------------- Lost Angel – A Mind’s a Terrible Thing

She had been one of the lucky ones, not just for her strange mutation, but that it was discovered early and her training seen to. She was one in a million, or so they told her, but that uniqueness seemed to be lost on her masters.

The Hidden were filled with special people, many better than her, some not even remotely human. Those who had developed the powers of the mind as well as the powers of magic were rare, but no one at the monastery where she spent her childhood ever gave her any leeway because of that. It seemed they treated her even worse for her gifts. Many times, she wished she’d never had those special abilities, for her life was never her own.

At 24 she was sent out on her first mission. It wasn’t anything special; go to Xanthius, meet with the General Kalliph Ibis Selegan, and arrange a trade meeting for her masters and the General, strictly under the table. That she had done. The General was willing to hear their proposition, whatever it might be. Julie had her suspicions, but she knew better than to think them too loudly. The General was a psionic, and though she knew of The Hidden, she was not beholding to them in any way. Her training had come in a Frelenat Seitch in the Deep Desert.

After her meeting, she contacted her masters again and was given a very unexpected leave. When she asked how long, the only reply was “we’ll contact you.” The Hidden had paid for her hotel room in Xanthius, the somewhat infamous Clifftop Hotel. Touristy, perhaps. Overpriced? Definitely. But what a view. The veranda sat out on a balcony, looking down the side of the Xanth cliffs into the Deep Desert some twenty thousand feet below, a sheer escarpment unlike anything else on Arrallon. She was sitting at a table, sipping thick, desert coffee, when a disturbance drew her attention away from the gryphons wheeling just off the cliff side. A short, bald, smelly dwarf grumbled and stomped through the dining room. She could instantly sense his psionic power and erected defenses.

“Ye be Julie? Julie Eichorn?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“Name’s not important. The Kalliph says talk ta ye.”

“About?”

“We’ve a dwarf not of here. Came through one of the gates, he did. Got no place to go. Kalliph says he’s your problem now.”

“What? Listen here stumpy, I’m not about to,…”

Her admonition did no good. The Deurgar was gone, and standing at the door, all smiles and bright eyes was the tallest dwarf Julie had ever seen. He waved and trotted over and bowed like he’d just met the Queen of Carellon.

“Understands yer gonna help me out. Sure does appreciate it I does. And ye be?”

She stood to her full six foot one and took the dwarf’s hand.

“Julie Eichorn, Psi-Warlock and chump.”

------------- Credits

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