You are fresh, still very new, and no matter how strong your resolve, some things remain beyond your control.
“Now, I believe you can control the feeding urge – and you have proven that already. But you have not used your abilities for an extended period of time. What I am afraid of, since you haven’t taken human blood yet, is that if we make use of those abilities for too long, or too intensely, the Vassiz part of you will lash out. It will demand to be released. And you might lose yourself forever.”
Despite herself, Nora shivered. In the face of everything that had happened to her, Nora still felt very much human in her mind. She still felt like she had the same mind as before undergoing the transformation…still felt like she was the same person. But if what Alexander was saying was true – no, there was no “if,” it was true – she could potentially lose that part of herself?
That, she admitted unsteadily, would be a fate not far from death. She felt a spate of anger at Hunter for not telling her about it earlier.
“So what do we do?” Nora asked.
“We start out slowly, at first, and then depending on how you handle it, go faster. We will take breaks in our travel today and go at half-speed. I believe that will keep you safe.”
“Good,” Nora said.
“Although,” Alexander smiled, “it will still be significantly faster than you’ve journeyed yet.”
Chapter Nine
~Gray~
By the end of the day, Nora was exhausted. It was the first time she could remember actually feeling tired since undergoing the transformation.
They had run all day, and run fast, with Gray loping alongside them, keeping pace most of the time. The only other time Nora experienced something similar was in the dream world with Hunter, when they were exploring her new powers together. Except there, she felt none of the physical exhaustion she was experiencing now.
“You did well today.” Alexander squatted easily beside Nora. He was a graceful runner, and Nora wondered how long it would take her to achieve that easy elegance. She definitely didn’t have it yet.
“Not as well as I thought,” Nora mumbled.
“Nonsense. You did better than I could have ever expected.” Nora looked up at him, and he smiled reassuringly at her. Although she was almost entirely sure he was lying, the compliment made her feel a little better.
“I’ll do better tomorrow,” Nora promised. Alexander started to laugh.
“You see?” he said, still chuckling. “You have a steely resolve, just like I told you earlier today.”
“Very perceptive,” Nora said drily.
Alexander smiled. “It’s good to be perceptive. Those who survive the longest are those who can see their surroundings most clearly.”
“And what are our surroundings, then?” Nora asked.
“Ours?” Alexander stepped back. “We are at a place where we can behold some of the greatest landscapes in the world. There is wilderness on all sides, and the air is ripe with a sense of adventure.” His voice became dramatic. “Our surroundings take us to a place where destiny may yet await, where we can learn the truth of our own race. Where secrets that have lain dormant for thousands of years may be discovered.” He gestured grandly, and his voice started to boom. “Our surroundings give us the backdrop to our journey, on our quest to find truth and good in a time of great uncertainty. To discover the mysteries of the Vassiz, to uncover the elders’ spectacular rise to power!” He looked at Nora, his head held high. “We journey onward, not to find a relic of the past, but to pave the way for a new order and usher in the age of a paradigmatic shift of the power hierarchies of the Vassiz. We journey onward, to find truth and honor!” He looked at her, his chest held high, frozen in place for a long moment…and then burst out laughing.
Nora looked at him in confusion. “What was all that?”
Alexander, still laughing, answered her. “Lighten up, girl, come on,
“Now, I believe you can control the feeding urge – and you have proven that already. But you have not used your abilities for an extended period of time. What I am afraid of, since you haven’t taken human blood yet, is that if we make use of those abilities for too long, or too intensely, the Vassiz part of you will lash out. It will demand to be released. And you might lose yourself forever.”
Despite herself, Nora shivered. In the face of everything that had happened to her, Nora still felt very much human in her mind. She still felt like she had the same mind as before undergoing the transformation…still felt like she was the same person. But if what Alexander was saying was true – no, there was no “if,” it was true – she could potentially lose that part of herself?
That, she admitted unsteadily, would be a fate not far from death. She felt a spate of anger at Hunter for not telling her about it earlier.
“So what do we do?” Nora asked.
“We start out slowly, at first, and then depending on how you handle it, go faster. We will take breaks in our travel today and go at half-speed. I believe that will keep you safe.”
“Good,” Nora said.
“Although,” Alexander smiled, “it will still be significantly faster than you’ve journeyed yet.”
Chapter Nine
~Gray~
By the end of the day, Nora was exhausted. It was the first time she could remember actually feeling tired since undergoing the transformation.
They had run all day, and run fast, with Gray loping alongside them, keeping pace most of the time. The only other time Nora experienced something similar was in the dream world with Hunter, when they were exploring her new powers together. Except there, she felt none of the physical exhaustion she was experiencing now.
“You did well today.” Alexander squatted easily beside Nora. He was a graceful runner, and Nora wondered how long it would take her to achieve that easy elegance. She definitely didn’t have it yet.
“Not as well as I thought,” Nora mumbled.
“Nonsense. You did better than I could have ever expected.” Nora looked up at him, and he smiled reassuringly at her. Although she was almost entirely sure he was lying, the compliment made her feel a little better.
“I’ll do better tomorrow,” Nora promised. Alexander started to laugh.
“You see?” he said, still chuckling. “You have a steely resolve, just like I told you earlier today.”
“Very perceptive,” Nora said drily.
Alexander smiled. “It’s good to be perceptive. Those who survive the longest are those who can see their surroundings most clearly.”
“And what are our surroundings, then?” Nora asked.
“Ours?” Alexander stepped back. “We are at a place where we can behold some of the greatest landscapes in the world. There is wilderness on all sides, and the air is ripe with a sense of adventure.” His voice became dramatic. “Our surroundings take us to a place where destiny may yet await, where we can learn the truth of our own race. Where secrets that have lain dormant for thousands of years may be discovered.” He gestured grandly, and his voice started to boom. “Our surroundings give us the backdrop to our journey, on our quest to find truth and good in a time of great uncertainty. To discover the mysteries of the Vassiz, to uncover the elders’ spectacular rise to power!” He looked at Nora, his head held high. “We journey onward, not to find a relic of the past, but to pave the way for a new order and usher in the age of a paradigmatic shift of the power hierarchies of the Vassiz. We journey onward, to find truth and honor!” He looked at her, his chest held high, frozen in place for a long moment…and then burst out laughing.
Nora looked at him in confusion. “What was all that?”
Alexander, still laughing, answered her. “Lighten up, girl, come on,
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