REBIRTH

Chapter Five: Five years later

Jono

A streak of black hair dodged through the crowded Roman market place. Cursing under his breath Jono tried to escape the guards. A large hand jerked the back of his torn toga, choking the boy. Tears welled up in his eyes, but Jono refused to cry. He refused to show weakness to his enemies. With a snarl Jono started to twist and turn, kicking and striking out with his fists. The Man holding him chuckled and tossed Jono up into the air. With a yelp Jono realized that he was in the air, breath rushed out of his lungs as he crashed into the man's arms.

"Calm down young one." The man smiled as he looked down into the boys red eyes. Jono glared into the man's face, noticing the man's pale blue eyes.

"Wa do ya want!" Jono spat out. The man only smiled.

"Honey?" A woman's soft voice could be heard somewhere behind him. A baby suddenly cried and the woman quickly started to rock the baby.

"I have found us a son!" The man said as he turned to face his wife. Jono gasped as he saw the albino woman, noticing first her long white hair then the ruby red eyes. The woman started at the boy in her husband's arms, taking in the black hair that graced both males. A smile bloomed across her face and Jono blushed, the smile had made the woman beautiful.

"What is your name child?" The woman asked.

"Jono." He muttered.

"Well Jono, would you like to be our son?" The man asked, smiling as he noticed his wife taking the rest of the boy's condition. He knew that she was already thinking how thin the boy was and how much he would need to be washed, in other words: mothering.

Jono looked between the two adults, and glanced into the market place. What had once seemed large and mean now looked small and nice from the man's arms. He scanned the two adults' faces and then grinned.

"Okay."

/

Teana

Teana watched in awe as the older girls practice their dancing, admiring the gold coins that tinkled with each move. She wished that she was allowed to dance too, but her daddy had forbidden it. As the daughter of a man with Sight and who apparently had the same power, if not stronger, she was forbidden from doing anything that might cause her harm. As one with foresight she was to practice her skill in order to protect the caravan from misfortunes. With a sigh Teana stood and moved toward her wagon, she had been told to study palm reading.

"And what is wrong with my little doe?" a warm voice asked. Teana looked up from her feet and smiled at her Gram.

"I wish that I could learn to dance gram," Teana said as she looked back to the dancing girls. The old woman's sighed as she gathered the girl into her arms. Then an idea struck her.

"I think that I might be able to help." Teana looked up at her gram, "There is a very old, and very complex, method of using the sight." Gram murmured. The two entered the wagon and the elder swiftly moved to one of the trunks, shifting through it.

With a cry of triumph, she pulled out an old manuscript. Smiling at her grandchild the former fortune teller flipped to a page and showed it to the girl. On it were dance moves that allowed the dancer to tell the future.

"I might not be able to teach you, given my old bones, but I'm certain that the dance master wouldn't mind." Gram winked at Teana.

Teana squealed in delight and hugged her gram.

"Now all we have to do is get papa to agree!"

/

Hito

"Mana! Get down from there!" Hito screamed as he watched his sister walk along the edge of the house wall. He was scared out of his mind as he watched his twin do something extremely stupid again.

Mana giggled as she watched Hito's face twist in panic, she loved scaring her tough brother. As she took another step she slipped, with a little shriek Mana fell.

"MANA!" Hito yelled and he felt something rip itself out of his body and circle around his sister. Rushing to the edge of the wall he looked down and saw a man in the military uniform he often saw the warriors who patrolled the outer wall of the Palace. Hito gulped as he watched the man float up, his sister cradled in the spirit man's arms. The man laid the girl on the roof, knelt before Hito, and with a small smile disappeared into Hito.

That was so COOL! Hito thought to himself as he realized that he had just seen his Ba.

In the palace a Priest frowned as he felt the flicker of power.

"Father?" The Priest's son asked as he watched his father set down the instruction scroll and move toward the Millennium Scale.

"I might be taking in another apprentice my son. He will not be the next holder of the scales, but if I can sense his power here then the child must be trained." The Priest said. The boy nodded, unchecked power was dangerous.

/

Heba

A small tri colored head popped out from a pair of bushes. Heba looked around until he saw the butterfly he had been chasing. With a small smile he snuck up toward the place where the butterfly was flapping its wings. Just as he was about to pounce a sound drifted through the hot Egyptian air. Cocking his head to the side Heba recognized the sound as crying. Curiosity overtook the small boy and he took off toward the sound, stopping now and then to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

Finally Heba located the crier. The crier was in one of the gardens with a pond. There, at the water's edge, sat a small boy his age with his legs curled up and his head hidden in his knees. Heba slowly walked toward the boy.

"You okay?" He asked timidly.

"Go away!" The crier sniffed as he turned his body away from the invader.

Heba looked at the boy then sat right next to him. Not hearing the boy leaving the other looked up and glared at Heba. Heba smiled at the crier.

"Hi I'm Heba!" Heba declared. The other boy sniffed.

"I'm Atem." The other boy said as he lifted his head.