GFD 12: Blood Ties - 12. Chapter 12

Walking out of that long, dark, alley...my mind remained fixed on the carnage I had seen. And the carnage I had caused. And I was amazed at how much the frequent practice of being around this much death an darkness had softened the blow. It was such a strange feeling. Already, I could feel the guilt of what I had done lifting itself off of my shoulders Already...I was beginning to forget. To suppress. To ignore. After all the struggle and moral conflict that I had gone through leading up to my very first kill...

...I was now becoming just like the rest of them. My humanity...now a memory. My concepts behind the value of human life...fading. Becoming vague. Colorless. Never to be touched by the sunlight again.

Everything seems so different....n the dark.

I hardly said much of anything for the next ten minutes or so. Neither did Taryn. I think he was still a little embarrassed by having to feed in front of me. The urge to peer into his thoughts and figure out what to say to him did cross my mind. But I decided not to. I suppose everyone is entitled to their secrets. Even the little ones, breeding temporary moments of discomfort. And it was at that time that I felt it again...

A set of eyes...searching for me. For me 'specifically'. Ever since that scuffle in the alley, my senses have been detecting something foreign in the very air around me. It was like a cold wind passing through an open window. But there wasn't an identified 'body' to go with it. No concrete presence attached to it. Whatever it was..it was reaching out with its mind. Its emotions. And what felt like a concentrated dose of anger.

"I don't mean to be so quiet..." Taryn said, grabbing my attention as the words left his sweet lips like an angel's song.

"No, it's ok. You don't have to..."

"No really...I wanna talk." He said bashfully. "I missed you. I just...I was having trouble dealing with...some things. I shouldn't have shut you out."

"I probably would have done the same thing." I said. And it was true. Some parts of my life were too personal to share. Even if it meant getting help. "I was going crazy without you." It made him smile a little. It warmed my heart in an instant.

"Do you think Rain is gonna let me go? Maybe...move back in with my boyfriend again?"

"Hehehe, I don't know. Do you think she's gonna like sleeping with Jeremy instead?" The thought made us both giggle out loud. I looked at the collar of his shirt, and saw a few splotches of dried blood on the nape of his neck. I guess he missed those. "Wait a second, you've got some...'dinner' left on you."

"I do? Where?" I pointed to his neck. "Oh geez. That's freaky." We stepped off of the main street and into another alley to avoid anybody who might come by. He wet his shirt a bit with some saliva, and started rubbing the spots out. I couldn't help but stare. "Did I get it all?"

The sight of his smooth soft neck...and the sweet sound of his voice...I found myself gazing at him with a smile. "Yeah..." I whispered.

"What?" He asked me. "Is there more?"

I hesitated, but confessed, "Sometimes it's just so hard to believe how beautiful you are."

The most delicate blush came to his cheeks. "Hehehe, Justy...."

I couldn't help myself. He was practically glowing with this alluring cuteness that beckoned me to kiss him right then and there. I stole a tiny peck from his lips, and he giggled from the contact.

"Now that's cheating." He said. But then moved forward to kiss me as well.

Our eyes met in silence...and we leaned in for our lips to connect for a third time. This time for much longer. I reached up a hand to caress his cheek, his reddish brown locks covering my knuckles like a thin blanket of silk. And when our tongues touched, I all about lost my breath completely. It had been oh so long.

"Mmmmm.." Taryn moaned as a gentle electric current transferred itself from my body to his. Increasing in intensity. Then...it began to get uncomfortable "Mmmph...mmm...wait..." He broke the kiss, as small static shocks leapt from my fingertips, zapping his cheek. "Owww! Hehehe, what is that?"

"Hehehe, I don't know..." I grinned, trying to turn it off so that I could go back to making out with my sweetheart again. But instead...the current increased. And it wasn't under my control.

Another shock leapt out from my fingertips, this time for twice the distance. And I think it hurt him a little bit. "Shit! Quit it!" He smiled...but it wasn't a game. The hair on my arms stood up, and the bright shocks became visible. "What...what are you doing?"

"I don't know. This isn't me." I said, feeling a pinch of fear rise up as my extras suddenly seemed to be going haywire on me. The shocks got louder, brighter...illuminating the alley in a flickering blue light. Taryn wanted to come closer. "Stay back! Don't...just....stay over there!" I said, and tried my hardest to contain the energies again. What was happening? Why wouldn't it listen to me?

It was at that moment, that I felt the 'eyes' watching me again. And they were closer than before. Eagerly seeking me out. And this time, I knew what it was. I could never mistake that ice cold veil of darkness for anything else.

Alec was trying to find me.

"Justin, what is it? Talk to me!"

"It's..." Do I say it? Do I worry him even more than before? I gave in this time. "It's Alec..."

"ALEC??? What...what does this have to do with..."

"He's causing my extras to self activate."

"Wha..? How is he doing that?" Taryn asked, his voice trembling.

"I don't KNOW! But...I think he's using it to track me down. He can 'see' me when I use my powers." I said. "He got a hint of my location back in the alley. He's trying to increase the signal." I felt the electricity burn me from beneath the surface of my skin. He must have somehow found a way to initiate extras from a distance. I couldn't shut it off! I COULDN'T! He's gonna FIND me! He's gonna find TARYN!!! "GO!" I shouted.

"WHAT???"

"GO!!! Before he figures out where we are and he comes for us both!"

"I'm not leaving you!" He said stubbornly, but I was almost ready to 'force' him to go! Just like I did back in that parking lot. I know that I had promised never to use my powers on him again...but keeping him safe was all that mattered now. "Justin, concentrate." He said.

"I'm...I'm TRYING! Agghhhhh!" I felt my stomach cramp up, and my muscles tense as 'Rage' twisted me up from the inside out.

"No! I mean...use what Jun taught you. Block everything out. Everything It won't leave a signal for him to trace." He said. I dropped down to my knees in agony as Alec increased the energies until it was almost unbearable. Taryn came over to help me, and the electric sparks practically attacked him once he got close. But he suffered the pain anyway, and reached out to take my hand. "C'mon, Justin...concentrate. I'm right here with you!"

"Taryn...please...go..." I pleaded, but he held my hand even tighter, as he tried to stop cringing from the shock and burn of the volts being released into the air. He refused to leave my side. And the only way to stop Alec from finding us, the only way to protect him from the pain, was to enter the trance...and bring him in with me.

I remembered what Jun told me, and focused only on Taryn's hand. The tightness of his delicate fingers, the baby soft texture of his skin. And using all the brain power I could muster...I felt the rest of the world begin to fade away. It was hard. Soooo hard. I kept losing focus every time Taryn jumped or twitched in agony. But he sent me a mental message, saying, "You can do it, Justin. Keep trying. You're almost there." I tried my best to force it, as I felt 'Rage' getting closer to finding the spot. Whittling down my defenses to give him a clear picture. But with a bit more effort...the walls of the alley became black. The colors faded into obscurity. I stopped feeling the night air around us, the ground beneath my feet, the glow of moonlight in the sky And as the trance took over, my extras began to fall away as well. Alec's influence was suddenly cut off, and I was locked in a world where only two things existed. Me...and my baby.

Taryn smiled when he realized that I had done it. I had actually brought him in with me. And he hugged me around the neck, his slim body melting into my embrace. "I knew you could do it."

I hugged him tight. "How....how did you know to do that?"

Taryn's smiled faded ever so slightly, but after a brief hesitation, he said, "It's a long story. Let's just say that Jun and I have been 'tracked' before. He kinda taught me how to lay low. It only works for a little while, hehehe, but it works."

I rose to my feet, the pain subsiding, and looked around as Taryn and I stood toe to toe in a void of total darkness. I was amazed at the level of silence...and when I looked back at Taryn, he smiled. His gleaming white teeth displayed proudly through the lips I loved to kiss. "It feels like we're totally 'alone' in here."

He giggled, "Yeah...kinda." But he added, "Of course, to anybody passing by, I mean..I'm sure they can still see us. So technically we're not alone any more than were before. But...for what it's worth...I like this." I gently placed my hands on Taryn's slender hips, and he leaned back from me with a grin. "Justin...didn't you hear me? People out there can SEE us. Hehehe!"

"Let them see." I said, and kissed him on the lips. He got a bit embarrassed and tried to look out beyond the void. As though we would be spotted by some late night garbage man or something at any moment. But he was stuck right here in trance....with me. And only me. "I'm not letting you out until you make out with me."

"This is no time to be...CUTE!" I kissed him again and he squirmed in my embrace. "Hehehe, c'mon, this is serious..."

"We CAN'T just go back to being unfocused. Your brother's still looking for us. We might have to just...hide here for a while, you and me." Maybe it was a clueless thing for me to say, but when I attempted to kiss my angel again...I felt his expression turn cold. He attempted to make it look like it didn't bother him so much, but as his once bright green eyes began to deaden and lose radiance...echoed memories of his brother seemed to steal his smile away completely. "Oh...oh man, I didn't mean..."

"I know." He said quickly. He didn't necessarily pull away from me, but his discomfort was obvious. I let him go, and he stepped back from me, turning to face the other way.

We returned to silence.

"Maybe I can use Dylan's extra? You know...to get us home." He didn't say anything at first. But he tilted his head back as if trying to keep the tears welling up in his eyes from falling. "I...I could 'mix' it with something. Like...like Kid's static. It should provide us enough of a block to keep...to keep Alec from..." Taryn began to sniffle, now slightly shifting from foot to foot as he tried his best to hold the emotion inside. I couldn't take anymore, and walked over to turn him around and hold him tight up against me. Taryn's arms wrapped around me and his tears came freely. The damn burst, and now even his bravest attempts to contain it were being crushed under the weight of the loss of his baby brother.

"He's never going to stop, Justin. Never." He sobbed.

"Shhh, he's not gonna find us. And even if he could, I'm here to protect you."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Came another voice from over Taryn's shoulder. I looked up...to see that other version of 'me' standing there. Waiting. With a mischievous grin. "You didn't really think I was going anywhere, did you? Hehehe, noooooo, my friend. I'm still right here. Right behind your eyelids. Patiently waiting for my turn at bat."

"You're not me. You have nothing to do with who I am..." I replied, and Taryn lifted his head.

"What was that? Justy, who are you talking to?" He asked. Could he not see? Was any part of this even real?

"Go ahead, Justin. Tell him what you see. Tell him who I am." The figure taunted.

"Justy?"

I kissed him sweetly on the forehead, and just held him tighter against me. Refusing to entertain this 'vision' any longer.

"Oh, are you gonna ignore me now? Is that it? Oh, Justin...I certainly hope you have a better game plan than that in mind." It said. "You know that you're not strong enough, Justin....don't you? You can feel it. That vulnerability. That weakness. And you KNOW where it's coming from. It's coming from him. Your precious little angel. He's the one that's going to make it impossible for you to protect him. As long as he's alive, a Mimic...you can never be." I tried to close my eyes. I tried to tune him out, and just hold onto my boyfriend with everything I had. But the figure stepped closer, and he raised his hand to run his SICKENING fingers through Taryn's hair!

"STOP IT!!!" I shouted, making Taryn jump.

"What? What did I do?" He asked, confused. I looked the vision in the eye, and used an arm to push Taryn behind me. I guarded him with a passion, even if he couldn't see what I could see.

"He thinks you're crazy, you know? They all do. They're witnessing your inevitable breakdown, little by little. And soon, they won't be able to trust you anymore. They'll cast you out, Justin. Especially once they start dropping off like flies." He sneered. "I really can't wait to see what you do once Dion is gone. Heh...it's sure to be one for the history books..."

"Go away. Go away, go away, go away! GO!!!" I mumbled, and Taryn began to really worry as he saw me cursing the darkness before me.

"Who will be next, Justin, hmmm? Will it be Jenna? Or perhaps Jun? What about baby brother Gyro? Or will his big bad sister step in to save him instead? Maybe Bryson will finally find the reason he's been looking for to sacrifice himself out of a life of loneliness? Tick tock, tick tock...time waits for no one, Justin. Your days of running away and hiding from the inevitable are over, I'm afraid."

His grin was enough to turn my stomach. I hated his smiling face. I HATED it! "I'm going to beat you. You'll see..."

"I certainly hope you're not talking about this 'Jeweler' character. Hahaha! Ohhhh...you poor boy! He doesn't want to help YOU! He wants to help ME! He wants to set me FREE! *I* am the one with the answers! *I* am the one with the power to make the changes needed for the Vampire Dawn to occur! You're just a shell. A weak minded vessel holding a revelation that you don't have the brains to decode. You don't even know who you really are. And never would have....not until I came along, and showed you the way."

Taryn was almost in a panic, seeing me react this way. I could feel it. But I did what I could to ignore it anyway. "You're NOTHING! I make my own destiny. And you can't force this to happen. You're not strong enough." I told him.

His grin got wider. "Does Taryn know how much it's going to HURT...when he dies? Does he have any clue? Have you prepared yourself for that yet, or are you still fooling yourself into believing that you can keep you love and your sanity at the same time? Hehehe, I already told you...you NEED me, Justin! You've always needed me!"

"I don't need you, I don't need anybody!"

Taryn sniffled and tried to get my attention. "Justin, please! Tell me what's happening! What are you doing?"

The figure's presence seemed to get stronger by the second. "Did you really think that you'd be able to 'fix' me through Jun's little mental exercise? Did you? I've been a part of you since the first time your father threw you down the back porch steps. Since those disgustingly wet spitballs hit the back of your neck in class. Since your mother first passed out from that half finished bottle of whiskey by her bedside. You've spent your whole life trying to hide from me, Justin, but I'm not going anywhere. You and me will ALWAYS be two sides of the same coin. You take the beatings...and I give them. It's just a matter of time before you've taken soooo much pain and suffering upon your weakened spirit that you won't have a say in this transformation any longer." He then whispered, "I know you've seen the circles, Justin. I know you know the pattern. And whether you want to believe it or not...you're bringing more of me to the surface with every breath you take." I felt the void around us begin to vibrate slightly. As though the darkness itself was being tampered with. And accompanying that vibration, was a deep...monstrous...growl. "Can you feel it, Justin? It seems the Beast isn't finished with you yet. Comicality's feeble attempts to banish his own demons further into the darkness have failed miserably. As long as you keep 'feeding' it with the pain and fear in your own heart...the Beast will continue to gather strength. Until he's strong enough to rip you apart."

"Justin...let's get out of here. Let go of the trance." Taryn pleaded. "Justin, listen to me! Release the trance!"

"Yes, Justin...do what you're told. Keep allowing your need to protect Taryn weaken you from the inside. Allow the fear of not being able to save him feed the Beast until he's strong enough to come after you again. The longer Taryn lives...the easier it will be for me to take my rightful place when the time comes." He said. "Face it, Justin...Taryn is going to die. PAINFULLY! Dion will suffer a similar fate because of YOUR weakness! In fact, MANY of your new friends will be slaughtered because of your inability to protect them! You'll try, valiantly...but you will fail...every time. Just as you failed in the IceZone. And as for your 'mentor', Comicality? His days are numbered. Betrayal of the Elders is not something they take lightly. He's going to endure a level of suffering that you cannot even imagine. And there is NOTHING you can do about it...unless YOU...become ME! Hehehe, how many loved ones will you lose before you realize that? THAT is the real question."

"We'll just see about that..." I said, and with Taryn holding my hand, I broke out of the trance, and immersed myself back into a concrete reality.

"What was that? What happened?" Taryn asked me.

"I...." It was hard for me to say. But I had to do it. No more games. No more hesitation. I couldn't fight this on my own anymore. "...I need...help..." I said, tearing up as my bottom lip quivered helplessly from the confession. "I don't wanna lose my mind, Taryn. I don't wanna lose..you..."

"Awww, Justin...NO! I'm not going anywhere, baby! I promise!" He said, hugging me tight. But he didn't know. He didn't understand. How could he? I hadn't yet found the strength to tell him. Maybe my alter ego was right. Maybe I'm wasting my time, trying to fight the destiny draped over everything I knew. Everything I loved. It had already created enough pain and misery in my life to bring me this far. What made me think that it would stop now? Even for the sake of true love.

"We need to get back to the lot. I'll do what I can to cover our tracks...but...I need the Jeweler. And I need him NOW! Before it's too late."

I have to admit...I HATED to worry Taryn like this! It hurt my heart to see such a look of despair in his eyes when it came to me needing help. I wanted to be so much more for him. I wanted to be his equal, if not his safeguard. But if what the vision told me was true...then I'm going to need all the help I can get to keep this tragedy from happening. Even though Taryn's love makes me weak, it also makes me strong. Stronger than I've ever been. And I won't give up the love of my existence without the most epic battle that I've ever thrown myself into. I swear...I VOW...the world will TREMBLE in my wake if I lose just ONE member of my family! Just ONE!

Strange thing is...

With that thought alone...I could swear that I saw my other half laughing at me. Proud that I was taking this turn. Waiting for his shot at being in control. And what's worse...the Beast was waiting with him.

Taryn and I hurried home, avoiding as much human contact as possible as we went from dark alley to dark alley. I did what I could to block Alec from tracking our movements, but while he may not have been able to pinpoint our location...I could tell that he was still reaching out with every extra that he could find. Trying to hunt us down. His anger growing deeper with every failed attempt to find us. I could almost feel his rage swirling around him like a whirlpool of hatred and disgust. There was no cure for a loathing that intense. A fire that strong was sure to burn throughout all eternity.

I don't know if Alec gave up, lost track of us, or simply burned himself out. But by the time we reached the lot, his watchful eye had dimmed considerably. And then...it was gone. I can't allow him to find us. I can't even fight back without it hurting Taryn in some way. Besides..the last time we clashed...Alec nearly tore me apart. Even with all of the powers at my disposal, he only seemed to drink it all in and ask for more. Was I even prepared to go another round with him? What if he pushes me too far? What if I end up tapping into another side of me that's better left hidden in the shadows where it belongs?

Was 'he' right?

Is that the only way my baby can survive?

"Doc...do you have any news yet?" Taryn asked as we hurried over to where he was. Both Trevor and Michael were on either side of him, watching him type.

When he looked up, he seemed somewhat confused. "What is it?" I asked. "What's the matter? Did you fix the laptop?"

"Yeah. Yeah it's fine." He said quietly. Then he looked me in the eye and said, "I was talking to Pan, to see if he could somehow find a way to get a grasp on the secret audio files we've been getting from the Jeweler's hidden frequency..."

"And...?"

"Pan disappeared." He said. "Then he came back fifteen minutes later and said that he had to download a heavy duty 'protection' program before he could say anything further. He refused to even MENTION it. He said it was for both his protection and mine."

Taryn gave him a strange look. "Protection from what?"

"I don't know. The software is still downloading."

Michael glanced at me and said, "What kinda shit did you get yourself into THIS time?"

I didn't answer him, but I noticed Trevor watching me very closely. He was always 'working things out' in his mind. He squinted his eyes slightly, and I looked away from him, as though I'd be able to hide what I felt from him. His eyes went from me, to Taryn, and back again. I think he knew. I think he could sense that danger had befallen us tonight....and that more was coming.

"Got it." Doc said, shifting in his seat a bit as he tried to contact Pan again. He typed in, "Ok, so what is this all about?"

"Are you alone?" Pan asked.

"Alone? No. Why?"

"Can you trust the people in your immediate circle?"

Doc frowned up a bit. "Trust? Dude, what are you talking about? It's just my friends from the lot."

"CAN YOU TRUST THEM? Be certain!" Pan said with more determination, and Doc agreed. Albeit with a touch of confusion. "Doc...I'm only going to speak about this once and once only. And I have to work fast. I'm sure the Elders have already detected a secrecy program this strong. They'll have hackers working to crack the code and spy on our conversation any second now. So time is short."

Doc said, "Ok, dude...you are officially creeping me out now."

"First of all...WHERE did you get these audio files from? Who was using this language?" He asked.

Still keeping my existence somewhat a secret, Doc told him, "We stumbled across a hidden frequency while...searching for something else. That's all."

"You really shouldn't get involved with this, Doc. Asking questions about Comicality and secret scriptures is one thing...but this? This is way out of my league. And it's way out of YOUR league too. I'll tell you what I can, but I HIGHLY suggest you just cover your tracks, shut down your system, and pretend that you never asked any questions at all." Pan gave us one final warning, and then began to tell us what he knew. "I could be mistaken...but I'm pretty sure I'm not. The language that these vampires are using hasn't been spoken in CENTURIES. It's not even really supposed to EXIST anymore!" He said, excited, but still paranoid for even talking about it. "My God, Doc...I've never actually heard it being spoken aloud before. It's...beautiful."

"Wait..." Doc asked. "...I don't understand."

"It's a vampiric language that was supposed to have been totally wiped out with the oldest of our species, the iluminirae...which pretty much refers to ALL vampires nowadays, but these vampires were the genuine article. The cream of the crop. The language is called Verzpertillio...and believe me when I say...it's OLD. I mean, this thing is just as old as Latin itself, and MOST rumors suggest it's even OLDER. Like, before the Roman Empire old. At least four thousand years, easy." He replied. "There's no other language like it on the planet, Doc. It has its own sound, its own alphabet, its own script...the pronunciations are even modified to sound differently depending on whether or not a vampire has his fangs up or down. There's no mistaking it for any other language, spoken or otherwise. What you've 'stumbled' upon here, Doc...is an entire network of underground vampires, speaking to each other with a language and dialect that should have been wiped off the face of the Earth before the BIBLE was even written!"

Our jaws dropped, and that's when a flashing light went off on Doc's laptop, in the upper right hand corner or the screen. An alarm. "What's happening?" Doc asked.

"It's the Elders. They're already onto us. They've sent their online 'pitbulls' to crack the code and figure out what we're up to. We don't have much time. I've set up a few decoy accounts to hold them off, but it won't distract them for long." He said. "Doc...you need to come clean with me. This isn't just a few harmless questions, seeking knowledge anymore, is it?"

Doc opted not to answer. Instead, he tried to grab as much info as he could before the Elders found out what we were up to. "Why is it so secret? Why all the protection?"

"You don't understand...Verzpertillio was only supposed to be spoken from the shadows. Once our vampire population started growing in numbers throughout Europe...the witch hunts began. Our kind was hunted and persecuted. It was a cultural genocide of all our teachings, and the language itself became nonexistent. Not even the ELDERS are fluent in it. Especially this modernized dialect. No one from that era should even be around to TEACH it to anyone else. But what you have here is an entire society of vampires using it like it was second nature." Another alarm went off, and this time, a countdown began. Starting at 100, and counting backwards to the point when we'd be found out. Pan tried to give as many details and warnings as he could before time ran out for all of us. "Please, dude! DON'T go screwing around with this stuff! Hunters have been deployed for a LOT less!"

...94...93..92...

"HUNTERS??? For WHAT???" Doc asked nervously.

"Dude...this is the language of the scriptures! The language of secrets! You're talking about the possible unveiling of every closely guarded vampire secret and hidden prophecy ever created by our kind! If the Elders had ANY idea that you had even heard it spoken aloud, you'd be dead already! I don't know who this 'Jeweler' guy is, you were talking about...but if he has access to this level of underground information...then something is definitely getting ready to happen. Something BIG!"

I felt Taryn reach gently for my hand, as I stared at Doc's screen from a distance. That helpless feeling coming back to me, freezing my heart solid from the inside.

...62...61...60....59....

Doc typed in, "Do you have any idea what any of it means? Anything at all?"

Pan replied, "I'm the LAST person to ask to translate Verzpertillio, believe me! I thought the whole thing was a piece of vampire folklore until you splashed it across my computer screen." He thought for a quick second, while looking through some of his online connects. "From what I know of the language, which isn't MUCH...it looks as though it's talking about the coming of the 'chosen one'. The vampire Mimic Described both as an angel of light and a demon trapped in darkness. The only being able to walk in both worlds, with the burden of having to choose which side to follow. I THINK...but my translation has gotta be WAY off! Some of these words are so ancient that they don't even really have a connection to anything we would have words for today Even running it through a online translator creates huge gaps in the rewording of it."

...45...44....43...

The numbers seemed to be speeding up, and yet another alarm went off to let Doc and Pan know to cut the connection. And FAST!

"Can you tell me anything else?" Doc asked.

"Afraid not. But I think I know someone who might be able to help. There's a vampire linguist in California named Erick who just might have a bit more information on this stuff! He's been studying traces of ancient vampire cultures and dialects for decades now. I'll put you in touch with him as soon as I can. He has an online assistant who just goes by the name of 'Fallen'...he runs a 'Cybrary'..which is like a library, but...you know...online. If I can convince them that you're a safe risk, they may be able to help. It's the best I can do, Doc. Sorry."

....21...20....19...18...

"It's ok, Pan! You kick ASS as usual!" Doc said.

And then Pan told him, "ONE last thing! When this Jeweler guy and the other vampires are talking about a vampire Mimic...none of the tenses are in the PAST tense. They talk about it as though...he was 'real' or something. And here. Now! I don't know what this guy is looking for...but he seems pretty damn set on finding it, and soon. Preparations are being made. That's for certain." And just before signing of, he said, "This looks dangerous, Doc. Keep your nose out of closed doors. This is in DIRECT violation of the Elders' TOP orders to even have possession of this stuff!"

Doc grinned a bit. "You wanna keep the audio files, don't you?"

"Of COURSE! This shit is priceless!"

...9....8...7...6...

"Gotta vanish! Don't let 'em catch you, dude! You know what the consequences are!" Pan said, and in a flash, he was gone! And so was Doc, shutting off his laptop altogether before a trace could be made. He only had 3 seconds left to go. Chances are...we won't be getting another opportunity like that again anytime soon.

All eyes landed on me, and I was stuck wondering if my ONE salvation, the ONE person I was looking to for help...might be more than what I had bargained for. But as I felt Taryn squeeze my hand even tighter, I knew that I had to make a choice. And dead language, or no dead language...I was going to need some information that I wasn't getting from anywhere else. And he was the only one who had it.

I was going to await his call. And when it comes...I'll be ready.