The Arcanist

Hide and Seek

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, giving her pause as the feeling registered. It had been weeks since she last felt that sensation, and it only ever meant one thing.

She quickened her pace and zipped up her jacket, pulling its hood up over her head as she moved through the busy city streets with haste.

"N'chao" She murmured in annoyance. Things had been going so well.

Closing her eyes briefly, she allowed a wisp of her magic to flow over her. It was a simple, yet profoundly useful illusion spell. She had used it often to avoid the unwanted attention of city guards, and of her marks.

Now enveloped she did her best to blend in. The spell influenced the minds of those around her, made her hard to focus on and therefore hard to see. But it was fragile. Once focus was attracted, the spell was broken.

Hoping to minimize the chance of that happening, she moved to the rhythm of the crowd, weaving in and out between them, ever forward. How she missed the natural cover of night.

But no one made eye contact with her for many blocks. It was working. Another perk of these large cities, she supposed. So many busy people who didn't want to be bothered.

Feeling more secure she began to take quick glimpses around her. Children with their parents; groups of tourists; the occasional drunk. No one stood out, though the feeling remained.

A sudden push against her landed her on the floor.

"Watch where you're fucking going!" It was an older woman who now sat on the pavement in front of her.

"Apologies." She muttered through gritted teeth, all the while cursing herself for being so careless.

After a few moments, she felt a chill run down her spine and a thought dawned on her; her spell was broken. The woman jabbered on in the background while she stood herself up. She looked up and about her, a strange feeling of apprehension grabbing hold of her. There. For a moment, between the crowd. She saw him.

"N'wah." She said, turning towards the opposite direction and running.

She made a hard right into an alleyway. Had he seen her? She growled under her breath. If he hadn't seen her, he'd certainly heard the woman yelling after her as she left. She briefly wished she had stuck a dagger in her before running off.

"Too many people." She reminded herself. "Just keep moving."

Quickly she made her way through the narrow alleyways. Her trained footfalls were silent, but the pounding of her heartbeat was loud in her ears. It was a foreign feeling for her. She didn't like it.

It was only noon, but she was exhausted; sleep deprived. She didn't recognize these streets, but she kept on, more and more being driven by instinct than foresight.

She could feel him. Like being stared at from across the room. She pushed herself. Faster. Further. A left here. A right there.

"S'wit." She cursed herself. If only she could just teleport. It was how she'd gotten away before, but now... now she was weak. This place she was in was unlike any other she'd been to before. Magic did not flow freely here. What she came with was all that she had, and her reserves were growing low.

She realized too late the warning signs around her. High walls, chainlink fences, fewer and fewer shops and residences.

Turning another corner, there it was. A dead end.

She stopped, nearly out of breath, and walked towards the brick wall at the other end. Too tall to hop, no footholds for climbing. Briefly she contemplated turning around and finding another way. But she knew it was too late. Instead, she rested her forehead on the cold brick before her, her hands clenched into fists.