"I must leave you here, Keia," the Relian said, making a particular two-handed greeting gesture for "good luck and safe journeys" over a bow from the waist. "It has been an honour to serve."

The sudden heat of the desert hit me like a Rajma trolley, but I recovered quickly. How did Relians do this like it was nothing? I knew the theory, but it was never a pleasant change.

"Thanks for the lift," I said, repeating the hand greeting and the bow. "I appreciate it."

He bowed again and then walked back toward the portal he'd opened from HQ.

The city itself had the patina of a walking ghost. Beautiful glass mosaics, covered in dust. Cobbled streets, half the stones worn or cracked. Crowds of merchants and other pedestrians, unsure why they were there, but promising to themselves that they'd figure it out tomorrow.

Once upon a time, Astrebré had been a mighty city. The buildings were still there, and plenty of people, but it had long ago lost its social and economic battle against the more free-spirited city of Relia.

A low haze of dust hung in the air near the city's central market square, warped periodically by visible waves of heat rising from the pavement. The two suns blazed down mercilessly, their light weaving into each other's shadows and highlighting them in subtle colour. A great many artists have staked their careers on its aesthetic significance.

I walked among the market stalls, some with blessed shade, listening for rumours of my target, dropping a hint here and there to the right ears that I might be available for mercenary work. Putting my proverbial finger on the pulse of the city.

"No, I can't channel much Mana. They said I had no talent for it, but that's actually useful for working around Tear Stones."

"Yes, I have good fighting reflexes. I am a ninth level Ka Te. Do you need an up close and... personal demonstration?"

"Sure, I'll be around town in case someone needs a guard for a caravan?"

For good measure, I also checked in with the mercenary guild. Asterbré had originally been a centre for the mining and study of Tear Stone. It still was, really, though most of the study moved to Relia in later days. There was still a fair amount of dangerous work to be had, so a mercenary guild was still in business in Asterbré.

Chances were, if our terrorists were looking to make a dangerous crossing with expensive goods, they'd check in there. So I posted a calling card tailored to their needs and crossed my fingers.

A few hours later, I parked myself at a cute little cafe and sipped at a cold punch of local fruits. I was starting to wonder if I'd misjudged my technique. But then I saw a Relian heading toward me, quietly pushing her way through the crowd. Or perhaps, the crowd quietly pushed itself out of her way. Dark and radiant turquoise hair marked her an initiate if her outfit didn't. Surely I hadn't already found my target? A bit suspiciously fast, if so...

I groaned inwardly, hoping this visit was for business and not pleasure.

Only the truly proud of the Initiates wore their full uniform, unless they were fresh out of the academies, but she didn't look young enough for that.

Dark turquoise hair cut in sharp geometric lines: third-degree initiate.

Dark red, sleeveless robe with a diagonal seam across the chest, narrowing to strips of cloth that ran nearly to the ground: initiate of the flame.

Two sky-blue pendants, Tear Stones in the shapes of comets floating above her ears: secondary in wind.

A single ruby-hilted dagger with a crystal blade: Ka Te master.

Close-fitting black shorts covered what was visible of her hips and legs to a little above her knees. Two gold bracelets on each arm and fine hide boots with turned tops completed the ensemble.

As she drew closer I could make out the glint of her golden eyes.

She did indeed match one of the descriptions I'd gotten from Jens, so I mentally cracked my knuckles and stood.

"Oh great Initiate of the arcane, how may I serve?" I said to her, making the hand greeting for "I am humbly honoured by your company" over a bow.

It was the appropriate greeting in our situation, and she nodded to me.

"You are Keia?" she asked in a clear, melodic voice. I nodded.

"You would offer your services as a body guard?" Again I nodded, thinking I knew what was going on. I was wrong.

"Then I challenge you to a duel. Senshen Market Square, two blocks west, five minutes from now. You win, I hire you. You lose..." She chuckled delightedly, turned on her heel, and walked west.

So. Business and pleasure. I rolled the last of my fruit punch around my tongue, pondering what sort of pain I was in for.

I found the initiate in the square, as she'd said. She was flowing from one stance to another, spinning, stopping, stomping a foot down, fist punched out, spinning again, as if performing a kind of dance.

"Are you ready?" she asked me during a momentary pause.

Senshen Square was a market and gathering area. A great face, two-thirds suns, and one-third moon, was engraved into the centre. Two and three story buildings loomed up around our ad-hoc arena. A small crowd had surrounded the square, murmuring expectantly, but I noticed that they were all carefully, and intelligently, staying out of the centre of the square itself. The muted hum of conversation, bartering, and music could still be heard in the background.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied, smiling a little, punching the air and bouncing around lightly in my own warm-up. Someone in my position would be at least a little hesitant.

She smiled back mildly and flowed into a defensive stance, meeting my eyes as I did the same. Not the forward stance with outstretched arms that would signify that a demonstration of Mana channeling was imminent, but a hand-to-hand fighting stance.

It looked like I might survive this without blowing my cover after all!

At first we merely circled around each other for a few moments, looking for any weakness, the murmur of the crowd rising slightly. Her eyes sparkled with challenge. I've seen Relians fight, and I know their school of Ka Te inside and out. I saw no weakness in her movements. She'd apparently seen enough herself and lunged in. I automatically flowed to the side to avoid the hit, and we were fully engaged.

Instinct took over and I rode out the battle, neither taking hits nor giving them. Round and round we went, blood pounding in my ears, nothing existing outside of the dance. The Initiate grinned as if enjoying herself substantially, and I had to admit that I was enjoying a real challenge, as well. The endorphins were practically singing through my veins.

I'd begun to tire and to wonder what would end the fight when a chance opening left me with my stiff hand pointed her trachea, a killing pose. She stared at me along my arm with hard eyes, shaking slightly and taking ragged breaths, then lowered her hands calmly. Sweat dripped from my face. Only then did I realize that she'd had me in the same check. Applause rose up in the crowd around the square as it started to disperse.

"You fight well, Keia. I will hire you," she said as she nodded to herself. "My name is Tasha Emerald River," she continued, making the hand greeting for "I have wronged you, and ask forgiveness" over a slight bow and a lopsided grin. "Mana is good, but it won't stop a well-placed dagger before it's too late. Please join my group at the North Gate before tomorrow morning. We will leave at first light for Belio."

"I would be honoured," I responded, bowing.

Belio had been listed in HQ's report as an area of suspected activity for the terrorists; this had to be the group. I'm still a little suspicious of how easy it was to find them, though...

Only then did I notice the silver-eyed, dark-skinned girl on the side of the square slip away, long after most had already gone back to their business. She'd been watching the fight with furious intensity.

Silver eyes, nearly white, really, were something I'd never seen in a Carad. Her looks otherwise matched one. Silver eyes were unusual even in a Relian initiate, and this one certainly wasn't that, by the shape of her ears.

I wasn't sure how she fit into the puzzle, yet. But Agents have a way with intuition, staring at the dice thrown on the floor and picking out the pattern. Sooner or later, the understanding would come to me.