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16th of May, 1883

Hunter or Prey?

by Maelie Arsenault

Who told you what was down here?
Come along if you wanted a peek
I've seen your face around here
Come alone, tell me under the table
What do you seek?

 
Black clad figures dash across the rooftops of the Central Ward, betrayed by the glint of steel from the lanterns below. One figure leads the others, weaving between chimneys, and up and over steep roofs as the others try to catch up to her. As Fox slides down toward the gap between buildings she casts a spell and then leaps the thirty-foot gap.
 
Welcome to the playground, follow me
Tell me your nightmares and fantasies
Sink into the wasteland underneath
Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream
Oh-oh, woah-yeah
Welcome to the playground

 
She stops and turns to watch the others come over and barely skid to a halt at the edge. Giving them a quick wave, she then dodges at the sound of the hand crossbow’s twang in the crisp spring night.
‘Always with the crossbows…’ She rolls her eyes as she heads off between some chimneys. Knowing her pursuers would have to detour to another rooftop to follow.
 
What brings you to the lost and found, dear?
Won't you pull up a seat?
Everybody got a price 'round here to play
Make me an offer, what will it be?
Oh, what will it be?

 
Leonessa’s lackeys had been chasing her for a while now and Fox decided to change the game. She cast a quick illusion of herself and sent it to another roof over before leaning back against a chimney and waiting.
Two of the rogues came from the right, the others probably going further afield. Fox waited for them to pursue the illusion before aiming her revolver with both hands.
 
Welcome to the playground, follow me
Tell me your nightmares and fantasies
Sink into the wasteland underneath
Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream

 
Pulling the trigger, she sent a bullet into the upper shoulder of her target, drawing a surprised shriek from her. Her partner turned on her heel, her eyes quickly finding Fox in the dark and firing a bolt.
The thief shifted and the bolt slashed across her arm but avoided a true strike. Using the last bit of her jump spell, she leapt back up the steep roof, back the way she came. Once at the roof’s peak she slid down and teleported across the gap.
 
Oh-oh, woah-yeah
Welcome to the playground
Oh-oh, woah-yeah
Welcome to the playground
Welcome to the playground
Welcome to the playground

 
Another bolt struck Fox in the shoulder, almost the same place she’d scored her own hit. One of the other rogues hadn’t gone so far around that she couldn’t return to help. She huffed as she kept running, looking for another way out.
The Fox kept this up for another hour. Running, doubling back, setting traps, and using all the illusions, weapons, and tricks she could to whittle her enemies down before it became obvious they were prepared for this kind of hunt. They were pacing themselves.
 
Welcome to the playground, follow me
Tell me your nightmares and fantasies (tell me your nightmares)
Sink into the wasteland underneath
Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream

 
The hunted begrudgingly went to ground, her last illusion throwing off pursuit just long enough for her to slip into a hidden sewer drain. Fox stumbled through the sludge filled tunnels until she poked her head out a drainpipe near the river. Sitting down, she took stock of her injuries and let her legs rest for a moment before taking the next steps to get home unseen.

Continue reading...

  1. The Last Rule
    November 27th, 1882, - Novandria
  2. The Den
  3. Am I losing?
  4. A Close Call
  5. Plans
  6. New Toys
  7. Mistakes were made
  8. Too close to home
  9. Not like you.
  10. This City is Mine.
    February 6th, 1883
  11. Aimless?
    March 5, 1883 - Novandria
  12. The Game Begins
    February 13th, 1883
  13. Too much like You
    March 13, 1883
  14. Safer in Shadows
    April 3, 1883
  15. New Beginnings
    April 7th, 1883
  16. Ready to Run
    April 17th, 1883
  17. Home
    April 25, 1883
  18. Can you steal a heart?
    May 8th, 1883
  19. Trouble
    11th of May, 1883
  20. Heartbreak
    14th of May, 1883
  21. Hunter or Prey?
    16th of May, 1883
  22. Guilt
    19th of May, 1883
  23. Untrustworthy
    21st of May, 1883
  24. Why am I like this?
    25th of May, 1883
  25. Worthy
    8th of June, 1883
  26. The One She Left Behind
    13th June, 1883
  27. Annnd it's back...
    July 1st, 1883
  28. Learning to Fly
    July 4th, 1883
  29. Thrill of the Hunt
    July 29th, 1883
  30. From the Embers
    21st of August, 1883 // 1867
  31. Mother Knows Best
    16th of September, 1883
  32. A Snake, a Star, and a Fox
    25th of September, 1883, Novandria
  33. It wasn't him.
    28th of September, 1883, Novandria
  34. The New Blade
    13th of September, 1883
  35. Something Good
    October 31, 1883 - Novandria
  36. The wound that won't close
    18th of December, 1883 - Novandria
  37. Promise
    25th of December, 1883 - Novandria
  38. Fallen through the cracks
    6th of January, 1884 - Novandria
  39. Day to Night
    7th of January, 1884
  40. What's Left to the Shadows
    22nd of January, 1884, Novandria
  41. The World without Colour
    18th of February, 1884, Bellancourt, Montaigne,
  42. Seventeen Roofs
    26th of February, Novandria, Eisen
  43. Crossing the Board
    4th of March, 1884, Novandria, Eisen
  44. New Freedom
    May 4th, 1884
  45. Saved
    5th of May, 1884/16th of July, 1858

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:15, Nov 15 2024