Hunter

Chapter 43

        When I arrived to work, the atmosphere was gloomy. Only Sophie gave me a smile. My refusal to come to work on the previous day must have gone round the office.

"I'm glad to see you kept your word!" Bob said bitterly, when he saw me.

"What do you want me to do?"

He rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious.

"To tell us where is that city the gnome teleported you to last time! He is most certainly there."

"I told you already. I don't know where it is."

"Well, locate it."

"That's impossible. The place is magically protected."

"In that case, locate the gnome himself!"

"That will be the same. If he is in the city, it won't work."

Bob stared at me, insistant.

"But if he isn't?"

"Fine, got it."

I gave up. The sooner I would solve that problem Bob was becoming, the sooner I could go back home and pick up my training.

A few minutes later, I had a bowl filled with water before me. I dropped some cinnamon and a small piece of mandrake root in the bowl, and finally let a diamond sink in the preparation. I grabbed the bowl with both hands, said the spell, then observed the preparation in the bowl. At first, I saw nothing, then, Farax Ronchard appeared. My blood froze. I recognised the building in front of which he was: he was in front of the agency with Alexandre Édouard. The mage of shadows was here. I abruptly look up at the closest window. Bob, turned to see what I was looking at, then when I faced him again, he read the fear in my eyes.

"Gustave, what is it?"

"They're here!! The're here! The gnome and the warlock are here!" I exclaimed.

"What?!" Bob shouted as he rushed to the window. God damn it!"

I did not wait any longer. I rushed to and in the stairs. I wished I could have warned Sophie, but I did not have time, I had to take Arthur as far as possible. Maybe we should have run. Maybe a life on the run would have been better than all of that. However it was too late to think about this possibility. I ran down the stairs. I heard my colleagues twist and turn.

"Code Red! Code Red! We're under attack!"

They would think of me as a coward, so be it! I was looking at my feet not to fall, when I heard a voice I knew to well.

"My lord, why take this route? It is longer."

Farax! I jumped in the recess of a wall.

"They will not expect us to come from this side." The dark mage answered.

I held my breath with difficulty. Soon, they passed by me. Why did this warlock have to be powerful and smart? I waited a few more seconds then left my hideout swiftly and exited on the street. I stopped a car in haste, I hopped in.

"Take me to the north-east of the city, maximal speed, I triple the fare!"

Without a word, the driver whipped the horses who started to gallop and ten minutes later, I was at the edge of the wood going to my place. I ignored the driver's complaints regarding the fact I did not pay him and ran the last kilometer.

Faster, faster!

##

Well, what an unrest!

"If you want my opinion, Farax, it's time to clean up a bit!"

Hop, hop, hop! It's always pleasant to see humans learning to fly! Oh, oops! This one went through the window!

Ouh la! This one is not kidding, here he comes with a rifle!

"Merde!"

Oh yes, I can send rifles flying too. Ah non, stay here!

"Argh!"

Yes I know, it hurts to be hauled by the neck, here I got you. Oh! I don't scare him this one. He's a hard nut to crack.

"Blue thing! Do you recongise this one? Oui? What's his name?

"Bob."

"Well, my dear Bob. You know a man named Gustave, I think. Where is he? You don't want to answer? What if I hold tighter?"

"Ah!"

"Where is he?! Speak!"

Theyr're all dumbstruck... This one must be the superior. Look at them, all gathered in a corner of the room! Without leader, they are paralysed.

"He... was here, a minute ago... He left."

"Where?"

"I don't know... And even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you!"

Very noble. But stupid.

Well, idiots, they're annoying, but useful.

"Someone tell me where this dear Gustave lives. Something tells me he went to get his son. If no one talks, Bob here, is dead."

"Quiet!"

"You, quiet!"

"Arrh..."

Humm... There! Him... He hesitates. Non he doesn't seem ready to talk. Let's help him a bit.

Really, I do love this opened window!

"Aaaah ! Mercy! Mercy!"

"I will let you go when you tell me where he lives."

"Non!"

"Now, Bob! Not your turn to speak."

"Ok! Ok! He... lives north east of the city. His house is in the middle of a big clearing, in the forest. Please, put me down!"

"As promised."

"AAAAAH!!"

I love horror screams.

BOOM.

Ah! Here it is, he is back on the ground! Poor man. Oh! It looks like I held this one a bit to tight! He is turning blue. He looks like Farax!

Bam.

Ah oui, indeed. He is sleeping. Ah non, he's still moving.

"Ladies, gentlemen. Thank you. ... Let's go blue thing!

##