“You told me to wake you up, Atjani.”

I hear the whisper of my possessor being and shoot out of bed. I look over at Nelessi, who was curled up on the floor by my feet. My back felt sore. I gave her my pillow. I quietly get out of bed and grab my knife and tuck it away. I yawn before mumble back to my inner friend.

“Thanks for the wake up call. I couldn't have done it without me,” I mutter inside.

“Shut up.” whispers my possessor being back.

I grin. I deserved that, but I was happy. It was time to head upstairs. I push some heavy door cloth out of the way, covering the door. It was a banner. The cold metal of the door handle touches my palm and I push my door out into the open. A gust of night air hits me in the face and I look right toward the shale steps. I make my way around the corner until I arrive at the floor above me.

The building was high and I could see the skirmish I had witnessed from where I was. The bright and peaceful stars made it seem as if none of it took place. Now, it was the same quiet ruins I thought it was before I went there.

I stretch my neck and move my fingers. I head toward Lani's room. It was like I was my old self, hunting down another Lam Lathi scum. I reach her door and open it, careful to use my body to cover the starlight seeping into the room. The entrance banner slowly rises and falls around me. I shut the door very quietly, closing it on one of my fingers to prevent from shutting too quickly.

Lani was asleep on her bed. It was to my right. Her bed was toward the middle of the room. Directly across from me was a curtained window. I could see the glistening of her ink holder and the cover of her special diary on a desk. All messenger girls had their diaries tucked away somewhere. Lani must have been tired when she left hers out in the star light. I knew she kept the picture tucked away inside it. It didn't quite fit and the corners were already bent and worn. I had seen it more than once, while following her and Nathari around.

I move quietly toward her diary. It was too easy. I grin. I open up Lani's diary and look back at her. My curiosity gets the best of me and I take a look inside.

“I wonder if she knew I was following her. Maybe, Alana has been backstabbing me all along.”

I open up Lani's diary to see if I am mentioned. Any clue could be helpful. Maybe her tempests had something to say? They weren't in the room with me and it seemed suspicious.

I gently flip through the pages. I stare back at Lani, she was fast asleep. She looked innocent and peaceful, like I once was. I flip through the diary some more, until I get to the end. My eyes come to her last entry and I start to read.

In the distance, I stared at the figure who was Neandelerian by design, bearing equipment that hung on him like Spanish moss. He was dressed with so many buckles and latches that they seemed to have lost their original meaning. On his back rested a bulky backpack, causing his weight to shift from the many rockets he carried with him. The Neandelerian carried a rifle as well, with a wire attached to his backpack, keeping them connected. On his face I saw a strange device like a visor, but it was filled with colors and words. As the Neandelerian approached the Ryoken soldier I cried out, but no one heard me.

I shouldn’t have watched, but I was powerless to do so. I wanted to cover my face, just as the Neandelerian brought his foot down on the soldier’s back. He walked onto him, treating him as mere carpet. Yet, before the Neandelerian stepped onto the soldier’s face, he painfully arched his victim’s back and whispered something into his ear. My eyes became floodgates while he ripped the bandanna from the soldier’s face and cocked his rifle. The Ryoken soldier twitched with every gunshot.

Oh, I believe I remember what the Neandelerian whispered. “You’ll never see your wife again.”

My tempests helped me escape.

“What a load of worthless writing,” I mutter.

Lani didn't have anything useful in her diary and I put it down. The picture wasn't even inside of it. I take a look at Lani, this time staring harder. I could see her picture. Her piece of The Far Away Dream was tucked by her side as she slept. This was going to be much harder than I thought.

“What gives.”

I wish Alana would let me just kill the lovely, but the messengers were supposed to be safe. If anyone found out Lam Lathi was killing their own sacred dancers it would crush the empire from within. You can't kill your own soul and expect to live through it. I thought being part of the resistance would allow me to do it. It was Alana's plan. I don't know. Maybe she had a heart for Lani as a fellow dancer? I'm sure killing Lani wasn't out of the question, if things took a turn for the worst. Her picture was far too important to be outside Lam Lathi's grip.

I take a step closer to Lani. I move my hands out, careful to keep my balance, as I hover over her bed. I gently rest my hand on her furs and reach for her picture. My fingertips touch the edge and I pinch it with my fingers. I control my breathing and hold it. I gently and slowly pull the picture away and grin.

A knife comes out and I jerk. Lani had pulled me closer with one hand and her knife was at my neck with the other.

“I was fake sleeping,” she says with an angry face.

Lani's eyes dart to her hands and then to me. She holds her knife firmly.

“Drop my picture.”

I grin. “Don't be too confident, dancer. We could always argue about who it belongs to.”

In a quick movement, I pull my arm under and move with Lani's movements. I manage to get her knife hand way from me as she tries to smack me with her messengers cuffs. We struggle as I grip onto her arms, while she finds clever ways to avoid me.

Suddenly, Lani blows some trace-dust in my face that she had hidden in her palm. I sneeze. It gives her time to move around quickly and knock the air out of me. The bed bounces. I find myself pushed off balance several times, before she ends up on top of me.

Lani's legs and knees were pinning my shoulders and arms, at my arm pits. She was kneeling on top of me. I could see her face above. She was sitting with determination. Her knife was positioned well, in sync with her legs. I could sense the sharp tip. Lani's stares down at me and her eyebrows lower. She had her knife at my throat and I was on my back.

I try to move my one arm at her side, but she bats it away with her cuffs. It stung a little, but I still had hold of her picture. I extend my other arm away from her.

“That's my parting gift! Tejani gave it to me,” says Lani angrily.

I watch her eyes dart to her picture. She looks back at me and presses her knife tip into my neck.

“I don't want to kill you. So give me my picture and leave.”

“Can't do it. I have a best friend to save,” I reply.

Lani increases the pressure of her boots. The tip of her knife becomes more threatening. She looks at me, angrily, very concentrated on what was happening all around us. She was aware I knew her tempests weren't around. The chilling feelings would have been here by now, so threatening me in that manner was out of the question. Lani's eyes dart to her picture. She changes knife hands, quickly tossing it, and threatening my neck again seamlessly. Her new free hand makes a grab for her picture, until we are both holding onto it.

I wasn't giving it up. I needed to get Melinal back and Alana knew how. I had a plan to stick to,

Lani re-positions herself periodically as we stare at each other. Everything was gradual, as if it was about increasing her odds and nullifying me as a threat.

“Let go of my picture!” demands Lani. She stares at me.

“Cut my hand off. I still won't let go,” I say, staring back.

The pressure of her body on my upper chest grows, until she grabs my hand. Lani eyes dart to her picture. I feel her possessor being connect to mine. I hear rushing noises. She pulls me into the picture along with her.

“Where the hell am I?”

I look around me. There was nothing but blowing sand and desert. I stutter and nearly fall over and sink on the moving sands. The heat feels good, warming me from the chilly air I left behind. I look over. Lani was there and she was looking at me curiously. My eyes start to adjust to the brightness.

“What is this place?” I ask.

“I don't know, but I've been going inside.” Lani's eyes dart to me. She grabs my hand and I follow her. I didn't know what else to do.

“I'm Atjani, by the way,” I say.

“I don't care,” flicks Lani, with a silent motion off her body. She leads me some distance away and I look at a where she points.

I stare off into the distance. It looked as if a desert rose was growing near a ledge of rock with dry grasses near its base.

“See, Atjani? I created that with my soul energy,” she smiles. “It's a safe haven for two people to get out of the burning sun and have shade. It has a desert rose.” Lani grabs my wrist and leads me closer. She wanted to show me more of her creation. I don't think she gave any thought to how clueless I was about it.

“How did you make it?” I ask in shock.

“I have a special possessor being. One known as a dreamer. I can make things from my memory.” Lani and I lock eyes. For a moment it seemed as if the air of coldness between us had vanished. I return her smile.

Lani was proud of herself. I couldn't blame her, I was starting to feel loved in this place. The presence of it seemed to be getting closer. It was like a warm drink, luring me inside on a cold day. I liked how it felt. It was stronger now, and hot. I swallow. I could almost see a figure in the distance, but the heat waves were playing tricks on my eyes. I look down at Lani.

“Can you create someone from my memories?” I ask excitedly.

There's a silence as Lani thinks. I wasn't even sure if she knew why she was showing me this. She seemed lonely. Lani wanted to share her adventure with someone and that was me. Alana told me that Lani's tempests had already tried to ask her for her drawing. Lani didn't want to give it up. I could tell she was suspicious to trust them with her picture. It was adventurous and new. She didn't want to give that up without knowing why. Lani's eyes dart back to me. She wasn't sure about me yet. I stand there for a moment, as Lani ponders my question.

“Mmm....I can try,” she finally replies. Lani grips her arm and lingers her body. She seemed more curious about this world than I was.

“Watch this,” smiles Lani, excitedly.

I watch Lani begin to draw something with her energy. Golden vespers manifest, like gas rising in the air. Lani grabs my hand. We get sucked back into the room.

I find myself on Lani's bed again, but without the picture in my hand. She had grabbed it out of my hand, while I was still adjusting to her room. I roll off the bed and get to my feet. It was dark. I look over at Lani. She lights a candle, and puts it on her desk.

“I took someone else in the picture with me, once. I wasn't holding her hand when I snapped back. I think it strengths our connection. When I went back to find her, she wasn't there. The funny looking man must have gotten her.”

Lani frowns. She seemed to know more about her picture than she let off. I saw why she hid her desire to keep it, under the guise of sentimental value. Now I knew why her tempests weren't around at certain times. She must have ventured into the picture then, and told them to stay away. Lani did it sporadically to keep them guessing. It made following her easier, but I finally understood.

Lani fixes the small nimble ponytail, behind her long hair. Her eyes dart cautiously to me, before she speaks again.

“The funny looking man said he is breaking free. He said he is watching us.”

I tighten my grip on my knife handle. I wanted to take the picture by force, but I decided to wait. Lani could teach me more, if I was patient. Waiting was the better idea and not one I was proud of. I stare at Lani. Her fingers were being playful with her knife handle, as well. I wasn't sure I could win.

“I'd better go. I'll leave you alone,” I mutter.

I didn't want Alana sniffing around and finding out what Lani just showed me. Hopefully, she wouldn't ransack my head and find this memory. I wouldn't let her, Lani could bring Melinal back. I was clueless to how it all worked, but I'm sure Lani knew. She was slowly figuring things out inside the picture. She had secrets. I had mine own to keep about Alana.

“You can travel with me. I need a friend. You can be part of my entourage,” offers Lani. Things were falling into place for her as a young messenger dancer. I didn't want to give her any ideas.

“Don't worry. I'll let them know you're not a threat,” Lani adds, lifting her tempest chains. She waits for my reply anxiously. I lock eyes with her.

“I'm not your slave. I'll stay close because I want to,” I reply.

Lani smiles. I decided to stay close to Lani in the future. Her tempests would keep Alana at bay. Alana wouldn't want her presence known around them. They would see she was working with me. It would draw suspicion, as if the Broken Sun was divided. I had a good spot in life. The best part was, it would piss Alana off. I had a new friend.

I get up and head to the door. I push the banner out of the way. It rests heavy on my head and was a pain to deal with, entering the room. I swing the door open and look back at Lani one more time. She waves. I see her eyes glisten like tiger's eye.

“Bye, Atjani. Sorry, it didn't work out for you.”

I close the door. I wish I had slammed it. I was disappointed and intrigued. Most of all, I was calm and docile. It was like I had been lightly influenced to feel this way. I wipe the trace-dust off my face and smear it on my shirt. Lani had blown it in my face during our struggle. My reality felt slightly different.

“Damn. She made me feel this calm.”