Molding Young Minds [private]

[Felypsa]

Amnesia, a demon-wolf centuries old, whose past was shrouded in mystery and whose mind was impenetrable…a sly, manipulative, cold-hearted creature who had caused more suffering than she could ever take credit for…was starting to feel the long years weighing heavily upon her. Albino from the day she was born, the pristine white fur that covered her thickly was no sign of old age. Nor were the grey misshapen orbs that sat where eyes were located, which saw nothing and yet sometimes too much.

No, it was the fact that she had had a son, and then watched him live and die, and then she watched his daughters, her grandchildren, endure the aftermath of a vicious war. The war between Giaku and the Allied Packs was not even of her doing. Amnesia had hung back and not interfered, but she was—you could almost call it relieved, if it had to have a name—that the three packs had not destroyed themselves in their proud folly.

She still had plans for them, after all.

Now Lacrimosa, the Empress, and her mate were parents, which meant that the overlarge pups that Amnesia would be personally tutoring were her own great-grandchildren. Every generation hence would add on another “great” to that title, and Amnesia was coming to terms with the fact that her one spawn proved to be the source of a much bigger blood family than she had intended on creating.

After all, Amnesia had dispensed with her own family, all those many many years ago. She had never expected to have another.

Her return to Giaku had had little fanfare. Amnesia was biding her time until the Emperor and Empress regained control of themselves and their pack in the wake of the devastating war. Soon after that, they gave birth their current litter, and now that they were of an age to learn, the demon-wolf slunk back into the lands of her own home. The only one who might remember why she had been banished in the first place was Charon, Tartarus’s son, but Amnesia was not concerned.

No one knew who she was now. These faces were all too new. They let her pass, bewildered, and once Amnesia found her way to the rulers of Giaku, she was already properly feared and respected. It had taken a while to explain that she had been banished by the former jealous Empress for being Endymion’s mother. That, old and blind, she had wandered the world; that, grief-stricken by her son’s brutal execution, she had avoided Giaku for a long time.

But now she was here to assist her granddaughter. Ancient and wise as she was, patient and understanding, ever-knowledgeable, she made the perfect tutor for the growing heirs. Amnesia could not say she was actually good with pups, but she didn’t need to be. She just needed access to their soft, malleable minds, ripe mental soil for the planting of many seeds.

Ammunae and Dirge. They were the future, in more ways than they could have known.

[Aveilthé]

It was not terribly long ago when Ammunae and Dirge were just born. Yet little Dirge already proved to be quite a tough little scrap, already determined to prove herself. Ammunae already expressed interest in learning everything around him, but Dirge didn't know what was so fascinating about a little ant crawling over his wee toes. "Its just a yucky bug!" she would squeak impatiently to his concentrating stare, to no avail.

That was a while ago. Today, Dirge was excited to spend time with a new family member. Well, not really new, her mother explained. Apparently she is their great-grandmother. A simple-looking she-wolf, until you went closer and saw an impressive display of wings, that totaled in...

"Four!" she shouted, wagging her tufted tail awkwardly as pups do. "You have four wings! I can count!" She giggled at herself, privately enjoying how smart she can be (and pretending that she was smarter than Ammunae). She hoped it impressed Amnesia, who little Dirge admired from afar, behind Lacrimosa's lithe legs.

Empress Lacrimosa, horns gleaming from beneath the pale morning sun, spoke quietly. "I cannot thank you enough for watching them, Amnesia. After our long talk... there is no reason for me not to trust you... welcome back to our family. If there is anything you need... you know where to find us."

Lacrimosa harnessed a great deal of respect for the elderly. And there was something about Amnesia... her sternness... quiet demeanor... Lacrimosa studied Amnesia's blind eyes, before dropping her head and kissing her children goodbye. "Be good."

[demin]

It was almost overwhelming being outside of his room in Hatsuhi. There were so many strange sights and unfamiliar faces. The young prince wanted to stay secluded away in his room, or maybe pass the time playing a game of hide-and-seek throughout the Royal Tower. He could even spend some time in the Archives again trying to understand the Druin runes, anything to get out of the glaring sun. However, his mother felt he and his sister needed a teacher. This she-wolf, this Amnesia, apparently a long-lost and old relative, was to fill this role, but he did not want her tutelage or her insights or her knowledge. Odd for one who so hungered for knowledge to not crave a guiding hand, a wiser force to help him understand. Something about this being did not sit well with him, and he was concerned that Dirge seemed to adore the old she-wolf.

Dirge had been ecstatic when she correctly guessed how many wings the old she-wolf had. Ammunae closed his red, cat-like eyes and shook his head at the display. When he opened them again he made it his mission to make himself as small as possible, hiding behind his mother's legs and hoping no one saw him there. This tactic didn't work however, and Lacrimosa moved to bid her children goodbye. He let his mother kiss him, but looked up at her as she commanded her children to be on their best behavior.
"Momma," he whispered, trying to keep Dirge and Amnesia from hearing him. "I wanna go back home. This lady scares me..." He trailed off, shooting a glance toward Amnesia, wondering and fearing she had heard him.

[Felypsa]

The two whelps could not have been more different. Amnesia could not see how they differed in appearance, but she was already getting a whiff of their strengths and weaknesses. Dirge was soft-hearted but impatient, eager to please, and all-in-all practically begging to become Amnesia’s loyal servant one day. It would almost be too easy to mold her into a useful tool.

The young male, on the other hand, was more aloof, more wary, and Amnesia could tell that he did not trust her. He would be the greater challenge, but she was not too concerned. He might fear her now, but fear could easily turn to respect, awe, and obedience.

It was just about impossible for the albino demon-wolf to smile. However, what she lacked for in outward appearance, she made up for in a silkily warm tone as she spoke to Lacrimosa. “Such precious children…the young male is so loyal to you.” Amnesia inhaled, and judging by the smell, turned her head so that it would appear like she was looking at him. “You will have to leave your mother and face the world on your own one day…there is nothing to fear about experiencing the world in all its wonders and joys.”

Heavy lids fell over the grey blind orbs, and then Amnesia “looked” to the empress. “It will be an honor and a pleasure to get to know my great-grandchildren. Rest assured, my darling, they will be well taken care of.” The hint in those words: it is time to let them go. You may leave now. But Amnesia knew better than to speak that way directly to an empress, of course, even her own granddaughter.

That done, Amnesia let her eyelids fall over her eyes again, as if she were tired. Her tail thumped along the ground and she heaved a sigh. “Four wings I have, yes, little one. Imagine that every feather on it is a year of my age, and you might understand how old I truly am.” She flicked her tail again, as if to gain their attention that way. “Tell me, does either of you know what you will become someday?” Had Lacri spun that old fairy-tale yet—one day, my dears, this whole land will belong to you?

[Aveilthé]

"Give her a chance," replied Lacri gently, nuzzling her son on one of his little ears. "I did... she's very stern but she will not do anything to harm you. I must go... good-bye, my sweet ones."

And that was the last that Dirge saw of her mother for the day, but right now, she didn't care. All of her attention was on the strange white wolf. She shuddered in utter excitement when Amnesia hinted at her age. Dirge's blue eyes studied her wings now, and tried to count every feather she could. She got to about 12 (or so she thought; she was still learning to count and may have missed a few numbers) when Amnesia spoke to them.

"Ma saids that we will... will wule everything! But I'm only a pwincess, and bwother's a pwince." She sat in an awkward position that was reminiscent of how Lacrimosa and Endymion used to sit--hind legs thrust outward, front paws between them. "What does 'wule' mean?" She had an idea of what it meant, but it was no where near it's true meaning. Her imagination went wild then as she thought of taking the wool off of the wild sheep beyond the canyons, and decorating every part of Giaku with it. The thought seemed strange, yet funny to her.

[demin]

Ammunae was, for an instant, filled with a sense of pride at mention of his loyalty to his mother, but flinched when his great-grandmother addressed him directly. He found he couldn't respond, and instead stared into those unseeing, yet seemingly all-knowing, eyes and found he couldn't look away for a few moments. They were deeply unsettling. The young prince felt as if she could read him like an open book at any moment she so chose, forcing himself to finally look away lest she choose to do so now.

Then his mother addressed him again, urging him to give the scary old she-wolf a chance as she did. He was slightly confused. Ammunae was constantly around his mother, yet not once had he seen her and Amnesia meet. There were times when he would be in the Archives, but still he thought it strange this was the first time he'd seen Amnesia.

Again Lacrimosa bid her children goodbye, and they were left alone with Amnesia. Ammunae stared after her for a moment, a quiet whine escaping his muzzle. With a resigned sigh he turned and sat next to his sister, though in a somewhat more dignified fashion. The old she-wolf already began her questions, and Ammunae was more than happy to let Dirge speak for the both of them.

[Felypsa]

The female was still so young that she had not learned to speak properly, and Amnesia inclined her head, listening to the naive enthusiasm in her voice as she declared that she and Ammunae would “wule” everything. Everything? Perhaps not everything, but a good chunk of it. Giaku by itself was a gasping empire; strong in its own right, but nowhere near with the force to do what needed to be done. It was powerful with what it already had, but it was nearly hopeless to expand.

No, Amnesia had greater ambitions for that. Ambitions that would damn near well get young Dirge as close to “everything” as she imagined now.

Dirge’s brother was as silent as she was talkative, but to Amnesia, the silence was just as telling. She could smell his fear and unease, but it did not bother her. There were ways to use fear as much as there were ways to use awe. Ammunae would probably never follow her suggestion or idea, but a future desire to rebel against her could work toward the same end.

The most effective ruler was one whom the people never noticed; and as far as she was concerned, neither Dirge nor Ammunae would notice her ruling them.

Such was too heavy-handed a lesson to impress upon them now, so Amnesia had a different answer for Dirge’s innocent question. “To rule means to guide,” she replied. “To lead. It means you are in charge, and you are the one who brings happiness to the people and the land.” Happiness. What a contrived notion, a foolish goal that so many people had wasted their whole lives pining for. To search for it was like chasing a rainbow…but if it was a rainbow that was needed to get someone to run, then Amnesia could dangle a rainbow in front of their faces.

“Someday you will rule, this is true. But listen to me—you do not want that day to come soon. Your parents would have to die, to pass into the next world, in order for either of you to take their place.” Her eyelids fell over her blind eyes, shielding their unpleasantness from view for a moment. “We must hope that this will not happen for a long, long time. In the meantime…enjoy the lives you have now.”

Rather morbid for a first lesson? Perhaps. But it was one that Amnesia wanted them never to forget. For them to rule, death must come first.

[Aveilthé]

Die? It was not a subject her mother yet discussed. The empress said that when she was a bit older, not too long from now, would she discuss the subject about death. But hearing the strange tone in the white she-wolf's voice, Dirge understood that it wasn't anything too pleasant. She flattened her ears, but was still as curious as ever.

"What's 'die' mean?" she asked, tilting her head comically from left to right. And what did Amnesia mean by the next world? Suddenly, the whole idea of what was beyond Giaku intrigued her. She hadn't even been beyond the great stone towers yet, but her father described as best as he could, what the fields and forests look like. Some day she and Ammunae would see them.

[demin]

Ammunae, though still fearful and uneasy around his great-grandmother, listened as she began her lesson, though he already had some form of understanding of the word 'rule,' if only its definition. Things were off to a very uninteresting start. But things can quickly change, and his attention was snatched up by Amnesia when she informed the pups what would need happen before they could rule. Dirge piped up with another question and Ammunae opened his mouth to answer, but quickly rethought this and closed it again. Amnesia's full attention was still undesirable. He didn't completely understand what it meant to die yet, but understood enough where he knew that for someone to die means you would never see that person again, and they would be buried under the ground or burned to ashes. The possibility that this could happen to his parents and great-uncle Charon was unthinkable! They would never die, never be buried or burned! They would be around forever, surely.

[Felypsa]

Amnesia had not been sure if these young ones were acquainted with the notion of “dying,” but she was not entirely surprised when Dirge piped up, asking for clarification. Again, Ammunae was silent. It was wise of him, in a way, though he might not realize it. Silence meant he could keep secrets. Silence meant that he was stubborn. These were traits that could be useful, which Amnesia filed away for later.

Whereas most adults might be hesitant to explain such a weighty topic as “death” to those so young, Amnesia had no such hindrances. “Death is an ending of life,” she replied stoically. “It means eternal darkness. It is like when you sleep, only you never wake up.” Her tail flicked slightly. “When you die, the world moves on. So much has happened before you were even born, and so much will happen after you have died. When you are dead, you will not be aware of any of it.”

It was a grim way of explaining it, not to mention slightly existentialist. Heavy stuff for a first lesson, and Amnesia paused to let it all sink in—at least, as much as it could for minds so young and fresh. “But you need not concern yourselves. Death is far away. I am as old as the sunrise, and I have not yet died.” She bobbed her head slowly in a nod. “So let us concern ourselves with the life that we have.”

Again her tail flicked up; a sign that Amnesia was thinking, perhaps? “Before we truly begin, do you have any questions for me?” she asked. “Anything that you have always wanted to know?” Her eyelids lifted, and her blind stare happened to fall upon Ammunae in particular. Amnesia wanted to see how long that obstinate silence of his would last.