28 Chapter 28 Stella Meets Sylva (2/2)

(SEE LIST OF AVAILABLE ADVANTAGES?)

(YES) (NO)

”No, Joseph said to use my first 10 points for photo memory. So, I want that.”

There was a pause, almost like the system was stunned by her comment.

(PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY – COST 10 LIFE POINTS)

(PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY – REMEMBER EVERYTHING IN YOUR PAST, YES EVERYTHING)

(ACCEPT?)

(YES) (NO)

”Yes, please,” she said, glad that it didn't try to convince her to take something else.

(PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY ACQUIRED)

(SKILLS ACQUIRED)

ADMINISTRATION

BODY LANGUAGE

BOW

BRAWLING

CAPTIVATE

CLIMBING

DETECT LIES

FAST DRAW

GARROTE

HIDDEN LORE

INTERROGATION

INTIMIDATION

JUMPING

LIP READING

OBSERVATION

POISONS

RUNNING

SCROUNGING

SEARCH

SHADOWING

STEALTH

SURVIVAL

SWIMMING

SWORD

TRACKING

”What?” she was stunned. How could she have gotten so many skills? And she understood each one!

”h.e.l.lo, little one. It seems we need to talk,” spoke a soft women's voice in her head.

”Who?” she looked around, terrified to see someone else in the carriage with them, but Joseph seemed oblivious.

”My name's Silva. It used to be your name. We lived for a very long time, and I would love for you to remember it all, but it seems you would have trouble with it all. The system has allowed me to dwell inside your head, and to let you remember bits and pieces so you don't get overwhelmed. Apparently, it wasn't too thrilled with trying to do it all itself.”

Stella swallowed. She knew this name. She knew the voice. It echoed within her, comforting her, and telling her of a different time.

If she hadn't just been talking to a system, she would have thought she had just gone crazy, but as it was, she was having a very tough time swallowing the situation. Maybe it would be a good idea to remember only a little at a time.

”You weren't human…” she whispered in her head.

”No, we were not.”

”What were…we?”

”We were a fey. Not a fairy! I could see you going there! We were not tiny and imbecilic. We were a type of fey, that this world does not have any longer. I think… yes, this world was our home world so long ago. How strange that after so long, we would return here.”

”What do you mean?”

”I was…we were banished for being too good at what our race was known for.”

”And what was that?”

”Killing and eating humans.”

Stella stiffened. The only way she knew to eat someone did not involve killing them first, which meant, she used to be a killer. The thought terrified her.

”What?”

”Our people would hunt humans for sport, and to keep them out of our lands. We were very good at it, and kept our home very clean of them. The leaders wanted to try and deal with the humans, though. They thought they were too numerous to be able to continue killing them. They were hoping to strike a deal, that would keep them out of our lands.”

The memory swept over her, and Stella remembered the arguments that filled the great halls that day. The whole race had been divided over this decision. Sylva decided to take it upon herself to rid the lands of all humans, including any who dared to try and speak to the foolish leaders. Couldn't they see that the only way to keep the humans out was to instill fear into them?

When the riders on horses entered the forest, she had fallen upon them, slaughtering them like the animals they were. Not a one survived. Unfortunately, she was seen by one of the leader's lackeys, who had been sent to watch for them. She was called before the leaders to explain herself.

And she did. There were many who believed what she had done was right. Humans had been banned from their lands for too long, for them to suddenly be allowed back in again. It didn't even matter that their flesh tasted good. There was other game.

The leaders were not pleased, though, and decided to make an example of her. She was banished to another world. And bound onto a floating island. Her hunger for human flesh would never again be satisfied, because the island removed all hunger from its occupants. And should she ever try to kill another while on the island, she would be struck with such agonizing pain, she would plead for death.

A curse was also placed on her, so that whenever the island decided to jump to a new world, it would use her life force as the power source. Without the ability to feed in order to restore her life force, she would be doomed to death.

Then, as if that weren't a good enough example, they wrote a destiny upon her soul. She would fall in love with a human, and be bound to him for all time.

”That human is Joseph. This is the third lifetime I have found him.”

”Wait, what?” Stella took a breath.

”Dear, you know it takes nine months for a baby to grow inside it's mother, right?”

Scrunching her face, she finally nodded.

”Joseph was born exactly nine months after you were. He's been trying to find us every since that first time we encountered him.”

”Oh,” she said in a very small voice, looking over at him again. He saw her glance and smiled, oblivious to her internal conversation.

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