Hunter

Chapter 23

**         What a pain... Besides the worry eating me alive, I had to take care of my sister and Ulysses. Without taking into account the fact that Henri had made clear what he knew. Well, "knew" was not the right word. "Suspect" was more correct. I wished I could have left to look for my father... Only, what to do with Agate? And mostly, where to begin? According to Gaspard's testimony Bob had reported to me, my father had simply disappeard at the arm of a gnome. Pow! Gone, vanished...

"Where is daddy?"

"At work."

"Why is he sleeping at work?"

"Hum..."

That was the other problem. Answering everytime that dad was at work, without ever having a real answer to the "why?" of my little sister. Luckily, she was only four...

**

        After I went through the door, I ended up in a long corridor of dirt, wide and with a rather high ceilling. But Farax Ronchard was gone. In front of me, at the far end of the long straight line this underground hallway formed, sat a door like the one I had just passed. I strode through the corridor and stopped in front of that door. I thought things over for a moment since I did not know what to do. The previous door had been protected, there were chances this one would not be. On the other hand, supernatural creatures were naturally cautious, perhaps was it guarded? Or worse, it could be the gnome's house!

Better enter discreetly...

I was about to take ahold of the knob when a trapdoor hatch I had not noticed opened. Two little eyes appeared and a husky voice rose.

"Rank and habilities."

"Excuse-me?"

"Rank and habilities! Are you thick or something?"

Rank and habilities... Hum... What ?

When you don't get it, there is still nerve.

"I don't have time for your trifle ways! I need to speak with Farax Ronchard immediatly!"

"If you don't tell me what you are, you won't come through!" the other persisted.

Shit... Even nerves would not work with that guy... I was racking my brains. Rank... rank... what I am?... Good god! Of course! He wanted to know to what supernatural species I belonged.

"I'm a wizard." I answered.

"Very well, a little demostration please."

Damn. Be smart, be smart!

"How would I have made it here if I weren't? I'm telling you, I'm in a hurry!"

Behind the door, the creature kept silent for a moment. I tried to keep an irritated face and not to betray my anxiety.

"Fine, here you go..."

The hatchway closed and a heavy rattling typical of unbolting locks echoed. The big door opened creaking. Without a look for the guard, I entered the small room and went quickly through the narrow hallway on the right. When I entered the next place, I stopped more than astounded. I was expecting anything but this. Before me stretched a whole city. Of course, the sky was not visible, but houses and other kinds of buildings, directly linked to the ceilling, had been built. Signs showed here and there, streets were overflowing with creatures: vampires, gnomes, wizards, centaurs,... Sometimes even a fairy or two. I rose my eyes to watch the ceiling. Roots came out of it here and there, but the whole thing seemed solid. The vault probably had been enchanted. My gaze landed on the effervescent city again, and the anguish which had appeared when Gaspard had accidently told the gnome that the portrait was my son's pressured my chest again. How was I going to find that bloody gnome?