Daywalker, Nightstalker

“This yo first time in da city brotha?” Tzai looked up at the man and shook his head. But that was a lie. He had been to Dotel a couple of times with Roshan in the past. The less he knows about me, the better, he thought. He continued to study the man as they walked along the sidewalk, with Tzai lagging behind at a slightly slower pace. The first thing Tzai noticed about him was that despite his large stature and dark skin, Drell hardly attracted any attention to himself. If anything, the man was a good fit for his job. Tzai turned his attention back to the bustling streets of Dotel. Despite the fact that it was a day of rest, the citizens of Dotel appeared to be as lively as ever. It’s probably because of the great weather today, concluded Tzai. Straight ahead, an old woman was pushing a cart of fresh vegetables across the street. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a young woman in a black dress on the other side of the street glancing at him. As their gazes met she smiled and bowed her chin. It seemed like she had been eyeing him for a while. I won’t be charmed that easily, Tzai said to himself, noting her attractiveness. “Aight brotha, we’re hee-ah. Dis be ma crib.” said Drell as they stopped in front of a small, two-storey building. He reached inside his pants pocket and pulled out a key. “We can talk inside.” He gestured Tzai into the house and shut the door. Before leading his guest inside he bent down and weaved his fingers at the air, revealing hidden runes. It must be Jutsu Shiki, Tzai concluded. “Don’t mind me, I be soundproofin dis room.” After a few seconds of fiddling with his runes he stood up and said “We good now. Nobody can hee-ah us.” Tzai followed the man as they walked into a well-lighted room with a large leather couch. Drell sat down and gestured him to do the same. “Now whut bidness yo git wid me?”

♦♦♦

Crunch. The sound of dead leaves being stepped on almost made the assassin jump. She hoped neither Drell nor his tearhound noticed their pursuer. Crunch. It wasn’t her this time, though. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice, she thought. But you can never be too careful. The sun had set a while ago, and darkness ensued as they made their way through the trees. Once more, it was all but silent except for the rattling of his lantern and the pants of his tearhound. There was no road or path to follow, but Drell seemed like he had a good grasp of where he was going. If anything, the lack of roads in this area made her more comfortable, as it would decrease the chances of them encountering any stray travellers. Soon enough, they came across a dense thicket. It was time for her to make her move. The assassin surveyed her targets again. Drell likely won’t pose a threat, but the problem here is his tearhound--it can see just fine in the darkness. She wasn’t about to let that stop her, though. I can’t be the best in the business if I let something like this foil my plans.