The drizzle outside was a welcomed guest to all the potted plants which decorated the windowsills of the Oasis Household.

Anabelle's mother, Mahea, was often up with the bluejays and humming birds. She would make a simple breakfast for her and her daughter and spend the rest of the day busying herself with household chores. Mahea's main source of income was online work. Whenever Ana would ask her mother what she did or what her job was, Mahea would simply wave a hand and insist that it was good work. Ana had long since given up on figuring her mother out. Her mother had gray wavy hair which was kept up in a bun and cool brown eyes. She was someone who was often happy and reliable and yet Ana knew her mother had secrets.

In Ana's mind, these secrets didn't matter when it came to looking at the big picture. Anabelle didn't know about her father, her mother's job, and a few other loose ends. Even so, the pair were very close. Mahea insisted Ana still live at home, despite having finished college for the time being. Not being a daughter who would want to abandon her mother, Anabelle complied and stayed put. As the sun shifted in the sky, signally a new hour in the day, a light ringing noise could be heard from Ana's room. A sleepy hand swatted at the silver alarm clock and on the fifth attempt, a hand connected with the top of the bell.

A loud groan was heard from within the cocoon of blankets and pillows.

"Ana, get up!"

"Hunghnnn..."

"You have to be at work in an hour!"

"Uhhgh!"

"If you don't get up, I'm not driving you!"

That did it.

Ana bravely threw the covers off and ran out of her room and waved her arms, face a bit flushed. "I'm up, I'm up!" She signaled and scurried back to her room. The two women lived in a two-bedroom apartment. It was cozy but not at all cramped. Anabelle looked over at her bed which was terribly tempting. She quickly made it to stamp out the need to get back in it. The day was gloomy and she was sure there would be a lot more patients than usual. Ana pulled on a pair of black slacks and a black tank top. She grabbed her purse and headed out to see her mother holding out two slices of toast and a bottle filled with tea. "Thank you." Anabelle smiled.

The two made their way down to their old Toyota Camry and headed for the city's hospital. The ride was filled with the static of the radio, coming in and fading out. The news wasn't very thrilling so Ana turned it off, rather keen to listen to rain than the lull of some tired old man trying to talk politics. As the car slowed down in front of the busy hospital, Ana had finished her breakfast and was in the midst of shaking all the crumbs out when her mother leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Be safe." Mahea said and rubbed the smudge of lipstick off of her daughter. Ana smiled and hopped out with her purse and shut the door. She turned to wave and the mother headed back home, careful to drive slower than she usually would.

Rain brought out the recklessness but also the meekness, in people.

Arriving to work with a few minutes to spare before her shift, Anabelle quickly put on some baby blue scrubs and went to go check on some of the patients she had been working with. The brunette rubbed her achy neck as she went into one of the rooms and talked with an older man who had been a frequent flyer in the hospital for a while. No one could figure out what was wrong with him. He had no family, hardly any money to his name thanks to the recent recession. It broke her heart but since the doctors were pushing him from one section to the next, Ana wondered if they were just wasting time when they should be sitting down and thinking things through, rather than try to push him on someone else.

"Morning Mr. Summers. With a name like that, I can't say you're a fan of the rain?" She guessed as she checked his chart.

"Actually, I love the rain. If it weren't for this winter storm, the spring and summer wouldn't be bountiful at all." He smiled.

She nodded and looked to him, "I'm gonna figure out why you're sick. Hang in there." Ana offered and put the chart down on the end of the bed and went off to check on the others. The hospital itself was big and always busy. It was the same one she did her beginning work in and she liked it so much, she stayed and was hired on for real. Ana felt like there was something missing. She wanted to get into a more specific sort of medicine but she wasn't sure as to what exactly. There was this hole inside of her and she had yet to really fill it, even with becoming a full fledged nurse with a real paycheck. Anabelle caught up with the others and then went to get some coffee.

She and her friends chatted while they talked about the rain which only seemed to intensify. "I bet we're going to have a car crash before noon." One woman said.

"I bet two." Someone else added.

"Don't say that." Ana frowned at them. Of course it was in jest but the nurses knew there some truth in it. Rain made driving hell and on days like this, people were either sick or being stupid because of the weather. "I'm gonna see if the Minor Emergency needs help." She said. Her friends wished her luck as she headed on down. She passed through the waiting room and saw it wasn't as crowded as she anticipated. She was glad for that. The woman put her name down to be put 'on call' in case things became too crazy. She then headed up to get back to work. The hours passed and soon it was lunchtime. You wouldn't know it looking out the window though, she decided to head out and grab a soup and sandwich at the corner deli.

Grabbing a spare umbrella from the locker room, Ana headed out, sill in her scrubs. The smell of rain was very distinct and pungent as she walked down the sidewalk. In the distance, she heard cars rushing by in the slick street. She moved to let an old lady by who seemed to be on her way home from the market. The people around her were so fascinating, even if she didn't really know them, her mind liked to make up stories. As she popped into the deli, she grabbed a number and waited to be served. When she got everything and headed back to the hospital, she found herself stalling, though she wasn't sure why. She loved her work, of course but she wasn't sure if she wanted to eat lunch there.

But the deli had no sitting area so where could she go?

It was a weird conundrum but there could be worse pickles to be in. Anabelle shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she stood under the awning of the little deli. The bag containing her soup and sandwich was safe for the time being but Ana knew her indecisiveness may grant her a cold lunch. Still, the girl wasn't sure why she had such a knot in the pit of her stomach all of a sudden. Even though eating at work wasn't ideal, she couldn't think of anywhere else to go so she headed back up the next few blocks, lips curving down in an unsettled frown. It was a little thing, totally insignificant, but even so, the nurse felt lousy all of a sudden. She could never make up her mind so these fits weren't unusual for her to get. She told herself she'd get some candy at the vending machine on the third floor and a small smile crept back onto her misty face.

- - -

A series of long gray trees were Devon's only company for endless days.

He was a wandered by nature and he liked the space.

Even so, put him in the middle of a bustling town and he'd be able to charm anyone he set his eyes upon.

The male was gifted though some might argue it was a curse. Some in his position, well many actually, would say it was in fact a curse. Many with his skill had killed themselves or allowed them to be slain by someone else. Devon was someone who could read minds and use his own to move things. His skills were useful when he was around a new threat but in his eye, not everyone had to be a threat. But over the past years, it seemed those with special magical skills were deemed unfit for the world. Some could flee to other worlds while some went into hiding and soon developed a skill in which they were too ashamed to be the unique people they really were.

While he could read people's minds and seek the truth hidden within their heats, Devon wasn't an advocate for pretending to be something you weren't. He often laid everything out on the table. if he read someone's mind and found out something he shouldn't have, he would confess and apologize. Sometimes this would land him in hot water but he was spry enough to get away in the end. There was a time when he could have been called upon to do go, to find missing people or to get to the bottom of a bloody mystery and help parents figure out who killed their daughter. But not anymore. No. Nowadays, his skill wasn't used for such quaint practices.

His skill was mostly used to get by, to evade those who may wish him dead.

The boy grew up in a family of magicians. His mother was like him, a woman of the Mind. His father on the hand was someone who could be called a Spirit handler. His two younger sisters, to his knowledge didn't get any magical traits passed down to them. Devon was envious of that, to a certain extent. They could have normal lives, not muddled by drama and bloodshed. They could see the world for what it was, without blinding saying that all magic was evil. They knew better. And yet, Devon had to leave his family thanks to the evil that wanted to destroy magic. His sister would be safe, surely. But his parents had to leave their daughters in the care of friends.

Those days in their little village felt like forever ago.

As the man crept through the tin forest, his mind ceased wandering. He closed his eyes and focused his energy on what was around him. Were there enemies? Were there merchants? Or animals he could slay for profit? Rather than sense anyone, he felt a cluster of thoughts collect in front of him which told him that he was nearing a town or village. With his heart singing, he hurried along through the depressing wood. He emerged out of it ten minutes later and saw a large collection of houses and huts. From the smell of things, people were still living which was good. Very good. He put on his usual smile and marched forward.

He had on him, a long sword and a smaller dagger. He had a sack full of goods, a map, and some other things. He didn't have money very often but he was sure he could strike up a deal with someone. Giving something to get something was the fairest means in his mind. He found a small tavern where someone seemed to be playing music via a wooden flute. Devon ran a hand through his hair and knew that the day may be early, but he needed something to eat. He wished he could catch up wit his old companion, Kieran again. They knew of the rumors that fed hungry ears across the world. Someone wanted to restore magic to their hellish world. And yet, it seemed too good to be true. How would one reset the balance so that magicians such as themselves weren't seen as animals?

Setting down his pack, he took a seat and rubbed his face. Not only did he need something in his belly, but could also do with a bath.

Sighing, he dug out what money he had on him and approached the bar wench. "Can I get a jug of wine and some bread please?" He smiled and set down the coins. It should be enough but in some cities, people were starting to use different money, almost a means to alienate anyone who they thought didn't belong. The world had become such a harsh place and yet it was all Devon knew. Even so, he did appreciate it, he appreciated his life too. Which was why he wasn't giving up and casting aside his efforts. He was determined to undo whatever dark spell had been cast over the world. There was a way to fix things and the day he stopped looking, stopping running, stopped caring, would be the day he died and truly accepted hell for whatever it was.

Some people had a habit of getting in trouble because they had poor luck. Kieran found himself in trouble frequently because he couldn’t help but get involved. He was wandering around the shops in town, minding his own business, when he sensed something…off. Being a spirit mage, Kieran had a variety of abilities that could make living a normal life entirely impossible. He could sense other mages, but was also prone to visions. Standing in a tailor’s shop, his fingers brushed against a piece of fabric, and his mind found itself across the street, just outside of a tavern. He sensed panic, anger, and fear. Someone was going to leave the tavern angry, weapon in hand, and he was chasing someone else. Kieran couldn’t make out much more than that, and he only had a few moments to decide what he was going to do with that information. As he found himself again in the tailor’s shop, Kieran swiftly turned on his heel and exited the building. So much for getting a new pair of trousers that day. He was halfway across the street when the door to the tavern flew open, a boy running out holding a coin purse.

Connecting the dots, Kieran figured out what his vision had been unable to conclude for him. The boy had stolen the man’s money, and the man would come after it. Looking at the boy now, though, Kieran could see him lying on the ground, dead. He reacted quickly, reaching out his foot and tripping the boy. He fell to the ground, and Kieran lifted the coin purse. “I’m sorry, lad. I am sure you might think you need this. But it isn’t worth your lif-“ He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence, because he felt a sharp pain in his side. Turning his head, Kieran saw the angry man, just as hot-headed as in the vision. He looked down at the blade in the man’s hand, surprised for a moment that it was red. In the vision it had been clean. He hadn’t killed the boy yet.

It doesn’t make sense. He thought briefly. I stopped him from killing the boy. Why is it red? The angry man grabbed the coin purse from Kieran’s hand, and the new scene played out in his mind as his eyes closed and he slumped to the ground. The boy stole from the man. Kieran interfered, tripping the boy and retrieving the purse. The man stabbed Kieran, seeing only his coin purse and rage. The boy got up and ran, and when the man realized his mistake, he turned the other way and ran as well. The street wasn’t overly busy, and those who did see the exchange looked the other way. No one wanted to be involved in this. Kieran took long, slow breaths. He had to stay awake. If he passed out, he would die. It might not have come to him in a vision, but he knew it to be true all the same. Though it took him a few minutes, Kamron made his way to his feet and began to walk back to his home.

He thought at first that he could fix it, wrap a bandage around the wound and give it time to heal, but it had gone too deep. He cursed as he got blood all over his washing room, looking for bandages. Finally, he made it up the last set of stairs to the attic, and opened the portal. Getting to the other world was the best chance he had. He opened the portal and found himself in another attic. He looked out the window, seeing a grey sky and heard the sound of rain pattering against the glass. It was always strange when the weather was different. He held one hand firmly against the wound, grateful that at least he had a rag for now to keep most of his blood in his body. He made it down the first set of stairs, and almost forgot to change into more appropriate clothing before he continued. He put the rag against his wound and took some sports tape to hold it in place, and then began to shed his clothing. He threw on a simple black shirt and a grey jacket, as well as some grey slacks and shoes, and then made his way downstairs to get the keys.

He probably should have called an ambulance, but Kieran wasn’t the most prepared for this world. He knew how many things worked, but some had eluded him entirely. He drove to the hospital, managing (surprisingly) to avoid getting in a car crash. Fortunately, the waiting room wasn’t entirely full. This was the second time he had been to a hospital in this world. The first time had been seven years before. His uncle had brought him when he fell and broke his arm. His uncle made sure that he was put in the system, and helped coach him between all of the x-rays and other procedures that took place. Kieran went up to the triage desk to check in, stating that he had been in a small car accident (figuring that with the weather, people would get hurt with those giant metal machines of death a bit more often). Since he was well-dressed, and had no visible bruises or pain, the nurse handed him a clipboard and told him to fill out his details. Kieran took the paper to one of the seats, and managed to fill out a few of the pieces of information on the clipboard before his thoughts began to slip away from him. He shakily stood up, and approached the triage desk to tell the woman that he really wasn’t feeling well. For some reason, he remembered them being a lot more helpful when he was younger. In any case, this one was using the phone, and holding up a finger for him to wait. He stood, leaning on the counter for a few moments before his legs buckled beneath him and he collapsed onto the floor.

-.-

The tavern was filled with drunks and assholes—and the patrons were pretty bad as well. Rhys hated this job, but it was better than working next door. The tavern was called Staggering Knight Alehouse, a rubbish name really, but represented its clientele well. The men were all full of themselves, acting like they owned the place, and then often trying to stiff the wenches on the bill. It wasn’t as if it was for a good reason, either. Most of the men went from the Alehouse to the Inn next door, creatively named Inn Good Company, for the beds and whores that it rented out. Perhaps Rhys should have been more grateful that she could acquire a job at this alehouse, rather than at the brothel next door. However, as the men grabbed her ass, and pulled her hair to get her attention, she was beginning to think that she was better off risking the bandits between towns, and trying her luck somewhere else. Perhaps she could work at a nunnery, or somewhere else where the men weren’t quite such…pigs. She had already been working for a long time when yet another man approached her for services.

Anticipating some sort of come on, or lewd comment, Rhys was actually surprised when all he asked for was wine and bread, and even said please. She hesitated for quite a few moments, searching for some hidden malice, before she realized that she was standing there looking like an idiot, and apologized. “Sorry, sir. Of course.” Rhys took the money without really looking at it, and nodded, her face beet red. She didn’t realize until she was back in the kitchen, getting a good loaf of bread, that the coin wasn’t something her boss was going to accept. She could go back and tell him that his money was no good, but then she thought about the way he had looked, and realized that he probably had no other money. She took the bread on a tray and grabbed a jug of wine, along with a mug, and brought them out to the man. She couldn’t bear saying no to the only person that had actually been polite to her. On the way, one of the other drunkards grabbed at her behind, and Rhys jumped, almost dropping the jug of wine. She caught it, fortunately, though she still earned a raucous round of laughter from the drunk men at the table. Her glare only made them find mocking her more entertaining, though.

Rhys straightened herself, and did her best to ignore them as she went the rest of the way to the new man’s table. She gave him the bread and wine, but before she could ask if there was anything else he needed, another man snapped his fingers, and Rhys turned on her heel, ready to tell him off. Sadly, the man snapping was her boss, and he did not appreciate the look that she gave him at all. He beckoned her with a finger, and she lowered her head meekly as she walked up to the overweight man. “Why is it that I keep getting complaints about you, girl?” Despite the fact that he knew her name, the boss almost always called the bar wenches by pet names, he liked to irritate them, and Rhys was so easily irritated.

“I don’t know sir. What are the complaints?” Rhys asked, genuinely confused as to what she was doing wrong. She couldn’t think of a single table that she had neglected. Her boss, however, had a multitude. He brought up a table from the previous night, one that had a bunch of guards who wanted her to sit on their laps. She had refused, and so they hadn’t paid her any tip. When they left, she didn’t say good evening to them. Though her boss phrased it a bit differently, saying that she had refused to meet their needs, or speak to them politely and courteously, Rhys knew the truth. “Sir, they wanted me to sit on their laps.” She responded, hoping that for once, he would recognize how degrading it was.

“And why didn’t you?” He questioned, folding his arms.

Rhys’ eyes narrowed in frustration. “Because, sir. I chose to work at this tavern, rather than the brothel next door. I don’t want men groping me.” She said.

The man shook his head in annoyance. “Girl, they wouldn’t have hired you over there. You always look like a sour lemon, you have no ass, and your breasts are too small. You couldn’t make a man happy if your life depended on it.” He continued to hurl insults at her, saying that she would be a dead fish, and he had taken a risk in hiring her in the first place. He explained that he had been losing business since he hired her, and there were complaints daily. As he continued to put her down, his voice grew louder, and Rhys began to tremble, clenching her teeth to try to keep her own temper in check. Most of the tavern was busy enough and loud enough for few to notice the woman being berated in the corner, though a few glanced her way when they were searching for someone to get them more food or ale.

What a much larger portion of the patrons noticed, however, was the flames in the fireplace on the opposite wall beginning to grow. The flames licked the mantle, and the pot of stew hovering above the flames was enveloped by them. Outside, the wind began to howl, causing a few of the shutters to slam shut. Rhys and her boss were oblivious to this, enveloped by their altercation. This was not the first time that her ability was quickly leaving her control, and Rhys’ fists were clenched in an attempt to keep them under control. She was oblivious to how much control she had already lost.

The way back to work was fine albeit wet.

Anabelle quickly ate her lunch and decided to go down and check on things on the main floor. Her current list of patients were busy sleeping, eating or having tests done so she decided that her time could be better spent down in emergency care. Things tended to be more fast paced which could make her a bit flustered, she hoped that she'd soon be over the issue. After all, she had to be able to think on her feet, if she froze up in the middle of a white room, she wasn't sure how she'd do if she found someone out in the open. She loved helping people but sometimes she got too distracted by their own plight, to focus on what needed to be done.

Washing up, she skipped over to the elevator and took it two floors down.

Ana walked into the main waiting room where triage took place. People assessed the condition of incoming patients and got down information. It was a bit bureaucratic and annoying but it was necessary. She picked up some files and began to look them over when she spotted a well dressed man filing out the usual paperwork. She went back to her work and only when she heard him speak, did her attention get piqued. The man fell to the floor and she hurried over to check on him. "I need a stretcher over here!" Anabelle shouted as she began to check his limbs for any sort of damage. She found a large gash on his side and it penetrated him quite deep. She pulled her stethoscope down and listened to his heart.

"Stay with me, you'll be fine." Ana said sweetly as she brushed her hand along his forehead. He wasn't dealing with a fever, which was good. His body could be reacting much worse to a wound. Ana opened the man's eyes and checked his vital signs. A team came over and picked him up and set him on the stretcher. "Take him to room 204 please." She instructed and went to call for a surgical consult as it was evident that he would need to be operated on. Ana washed her hands again and hurried up to meet them there. Once in room 204, she and the other nurses went to getting off his clothes. "He doesn't have a wallet or any ID on him?" Ana asked as they checked for muscle reactions where he could feel being poked and prodded.

The other nurses left and Ana moved closer to his bedside, his upper attire having been taken off, while his pants remained. "What's you name?" She asked the man as she looked down at the awful gash. "You don't seem like the type of guy who would get attacked by a gang." She muttered. "Or who moonlights as some superhero." She joked a little and moved her hand down to his wound, gently pressing along the edges of it. The more she looked at it, the less gruesome it became. It was odd but something that had been happening to her during her work at the hospital. As she looked at the injury, someone knocked and made her turn around and nearly fall backward, as she had been crouching by the man's side.

"Hey Ana, can I take a look?"

"Hey Douglas, sure." Ana smiled to the surgeon and moved to where she was but only saw blood but not gash.

"This is the right room isn't it?"

"Hm? Yes it is..." She looked to the wound which wasn't there any longer and back to her friend. "Sorry, I guess I...made a mistake." She said nervously. Doug looked to her and just headed out, making changes to the chart. Ana sighed and looked back at the man, not sure how she had healed him so quickly. There were times she would touch someone's scar and see it vanish but never so quickly. Ana looked at her hands and decided to just carry on, hoping to put the incident behind her as she usually would. "If you're in any pain, we can give you something." She spoke up. "But it seems you're free to go, guess it's your lucky day."

- - -

"Excellent, thank you." He replied to the woman.

Then he turned and headed back to an empty table. He kicked his legs up and found himself rather tired, having found a moment's rest where he wasn't on his feet. The ulgy thoughts of the men that surrounded him weren't easy to block out. Most of them were horrible while only a few were only slightly so. Devon rubbed his face again, not sure how long he would stay. He would probably need to, just to get his strength back. His powers wore him out more often than most and if he could find a quiet place to rest, he would be alright. Behind him, he heard some commotion and without needing to turn around, he got the gist of what had happened. The bar maid finally came to him with what he had asked for.

His stomach churned in agony.

"Than-" Devon's words were cut off by someone snapping and he rolled his eyes, not liking the manner-less. He grabbed the jug and poured himself a hefty amount of wine. He chugged it down with less dignity than he intended but his mouth was much too dry to restrain himself. As he picked up the bread and tore off a bit to eat, his mind wandered. He had been in the woods for quite some time so being around so much calamity was going to take some adjusting. Thankfully, his skill was honed enough that he could wade through the crap and pick out important information. As he chewed on some bread, he found himself jumping from the mind of angry man and a frightened girl, the bar maid. He was interested, only slightly so, but still interested.

The feeling of the woman turned to rage and he found himself looking over to the small scene. Devon looked around as something odd began to happen. They were small occurrences but the context was what gave it away to the magician. He went back to his bread and soon put away what he didn't eat. He'd need it, certainly. He then transferred the leftover wine to his own person pouch and got to his feet. He dusted the crumbs off of his chest and ran a hand through his hair. Now that his appetite had been tended to, he felt much better about going over and seeing what all the commotion was about.

"Excuse me, sir." Devon intervened. "Considering that I am a paying costumer who isn't destroying your establishment like those over there," He gestured to the pack of men throwing chairs at one another, in some sort of drunken disagreement. "I would like to think that I could get sufficient service for what I am paying for and while you may be her boss and while it is your place to discipline her as you see fit, I would like to hope it could be done when you close, not when I'm waiting for another fill of my glass." Devon smiled and handed it to the man. "Since she's busy being a shit bar maid in your eyes, how about you show us how it's done and get me something more to drink?" He said, his voice quite chipper.

That seemed to provoke an angry response from the man but it did help quell the girl's powers. He grabbed her hand and quickly led them out of the tavern, grabbing his supplies as he hurried out. He looked over his shoulder and then back at the woman. He was fortunate to not be in a position of such degradation but he didn't have time to thank his parents for his blessings. He saw a bumbling group of men come out, clearly having been sent by the head boss. "I wish they weren't so drunk, then they could put up a proper fight." Devon lamented and pulled out his long sword and advanced on the crowd. It was over far too quickly, as he wiped off his sword, he looked back to the girl. Having just injured or cut off limbs, he was sure none of the morons would die, not that their lives were worth being spared but he was in a good enough mood.

"You alright?" He asked her.

Upon hitting the ground, Kieran’s mind was propelled into a deep state of rest. He had pieces of visions, and some memories, but everything was a jumble. Kieran couldn’t sense everything going on around him, but there was one thing he could sense in particular, a healer. He could feel the energy—warm, enveloping, and lively. At the moment, it felt like the juxtaposition to his, which seemed cold and fading away from his grasp. When the others put him on a stretcher, he could feel that his healer was leaving, and he sought out her energy again, even though it was only in the form of his hand moving a bit.

In room 204, one of the other nurses brought up the form that the man had started to fill out. The nurse who arrived had been there in the triage, and came upstairs to give the active nurses and doctors the information they would need to treat him soon after the other nurses left. “His name on the paperwork is Kye-err… ran Fern-ear. He said he was in some sort of minor car accident at check in. He didn’t get much else filled out, apart from a partial address.” The nurse revealed. He had walked into the triage, and while he should have rightly had a wallet and car keys on him, he had neither. In this world, people never left home without their phones, wallets, and keys. However, Kieran wasn’t from this world. The things he made sure of before he left the house was that his clothing was appropriate. In his world, he had ‘essentials’, a small blade for self-defense, some rations, parchment, and a piece of charcoal for quick notes—though, he had found the invention of the pencil to be one of his favorites, and stole one from time to time to bring back to his world and use.

The nurse departed, returning to the triage so they could continue to scoff at the people who were in car accidents, though a bit more sedated now. Kieran, meanwhile, was aware of someone asking questions. He could hear a voice, and though he tried to answer, he was not in control of his body at the moment. The one thing he could determine was that this was his healer. The energy had returned, and Kieran wanted her to stay. He managed a small groan when she pressed on the edges of the wound, but along with pain came a sudden dissipation of pain. The wound seemed to fade away from Kieran’s mind, and a few moments passed before he began to wake. Kieran’s eyes opened, and he saw his healer, his savior, standing in front of him in…a large blue shirt and pants?

The hospital! he reminded himself quickly where he was, having been thrown off by the feeling of the girl’s healing energy. Looking at her now, he had absolutely no doubt in his mind that she was a healer. And yet…she was hiding here, in this world, where the technology they had could take care of so many injuries. Taking a few moments to process what the nurse was saying, Kieran gave her a small nod in response. “Thank you, miss….” He paused, hoping that she would answer with her name. He could probably track her down another way, but he wasn’t nearly as good at navigating this world, and apart from walking into the hospital and asking about nurses with brown hair who magically had the ability to heal patients, he wouldn’t get very far.

When she gave her name, Kieran began to sit up, finding that he was a bit sore—and shirtless. “Kieran.” He supplied, holding his hand out to shake hers. He looked down and found that he was now shirtless, and his wound was literally gone. He had thought it would be covered, giving the illusion at least that there was still an injury, and he eyed the spot curiously before looking back up at the woman. “Do you happen to know, where my clothing is?” He questioned. It might be standard procedure for the clothing to go in a bag under the bed, or in a closet, or something, but Kieran was completely unaware. “It appears that I over-reacted in coming here…” He added, curious what her reaction would be. He had felt her energy before, when they were down in the triage. Would she acknowledge what she was? Did she even know where she was from, or what she was capable of doing?

-.-

As with her usual fits, Rhys was oblivious to the way the elements were reacting around her. She was focused on her pig of a boss, and she thought she was controlling herself rather well. When the polite customer reappeared and began to address her boss as well, Rhys turned towards him with surprise. Fortunately, his interruption alone was enough to settle some of the fire and wind elements that were getting out of control. He said that he was waiting on another fill of his glass, and Rhys automatically reached out to get him more, but he pushed the now-empty container of wine towards her boss instead.

The man was furious, and he looked like he was going to cause a bar fight and destroy his own establishment to put this visitor in his place. Fortunately, Rhys didn’t have to suffer through the man’s wrath, because the newcomer took her hand and led her from the tavern. She followed for a few yards, and then pulled her hand away from him and stopped. He had dragged her from her job, and while it might have seemed like a blessing, it was curse all the same. Now she had no access to the money, and the cloak that she had kept in the back between shifts. She was sure that her boss would not allow her to return for her supplies—and he would likely demand the money in her pocket from the tables she had been serving. Her pay was pittance, but she felt dishonest holding onto the money that was meant for her boss to pay for stock and such things as well.

A few men came out to fight, no doubt to get their money back, and likely to try to get Rhys to return as well. It could not have looked good for her to simply walk out in the middle of a shift. While she hated acting the part of a defenseless woman, she didn’t protest Devon pulling his blade to defend them. She watched the fight, though it was honestly more of a slaughter. He cut down drunk after drunk, and Rhys was grateful that her boss hadn’t sent more. She stared at the blood on the ground, still pooling from a limb that was cut off, her own arms reaching across her chest tightly.

“Yes.” She answered automatically, speaking softly. She was alive, and she wasn’t being berated by her boss anymore, so that was a good thing. At the same time, she wasn’t alright. “But no. No, I’m not alright.” She turned to face him, turning away from the bodies on the ground, as they had been making her feel a bit queasy. “I appreciate you trying to stand up for me. I’m sure you thought it was the best thing to do, but now I have no job. The only other place here for women to work is a brothel, and I don’t have the supplies to simply wander off to another town and try my luck there. So while you might have thought you were doing me a favor, I would rather be a bit unappreciated but with a roof over my head and food in my stomach, than starving to death in the forest, alone.” Rhys wasn’t trying to be extremely bitter—that had come naturally from the life she had led.

Of course, Devon had done more than that, saving not only Rhys, but the other inhabitants of the alehouse before they were able to make the connection between the growing flames, the harsh winds, and the thin woman being yelled at by her (now former) boss. In Rhys’ mind, this man had seen a damsel in distress, and probably got some sort of weird ego boost by ‘saving’ her from her dire circumstances. Rhys turned from Devon and began to walk. She didn’t think he would care to spend more time with her, and she wasn’t in the best mood for company anyway, given the circumstances. If it had just been her, she would have likely destroyed the whole building and killed everyone in side, and yet she didn’t recognize this. She imagined that she would have been berated, and then she would have resumed her duties. Life would have gone on, and she would have continued to have a job, and a roof over her head.

His name sounded quite foreign, she hoped there wasn't some language barrier because that would make her job a lot harder. He thanked her and his voice trailed off, seeking a name. "Oh! Um Anabelle, Anabelle Oasis. Most people call me Nurse Ana though." She said anxiously. It appeared as though the man was feeling better which in turn made her feel more at ease. Seeing people in pain wasn't her favorite thing about the job. It was the opposite, the healing, which made her warm and fuzzy actually. She shook his hand gently and stepped back. "Your clothes...um, we had to cut them off of you, I'm sorry." She told him.

He then mentioned that he had overrated by coming to the hospital. "It's okay...better to be safe than sorry." Ana smiled a little, not sure if he knew of his injury or not. "Is there someone we can call to pick you up? We can discharge you anytime but if you went outside without a shirt or jacket, you'd probably be back in here with hypothermia or something worse." Ana mentioned as she looked back over his chart. It was unfinished and hastily written, which was understandable. She couldn't imagine the pain of trying to write down bits of information while you were bleeding profusely. "I'll see if I can find you something else to wear." Anabelle said and quickly went out of the room.

What an odd man.

She updated those at the nurse's station and then headed off to the locker room to check the lost-and-found. It wasn't an ideal place to get clothes but it would be better than nothing. And Ana couldn't bear the thought of someone leaving the hospital after nearly dying, without any clothes on because of a supposed misunderstanding. But she had seen his wound. It was awful. So it was there. She shook her head and found a large sweatshirt. She smelled it, decided it was okay, and headed back to room 204. "I found this, it's not much but it'll get you home." She handed it to him and stayed near the door. It was a little unsettling, being in the same vicinity as the strange man. She wasn't sure why but she just felt nervous.

In the back of the woman's head, she considered that he had questions regarding his injury but at the same time, they both seemed to be walking on egg shells in regards to the matter. Did he think she was weird? She thought she was weird, but so far she had only been able to help people at random. Nothing bad had happened yet. She wondered if she should tell her mother about the odd boy, when she mentioned healing people without using science, Mahea would laugh and say she was gifted and had a lived imagination. Then the topic would be changed and they'd move on. "We just need you to sign some things, get some insurance information and you're free to go." Ana told him and headed out to get the paperwork started at the nurse's station.

- - -

He didn't need to be a mind-reader to sense that she was upset with him.

Devon didn't care much about her personal issues though, they weren't his problem to focus on, He had bigger things to worry about than a girl's job. He rubbed his armor, it was light and worn. He let the woman get out all the crap that needed to be said. He was glad she didn't have the gift of mind reading or seeing into the vortex of time, it would be in poor hands. Even so, he wasn't reassured by the fact she could control the elements. Women could be too crafty and indecisive when it came to fighting. Devon was sure that she had no idea what she had done or could do. He was mostly trying to defuse the situation unfolding, rather than standing up for the girl.

Of course, he would stand up for any women in distress but the girl wasn't in that category. When she finally finished her miniature tirade, he glanced back up to see her walking off. Thanks to having younger sisters, he know how to deal with temperamental outbursts. "Your thoughts betray your words. Hell, your words betray your words just like your emotions. If you're ungrateful, I don't really care, just say you're not welcome and move on but don't try to thank me while simultaneously blaming me for your bad luck." Devon said to her as he moved to walk beside her, a bit of an annoyance in his step.

Peace and quiet, oh how he welcomed those at the moment. "I did what I did for those drunks, not so much you." He shrugged. "A place to eat and sleep and get out of the rain is worth a lot more than a girl who doesn't know what she's capable of and thus risks the lives of her and everyone around her." He shrugged. "You're old enough that I'd assume you'd know you're an Elemental by now." He may be pride himself on being a charming gentleman but that ship sailed when the girl started throwing an emotional tantrum and if he didn't stomp that rotten mood out of her, the whole town would be trying to kill them both. "Hate to break it to you, but you are and back there, you were about to lose it so if anyone should be thanking me, it's you and those drunks."

Devon fell silent once more as he cleared his mind with a soft sigh. "I am sorry for your misfortune, I know many women who fall short of their capabilities." He said. "It's not right but it's the world we live in. You've got enough fight in you to move on from that place. You're a magician with power that people dream about. You've gotta move on, find yourself a master, if you can, and learn to control your skill and make it work for you. Or go into hiding, I don't care. I do care, when you endanger me and those around me, even if I don't know them, I'm not willing to stand by and let your fit bring mobs into harms way, magic has a bad enough reputation." He said as he slowed down, having reached a comfortable looking ditch, he could call it home for a few days.

“Anabelle. Nice to meet you.” Kieran replied. She may be a nurse by profession, but he preferred her name. He was disappointed that his clothes had to be cut off, but he didn’t make any complaints. It wouldn’t kill him to leave without a shirt. “I don’t need anyone to pick me up. Thanks to you, I am feeling much better.” Kieran couldn’t tell how aware of her ability the nurse was. He couldn’t imagine a healer going her whole life without knowing what she could do, but anything was possible in a world like this. Perhaps she was well aware of the fact that she was healer, and was just very good at not alluding to it. There weren’t other magic users in this world. Whether or not she knew what she was, she certainly wouldn’t want to advertise that fact to everyone she met.

The nurse left, returning a short while later with a sweatshirt in hand. Meanwhile, he checked out with the other nurses, getting the remnants of the blood wiped off, the last of his vitals checked, and had his other clothing returned just before Ana returned. He dressed, and accepted the sweatshirt when Ana returned. “Insurance?” He questioned. The word wasn’t the most familiar to him at first, though it had been a while since he had heard it last. He followed her to the nurse’s station, where a bored-looking woman wanted information about him. The first few questions were not difficult. Kieran gave his name, but then they asked him to confirm his birthdate, and he hesitated. The last time he had come to the hospital, his uncle had given all the information, and he couldn’t remember when he had been born, according to this calendar. “1993.” Kieran answered quickly. The woman continued to look at him expectantly, and he realized that he should know more. “Uhh… August.” Kieran added.

The nurse raised her eyebrows, and then checked the electronic record they had, “The 5th, right?” she asked. “Yup!” Kieran answered, grinning. He was a bit oblivious to the fact that he was probably supposed to already know about these things, and be able to recall them instantly. Fortunately, Kieran answered the next few questions as well. He knew the address of his home, and had a cell phone number to give. It was a pay-as-you-go phone, and his uncle had bought quite a few cards to load the phone with. The phone generally sat plugged in until he arrived, and Kieran wasn’t entirely sure what he would do when it ran out, but it worked. The questions got a bit more difficult after that, however. They asked what insurance he had, and Kieran gave a small shrug. “I don’t have any.” He said.

“You are… what, 21? You can still be on your parents’ plan, especially if you are a student. Have you taken any classes in the past year? Online even?” The nurse asked. If he could file as a dependent and get his parents’ insurance, the nurse could at least run it through his parents’ insurance now. Then he would have a few days to get it sorted on the side of the insurance, making sure that he was actually listed and the claim wouldn’t be denied. However, if they didn’t file it through insurance now, it would be very difficult to go back and change later. The woman continued to try to question whether he could have been on their insurance, naming various companies. Kieran waited patiently for almost a minute before he interrupted. “My parents are dead.” He said, probably a bit too bluntly. “I don’t have insurance. I can take a copy of the bill now, or you can send it to my home and I will take care of it.” He offered two other possibilities, and he figured that would be enough. “Do you have all the information that you need right now?” He asked. Though Kieran didn’t mind spending too much time at the hospital, even his patience was being tried.
-.-
When Devon approached her once more and began to tell her off for… her thoughts?, Rhys continued to walk, but grew quiet at least. It didn’t occur to her at first that the man was a mind reader. She assumed he was referring more to the fact that she had just begun to yell the majority of her concerns aloud anyway. Despite her outburst, she was usually quite a bit more mild-mannered. Perhaps this stranger had a point, though Rhys didn’t consider it entirely luck that brought her here. As Devon began to clarify, Rhys grew stiff. What she’s capable of, he said, and all Rhys could think was Oh Holy Gods, he knows. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and yet, he wasn’t outright threatening her. He didn’t say that he would turn her in, or that he was going to blackmail her into doing… gods knew what to keep her secret.

At least not yet.

In any case, she didn’t need to be running, or attacking him to ensure that she could stay safe. Still, the color had drained from her face, and when he used the title of Elemental, she turned quickly, checking every direction before looking back towards the tavern, though it was already out of sight. There wasn’t anyone else around. “I… I didn’t realize. I thought I was controlling it better.” Rhys said. The angry and argumentative tone was gone, and her voice was soft, defeated. She was on the verge of tears, which was another problem altogether.

He told her to find a master, which was a decent idea, if they weren’t all dead, in hiding, or helping hunt mages down. She scoffed at the statement, and when he suggested going into hiding, she shook her head slightly. That was what she had just been doing, and it clearly wasn’t working well for her. Still, now that the man had explained his actions, she could tell that he really had acted in their best interests—well, in the interest of keeping both of them alive, though Rhys wasn’t entirely sure that it was the best for everyone around her. Like he said, she endangered everyone and made magic look bad.

Of course, Rhys had never seen magic as anything that wasn’t bad. She couldn’t see this as a gift. It was a curse. She walked on egg shells or she destroyed everyone and everything she cared about. It was better, then, to not care, though she would still destroy the things around her.

The man stopped to camp in a ditch, and Rhys stood a few feet away, unsure of what she should do. “I am sorry, for losing my temper with you. I will find another place to hide out.” She had already been trying just that, working as a bar wench in a small town, trying to stay away from anyone and everyone who could ask questions or get her in trouble. She turned away from the man, figuring that she could continue down the path and walk for a while longer, but hesitated and glanced back at the man. “Thank you.” She said. Her words this time around were much more humble.

Devon’s experience with siblings helped put her in her place, but her thoughts were still filled with anger, largely towards herself at this point. She could accurately blame herself now for her situation. It was her fault that she was out in the middle of the woods with nowhere to go, no food or even supplies. Her temper had flared, and it was fortunate that other man came along, because she had managed at least to not kill anyone this time.

The patient followed behind her when she headed to the nurse's station. Anabelle went to filling out some of her own forms and looking over test results for others as the other nurse tried to get information from Kieran. Ana headed off to another room to go talk to the others who needed her attention. She spoke to a doctor about some of the results and by the time she headed back to the station, it seemed things were wrapping up. By the look of things, both people were a bit fed up with the push and pull of the conversation. It could be a tricky topic to cover, some people didn't have insurance but could pay, while others didn't and couldn't pay. It was tough to see but there wasn't a lot the staff could do. The system was awfully flawed but people did their best to heal and make it efficient, as well as cost efficient.

"I think we have everything we need for now." Ana spoke up. "We have your number in case we need to get a hold of you. We can get you a payment statement at the office downstairs. I'll be right back." She told her friend and motioned for Kieran to follow her to the elevator so they could get a receipt and make sure that the payment would be valid, whenever it may be. "There are options, you can pay a little each moth with low interest." Anabelle commented as they stepped into the elevator and descended. Once there was a ding, the metal doors slid open and she stepped out and led the boy down a white hallway. At the end, there was a window where a small line had formed.

"So this is where you can drop off payments and make sure things are paid off on time." She informed him. "If they don't...well...you don't want people coming after you." Ana smiled a little. "Anyway, if you need to call a cab, you can ask for one at the front desk." She said and looked back over her shoulder. "It's where we got out but instead of going right, you go left." He probably could figure out. "Good luck." Ana smiled and headed back down the hall. Her pager hadn't gone off but that didn't mean she didn't have to be somewhere else. She had two more hours left on her shift and she was already looking forward to getting out of her scrubs and getting into a relaxing hot bath. From the sounds of it, the rain was starting to let up, which was better than there still being a messy storm.

- - -

The fact she didn't realize was alarming. People in their position had to be self aware of everything around them, as well as themselves. Devon removed his pack and sat down, it was mossy and muddy but he wasn't too picky at the moment. His feet could rest and that was good enough for him. If he needed anything, he was capable of offering labor services in exchange for housing or food or medical supplies. Ideally, he'd want to use his magic to offer in exchange for such things but he had to be more selective if he wanted to be safe and avoid any unnecessary fights.

As he made another mental checklist as to what he had on him, he heard the girl thank him. While he wasn't keen on getting close to reckless people, his heart went out to her, but only so far. "Good luck." He said as he went back to rummaging through his pack. He was quick to shut his power off so he didn't invade her mind though it was hard to do when they were focused on one another. Devon could tell her temper had subsided but was still evident. "Just try to find a way relax, the more relaxed and calm you are, the better chance you have of seeing the bigger picture around you and where you fit into it." He advised.

Thankfully, he could make the bread he got last a while, if need be. The boy took a deep breath, already debating whether or not to extend an open arm to the girl. She was trouble and reminded him of home. He didn't want to babysit someone or council them on their troubles, the present was too messy without the past getting involved. Still, he felt a connection to her through their magical blood. "If you need anything, you can come find me. I may not stay here long but it doesn't hurt to have a someone close by who you can rely upon." Devon said as he set his pack aside and rubbed his face. He had yet to find a place to bathe so he decided he could look for water or someone who could help him. Surely there had to be a river or pond somewhere.

Eventually, Kieran finished giving information to the woman, and Anabelle walked with him to and down the elevators. He remembered the first time he had taken an elevator. He was convinced it was a magic box of teleportation. He insisted on going on it again, and his uncle had laughed, saying that they would ride it again when they left. Though Kieran didn’t remember the rest of the patrons of the elevator, his uncle had turned and addressed them, since they had been so puzzled by the young boy’s ignorance about something as simple as the elevator. “My nephew. He’s Amish.” He stated. It was a trick the man had learned to explain even when he had struggled with understanding the world. He learned the phrase before he had any idea who the Amish were, though he learned more about them so that he could follow-through on the statement, before he became fully adept with learning about this world.

She pointed out the place where he could come in and make his payments. Kieran made a note of the line, not really fond of waiting around, though he could probably make it back to the hospital to make a few payments. He gave a slight not, and then turned back to Anabelle. “Thank you.” He responded, returning her smile. “For everything.” She left, and Kieran stood for a few moments before he walked back outside. The sky had darkened from both the rain and the sun setting. He had been in this world all day—hospitals were rather unpleasant places. He walked to the car, not minding the fact that he was getting quite wet, and got in. The keys were sitting in the center console, where he always kept them, though he had not bothered with a wallet that day.

The drive home, and indeed the rest of the evening, was rather uneventful. Though he had left things in a hurry in his home, he needed to clean here just as much. He threw his clothing, including the new sweatshirt in the wash, and then went to the bathroom to clean up the blood there. He ended up bringing a few of the supplies back home, cleaning there as well, before he finally went to bed. In the morning, another hop brought him back to the world of technology, and he took the sweatshirt out of the wash. He redressed, again in slacks, though he was in a dark blue button-down instead. He grabbed his wallet as well, and put a couple of hundreds in to make a payment to the hospital. Though his uncle had been a magic user as well, he wasn’t one who could sense the spirits and the energy of people. He, instead, had been a mind mage, focused on moving objects with his mind. His uncle had been a good man, but he had, like everyone else, used his abilities for his own gain. The method by which he had acquired the large sum of money in the house was likely less than honorable, but it had been quite a few years, and no one had ever pursued the man for the theft.

As he drove back to the hospital, Kieran thought about his dream the previous night. It was about Anabelle. He needed to confront her. In his dream, she was in his world. He racked his brain to try to remember the rest, but it simply wouldn’t come. In any case, the line wasn’t as horrible in the morning, though the people at the counter were no less grumpy. Perhaps they had been on since the evening. Kieran had, fortunately, gotten quite a bit of rest, and even a shower. He paid a portion of his bill, giving them a little more than six hundred dollars in twenties. He then went over to the front desk and asked where he could find Nurse Anabelle Oasis. When asked what he needed, Kieran replied that he had something that belonged to her, a half-truth he knew, but it was enough to get the person to direct him to the nurses station upstairs, to which she could be paged.

Kieran followed the woman’s instructions to get to the desk, then made the same inquiry. His half-truth was that he wanted to return the sweatshirt, in case anyone else would need an extra garment. Since it was the hospital’s practice to cut off people’s clothing, he figured they probably went through quite a lot of clothing. Perhaps the people who owned hospitals were working in conjunction with the clothing industry, to ensure that people spent enough money on buying new garments. It was a silly thought, but Kieran often had them about the workings of this world.
-.-

Though she couldn’t imagine what exactly she had expected from the man, a simple Good Luck was not it. She glanced at him and then turned away, pausing slightly as he spoke. He suggested relaxing, and she almost scoffed at the idea. If she could relax, then her ‘abilities’ wouldn’t be an issue and she wouldn’t have left home in the first place. He then said that if she needed anything, he would be here for a short while. She gave a slight nod, and then turned back towards the town, unaware that he needed help finding water. She would have helped him, but she got the impression that he would rather not be near her. Eventually she would explode and harm everyone around her. It was only a matter of time before the right trigger came along.

Rhys had been renting a room, and it was paid up through the next day as well. Taking advantage of that space, Rhys went up to her room and washed up. She didn’t really have to leave immediately. Someone else might have noticed her temper, though in a bar full of drunks, she wasn’t terribly concerned about that. Rhys was more concerned that the small town would ostracize her. The tavern owner was an important man in this town, and with him associating her leaving with the deaths of his well-known patrons, she was probably already being sketched for a wanted poster, along with the gentleman who had actually committed the act.

It was amusing, in a way. He had preached that she needed to control her actions, and yet she hadn’t actually murdered or even maimed anyone today. Rhys went to one of the market stalls when they were close to closing, figuring that she could barter more since they didn’t want to transport the food home and then back again the following day. She got rations for quite a few days, and found someone who would accept the foreign coins that Devon had used earlier. She had a couple of coins left, but figured she would need them for traveling. Rhys then risked one more night in the room she had paid for, sneaking around the outskirts of town the next morning rather than going through it. She had more this time than the first time she had left home, and though traveling with no end in sight was exhausting, it was something she would simply have to manage.

Once she got back into the swing of work, the rest of her shift flew by. When it was time to go, she called her mother and went to wait outside. She waved to the few people entering and exiting the hospital. When her mother pulled up, she hurried down the wet steps and got inside. "Good day?" Her mother asked. Ana gave a light silent nod and just warmed her hands by the heating vents as they lurched forward. "I made chicken and rive for dinner." She said as they breezed through a green light. Her mother glanced to Ana as she pulled into their usual single parking slot. "Are you sure you're alright?" She asked before she got out.

"Yes, I'm fine. Work was fine, I'm just drained, you know how rain gets to me." Ana smiled and got out.

That was that.

The two women headed inside to get something warm and filling into their tummies. The night was quiet, mostly because Ana still had her mind on the boy she met earlier and how his wound had healed up so quickly. It hadn't been the first time it had happened but it never happened so quickly before. She knew she couldn't tell her mother because that would only make things worse. Anabelle found herself unable to finish her plate by the time her mother retired for the night. Ana stayed up and cleaned the kitchen and put everything away. She could take some leftovers into work tomorrow.

Getting into bed, Ana found herself unable to go right to sleep. Her thoughts were cluttered and unfocused. She finally clocked out at three or so. When she woke up, it was a bit later than usual, as her shift didn't start until ten which gave her more of an opportunity to catch up on the sleep she missed. Her mother made her a breakfast of eggs and toast but Ana was still cautious when it came to the chit chat exchanged over tea. The sky was gray but no longer threatened to rain down upon the city. Of course there was still a chance or rain or snow, depending on how the day panned out. As Ana got out of the shower and got dressed, she found herself feeling a little better. Any surge of involuntary healing was usually a one-shot situation and didn't come back for a while.

With any luck, she wouldn't see the guy again and her issue would fade back under the surface. Ana was dropped off as usual and headed into work to get her day started. Before she could get to her first patient, she got a page and headed off to see what the issue was. She listened for any crash codes or issues but to her knowledge, her summons wasn't really an urgent one. When she made her way to the nurse's station, she saw the man from before holding the sweatshirt she had given him. Ana bit down on her lip, feeling anxious. Still, she put on a smile because she was still glad to know he was feeling good. "Hi there." Anabelle greeted him. "Is everything alright?" She asked him. The other nurses gave her some interesting looks but headed off to make their own rounds.

- - -

Once the boy had done enough sitting around, he decided to become more proactive. He needed to scope out the area and make a mental note of who was around and what could be used to his advantage. He gathered his things and went for a walk. As he did so, he found his mind clearing. He could use his special power to invade thoughts, gather information but he wanted to ease into a new situation. He was used to being on his own ever since he and Kieran parted ways to do their own exploring. Had Devon known Kieran went to the human world, he would have laughed.

Had he been there himself?

No.

Well once.

And it didn't suit him much so he didn't stick around. Their thoughts were more annoying and they were glued to odd devices and walked around like zombies. They were no help and so Devon stayed where he was comfortable, where he could make do on his own or with a group of magicians. It was possible Kieran had made some progress with his eventual trips to the other world but Devon was still weary. He had enough problems in one world, to not make more in another. As he walked around the area, he spotted a group of children kicking some rocks back and forth. It didn't look like a game but it looked like they were having fun at least.

"Hey." He called out to them. "Is there a well near by? Or a lake?"

"A lake?"

"Yeah, water." Devon replied to the tall blond with curly hair and blue eyes.

"My mum says not to talk to strange men." A girl with rosy cheeks said.

"She's right, you shouldn't talk to strange men. Or listen to them. Or even follow them." Devon smiled. "I'm not a strange man though. I'm just an ordinary man like you and your friends." He slowly approached them. "I just arrived and can't find my around. I think you're all clever enough to help me right? You lot look old enough to be making up your own minds and not having to look to your parents for answers. I'm sure you have people you love who are fighting, maybe you want to join them, or maybe not." He continued and crouched down in front of them. "Maybe these civil wars are pointless to you because they are to me." He smiled. The blond boy looked to Devon and then to his other three friends. "Do you like all this fighting?"

"No." He replied.

"Good." Devon stood up. "See, we can be friends. And friends help those who are lost. Where's this lake?" He asked. The kids explained there was a lake about a mile away on the east side of the village but not many people used it because there were claims that it could put a curse on you. Ah idle myths. Devon thanked them and headed to the lake, known as Lake Wyhrria. When he got there, he was pleased to see a lush green setting. A large white snow capped mountain in the faraway background. Lake Wyhrria was round and glossy and Devon sensed no threats around. He knew he'd have to camp by it for the night since the sun would be setting soon. He was quite fine with that.

He still couldn’t get a read on her. Kieran had initially thought that he could talk to her about what happened the day before, somehow get her to open up and be honest with him. He could see that she was a bit anxious now, but he couldn’t get much else out of her, and it was frustrating. If Devon was here, he would have been a huge help. Perhaps Kieran should have gone back to get him and have him confirm things for Kieran. Still, he had already committed to this, and he couldn’t exactly abandon the plan now. “Yes, I am fine. Thank you.” Kieran answered. “I thought that…since the hospital cuts off people’s clothing, you might want to have this sweatshirt back.” He held out the folded garment, adding quickly that he had washed it.

Once she had taken the garment, he continued. “I also came to start paying back that bill. And since I am here…I was wondering if you wanted to go out and have lunch with me.” Kieran smiled, trying put off a bit more confidence than he had felt. He had been out to tav-restaurants in this world a few times, but never to try to learn more about a woman. It had always been to just get some food to go, or sit quietly in a corner and watch the rest of the interactions so that he could understand all of the proceedings. His uncle taught him about tipping, and some of the other things that were important, but Kieran have never had to apply that knowledge with someone who was from this world. Then again, perhaps Ana wasn’t. Perhaps she had grown up in his world, and only come here recently. Sure she had a job, and she looked comfortable, but if she lived her all the time, if she hid here, then it would make sense that she would want to blend in. Kieran contemplated saying that he wanted to learn more about what she had done to save her, but he didn’t want to scare her off if she was in hiding. If she refused his offer, though, he might have to change directions and bring up what she had done for him more directly.

-.-

One of the advantages of sneaking around the outskirts of town was that few people wandered around there. For one thing, there were rumors that the lake on the eastern edge of the village was filled with curses. Rhys had been staying on the western side of town, though she knew that the path towards Lake Whyrria would be the most solitary. Further, she could get more water, which, after a bit of traveling, would be ideal. By the time she got there, the sun would be setting soon. She filled up her water, and walked along the lake’s edge, looking for a well-covered spot that could keep her warm and dry during the night. Before she came across the perfect spot, however, she came across another figure. Rhys slowed to a stop, watching the figure’s back for a few moments. She recognized him.

Was it one of the guards? A bounty hunter looking for her? She closed her eyes, forcing her heart rate to slow. Opening them again, Rhys found that the water in the lake had receded a few inches. She exhaled slowly, urging the water to still once more before looking up at the man once more. The second time she spied him, she knew who he was instantly. He was the man who saved her from her own magic—the same magic she clearly still couldn’t control. She was embarrassed, and annoyed. He had said that she needed to relax, and the very next person she encountered almost made her create a tidal wave in a lake. The man had offered before that she could come and find him, and Rhys had the impression that he would think such now. But she hadn’t sought him out, it was merely coincidence.

Before he addressed her, though likely because he was listening to her thoughts and poking fun at her internally, Rhys turned on her heels and began to walk the other way. She didn’t need someone to lecture her about her incompetence anymore. Besides, she didn’t even know the man’s name. If he had meant that she could seek him out in any serious manner, then he would have introduced himself.

"Oh. Thank you." Ana took the item of clothing and looked around. The hospital usually donated lost clothes or ones that could be salvaged. It was infrequent that they needed to give them to patients but sometimes people came in without a lot to their name, without family to help them through. Ana was glad to help though she wouldn't take all the credit, it wasn't a huge deal. "Oh great, that's very prompt of you!" Ana nodded when he mentioned he would also be making a payment. She was going to remind him where it was but she didn't think he needed the recap, unless of course he mentioned it. Some people were great with remembering things, other people weren't. It was hard to keep any biases in check but that was the requirement of working in a hospital, everyone was different but deserved the same care.

Anabelle almost didn't notice his offer to go eat, as there was a bit of a pause after his offer hung the air. "Lunch? Today?" She had a few guys make moves on her before, most were the kindly old folk who were just being nice. Some were creeps but very few were nice ordinary guys like Kieran. "Sure..." She figured there was no harm, as he was no longer in the system. He wouldn't be hung up in ethics or legal or anything like that. And it was lunch, just lunch. "If you want to come back around 12:30, I'd be ready to go." Ana offered to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her friends watching with interest. "See you. Thanks." Ana mumbled with a slightly red face and hurried back to work.

By the time her lunch break rolled around, Ana had finished washing up and was standing outside the main entrance, keeping an eye out for Kieran, unable to shake the butterflies from her stomach.

- - -

Having sensed no danger or trouble lurking around, Devon began to remove his cloak. He had on a faded shirt and pants underneath. He stalled when his mind detected a change, a rather loud change. It was unspoken but enough to tip him off that his solitude was disrupted. He recognized the thoughts and physically grimaced. He did not want to deal with her. Even so, he wasn't about to disband his location and find somewhere else to clean up. No, he would do his own thing hopefully she would do hers, away from him. He approached the lake and removed his shoes and rolled up his pants. He waded into the water and gathered a cup in his hands and used it to wash his hands and then face. God, that felt good. He looked down at the water and shook his wet hands in the air, trying to dry them.

Suddenly the thoughts began to fade and he turned around to see the girl stalking off. He raised a brow, not sure why she was still so upset. He gave a shrug and shut his mind down, not wanting to invade in her space. Devon had only caught mangled snippets. It wasn't his style to intentionally read people's minds. His gift was a gift, but he wasn't going to abuse it. It was risky and resulted in his own weakness, his body wearing down, unable to keep up with all the mental stress around him. As he moved back onto the grassy mound, he sat down and wiggled his toes, enjoying the feel of cleanliness. It was underrated. He laid back and peered backwards to see if the strange woman was still around or not.

'What's the point in two lonely moons avoiding each other when the planets around them are all full?' He mentally asked her before her mind was beyond his reach.

“Today, if you are available.” Kieran clarified. “Otherwise, I might have to come back tomorrow to make a payment and ask again.” He continued, a small grin spreading across his face. “12:30, sounds good.” Kieran said. “See you then.” He noticed that her face seemed a bit red, but he didn’t think much of it as he left the hospital once more. Checking the clock in his car, he saw that he had about three hours until lunch. He could go home, but it would probably be more productive to find a place to eat. He figured he needed to stay close to the hospital, so that he could bring Anabelle back to work promptly. Fortunately, a small city had cropped up around the hospital, and so there were quite a few places to choose from. He went into a few different restaurants, looking at menus and layout. He wanted to be able to talk to Anabelle without the din of other conversations bothering him. Of course, wandering around at 9:30 wasn’t the most fruitful because many of the restaurants were closed, and he had no idea how busy they would be at their prime. His decision was made when he saw a location of Genghis Grill around the corner from the square.

It was exactly what he was looking for. The waiters came around to fill drinks, but the meal itself was something that the individual was able to build. Anabelle (and Kieran, himself) could get exactly the things they liked, the chefs would stir-fry it up, and then deliver it to the table. It wasn’t particularly expensive, but the food came out quickly, and they could stay for a while and talk, if such was permissible for Anabelle’s schedule. Kieran hadn’t been sure when she accepted the offer if she would be able to spend the afternoon with him, or if she only had a set duration for her lunch break. He knew that the lengths could vary from 15 minutes to around an hour, and he hoped that she had closer to the latter, so that way they wouldn’t be rushed.

Kieran spent the next thirty minutes wandering around one of the nearby shops, and then made his way back to the hospital to pick up Anabelle. She was standing outside the main entrance, which made Kieran’s life a bit easier, since he didn’t need to go back to the desk to ask for her. Instead of parking, he simply pulled around to the front entrance and parked the car to allow her to get in. The vehicle wasn’t new by any means, but the light blue 2005 corolla had been well-maintained. The interior was clean, largely because Kieran rarely used the car, and hadn’t formed bad habits like leaving trash in it, or trekking through the mud before getting in it. He didn’t think about the fact that he had said his injury was a car accident, and the car was clearly undamaged. Kieran wasn’t even sure if Anabelle knew about the excuse he had made for his injury—the beginning of the night having faded from his memory a bit.

“I hope you like Genghis Grill.” Kieran said as the door opened. The radio, as usual, was off. Kieran hadn’t even messed with his uncle’s preset stations after inheriting the vehicle. He didn’t know much about music, and none of the things he had heard particularly captured his interest. “If not, we can go somewhere else…I just love that you can pick out your own food, so you know exactly what is in your meal.” He explained. Having grown up in a place where going out to eat meant that the food was some sort of mystery meat, restaurants like this one were a breath of fresh air.

-.-

Rhys could hear someone else’s words in her mind. She froze, afraid at first, but she recognized the voice. It belonged to the man behind her, the one who had stopped her from exploding before. She turned to face him, his magic ability making sense to her now. He could read minds. It was how he had known that she was unable to control her magic, and likely how he had been so easily able to press her buttons when they spoke outside of the tavern. Somehow, knowing this fact about the man made it easier for her to think about speaking to him again. Before, she had felt utterly exposed, like he knew everything about her, and she was too self-centered to realize why. Now that she had something as well, even though it was small, she felt like she could regain control of her situation, at least a bit.

Taking another deep breath, Rhys began to walk towards the man once more, closing the distance between them. She wasn’t sure if he was still in her head, and she didn’t really want him there anyway, so she spoke to him. “I thought you might prefer your privacy. Yesterday, “ Rhys paused, and then shook her head. “Can we start again?” She asked instead, changing the topic a bit. “I’m Rhys.” She said, holding out her right hand to shake his. “I was thinking of going North, but I don’t really have a place in mind. If you would like someone to travel with, I wouldn’t mind tagging alone wherever you’re going, at least for a while.”

He might have laughed at her, or called her stupid, but if he humored her right now, then she could try to not think of him as a hostile figure. Of course, getting a name to call him by would be very helpful as well in that plight. Rhys lowered her bag beside her when he accepted her company. “I got some stuff in town this morning, if you want to share.” She offered, trying to be friendly. She hadn’t gotten anything that needed to be cooked, because she hadn’t been sure when she was going to be stopping for rest, and she wasn’t very good with fire anyway. While she could manipulate flames once they were present, it was usually by accident, and she didn’t know how to put them out with her magic, or to start a new flame from nothing. Since she had been planning to travel alone, the idea of a fire was also dangerous in terms of bandits seeing the fire in the dark, or the smoke when she started the flames. Though she had a small blade on her person, it wasn’t something she could really use to defend herself, if a group of bandits were to come upon her.

In truth, traveling with this man would likely help keep her safe, now that she was more relaxed, and felt like perhaps she could trust his man—so long as he stayed out of her head.

A car pulled up and she leaned closer, yep it was Kieran.

She waved and moved down and got in the car. "Hey." She smiled. "Oh yeah, I've been there. I think." She said as she shut the door and pulled her seat belt on. "Thanks for picking me up, walking would have been a little depressing." Ana joked lightly. "It's fine, I'm not in the mood for anything in particular so don't mind me." Ana assured him. She glanced out the window and then back to the driver. It seemed there weren't a lot of people out on the streets which was good. For once parking, shouldn't be a big headache. As they neared the restaurant and parked, Ana wasn't sure how to approach the outing.

They weren't really friends, but at the same time, she was getting the sense that this wasn't a romantic interest either. Would it have something to do with business? She really wasn't sure and was rather confused, but at the same time, glad to get out of the rut of a routine for a while. And she sensed nothing distressing with Kieran so she didn't think there would be an issue there. If he did anything weird, she'd probably be able to handle it. Or hopefully defuse the situation with words. Anabelle wasn't a big fighter, she would rather stay out of conflicts if she could help it, which was a perk of being an only child, no petty arguments.

"So are you from around here?" Ana asked him as they headed inside and were shown to a table. She just had a feeling that he might not be from around the area, as he seemed a little lost in terms of keeping up with the city's vibe. "I haven't really traveled myself. I mean, this one time, my mom and I drove down south to the beaches but as it turns out, I don't like the ocean for some reason." She shrugged a little as they were given water and tea, along with their menus. Looking over the selections, she decided to go with a simple carrot, broccoli and green bean chicken combo of stir-fry. "I guess I'm a city girl at heart." She commented.

- - -

She took the bait, which was better than him having to leave, feeling guilty about messing things up for her. But then again, he didn't see her lasting much longer at the establishment. She would be a crazy fool if she really saw herself doing that until the day she died or was probably killed by spiteful clans who hated magic. She came back and introduced herself as Ryhs. He sat up and pushed himself around to shake her hand. "I'm Devon." He told her. He couldn't help but hum a little. That name sounded oddly familiar to him. Why? "Huh?" He caught up to what she was saying, pushing himself out of his own pool of thoughts. He could get lost in his own mind forever, let alone someone else's.

And that was dangerous too.

He had heard stories of people like him who let their minds wander too far or dive too deep into other minds, and they went mad. They lost themselves or worse, there were rumors that their minds became hollow and would become a puppet for anyone to play with. Devon was trying to be careful but you could only use so much caution before people got suspicious. "Sure, it might be better if we did stick together. For a while. If we must part ways, I won't take it personally. Let's hope it's an amicable one." He said thoughtfully and smiled up at her. She joined him and mentioned she had something to eat, he had kept the bread and some of the wine from the inn.

He did have some other staple goods on him, a handful of rice, some dried berries. He didn't have any protein but they were by water. Why not fish? "I have some leftovers too, we can share. We are partners now." He said. He did have a storng moral code, well not strong, as so much honest. If he took someone by his side, he would look after them. It wasn't right to go along in a group and only look out for yourself. He got up and walked over to the lake and looked down. It was clear in some areas, murky in others. "I've never tried entering the mind of a fish." He mused. "I don't intend to get stuck there." He dismissed the idea and turned back to the girl, "Looks like it's bread for now, hope that's okay." Devon smiled.

Thanking the host who brought them to the table, Kieran then turned his attention back to Anabelle. “No, actually. I travel for work. I am not in town very often, actually.” He admitted. Anabelle told him that she didn’t travel very much, but she wasn’t fond of the ocean. He felt like she was telling the truth, but that would mean that maybe she genuinely didn’t know where she had been from. He debated bringing it up right there, but the server came back and asked for their orders.

Kieran ordered a variety of vegetables with some chicken as well, and then chuckled. “I don’t think I am a city guy. It’s interesting, but I feel like a bit of an outsider looking in most of the time.” He explained.

Kieran paused for a few moments, taking a sip of his drink. “Thank you for coming out to lunch with me. He didn’t know how to bring up the next topic, but it had to be done. “I was hoping you would be willing to talk with me... I know that I am a stranger, and I am not…by any means trying to upset you. I just want to understand what happened the other day, when I came into the hospital. And so I am going to start with what I know about that day, and we can go from there.”

Many mages, when confronted suddenly with their abilities, responded with hostility. Elementals were the worst. They could burn down an entire building before they had a chance to take a calming breath. Healers weren’t usually so dangerous, and their lack of defenses was part of the reason that they had been dwindling in numbers. “I was hurt. I was seriously hurt. More than enough for a bandage alone to heal. I’m not a city guy. I wouldn’t have gone all the way out to the hospital if I thought it was something that could have healed on its own. There was no one else tending to me at that time, it was just you.” He could still see the magic on her, but Kieran wasn’t ready to reveal his own hand just yet. He needed to know more about her background before he supplied more information.

The pair was interrupted by the food arriving. Kieran thanked the server, assuring them that he didn’t need anything else for a while. He looked down at his food briefly. There was steam rising from it, and while he probably could have started eating, he felt like he needed to finish his side of things for Anabelle. “I…know people like you. Not many, but a few. But… there are a lot of things I don’t know. Like, what are you doing here? And what do you know about what you do? And-“ Kieran caught himself. If he got himself worked up with questions, he would just overwhelm Anabelle. He was hoping that she could talk to him of her own volition, and he wasn’t going to get that by intimidating her. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I get a bit…over-excited, and you don’t know me that well, but I would really like to hear this from you, rather than just listening to my own assumptions and getting nowhere with them.”

In his mind, she likely knew about home, and had been taught to hide what she could do because of that. He didn’t want to spend the entire meal beating around the bush and not addressing the fact that he wanted to talk to her about her ability. If they could just get past the part where she tried to deny what she could do, he could find out what part of home kept her from returning, or if she perhaps had been wanting to go back but couldn’t. He hoped to convince her to come back, at least for a little while. She could do so much good back home, and she could be around others who would teach her more about the things that she one day could do, if she wanted.

-.-

Devon. It wasn’t a particularly enlightening name, but it was nice to finally have something to call the man. Rhys agreed to share, and began to open her bag, taking out the things that would perish the soonest. She had some fruit—the banana was not surviving very well in her bag, and some meat that had already been cooked and seasoned a little. As she sorted through her bag, reorganizing things so that the rest of her perishables wouldn’t perish so quickly. While she was organizing, Devon went over to the lake. She watched him a bit, and then laughed as he talked about entering the mind of a fish. “What, is it too big for you and you’re afraid you might get lost?” She teased. Rhys almost laughed once more before she realized that she had said that to a virtual stranger, and she clamped a hand over her mouth nervously. She took a breath before relaxing once more. He probably wouldn’t be that angry with her. She slowly began to part her fingers.

“Sorry.” She said, chuckling nervously. “Sometimes I speak without thinking first.” She lowered her hand down to her lap and shook her head. “Usually, I speak without thinking at all.” She added, teasing herself because it was pretty true, and also because she hoped Devon would see that she wasn’t trying to drive him away—this time.

“Bread would be perfect. I have two bananas that probably won’t last till morning, and a bit of chicken.” She split what she had in half, giving him a whole banana, and some of the chicken to put on the bread. It wasn’t a gourmet meal in the slightest, but it was better than nothing. Rhys stopped conversing for a short while to eat the meal. The sun had set, and darkness was spreading across the sky. “Would you like to take turns and keep watch? Or does your…mind just sort of pick up on when others are around like a sort of burglar alarm?” Rhys asked. She seriously doubted his magic worked anything like that, but if she didn’t ask, she certainly wouldn’t ever know for sure. Besides, if she could get away with sleeping most of the night and still feeling like they were decently safe, she would be ecstatic.

Once that was established, Rhys could only think of one other question she had for the night. She put her bag to the side and knelt down by the lake, refilling her waterskin and drinking from it. “Do you have any place in particular in mind?” She asked, taking her hair out of the loose braid that had rested over her shoulder. She wasn’t going to wash it, because it would be silly to sleep right after, and she was just going to continue traveling. However, she did want to braid it over the other shoulder the next day, and so for the night, it would be loose.

Kieran was trying to get to his point and Anabelle was curious but trying to keep her distance, her guard up.

He began to recount what happened. He mentioned he was hurt, badly hurt. And that he hadn't gone to the hospital, which from the sounds of it, was somehow out of the way. Of course the question of calling for help came to mind. A cell phone could have easily helped transport him from one place to another while doctors and medics worked to keep him stable. Before she could voice her questions, they were interrupted by the arrival of their food. The wave of confusion blew by quick as she began to eat, though not too fast, the food was hot and she was with someone, she didn't want to be rude.

The boy began to speak again and she set down her fork and sat up a bit more. His tone remained just as serious as before and the waves of uneasy emotions came back over her. Something was off. He told her that he knew people like her. What did he mean by that? He then began to ramble, a series of questions tumbling off the edge of his lips as she found her stomach begin to churn. She felt sick. Her every instinct was telling her to leave, get up and run away. A healer wasn't known for enjoying confrontations or negative emotions.

Ana always thought she was just passive by choice, not by nature.

He calmed himself and mustered an apology. "I um..." Her mind was still spinning, trying to dissect what he was going on about. What she did? Did he know other nurses? Or did he mean people who had weird abilities? She felt guilty all over again. Her mother would be furious with her. She licked her lips and quickly took a big drink of tea, trying to collect herself. "I don't-I-I." She didn't know if she could trust him, or if she even should. Her first response was to deny what he was talking about and walk away but a part of her, deep down, thought that maybe he had answers, answers which her mother refused to give her.

She could try, right? "I don't know who you are or what you think I am but..." She sighed shakily. "I don't know what I can do...what I did to you was...was something that happens rarely." She tried to tell Kieran. "I just live with my mom...I don't have anyone else." She told him. His words repeated in her head. He had asked what she was doing here, where else would she be? "I don't know what you want from me." Anabelle frowned, not sure why he wanted to bring this up. She had been raised to believe it was taboo. Something bad, something very unknown. "Are you...are you saying that you might be able to help me with whatever is going on?"

- - -

Her comment was a joke, likely.

But it was a serious issue to him.

Entering the mind of anyone but a human was risky from his point of view. There were some who might be able to control a wolf or a bird but Devon saw little point in venturing so far beyond the reality he had. He was happy with his skills and found it amusing to have Rhys tease when she wasn't any better than him. He gave a shrug and turned back to her, his lips up in a slight smirk of amusement. She apologized though, which was nice of her. He hadn't been expecting one though.

"You'll find when traveling, it's best not to let your mouth do too much talking. People on the road can be helpful if you let them but if you piss off the wrong sort, you'll be killed on the spot. The last thing anyone needs is a partner who has a bad reputation." He advised and walked back over to the girl. They went to work dividing up their food, keeping what could be saved, for another point in time. He liked to keep basic staples with him if possible. Rice rarely went bad and if he had the money, he sometimes would get cured meats. For now, they should eat to build up their strength. In the back of his mind, he knew he'd need to meet up with Kieran soon and inform him of his new partner.

She could be of use to them in their cause to get to the bottom of restoring the world back to its once proper glory. As he ate, he was asked about taking turns in terms of keeping watch. "I never have to worry about that, now neither do you. I can pick up on things close by, much easier when I sleep to be honest." He told her. As he finished the banana, he rubbed his eyes, growing weary already. Traveling would do that to anyone. "Currently, no." He said. "I have a friend who is in the other world right now, he's searching for someone I think." He said.

"His name is Kieran and I went into his mind once and saw a blurry but promising vision. A world where magic was no longer seen as evil or bad, a world where most people have powers. I think it was created by myself, him, and two other people with different talents. We parts ways but we may rejoin soon." He said. "I think if we keep moving, I may be able to lock onto him and see where he might be. There is a town we thought about meeting up in. It's a little west of here I think." Devon said as he licked his lips and got up to get ready to get some rest. Sleeping on the grass would be much better than in a ditch. "I've met magicians in my travels but you're the first who is brave enough to join me." He smiled to her and laid back, using his pack as a pillow.

He could tell that he upset her, but he was bringing up a sensitive subject to a healer, so it was pretty inevitable. When she finally answered, she stumbled over her words. He waited, though it was a bit difficult to bite his tongue while she tried to give him an answer. Still, he was grateful that he remained quiet, because he learned quite a bit about the girl. Anabelle lived with her mother, and had very little understanding of what she could do. Either she wasn’t strong, or she hadn’t learned how to control what she could do. “Yes, Anabelle.” Kieran answered finally. “I think that I can help you understand what you can do. I am sorry for springing this on you, but there is no delicate way to talk about these matters.” Kieran knew that magic wasn’t considered ‘real’ in this world. It was doubt that helped people hide here, and while it benefited them as individuals, it did not help the rest of the mages at home fight for their lives and their freedom.

Kieran continued to eat, because while this might have been very stressful for Anabelle, he had known what he was getting into. She could have run, but he didn’t think that she would, since she hadn’t already. “What you said before, about living with your mother. She hasn’t… told you about this sort of thing?” He questioned. He felt like she should have at least taught Anabelle about the basic things she could do, that way she could better control her abilities. Then again, he imagined that it was possible her mother was not someone who used magic. He had never heard of someone being born of this world and having magic powers, but anything was possible. It could even be that the man who had fathered Anabelle had come to this world and had gifts; her mother might not even be aware. “Have you talked to her about it at all?” He questioned.

Around this time, the server brought more drinks to the table. Kieran paused to thank them, and then finished the last of the meal, waiting for Anabelle to reveal whatever information she felt comfortable revealing. He thought about telling her about himself and what he could do, but if she really knew so little about magic, then he might overwhelm her, or make her think that he was simply insane.

-.-

Despite her attempt to make a joke, Devon found something else to lecture her on, namely running her mouth. She had been on her own for a few years already, and she felt like she knew not to piss off the wrong people. They ate, and began to settle down for the evening, and Devon explained that they didn’t need to keep watch because he could sense people coming more easily from his slumber. “Awesome.” She replied, glad that she could get a good night’s sleep. Devon then told her about his friend, Kieran, a mage with visions of people with magic roaming over the world. Rhys was surprised, but it sounded great. “Brave, or perhaps a little stupid.” Rhys commented lightly. She took her pack, shifting a bit, and then turned away from him, using it as a pillow as well.

She took a while to fall asleep, hearing the sounds from the forest, and the steady breathing of her traveling companion. She wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else around, or outside, and it made her nervous. Eventually she fell asleep, though, and woke after the sun rose the next day. Rhys drank a bit of water and washed up a little, figuring that Devon would wake when he was ready. She braided her hair, using a small string to secure it, and took out a bit of food to eat, as well as a small journal and some charcoal in a cloth.

As a child, Rhys had been fortunate enough to learn how to read and write, though she wasn’t doing that now. Instead, she spend a little time drawing the scene. It wasn’t exactly what she saw, but she stayed true to the energy of the clearing, drawing trees, the stream, and trying to capture the warmth of the environment with the single color. Drawing had always been something that had helped her relax, and with her ability, having something that helped her relax was really important. She was so engrossed in the drawing that she didn’t even hear Devon when he initially woke.

The two continued to eat, though there was some definite tension that hung in the air, at least from Ana's point of view. She wasn't that hungry but she forced herself to eat because she would need some sort of sustenance to work, and it would also be impolite to just waste the food the mysterious boy had bought her. "She-" Anabelle began to speak but then someone approached the table. "Thanks." She told the man and went to take a drink before she went back to what Kieran had brought up. "Well my mother...she doesn't really..." She glanced down at her half eaten meal.

"She just doesn't like to talk about it. I've brought it up a few times but she would change the topic, do anything to advert my attention so after a while, I stopped bringing it up. As a child, she would tell me magic was real but I guess when I saw it really was, she began to make everything a joke or something." Anabelle said quickly as she looked back up. "I don't want to upset her so I've never really tried to get to the bottom of it. It didn't seem right to press the matter." She shrugged a little. It was apparent however, that this, whatever it was, wasn't going away and she was finding herself generating more questions. And from the sound of things, Kieran had his own inquiries on the matter.

Should she introduce them?

Would that be wise?

Ana scratched her neck a bit. "So do you...I mean, can you do anything?" She asked him, not sure if she wanted to know. The veil wasn't off entirely just yet but if he could do magic like her, she couldn't keep denying the truth, whatever it may be. Anabelle wanted to know that she wasn't alone and that what she did wasn't so bad. After all, she was helping people. Her mother was clearly trying to protect her but Ana wasn't a child anymore and something was going on. Ana didn't want to be on the sidelines, left to live a mundane life.

- - -

Sleep was easy for him. His mind could be turned off like blowing out a candle.

Devon found comfort in the wilderness. While it could be unpredictable and dangerous, it provided him plenty more comfort than apprehension. The boy was keen to check every hour or so to make sure the area wasn't being disturbed by anything other than animals. But thanks to the fanciful lore which surrounded the lake, they didn't have any visitors. He found himself sleeping a bit later than usual but didn't think much of it. He pushed himself up and saw Rhys was busying doing something. He got up and finished putting the rest of his clothes on.

"Morning." He greeted as he finished packing the rest of his things up. It was sunny and warm. A thin layer of fog remained, hanging low around them but it wasn't too worrisome. "We better get going soon." He said. He took his pouch out and drank all the wine from it. He licked his lips and went over to the water and rinsed it out, replacing it will fresh water. He put it back away and stretched. A restful sleep was a great remedy for anyone with a restless mind or body. Of course it would be more useful to have a Healer with them but he saw Rhys' skills as untapped and hopefully useful in their quest.

When it seemed like she was ready to head out, he directed them along the west side of the lake.

"Do you have any family?" He asked her. Devon suspected she did, but they didn't like her talents. Or they were dead. People being torn from their families was something he hated to see. He knew that hardship well and he hoped that the future would be more safe and reassuring, more understanding and accepting. He could read her mind to find out, but he found it more engaging to have a two sided conversation with someone, especially someone who may be with him for a while. For now, there wasn't anything annoying about the route, the grass would tapper off soon, give way to a dirt road with trees and bushes.

Learning more about Anabelle’s mother, Kieran was a bit surprised that the woman had pretended it was all a joke and basically ignored her daughter’s concerns. It was very concerning, because Kieran knew it meant that Anabelle had absolutely no direction for her abilities. It was fortunate, in a way, that she wasn’t an elemental. They were the most volatile, and people could have died because of the woman’s lack of instruction. It also sounded like Anabelle’s mother was from Kieran’s world, and had been hoping that if she could just ignore her daughter’s abilities, they would go away. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had been a healer as well, or if she was able to do something else. He sat quietly as she explained that she hadn’t pressed her mother for further information.

“Yes.” Kieran answered, nodding in response to her question. “But it isn’t something I can show you easily.” He admitted. “I have the gift of spirit. That means that I can sense magic. That’s how I knew you… you didn’t do anything wrong, but I can see magic on people, and I can tell the type as well. There are a few other things that people like me can do, but that is what I am best at.” He wasn’t going to get into the stress of talking about visions and prophecies, since this was already going to be overwhelming.

“There are four different… branches of magic.” Kieran changed the subject a little, but wanted to show her that he was eager to tell her things about what she was, rather than just putting her on edge about herself. “Healers…pretty self-explanatory. Mages of spirit, like me, can sense magic, and have visions about the future. The third branch is Mind, they can read minds, and move objects with their minds. Finally, there are elementals. They have the ability to control wind, fire, water, and earth. A person who has the gift of magic only has one branch, though they might specialize in one part of their branch.”

The server came over once more, now that the dishes were largely finished, and asked if they wanted dessert. Kieran looked at Anabelle for her opinion, and if she didn’t seem interested in more food, he would simply ask for the check. He felt bad, in a way, that he had turned this entire lunch into a bit of a business meeting.

-.-

“I’m ready when you are.” Rhys replied. She had already been up for a bit, so she had eaten something small, and gotten water already. Rhys followed him along the lake, but she wasn’t too thrilled about his first question. “I do. I have a mother, father, older brother, and younger sister.” Rhys answered.

“I left six years ago. There was…an accident. I’m sure you’re not surprised by that, though.” She added. Rhys was quite aware that she looked very incompetent as a magic user, and she was. “None of them had magic. They couldn’t help, or understand, and I was putting them in danger. They are better off now. I know when I was still home, my father was having a hard time finding a suitor for my younger sister, because we lived in a small village, and they knew that there was something…wrong with me.” Naturally, her father had abandoned the idea of getting Rhys married off, and her little sister used to have temper tantrums about how she was ruining their lives. Hopefully, all of that had changed, and Jemma was now married. She probably had children of her own. It was hard for Rhys to think about home, to know that her family had moved on, and was safer and happier without her.

For six years, Rhys had been on her own. There had never been a place that she felt safe enough to practice her ability, to control what she could do. “I traveled around, settling for short periods of time, doing odd jobs. I worked at a taproom on occasion, but I also worked for a blacksmith, polishing things. When I was younger I dressed up like a boy, and delivered messages and such. People employed boys and rarely gave them a second glance. It is more difficult to pull that off, but not impossible with the right clothing.” She said, giving a slight chuckle.

Rhys walked along the road beside him. This was the first time she had really spoken about herself, and while it was strange to try to summarize so much in casual conversation, she appreciated the opportunity to speak and share things about her life at her own pace. “What about you? Do you have any family?” He questioned.

The information was given to her in small amounts, she was grateful for that.

At the same time though, Ana was intrigued by this sudden turn of events. It was weird, surreal in a way. Still, she was more interested than apprehensive. In her heart, she believed that Kieran was being truthful with her, that he wasn't tricking her or acting deceptive. There was a lot she didn't know and she was hoping to change that. She still wasn't sure as to why he sought her out but that was on the list of questions that her mind was already rapidly generating. Kieran explained the different branches of magic and what sort there were. In her mind, she was happy with her sort of skills. Of course she didn't know any other sort until now.

The waiter returned and took their plates away and asked about dessert. She didn't eat a lot but she didn't think she'd want to eat anything else and waste more of Kieran's money. Of course she was capable of paying both or even just her portion of the meal. "No thank you." She said politely and looked back to the strange man in front of her. As excited as she was, a cloud of nerves were bundled and buried deep inside her. How could she go home and pretend that she was still so oblivious? The waiter soon came back with the bill. "I can pay, you don't have to." She offered to him. The lunch hadn't gone as she had predicted. That was an understatement.

In the end, she let him pay begrudgingly. Anabelle got up and glanced outside to see the sky wasn't as dark as it was an hour ago. That was good, possibly a good sign. "I should get back to work." She sighed. Her mind wouldn't be much help at the hospital but she couldn't shirk her responsibilities because of a new revelation. They headed back outside so he could drive her back. She wasn't sure what to do now. With herself or him. "Why did you want to tell me all of this? Why did you need to talk to me?" She paused by his car before she got in. "Forgive me for trying to questioning your motive but you wouldn't tell me all this unless it was important to you." Ana frowned, anxiety now fluttering in her stomach.

- - -

It didn't surprise him that she was a middle child.

Devon listened as Rhys explained her history, telling him about her younger sister and then about her father's issues with her. Magic could do a lot of damage to families. Some people accepted it while others hated it and feared. He saw the logic of both sides but he wanted to help everyone see the light, not just the darkness. The girl then said she traveled around and began to do odd jobs to get by. That was impressive. It was good to know she could do a bit of everything if they had to stop for a while and make do with hiding or making extra money. People were making the latter more difficult though and Devon hated that.

Rhys explained she had to hide her gender for some jobs, that did have to be done. Many people questioned a female's capability but he had seen many women with and without magic do much more than the old drunks who eyed women like wolves. He nodded as she soon finished her side of her story. It was good to know things about someone, better to try and relate than to build higher tougher walls. They kept walking along, the forest starting to get a big more green and ticker. It was better than the woods he just left on the other side of the town. "Hm?" He glanced to her when she asked about his own family.

"Yes, I do." He told her. "Both of my parents were like me, could use magic." He smiled fondly. "I have two younger sisters but they don't have any powers as far as we know. My parents left to go fight and left my sisters with friends of ours while I also took my leave and went my own way. It would be more of a risk to stick with my parents and travel." Devon said lightly. "I have yet to cross paths with them, it's been several years." He glanced up at the foliage above them. "I'm sure they're safe, I'd like to think if any one from my family died, I would at least feel something heart or see something in my head." He shrugged and smirked a little. "Better to keep thinking positive than to dwell on a history you cannot change." He said.

Kieran insisted. “No. I dragged you out here and talked your ear off a bit. Paying is the least I can do. Besides, I asked you to lunch, it is only gentlemanly for me to pay.” He explained. Kieran walked her back to his car, and considered her question as he got into the car. “It’s okay. It’s a good question.” He assured her. “Let me think for a moment…” He turned on the ignition and put in his seatbelt.

“I didn’t need to talk to you, but I wanted to ask for your help. People who use magic…” He paused, knowing that he couldn’t easily explain that there was a whole different world out there where they were being persecuted. It might be a bit too much. “Are fighting a war.” He said. “Most people around here choose to believe it doesn’t exist, and that is fine. However, some who do know about it think it is unnatural, that it is wrong. I am not fond of war, but I believe that everyone has the right to…what’s the American way, again? Ah… right, Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“Having someone around who could heal people would change the outcome of many fights. But please understand, Anabelle, I would never force you to aid our efforts. But… the people who hunt down magic users would want to use your abilities as well. You need to be prepared to defend yourself, to know what sort of threat is out there, whether you choose to join the fight, or run.” Had Kieran been one of the spirit mages who was helping the non-mages, Anabelle would be in a very different situation. They would have forced her to heal all of their injured, tipping the scales greatly. Hell, there were some mages who would force her to come back with them and heal the magic injured, but Kieran didn’t believe that force would ever yield the vision he saw.

The car pulled up in front of the hospital once more, and Kieran sighed. “I know that this is a lot to take in. If you have questions, let me give you my number.” He pulled out a pad of paper from the center console and jotted down the number for her. “Like I told you before, I am in and out of town, and we don’t have cell service where I live, so if I don’t get back to you right away, I’m not ignoring you at all.” He explained, giving her a small smile. He handed her the number, and took a deep breath. “Is there anything else I can do for you, any other questions I can try to answer?” He asked.

-.-

Devon’s family history was very different from Rhys. While Rhys had been the only one with magic, and living in a family where the people couldn’t understand what she did, Devon had not one but two parents who could use magic as well. He didn’t specify what exactly they could do, and Rhys didn’t ask. It must have been difficult to not know where they were. Rhys felt comfort in the fact that her family was most certainly at home, doing what they had always done. But for Devon, it had to be difficult to know that his parents were putting themselves in danger to protect themselves. Rhys gave a slight nod when Devon said that he believed they were fine. “You have a good point.” She said.

They continued to walk for a while longer, until Rhys found that her water was empty, and she was getting pretty tired. The hot sun certainly didn’t make trekking through the forest any easier. “Can we take a break, shortly?” Rhys requested in the middle of the afternoon. “There is a stream, up ahead a bit.” She pointed off in a vaguely straight and left direction, and then turned her gaze towards Devon, “I mean, I think there is…” She added.

True to her word, the pair was able to find water if they followed Rhys’ lead. When they got to the stream, Rhys was able to fill up her water once more, and then sit beneath a shady tree for a short while. “Are you hungry?” She asked, opening up her bag once more. Rhys wasn’t really used to set meals anymore. She ate when she was hungry, and she always ate a little less than what she wanted, to make sure she would have more for later.

“What do you know of… the fighting?” Rhys asked. “I’ve been trying to keep my head down, and I haven’t seen much of anything that’s been going on as of late…” She trailed off a little, unsure if Devon would be cross with her for nor taking an active role. She wasn’t in control of her abilities enough to be able to help, she didn’t have a clue where to even go, and she was terrified. They were all things that had kept her from getting involved thus far in the combat.