Thanar stood at the Wall, one hand resting lightly on its surface. His mind was deep, deep inside its structure, flashing through the pathways of the cores inside that sealed off the city. For a year he had struggled against it, forever failing to find a way to open it or even damage it. The cores were powerful, and their very structure protected them from his intrusion.

A gang of thugs crept up behind him. The leader raised a crude axe and brought it down, but Thanar was already moving. The kinetic core he wore in an amulet around his neck flashed, and the axe stopped in midair. From its point of impact, ripples revealed a shield around him. He raised a hand, and a red glow began to burn in his firecore ring. He turned, and his eyes were cold and hard.

"Run."

A tongue of fire lashed out as he moved his hand, turning the man to ash where he stood. The others yelled, screamed and began to sprint away. Surfing on a cushion of air, the Chaneller hunted them down one after another. He spit the first on his staff, the second he froze solid. The third he tore to pieces with a whirlwind, and the fourth he crushed with a boulder. The fifth and final he suffocated.

[i][b]A bit harsh, don't you think? They were just trying to survive. You could have let them run.[/i][/b]

[i]No, I couldn't. I've survived by being unknown. Most of the people who've survived here are common thugs. They don't know who I am or what I can do. And I need it to stay that way. If they come to know of the cores I hold and what I can do with them, they will hunt me for the rest of my days.[/i]

He sighed.

[i]I need allies, Sul. I am strong, and together we are stronger, but we cannot hold out forever.[/i]

[b][i]Then find some! There are plenty of people in this city who'd be grateful for someone of your power by their side.[/i][/b]

[i]But how do I choose? Most of them would want me for selfish reasons, to kill and steal and become the dominant power.[/i]

[b][i]Don't tell me you can't find anyone. You're sharp enough to easily make a good pick.[/b][/i]

A small smile crossed the man's lips as he strode through the streets.

[i]Always so confident, Sul. Do I really deserve that faith? What have I managed to accomplish here? A year's gone by, and I'm no closer to escaping the damn wall.[/i]

[i][b]Not true. You've learnt a lot about its structure and formation. You've certainly learnt a lot about me, and we've managed to develop some pretty good techniques. Without me, you wouldn't be half as strong.[/i][/b]

In his head, Sulaan's face grinned. Over the past year, the two had become allies and friends. They had discovered that they were a natural match - Sulaan's ability to intermingle her spirit with that of her host could greatly enhance his already formidable strength. Her awareness let him reach new depths of understanding as he reexamined his cores and threw away half of what he thought he knew. Not only did their powers complement each other, so did their personalities. He was quiet and reserved by nature, but forceful, whereas she was bubbly and excitable but often lacked a bit of confidence. They were the perfect counterpoints to each other, and had developed a rapport that often meant no words were needed.

[i]Perhaps not without more training, but I don't doubt I could have got here on my own. I might have been a wizened old man, but I'd have got here.[/i]

This time it's him that grins. By the time their internal conversation is over, they've reached Thanar's main camp, set up on a stable section of a ruined building. Only Thanar could possibly reach it - it was twenty floors above the ground and all the lifts and stairs were gone, collapsed in the quakes. He entered by the open wall, ducking into an alleyway to ensure nobody saw him and summoning a blast of wind to lift him up. The break reached round from the alley to the adjacent wall, granting a magnificent view of the ruined city.

Standing silently, leaning on his staff, he looked out over the desolation he knew he might never escape.