“No,” Nijo’tika said beginning to close the door. She had a displeased look on her face and she spoke the word with strong hostility.

“Please,” Lika’so said, holding the door open with her hand, “Just listen.”

“Leave,” Nijo’tika responded with the same amount of hostility as her previous word. She forced the door closed.

Lika’so sighed. She did not want things to be this way between them.

“It’s about the alien!” Lika’so yelled, knowing Nijo’tika was standing just behind the door and could hear her. “I know you're informed about him!”

Nijo’tika became a royal spy when she had turned sixty and had been one for hundreds of years. She knew how to obtain information and she was familiar with the Underground. The Underground was a name used to refer to the multitude of organized crime gangs that operated within the kingdom. She had connections in every gang so she would, without a doubt, have known about Alex by now.

“I just need you to do some simple biocasting,” Lika’so pleaded.

There was silence, then the door swung open. “You broke up with me because I started biocasting and now, ninety years later, you come to my door and ask me to do that very thing?!” Nijo’tika yelled, her eyes filled with tears and her face red.

Lika’so felt so guilty. She had forgotten what the breakup had been about, it happened such a long time ago.

Ninety years ago Lika’so’s attitude towards biocasting was very different. Society had conditioned her to believe that it was an evil type of magic performed by sadistic casters. She had feared it, thinking that anybody who used it had malicious intent. She was never taught of its many positive uses so she had assumed that biocasting only caused damaging outcomes.

Learning that her lover had begun practicing this scary and taboo facet of magic, Lika’so severed ties with Nijo’tika and hadn’t spoken to her since.

“I’m so sorry,” Lika’so said to Nijo’tika, her eyes now too filled with tears, “I was wrong. I don’t wish for us to be without our friendship any longer.”

“And you’re not saying this just because you need my biocasting?” Nijo’tika asked, her voice high and shaky.

“It was difficult for me to come to you after all this time but I did it because I still want you in my life. I won't lie, I needed your skills, but I  also want for us to be rid of this tension and become friends again.”

Nijo’tika stepped forward and hugged Lika’so and Lika’so embraced her friend back. Nijo’tika was sobbing. Lika’so closed her eyes. She felt so relieved to bring a friend back into her life.

Lika’so was still very much in a hurry. She needed a biocaster and she also needed someone connected to the Underground.

“Will you help me?” asked Lika’so.

“Yes,” responded Nijo’tika through deep breaths, “I will.”

“Thank you.”

Nijo’tika let go of Lika’so and wiped her face on her shirt. “What do you want me to do?” she asked.

“I need you to help me make some jud’ic.”

“What for?”

“I’ll explain later,” Lika’so said, “but I need the jud’ic as soon as possible. Enough for thirty days.”

Nijo’tika was hesitant at first, but seeing the urgency in her friend’s eyes she agreed to help make it.

“I know a judif seller,” Nijo’tika said, “but you should bring a weapon or two.”