System

27. Hunter's Path

There were very few ways to get in or out of the city. The longer routes involved a torturous journey across the desert from distant towns. This was the method used by the Council members and it provided an opportunity for reflection, acclimatisation and a grand entrance. There was a shorter route however, and this was located at the heart of the city itself.

The room was like a gothic subway station or a crypt, with stone vaulted ceilings stretched out over a large hexagonal hall. Agents, legals and avatars were free to come and go, by using the chamber at the centre as if it were an elevator. Esther had taken it to reach Certaine, and the two fugitives had quietly entered the city with her when she returned.

There were dozens of people milling around on errands of their own and no guards watched them come and go. In theory, the chamber automatically monitored traffic and would block anyone with hostile intent. In practice, as Swan and Watcher had shown, it was possible for people to slip through unnoticed.

The hunter arrived quietly without any sign that he had been observed. One of the six doors to the chamber slid back and he stepped into the city and looked around.

He was tall with broad shoulders and an athletic build. His face was hidden by a black hood and his dark cloak revealed very little. A bow and a small bag was strapped to his back and he wore tall black boots which were securely buckled in place.

As he looked around the room, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. There was no sign of threat, so he sniffed the air looking for faint traces of his quarry. He had pursued his prey across many worlds and he sensed that the end of his quest was within reach.

None of those around him seemed to notice his presence. This was a cosmopolitan place and the residents of the citadel were quite used to peculiar visitors. He had to step to one side as a large man stumbled past carrying two large suitcases. The hunter might as well have been invisible, and to most of those in the city, he was.

He sniffed again. There was something familiar in the air. He could tell that the target had been through the room only a few hours before. His eyes glowed red for a moment before he set off purposefully on his mission.

Only one observer noticed his arrival. A thin girl was watching from a dark alcove. In appearance, she was just another dancing girl from one of the visiting groups, but she wore tiny wire framed glasses and had a rough green cape which covered her thin silk outfit.

She watched the hunter arrive and make his way through the hallway. Alone in the room, she felt a moment of fear as he sniffed the air and focussed on his prey. She knew exactly what she was looking at and kept out of sight until he had disappeared.

She let out her breath and stepped from the alcove. After looking around to see if anyone else was watching she left through another exit.

The hunter made his way through the citadel like a phantom. No one challenged him as he slipped through the corridors, but he kept alert and watchful. Most of those he passed would not be a threat to him, but he sensed the presence of more powerful minds who might delay his mission.

Eventually he emerged into the cold night air. The sky was cloudless and the stars twinkled overhead. The hunter was able to navigate using the sky and he stood for a while, creating a mental map of the heavens. Like most predators, he was totally aware of his surroundings, and was swiftly calculating strike distances, available cover and potential targets.

He crossed the courtyards warily, but there were no cries of alarm. The guards at the entrance ignored him as he stepped through into the city. He was soon lost in the shadows of the streets.

His departure was not unnoticed however, and the Chief Steward watched him from the battlements of the outer walls. He sighed and pushed his glasses further up his nose.

'We have another guest,' he said to the servant who was standing next to him. 'Do alert the master.'

The servant nodded and disappeared into the citadel.

The Chief Steward stood for a while gazing out across the city. He could no longer see the hunter and didn't know which way the dark figure had gone, but he knew exactly what the dark-robed figure was looking for...

The hunter enjoyed the city streets. He appreciated the cover that was offered by dark alleyways, flickering lamplight and overhanging balconies. The nightlife of the city was in full flow and there were many people out and about - couples and families enjoying an evening out, drunks making their way between bars, thieves looking for their next target. He was hidden amongst this milling throng of humanity, but it was difficult for him to follow the subtle traces of his prey.

He paused for a moment and ducked into a nearby alleyway. He pulled a few small metal clasps from his jacket and crushed them tightly in his fist. When his palm opened again, three black moths emerged into the cold air. He blew on them and they flew off into the night weaving around as if they were searching for something.

The hunter watched them go, and then returned to the streets. He moved his head from left to right, as if tasting the air, and then froze as he detected a faint sign of his prey.

He made his way through the streets again - more urgently now. He was following the path that his target had taken - along another stretch of open road and past a large hotel. He soon realised that the one he was searching for had been criss-crossing through the city, rather than moving on a direct route. His quarry had also been looking for something.

The hunter wasn't interested in the behaviour of his prey, only it's present location. He adjusted his own mental map of the city and began to narrow his search. It would only be a matter of time now before he found what he was looking for. The kill would not evade him again.

He sniffed the air and detected a fresh trail. It lead through an old archway onto another street, where he soon found himself at the entrance to a tall hotel decked with paper lanterns and bamboo balconies.

He paused for a moment of quiet satisfaction before entering the Camel's Head.

The doorman stood out in front of him as he stepped across the threshold. The man was slightly over-weight and wore oriental clothes.

The hunter drew his sword and struck him with a powerful blow to the neck. It was over in seconds and he rolled the doorman under a curtain with his foot before stepping into the foyer.

There were two servants inside who didn't seem able to see the hunter, but the man behind the desk looked up in alarm before reaching for the bell.

The hunter pulled his bow from his back and fired off an arrow before the man was able to press his hand down on the brass button. The two servants spun round to see what had happened but they too were soon lying on the floor with arrows in their chests.

The hunter paused for a moment and sniffed the air again. His prey had been here. He could tell. He left the bodies on the floor and made his way upstairs.

He wasn't challenged again as he ascended the narrow staircase. Without pausing in his stride he climbed rapidly to the top floor and located the door where the traces of Travis Petros were most unmistakable.

He was not out of breath but paused for a moment of satisfaction before kicking the door open and forcing his way inside.