Zachania by Joseph Henry Gaines Page A

room and lit the candle on
the table next to his bed; he then sat up against the wall and
wiped his face and hair with his blanket.
    “What is
happening to me?” he sighed as the vividness of his dreams
increased each night
    He rubbed his
face and head a few times before returning to lay down when
suddenly he was struck with a memory of his past. One where he was
twelve years old when his Grandfather and father had argued
fiercely, it felt strange that that day had never before held much
importance but now mysteriously it felt that that day had great
meaning, it was like a strange unknown force was altering Talons
mind, expanding his awareness. He felt a shiver of fear as an
intense feeling of reality swept over him, he could almost feel the
blood draining from his cheeks as it struck him that he was in fact
a Zachanian, his first thought was panic, he thought that everyone
would discover his secret.
    “What should I
do?” he gasped silently.
    He clenched his
fists tightly and gritted his teeth as he concentrated deeply on
calming himself. Suddenly his whole life seemed different; he felt
like the hunted, living in the home of the hunters! He also felt
rage, rage at the Empire, a rage so powerful it brought fear. He
tried again and again to clarify his thinking as a thousand
thoughts raced through his young mind. Yet every time he calmed
himself he returned to the thought that the Empire would kill him
if his Zachanian roots were discovered. He could not believe how
this secret had been missed by the Empire or how his father could
have lied to him; he was from a hunted race, a race butchered by
the very hand for which he now served.
    He also knew
that these strange discoveries had totally changed his life, how
could he serve this Empire now, how could he possibly subdue these
feelings of anger he now had. Talon thought of his Grandfather and
thought of how proud he was at his origin and how the Empire had
slaughtered thousands of his people “MY PEOPLE” Talon said as he
looked up to his door where his uniform hung, the splendour of it
now sickened him, it belonged to his bloods enemy. “Never again can
I wear that with pride.” he spat.
    Talon now knew
that his destiny lay elsewhere, he could feel it calling to him, he
knew he must escape, he had to leave, his whole awareness told him
so. But to just walk out on the Empire was not an option. He was
deep in the Palace land now where everywhere one travelled, one had
to have passes, this land was just as hard to escape from as it was
to enter. Talon would have to continue in his studies until he
found an opportunity, he would have to hide his secret, burying it
deep in his sub consciousness. This thought alarmed Talon as he
knew it would be difficult not to show his contempt and his newly
found eagerness to escape.....This indeed was now a time of great
caution.
    It was only a
few days before Talon’s opportunity presented itself, everything
now seemed to be gathering momentum in Talon’s young life. It was
if his destiny had taken on a life in itself as if Talon was being
driven by some unexplained force which had hijacked his being and
was pulling him along as a companion. Still unsure just how he was
going to leave the Palace land, Talon remained alert to every
avenue that might deliver him to what he sought.
    On this
specific day Talon was walking through an outside area of the
military school called the Houndsware section named after the
legendary General Vlad Houndsware, Houndsware or hounds alley to
which it was more commonly known as was an Imperial recreation
centre. Built around a natural hot springs there now stood a
magnificent building known as the bath house where soldiers could
relax in the natural steam and bath in hot waters. Outside the bath
house were many taverns and inns which were scattered around the
tight pebbled roads that weaved there way round the grand
building.
    As Talon walked
the pebbled streets a placard caught his eye pinned to the