My World Now

After I remove Iota and put him back in the village I head back to the room. The place is basically empty. The dressers are empty the bed is freshly made. I take a quick look around and find one of Iotas Rayback racing books under his bed. I also find one of his shirts balled up in the bathroom behind the water basin.

I chuckle as I collect the two items and place them in my Void bag. The room is paid for two more days. I take the cards out of the Void bag and toss them on my bed. Then I leave the caves behind. I head to the nearest trapdoor and when I emerge the sky is clear.

Stars fill the sky and the two moons are almost full. I gaze up at the large moon hiding part of the smaller moon behind it. "It really is a beautiful sight," I think as I gaze up into the night sky. Winter will be coming soon I think as I breathing and see my breath in the cool night air.

I change into my human form and my green glow vanishes. Quickly I head out for the western gate. "The gate should close shortly I have to hurry if I want to leave tonight. I want to leave through normal means." I run through the empty streets.

I can hear the sound of laughing coming from a nearby bar. Down another street two men are fighting in an apartment with its window open. A Talcin runs across the street in front of me. (A/N Just a reminder a Talcin is a creature that looks like a cross between a cat with the tail and ears of a squirrel. Color is orange/red with silver belly.)

When I finally see the gate they are about to close it so I yell, "Wait." The guards stops for a minute and say, "Sorry lady the gate needs to close at 11 sharp." I yell, "I'm with the adventures guild." The guard looks at me like he is thinking before he says, "This better not be a prank. I've got a job to do." It takes me a few minutes to get to him and I show him my card.

He takes it and after a few seconds he looks at me he saying, "You are calling it alittle close. aren't ya?" I smile and say, "Sorry about that." He points over his shoulder as he passes me back my card. I head through the gates with out anymore delay. With a thud they close the door behind me.

I start heading down the road as I hear the small door in the door slide open and he says, "You better be careful. There are a lot of monsters out at night." I wave at him over my shoulder as I walk down the darkened road. There is a small sliding noise followed by a click as the door closes. I walk for a good 50 minutes enjoying the kool(A/N kool: my own quirk.

I've spelled cool this way since I was a kid.) night air before the wall of the city is lost from sight behind the rolling hills. I open my wings and take to the sky as I fly over the darkened pastures below. Miles and miles pass below me as I see the Raybacks, tamed Partmas and Zalgars laying in the fields below.

The Raybacks make a cow like sound when I fly low over one field for the fun of it. A Partma makes a started honk sound as it dives towards the safety of the pond below. The Zalgars just lay there ignoring me as I soar through the air. That's when I hear the bleating sound of a young Zalgar.

I look around and see the little guy has got his head stuck in the branches of a fallen tree. I land and come closer. His small curved horns have lodged themselves in the branches. The closer I get the more he bleats in fear.

I walk over and look at him. He is sliver/grey color with a pink/orange belly. His skin is like an elephants and when he stands and runs he is on two short legs. He has two thinner shorter front legs that he uses when slowly walking. Right now they are planted on the branches as he tries to use them to push backwards. He has a short neck and as soon as I lift the branches apart he falls backwards onto his b.u.t.t.

He shakes his head jumps up with his powerful back legs and bleats as he runs off to his mother standing not far away. As I watch as he butts his mothers utters asking for milk. I take off and continue my journey towards the town of Zochnat.

A few hours pass before the town finally comes into view. I can see a few beasts on the outside of the flower barrier throwing rocks. I had been here earlier this week so not many have come.

I spend the rest of the evening watching the behavior of the beasts. As daylight comes the look as the beasts eye change and they go back into the forest. I've been here hundreds of times sense the first time and never really did much investigation. School was more important. Now school is over and I start thinking.

....

Years ago

I find a 15 season old Iota standing along the railing in the underground activity area. He is watching practice races. His eyes are big and full of excitement. I come up and stand beside him looking down at the three racer. The guy in front looks back over his shoulder to see how far behind the other Raybacks are and his steed stumbles. It takes a minute for the jockey to get his steed back under control and by the time he does one of the riders behind him take the lead.

Iota says, "I've seen that happen so many times good jockeys loss the race cause they look back." I smile and say, "A good jockey knows the field. A great jockey can see without even looking." Iota looks at me and says, "That's not possible." I smile and laugh saying, "What do you mean? Not possible you are a Florensin. Aren't you? Magic is in your blood."

I crouch down to the ground and place my hand flat in front of me and send a magic pulse into the ground. Iota can't see it but he can feel it as it blasts out from my hand and passes through the ground under his feet. "What's that?" He asks.

I look up at him and say, "It's a magic vibration. I can send magic into the ground and when it comes back I've got a map of the whole area and where everyone is. Once you get the connection you can see every step people make in your area. The vibrations they cause on the earth or in the walls make a picture, and cause they are connected to the earth you can see their shape, and weight. If you focus enough you can hear what they are saying. It's sounds like you hear them through water but you can get it clearer if you concentrate."

I look back to the maze below us and say, "It would be a lot harder in a race. Because first you need to get pass your own steeds vibrations but it's not impossible." Iota gets excited and says, "I'll be the greatest earth mage ever and be the greatest Jockey the world will ever know." I laugh at him and say, "I bet you can."

.....

I turn my hand back to a Florensin. Then I bend down and touch the earth with my hand sending out magic vibrations like I did all those years ago. When they come back I get a surprise. There is a huge underground cave below this town and a staircase heading down below from one of the buildings in the village, and I bet I know which one. I stand back up and change my hand back to a human.

It is early morning and the gates have yet to open so I look around at the damage left behind by the beasts. There are a few rocks that have been thrown at the flower and wall. But very little actual damage this time around. The wall is cracked here and there from the years of rocks being thrown at them but no structural damage can be seen.

I start walking around the parameter and see nothing noteworthy. By the time I've got back to the front gates they are opening. I smile and the guards greet me with huge smiles the first one says, "Glad to see you. Didn't know you would be back so soon. Does this mean You are finally done school?"

I smile says, "Yes just finished yesterday." He gives me a pat on the back as he lets me in saying, "Good for you. We are all expecting great things from you." I walk through the doors and into the small town. As I say, "I'll do my best." The buildings are looking better sense I started taking care of the beasts. Smiles can be seen on the few people up and about in the early morning. I can smell fresh bread baking from one of the nearby shops.

The buildings are still a good 15feet from the walls and guards men can be seen jogging in small groups in the brisk early morning air along the outer wall. I walk through the wide town streets. Past the orange stone buildings. The roofs are all made of iron wood. Once I get to the center of town I look at the fountain made and red/pink marble. Across from where I'm standing is the town hall next to that is the library and besides that is the alchemist shop.

The alchemists shop is the center of the negative feeling in this town and the black market. I bend down and pretend to be looking for something as I change my palm back to a Florensin. I send magic into the ground. At closer look I see the stairs come straight down from that building. I change my hand back to normal as I pull a jar out of my pocket and remove the cover.

After pretending to drop it. I make sure it's upside down before I pick it up. I whisper, "Turn into a mouse and watch the Alchemist building. Show me all exits. I pretend to pick something up and put it in the jar. Then I return the empty jar to my Void back. I turn around and walk into the tea/pastry shop behind me.

I sit at a table facing out the window and a young women with blue hair and dark orange skin comes up to me. She is wearing a yellow dress and a off white apron. She says, "So am I the lucky shop owner where you will play hide and seek with Tatsa today?" I smile laugh and say, "I'll have a Claza berry muffin and some golden root tea. How long do you think it will take her to find me?"

She laughs and says, "It's been a long time sense you graced our shop so I'll give it a couple hours." With that she laughs and vanishes in back to get my order ready. I look back out the window and toward the alchemy shop. I close my eyes and see the building in front of me in gray.

P.O.V. Darkness

I watch as my Master stands and places the jar I was in back in her bag. I change form from a small black flame to a mouse. Master turns away and I do the same. I look around and see the stone fountain near me. I quickly run to it and hug the stone. I follow the edge till I can see the shop Master was talking about.

I wait for a minute as a man crosses between me and my target. After he passes I bolt. I head straight for the edge of the stairs. When I get there I stay close to the edge again and get to the corner where they meet the building. I stop for a second when I hear a voice, "of course I have what you need. Just wait right here I'll be back in a minute."

Ignoring the useless conversation and head to the edge of the corner of the building. I'm looking around the edge when I hear a small hummmmm in my head. It only lasts for a few seconds, but it tells me Master is now seeing things from my perspective. I look up and see two windows on this side of the building.

I move forward continuing to follow the building. I stop under each window and look around. Then walk about a foot away from the building and inspect each window carefully. After I feel a buzz in my head telling me Master has seen enough. I run back to the building and continue on. I get to the back of the building and see a small loading area.

Crates are piled near the door and the ramp is made of stone. I look over at it and think, "I could get a better look. I'm not gonna burn stone." I look from the stone ramp to the wooden crates, and back again before I take the chance and charge forward. As I follow the building I leave a small black trail along the ground. I get close and turn to a bird to sit on the metal railing and look right into the building.

I can see the place is full of crates full of stuff. There is a small table with two chairs. The floor is also stone. That's when I see what looks like the edge of a trapdoor. I tilt my head to the side to get a better look. A man comes through the door into the back room. He sees me and charges towards me yelling, "Get out of here you stupid vermin."

I take flight and squawk at him. I land on the roof of the building across from him. I hear him say, "Stupid creature," as he vanished back into the building. I squawk again before I take flight and leave a small black spot on the wood roof. I fly once around the building before I land down next to the side of the building across from the back door.

I change back into a mouse and hide in the shadow of the building. I watch the door from here. When I flow around I saw no more doors and the other side has two windows high up on the building. I had landed on the stone ledges and saw they were both bedrooms. After that I'd continued my flight before coming back here. As the day continues I sit in this corner watching the door and waiting as day becomes night. Happily I softly burn a small black flame mouse that goes completely unnoticed by those passing by.