Bab 2: Chapter 2: Bounty and Voices
With a fuller belly than they'd had in a couple of days, Rem slept the day away on the rooftop. As the rain gave way to sun, they stretched out and dried, now considerably cleaner than they'd been the night before.
As dusk fell once more, Rem crept to the edge of the roof and glanced over into the street below. Only three stories down Mundanes hurried along the congested sidewalks, clogging it with their shopping. The clashing scents of perfume, body odor, and food made Rem's nose wrinkle.
They watched the people for a moment, keenly aware that their very presence would be seen as a threat to them but too curious to move away. Perhaps it was envy that kept Rem there. Rem shrugged, passing it off. In their current situation, homeless and living without family or friends, if it wasn't danger, food, or shelter, it didn't matter.
Their eyes flicked to a pair of aloof people, both tall and strong in appearance, who moved the crowd with their presence alone. Rem shifted lower on the roof. The pair were Hunters, marked by their unique green and gold uniforms. Their vigilant eyes scanned every surface and face they passed.
Before they could be spotted, Rem backed away from the roof's edge and hurried to the other side of the building. They quickly scaled down the wall, utilizing window ledges, broken bricks, and the occasional remnants of a former fire escape. Once on street level, in a darkened alley, they turned away from the main thoroughfare and headed deeper into the parts of the city the werewolves, mages, shifters, and occasional demon had carved out for themselves.
Rem hunched over and pulled the collar of their coat up, sinking into it as they walked. Up ahead they could hear the beginning of a makeshift pop-up market. With a flick of the hands, their claws came out, remaining tucked into their pockets and curled to avoid damaging the cloth. They slowed their steps and studied the layout of the stalls that were coming into view.
These little markets cropped up around the magical areas of the city fairly regularly and usually consisted of a dozen or so carts, blankets scattered with random objects, and peddlers selling handmade, counterfeit, and occasionally stolen items. One never knew what would be found at such places but the possibility of food was high and bartering was welcomed. These markets were kept small and mobile because of the Hunters. Even in these semi-designated areas, a Hunter could come in and break up or arrest any magically born being for the excuse of disturbing the peace. Mobility was the best defense for magical creatures as it meant a better chance at escape before Hunters could attack.
The market was well underway and beginning to get crowded. Rem easily slipped into the mass of people, unnoticed. They moved slowly, pretending to examine goods with one hand while occasionally pocketing small bits and pieces with the other. A bruised apple slipped into their jacket, quickly followed by a small gold chain. They moved to the other side of the market and picked up a book. When the stall's owner turned to another customer, Rem set the book down close to the change jar the owner had been using. In doing so, they slid their palm over the jar and carefully extracted a couple dollars. These slipped into a different pocket as they moved on.
Rem continued down the market's length, observing but not taking anything more. They never took more than what they needed from these people. Like Rem, they struggled to survive in the unwelcoming city. A few small trinkets to pawn later and a bit of food would go a long way for Rem but not hurt the people she took it from. Towards the end of the line, they spotted what they'd been waiting for and hurried to line up in front of a hot food cart. In exchange for one of their dollar bills, they hurried away from the market while scarfing down the pair of rice and meat filled pastries.
Satiated for the time being, Rem turned their attention to their newly acquired items. They pulled out the chain as they walked and carefully examined it in the light from a street lamp. Cursing, they shoved it back into their pocket. Fake gold wouldn't help with anything. They felt around their pocket again, extracting a small ring they'd picked from a blanket stall. Staring at the small green gem in the center, Rem sighed, not really sure what they were looking at and focused on the band instead.
"Remmis?"
Rem jumped, dropping the ring. They scrambled for it while trying to look around for the source of the voice. Their hand curled around the ring as Rem realized the voice had spoken directly into their mind. They froze, then crouched down. Psions were rare; so rare in fact, that they were basically myth.
"Who are you?" Rem asked, whispering out loud. The idea of a psion talking to them was so beyond Rem's experiences, they didn't know how to feel. Their heart was picking up pace, though, as adrenaline began pumping through their system.
"I want to help," the voice responded in a quiet tone in Rem's mind. "You need to run. Isaiah is coming."
Rem's skin chilled as the name resonated in their head. "Where?" they asked.
"Go now!"
Rem ran, cursing themself for not realizing what the wolf had meant by a bounty on them. Isaiah wasn't the type to let things go. Three years ago Rem had declined his offer to join his gang of vampiric thugs. Well, Rem had to admit, they'd done more than simply say an emphatic no. Giving Isaiah a scar he still hadn't been able to remove might have been going too far. Still, three years may as well have been three days in the lifespan of an immortal and he certainly wasn't going to let the slight go unpunished.
Four figures stepped out of the shadows and began to chase after Rem. Even being downwind of them, Rem knew the scent of vampires. The faint odor of death invaded their nose and drove them faster. These weren't like the wolves who had only been interested in the money from fulfilling their bounty. Isaiah's clan wanted revenge. Worse still, vampires never ran out of breath while running.
Risking a fall, Rem concentrated as they ran and shifted fast into their serval form. The pursuing vampires hissed curses as Rem changed and sped up in front of them. Rem's ears flattened back as they let the cat's instincts take over. They rushed forward, around several trash cans, and into a back street.
"Go left, they're coming in from the right," the mysterious voice directed as it returned to Rem's mind.
Unable to speak in serval form, Rem growled and turned just as a rush of fire went past their furry body. They glanced back, spotting an angry vampire lower his hand before turning their attention back to the path. Rem burst into a private yard, running through a small hole in the fence, and deliberately jumped on the back of the large dog sleeping there. They dug their claws in and doubled back to the hole.
Slipping through again, they skirted the edge of the fence and around the yard leaving the angry dog who was making a racket. As Rem hoped, the vampires fell for the diversion and began searching the yard as Rem slipped into the Mundane neighborhoods where the vampires wouldn't dare enter.
It was late and the few people on the street saw Rem as nothing more than a stray cat, and paid no attention to them.
Rem slipped through the streets and into another backyard, this time without a dog inside. Spotting a shed, they padded over to it and pried the door open. Safely inside, they released the serval form and relaxed back on their knees as a human once more. Rem pulled the door closed carefully and glanced around at the various tools and gardening implements.
"Are you still there?" they asked.
"Yes, but not for much longer."
Rem nodded to themself. "Who are you?"
There was silence for a moment. "They've given up. Please be careful."
"Wait, come on, answer me!" Rem growled when only more silence answered them. "Fine. Whatever." Annoyed and hungry again, they pushed some tools aside and curled up on the floor, using their coat as a makeshift blanket. "At least it's dry here."
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone