Gemini- Part One

Many a child is born on the Planet every day. Just as many a man or woman die those same days, passing on their purposes to the newly born. Hunters, Healers, Planters, the list can go on as long as one wishes. All with an Aura to call their own.

Of course, some humans are exiled from known civilization because of their Aura; humans born with Gray Auras- the Living Dead- or with no Aura- the Lifeless.

But what of the Black Aura?......

~*~

It was a calm, spring day, filled with children sniffling because of allergies, with women tending to the gardens, with men returning from the hunt with the kills of the day, in Cygni. Calm, and prosperous, for three children had been born in that one day- May 28, 413 A.W.H.- and all had survived through their mother's labor. At the moment, all three were being tested for their Auras.

Daren sighed, wiping his forehead with an equally moist hand. "Three children, Heavens be praised!" he muttered. "And two girls more lively than the village people at Harvest!" The Priest ran a hand through his dark hair.

A second, older Priest- Ara- gave Daren an amused look. "Surely newborns don't tire you so, Daren?" he asked idly. "If they do, I would suggest you exercise a bit more strenuously this season."

Daren rolled his eyes. "Who told you that you were funny, Ara? You don't look like you're not short of breath yourself!" Indeed, the older Priest had his clothing plastered to him in sweat, though he only wore the traditional robe and boots one wore during Testing.

Without waiting for Ara to reply, Daren continued, "Where is the third child? Hope it isn't as loud as those first two."

"The boy is being cleaned," Ara replied, "and should be with us shortly. From what I saw he is a very quiet type."

"Good. I can't deal with another babe screaming in my ear today." Daren glanced around, then finally sat down next to Ara.

As if on cue, one of the midwives came in holding a babe in her arms. "Here's the boy, sirs," she said in a soft tone. "Sleeping, he is."

Daren gave an inward moan as the midwife handed the babe to Ara and left, and followed his friend to the altar with him. "Just one more," he muttered.

Ara gave him another amused look as he placed the newborn upon the wooden altar in the center of the darkened room, but allowed Daren to see the boy without commenting again. Daren leaned over the altar to get a better look.

The boy was around the average length, but seemed a bit underweight compared to the first two newborns that morning- they had been roughly eight or nine pounds each. Daren reasoned the boy must be around six pounds at the most. He was awake now, regarding the Priests with curious, unfocused green eyes. For a babe, he already had a lot of hair on his tiny head- a single curl of raven black hair in the very center of his head. "Looks nothing like the girls," Daren commented.

"I'd hope not- boys ought to look different from girls."

Daren shot Ara a look. "You know what I mean."

The boy gave a little coo and tried to kick his legs weakly.

Ara smiled at the boy. "Well, child, let's get this done with so you can see your parents sooner." The babe cooed again. "Ready, Daren?"

"Yes, just bring out his Aura already," Daren muttered. He opened a book that sat next to the altar- a book wide as a man, so far- and brought tout a pen. "Date," he intoned. "May twenty-eight, year 413 After the War of Heroes."

"Family," Ara continued as he began to glow a soft, silvery color. "Lyrae of the Druid blood, Nevaii of the Warrior blood."

As Daren scribbled the information down, he glanced up at the babe on the altar, who had fallen silent to check his Aura. "Aura..." his eyes widened with shock. "Black?"

"What?" Ara looked down at the boy on the altar. Sure enough, a Black Aura surrounded the babe. "Heavens, what does this mean?" he gasped.

"I... don't know," Daren replied. Then his eyes narrowed. "Living dead. That's all black could mean!"

"...No." Ara shook his head. "The Living Dead have Gray Auras, not black. No matter how close those colors are, there is no way."

"Then what the hell does it mean?" Daren demanded. "I've never seen this in my life!"

"Nor have I." Ara finally looked away from the babe with the black glow 'round him, and forced himself to look at the younger Priest. "Take a look in that Book. Find another babe who's been born with a Black Aura!"

Daren muttered an old Cygni saying- "A dark Aura has dark intentions"- but did as he was told.

The older Priest returned his gaze to the babe. "Black... it cannot mean evil. It cannot!" he whispered. "Not with such parents as he has..."

"You speak like a fool, Ara," Daren said curtly as he glanced through the book. "Kings have had Lifeless children, nobles commonly have the Living Dead... Why not in our little village?"

"Oh, so you want to banish the son of a strong Warrior?" Ara shot back. "You want to dishonor their names?"

"...I didn't mean it that way..." Daren muttered. "I just pointed out- Heavens," he abruptly commented. He closed the book. "No one in our village has had a Black Aura in the past 413 years, Ara. What do we do now?"

The older Priest was quiet a while, gazing down at the babe with pursed lips. Then he shook his head. "Nothing."

"What?"

"We do nothing. There is no proof he is going to be a danger to Cygni, so we wait until he begins to use his life purpose and decide then."

Daren looked doubtful. "I don't know, Ara. How could we hide such a dangerous secret from our own village for over a decade?"

"What if this child is meant to help us in some way, and we exile him?" Ara asked back. "That would be a bad omen for us, Daren."

"So what do we do?"

"We write down his Aura, give him back to his family, and wait. And hope." Ara looked up to the ceiling. "Hope that we are not making a mistake."

~*~

The babe was named Gemini, and grew quickly in the next sixteen years of his life. His mother, Lyrae, was a strong, no-nonsense woman many of the other women in the village respected and came to for advice. Immediately, she yearned for a Healer in the family and sent Gemini to a friend of hers for training when he grew old enough to understand speech.

His father, Nevaii, received as much respect- if not more- as Lyrae did. When he had been in his twenties and thirties, he had been one of the strongest Warriors to walk the country of Carinae since the War of Heroes. Nevaii claimed he'd still be part of the military if not for the time a battle had shattered the bones in his sword arm. He longed for a strong Warrior son, and as soon as Gemini had any body strength he began taking the boy to one of the other Warriors in the village for training.

Gemini grew, torn between the two purposes and longed for the day his true purpose in life was proved.

~*~

"May the Heavens be praised," Nevaii said formally to his wife. "Our son is sixteen."

"May the Heavens be praised," Lyrae replied in the same manner, "and may our son's purpose bring prosperous times to the Planet."

Gemini, who had just woken up and heard this, merely yawned and staggered into the washroom.

The young man splashed cold water on his face to wake up, and peered into the mirror that was propped up on the washstand. "Another damned birthday," he muttered, "and I don't look any different."

Gemini had soft, almost silken, black hair that curled 'round his ears and partially into his deep, green eyes. He had a tall frame compared to most of the men in Cygni, and most of the grown women stood to his nose at the tallest- including Lyrae, his mother. Training under a Warrior ever since he could walk gave him strong muscles on his long, slim frame, and learning to heal and which plant or herb was which gave him an intense, intelligent gaze.

The problem was, he didn't want to be either type of human.

"Heavens help me," he said as he pulled his forest tunic on, "I hope I am a Hunter."

Unlike the strength of the Warrior or the absorbing power of the Healer, Hunters had the speed of any frightened deer in the forest, and sometimes faster. Also, they- unlike Warriors- were rarely seen and greatly appreciated for how they used their skills- most of the time, anyhow.

Gemini ran a hand through his dark curls, glanced in the mirror a final time, and then walked back out to the kitchen area to see his parents.

Lyrae gave him one glance and stood. "Gemini, you didn't brush your hair again," she said, amused. "You sit yourself down right now- if you don't think you're old enough to brush your own hair, I'll just have to do it for you."

The young man winced as Lyrae walked out of the room, then turned his gaze to his father. "Help..."

Nevaii arched an eyebrow. "And deal with your mother? No, thank you. I may be a strong Warrior, but I'm not that strong!"

Gemini glared at his father, then sat down obediently as Lyrae returned with a comb. "If Father cannot hold Mother at bay, who can?" he wondered to himself, then mentally shrugged. "At least it's only brushing my hair," he added.

"Gemini, you're sixteen now, and must remember three things about your hair," his mother said calmly, yanking the comb through a large snarl. Gemini winced. "One, you should brush your hair every day if you don't want to get such nasty snarls." The comb caught another large one, as if to emphasize her point. "Two, you should be especially presentable on such an important day as your birthdate. Three, if you don't learn this by tomorrow morning we'll just have you shave your own head bald!"

Nevaii barely stifled a chuckle, and Gemini glared at him. "Yes, mother. I understand."

"Good. I wouldn't want to ruin such beautiful curls." Lyrae finished. "There, that will have to do."

"Now, head over to Mar's place," his father said. "Birthday or no, you still have lessons to learn."

"Yes, sir." Gemini hurriedly stood and strode out the door. "Later."

There was a pause, then Lyrae said, "I am worried, Nevaii. He's sixteen, and still his Aura is unknown to us!"

"Patience, Lyrae. Some of the greatest Heroes did not receive their Aura powers until they were near adulthood," Nevaii reassured his wife. He stood and embraced her, and after a moment she returned the gesture. "We just need patience..."

~*~

Gemini looked around himself as he walked down the dirt path through the village of Cygni. It had never changed since the day he had been born. The shops and smithies were all up closest to the road he traveled on, while the three-room houses that most of the villagers lived in were farther back from it. A single inn with a dozen or so rooms stood by the entrance to the village to greet any weary travelers who may come across Cygni, though their numbers were very few.

In the Village Square, Gemini was stopped by a shout, "Gemini! Hold!" The young man turned to face two hours his elder, Libria.

"Libria?"

She was dressed in ceremonial blue silks, her eyes shining with eagerness- to tell of something and to do something to prove it.

"Blue silks..." Gemini thought, then asked aloud, "You're a Druid?"

Libria nodded, her brunette hair bobbing into her dark eyes. "Yes! I controlled the waters last night!" she exclaimed.

Gemini nodded. Even though Druids mostly had their gifts turned to dealing with plants and animals, they also had a close connection to the water, and that was usually the first sign of a Druid. Thus, their trademark Aura color was blue.

"Congratulations. You got what you wanted," he offered.

"Thanks. What of you? We were born around the same day, so we should have our gifts come 'round the same time too, right?"

"He may," said a cool voice, and Mia, the first babe to be born on May 28, 413, strode up to the other two. She curtsied formally to Gemini. "Betrothed," she murmured.

Gemini winced. The villagers had considered three babes successfully born in one day a good omen, and so Mia had been chosen to marry him when they both turned 17, the average marriage age for one in Cygni. Mia considered it a duty of hers to marry him- one she did not like, but one she would fulfill all the same for duty's sake.

As for Libria... She pretended to accept this, but her eyes always burned like fire whenever anyone brought the subject up. What a group the three made.

Libria gave Mia a look as cool as the other young woman's voice had been. "I see you are a Druid also, Mia," she noted.

Indeed, Mia too was dressed in blue silks.

"Yes, it occurred this morning when I bathed in the lake," Mia replied, tossing her long, dark hair. It barely missed Gemini's face. "A snake was in the water, and almost bit me when I suddenly gained the power to control the water."

"Congratulations," Gemini offered politely.

"Please, betrothed, be not so formal," Mia said calmly. Libria snorted. "Now, have you gotten your powers yet? Don't tell me you are a Smith, with those drab brown clothes."

"I haven't gotten my gift yet," Gemini admitted.

"Still dreaming of being a Hunter?" Libria asked, slightly amused.

"I am."

"I pray you become something useful before our marriage day, betrothed," Mia said as she walked away. "I don't think either of us would enjoy it if you ended up being a useless bastard."

Libria glared after her, then snorted again. "Formal my ass. She's worse than the Elders, I'll bet," she commented.

Gemini only sighed.

"So what are you doing now?" the Druid asked, changing the subject. "If I know your father, and I do, he's not letting you have a day off just because it is your birthday."

"Right. I'm headed to Mar's place, for early day training."

Libria smoothed her skirts unconsciously. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

"No."

The two continued down the street, with women congratulating Libria on her gift and men teasing Gemini about cheating on his betrothed with his other birthmate.

"I can't blame you, though," one man commented as he groomed his horse. "I'd do the same with such a beautiful lady." Libria blushed as Gemini coughed and quickly led his friend away.

Mar's home was nearly across the small village from Gemini's, so it took nearly a half hour to get there- small village or no, Gemini had chosen a slow pace and the folk loved to talk. Nonetheless, they made it in due time.

Gemini rapped on the door to Mar's house. "Mar, sir, are you at the house?" he called.

There was no answer.

Puzzled, Gemini rapped harder. "Sir? Mar, are you there? It's Gemini, son of Nevaii?"

Yet again, there was no answer to the young man's call.

"Maybe he's out," Libria suggested doubtfully.

"I don't know." Gemini tried the door to find it unlocked, and opened it. "Mar, you home?" he wandered the neatly kept home. "Where are you?" Gemini muttered, turning to face the door he had just entered through and scratching his head.

He heard sudden movement behind himself, and Libria's startled cry of "Gemini!" gave him enough warning to duck as a blade whistled through the space where he had been.

Cursing at himself for walking into such an obvious trap, Gemini whipped around to see Mar leap at him again with his sword in hand. Again, the young man dodged and rolled to the side, finding a blade in his own hands when he rose again. Not his own, but it would do. Gemini shifted into a fighting stance, leveling the blade at waist level and holding at the hilt with both hands- the weapon was huge.

Mar once again charged at him, and Gemini swiftly raised his sword to meet the other's with a series of clashing and clanking. Soon, Gemini felt his arms tire and decided to end the round. He feinted to the left, then awkwardly but successfully placed the sword at Mar's throat. "Time, mine," Gemini stated.

"Look down, boy," Mar whispered, and Gemini obeyed- Mar's sword point was but an inch from his own belly. "We'd have both died had that been a real match," the older man continued in a normal voice, sheathing his sword again. Gemini lowered his own blade. "Then again, you probably wouldn't have found that sword by luck like that in a real fight either."

Gemini nodded. "I should have seen that coming."

"Your cursing is coming along beautifully, though. I'm quite impressed."

The younger man blushed as Libria demanded, "Then, that was all only a friendly match? But you nearly cut off Gemini's head twice, sir!"

"Not so," Gemini assured her. "He would only knock me out and leave me with a terrible headache."

"But you ought to avoid that, or you'll get lazy and possibly get killed during the real thing," Mar added.

"Yes, sir."

"Now, you sit down here, Gemini- your lessons today will be mental, not physical."

Not physical? Gemini found a chair and suppressed a moan- last time the lessons were mental they had spent half a day in meditation. Mar sat down across from him and glanced at Libria, who still stood uncertainly in the doorway.

"Since you're here, girl, take a seat too- I don't bite, but you could use another lesson I'll bet!"

Slightly offended by the term "girl" - after all, she was only a year away from being full-grown! - she nodded and sat next to Gemini.

"Good," Mar said in a satisfied tone, and settled back in his seat for a moment to light his pipe.

Gemini eyed the man as everyone took a moment to be silent. Mar was also a former Warrior, though not with as high a rank as Nevaii- the only reason Gemini received lessons from this man was because Mar could teach him to use a sword with the right hand properly. Mar held his head proudly- though he had never passed being a sergeant in the military of Carinae, he was a good fighter- with silver streaks peeking through his dark strands of hair. Muscles that bulged at the slightest movement lined the man's body even as age began to take his strength bit by bit, thanks to his intense training sessions.

"Now," Mar finally spoke in the silence. "We shall review a bit. When a babe is born, what happens?"

Gemini answered with ease, "After the babe is cleaned and clothed, it is taken to the Priests."

"For what purpose?"

"For the Testing," Libria replied. "A test to determine the babe isn't one of the condemned souls meant to bring downfall to society."

"And how is this done?"

"The Priests call out the babe's Aura, and if the babe has Gray or no Aura, it is a condemned soul and is exiled from civilization. If the babe has any other color Aura, it is considered normal and given back to it's parents."

"Why is this done?"

"Ah..." Gemini searched his brain for the answer. "So downfall won't come to society?"

"Is that a question or a statement?" Mar asked.

"I don't know," Gemini admitted.

"Then I shall explain." Mar stood and began to pace, as he did whenever he lectured. "Back before the War of Heroes, the Lifeless and purpose-filled people lived together. For a time, life worked out. Then the downfall came." Mar frowned. "Lifeless have no qualms against lies, deceit, murder, or anything. They began crime in the world, and one thing led to another and eventually led to the War."

"...Oh."

"Now, to continue."

~*~

An hour later, Gemini and Libria were once again on the road, but this time headed back to where Lyrae and Nevaii waited for their son. "You fight well," Libria commented into the silence.

"Thanks. I should have brought my sword, though..."

"Don't put yourself down like that, Gemini! I'll bet you are a Warrior- not surprising since your father is. And after training like that too!"

"I suppose..."

Libria sighed. "Must you put yourself down? I would have been knocked out in one try!"

"Zosma is better than I."

"So? Zosma is older, and his Aura has already flared! That is expected!" Hands on hips, Libria turned to her friend. "Besides, you ought to take it easy for now- there's more to life than a sword. Like birthdays."

"You're right."

"Will you stop being so agreeable?"

Gemini laughed.

A low growl interrupted them.

The young man and his companion looked to their right, where a small forest bordered that side of the road- Gemini's home was very close to the edge of the village. There, in the brush, a wolf glared at them.

"Wolf!" Libria whispered, frozen with fear.

"It can't be- wolves don't attack humans unless provoked!" Gemini replied uncertainly. But he backed away from that side of the road, wishing he had his sword with him.

"He could be... rabid..."

"...Watch-!" Gemini shouted a warning as the canine bared its fangs and leaped towards them. "Libria!"

Gemini glanced around for a weapon- Libria wouldn't be able to help since she was still very new to her Aura, and no fighter. All he could find- and reach- were the rocks on the road at his feet. "But I have to improvise or we'll be in trouble!" he thought, and quickly bent over and scooped up a number of the rocks, backing away as the wolf advanced. "Libria! Rocks!" he shouted.

Libria glanced at him as she backed away- the wolf was closer to her- and gave one fierce nod. She stopped backing up completely and began to pick up rocks.

The wolf saw its opening, bared its teeth, and leaped for Libria's throat.

"No!" Gemini shouted, dropping his own pile of rocks.

For one instant that seemed hours, time slowed, and a sudden well of power Gemini had not before experienced flowed over and into him. He drank in the power eagerly, and raised a hand up to the sky as he shouted.

From nowhere, lightning struck down and destroyed the wolf. A scream and crackle later, the danger was gone.

Gemini stared down at the burnt mark in the road, unmoving, as Libria stood from where she had fallen and stared at him.

"Heavens help us," she whispered. "Gemini!"

The young man finally blinked, and the flow of power disappeared. He lowered his hand. "What... what on the Planet...?" he asked.

"You're..." Libria continued to stare as if seeing a ghost.

"Libria? What!" Gemini demanded.

His friend pointed at him. "Black," she murmured.

"What?!"

Mar came running down the road, sword in hand. "I heard screams and thought-" he began, and also stared. "Stars above!"

Gemini glared. "What the hell do you mean black?" he demanded.

"Aura... black..." Mar said shakily.

"What?!"

"Look on the reflection of my sword, boy," Mar shifted his sword so that Gemini could see. The young man obeyed, and gasped.

His Aura, radiating all around him like light around a candle, was a bright red. But... when he peered closer, he saw in the area of the Aura closer to his body, there was a darker glow. A black glow.

A Black Aura.

"What... what does this mean?" Gemini stammered.

"It means... if you want to live, you should leave Cygni. Now."

~*~

Gemini stood where he had been for the past few moments uncertainly as Mar watched him calmly. "Where has Libria gone?" he asked.

Mar answered, "Gone to yer house for supplies, boy. I know you ain't no Undead or Lifeless, but the village folk don't. The Aura, when first revealed, glows for a whole hour afterward. If you leave, the glow ought to wear off before you get to the next town."

"What are you saying? Are you exiling me?" Gemini demanded.

"Yes, in a way. In another, I'm saving ya from the gruesome death given to the Living Dead. Do you want to know what your own friends and family would have to do? Denounce you; pretend you're nothing more but a man with an evil intent from a faraway town. A stranger."

Gemini gulped. "A stranger? Even my... parents?"

"Every living soul in the village who's human. You owe me, boy." Mar considered his pupil, as if seeing him for the first time. "We could say that you sneaked out to hunt, since you do that sometimes," he mused. "That would give you a day or two to get away."

"Mar... Are you saying I can never come back?"

"Got it!" Libria said as she pushed through the bushes. She shoved a canteen, a pack filled with food and another set of clothing in it, his small purse, and his sword into Gemini's hands. "Here, that should hold you to the next town." Her tone quivered with uncertainty, and she still stared at him. A stranger indeed...

"Thanks." Gemini looked over at Mar. "I suppose it would be too much to hope you know what black means?"

Mar shook his head. "I could be making the largest mistake in my life by helping you, or making the best decision. Either way, it's only fair. Every soul is innocent until proven guilty." He nodded. "Now go on, boy. I'll cover for you." His voice softened. "Good luck."

"Gemini..." he looked over to Libria. "I'll come and find you when I get proof that black isn't the same as gray or none." She smiled. "And Mia won't bug you anymore. Now go on."

Gemini looked from one old friend to another, nodded his thanks one last time, and headed out through the woods.

All his life, Gemini had been told that the woods by Cygni were a double-edged sword; they protected people inside the village from common thieving merchants or mercenaries with the beasts within. However, that also kept everyone but Hunters from leaving the village.

Now, as Gemini trudged through the woods, it felt rather pleasant. The sun was not at it's highest yet, but came through the leaves of the trees at an angle that seemed to make things greener. A small stream that ended in a pool within Cygni trickled and bubbled merrily as small fish swam through to grow in his home village. All in all, it didn't seem that dangerous to Gemini.

Then again, looks could be deceiving.

Keeping his hand on his sword hilt, Gemini walked silently as possible, eyes and ears alert. When he left the forest, he reasoned, he'd be safe enough from most of the wooded area to relax and rest. But even after that rabid wolf, no matter how unnerving leaving home felt, it was hard to keep that thought in mind. Even with his resolve to keep moving, Gemini's steps slowed, and his hand strayed away from the sword at his hip. So quiet...

No! Gemini forced himself to move faster. The forest felt enchanted now, he could feel the magic. This was exactly like the story his mother had told him when he was younger about Nevaii, now that he became aware of the danger of dozing off in such a forest.

"He rested for what seemed only a moment under one of the trees," his mother had said fondly, "when something- he never remembered what- smashed him unconscious. Two hours later, he woke to find his sword arm totally destroyed- he could never use it again. Whenever you go to hunt in that forest, Gemini, never fall asleep, or worse may occur to you..."

"I don't know what harmed my father," Gemini announced to the forest, "but it's won't happen to me!" Then, under his breath he added, "No matter how many wolves you send at me."

With these thoughts in mind- along with the declaration- Gemini reached the edge of the forest almost running to escape it. Behind him, the forest seemed to howl with frustration, or at least the beasts within had- a potential prey had escaped. "So there," the young man panted back at it with triumph. Somehow, it didn't feel strange or ridiculous to taunt the forest like it did to taunt other people. Giving one last look at the only familiar thing he'd see for a long time, Gemini turned to look at the sudden end of the forest and the beginning of the rest of the world.

Gemini's mouth dropped open. "Whoa," he muttered.

Excepting the forest behind him, the plains he had come to stretched out farther than the eye could see in every direction! Miles of grass with only the occasional tree, and the only water being the stream he had seen in the forest- that thing seemed to be everywhere. There was no sign of any other human life for miles, either, excepting a dirt road- not three feet across- which Gemini decided to follow. "All roads lead somewhere," his father had said once.

"He may have meant it metaphorically," Gemini thought, "but I'll follow this one anyway and see where it goes."

~*~

Nightfall came what seemed to be years later, and a sweating Gemini collapsed on the road in exhaustion the instant it fell. He pulled out his canteen and gulped half of the contents greedily, then lay still a while as the sky grew dark...

"What a birthday," he thought dryly. "I get my purpose in life- which happens to be an Aura no one has heard of before- and save Libria from a rabid wolf with it, then get forced out of my village because of it!" Dust from the road went up his nose, and he sneezed. "Well, at least two people I know think I'm not one of the Living Dead!" He froze. "But... what if they're right if they think I AM?" After a moment of silent contemplation, he shook his head. "No... Mar's always been right before, so why not now?"

He was so tired that he didn't bother trying to get out the food Libria had packed for him. Instead, he folded his arms behind his head for a kind of pillow and stared up at the clear night sky.

"Warrior Scorpii, Druid Arana, Healer Malon," he named the constellations he knew- constellations renamed after the Heroes of the War, 429 years ago. No one remembered what they had been called before, so the Heroes' names stuck. Gemini fell asleep as he murmured, "Mage Draco..."

~*~

The room was cold, even though a fire crackled merrily in one corner. The man near it didn't even look up as Gemini came in.

:You're late,: he said bluntly. :And for your first meeting with me, too. Not very impressive.:

Gemini started. :I was... supposed to meet you here? Where are we?:

The man laughed harshly. :Does it matter?:

:Not really,: Gemini admitted.

:Then down to business.: The man frowned at Gemini as he sat down in the other chair. :You're pretty strong, for a beginner. Especially for a fire element.:

:Fire element?:

:Yes. The lightning you called down? It's really fire, just concentrated differently than the kind you use to cook meat.:

Gemini frowned. :How did I do that? How did you know? What do you mean I'm-:

:So many questions, so little time.: The man waved a hand in dismissal. :Ah, well. Beginners always have questions.:

:So?: Gemini prompted.

:Let's answer the second question first. I've been watching you since you were born. Oh, not in the village physically, but checking on your mental status every now and then from here. It's easy enough, you'll learn sooner or later.:

:What about the first question?:

The man shrugged. :Desperation.:

:Desperation? That's it?: Gemini asked incredulously.

:For now. Later on you'll be able to do it at will.: The man turned to the fire again. :Damnit, this place is always so cold... Anyhow, I said it was harder to explain because it is- too hard to explain on our first time together. We'll talk later.: He waved his hand one more time. :Now, why don't you warm this place up...:

Gemini found himself leaving against his will, and fell into a dreamless state of sleep for the rest of the night.

~*~

Gemini woke slowly, blinking in the sunlight, then was instantly up and staring 'round himself with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Huh... only a dream, I guess," he said aloud, and relaxed.

His stomach rumbled, and Gemini remembered that he hadn't eaten since the day before. He grabbed the pack and opened it to find a loaf of bread on the top, which he ate as soon as he got it out. Then he drank more of the water in his canteen, and decided to stand...

His legs wobbled, and he fell over in pain a moment later. "Ouch..." he muttered. Rubbing one of his legs, he tried again...

And failed again.

"What's wrong with me this morning?" he wondered, then realized, "I must have pushed myself too far yesterday... Well, that helps me a lot. Now what am I supposed to do?"

For half of the morning, he sat on the side of the road waiting for his legs to decide to cooperate with him again. Then, as Gemini began to try and stand again, a merchant's cart came up the road from the direction of Cygni.

Gemini studied the cart curiously. It was pulled by two beasts- horses, he recalled from what his father said once- and seemed to creak as it moved of obvious abuse. The wheels looked old and weakly holding onto the vehicle, and the wooden door had a huge hole in the center of the top where a window had been. "Certainly not a merchant from Cygni," he thought with relief. No one was looking for him yet.

The merchant stopped the horses and eyed Gemini right back. "You traveling somewhere, boy?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Where?"

"Anywhere but Cygni, sir."

The merchant laughed. "I like that- not many honest lads 'round here anymore. Cygni, you say? The village with those damned beasts that kill you as soon as look at you?"

Gemini nodded.

"Good idea to stay away from there. People there so friggin' antisocial they probably glad to see the forest beasts kill off outsiders."

"Ah, I'm from there, sir, and I'm not antisocial." Gemini's voice became cold.

"Oh, I apologize, boy! That's just what everyone's been saying since that War," the merchant said hastily, eyeing Gemini's sword with some unease. "I just meant-"

"I wouldn't know, though, since you're the eldest here and the eldest is usually right," Gemini's cold gaze became fascinated as it turned to the horses as one pawed the ground. "Unless, of course, one of these beasts are older."

Relieved at the change in subject, the merchant laughed. "Nay, these two are only about five years each." He patted one on the rump fondly. "Spika and Saria, they been with me all their lives. Loyal as a wolf to its pack, and that's saying something." He inclined his head. "Name's Thomas. You?"

"Gemini." The young man tried to walk towards the cart, but fell over.

The merchant was instantly alarmed. "Lad, are you alright? You're not drunk?"

"No, walked too far yesterday." Gemini winced as he stood again. "Thomas, sir, would you let me ride with you until my legs are healed enough to walk?"

Thomas smiled. "I'll do better than that- how about I take you to Betelei? You can pay me back at a tavern."

"That is kind of you, sir." Gemini tried taking a small step again, and a flame of pain shot through his legs. "Stupid..." he muttered an obscenity that would make his mother frown.

"How's about I help you there, boy?" Thomas came off his seat and helped Gemini to the cart. "Two rounds of ale at Betelei. Deal?"

"Deal," Gemini agreed, and sat gratefully on the seat.

"Ha, Spika and Saria! HA!"

The horses started off.

~*~

"How your legs doing, lad?" Thomas asked that night.

"I can walk a bit."

"Good." Thomas watched as Gemini gulped down some water, then asked, "So what's a fella like you leaving home for?"

"Adventuring." Well, it was true in a way, and Gemini didn't really feel like explaining what had occurred the day before.

"Not heading to Bolshoi or Zenith, I hope?"

"Why not?"

Thomas shook his head. "Lads all over are headed those places. Rumors say a war's brewing between the countries, and boys your age are going to 'become a hero.'" He snorted. "More like get killed."

"War? Why?"

"Well, a decade or so ago Zenith lost its royal family's true line of blood and everyone's arguing over who should be ruler even now. You know who lives in Bolshoi?"

Gemini shook his head.

"Warriors, Hunters, and Healers, and the whole lot of 'em are hotheads. They like to jump in whenever an argument comes up and make things a bigger deal than it already is. So they come into matters somehow, and now a war is threatening and loads of boys are packing up to get themselves a piece of the 'glory.' Humph. Why their folks let 'em I'll never know."

"Oh. Well, I'm not getting myself involved in a war."

"Good, lad. Leastwise you're a smarter lad than those hotheads, even if you be a Warrior yourself."

"Huh?!" Gemini demanded. "How would you know if I was a Warrior?"

"It's obvious, Gemini. You wear that sword like you've worn it longer than you've been alive."

Gemini fingered the sword at his hip absently. "I was trained and raised by two Warriors," he admitted.

"Thought so." Thomas took a bite of his cheese. "Thought so."

Gemini hurried to change the subject. "What about you?"

Thomas shook his head. "I'm an old merchant looking for gold and a good round of ale. That's all you have to know."

The night was silent as each man went to sleep.

~*~

"Mar, you can't be serious. The hunt shoots anything that moves in those woods," Nevaii objected. "Everyone, including my son, knows that."

Mar shook his head. "That's what he said. 'Mar, I'm going off in the woods a while, sir. I'll be back in a couple days.' Then he told me not to tell, as if he was up to something."

"Something indeed," Nevaii snapped. "You know he wants to be a Hunter. I'll bet my last year of life he's gone to try and bring out his Aura-skill."

"Or to bring back large game to show he could be a Hunter," Lyrae added.

"Ah, possibly."

"Mar, our son is out there with the hunting party. If anything happens to him..." Nevaii did not have to finish. He had put his life into teaching his son all he knew. If Gemini didn't return, what point would there be to try again?

"How about this, old friend. I'll look for him since I let him go in the first place."

"Mar, don't be ridiculous, that's suicide!" Lyrae exclaimed. "You might as well ask my husband to kill you now!"

"Mar has a point," Nevaii interjected. "He's almost as swift as a Hunter. Mar, can you bring back my son?"

"I can only say time can see."

~*~

:Late again,: the man commented as Gemini took his seat again. :We'll never get anything useful done if you keep this up.:

:Last time was hardly what I'd call useful.:

:You were late last time, too,: the man pointed out.

:Yes, but...:

:But nothing. We have time for one good question or five useless ones. Ask carefully.: The man turned back to the fire, which hadn't improved from before. :Damned I am if this fire's not going to warm things up in here!:

The last statement startled Gemini like it had before. He had obviously been brought for a seriously important reason, and whoever this was worried half the time about the cold! In a dream, no less!

:That reminds me...:

:What?: the man asked absently.

:I don't know your name yet...:

:Is that a question?:

:Was that?: Gemini shot back.

:Sharp, boy. Very sharp. But you don't need to know me. Not yet.:

:When?:

:You're wasting time on useless questions,: the man said.

:Oh. Well, here's my question then... What did you mean last time when you said that I was the fire element and strong for a beginner?:

:So little time... damned fire...: The man looked up at Gemini for the first time. :Here's a hint, Gemini. Take a good look at your Aura.:

:That's it?:

:You wasted most of the time again. Don't be late next time. Sleep when the sun is high, and I'll see you then,: the man suggested.

:Wait-!: Gemini was swirled into darkness.

~*~

Thomas eyed the young man with interest as he woke up the next morning. "You sleep well, lad?"

"I guess." Gemini rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up and looked around.

"That's good since I didn't. For half the friggin' night you kept me up with your tossing and muttering." The older man nodded in satisfaction. "So you get to take care of this old wagon while I catch up on sleep."

"What?" Gemini demanded, now fully awake.

"Yep. Guide them horses down the road yourself a few hours. Get acquainted with 'em."

"But... I've never even touched a horse before in my life, forget about guiding or riding one!" Gemini protested.

Thomas shrugged. "I don't see what's so hard about it. Just keep 'em going and on the path and you're fine."

"How do you get them to move?"

"Touch 'em on the back with that whip." Thomas nodded to the seat he normally rode in. "No hurting the girls, mind you, just a touch and they'll go along fine."

"I don't know..." Gemini eyed the two innocent- seeming horses as he searched through his pack for something to eat.

"You'll do great. Let me know when you're set to go." Thomas walked off to relieve himself.

Gemini ate slowly, watching the horses with the same fascination he had had the day before. One of them- Saria- pawed the ground and tossed her head in obvious impatience. The other- Spika- seemed to give the horse's equivalent of rolling her eyes. Gemini couldn't help but grin- after all, they reminded him of his parents. Saria was like Nevaii, always set to go and easily impatient when something held him back. Spika was more like Lyrae, quiet and incredibly enduring. How they dealt with each other, Gemini decided, I'll never know. His gaze softened. I wonder how everyone's doing...

With a start, Gemini realized he was long done with his breakfast and Thomas was watching him, tapping his foot lightly on the ground. "Oh, guess I'm ready as I'll be," Gemini said, and stood.

"Right." Thomas handed him the whip. "Remember, don't hurt these girls and don't yell too loud or you'll wake me up. Later, now." He climbed into the cart and immediately fell asleep.

Feeling timid- and feeling ridiculous for being timid- Gemini walked up to the horses. "Um, alright. Let's make this easy for me, girls." Saria snorted and pawed the ground again. "Fine, we're going."

Without hesitating as he thought he would, Gemini climbed up into the merchant's seat and Saria began moving before he could get settled. Spike trotted to follow her partner, and Gemini could almost picture her throwing an apologetic look over her shoulder at him. Gemini just tried to hold on.

"Hey!" he shouted at the horses. "How about slowing down?"

They ignored him.

"Hello?" he asked, then remembered to quiet himself before Thomas woke up. If he was actually sleeping through such a bumpy ride, Gemini thought. Which he strongly doubted at this point.

After about a half-hour of going at the same, unsteady speed, the horses slowed to a walk and Gemini dared to breathe in relief. Spike turned her head back at him- as well as she could, anyway- and seemed to snort in amusement. Strange beasts, horses were.

At that point, Thomas called, "that was an interesting display, Gemini. Care to keep it slow and steady for a while?"

Gemini flushed. "Yes, sir." So he hadn't been asleep after all. That figured.

He returned his gaze to the horses, who plodded along as if they had been doing so the whole time. Sighing, he flicked the reins and hoped they got to Betelei before the horses drove him mad.

~*~

A few days later, the merchant and Gemini made it to Betelei, the capital of Carinae and where the castle and royalty resided in the country. Gemini's mouth dropped open as they got to the gates.

The city beyond, as far as he could see and hear, was huge! The doors were well kept, and the guard who stopped them from entering was in what seemed to be a new uniform. However, the way he wore it told different.

"Hello, guard."

"Hello, merchant. What Aura be you?" the guard asked.

Thomas shrugged as if this was normal, but Gemini stiffened. How was he to get by this?

"I'm purple, of course. What else could a Dealer be?"

"And you, boy?" The guard turned his attention to Gemini, looking like he wished he could be asleep right then instead of watching the entrance to the city.

Gemini shrugged as well, trying for a nonchalant look. "Well, I want to be a Hunter." He was going to go as long as he could without lying.

The guard's eyebrows rose.

"The boy here don't know his yet," Thomas explained, "but I think he'd be a Warrior 'stead of a Hunter myself."

Gemini gave his friend a grateful look as the guard nodded. "Very well. Merchant, would you mind walking away from the boy a moment?"

"Not at all." Thomas did so, and indeed had the Dealer's Aura.

"Thank you. What are you trading this time of year?" The guard, now that the two had been checked, was a bit more relaxed about them, but not entirely.

They are very thorough in their checks, Gemini thought. I'll have to remember that whenever I come to a new town. I won't always look young enough to be without an Aura, and people would begin to suspect of me having no Aura at all, a Lifeless. I don't want that... He shuddered at the thought.

"No food as of yet, mostly furs from the northern parts of Carinae instead," Thomas said, and walked over to his cart, pulling out a corner of a fur for the guard to see.

"Alright, you can pass through." The guard gave them one final nod, then went back to his post to wait for the next newcomers.

Thomas returned to his seat, and the horses obediently continued into the city- as if only a couple days ago they had raced about ignoring Gemini's commands never happened. At least they obeyed him now- he was busy gaping.

The city had what seemed to be many streets intertwining together, and even more buildings and people. Dogs barked as wagons rolled by their property and beggars lined the streets.

Gemini had barely taken in the city when something else caught his eye- the castle right in the center of the city. He almost dropped the reins completely!

There were about five towers in total that one could see from his vantage point, with four smaller ones of equal height standing in a corner of the castle each. The fifth one stood in the very center, much taller than the others did and much wider to boot. All of it was made of stone... it was the biggest building he had ever seen in his life!

Thomas chuckled at Gemini's amazement. "So you never seen a city before?"

"No... it's... huge..." Gemini finally concluded.

"And loud, and dangerous for village boys. Watch your purse here, lad." Thomas added, "All the guards care about are fights, beer, and the color of your Aura."

"I'll... keep that in mind," Gemini agreed.

"Now c'mon... We'll get some settled ale at an inn and go our own ways."

"...Right." Gemini felt some sadness as he remembered their deal. Not that he didn't have enough money, but their parting. Gemini realized he would miss the merchant. Not to mention Spika and Saria- for horses, beasts he had never before dealt with, they had been good companions.

With a sigh, Gemini flicked the reins again and looked for an inn resembling the one at home.

~*~

The inn, known as the Red Bull, was almost nothing like the one at home. It had a larger common room, was incredibly loud, and had roughly two dozen rooms- twice the amount as at home. Gemini's mouth dropped open again as he took in the sight, almost not seeing the innkeeper as she came up.

"What'll you have, sirs?" she asked in a bored tone.

"We'd like a dinner and two rooms," Thomas replied, and the innkeeper shook her head.

"Only got one room open."

"Then we'll take that and dinner."

"Alright. Trea!" she barked over her shoulder. A young woman in a maid's outfit scurried over and gave a small curtsy. "Show these sirs to their room." Another curtsy and Trea motioned for Thomas and Gemini to follow her. Head down, she led the way to a small room in the very back.

Opening the door, she motioned for them to enter and waited outside as they did so. Gemini glanced back at Trea a moment, then surveyed the room.

It was a small room, but seemed cozy enough. There were two cots- one on each side of the room- and a washbasin in between. A single window above the right cot looked out at the city. Otherwise, the room was empty.

Thomas walked back to Trea and gave her a single copper coin, an Ariv. "Thank you, dear," he said, then murmured something into her ear. She listened, her eyes widening, then curtsied and left hurriedly.

"What was that about?" Gemini asked as he dropped his bag of belongings on one of the beds.

"Just gave her an Ariv and a bit of advice for luck, is all," Thomas replied, shrugging.

"...I see."

It was a common thing to do when one slept in another's house. One would give one of the owners an Ariv and a tip on anything they wished. But, in an inn? It puzzled Gemini to no end.

"So, you going to look around?" Thomas asked.

"I suppose so."

"Well, be back at the Red Bull in a few hours- dinner and the ale will be waiting."

"Right." Gemini nodded, checked his purse, then walked back out to the street to explore.

~*~

The city was even bigger than it looked from the entrance, and Gemini soon found himself lost in the swirl of activity as he gaped at everything that passed him. Rich looking nobles riding by in horses, beggars wheezing for a coin, officious looking men with one artifact or another for sale, and performers on the streets... it was enough to make his head spin. He was used to the quiet tranquility of the forest, and the village folk had never argued over a price for something like they did here- he could hear shouting about one thing or another in the hubbub.

Then, he bumped into a young man who promptly fell backwards onto the ground. He looked like the son of a noble or some such, by the looks of his clothing. The way he glared at Gemini for bumping into him only confirmed that belief. "How dare you!" he gasped. "I am the Lord Zano here!"

"It was an accident," Gemini replied. "I had no intention of knocking you over."

"No intention! Ha! Like everyone else has no intention of it!" Zano barked a laugh. "Why don't you try again?"

Gemini shook his head. "I did not try- I did explain the reason."

"Then you should apologize, boy!"

Boy? This man was not much older than he! "For an accident that wasn't meant to occur? I would only apologize if we would both."

"Both? Why should I? You bumped into me!"

By now, the two had gotten a crowd, and Gemini had confirmed that the boy either had an ego too big for his head, or he was drunk. Whichever it was, he was not going to back down. So he sighed and punched the lord in the nose.

"Ow!" Zano fell back onto the ground again, holding his nose. "What did you do that for?"

"The discussion was headed that way, so I sped it up. You should pinch your nose and hold it up for a few moments for the bleeding to stop. I don't think I hit it hard enough to break it."

Zano glared at him. "See that? This commoner hit me for no reason!" he shouted at the crowd. "Get the guards! I want this boy in prison!"

Everyone rolled their eyes and walked away- apparently, this happened too often for them to care much anymore. After a while, the lord stood and glared around, daring anyone to come near. By then, Gemini had raced out of sight.

Gemini was boiling when he got himself out of the way. Boy? What an attitude that lord carried! It was no wonder that no one seemed to care much. They had only gathered around long enough to see if the new village 'boy' would stand up for himself or grovel at the lord's feet. Gemini had never met someone so pompous in his village at home!

Then again, he thought, the women beat it out of us at a very young age.

After a while, he decided it would be a good idea to look around for just a bit longer and then head back soon instead of standing around doing nothing. Looking around for the lord- he had a feeling that guy was going to be looking for trouble later- he wandered out to look at the stores.

~*~

Gemini arrived back at the inn just in time for the meal, carrying a lighter purse and some more supplies for the road- no matter how far Betelei was from Cygni, he had no intention to stay somewhere so close to home. After all, this was his big chance to see the world, as all the boys and girls in his village had dreamt of all their lives.

Thomas waved at him as he made his way to the back room. "Hey Gemini, you're in luck!" he said. "Dinner's just starting! Hurry on to the common room!" With that, he headed that way. Gemini rushed to his room and dumped his supplies on the bed he had- after all, his stomach had begun to growl a while ago, and already paid for food was never to go to waste.

He got to the common room to see that it was filling up to the maximum capacity already. However, as luck would have had it, Thomas was waving him over to a seat that hadn't yet been taken. Gemini pushed his way through the group of men and women in his path and made it to the seat just before another customer spotted it.

"So did you find anything to entertain yourself with today?" Thomas asked as their drinks were brought. Gemini glanced at his to see it was the ale Thomas had wanted.

"It was so huge a place I couldn't find anything NOT entertaining, Thomas!" he replied. "Magicians, performers, merchants, oh it was so interesting I didn't have a dull moment today. I never saw any place so big! My village could fit ten times in this place!"

"Then that's a very small village," Thomas noted wryly. "They say that Dubhe, the country people rarely go to or come from, has cities even bigger than this."

"What? BIGGER?" Gemini demanded. "That's impossible!"

"Oh, it took time for them to build, but it would be magnificent to go there some day and see it," Thomas mused. "I heard they had hot springs to surpass anywhere else, homes so clean and disease so rare... it would figure, since they don't really let anyone in. Who'd want to travel so far, anyway? The southern part of Zenith closest to Dubhe has no civilization known to us, and there's a huge mountain range cutting off Zenith from Dubhe anyway."

"Sounds like they prefer to stay aloof from the rest of the world," Gemini observed. "It probably would be a marvel to even get a peek at if what you say is true. No disease! My village wouldn't mind living there!"

"Not a lot of disease," Thomas corrected.

"Oh. Just as well, I suppose."

"Yes, yes. Woman, give me another drink!" Thomas hollered.

Gemini glanced at their mugs to realize he hadn't yet touched his ale and Thomas had already finished it- the man had probably gulped it all down while he had been talking!

I ought to try it, he thought, and lifted the mug to his lips for a taste.

It was pleasant enough...

When he swallowed, however, it was a whole different story. The flavor of it alone made his eyes water, and he coughed for a while with Thomas pounding him on the back. "Suppose ya never had ale before?" Thomas asked after Gemini managed to calm down.

"No," Gemini agreed.

"Well, I done it all my life and find nothing wrong with visiting a good inn and getting a few mugs every now and then," Thomas said, and returned to drinking. "Where the hell's our meal?"

As if it was planned, a maid came out with their dinner- lamb with some cheese on the side. It wasn't what he had hoped for- it wasn't the best cooked lamb in the world- but it was good enough, so he occupied himself by eating and looking around the common room.

After a while, he found himself thirsty enough to try the ale again and found it to be more tolerable, so he drank the mug down bit by bit. He didn't notice when a maid came and gave him another- he was busy trying to puzzle something out.

That man in my dream... he said to check my Aura next time I could... I've seen it already though, so what does it mean? Gemini recalled how he had had a Black Aura with red outlining it, like he had really two purposes instead of the usual one. That was a thought in itself- what if it meant he had two purposes in life? And if it did, what did the Black mean? All of it turned to what the Black meant. Gemini knew that the man in his dreams seemed to know, but he also knew the man wouldn't tell him just because he asked.

"There you are, boy!" said a voice, and Gemini was jerked out of his train of thought.

There stood the lord from before, a sword in hand and a dangerous gleam in his eye. How he held the sword, however- with him trying to keep his balance and all- Gemini guessed Zano was drunk for sure now. And very angry.

He stood and eyed the lord. "Hello, Zano," he said carefully. "Can I do something for you?"

"Yes, actually. Why don't you stand still while I run my sword through your worthless guts?"

Gemini looked around, and decided that once again no help would come to him. "Well, I don't know. If my guts are so worthless, why waste your sword on them?"

"Ah, a good point." Zano glanced around, then sheathed his sword and lunged for Gemini's. "I'll use yours!"

"No!" Gemini backed away, making the lord fall onto the ground. Everyone was eyeing the two young men now with interest, and the innkeeper was looking none too happy about their 'argument.' However, she saw their swords and was wise enough to keep silent. He drew his sword. "You cannot have mine!"

"You said yourself your guts were too worthless for my sword, which I totally agree with," said the lord. "And none else here have a sword- what else am I to use?"

"I would suggest you gave this up and left before anyone else got involved," Gemini said.

Zano stood, and drew his own sword again. "That's it, you common village boy!" he shouted. "I'll have your hide for dinner and your blood for wine tonight! You watch and see!" He lunged for his opponent.

Gemini backed away further, and ducked out of the way as Zano lurched after him. Even though the lord was drunk- no, especially since he was drunk!- he was dangerous, more dangerous than normal circumstances allowed. He had to get out into the open, or others- including him- would get hurt, even killed in this incident. So he headed for the door.

~*~

Thomas watched them head for the door, then stood and followed them as they got out into the night. Hand on the hilt of his hidden sword, he waited for them to fight, keeping an eye out for their Auras. Let's see how well you do, boy, he thought.

~*~

"Think you can beat me in the open, boy?" the lord asked when they got into the open.

"I think I can stop you from making a stupid mistake more easily," Gemini replied. "And another thing? I'm no more a boy than you are."

Zano laughed. "You say that if it makes you feel better. In fact, you can tell me that again when I got my sword through your guts. You'll learn no one hits lord Zano!" He lunged for the attack.

Gemini dodged and counterattacked within the next instant, leaving the lord doubled over holding his stomach. "If you want to fight, you should wait until you are clear minded, not when you are drunk," he offered.

"I need no tips from you!"

He decided to stay silent a while.

"In fact, why don't I give you a tip instead?!" Zano drew himself up, puffing his chest out with pride. "I am not only a lord, but a Warrior! NO one can defeat a Warrior in any battle, boy!"

And being raised by one didn't matter? Gemini asked himself this as Zano boasted, then stiffened at the next words.

"My Aura is so strong even a blind man could see it right now! Why don't I show you?!" An instant later, the lord was glowing a bright red in the moonlight.

Gemini gasped and backed away, trying to get out of range. When a person who had brought out their Aura showed it off in such a way, it caused a chain reaction and caused anyone within a twenty foot radius of them to show their Auras too. Gemini had no intention of revealing his yet, so he tried to get out of the way.

Zano watched him with interest. "What's the matter? No Aura yet?" he laughed. "You ARE just a boy." He circled closer, and said, "Well, that's a shame. But I will still give justice! NO one hits me, Lord Zano, and gets away with it!" With incredible speed, he raced at Gemini with his sword ready.

Without even considering it, Gemini lifted his sword and aimed the point at the chest of the young lord and shouted something that sounded like "NOW!" Time yet again slowed, and he saw something spark from the end of his sword and shoot through the air into the stomach of Zano. The lord fell to the ground, convulsing, and time returned to normal again. Gemini blinked, and lowered his sword as Thomas rushed up to him.

"Lad, that was a dangerous thing to do in public," he said in a low tone. "You better get out of here before anyone finds you out here with him and a burn mark on him."

Gemini started. "You... know what I did?" he asked hopefully.

Thomas snorted. "I do. Lad, you're one of us."

"Us?"

"A mage. That's what Black means- a mage."

"Wait, though- you said 'us'. You have a Dealer's Aura!"

"When a mage grows old, the black on their Aura fades to nothing, as does their power. You're at your strongest in your thirties if you're lucky, Gemini. Now go and get your things and leave before someone finds us out here."

"Wait! If you're a mage, you know who that man is-?"

"What man?" Thomas asked, cocking his head to one side.

"The one in my dream-"

"I don't know, sorry. Just get your things and go before someone decides to hang you for killing a lord, no matter HOW unpopular he was!"

"But... yes, sir," Gemini said, seeing the look in his friend's eye. "Thank you for everything."

"You paid your debt with the ale, Gemini. Go." He softened his tone. "I'll take care of the body and everything too. When we meet again, you owe me a new cart. That understood?"

"...Yes sir." Gemini turned away and ran back to the inn, straight to his room, and grabbed his supplies. After a single look around, he took out an Ariv from his coins and kissed it once, then left it on his bed- whoever found it would hopefully find luck with it. One final glance, and he left the inn.

~*~

Thomas watched as the young man walked away, sighing, and then began to drag the body away from the middle of the street. As he neared an alley, a familiar voice said, :You could have easily told him who I was. We'd all get a kick out of it.:

:Well, I figured you had enough problems on your hands besides one dumbstruck newcomer,: Thomas replied, pulling out his sword. He slashed at the body a few times, making it seem like he had been attacked, then took his purse. :This boy will need the money more than I. Wish he stuck around long enough...:

:You have enough power...:

:True, but that usually gives a side effect to the coin,: Thomas said.

:Good point... we must both be getting old for me to forget that...:

:Mages get very old, you know that. Saying that names every mage over a hundred old.:

:Well, that's their problem if they don't like it.:

:What have you planned for the boy?:

:Many things, Thomas. Many things.:

~*~