SWITCHBACK - CHAPTER SEVEN

PLEASE START WITH CHAPTER ONE, published on February 16th, 2013. This is a rough draft of a fictional tale.

Decades flowed into centuries and millennium. Time lost its relevance. My bottled up grief exploded into anger and rage. I thoughtlessly spilled a lot of blood because I had cut myself off from emotion during captivity. I wandered from community to community and appointed myself judge and jury. Changelings feared the name Alpha. My decisions were swift and deadly.

After on particularly harsh verdict upon a Changeling, a child innocently inquired, “Why is it is so easy for you to hurt others?” I was stunned by her insolence. It felt like I had been hit by lightening. Causing pain was effortless for me. I began to question my motives. Was I wrong all these years? I knew in my heart that the answer was yes. I’d just ignored the feelings of guilt. Once I accepted that I was emulating Tanis, I had to atone for my sins. Thus, my quest for spirituality commenced. I met with many wise people and studied myriad religions. I did not convert to one specific theology. Instead, I sought similarities because that is where I found truth. It took many years to learn how to guide with compassion. I had to remember what my biological family taught about healing. It is much more difficult to seek tranquility rather than destruction.

My children’s Royal Guard moved in opposition of my efforts. They led an army of humans to conquer land and resources for the Hexen. They served City-States that expanded into Regional Governances and Nations. The Hexen endowed themselves with the elevated status of royalty amongst Changelings, who they referred to as Wesen. The Royals maintained power through the guise of puppet sovereigns, the Seven Houses or Crown Heads who were purportedly appointed by a deity to lead. The human-crown wearers endowed themselves with the illusion of Manifest Destiny. Monarchs tended to annihilate each other but the Hexen controlled the military and resources, which were required regardless of who wore the coronet.

A vicious cycle of violence engrained itself into Wesen culture. Hexen ruthlessly demanded total submission from the Changelings. Hexen were also merciless with each other. Weakness was not tolerated. Questioning and hesitation to follow orders resulted in a violent penalty or death. My children became known as the Grimm. They were used to force Changeling and human compliance. Grimm Fairy Tales were written to scare human children into obedience. Hybrids were bred to serve as assassins for political gain and to keep the Grimm submissive. The presence of a Hybrid always raises my hackles.

The Hexen Empire dominated a continent that became known as Europe. As Alpha, I trained Changelings and human warriors to keep the Hexen from expanding their reach. We successfully held the Wesen at bay. I finally felt at ease and began traveling to locate other Changeling clans. I traversed every continent and was thrilled that our species thrived. I was happy to discover that some human communities lived in harmony with Changelings. However, I did not anticipate that the Hexen would spread their malevolence through colonization. By the time I realized my gaffe, it was too late to reverse their infestation.

NEXT CHAPTER TO BE PUBLISHED SOON.
© 2013 Ima B. Musing