Day 2: Arida

Outside the Convent

Allee smiled tiredly and answered as best she could in broken Spanish. "Not exactly. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or, the right place at the right time, depending how you look at it."

Maria nodded quickly. "I understand. Is there a way we can help you?"

Allee's brain drew a blank. "Well... just stay safe, I suppose." She smiled at one of the young children - a girl of about six. She crouched and pulled the girl into a hug. "And let us know if there is a way we can help you." She stood and turned to Maria. "We'll see you later at the convent, then?"

Maria nodded. "Sí. We will be there."

"Good." Allee nodded, as Father Fallon continued to talk to the family. Allee pulled Xandria aside and talked in hushed tones. "Are you doing okay with... all of this?"

Arida: Day 2: de Mon Castle

"Then give me your hands," Candi said, taking a few pinches of dust out of her satchel and dropping it back by the cat. She rubbed the powder on her fingers, than gently put her hands against Vange's.

"If I share this with you never speak a word
They would never understand if they ever heard
Gemini, Capricorn, rising in the east
Dancing through the starlight, we begin to sing...." Candi's eyes glazed over slightly, a whispered word being stuck between each line of the old song. A second later, the room shook, and both women stumbled to the ground, Candi gripping Vange's hands tightly so they would not break their hold.

"In between dark and light in the underworld
Wrapped around your finger like a string of pearls
Smiling face, empty hand, 7 golden rings
Dancing through the witchwood we began to sing..."

Candi closed her eyes. A moment later, they popped open, and she looked at Vange, then at the bed, where a new set of clothes lay.

"There...I hope," she murmured.

Day 2
Arida, Arenico
de Mon Castle Grounds

Evangeline stared as Candi said her little chant or whatever it was exactly. With a roll of her eyes, she listened. She had seen her share of psychics and magicians and the like. But there was something different about Candi. It wasn't as if she was doing it just for money, like so many others did.

However, when the room shook and they were both thrown to the ground, Evangeline's eyes widened. Shock overtook her, but Candi was determined to finish her chant. Vange was too confused to try and stop her.

Finally, Candi's eyes opened and she looked at the bed, where an outfit lay. The clothes hadn't been there before. Vange stood and pointed to the clothes. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Her dark eyes widened and she reached for her gun, ripping it from its velcro holster. Trying not to panic about having no voice suddenly, she held the gun up, keeping it even with Candi's head.

As best as she could, she used her facial expression to say "Explain."

Day 2: Aridia
de Mon Castle

Christopher glanced over at the large black cat as it entered and exited the room. Shortly thereafter, Candi and Vange left to find the latter some clothes and apparently bond some more... or something.

"Seems as though Van's found a new friend." Chris said to the room as he pulled out a cigarette and took a puff. The bounty hunter began examining the sitting room more closer now that he was alone. You can always tell a great deal about a person by their attire and their house.

Most of what Chris could gather was the obvious: Candi obviously loved cats, fashion and... had an uncanny fascination with dictators. A great majority of the books in the heiress bookcase were of the history and biography category, with a number focusing on wars and dictators.

"So, she has a thing for Bad Boys and power. Most heiress do..." Christopher said with a chuckle as a slight tremor shook the castle.

"Well, she already has the power bit down..." the bounty hunter said looking around the room before tossing the remainder of his cigarette into the fireplace.

Day 2: Arida

Outside the Convent

Xandria gulped and nodded.

"Fine, fine, yeah. I've just felt funny all day. I thought it was just adrenaline yesterday, but I still feel weird today," Xandria forced a smile and squeezed Allee's hand. "I'm just glad to know that we'll get though this...."

"I will see you this evening, then!" Father Fallon said, nodding to Maria and her husband and patting the head of a young one. "We have many more houses to visit. If you can, spread the word to your neighbors and families."

Father Fallon and the two girls slipped out the door and continued visiting houses. Some Father Fallon did not bother to stop at. At one house, the man refused to let his family leave. The woman caught Xandria's hand and whispered in her ear in broken English "tonight...come...he will be gone...take us away." Xandria nodded, and they left, wondering. After they were a good distance from the home, Xandria shared what had happened with Allee.

"What do you make of it?" she asked her friend.

de Mon Castle

Candi stared at Vange for a moment. The Persian cat looked up, and repositioned itself to pounce on Vange if need be.

"That's not going to do you any good, if you haven't gotten that idea yet. Everything here is being held together by my word. I think you'd best accept that. We're going to have a bit of trouble if you don't."

Candi turned and walked toward some tall curtains, pulling them aside to reveal a window. She stood looking out as she continued.

"This supernova has effected more than people think. It has changed people, made some stronger, left some the same, and weakened others. I am one of the changed. The government now hunts for these people, but will have a hard time locating them. Arida is crumbling. Martial law will be the order very quickly, or there will be mass bloodshed. My goal is to remove these people to a safer place, and eventually join forces with a good friend of mine who resides up north. But for now, we will be required to stay here, and things will continue to be held together by my word."

She let the curtain fall back into place, and turned back to face Vange.

"Have you nothing to say, or has the cat got your tongue?"

Day 2
Arida, Arenico
de Mon Castle Grounds

Evangeline listened to Candi, her breath quickening. She saw the cat, but didn't take her eyes off of Candi. She barely understood what Candi was saying because she was trying to figure out where her voice was.

Finally, when Candi faced her again and remarked about the cat having her tongue, Vange turned the gun toward the cat and lifted her eyebrows.

Day 2: Arida: de Mon Castle

Candi rolled her eyes.

"'Cat got your tongue' is an old idiom, Evangeline, it means that someone is either unwilling or unable to talk. It doesn't mean that Charla actually has your tongue....CHARLA, STOP!" Candi screamed, then began whispering to herself.

The Persian had gathered itself and leaped toward Vange, turning into the large black cougar from earlier in the evening. Candi threw the few bits of remaining dust from her hand and watched as a pane of glass suddenly formed between the two. Charla let out a whimper as she slammed into the glass, and rocketed backward.

"Stop it, both of you!" Candi exclaimed, glaring at the cat. She looked at Vange. "What is going on with you?"

Day 2
Arida, Arenico
de Mon Castle Grounds

Evangeline stared at the cat and then at Candi. She lowered her gun, confused. Candi didn't know what was going on? Then what had happened?

Vange motioned to her mouth and shook her head, mouthing even though no sound would come out.

Day 2: Arida
Outside the Convent

"I honestly don't know why a man wouldn't want his family to be safe in the convent. That's the safest place in Arida right now." Allee sighed. "It doesn't make sense that they'd refuse help. At least they'll most likely come." She shook her head slowly. "We have so much on our hands."

Father Fallon led Xandria and Allee around a corner deeper into the city. Allee was scribbling down the events of the day in her notebook - a habit she'd picked up as a journalist. Her newspaper would probably want a piece on the supernova when everything settled down, and she wanted to be prepared.

She looked up from her notebook, only to stop dead in her tracks. Her eyes filled with shock at what she saw. "Xandria... look!" She said frantically, then more urgency propelled her voice as she realized the full impact of what she saw. "Come quick!"

Day 2: Arida

de Mon Castle

"You can't...talk?" Candi queried, nearly as puzzled as Vange was. Vange nodded violently. Candi frowned.

"Charla, go lay back down," she commanded, then touched the glass, which crumbled into a bit of dust in her hand. "Then we will have to fix that, but there is only one way I know how. Hold out your hands."

Candi again placed her hands against Vange's, and began to speak again.

"Caramel colored leaves spiral in the air
Diving right into the ground 'round the winding stair
Stories carved out of wood, jester and the king
Dancing through the moonlight, we began to sing.

Memories, black and white, hide behind the glass
In the mirrors and the smoke, its all fading fast
Written word, turn the card winter into spring
Dancing through the witchwood we began to sing...."

A soft breeze slowly swirled around the two women, tousling their hair, than disappearing into the night. Candi opened her eyes and looked at Vange.

"Try now."

Outside the Convent

Xandria looked up and gasped, immediately running toward the limp figure on the ground. She skidded to a stop, her knees splashing blood onto the girl and her own jeans as she kneeled to inspect the child.

"Still breathing, only slightly," Xandria reported, running her hands over the girl, checking to see what bones are broken. Father Fallon caught up with her and stood leaning over her shoulder. "Three gunshot wounds, all in the back. Probably has a punctured lung and a few broken ribs. Her right clavicle appears to be broken, also. I can't tell if she has any spinal injur--she does." Xandria gulped, and blinked back tears, then pointed. "There's a bullet wedged in her lower back. We'll have to be careful moving her."

Father Fallon nodded.

"Let's get her to the convent."

Xandria looked at Allee.

"I...I think we could get her to the convent on our own, so you can keep warning people. I'd rather have a little trouble moving one than having to find other children like this."

Day 2
Arida, Arenico
de Mon Castle Grounds

Evangeline strapped her gun back in place and held out her hands once more. She hoped this would work and if it didn't, Evangeline would not be happy.

After another song, there was a breeze in the room. Where it came from, Vange had no idea. Something weird was going on and that was all she knew.

"Try now." Candi said.

Evangeline took a breath and said, "Please explain to me what just happened before I go insane." Relief flooded her when she heard her own voice.

Day 2: Arida

de Mon Castle

Candi sighed.

"Its not something I quite understand myself. There is a different power, now. As I said, the nova served to strengthen some. I am one of those. At first, I did think I was insane, but the power of the spoken word was evident. It is magic, yet it is not. It is me bending things to my will, using my own secret potions to bring things into existence. Does that make a little sense?"

Day 2
Arida, Arenico
de Mon Castle Grounds

"A little sense, yeah..." Evangeline said, crossing her arms. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "No, it doesn't make sense! You took my voice and created a glass wall out of nothing...That's impossible."

Day 2: Arida
Outside the Convent

Allee swallowed hard. The sight of the poor girl, bloodied and bruised, was almost too much for her to take. She tucked her notebook away and turned to Xandria. "Okay, I've never done this before. Let me think." She set her jaw. "I have an idea. You watch her - I'll be right back."

Allee ran to the nearest house and banged on the door as hard as she could. A woman answered, and she looked scared out of her wits.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"I need a chair," Allee said quickly. "It's urgent."

"A chair?" The woman pressed her lips together, then cracked the door. Allee waited until she came back, chair in hand. "Thank you so much."

Allee darted back to Xandria, who was waiting for her. "Here. We can carry her on this. It's not the best idea I've ever had, but it was all I could think of." Allee knelt down next to the girl and supported the girl's head in her hands. She tried to rack her brain and remember what she'd learned in the first aid class from high school. "We need to do this with the least amount of trauma possible, so be careful. How should we lift her?"

Day 2: Arida

de Mon Castle

"It wasn't out of nothing, Vange," Candi said, considering how much she wanted to reveal to this woman she had only so recently met. Finally, she sighed and picked up her satchel and opened it. She pulled out a handful of the dust and ash and let in fall through her fingers and back into the bag.

"It is this," she said softly. "My words cause it to form things. It is like lubricant. Even the smallest molecule will respond and bend to my wish."

Outside the Convent

Xandria looked up, then smiled softly.

"Seems you are remembering something from high school First Aid and CPR. If someone may have damaged their back and must be moved, you can put them in a chair and move them that way. That's awesome. Here, put your hands down on the pavement, and I'll roll her toward you, then we'll lift her together into the chair."

The two women moved slowly, anxious not to damage the child any more than she already was. After they had settled her into the chair, Xandria gasped for breath and wiped her brow, incidentally smearing blood onto her face. She gazed up at the double suns for a moment.

"I guess...now to carry her back to the convent." I hope she survives the journey.....