Alin looked again at the man she had rescued, Seb. He hadn't had
any right to tease her, just because she was a bit young for adventuring.
He wasn't tall enough for his job, either...

        "You coming or not?" He had managed to sneak up on her and pass
her while she had been thinking. Why does he run so fast, she wondered.

        "Wait up! We're travelling together, right?" She did not understand
why her hand was throbbing; it felt like something important was going to
happen soon. "Hang on, I think I dropped something." Leaning down, she
pulled the blue glove off her hand.

        Anyone who saw that hand would think she was some kind of freak.
The whole thing was covered with a blue ribbon-like substance that was as
much a part of her hand as the skin. Each day the pattern changed, and
sometimes she could understand what it meant. Today was one of those days.
Running a finger over it, she sensed a coming battle. 'Ambush," she
muttered, so intent on what she felt that she didn't hear Seb behind her.

        "What the heck is THAT?!?" He jumped away from her as if she was a
monster.

        "N-nothing! Just forget you saw anything! It's nothing, okay?
NOTHING!" He backed away even more, expecting an attack. She'd lost control
of her emotions once again, and now he probably would leave. Why did that
hand of hers always ruin friendships? She considered chopping it off, not
for the first time, but common sense won. "Please," she said, a little
shaky, "it's not your concern. Just leave it alone." She stood up slowly.
Looking around, she saw that the sun was more than halfway up - a little
past noon. She noticed a hill just a few minute's walk away. "Perfect for
an ambush. Seb, get your weapon ready. They're gonna attack us any time
now." She pulled her own whip out of her pack. Running her finger along the
sharp edge, she remembered getting it. She had been only a young child
then, peering over the counter of the shop. Than was almost nine years ago,
she realized with a start.

        A warcry made her jump. The man was running like a maniac. Probably
was, she thought with a grin. Then she charged. Whipping out, she tangled
the man. Pulling him a bit closer, she struck him with the knife with a 
shudder. Then she turned and ran.

        Seb caught up to her with no problem. Again she wondered how her
ran so fast. Had to be the shoes.

       "Wasn't that your knife back there? It looked like it was worth a 
bit; surely you want to go back and get it."

        She shook her head violently. "Not my knife. I hate it. It always
is there. I want to get rid of it for a while." Seb smiled and nodded his
head, obviously not believing her. "You'll see!" He grinned. She sighed,
frustrated.

        Ahead of them was what she assumed was the Opera House. It was a
large, strangely shaped building with Chocobos parked in front of it.
People were going to and fro; they had come just in time for the latest
production. The two travelers raced each other to the entrance. Seb
hurried in, looking around. Finally he seemed to find someone who worked
in the Opera House.

        "Where's the Impresario? I have a message to give him!"

        The opera man just shook his head. "I'm afraid the Opera has
already started. You'll have to wait. Don't worry; we have a place you can
stop and rest a while."

        They were led to a table covered with food. Seb sat down and ate a
large amount for someone his size, but Alin could not take a bite. As a
matter of fact, she felt kind of queasy.

        "No, Seb! Don't touch that!" She knocked the cup of wine away from
his hand.

        "Hey-"

        She pointed to the tablecloth, which the wine was already beginning
to demolish. Then she pointed to her own cup, which was stained a bright
green.

	"Jehr. An acid-like poison rarely used by anyone because it often
eats away anything it touches. Yes, someone tried to kill us. I don't think
they're after you. You're just a message-carrier. But me, I'm a bit...
different than anyone else I've met."

        The sound of a knife, the same kind of knife that always tormented
her, sticking into the wooden table silenced them. She smiled grimly.

        "I told you so."