"He's dying." Honi stated the obvious as we sat beside Pitri's barely breathing form.

We had fled for maybe a hour before stopping by a stream. We had cleaned up ourselves and Pitri as best we could with the sparkling, clear water. It bubbled a merry tune, while we grimly did our work. I had even managed to get Pitri to swallow some water, but he hadn't woken. I was worried. It was dark now and we huddled together by a small fire I had built.

"He needs help." Repeating another obvious like it was a game. "Do you know anyone?"

She shook her head. "At least not directly, I know there some Others that can perform healing of beings besides themselves, but it tends to be few and far between. Most Others can simply heal themselves given enough time because of the accelerated rate at which it occurs, the odds of something being deadly dwindles. It why not many Others evolved abilities to care for people outside themselves my mom said."

"Evolved?"

"Yes, evolved. Did you think humans and Earthly organisms were the only ones that had adapted to their environment?"

I closed my eyes, rubbing at the weariness in them. "I guess just never thought about it." Sighing, I leaned back, still keeping an eye on Pitri. "So who are they?"

"Hm...well let me see." She giggled a tad at her own pun, making me smile. "There's the Jengu, water spirits from African mythology. The Caladrius, giant white birds from European mythology." She ticked off the count on her fingers, it was odd to me that she referred to Others the same way humans did, before former myths and legends of places now gone. "The Adarnas which were from Phillipino mythology...and I think some beings that were higher in power. You know the Others capable of crossing long and often in the old days so they were often worshiped as gods and goddess, like Serket in Egypt."

My mind spun from all the names. "Wait, the what from where and who from when?"

Honi smiled softly, before patting my head and leading it to the ground. "We'll talk more about so-and-so from whats-it in the morning."

I mumbled something about Pitri but was out before I had even touched the dirt.

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I woke up to screaming. My body jerked, flailing as I scrambled for Pitri. It wasn't him though.

In her sleep, Honi shrieked and thrashed about, trapped in a nightmare. I shook her, gentle at first, but when she didn't wake, hard that she bounced a bit against the ground. She shot up, and froze. Her hand shaking lifted to check her veil before she opened her eyes. They stared out from under it fearful, flickering in the dying embers. I placed my hand on hers.

"It's okay. It was just a dream."

She nodded, shaking in the night. I turned and got the fire going again. Sitting back down beside her, I leaned against her shoulder. After a second, her head rested on top of mine. I stared at the flames while she stared at black. Once more it struck me how dark a place the world must be when you couldn't see it, and yet she was in general such a happy person. I don't know how she did it. I saw the light and colors of the world and yet it made me angry, perhaps because I could see those destroying it too.

Pitri's raspy breath was the only sound in the night besides the crackle of the fire. I could imagine the three of us alone in it if I closed my eyes. That was a pleasant thought, I think I'd like the world better if it was just us three. It would be a nicer world. I could be their Alice and it would be more than enough. I would be their savior and they would be mine. We would be each others until the end of time and forever after.

I don't know when I feel asleep sitting with Honi, but I woke up with a bunched upon cloth under my head and to the sound of birds. Honi looked at me with a smile.

"I'm making eggs for breakfast."

"No wonder the birds are so loud." I groaned and stretched from sleeping on the ground.

"That's the same thing I said."

My stretch froze, I whipped my head round to see Pitri leaning against a boulder with a wary smile on his face. He still looked, while terrible but his silver eyes were alert and looking at me. I launched forward laughing and hugged him. He winced in pain, but didn't push me off, laughing a wheezing sound. He clung to me weakly, but it was there.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I turned and demanded of Honi.

She smiled ready to answer, but Pitri beat her to it. "I told her not to, you looked far to tired. After all you had just saved me and everything. Even a savior deserves some sleep."

His face was strained with the joke, still there was definite happiness and joy shining in his eyes. I hugged him again.

"I'm so glad you didn't die."

"Same goes for you Alice."

After breakfast, only a couple bites of which Pitri could force down, Honi and I cleaned up camp while we discussed what to do next. Pitri insisted he would be fine, but the ever lowering IV bag and the hollowness of his body screamed otherwise.

"How do we find these Others?" I asked. I picked up the gate chemical bag, slow to shift the contents around so I might get a better look. We should have grabbed some of Malia's notebooks so we might know better what we are dealing with.

"Well, most didn't stay within their known regions by mythologies, as I'm sure you know. I think there are a good variety of Others all over Earth now. That said, it doesn't guarantee any of them are here, in America."

Pitri forced me to put down the bag, well kind of, it was just a shaky hand and a weak look of disapproval. "You keep referring to myths and humans place. Why? You said you are a halfling raised by Others, did your mother really refer to them like that?"

Honi nodded. "Yes, how else would they? It's a world not their own. While the Other's lived in a parallel place it wasn't the same, it's easier to use human's names for things here. It avoids confusion. Plus Others like being myths and legends, the more there are about them the better in their opinion. It's like a bragging right to how many times you could cross over or been seen through the veil before the gates and invasion."

"So Others really are as vain as everyone says." Pitri murmured, leaning farther back into the boulder.

"Yes, I suppose so. The point being, we have no idea where these particular Others are and no way to find them."

I hummed thoughtful before reaching for my sword and brandishing it. "We could always force someone to tell us."

"That could take forever and make us a lot of enemies." She countered, her snakes bobbing and weaving in agreement.

The three became slightly each contemplating and lost within their own minds. Nothing seemed feasible and yet it couldn't all be impossible. It was just impassable. That had to be it. I would accept nothing less. I needed to save Pitri, I will not have rescued him only to have him die on me. It wasn't fair otherwise.

Honi gasped. "Ooh I think I got it. We find an oracle! They can predict the locations of the healing Others then we find them."

"But how do we find an oracle?" Pitri asked.

She gaze fell. "Never mind."

"What about a hunter? Aren't there humans that summon specific Others?" I fumbled with the thread of a thought from back in my days at the lab.

"Actually that could work." Pitri nodded, rubbing at the skin around his injection site subconsciously. "Hunters are the best at finding Others. I heard they stole trade secrets on location summoning from witches."

I bounced, excitement settling over me. "I know some Hunters. They worked for the scientists. If we found them, I'm sure they'd help."

"For money."

"What?" I looked Pitri surprised.

"For money Alice, they'd help for money. Did you really think they were just doing it out of the kindness of their hearts?"

"I mean I thought they were doing it because I was their savior." I picked at grass, a bit hurt.

"Sorry Alice, but they did it for money, or more likely these days something else valuable like gas or even food."

I frowned, upset at the quick dashing of my hopes. "But we don't have those things, except a little food." 

"Then we shall have to find these things humans find valuable." Honi stood up with a grin. "To the human world!"

I gasped before laughing at her boldness. They soon joined in my merriment. It was ridiculous and yet we were going on an adventure. We didn't actually go into the human world per-say. Like Pitri had said before, human settlements are dwindling and after our last experience, none of us were really that eager to find one again. So instead we went to a safe town. A safe town, as explained by Pitri, is a place set up by Others where humans are not allowed to be eaten. Mainly this is because humans are forced into indentured servitude in the area and no one wants to lose their free labor, but still if you can hold your own and not get captured for it, you are relatively safe...relatively being a loose word. It is one of the few places though where humans and Others consistently cross paths without large blood shed, hence why it's a good place to find Hunters on the prowl.

A old wooden sign with the faded words, "The Otherside" hung above the door.

"I can't tell if that's suppose to be funny." I muttered.

It was a beat-up tavern. We stood staring at it and listening to the ruckus coming from inside. Whoever was in there was rather rowdy, I heard alcohol could do that to people, both Other and human. I had never drank myself, but I wondered if was fun. It must be as one my scientists used to carry a water bottle full of the stuff that he didn't think I noticed.

"I'm bored." I pushed my way in, Pitri and Honi calling after me.

I stopped inside, they entered soon after and waited beside me. We took in the scenery. Others and some human alike were sitting and laughing together. You could pick out the indentured servants as they sat quietly in a corner drinking with their own kind or raced about busing and refilling orders. Those that intermingled with the Others, they had a strength to them that the Others respected. They would be the Hunters.

A particularly loud pair, a man and female sat between a giant and troll. To rather terrifying Others simply because of their immense size. Those were the Hunters I wanted. I grabbed Pitri and Honi's hands, dragging them over. Pitri protested saying something about how we didn't have bartering tools yet, but I didn't care. How were to know what they wanted to barter unless we talked to them first after all?

I plopped down in a stool, my small stature even more obvious by the present company.

"Hello, I would like to hire you for a summoning."

The Hunters laughter died for a moment, taking me in before it bolstered louder, the man actually spitting out his drink on me. I wiped it off my face with disgust.

"Sorry gents looks like we have some business. We'll have to get back to the story later." The woman eased the blow with a daring smile.

The troll and giant stood, giving me a look, before shuffling off to join a table of more Others. Pitri and Honi slide into their seats.

"Others like good stories, remember that little girl if you wanna last around here." The woman winked at me.

I folded my arms, a tad insulted. "I do not need your tips to last around here. I can handle myself very well thank you very much."

The man looked me up and down once more, before flicking down some glasses from on top his head. He looked again, slower and intrigued.

"Well I'll be damned, girl ain't just blowing steam." He took off the glasses and held them out to the woman. "Take a look DeeDee."

DeeDee looked me up and down, letting out a whistle before clapping as she also took in Pitri and Honi.

"We have ourselves a real genuine article here. I've heard the stories, but never thought I'd see the day."

My quick hands, snatched out and grabbed the glasses as she attempted to hand them back to her brother. Putting them on I looked at the pair, seeing no different.

"I don't understand you look the same."

"Take a look at your friends girlie." DeeDee giggled as though my incompetence was what made the glasses not work.

I shifted with a huff, before gasping. I could see the blood color of my friends. It floated in weird little specks like dust all around them.

"What is it?" I awed sweeping a had at it.

"That is what we call an aura. Only those with Others blood pumping through their veins got them." The man said.

I handed the glasses to Pitri and Honi each to try. To their effort, neither rushed us, letting us experience and marvel at this thing we never knew about ourselves. I took the glasses and gave them back to the man. He propped them back in his hair with a smile. Taking in them both, I realized they must be related. Both had the same long hooking nose and a mess of sandy hair on their heads. A smattering of freckles decorated both of them from head to toe, in random patterns, and their tan skin shone from days in the sun extenuating the bright blue eyes.

"Name's Duke and this is my sister DeeDee, we are the Twendle twins. And you got yourselves some Hunters."

DeeDee leaned forward, a white flashing smile present. "Not just some Hunters, the best. What can we do for you today?"