“I think we need to take another look,” Birry stated.“Yes, my friend. I think we do,” I nodded. “Get the various squads to head there after ...completing their current assignments.”“No problem,” he replied and sent out a series of orders.Despite our Mage powers it took several hours of hard slogging to get there. I insisted that we did it on foot to avoid missing anything, though we spotted nothing. Where on the Earth map and the ancient map there was a valley, here the slopes kept rising to form. I only cared forsome little children at the daycare. What am I going to do?'Frantic now I stepped into the shower and scrubbed myself raw to getall the yucky stuff of me. I kept thinking horrid thoughts of beingpregnant and ballooning my belly to a very large size. Then I startedthinking about him in the next room. What if he wakes up and wants todo it again. I don't want to do it again. 'It was nice though makinglove with him.' My thoughts kept going back and forth on how I hatedhaving sex and. I'm not going to demote you, and by thelook of things, it doesn't look like Crystalline will keep you out ofaction for too long. Your position is secure. Don't worry about it. Justget yourself in order. I can't afford to have you out of action muchlonger than a week."I just looked at him and nodded. I started to feel weird. This had neverhappened before to me... but his suit made him... wait? Was I becomingattracted to Tempus? I shook my head. Can't be. I'm a guy, like him.He's not gay.... I had managed to hit him somehow in a pressure point directly at the base of his neck, cutting off the supply of air to his throat. Jacob collapsed to his knees in front of me as his eyes went wide, trying to get any bit of precious air he could into his body. I watched him land on his legs but not for long - I managed to stagger to my feet, my body hunched over at the waist and stood up just enough to land a kick directly to his face. I heard his head snap back on his neck as he collapsed on.