The Fledglings' Mentor

by C L Amos

  Sasha hear your name… Sasha follow the flame… Sasha hear your name… Sasha follow the flame… Sasha hear your name… Sasha follow the flame… Sasha hear your name… Sasha follow the flame.”

  The energy moved through the laboratory’s circuitry as if drawn to the twins like a magnet. It built to such a fever pitch it eventually cracked like a whip, sending bolts of lightning down the twins’ crown chakras towards the Kundalini flame, and the two energy sources exploded in a violent eruption. The surge threw Tom and Julia at least one full body length back from where they sat, breaking their connection and leaving them unconscious on the floor.

  Chapter 8 Faint signs of life

  Dylan placed the phone in the drawer. He walked out into the lab, and as he opened the door the lights dimmed and for a split second the only thing illuminating the room was a faint soft hue of indigo, which appeared to cover Sasha’s body. Dylan took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes; power dips like this were common and usually occurred when they switched between fuel sources for the furnace. He walked over to the EMCO machine and checked that it was still functioning normally, then he then checked the electrical pads were still active. He walked to his table and took out a syringe. Although buccal or cheek swabs worked well for testing human DNA, he would need a blood sample to pick up the DNA signatures of the wolf, raven and snake to cross reference her potential father’s DNA sample with both human and changeling.

  He reached over and rolled her right arm over to face him. The EMCO machine was pushing the blood through her veins keeping it oxygenated and fresh. He took the needle in his hand and aimed for the vein when suddenly the skin around her vein began to change color, and he saw little shiny gold scales weaving in and out, rushing over the skin in little waves, trying to protect the vein. Dylan shook his head and scrunched his eyes closed. This was impossible; his eyes must be playing tricks on him. He took his finger and gently rubbed over the vein, then he took the needle again and plunged it into her vein. The scales danced around the needle in protest, but within a few seconds he had drawn a small sample. He placed a cotton wool swab over the vein and secured it with a piece of tape to prevent any blood loss.

  He walked over to the thermal cycler in the corner of the lab and carefully placed a small drop of Sasha’s blood into a tube. Dylan then proceeded to open the airtight canister, and took out a small vial of blood, extracted a small drop, and placed it into the thermal cycler next to Sasha’s. He switched the cycler on and watched the two tubes spin for a few seconds, before closing the airtight canister and filling it with nitrogen to preserve it further.

  Dylan returned to Sasha and began fiddling underneath the bed. He pulled out a G-stirrup from either side and carefully placed Sasha’s legs into the stirrups on either side of the bed. He then clicked out the bottom piece of the steel table and slid it in underneath the main frame of the bed. He extended his instrument tray and placed his lab chair at the foot of the bed. Dylan did a final check on the EMCO and quickly checked the progress of the thermal cycler before scrubbing his hands and sitting down in front of Sasha’s vagina. He pulled a fresh pair of gloves from the box, and took the small camera connected to a suction tube and slowly inserted it into her vaginal opening. As soon as the cold probe entered her, the muscles in her vagina clenched. Dylan shook his head; he knew it was most likely just a post-mortem spasm caused by the pads stimulating her muscles. The screen was red as the light from the camera pushed its way through the cervical canal, suddenly turning to bright orange as it broke through into the cervical opening. He tried to adjust the light but couldn’t get a clearer picture; he eventually switched the camera light off and was shocked when the screen went red instead of pitch black… it looked like something was moving on the screen. He stood up to get a closer look when suddenly two bright white lights shot up into her body. Dylan shielded his eyes, and when he looked again the screen had gone back to black. He shook his head, saying to himself ‘relax, Dylan, the camera probably malfunctioned’. He rubbed his eyes again; he would replace the camera with a spare and try again.

  Dylan sat down and began the procedure with the new camera. He inserted it into the cervix cannel and was relieved to see the normal uterine cavity this time. He pushed the probe up and chuckled quietly to himself as he noticed he wasn’t alone in the search for her eggs, he hoped her last shag had been a good one at least. He finally reached the ovaries and began harvesting the egg cells and suctioned as many as he could before pulling the camera and tube out. He would need to check them later, but right now he was confident that at least five of them would still be viable.

  Dylan returned to the thermal cycler, removed the samples and began the DNA probe, binding each complimentary DNA sequence with a radioactive molecular tag for easy identification. A distinctive pattern began emerging from the offset and it quickly became clear that the two people shared several similar genetic markers. By the end of the test Dylan was left with little doubt in his mind that Sasha was indeed the daughter of A0-10959287-FDS P0139, whoever that may be.

  He checked his watch; it was already after midnight. It had been a long day and the next day would be just as long. He left the EMCO running, as he wasn’t sure if Marcelle would need any more samples and this was the best way to preserve her body… for now, at least. He stepped back into his small office and took his phone out and sent a quick message to Janey before climbing onto the small bed in the back of his office.

  Chapter 9 Finding Peace

  Janey walked around the back of the house and climbed the trusses to the small overhang. She knew Pete would be there… he always went there after their fights. He sat there, crouched up, his legs pulled close to his chest as he stared out into the vast expanse.

  She went and sat next to him and took his hand in hers, he looked at her and shook his head, “Couldn’t sleep?”

  Janey nodded, “I’m sorry, Pete, I didn’t mean what I said. I lashed out at you because I didn’t want to discuss my relationship with Bernard, and I knew exactly which buttons to push to force you to drop it.”

  Pete shook his head, “They are good kids, they didn’t deserve that.”

  Janey nodded, “I know! It’s been a terrible day for everyone… so many innocent people have lost their lives, and all for what?” She shook her head and a tear rolled down her face, “I lost my little girl all over again…”

  Pete squeezed her hand, “WE lost our little girl all over again.” He paused, “Look, I don’t care who her biological father is, it’s in the distant past and it doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

  She pushed the hair out of his face, smiled, and leant in to kiss him, “I do love you; I always have.”

  Just then her phone beeped.

  Pete dropped his head, “I gather it’s from Dylan?”

  She opened her message, “No, it’s from Einrich, he is thanking me for assisting the pack earlier. He just wanted to let me know that they are all safely aboard a cargo train and should be here just before dawn.”

  Pete put his arm around Janey, “Thank you for helping them, it means a lot to me.”

  Janey smiled, “My heart isn’t always cold.”

  Pete winced, “I know you don’t think they can handle the power…”

  Janey corrected him, “I don’t think anyone should have that amount of power over anyone else - it’s an archaic system that naturally leads to the suppression of others.”

  Pete shook his head, “It’s the natural order of things … some are destined to lead and others to follow, we cannot re-write the destiny of those born for greatness, we can only guide them to be good…”

  Janey interjected, “And all too often we have to stop them when they turn greedy and consumed with self-importance.”

  Pete shook his head, “I spent a lot of time getting to know Tom and Julia and I must say that they have good instincts. They are kind at heart and will make excellent leaders… give them a chance, because they are going to need your guidance and assis
tance… be a part of who they become, instead of what you may force them to become through your distrust.”

  Janey nodded, “We first have to figure out how we are going to save them… and all the other wolf changelings Marcelle has captured.”

  Janey’s phone beeped again. She opened her messages; it had just one word… Positive. Janey dropped her head into her hand, “We have bigger problems… the test came back positive. Marcelle’s suspicions will soon be validated.”

  Pete shook his head. “So what? She already controls the High Council.”

  Janey shook her head, “He will lose everything if the rest of the council finds out that he sired a child.”

  Pete shook his head again, “So? He deserves to be pulled back down to earth. You are so scared of Tom becoming a monster, but you defend this asshole?!”

  Janey raised her voice, “Bernard has just lost his upper hand! Don’t you see the bigger picture? Marcelle can now sire her own children and she just harvested Sasha’s eggs! Her children will carry the genetic markers of the two most powerful male changelings of the past 1000 years, and they will be under the control of a mommy Owbearake.”

  Pete shook his head, “It’s simple! We just have to kill her and Bernard, then we won’t have to worry about any of this shit.” He took Janey in his arms, “We are two of the best trained assassins and we have our own small army at our beck and call. Marcelle is going to pay for everything she has ever done to this family.”

  Janey nodded, “You know this is going to be a suicide mission…”

  Chapter 10 Waking The Snake

  Dylan woke up, took a quick shower, and slipped on a fresh batch of scrubs. He walked into his lab and printed out the DNA results and checked over them again to make sure he was 100%. He returned to his office and checked his phone; Janey had read the message but hadn’t replied. He texted her quickly: Marcelle will be here in an hour! I have to give her the results. What are you planning to do?

  Janey texted back: Give her the results, act like everything is normal. You will receive a package in a few hours, and I will give you further instructions then.

  Dylan replied: Thumbs up emoji. He looked at the time. It was just after 7:30 in the morning, so he could access the lab. He took a specimen bottle and covered it with clear film and an elastic band. He followed protocol and summoned two guards to accompany him. He knew Julia wouldn’t just offer up a sample, but at least he could see if they were okay.

  As Dylan walked into the neighboring laboratory, he immediately heard the alarm and saw Tom and Julia lying unconscious… their bodies twisted just as they had fallen. He ran over to the control panel and checked their vital signs. He ordered for one guard to run and get his medical bag and he entered the access code. He approached Julia first, rolled her onto her back and tilted her head back to open her airways. He listened to her heart; it was very faint, but she was still alive and breathing on her own. He turned his attention to Tom next, and just like Julia, he rolled him over onto his back and tilted his head back to open his passageways. Tom, like his sister, had a very faint, shallow pulse and breath. The guard arrived a few seconds later with his medical bag. He took out a syringe, filled it with adrenalin and lifted his hands above Tom’s heart, stabbing it down and dropping the plunger as it hit his heart. Tom’s eyes shot open and he gasped for air. Dylan removed the syringe. Tom was still confused and dazed, but Dylan took out a second syringe and moved quickly over to Julia and did the same. He looked back at Tom, “What the fuck did you take?”

  Tom shrugged, still dazed, “There was a power surge.”

  Dylan remembered the surge the night before, and took out his silver penlight torch and flicked it into Tom’s eyes to check his pupils, “Have you always been sensitive to electric current?”

  Tom shook his head, “Nothing like this ever happened before.”

  He checked Julia’s pupils next. They seemed to be dazed and confused but they were responsive at least. Dylan used her delirium to his advantage, “Julia, I need a sample of your venom…”

  What Julia did next surprised everyone in the room. Her eyes flashed to those of a snake and she took the cup like a dazed drunk at the end of happy hour and bit into the film of the cup, the venom dripping from her human incisors.

  Dylan took the cup carefully from Julia and glanced back at the guards, “Well, that is new!”

  He stood up and exited the room.

  Tom shook his head, trying to focus... “Wait - who are you…” he looked around, and as objects started becoming clearer and into focus he realized that this was no ordinary hospital; in fact this wasn’t a hospital at all, it was a laboratory, “Hey, what did you do to us?”

  Dylan turned, “I saved your life and that of your sister; you should be fine in a couple of minutes.”

  He turned to the guards, “They appear to be sensitive to electrical currents. Switch off all non-essential equipment and keep your distance, I have a feeling their bites are far more deadly than their barks.”

  The guards nodded and Dylan exited the laboratory and made his way back to his office. He scratched in the filing basket and pulled out Damien’s medical file. Tom had injected venom in wolf form, and upon picking up and looking at the small bottle, it appeared Julia had the same ability. In all his time working in the medical profession he had never seen anything like it. He walked over to his bookshelf and glanced at his collection of books. He picked up a very old medical journal dating back over 200 years called The Medicine of Ancient Bloodlines, A guide to Changeling Morphology. He looked at the various headings and skipped to the index in the back. He scrolled down until he found something that might be useful and flipped to the page… to his surprise the heading on the page read Symptoms of a Fiveling’s Rebirth. He scanned down and found the extract:

  [One of the first noticeable symptoms is the ability to exhibit traits of two creatures at once. Monitor the eyes of the patient closely, as they are the sole indicator that complete hybridization is taking place at a cellular level. This is an important difference between fourlings and fivelings. Fourlings consist of at least two or three separate animal forms; in other words, they are not complete hybrids. The Griffon with the head of an eagle, the body of a lion and tail ending in a snake’s head all occupy separate parts of the body. For example; if the Eagle bites you, it cannot inject the venom from the Snake, the Snake’s head at the end of the tail would have to bite you. In a fiveling we have true hybridization; each animal is present and able to exist within each form. A fiveling, for example, can remain in human form, but its eyes will change to that of a bear and the man will have extra ordinary strength and smell, and if his eyes change to snake he can inject his venom directly into his victim regardless of which form he has chosen to occupy. This trait is usually noticeable shortly before their fourling rebirth and acts as a major point of difference that ultimately separates fivelings from their fourling brothers, who are unable to evolve to the highest level of hybridization]

  Dylan closed the book. He looked back at the picture of Damien’s shoulder and he looked at the venom in the cup… finally he knew what all the fuss was about. There were two fivelings – the first in 1000 years… the risk meant nothing to him, as his curious mind got the better of him. He would be the first person to scientifically examine the rebirth of a fiveling; this would be ground-breaking.

  Suddenly the door to his office flung open; it was Marcelle. “What the fuck is going on out there - are you trying to resuscitate her?”

  Dylan was brimming with excitement, “Sasha? No, no! She is dead… I needed to keep her blood pumping and oxygenated for the extraction of the eggs.”

  Marcelle asked eagerly, “And are there any viable eggs?”

  Dylan fixed his glasses, “Yes, at least five, I will check the rest during the course of the day.” He stood grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

  Marcelle tapped her foot anxiously, “And? Don’t just smile at me! What about the DNA test?”

  Dylan s
napped back to normal, “Yes, yes, it’s positive. A0-10959287-FDS P0139 or whoever that is definitely is, or should I say WAS, her father.”

  Marcelle smiled and rubbed her hands together and turned to leave.

  Dylan blurted out behind her, “Aren’t you going to ask me about the venom?”

  Marcelle turned, “You milked Julia already? When would you have had the time to run the tests?”

  Dylan shook his head and lifted the cup in excitement, “I didn’t need to!!! She bit into the cup in human form and the venom dripped from her incisor… she and her brother are both fivelings!”

  Marcelle took the cup, “Are you sure?”

  Dylan opened the book and pointed to the passage he had just read, “I need to run more tests, but this description sounds pretty close to the twins.” His eyes widened in excitement, ‘’I will be the first person in over 1000 years to scientifically examine the fiveling prior to and after rebirth… Do you know how much we can discover?”