Talsin. That's where I have to go. I don't know, but I feel it. I feel...I know he's there. The boy.

"Good. See we don't need Khalid, if only you killed him when he wasn't expecting it. I almost regret taking him, if I had known what a headache he would become I would of refused his offer for sure."

I wonder what Khalid offered her...wait didn't he say he used to talk to a little boy?

"Were you that little boy, he used to talk too?"

"Not really, sort of. Half and Half I suppose is the best way to describe it."

Great answer. I don't have time to discuss this anyways, now that I know where I need to go I need to leave as soon as possible. Can't risk Khalid or the Sergeant and his men finding me,

Where could the train station be? Sneaking on shouldn't be a problem as long as the dark lady helps me plan it.

I take a few steps and exit the alleyway. Standing on the streets I notice there's not many people here. It's raining harder now, that's probably why. I think it's a bad thing, not as many crowds for me to blend into. I need to figure out where the hell this train station is.

I turn my head side to side trying to see if there's anyone or anything that might point me in the right direction. Far from me, I see what looks like a map on a bulletin board, nailed to the outside of a building. That looks like the right place to start. I head on down to the building.

--------------------------somewhere else in town, in a busy tavern-----------------------

Khalid finishes his drink. He had given up alcohol years ago, decades. But he's drinking tonight. In a tavern that reminded him of his youth, before he found faith. But faith goes up and down, and Khalid knows that all too well.

"Excuse me sir, have you by chance seen a young man walking around the hospital? He's a nephew of mine, and I need to find him. I can offer a few coins if you can point me his way."

"Sorry old timer havn't seen anyone since outside since the rain started."

Another dead end for Khalid. He had waited a whole hour, so diligently, outside that Hospital, waiting to follow the young mans horse cart to prison. He didn't think the boy would recover so fast, be able to stage an escape out of a military prison in that shape. Especially with that Sergeant around, it should of been impossible. But not only did he heal faster than expected, he got away. In front of Khalid's very eyes, he fell into a shadow and disapeared. He had never seen something like that before, or even heard. Travelling through a shadow. What an amazing power, even Khalid, who already had seen the boys unique miracle, or whatever it is he posseses, was still amazed at what he had seen.

Teleportation was something of legend, no one had ever proven to be able to do it. Yet the boy had. Khalid was almost afraid...what other amazing things could his miracle do. Once the Sergeant and his men came Khalid took off, he didn't want to risk being seen near the hospital after he was released, it would cast suspicion over his story of being an old innocent man just trying to get away. Plus, if the Sergeant had seen him, not even Khalid could of escaped from him. Only a few men and women Khalid had met in his entire life could pull that off, and that young man was now apart of that list.

Perhaps it was an illusion, perhaps he only made it appear like he teleported. The though did cross Khalid's mind, but he was too far from the scene to feel any dark prescences, or to overhear the discussion the Sergeant had. He was the cautious type, choosing to assume the more dangerous case and prepare accordingly. His original plan was to wait till the boy was locked up, then render the gaurds either uncouncious, or make their minds urge them to follow his orders. An expectionally weak willed gaurd would of even given him the keys, such was Khalid's power. More than any breath changer alive. With maybe one exception. He would do all this at night, when the boy was fast alseep. Then he could knock him out with his breath, and transport him somewhere to be burried. The boy would wake up with dirt in his lungs.

But that isn't possible anymore, someone who can teleport can't be taken so lightly. Khalid beileves he is blessed to have survived their first encounter. He considers it proof that he is on a divine mission, that he has been given a chance to redeem himself for his past sins. His current sins.

The guilt hits Khalid, so he puts down the drink. But only for a second, before he succumbs again. He has begun his relapse into sin, and he knows it. Khalid knows now that he wasn't mentally prepared to meet someone from the dark again, to be reminded of his past sins.

----------at the building with the map bulletin board posted outside, the young man tries to find his way-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't read this map, either I have a horrible sense of direction or this is the world's most complicated city layout. Every path takes a twist, makes a turn, nothing seems straightforward. I know the train station is up ahead somewhere, I'll just have to head that direction, there's no way I can miss a train station.

Along my way, I finally come across some liveliness. Up until now it seemed like everyone who lived here was allergic to the rain, but I've finally come across some people braver then them. It looks like a nice place for a drink.

Khalid finishes his drink, and immediatly feels remorse. He asks for forgivness, but he wonders if this single sin will even make a difference, its only a single drop in an ocean of bad deed. Of murders. Of theft. Of betrayal. And no matter what he tells himself, the people from the dark didn't make him do anything. He wanted their help...he wanted them to help him get revenge. And in the end, it wasn't worth it. If only in his youth he had the wisdom he does know, he thinks to himself.

Suddenly, he feels it. It, the thing he used to feel everyday and everynight, the prescence of a dark one. He whips his head around, and coming through the door is the young man.

---------------The young man, at the entrance of the tavern, looks for a seat-------------------

"What are you doing, get to that train station. We don't have time to waste"

I hate when she drags me into that place.

"I'm just here for a drink, maybe someone can point me to the train station. I need to rest a little bit, this morning I was being killed by a monster and at the end of the day I'm on the run from, well everybody. I just need a moment."

"You can sleep on the train, what if theres a soldier in here. What if...listen, a few exceptionally strong people in this world can sense this places energy leaking into your mind. Khalid can, it seems like that sergeant can too. You ca-"

"In this entire city what are the chances that the two people, in what the entire world, who can sense you are in this pub. Just let me b-"

"Don't make me remind you who's in charge. If I decide I don't need you then I lose something precious. You lose your life. Your mother loses her son. I'm not asking, I'm ordering you."

I can't let her hold that over my head, I know she must want that thing badly, if she's willing to go through all this trouble of dealing with me.

"One drink, and I'll leave. That's more than fair"

I can't see much in hear, but even just her outline looks like its a little shocked. She didn't expect that from me, I didn't either. I guess today changed me a little bit. Or maybe...

"Hmph. Remember when I said the dark would drive you, feed you, looks like it's already starting to happen. Good"

"Wha-"

She let me back into the real world. I really hope she was just trying to make me worried with that.

I see an empty chair near the bar, just one drink, 10 minutes of relaxing, and then I'm gone. I deserve this. This day has been the most insane thing any human being could go through.

I sit down, and call the server over. Wait....I don't have any money. Dammit!

-------------------From across the room, behind a crowd, Khalid stares intently--------------

Khalid can barely contain himself. His mind immediatly starts analzying his mark, but he stops himself. Mark is what he used to call them back when he was a sinner, and Khalid does not want to go back to being a sinner. Anymore than he already has. For him, this is an almost ideal situation. The young man's back is turned, hes relaxed, unsuspecting.....even if the young man can do amazing things, no one could survive an unsuspecting dagger to the heart, that is what Khalid beileves. He knows he wouldn't be able to escape afterwards, people would see and the military would surely track him down, because the Sergeant would hear of the description of the killer and make it a priority to find him. If this were a normal city Khalid would be confident he could escape, but not in a city where a man like the Sergeant, or should he say former General, lives in.

There is one big problem though, the dark being inside the man may see him approaching. Khalid has never had to assasinate someone connected to the dark before, so he's never had to deal with that annoying problem, someone having two set's of eyes and ears. But safely hidden behind a crowd, Khalid knows from experience that the dark person won't be able to see him, and since he's not connected to the dark anymore it won't be able to detect him either. He's safe, so like a predator should he decides to stalk his prey a little longer, wait for the right moment to present itself.

-------------------------At the bar-----------------------------

"Uhhh hey friend, I dropped my coins outside, you know the rain and all was hurrying to get inside. Could I borrow enough for a drink?"

The man next to me shoots a look at me that I think is worse than any look Khalid or the Sergeant ever game me. He turns away, and that's all the answer I need.

Dammit, how did I forget I don't have any money. I should be glad Khalid put me in that hospital, I might of just starved to death otherwise. Or maybe the dark lady would try to get me to...take...food from someone else. Rather the nice ladies at the hospital give me some.

Well I got to rest, didn't get to drink. Maybe another time.

"I could buy you a drink, friend"

Wow, a true angel. This is a man I shoud inspire to be. I turn my head to offer my sincere thanks, and.....

---------------At the bar, Khalid confronts the young man--------------------------

Khalid knows that when the prey feels threatened, it will make a mistake. So if the prey is doing nothing to present an oppurtunity, you must put pressure on it, force it to act when it does not want to. If he had just waited forever, he might lose the only chance he'll ever get to end the man. Khalid has experience dealing with dark beings, so he feels confident that the dark lady won't risk having the young man kill him in this bar, because it saw how strong the Sergeant was and so Khalid knows it doesn't want the whole bar reporting what they saw to the soldiers stationed nearby. They would never get out of the city if the Seargeant was after them.

If they had the strenght in them to kill everyone in this bar the dark being would certainly try to make the young man do it, hold whatever it promised him over his head, but teleportation aside, purely from a combat perspective the young man could barely stand after launching a single attack. There's little chance he could kill everyone in here faster than they could mob and lynch him. There's bound to be a couple other miracle users in here, and Khalid knows that evil thing in the man knows that too.

So Khalid is now just waiting for his prey to panick, to make a mistake.

------------------The young man is in shock----------------------------------

......"Wa....Wa....Wha"

I can't even speak, what the hell is-

"Listen, we can't hide in a shadow like last time, your body isn't strong enough, and Khalid is the type to experiment. He will try and see exactly how your trick worked, and as soon as he feels you standing there the game is up."

"Okay"

I have nothing else to say. I just have to trust in her.

"Here's what I want you to do...."

I'm back in the real world. She spent what felt like an hour explaining to me every detail of her plan, so in the real world that must of been a second at most. I know what I have to do. Everytime I go there, whateve that place is, I feel a little bit more calm, more confident. I'm ready.

I look at Khalid, he's standing a foot away from me, in how now tattered robes, a mark of the damage I did to him. I raise my fist until it's waist level, and turn it black. He jumps back a little bit. I sprint towords the door. I need to make sure he follows me.