Chapter 55 The Understanding (2/2)

”Hungry?”

Rassa shrugged. Wasn't like he would say no.

Aegin grinned, then indicated for Rassa to come to the bars so Aegin could take the mask off.

Rassa did so, and as the mask fell off his face, Rassa took a deep breath. It felt much better with it off.

Aegin passed a possum through the bars, ”Sorry, it was the best I could come up with”.

Rassa shrugged. It hadn't been long since he last fed anyway. But, knowing his next meal was not guaranteed, Rassa drained the possum before passing it back through the bars.

”How long have you been like this?” asked Aegin as he sat on the side of the carriage, taking out a knife to skin the possum.

Rassa thought for a moment, ”Almost 3 and a half years”.

Aegin was silent before he asked another question.

”Why did you let them catch you?”

Rassa frowned, ”I thought you weren't supposed to ask questions”.

Aegin looked at Rassa through the bars, ”That doesn't mean I won't”.

Rassa's eyes narrowed, then he turned to look up at the moon, ”The first time, I did it partly to protect my parents, and partly because I believed they would come around. That they'd understand so long as I showed them I wasn't what they had been led to believe. When that backfired spectacularly, I only wanted to make sure it wouldn't happen again. That I could be contained until I regained control. It was only when I was stuck in these chains that I worked out that control was a relative term”.

”So...why don't you try to break out?” asked Aegin.

Rassa turned to look at him, a small smile on his face, ”Because if I was to do so now, even if I was capable, I would be hunted for the rest of my life. I would rather not spend the life I have killing needlessly because they can't take a hint”.

”They're never going to let you go. If you don't die in those chains, you'll spend the rest of your life in them,” Aegin warned.

”I will wait until I am strong enough. Or until they take it a step too far. Whichever allows me to escape first,” Rassa replied.

”Where you're going, I pretty sure it'll be the latter,” Aegin stated.

Rassa frowned. It hadn't occured to him that Aegin knew where they were headed, he turned his questioning gaze to Aegin.

”Jerrica,” Aegin replied, ”They're going to lock you up in the depths of the Jerrica Mines”.