The Fourteen

Chapter 16: United by our Past

I woke to screaming. With a jolt, I attempted to scrabble out. My feet became entangled in my sheets. Quickly losing my balance, I toppled to the ground beside my bed. Pain blossomed in both my elbows as they smacked the floor.

I rose, growling under my breath. Whatever was causing the screaming had better start running. This was not how I envisioned my morning to start. Only when the noise had died down, did I locate its source.

Neo was upright on his bed, pillows crushed on either side of his head. Sweat coated his sheets and his forehead, as he waged a mental battle.

"He's having a vision!" Astrid shot from her bed, to comfort the poor Slienci.

Everyone was up now. Dexter and Boe, who had their beds on either side of Neo, leaned forward to catch any words or predictions.

"What do you see?" Boe asked him.

"I s-see forest. Most of the image is blurred." Neo ground out, trembling, "Some cloaked figures are looking at us. No, they're looking at someone in particular, I don't know who. 

I see a charm, like a wolf head, with a star and a crescent moon. Words are appearing near it, 'Find your way home.'

Fire is igniting a piece of paper, near someone's heart. There's a- oh my."

"What!?"

Neo open his eyes, still quivering. "That's it, the vision is gone."

No one knew what to make of it. We all sat on our beds, jaws open.

"I know that charm. It's a symbol of the Measquit family. There's a Northern star on it, supposedly it..." My voice trailed off as something dawned to me. "Luna! I need that necklace."

"Why?" Boe questioned.

I couldn't say it out loud. That necklace could be our ticket out of here. But I needed to go far from the rebels' jamming device. So I shook my head, I wasn't sure my plan would work. I could not get anyone's hopes up.

~~*~~

Danver had been true to his word. When the analog clock in the Glass Room read 8:00am sharp, Danny and his crew came to pick us up.

They lead us through the underground compound to an elevator. I could feel the anticipation between the Imperials as the elevator doors shut. Danny drew a key card from his pocket and swiped the card reader. Then, on a keypad beside it, he punched a four digit code.

When the doors opened, I recognised the floor I had seen from the catwalk. As I directed my gaze skyward, I could scarcely make out the glass. It was so well hidden; it looked as if the catwalk was simply thin air.

We passed a huge oak tree on our way to the Mess Hall. Once we got closer, I realized that it wasn't an oak at all. It carried a magical quality to it, one that none of my Imperial comrades could shy away from.

In its crown, I counted fourteen branches. Each branch was decorated with care. I felt the magica rolling off of two in particular.

One of them was a healthy looking branch, with ornaments of the shayman leaf on it. The leaf was gently carved all over the branch, as if the artist had not wanted to injure the tree. Dried herbs gave the branch an earthy smell; I fell in love with the scent.

The other branch was one Brooke, Soren, and I shared a liking for. It had an accurate carving of Lady Luna's face on the full moon, the symbol of the werewolves. Carvings of wolves, in all sorts of poses and actions wreathed around the branch. This one was stark black, the drawings were yellow or white, and lit up the branch like the night sky.