Chapter 1

The Storm

Darkness, the moon had slid behind a cloud, leaving a shadow across what felt like the entire face of the earth, but that was fine with me. I leaned back into the tree on which I was perched, watching over the road below me. All I needed was just one truck to roll by, and I would be on my way to the big city. Maybe there I would be accepted. Maybe there, I would have a chance to fit in, to just start over, and not have a single person know who I really was. A chance to be ordinary - I just hoped that I would not blow it again.

Finally, there was my ride. Not the most graceful of vehicles, but this clambering old truck would have to do, I was tired of hiding out up here amongst the leaves. As the truck drove by, I dropped out of the tree, and with a quick back flip, landed easily in its empty bed. Perhaps here I could sleep for a little while and not be noticed by anyone. The moon was out again, and under her watchful light, I slowly drifted off to a darkness of my own.

Hours later, I awakened to the warm rays of the sun and the scent of salt water. I realized that I had slept too long, and almost missed the city I had hoped so much to reach the night before. I leapt to the side of the truck, quickly glancing at my surroundings, to see I was in some kind of a sea port, probably to pick up whatever this truck was here for. Now came my dilemma, how to get out of this truck, and away from the port without being seen. I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place, and it wouldn't help me out moving into this city to start off with a run in with the locals and possibly even the authorities. I cringed at the thought of having to use my curse in public, but at this time, I couldn't think of any other way…

A scant few moments later, I was walking down the sidewalk just outside the port, whistling to myself. It was time to find a place to stay. Nothing too obvious but something that I could call my sanctuary. What did they call this place? I had no idea. I was new, and I had a chance to start all over again and that's all that I cared about at the moment.

Down the street a ways, I looked out over the water, taking in this new view that I had discovered, but something caught my eye. Out in the middle of the bay was a huge tower reaching skyward as if trying to ascend to the heavens. This thing was shaped like a giant "T" and it was quite unlike anything I had seen before. 'Oh well' I thought to myself 'It's probably just some fancy apartment complex.' Little did I know how much of a part that tower played in the city I now walked through.

Night fell again, and still I hadn't a place to sleep. Many places were to shoddy, some that there were no vacancies, and some that just didn't feel at all right. As I strolled down the main drag of the city, I felt the urge to turn down a shadowy alley-way. Knowing that my instinct had been honed to an uncanny edge, I followed the tingling sensation that was running down my spine. Before I knew it, I was running at full tilt down one street and up the next, following a gut instinct, not even sure where I was heading.

Rain began to pound down against me. When did that start? A crack of lightning and the highlight of something in front of me. Crap! There's a fence there! With a quick leap, I easily clear the fence, and continued my course through the alley. A hole in the ground appears out of the haze, an open manhole. Is that where I'm headed? I dropped down inside, ignoring the pain in my legs as my fall abruptly ended with a splash. It's not far now, but what is this that is calling to me? I hear a voice crying out, but where is it coming from. 'Follow your instincts', I remind myself, 'and you will find where you are going.' I heard something sounding out from the darkness to my left, or was it an echo. A blood curdling howl pierced the silence. I decided to forget my ears, and follow my gut. Running off in the opposite direction, I hear – no – feel something.

'help me'

Did I just hear that? No, it was definitely inside of my head. Not something just anyone could do, but a select few people could link with me, even though they didn't realize it.

There, a flash of movement, something green, looks like…oh shit…it's a werewolf!

'help me'

There it was again, but where is it now? Fuck, that abomination had a girl in its jaws! I just hope I can help her in time.

Out of my mouth, roars a voice that would stop even a lion from its charge, "DROP THE GIRL, DEMON!"

The beast stopped dead in its tracks, and turned to look at the insignificant being that stood before it, challenging him. Somewhere behind those cross eyes a thought intervened, 'what am I doing?' 'I'm not like this, why am I doing this?' The animals mind quickly came to bear and shook the thoughts clean. Now here was something that looked to be a little more challenging of a fight. The beast tossed the limp girl from his jaws, and turned to face the suddenly ominous apparition towering before him. The figure had produced a pair of short knives out of seemingly nowhere, and was standing in an offensive posture awaiting acceptance to the challenge.

The beast, being stripped of his glory, charged forward in a blind rage, not noticing the slight change of posture and the minute slide of a foot across the floor from his opponent.

In an instant, just before his teeth tore into the foolish human's throat, he seemed to disappear, only to appear immediately behind him. A blinding pain tore through the green body as one of the blades found its way home into his upper shoulder.

I left the blade there just long enough for the beast to realize that I was now between him and the girl. To my amazement, the creature stumbled briefly before falling to the ground apparently unconscious. Staring down at the beast's body I sighed in relief of my accomplishment.

My weapons left my hands as quickly as they appeared. I then turned my attention back to the girl. She was wearing a black jump-suit, with a dark blue robe over top of it. I noted that she was dressed quite oddly, but now was not the time for that, she needed medical attention quickly, and I had no idea where to find her any. I quickly tore my own shirt into strips making bandages to tie over the worst of the wounds. The beast had left deep lacerations in her stomach, arms, and upper legs. Reaching out with my mind, I pushed my way through the layers of darkness that enveloped her, until I found her consciousness, struggling to hang on to what little she could. I gently dropped thoughts into her head to put her to sleep, so that when I carried her out of there it would be easier cope with the pain.

I quickly finished tying off the last of my makeshift bandages, and was just about to lift her limp body when a sudden thought pierced all others. The werewolf! I had forgotten all about that thing. I spun around, already reaching for my blades, only to be baffled by a small green elf lying on the ground, a gouge in his shoulder the same as I had left in the demon. Could it be that this foul beast was hiding such an innocent child within itself?

Another sound caught my attention, and I turned to see a group of people about my own age running down the tunnel towards me. Preparing for the worst, I turned to face them, squaring myself away in a defensive posture, keeping steady my blades. My mind reached out toward these people, and I instantly knew who they were looking for. It was the girl that now I stood over. I called out to them, calling attention to both myself and the girl lying at my feet.

A boy in an outlandish costume, and wearing a black mask was the first one there. "Oh my god," he gasped, staring at the blood-drenched bandages wrapped around the girl. "Raven, what happened?"

I quieted him, telling him that she had collapsed from the pain, and that I was doing everything I could to get her back to the surface to get help.

A figure seeming to be half human/half machine and built like a tank, followed closely by a slender girl with striking green eyes and crimson red hair were half a step behind him.

They focused more so on the elf-child than the girl.

"Holy SHIT!" the machine-man exclaimed, and quickly turned on me, seeing the knife laying on the ground next to me, "what the FUCK did you do to B.B.?"

"Calm yourself," I said to him, "I did nothing that was not necessary."

"You fucking stabbed him! How was that necessary!" came his sharp reply.

I looked at him, almost angered. Why could nobody see past the battle wounds, and see that I was actually trying to help?

"I stabbed a demon of a werewolf that had attacked this girl, when I turned my back on him to tend to her the beast was gone and it was this boy in its stead."

"Oh my god," the masked boy muttered, "It's happening again."

At that moment, I didn't care who or what I had stabbed or killed, but I was not going to let this girl die on me, and I could feel her starting to slip away.

"Look," I said as I stared at the group, "this girl needs medical attention now, or would you rather have an unconscious werewolf/boy AND a dead girl on our hands."

Grasping the reality of the situation, the green-eyed girl walked – or did she fly – over to me and told me to follow her. I picked up the girl's near-lifeless body (whom I 'm assuming was called Raven, after what the masked boy had said) and followed her. We made quick time back to the surface, and to a strange looking white car sitting outside.

The robo-boy was right behind us, jumping into the car; he beckoned for us to climb in.

The ride was short, but it was along a strange path. These oddly dressed people seemed to know exactly where they were going, but as they rolled up to where they lived; they seemed to forget who I was. We drove down a long tunnel, only to reach what looked like a garage door accented with all kinds of lights and wiring. A hiss and a grind met my ears as the door slid open. An exotic custom-built motorcycle sat not far from where we parked. Not giving a second thought to where we were, I climbed from the car, carrying the injured girl with me. It was then that I felt a twinge in my mind.

'who are you'

The "sound" was in my head again. I knew now that nobody else could hear what was being said here. I looked down to the girl in my arms, and saw her looking up at me in a dazed state.

'Quiet now, go back to sleep. You're going to be ok, I've got you.' I pushed back into her mind. I knew that she would think I was actually talking to her, and she was probably in too much pain to remember this by morning anyways.

'what are you doing inside my head?'

The response, no matter how weak it had been, surprised me. At first, I didn't know what to say, but I figured my best option was just to quiet her for now, and worry about the political stuff later.

'Don't worry about that now, just sleep, you need the rest…'