I'm so sorry this is so short! I couldn't make it any longer without taking away from the story! I promise the next chapter will be longer! OK, I bet you that you won't be able to guess what city this. I actually based this on a real city for once. If you do figure it out, don't get mad with any inconsistencies or mistakes because I have only been there once, last summer, for 3 days. But I loved every minute of it! So, I dearly hope you will enjoy this and give me reviews. Or your soul. My Human Soul Containment Unit is a trifle empty these days. I really appreciate those that took the time to review the last chapter. Ack. I sound so funny! Not my usual criminally insane self! Ah well, next time…
Chapter two
Kemiri was roused from his sound sleep by a droning, thrumming sound coming from the building he was camped out on. His interests immediately piqued, he pried open an access door on the roof and silently entered the cool building. Luckily, the stairs were also connected to a cat walk that ran the length of the building. The Yautja padded out into the middle of one, taking care with his steps so that he would not set the rickety metal frame to shaking with his weight. Below him, several dozen oomans were sitting on hard wooden benches, all watching one man standing in front of them behind an altar. The lone ooman, a leader of some sort, was talking at the sitting oomans. The noise he had heard before had halted, so he really didn't know what this was about. Kemiri settled down, sitting cross legged, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands. The building was cool and smelled like strange incense, wax and dust, similar to the temples in his clan ship and on the Homeworld. It lay thickly over the tops of the rafters, on window ledges, basically anywhere it could settle. It was peaceful here. A sudden rustling caught his attention. The oomans stood and began singing/chanting something. He could not tell what they were saying because of the sheer number of voices. One thing he did know was that contrary to popular belief, not all oomans were blessed with beautiful voices. Deciding the oomans sounded better from afar, the observing Yautja silently left.
….
After negotiating the narrow, often twisting alleyways and ascending a large, very steep hill, he found himself in a very busy area of the city. It was right at the very top of the hill, which in some places could better be called a cliff. It overlooked a wide river where many boats were floating or speeding madly about. Many of the buildings were made of stone, great grand buildings, like the one he was currently living on. They were still cool, not yet heated by the sun, though the day promised to be searing. The buildings were great fun to traverse and explore. Surely they had not been meant to be seen from the ground! They were far too interesting, and had such detailed carvings on them. It was work that rivaled that of the finest Yautja artisans.
…..
Edan woke suddenly, blinking out into darkness. Rising slowly and gracefully, he easily navigated the basement, ascending the stairs. Going to the upstairs room where he kept his clothing, he removed the ones he currently wore. They were rumpled from sleep and looked sloppy. He opened a wardrobe, antique like most of his other furniture, and selected a charcoal gray turtleneck, and a pair of black pants. Coupled with his black hair and eyes and pale skin, he looked like some sort of semi-Goth poetry fiend. The sort of person who frequented small, dark clubs where everyone knew each other, where the air was blue with clove cigarette smoke, where young men and women recited angsty, dark poetry for each other, accompanied by a cello, or bongos or perhaps a trumpet, played softly, where you drank small cups of coffee with long, complex, unpronounceable names. But the look suited him. He had even gone to such clubs before, out of curiosity, but he didn't find them anything special. Snatching his trench-coat off the coat-rack near the door, he stepped out into the fragrant evening.
…..
Walking through one of the huge stone gates to the Old Town, Edan kept a wary eye out for his elusive friend. This was near the Plains, the park where he had first seen the creature, so perhaps this was another likely location. The young man was seldom wrong about the appearances of those he stalked. He had already fed that night, so he would not be distracted by the nagging pain of hunger. He walked the length of the Upper Town, and then descended some worn stone stairs near a gaudy Catholic church. He made his way to a lower sidewalk that ran through a garden. If he continued, he'd get to the Lower Town, but he didn't want to do that just yet. There were few tourists here because it was so dark. Just some stunting kid skateboarders. Ignoring them and their stares, he sat down on a bench, relaxing. Slowly, he became aware of a strange smell. It was musky and sharp, with an undertone of sweat. It made the hackles on his neck want to rise. It wasn't strong yet, but was getting there. Edan wrinkled his nose. He didn't like it at all. Could it be some garbage, or possibly an animal? It certainly smelled like that to someone with such a sensitive nose. Glancing around and sneering slightly, he prepared to leave. From the corner of his eye, he saw the wavering air of rising heat. Weird. It was cool enough out now that that shouldn't happen. Then, it registered. The entity! It jumped off the roof into a tree, then from the tree to another roof. Edan stared in shock for a moment, before giving a little chuckle of excitement and taking off in pursuit. He knew he wasn't wrong! This just had to be what he was looking for! It was fast, agile and sure of itself. That was what he wanted. He had to learn more!
As Edan followed the creature, it became apparent that this was much more than he could have hoped for. It was amazingly fast and moved with an ease that constantly surprised him. The young man had to keep reminding himself that this creature was mortal, because eh hadn't seen a mortal creature like it before. Over thirty years of searching had finally come to fruition! But his current preparations were far from adequate. He had to make them much stronger; he had to prepare his house.
