The First Age

Ayden frowned at the question. She knew it would be asked if she really didn't understand what was going on. But it was not a topic you speak of with others around. The mass panic on the metro when that girl died was proof enough of that. The world wasn't ready to know that the sickness was not something to be caught. If it were then the whole world would either be dead, or everyone would have these gifts.

Ayden nodded. "I'll tell you after we get these kids home. There is no need to set their imaginations any higher than they are already are at the moment."
There wasn't much father anyway, the answer could wait till the children found it to their friends house.

The sun was just over the horizon as the children bounded the stairs to the boy's house. Ayden smiled as they left. It was good that they were safe and home. It felt good to save someone and have them know you did it.

Ayden turned to Zoya. "Someplace we can talk where it's a bit warmer? I think there is a coffee shop around the corner."
Coffee sounded wonderful. Anything hot really.

They started walking towards their destination. Ayden took a deep breathe, "You've heard of the sickness right?" The children who die from the sickness could have done what I do, what you will learn to do. But they didn't know it, they used without knowing. They died because no one told them what they were, who they could be. The things they could do. Once you can control it, can touch your gift knowingly, the sickness will never happen again to you. There will be no fevers, no shaking, there will be nothing but the gift."


Ayden smiled. "I've seen the gift in other's hands do miracles.
Ayden was all too aware that the last miracle needed was caused by her own hands. Connor had forgiven her that, forgiven her the fact that she had shot him. She had tried to save him, but she didn't remember how she did it. Didn't remember enough and didn't care enough before to learn how to do it properly. She kicked herself for her path, but she didn't regret a moment of her past. Not one, not even if Connor didn't agree with it. It was hard living this way. Struggling to make ends meet. But she'd do it, for him. Ayden grinned. "It's a gift in the right hands.

Edited by Ayden, Jul 22 2014, 12:52 PM.

Zoya stood next to Ayden while the children finally made their way into their home. Breathing a sigh of relief, she nodded at her companion before following in the direction of the coffee shop. She had asked about the side effects, and Ayden delivered. The explanation, confirmed her initial suspicion that Zoya had already known what the redhead had first referred to. The symptoms were all too familiar.

She did her best to return the woman’s smile, but her stomach was still in knots. “Yeah, there is a coffee shop around here. I doubt it’s too busy at the moment.”
Coffee sounded it good, and it would likely help her regain her nerves. Ayden was friendly, and willing to speak to her about all this, and for that Zoya was grateful. Had she not seen what had occurred that evening with her own eyes, Zoya would have never believed it. Yet, it was still difficult to let herself accept it. “This will take some time to get used to. I like the idea of using this thing to help others, but it is still surreal.”


The shop’s light’s glowed ahead of them. The large windows along the street allowed the light to spill out onto the sidewalk. As they approached, a couple made their way out of the establishment. The man held the door open while the woman laughed softly and walked outside. The door closed behind them and the couple continued on further down the street away from Zoya and Ayden. In that particular moment, Zoya envied their lightheartedness and apparent lack of preoccupations.

“Earlier you said that if I don’t get a handle of this I could end up like many of others. What exactly happens us? We don’t turn purple or grow fangs, right?”
It was a light hearted attempt to mask her worry over the answer, but Zoya couldn’t help but shudder as the image of the beast she’d encountered flashed through her head. Could she possibly turn into one of those things?

A couple passed in front of them and Ayden remembered she was supposed to meet Connor later. She wondered if he was home yet. Zoya's comment made Ayden laugh, purple or grow fangs - that seemed simple compared to what would really happen if she didn't learn to control it.

Ayden smiled. "Nothing like that."


Ayden ordered a large coffee, black nothing in it. It was warm and caffinated. She probably shouldn't have it this late, but she didn't intend on going to sleep too soon. Connor would be home soon, and she had a late shift the next day, so she had to readjust her schedule. It sucked working weird hours every day. But it was her life now.

They sat down in a corner, away from most people. "The only real consequence of not learning, is dying. All those who have the sickness, "
, Ayden whispered the latter part, " and die, they could have done what we can do, and they did, they just didn't know it. Learning to control it is hard, particularly if you have no idea what you are doing."
Ayden recalled her own struggles in the army. It had not been easy, but she managed to conquer her own misconceptions and her own anxiety.

Ayden wondered how long Zoya had been experiencing things. "How long has the unexplained been happening?"

After getting her own coffee, a latte that reminded her of gingerbread cookies and the Holidays, Zoya followed Ayden to the corner table. She stared at Ayden for a moment as all the woman said sank in. Death. Well, that was a real consequence alright. One that Zo had no desire to have to deal with. How close to death had she unwittingly been?

A chill crept up her spine that, despite Zoya taking a much needed sip, the heat from her coffee cup could do nothing warm. Thinking back over all the oddities she’d lived through, and the accompanying illnesses, the brunette looked down at the drink nestled within her cupped hands. “A few years… More often of late.”

“Heh… First the boogie man, now all of this…”
For a moment, she bit her lip while looking from Ayden to the patrons around them and lowered her voice a little more. “Last week… I saw something, a creature. I thought I was done for. Next thing I know there was a flash of light, and the thing was zapped and charred on the floor off to the side. I didn’t understand what had happened until now… no one else was there but me.”

A creature? It reminded Ayden of what she had thought she saw in the middle of the river, but it wasn't there when she looked again.

Ayden nodded, she didn't think Zoya was any crazier than she was. She smiled, "Our gifts can trigger for any reason. Self defense seems to be a pretty common theme or so I'd have to imagine. My boyfriend's son saved his own life when he fell rock climbing."
Ayden frowned. "He didn't survive the effects of his use of his gift. My abilities came when I was in the middle of a training session. I thought my cover was blown, but the guy saw right through me like I wasn't even there. It was such a strange concept, I just figured I'd done better than I knew I had."


Ayden sipped at her coffee. "These creatures though they are just as concerning as our gifts. I could have sworn I saw something in the river, luring the children in. But when I looked again it was gone."


"And it's not like we can tell anyone, or we really will be committed."
Ayden laughed.

Having a headquarters in Moscow was more convenient for Thomas. He didn't have to continually trek past CCD lines. Only individual countries now. Thomas had been working a case of strange deaths along the river in Moscow. He hadn't gained any new information, but then again the river was frozen and Thomas wasn't about to pull an old school polar bear club in the middle of December. He'd do the best he could with the tools available.

While the Atharim hands reached far and wide, those tools weren't always the best nor where they well times. Why couldn't this creature have been around when it was still warm out. A deep river swim might have been actually fun then - despite the river was probably muddy and not very nice underneath, but at least he wouldn't be freezing.

Thomas stood by a building let it break the wind instead of watching from a bench in the park. A few kids played by the river. It was a strange sight to see when one kid looked like he walked into the river and then suddenly was pulled out. Thomas had heard about the return of the gods, he didn't think he'd ever see it himself though, he was just a mere hunter, and he didn't think mere hunters would be tasked with such deeds, but here it was right in front of him.

He was too far away to really see who it was, but the woman with the fiery red hair seemed to be the one doing whatever it was she was doing. A ball of fire popped into view and the others stood there and watched in awe. Screw his current mission, this was more adventurous.

Thomas set out to follow the red head, was she the one with the magic or the brunette, but maybe he'd get a bonus for taking down a reborn goddess.



((Zoya no fear here this is just a set up for Ayden in a later post - no harm to come to Zoya hehe)


Edited by Ayden, Aug 20 2014, 10:06 AM.

The last of what Ayden said elicited a small snort of laughter from the environmentalist. Funny as it sounded, it was a pretty accurate statement. Fortunately, she knew of at least two people now that could take her seriously when speaking of such things. Perhaps she would have said three, but something told her Ivan probably still thought her a little crazy. Oh, he didn’t go out and say it, but she could see his skepticism. Still, thinking of him warmed her a little more than the coffee had.

Taking a sip from her drink, Zoya mulled over what Ayden said about her boyfriend’s son. The more Ayden mentioned others, the more she clung to a sense of relief. “The first time anything odd happened to me, my little brother fell off a tree into the river. I thought he’d broken a leg, and he had drowned, but after I did CPR on him, when I looked at the leg again it was fine. I thought I had imagined it in my panic.

I didn’t actually see anything in the river tonight, besides the one boy. They were all very fortunate you were there. I have a few more questions, but I’m not sure just how much to say in public like this. I can give you my number, and we can talk more in depth then? Maybe teach me a little?”

Ayden nodded. She hadn't thought Zoya had seen anything in the water, she wasn't exactly sure she did either. But it was still concerning, the whole I can do magic thing is a whopper.

Ayden took out her wallet and her and Zoya exchanged contact information. "That sounds like a good idea. But don't wait too long to learn how to control it."
It wasn't an idle warning. Zoya had been channeling for a while, the lure of the power was great. It inspired the need for more. Even know Ayden knew that hunger. But she used it enough, touched her gift enough and knew it was nothing more than a drug calling her name. She controlled it, not the other way around, even though she had to surrender to it. That struggle was by far the hardest of all.

Ayden smiled. "I look forward to your call."
Ayden got up and shook Zoya's hand. It was good meeting someone like her, someone who would understand. Connor understood, but he didn't really. He'd lost a son to the gift. But even if Hayden had survived, Connor still wouldn't fully understand. And things could have been very different.


Edited by Ayden, Aug 25 2014, 07:42 AM.

She shook her head after the two exchanged their information. "I wont wait long. I think I kind of like me alive, and I'm not quite done saving the rainforests just yet."
After giving the woman a wry smile, Zo shook her hand while saying her goodbyes. Later, after Ayden had left the coffee shop, Zoya turned her attention back to her drink.

Her stomach tightened in knots. She was afraid.

Ayden spoke matter-of-factly about the entire situation, while Zo tried to play it off as if she wasn't completely stunned by the whole thing. Likely, she'd done a poor job if it.

Once her coffee was done, she would make her way back to her apartment. Until then, she remained silent and thoughtful. Life had surely thrown her an unexpected curveball.