Old Names and New Faces

by OrigamiArrows

After magic is discovered in Alice's world of science and war, things go terribly wrong when someone uses it. She is separated from her younger brother and needs to find him quickly before their time runs out. But when she goes to the one woman that can help her, Alice finds she'll have to deal with the last thing she wanted; traveling companions.

8. Chapter 8

AN: This is the updated version of chapter 8 (10/10/17).

Two Years Ago:

Adrian ordered me to his office one afternoon without explanation. In the elevator, I'd been near panicked that he'd found out about the ID chip, but when I arrived, he seemed busy, not angry. "Sit," he said, pointing to a chair without looking up from his screen. I did, waiting for him to continue, but he kept working. After a while I sat back and took out my screen to check the news.

Ten minutes later, someone knocked on the office doors. I turned off my screen and tucked it back into my pocket.

"Enter," Adrian said, closing his screen.

A man entered in full uniform, snapping a salute. He was young, for a soldier of the Facility, probably in his early thirties. I'd seen him in the halls occasionally for about the past six months, but otherwise, he was unfamiliar.

"Director Raiten, thank you for coming," Adrian said, standing to shake the man's hand. Adrian's smile glowed with charisma and his posture radiated control.

"Of course, sir. What can I do for you?" Raiten asked. When the handshake ended and Adrian sat back down at his desk, Raiten sat in one of the chairs facing the desk and our gazes locked.

"Sir," Raiten said, his can-do demeanor dropping a notch, "what's that doing here?"

I returned his stare silently. When passing me in the hall, most of the Facility's personnel's pulses quickened, and any smiles or conversation died. Raiten wasn't any different.

"Don't worry about Alice," Adrian said, waving away his concern. "She's here for other things. Now," Adrian opened a file on his screen, "you directed the recent strike in Yetz. How would you say that went?"

Raiten glanced at me once before devoting his attention to Adrian. "Overall: well. We took the city quickly, within two weeks, and with minimal loss of Elpedite lives."

"Please," Adrian said, "go into detail: the whole mission from start to finish, and your reasoning behind your decisions."

So Raiten recounted his original plan to take the city of Idon, and why he'd changed it once the Yetz had brought in drones. It was the perfect report, which Raiten delivered with professional enthusiasm. But half way though, something about Adrian's reactions felt off. If Adrian wanted this report for information, he'd be asking about details, testing Raiten's facts and decisions, so why wasn't he? Instead of Raiten, I focused on Adrian. He sat back in his chair, resting his head in his hand as he listened to Raiten, and for a moment he appeared so relaxed, I thought I was over-thinking it.

But then I followed Adrian's gaze. He would regularly look from Raiten to his screen, then back to Raiten. But instead of watching Raiten's face, he watched his hands, shoulders, sometimes his neck. To be sure, I activated The System, using it highlight Adrian's line of sight. I was right.

I'd let Raiten's report fade into background noise, so when he stopped talking, I realized I had no idea what he'd said.

"Excellent," Adrian said. "You have a good mind for this work, and I've only heard good things from your peers."

"Thank you, sir."

Adrian closed his screen and leaned forward. "As you should know, in a few weeks the council and I will be meeting with the Rane of Synia."

Synia, and its ruler, were allies of the Elpedite. At the meeting, Adrian would likely discuss the joined attack on the Yetz, as Synia had been talking of withdrawing from the war. I was going to be at the meeting as a member of security.

Adrian held out a folder to Raiten. "I'd like you to join me for the conference as a representative of our military force." I hid a frown. Adrian didn't need a military representative. Any point he wanted to make, he could without Raiten's help.

Raiten stood and accepted the folder, a practiced smile spreading across his face. "Thank you, sir. I'd consider it an honor."

"Wonderful." Adrian clapped his together and rose from his desk. "Everything you need to know will be in there." They shook hands again. Raiten saluted, then left.

The moment the door clicked shut, Adrian's smile dissolved into a look of irritation. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Did you pick up on that?"

"I saw you watching him," I said, crossing my arms. "What were you looking for?"

"A lie." Adrian leaned back against his desk, smirking at the door. "I found it."

"And?"

"He's here to kill me."

"Huh?" Why would anyone in the military want to kill Adrian? He had everyone convinced he was some kind of hero.

"He's from Yetz." Adrian folded his arms, "I'm almost certain. My sources can't trace him back more than ten years, and he's received too many promotions, too quickly." Adrian smirked at me. "And he's been following you."

I gripped the sides of my chair. "When?" I'd only seen him a few times. And why would he be watching me? I was a deadly machine in his mind, so why hang around me if he was a traitor?

"I think he's interested in The System," Adrian said. "But he doesn't know the details of it, so he probably wants to know how you function."

"Hmm." I'd be keeping track of Raiten from now on. I wasn't too concerned—he was only a Director—but it bothered me that I hadn't noticed him. "What are you going to do about him?"

"Observe him, for now. If he approaches you, handle it as quietly as you can, then report to me immediately," Adrian's stared into the distance. "I want to use him. If he figures out what you are, he might try to make a deal with you. If he does, stall and come see me. Use your best judgment."

"Is that why you're bringing him to the meeting?"

"That's why I told him he was going to the meeting. I'm unsure he'll take this chance, so be ready to deal with him."

So I'd likely be the one to kill Raiten. Either after Adrian used him for whatever purpose he had in mind, or in some quiet corner of the Facility. But regardless, Raiten would be dead soon.

"Fine," I said, rising from my chair. "Was that it?"

"Yes, you can go." Adrian waved me away.

"Wait," I said. "How did you know he was lying? Couldn't he have been nervous or excited?"

Adrian tilted his head. "Good question." He held up a finger and half pointed it towards me. "If you need to tell if someone is lying: talk about something that should be innocuous, but could pertain to a secret. If they overreact, they're hiding something."

"Hmm." I filed away the information for later. I wasn't sure when I'd use it, but it seemed valuable.

I left Adrian to his scheming and headed for the elevators. Adrian would wait for Raiten to speak with me. If Raiten didn't approach me before the meeting, I'd be ordered to kill him in some quiet room of the Facility. But I didn't understand why Adrian would want an assassin to attend the meeting, or why he'd let him speak to me. Adrian knew I wanted to kill him, I'd never hidden my murderous intent from him. I radiated my hatred for him with venomous glares and a cold voice.

So what was Adrian after?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I shrugged off my coat, throwing it onto the dining room table before collapsing onto the couch closing my eyes. Nathaniel would be back in about an hour, when his class ended. I'd finished my training, then practiced at the shooting range, without using The System.

Shooting without The System had become a habit. I still used it regularly, but for at least thirty minutes a day I'd shut it down and use my eyes, hands, gun, and nothing else. It made me feel in control.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, Nathaniel was perched on the other end of the couch. Across from him, Ruetile's projection leaned over a game-holo and Mika sat on the floor observing both of them. It was one of Nathaniel's flashy games, with miniature fireworks and annoying music every time someone captured a piece.

"Oh, good morning," Nathaniel said as I shifted awake.

"Good afternoon, you mean," I said, checking the time. I stretched and leaned forward. "How was class?"

"It was all right." Nathaniel selected a game piece, and tapped an empty square. The piece spun across the board and onto the space. I hadn't played this game, so it was nonsense to me, but Nathaniel had a concentrated furrow between his eyebrows. It was the same look he wore when he was studying a difficult lesson, or made a mistake, so he was likely loosing this game.

"He's failing biology," Ruetile chirped, smirking at Nathaniel.

Nathaniel glared at her. "I am not."

"No, he's not failing," Mika said, rolling his eyes. "But you are starting to struggle."

Ruetile moved one of her pieces. Nathaniel grimaced. "We're studying the immune system. I can't tell the difference between a macrophage or a helper T cell or phagocytes, and I don't need to."

I wasn't sure what those terms meant, but if they were part of the immune system, they seemed important. I raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want to be a doctor? That stuff sounds pretty applicable."

"I want to be a doctor, not a pathologist," Nathaniel said. He swiped a hand, and one of Ruetile's pieces vanished with a blue flash and an obnoxious jingle.

Mika and I made eye contact. "Does he need to know that?" I asked.

"Yep." Mika shot Nathaniel an amused glance.

Nathaniel opened his mouth, likely to protest again, but I spoke over him. "Can you help teach him that stuff?"

"Of course. Biology is one of my favorite subjects, so I don't even need to download the information."

"Hah!" Ruetile barked a laugh as one of Nathaniel's pieces exploded.

He crossed his arms. "I'm still winning."

I was glad Mika would be able to help Nathaniel, as he'd done with much of Nathaniel's education. Nathaniel outpaced me in his level of education a few years ago. My education had stopped five years ago, and Nathaniel was very bored, and very smart. He'd blazed through his lessons and left me with little way to help him once he started the harder ones. It gave me a feeling of inadequacy, but Mika's assistance lessened the feeling.

A quiet evening passed. Well, quiet for the three of them. They played several rounds of their game, after which Mika and Nathaniel studied for a while. Ruetile and Nathaniel played a spinning, endless tune on the piano. Eventually Nathaniel went to bed while Ruetile and Mika shut down for the night.

I finished the night feeling relaxed, despite the illegal ID chip hidden in my room and the strange predicament with Raiten.

The calm wouldn't last, but I enjoyed these fleeting moments between war and Adrian's games, when I could find them.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The training room seemed cavernous at night, the shadows seemed to push the walls out and the ceiling was lost in darkness. I stood of front of a punching bag, practicing a basic set of blows: jab, cross, hook, uppercut, now as instinctual as breathing. I could get lost in the repetition as the impact of my punches echoed off the walls.

It was something like two in the morning. I didn't want to sleep or stand still, and I didn't want to wake Nathaniel. If he knew I was up, he'd come sit by me until dawn. But he had class in the morning, so I'd abandoned our rooms and come here to burn away some of my volatile energy.

I delivered another cross, but before I could strike an uppercut, the training room door hissed open. I held my stance and pivoted around the punching bag to get a view of the door. I'd expected a janitor, maybe a lost member of the night staff. Instead Adrian stood just inside the doorway.

Resuming my strikes, I tried to maintain my usual cold demeanor. But I remembered the stolen ID chip, and panic edged my thoughts like rust. He shouldn't be here this time of night. If there was some last minute mission, he would've called me.

I needed to lose myself in the pattern, use the familiarity to keep the panic away. If I focused on this, I could remain calm, and if I was calm, he couldn't read anything from me. Jab. "What do you want?" Cross, hook, uppercut.

"Sit down."

My wrist buckled on the next punch.

There's a strange air around frozen lakes during a snowfall. The snow smothers the usual sounds of nature. The sounds of branches in the wind, bird song, the trickle of a stream are all swallowed by the snow. Only silence remains, except for the groans the ice makes as it settles on the lake. Warping, cracking echoes that fill the space between snowflakes.

When Adrian was angry, his voice would frost over with that sound, just along the edges.

I had to take a few seconds to chase away my fear, replacing it with anger. Usually, this strategy worked for me, but right now, I could only summon a sliver of rage. I lowered my arms and raised my eyes to his. He pointed to the benches along the wall, his hand clenched tight. I abandoned the punching bag and sat where he indicated. Adrenaline made the tips of my fingers feel fuzzy. I set my hands on my knees, reinforcing myself. I'd failed, and now the consequences were about to make impact.

Adrian stood a few feet in front of me, but I locked my glare on his shoes. He knew about the chip. It was the only thing I'd done that would have made him this mad. I'd screwed up. My thoughts dissolved into static. All I could do was grip my knees to try to anchor myself.

"How did you get it?" Adrian finally asked. He held out his hand, and in its center was the chip. I'd hidden it in my bed frame, since I couldn't keep it on my person. I hissed in a breath. He'd been in our rooms. With Nathaniel.

I opened my mouth, but Adrian spoke before I could. "Tell me everything."

My mouth snapped shut. I gave a sharp nod and took three rattling breaths, one breath for panic, one for anger, and one to accept reality. I wanted to jump up and strike him. Remove the threat he posed, and beat him until his blood dripped from my knuckles, but I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough. He'd bat me aside and the situation would be even worse for my retaliation.

So I told him about the mission, how I'd found the chips and folders and taken one, how I'd burned the matching folders and hidden the chip. I held my voice steady, sterile.

When I'd finished, he made a sound between a sigh and a growl. "What was your plan?" he asked. "What were you going to do next?"

"Wait until you had a busy day. One when you wouldn't call for me or notice if I was gone. I would've taken Nathaniel, stopped at a makeup booth to disguise myself, and gone to a rail station. I was going to use the chip to get us on a rail to Chav'i."

"And then?" he asked, an impatient growl in his tone.

I shrugged. "Find a job. Get a home." Live.

Adrian's gaze burned into the top of my head, but I kept my eyes low. He sighed, some of the anger draining from his stance. "I'd expected you to try something like this someday. You've always been explosive in your anger. I'm impressed you waited this long." He paused. When he resumed his voice held a tinge of disgust. "But this was just stupid."

I frowned as he sat on the bench next to me. "Not the first part," Adrian said, rubbing the chip in his fingers. "That was smart. But you thought you could make a life in Chav'i? Anywhere?"

I wasn't sure what he meant. Why it would be such an issue? He read my confusion from my silence.

"I'll tell how your plan would have gone," he said. "Maybe you would have left the Facility and arrived at the rail station. Probably not, but you might have made it that far. If you managed to get to Chav'i, where would you have been hired? What are you good at?"

My eyebrows drew together. I realized what he was trying to tell me, and it left me cold.

"Nothing," Adrian said. His tone cut at me like a razor. "Nothing but fighting and killing. You don't have the social skills to manage even a basic job. If you wanted to educate yourself, you'd have to pay for your schooling, but you wouldn't even be able to pay for Nathaniel's. That would leave you working at the mines. They'd pay you enough to live on, barely, but you'd be working twelve hours shifts every day. You'd have no time for Nathaniel and no money for his education." Adrian paused, letting me recover from the barrage. "The only work you'd find would be the same thing you do now."

Despair constricted my chest, leaving my breaths short and painful. There was nothing. Nothing I could do to make this situation with the ID chip better, nothing I could do to get Nathaniel and myself away from Adrian, nowhere we could go, and no one who would help us.

Back at the beginning, I'd told myself I would wait. I couldn't do anything then, but I'd wait for the moment I could escape, fight, anything. There might have been a window for action, but if there was, it had already closed. It would never open again.

I finally looked at Adrian. His green eyes almost glowed in the dark, glinting with rage. But I thought I saw a sliver of sympathy as well, and it felt like a blow to the stomach. "This can get better," he said. "This can be your job; you can build a life like this. I know I've kept your leash short, but if you show me you're loyal, I can make things better. Maybe you'd like a house, outside of the facility?"

I frowned. My thoughts drifted back to me, away from the static they had become. But they were still cold and indistinct. Adrian, the bench beneath me, the training room, even my hands felt distant and unfamiliar. "A house?" asked the tiny part of me keeping up with the conversation.

"Yes, one that's entirely yours." I ran a numb hand over my face before letting it drop back into my lap. I wanted that, a house. But I didn't want the life that it would be tied to. "It will have to be isolated," Adrian said, "but you might like that."

"Oh." I couldn't get away from this. I didn't want this. Nathaniel didn't want this. I didn't want to become this person. But that was the problem: I already was. "Okay," I said, my voice sounding flat even to me.

"Good." Adrian slapped a hand onto my shoulder. "Show me you're taking this seriously, and you'll get a house. We'll start there, then we can talk about more." I nodded. He stood, pocketing the chip. He turned and left, leaving me alone in the shadows.

I didn't cry, I hadn't in years. Instead I just felt tired, like I'd always felt this coming, always been struggling against it, but now that it was here, I didn't have any energy left to be anguished.

My life would be better now. No more fighting this: I could just give up and follow Adrian's instructions, never having to think for myself. Nathaniel would be happier, and this could put him on track for a more normal life. But I'd be killing for the rest of my life. I'd always be this.

I rose to put away the punching bag, my movements feeling stiff and mechanical. When I released the bag, my hands shook, and instead for turning left when I exited the training room, towards Nathaniel and the regret I'd feel when I saw him, I went right, towards the shooting gallery.

Present:

"I do believe we're being stared at," Fai said, leaning forward to rest his chin in his hand. Tables, chairs, and people crowded the floor of the wood and brick building in an unorganized mess. Barmaids weaved through with practiced ease, balancing trays and glasses. A huge fire crackled in the fireplace, welcoming the crowd and filling the upper half of the room with haze. The place stank of smoke and alcohol, but the heat and shelter had been a relief after our hike through the snow.

My shoes, the bottom part of my pants, and my hair were soaked by the snow. I'd taken off my boots to dry, but there wasn't much I could do about the rest.

Syaoran leaned across the table, glancing at the sea of people around us. "Our clothes are completely different. We stand out too much."

The moment we'd entered the building all eyes had locked on us. It wasn't a mystery why. The clothing of this world was bizarre. The men wore thick coats, some with handkerchiefs around their necks, stockings pulled over their pants to just below the knees, and clunky boots and shoes. The women's clothes were even stranger. They maneuvered around the room in frilly dresses that constricted their waists, but billowed out into skirts that took up five times the space the woman did. It was a wonder they could navigate a crowded space like this, let alone breathe.

Kurogane ignored the stares, or didn't care, as he tore apart a steak he'd ordered and Mokona edged toward his plate like a giggling hyena.

Sakura sat next to Syaoran, her head constantly pivoting as she tried to take in the room's activity all at once. Her eyes were bright with curiosity, so I didn't think she'd fall into another sleeping spell soon.

"Our clothes are different." Fai shrugged. "Especially Kuro-tan's."

Kurogane shot a glare at Fai and might have tried to growl something at him past the steak.

Syaoran glanced back at the tavern owner before leaning in closer. "Will everything be all right? I mean, the food."

"Hm?" Fai tilted his head.

Syaoran's eyebrows drew together. "We don't have any money for his world."

"We'll be just fine."

"Are you saying we should steal?" I asked. "We could, but that would bring up more issues with the law enforcement here we need to consider." This town was fairly small, which mean we wouldn't be able to hide in it. Leaving the town would mean hiking through more snow, and with no idea of how far the next town was, that would be dangerous with how ill-equipped for the cold we were.

Fai laughed. "No, that won't be necessary. Right, Sakura-chan?"

"Huh?" Sakura said, blinking.

"How will she help?" I asked. I couldn't think of how Sakura would help us with this. She'd been narcoleptic for our journey so far, and hadn't displayed any expertise that I could remember.

Fai put a hand to his chin and looked over my shoulder. "I'd say that game over there would be a good start."

I twisted in my chair to see two well-dressed men playing cards a few tables over. Their clothes were full of ruffles and their faces were white with makeup. I turned back to Fai with a frown, unable to connect Sakura to money to these men. But Fai was already moving to help Sakura from her seat.

Minutes later, a bewildered Sakura sat across from two men, blinking at a fan of cards in her hands. Fai and Syaoran stood behind her, coaching her, I assumed. Syaoran seemed all right with the idea of Sakura gambling, and she didn't protest, so I decided to let them deal with whatever would happen. Gambling could get us money, but I had no idea why Sakura was our chosen gambler.

I remained at the table across from Kurogane, who'd ordered another steak after Mokona snatched the first. He tore at the second one with equal ferocity, occasionally pausing to bat Mokona away.

Watching the bustle of the tavern, I sat back and crossed my arms. I knew we had to establish ourselves in this world before anything else, but knowing Nathaniel could be here wore down my patience. He wouldn't like this world. It was too cold and there wasn't even electricity.

I closed my eyes and dialed up my hearing. The tavern buzzed with conversation, but I focused on a few voices and listened for anything useful. After several conversations of farm work, weather, and general life, one final broke from normal chatter.

"They just disappear."

"How do you mean?"

"In the middle of the night, they vanish. The rest of the town's lost their minds. Carter had to go through there about a week back and they chased him off the moment he stepped into town."

"Can hardly blame them if—"

"What the heck is going on?" My eyes snapped open and I turned to look behind me. One of the men playing against Sakura stood halfway out of his seat, glaring at her. I dismissed the conversation I'd followed, redirecting my focus to the sneering man. "Maybe you're cheating."

Maybe she was. But the man's anger meant she was winning, so that was good news for us. Fai scooped an assortment of coins and bills off the table into a bag, grinning.

"She had no opportunity to cheat. But," Fai pointed over to our table, "if you have any complaints, the two in black over there will be happy to hear them."

I wasn't sure how intimidating I appeared. I was just a kid, but that might be irrelevant. To these men, I was a stranger in all black, scars up my arms with enough muscle to imply I was used to hard work. The sword on my hip and angry glint in my eyes probably solidified the look of a fighter, but that was juxtaposed against my age, which must have left them with the impression of something off about me. To be sure, I unsheathed my knife, held it up, and spun it between my fingers.

With Kurogane, there was no question. Upon hearing Fai reference us, he glowered over at the men or Fai—probably Fai—with a growl.

The two men burst into nervous laughter, throwing their hands up. "S-sorry. Never mind! It's fine."

Fai held out an arm to Sakura. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. Because of you, our treasury is well stocked."

Fai, Sakura, and Syaoran returned to our table. Our barkeep, a large man with a bristling mustache, came over after they sat down. "Young lady, I'm impressed!" As he approached, Mokona darted off the table and onto the empty chair next to me, out of the man's sight.

Sakura gave him a nervous smile. "I still don't understand the rules. Did I do okay?"

The man bellowed a laugh. "And you're good with the jokes too!" He eyed us each for a moment. "Your clothes are . . . unusual. Are you travelers?"

"Yes," Syaoran said, "We've been searching for something, and it's taken us a long way."

"And your next destination?" the man asked.

Syaoran glanced at me. "We're not sure yet."

The man nodded, his cheer vanishing. "Then I have some advice for you. If you're thinking of travelling north, choose another direction." The man's mouth had become a firm line, and his shoulders tightened. I straighten in my seat, uncrossing my arms. I'd dismiss his unease, but he'd handled our appearances well. Whatever he was talking about, it was more than some quirk in their rumor mill.

Fai propped his head in his hands. "Why would that be?"

"There's a town to the north with a frightening legend connected to it."

Syaoran straightened. "What legend is that?"

The man set down the tray on an empty table beside us and folded his arms. "Long ago, in a castle just north of that town, there was a beautiful princess with locks of gold. One day, a bird with a feather in its beak flew down to the princess. It gave the feather to the princess and said, 'This feather is power, a strange and wonderful power, and I give it to you.' And the princess took the feather. Soon after, the king and queen died and the castle passed to the princess. With that, the children of the castle's town began disappearing one by one, as if they were drawn to the feather. And the children never returned." My gaze settled on my knuckles, and I realized I'd unconsciously clenched my hand into a fist. It could just be a legend, but the part about the feather kept me from dismissing the story.

A feather with 'strange and wonderful power' sounds too much like the feathers Sakura and Syaoran are looking for. But Mokona said he hadn't sensed a feather.

But first. "Mokona," I whispered, "the reading you're getting on my brother—what direction is it coming from?"

Mokona folded his ears back. "North."

I closed my eyes. "Of course."

"That's a fairy tale you're telling us," Fai said.

"No." The waiter shook his head. "It's all true."

Syaoran had that determined light in his eyes, the one that sparked up whenever a feather was mentioned. "So," he said, "the northern town and the castle really exist? If it's been more than three hundred years they must be in ruins by now. But even with a story like that connected to it . . ."

"If it was over three hundred years ago, why avoid it now?" I asked.

The man gave me a nervous stare. "Because the children have started to disappear again, just like in the legend."

Our group shared a look, before everyone's eyes fell on Syaoran and Sakura. Syaoran frowned. "I'd like to go," he said, "even if Mokona said there isn't a feather here. But I said I'd help you . . . "

He trailed off when I raised a hand. "We don't need to split up or anything," I said. I nodded to Mokona, "It seems I need to go north as well."

The barkeep's eyes darted across our group, his eyebrows low in bewilderment. I almost saw him give a mental shrug as Fai handed him a handful of coins and he bustled back to the kitchen.

When the man was out of eavesdropping distance, Syaoran faced me. "Do you think your brother will be near that town?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I've seen nothing to contradict it yet, and with the mention of a feather, it seems strangely coincidental. But," I looked at Mokona, "I thought you said you didn't sense a feather in this world?"

Mokona sprang back into motion. "Mokona doesn't!" His ears fluttered. "Mokona can't sense anything."

Fai nodded. "But it's still worth looking into. A legend about a powerful feather seems awfully specific."

Kurogane slapped down his fork and knife next to his empty plate and pushed away from the table. "Then let's get this done." He strode towards the door.

The rest of us shared a glance and followed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I grappled with my horse's reigns, trying to get the creature back under control. The horse whipped its head and stomped, settling down when I gave another yank on the reins. "Why," I hissed, "would anyone think of animals as a good form of transportation?"

Fai laughed, walking his horse passed me with ease. "Alice-san, maybe you should loosen the reins a little? I think you may be confusing him."

I followed his advice, letting a few inches of the lead slip through my hands. My horse snorted, but stopped trying to rip the reins from my grip.

When Sakura had won her game, she'd earned more money than expected. Enough to get us all new clothes, food, and horses. Buying clothes had been interesting. Syaoran and Sakura had been fitted quickly with little fuss. Kurogane and Fai followed, Kurogane insisting on black clothing.

I'd baffled the tailor. Apparently, your gender strictly defined the style of clothing you should wear. When the tailor came to take my measurements, he started talking about styles of skirt and color. Maybe the women in the tavern could maneuver in those dresses, but I couldn't. I'd had to carefully explain to him that, yes, I wanted an overcoat and pants, yes, I was certain, and yes, I am a woman but you're getting paid for this and I'm in a hurry so do your job. After that he'd been happy to let me purchase a blue and grey overcoat, trousers, a suffocating neckerchief, and boots. Over all, it was better than a dress, but still a heavy and stiff outfit.

That had been yesterday. Today, I'd had spent the last six hours learning how to ride a horse. Watching the others, who all had some experience riding, taught me how to place my feet and how to sit. I'd improved through the day, but I was still making mistakes. Like yanking the reins too hard.

I tapped my heels against the horse's side gently, to avoid getting bucked off, and the beast lumbered into a nice trot. In the front of the group, Sakura shared a horse with Syaoran. Behind them was Fai, then me, and Kurogane in the back.

The order had shuffled on occasion on our journey to the northern town, the road wide enough in some places for us to ride in a group instead of single file. We'd met no one on our way, surrounded by leafless trees and snow.

"This forest is certainly spooky," Fai said, admiring the dead trees.

Kurogane snorted. "I don't care about that. It's getting colder, isn't it?"

I ran a check with The System. "It's dropped to thirty degrees. When we started we started it was around forty."

Fai pondered the overcast sky. "It could snow soon."

Syaoran looked at Sakura. "Are you all right?"

Sakura smiled and pulled her cloak tighter. "I'm fine. These clothes are very warm."

"Ah," Fai said. "Sakura-chan, your country is in a desert, isn't it?"

"Yes," she said, "but the desert at night can be very cold."

Fai leaned over to Kurogane. "And your country, Kuro-rin?"

Kurogane's gaze stayed fixed on the path ahead, but the hint of a glare settled over his features. "Japan is a country with four seasons. It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer."

"Alice-san?" Fai asked.

"My country," I said, trying to guide my horse away from the edge of the road and a patch of grass, "has gentle climates." On our trips away from the facility, I'd spent many days sitting in the grass with Nathaniel, letting a cool breeze run between us as we admired the mountains and pines. "It can get hot, and it sometimes snows, but it mostly rains a lot."

Mokona, who rested in Fai's collar, asked, "What about your country, Fai?"

"It's in the far north, so it's very cold."

"And you, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked.

"Well," he said, a nostalgic smile on his face, "my father brought me along with him to many different countries."

"So," Sakura said, "you're used to cold and hot countries!" I thought I caught a bit of sadness in Syaoran's smile. It would make sense, as a childhood friend of his, this shouldn't be news to Sakura. But Syaoran hid it well, and I wasn't sure I'd hadn't imagined it.

"Look!" Mokona cried. He pointed ahead of us, and I followed his paw to a sign on the side of the road. An elegantly carved wooden board hung from an iron pole, the paint faded and cracking. There were characters on the sign, but I couldn't read them. We pulled our horses to a stop under it, gazing at it as it swung in the wind, chains squeaking.

"Hmm," Fai said, "what does it say?"

"It says 'spirit." Syaoran said. "At least I think that's how it's read. If they pronounce the letters the same way as the language my father taught me."

As Syaoran explained, I guided my horse around him to stand in the center of the road. We stood on the crest of a hill, and below us the road wound into a town. The buildings were all made of wood, with the largest no bigger than a townhouse. Smoke billowed from the chimneys of every building. Most of them appeared to be homes, but I couldn't see anyone in the streets.

I leaned forward on my horse, standing on the stirrups to get a better view as I used the System to sharpen my vision and increase my hearing. The streets were empty; I couldn't even see someone on a doorstep. Silence and the whispers of the wind were all I heard. I was about to look back to the others, but in one of the windows of the houses, a curtain fluttered.

"Hmm," Kurogane muttered. I glanced over at him, and our eyes met. Something was wrong here.

Syaoran, Fai and Sakura were oblivious, chattering about Syaoran's linguistic skills.

"Hey!" Kurogane barked. "This isn't the time for cheerful conversation."

The others jumped, then turned their gazes toward the town. "It's the middle of the day," I said. "People should be out, working, playing, or clearing snow. Mokona, is Nathaniel here?"

Mokona's ears fluttered. "He feels close here."

"Right then." I flicked my reins and started down the trail. The others followed, silent as we approached the town.

When we reached the first row of houses I started scanning the windows. I'd catch the flutter of movement or a sliver of a face before the curtains fell closed. I used The System to increase my hearing and found a clamor of whispers fluttering through the houses.

"Who are they?"

"Get away from the window!"

"Go tell James. Quickly!"

The snowy streets were untouched, with the exception of a few trails of footprints. I wasn't sure when it had fallen, but a hard layer had formed on the surface of the snow, so I guessed it had been at least a day.

"I have a feeling," Fai said, his voice low, "that we aren't entirely welcome here."

"It's not just a feeling," Kurogane said. "They don't want us here."

A click sounded to our left, and a child swung open a house's door. Freckles peppered her face, framed by a corkscrew set of pigtails. She clutched a stuffed toy cat and stared up at us with sleepy curiosity.

Syaoran gave the girl a soft smile. "Hello. Could you tell me if this town is—"

The door jerked open and a woman's hand reached out, snagging the girl by her arm and wrenching back into the house. The door slammed shut and two locks click into place, followed by a woman's earnest whisper. "You know you're not allowed outside!"

I wanted to listen more and try to gather more information, but a stampede of crunching footsteps rose behind us. Yanking my horse's reigns, I spun the animal around, Fai and Kurogane doing the same. Syaoran didn't move, keeping his back to whatever approached, setting himself between it and Sakura.

A mob of townsmen stopped in front of us, rifles leveled. Blue lines crisscrossed the air between us and the mob, each one the line of fire. At least three pointed at each of our hearts. Without realizing it, I angled my horse so that I faced perpendicular to the mob, presenting a smaller target. My hand closed over air at my hip, and I realized I'd reached for my nonexistent gun. I clenched my hand into a fist over the space, frustration coiling in my muscles.

"Who are you people?" shouted a man at the front of the mob. He didn't have a gun pointed at us, but he did have one slung across his back. His eyebrows furrowed into a seething glare.

I took a slow breath and reminded myself that they hadn't shot us yet, so they must be open to talking. I'd never been good at talking. I could fight and shoot, but negotiating wasn't in my skill set. So I kept my mouth shut and hoped Kurogane would do the same.

Syaoran spoke, his voice level. "We travel from town to town investigating old legends and buildings."

Good, not too far from the truth; it was a good idea to keep a lie simple. We'd need to stay here and look around, so this would be a good excuse for our nosiness.

The man sneered, his eyebrows arching like angry cats. "What do you do with this 'investigation?"

Syaoran, with the most matter-of-fact tone, said, "We're going to write a book."

There goes simple.

"A book?" the man barked.

"Yes," Syaoran said.

"Written by children like you?"

"No," Syaoran pointed to Fai, "written by him."

Fai nodded, picking up the lie without a blink. "It's all true." He waved a hand at Sakura and Syaoran. "This young lady is my sister. The boy is my assistant." He pointed to me and I stiffened, waiting to see what role I'd be assigned. "This is Alec, our guide."

All right. I'd be a boy for our stay here. It'd better to appear predictable to this explosive town: a boy, rather than a girl dressed as one. Anything new or strange was usually met with violence by frightened populaces.

"And he's the hired help," Fai said indicating Kurogane.

Kurogane's head snapped around. "Who's the hired help—?" Kurogane's sentence ended in a snarl as Mokona, who had hidden behind Kurogane, launched himself into the man's lower back.

A shout rang out behind us. "Stop right there!"

I twisted in my saddle to see a man dart between our horses. He had a lanky build, a pair of spectacles perched on the edge of his nose, and his dark eyes glowered at the men before us. He swung a threadbare bag with his angry steps.

The man set himself between us and the guns of the townsmen. "Don't you dare point guns at innocent travelers!"

The men's furious expressions faded into concern as they lowered their rifles. The man in front glowered at us before speaking to the newcomer. "But at a time of crisis like this, outsiders . . ." Their instant response meant this man was some figure of authority, or at least great respect, in the town. I wondered what position he held to get this kind of obedience.

"It's precisely because they're outsiders that your guns are so rude." The peacekeeper turned to face us, arms open wide. "Please forgive us, travelers. And I welcome you to Spirit."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I'm Kyle Rondart, the doctor of the town" Kyle said, walking backing into the foyer with a tray of steaming mugs. The doctor, after talking down the town's militia, had offered to let us stay in the old inn he used as a home and office. The building stood two stories high, made of brick and dark wood with a plain iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling, flickering with candle light. Combined with the crackling fireplace and soft couch, it was a cozy place.

"Thank you so much for putting us up," Syaoran said. He stood next to Sakura, who sat on the couch. Fai leaned on the other side and Kurogane leaned against the fireplace, arms crossed. I hung back, behind the others and the couch.

"Think nothing of it," the doctor said, handing each of us a mug, "I have more rooms than I can use."

I sniffed and found the sharp scent unfamiliar. I took a small sip. It tasted vaguely similar to coffee, but less bitter, almost spicy. Maybe some cinnamon? It could have been tea, but one I wasn't familiar with. None of the others seemed put off by the drink, so I absently sipped at it as they spoke with Kyle.

There was a moment's warning as the door handle clicked, then the front door slammed open.

"What is this supposed to mean, doctor?" A man strode into the room, his face set in a dark scowl and a cane tapping alongside him. "Are you insane, taking stick-at-naught strangers into your home at a time like this?" He towered above his companion, a hunched old man scuttling along at his side.

"Mr. Grosum," the old man begged, "please calm yourself."

"Who can be calm in this situation, mayor?" The man slammed his cane down with a crack. "When we haven't found a single child!" His eyes met mine, accusing, before darting to the others.

"Exactly why I took them in," Kyle said. "These people say they've been investigating legends throughout the lands. There is no telling how much help they could be in our current situation."

Kyle surprised me. In one regard, this wasn't a terrible idea. From his point of view, we were researchers who could potentially help. However, it was incredibly naïve to trust a bunch of strangers who suddenly appeared in town after the children started disappearing. But maybe he had assessed both of these possibilities and invited us to his inn to observe us. Whichever was true, he was smart. I'd have to watch him.

Mr. Grosum scowled at us. "A bunch of good-for-nothing travelers from god knows where. What could they possibly know?"

Kyle waved a hand at us. "They could know things that no one who lives here knows."

I held back a snort. He didn't know how right he was.

"After all that's happened," Mr. Grosum said, his voice lower, "whatever they know, it's too late." He spun away, stalking out of the house.

The mayor glanced between Kyle and Mr. Grosum. "I-In any event, doctor, please make sure these people do not go out of doors at night." The mayor shuffled after Mr. Grosum and Kyle closed the door behind them.

"Forgive me," Kyle said. "He gave me no time for introductions. That was the mayor and Mr. Grosum. He—Mr. Grosum, that is—owns most of the land in this area."

Fai leaned forward, giving the doctor a sympathetic smile. "We've come during a terrible time for you, haven't we? We heard the legend in the next town over."

The doctor sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. "I, too, assumed it was a fairy tale, I never believed that children would actually begin to go missing. We put every effort possible into the search, but we never found even one of them. And now the number is as high as twenty!"

My eyebrows shot up. Twenty kids. Twenty children who'd disappeared was certainly alarming. But it was also ridiculous. How did twenty kids just vanish? What kind of security did this town have? Although, twenty missing kids would justify the hostile greeting.

Sakura put a hand over her mouth. "That many . . . "

The doctor frowned, determination setting his mouth in a thin line. "But I didn't lie to the mayor and Mr. Grosum. I don't care how trivial the knowledge seems, if you know anything that might lead us to find the children, please tell us!"

Kyle's request opened a door for me. I could tell him a simplified story about Nathaniel, only telling him that he was missing and I was searching for him. Nathaniel could be among the missing, but if my brother was here, in town, then Kyle could tell me and this would be over. But if not, he could know something about Nathaniel. Kyle was seemingly the kindest person we'd met so far, so he was probably the person to ask. This could get him to mentally place me on the same side as the rest of the town. That would mean I'd have to distance myself from the others, but only be when the town was watching. I'd inform them of my plan once Kyle left.

"Doctor Kyle," I said, remembering to deepen my voice to fit a boy's, "I've come here with more personal reasons than my companions." I took a step forward and raised my hearing until I could listen to his heartbeat. Kyle might be the good person he appeared to be, but those people were very rare, and I wasn't ready to accept that he was one of them. If what I was about to say made him nervous, I wanted to know it. "My younger brother is missing, and I heard he'd been seen in this town. He has short black hair, like mine." I raised a hand to chest height, "He's about this tall, and his eyes are blue, but he wears an eyepatch over his left eye."

While I spoke, I listened to Rondart's breathing, his heartbeat. I thought of Adrian, of how his eyes always found the signals of a lie, and I tried to channel his cold logic. This wasn't the neutral kind of topic Adrian advised me to use, but it might tell me something.

Rondart held his hands at his side, a relaxed stance. His eyebrows drew together, but that was likely an expression of concern. "I'm sorry," Rondart said, sympathy in his voice, "but you're the only newcomers we've had in a long time. I haven't seen any children with that description." His breathing remained steady, but his heartbeat rose. I frowned. That could indicate a lie, though it could also indicate honest empathy. His hands remained still and his eyes stayed fixed on mine. I'd assume he was telling the truth.

If Nathaniel wasn't living with the townsfolk, but was nearby, I'd count him among the missing. That left three possibilities, only one of them good. Either all the missing children were alive somewhere, Nathaniel among them, or they were all dead. That was terrible enough. But the last possibility was that Nathaniel had been here, but the town had turned him away and left him to the cold. Mokona had said Nathaniel's presence felt odd. What if that meant he was dead?

A bolt of dread shot through me before I crushed it. Nothing had changed. I was still focusing on finding Nathaniel. Whatever the results, I could deal with them later.

But if he was dead, I'd kill whoever was responsible.

I let that icy promise set in my heart. "Thank you," I said. I'd managed to keep my expression calm, but I could only smooth my voice from sharp to stiff. "But my source was very reliable. If my brother isn't in the town, he could be among the missing children. I'll do everything I can to help find them."

Kyle beamed. "Thank you. I'm grateful for any help."

I managed to give him a tepid smile in return. Until I found Nathaniel, I wouldn't take anyone's word as truth.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"The good news is we have rooms for the night," Fai said.

We stood in the hall on the second floor of the inn. We'd been left to select our own rooms after Kyle had left to assist in another night's search. A window in the hall showed him joining a team of men, each with a lantern, as they disappeared into the shadows of the town. Sakura watched the party disperse with a worried frown.

Fai nudged Syaoran with an elbow. "That was a smooth move out there, telling them we're writing a book."

Syaoran grinned. "The same thing happened when I was traveling with my father."

Fai sat on the windowsill, watching the search party. "The situation is grave for these people. Although there's no telling whether it has anything to do with the princess with locks of gold. Alice-san, what do you think?"

I studied the trees outside. "For now, I'm going to assume it's a person and not some magical phenomenon that's responsible. We should consider both, but we shouldn't trust anyone. This town is too isolated for a traveler to be responsible and go unseen. I'm going to try to get closer to the town to find the culprit, which means distancing myself from the rest of you." I glanced at each of them. "Tomorrow I'll go on my own to investigate some things. There are some techniques I know from my world that help solve situations like this."

Fai stretched, pushing off from the windowsill. "That's a good idea. I think we'll all be doing some sleuthing tomorrow. For now, though, we should get some sleep."

"Right," I said.

Sakura's head bobbed and she stumbled forward. Syaoran gasped, lunging to catch her under the arms.

Fai laughed. "And I imagine Her Highness could use some rest."

Syaoran and Fai carried Sakura into a nearby room, laying her in the bed. I followed them in, taking off my coat and hanging it on the corner of the other free bed in the room.

"Alice-san," Fai said, "not that I'm objecting, but if you're posing as a boy, wouldn't it be odd to sleep here? Maybe you should take your own room."

"I think it best if I sleep in here," I said, leaning against the bed frame. "I'll be awake before anyone else, so I'll leave the room before Kyle or anyone notices. And I don't think it's wise for any of us to sleep alone while were here, especially Sakura. Kyle might trust us, but the rest of the town certainly doesn't. Scared people do stupid things."

Fai propped his hands on his hips. "That's a good point. Syaoran?" Fai and I looked to Syaoran for approval.

"I think that's a good idea," Syaoran said, glancing from Sakura to the window.

"All right," I said.

"Mokona will stay too!" Mokona flew from Fai's shoulder and onto Sakura's bed, landing on the pillow next to her with a giggle.

"Well then," Fai said, "goodnight." He left the room with a wave.

"Goodnight," Syaoran said, his gaze lingering on Sakura before he followed Fai out of the room.

I shut the door behind them and checked for any locks I could use. There wasn't a keypad by the door, of course. The only mechanism I could find was a bolt on the door and frame. I slid it into place, giving the door a good tug after to test it. Satisfied, I walked to the window and latched it.

I scanned the room, giving it a final check. Sakura and Mokona were asleep, the window was secure, and the door was locked. Now I just had to wait until morning.

Staring out the window, I slumped onto my bed. I didn't want to sleep tonight, not with so many uncertainties around me, so instead I watched the street, waiting. A man with a lantern patrolled, peering down every road. He marched from view, then the glow from his lantern disappeared as well.

Hours later, snow had covered the man's footprints, leaving a white sheet across the town. Snowflakes shivered down from the sky and crows shuffled in the dead tree branches.

Sakura groaned, rolling over and rubbing her eyes. She sat up, blinking at me.

"Did I fall asleep again?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, shifting to face her. "We're in one of the inn's rooms. The others are down the hall."

She nodded, looking from the door to the rest of the room. When her eyes landed on the window, she jumped to her feet.

I stood, following her line of sight, but there was nothing. Only the empty street, the snow, and the birds. "What is it?" I asked.

Sakura ran to the window, pressing her hands against the pane. "It's the princess with the locks of gold!"

The crows took off from the branches, flying low over the snow. I moved to stand behind Sakura, trying to find the woman she was talking about, but there was no one there. The System analyzed the street, checking for anything matching a human figure. It targeted some of the tree branches, but those were errors, so I dismissed them. Nothing else came up.

"Sakura," I said, frowning, "I don't see anything."

"What?" she said. "But she's right there." She pointed to the middle of the vacant street.

"Here," I said, "move over for a moment."

Sakura stepped aside and I unlatched the window, shoving it open and letting in a gust of winter air. I listened and heard only the flutter of birds' wings. "Can you hear anything?" I asked.

Sakura looked from me back out the window. Her eyes moved like she was following something. "No," she said. "she's quiet."

"You can see her walking in the street?" I clarified.

"Yes."

"Is she leaving footprints?"

Sakura frowned, then her hand flew to cover her mouth. "No!"

I leaned forward, looking her in the eyes. She was coherent, and she was speaking in complete sentences, so I doubted she was sleep walking. I wanted to try one last thing.

"Sakura, can you see the yellow birds?" I asked. I knew when some people were half asleep, you could manipulate their dreams by suggesting things.

Her face scrunched in confusion. "No, the birds are black."

I sighed. "You're right. I was trying to make sure you weren't dreaming." I ran a hand down my face and tried to keep my mind open. Something magical must be happening, but the woman would be leaving footprints if she were just invisible. This didn't make sense. Magic didn't make sense. There were no rules for me to work with. I couldn't apply logic to something that's nature was to defy it.

"Oh," Sakura gasped, "she's gone!" The street only held snow now. Even the birds were gone. "Should we go look for her?"

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Why?"

"What if she's taking the children?"

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I couldn't go out. I'd leave footprints in the snow, which would bring accusations in the morning, especially if a child did vanish.

I shook my head. "It's not a good idea to go after her. I can't see her, you don't know where she is now, it's the middle of the night, and the townspeople don't trust us. We should talk to Fai about this tomorrow. He might have some insight."

Sakura nodded, but she fiddled with the fabric of her skirt.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Is— " She frowned. "If you couldn't see her, does that mean she was a dream?"

"Maybe." I shrugged. "But magic seems to react strangely around me."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Oh, right. You weren't around for most of it. In Koryo, we had to get into the Ryanban's castle, but there was a magical barrier around it. We made a deal with Yuuko to get a magic orb that would break the barrier. Syaoran was able hold the orb without any problem, but when I touched it, it burned me. Then, later, when we fought with a witch, she used magic acid to attack us. It hurt the others badly, but it didn't work on me. So," I nodded to the window, "if the princess is magical, I could be unable to see her."

"That's strange," Sakura said.

I nodded, reaching up the close the window, cutting off the cold air, and relocking it. I sat back on my bed, setting my elbow on my knee and resting my head in my hand as I watched the street.

"So should we go back to bed until morning?" Sakura asked, sitting on her bed.

"Nothing else to do," I said.

She nodded and crawled beneath her covers. After several minutes passed I thought Sakura had fallen back asleep, until she spoke. "Are you going to sleep?"

"No," I said.

"Are you sure?" she asked, "I mean, you looked very tired last night, at Chu'Nyan's house. If that was last night. I'm not sure how long it's been anymore."

"I was," I said, "but I don't need to sleep as often as most people." That might have been a lie. I wasn't sure if The System reduced my need for sleep, or if I'd inadvertently conditioned myself to ignore sleep deprivation.

Wait, Sakura had noticed I was tired? When I woke up in Koryo, I found a blanket draped across me that hadn't been there when I'd fallen asleep. "Sakura, were you the one who gave me a blanket?"

"Yes," she said, "I thought you might be cold."

"Hmm," I said. "Thanks." The word came out stiffer than I'd intended. She'd reminded me of Nathaniel, when he would sit next to me on the nights I couldn't sleep.

Sakura gave me a warm smile before rolling over and pulling her covers up. After a few minutes her breathing slowed along with her heartbeat. This time she was really asleep.

A tap drew my attention to the window. A crow perched on the windowsill, it's head tilted and eye glinting as it peered in at me. It watched me for a few seconds before it flew from the window and into the night sky.