The King's Remorse

Just for One Moment, Then the Snake, Then Pisces

Two fish materialize in Wolf's palm, one shimmering with the colors of a midnight sky and the other with those of a midday sky. They weave around each other until Wolf gently tosses them, and they swim toward me. The snake fights tooth and claw against Wolf's scorpion, but as soon as the two fish reach me and become 2d drawings on the sides of my neck, the snake falls silent. My body stays frozen, but it's not the scorpion constellation, which soon stops pulsing with light.

Help Wolf find Dove, a voice whispers. It's not me, and it's not the snake.

What the hell, I think.

"Help me find Dove," Wolf says. There's a slight edge to her voice, but I can only focus on the horror that's chewing through my insides. What did you do to me? It was Bryant, but now it's Wolf. Who else wants to take over my mind? How did I go from someone in the White Tent Sea, to rising through the ranks of the Soldiers, to becoming the vessel for the Dust Devil, and now to whatever Wolf wants?

I find myself complying before I can think twice. I trail Wolf by a few paces, and we begin the journey back to the White Tent Sea.

xxxx

It's a few hours before Wolf breaks the silence. "So, are you going after Dove?"

"I'm not."

"The King?"

"I think so."

"So you don't know exactly who's going after Dove?"

"I don't know who is."

"Hm."

"What did you do to me?" The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"I'm sorry. I panicked. I need to find Dove, and I knew you had some information on him. But Pisces happened. I guess Pisces can do something with emotions. Or something like that." So each constellation holds its own power? If so, which 1 did she use to disappear? I'm assuming the scorpion was the 1 that paralyzed me. I don't echo my thoughts out loud.

I thought Wolf was good, not like Bryant. But she did what Bryant did to me; she took over my mind with an external force. It doesn't matter if it was a snake with a chain for a body or two fish, one with scales of midnight and the other with scales of midday. She took over my mind, and I didn't say she could. Why? Just like Bryant, just like Bryant, just like Bryant. I know she needs to find Dove, but why not let me go? She's the new Midnight Wolf. She can find her brother. Let me go. I want control of my body back. I want the snake gone, and I want the fish gone. Please, just let me go.

The fish don't seem to notice my struggle to free myself from their control.

How did this happen? All I did was let the barriers in my mind down for just 1 moment. And then the snake took over, and now it's Pisces, the fish.

"Where did you last see Dove?" Concern weaves its way through Wolf's words. I can't help but think that she's faking it, though I know she wants to see her brother again. How can she be so calm when she just took over my mind and made me want to help her? I'm supposed to be killing her and bringing her head back to Bryant so I can maybe, just maybe, become the loyal Soldier and the faithful Dust Devil he so desires.

"Hm?" Wolf snaps me from my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Where did you last see Dove?"

"The White Tent Sea," I find myself saying before I had fully processed Wolf's words.

"Where in the White Tent Sea?"

"I don't remember exactly where. I think it was on 1 of the edges?" Again, the words slip out before I can think twice about them.

"Better than nothing," she murmurs.

What do I do? I need to be free. I need to get the snake and the fish out of my head. Please, someone, anyone. My fingers curl into my hair and pull until I feel the sharp daggers of pain. Anything to provide even the tiniest distraction from the foreign powers controlling my mind.

As we continue deeper into the forests of Ragdon to make our way back to the White Tent Sea, the dull aching in my ankle becomes stronger. I welcome it with open arms, focusing on it in another attempt to get my thoughts off of the snake and fish. Just like before, the attempt is in vain and I am forced to try to zone out. For now, at least. Maybe someday you'll be free. But someday feels so far off that it might as well be never.

Why did I ever think Wolf was any different from Bryant? Why did she do this to me? What did I do to make her do this to me? There's gotta be something. If only I knew what, maybe then it would make more sense. But why? Why, Wolf? Why?

Wolf remains oblivious to my inner turmoil, instead walking a few paces ahead of me.

As the moon begins to rise and the sky is blanketed in murky blues and blacks, we settle down. I sit down with my back against a tree, and my ankle thanks me for taking the time to rest. My head rests against the bark as my legs stretch out in front of me. Maybe I'll try to get some rest. But my mind won't settle down, instead whirling and remaining on high alert.

"Be back in a bit. I'm gonna go try to find something to eat." I don't reply or look down from where my gaze is locked on the branches above me. Wolf's footsteps fade away.

Why did she do that to me? Why, why, why?

A little songbird flutters through the branches, chirping its song to the world as the moon shines in a silvery grey that cuts through the wispy clouds. Stars twinkle in the sky.

"I'm back." I jump. That was quick. Wolf holds two rabbits in her hands. Why can't you just let me go?

"You don't talk very much," Wolf says as she starts building a fire. I don't want to talk to people who take over my mind.

"I don't," I reply.

"Why not?" Because in the last week or so I've had 2... things take over my mind that I didn't want to take over.

"I... I just don't." Once Wolf has assembled a cone shape of dry twigs and larger branches, she sets about creating a spark. I lean my head back against the tree behind me, trying to figure out what I'm going to tell Bryant. I was supposed to kill Wolf and bring her head to the foot of the Amethyst Throne. The fish begin to burn on my neck, sparkles flashing in front of my eyes, and I wince. How am I going to explain that I got caught by Wolf when it was supposed to be the other way around?

"Scorn!"

Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying The King's Remorse! Luke's chapter is beginning to draw to a close, but don't worry; there's still plenty more to come :)

Hmm, what's happened?

Is Luke right? Is Wolf really no different than Bryant? She did take over Luke's mind with Pisces.

I wonder how finding Dove's gonna go... Poor Wolf

I hope you're all staying safe and healthy!

-Werewolf14-