***Phi's View***
The day passed quickly by as Phi and Devic explored the city and finally, in the late afternoon, Devic pulled Phi aside, "Look...We have been out here for hours...I think it is time that we head back to the Palace. Someone could be worried about us...and you know how Lady Alanna told us, well, indirectly anyway, that we shouldn't wander off?"
But Phi wasn't paying any attention. She glanced around frantically, "No, we have to find them..."
Devic stared at her, "Are you...okay?"
"...Come on, let's go."
"Wait, you didn't answer my question!"
They dove into the diminishing crowds and Devic tugged on Phi's sleeve, which he was still keeping a firm grip on, "Look! Isn't that Owen? And there is Esmond! I wonder what they are doing out here...?" He began to walk over to the two knights, who were surveying the mob of people intently.
Phi grabbed the boy's shoulder and hulled him back into an alley, "No! They'll take us back..."
"What?" Devic turned from Phi's face to look at Esmond and Devic, "Why would they be looking for us?"
"Because, they're obviously looking for something and we aren't supposed to be out here, so they might not be actually looking for us, but they'd certainly take us back..."
"Oh, fine then." The two watched as the knights walked passed them, then they slipped out of the alley and headed back down another road, "I think we have been down here before..."
"Maybe..."
"This is ridiculous! We do not even know what we are looking for!"
Phi sighed and leaned against a building, "I know, but I can't stop looking for them. What if something terrible has happened?"
"Then we shouldn't be out here alone!"
Phi stood up slowly, a look of total and complete defeat on her face, "You're right...I'm sorry Devic, for dragging you all over the place for nothing...let's...let's go back to the Palace...it's getting close to dinner time..."
***Meanwhile, back at the Palace...***
Numair had been pacing in his study for hours. He let out a huge sigh and fell into a big armchair that was in the corner of the room, next to his fireplace. Daine walked down the stairs, followed closely by Kitten, looking concerned, "You should take a break Numair. All this work at one time isn't good for you..."
"I know! But I need to find out what in Mithros's name that huge flux was so I can determine what happened to both Tom and Alex! I feel so...responsible..."
"Why? I know they are your friends Numair, but you didn't create that huge flux...thing. Anyway, Esmond and Owen haven't reported back yet and it's an hour until supper. I want you to get out of this room for a while too, go take a short walk or something, stretch your legs..." She walked back up the stairs but the dragon stayed behind.
It gave Numair a curious look, "What? I don't suppose you know what is going on around here?" Kitten whistled and rubbed her head up against his robes, "Didn't think so...hmm. I just wished I knew why Tom would get up in the middle of the night and leave like that. He has currently been gone a total of fourteen and a half hours. And then there was Alex, who left about fifteen hours before him because he got mad at Phi and Tom, or something like that, and he took a walk." He sighed and banged his head against the back of the armchair. There had to be something he was missing.
He slowly stood up and began to walk up the stairs, followed by Kitten who didn't like to be left alone. Numair had his hand on the doorknob when a thought hit him, what if Tom left the palace against his will? But surely someone would have noticed if he was kidnapped. He dropped his hand and began to pace again. Maybe, somehow someone had used a sort of magic to kidnap him, and what he felt wasn't Tom's magic at all, like he had previously thought, but someone else's. Perhaps, it was the person who had sent the immortal after them in their world, because that would have required a strong burst of magic too. And what if that same person, or persons, had taken Alex in the same way, when he was on his walk?
What if the person was after Phi! But the two of them were alone while Phi was in the company of Devic, not to mention about a hundred other people. Still, if he was right, he would need to get her back as soon as possible. Esmond and Owen seemed to be having poor luck in finding them though...Numair sighed and opened the door and walked outside into the hallway, being careful to close the door behind him so Kitten wouldn't get out and get lost.
***Back to the city ***
Devic looked at the town's clock tower as they passed it, "Wow! It is already five o' clock! I'm surprised it's still this light outside..."
"The sun is almost setting though..." Phi sighed, "I suppose it's a good thing that we decided to go back..."
They were about three blocks away from the Palace walls, when Phi spotted a familiar face moving quickly towards them. It was George. Phi rushed up to him, forgetting that she ever didn't trust him, "Did you find out where Alex is!"
"No, but listen, strange things are going on around here. I spoke to Alanna about Alex's disappearing act and she told me that Tom had also vanished early this morning. I poked around a little and pulled a couple of strings, and I got some information, but none of it good. It seems that your brother came through those gates in his sleepin' clothes and walked down the main street without even blinkin'. After that, he is said to have turned into an alleyway and disappeared."
The man was gazing intently at Phi, his eyes occasionally shifting to Devic, then back to Phi who narrowed her eyes and seemed to go a shade paler, "Disappeared? But...what do you mean disappeared?"
"That's the problem missy. I know this city better than the back of my hand and my profession has let my gain access to most of the secret passage ways and hideouts here, but I ain't never heard of one being on main street. See, it's a dangerous place for thieves to hang out because there's guards all over it. But I want you to go back to the Palace now, before it gets dark, 'cause if anything's gonna happen to you, it's less likely to happen in broad daylight."
Phi had begun to stare into the distance, looking completely zoned out. George looked at her, then at Devic, "Listen kid, get her back alright...I need to go hunt down Esmond and Owen and tell them to get back to the Palace..."
Devic nodded and tugged on Phi's sleeve. Nothing. He tried again, harder this time, but she wouldn't move, "Phi? Come on, we need to go, now..." She continued to stare. Devic turned around, "George! Something is wrong with her!"
The ex-thief hurried back and snapped his fingers in front of Phi's eyes after examining her thoughtfully. Devic stared at Phi, nervously gazing at her, as if trying to see into her head to know what was happening. George put his finger to her throat, then put his ear against her chest and circled Phi again, "Well, she's breathing...and her hearts still workin'..."
A call rang out from behind them and Esmond and Owen bounded up to them looking tired, "There you two are! We have been looking everywhere for you! Good afternoon George...What is the matter with her?"
George glanced up at them and returned to gaze perplexedly at Phi, "We're not sure...she just went into this thing...maybe someone should fetch us up a doctor..."
***In Phi's head...***
Why had she stopped moving? Phi stood stock-still waiting for her body to move. A pounding headache that had been growing in her head burst and a loud, obnoxious buzzing noise filled her head. Her vision grew fuzzy and she couldn't hear all the background noises of the market anymore. She saw George come up to her and stare, then touch her neck and put his head up against her chest. She wanted to push him away, but she couldn't make her arms move. Phi tried to turn her head and ask Devic what was going on, but nothing happened.
She began to get frightened. She heard Esmond and Owen's voices from far behind her and begged them silently to do something. The buzzing grew louder and pretty soon, she couldn't hear what George was saying even though he was a foot away. Suddenly the buzzing sensation seemed to explode and she let out a scream of pain.
***Back in the real world...***
Devic leapt back and almost fell over. A huge wave of magic had just hit him...but it had come from...Phi. The other stared at him as his eyes grew wide. Owen ran over and helped to steady the boy, "What happened?"
"This magic...thing...from Phi!"
George looked at him, "Right, well wait a second. She doesn't have the Gift, does she?"
Devic nodded but just then Phi moved. She turned around and without saying a word or even changing her blank expression, headed back to the center of the city, away from the Palace. Esmond grabbed her shoulder, "Where are you going?"
But Phi ignored him and kept walking. George jumped in front of her, "You aren't goin' anywhere but back to the Palace. Something's happened and I don't like the looks of it." She walked right into him but he stood his ground. Something strange glowed in her eyes and her hand rose, clenched into a fist. George smiled, "Your gonna hit me? Please...I think I can..." her hand connected with his stomach and he doubled over.
***Back to Phi's mind***
She screamed as George tumbled to the ground. How had she hit him so hard? She cried out an apology to the man as she passed by him and her body turned down a narrow alleyway that she hadn't noticed before. Before she could take a step down it, someone grabbed her arm and her heart sank. No, not Devic. Her body ignored the tug and kept walking straight, dragging Devic along behind. Why was he doing this? Let go you idiot! She yelled at him and swore but the boy wouldn't let go.
She suddenly turned to her left and found herself staring at a blank stone wall.
***Real world***
Esmond and Owen lifted George to his feet and they took off after Phi and Devic (actually, George kind of stumbled...) and they reached the entrance just in time to see Phi step through...a solid rock wall... Owen's jaw dropped as Devic was dragged through the wall next and Esmond leapt at them but got there too late. The knight rubbed his hands over the spot the two had just disappeared and pounded on the wall. George leaned against the wall, "Well would ya look at that...interesting..." He sighed, "Alanna's gonna kill me..."
A/N: I know that this was a short chapter, but it's a good place to stop...so let's see now. All three have been vanished + Devic who happened to be an innocent by-stander in the whole thing...but where did they go? And how will Numair and Alanna react to hearing the news? Ha! You'll have to wait till the next chapter to find out!
The day passed quickly by as Phi and Devic explored the city and finally, in the late afternoon, Devic pulled Phi aside, "Look...We have been out here for hours...I think it is time that we head back to the Palace. Someone could be worried about us...and you know how Lady Alanna told us, well, indirectly anyway, that we shouldn't wander off?"
But Phi wasn't paying any attention. She glanced around frantically, "No, we have to find them..."
Devic stared at her, "Are you...okay?"
"...Come on, let's go."
"Wait, you didn't answer my question!"
They dove into the diminishing crowds and Devic tugged on Phi's sleeve, which he was still keeping a firm grip on, "Look! Isn't that Owen? And there is Esmond! I wonder what they are doing out here...?" He began to walk over to the two knights, who were surveying the mob of people intently.
Phi grabbed the boy's shoulder and hulled him back into an alley, "No! They'll take us back..."
"What?" Devic turned from Phi's face to look at Esmond and Devic, "Why would they be looking for us?"
"Because, they're obviously looking for something and we aren't supposed to be out here, so they might not be actually looking for us, but they'd certainly take us back..."
"Oh, fine then." The two watched as the knights walked passed them, then they slipped out of the alley and headed back down another road, "I think we have been down here before..."
"Maybe..."
"This is ridiculous! We do not even know what we are looking for!"
Phi sighed and leaned against a building, "I know, but I can't stop looking for them. What if something terrible has happened?"
"Then we shouldn't be out here alone!"
Phi stood up slowly, a look of total and complete defeat on her face, "You're right...I'm sorry Devic, for dragging you all over the place for nothing...let's...let's go back to the Palace...it's getting close to dinner time..."
***Meanwhile, back at the Palace...***
Numair had been pacing in his study for hours. He let out a huge sigh and fell into a big armchair that was in the corner of the room, next to his fireplace. Daine walked down the stairs, followed closely by Kitten, looking concerned, "You should take a break Numair. All this work at one time isn't good for you..."
"I know! But I need to find out what in Mithros's name that huge flux was so I can determine what happened to both Tom and Alex! I feel so...responsible..."
"Why? I know they are your friends Numair, but you didn't create that huge flux...thing. Anyway, Esmond and Owen haven't reported back yet and it's an hour until supper. I want you to get out of this room for a while too, go take a short walk or something, stretch your legs..." She walked back up the stairs but the dragon stayed behind.
It gave Numair a curious look, "What? I don't suppose you know what is going on around here?" Kitten whistled and rubbed her head up against his robes, "Didn't think so...hmm. I just wished I knew why Tom would get up in the middle of the night and leave like that. He has currently been gone a total of fourteen and a half hours. And then there was Alex, who left about fifteen hours before him because he got mad at Phi and Tom, or something like that, and he took a walk." He sighed and banged his head against the back of the armchair. There had to be something he was missing.
He slowly stood up and began to walk up the stairs, followed by Kitten who didn't like to be left alone. Numair had his hand on the doorknob when a thought hit him, what if Tom left the palace against his will? But surely someone would have noticed if he was kidnapped. He dropped his hand and began to pace again. Maybe, somehow someone had used a sort of magic to kidnap him, and what he felt wasn't Tom's magic at all, like he had previously thought, but someone else's. Perhaps, it was the person who had sent the immortal after them in their world, because that would have required a strong burst of magic too. And what if that same person, or persons, had taken Alex in the same way, when he was on his walk?
What if the person was after Phi! But the two of them were alone while Phi was in the company of Devic, not to mention about a hundred other people. Still, if he was right, he would need to get her back as soon as possible. Esmond and Owen seemed to be having poor luck in finding them though...Numair sighed and opened the door and walked outside into the hallway, being careful to close the door behind him so Kitten wouldn't get out and get lost.
***Back to the city ***
Devic looked at the town's clock tower as they passed it, "Wow! It is already five o' clock! I'm surprised it's still this light outside..."
"The sun is almost setting though..." Phi sighed, "I suppose it's a good thing that we decided to go back..."
They were about three blocks away from the Palace walls, when Phi spotted a familiar face moving quickly towards them. It was George. Phi rushed up to him, forgetting that she ever didn't trust him, "Did you find out where Alex is!"
"No, but listen, strange things are going on around here. I spoke to Alanna about Alex's disappearing act and she told me that Tom had also vanished early this morning. I poked around a little and pulled a couple of strings, and I got some information, but none of it good. It seems that your brother came through those gates in his sleepin' clothes and walked down the main street without even blinkin'. After that, he is said to have turned into an alleyway and disappeared."
The man was gazing intently at Phi, his eyes occasionally shifting to Devic, then back to Phi who narrowed her eyes and seemed to go a shade paler, "Disappeared? But...what do you mean disappeared?"
"That's the problem missy. I know this city better than the back of my hand and my profession has let my gain access to most of the secret passage ways and hideouts here, but I ain't never heard of one being on main street. See, it's a dangerous place for thieves to hang out because there's guards all over it. But I want you to go back to the Palace now, before it gets dark, 'cause if anything's gonna happen to you, it's less likely to happen in broad daylight."
Phi had begun to stare into the distance, looking completely zoned out. George looked at her, then at Devic, "Listen kid, get her back alright...I need to go hunt down Esmond and Owen and tell them to get back to the Palace..."
Devic nodded and tugged on Phi's sleeve. Nothing. He tried again, harder this time, but she wouldn't move, "Phi? Come on, we need to go, now..." She continued to stare. Devic turned around, "George! Something is wrong with her!"
The ex-thief hurried back and snapped his fingers in front of Phi's eyes after examining her thoughtfully. Devic stared at Phi, nervously gazing at her, as if trying to see into her head to know what was happening. George put his finger to her throat, then put his ear against her chest and circled Phi again, "Well, she's breathing...and her hearts still workin'..."
A call rang out from behind them and Esmond and Owen bounded up to them looking tired, "There you two are! We have been looking everywhere for you! Good afternoon George...What is the matter with her?"
George glanced up at them and returned to gaze perplexedly at Phi, "We're not sure...she just went into this thing...maybe someone should fetch us up a doctor..."
***In Phi's head...***
Why had she stopped moving? Phi stood stock-still waiting for her body to move. A pounding headache that had been growing in her head burst and a loud, obnoxious buzzing noise filled her head. Her vision grew fuzzy and she couldn't hear all the background noises of the market anymore. She saw George come up to her and stare, then touch her neck and put his head up against her chest. She wanted to push him away, but she couldn't make her arms move. Phi tried to turn her head and ask Devic what was going on, but nothing happened.
She began to get frightened. She heard Esmond and Owen's voices from far behind her and begged them silently to do something. The buzzing grew louder and pretty soon, she couldn't hear what George was saying even though he was a foot away. Suddenly the buzzing sensation seemed to explode and she let out a scream of pain.
***Back in the real world...***
Devic leapt back and almost fell over. A huge wave of magic had just hit him...but it had come from...Phi. The other stared at him as his eyes grew wide. Owen ran over and helped to steady the boy, "What happened?"
"This magic...thing...from Phi!"
George looked at him, "Right, well wait a second. She doesn't have the Gift, does she?"
Devic nodded but just then Phi moved. She turned around and without saying a word or even changing her blank expression, headed back to the center of the city, away from the Palace. Esmond grabbed her shoulder, "Where are you going?"
But Phi ignored him and kept walking. George jumped in front of her, "You aren't goin' anywhere but back to the Palace. Something's happened and I don't like the looks of it." She walked right into him but he stood his ground. Something strange glowed in her eyes and her hand rose, clenched into a fist. George smiled, "Your gonna hit me? Please...I think I can..." her hand connected with his stomach and he doubled over.
***Back to Phi's mind***
She screamed as George tumbled to the ground. How had she hit him so hard? She cried out an apology to the man as she passed by him and her body turned down a narrow alleyway that she hadn't noticed before. Before she could take a step down it, someone grabbed her arm and her heart sank. No, not Devic. Her body ignored the tug and kept walking straight, dragging Devic along behind. Why was he doing this? Let go you idiot! She yelled at him and swore but the boy wouldn't let go.
She suddenly turned to her left and found herself staring at a blank stone wall.
***Real world***
Esmond and Owen lifted George to his feet and they took off after Phi and Devic (actually, George kind of stumbled...) and they reached the entrance just in time to see Phi step through...a solid rock wall... Owen's jaw dropped as Devic was dragged through the wall next and Esmond leapt at them but got there too late. The knight rubbed his hands over the spot the two had just disappeared and pounded on the wall. George leaned against the wall, "Well would ya look at that...interesting..." He sighed, "Alanna's gonna kill me..."
A/N: I know that this was a short chapter, but it's a good place to stop...so let's see now. All three have been vanished + Devic who happened to be an innocent by-stander in the whole thing...but where did they go? And how will Numair and Alanna react to hearing the news? Ha! You'll have to wait till the next chapter to find out!
