Christine woke up in a foreign bed. She surmised she had fallen asleep again while Zen was carrying her. She noticed loyal Blue asleep at her feet and stroked the sleeping powder puff gently. A plate of food and drink were on a small table next to her, but the room itself was fairly empty.

The door cracked as though on cue and Zen entered with Bat flying in to perch on the window sill. Zen was wearing a long black cape-like over-garment which made him look like a general. He was carrying some folded clothes. Christine sat up and stretched.

Please click on the pictures to view the full-size images.

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"I've brought you some clothes. The one's you were wearing before are quite unusable."

"Wait. Wait. You undressed me?!!"

"Don't get excited. Would you have rather become sick?"

"No, I...suppose not."

Zen laid the clothes on the bed neatly. "The tailor here is quite excellent. There's a few different outfits, so you'll have to take your pick."

"Where are we?"

"Raculi. It seemed like a good place to get supplies and start asking around."

"Asking around?"

"For LeMae, remember?" Zen folded his arms. "This isn't a vacation."

"That's interesting...because I don't ever recall asking to GO!" Christine was still unsure about what transpired between Zen and her parents, and she hoped they were alright.

"Well, life's like that. You don't control it. It controls you. Get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs." Zen seemed once again cool and unsympathetic. Whatever remnants of humanity had freed themselves the previous night had once again hidden themselves in the presence of the mission. Zen left the room.

Bat flew down from the sill to Christine's lap. "Sorry about that. He's just nervous."
"Zen, nervous? I doubt it." Christine smiled.

"Well, he's got a big job ahead of him...you both do."

"You think I'm the Legacy too?"

Bat looked perplexed. "...I don't question my master's judgments."

"BAT!!!!" Zen bellowed from downstairs. Bat started to rush to the call.

Bat turned around before leaving the room. "Have more faith in yourself Christine." Bat flew out.

Christine ran her hand over Blue's warm body again. She sat there for a while thinking again how she was in another foreign place. However, she felt different, not so afraid. More confident. Maybe it was Zen? No...She just felt braver this morning.

She started to poke through the outfits. Something comfortable...she tried on a few outfits. Many showed too much flesh, while others just felt much too tight. Tailor has excellent taste indeed! "Only a woman truly knows a woman." she thought to herself. She finally found a dress different from the rest. She tried it on in and stared into the mirror, pleased with the results.

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It was more casual, less constrained. It was plain, yet elegant. Soft and smooth. It fit well too. It was almost perfect.

Once dressed, she gobbled down the plate of food, woke Blue up to his dismay, and ran downstairs. Zen was waiting, looking relieved she had finally descended.

Zen stroked his chin. "I'll never understand why it takes women so long to put on clothes."

"Because unlike men, we CARE about our appearances." she grinned.

Zen chuckled. "I think you'll find that in most towns, people will care about my appearance."

"Oh, why's that?"

"The Dean has required me to visit all towns in preparation for The Great Walk. It was part of my purpose to make people aware of the destiny of the mages to rule over everyone. I intermingle with the people and show them the truth of the mages. You might say, I'm sort of a Magi."

"Well, I would never have guessed... I thought you were always cooped up in the tower."

"Most of the time, yes. It was a chance to get away from public duty and relax. Get away from people. I've learned to enjoy it immensely. Enough chit-chat. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" inquired Christine.

"Exploring. The Dean gave me a keypad supposedly harmonizing with LeMae's energy waves. By inputting these variables in the transporter computer, we should have been teleported to LeMae's location."

"So, you think LeMae's in this town?"

"Only an investigation will prove for certain. Based on the little intermingling I've done so far, the townspeople know nothing."

"Perhaps she is in disguise?"

"A possibility."

Christine and Zen headed out into the dusty streets. Christine looked about. It had been much too long since she had seen a town. Her parents had always kept her cooped up. Her father had brought her reluctantly to work with him a few times, but this time she was without her father. She almost wished she could explore, but knew Zen would not take kindly to that.

As they walked up the streets a young boy ran out of an alley and came crashing into Zen. The boy bounced back off the impact, but Zen had remained firm. Zen noticed his mistake and bent down and helped the boy up. The boy looked very suspicious and sad.

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"Hey there. Watch where you're stepping little guy. Are you hurt?"

"No, sir. I'm okay."

"Good. Then you can give me back my wallet."

The boy stood dumbfounded. "I don't..."

Zen simply extended his hand with a very serious look on his face. The boy was compelled to hand the wallet back.

"I'm sorry, sir..." the boy stared at the ground.

Christine knelt down next to the boy. "Hey, there. Stealing's wrong. Why are you stealing from people?"

"My Daddy told me to..." the boy pointed to the alley he had emerged from. A shadow of a man quickly crept back into the darkness of the alley.

"I see.... Wait here a second, kiddo. I detest parents who don't set a moral responsibility for their children. I'll be right back, Christine."

"But, Zen...I don't think..."

"This will only take a second Christine." Zen proceeded into the depths of the alley with Bat.

Christine waited with the little boy. The little boy looked up at Christine's face. "What's that man going to do to my Dad?"

Christine honestly did not know the answer to that. And that frightened her immensely. "Umm... he's just going to talk to him.�

"I didn't mean to take the wallet, but my Daddy hits me if I don't do what I'm told."

Christine smiled at the boy and rubbed some dirt from his cheeks. "Well, your Daddy's not a nice man. My Daddy was like that to me to."

"He was? I'm sorry. I see other kids playing with their Daddy's and I feel..."

"Lonely?" Christine interjected with a smile. "Well, don't you worry. If anyone can make your Daddy see the light, Zen can."

Suddenly a man who looked like a security guard walked up to Christine and grabbed the boy by the shoulder. "Thank you, ma'mm. This boy is a wanted fugitive. Many citizens have reported their wallets stolen by a boy fitting this description. The problem is he always slips into the alleys and we lose him." The man grabbed the little boy and shook him by the collar. "Don't ya, you little punk? You're stealing days are over."

Christine grabbed the little boy away from the man. "I think you misunderstand. The boy's father was the one instructing him to do those things. This boy is innocent. Surely you don't plan to arrest this little boy?"

The officer looked annoyed. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I DID intend on arresting him, and THEN I was going to send him to jail! Now look, miss. If you are going to obstruct justice, I will haul you both in at the same time!"

The man grabbed Christine by the shoulder. Christine knew she could not let the boy be taken by this man. She felt a fire inside of her. A fire she hadn't felt before. A power. A strong power.

"I won't allow you to take this child."

"Alright then. I'll haul the lot of ya in!!!" The man started to reach for Christine's shoulder, but a heavy force threw him yards backwards in the opposite direction.

"I said, you will not touch this child!!!"

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Christine extended her hands and shot a blue blast of energy at the officer, blowing him clear across the town in a blue fiery line of death.

The officer struggled to get to his feet. His smoldering arms could not hold up his frame and he collapsed on the ground. No one seemed to notice, or care. Only a few shabby looking individuals stared at Christine looking very satisfied.

Zen hurried out of the alley. "What the heck was that? Are you alright?"

Christine suddenly regained her composure. She looked at her hands in disbelief. In disbelief that such destruction came from her own hands.

Zen stared for a moment at the body down the street and then back at Christine. "Did you do this?"

The boy was silent, but was clutching Christine tightly. Zen looked at Bat, who looked back at him, both perplexed. "Christine?"

"I...I...no...I didn't."

Very soon, a few more officers came running down the street and noticed the charred, unconscious body on the ground. "You, there!" They pointed at Christine. "Hold it right there!"

They ran up to Christine and quickly tied her hands around her back. Zen stood silently. The officers looked at him and said, "My, aren't you regal? You with this lady?"

Zen was silent for a second. "No, sir. Never seen her before in my life."

Christine's jaw stood open in disbelief. Was he really going to let them take her to jail? What about him needing her? However, Christine didn't have much time to think about it, because the guards quickly dragged her away.

Escorted down to a building that seemed to be a sort of prison, she was flung into a cell, and left there until trial. The cell was dim and murky, with one window providing light from the far wall. There was little else in the cell, but a bench, which Christine sat down on. Christine wasn't depressed. Had she to do all over again, she would have done the same thing, however she managed to do it in the first place. She didn't want to see any more children go through what she had.

A few hours later, a guard came to cell and tapped on the bars getting Christine's attention. "You've got a visitor."

Zen came from around the corner. The guard gave Zen his keys. "Here, mister. I'm gonna be right outside, so don't try nothing funny."

Zen smiled. "Of course not, officer. I'm a firm believer of justice." The man snorted and walked away.

Zen entered the cell and leaned against the far wall. "Well...I was beginning to doubt you had any powers at all. I see I was wrong."

"Why didn't you stick up for me?!!"

"I would have been here a lot sooner had I done that. They would have arrested me too. One of us in jail is better than two."

Christine rested her head on her hands.

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"I guess I really messed up. Not a good way to remain inconspicuous, eh?"

Zen grinned. "You need to learn to be more stealthy when taking out your target."

"Thanks. Coming from you that's a real compliment."

On to Chapter Four, Part Two

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