathes her sword and comes to attention. “Sorry Knight Commander. I was coming to report the Lord and Lady Zephyr have arrived. I heard a disturbance.” Glaring at Tanner out of the corner of her eye.

  “Guard, I appreciate your diligence and willingness to protect the Imperial family. Tanner is to be an added duty to the protection detail. One of your duties going forward is to protect Tanner with the qualities you have shown from this day forward.” Penny tells the guard woman.

  The Empress walks up to the guard. “Thank you for your diligence. Please let the rest of the guard detachment know of these orders. I am afraid the timing on your part is unfortunate. I require your oath, sworn to the Goddess, to keep this conversation and anything related to it confidential.” The guard hesitates, Bree explains, “This is a matter of imperial security. You will not leave this room unless an oath is sworn.”

  Kneeling, the guard swears to the goddess. After a slight glow surrounds her and fades. Bree steps aside, facing everyone in the room. “Tanner, I apologize. I did not speak in direct enough terms. I have gotten too used to formal speech and talking around a subject. It seems I have forgotten how to speak directly. The fact of the matter is, several people have broken Imperial Law. We are investigating the reasons for the violations of Imperial Law. The names you mentioned bring many complications to this matter. I haven't considered the trauma you've experienced recently or throughout your life. I am sorry, please forgive me?”

  Bree examines the guard and tells her. “Tanner is the young man from the docks that rescued three children and fought the kraken. You will be in his guard detail.” The guard gives Tanner a look of surprise and respect, then stands straighter.

  Still standing from his outburst, Tanner flushes and kneels toward her. “Forgive me your Imperial Majesty, I didn’t mean to upset you, I just…” Tanner trails off.

  “A lot has happened in a brief time, and you have not had a chance to catch up.” Bree finishes for him. She moves to Tanner, and pulls him up off the floor into a hug, surprising them both.

  Mumbling into her shoulder. “There is nothing to forgive. I over reacted.”

  Bree lets go of Tanner and turns to the guard, “I am sorry I do not know your name, you can introduce yourself while you escort me to the Zephyr's.” Bree gives Penny a warning look before leaving. “Play nice.” When she leaves the room.