“Zen! Wait!” Kurinai yelled. He grumbled, but slammed a few wens on the table and ran after him. A crowd had begun to form as the man fell and bled out, staining the white stone around the fountain. No one seemed to notice the man in white, blood splattered on his cloak. The assassin ran down an alley that branched off the main square, disappearing into the darkness, but with a determined Zenji in tow.

            “Zen! Be careful!” Kurinai said.

            Zenji gave no response. He continued to run down the cramped alley, increasing the distance between him and Kurinai, but closing the one between him and the assassin. The man turned his head, realizing he was being followed and began to throw garbage bins into the alley. As the garbage landed on the floor, Zenji angrily shoved it to the side, slamming it to the brick walls with his Ido powers. The man noticed him flinging the garbage aside and began to run faster, slipping more. Kurinai was falling farther behind. Don’t worry Kurinai, Zenji thought. I can do this. Leave it to me.

            Zenji brought his hands forward and pulled on the man’s leg, but could only manage a slight tug. But, it was enough to knock the man off balance. He fell to the ground in a heap, garbage bags cushioning his fall. It seemed that Zenji’s powers were not as cooperative when he desired them to be.

Why can’t I pull on him more? Is it the whole muscle thing you said before?

As Zenji neared, the man turned over and looked up at Zenji. The man and Zenji’s eyes met and a rush of images flooded into Zenji’s mind. What is this?!

            The man began to stand, but suddenly stopped stiff and stared into the sky. The images stopped flooding in. Zenji rubbed his eyes and stood straight, looking around for what was happening.

Behind Zenji, Kurinai had caught up and was slowly walking towards the two. He looked intensely focused.

            “Get out of my head!” The man yelled.

            “Who are you? Why did you just kill that man?” Kurinai asked.

            The man’s eyes bounced back and forth between Zenji and Kurinai. He looked around and then, in an instant, fainted.

            “Did he just—” Zenji said.

            “I do not understand.” Kurinai said. “I hardly did anything to him.”

            Then he woke up again, completely calm but confused, looking at the garbage heap he was in.

            “Where am I?” The man asked.

            “You just killed someone.” Zenji said.

            The man stared at Zenji. “I—”

            “You had a knife and then ran off.” Kurinai said. “He has bled out already on the fountain.”

            “I—don’t—but how? I was just in my shop closing down for the afternoon, and I took out my pipe to—” The man stopped, an intense look of fear overshadowing his face and whole demeanor.

            “What is it?” Kurinai said.

            “Tell us why you murdered that man.” Zenji said.

            “I—” the man started, but closed his mouth and shook his head. He continued, “You have no idea what is going on. Leave me alone. I’m already dead.”

            An arrow narrowly passed between Zenji and Kurinai, piercing the assassin’s chest, spouting blood onto the ground and pinning him to the stone floor.

            Zenji spun around. What? No! Where is that archer?!

            “Can you see him?” Zenji asked.

            “Nothing. I cannot even sense his mind.” Kurinai said. “He has a Shroud with him.”

            “By the crystal’s fall,” Zenji said. “Of course.” A few cries from soldiers sounded down the alley. “We better go Kurinai.”

            Kurinai nodded and the two bounded down another alley, away from the scene.

            I couldn’t save him. Zenji thought.

            “Sometimes, youngling, being saved is not in their fate.” Prisoner said.

            The two ran on, but Zenji turned around the alley and watched the soldiers near the body.

            Four soldiers ran down and surrounded the arrow-pinned man.

            “Looks like the guy who did it.” One said.

            “Someone didn’t want him talking. That’s one powerful arrow. Longbow probably, and a big man to use it. Stuck clean through into the stone.” Another soldier said.

            “Inform Inspector Bundeki. This might be a gang killing.” The first soldier said.

             The others nodded and left.

            “What did you have in that noggin of yours, chump?” The remaining soldier said.

            Zenji looked on, then turned to follow Kurinai who hadn’t even noticed Zenji had stopped.

            Prisoner, please help us. We’ll need all the help we can get.

            The warehouse was dank and smelled of mold, filled with rats and refuse.

            Two men stood near a door leading farther into the warehouse, farther into the darkness. A larger man walked up to the two and stared them down, form dwarfing the other two. The large man’s fingers glistened with rings on each finger, a green stone in each. The soldiers returned the look with nods, then opened the door.

            As the big man walked in, one of the soldiers said, “I wish I had one of those rings.”

            “Only officers. Stop dreaming.”

            The one nodded and they returned to their stiff guard pose.

            The large man walked down a hallway only lit by a small window out to the sun above. At the end of the hall was a single closed plain-looking door. The large man knocked twice, then knocked once. He opened the door and entered.

            “There were complications.” The large man said.

            From within the dark room filled with wood shipping boxes, a thin silhouette moved, tall and animal-like.

            “Did you handle it?” The thin man said.

            “Of course. Uligar sent some men to handle his mess. He still isn’t as skilled to pull it off quietly. He did it in the square of all places, and with a white cloak.” The larger man said.

            The thin form grumbled in frustration. “So, the lackey is dead. We need to cover it up. Make it look like a suicide.”

            “Soldiers beat us to him. Another complication.”

            A long sigh sounded in the darkness, the thin silhouette turning towards the larger man.

            “And on top of that,” the large man said, “it’s Inspector Bundeki investigating. They think it was a gang killing.”

            The four or so boxes near the thin man shot outward, narrowly missing the large man. He held up his arms to shield himself from the wooden onslaught.

            “We do have something, however.” The large man said.

            “What?” The thin man said, gritting his teeth.

            “Uligar said there were two boys that chased him down. He said they were both mages. Supposedly an Ido’Kai and a Mystic.”

            The thin man hummed in thought. “I want to know who they are. No more… complications.”

            The large man nodded, then left.