they said we were hunting the giants to extinction. Here, the smoke of a thousand hearth-fires stifled the air as much as the stone-dust that hung over the factories.
I didn't like it, but this was where my contact wanted to meet, and I'd need all the help I could get to fulfil my mission. I scanned the street from my vantage between buildings, watching passers-by. Any of them might be the one I'd been sent to meet, but each went past, head down under the weight of living in this place. A bus rumbled past, its team of aurochs straining against the weight of the wooden structure and the passengers it held.
A prickling in the back of my neck had me swinging round, grabbing the shardcaster, but I held my fire. Only one shadowy figure stood behind me, neither attacking or retreating.
"It's a good moon for the chase," a deep, clear female voice commented.
I hadn't expected a woman, but it was the phrase I'd been waiting for. "The next will be better," I responded.
The figure nodded and moved closer. I lowered the caster, but I let her see it was still ready for use.
"Nice weapon," she commented. "Still, it's the hunter who kills the prey, not the weapon."
"Fair enough." It wouldn't do to let her get me riled. "I've killed my share."
"We'll see." The silhouetted head nodded, and she stepped out of the deeper shadow.
She was young, but old enough to be grown into a mature form. A very mature form that filled out a hunter's skin garb decorated with elaborate engravings. I certainly wasn't unaffected by her, but it wouldn't do to let my guard down.
"You know why I'm here?" I asked.
"Of course." She came closer, moving as if she stalked prey. She wore her auburn hair loose to her shoulders, unlike most megavillage women. "I'm to help you get to the Engine and give you whatever back-up you need. The boss thought I'd look less conspicuous."
Less conspicuous? "How come? That's hardly the latest style around here, is it?"
She snorted, hazel eyes crinkling in humour. "Around here, everyone thinks they know what it means. A lot of men like a huntress, you know."
It took me an instant to get what she meant. It's not that we didn't have the same services at the herding stations, but no such games or dressing up. You accepted the women as they were.
"And they like you like this?"
I wasn't actually sure if that was what she meant, or if it were just a disguise, but she only gave me a lopsided grin. "You can call me Gazelle."
I stopped myself laughing. She might have the grace of a gazelle, but certainly not the delicacy. Still, it was probably a name for this mission only, so it didn't really matter.
"And you can call..." I began, but she put a forefinger onto my lips—a finger too well manicured for a huntress, I noted.
"I don't want to call you anything. Let's just get this done, before something goes wrong."
Was that a trace of unsteadiness in her voice? Probably not, given how cool she looked, though she blinked a lot more than a hunter would.
"Fine with me," I said, shouldering the bag I'd put down while I waited. "Lead the way."
Gazelle took me through the back-alleys of the megavillage till I was thoroughly lost. I could find my way through trackless forests, but the crookedness of this place defeated me. She flitted from shadow to shadow, although no-one was in sight, but took my arm to cross the packed thoroughfares, chattering nonsense until we were back into the alleys.
"Best way to hide in a crowd," she murmured, "is don't hide. Not far now."
As we crossed one of these streets, though, a voice called, "Hey, you!" I forced myself not to turn and look, and the speaker added, "Yes, you. I want to talk to you."
My muscles tensed for flight, but Gazelle squeezed my arm. "No," she whispered, "they're too close. Let me handle this."
My instincts protested, but she was the expert here. I turned slowly, as she did, to find two men facing us, the crossed sashes over their chests and shardcasters worn visibly
I didn't like it, but this was where my contact wanted to meet, and I'd need all the help I could get to fulfil my mission. I scanned the street from my vantage between buildings, watching passers-by. Any of them might be the one I'd been sent to meet, but each went past, head down under the weight of living in this place. A bus rumbled past, its team of aurochs straining against the weight of the wooden structure and the passengers it held.
A prickling in the back of my neck had me swinging round, grabbing the shardcaster, but I held my fire. Only one shadowy figure stood behind me, neither attacking or retreating.
"It's a good moon for the chase," a deep, clear female voice commented.
I hadn't expected a woman, but it was the phrase I'd been waiting for. "The next will be better," I responded.
The figure nodded and moved closer. I lowered the caster, but I let her see it was still ready for use.
"Nice weapon," she commented. "Still, it's the hunter who kills the prey, not the weapon."
"Fair enough." It wouldn't do to let her get me riled. "I've killed my share."
"We'll see." The silhouetted head nodded, and she stepped out of the deeper shadow.
She was young, but old enough to be grown into a mature form. A very mature form that filled out a hunter's skin garb decorated with elaborate engravings. I certainly wasn't unaffected by her, but it wouldn't do to let my guard down.
"You know why I'm here?" I asked.
"Of course." She came closer, moving as if she stalked prey. She wore her auburn hair loose to her shoulders, unlike most megavillage women. "I'm to help you get to the Engine and give you whatever back-up you need. The boss thought I'd look less conspicuous."
Less conspicuous? "How come? That's hardly the latest style around here, is it?"
She snorted, hazel eyes crinkling in humour. "Around here, everyone thinks they know what it means. A lot of men like a huntress, you know."
It took me an instant to get what she meant. It's not that we didn't have the same services at the herding stations, but no such games or dressing up. You accepted the women as they were.
"And they like you like this?"
I wasn't actually sure if that was what she meant, or if it were just a disguise, but she only gave me a lopsided grin. "You can call me Gazelle."
I stopped myself laughing. She might have the grace of a gazelle, but certainly not the delicacy. Still, it was probably a name for this mission only, so it didn't really matter.
"And you can call..." I began, but she put a forefinger onto my lips—a finger too well manicured for a huntress, I noted.
"I don't want to call you anything. Let's just get this done, before something goes wrong."
Was that a trace of unsteadiness in her voice? Probably not, given how cool she looked, though she blinked a lot more than a hunter would.
"Fine with me," I said, shouldering the bag I'd put down while I waited. "Lead the way."
Gazelle took me through the back-alleys of the megavillage till I was thoroughly lost. I could find my way through trackless forests, but the crookedness of this place defeated me. She flitted from shadow to shadow, although no-one was in sight, but took my arm to cross the packed thoroughfares, chattering nonsense until we were back into the alleys.
"Best way to hide in a crowd," she murmured, "is don't hide. Not far now."
As we crossed one of these streets, though, a voice called, "Hey, you!" I forced myself not to turn and look, and the speaker added, "Yes, you. I want to talk to you."
My muscles tensed for flight, but Gazelle squeezed my arm. "No," she whispered, "they're too close. Let me handle this."
My instincts protested, but she was the expert here. I turned slowly, as she did, to find two men facing us, the crossed sashes over their chests and shardcasters worn visibly
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