Authors note: Well for starters this story is based on events in a RPG I belong to (this explains some of the odder references and some of the flow in it). If anyone’s curious or wants to know more here’s the url http://rp4all.topcities.com or you could email me. I do not play Dais, and parts near the end of this (later chapters that is) are solely of my imagination *grins* Modifications have been made to some bits of this (as you would notice if you check the backlogs of the list), but the integrity remains intact. I don’t own Dais, or Sage; Sunrise & Graz do. Reviews and comments are welcome and flames will be given to my Dilandau kitty for his amusement. I also want to note that I usually abhor writing first person, but this story just insisted on it when I began. Oh yeah, and some of the typos are meant to capture Brenna’s southern accent (its fairly heavy). An example is Ah = I for her (think Rogue from X-Men sorta).

<I really hate that guy…> was the sole thought running through my mind as Sage and I were transported to yet another place. "I really am starting to dislike that man," I managed to make my thoughts known to the blonde beside me, my teeth clenched in anger. "I don't care how much I deserve a vacation, this is ridiculous!" It is then that I notice he is no longer paying attention to me so I turn to see what is so interesting behind us; two girls… "Shit," I mutter then armor down yet again. The smaller of the two catches my eye and I look her over with a bit of interest. <So pale and thin…frightened too…that might be due to us though>. I look on as Sage introduces himself then me, and the girls replied in kind.

The dark haired girl glanced up shyly and in a quiet voice says, "Mah name is Brenna."

I find myself fidgeting slightly at the sound of her voice…the accent… "Nice to meet you too, Alyssa and Brenna," I finally reply. <You want to know about my tricks and armor huh?> I smile slightly at the question they have just asked <I think I’ll save a few surprises for later.> My eye roams over her again as she stands <She’s so nervous…have to try to help her with that…and I sense there is something wrong with her>. I continue to study her as we walk smiling faintly as she speaks quietly <the pronunciation combined with her shyness is so beautiful and evocative…>. She seems to get a bit more frightened as we enter the Hard Rock Café and I almost allow myself to lay a hand on her in order to comfort her, then again it may startle her more so I stop. I jokingly tell Sage that we are not to tell Kento about this place; it will swell his head too much. He nods at me and raises a brow at the way I keep glancing at the girl. He will want an explanation later I know, but I cannot give him one-I am unsure of why she captivates me.

Dinner is going well, but she is still so silent. I keep watching her, waiting for a sign of life, a spark, something… Ahh…she speaks. I smile at her to show my pleasure but she just glances away shyly. The smile turns into a grin as her friend, Alyssa, goes off on a flirtatious banter.

"Darn, and here I thought two girls two guys... What do you think Brenna? Aren’t they cute?" Alyssa laughs merrily again "They should have no prob sweeping us off our feet."

I tried to resist, but really couldn't stop myself and laughed softly. "It is a very nice and convenient idea." I ran my eye over them both briefly with a playfully teasing smile. "But Brenna here doesn't seem much taken with us, so alas! There goes one of our chances with a lovely lady, and we both can't share you Alyssa." I smile inwardly at the color on her cheeks. Alyssa does not reply, already she has bounced on to another topic. My eye narrows slightly as I watch her give the rest of her dinner to Brenna. <She eats as though she doesn’t know when her next meal will be…she doesn’t have the look of a homeless person so what else could be wrong?> I sigh and continue to watch her <I guess I never could resist a puzzle, and she is very mysterious right now.> My observations do not go unnoticed and she raises her blue eyed gaze to me.

"Can ah help you?" she asks me in a quiet and submissive voice.

"You... may," I answer cautiously with a smile, while toying with the drippy pink remnants of my milkshake. "You seem to me a very curious person and I am…very interested in you. Would you mind telling us a little about yourself?" As the question leaves my mouth I realize my folly. She’s scared…trembling almost… <like a baby bird in your hand…>. I glance her over again and sigh <I will wait, I am a patient man, she will talk to me when she is ready…> There is folly in that idea as well for we shall not be staying here for long. But I dismiss that notion in an instant as I apologize to her for the intrusion into a touchy subject area.

As we leave the restaurant Alyssa agrees to show us around. Brenna seems nervous about this idea and keeps looking at her watch. "For a little while, that's all," I assure her, "we aren't here to disrupt any other plans you might have"

She blushes faintly then grows slightly nervous again, "Oh Ah don’t have any plans, Ah just have to be home for dinner at a certain time." With that she glances away from me once again. I start to say something to try and sooth her but a look from Sage stops me. I know what is on his mind. We shouldn’t get involved; we have to find the others.

I just can’t help myself though and I half glance at her from the corner of my eye. My lips quirk slightly but I shrug it off. Sage is right, she isn’t my business, I can’t let myself get fascinated by her. <I’m probably making things worse staring at her the way I am anyway.>

A Henna Tattoo booth catches her eye when we enter the Underground. I smile at her. "Like that? I kinda do..." I pause thoughtfully, then shake my head regretfully. "It lasts a few months once it's applied too." An evil thought enters my head, "Hey, Sage," I call with a grin.

Sage smiles, "No Dais you may not get me tattooed even if it is semi temporary." The blonde then turns to Brenna," Why don’t you get it done? I'm sure it would look nice with your hair and skin tone."

Her eyes widened, "Oh no no no...Ah could nevah do that, mah parents would nevah approve."

Sage is right though, she would look very nice with one. She is a very lovely girl; those eyes of hers would be beautiful if she gained a bit more weight. They’d become delicately shadowed rather than sunken. I turn my wide grin on her. "He's right, it would look lovely. Are you sure you won't reconsider? Your parents need never know if you put it in the right spot." Tentatively, slowly so that if she wanted to stop me she could, I reach for a lock of her shining dark hair and smile. My gaze softens a bit, <There's something about this girl... and I want to know what it is.>. She flinches from my hand and I sigh. "Perhaps another time."

We now enter a sports shop of sorts. Her demeanor changes as her face lights up while she looks around. Yet there is something bothering her…she sighs sadly as her delicate fingers run over a smooth marble plaque. "You seem so sad about all of this," I start, "How can I help you to smile? Its no trouble…"

"Oh Ah can't accept anything, daddy doesn't like for me to accept what he would call charity. Besides Ah don’t really need anything, Ah just like looking at it and dreaming..."

All I could do is stare at her, then against my better judgement I reach out to touch her hair again and ask softly, "And what is your dream? Tell me, please?" I am pleased to see this time she does not shy away from me, but I can see my question has surprised her so I wait a moment for an answer.

"Ah don't have any particular dream...well actually Ah would love to see a ballgame in person," she sighs wistfully, "'course that will nevah happen. So Ah have to just look at pictures of the players and imagine what it would be like. The smells of the grass, and the foods, the sounds of the crowd, the venders, even sometimes the players themselves calling for a flyball or cheering on a teammate." She smiles slightly then unconsciously scratches her leg, an act that exposes a bruise on her thigh.

I left my hand linger on her soft hair for a moment then withdrew it biting my lip thoughtfully. <I am far too old for this…I have no dreams of my own…I’ve done too many things, seen too much…> I study her again to break my train of thought. Such a painfully thin girl eyes still distant, a small smile lingering on her lips. A slight frown creases my brow at the sight of the bruise, but I do not comment, I comfort her. I give her a speech on dreams and how they come true when you don’t expect it, how the road may be hard but it is worth it in the end. I chastise myself slightly at the end, for sounding like a character from those Disney movies that brat Yuli is so fond of.

She blushed faintly then glanced down sadly, "No, Ah don’t think any of mine will evah come true." Her gaze then turns up to me and she asks "So uh, Dais, what do you wish for? What's your dream?"

She has managed to startle me with that one, <Very clever of you my dear…almost as good as I am at drawing attention away from yourself.> I stall for a moment trying to gather my thoughts. "I’m afraid I don’t really know if I have dreams anymore. I spent far too much of my life not living for myself, taking orders from others. I was far too bitter and angry for that time as well. It changed me…and I am not sure I can dream anymore." My voice is somewhat weary; speaking of my past in the Dynasty is not easy, especially to someone so innocent. How could she understand the dark emotions that ruled us? The greed that consumed and controlled us?

She smiles sympathetically at me. "It seems we both are displeased with our lives up to this point. But Ah must ask how can you not have any dreams? You also speak as if you've lived a very long time, but you don’t look all that old. How old are you anyway?"

Another somewhat unsettling question. <You are very keen my dear…but I do not think you are up to the truth on this yet.> "I am older than I appear, guess I just aged well." a slightly bitter smile crosses me features at that explanation. "As for my dreams…they died, it happens. Now I feel I must point out that while my dreams have died, and while I am not happy with my life up to this point I have not given up hope that things can get better but it seems that you have. Tell me what has happened to cause one so young as you to loose hope?"

She shifts her gaze around, not wanting to meet mine. "Ah can't please don't ask me anymore..." she then steps away eyes cast down. "Ah’m sorry Ah bothered you."

"You have not bothered me," I say as I step close cursing myself inside. <DAMNIT!! DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT! I was too fast…she’s shying away again…> I growl softly to myself and toy briefly with the idea of lying to her to get the information. But no, I can’t do that, not to her, no deceptions, that was the old me. "You needn’t apologize, I was the one to ask question I shouldn’t. I shall not bother you anymore about it." I make my way out of the store glancing at Sage as I pass. "Something on your mind?" I ask him as I step out glad for the interruption to my thoughts.

"We can talk about it later," he replies. My mind translates this into ‘you are in deep trouble.’ I grin to myself at the thought and glance at Brenna yet again. <And you’re the cause of it…how can I make him see…he must understand…there is something about you…>

We make our back through the city to Alyssa’s car. "I wish we could stay with you longer. Perhaps we could do something tomorrow?" <Curiosity is going to kill you if you don't stop this soon. You have the Dynasty to fight remember? You don't have time to indulge in this girl,> I scold myself. Alyssa grins and nods at the suggestion. Even Sage is pleased with it; we’ll need to buy some clothing and supplies anyway.

We drive for a while then pull up in front of a modest, white, house, bordered by a wooden fence. "Ah'll see you tomorrow," Brenna says as she gets out. I watch as a tall stocky man meets her at the gate with a look of displeasure. "Ah’m home early," she offers. He glowers in response and leads her in the house casting another slight glare at the car. Alyssa sighs and pulls away. "Interesting girl," I note from my place staring out the backseat window. "Very interesting indeed." I cock my head at Alyssa and inquire "Anything you'd like to share with us about her?"

She sighs and tells us no. I nod in agreement. "Do what you think is best for her, but…if she is in trouble you will tell us." With that I let the subject drop. Soon after she drops us off at a hotel with instructions to be ready by 10 the next morning.

Sage checks us into the hotel and leads us to our room. Once we are settled in he looks at me and asks, "So, what are your thoughts on all of this?"

After throwing myself into a large overstuffed chair I regard him for a moment. <I must choose my words carefully>. "If you are asking my opinion of the girls, yes I think there is something odd about the one. What are your thoughts?"

The blonde sighs before answering me, Yes I believe that something is wrong with her, I can sense a sadness about her..." he then looks me in the eye. "But we have to concentrate on finding the others before we get too involved with anything else, as much as we may want to."

I raise one white brow "Are you implying that she's a distraction for me?" I then lean closer and drop my voice a bit, "Or are you worried about yourself?" I let my voice return to normal and continue, "You and I are least likely to thrown off course in this, but if there is something we can do here to help, if we need to get involved…another day or two wont matter in the long run if it can help." I stand and pace the room a bit before calming myself and sitting back down. "It’s been...interesting today, hasn’t it? And Cale said it was getting too dull…"

Sage bowed his head to me, "I do not imply anything Dais, I respect you too much for that. All I am saying is that we have to try and figure out how to find the others; or anything we may do to help this girl, and I do agree that we should help her, may be for naught if your former master gets his way and takes control of Earth." He paused to take a breath before continuing "I am sorry if any of that came across in an ill manner, I am still a bit shaken by the fact that I can't feel Rowen, or Sekhmet, or even Cale now through the armor link." He watches me a bit more before asking, "Shall we plan how to help Brenna or try to find the others?"

I half-smiled then turn to stare out the window. <So serious and formal... kind of amusing in his own way.> "You did not come across in any way, I was merely testing your words for meaning. This girl, she... She interests me, and she might be the first thing in a long time to do so. I think," I paused to gather my thoughts, "I think we should try to find the others-through the link and work out a plan for meeting up with everyone, but also we should try to find out what is wrong with this girl. <Why do I find it difficult to say her name? It is not like giving her a name makes her mean something to me. So why can’t I do it?> "Perhaps we can do both tasks at once?"

The blonde nods and it is settled. Thoughts of Brenna were pushed aside for the rest of the night so we could work on finding our lost friends. But after that was done, as I lay down to sleep I found her face came to me easily and I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I was excited…excited and eager to meet the next day. "A very interesting day it has been indeed," I murmured to myself before falling to sleep.

Authors end note: So what did ya think? Ready for more? I’ll post more chapters when I find the time (unless everyone hates this…then again if they hate it I just might post it anyway) ;)