Just the Girl

Chapter 5: Fully Alive

Torn looked around and saw Valora lying on the ground unconscious. They were in a large room with marble floors and blue walls. Onin sat on the floor in the middle of the room with Pecker sitting on her large hat. Torn rushed over to Valora and knelt beside her.

“Valora… Are you okay?” Torn asked reaching out to touch her forehead.

“Do I look ok?” she groaned with a short dry laugh.

Valora sat up slowly rubbing her head and looked around confused. She looked towards Onin for answers but the old woman sat there motionless. She stood up with Torn’s help and walked over to the soothsayer.

Pecker looked up suddenly and spoke, “The precursors would like a word with Valora.”

A bright creature appeared in front of the small group. Valora jumped but quickly sat down beside Onin. Torn stood behind them one had resting on Valora’s shoulder the other very near his pistol.

“Sasha it is good to see you again” the bright creature stated, look toward Valora.

“What do you mean again? I’ve never seen you before! Besides my name is Valora not Sasha” Valora stood up beside Torn.

“You started in Haven, Sasha,” the creature stated “You were born here royalty, the princess of this place.”

“That’s not possible!” Valora shouted.

“No one ever remembers when they’re a baby. You were taken to that other world when you were only hours old” the things stated.

Valora turned her head to Pecker and Onin, “It’s not true, is it?”

“You are speaking to a precursor. They know even more than Onin” Pecker spoke.

“Let me show you” the precursor reached forward and touched her head.

Valora froze and went pale. Her eyes were hazed over seeing something the rest of the people in the room couldn’t see.

0o0

Gun shots fired and glass broke. Two people ran past Valora, a man and a woman. The man was carrying a young boy only a few years old. The woman clutched a young baby to her chest. Valora ran after them following them into the night. The woman took off with the baby in one direction while the man went the other way. Valora gasped as the woman was shot down. The baby began to cry but no noise came from her mouth. But suddenly the baby disappeared. The man handed the young boy to a man that looked like one of the guards and whispered quickly in his ear before running to his fallen wife.

The man began to cry as Krimson Guards surrounded him. They arrested him and carried his dead wife back into the palace.

The guard with the boy had run off before anyone noticed him.

0o0

Valora fainted as the precursor moved his hand away from her forehead. Torn caught her easily as the small group was sent back to Onin’s tent. Torn opened his eyes slowly. He was on his knees holding Valora off the ground. Onin and Pecker were in they’re usual spots just sitting there.

“What did that precursor do to Valora?” Torn demanded, picking the unconscious girl up.

“Her name is Sasha Mar, not Valora. That is the name the orphanage gave her when they found her” Pecker said.

Torn blinked, “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that Val… uh… Sasha is Jak’s sister?!”

Pecker only nodded.

“To much information in one day,” Torn sighed “I’m going to take her back to HQ for now.”

Onin nodded before Torn ran out of the tent and headed back to HQ. Once there he took the still unconscious girl to the room that she was staying in for the time being. He laid her on the bed as he noticed that her cheeks were bright red. The brunette touched his head to her forehead, which was burning hot.

Torn quickly pulled out his comm. about to call Ashelin then thought better of it and called Jak.

“Samos get down to Valora’s room” he ordered quickly.

“Ok” Samos disconnected.

Torn sighed before shaking Valora’s shoulder. She just turned over in bed and began to shake. Samos burst into the room then.

“What’s wrong with her?” the man asked.

“Val fainted while we were at Onin’s and she started running a fever” Torn stated standing up beside the green man.

The old man began shaking his head as he leaned closer to the girl.

“When did they tell her the true?” Samos asked felling her forehead.

Torn was confused but then spoke, “Only a few minutes ago.”

“She is at war with herself from what she thought to be true and what is truth,” the green sage stated “Her body wants to except that she is the true princess of Haven but her mind is telling her that it’s not true that she’s still just Valora.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Torn asked.

“Just getting cool rags to help break the fever is the only thing we can do now” Samos said.

Torn walked off and came back with a bowl filled with water and ice and some rags. He took rag and dipped it in the water then placed it on her head.

0o0

Hours later, Torn was still sitting at Valora’s bedside running a cool rag over her forehead. Her eyes began to flutter and soon popped open. Her vision was blurry as she tried to focus on Torn’s figure. Finally, her vision came into focus and she smiled lightly.

“How do you feel?” Torn asked.

“Terrible,” Valora laughed lightly “How long have I been out?”

“A few hours”

Valora nodded, “I kept having strange dreams while I was out.”

“What kind of dreams?” Torn questioned, dipping the rag in water again.

“Like little signs I missed about who I really am and what really happened when I was left at the orphanage” tears began to line Valora’s eyes as she spoke.

“I’m sorry, Valora” Torn pulled the girl into a hug.

“Please call me Sasha… Its who I really am…”