Alright, now for chapter 4, and I am writing chapter 5. Hope you enjoy this story so far, encouragement keeps the muse going, so please let me know what you think.
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"Ama Alza, do you agree to the terms as follows for the price of your memories: You will be adapted to have cubs or your Masters will adopt. You will have all of your scars removed, and you will train to be an ama-healer and assist your Master
Malzan
,
carzan
Gobin Shadow-bane in his clinic. You will have the locket you left behind replaced in memory of the child you lost.
Your Masters have graciously agreed to three additional items: one day of freedom, which will be in public or private in which you will be a
carzan
for a day, and will be allowed to ignore ama protocols as well as wear clothes.
You will go with them during border patrols, but only after you are deemed ready, but until then you will be taken to explore the area as preparation. You will also have bedroom outfits made to your specification, of which you are allowed two now, and one a year afterward."
"Yes Your Sacredness, I have made an informed decision and willingly agree to have my memories altered, though I will have to relive them."
"You also came up with possible scenarios that could replace the memories?"
"Yes Your Sacredness, I was happily married to a man, and we lost all the children we were expecting due to me being a carrier of Ta-Sachs, as well as one of them dying due to birth defects from severe Down syndrome.
Her name was Nancy, and she was to be the one that would have survived and be loved no matter what, hence my deep attachment and the locket. After she miscarried, my husband committed suicide. I chose to move away from the bad memories and start over, and the rest is history."
"I like this scenario of yours, it is simple, it explains everything, and it seems like it would cover the bad memories perfectly, as it is sad but has no terror or torture. Alright, you will have your scars removed first, and then I will remove your memories and replace them with your suggestion."
"Yes Your Sacredness, thank you."
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Her scars were removed, and it amazed her how much better she felt now that proper blood flow got to her hands and feet. She also felt weird because she had no idea that she had any nerve damage at all. It was painless, as the nerves were not severely damaged, it just tingled a little as nerves re-grew in the damaged areas.
"You will get your adaptation surgery and treatment tomorrow, after your new memory has had a chance to solidify and you have gotten used to your new role here."
"Yes doctor."
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The memory removal was just as painful as expected, as the
tsarzan
could not shield her from the pain of having her brain rewired, but also because he had to dig through every neuron of her brain to make sure the memories were gone. All that could be done was to shield everyone else, and only Lezar, the
tsarzan
, the
walzan
, and both
sarzans
were in the room. Lezar was there to comfort her, everyone else to shield the room and everyone in it.
The
tsarzan
needed his full power and concentration to remove the memories. It was dusk by the time it was finished, they had started the removal process at noon, and they had arrived at the palace at the dawn. Alza was still a little shaky, but the
tsarzan
had figured out that her agreeableness at being a slave came from the knowledge she had learned through her years of torture and the stories of suffering from others.
So he had to tweak her memories a little more to make it so that she had only heard of all the suffering she and others had endured, but had not actually lived it. In the end, Alza's scenario was perfect for him to build on, and the result was that they still had an ama worthy of the
tsarzan
leaving the palace, with a danger level of 1.
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When the brothers arrived back home, it was time to make dinner and enjoy an evening of entertainment, or sleep like the dead. While dinner was being made, Alza was introduced to Ara, the rag doll house cat her Masters owned. They cut up small chunks of meat and fish for Ara, which barely made her move from Alza's lap. The vitamin shake was made for Alza, as well as a small platter of fruit and a small garden salad.
The brothers ate what looked like a full rack of beef ribs, two shoulders, both hind quarters, all the normal cuts of beef, as well as most of the internal organs of a cow. They gave her two well-done flank steaks and some milk. They ate in silence, apart from the braking of bones to suck the marrow.