Having fled from the Core to the south and then again to the north, I sought refuge in what I learned in my youth. `Because the bond of a friend or the bond of kin is sacred to the self, I should fear to break it.` But what could that mean today? Even in lands where I could not walk safely, was I to cling to the memories of friends who betrayed me? No. We extol not loyalty without consideration, and it was not I who broke those bonds. But bitterness, too, is a dangerous fruit. It was wiser, I think, to seek a better home elsewhere, than to pine for what which was denied to me. And so it should be for others, I propose in my moments of egotism.

　　-From the revisions of the Scholar Geshor

　　244 YT, Winter: The Sower Monastery in Kivv. Over a season since the battle of Etyslund.

　　 Aleks awoke from his dream with a start and clutched at the side of his head. The memory of the cable digging into his flesh, electric and foreign, was still sharp as the world came into slow focus around him. After the buzzing of the past in his ear, the first thing to return to his consciousness was the ache. The deep ache in his hands and feet set in while the dreamlike, fleeting pain of his head disappeared. He flexed his fingers, made circles with his ankles, and rolled over before pushing himself up to stand next to the bed.

　　 Sunlight streamed in through the window overhead, filtering green through the leaves of potted plants hanging from the ceiling. Aleks, still in the haze of his half-sleep, crossed the room, running his hands through sandy hair. At the corner of his bedroom he reached out to the pipe running along the wall, carrying water from above. It was cold to the touch, but not freezing cold. Aleks sighed quietly and stepped into the next room, where he bent over the large sink. His fingers ran along the edge of a bowl of green glass, and then he turned the faucet on and bent his head under the stream.

　　 It was a refreshing feeling, and it woke him up the rest of the way. Fully alert, Aleks stepped out of his nightclothes and over the slanted floor, the drain at the bottom of the room. When he had finished washing himself head to toe with water and cloths and Crescian olive oil, Aleks donned his simple white shirt and black trousers. His eyes darted quickly to the owl tattoo on the back of his right forearm as he tied the shirtstrings. It was glowing slightly still, helping to bring him to alertness quickly. Aleks looked in the mirror - his uniform, fixed smile stared back at him, unchanging in reaction to his surroundings.

　　 The droplets of water running down Aleks`s back warmed him to his core as he traced the lines of the owl tattoo. He pulled the shirtsleeve over it to cover it, then stepped out into the main room and went to the closet. From there he pulled out one of the row of identical brown cloaks that hung there, placed the hood over his head, and slipped his arms through the sleeves.

　　 Under the protection of the cloak, Aleks felt secure. With the hood still over his head, he walked to the opposite side of the room, the sunlight at his back. Along that side of the room there was a countertop. Most of it was covered in pieces of the machinery Aleks had been working on over this past season. In one corner sat an icebox, into which he reached.

　　 On the top shelf there was a row of sealed jars. Inside each jar was a liquid mixture. He selected one with a pinkish tint to it, pulled it from the box. The cold of the glass jar against his hand was invigorating. With some effort Aleks twisted the jar`s lid off and the smells of fruit and milk filled his nostrils. He bent the jar back and drank, the cold sending jolts up through his teeth and sliding down his throat until it filled him from his heart to his belly. Absent-mindedly, Aleks let his mind wander a little, and the feeling of the ink on the back of his right arm came to him. His senses sharpened as the owl tattoo activated, and Aleks nearly spat out his drink, for the cold was suddenly strong and almost unbearable. By instinct, Aleks called on the Sower`s Gift, and forced the cold into a corner of his mind. There it could not hurt him, could not force his instinctive hand. Instead the cold was to be analyzed, with a clear head.

　　 Aleks deactivated first the tattoo, and then the Sower`s Gift. With a heavy sigh he relaxed himself the normal way, and finished his drink. When he was done he went and set the jar in the sink, washed out the residue, and turned toward the door.

　　 Outside, the interior of the Sower Monastery was warm, its subterranean section welcoming as the sunlight streamed in through windows that did not admit the cold that came with it. for those standing outside, it must have been a cold sun indeed. But Aleks was warmed by the light, and also warmed by the earth. He smiled and reached up to a flowering plant that hung near the ceiling. Aleks smoothed the leaves and turned from there and made his way down the hallway. The stairs leading out of the monastery were the opposite direction, but Aleks had a quick stop to make before he headed out on his business.

　　 The dreams were growing more frequent and more intense, and Aleks was sure there was something important to be learned from them, but before he went to speak of important matters he wanted to talk with Arien. So he went to Arien`s apartment, a place also within the Sower Monastery. Arien, from what Aleks understood, had been living in Kivv for many years. Yet still he chose an apartment in the monastery rather than finding his own place outside. It was a strange choice from the perspective of the other Sowers - he was stuck in a small space, he was alone and isolated& but he wasn`t alone or isolated anymore. Aleks was there, and the two had become something like friends over these months.

　　 Besides, Aleks couldn`t fault Arien for choosing separateness and isolation. He had the feeling that when Antonin found him and his siblings another place to stay - if he ever did - Aleks would think twice about accepting it.

　　 At the door of Arien`s apartment Aleks knocked, waited several minutes, and knocked again. When no answer came he knocked a third time. "Hey, Arien, are you there? It`s Aleks -"

　　 "Not today, Aleks!" came the response.

　　 Aleks stepped back from the door, stood a moment, and then shrugged. Arien was usually the first to make someone else`s business his business, but Aleks knew better than to demand an explanation. He simply shrugged and turned, and went about his business.

　　 First: he had to see a doctor, finally. He`d been letting the memories and the dreams continue for long enough without bringing them to someone who might know what they were about. Aleks had learned enough to know that inherited memories were not something to be taken lightly - yet so much of this season had been spent engrossed in his work, getting up to speed on the workshop`s projects. And, if he was being honest with himself, hiding.

　　 When Aleks stepped out into the cold streets of Kivv he immediately, instinctually, closed the folds of his cloak around himself. The mid-day wind wasn`t so bad, especially with the high walls of the monasteries so close by. Even so, the cold was startling. How long had it been since Aleks had been outside of the Sower Monastery? A week? He shuddered at the thought, and wondered if he was growing weaker from being isolated indoors.

　　 Well, he could worry about that later. Aleks drew a little on the Sower`s gift to calm himself, and made quickly for the office of Amire, the doctor. The Gift not only calmed him but made him feel the cold less, as his nerves grew just a bit number.

　　 Aleks had to admit, it was irrational that had hadn`t been to see a doctor already. Over the past season his dreams had continued, and they had become more frequent. He was living through someone else`s memories, and those memories seemed, somehow, important. Aleks remembered only the broad strokes of the old world`s history, that which he`d been taught. But he did remember that a few of those who`d arguably helped to start the Aether War - or perhaps helped to stop it - or maybe only to save people from it - were knowledgeable in the Aether. And these individuals had fought over what to do with that knowledge. Some had thought the knowledge should be shared with everyone - others thought it should be reserved for those responsible enough to wield it effectively. In the end, they`d been forced to work together in an effort to prevent the total destruction of humanity - or at least, that was the interpretation of events Aleks had heard most often.

　　 Maybe something could be learned from what he was experiencing. For posterity, for history. Maybe then the stress of dealing with those dreams wouldn`t be for naught.

　　 Amire`s office was located near the south part of town, atop a small cliff face. When Aleks stopped next to the office`s entrance and looked over the edge, he saw a camp in construction. It was a series of metal buildings, prefabricated structures resembling storage containers more than actual houses. Aleks hadn`t seen that much metal construction anywhere before - it gleamed in the sun, especially in this frigid stage of early winter. The spaces between the buildings formed a mazelike structure. People moved among the haphazard buildings, hoods pulled over their heads, talking quietly among themselves. Several tables and stands were set up in the spaces between makeshift homes.

　　 The camp was beginning to grow, but still populated only sparsely. From what Aleks had heard, a few of the survivors of Oxdal had arrived in Kivv not long after the battle of Etyslund.

　　 "The battle of Etyslund" - it was still so strange to think of it in those terms. Aleks hadn`t been there for the real fighting - all he remembered was the guns of the Invictans, the enormous clouds of smoke they`d made, obscuring his sight. And how she had screamed, when&

　　 He pulled the Sower`s Gift tighter around himself, walked to the small stone building where Amire`s office was located, and leaned against the outer wall. He stayed there, breathing heavily, his face a grinning mask. The Sower`s Gift could stop him from feeling the pain, physical and mental, but it couldn`t stop the tension in his face. His muscles spasmed, and Aleks saw himself for a moment in the faint reflection of the door, grinning madly.

　　 He stayed there until the door opened and Amire stepped out, turning toward Aleks. "Aleks Zelenko, right?" Amire was a short and soft-spoken man with nervous hands, a formal way of dressing, small round spectacles. "Are you alright? You seem troubled."

　　 "I wanted to talk to you," Aleks said, straightening up. "Do you have some time?"

　　 Amire nodded and motioned for the door. "Of course," he said. "Why don`t you sit down and let me know what the problem is? I`ll get things ready."

　　 "Oh, I`m not injured. At least, not that I know of. I just want some advice."

　　 Amire paused. "Ah. Well, of course. Please do sit."

　　 Inside the office, there was sparse and colorful decoration. A cushioned seat was set facing away from the door, toward the opposite wall. The rug on the floor was striped with sections of varying colors and thickness, fringes at both of the ends. A painting of the rust gates hung over Amire`s chair. The image looked much the same as the one on Aleks` own wall, except that this image was from the new world.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author`s consent. Report any sightings.

　　 Aleks sat on the cushions, back too-straight, looking forward, and tried to let go of the Sower`s Gift. It slipped away& mostly. A relief, to feel again, even if it hurt a bit.

　　 "Aleks?" Amire fell into his own chair, opposite where Aleks sat, and steepled his fingers.

　　 "I never told you my name, did I?" Aleks asked.

　　 "No," Amire said in response. "But I saw you once before, don`t you remember? When you and your sisters first arrived in this city - oh, what a strange day that was. Your sisters both had awful injuries, especially your younger sister Hilda, and even though they`d treated themselves to some degree on the road, someone had to provide proper medical care. It seems like you were mostly unharmed, but&" Amire`s eyes fell and he rubbed his temples for a second before locking gazes with Aleks. "Some wounds are not obvious. It`s been over a season and reportedly, you have barely left the Sower monastery."

　　 "How do you know so much?"

　　 "I make it my business to pay attention to my community, Aleks. I consider that one of the marks of a healthy soul. The body and mind do not appreciate constant isolation. Now, what is troubling you?"

　　 Aleks started from the beginning - the day traveling through the Vale when he`d dreamed of the old world`s final days. He felt he had memories of Raz from before that flight across the Vale, as though the knowledge of her had been with him when he was just a child. But that was the first of the dreams, and since then the dreams had only continued.

　　 He recalled the strangeness of standing near his sisters when they approached the Rust Gates - the feeling that they`d been there once before, together, in another life.

　　 He recalled each dream that had come to him in the season since he`d arrived in Kivv. Every one of those dreams was stuck in his mind, and he was sure that they would never leave.

　　 Amire listened to all of it, nodding along to each event Aleks described in the life of Raz Shvets. And at the end of it, he smiled. "And did you know - prior to your experiencing these dreams, of course - who this Raz Shvets individual was?"

　　 "Um&" Aleks shrugged. "No idea."

　　 "A historical figure of some note," Amire commented. "She was involved in the Aether War, and its aftermath. Some would say that you`re lucky to have something like that. You have insights into things most people could never understand. But& of course, that`s a heavy burden to bear."

　　 Aleks nodded.

　　 "As for your sisters, based on what you`ve described I believe you all have the inherited memories of individuals who knew each other. Ofer Shvets was Raz`s brother, and toward the end of their lives they briefly traveled with Karla Enok, a powerful empath who was once their enemy. Sometimes, when people in close proximity to each other have the inherited memories of individuals who knew one another well in the old world, there are unusual reactions. It`s also strange, though - three siblings, with the inherited memories of three closely tied individuals who were important to the events that led to the end of the old world. It`s almost poetic." As he spoke, Amire`s fingers tapped on the edge of his chair, and he watched Aleks. Aleks began to grow uncomfortable, his fingers twining and tracing along the cushions on either side of him.

　　 Amire continued. "Now, that doesn`t necessarily mean much of anything by itself, but& your memories could be quite valuable."

　　 Aleks nodded. "I`m sure there`s plenty to be learned from it."

　　 "Yes, historical value." Amire nodded sagely.

　　 Aleks shot up in his seat, grinning. "You mean we could learn more about the old world."

　　 "Yeah." Amire smiled. "I could have you talk to scholars to try and figure out what they can learn from your memories. And if your sisters would be willing to participate as well, we could learn more about the interactions between memories. Since it`s happened before, I`m sure we could recreate those experiences in a controlled environment and learn from them."

　　 "I`m not so sure either of my sisters would be willing to participate," Aleks said. "And I`m not so sure myself. But feel free to ask them, I suppose. If we did&" He glanced over toward the window, overlooking the walls of Kivv, the distant woods beyond. "But if so& might we pierce together what happened in the end of the old world?"

　　 "Exactly," Amire said excitedly. "There`s so much we just don`t know about those events& indeed, I`m sure the city could find some additional use for this knowledge, something useful to the cause somehow&"

　　 The cause

　　 "Ah," Aleks said, his fingers digging into the cushions. His feet shifted nervously.

　　 In response to Aleks`s movement, Amire smiled softly. "Ah& you don`t want to talk about such things. I`m sorry. Perhaps another time."

　　 Aleks nodded and stood up. "Alright."

　　 "But -" Amire said. "Please do come back. And let me know if you have any more of your dreams. It probably isn`t good to leave this unattended, and I can help - to the best of my abilities, at least."

　　 Aleks nodded. "Alright. I`ll let you know if I have any problems. I just thought someone should know, an actual medic&"

　　 "Yeah. It`s good you told me about this, Aleks. I`ll see you later."

　　 After leaving the doctor`s office, Aleks stood at the edge of the cliff and looked out at the camp. Nearby to it, there was one of the old watchtower`s - not Kamila`s tower, but one of the others&

　　 Kamila. Right. He needed to talk to her.

　　 Aleks steeled himself as he crossed the city. He pulled the Sower`s Gift, its supernatural calmness, around him as he passed through the market, closed himself off from himself for a time. The sounds of the market blurred around him, blending into a distant, somehow comforting, cacophony. None called out to him, so he kept going. He had places to be.

　　 This is my job, he told himself. I can`t turn away, much as I might wish to. Aleks reached up and pulled the hood of his cloak down over his forehead. Just give her the information she needs, let her rant, listen to her. It`s better that way.

　　 I can`t just avoid what`s in front of me.

　　 When he arrived at the old watchtower where Kamila lived, Aleks raised his hand to knock on the door. It opened before his knuckles could rap against the old wood. Kamila stood in the doorway, breathing heavily yet steadily. Sweat dripped down her brow, and Aleks saw her sword held tight in her left hand, point aimed at the floor of her tower. "Aleks," she said, nodding. "Are you alright?"

　　 "Yeah, I`m fine," Aleks said, stepping inside and pulling his hood back. He ran a hand through his hair. The Sower`s Gift still hung over his shoulders, even as he hoped that Kamila could not sense it. When Kamila looked at him, Aleks thought he saw deep concern in her eyes. He almost wished she would stare past him uncaringly. His sister closed the door behind the two of them and motioned at a small bench under the spiraling stairs. She went and sat in the alcove there, slid her sword back into its scabbard, and motioned for Aleks to sit by her. He did so.

　　 "Any news from the south?" Kamila asked. Right to the point - that was good, Aleks thought. It meant Kamila was in a relatively good mood today. Or perhaps she was simply tired from her training.

　　 "Yes," Aleks said. "There`s an operation underway to infiltrate Kurikuneku. A few Adma fighters are doing it. It might take many weeks, seasons even - but they`re going to learn what they can there, maybe even foment some unrest in the city."

　　 Kamila nodded. "They think they can turn the Invictans against each other? Is that possible?"

　　 "Well." Aleks shrugged. "Everyone has needs. Convince the people that their needs aren`t being met, and -"

　　 Kamila scoffed. "That`s a bit harder when you`re dealing with a bunch of fanatics, you know."

　　 "Well, I`m sure they -"

　　 "I`m not sure you understand, Aleks." Kamila`s smile was weary and resigned to the truth she saw. It terrified Aleks, but the Gift was with him, and his face showed only concern for Kamila herself. "They want to kill us. You weren`t there in the days after they came. I talked to them, I heard the way they talk about us. They`re not& normal."

　　 "You talked to soldiers, Kam." Aleks sighed. "There are people in Kurikuneku, people who aren`t soldiers, people who just want food and security. Take those things away and what do you think they`ll do to their soldiers?" Aleks reached into his bulky leather backpack and pulled out a small folder, then a clipboard and a pen. "Take a look at this. It`s the closest thing we have to a diagram of the city." He reached into the backpack again and pulled out another sheaf of papers. "And here, reports on goods entering and leaving the city. What do you get from this?"

　　 Kamila took the clipboard and the import/export reports and began reading through them, her eyes darting left and right, up and down, across the unevenly spaced printed block of the reports. After several minutes, she finally spoke. "The population of Kurikuneku isn`t big enough to justify this level of constant import, is it?"

　　 "Actually, it is," Aleks replied. "There is almost no food production at all inside the city itself. But&"

　　 "Imports have been dropping over the past several months," Kamila said.

　　 "Right. There`s a real resource crisis brewing - unless the city just decided out of nowhere to start bringing goods into the city through secret ways we can`t spy on."

　　 "We, huh?"

　　 "Uh& I mean the Adma." Aleks stammered a bit as he said that.

　　 "Yeah." Kamila grinned. "I like the sound of we`." She flipped a page in the report and continued reading. "So then, you think this is how they`re going to bring about chaos in the city?"

　　 Aleks nodded. "Conditions are probably getting worse. That`s an easy opportunity to exploit, and given enough time maybe the Adma can make something happen. Maybe they`ll be able to disrupt the invasion force, even. I don`t know. But my contact in the Adma is part of that infiltration force, so I`m going to be getting my updates from somebody else."

　　 "Oh, Kotire`s gone now?" Kamila set the papers aside. "You sound disappointed. Even though you`ve never actually met her, huh&"

　　 "Hey!" Aleks groaned and reached into his backpack again for more papers. "Here are the latest intercepted transmissions, also. I haven`t read through them, but last time we talked Kotire did mention something about seeing the same names pop up more and more often. Something about a High Priest Zhiren&"

　　 "You mean the same Zhiren who`s been in every piece of communication you`ve passed to me?" Kamila laughed, and Aleks flushed suddenly with embarrassment. "Aleks, you need to pay more attention to what`s going on around you. I know you don`t want to think about war, or politics, but& this is important. This is really important, and you`re just&"

　　 Aleks sighed and looked away. Here it is, again. Kamila growled low in her throat and stood up.

　　 "Okay, fine, I`m sorry. You`re doing a lot already. Just& when the time comes, don`t forget we`re going to have to fight. Every one of us."

　　 "Fighting I can do," Aleks said. "I`m not going to freeze up. But it`s all this posturing before the fighting that has me most on edge. All the maneuvering& I know I have to be a part of it, but that doesn`t mean I want to think about it. Anyway, what`s so important about this Zhiren that he appears everywhere in the transcripts I`ve been giving you?"

　　 "He`s basically the right hand of the Invictans` God-Emperor," Kamila said. "Poised to inherit the throne when that evil spirit`s current host dies. Voloshko says he might be more dangerous when it comes down to a battle than the Emperor himself." Kamila made a fist, grim-faced. "If he comes to the city, I`m going to kill him myself."

　　 Aleks nodded. "I`m sure."

　　 "Hey," Kamila said, "have you seen Hilda around lately?"

　　 "Not for a few days." Aleks shrugged. "Have you?" He shifted in the alcove, reached into his pack and pulled out a few more sheafs of paper, setting them on the bench next to the others, where Kamila had sat. he stood up.

　　 "A couple of days ago," Kamila said. "Did you hear the dance, the other day? Outside the city?"

　　 Aleks shook his head. "There was& a dance?"

　　 Kamila nodded vigorously at that. "Yep. Hilda was there with that Lucian& he works for Voloshko. Looked like they were having a great time."

　　 Aleks smiled. "That`s good to hear. I`ll go see if I can find her. There was a dance?"

　　 "Um& yes." Kamila blinked at Aleks. "You really haven`t been paying attention to the outside world, have you? Been locked up in that old stone building this entire time? You do know that there`s a world outside your machines, right?"

　　 Aleks chuckled quietly and nodded. "I suppose I`ve been isolating myself a bit& well, I`ll go and talk to Hilda. Maybe she would appreciate the visit, at least I would hope so."

　　 "Yeah, I`m sure." Kamila shrugged. "Just if you see her, tell her I said&"

　　 Kamila trailed off, and Aleks - well, it was little more than an instinct. But a part of him knew by instinct that this was the time to reach out. It had been so many weeks since last he`d Scried anyone - running for his life from Etyslund, reaching out into the mind of the Invictan soldier, remembering the glory of the Emperor. The sadism was still fresh in Aleks` mind, a memory he couldn`t erase or suppress. The consequence of Scrying - he couldn`t forget.

　　 He reached out now, tapping along the weave of the Veil and letting the threads lead him to his sister. It was an easy reach - she was so nearby, in the physical world and the other. Aleks grasped her mind, and