Humanity, an interesting idea, an interesting word and a word with no place in this city. A city where the dead dance and monsters wear human skin. A land where your prostitute is your priest, their pulpit granted by the mafia, who rule this labyrinthine of stone and filth like kings.

It is not to say that this place lacks happiness, that the people do not smile nor love, it is just that the darkness is seen as a natural part of life within this city.

High above the bay, within the commercial heart of the city, a girl sat, dressed head to toe in black as if she were in mourning. Her legs dangled off the stone ledge she sat upon, all the while she stared intently at the people below, who rushed about like ants.

“Alice!” a voice called out. The girl swivelled, turning to face her new and unwelcome guest.

Before her another girl stood, her gentle features and dark tanned skin standing out in stark contrast to the nihilistic grin she wore.

“Rebbecca! How’s our town’s premier teenage arms dealer doing on this wonderful day?” Alice replied, making no effort to conceal the sarcasm and disdain within her voice.

“I think you’ll find I’m this town’s premier arms dealer, age has nothing to do with it. In my line of work it’s the range and quality of the products that denotes your worth and my products... well... they speak for themselves,” she rebutted, her grin breaking into a silent laugh.

This girl! I can’t fathom her no matter how many times I meet her, she’s completely unbalanced. Strutting around as she does, dressed in that white suit and overcoat, as carefree as can be, and yet all the while dealing some of the most deadly weapons ever created, Alice thought to herself.

“No Ko with you today? Is it okay to be walking these streets without your bodyguard?” She continued aloud.

“Brother’s tied up with some business that desperately needed resolving and I just wanted to go for an afternoon stroll. There’s no need to worry about me Alice, I’ll be fine as long as these two are with me.” She motioned gently, lifting the edge of her coat away and revealing the chromed steel of her twin handguns that sat snugly in their holsters.

“Now Alice, I bet you know why I called out to you, right?”

“Haven’t the foggiest Rebbecca, was it to invite me out for tea? Or maybe to go dress shopping?”

“No, silly!” she said a sickly sweet smile upon her lips.

“It was to give you a little warning, as I could see you looking down there so intently, at those overly conspicuous men, the ones in the grey suits.”

“What!? Are they going to murder me with their horrible fashion sense?” Alice quipped back, trying to avoid taking the subject seriously.

“Murder you? Quite possibly, but not with their fashion sense, much more likely to do it with the crate load of Avtomat Kalashnikova I sold to them a week and a half ago. I know you think yourself indestructible Alice but trust me, a seven point six two round is more than enough to kill someone like you.”

“Oh really! Strike me surprised! You sold them their weaponry but here’s the strange point? What’s come over you to bother telling me that Rebbecca?”

“Nothing too much my dear, murder and death is always a part of my business, it if wasn’t there would be no business. But... let’s just say that I find you and your actions to be interesting enough to value them over the information I just gave you. Free of charge mind you!”

“You’re always thinking about that bottom line aren’t you Rebbecca?? Let’s not bother saying I owe you one and we’ll just agree that maybe somewhere out there someone might just be a little grateful of the knowledge you’ve provided to me, okay?” Alice remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she did so.

“Fine by me!” Rebbecca cheerfully remarked.

“Anyway Alice, I must be on my way, I hope that you don’t mind? It is just that I still have several jobs that must be seen to by the end of today.”

“Of course I don’t mind, I wouldn’t want to keep you or your clients waiting”

“Such kind words you have my dear, they really do not suit this sullen appearance you’ve created for yourself.”

“It’s all about being unseen Rebbecca. Not all of us can stand out as much as you choose to do... and without your bodyguard no less.”

“Alice, in this town! I sell the weapons that allow those idiot mafioso to do business as well as they do. Not a single one would want to see me harm and not a single person outside the mafia would wish to garner their fury. Thus I can have the run of the place as. I. See. Fit.”

“Lucky for some...” Alice replied, under her breath.

“And on that note I really must be going but do stop by if you’re ever in need of something to protect yourself... hell stop by even if you just want a new set of clothes or a cup to tea, I’ll be sure to make you feel welcome.”

With that she turned and strutted off once more, waving goodbye with her hand raised listlessly. As abruptly as she appeared she was gone, dissolving once more into the mindless rabble of the city.

Crazy bitch, Alice thought, turning her attention back towards the square below her. Trying to locate the men Rebbecca had so lovingly warned her of, scant moments before.

Her eyes scanned across the whole square, unable to spot a single one of them. Damn, she cursed, even though it had only taken a few moments of her time that pointless talk with Rebbecca had cost her dearly. The prey was no-where to be seen and she hadn’t been able to put a [Trace] on them either.

Quickly she flicked open the buttons of her coat, reaching down into the small satchel that clung tightly to her hip, taking out a small green gemstone from within.

The stone was roughly cut and no bigger than a pea, however it had cost her almost two weeks worth of her earnings to acquire. Alice really didn’t want to waste it, nevertheless this seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass on.

Grasping the gemstone between her middle finger and thumb she thrust her arm forward, outstretching her index finger as she did so and tracing a small circle in the air. Once the circle was complete Alice gently released the gemstone into the center of the circle.

Closing her eyes she slowly began to chant, each word spoken in some eldritch tongue. As she did so the gemstone, floating in mid-air began to shine dimly, a series of shapes forming around it, that soon convalesced into part of a greater pattern.

After a few seconds Alice’s eyes shot open, dyed in the same same dim light that was being emitted from the stone. Her ongoing chant began to quicken in pace, its words becoming more and more recognisable with each and every verse.

"From the plane of death, may life be granted in exchange for the weighted due yet to be paid. May thine life granted serve thee whom pays the due yet to be paid, granting thy service. Spirit bine thee to the due and serve thine will faithfully, thus I summon thee. [Summon: Spirit Puppet]."

As she spoke the final words of her chant, shadows began to gather around the gemstone, forming writhing, contorted shapes that strained within the magic circle surrounding it.

Slowly the creature began to take shape, with a skeleton of a small bird forming as the shadows quickly transmuted into muscles and flesh to cover it. From this newly created raw flesh feathers began to sprout, exploding out from the skin in quick succession, the barbs fanning out as they did so, until the creature was completely adorned in them, its black coat shimmering in the afternoon sun.

Spreading its wings wide it let out a shrill caw, gliding down to perch lightly upon Alice’s lap. Seeing this she reached down and gently ruffled the feathers at the bird’s neck, greatly pleased with herself.

To anyone around who had missed the earlier scene, it would appear that this creature was in fact a common bird, it’s appearance no different to any other raven in the city. Yet this creature was nothing more than a puppet granted a false life, a half life, that strictly obeyed Alice and her will.

Her lips curved into a half smile and with a flick of her wrist the [Spirit Puppet] flew off into the afternoon sky, in search of her prey. As the [Spirit Puppet] soared away, Alice softly placed her hand over one of her eyes, it’s vision quickly replaced with darkness. With her other hand the reached out towards her summon, as if trying to grasp it out of the sky.

"[Astral Link]," she whispered, under her breath.

The darkness of her left eye being instantly replaced with a new scenery, one that sat high above watching down on the city from above. Far below her the city stretched out, sprawling. From the long coastal shoreline, through the red light districts, into the financial heartland to the city.

Beyond that numerous roads twisted and wound their way up among the more residential areas of the town before finally reaching the outer reaches of the city and the forest that spread out across the northern horizon.

Alice forced the Spirit to swoop downwards, flying at a breakneck speed through the winding streets and passageways that spread out through the district, her eyes scanning fervently for anything out of the ordinary.

Each and every street was packed to the brim with people hustling to and throw, each going about their daily routine. All around shops and stalls full of staff where a hive of activity, each specialising in their own particular trade or craft. Still, among all this normality and routine some oddities existed.

It was one of these quaint oddities that immediately caught her attention, a small obscure bookshop sat sandwiched between two larger office buildings, its sign faded and in severe disrepair, barely legible read Dullahan’s. Outside the front door of the store two men stood rigidly, their black suits standing out against the surrounding crowds.

By appearance alone it looked like noplace a fifteen year old girl should ever visit and the store’s true identity wasn’t any better. Still Alice knew this place well, as would any self-respecting Mage or Sorcerer within this city. Dullahan’s were a shop that dealt to an exclusive brand of clientele, the sort who prised privacy and discretion among other things and Dullahan’s were more than happy to comply.

Nonetheless what caught Alice’s eye where the two men who remained positioned outside the store. Normally Dullahan’s never had any sort of guard, human or otherwise, allowing anyone and everyone to enter the store unmolested.

Dullahan’s where an indispensable resource to the local Sorcerer and Mage population, meaning that those in power always deemed fit to make sure no-one could do away with it’s existence. Anyone stupid enough to cause a commotion within the stores grounds would soon find their deepest and darkest secrets divulged to both enemies and authorities alike.

Knowing this Alice thought someone must’ve had a very good reason to send men out here just to make sure no-one approached the store. Whatever conversation was going on inside, Alice wanted to know about it. With great excitement Alice forced the spirit downwards towards Dullahan’s, looking for a suitable place to land.

Eventually she decided to perch upon the sign that hung beside the doorway. Tilting forward the spirit peered through the window trying to catch wind of what was being said. Unfortunately it seemed that whoever these guys were they didn’t want to to leave anything to chance and had cast an [Interference Barrier] that spread out around the store, preventing any sound from escaping.

"Shit!" Alice spat forth a curse. Infuriated at their preparedness, it seemed to be that Rebbecca was right, these weren’t your ordinary street thugs. These guys had both the skills, abilities and knowhow to make this a living hell for her.

Oh well, I’ve never been known to give up when I should, she thought cracking her fingers.

"I guess I’ll have to do this the hard way." she mused, jumping from her ledge, falling downwards to the street below.

It was a good few meters to the street, more than enough to to cause serious injury. Yet Alice didn’t panic, spreading her hands outwards and feeling the air that ran across them, grasping it’s flow, turning the currents towards her.

The ground rapidly rushed up to greet her, seeing this she flicked both hands away from herself, the currents wrapped around her, slowing her down and allowing her to land safely, without injury.

Smiling, she sprinted off towards Dullahan’s. Her feet pounding off the cobblestone walk ways, the excitement growing with every step. All around a sea of people obstructed her but Alice was a street rat through and through, knowing all the best shortcuts and being more than athletically skilled to break through this meager crowd.

She ducked down a back alley, hoping over broken and rotting crates and even more broken and rotting people. There lives wasted away to some drug or another.

Up ahead a chainlink fence blocked her way, Alice chuckled, once again spreading her hands out against the air, grasping it within them. Ten meters, five meters, a meter, the fence bore down towards her. Right at the last second she lept, flicked her hands downwards, propelling her up and over the wall in one clean seamless motion.

Once back upon the promenade, she began to dodge and dart between the numerous street vendors, her long black coat flapping in her wake.

All the while all around shouts and cursed rang out at her, yet she cared not, to her their insignificant complaints felt too far below her to even pay attention to. In this world you had to look out for number one and everyone else had to be an afterthought, if you didn’t you’d quickly find yourself either dead in a ditch somewhere or seriously out of pocket.

Rounding one last corner she exiting onto the main thoroughfare of the district. All about throngs of people moved as part of a larger monotonous entity. Only breaking rank to allow the trams that moved through the street room to pass.

Up ahead Dullahan’s resided, it’s doors still guarded. Alice shifted her eyes across the street, taking note of several less than scrupulous people who sat within the crowd.

Some stood close-by their hands quite obviously tucked inside their jackets, making no attempt to hide the fact they were armed. Other kept their distance, their attire blending into the surroundings, ready to intervene if the need arises.

Slowly and methodically Alice walked towards the store, pausing now and then to take stock of a street vendor’s wares, trying her best to harmonize with her surroundings.

Ahead the spirit sat, still perched upon the sign, occasionally cawing or dipping its beak to prune itself.

Closing in on the store, Alice clicked her fingers, setting the spirit off, flying away from it’s perch. Once again soaring high into the sky, the Spirit’s wings flapping feverently as it began to circle above, eyes unblinking, focused intently on the cafe below.

Alice was grinning from ear to ear, with the [Spirit Puppet] in place, no-one would be able to sneak away from the meeting without her noticing.

She might not of be able to sneak into and hear directly what they were meeting about, but she could definitely follow them to find out about it.Now all she had to do was wait for an opportunity, and then everything would be back on track.

Deftly she snatched a can of coke, stealing it from the nearest vendor, not once missing her stride as she continued to slowly walk forwards towards a nearby bench, sitting down with the cold can clasped tightly between her hands.

With a massive grin still plastered across her face, she cracked open the can, crossing her legs beneath her and knocking back the can, her stakeout already well underway.

Next Chapter: Where Are We Going?