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Lessons and Reflections
Chapter 3
Duke quietly slipped outside. The
meeting had just finished. He tried to walk
more silently. He
didn't want to be noticed. He remembered seeing sparks of connection
in Wildwing's eyes
when Princess unveiled herself. Duke felt unusually dazed. --She looks
so much like her. But
she can't be... could she?-- --Maybe.-- Duke stopped dead in his
tracks. Every muscle
was taut as he scanned the surrounding area for the voice he had
heard. Or thought he
had heard. Merry laughter sounded around him. Princess stepped out
from behind a tree.
"Not used to telepathic communication I see!" she teased. Duke gazed
at the she-duck in
wonder. "You even laugh like her." he muttered. Princess smiled. She
stepped up to Duke
and looked into his eyes. He quickly looked away, disturbed. "You have
her spirit. Yet your
father's reserve. Sad. Our lineage was always proud of its gaiety. As
much as our
skill." she giggled. "How is it..." Duke started but caught his
tongue as
Princess' eyes
confronted his. "How is it that I look like your mother?" she
completed.
"Ummm...
yeah." Duke agreed, this time unable to draw his eyes away. "And what
do you
mean our
lineage?" he continued. "Exactly that." Princess said. "You
and I share the same
lineage, or rather
you are my direct descendant." Duke pondered this for a moment. "I
still
don't
understand." he said quietly. He looked back at Princess, who had made
herself
comfortable at the
foot of her tree. She patted the ground next to her. "You're not above
sitting on the ground
awhile are you?" she laughed. "I will explain all. But in my own
way." Duke
slowly sat facing her. Princess took his hands and closed her eyes. Duke felt
himself falling
slowly, as if there were no gravity around them. Soon images formed in his
mind and a story
began to unfold. He saw Princess and another male duck. He was tall, with
black feathers.
--Another mystic.-- he thought. --Yes, my wedding day.-- Princess' voice came
to him. --His name
was Redwing. For the fire seen in his eyes at birth. I'm sure you're
familiar with the
mystic tradition of not naming a child till it is born.-- --Yeah, vaguely.--
Duke replied. Duke
watched silently as Redwing ran his fingers through Princess' hair. They
laughed when the
flowers she wore fell out. An older she-duck ran forward laughing and stooped
to pick up the
flowers and replace them in Princess' hair. --Your mother?-- Duke asked.
--Yes.-- came an
unusually solemn reply. Duke watched keenly as an older male duck, Redwing's
father, bound
Princess' and Redwing's wrists with a white ribbon. The duck uttered an ancient
rhyme, which was
promptly repeated in unison by the bride and her groom. Redwing's father smiled
and patted Redwing on
the shoulder. Duke saw fire light up in Redwing's eyes as he turned to
his bride. Redwing
took the white ribbon from their wrists and placed a gold charm on it. He
then tied it about
Princess' neck. Then with a flirtatious grin on his face he swept Princess up
in his arms and ran
across the meadow, away from the wedding guests. The scene dissappeared
into another. Redwing
came into a tent holding a fresh kill for dinner. He smiled keenly as
he presented his
prize to Princess. Redwing turned around in time to see his mother-in-law step
into the tent with a
duckchild in tow. Redwing's face lit up at the site of the child and held
his arms out to the
child. The little girl released her grandmother's hand and ran to her
father's waiting
arms. Princess ran forward and hugged her mother. The two she-ducks turned
smiling to Redwing
who stood up straight holding his daughter. Suddenly the sky turned from it's
peaceful blue to a
war red. Explosions sounded off in every direction. The four ducks ran out of
the tent to see
Saurian drones ransacking their peaceful village. Battle ensued. All the mystic
ducks called on every
resource they had. Soon the unwanted guests had been dispelled. Redwing
turned to see his
wife hunched, sobbing over a body. He ran to Princess' side. He stepped back in
horror when he saw
the face. The duckchild crawled out from under a bush. Redwing panicked and
ran scooping his
daughter into his arms. He cradled her close not wanting her to see her dead
grandmother. Duke
felt feelings of repulsion wash over him. --The child's name was Star--
Princess said.
--Star? My mother's grandmother!-- Duke replied. --Yes.--
Duke woke up. He looked over to see
Princess' teary eyes. "That was not the end. Rather
the beggining. We met
up with DuCaine. Gathered a rebellion to drive off the rest of the
Saurians. We met the
council. Redwing was killed in battle. He jumped in the way of a drone's
laser blast saving
Drake DuCaine's life. Drake dragged me away screaming for my dead husband's
body. That night the
council appeared to us. They chose me for the next council. I accepted
the decree with
pleasure. This way I would be able to watch over all of Puckworld in my
husband's honor. Kria
soon joined us. The day came for ascension. I entered into the holy place
with Star by my side.
The council looked at me. "She cannot go." spoke one female saurian.
"She's my
daughter! She has to!" I protested. A male saurian came over, it was
Gratz. "I'm
sorry but the child
must die." I stepped between him and my child. "Over my dead
soul!" I
yelled. I felt
someone grab my child and run I turned to see Drake DuCaine holding Star. Gratz
turned to Drake. And
held out his hands. Drake took off The Mask and threw it at his feet.
"Take me if you
have to have a sacrifice. But the child must live! I chose her descendant for
a special
purpose!" Gratz stopped and looked Drake over. "Then she is in your
care." he said
gravely. Drake came
and stood by my side. He allowed me to say goodbye to my daughter one last
time, since I would
never be able to hold her again. Daman and Ausmus comforted me as I watched
Drake DuCaine take my
daughter away. You, Duke, are the first one of my descendants I have been
able to physically
sit close to in nearly one millenium." Duke sat silently. "My great
grandmother was
raised by Drake DuCaine? But she'd have to be centuries old!" Duke said.
Princess
smiled. "She is!
She's a mystic remember?" "Oh." Duke sat contemplating what he
had just learned.
He tuned out his
thoughts to a suspicious sound. --Leaves? footsteps? We're being watched.--
Duke's eyes scanned
the area looking for their spy. --Wildwing has been watching us.-- Princess
smiled. She turned
and looked at a small thicket nearby. Wing's head slowly peered up over the
branches. With a
sheepish grin, he said "You must hate me Duke. I'm not as good a spy as
you."
Duke's worry finally
faded into a comfortable smile. "Naw... I don't hate you. But I'm still a
better spy than
you." Wildwing came and sat with them. "I knew there was some kind of
connection.
But I wasn't sure
what. Who would've thought you were related." He said. Duke nodded in
agreement. "So I
was chosen to deliver a pendant?" Duke muttered. Princess giggled.
"No, silly.
Wildwing delivered
the pendant, remember?" Duke brow
furrowed with confusion. He looked at
Wildwing whose face
mirrored the same confusion. Wing finally spoke up. "Ok, if I was chosen
to
deliver the pendant,
then why did DuCaine say that he had chosen one of your descendants for
something? What has
Duke done?" Princess smiled then said "DuCaine had chosen each of my
descendants through
Duke to further the course of the pendant." "But why us?" Duke
prodded.
"Because Redwing
saved his life. Drake watched carefully over me and my child after that day. He
would protect Star as
if she was his own child. He took care of me like I was his sister. He
taught Star all her
theivary tricks, the same tricks she taught you." Princess explained.
Duke's
jaw dropped.
"Yo.. You mean all these years I've been using Drake DuCaine's
tricks?" he
stuttered. Princess
simply nodded. Duke shifted uncomfortably, then looked over at Wildwing who
sat contemplating all
of this. Princess smiled sadly. "I've told you much. Come. Let us rejoin
the others." she
said quietly. Wildwing and Duke exchanged silent gazes and then stood to go
back
into the compound.
Rose wandered around the compound
aimlessly. She had such a bad feeling. She wandered into
the kitchen. Pat and
Kareem were there ravaging a couple of ham sandwiches. Kareem looked up to
see Rose standing
just inside the door. His eyes wandered the now empty package that had
contained the ham. He
attempted the smile apologetically as he offered the uneaten half of his
sandwich. Rose smiled
appreciatively and shook her head no. Pat frowned as she turned and
wandered out of the
room. --What's eatin' her?-- he turned to Kareem. Kareem just shrugged in
confusion. Jack
stopped in the hallway as Rose slowly brushed past him and turned into the
living
room. She stopped and
gazed at Missy who sat forlornly on the couch. Rose slowly sat in the
chair across from
her. Missy's sad eyes looked up and met with Rose's. --You're not going to make
it, are you?-- Rose
thought. --No.-- was the simple reply. --You will be the one to choose won't
you?-- --Yes.-- Rose
moved over next to the girl as she tried to suppress her sobs. Missy and
Rose embraced and
cried. Their sobs shook the two girls painfully. Jack's forehead creased in
worry as he watched
the scene. --We won't all make it?-- he thought. --That's why there's only
six in the council!--
He felt his heart drop as he realized that the entire psysquad would not
be together for the
millenium. He felt a hand grasp his shoulder. It was Maloney. --Who will make
it?-- he asked. --I
can't tell you just yet. Only Missy can see that. She's the one who will
decide who goes and
who stays. Or rather, who lives.-- Jack's eyes met Maloney's in alarm.
--Lives?-- Maloney
simply turned away. Jack felt as if a ten tons of weight had dropped on him.
He turned back to the
scene in the living room. Rose was alone now. Missy had gone to her room.
Jack sat down gently
next to Rose and held his arms out to her. She threw her arms around his
shoulders and sobbed
vehemently. Jack sat holding her. He gently stroked her hair. After what
seemed like a long
time, Rose's sobs calmed. Jack wrapped his arms around her tighter. "I
love
you." he
whispered to her. He felt Rose's arms tighten around his shoulders as she
whispered
back, "And I
love you." Jack hugged her close, not knowing when the end would come.
Beads of sweat broke out on Canard's
forehead as he attempted to telekinetically lift the
stack of books. It
had been easier at first. Kria had first just used one encyclopedia. Then two,
three, and finally
the whole volume of encyclopedias. They came two inches off the ground and
then came crashing
back down. His shoulders slumped as he watched the books tumble over into a
huge messy pile. Kria
patiently stacked them back up and said, "Again." Canard stretched
his
shoulders and took a
deep breath. They had been at this all night. The ducks left the compound
late that night and
took Kria with them. He had started training at midnight. It was now 4 a.m.
His memory washed over
the tearstained eyes of Rose and Missy as they had left at ten o'clock.
He knew something was
bothering them. But Canard pushed his mind back into the present and
focused on the stack
of books. Slowly they rose up in the air and moved from the floor to a
table nearby. Once
the stack was placed there neatly, Canard slumped to the floor. "Not yet,
my
friend. Now you must
telekinetically clean up our mess." Kria said with a wry smile. Canard
gave her a harsh look
as he stood up and focused once more on the books. This time he just
lifted the top two
and flew them to their shelf. Two by two the books were soon put up. He turned
and headed off the
his bunk to sleep. "Rest well Canard. You'll need it tommorrow." Kria
said
with a grin. Canard's shoulders slumped once more as he hobbled away from the room.