AN: Alright, end of Janelle's first story since I wont be here tomorrow to post it. Feel a little frustrated with this universe. A Day in the Life - X I moved Kaysar to his bed and tried my best not to wake him up. Now it was time for me to work. I opened my journal and lit my half-melted candle. By flickering light I wrote my daily journal entry. This one flowed like mud onto my page but it had to be done. I would be Justicar and I would create a better system for Metamor. This journal would let me remember my youth. "And with that, another ending." I let the ink dry as I went over the day's events in my mind. "Marnie will live out her short life in a cell. She murdered a man. The man was a bastard." What should be done? "I'll figure it out later." I shut the book. "This is worth it" A quick glance at the closed door confirmed that for me. Whatever happened to Marnie next wouldn't be fair. But justice isn't always fair; it's blind and acts without prejudice. It would protect the innocent without favoring the powerful; protect the poor from the rich. It would treat Kaysar as he deserved, the same as anyone else. In Metamor Keep we are the cursed, in some ways the damned. The rest of the world has judged us monsters. Justice will not do that. We will be treated the same, those of us cursed and uncursed. And it's my job to make sure it stays that way. If justice is the only way the people of Metamor Keep are treated equally as the outside world, then it's worth fighting for. I sat for a bit, listening to the silence. Kaysar slept, no one stirred. I Reached, no spirits or unknown thoughts. Completely alone. Perfect. Under the table sat a metal box with a small lock. I removed the key from my neck and opened the box. From it I grabbed an old leather journal, almost crumbling in my fingers. The letters were like scratches, the ink a faded mess. The poor candle light made it nearly impossible to read. It didn't matter though. I knew each word, etched into my memories from thousands of readings. Now pay attention Janelle, I'm only going to repeat this once. "Of course Mr. Sotto." In an instant, I was back to the past. Still human, young, red hair and blue eyes. Mr. Sotto jotted in his book on the opposite side of the fire. "We have to be able to identify others like us Janelle." He scratched at the paper. "That's why I'm writing this. All information I have on our powers are in this book." Mr. Sotto's observations, his notes on our shared abilities, his theories about his pagan gods and nine greater Fallen, all of it was contained inside of this. The mind of a single, brilliant man held within a leather shell. I had to be gentle. The book was a few decades old and had lived a hard life. The pages threatened to break even as I found the section I was looking for. Observations on Identifying New Channelers Exactly what I needed. My eyes darted over the tight letters until I found the exact section point number four. IV. A New Channeler will act unconsciously. An experienced Channeler will feel a tug on them when in close physical proximity. This I noted... I looked up. "That was it. It was. That has to be it..." That feeling of something crashing against my scales. A new Channeler and one who didn't know it. The bull. "But who is he?" Daily patrols do not help you know new people. Sure you see them, maybe speak to them, but never get to know them. The bull was just one of a thousand such people I saw daily and never spoke to. "I have to find him. He was carrying wood." I yawned. "I can use that. I'll track him down yet..." Then what do I do? I rubbed my eyes; the answer was not coming to me. "I get some sleep, that's what I do. It's been a long enough day." I extinguished the candle an sneaked quietly into the bedroom. Kaysar's light breathing greeted me. The stars gave the room a dim glow; in it I could see his tiny form. For a moment I watched him sleep. My son. I smiled. I'll work to keep you safe. Metamor Keep will be safe, because the Watch will keep it that way. The Watch is forgotten and it works better that way. Because we're unnoticed, we can keep Metamor safe. I just wish we were noticed sometimes. "Goodnight Kaysar." I crawled into bed myself. My massive tail makes anything other than side sleeping impossible. I adjusted though and soon rest overtook me. Then the nightmares returned again.
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