Zoé is a young immortal. She is only 186 years old. Currently, she works in an incredible library of the occult, located in Budapest and curated by a very old immortal called Ikshan. Unfortunately, one day she stumbles upon a terrifying monster in a...
I bring four slices of chocolate cake and some coffee from my kitchen. Zoé is a sweet tooth, like me. In the last months, I think we tried pretty much all the bakeries in Budapest. Now we definitely own our specially curated list of the best in the city.
And she doesn't wait for me to be seated to reach for the cake. It's the only thing that could make her forget there is coffee available in front of her. I smile and grab my mug. The heat of the coffee warms my fingers, and the scent relaxes me.
Between two bites, Zoé starts the conversation. "So, a sorcerer, right?"
"It would be best, but I don't know if we can find one. A magician then, perhaps. But we need a powerful one."
"There's this guy I met at tattoo parlor number 2." She frowns. "Or was it number 1?" She waves her hand. "Anyway, ultra-thin, auburn hair, brown eyes. Massive tattoos. I wouldn't say he seemed friendly, but I have his number. Maybe I can call him."
I look at her in a stupor. "You have his number?"
"Well, I told him to go to hell, and apparently it charmed him. You know me, I'm Mrs. Smooth." I nod with a not-very-convincing smile. "He told me he really wanted to see me again. Of course, I didn't call him. I thought I would ditch the piece of paper, but I didn't."
"He definitely sounds like an interesting guy, but I don't think we can trust someone we don't know with that. It's sensitive information," I say carefully.
She shrugs. "You're probably right."
"And we have an even bigger problem."
"The amulet?"
"Yep. Well, it's not technically an amulet, but let's call it this way."
She sits cross-legged on the couch and finally attacks her mug of coffee. "Ok so, if I summarize the information we have: this ritual is made with two "amulets" or whatever, one who creates the trap, and one who can destroy it. The second one has to be buried at the time of the ritual in a consecrated piece of land to be protected. Meaning, it could still be buried in the south of France. Hopefully."
"Exactly."
"So it's basically like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"Right, but with indications from Leno, we can circumscribe an area of research and, with the help of a magician, we can locate precisely the amulet."
"Why not look for a sorcerer first then?"
"We don't need a sorcerer for that. And I think it would be dangerous if the wrong people knew we were looking for this item. So for now, let's keep this to ourselves."
"Sounds complicated as hell. I really hope that this Leno guy is worth it."
I choose to ignore her last remark, and reply innocently: "But, on the other hand, this could be our Indiana Jones moment! Aren't you excited?"
"That, or we could spend weeks in the middle of nowhere, digging dirt without finding jack."
I stand up and open my arms as a ringmaster introducing a show: "Think about the fine wine, small rivers, and cute villages!"
"Yeah, okay. Well, at least, we'll escape the snow there. That would be nice to see the sun."
I smile. "Great! Adventure!"
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