Chapter One


The eerie blue glow radiated from her palms and filled the brisk sunset with light and warmth. Leaning against the sides of the crumbling black walls for support, she stepped over stacks of empty boxes that were home to litters of sewer rats. Feigned hope kept her from turning back as she explored deeper down the path that was dimpled with use and was inundated by the afternoon shower. A large rodent jumped out from a crack in the wall and screeched in disapproval as she tripped over it, causing her heart to miss a beat. A sigh of relief turned in to gray smoke as she laughed nervously at her jumpiness. She fumbled with the pendant around her neck with unease and tried to hold down the despair that fluttered in the pit of her stomach. The locket was given to her by her mother now served as an outlet of frustration since her harrowing defeat two days ago. She nearly broke the pendant from its chain as she saw that she had arrived at the end of the alley. An instant realization came to her. He's not here. A silent string of curses flew from her mouth. Maybe he was too afraid to come. Dammit, he promised he'll come. She collapsed to her knees as she felt the efforts of the trip draining her physically. With a silent command, the light she held dispersed. She hugged her knees to her chest and tried to regain enough strength to get up. Tears threatened to fall. Every tendon in her body stunned with fatigue. After she was left for dead at base of Oran Hill, she was barely able to send a plea of help from the only person who could help her. Now it seemed as though her last hope was gone. Dammit. She gave the ground a hard push and stumbled to her feet.

As she turned to leave with despair, a clocked silhouette stepped out into the moonlight before her. The figure had a gray aura of energy around it that only he could carry. Her heart lightened until he smiled. His smile reminded her of the grin of a wolf and sent shivers of delight down her spine; the same smile that had been her sun for years and is now her sorrow. The light in her hands brightened to her silent command as she neared him. He looked the same as always: tousled black hair that ran down his broad shoulders, pale porcelain skin that seemed translucent in the paler light, and troubled brown eyes that reminded her of a history between them that was better forgotten. She bowed her head in diffidence as she felt the energy around him engulfing her own. Her light waned, flickered and evaporated.

"You called?? The question taunted her with playfulness. A hesitant silence came before the answer.

"I need your help.?

A light laugh started in his throat. The energy glowed around him a visible pale white. It dimmed quietly with his chuckle. The woman in front of him was prepared for travel in a long shapeless green cloak that fell down to flat deer skin boots. She looked different from when he saw her at the Lao party meeting five days ago; perhaps more lines beneath her eyes. He took in the frown and the anxiety on her face and decided that she was in her real body.

"The great Blue has come to me for a favor then? Hard to imagine someone of such great possibilities could end up so low.? A smirk. "Why, wasn't I the one that has done the begging only two month ago?? A frown overcame his dark features as memories of olden times edged into his mind.

"This is serious Ting,?She hissed with aggravation. "I demand your cooperation.?

"Demands already? Why darling, can't we at least kiss and make up?? He faked a laugh which turned in to a growl of bitterness. "You will never change. Why the hell should I help you? After what you did to us?? He paused to steady his emotions and returned to the present subject. "I've felt your energy. Why, you can hardly maintain a spark anymore. And I can bet that I've just swallowed up what's left of your usable energy. Amazingly, I want to hear what you have to say first. You wouldn't stoop so low as to see me under your conditions unless it's big.?

You never change too Ting; you are still as pompous as an ass, she thought bitterly. He had been right on all counts. She couldn't decide on what unnerved her more: his power, his possible refusal, or the part of their past that he still held against her.

"Valmier stole seven s-crystals from me.?Blue paused long enough to hear Ting's groan before she continued. "I was able to Touch some of my Life energies into a carrier crystal; enough to sustain life support on my proxy in. But, I won't be able to regain enough of my Touch to create Strings for seven s-crystals in the near future, meaning that I won't be able to access my proxy and grant my soldiers?activation to their bots. He will soon figure out the password and coordinates for my remaining two crystals, and come back to finish me off before I can move them. Without the s-crystals to power my proxy, I'll be a twig to him. The Lao party would only have you to defend them.?

She licked her chapped lips and watched for his reaction.

"Why should I care? There are no connections between us. You said so yourself two month ago.?

"You wouldn't have come if you didn't care. Forget about us, you must help me for the sake of the Lao party. All of my twenty four soldiers lost their activation access to the bots when Valmier took those s-crystals. Please, help me Ting---for the Lao party. You are my last hope.?

Silence took over the scene for a minute. Ting dusted off the brown loincloth over his baggy blue pants and took a sudden interest in the view behind Blue. His lips were pressed into a thin line.

"I want the whole story.?

Anguish filled Blue's spirit as she began to recount the day that she mistook Valmier for a fellow Proxy Conjurer and exchanged a terra d-crystal with him. What seemed like an innocent trade became foul play as he seized her Touch hand on her real body and tapped in to her Netstrings, extracting a part of her New Form. Valmier reprogrammed her New Form against her by undoing a series of frequency strands. As she lay half dead at the foot of Oran Hill, he stole seven of her nine s-crystals. At the end of the summary, Ting tried to hold back a string of curses he had for Valmier. He slowly exhaled.

"It's true that I despise you. But I am loyal to the Lao's cause and will do anything to protect it. Beside, I despise Valmier even more; he's been coming after me also. The damn parasite has been a curse to my carrier crystals ever since he found my storage den on the Nets. My soldiers are completely useless when it comes to gaining control and controlling the s-crystals. I will see what I can do to get what's your. Maybe we can even be rid of him.? Ting let out a small chuckle of hope. "I hold no promises.?

The joy on Blue's face was enough to surpass any pleasures. She knew that despite of the much deserved harshness in his tone, he never intended to refuse her. She fell upon Ting with fatigue and relief for an extensive amount of time. She smelled slightly of the city; a blend of hard incense to cover the smell of the human body. The two entwined bodies seemed to be one from a distance. When he was too tired to carry her weight any longer, he tried to erect her but found her to have fainted. With an overdue sigh, Ting picked up Blue's body in his arms. A silent verse formed on his lips, the two bodies were encased by a gray energy that swirled like a heavy fog. When the haze lifted, only the rats and Sthe silence of the alley remained.