In a place of safety and warmth a place where all his stuff was. Nicki opens the door and is greeted by his lovely mother. “Where the hell have you been?”

Nicki nearly fell right back into the street, “Work?”

“Work, again? Why can’t you answer your damn phone in that place?” She rounded on him. “It's been three days! I called the police! Filled out a missing persons report and everything!”

Oh shit! Three days. Not knowing what else to do he pulled out his phone. Dead. How often am I going to loose time like this? His head fell. “Sorry, I didn’t know I would be in the office so long. I was out on a consultation and forgot a charger.” The lie flowed out seamlessly, and tired.

“Consultation. I see. Great, now I have to let the cops know your safe. They're going to think I'm a loon.” She shook her head before grabbing Nicki’s shoulder. “You’re a grown adult, do whatever. But when you disappear for days with no word.”

I’m going to have to sign that lease just in case this happens again. “I know. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

His mom looked him up and down skeptically. “I don’t think I like that place. Every time you talk about it it feels like you’re talking in code or skirting around the subject.” Nicki looked away. “And not to mention that paycheck.”

“I know it’s weird but its a good, Legal Job.” Emphasizing the legal part.

“Are you sure it’s right for you? You were a complete mess after your two-week review. We can support you for a few months while you look for another job.”

Nicki could only smile hearing his mother offering to help. “No. I think I can handle it. I’m learning how much more I can do.” He was about to walk away, “Did you really file a missing person’s report.”

Now she just sounds exasperated. “Do you know how worried I was, especially after the other disappearance downtown?”

“Disappearance?” His eyes widened. Oh, no.

“Yes, a man who was interning near where you work disappeared. I thought they got you too.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to have worried you. I didn’t even hear about that.” He lied. He knew exactly where Will was.

Thankfully she didn’t notice his guilt-ridden expression. “Well, I'm glad your home. And don't let that job take over your life.”

“Yeah.” He answered as he quickly made his way to his room.

“And take the time to call your mother.” She yelled up the stairs.

#

A world of green rushes by, the air is thick with life as the sound of running is drowned out by the swaying of trees, and muffled by the soft dirt. Here in this green-green world between two mountains a girl with blue-silver fiery skin and long icy hair, is running and afraid. Illia Strider had seen something she wasn’t supposed to inside Viscount Rolish’s estates.

She was literally just a messenger. She wasn’t even supposed to be working that day. Illia was covering for her friend, with this one delivery. A simple package drop at the count's estates. She had done this hundreds of times before. She had done everything right. She checked in with the servants at the side entrance and they were supposed to take the package, but they had insisted on her bringing it up. She never expected to find the Viscount speaking to Queen Daimon, leader of the Daimons. Nor did she expect them to discuss plans against the kingdom. He was a damn traitor. Why didn’t he close the damn door when discussing treason?

Illia was so flabbergasted when she heard it that she thought it was some kind of joke or test. Then he turned and looked directly at her. Everything was strangely calm and for some dumb reason, Illia took a few precious seconds to close the door calmly before she bolted out of the mansion.

They had her name and knew where she worked, she had given it to the servants. Nothing was running through her head except to run. No one would believe her. She was just a delivery girl.

Now her feet hurt, she had a stitch in her side, her lungs were burning, and she was terrified. She wasn’t twenty minutes into her frantic run when she heard the footfalls behind her.

How did they catch up so fast?

Taking a chance, she looked back only to catch the telltale green glow of traversal magic, glowing in the brush far behind. With magic at their side, it was only a matter of time before they caught her. She didn’t know what would happen, yet she knew it would not be pleasant.

Out of options she searched for a place to hide. There were some small places she might slide behind or climb to. However, it would take time she did not have.

“You might as well give up.” One of the chasers yelled. She didn’t believe it for a second. “He just wants to talk.”

“Stop trying to sound like a villain.” One of the others chastised.

“Fine. Look we just need you to come back with us.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

She couldn't reply if she wanted to. She wasn't at a high level and the only magic she had learned had to do with delivering things. Finding addresses and the like, and she wasn't even confident using her running magic in the woods. She would be more likely to break her leg than get away.

“Stop!” this time the sound was much closer.

They were right behind her. Illia swore she could smell them. “Ahhhh” panicked she cast her running magic. None too soon as she felt a hand brush her arm as she sped out of his reach bursting into a strange clearing with a ramp heading up into the canopy.

It was a testament to how distraught she was that she didn’t even question where the ramp came from, or the fact it was obviously man-made, and completely out of place. No, her only thoughts were. I could use this to lose them in the trees. It was a terrible idea, but at least it was one. It did not go as she planned.

As soon as her foot hit the ramp she tripped as she suddenly realized this was a set of stairs. So she fell at such a high speed that she literally tumbled up the stairs. All the way to the top, and beyond.

The two men chasing the girl froze at the bottom of the staircase sitting in the woods. Watching her disappear into nothing. They had heard tales of things like this.

“This is supposed to be a children's story.”

“Does that look like a kid's story to you?”

“She just went and vanished...” He looked unsure and afraid, “Should we go after her?”

“You can. I'm not going up there.”

“What do we tell the Viscount?”

#

Nicki in another strange turn of events found himself down at the police station, dealing with the missing persons report. He had hoped he could just call in but they had insisted on him coming in. When they threatened to send a car down he agreed. Now he was sitting at Officer Bennet’s desk.

“Did I really need to come down to the station?”

“Yes and no. It just lets us close out the missing person's case. We just need you to prove you're you.” She said simply.

“Ok.” Pulls out his wallet from his pocket, and hands her his ID.

Taking the ID she puts it through some machine that he assumed scanned it. While she held onto his ID she casually asked. “So you hear about what happened downtown?”

“Probably, not. Just got back in town.” He hadn’t had time for anything

“A vacation would be nice.” She sounded wistful. “So where’d you end up?”

“Not a vacation. Traveling for work.”

“Do that often.” The officer turned looking Nicki up and down. “Travel for work. Then just disappear and all that?”

He let out a long sigh. “I try not to. Just kinda lost my phone.”

“Ah. So where do you work?” Officer Bennet casually asked.

Don’t lie just tell them what you told your parents. Besides that's what his w-2 said. “Place called Hero Inc. Work with people and get them to the right place.”

“I’ve never heard of it. Is that downtown?”

Nicki was struggling to come up with something when he finally began to wonder. Why is it taking her so long with my id? “Sometimes. They have me going from place to place a lot.”

Officer Bennet turned seriously towards Nicki, “Like Central Tower? Possibly around midnight?”

Nicki stared at her saying nothing.

“Have you ever met a William Hayes? Mr. Knight”

Now it made sense why they wanted him down at the station. “No.” He kept his answers short. Of course, he had, but they would never believe what happened.

He let the silence between them grow for the next few minutes before she pulled out his license to hand back. He reached out to grab it only for her to hold on. “If you hear anything, or have any information please let us know.” She released the ID.

He held the card and asked what his parents always told him to say, “Am I free to go?”

Bennet smiled, “Of course.”

Nicki stood to go only to trip over himself in surprise. Seriously? Now?

“You ok?” There was genuine concern in the officer's voice.

“Yes sorry. Stood too fast.” He turned his head back to the officer his eyes glowing for a second.

She stared at Nicki. “I’m fine really”

“Try to keep your phone charged, and don’t let your mother worry.”

He felt an involuntary smile as he turned away when she caught a small light in the man's eyes glow again and this time she definitely caught it.

#

A Djinn sits half awake battered and bruised. Illia snaped awake, remembering the chase, and the Viscount's treason. Eyes wide she took in the strange room, trying to understand. Did they knock me out. And bring me here? Looking down she expected to see manacles and chains yet there was none. She was terrified. Was this some kind of mind game the Viscount was playing? Where there guards just beyond the door? That thought was the only thing keeping her from just running through the door.

Though the more she looked around the more confused she became. Everything was wrong. The place kinda reminded her of the clerk's room they used to set up deliveries. Then there was that smell. Something dry yet oddly reminded her when she delivered documents to the town magistrate.

Am I in the nobles office? She started to investigate her surroundings rummaging through the drawers and desks. Finding them strangely empty. Except for the filing cabinet filled with files. She turned around to check and noticed another file on the desk. Was that there before? Walking over she picked it up. Then caught her reflection in the strange black mirror.

Illia looked like a mess. Her hair was all tangled, with leaves and twigs hanging out. Checking her horns she noticed a small chip in them, and her face was already beginning to bruise turning green on her blue-silver skin.

How hard did I fall? She took another look, and then to the room around her. Or did the men do this, when they grabbed me?

Illia was still examining herself when the door to the room opened a man walked in. Frustrated “You picked the worst time I swear.”

She froze in terror. Her heart was beating out of her chest. All thoughts of the Viscount, gone. What was this thing? Where were it’s horns? And why is it pink?

The thing paused in-front of the desk examining Illia. She didn’t like how it felt like she was being weighed. “Well. This is a first.” He said as it tilted its head.

What was the Viscount consorting with? Is he working with this thing?

“Well, we might as well get started.” The thing said as he walked around the desk as she backed away keeping it between her and it. She was certain it was a man just not what it was. He sat down at the desk and looked at her.

“Please have a seat.” He gestured to the chair in front of the desk.

Then she remembered, she wasn't captured. She had run up a ramp. Except it wasn't a ramp. It was a set of stairs in the woods. Her face drained of color. It was all too much for her. She wasn’t going to make any deals with this entity. She backed up never taking an eye off the man, before reaching the door, opening it, and running for her life.

#

Nicki stared at the door the blue-silver woman ran terrified from. That weirdly never occurred to me, that they might just run. He wasn’t sure what to do. Sure he could send her to another world, but after all his other screw-ups he still wanted to help her.

The office was impossibly big and he only ever had a vague sense of where she even was. Nicki was sure he could track her down with time, but it might be better to let her cool off. Chasing her might make the entire situation even worse.

So he sat there in his chair, tapping his fingers on his desk, when he noticed. “Where’s her file?”