Vigilante (Under Construction! Please Excuse the Dust!)

Chapter 8: time for a trip.

Giliana:

        "Uh, um, Dawnwalker, hello," I stumbled over my words, reeling backwards. Why wouldn't I? The most terrifying woman in the entirety of Inner and Outer Provinces was staring me in the face and looking like she was about to Leap back to Salem and shout 'witch'.

        Truthfully, I don't remember much after I said her name. Dawnwalker's grip tightened and I cringed, pawing at her hand desperately. Suddenly, I found myself spinning downward but not approaching the ground. All around me, black and white and every color in between flashed in front of my eyes and blinded me. I squeezed my eyes tight, but the colors exploded behind my eyelids like imaginary fireworks. I attempted to cry out, but the scream choked in my throat.

        "Get up," Dawnwalker's voice commanded, her heavy boot nudging me in the ribs. I found myself knelt over the grid floor of a fire escape. I had both my hands pressed on either side of my head, the blind spots of color still flittering about in my vision and I immediately felt nauseous.

        Carefully, I stood, leaning heavily on the railing of the fire escape, my stomach revolting inside me.

        "Impressive for your first Time Leap," Dawnwalker said, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder as I tilted from side to side. I almost winced at the surprisingly gentle touch. "Most pass out their first time, at least."

        My nausea ebbed and I took in our surroundings. We stood on a dangerously teetering fire escape overlooking a black alley below. It looked like Outer City. "At least? What at most?"

        "Death," Dawnwalker replied without hesitation. "Most recently, a passenger of mine was made comatose, but he was weak of mind."

        Abruptly, I was sharply aware of Rain Maker's most ruthless of teammates standing not two feet from me, her bare arms scarred and corded with lean muscle. She could snap me like a twig. I was lucky she hadn't already, seeing how this had to be about the incident three months ago.

        Where and when were we? I wanted to know why she had brought me to a black-sky day in Outer City.

        "Why are we here?" I timidly asked, daring only to glance at her. Dawnwalker stared downward, watching intently.

        "Watch and be silent," she hissed, pointing down to the alley. I looked down just in time to see a distinctly opaque shadow join to the darkness of the building.

        "Did you see th-" I tried to say. Dawnwalker's sharp elbow dug into my ribs, her vivid eyes flashing wickedly. She nodded and gestured back down with her chin.

        Footfalls sounded around the corner of the building, heavy and rushed. Another figure appeared in the alley, faltering and visibly slouching with a sigh.

        "Hey, idiota!" a voice I had only ever heard from my own mouth and recordings shout. I watched in despair as the small hope that maybe Dawnwalker hadn't known about Rain Maker died as a two-by-four planted a wooden kiss on his cheek.

        "Oh, Talon," I squeaked, slowly looking up to Dawnwalker. She glared at me sideways, her omnipresent scowl deepening when I met her predatory gaze. This must be what a mouse feels like when cornered by the hawk.

        I barely felt her hand fall on my arm and I was spinning through the insane color ride again, then I was stumbling around on the sidewalk I had left a moment ago. The ground was a blur and then I was staring at the whirling sky on my back, my eyes rolling back in my head.

        Everything went dark for a second, then a glancing blow to my face jolted me awake like a splash of water.

        "The first time must have left a lasting effect on you," Dawnwalker said, hauling me to my feet and acting as a crutch when I slumped over again. I tried to answer, but my words came out garbled groans.

        "I-blurgh," I blurted. "You-hurk."

        "Give it a minute," she said, setting me down on a tram stop bench. "The effects will wear off."

        I held onto the bench for dear life as the world spun like a tilt-a-whirl, the only steady point being Dawnwalker standing in front of me.

        It took longer than a minute for my mouth to obey me again and form proper sentences.

        "I'm so sorry," was the first thing I said. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know that was Rain Maker. Please, you've got to believe me."

        A hint of a smile tilted the unscarred corner of Dawnwalker's mouth.

        "Calm down," she answered. "I am not here to arrest or hurt you, Giliana."

        "Gil," I instinctually replied and immediately regretted it. "Erm, but you can call me Giliana, I mean, that's fine. It is my name, I mean-"

        Dawnwalker held out a hand to stop me, her smile slightly more pronounced now. Maybe she wasn't quite the ice queen the media portrayed her as. I stopped babbling.

        "Gil," she said, emphasizing my nickname. "You are free to go."

        I almost cried when Dawnwalker simply disappeared in a blink, Time Leaping away from me.

        Thank every deity that there ever was, is, or will be.

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Author's Note: Hey, Readers! Guess who got a new laptop for herself? Now, hopefully, with the deadly writer's block dragon slain I can finally start updating again! Sorry for leaving y'all in the dark!