With the people's history, there was a chain of command. At the top of the chain was the Grand High Lord, a position not won by a vote or appointment, rather a hereditary position. Nicholas took his place as the Grand High Lord of the High Column people when he was the tender young age of 13 years. father had died during a spur-of-the-moment battle with some inhabitants of the neighboring area, and were suprised by the retalliation. When they got the news, Nicholas's mother did not mourn or show any signs of sadness, and Nicholas, almost solemn with maturity, took the high seat. He was leader of High Column Central before his voice could crack.
Despite his young age, he was taught to lead very well by his father and his aides. There is no better teacher than experience however, and he got that lesson early. Despite his experience, however, he was not a benevolent leader. Instead, he ruled vindictively and cruelly. He often declared isolated wars and initiated random fights with neighboring communities, and those he deemed as being less than what he and his people were. This would result in gratuitous loss of soldiers and life, but no one seemed to either notice or care. They had their egos to fulfill.
Nicholas had met Venera at age 18--she was 19--and married her five years later. She was also a top soldier in the Nation's army, very highly decorated. Nicholas had agreed to let her stay in the army while married to him, until she got pregnant. Then he all but demanded that she remain within the palace walls with the aides and take on the sheltered, pampered life the Lord of the Nation's wife should have. While she did object, she could not refuse. Going against one's husband (whether he's the leader of the people or not), was not something High Column women were to do. Venera remained within the palace walls for the duration of her pregnancy, a pregnancy that was looked upon with excitement by her husband. Venera was a beautiful and strong woman, and Nicholas was a handsome and strong man. He envisioned a strapping young boy who would become a powerful and strong leader someday would be birthed by his lovely wife.
Venera, however, wasn't fond of the life she was being forced to have just because of her condition. She wanted to be down among the ranks, working out plans for future fights, training the men and women soldiers, not laying down in a climate-controlled room on pillows and being waited on hand and foot simply because she was with child-- a child she knew her husband wanted so desperately to be male and was confident she was going to have. In short, she didn't care for the priveledged life.
While she was confined to her space in the palace, there were aides to tend to her. These aides were not usually the same species as Venera herself, instead they were captured individuals from the battles fought with the furrier inhabitants of the Planet. They mostly just came and went, not revealing any emotion towards her or anything and very apathetic. However, there was one aide in particular that did in fact display emotion and rational thought. This man (who was a little older than Venera was, as well as a mongoose) had chosen to talk to Venera, rather than say "Yes ma'am, right away ma'am," like the others did. Now, Venera didn't remember ever taking this man into employment ever, but she didn't really care. He had shown her more attention than her husband had in months, and respected her more as well. She would speak with this aide as often as she could, and would usually request his company. As time would progress, she and the aide would talk at all hours and all night. They'd talk about absolutely everything. They grew closer. Venera believed at first that she was the only one to start to develop feelings for this man, despite the difference in species. She kept these to herself however, for what she was considering was not only forbidden, but very morally wrong. After all, she was married. Cheating on her husband was punishable by death, if her man was angry enough with her, and cheating on him with a supposedly "Lower Being" (she began to wonder just how they could be lesser beings to the High Columners. His kind was the ruling species on the planet, and the specie she and the rest of High Column Central were nothing. High Column Central was home to 3 million, all strictly one species. The rest of the Planet was inhabited by her aide's kind, all 7.5 billion people being varying furred species.), well that was definately punishable by death, and not just any death. The most grueling, tortuous, painful death one could receive. In short, it was publicly viewed as being a deathly sin. Of course, she knew of some High Columners that did sleep with the "Lesser Beings".. and they were all dead now, their heads on pikes outside the territory. With this in mind, she kept her feelings to herself. Until he told her one night just how much he had grown to care for her in the months that he knew her. This surprised her and sort of scared her, because she was unsure on what it was she should do about it. She told him that she felt the same, but he had to understand her position, what would happen to her - or him - should they do anything or if anyone found out. He knew what would happen, and he'd understand if they kept things strictly platonic. She said that it would be better if things did remain that way, and he left. The next night she called for him to her room, and told him she didn't care what happened. She just wanted to be with the one she loved, and love for Nicholas had left her a long time ago. He was concerned for her and her still unborn child. So, he promised to her that he would take care of her child, should anything happen to her.
They continued on their affair for months without getting suspected or caught. He still remained by her side up until she went into labor, and then she was taken away. He paced in her living quarters like a father in waiting, rather than in the aide's quarters. And back in the delivery room, Nicholas stood off to the corner, not helping but watching as Venera brought life to the world. It didn't take too long for his child to be born, and he was beaming with pride as the doctors held the baby up for him to see. However, his look of pride diminished immediately as the doctors told him it was a girl, and not the boy he was almost praying for. To say he was disappointed would be an understatement; he stormed out of the delivery room without a word, leaving Venera alone with the doctors and her new daughter. While she was upset that her husband left at such an important time, she ignored it and asked to hold her daughter. The doctors, dumbfounded by the father's response to his child, complied. Venera fell in love immediately with her daughter, and named the child Amanda to represent such love.
For days, Venera tried to talk to her husband, to try and convince him that having a daughter wasn't such a bad thing. He shrugged her pleas off violently, telling her that he could not have a female child. His offspring would someday become the Grand High Lord! The ruler of the people! In his eyes, a woman could not do that. He had such high hopes! He wanted his child to grow up and finally take control over all of Coveland, and soon thereafter, the world! A woman could not hope to gain such control, for a woman lacked the power. To him, women were weak, women were too emotionally attached, women were inferior to men, especially in terms of enpowerment. They were small! They were not intimidating! They're weak. Pathetic, fit only to have children for their men, and tend the house. Venera, a formerly high-ranking soldier, took offense to that statement, and said a woman could do anything better than a man if she so wanted. He told her that she was only so high-ranking because she was pretty. She was useless to the army after she and he were married, and the only reason why she stayed in that position was because they knew that she'd be out of the army soon enough. Venera, now thoroughly angered, stormed away. She'd not sleep in his bed ever again. Instead, she remained in the quarters she kept while pregnant. Nicholas did not fall apart without her company, however. He began to think of ways to be done away with the insult his wife gave birth to. He could not justifiably put a baby to death, not unless he could find a scientific way to have reason to do away with the kid. He nabbed the best medics and doctors he could find, and presented them with his child. They took their tests on her, the X-Rays, the CATscans, the works. That was the only time Venera would release Amanda to her father's possession. The rest of the time, she remained in the maternity quarter with her mother. Venera's aide would also frequent the quarters. He grew very fond of his love's baby, and became sort of the father that Amanda didn't really have. The three of them, should one have dropped in and had a peek, looked like the storybook version of a loving family. During this short time, Venera could not have been happier.
Meanwhile, Nicholas had gathered what he needed to do away with the child he didn't want. The doctor had found something amiss about the baby. He told Nicholas that the baby would probably grow up to be a bit smaller than the averange High Columner. Not much, but she probably would barely get taller than 5'. He also said there was a slight chemical imbalance, but nothing that would affect her psyche. Only if it was significantly triggered. Nicholas brushed off the last, and deemed that she'd be far too unfit in society to even be a plebian, let alone leader of the people. She was unfit, she had to be done away with for the safety of the people. While the doctor protested, saying there was nothing really wrong with her, that because she'd be shorter didn't mean that she was unfit. Nicholas, however, disagreed.
The doctor disappeared later that day. Nicholas didn't like how he was contested.
He confronted Venera the next day, and told her that the doctor had told him that the child would be unfit for survival. He told her she needed to be disposed of, and there was nothing that Venera could do to stop it. Venera, shocked by this news, told him that she would not forsake her daughter, and would not allow him to kill his own child just because she was a girl and he wanted a boy. He said that she couldn't stop it, and effectively ended the arguement by leaving, telling her she had 24 hours to say goodbye to her child. Venera was left alone, trying to hold back the tears. She didn't know what to do to save her baby's life. She didn't know what to do. She tried to leave, but the guards stopped her from fleeing at every turn. There was no way out, it seemed.
Her aide visited her later that night, and she told him what was going to happen. And he said for her to not worry, that he wouldn't allow the child to be hurt, he promised her that from the start. And then he told her the truth about himself. He told her his name was Agent Morely, that he wasn't really a captee from Mucca forced to work as an aide for the Lord's palace, that they really didn't know he was even there at all. They just assumed he was a registered aide. Morely assured her though, that everything else - everything he told her, all the things they talked about, etcetra - that was all fact, that was the truth. He was in love with her, that wasn't a part of the plan, it was just something wonderful that happened. Needless to say, Venera was shocked and very much so hurt by all of this, but she believed him. Then she asked why it was he did what he did, and more importantly, why he chose to tell her so now. He sat down, and explained to her that there was a secretive agency that he was a part of. His job was to spy on the Grand High Lord and determine a time of weakness along with other operatives strategically placed throughout the building and city. They determined earlier that evening that the time of weakness that they were waiting for was now, and they were going to strike at the break of dawn - 3 hours away. He said that if it went all as predicted and planned, no one would be spared. It would be a complete erradication of the High Column species. Extinction.
Venera was shocked, and now panicking. She didn't care so much if her life was lost, but she wanted her baby to live. He told her that he'd do his very best to make sure she got through it alive, as well as her baby. Once again, he assured her that he'd keep the child safe. He then kissed her goodnight, because he had to go and prepare for this. He told her to be very aware of any strange sounds she hears, and to be careful. She told him the same, and bid him goodnight. That was the last time Venera ever saw her true love again.
If Morely had been worried about the erradication plan going off badly, he worried needlessly. Everything went as planned, as scheduled, better than they could have hoped. Nicholas and the army were completely caught off gaurd. They fought back as best they could, of course, but it was wasted effort.
A soldier of the attackers found Venera and her baby, and told her to follow him to safety, that he was a friend of Morely's. She obediantely followed, but somewhere on the street, she lost him. Very afraid and with gunfire and explosions all about her, she hurridly ran down the street, trying to find either shelter or out of the city itself.
She almost made it.
Outside the city were massive pillars that served as gates. Right as Venera was running past them, baby in tow, missiles nailed them right at their bases, however it did not disintigrate them as they wanted. Only the bottom crumbled, the rest fell over. Venera was one of the unfortunates caught under the falling pillars.. and she had nearly made it clear.
However, when the pillar hit, the force of it on Venera's body caused her to let go of her baby, unwittingly (and luckily) propelling her to safety. Venera, however, was pinned, and died hours later.
The siege ended, with the High Columners very much so dead and gone. There was nothing left of the city but rubble, nothing living whatsoever.
The silence was eerie for Agent Morely as he traversed the ruins later that afternoon. He was looking for Venera, any sign that she had made it out of there alive. The soldier he told to get her out of the city told him that she had somehow gotten seperated from him, and he didn't know if she made it out. Hopeful as he was that he'd find her alive and well, he knew that there was no way she could have survived that. The reports stated that there were no survivors whatsoever. The species was exterminated.
Morely discovered that the reports were wrong the second he approached the entrance of the former High Column Central. The deafening silence was blemished by the echoing screeches and wails of a child. The moment he heard the first cry, Morely sprinted towards it and discovered a bruised, but otherwise safe Amanda on the ground. He picked her up and consoled her best he could, and looked frantically around for Venera. The fact that the baby was all on her lonesome was enough to confirm to him that her mother didn't make it, but he wanted to be absolutely certain. He didn't have to look around for long.. twenty feet away was the half-crushed, face-down body of his love, very much dead.
While he was devastated by losing the only woman he really loved, he still kept in mind the promise he had made her, and that was to protect her daughter, no matter what. Amanda was still alive. He took it upon himself to raise the girl as his own, give her the life she probably would never of had if she was left to Nicholas. He'd be her father, and if his superiors found out and didn't like it because of what she was, then tough. She wouldn't harm anyone, he'd raise her to be a good person.
His superiors never did find out that he had been raising Amanda, luckily for him. He raised her for the first three years of her life. She learned to walk and talk earlier than average, and was constantly blabbling to her "daddy" about all the interesting things she'd seen that day while he was at work. Most of these things were a part of the "icky bug" family. Amanda was a great source of joy to Morely's life, and she always made him smile, no matter how bad he was feeling, no matter how tired he was, no matter how foul a mood he was in. He was genuinely happy, watching her grow up was enough to move him to tears. He could barely wait until she was old enough to make friends, boyfriends, get married.. thinking about these things almost scared him. He didn't want to lose the charming little girl that she was then.
He wouldn't have to worry about that. He came home one day to total chaos. The apartment was torn apart from floor to ceiling, everything out of place. And Amanda was no where to be found. She was kidnapped, gone from Morely's life. He couldn't ask for help from any of his colleagues. There was nothing he could do.

She awoke in some sort of hallway, dazed and scared. The scary men had taken her out of her home, with her kicking and screaming, and brought her here.. wherever "here" happened to be. It was cold, and it was dark, and she was frightened. She wanted her "dad", but she knew he wasn't there. Then, a light, and a shape. A dark shape, tall, forboding, and only served to frighten her moreso. He came to the room, and just stood there. A minute passed by, with no words and no movement. She could feel him looking her over from head to toe. And finally, meekly, she said: "Are you here to help me?" His response was an abrupt snort of a laugh, and he kneeled down to look her eye-to-eye. There was something about his gaze that chilled her to the bone; this child of 3 years that shouldn't know what real fear is - it was cold, it was ..evil. And he told her, in response to her plea of sorts: "My name is Lupo Wolfe. I'm here to help make you what you were meant to be. I'm here to make you real." Whereupon he nabbed her by the hair and drug her away by it. Thus began the most memorable, grueling, most terrible eight years of her life.
What began was a terribly brutal regiment of exercises, trainings, fights. He beat her excessively in the beginning years, breaking bone after bone in her body and still making her run and jump and train. He would yell at her, he would scream and slam her face in the ground. He would apparently use this as "motivation" to get her to be better, stronger, faster. He told her how much he hated her guts, how despicable her species was, and how she'd be better serving the world if she was just dead and devoured by the buzzards. He called her an ignorant child, and he hated children. He told her constantly how badly he was going to hurt her, break every bone in her body. He'd kill her without a second thought, he told her, if only his "boss" would allow it.
He taught her, though, and he did teach her very well. He taught her basic knowledge, mathematics, history, sciences. (He seemed particularly fond of teaching philosophy and psychology in later years) But mostly, the training and the teaching was to teach her to be a top-notch fighter, and to be master of weaponry. As the years passed by, the beatings became less frequent as she improved. She learned fast, and she excelled. He taught her very well that, if you're going to do something, do the best of everyone. Be the best, and failure is never an option. There is no excuse for any sort of inferiority.
By her tenth year, she had become very skilled. In the sparring matches, she and he could fight for hours and hours, and still cancel each other out. She mastered every fighting style Lupo had taught her, she excelled in the usage of weapons. Her favorite had become a weapon of her own creation: the thinknife. Lupo at first couldn't see how such a thin blade could be of any real fatality to anything, until she demonstrated for him. He'd never admit it then, but just by seeing how she had taken all he had taught her and made it tangible in that weapon, how she took all the knowledge she had of how to kill people to use with this weapon.. it made him extremely proud of her. It made him feel accomplished, that he had done right.
And even as the years passed, he even seemed to hate her less and less. It almost would sem like she was growing on him. He only took real notice of that when she turned about nine years old. By then she was exceptional at what she was being taught, and was even partly becoming the "Perfect Fighter" Anarkis had charged him with making her to be. She seemed almost emotionless - her fits of crying while in pain or hurt all but totally ceased - and she didn't do much laughing either. She was a living robot, almost.
Then another year went by, she improved, and he started feeling more of an affinity for her. He arbitrarily decided one day to actually get to know her, as a person, better. She somehow.. got to him.
While she was confused by his sudden kindness to her, his actual interest in her thoughts and her feelings, she took it in stride as best she could. She figured at first that it was just another test, to put her mettle to use. But then, that seemed to change. Because after his initial kind words to her, he ..kept going. He didn't quit, and usually when she's proven herself, he'd go on to the next lesson. But this time.. he didn't. And while she humored him, he was making her uncomfortable. Suddenly this man whom she hated more than anything in the world was acting like he liked her. She was unsure how exactly to handle this new development, so she remained aloof.
That action probably only served to annoy Lupo. Here he was, trying to make nice with her, and she wasn't responding. Apologizing for all he had done didn't cross his mind at all, but getting angry with her did. Anger was always his first instinct, and he had taught her anger rather well. He'd be curt to her once again, but still, he continued to admire her and her resolve. He liked her more and more as a person, but she brushed him completely off. He didn't take that rather kindly.
By the time she turned 11, he taught her things normally taught to seniors in high school. She was average in regular school things, but seemed to excel in psychology and philosophies. She had totally forgotten about her psuedo-father Morely, and forgot that there was any such thing as a happy life. All she knew was to fight. Play wasn't in her vocabulary. She was almost nothing but a fighting machine.
But by the time she had turned 11, Lupo had began to face the facts about how he felt towards Amanda. He thought long and hard about all the things his father told him. She was in his mind nonstop, all the time. He couldn't stop thinking about her, everything that he thought was wonderful about her was brimming over. It was one night that he came to the correct conclusion: He was in love with her.
Amanda, however, was using her nights, formerly to cry and nurse her wounds, now to think of ways to get out of there. She didn't want to hurt anymore, she felt so wrong.. it was hard to explain it, but she did. Her motivation was at a minimum, seeing as how, for whatever reason, Lupo hadn't hurt her so much of late. But that would change.
Lupo was young yet, and he always adamantly disagreed with the existence of "love". He had absolutely no idea how exactly to deal with these feelings that were not at all cruel. He was confused, and thought that the only way to respond was with cruelty. This feeling was clouding his mind, and if he didn't get it out, then it'd eat him up until he was nothing. He had to express it, get it out however he could.. and the only way that seemed logical in his twisted mind was by some kind of force.
On some level, she may have known what he was going to do next to her, but if she had been sure, things may not have happened the way they did. She couldn't stop it. He took her one night, to his room with a knife in hand. When in his room, they just stood there, facing each other with a space of about seven feet between them, unmoving. He was jittery, he didn't know what to do. And Amanda just stood there, watching him, not saying anything or moving a slight bit. He had one hell of a big and sharp knife in hand, and peeving him was not something she wanted to do. A couple times, it looked as though he was about to say something, and then he wouldn't and would return to that concentrated look on his face. She thought it was impossible, but Lupo actually looked as though he was nervous. This was more confusing for her than anything, and she considered being the first one to say something. But before she could, he just seemed to freeze up, and look straight at her. The expression on his face looked almost.. pitiful. Sad. She opened her mouth to say something, but before her throat could utter the words, he spoke first: "I don't know what I can do about this, whatever I do next, if it hurts, I'm really really sorry.." She stood, dumbfounded, for only a moment before his right arm flung out to her right arm, and flung her sideways on his bed. With a shout, he pounced upon her, knife and fists flailing. Both found purchase on her arms and legs almost immediately, causing her to cry out in surprise (her threshold for pain had become, by this time, substantial) and try to fight him back. While usually, a throw of a punch or a well-placed kick would have backed him off enough for her to roll to safety, but this time was different. He didn't give an inch when she hit him, he only got even angrier. Again and again he sliced with the knife, again and again he punched and kicked at her. He pinned her down, and held the knife just above her jugular. Once again, just above a whisper, he apologized for what he already had done and what he was about to do. He then tightened his hold on her so she wouldn't move, and raped her at knifepoint. It was brutal, it was cruel, and it was exhausting for her. When it was over, she had lost a lot of blood, was physically exhausted, and dehydrated. He, too, was tired, and now rather scared of whatever punishment was in store for him for what he had just done. Taking her to a medic was almost totally out of the question; he wanted to keep this out of common knowledge. He carried her back to her own cell of a room, gave her some water to drink when she woke up, cranked the AC and got back to his own room in a hurry. He had to clean the mess of blood and other fluids off of his bedsheets. When Amanda awoke, she drank the glass down in three gulps. She had also noticed there was a great deal of blood on her fingertips as well as her arms and legs. She realized she must have scratched the bloody hell out of his back, and since she had no water to clean herself off with, donned some gloves to hide it. The other cuts would not draw attention. But now she knew she had to get out of her imprisonment. She could have easily died the night before, and more than likely, it would happen again. She needed to find some way out of there.
She spent the whole day, wandering around discreetly to not be noticed, thinking of ways to get out. She wouldn't try anything until nightfall. That way, she had better chances of getting away. And even if they did find her, she would just keep going. They'd have to kill her to get her back.

Habits:Tends to swear a lot; drinks a little bit, on occasion only.

Date of Birth: February 26, 1934

Place of birth: High Column Central

Backround Nationality: English, Irish, Scottish, Iroquois Indian

Name meaning: "Deserving of great love", or "Worthy of love"-- they're pretty much the same, anyway.

DOC: February '93.

Character © Amanda Payne. Do NOT copy or use without permission.