proclaiming them as justice guards. One was brawny enough that I doubted I could beat him in a fight, but the small, ferret-like man was clearly the dangerous one.
Ferret looked us both over, a sneer on his face. "So, what's a couple of mammoth-chasers doing here. Lost your way?"
Most of my attention was focused on the guards, but I was aware of a space forming around us, the passers-by staring in curiosity and terror. Their expressions seemed to say, It might be me next, but it's someone else today.
"We've just arrived," Gazelle replied, a seductive smile offering but not promising. "We've had enough of life out there. We've heard there's good money to be made in the megavillage."
The two men exchanged smirks. "Depends what you're willing to do, sweetheart," said Ferret. Then his expression tightened. "Then again, maybe you're here to make trouble."
I tensed a little more and had to stop my hand from creeping towards my caster. Had they been tipped off about me?
"Why would we do that?" Gazelle's question sounded so innocent I almost believed her myself.
"You scum are all the same." Ferret spat and turned to his comrade. "Come on, we'll take them in and get the truth out of them."
"Or have some fun, at least," added the big man, leering at Gazelle.
Her expression told me her strategy wasn't working. In the one instant when neither man was looking at me, I pulled out my caster and fired it on repeat at Ferret first, then at the other guard. Both staggered back with half a dozen shards embedded in them.
"Run," I yelled at Gazelle. I grabbed her hand to tug her after me, but she shook it away and set off almost as swiftly as her namesake, leading me into the nearest alley. Yelling died away behind us. I doubted if I'd killed either of the guards, but hopefully they were badly enough hurt not to follow at once.
"In here," snapped Gazelle, her voice steady in spite of the pace at which she ran.
She yanked open a wooden cover, and I followed her down earth-cut steps into a cave below a roundhouse. She shut the cover after us, so that the only light was what seeped through the gaps between its boards, but my hunter's eyes adjusted quickly.
"We'll stay here till we can be sure the chase has died down," Gazelle told me.
"Makes sense," I said. It was frustrating not being able to get to my target straight away, but prey comes to the patient hunter.
We sat in silence for a while, as I gradually made out more of my surroundings. I made out the shapes of a few large pots against one wall, one of them lying broken, but otherwise the place seemed empty.
Gazelle held herself very still, probably listening as I was. A good deal of shouting drifted from far off, and at one point feet pounded along the alley above us. I fingered my caster, but the feet faded into the distance without stopping.
"I thought you were supposed to be inconspicuous," I commented at last.
She turned in my direction, though not looking straight at me. She clearly couldn't see as well as I could.
"I am on my own. You're the one who's conspicuous. You should really have disguised yourself, though I don't suppose you could have convinced anyone you belong to the megavillage, whatever you were wearing." A smile ghosted over her face. "Every movement you make says hunter ."
"And so they treat me like that?" I knew some hunters who came to the megavillage to trade. None were close friends, but I didn't recall anyone describing it as quite that dangerous.
She shrugged. "Not necessarily. They treat anyone that way, if they feel like it. Anyone a bit different, anyone who looks at all rebellious. Sometimes for no reason at all. People are taken off the streets, and you never see them again." She lowered her voice. "Some say they go to feed the Engine."
I was glad she couldn't see me shudder.
"So that's why your group was formed?" I asked. "I did wonder. I thought it was only us who were oppressed."
She gave a mirthless laugh. "You think you're oppressed in
Ferret looked us both over, a sneer on his face. "So, what's a couple of mammoth-chasers doing here. Lost your way?"
Most of my attention was focused on the guards, but I was aware of a space forming around us, the passers-by staring in curiosity and terror. Their expressions seemed to say, It might be me next, but it's someone else today.
"We've just arrived," Gazelle replied, a seductive smile offering but not promising. "We've had enough of life out there. We've heard there's good money to be made in the megavillage."
The two men exchanged smirks. "Depends what you're willing to do, sweetheart," said Ferret. Then his expression tightened. "Then again, maybe you're here to make trouble."
I tensed a little more and had to stop my hand from creeping towards my caster. Had they been tipped off about me?
"Why would we do that?" Gazelle's question sounded so innocent I almost believed her myself.
"You scum are all the same." Ferret spat and turned to his comrade. "Come on, we'll take them in and get the truth out of them."
"Or have some fun, at least," added the big man, leering at Gazelle.
Her expression told me her strategy wasn't working. In the one instant when neither man was looking at me, I pulled out my caster and fired it on repeat at Ferret first, then at the other guard. Both staggered back with half a dozen shards embedded in them.
"Run," I yelled at Gazelle. I grabbed her hand to tug her after me, but she shook it away and set off almost as swiftly as her namesake, leading me into the nearest alley. Yelling died away behind us. I doubted if I'd killed either of the guards, but hopefully they were badly enough hurt not to follow at once.
"In here," snapped Gazelle, her voice steady in spite of the pace at which she ran.
She yanked open a wooden cover, and I followed her down earth-cut steps into a cave below a roundhouse. She shut the cover after us, so that the only light was what seeped through the gaps between its boards, but my hunter's eyes adjusted quickly.
"We'll stay here till we can be sure the chase has died down," Gazelle told me.
"Makes sense," I said. It was frustrating not being able to get to my target straight away, but prey comes to the patient hunter.
We sat in silence for a while, as I gradually made out more of my surroundings. I made out the shapes of a few large pots against one wall, one of them lying broken, but otherwise the place seemed empty.
Gazelle held herself very still, probably listening as I was. A good deal of shouting drifted from far off, and at one point feet pounded along the alley above us. I fingered my caster, but the feet faded into the distance without stopping.
"I thought you were supposed to be inconspicuous," I commented at last.
She turned in my direction, though not looking straight at me. She clearly couldn't see as well as I could.
"I am on my own. You're the one who's conspicuous. You should really have disguised yourself, though I don't suppose you could have convinced anyone you belong to the megavillage, whatever you were wearing." A smile ghosted over her face. "Every movement you make says hunter ."
"And so they treat me like that?" I knew some hunters who came to the megavillage to trade. None were close friends, but I didn't recall anyone describing it as quite that dangerous.
She shrugged. "Not necessarily. They treat anyone that way, if they feel like it. Anyone a bit different, anyone who looks at all rebellious. Sometimes for no reason at all. People are taken off the streets, and you never see them again." She lowered her voice. "Some say they go to feed the Engine."
I was glad she couldn't see me shudder.
"So that's why your group was formed?" I asked. "I did wonder. I thought it was only us who were oppressed."
She gave a mirthless laugh. "You think you're oppressed in
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