Later that night, Ki showed Van the rest of the house. The second door in the hallway was a guest bedroom, also built with no windows. The stairs leading to the "basement" actually led to a fully functional kitchen, a bathroom, and a sitting room. Ki explained that the kitchen was for any human guests they might have. The bathroom had a very large pool…it was too big to really be called a bathtub, and had the same type of piping system as Kuwaro's castle had. Kiosun grinned and gestured at the bathtub, "Big enough for two vampires and their wings! Or several humans without wings! It cost a fortune, but when you consider we'll be spending eternity here, what does money really matter?"
Van frowned. "Speaking of cost, Ki…how on Gaea did you afford this? Real wood for the staircase and doors, this giant tub, the stone exterior that makes this house into a fortress, and the very expensive rugs and tapestries… Any of those items cost more that what Kuwaro gave me. How did you afford all of this?" He gestured expansively to the entire house.
Ki looked sheepish. "Well, being a vampire for fifty years…a lot of people owe me a lot of things. A friend I saved from slavery works in a stone quarry now, and owed me a lot. He would have given me the stone free, but I insisted on paying. I got all the granite for at least half off. A merchant friend had the rugs and tapestries on hand, and sold them to me to avoid paying Fanalian taxes, since I'm not Fanalian. The wood was on a plot of land that was owned by the brother of a friend that owed me his life. I got that for practically pennies."
Van gaped. "Did you pay full price for anything?"
Ki thought for a moment. "Actually, yes. I paid the carpenter full price for his labor. And a couple of the pieces of furniture."
Van rolled his eyes. "How did you get the tub? Or even the plans for the tub?"
"Well…your cousin kind of helped with that. I gave him the money you gave me in exchange for one of his newest pools. Once he knew who it was for, he even had his people come here to put in the pipes."
"When did you have time for all of this? I know we didn't spend all our time together in Lokia, but surely it took you time to travel to my cousin's palace and work the rest of it out."
Kiosun winked. "Trade secret."
Van thought this over. "So Kuwaro knows where we live?"
"Yes. He knows, but all his people don't know who lives here."
"That could be both good and bad. As long as he knows, he won't worry, and we can keep in touch about the kingdom. But if he knows, Balgus can find out."
"So we have to deal with Balgus soon. I think I'll take you to Fanalia in a few days. While we were in Lokia, I asked the innkeeper to get me a copy of the list for young vampires in training. We can start on that in the forests of Fanalia. Animal blood, like you've been using, is very well for emergencies. But human blood is what sustains us. You may have noticed you are still weak at times? Something in human blood is required for perfect health. Otherwise, vampires would use only animal."
Van nodded. "Makes sense. So we leave for Fanalia in a few days?"
"Yes. We can deal with Balgus and your training…and then come back here to live in peace!"
Van looked away. Something told him that it wasn't going to be that easy.
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Several months later…
"Balgus sir!"
Balgus turned to the soldier at attention in front of his desk. "Yes?"
"Sir! Another murder in the forest last night. Same as the others except for one thing. This body was not completely drained sir. There was still a small amount of blood remaining."
Balgus sighed, not really surprised. "Who was it this time?"
"A notorious murderer, sir. Killed four women and one man in the past year."
Balgus frowned. Always, it was like this. Some criminal that his soldiers had been trying to capture would appear displayed by the side of the road, dead. Completely drained of blood with no indication of whom…or what…had killed him. Except for the two puncture wounds on his neck of course. Balgus had a suspicion that he knew exactly who was doing this, and it did not make him happy.
I should never have let him leave the palace! I should have kept him here. After his brother left, and his mother, and his father had died…he was never the same. It was his duty to rule this kingdom! I guarded his inheritance for him! I staved off rumors about his brother! I served his father all my life! And this is the way the ungrateful daemon repays me!
Balgus' thoughts drifted off into obscure violence and revenge. The boy had betrayed him! Just walked off…and then, he had received a letter just a few months ago, saying that the boy had left early for his dragon slaying ritual. Included in the letter had been a sealed packet with the neatly printed words "In the event of my disappearance…" Balgus had almost thrown the packet into the fire, but something had kept him from it.
Just thinking about the letter made him even angrier. At that moment, Balgus wanted nothing more than to kill Van…the daemon child who was even now killing criminals in his forest. Incoherent rage tinged his vision with red, which slowly turned to purple. Confused, he realized his vision had not changed to purple, but a blue pillar of light had surrounded him. The servant, still standing at rigid attention stared at Balgus in growing horror. Balgus felt his body lifting off of the chair and into the air. Astonished, he tried to fight the glow, but it was useless. Blackness edged his vision, then clouded over completely.
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Van stared at the limp body at his feet. Kiosun stood about five feet away, nodding his head. Van wiped the blood from his mouth and regarded it staining the back of his hand. Kiosun spoke up finally, relieving Van's tension.
"You're doing better."
"We've been here for two months. I always take too much! Why do they keep passing out?" Van cried in desperation.
"Nothing is wrong with you. It took me almost a year to control myself, and that was under the tutorage of the best vampire of that kiss. These things take time."
"Meanwhile, I drain all my prey," Van said bitterly. His first taste of human blood had been extreme ecstasy, and it still held him almost every time. His first human had been an evil but small time murderer. He wasn't with a group, and didn't have any real protection, so it had been easy to seduce him away from his camp. Ki taught Van how to really seduce his victims. It seemed that it did not matter what the victims' preferences were; a vampire attempting to seduce them was bound to succeed. It was some sort of magic that they possessed, similar to the magic that allowed them to fly, despite their human weight. Seducing a victim involved focusing on them completely and projecting sexual appeal through the eyes. Van wasn't sure how it worked, but it did, even if he didn't desire the victim. Ki spoke again, drawing Van's attention to the present.
"It's better than they deserve." He spat at the prey, a child rapist. Van silently agreed, but it still hurt him to kill humans for food. He had defended his kingdom from bandits before, and killed quite a few of them with the sword he still wore at his side. That seemed different somehow, more honorable.
At least they had a chance to defend themselves…
Kiosun seemed to notice the direction his thoughts had taken, but there was nothing he could say to dispute them. Silently, he bent down and snapped the prey's neck. He suspected that it was not Van's fault that the prey passed out. He was underfed and scrawny, so it was likely that he passed out because he lacked energy. Had the prey been healthy, he would still be standing. Van underestimated himself, and Kiosun knew that if he ever had a chance to go after a healthy human, he would have more than enough self-control.
Turning away, Kiosun wished that there were another way to deal with it all…the killing, the seductions…the prey had no chance, really. No one could overcome a vampire. Van was not even at full strength and he'd overcome this pathetic human with no effort.
Despite his pessimistic view, Van was getting better. He had not come close to draining the prey this time, or even last time. Beside that, though, he was changing in physical ways as well. He had learned to hide his teeth in regular situations. His pupils were no longer as dilated as they were when he first changed, either. The way he carried himself was different as well. Before, there had been a slight hesitation in the things he did. Now he carried himself with courage and authority. Looking at him, Kiosun felt his heart fill with pride. Years and years of watching and loving…finally, his dream had come true. He had a beautiful and intelligent vampire by his side who loved him. There was nothing more he could want.
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Van lifted the body and carried it towards the road. They had already decided to put the bodies of prey in different spots every time, so that if Balgus had posted a guard to see if anyone would return to the spot, they wouldn't be caught.
Van found himself wishing he could see his brother again. Their reunion had been joyful, but brief. He truly loved his brother, and had never stopped believing in him, even with all the rumors and disapproval of the other Fanalian people.
Turning slightly to see if Kiosun was following, he was met with an interesting sight. Kiosun was floating in a pillar of blue light, about five feet off the ground. Van gaped, then looked panicked as he realized that the blue light, too, surrounded him. Slowly his body lifted into the air, his hair floating gently around his face. Ki reached out to him and they grabbed hands quickly, pulling close to each other. The blue light didn't seem to care as they rose faster. Van's last thought before he blacked out was the hope that he could still hold onto Kiosun.
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Kiosun woke slowly, grasping at consciousness with all his strength. He was lying on a hard surface that was rough and pitted, but other than that, he couldn't tell much. Memory of what happened flashed in his mind…the blue light, reaching out to Van… His eyes snapped open in panic and he quickly sat up, searching around for his lover. To his relief, Van lay nearby, their hands still linked together. Taking a closer look at their surroundings, his heart fell. This was not Fanalia…this was not even Gaea.
Large buildings rose on either side of him. Unlike the buildings in Fanalia, these stones were all of uniform size, shape, and color. Dull red was interspersed with gray lines, creating an odd pattern. They were tall, too, far taller than any of the buildings he'd ever seen. Extending all his senses, Kiosun searched for anything that might be a threat. He heard nothing. Wondering what world they were in, he turned to Van, to wake him up.
Placing a hand on Van's shoulder and placing his hand over Van's mouth, he gently shook the youth awake. Van opened his eyes blearily; recognition flashed in them, and he nodded slightly. Ki removed his hand and helped Van to his feet. Van looked around; doubtless making the same assessment that Ki had just moments before.
"Where are we?" Van asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Another world, perhaps."
Van nodded agreement. Through unspoken agreement, they moved as one out from between the buildings. Before them was a grassy area with several small buildings, like sheds, and a large circular track surrounded by a metal fence. Nothing stirred except the occasional cricket. Ki looked around, disturbed. Van made a puzzled sound next to him.
Ki turned. "What is it?"
Van was staring up at the sky. "What happened to the second moon?"
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Ki followed his gaze. "Huh. I guess that means we must be on a different world."
Van just nodded and began walking to the track. Ki followed. There was really nothing they could do. He knew that they had to find shelter before daybreak, but in a new world, he didn't hold high hopes.
Before they reached the track, Van noticed two figures within the fence. One, a female, was wearing strange clothing…a pair of short pants and a shirt. The other, a tall male, stood on the side of the track, watching the female do what appeared to be exercises to loosen up. Van and Kiosun exchanged glances and lightly jumped the fence. Sticking to the shadows, they stood near to the boy. Van was slightly amazed at the male's utter ignorance. Two young men from another world were not ten feet from his back, and he didn't even seem to notice!
The young man shouted something at the girl. She nodded firmly, and then got in an odd position, her hands on the ground in front of her, with one leg bent slightly ahead. All of a sudden, light glared through the track area, blinding both vampires for a long moment. A girl was next to the giant light, waving at the first girl. The first girl smiled, then returned her attention to the boy. He shouted a single word and let a pendant fall from his hand to begin swinging. The girl took off running as fast as she could, arms pumping. The male was saying words rhythmically…Van could only conjecture that he was counting the number of times the pendulum swung. As the girl ran down the track towards them and the male, Van realized that both he and Kiosun were in the open, easily visible to her. As she got closer, she noticed them and began to slow, shock and surprise in her eyes.
Shock kept Van rooted to place, but Kiosun tore off his shirt and spread his wings, gesturing sharply at Van. Van realized what he wanted, and tore off his own shirt. Spreading his wings, he bent his knees to leap in the air. All of a sudden, the girl let out a startled exclamation…in their language. Van and Kiosun both stopped, poised on the edge of flight.
"You're…angels?!" She asked.
Van looked at Kiosun, understanding the word, but not quite… Ki quickly murmered an aside to him. "She means Draconian, I think."
The girl walked forward a few steps. The male was cautiously backing towards her. He said something in the other language to her, a question. She nodded. Van and Ki exchanged glances.
Ki stepped forward. "You know our language?"
The girl was still staring at his wings. "Yes…but…who are you?"
"My name is Kiosun. This is Van Fanel."
"Are you sure we should have told her?" Van whispered.
Ki just nodded. "If we're going to find shelter before morning, we'll need someone's help. She speaks our language…she may be the only one who can help."
The girl looked uncertainly at the young man next to her. The second girl joined the first two. Within a moment, the male was explaining everything to her. The first girl took another step towards them.
"My name is Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki. Where did you come from?"
"We are from Gaea. A blue light transported us here, and now we don't know where we are."
Hitomi gaped at them. "You…you're on Earth."
"Earth?" Kiosun asked.
"Ki, hold on a second. If we can only see one moon in the sky…what if we're on the Mystic Moon?"
Ki turned, eyes widening. "You're right! That would make perfect sense." They both paused for a minute, taking in the big shock. Hitomi took another step towards them, startling both of them. Van mantled his wings, unable to suppress the reaction. Ki gave him an amused glance, thinking how like a falcon he was at times.
"So…why are you here?" Hitomi asked.
"We're not sure," replied Kiosun. "We need your help, though. We need shelter. A windowless room for both of us, to stay in during the day."
She laughed nervously. "What are you, vampires?"
Vampires! Do we tell her?
No, she is scared of us already. Just laugh and shrug it off.
Van chuckled and shook his head. "Vampires are just a myth."
The girl looked uncertainly at her friends. They remained silent, watching. Hitomi looked back at them. "I guess you could stay in my room while I'm at school. It has heavy shades that you could close. Would that do?"
"Perfectly." Ki answered for both of them. The girl turned to her friends and explained it to them.
The young man looked upset, and shook his head, gesturing to the two winged figures. Hitomi said to them, "Amano objects to this. He doesn't trust you, and wants you to leave me alone. He wants you to swear not to harm me."
"I swear on the Mystic Moon and Gaea, no harm will come to you while we protect you." Ki stated. Van repeated it, and Hitomi nodded.
"All right, let's go." She and her two friends turned and began walking towards a break in the fence. Kiosun followed and retracted his wings. Van kept his out and directed a question at Kiosun.
Should I take aerial watch?
Would you? I'm not sure I trust these people. This new world may have threats we don't know about. If you take aerial watch, at least our backs are covered. Not only that, but I think these teenagers need to be impressed.
Van grinned wickedly and took flight, startling the trio in front of them. He knew he looked stunning, outlined by the moon, and took full advantage of it, hovering motionless for a few seconds before beating his wings to soar higher. The girls gasped, awed. Ignoring the distraction, Van took a thorough survey of the surrounding area. The entire place seemed to be a palace of some kind, though unlike any he'd seen before. Flying along, he kept a completely open mind with Kiosun, filling him in on all the aerial details.
They walked for some time through the area, then through gradually changing areas. These mostly consisted of houses, larger than any in Fanalia. They passed several stairs and went under a bridge, before arriving in front of another house, this one obviously Hitomi's.
Hitomi said goodbye to her two friends, and led Van and Kiosun up a small path to her door. Turning to Van, she politely requested that he withdraw his wings so that he wouldn't raise the suspicion of her mother. He bowed to her and did so, pleased at her exclamation as his wings vanished without leaving a mark on his back.
She dealt with surprises well; he had to give her that. She shrugged off her shock and opened the door, motioning for their silence. They followed her up a flight of stairs to her room.
Inside was a bed, looking quite normal. A dresser stood on one wall with a mirror attached to it, reflecting the room. Everything looked normal. Van wondered about that to himself; there were so many things in this world that were vastly different, yet there were other things that were the same. The girl gestured to her bed.
"You both can sleep there during the day, if you want. I'll sleep on the floor tonight, if you'd like to sleep on the bed tonight as well."
"No, we wouldn't want to take your bed from you. We shall sleep on the floor, both tonight and tomorrow. Tomorrow night, we will try to find our way home." Van winced slightly, because he really had no idea how that would be accomplished.
Hitomi nodded and turned to her closet. She pulled out several blankets and spread them on the floor, adding two pillows. Turning back to her closet, she pulled out a nightdress and folded it over her arm. Staring pointedly at them, she hesitated. Both young men turned around simultaneously and walked to the window, looking out it as they heard the sounds of clothing being shed.
Huh…wouldn't she be surprised to know her virtue is in no any danger!
Her "virtue" is safer with us than it would be with her friend Amano.
They laughed silently together until she cleared her throat. They turned back to her, and she gestured at the blankets on the floor. "There is your bed. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? We have ice cream, I think, or I could make you some ramen."
Van shook his head. "No thank you, your hospitality is enough. We ate recently, so we'll be fine until tomorrow night."
Quite a bit after that, actually, but there's no point in letting her know that. If we want to be in top condition though, we'll have to go hunting within the next three days.
Van nodded slightly to Kiosun's comment. Together they moved towards the makeshift bed. Not bothering to remove their pants, they fell in and wrapped themselves in the blankets. Van longed to reach out and be held by Kiosun, but Ki's voice warned him before he could move.
I'm sorry, love, but we need to know how these people treat people like us first. They could be worse that anyone on Gaea, and have us tortured or killed.
Van mentally caressed Kiosun and let his regret seep through their link. Ki just quirked his lips and looked back at their hostess. The girl perched on her bed, watching them.
"What is it like, on Gaea?" She pronounced Gaea strangely, the word foreign to her tongue.
Van glanced at Kiosun, then back at the girl. "Gaea is a green land. It has many great forests that stretch across the land. I grew up in a palace in a place called Fanalia. My tutor was Balgus, the greatest swordsman of his time. He taught me everything I know about fighting, both in guymelefs and out. My brother left for his dragonslaying rite when I was still young, and when he disappeared without a trace, my mother left to search for him. She never returned, though I suspect she went home to Atlantis."
"Guymelef? Dragonslaying? Atlantis?" Hitomi looked confused. "What are all those things?"
"A guymelef…is like a giant mechanical human." Van answered slowly, not sure how to explain it to someone who had not grown up with them.
"A robot? A mecha?" Van shrugged at her query, recognizing neither word.
"Dragonslaying is a rite that princes have to go through before they can be king. They bring the heart back with them as proof. Atlantis is a place of the angels."
"Your mother was an angel?"
Ki answered for both of them. "Yes, as was mine. We're half-breeds though; our fathers were human."
Hitomi hugged a pillow to her chest, thinking. "I have so many questions…"
Van?
Yes?
I want to try something. It's like the link you and I use, except that I'm going to plant specific information in her mind.
Is that safe? What if she gets some of the vampire memories? Or…our memories?
I'll just be careful. Right now, we need her to know enough about us to help us get home. Not only is she our only ally, she's the only one that speaks our language.
Van reluctantly agreed. "Hitomi," he said, "Kiosun would like to try something to help answer those questions without wasting time. Would you please allow him to place his hands on your forehead for a few seconds?"
Hitomi looked puzzled but nodded. Kiosun rose from his cocoon of blankets and stood in front of Hitomi. Placing two fingers on each of her temples, he closed his eyes in concentration. She let out a little gasp and fell back on her bed, catching herself with an arm before she could fall. Kiosun shook his head slightly and turned back to Van.
"She's fine. I only gave her what she needs to know."
I also took a little something from her. Now I can speak her language fluently, though she doesn't know it yet. That might be helpful in the future. In addition, I took a very few images and concepts from her world. They don't have anything like guymelefs, and they have almost no horses at all. They get around on bikes and cars.
Ki returned to the blankets and wrapped himself up while he politely waited for Hitomi to recover. Meanwhile, he kept up a running commentary about the new world that they found themselves in. After a few seconds, he stopped and faced Van directly.
Here…
Ki sent images and words in a long, complicated string of thoughts, giving Van the new language called "Japanese." Everything flooded his mind at once, but he quickly locked down on the flow and regulated it. Unlike Hitomi, he would not have to spend precious minutes assimilating the new information. Ki smiled and nodded at his fast recovery. Hitomi shook her head a few times and straightened.
"I think…" she paused. "I think I need to sleep."
Van realized that now she seemed to be speaking Japanese. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was pretty sure that the Powers That Be had begun to meddle. Perhaps they had made her speak their language; then once they knew hers, it was no longer necessary so she lost that information.
Kiosun caught the tail end of that thought and agreed.
I did not give her our language, and she does not seem to know it anymore. All I gave her were the quick points of where we were from. She is, I think, desperate to believe in something more…magic, divining, dowsing, and tarot card readings.
Van nodded and tucked the thought away to be pondered at some other time. Hitomi was looking at them with a slight frown on her face and Van realized they had not replied to her earlier statement.
"We should all get some sleep." Van said quickly. Seeing that their hostess was in no condition to think of anything practical, Van stood up, letting the blankets fall to the ground and walked to the light switch. Flipping it into the "off" position, he mentally congratulated himself on figuring out the strange new technology. Kiosun chuckled from his place on the floor, and Van realized he'd been projecting again. He grinned himself and returned to his makeshift bed. He fell asleep almost immediately, reminding himself sternly not to reach for Ki in the night as he was usually inclined to do. Ki chuckled again and joined his lover in the land of dreams.
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Hitomi woke early the next morning to her mother's gasp from the doorway. She fought her way from the tangled blankets and blinked sleepily. "Wha…oh." She flushed guiltily. On the floor were her two guests from last night. Her mother was staring at them, stunned. They were sprawled untidily on the floor about a foot apart, entirely hidden in shadows. Hitomi's window was closed and the drapes pulled tightly together, allowing no light into the room. She remembered their odd request and frowned.
"Mother…I can explain…" She winced at how her words sounded.
Her mother shook her head. "The only reason I have not yet thrown them out of the house yet is because they both have their pants on. Not only that, they are both sleeping on the floor. Also…" she hesitated. "I do not think that you could…or would…have done anything while I was downstairs. However, I would like an explanation."
Hitomi cast around desperately. "Umm…well, they're friends of mine, and they needed a place to stay just for tonight because…they…couldn't pay their rent for this week. So I told them they could stay here last night."
Her mother looked at her severely for a minute. "I know you're lying, Hitomi! I think I am being very generous about this entire incident, but I want to know the truth."
Hitomi sighed. "The truth? I don't even know if I believe it myself. They showed up at the track last night. They both had black wings then, and they were very frightened. I…spoke to them in a different language, and they knew it. They asked for shelter for a night, a room with no window, and since no one else could speak to them, I said I would help."
Her mother's eyes widened but she accepted the explanation without pause. "Just like your grandmother…" she whispered.
Hitomi was confused. Her grandmother? All of a sudden, the alarm clock next to the bed beeped imperiously. Glancing at the time, Hitomi gasped and leapt out of bed. Shedding her nightgown, she quickly got a clean school uniform and put it on. Grabbing her bookbag and the lunch her mother was holding, Hitomi paused on the threshold of her door. "Mother…leave the window closed, and please make sure they eat when they wake up." Then she rushed from the house, anxious to get to school and everything she was sure of.
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Mihira looked after her daughter as she disappeared down the hallway. Hitomi had never lied to her and gotten away with it. Lies were easy to spot on her innocent face. And she had been telling the entire truth when she spouted that incredible story.
Looking back at the sleepers on the floor, she shook her head. There was another reason she had not jumped to horrible conclusions when she saw the two young men in Hitomi's room. The two…slept in such a way that their relationship was clear. Perhaps not to Hitomi, but their body language screamed "lovers" to her. The careful distance they maintained, the way they seemed so aware of each other… Even as she watched, the younger of the two extended a hand toward the other, then pulled back quickly and turned over, still asleep. Mihira had no doubt that even in sleep, his subconscious warned him not to behave strangely.
Mihira shook her head sadly. The horrible stereotypes and homophobic people made existence for these two full of fear. Fear of being discovered and killed. In Japan, it was not bad, but when she had lived in America…
She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her body. Young men and women all over were taunted, pushed around, insulted, slandered, and sometimes killed. It was awful. Well…the least she could do for these two was provide shelter and reassurance. Judging from their thin frames, they could use some good food too. She hesitated, then stepped forward. Placing her hand on the older one's shoulder, she gently shook him awake.
He woke slowly and cringed from the window. All of a sudden, his eyes snapped open and he jumped up and twirled to face her. She remained very still and held her arms slightly away from her body. His eyes flicked behind him, assessing his position and his companion's safety. If Mihira had had any doubt of their relationship before, it was immediately stilled when he moved to a place where he could easily defend the young man still sleeping. He remained silent and watchful, eyes nearly slits against the slight artificial light from the hallway.
Mihira spoke slowly, careful not to startle the young man further. "I am Hitomi's mother, Mihira. She has left for school already." She stopped, uncertain of what else to say.
The young man glanced narrowly down at his sleeping companion, who snapped awake. Mihira's eyes widened as both men stared at her. "But you didn't even touch him!" she gasped. The first shrugged as the second spoke softly.
"My name is Van Fanel. I don't know how much your daughter told you, but I suspect if we're ever to get home, we need to trust you. Kiosun and I traveled from a place called Gaea in a pillar of blue light. Now, we don't know how to get back."
Mihira nodded. "I understand. Hitomi said you spoke a different language, but I can understand you perfectly. Why?"
Kiosun sighed slightly and nodded at Van. Van shrugged and turned back to her. Mihira was surprised at how well these young men were able to communicate…just a glance between them and it seemed they had decided something important.
Van gestured at Kiosun. "Ki would like to try something with you as we did with Hitomi. He will be placing all necessary information into your head so that we do not spend large amounts of time explaining."
Mihira smiled reassuringly. "That would be fine."
Kiosun stepped forward and placed two fingers on her temple. Suddenly she was barraged with hundreds of images and thoughts, swirling in chaos through her mind. At the same time, she felt something leave her…a few images of her childhood, her time in America… It all spun around until she was dizzy and fell back against the door. She blinked blearily up at Kiosun, not understanding why he was giving her that odd look.