Chapter Thirty-three Low Profiles

While Toby worked in the fields, Gina worked in the bakery. As she used her new powers to avoid getting fired, she started to attract attention because of its results. The quality of the bread that was made at the bakery became wildly popular. The woman who employed her became very happy.

Every morning, the people who came in who wanted to buy bread increased dramatically. Gina was learning to control her new powers and soon she could do just about anything she wanted. She felt empowered.

As the princess, everyone was afraid of her and only pretended to like her. As the baker’s assistant, everyone loved her because of the bread that she made. As the days passed, Gina began to feel better about her situation. She knew she was still in danger should anyone expose her identity to their new rulers, but she can’t say she was sorry the whole thing happened. Life did seem better now, not only for her but for everyone else as well.

Toby got used to the strangers watching him work. He wasn’t sure why they were there. They never said anything. They never got in the way. They just watched. After watching for what seemed like many days. The workers were all called into a meeting. At the meeting they were informed that the men who has been watching them were there to help them grow more food, faster. They were part of a vast empire now and they had a responsibility, not only to themselves but to the rest of humanity to be as efficient as possible. So, they started training the workers in new techniques. They built new equipment to aid in the process. Some of the things they did reminded Toby of the things they did in the future. Toby was amazed. The results were almost immediate. Toby couldn’t deny that life was better.

Toby could see Gina’s confidence grow with each new day. He could also tell she was happier. Gina felt comfortable with Toby now and he wondered if she could be persuaded to make the arrangement permanent. He didn’t want to blow his shot though, so he decided not to force anything. It would be better for it to develop naturally over time. At least that’s what he told himself.

Toby was concerned about Gina’s growing popularity. He could see that she was happier now, but he knew that the new powers that be were still looking for the princess and that when they found her, it would not be good. He felt like it was his duty to look out for her.

One day Gina felt something she had never felt before. She was at the bakery, and she sensed someone close. Someone who had the same powers that she had. She peeked out from the back room and looked through the crowd. There were a lot of people there and it was hard for her to tell who it was. Then she saw Carla. She had not seen Carla since the night they took her to the castle. Then she saw who was next to Carla. It was a man she had never seen before, but she knew he was the one. He was the one who had power and it wasn’t just a little power, it was a lot of power. She wished to be hidden.

When the leader walked into the bakery. He felt something he had not felt in some time. Someone in the bakery had the spark. He looked around but he couldn’t tell who it was. He thought that was a bit odd because he had sharpened his senses and could detect even the weakest spark in a person who was close by. A magician was trying to hide from him. No one hides for long. Many have tried and they all ultimately fail. As he had this thought, the thing he felt vanished. He looked to see if anyone had left the bakery. If he could no longer feel it, the person had to move away from him. He grabbed Carla’s arm.

“Let’s go.” he said sternly.

“I haven’t gotten any bread yet.” Carla protested.

“I’ll have some sent to your room.” The leader promised, “we need to go now.” The two exited the bakery. The leader looked down the street in both directions, but he just didn’t sense it anymore. Whoever it was, was now out of detection range. The person he was looking for was here. He was almost sure of it now.

That night Gina had a dream.

She was seeing all the Kingdom’s of the world and all their splendor, then she saw the people. The people who were used as pawns by the world’s elites. She could hear those people cry out for help. They needed relief from their suffering. She saw a man rise. It was the same man she saw in the bakery with Carla. He had a vast army at his command. He moved across the world, liberating the masses from their oppression. This war that had engulfed Gina’s Kingdom. It didn’t start or stop with them. The war would continue until it reached the end of the world.

She saw information flow in this new empire and the advances that there made benefited all who belonged to it. This man was going to force the world to become one, confident in the fact that once that happened, everyone would be happier.

Gina heard another cry for help, a specific cry from a specific person. It was someone she knew but he was far away. She had to get to him somehow, his life depended on it.

She woke up and for the first time in her life, she had purpose.