Mother's Children pt. I It was a cold day in hell. The frigid night air whipped around the body of a young man, naked, who lay half awake in the snow. Three of his ribs had been broken, and his left wrist was lying at angle, when it should have been flat against the blanketed ground. His face, miraculously, had been unharmed. No other wounds were visible, though he could faintly tell in his state the internal bleeding was occurring within him. His body shook and he let out a small sob, something that he would have been disgusted at, had he the energy to do so. Tears formed at the corners his eyes, but froze almost immediately. He closed his eyes, the ice crackling, and tried to shut off the pain in his chest. It burned like fire, and caused sweat to bead his forehead, despite the chill. Turning his head slowly, he looked at the multitude of footprints that surrounded his body, then led off south. Breathing hard, he tried to prop himself up with his arm, only to cry out in pain and land hard on his ribs when his broken wrist slipped beneath him. Grimacing, the man contemplated resigning to his fate and freezing to death in the snow, or whatever else his cruel mistress had for him. Fate had a way of smiling at you, but always with razor teeth, ready for you to turn your back, he thought. But then, Fate was a woman, so he could have hardly expected less. Damned Lady Fate and Mother NatureÖ.he always knew women would do him in. He hardly thought it would happen before he lost his virginity though. He prayed now for the gentleness of Father Time to take him away swiftly. Aryth was a beautiful hell hole, and as far as he knew, this was his only escape. He slipped into sleep, and finally, death. Or so he had hoped. The sensation of warm, soft fingers against his throat was enough to rouse him, and he gazed bewildered at a dark shadowy form hunched above him. "WhatÖ" the words rasped out of him so faintly that only his breathe emerged, visible as a light frozen mist. The figure remained silent. Knowing he wasn't getting anywhere, he closed his eyes again, and drifted into unconsciousness. He had heard that people who were unconscious didn't dream, so he was surprised to feel being lifted into the air, almost flying under a warm sun, basked in soft comfort. He was then laid down by a strong, sturdy breeze onto a cloud, where he stopped dreaming and fell into blackness once more. When he awoke, it was to the feeling of a damp cloth being pressed lightly against his forehead. A dim light filled the room, and the scent of evergreens permeated the cold air. He looked through half covered eyes at his body, which was wrapped in what appeared to be layers of standard military blankets. StrangeÖhe thought, why would military blankets be in Aryth.. "Don't think. Sleep. Now." The voice was harsh, but feminine. He imagined there must be a Leah Kroft behind that voice, or whatever the popular video game star was called. Silently he chastised himself for his thoughts, though a part of him knew he could hardly be blamed. He had almost died, and it was only natural to think of full-chested women at a time like this. The cloth left his forehead, and he tried to get a view of his savior's face. The light only hit parts of it, highlighting a short, square nose, sharp cheekbones and brown hair. Then another rag was placed on his mouth, and as he breathed in he immediately sensed chloroform, before it took him. The woman looked down at him, content he was sleeping, then stood and left. The man arose minutes later, slowly, but found that his ribs felt no pain, and his wrist was encased in a flexible metal cast. Now he knew he wasn't in Aryth anymore. Or at least, this was no normal Arythian. Perhaps a kind Tasnican merchant with military grade suppliesÖ.shaking his head, he got out of bed, took stock of the room, and went to find some pants. It was a simple, spartan room with a bed, table and chair, a single bookcase with only a few books, and two doors, one leading outside. The other door was locked. A thin metal hair pin lay nearby on a bookshelf. He glanced at it, then looked back at the locked door handle. A gust of wind hit his bare backside and goose bumps raised up on his dark skin. He turned and walked to the doorframe, leaning up against the wood as he peered outside. A picture perfect winter wonderland if he ever saw one, he mused. He glanced down and saw faint footprints, smallish, leading away, but they were soon swept up by the wind. Large green firs dotted the surrounding area, blanketed with snow, and all within the sharp crisp air that only a winter can create. The man walked back to the bed and sat down, having not found any pants. He crossed his legs beneath each other and relaxed. His savior, captor, whoever, would be back sometime, and considering the likelihood of him dieing if he tried anything on his own, he decided to wait it out. He didn't have to wait long. A shadow crossed his face and he looked up, seeing the outline of the woman, but her arm was raised to her side, holding what was almost certainly a gun in her hand. He raised his arms. "Put them down. If I'd wanted to kill you, I would have left you to die last night." She tossed the gun to him and he caught it deftly with the hand not in a cast. He quickly checked the ammo case. It was empty. "What I want to know is, how did you get here, and who did you kill to get that gun?" He smiled faintly, rubbing the cold metal of the needle pistol with his free palm. "Killed a few people. But not to get this gun. It's mine." "I have the same one on me, and it's loaded. I suggest you answer the entire question to the best of your abilities." He looked up at her in surprise. This changes things, he thought. "Then you know where I would have gotten it. That should explain how I got here." He eyed her, looking for what he thought would be there. "It should, but it doesn't. Why here, of all Aryth?" He snorted. "Everywhere.." "..and Nowhere.", she finished. "Congratulations. You managed to kill a Celpo agent and steal his business card. That's enough to warrant a swift, but painful death. Care to elaborate?" He sighed. Why do we all have to be so damn picky? "No problem. The gun is a modified GA needle pistol with poison tipped rounds. It has a range of 700 feet, pin point accuracyÖdamn, a 2 year old could hit a bulls eye 200 yards out if he tried. 20 rounds in a caseÖshall I go on?" She glared. "Alright then. Cloak and Dagger is why I'm here. My bruise is bright purple, almost..ultraviolet? Dammit, why are Celpo agents so thick?" The alluded gun suddenly snapped into her hand. He sighed again. "The hair pin on the bookshelf is emitting a high frequency but also very short range signal. If it got put into that door lock, I'm sure the room would either be a smoking crater, filled with deadly gas, or smelling of charred flesh. Judging by the sparse conditions, I'm guessing charred flesh. Now put the damn gun down." Her arm still held the gun in one hand, but her other hand withdrew a small remote from her pocket, that she then pressed. The door behind her slammed shut, and the other door opened. "There are some clothes in there, go get dressed." She motioned towards the dark opening. "You first." He said with a grin. "I'm not modest." She mumbled something and went deeper into the house, the man following behind carefully. He fumbled about in the darkness, finding the clothing on a table. The woman watched as he dressed, outlined by the door frame. "Mind if I have a little light? I don't want to put these pants on backwards." He thought she nodded and she flipped a switch, bathing the room in a cold white light. The outfit consisted of a black turtle neck, military pants, and some insulated boots. It all fit him fairly well, although the pants were a little big, and the shirt a little snug, but at least he had clothes. He turned and faced the woman, finally seeing her in light. He was a little surprised. He had at first expected the typical image for a Celpo agent created by the media. It must have been from the voice. He knew better. She was of medium height, and her face wasÖ.well, he wouldn't call her ugly, but she wasn't attractive either. It was like everything was almost there to being pretty, but something about it made it fall short. Nor was she plain. Those eyes, dull brown though they may be, held a fierce fire in them.   He held out his hand. "I'm Agent XI. You are..?" "Seta." She took his hand gently, then retracted. The woman walked back into the larger room, XI following. "Now that we're pals, care to tell me what you're doing in Aryth?" He sat down on the bed once more, she taking the chair. "I could ask the same. But seeing as how I'm your guestÖ..we've traced the original origins of the collars to the DeLayKrinn Empire, and even developed new prototypes for controlling all kinds of magic users. But we need more information from the source. We lost contact with the agent currently assigned to the East, and so they've sent me." Seta sat down in the chair. "I see. How long ago were you sent?" "Not long. Before the Gate closed." She frowned. "Yes, unfortunate turn of events that, butÖ.anyways, I had not realized Agent Gem was eliminated." He shifted on the bed. "We don't know that for sure, but her signal went out for two months, and though the best was assumed, I'm here anyways." "Naturally." She nodded. "Now, may I ask what you are doing here? I was not aware there were Agents located here, this far Northeast." He looked intently at her. "Normally I would not tell you, but considering theÖunusual circumstances, I may as well. I am working on an ultraviolet project directly under our commander. He's entrusted me with the care andÖobservation of an unusual artifact: this." Seta pulled from her pocket a small orb, the size of a large marble. It was emerald in color, and covered with something. She placed it into her palm and it suddenly fit perfectly in her grasp. He could now see it more clearly. Now about the size of grapefruit, it shown with an inner light faintly, and surrounding it in an almost soccer ball pattern was a ridged..spine or exoskeleton. The side facing him was shaped into a pentagon, with spines leading into the middle of the shape, where the light glowed brightest. He gazed at it in awe. "Beautiful. What is it?" He leaned forward for a better look. "Just one of Praxer's many toys. But as always, it's very useful. And it's also why I'm sure none but Praxer know that I'm here. This, my friend, is a battery." Something clicked in XI's brain. "A mana battery.." "Exactly. And as you may assume, it's not a normal battery. Under the control of a mage, you can do many many things with it. We had originally thought it came from the Mana dimension, but after my findings here, I'm not so sure. You know your East Aryth history I suppose?" "Of course. Are you saying this was usedÖ" "Yes." She looked at the globe, palming it's weight, then tossed it to XI. He reached out to catch it, but it floated a foot above his hand. "I'm sure you know all about our experiments with the Leashes? I am one of the few agents able to use one, and apparently that has given me some influence over this artifact. It's why I was sent." "Influence? What exactly can you do with it?" He eyed her cautiously. Though he appreciated the uses of magic, he'd never appreciated the unfair power people held over those less blessed, like himself. "Mostly this." The ball floated gently around the room, then rested in XI's lap. "I also have an..understanding of what it can do." He nodded, still a little wary. "And your purpose here?" "Besides determining it's origin? Using it. Where else would you use a mana battery than the most potent ësource' for magic in the Web?" XI's eyes widened. "You plan on using this on the Source?" A cold light flickered in her eyes. "Not ëplan', have already used. Only briefly, but it was enough to get my answer." "And that was?" "That with this battery, Praxer will have more magical power than the rest of the Web combined." XI sat silent, taking this statement in. It didn't surprise him really, knowing what he did of Praxer and their "Mother". Things had stopped surprising him awhile ago. After a few minutes he spoke again. "How do you intend to get this back to Praxer?" She shrugged. "Through a Gate of course.", saying it as if it were simple knowledge. He stared incredulously at her. "The Gate has been destroyed. What-" "A new Gate. I don't think you understand. In the right hands, a Tane could do anything with this. And in the hands of Praxer, with one of our collars, he can do everything else as well." "And you've tested this?" "We almost killed a Zevin." That was enough for him. "PhewÖ. Alright. How and when do you plan on creating the Gate?" "I'veÖbeen trying since I heard of the old Gate closing. Come with me." She rose and went through the door. He followed her into the lit room, and watched as she placed her hand on the far wall for a few seconds, after which the outline of a door formed and slid open. Beautiful hands he musedÖand voice. He looked her over from behind, taking note of her figure. Not awful, but not great either. He was sure she was athletic and tough enough, but there was the lack of curves or shapeliness. Still, those hands, eyes, and voice held something special. XI laughed inwardly. He'd always had an understanding of woman. Perhaps that was why he feared, and desired them so much at the same time. She entered through the newly opened doorway and he followed after her. It led to a green house of sorts, though oddly the clear walls and roof showed no signs of being affected by the weather outside. Then he noticed the occasional flicker in their surfaces. "Containment field?" he asked. "Yes." She replied without turning. "Why?" "Look around." She motioned to either side of the path. He looked. It was then that he saw the rows of mounds in the dirt. He counted quickly the individual mounds. There were 11 total. Each long enough to holdÖ "WhatÖhappened here?" he stopped and kneeled down by the 11th mound. The dirt still felt freshly dug. "These are all mana users, from various places over Aryth. Some from the West, others from the East, a couple even from the other lands. They were drained of their manaÖwell, not all of them. But most." She kept moving. "The others died becauseÖ" He stood and looked at her. She turned to face him. "Because they couldn't handle the webs I needed them to weave. All that power at their fingertips, safely kept for their use, and they couldn't weave a simple Gate. That one.." she pointed toward the 11th "grave". "That one could have done it..but she broke free from the collar. It was destroyed. I had to kill her, but sheÖ. she left her mark." Seta pulled back her left sleeve and pant leg. He could see burn scars. "Those cover most of my right side and back. Mana burn after sheÖexploded. I'm lucky it blew me into the front of the house." "She exploded? Then why the grave?" She looked at it thoughtfully, a small sadness in her eyes that soon disappeared. "I don't know. It just seemedÖthe thing to do." She shrugged and continued to the far end of green house. There was another table, covered with various tools, and an oddly shaped piece of melted metal at one edge. The collar, he guessed. "I need a new Leash, a more powerful leash. One that can control one of these mana users when they go spectral." "Spectral?" "A term they use. It means that the mageÖwell, lights up like a neon sign and increases in power unbelievably. Most don't know how to. The 11th did." She grimaced. "I assume you brought a prototype?" He nodded. "Good. Go retrieve it please, immediately. There's a jetbike around the house, I'm sure you'll spot it." She grabbed a keycard off the table and threw it at him. He caught it, half expecting it to float mid air, and turned to go. He stopped suddenly, a question nagging at him. "Seta, why did you take me in from the snow?" "It was the gun, really. I watched you get ambushed by those 20 men at the bar, but it wasn't until I found the needle gun lying beneath a crashed table that I suspected you weren't a normal Arythian. Speaking of which, I'm sure if you know your stuff they won't have found wherever you stow your gear. Bring whatever you need here. Oh, and don't consider your hosts as being hospitable. I checked the location, the place is worthless and won't be missed." He nodded, acknowledging the code phrase, and left into the winter. Mother's Children pt. II Outside, the chill air failed to affect him now that he had calmed himself and gotten some decent clothing. He checked the now loaded needle pistol once more, then placed it in a holster at his hip. Sliding the key card into the jet bike's access panel, he revved the engines and sped off, bursting through the projection bubble, dissolving it's illusion of a tiny clearing whose falling snow flakes weren't quite right. The air blew over his smooth, shaved head and stung his eyes, so he activated the windshield and increased speed. In 3 minutes he reached the village where his temporary residence had been. XI switched the engines to silent running and landed 500 yards from the outskirts, then proceeded to cautiously make his way to the town. He slipped inside unnoticed, using back-alleys and walkways he had memorized a month ago, ones that were only used during the night by the "wrong sort of people", as a fat innkeeper had told him. He laughed grimly at that. The innkeeper looked like he would have fit perfectly in Tasnica's filthy underworld. Stray pets and mongrels hissed or growled him as he walked through their little kingdom. In the alleys, the decay of this village was most evident. Whatever version of Arythian termites there were had feasted themselves upon the buildings that stood there. Soon he reached his base of sorts, a large cellar beneath the kitchen of an inn. This innkeeper had seemed to have forgotten about it, and XI had disguised and locked it well just in case. He had rented a room at the inn all the same, in case anyone asked of his presence in their backwards town. Seta was right, he thought. The place was worthless. The people were little more than house-trained barbarians, with no redeeming qualities. Though he hated to play God, (that was Praxer's job) he had to admit that there was nothing here worthwhile. Not even an innocent child. XI unconsciously rubbed a rib that had been violently kicked by one of the youth. He shook his head and entered through the cellar door. Inside was a small array of scanners, communication devices, a bed, and weapon storage. He went to the bed and reached down, pulling out two very large knapsacks and placed them on the bed. Quickly he filled them with what weapons, files, and portable systems he had, then gathered the rest of the gear by the weapons shed. He grabbed a slim black palmtop and placed it on top of the pile, feeling the warmth of the stove on his hand from above. Slipping the pen out of the palmtop he clipped it to his turtle-neck, then left, slinging the two sacks over his broad shoulders. He walked out of town using the main road this time, not caring who saw him leave. He recognized a few of the men as those who had attacked him the night (he thought it was yesterday) before. They stared at him as if they were looking at a ghost, or something deadlier. He suddenly heard shuffling and low voices behind him, then a sharp twang. Dropping swiftly, he let loose the bags and rolled, pulling out his gun as an arrow flew above him. He turned and fired at a man holding a bow, a single shot. The man fell over, dead before he hit the ground, a hole in his chest. XI rose slowly, glancing about, then slid the gun back into it's case. He picked up the bags and walked away in the shocked silence that followed him out of town. He reached the bike without further incident and drove it over to the main road. He looked once again at the town, then turned his bike towards where he knew Seta's house was. Hopefully, he thought, the snow will cover the black scar this place has and will leave. He took the pen from his collar and holding it gently in his hands, he clicked the top. XI could feel the heat on the back of his neck as the flame pillared up into the sky, the explosion resounding in his ears. Screams mixed in with subsequent eruptions, and he imagined the Inn and surrounding buildings blasting apart, flaming wreckage setting the entire town ablaze. He sped away from the village, never looking back. When he returned to the house, the door was closed, but as he went to open it, Seta did so for him, looking into his eyes. He nodded once. "Then let's get down to business.\" They sat on a high ridge over looking the land below. Beneath them ran a wide shallow canyon, snow covering it's banks. The tracks of wagons and horses could be seen making a trail through the white blanketed floor of the canyon. A small caravan of travelers were on that road. XI looked at Seta. "One of those down there can go Spectral you say?" She drew out the mana battery. "Yes. Hold on while I determine which oneÖ" The woman held the ball in her hand, arm extended and it began to shine. XI thought he could almost see faint wisps of glowing green mist rising up from the people below him. Three of the wisps were more visible; these came from three woman on foot, garbed in gray cloaks, walking sullenly behind a horsed woman each, leashes attached to their necks. "That one." She pointed to a raven haired woman who stood a little taller than the rest. Even from this distance he could see bruises on her face, and he noticed she possessed a small limp. "Get ready." He nodded and walked to where the jetbike rested. "Oh, and XI?" "Yes?" he responded, still walking. "Be careful." she said with a touch of concern and compassion in her voice. He paused and looked back at her, but she was already peering through the scope of a needle rifle. He turned and mounted the bike, then moved it back thirty feet, to give himself enough room. In the seconds while he waited, his mind filled with thoughts. What is it about her? She's not in any way attractive to meÖ'cept maybe those eyes, and for gods sakes she's Celpo! Not that there's anything wrong with that, but she and I both know what kind of a person it takes to be Celpo, and if I weren't Celpo's bitch I'd never touch an agent, let alone look at one. So what is it about her that is making me.. The near silent gunshot snapped him back to attention and he launched the jet-bike forward a second later. He could hear the sound of a horse neighing shrilly, and then two more gunshots. As he catapulted himself and the bike over the ridge, XI could see the three female horse riders lying in the snow, pools of red seeping out beneath them. The bike soared through the air, sunlight glinting off it's surface, then descended fast to the ground, landing on the plain above the canyon. He quickly adjusted course and turned the bike wide in a circle, driving back towards the caravan. Pressing a series of buttons on the panel, XI launched two small pods from the bike. They flew in a wide arc towards the wagons, detonating as they hit the ground. Yellow gas quickly filled the area, and XI slipped a mask on before leaping off the bike and running down the embankments towards the horses. He had to reach the mage quickly before her owner's horse trampled her to death. He walked briskly through the sea of gas, then spotted the raven haired woman. Cutting the leash with a seraphim knife, he picked her up and slung her across his back. He began to walk back to the canyon wall when he was kicked from behind. He stumbled forward, but managed to catch himself, even with the woman on his back. XI turned quickly to see a man advancing on him. He quickly stopped and kicked at the man, impacting sharply with his ribs, then kicked again with the other leg at his head, knocking him to his knees. Still carrying the woman, he managed to trap the man's neck in a leg lock, pinning him as the eastern man wrestled to break free. With a quick twist of his leg, XI snapped the man's neck and stepped back, then turned and ran to his jet bike. He set the mage onto the seat gently, then sat behind her, holding her limp form tightly between his legs and arms. Taking off the mask, he started the bike up and flew it across the canyon and up the ridge. When he reached the top he stopped briefly, allowing Seta to jump on behind him, then set off towards the green house.    They reached their destination as the sun was setting, and XI brought the woman inside, followed by Seta. They walked into the long hall and Seta pulled a table over to the center of the room, which XI laid the mage upon.   She then pulled out the leash, and attached it to her wrist. Examining the collar, she noticed it was not a single shape, but rather two pieces joined by a small lock. She held it up to the light, running her fingers along it's length. "Why the new design? I'm sure Celpo can duplicate the mechanism of the original. I found it aesthetically pleasing." She glanced up at him. His eyes gazed deep into hers, before she turned back, blushing lightly. "This is more efficient. Anyone attempting to open the collar without the key will kill both himself and whoever is wearing the thing." She nodded, but mumbled something under her breath. He caught the word "elegant", but couldn't hear the rest. He'd never thought she would care about beauty that way, she had seemed such a cool, calculated person. But then, he mused, all Celpo seemed that way at times. The job required it. He could imagine a classifieds ad in the Daily Tuna:   Wanted: Best of the best of the best. Better preferred. Looking for cold, calculated men and women of incredible physique and charm. Weapons experience a must. Soul unnecessary, but ambition is a plus. Lack of family another plus. Male Primans need not apply, we've already got one.     XI chuckled to himself. "You find something funny?" Seta asked. Strange he thoughtÖshe was getting cuter. "No." he said, shaking his head. "It was best that we waited to put the Leash on her till now." His large hands worked their way gently around the mage's neck, and he held the collar tenderly, slowly unlocking it and slipping it off. "The prototypes have produced some shocking reactions. I suggest you prepare to take control immediately." Seta nodded and backed away a little. XI took the prototype and placed it around the woman's neck, then took out a thin key and placed it in the lock. He turned it then swiftly withdrew as the collar hummed to life. The woman's eyes snapped open and she screamed, sitting up and looking wildly about it. Her fingers clutched the collar at her neck, and she began to sob, tears streaming down her battered face. "Stop."   Seta commanded. The woman stopped crying. "Look at me." She did as told. "Your name?" "My name is Bart.." she said meekly, but was interrupted. "No." Seta said firmly. "Your real name." "My..my realÖ.Lilandra. My name is Lilandra. ..Are you my new keeper?" Fear, but also resilience shown in her black eyes. "Of sorts." The Celpo woman replied. "We need you to help us. Knowing what you do of the Leashes, you know you have no choice but to cooperate.   LilandraÖ" the woman   had begun to silently cry again. "Lilandra, listen to me. We know you to be what you are. A human, not some sort of dangerous dog. You don't need to fear us. I assure you, when this is all over you'll thank me. All you have to do is succeed." Seta lifted her face gently. XI marveled at the display of compassion he saw there, something very abnormal for a Celpo agent, especially those who had been trained to use the leashes. Most had developed a sense of superiority and control, even of those the Leash could not touch. He was surprised for the first time in a long while. Lilandra looked up at him, gazing intently, then turned her gaze towards the rest of the room. It was then that she spotted the graves. She gasped. "WhatÖwhat are those?" she asked, turning to Seta. "Failure." She responded grimly. In two days time, the bruises on Lilandra's face had gone, revealing a beautiful woman, and she limped less. XI's brace was removed, and he worked hard on entering new information about the Leashes, based on what Lilandra was forced to tell him. During a quiet spell, as he tapped away at the computer, the mage spoke up. "You have feelings for her, do you not?" XI looked up at her over the monitor, eyebrow raised. "You think thisÖwhy?" She sighed and shook her head. "Are men the same in every land? All the muscle in your brain gets placed in your arms, chest, and p-" "No no, I'm just curious as to what hinted it to you. I personally don't know what the feelings are myself." He went back to typing. She shifted on the table, careful to not move the leash. "WellÖ.it's most obvious in the way you change personalities almost. When you are around her, you are very much lessÖ.Celpo, and much more human and real. The ways you have watched her work, or yesterday when you awoke her. I was watching you, you were like a lamb." He scoffed. "Only because she is Celpo. The woman, any Celpo agent really, is likely to have a gun under their pillow." "Then why did you stand there for nearly 30 minutes, watching her sleep? She is not an attractive woman." Lilandra said it as though it were a simple fact, not opinion. "..I don't know. I was thinking, most likely." Truth of the matter was, he was exploring her face with his eyes, noticing how things he had once thought were flaws were now fascinating intricacies of her appearance. "You do not ëthink' she is Celpo, do you? You believe she is more human than the agents you have described to me. I can tell. I think you have been lonely for a real person." She slid off the table, then walked toward XI, dragging the table behind her, doing her best to still look seductive. With those hips, he thought, she was doing pretty well. StillÖ "Free me, and I think you would not be lonely for longÖ" XI sat back from the computer, looking at her. "Need I remind you that I have no aversion to snapping your neck in three places if you touch me? We can always find another mana user. I'm not in the mood for a romp in the bed." Lilandra glowered. "My point exactly.", she spat. "You're more Celpo than human, except when you're around her, and she around you. Believe me, when you're out she's less than an angel, to be sure." "Since when did you care what goes on between us two?" "I'm bored, in captivity, and being used for what talents I was born with. Forgive me for trying to stay occupied." She sat back on the table. The collar moved slightly, and she held her stomach, cringing. She glared at XI. "Blame me if you wish, I don't care." He picked up a glass of wine next to the keyboard and sipped it gently. At that moment Seta walked back into the room. XI looked at her and smiled faintly, catching the narrowing of Lilandra's eyes in his vision. He smirked at her. "I think we've gotten enough about the collars from her XI. It's time to leave."   Seta walked to the table and picked up the Leash' bracelet, slipping it on her wrist. "Sleep." she commanded, and Lilandra instantly closed her eyes and fell asleep. Seta laid her down on the table, then removed the bracelet. "Tomorrow, we'll go to Source. I've already made the preparations, and this will be nothing new to me." She looked at the mounds for a moment, sighing. "But I suggest you pack everything we need to bring home. I don't plan on us ever returning." "Does this mean we need to ëclean house'?" he asked. She shook her head. "NoÖno, I don't think so. It is more than likely that Praxer will send someone back. I just don't intend it to be me. That village was the closest place of population for many miles, and no one likes getting this close to the Bloodbane Mountains, on this side anyways. We won't have to worry about anyone finding this place. But maybe I'llÖ." Her thoughts drifted and she walked away, towards the door. "Seta? Mind if I tag along?" She looked back at him, smiling. "Thank you XI, but I think tonight I'd like to go alone. Maybe on the other side, alright?" "Sure thing." He waved, and watched her leave. Öhe waved? What was the world coming to; he waved. Shaking his head thoughtfully, he set about packing essentials. Mother's Children pt. III The following morning saw three figures atop a flying jet-bike, heading polar north. XI drove, but managed to look around at the scenery. As they soared above the ground and rocky terrain, he caught a glimpse of two battle Zevins, and at the surrounding landscape changing as they fought. He noticed that one Zevin had an immense, still healing wound in it's side, as large as a small city. He turned around and looked at Seta questioningly, and she nodded. They drove on. As the sun climbed the peaks of the ranges, XI could see a large area ofÖdarkness ahead of them. Then he saw the mana threads. It was breathe-taking to behold. He had heard tales of Source from the locals, but none of their ill-begotten speech could come close to this. Huge streams of colored light, like solar flares erupted from the darkness and crackled inside it like lightening. He watched as a desert nearby became an ocean, then a tropical jungle. The hills slid into valleys, and valleys erupted into volcanoes at a moment's notice. "We're going into THIS?!?" he yelled, striving to overcome the sudden blast of wind that threatened to throw their jet-bike back. Lilandra clutched tightly to Seta's body, holding on for dear life, just as Seta did the same to XI. "Yes! Get ready XI, we need to find a stable location here." "There IS NO stable location here!" he shouted in reply. Seta looked about. "There!" she risked letting go of XI with a hand and pointed at a flat plain near what was now obviously an immensely large hole in the earth. He nodded and flew the jet bike to the haven. The ground beneath them began to tremble as he neared it, and suddenly a series of geysers burst from earth . XI desperately tried to avoid them as he careened toward the plain. A large fountain of water exploded beneath them and the bike was sent crashing into the ground. The three flew from their seats and landed heavily on the soft grass. Almost immediately Seta rose and shook the leash, rousing Lilandra. "Go spectral and control the threads!" she yelled. "Spec..how do you know that??! I can't.." Lilandra's eyes widened in shock. "DO IT NOW!!!" Seta screamed. Lilandra had no choice but to obey. She began to rise off above the ground, her eyes and skin starting to glow blue. "Now's when we see if Celpo's better mousetrap catches a better mouse, Agent XIÖ" Seta muttered, sweat dripping off her brow. She pulled out the orb and stood, watching as the world began to change around her. "Stabilize the threads Lilandra! Hurry!" XI watched in quiet horror and fascination as he struggled to his feet. Suddenly his body felt as if it were..shifting. He looked at his hands and saw them begin to change, shrink and become lighter color. He turned towards Source to see a thin strand of mana, glowing purple, come straight at him. It entered his body but he felt nothing. He looked back at it thinking that it must be a thread of Thought. He concluded that the area around them was now being affected by large strands of fate and time, trying to later the past. "Lilandra! NOW!" The voice brought his attention to Seta. She held high in her hand the green orb which shone so bright he had to avert his eyes. Then she threw the ball into the air and it hovered high above them, glowing brighter and brighter, until XI could notice the darkness permeating the area disappearing. Lilandra floated above the ground, muttering to herself and making patterns in the air, when suddenly the torrent that surrounded them ended, at least in close proximity. It was like a glass bowl had been placed over them. Seta sighed in relief and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Well, XI, your Leash works, and she did the job. Half of it anyways." XI looked up at Lilandra who now hovered there silently. He looked back at Seta. He now had an understanding of his feelings for her. "What are you looking at, huh? Do I have a grass stain on my face?" She smiled and turned back to Source. "You did memorize all that data right? Because it's gone now on hardcopy." "Yes." "Good." she replied. "Praxer will be pleased. NowÖlet's go home. Lilandra!" The mage blinked. "Create a Gate." She simply nodded, and began to weave. XI watched as a visible flow of mana poured into her glowing body from the Mana battery high above her head. And then, at the very edge of the dark hole in the earth, he saw it forming. She was actually creating a new Gate. It was a broiling shapeless mass of energy at first, but then it began to take form and shape, expanding to the size of a large doorway. He walked to it, and looked through. His eyes widened in surprise. He could see the Celpo building! He stepped back from it as it snapped completely open, wide enough to fit two people abreast. "Lilandra, tie the Gate off." The mage nodded again, floating there like an island of chaos in a sea of tranquility, mana crackling about her. "XI, get the orb." Seta told him, and the ball began to lower down to the ground, still shining intensely. "We'll be taking her with us of course. She won't be missed. Lilandra is part of some rogue group of Tanes in DeLayKrinn. I'm sure they will assume she killed herself after her owner died." XI caught the orb as it descended into his hands. This was why he was unprepared for the light kiss on his lips. "Thank you XI, for your help." He stared dumbstruck at her. Suddenly, the orb flew from his hands and soared through the air, landing lightly at the chasm edge. They both stared at it, then looked at Lilandra, who's eyes blazed. "Squeak squeak." The collar shattered into a thousand pieces, forcing the two to raise their arms to cover their faces from the metal. Lilandra laughed, hair blowing wildly about though no wind touched her. She raised her hands and sent a wave of pure force into both of then, knocking them back. Seta grabbed the orb, saving it from falling, but it rose from her grasp into the air. Lilandra pointed a finger at it and sent a thin but blazing beam of balefire through it's core. "No! That's Mother's!" Seta yelled, grasping for it. "He can get another one! We have her to deal with!" Lilandra smiled. "Yes, you do inde-" she was cut off by the sound of shattering glass as the tranquility around them broke into a storm of mana once more. Suddenly, a large tendril of black mana rose from the chasm, then crashed down into the mage, impaling her. Lilandra screamed, then was blasted away like a statue of black sand in a hurricane. But the two were left no time to sit in awe, as the ground was suddenly blasted out beneath them. XI was sent flying one way, and landed ten feet from the Gate. He looked for Seta and saw her lying precariously on the very edge. "No! Seta!" he cried, watching her slip off and into the deep. He ran to the edge, trying to grasp her falling form. As she fell deeper into the writhing darkness, he looked at the gate, still standing, but beginning to fade. Dammit! he thought. I always knew a woman would do me in. He leapt after her into the void. ******************* It was like swimming through ink, but he could still see her. It had felt like years, but each moment he could see her, getting closer. And still he fell after her, knowing she could see him too. An eternity later, she was in his strong arms. "YouÖcame for me?" "Yes SetaÖ" "Öwhy?" she whispered. "BecauseÖI think I'm falling in love with you." Seta held onto him tightly as the world of darkness enveloped them. \"Only falling?\" she said. He kissed her gently, with passion. A large flare of mana, one of a strand not identified by the now defunct tower but recognized by it's leader had she seen it, shot through their bodies. They dissolved into it's stream, in each other's tight embrace.