20 Tagsibol, 891 ED

Banal, 15:22

Milagre, Empire of Tyrman

The first bounty was a simple one, or so it seemed in the details of the paper nailed to the board in the Heron Tavern. It was an open bounty, meaning that all who knew of it could complete it. Gogo seemed uninterested in taking it, in spite of my assurances that it would be worth our while.

“This bounty has been on this board for over a month,” he commented, pointing to the date scratched into the bottom-left corner. “There must be a dozen other bounty hunters on this one. Possibly more.”

“The fact that it’s been over a month means that most would have given up on it,” I countered. “If they haven’t found the guy yet, then they’re not going to. Clearly, the target is good at hiding away.”

“Then how do you expect to find them if so many others have failed?” Gogo asked, his temper flaring at my stubbornness. “You think you can succeed where professionals haven’t?”

“First, the professionals aren’t the ones hunting these bounties,” I pointed out. In spite of Gogo’s rising temper, I kept my voice level. “They’ll be working with the Adventurer’s Guild or Issho-Ni to get guaranteed work.”

Gogo couldn’t argue that point, but he crossed his arms, still refusing to give up on his original statement. “Still. If it’s been over a month, then the bounty’s bound to have escaped Tyrman. He could be well on his way to another country, and we won’t have any way of tracking him.”

But I shook my head at that, and at once. “I very much doubt it. Look at what he’s wanted for.”

The bounty, which had almost been lost to sight by other, newer bounties placed around it. It listed a man named Jeremiah Nedden, who was guilty of looting in a time of war. The man had stolen the life savings of more than two dozen citizens. When he’d been caught by the Royal Guard after the city was reclaimed, he’d escaped custody and fled.

“So he’s a simple thief,” Gogo said. “What of it?”

“He was able to steal people’s money and treasures,” I replied. “And he managed to escape the Royal Guard in a city they were familiar with.”

“And? That just means that he’s familiar with the city as well.”

“Exactly. A man like that, who knew the secrets of the city as well as the Royal Guard, he wouldn’t flee the city.”

Gogo’s arms uncrossed, and his jaw dropped open by an inch or so. “You think he’s still here in Milagre?”

“It’s a reasonable assumption,” I said. “There are nearly a million people in this city and the districts that surround it.”

“That’s still a lot of ground to search,” Gogo said, biting his lip as he thought about the enormity of the task. “We’d have to be just as familiar with the city as he was to stand a chance.”

“Which I am,” I said with a grin. “I know this city like the back of my hand. I’ve been everywhere.”

Which wasn’t, strictly speaking, true. But I had designed the city in my mind and on paper many times, through several revisions. I knew where each district’s hiding spots were, and even knew the general layout of the network of tunnels that ran beneath the city, offering so many places of refuge for those people that didn’t like to live within the bounds of the law-governed city.

“What’s more,” I added before Gogo could interrupt, “We stand a better chance than the average bounty hunter. I know just the spell to find him.”

“You mean scrying,” Gogo said flatly. He’d understood what I meant at once. “But that only lets you get a small glimpse of the person’s surroundings. And you have to be familiar with them, don’t you?”

“I have more than enough information about him to use the spell,” I said, indicating the rest of the bounty. It listed his basic information. Race, age, height, weight, hair color, eye color, and even the clothing he was last seen to be wearing were all listed. “I only have to get one sight of something familiar, and I can track him.”

Gogo opened his mouth to reply at once, then hesitated, appearing to think it over. Without seeming to realize what he was doing, he gave a small nod of affirmation. “It’s possible. If you think you can track him, then we could do it. And it would be fast.”

I nodded in my own turn and began to lead the way out of the tavern. “I’ll be able to track him. Just trust me.”

-

The alley behind the Heron Tavern’s stables proved to be just isolated enough that I could work the spell without too many distractions. Gogo stood guard at the mouth of the alley, occasionally throwing a glance over his shoulder at me as I sat cross-legged beside some old and empty crates and took a deep breath. As confident as I’d tried to make myself seem to Gogo, I knew that finding Jeremiah on my own would be a highly difficult task. Fortunately, I knew a way to make it easier.

Reaching into my pack, I retrieved the small stone obelisk I’d purchased from the market the day before and placed it on the ground in front of me. It was an altar to Arcana, the God of Knowledge and Magic. The unlidded eye, his symbol, was etched into the face, and below it were the words that all his followers held close to their hearts. Forsake all material in the pursuit of knowledge.

Taking another deep breath, I made another serious attempt at prayer, hoping that my plan would work. “Great keeper of knowledge, hear my plea for guidance. Strengthen my mind and my magic, so that I may learn.”

Religion Check: 14 (+3) = 17

Your prayer has been heard!

At once, I felt light-headed as energy seemed to surge into my body from the air around me. Then the sensation passed, and my mind felt clear. Each thought came sharp as a knife, and I knew my plan would succeed. Well, at least I’d have no trouble locating my target. Whether or not I could achieve it without being noticed remained to be seen.

Casting the spell required no effort, at least on my end. I selected the Scry spell from my list. It cost four of the ten mana I possessed, making me swoon slightly. But then the dirty walls around me faded out of sight, and my vision was lifted. I flashed over the city of Milagre, getting only the barest glimpses of things and people that I passed. Nothing that would make a lasting impression, and I was certain that none of the people I passed sensed my magical presence.

Suddenly, I came to an abrupt halt, so unexpectedly that my stomach gave a slight lurch. To my surprise, I saw a figure that looked nothing like Jeremiah Nedden’s last description. The dark hair had been lightened by dyes, and the rest of his features were tucked behind a deep hood. He seemed to be dozing at first, but as I watched a few seconds longer, I could see his eyes darting side to side. He could tell that someone was watching him, I thought.

Your target is unaware of your surveillance.

He might not have been able to sense the magic, but he knew that unfriendly eyes were looking at him. Whether they were mine or not, I couldn’t tell. I had to act quick before he moved on to another part of the city. Look around him, I thought. Find something that looks familiar. There were some boxes in sight, a few tables, and even other people, though the details of their faces were impossible to make out.

I started to worry slightly. I only had a minute to find out where he was based on the hints in the area near him, and so far, nothing looked familiar. Then, abruptly, the sound of someone shouting at the very edge of my hearing drew my attention. There was something familiar about that voice, I thought. Where had I heard it before? Then, with another swoop of my stomach, as I was pulled away, I recognized the voice. By the time I was back in my own head, I’d already shot up to my feet.

“The Barracks!” I said, more loudly than I’d intended. “That clever bastard!”

Gogo gave a little jump at my sudden movement and exclamation, whirling around. “What?”

“He’s at the Central Barracks,” I said. For some reason, I was breathing a little heavier than usual, as if my mental excitement had actually put a toll on my body. “I recognized the voice of that merchant I bought the armor from.”

At the mention of the barracks, we both thought of the squad of Royal Guards that had broken up my assassination attempt and nearly arrested Gogo. It took a special kind of nerve to linger in the area where Royal Guards were plentiful, I thought. Then again, he did know the city well, and could likely choose any number of escape points. Besides, being in the market would let him stay up-to-date with information without locking himself into a trap.

“Let’s go,” I said. “He won’t be where he is for long. The sooner we get on his tail, the better.”

Once we had him in sight, I was sure, I could keep up without difficulty. Hiding was his greatest strength, but I knew the city like the back of my hand. I could chase him wherever he lead. Then, when he tired out, I’d capture him and drag him back to the guards and collect my bounty. I hurried out of the mouth of the alley, Gogo hot on my heels, and we both ran down the opposite street, heading for the northern end of the Market District, where we’d be closest to where Jeremiah sat.

It seemed to take no time at all before Gogo and I were slowing down at the edge of the Market District. To my left, there was a busy street where the Temple District sat. It was at its busiest today, as it was Temple Day, and more than a hundred people were streaming out of that area, splitting into the Queensroad and the Market. As I’d expected, Jeremiah was already on the move when we made it, but I was lucky enough to catch a hint of his cloak, and I darted forward, slipping between the robed figures, my eyes locked on the outlaw’s hood.

“Come on, Gogo,” I growled, breaking free of the crowd of Divine worshippers. Jeremiah was still unaware of my approach, I noticed. He was pausing beside a market stall to look at the wares it offered. I pointed him out to Gogo, and the two of us started forward. Then suddenly, something caught me by the ankles and yanked my legs back. I fell prone at once, letting out a loud grunt of surprise as I hit the ground.

“Sorry lads,” an amused voice said from above. “That’s my bounty, and I can’t let you get him.”

A tall elven woman appeared in my field of vision, just when Jeremiah turned a corner. She gave a half-bow in our direction as if trying to make a graceful exit. “Don’t worry, I just tripped you. You’ll get those knots undone in a few seconds, but I’ll have mister Nedden by then.”

And with a grin that lit up her face with a mischievous light, she ducked out of sight around that same corner.