Wraith

Tycoon Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"All right, then." The Captain said. "We're aware that something is wrong in Gordam. We even have some idea of what that something might be. Why don't you tell us what you know and where the Messenger is, and we'll start putting things to rights."

Flare nodded slowly and began to explain. As she talked, some of the strain left her voice. Almost as if, Wraith thought, telling us is removing responsibility from her shoulders and giving it to us. She also noticed that with the absence of strain it became more apparent that Flare was desperately tired and definitely younger than herself. She's probably still at school, Wraith mused. That means no sleeping in in the mornings after a long night. I remember Andrew's grades struggling the last couple years of schools. At least I've managed to arrange my University classes so that I have time to catch up on my sleep. Then she focused on what Flare was saying, hoping that no one had noticed her brief lapse of attention.

"I guess it all started before my talent first manifested itself," Flare began. "From what I've picked up since Dojo began mentoring me, Zephyr has only recently been voted in to lead the Users here, but he's been plagued with problems since the start. There was an outbreak of talent flu, which is what triggered my own ability into life. But it didn't seem to afflict the local Abusers as badly as the Users. The few of us who recovered first, have been run ragged trying to keep a lid on things. If it wasn't for Zephyr, Gordam would have suffered far more; he's one of the few Users who weren't hit by it."

The Captain frowned beneath his mask and Wraith wondered if he was seeing the same similarities she had. I bet Zephyr is new in town and is really another one of the Tycoon's 'Acquisition Agents', she decided firmly. I wonder if Magnoss would have caught the flu if we still thought he was a User? Oblivious to her thoughts, Flare carried on.

"Last night – well this morning really, I was reporting back to Dojo on my night's work when Zephyr and Onyx and Hydra came strolling in with somebody I'd never seen before carrying a briefcase. I only know where Dojo lives because he is my next-door neighbor and when I started showing talent he came to see me and introduced himself. That was before he caught the flu himself; so, he mentored me for a day, and then I had to nurse him for another couple of days and it was only the day before yesterday that he was well enough to send me out to do my job while he finished recovering. No one else should have known where he lived except the Messenger."

She paused to make sure her audience understood, and then carried on at a gesture from the Captain. "Dojo knew something was wrong too. He got up, pushed me behind him, and entered stance. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked. "Why do you invade my home?" His talents are mostly focused around combat, but he has a minor in mental writing too. While he was challenging them, he told me to run and hide and get help. I," Flare hesitated. "I didn't want to leave him; an old man in Normal clothes still recovering from talent flu. But I wouldn't have been any help there either. The only other talent I have is a very small amount of speed; just enough to give an edge against a Normal. So, I ran."

Flare looked down at her feet and seemed to be studying the sewage floating past for a long moment. "I didn't go very far, though. I managed to find somewhere to hide that was close enough I could still see Dojo's house. It was only a couple of minutes later that they all came out again with Dojo chained to Onyx and Hydra. I followed them to Lairden Penitentiary and saw them take him inside. Then I went to the Messenger for help. He didn't really seem to believe me, and he said that Messengers don't keep in contact between cities like Users do, but he did leave a message with a friend. Then he went to speak with Zephyr even though I told him it was a mistake. Zephyr took him to the penitentiary as well. So I came here."