A Timeless Change. A Collective Story.

Actually i****t is allowed.

Phoenix

After the very idiotic threat of ditching me with Duct tape or something... We all left. I walked between Mosi and Talon. I had been between Luke and Mosi but the beast had grabbed me and yanked me to his side with another threat about something. Though I wasn't listening. I was taking everything in. Mosi and Luke talked catching Talon up on what he had missed. I heard somethings about Hawk the young boy and then some things about tracking H.O.O movements. Whatever that meant. There was also a mention about Talon's father and Uncles debating what to do about the young lad. I don't know. Like I said I was breathing in the fresh air and looking around. The House of Artair was Fifteen miles of Mageia buildings. From housing for the Powered. Separate housing for the Tainted and Mixed breeds or Half breeds. There was a School that aged from Birth to Eighteen. A university. There was dorms for the Kids who wished to live close to the school. There was Farm land that was on the other side of the Lake Talon had taken me to. Near that was a Greenhouse and Gardens where most of the food was grown by people from the House of IceWater. The Castle that was for Government and Collective Business were was near the Military school, Operation center and Quarters that Talon lived in. There was also a Library, a Prison, swimming pool, Gym, Training arena and Security cabins everywhere. All of it was tucked away in the Scottish Highlands surrounded by a wall and Powered Soldiers who patrolled it Twenty four Seven. I know right. I wanted to see it all. Of course so far I hadn't seen much.

I swear I was excited. I had grown up reading Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games and now my life was like a massed up version of all three with a hint of Game of Thrones without the i****t .... Actually I think i****t was encouraged around here so I wasn't going to be too quickly to judge but I don't know how I fell into such a world. I had to see every inch of it. Though since I had Talon as a guard I doubt I'd see most of it. We left the Quarters buildings. Moving through a glass tunnel that had a sort of rainbow tint to the glass. Solider stopped or moved out of the way letting Talon and the other three past like they were a fearsome wave of Hotness and bad tempers. Talon didn't even seem to care but deep down I could tell that he did. Though his all black uniform didn't help in making him look approachable. Neither did his man bun, Muscles and scowl on his face. I think I even seen a tint of Orange flash in his eyes once or twice. We continued through the glass tunnel until we came to a door. Luke moved to the door and put his eyes by a scanner. The door beeped before opening by it's self. Luke stood back to Let the rest of us in before following us. Mosi lead the way down a oval shape tunnel that was all painted in Deep Green. The floor was black marble tiles. It was amazing. Soldiers moved up and down the hall. With propose and confidence until they saw Talon and moved out of his way. Looking terrified of the man. I watched everything with a smile as he grabbed me by the loop on my jeans. He pulled me with him. Keeping his right index finger hooked on to my jeans. I was taking everything in. The Tunnel broke off to five different further Tunnels. We took the fourth one. I wanted to know where all the others went but as we took a left in our tunnel we came out to two spiral stair case that looked like it went miles high. My head dropped back as I looked up at level after level of stairs.

"Haven't you ever heard of a Lift?" I muttered absent mindedly watching Soldiers climb the stairs. One stair case had soldiers coming down. The other had Soldiers going up.

WOW.

"f**k sake Cretin anyone would think you haven't seen stairs before......" Talon gruffed at me before moving to the stair case that went up. Mosi was first and I swear I saw him take four steps at a time. Talon was next. He kept a hold of me yanking me along. Luke was behind me. At first I was fine. I mean big deal right. I thought maybe we were going to the first floor. Nope. Six floors later I had slowed up Talon who was practically dragging me up. Luke who was barely moving due to me had put his hand on my back and was pushing me up the stairs. "What the f**k is wrong with you Cretin? You're embarrassing me." Talon growled as he yanked me to him.

"I'm dying here!" I hissed as I took another three steps. My legs were burning. I was panting and sweeting. "How much further!" I cried out throwing my head back wishing I had just stayed lying on the bed. I heard Luke chuckle behind me. Even as he gentle pushed me a little more.

"We're going to the fourteen floor...." Luke commented. I stopped dead. Yanking Talon back a little and making Luke almost stumble back down the stairs.

"WHAT!" I shouted at him. My voice echoing a little. Only it was then I saw that there was Soldiers behind us who had stopped as the Stair case were too narrow to move past us. Luke glanced behind him to the Solider who was behind him. The blonde headed guy looked pissed off.

"Sorry..." Luke muttered looking humiliated.

"f**k this..." Talon growled a second later I was grabbed. Before I could even understand what that meant the f*****g Beast grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. His left arm wrapped around my legs pinning them to him. His other hand went on my arse. I let out a scream that echoed down the hall of stairs. I looked to the side over the rail and almost spewed when I saw the drop. If Talon dropped me I'd be dead. "Shut it." He growled. I slammed him in the back.

"PUT ME DOWN YOU BEAST!" I screamed at him slapping him in the back. Luke covered his face with his hands as he leant there probably wishing he could make himself invisible .... Wait is that a power here? Talon slapped my arse rather hard before he started climbing up the stairs. I put up a fight needing to get down. I was going to die. Seriously this was so f*****g scary! I closed my eyes and whacked him hard on his own arse. Though I think he just liked it. I felt all the blood rush to my brain. When I realised how pointless it was I gave up. I opened my eyes and grabbed the back of Talon's top to try to steady me as I practically bounced. I swag like a piece of meat in a butchers shop trying not to throw up down the back of his uniform. Luke jogged up four steps to catch up. He reached out and touched my head when it almost slammed into the rail. Talon not giving no f***s about me bobbing along on his back. Luke protected my head the whole way up. Talon stomped like some damn Demon from the depth of hell wanting revenge. When we got to the top, barely surviving a brain injury and throwing up,  he put me down near Mosi who was waiting for us like he'd been there for hours and had been able to catch a nap.

"What took you guys so long...." He asked looking between us. When I was firmly on my feet I glared at Talon. He was already watching me. I was so surprised to see he was not even f*****g Panting the dickhead.

"I'm going to throw up all over you, you beast!" I hissed at him reaching for my stomach that was turning. Talon reached up and flicked me in the head scaring the f**k out of me. I jerked away from him blinking. What the hell is wrong with him?

"Useless Human!" He growled before stomping over to the door and putting his eyes in front of a Scanner. I swear to god if I figure out how to get a Fireball to show up, I'm setting him on fire.... Don't worry I'll heal him back up later... I think. I might need to have Mosi on standby when I do it. Just encase. Mosi cupped my elbow.

"You look pale...." I wonder why! We moved in through the door that Talon was stood at. Straight away we were in a huge open room that had desks that house screens that I haven't seen ever.....everywhere. f**k were these people advanced in Technology too? How is that fair? There was an entire wall of Screens that had hundres of screens all showing different things. There was a massive table in the far left. I noticed General Ravenwolf and Talon's uncles straight away all stood around the table with other Soldiers. The room was filled with noise. Soldiers with Yellow tops with their uniform moved around holding screens in their hands. Talon walked straight over to the table. On the right wall near the Table was a door way. I couldn't see anything out of it but I saw there were Soldiers stood there on Guard. Everyone was doing something at a fast pace apart from those stood around the table. Talon was over to them in no time. It took me a bit longer as I took everything in. When we got to the table I stood between Mosi and Luke. Talon leant on the table with his fists that were clenched. I could feel the anger pouring off him. I swear I had no idea what had happened in the second it took us to walk over here but it had completely pissed him off. His eyes were Orange. All of the Soldiers looked freaked. His father was giving him a firm look.

"Captain RavenWolf calm down...." Lincoln warned Talon. Giving him a look of warning. The Soldier who stood next to Talon on his right moved back a little.

"I won't calm down. That lad is just a kid. Why the f**k has he been taken to the prison? When are we going to stop judging the f*****g Children for their parents mistakes!" Talon growled making a few Soldier step back from the table and the room go quiet. They put Hawk RavenWolf in prison? Why? Talon's father and Uncle, Luke, Mosi and I were the only ones still stood at the table.

"Watch what comes out of your mouth next boy. It was declared by the Collective that he'd be put into a cell until there could be a review on the next steps. No one is willing to take on responsibly for him. He's not just a Tainted. He's Ryder Ravenwolf's son...." General Ravenwolf said firmly which I could see made most people instantly take and respect that but not Talon. He pushed his fists harder into the table. Which buckled under his strength. His knuckles were white. His eyes got more and more brighter with colour. I felt my chest tighten as I felt that Wolf in me want to go over to Talon and do something to calm him down.

"I'm the son of Conan RavenWolf and I've been treated worse than a disease my whole life!" Talon shouted looking only at his father. General RavenWolf looked down at the table. I could feel the shame and regret pouring off him. This had to be hard on all of them. To be so judged for the actions of two men. Two of their family members.... Well three now if you include Ryder RavenWolf. "No one asked me to take responsibility for the kid. I would have agreed." Talon's Orange eyes moved between his uncles and Father.

"You already have Miss Juniper to watch. How are you going to watch a young boy too and do your duties that you've ignored the past few days?" Wyatt demanded giving me a look. I don't know why I was being brought into this. If they just let me leave I wouldn't be an issue. Talon's Orange eyes turned to meet mine. He was tense and full with anger.

'Just breath.' I thought as I looked at him. 'Just breath.' He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Listening to me. The whole room was quiet waiting for Talon Ravenwolf to lose it but he breathed in and out. Slowly. Trying to calm down. I could feel the anger that was coiled inside him slowly unravel. 'Everyone is watching you. Control the Wolf and breath.' I thought. His right eyebrow twitched. His clenched jaw relaxed. He lifted his knuckles off the table and took a step back. Before he opened his eyes. He looked at me. They were brown. He gave me a look that expressed his gratitude. He turned back to the table. I watched his father frown at his sudden calm and collected state.

"The Cretin is in my custody due to the mistakes of the people around this table...." He choose that moment to cast a look at a Soldier who stood there looking smug. Before he looked back at his father. "I will not allow a young Lad to be kept in prison because The House of RavenWolf are more concerned with Image and reputation than Family. You all may have forgotten that you have a sixth Brother and that this young lad is his Tainted son. Though I have not. I am not concerned with what anyone in the House of Artair think of me. So I am going to the Prison and taking Custody of him. If he suddenly goes on a killing spree then you can execute me next to him. If anyone around this table has a problem with that...." Talon looked around the table before he looked at his father pointedly. "If Hector or the Collective have a problem with that then they can lock me up too." I felt a warm sense of pride making me look to the side. Mosi had his head down but he was smiling to himself. He was so proud of his friend. It was a beautiful thing to feel. Luke was impressed but Mosi was proud. I knew Talon could feel that. I think it helped him. That it gave him a certain amount of courage to stand there and challenge them all. No one even tried to fight him on it. I could see that alot of them feared him. I don't know if they feared him because of what he could become. Or because of his temper. I hadn't seen his Wolf that he becomes yet but I knew it had power. Alot of power. I think even Talon didn't know what his full power was like. I think a part of him was always fighting with his hands tied behind his back. If he gave into his power fully. I could imagine he'd be pretty damn powerful.

"I'll write up the orders." Lincoln muttered after a moment of intense silence.

"Good. Now what of the other prisoners. Is there word on them?" Wyatt stepped back towards the table and tapped it. I stared at it in disbelief as CCTV footage of three cells came up in the middle of the table. Who were these people?

"None of them are talking and Mind Crawlers couldn't get much out of them. Much like the Prisoners we have captured before their minds were swept of anything. They also have that Tattoo that effects the Mindcrawlers." Tattoo? I lifted my head a little and pushed myself up on my toes to have a look. There was a rough drawing of a symbol. It was three circle stacked on top of each other with a sword going through it. "We know that two of them are House Of RavenWolf and one is House of IceWater. The young Lad, Hawk's mind was swept too. He is also branded with the same Tattoo. There wasn't much." Lincoln put his hand on the table and turned his hand as if he was twisting something but it made the footage on the screen disappear before a picture of the Tattoo was all that was there. "We have to find out what this is. How it effects the Mindcrawlers. We also need to find out if anyone is going to come looking for Hawk. Right now...." Lincoln moved his hand off the table and looked at Talon. "Hawk only wants to see you. He's been asking since he arrived here. At first Hector orders us to keep you away from him. Now however the whole of the Collective are in agreeance that you should speak to him." Talon let out a breath.

"So what you mean is since the Mindcrawlers failed again. It's up to me to clean up the mess of the House of Magna?" I didn't need to be here for long to understand that Talon's comment was going to go down like a balloon around a field of  Cactus .... Or whatever.... you get what I mean. Every person's eyes went wide.

"Watch your tongue Captain." Growled a Soldier. "The House of Magna won't be spoken about in such a way!" The steroid popping Soldier said as he stood there with bugling muscles that looked painful and a shaved head. He was in Navy uniform and had four strips on his arm. Talon only had three which I think meant he was more ranked than Talon.... Or I don't know if the different colour uniform was the rank.... I don't know. All I know was he was pissed. Talon looked at him with a sharp look.

"And yet the House of RavenWolf gets to be spoken about as if we're worthless. Kindly remind yourself Major that although the house of Magna think yourselves as more superior to those of the other three houses you are not. Right now the House of Magna seem to be failing. You want to blame us for a tattoo effecting your power. Then go ahead but at the end of the day. It is still the House of Magna that haven't been able to Mindcrawl through eight prisoners that us Soldiers have brought in within the last nine months. One of which was Rowan RavenWolf and since you failed to Mindcrawl him you put his head on the chopping block. Instead of keeping him alive and locked up in a prison where he actually may have been useful....." The Soldier was firmly put back in his place. I could see that Talon's words rung true. Alot of the Other Soldiers looked in awe of Talon's bravery to speak up. "The House of Magna are beginning to get too f*****g big for their boots. They do not rule over the House of Artair or the Mageia. If they don't start pulling their heads in and remembering that the Collective are full up with Four houses not one then things are going to get very messes quickly." The Soldier swallowed nervously and looked around the table for someone to support him in his statement but no one did. Everyone looked at Talon. Though he didn't even seem to notice that everyone was staring at him with admiration that he had said something so forward and truthful. Clearly the House of Magna put fear in alot of people around here. Talon folded his arms over his chest and let out a heavy breath out of his nose. "I will speak to Hawk and see what I can get out of him. I will also speak to the other prisoners. Mindsweeping is the only way to get information out of someone. Though I want to assure you all that when I leave that prison I am taking the lad with me." Talon turned and looked at me. "Cretin I'm going to leave you in the responsible hands of Artair's finest Security Captain. Boone Quick. He's going to watch over you while I speak to the prisoners...." He glanced to the side where a brown headed man stood in Grey uniform. The Captain bowed his head at me. "Major Quick will escort you to get some food and find you some clothes. When I am done I will come collect you...." Sounds about right. I looked back at Talon as he stepped closer to me. I had to tip my head back to look up at him. He was that much taller than me. Bloody man was huge. "Do not be trouble because anything you do reflects onto me and I will be firmly pissed off if I have to face consequences for any stunt you pull. Do I make myself clear?" His eyes flashed Orange for a moment. I almost whimpered at the dominance in his tone.

"Yes Captain." I muttered. He gave me a glare before he looked up at the Major behind me.

"The Cretin can escape cuffs and cable ties. If you want to tie her up to a tree and ditch her there for the House of Orpheus to find. Use Rope....." What? Talon was already moving across the room before I could shout at the bastard. Mosi and Luke following him back out the door we came. I wondered if they were going down those horrible staircases.

"That boy is going to bring fire down on us all." I lifted my eyes and looked at Wyatt. As he cast a look to Lincoln. "What happened to him being told to keep his head down? He knows how watched our family is. Most of the Base is just waiting for him to f**k up for all of us RavenWolf close family members to be rounded up and tossed into prison. Right now that boy is going to be the cause of it." Wyatt snapped at Lincoln. Conan remained quiet despite it being his son that they were discussing.

"He's not wrong about the House of Magna though. It's not news that since these Tattoos have been out there they've failed every time. That is not on our Soldiers." Lincoln was being very diplomatic but I could see Wyatt was annoying him.

"You gave him too much rein when he was younger. Now he's unbending and stubborn." Wyatt snapped making Lincoln look at Conan who's eyes were on the table.

"Well maybe one of you should have stepped up and raised him when his mother was slaughtered in front of him!" Lincoln shouted before shoving past Wyatt and Conan. Jai and Leon shared a glance but remained quiet. I looked at the brothers. All of them were very similar in appearance. Brown or black hair. Strong jaws. Handsome. Jai and Leon who were twins looked almost alike but they were identical. Wyatt and Ryder were also twins. Who apparently were Identical apart from their eye colour. Talon told me that it hurt more knowing that Ryder was out there fighting against them with Wyatt's face. Talon also said that it was behind why Wyatt was so bitter about the whole thing.

"Miss Juniper would you like to follow me." Major Boone Quick said as he touched my elbow. I let him steer me out of there. To the door that was just to the side. The same one Lincoln had stomped out of. It opened to a corridor. We moved down that and went to a lift. I stared at it for a moment. "You have seen one of these before right?" Of course I f*****g have! Why the f**k did the beast make me walk up the stair case! t**t!

"Talon brought me up the staircases. It was torture." Boone smiled at me as he pressed the button. The doors opened.

"Captain RavenWolf likes taking the staircase. He's very active. I'm not so much." Sure. Active.