Tueri was such a large place, it took Micah over an hour just to show me the essentials. He pointed out the gym and explained that I will be using this, along with tools in the outdoors facilities, to assist me with my physical trainings. There was also a garden for meditation that was positioned on the opposite side of the square from the cafeteria and gym.

"You'll have one hour a day set aside where you can go to that area and meditate," he explained. "Tueri is a crowded place, and it's rare that you find quiet time, so the gardens are a nice getaway. You'll also be learning so much that you'll need time for a mental respite. The meditation gardens are a place where everyone in Tueri comes to do that."

We were walking back to the square when an abrupt chiming noise resonated throughout Tueri via a PA system. I jumped, caught off guard by the thunderous sound, but no one else so much as flinched.

The deep voice of Commander Nero came on over the speaker system. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and turned toward the Commander's tower that towered above us in very center of town.

"I regret to information the people of Tueri that we have lost three of our own during the retrieval mission tonight. Anton, sixteen years old, inflicted a firebomb wound to the chest. Helleah, also sixteen, suffered a knife wound to the neck, and Naricke, eighteen, died from internal bleeding. Let's have a moment of remembrance for our three fallen comrades," he said.

The square was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as, not one, not two, but every single member of Tueri, Micah included, placed the thumbnail of their right hands against their foreheads, and then lift their hands straight overhead in a fist.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"In the Protector community, this is a gesture of respect. It's the highest honor our society can give someone. It means that you are our brethren, a true part of Tueri, and although you'll be missed, you will live on in our hearts. It shows respect for their sacrifice," Micah explained.

It warmed my heart to see thousands of fists raised in the air in commemoration of the soldiers. Although I was not a member of Tueri, I also pressed my right thumb against her forehead and raised it high into the air.

I didn't do it because everyone else was, but because it was my own personal tribute to the three protectors who courageously died to help keep me safe. It was my way of saying thank you, of apologizing that there wasn't more I could do to save them, and as a final goodbye.

Protectors around me gave me dirty looks, a combination of resentment for the lives lost on my behalf, and audacity that I would dare join in on their cultural symbol, but I didn't care. I wasn't doing this for them; I was doing this for the soldiers who sacrificed themselves for me.

"Thank you. There will be a memorial service for the lost warriors tomorrow evening in the square, if you would like to attend," Commander Nero said over the loud speaker, as the crowd dispersed and went about their lives as though nothing had happened.

I stood quietly for a minute, my heart heavy with the news I'd just heard. I felt as if the deaths of these protectors was on my hands. They were only on this mission to help bring me to Tueri, after all. If it hadn't been for me, they would still be alive.

"We have some time before lights out if there's anything you want to see or do? Once 10:00 pm comes everyone has to be in bed, no exceptions," Micah said softly, sensing my remorse.

"I could really use a shower," I admitted.

It had been weeks since I had been able to wash my hair, and it felt disgusting. Besides, it would be nice to be alone right now without Micah's watchful gaze measuring my reaction.

Micah escorted me to the shower facilities just outside of our barrack.

"I'll meet you outside when you are finished."

I wanted to argue with him, to tell him that he could go back to the room because he wasn't my keeper, but I knew it would do no good. Instead, I gave a nod and walked tentatively through the door labeled "women".

I was pleased to find that the room was empty. There are no mirrors in this bathroom, for which I was thankful because I couldn't bear to look myself in the eyes right now.

The room was dark. There was barely any light shining in through the windows. I had forgotten that there was no electricity in Tueri, so I hurried into the corner shower, and turned the water on, trying to rush before the sunlight faded.

Although I tried to hurry, the warm water cascading on my skin felt so wonderful that I could not force myself to speed up. For the first time in ages, I was able to wash away the dirt and grime that seemed to be etched into my very being. It was so relaxing, I barely noticed when the door to the restroom opened.

"Miss Alexis? Are you in here?" a small voice asked.

"Umm, yes?" I answered tentatively.

"Micah asked that I bring these to you," the girl said, as a tiny hand reached a bag under the shower door. I took it, and muttered a confused thank you.

I opened the bag to find a towel, clothes that were the same dark shade as everyone else's in Tueri, a bar of soap, and shampoo. Shampoo!

I immediately took out the bottle and squirted a handful of it into my palms. I began lathering the liquid, the sweet smell of lavender filling the air. The tension in my shoulders seemed to melt away, as I massaged the purple bubbles into my scalp.

I was in the process of rinsing the shampoo from my hair, when the bathroom door opened again, and two girls walked inside. They made their way to the sinks outside the shower stalls, where I could barely make out their silhouettes through a crack in the door.

"I mean, come on. Did you see her?" one of the girls asked, as she turned on the faucet. "I'm pretty sure I was stronger than her when I was a third level. There's no way that she's 'The Redeemer'."

I startled, realizing they were talking about me. I wanted to cringe away, to avoid the gossip that was sure to knock my self esteem down a notch or two. But I was drawn in, eager to learn what the rest of Tueri thought.

"You think the Council is wrong? That they misinterpreted the prophecy?" the other girl asked.

"They have to be. That, or Micah brought the wrong girl back with him. Did you see the way she blushed, or how she cowered behind Micah? She's a phony."

"It's such a shame some of ours had to lose their lives fighting to get her here," the girl said. "I mean, if she's so powerful, why didn't she fight the Malin herself? There's no way she's the person who's supposed to battle King Casimir."

"Do you think she's even a witch?" The second girl snorted.

"I doubt it. She was probably just at the right place at the right time. All I know is that I don't want to be around Micah when he finds out she's a fraud," the girl said. They both giggle, and then leave the building.

I stood quietly in the shower, absorbing their words. I knew I was lacking confidence, but I hadn't realized how apparent it would be, or how the people of Tueri would view me because of it. It was frustrating that on top of everything else, I now had to worry about putting on a front when I was around other people.

I felt angry tears pricking my eyes. Alone in the warm shower, I allowed myself to let go of all of the agony that I had been holding back. I covered my face, and allowed my tears to fall.

I mourned the loss of my loved ones, reeled in the angst I felt at being in this rigid environment where everyone seemed to judge me before they had even met me, and the immense pressure of an inevitable battle with the King.

I cried for Christopher and Abigail, for John and Kate, for the red-headed boy who was murdered, for the children being trained at this very moment to help me fight. So much loss and betrayal filled my life now. It nearly made my legs buckle with sorrow.

After I was all cried out, I took a deep breath to calm my emotions, before turning off the water. I dried off and put on the solid black pants and shirt, hoping this would help me blend in a little better. The clothes were a bit loose, especially with the weight I had lost during the past few weeks, but at least they were clean.

When I left the restroom, I saw Micah's shoulder slump with relief.

"There you are! You were gone so long, I was beginning to worry," Micah said. He looked at my puffy face, and his eyebrows knitted together. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I muttered, looking away.

"Okay," he said. I could see the questions burning in his eyes, but he didn't press the issue. "Come on. It's almost lights out," he said gently.

We walked down the street side by side, neither of us speaking. Despite my desperate longing to be alone, I was glad that Micah had waited. His presence helped calm me.

Besides, I never would have found the barracks without him. All of the dark gray buildings looked the same to me. It wasn't until Micah stopped and opened one of the doors, revealing Fletcher reading by candlelight, that I realized we were back.

I walked inside, and let out a sigh. "Tueri is so confusing. Every building here looks the same to me. I'm never going to figure this place out," I admitted, plopping down on the lumpy mattress and taking off my shoes.

"I know it's hard at first, but you'll get the hang of things. I was the same way at first," Micah said.

Yeah, well you were five years old, I thought to myself, rolling my eyes.

Fletcher closed his book and sat up, turning to face me.

"How was the rest of your day?" he asked.

I gave a nonchalant shrug, picking at the jewel on my mother's necklace. I didn't want to admit how insecure I was feeling now.

"The food was good. What I ate of it, anyway."

"Well I guess that's something," Fletcher said with a low chuckle. He peered into her face, sensing my foul mood, and waiting for me to elaborate on it.

With a sigh, I decided that it was best to just be honest with him. "I don't really feel like I'm wanted here. Everyone seems to question my ability to do this, which only adds to my own hesitations. I have no idea what I'm doing," I admitted.

"You said that most witches learn their craft throughout the course of their lives. How am I supposed to squeeze everything I need to know into a matter of months? Are you sure that I'm the right person for this?"

"There's not a doubt in my mind," Fletcher said firmly. "Why are you so skeptical all of a sudden?"

"I've just heard... talk... from some of the others here."

"Don't read too much into that, Alexis. It's just hard for them to understand," Micah said. "We grew up hearing about the prophecy, and this powerful witch who would be able to conquer someone who, so far, has been undefeatable. I think most people pictured someone with a little more experience. Once they're able to see you in action, they'll change their views. You just have to prove yourself to them."

"No pressure," I muttered. "How am I supposed to do that? I can't even control when my powers work. If everyone sees me failing, they'll just doubt me even more." My stomach was twisted into knots, and I felt like I might vomit.

Fletcher grabbed my hand gently with his. "When your mother told me what she was going to name you, I asked her why 'Alexis'. Do you know what she said?" Fletcher asked.

I shook my head, continuing to pick at my locket as Brianne's face appeared in my mind.

"She said 'the name Alexis means 'defender of mankind'. It's a powerful name, and I know that my little girl will wear it well,' and she gave me a knowing look."

"Are you trying to tell me that my mother had a vision of the future? Of my future?" I asked skeptically.

A part of me hoped it was true, that my mother may have seen me in this moment, sitting in Tueri with Fletcher and Micah. I wanted nothing more than to believe that Brianne had known everything was going to be alright, that it would work out in my favor in the end. But why would I choose to believe that? She never thought of my well-being when I was an infant, so why would I think she might do so now that I'm nearly an adult?

"I'm not sure if it was that, or that the bond between mother and child was so strong that she could just sense your power from the start. Regardless, Brianne had faith in you, so you should try to have some faith in yourself."

"Fletch, I know you mean well, but my mother was evil. How could I believe a word she said? How can you, for that matter? She betrayed you."

"You didn't know her like I did, Lexi," he said gently.

"Yeah, I never had the chance," I muttered sourly.

Fletcher's eyes softened. "Before the darkness devoured her, Brianne had the purest soul of anyone I had ever met. She was amazing, not just as a witch, but as a person. She was always helping everyone else, so much so that she forgot to think about herself occasionally. I think that's part of why she was so easily swayed to the darkness.

"The one thing that I'm certain of, however, is that you were the best thing that ever happened to her. She was positively beaming when she talked about you. She loved you more than you can ever comprehend."

I snorted. "If she loved me so much, she wouldn't have chosen the darkness over me," I said bitterly. "She's part of the reason why I'm in this mess now. How am I supposed to live up to these expectations when my true identity was hidden from me all of my life?"

"You just need to be yourself, and you'll be fine," Micah chimed in. "You learn quickly,, and will have many skilled people helping you along the way. Take Sage, for example. She's the best physical trainer we have in Tueri."

"She may be the best, but I don't think she likes me very much," I mumbled.

"She just takes some getting used to. Sage is overly cautious around newcomers. She was one of the protectors I had the most difficulty with when I was trying to get permission for you to stay here. She felt it was too risky for everyone involved to bring in an outsider, especially when that person was going to be hunted by King Casimir. But if you can win her over, she will be the greatest ally you'll ever have," Micah said.

I groaned. "Well, I'm not looking forward to training with her."

I had never been particularly fond of exercise, so I was especially dreading this portion of her training. Combine that with Sage's blunt and hostile attitude, and I wasn't sure I would survive it.

"Training with Sage will be one of the hardest things you've done so far," he admitted. "She's the toughest trainer here, and she'll make your life a living hell for the next few months. I've been training my whole life, and she still makes me want to quit when we workout together."

I felt nervous butterflies fluttering in my stomach. If Micah was trying to reassure me, he wasn't doing a very good job.

"Sage is tough, but she's effective. She'll whip you into shape faster than anyone else. That's why the Council chose her for the job."

"Easy for you to say," I said, grimacing at the thought. "If I'm going to go through all of these preparations, I better survive in the end.

"Speaking of, does the prophecy mention who will win the battle?" I asked cautiously. It was something I had been curious about for a while now, but too afraid to ask because I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

Micah paused for a few seconds before saying, "No, not that we know of. But no one alive has actually heard the prophecy for themselves, so who knows what it predicts."

"So, there's a good chance that I go into this battle, die, and it will all have been for nothing?"

"It's a possibility..." Micah admitted reluctantly.

I scoffed. "Great. Remind me again why I'm agreeing to this?"

"Because there's just as much of a chance that you'll win," he said with a small smile.

"You're joking, right? I know nothing about magic. I don't stand a chance," I said, defeated.

"I just wish I could hear this prophecy for myself, to know what everyone keeps telling me is true. I'm tired of getting all of my information second hand, to have to rely on others to relay the facts of my destiny. If I'm expected to succeed, I need to take charge of the facts for myself."

"Actually," Fletcher said thoughtfully, as an uncertain looks crossed his face. "Maybe there is a way for you to hear the prophecy for yourself."

Thank you for reading! If you are enjoying this story so far, don't forget to vote! :)

© Dawn Norwell