I awoke in an Ascendancy hospital specializing in Virex hybrids. The bright lights against the sanitized white cause me to reflexively lift my arm up to shield it when I notice that I am attached to the bed with Dren cuffs. A doctor standing in the corner looks completely terrified of me, sitting next to him calm and unmoving is Sorak Skelthorn of Kar Dravenn. “What do you remember of the battle soldier?”
“No Sorak... I remem--", my voice graft breaks against the multi-syllable words. "I recall us... fighting against... a group of Orclan... they were using gas... we were to... deploy our masks... and I fell... to the ground... before I could... get my mask up... That is all... I remem...ber.”
The Sorak looks irritated waiting for me to finish speaking, before returning back to his accusatory tone. “So you don't recall after falling to the ground that you began skulking below the mists and tearing almost your entire platoon to shreds and allowing a high value target and three Orclan Titans to escape?”
I explain that I didn't recall anything after failing to get my mask up, wondering whether it may have been some monster in the gas or if it really was me. The doctor, now looking slightly less frightened, tells the Sorak “All the toxins have been removed from its body, but the chemical makeup, it doesn’t match any markers in the ascendancy or the pact, it has the hallmarks of the Serpent’s Coil or the Black Fangs.”
The Sorak snorts back “Your speculation is noted, and will be kept to yourself, just tell me, is the asset salvageable?” watching the tight wiry doctor reel back from the Sorak's anger. “I’ve had enough to deal with after the feral Krumm and the escaped Orclan, I am not losing another asset” he turns to point at me, “you are going back into the field,” then he turns back to the doctor “get him patched up and in fighting shape within the Deca-Cycle!” as the Sorak leaves the room.
The doctor now loosens his frame and tells me, “You will be kept under observation for the next 10 cycles while we monitor you, and determine there are no long lasting effects.” Not long after, a nurse comes in to check my IV solutions. I begin to smell wafts of perfume, sweat, and underneath I smell something I’ve never smelled before, I’m unable to ascribe a sensation that would fit, then I look into her eyes and it makes sense. I’m smelling her fear… but how?
I am confined to the room for the first cycle. But they allow me to no longer have the Dren cuffs chaining me to the bed. I smell the recycled air that they’ve got pumping through the hospital but as I breathe out I smell the burning ozone, unusual as Stormtalons can only manifest a lightning lash from our hands. I wonder if any of my fellow chimeran soldiers were also hospitalized.
I decided to test out my evolving abilities, I spit a gob at the electrical lock and it seems to carry a static charge strong enough for me to escape. I am free to explore but I must remain silent, when my body as if acting under another's control slinks down into a crawl that is almost completely silent. I am following my nose through the halls of the sterile white hospital trying to find a way to get out, but the entire building seems to be locked down like a prison. So I focus on the scent of other chimerans, these new abilities are proving to be a boon as I avoid the roaming patrols of Krumm guards.
I make my way to one room where I smell a fellow chimeran in an iridite cell. I open the viewing slot and I see Zirel Frosthide, but she looks, changed, almost feral. She skulks around as if prowling her domain for intruders, I try to signal to her, but when she sees me there is nothing behind the eyes aside from survival, no recognition of a fellow soldier. “What happened to you?” I whisper to her through the slot as low as my voice graft will let me. She growls in some language that I don't recognize but sounds familiar, like a memory long forgotten. “I don’t understand, what happened?” I say back to her. As she slams into the door with all her strength and nearly breaks it off its hinges, setting off an alarm.
I skulk away and watch as an Ossari Umbric and two Krumm guards approach with stun batons pressing them into slots designed by Kar Akelos to electrify the entirety of the cell. The Umbric nurse looks through the slot and confirms that Zirel is unconscious. “I don't understand why we don't just put the beasts down?” one guard says to the other.
“Probably for study, never seen one act like that before, I’m sure Kar Velthorin will want to know why their creations are going defective.” The larger guard replies as they walk off and I see the Umbric nurse open the door to the cell. Before she enters, she closes her eyes for a moment and takes a slow, steadying breath, as if bracing for a plunge into icy water. Only then does she step inside to make sure that Zirel hasn't hurt herself. I don't have time to stay and watch, but I continue searching for a terminal or something that I can use to plan an escape.
Instead I slink past the nurses station as the Ossari Umbrics keep their eyes focused on their tasks and don't chat beyond discussing a patient, as if they are being watched by some unseen eye. They don't seem to have noticed me, until the Colonial doctor walks past and I hear him discussing the other chimerans in my unit. “Beyond repair, will be sent for study and liquidated. Keep an eye on the Virex in Room 1270, it’s the only one that seems to have regained its original personality.”
They're talking about me, I quickly and silently scurry back to my room and ponder what I’ve seen. Is that what I turned into? Is that what I’m becoming? I lay in the bed letting sleep take me.
Suddenly I’m on a jungle floor somewhere, chasing after Dren, I know the scent. They use ranged weapons and flight packs, I look down to see what weapons I have. My hands are empty but I take a closer look and see vibrant blue scales with claws that look like spears. I look around and don't recognize the surroundings, I attempt to shout for an ally, but all that comes out is a rage filled roar. But along with the roar comes a lightning bolt that splinters the trees in front of it. Then I spot the uniforms and see a five pointed star against a flame. Before I can make a mental connection, I am struck on the back of my skull and I wake up in the hospital as if I had been kicked.
I look around and find that my scales are becoming a more vibrant shade of blue, almost matching what I looked like in my dream. I wash my face in the sink and let out a sigh, what am I becoming, when will I cease to be what I was. A nurse comes by and brings me food “How are you feeling today, sir? Any better?” I attempt to respond, but my voice graft fails me, all I manage to get out is a pained grunt and a shake of my head. She comes close and pulls out a pad of paper with a pencil and hands it to me.
Voice Graft Broken, I write on the page and show it to her, “I’ll mention it to the doctor, but I don't know if we have supplies to fix those. Is there anything you would like?” She says with a kindness foreign to me. I just look back at her, unable to form the words, until she adds, “I’ll stay here with you for as long as I can, but there are other patients that I need to take care of as well.”
What happened to siblings? I frantically scribble down on the page and hand it to her, she looks at me. A look that speaks volumes, “They… weren’t as… fortunate as you.” She hands the pad back to me, “Keep it, you’ll need to have a way to communicate when you join the rest of the patients in the main room today.”
She guides me gently through the halls, her fan-like ears tied underneath her bonnet, and her small tusks that look as though they’ve been filed down. She has clearly attempted to remove what she can that sticks out. But the short trunk she is unable to hide, clearly causes her shame. I let her guide me as though I haven’t walked these halls before.
As we pass a colonial doctor, not mine, he must be off, but she speaks to him “Uhm, excuse me Doctor, Patient 1270” she points to me, “is having issues with his voice graft. Are we able to repair that for him?” He looks between the two of us, confused as to why we would ask him this question.
“No” he responds curtly, looking me up and down. “One, this is not my patient. Two, I am not responsible for chimerans. Three, Nurse…” he says, dripping with disdain. I look over and see that she merely stares downward, as if trying to shrink her frame smaller. “You would do best to keep your nose out of my way.” As he walks off towards the Orclan ward, I feel my fists tighten and a spurt of blood slowly fills the creases in my hand.The nurse, who had been staring at the floor, flinches suddenly and takes a half-step away from me, her eyes darting to my clenched fists with a flicker of alarm before she regains her composure.
I look at the nurse, who looks as though she is stuffing another piece of trash into an already overflowing bin. She takes a deep breath and looks at me, and I notice her nametag Unavrax. Ending like all the other names the ascendancy uses for those they brand as slaves, the way it sticks on the tongue. “I apologize for that, I will find a Chimeran doctor and ask them about your voice graft” I give her a nod and we proceed with the walk to the main area.
Eventually we reach the gymnasium, and I see the different sections for various activities the Varkh allow us to have, that will not cause harm. I see one or two chimerans that are struggling with new serums that will regrow limbs. Orclan watching the preapproved television channels, looks like News right now, no thanks, I hear enough of that from the regular soldiers.
I grab a pack of cards and set myself up for a game of solitaire, a quick flash through the deck shows many cards missing. This also appears to be a haphazard collection of whatever 52 cards they could find. I decide to sort through the deck as a Starforged approaches me, his face gaunt and his horns emerging from his skull and cheekbones as well. “What are you doing with my cards? I put them like that, especially for me.” he says with a glassy eyed stare looking through me as he tilts his head at an angle.
I put the cards down and grab the pad to write, “Why wont you talk, all the others talk. You should talk too.” I just look at him confused and flip back to the first page I wrote. Voice Graft Broken. He just looks even more confused. As if I’m defying some prewritten code in his mind, he just walks away grabbing his head.
An orclan looks over at me, lifting his head from his book. “Don’t mind him. He thinks we are all imaginary and he is the creator of this space.” He looks back down to continue reading and I see a large scar across his head that seems to almost completely bisect his skull. “Why he would imagine such a benign environment is beyond me…” he says into his book.
I pick the cards back up and continue with my sorting when at the other side of the room I hear a thud and what sounds like chairs quickly sliding across the floor. I look up and see a Krumm has been shoved into the room by the guards, knocking over several chairs and tables as he falls forward. He stands up and grabs his arm, looking around as he tries to find a spot away from the largest groups.
I get the full count of the cards as the Krumm approaches me, 6 Aces, 4 Kings, 1 Queen, 5 Jacks, and 36 random number cards that don't match each other. He sits between myself and the Orclan, when the Orclan speaks up. “Quite an entrance you had there. I don’t believe I have seen any Krumm in a hospital before, let alone a Virex hospital. Was there a reason the guards were so rough with you dear boy?” He says not looking up from his book.
“I-i…w-well…t-they…” The Krumm stutters out before the Orclan speaks again.
He lowers his book “You must remain calm, no one in here will hurt you. At least I won’t, I cannot vouch for the mute chimeran at the end of the table. But he seems preoccupied with the cards.” He motions over to me and I look between the two of them and smile, holding my hands up. “See! We mean you no harm.”
I put the cards back into the deck and look over to where the starforged was sitting in the corner, he now looks at me like he’s piecing together a puzzle, begins slowly approaching us. The orclan continues talking “I am Thwump of the Ur-Kresh, although the name feels like it belongs to a different person. May I ask your name?” he says to the krumm whose posture seems to have relaxed slightly.
“Well, I-i was T-tollen Chainb-bearer.” the krumm says as though whispering it to himself to remind him who he was.
Thwump now puts his book down completely. “You were? And who are you now?” he says. I watch as the Starforged arrives at the table and says just as quickly.
“Krumm with the name Chainbearer are Anti-Psyker units” before grabbing the deck of cards reshuffling them into the strange order they were in before.
Tollen looks at the starforged confused as to where he came from. “Y-yes, I was. Though n-now I’m Tollen the Sc-scarred. I enc-countered a s-strand-user and t-they p-put some images in m-my mind. I-i can't even l-look at a w-weapon anymore.”
“Bit of a problem for a Krumm, to not hold a weapon” Thwump looks over to the Starforged “And our creator there is Ghar, What was your designation again?”
“I am Flux! I was Ghar-172, no longer. He burned in the engine rooms, only Flux remains.” said the Starforged now completely focused on his deck of cards. Suddenly a large Orclan comes over and grabs the cards out of Flux’s hands.
“Since nobody using these, I take and we play game” he looks to his friend who chuckles along. “Thwump, you want play?” He looks over at Thwump who has been ignoring him and continues to do so. “Wot? You too good for orclan? Maybe Chimeran play game instead.” He pokes his oversized finger into my shoulder as I feel something else take control, grabbing his finger and twisting it backwards to breaking. He begins to shout in pain as I crack him in the jaw, dislocating it, the shouting stops as his friend runs away.
I come back to my senses and I see that the Orclan is now laying on the ground twitching in pain as I reach down and grab the cards, and hand them back to Flux before sitting back down in my seat. As the entire table stares back at me as if I just turned invisible. He Was Rude. I write on my pad, as a group of nurses come into the area grabbing the orclan and carting him out of the room.
Thwump is the first to break the silence “That was rather abrupt, friend, despite his rude demeanor… Might I inquire as to what brought you amongst this sea of the Ascendancy’s cast-offs?” as Flux continues to stare at me, more confused than before, as if he had started to figure out who I was but it became something else.
Fighting Insurgents, used a gas, whole squad gone. I write on the pad and show it to Thwump. “That sounds like it could have been quite a tale, unfortunate given your current condition. Regardless, what do we call you?” he inquires as the other two continue staring at me, slowly returning to the current moment. Xyrax Stormtalon. I write on the page. “Well it is nice to make your acquaintance Xyrax Stormtalon.”
Unavrax returns to the room with a doctor and motions me to join her, I stand and walk over. “Doctor, this is patient 1270, the one I was telling you about with the broken voice graft.” I give him a look as he reaches out and grabs my jaw, lifting my head and maneuvering it to see my neck. I notice a ring on his finger, an emblem of a star against a flaming background, the same symbol of the heretics from my dream. What does it mean?
The doctor orders me to have some scans done to see if the graft can be repaired, which makes the rest of the day go by faster, as I am returned to my room by Una, I give her a smile. Thank You. I write on the pad. “For what?” she said “Guiding you around? Like you need the assistance…” She gives me a knowing look as if she knew I was walking the halls last night. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sir” she smiles as she exits the room.
Laying in bed that night I try to remember more about what exactly occurred when the gas was deployed. Maybe I can figure out what that symbol was, how does it all connect? With my head on the rock of a pillow, I close my eyes and think back to right before I blacked out in the firefight. I just see flashes of blood and lightning and the images shift seamlessly as I drift back into sleep.
I am once again chasing heretics, but the heretics seem to have changed their tactics, I find myself surrounded on all sides as I attempt to lash out. Then they spring their trap, dropping a cage around and muzzling me. I feel their fear turn into pride as scientists approach and begin drawing blood from me. Emblazoned on all their uniforms is that same symbol, a 5 pointed star against a flaming background.
Then I place the symbol, it was the old Varkh back when Velthorin-Karn had joined as the 5th noble house. Only used now by those within the Velthorin-Karn house, the scientists in my dream are enjoying slowly collecting every drop of my blood as I feel the life drain from me. I wake to a needle in my arm, as I grab the person holding it instinctively. When I open my eyes I see another Ossari Umbric nurse holding it, and I smell as her demeanor changes from contentment to fear.
I release her, but I look where my hand grabbed her. I have pierced the skin with my claws. I try to change the look on my face from surprise to sorrow, but she grabs her wounded arm and runs out of the room and I can only watch as Una follows her. I stand and go to the sink to wash my face again, and sit back down in the chair, waiting for security to lock me up for hurting a staff member.
Ten minutes pass as I stare between the walls and my hands, they look sharper, even the very air feels charged with electricity. Is it sleep that is causing my transformation? Or do I only notice it after I have woken? I can't take the chance that I might unintentionally hurt someone else. I need to make an effort to assert control over my body, I hear the door open, looking over I see Una looking disappointed.
Accident, I write on the pad and show her. She nods, “I know” she approaches me and sits down on the other chair in the room to face me. “She was sent in here to get some new blood samples. The Velthorin-Karn doctor has arrived” I tighten up at the name of the heretics from my dream. She senses my change in demeanor and attempts to reassure me “They are experts in the voice graft, they will get it fixed.” She places her hand on my knee.
Need Blood for Voice Graft Repair? I write on the page and show Una, she looks back at me with a look of consternation. “It is odd, but we’re just nurses. We can only do what we are told.” I look back at her with a grim look, attempting to convey that I know the truth of what Velthorin-Karn will do with me.
We begin another walk to the gymnasium as I follow Una, we pass the nurse that I accidentally injured, her arm is wrapped in gauze as she hurries past me. I begin examining the surroundings attempting to locate the closest exit. As far as I can see there are five guards, all Krumm, I think there are at least six doors between us and the exit. I will need to plan this out soon. We arrive at the entrance to the main room, “I’ll be back some time this afternoon with the Velthorin-Karn scientist. Don't worry, I’ll be with you.”
I go sit at the table and grab the cards again. We have Six Aces and Six Doors, 5 Jacks and 5 Guards, 4 Kings and 1 Queen. I begin laying out the cards in the approximate layout of the hospital with the doors in their various locations. Flux walks over intrigued, “Why are you making the hospital?” as I look over at him then look down at myself attempting to convey my thoughts with a look. “Escape? Flux likes you” as he grabs one of the Kings and places it in a location on the other wing of the hospital.
While Thwump comes over and begins speaking “Ah good to see you and Flux getting along. You appear somewhat more vibrant than last we spoke. Might something be occurring with you?” Then he looks down at the table and seems to recognize what Flux and I are working on. I hand him a king and gesture to our makeshift map, he places it on the opposite end of the same wing as me. I tap each of our kings and then the doors we need to make it through, when Thwump speaks up. “Just how exactly is it that you plan on getting past those locked gates?”
I hold up the lone Queen and attempt to form the word Nurse, but only a pained grunt comes out. I attempt again, and the look on their faces shows me they can feel the pain in my voice, “Nnnn urr sss”. Tollen walks over as Thwump pulls him aside and whispers to him, they both return and sit down at the table.
We each look at our kings on the map and I wordlessly walk through the plan. I grab the Queen and bring it over to my card, signifying that I will be the first to leave the room. Pondering whether we should prioritize stealth or power I grab my king and bring it over to the other side of the hospital where Flux is. I then take the Queen and have her grabbing supplies, in the nurses station. I then take Flux’s King and bring him to Tollen’s. These two will pair together as I sneak back to the other side of the hospital to Thwump’s King, He and I will need to be the muscle.
“Do you not think it would be best to remove the guards before we begin our escape?” Thwump whispers to us. I look at him and re-evaluate, he’s right. I place all the cards back in our starting positions and run through it again. Una will release me, I will then release Thwump who will act as a distraction, while I sneak over to the other side and release Flux, who will then release Tollen. While Thwump and I take out the five Krumm guards. I look at everyone to confirm they are okay with this plan, when Una returns to the gymnasium and motions to me.
I give everyone a nod and tap on my hand, attempting to signal that it will happen soon. I approach Una and she says “The specialist is ready for you now… He is just going to take a look at your voice graft and let you know what the options are. I can stay with you if you’d like.” I look at her and nod as we walk to the sterile white room. The scent of powerful cleaning supplies overwhelms the senses as I enter and see a small weaselly looking man that stands up and immediately walks over to me.
“Nurse, you can go now.” He says dismissively as I instinctively grab for her arm before she can even consider it.
“The patient feels comfortable around me, It might make this easier.” she says back trying to explain why this Virex is suddenly attached to someone.
“...very well, sit him in the chair..” As she and I move across the room and I sit in the chair. “So, 1270 What seems to be the issue with your voice graft?” he says
“Ppp aaa inn” I say back as he winces in response to it. He scoots his chair closer, grabs my chin and raises it up tapping a pencil against both sides of my throat. One side is a hollow sound, while the other side crunches in response.
He then looks in my mouth and notices my teeth, “Alarmingly sharp teeth. Do you sharpen them? I’ve known Chimerans that do that.” he gives a chuckle as though what he said was an amusing anecdote.
“I think I can get your voice graft fixed, but it will take me about a day or two to assemble the necessary parts” I look at him like he just asked me to return from the grave. Then I look at Una and give her a look of impatience. “Theres not much I can do now, I might be able to remove all the pieces which will stop the pain. But that will leave you with no method for communication.” I hold up the note pad with the words Remove It written there.
The process of removing it takes the rest of the day, but I finally have no pain in my throat when I breathe. As Una walks me back to the room, I begin contemplating how I will convince her that we all need to leave this place. She stares me in the eyes with a look that peers into my very thoughts, she just gives me a nod. 3 Hours, I write on my pad as I show her, she does nothing in response after letting me into my room.
The next several hours pass by as I go through the plan over and over again in my head making sure that I had it right. I also write down a short list of supplies we should need; medications, clothes, blankets. I also look around for a potential weapon. I daren't use my claws again, I feel myself being lost every time. I see string and metal, I decide the metal would be quicker against Krumm, so I attempt to quietly take the curtain rod. I see out of the corner of my eye as Una returns to my room carrying a bundle of towels.
I rip the list page off of the pad and hand it to her as she opens the door, and she quickly shuffles into the room. She lifts the first towel and shows me a digital key, the ID card of the Orclan doctor that was rude to her. I swap it in place of the list and give her a knowing look. I am about to begin skulking around the hospital to release Thwump as was the plan, when she taps me on the shoulder. She lifts the second towel and shows me a scalpel, she looks scared, I exude an energy of confidence and she picks up on it and I see her brighten up and nod in agreement.
I slink out of the room attempting to keep low, as I follow the path to Thwump’s room. I pass by two Krumm as I go, following their general routes that we all have become familiar with. I wait for them to pass as I eventually reach Thwump’s door, releasing the lock and opening it from below the darkened lower half completely unseen until I sneak through the door. Thwump is standing ready with a broken piece of his bed frame and a small bag hanging at his waist.
“You want distraction or stealth?” he says with a smile growing on his face. I point at him and hold up one finger, I point at myself and hold up two. Giving him a flash of the scalpel, he gives me a nod. “Take twenty count, I come out swinging.” I hear his mind slipping as he contemplates the violence to come.
I slink out of the room careful to leave the door propped open as I crawl through to the other end of the hospital. Then I hear a loud crash, Thwump kicks his door into the hallway as I hear a Krumm guard who sounds like he was caught off guard lets out a shout. I’m in the center of the hospital near the nurses station as I hear the heavy boots of the guards passing by. I grab the second guard as he passes and jam the scalpel behind his windpipe, his thick hide makes it hard as he almost gets a sound out until I twist it and yank it back out. As he drops to the ground, I try to prevent him from leaving a heavy slam, but Thwump is doing a fair job of distraction.
I rush over to Flux’s room and unlock his door waiting for him to exit. I wait for several seconds and hear nothing in response, I knock on the door, still nothing. I enter the room and see he is not there, no time, I’ll grab Tollen and we will try to find him on the way. I quickly rush over to Tollen’s door and unlock the door. When I find that Flux was already in his room, they had been discussing what they could provide. I just shake my head and signal for them to hurry. I rush back out to make sure that Thwump is fine, when I hear the sound of whimpering from the floor above, Una..
No time to think, I rush up the stairs, I can’t leave her behind. As I get closer I hear the captain of the guard and the sound of a fist slamming against flesh as another whimper is let out. “You thought you could just steal from the Varkh?” as he lands another blow on her, she merely stares back at him defiantly. I take the scalpel and jam it right behind his brain beneath the skull. He stares back with a fear that he seems to not understand as Una pushes him over and proceeds with packing the supplies. I look back at her and give a nod. We will make it through this.
I rush back downstairs as fast as I can to provide the promised help when I see that Flux has jumped on the back of the two remaining guards stabbing what looks like a screwdriver into the eyes of the guard as Thwump slams the others skull through the wall, taking a weapon off the guard and shocking them both into a pacified state. “Where go now?” he says with a brutal smile on his face. I point in our intended direction but then I see a squadron of colonial guards standing between us and where we need to get.
Need to rethink, colonial fight differently than guards, but they think we’re broken. I look at Thwump and show him a flat hand, he tries to shake himself out of his stupor so he can proceed with a plan. I signal for him to guard the group and wait for the nurse. As I sneak out through the door I need to find a way to remove the colonials, or at least get a closer look. The vents, I rip one off the wall and climb through, I feel my instincts kicking in, need to fight it.
I get closer and hear the soldiers excitedly talking about putting down beasts, then I see the sigil, the five pointed star on a flaming background. Thwump then knocks through the door, dammit, he isn't thinking straight…the soldiers shout warnings as they grip their rifles tighter…need to act quickly. I burst through the vent and I let loose a breath of lightning, powerful enough to stop the hearts of the closest three soldiers. I use my claws to rip through the faces of the next two and the last soldier discharges his plasma rifle which bounces off my vibrant scales as I bite through his throat. The group rejoins me down the hallway.
We jump through the doors to the right, this is where the soldiers come from, they likely have a transport ship down there. I slink down the stairs ahead of the group, silently stalking like a predator, but I am in full control. I hear the colonial doctors discussing their plans to figure out how to repurpose my mutations in the next batch of soldiers. Can’t let that happen, I rush through and tear them apart, the group just watches as I yank pieces off of the bodies. Una grabs my shoulder, and pulls me back, immediately the predator retreats.
We need to get out of here, I look to the door and then to Thwump, he gets a smile on his face and charges into it. We follow as he repurposes the large metal door for a shield, deflecting the blasts that come to us. And there we see it, the transport ship. I slink past Thwump and head towards the console to remove any locks they might have. I see Tollen, Flux and Una jump on the ship as Tollen jumps into the pilot seat. Thwump and I remove the last of the guards before jumping on the ship.
On board I just stare at the group, did we actually escape I look at everyone to confirm we are all okay. Thwump looks at Tollen, “My dear Tollen, you failed to mention that you were a pilot.” He has his original personality back. I look at Una, and she begins to laugh, the bruises on her face stretching as she smiles.
