Talia

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

They bring us to separated rooms. Mine has no windows, its dark like the night. In order to see, I have to light some candles. There is only one small bed, a desk, and a chair in the room. It's not that big, just big enough for the furniture's to fit in.

"Talia?" His voice is unclear and dark, but I can hear him pretty well.

"Yes?" I answer. These walls can't be too thick since we are able to hear each other like this. Suddenly I hear the wall making noises that reminds me of drums. It gets louder and louder. It doesn't stop until there comes a foot through the wall. His combat boots are dusty, but it falls off when he takes it back. Banan looks through the hole he made, and smiles at me.

"Hello. These walls are thin because the guards shall be able to hear the prisoners. I think it is possible to knock down the door too."

"Why did you do that? Won't they notice?" His smile gets bigger.

"I don't care. They can't do much about what I have done. I wanted to talk to you." I brush away some hair that gets in my face.

"You need to be trained. What does he mean by that? Why am I here? And where is Anzor?"

"Calm down. I will tell you, just be quiet."

Banan's POV

I tell her about everything from the very beginning.

Ever since I was a child, Duglas has been my Master, like he was to other children. I have never known my parents or where I came from, but Duglas gave me a home. He treated me well and raised me to fight, to become a soldier. Every day was a training camp, separated from the other children. I was personally trained by Duglas. He kept on giving me different and difficult situations to handle, in order to get independent and strong.

His area is big, and in the middle of nowhere, a perfect place to keep his upcoming army, and a perfect place to train them without anybody noticing.

When I turned 15 years, I had been in the army in Olivia, which holds the best army in Quince. And I was promoted to become general, a leader like Duglas wanted me to.

The same year I was sent on a mission by Duglas to Nally after the war, to check on his family. He had left his family as a 16 year old kid to study abroad in Akila, the country with the best schools. But there are more reasons to why he left.

During the war in Nally, people were not allowed to enter the country. They didn't want other countries to interfere. After 6 years I could finally enter. Duglas said that I should return if the family was fine, but if they had died, I was to bring back his family fortune.

Half of the country had burnt down; most of the houses had burnt down as well as the families that had lived there. Most of the archives were also in ruins. It was impossible to tell who had lived where, that is why you had to have proof that you owned what you owned.

Unfortunatly I got to know that they had died. On my way to theìr house, I met Duglas former nanny; an old woman that had kept the books about Ika safe. The nanny only handed me the books when I made her believe that Duglas was my Master. She handed them to me and started to talk about a child, a child that was born just before the war started. The nanny had smuggled her out of the country, to make her grow up in a better place, one time during the war. It had been tough, but she managed it. She didn't know where they sent the child, but she made sure that Talias birth certification and special belongings, such as the necklace, came along. With the books I got Duglas fortune, and was on my way back. The way back was long and boring, which is why I started to read the books. Duglas mother was originally pregnant with Duglas with a man she didn't know. Her childhood friend decided to marry her so that it would look like he was the father, and so that she wouldn't be punished, or feel ashamed for the rest of her life.

When I came home Duglas shared his story with me because I already knew most of it. Apparently Duglas read these diaries when he was 14. And for those years he had believed that Ika was his real father. He was disgraced and disgusted, and determined to move away from home, as far as possible. Not only didn't he like this, but his stepfather had kept a huge secret about his blood. It had the power to heal his body, a power Duglas did not have. He never contracted them after he moved, not even once.

The last book was pretty new, and Duglas had never read it before. He was happy because of the money he had inherited, but when he heard and read about his stepsister he was shocked. His stepfather and mother had a child together. After a while he made up his mind about finding Talia. Duglas never told me his plan, why he was making an army, or why he seemed to want power so much. He just sent me on a new mission to find her. I was to send him a message of where I was every month with a dove and wait for him to send me an answer before I could move on. Many months passed by on the search for the lost child, but one day I suddenly got a different letter from my Master. He had employed a couple of people to help, for money. He described them for me and sent drawn pictures. They were all people with criminal backgrounds.

When I recognized Anzor from the picture one day in a random city in Olivia, I started to follow him. I believe most of the trackers gave up after a while, but he never did. That is why I got interested and understood that he knew something I didn't.

"Why didn't you say this before?" Talia asks. I can only see some of her face, but I feel like her voice pities me, as well as her concerned eyes.

"I thought it would be easier to manipulate you if you didn't know much, and also, it would be a nuisance if you actually managed to escape with all that information." I give her a smile. She startles and leans away.

"By the way. Where on Quince is Anzor?"

"I killed him." She is silent for a moment.

"You're joking right?" She asks with a tense smile.

"We should get some rest. Let's sleep." While I lay down in bed, she remains with the hole and shouts my name. I regret sharing the air with her by making an opening. She continues to nag on me, but I shut her voice out and close my eyes.