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Lost Child of the Mist
Chapter 1: The end and the beginning of the world.
December 20, 2013 CE
Month 1, Day 0, 0 AF
It was silent and dark with only the sound of snow crunching of someone walking in it echoed through the trees. The sky was clear and crisp with sharp points of light filling it. The crunching sound of snow stop as a slender and tall figure stood outside of the threshold of a circular clearing. The circular clearing is formed by 12 trees and at a closer look it was done purposeful. The circle is made of one of four trees Oak , Ash, Aspen, or Elder. The trunks space equally apart from each other and positioned so that two trees each a different tree would make a gateway to the cardinal directions. The North gateway start with Elder and Oak. Then it was Aspen in between North and East gateway trees. The Eastern trees were Ash and Elder which started over the same pattern.
The figure closes his eyes and takes deep frosty breath before crossing the threshold of the clearing. He moved silently and with intention toward the eastern trees. When he reaches the Ash on north part of the gate he places his hand on the bark of the tree. Again closes his eyes and takes another frosty breath and whispers, "Thank you, Ash of the east gateway. You begin the connection to this circle and wisdom of the spirits of this world. I surrender to the will of the circle I am casting to guide me for what is to come" He takes a few more moments feeling into the words he just spoke and move to the right to the Elder tree. Places his hand on bark of the Elder. Similar actions to the ash but whispers this time, " Thank you, Elder of the east gateway. You help with the transition and continuation of this circle and the rites we cast here. You allow the knowledge evolve through your leaves and branches as they grow each season." Again he takes a few more moments feeling into the words he spoke to the tree. Then steps back to from the two tree and the center of them. Raises his hands in the air and his voice that would almost echo if wasn't for the snow on the ground as he speaks to the darkness of the winter night, "Spirits of the Air, The Guides Knowledge that whisper in the winds and the wings of creature who fly though the air, and Creatures of the air I welcome you to my circle." He took a breath of the cold air, "Guide me, to the knowledge I seek in this long life I have lived. Bring a new dawn to my life and thisworld on its longest night. Aho" At that moment he felt something different in the circle. Behind him he felt Energy building from the center of the circle. It then flowed through him and in to the eastern tree gateway. He could not see it with his open eyes but only felt it. It through him off as this never had happen to before over the hundreds of years did this ritual. He took the moment like he had done before many times before in this ritual closed his eyes took a deep frosty breath to allow the words to sink in. This helped him in regaining his ground and allow him to see the energy flow in the eastern gate. The words of his mentor echoed in his mind, "Practicing this rite will help to stay in the moment when you will see the energy in your minds eye and feel it engulf your body." Without anymore thought then that he calmly continued to the next tree gateway.
When he reached the aspen tree on the east side of the southern tree gateway is only when he realized that he hadn't open his eye since closing them. He at first wanted to open them to make sure he was at right position but something inside him told him to trust what he was doing. Like the other two trees before him he whispered to it, "Thank you, Aspen of the south gateway. You fuel the transformation of the spirits flame. Giving vision to an unseen world and allowing victory in oneself." He begins to feel and see a connection of energy building along the threshold of the clearing from the east to the tree he was standing in front of. Deep breath was taken and moved on to the next tree with a strange calm and grace. His hand on the ash bark whispers,"Thank you, Ash of the south gateway. You like your other siblings in this circle help with the connection and the wisdom for this circle in great passion." The energy continues to build. He takes a deep breath not because it was how he practiced it but there was a need to. It helped him stay grounded and allowed the energy to come little more in to focus. Stepping back from the tree centering himself between the two. Stretches his arms out and yells, "Spirits of Fire, The guide of Passion, Love and heat. I seek something for this lonely heart. I travel this road for a long time now looking and I ask you for guidance for what I seek. I welcome warmth of the spirits. Aho" At that second he finished uttering those words felt heat and energy rush through his body with great passion in to the gateway from the center. He felt the circle pulse and charge of energy traveling the threshold around the circle. His mind was racing. Logically this was nuts he thought. This shouldn't be happening. Yet his heart was trying to calm his mind It's alright you know this. You expect this. It seems that his subconscious was taking over his body while is mind was having a little freak out. He took a deeper breath then had done before and it helped.
His body walked on its own to the western tree gate. As he approached the oak tree his hand stretch out to touch it. As his hand touched the bark he felt stronger and his mind felt calmer. Then he got a sense of deja vu. While yes he had done this ritual before hundreds of time but this was different than he had experienced before, but yet something was familiar about it. For and instant he had a flash in his mind, an image of a man surrounded by fog touching a stone pillar about six and half feet talk, dark hair and a salt and pepper goatee. He looked looked familiar and he realized it was him. He wasn't alone he could see two female figures in the fog but could not make out any more detail. "Hmmm, have I experienced this ritual this way before?" he thought to himself. He took a deep breath and was surprised to find him whispering,"Thank you, Oak of the west gateway. You have and are giving me strength and stability for this rite. Circle becomes stable because of your nature.". He body walks over to the Aspen and his hand touches it and whispers "Thank you, Aspen of the west gate. You transform this circle for the victory of it purpose and give vision to whom who need it." As like the other gateways he or really his body stepped back to and centering himself between the two tree. He raises one hand in the air and the other is stretched out to the gateway yelling, "Spirits of Water, The guides of Mystery, healing and life. I welcome the mystery of life that you bring. Aho." Also like the other gateway he feels energy build behind him and then flow through him to the gateway. The circle ripples this take like drop of water breaking water tension of a puddle on the ground.
At last his body with his mind in tow arrive at the last gateway of the trees. Once more his hand touches the bark of the tree this time an elder tree and whispers, "Thank you, Elder of the north gateway. You are the continuation of this circle. You aid the evolution of this circle in the transition that it is." Then he moved from the elder to the last tree an Oak to touch it bark and last bark he would touch this ritual. "Thank you, Oak of the north gateway. You are Noble and strong which is a gift you share with the circle." he apparently whispered. His body move to the center of the two trees with hand held stretched down toward the ground and palms facing toward the gateway, yelling, "Spirits of the Earth, The guides of our past and the ground that connects of all. The rock we stand on grounds us, helps us and allow life to flourish on. Bring me the secret knowledge I need for my heart journey." Energy built from the center and went through him toward the north gate. His body turned around to face the center. His eyes opened as he took in a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he saw. A white glowing sphere in the center with beams of energy shoot out of it towards the gates. He would have rubbed his eyes or pinch himself had he control of his body. His body walked toward and into the white glowing sphere. Once inside it he found it was not blinding at all. It was like he was in another room the was made of two way mirrors. He was look out and could see the whole circle as it was. He arms stretched out to the sky. Yelling again,"Ancients from above look below to earth and remember." His mind thought for a second "Wait, I don't remember this being part of the ritual". His body kneeled down and touched the ground still yelling,"The secret knowledge is stored below" and in a single gaceful move he was sitting cross legged on the ground facing the east gate. He could see the crowning of the sun rising on the horizon. His hands came up to his heart and his eyes closed then whispered, " I am the bridge". Then there was snowy cold silence again.
It was colder than when he first started. He just sat there in the silence. What the hell just happen to me is all that he was thinkings. Then a strange thoughts crossed his mind. Be ready to act. She is coming. Who's coming? Then he heard it. The crunch of the snow. At first it was one step but then another. It sounded strange for some reason. It didn't sound like someone normally walking. It had the sound someone stumbling. He opened his eye to be surprised with a wall of fog all around him. It seem to have control over his body again. He stood up and looked around. He did see anyone but then spoke softly, "Anyone there?" He heard no answer. He heard the snow crunching again and it was coming closer. It was north of him. He slowly approach that direction. As he got closer to the sound it he could now see a silhouette of a person. Closer and closer he got, he could now make out it was a woman. She was leaning on one of the gateway trees. It look like something was coming out the back of her shoulder and she was with child. She was about six foot tall as much he could tell from her leaning on the tree. She was wearing a cloak with a hood. Some of her long hair flow out of the hood and fireiry red. At this point he was running to catch her as she fell over. He caught her and slow laid her down easy and giving room for the arrow then cradle her head in his lap. She looked up at him with a ghostly white skin and vibrant green eyes. She smiled and whispered before passing out, "Lawrence you made it, help me save our daughter". He gasp,"Wait, our daughter?"
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Chapter 2: The Chase
Month 12, Day 30, 15 AF
She was panting hard and her legs were getting tired. "Where is he," she thought, "I wish I could lose these jokers" She was running down the crowded market street. Her small framed squeezed through two people talking. "Excuse me she" said as passed by. She rolled under park carts with fruits and vegetables on them. Looking back at her pursuers she only could see three of them. "Where did the other two boys go" she thought. She turned the corner in to an alley. As she reach half way the length of the alley the missing two boys popped from round the corner ahead of her. "Shit!", she gasped out. She looked around and back trying to figure out of this alley of trouble she had gotten herself into. She caught a glimpses of a fire escape ladder just above her head. "There we go," she muttered to herself. "You know boys, I know you pissed at me right now but you will thank me later" she said looking both ways of the alley at the boys who were trapping her.
Few hours earlier she was in a coffee shop typing hard away at her laptop. She was hired by some boys to clean their computers from their misadventures in cybercrime. These boys were dumb enough to hack in to one biggest cyber-mafias banking account. They did this to try to impress the mafia and it would have work. Then they made a mistake. They got greedy. Now they are scared for their life. They paid lot of money to find her and now are paying her fix their mistake. She was typing and typing. She was seeing one and zero's in her minds eye flowing from one point to another. She had a gift and instinct of how this machine worked and how the information flowed. She felt part of the machine when she worked. Right now she was working on returning the money they stole from the mafia. She was going to make sure they were cleaned, this included what was left in their bank account after the mafia money was returned.
They wouldn't be cleaned out right way but in a few hours. The money would be transfer to a safe house account and the pulled through a daisy change of other account after that. Each time it passed through another account it would send a little bit of money to an organization that was helping the rebuild from the fall of the earth governments until the was no money. None the account it pull from were randomly chosen. Some random citizen leaving no trace to her. It would cover itself up after each transfer. Kind of a hackers this monetary gift was made in your name to some charity. As a thanks for allowing me to launder money through your account unwittenly.
The other reason they mad be a little bit upset. Is that she wiped their data drives clean. She took away their toys. Bad boys need to be taught a lesson for being idiot. Thats really why they paid her. If they were truly skilled it will not take them long to get back to their bad habits. Maybe this time they wouldn't be so greedy. She doubt this grounding she was giving them would teach not to hack but it will teach them to not depend on someone else to fix their problems.
"Where is our money, bitch" angerly one boys yelled.
"What money? I transfered all the money to the Walkers liked you asked", she lied. They don't seem mad at the other damage she did to them.
"I would suggest that your take up our grief with the Walkers. Explain to them how you boys hack their account and stole money. Then had to ask a girl to fix your problems", she sneered at them.
This only made them more angry and started to close in on her. "Well boys, It has been fun but I can not play anymore today." said as she jumped higher then she expected grabbing the rung of the ladder. Used her upper body strength to climb up into the fire escape. Then started to climb the stairs. The boys below her also working on jumping up on the ladder of the fire escape. "I guess they still want to play. I hope I can disappoint them again today" The boys were still a couple flight of stairs from her when she reached the the roof. When she looked up and smile.
"God damn time you got here." she said.
There standing on center of the roof was younger man about twenty-five years old and about six foot two. He was clean shaved and with blond hair with brilliant blue eye. He was dressed completely in black. It was a business casual suit. Which could have been more formal if had been wearing a tie instead none and button opened on his shirt.
"Well if you wanted my protection you shouldn't have lost me, Xandra", he said.
"Sheldon I doubt I ever lost you. You are too good at your job. I do apperishate that you do give me space but right now I not much in of it." as she approuch her body guard quickly.
When she got into touching range of Sheldon. He grabed her arm and slapped a cuff on her wrist and press a button it. Then press a button on his. "Now shut up." he said.
When the boys finally reached the roof, Xandra and Sheldon were no where to be seen. The boys search the whole roof. Looking a across to the neighboring builds, down the other sides of the build.
"Where did that bitch go." yelling at the others. The other boys look as dumb founded as he. After about twenty minutes of check, double checking, and triple checking every nook and cranny of the roof top boys finally retreated down the fire escape they came up on.
It was an hour after the boys left when Xandra and Sheldon reappeared on the roof again. Sheldon remove the bracelet from Xandra's wrist.
"Too bad you won't let keep that lovely piece of jewelry," she flirted.
"With your extracurricular activities I am glad I don't," he respond coldly.
He grab her shoulder and turned her back toward the fire escape. "Let's get you home, your father wants to talk to you." he said.
She had her fun for the day and she knew it. She solmnly made her way down the fire escape. She just realized something out of all the excitement something was a miss.
" I have a question how did you get up there before me," asked Xandra, " I did not even know I was going to be up there, and yet you were there."
"Xandra you have your secrets and I have mine," Sheldon answered.
The only thing she didn't like living in the city was where they lived. She missed the country house but in the city her farther and she lived in a penthouse at the top her farther business building. When they lived in the city he would never get away from the office. Each day they would stay he would get cold and distant. Then something happens and they would go back the country house for a few weeks. Then things would be all fine again. She would have her loving father back. Just never in the city. So him having wanting to talk to her gave her some dread. They would have been at the country house by this time of year for the holiday and her birthday but not this year. She was frustrated by this. He was really in a very awful mood as of late. Worse then normal. She sensed that something eating at him but he was not letting her in. Hopefully tomorrow will be better since it was her birthday.
She and Sheldon got in to the car that was waiting for them. The car drove for thirty minute out the market district into the former government and what is now business district. There was not much of a government these days. In fact she never really lived in a world that had a public elected and facing government. The only government that runs thing is a shadow government. A government that is only talk about in hush whispers and the business seem to be their mouth pieces. Some even say the walkers are the one who really run things. The car slowed down and stopped in front of a building with nine floors. At the top of the build had a aster flower sign hanging from it. Her father love symbology of things it was no different for his business. This was the smallest build that September Tech owned but it was the first and her father was sap for the past at times. Sheldon and her walked in to the build and proceeded to elevator with no one stopping them if not getting out of their way. The went to the top floor and both of them headed to her fathers office.
Walking down the hallway to her fathers was like walking through a museum. He had so many artifacts from so many time periods. She just recently wondered how much money did spend to get these. They were all well persuved and maintained. They got to office door and she paused and knots in her stomach tightened even more. He always know she thought. Every time she got in to trouble he would know. Even Sheldon is always surprise that he knows. So I know he never tells him anything.
"You talked to him right?" she asked.
Before Sheldon could answer she asks, "What kind of mood is he in?"
"Well.." he started to answer but she just burst in to the office before he could finish his sentence.
He followed her in to his employers office.
The office looks like a futuristic command center. It had six displays on each wall that have bookcases in between them. There was a nice standard living room set in the corner off to the right. In the center of the room was her fathers desk. It was a normal looking desk except it had holographic display hovering in thin air as if it was magic. In front of the desk was two chairs. Xandra and Sheldon took them quietly. Behind the Desk was of course her fathers chair. He was currently not facing them but looking out the windows that was the back wall of the office. Her father did not say anything when the sat down. This was effective technice he used on her especially when she was in trouble. She just knew it. He knew she had gotten herself in trouble earlier in the day How does he always know she thought to herself. She glance at Sheldon and he look stress. This was alway harder on him then her. She causes so much stress on her protector. She is feeling regrate that she put in this position. For each minute they waited she felt more and more ill. "God I hate this" she thought to herself. The silence was almost deafing. It was almost five minute of sitting in silence before her father spoke. When he did speak she really wanted the silence back again.
"Alexandra", her father said in a booming voice that gave away his state of mind. He was angry which is was she expected but there was an undertone she had not expected and it was worry. What he said next the put fear in her heart.
"Alexandra, you have exposed us and started a war with The Walkers" said as he turn to look at her.
Chapter 3: The Walkers
A history lesson
Before the fall The Walkers were known by another name some say. They were a hacker activist group that attacked large business and government agencies. They exposed state and business secret that cause them to gain creditability and power with the citizens of the world. They built their number and teated their followers well and protected them if they were exposed. While breaking the law they also were able to hack the law to work for them. They started to become untouchable and they got more and more recruits to join their cause with every little victory they had against the governments. They started with the United States since their hubris was so great. Even while they were being torn down they were still blind to this fact. United States with help of other nations created a secret police state under the gauise of war on terror. The Walker used this against the United States and their partners turned on them. Then a shadow government seem to form around them. They created self healing mesh government. If one of them were taken down leadership shifted across the whole network of the organization. So there was not longevity in the government. Sometimes their government changed completely four or five times a day due to police raids on their members. Then came December 20, 2013 of the common era when the truly distorted the governments. They start with a message "Winter is Coming" in a hack of the ages. It appeared on every site in the world at the same time.
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