11-22-2014, 09:13 AM
Frustration furrowed his eyes low as Enzo returned to Tehya's apartment. Yet again, the night was an unsuccessful hunt. His mentor, Alessio, sometimes needed years to stalk a single drakaina. The monsters behaved so much like humans that they were difficult to spot for a trained Atharim's eye, but their cleverness and foresight required an incredible amount of planning to finally kill one. Enzo was no where near such a stage. He was merely trying to track one, and for the third night in a row, he tracked only whispers and rumors. He had yet to lay eyes on the actual demon.
He opened the door and little warmth welcomed him home. He'd spent precious little time there, which was part of the job, and he found the chill embrace fitting. Likeminded with Tehya, he did not think of the space as a home. It was merely a safe place to sleep.
Tehya was gone, he noted. The two roommates had adopted multiple ways to inform each other of their absence or presence. He dropped the light-bag aside that had been slung across his shoulders and draped his coat on its hook. Next he shoved off his boots and left them by the door so to not track water across the floor. Soraphine, his wife, had always been cross when the kids sloshed water across the gleaming wood floors of their home. Despite years without his gorgeous wife, the habit to appease her had stayed with him.
Drakaina. The word curled his lip with disgust. Unlike some of his Atharim fellows, Enzo did not care about the myths shrouded the tragic origins of these creatures. They existed. And they preyed on the innocent. Therefore they deserved to meet the eternal night their own making; and sent there by someone like Enzo.
But the frustration had mounted. He forwent retiring to his room and chose the sofa instead. It was a dingy, uncomfortable thing, with flattened cushions and scratchy cloth, but he hoped the discomfort would hone his focus.
He opened a wallet pad to its larger screen and opened his log. A map of city district in Moscow expanded. Ticked across a range spanning several square kilometers were notches of varying colors. To it, Enzo flagged three more locales and surveyed the update. Bars, restaurants, night-clubs: anywhere the rumors of a woman matching his drakaina's description were noted went on this map. The visual was a habit of Alessio's, and helped him find patterns in a given monster's roaming.
But maps weren't the only patterns Enzo sought to decipher. Drakaina had to support themselves, somehow. In the modern age, transfer of money was nearly untrackable by someone outside custody government, but the Atharim's reach extended deep. The email he hoped to receive was opened next. There were credit card purchases at many of the locations over the past two years indicating not only her presence, but her need to spend her own money.
One of the night clubs wasn't flagged, however. In the last six months, the account's purchases tapered dramatically. There were some activity here and there, but never at this one location.
Enzo tapped the flagged location and pulled up the club name.
His frustration deepened. Eve Alessio would have trouble with this one. The building was a fortress of security. There was no where to spy upon the front entrance. And Enzo was far from the type of guest to be admitted. Manifesto was out of his reach.
He was only tracking rumors at this stage, and did not anticipate finding the demon herself, but he needed to roam among the club's patrons himself.
He ran an internet search. 'How to get in to Manifesto' and gawked at the sheer volume of websites dedicated to tutoring the less affluent. Women were advantaged, to start with, over men which made sense. In effect, he needed to know the right person to be given a chance, but even movie stars could be turned away for lack of proper appearance.
Enzo sighed and collapsed the screen. It was impossible.
Alessio's voice streamed in his mind: "Nothing is impossible, Enzo. The Atharim are our brothers. We will find the help we need. Our cause is the noblest on the earth. Where there is intent, there will be means."
"Oui monsieur"
He whispered like his mentor was in the room and picked up the phone. He called HQ and was promptly redirected to a consultant. Enzo had his doubts, but it was worth the shot.
They made arrangements to meet.
He opened the door and little warmth welcomed him home. He'd spent precious little time there, which was part of the job, and he found the chill embrace fitting. Likeminded with Tehya, he did not think of the space as a home. It was merely a safe place to sleep.
Tehya was gone, he noted. The two roommates had adopted multiple ways to inform each other of their absence or presence. He dropped the light-bag aside that had been slung across his shoulders and draped his coat on its hook. Next he shoved off his boots and left them by the door so to not track water across the floor. Soraphine, his wife, had always been cross when the kids sloshed water across the gleaming wood floors of their home. Despite years without his gorgeous wife, the habit to appease her had stayed with him.
Drakaina. The word curled his lip with disgust. Unlike some of his Atharim fellows, Enzo did not care about the myths shrouded the tragic origins of these creatures. They existed. And they preyed on the innocent. Therefore they deserved to meet the eternal night their own making; and sent there by someone like Enzo.
But the frustration had mounted. He forwent retiring to his room and chose the sofa instead. It was a dingy, uncomfortable thing, with flattened cushions and scratchy cloth, but he hoped the discomfort would hone his focus.
He opened a wallet pad to its larger screen and opened his log. A map of city district in Moscow expanded. Ticked across a range spanning several square kilometers were notches of varying colors. To it, Enzo flagged three more locales and surveyed the update. Bars, restaurants, night-clubs: anywhere the rumors of a woman matching his drakaina's description were noted went on this map. The visual was a habit of Alessio's, and helped him find patterns in a given monster's roaming.
But maps weren't the only patterns Enzo sought to decipher. Drakaina had to support themselves, somehow. In the modern age, transfer of money was nearly untrackable by someone outside custody government, but the Atharim's reach extended deep. The email he hoped to receive was opened next. There were credit card purchases at many of the locations over the past two years indicating not only her presence, but her need to spend her own money.
One of the night clubs wasn't flagged, however. In the last six months, the account's purchases tapered dramatically. There were some activity here and there, but never at this one location.
Enzo tapped the flagged location and pulled up the club name.
His frustration deepened. Eve Alessio would have trouble with this one. The building was a fortress of security. There was no where to spy upon the front entrance. And Enzo was far from the type of guest to be admitted. Manifesto was out of his reach.
He was only tracking rumors at this stage, and did not anticipate finding the demon herself, but he needed to roam among the club's patrons himself.
He ran an internet search. 'How to get in to Manifesto' and gawked at the sheer volume of websites dedicated to tutoring the less affluent. Women were advantaged, to start with, over men which made sense. In effect, he needed to know the right person to be given a chance, but even movie stars could be turned away for lack of proper appearance.
Enzo sighed and collapsed the screen. It was impossible.
Alessio's voice streamed in his mind: "Nothing is impossible, Enzo. The Atharim are our brothers. We will find the help we need. Our cause is the noblest on the earth. Where there is intent, there will be means."
"Oui monsieur"
He whispered like his mentor was in the room and picked up the phone. He called HQ and was promptly redirected to a consultant. Enzo had his doubts, but it was worth the shot.
They made arrangements to meet.