Globe Tracers 3: Heritage of Triad

Chapter 5: Genesis of a Trickster- Heroes Rise

Sometimes to understand the present time, to understand the darkness our friends face, we have to step back, to see their past. Only then we can understand the nightmares that refuse to let them sleep.

The origin of Xao and Darius, the Tricksters...

1852, United States, Utah territory.

Xao:

I ran down the street with my prizes, several angry men screaming as I went. My small legs couldn't carry me fast- if I was in public. I looked left and right as I dashed away. But the streets were crowded- just my luck.

I hadn't eaten in three days- but I already knew where I stood here. I had been so careful, I was sure I hadn't been seen- by anyone except that little girl. She was cute- so why did she have to sound the alarm about what I was doing? "Stop thief!" Came a shout causing other men in the town to turn their heads.

Great.

A number of flashes of light shot in front of my face and over my head. WHISTLE! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! I fell to the ground covering my ears and squeezing my eyes shut as the men behind me started yelling in a commotion "What was that?" "I can't see." "Who the heck even has fireworks at this time of year?"

I felt two hands grab me and pulled me to the left.

I opened my eyes as I was thrown against a wall. "You alright?" asked a freckle-faced Arab kid just a few inches shorter than myself. He looked over his shoulder.

A much taller boy waved his hand forward. "Everyone's distracted. That way, one mile, we'll meet in the fields. Jump step-go!"

I smiled, happily engaging my powers. I ran towards a nearby fence, shooting electric pulses to my feet, and- bounded over a six-foot fence like it was nothing. I then quickly shot through the fields before me.

Seconds later, I dropped out of my "jump" speed holding my chest and breathing hard. I hadn't really used my jumps for long distances very often, I had had to go in and out of jump several times to get this far.

I dropped to my bottom in the tall reeds. Finally, I opened my bag. My prize, a few vegetables and a wing of goose... I knew the goose would do me in, but I couldn't resist.

"So what did you get?" came a voice. I looked behind me, seeing the younger boy again. He had brown hair and eyes like me, but despite his brown skin, his face was covered in freckles. He was dressed in simple brown clothes like myself.

I clutched the wing to me. It had been a month since I had last tasted meat. The older boy was behind me. "Well that's not friendly," he said. "We did just save your life." Looking at him, he was a redhead and a good deal taller than either of us.

"My idea," the younger said. "I said it once, I'll say it again, fireworks solve everything!"

"Yes... this you have said before... several times..." the older boy said with an eye roll. The younger just grinned. I kept holding the meat to my chest. "Kid... we know you're hardly a street urchin- I'm guessing you're around a hundred and sixty. Speak."

"One hundred fifty- doesn't mean I'm not hungry." I put the meat back in my sack. "Short on ideas, what am I supposed to do, get a job?"

"Could with the werewolves, they pay informants and such to keep their secrets," the older boy pointed out.

I waved my hand in front of my face. "Yeah, and with my skin, everyone will jump to take my money even still."

The older sat down, sighing contentedly. "Name's Regent, and that's Darius. I see you're good at excuses- how are you at cooking?"