Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Fantasy

A cold wind blew through the darkened alley, stirring up the scattered newspapers and assorted trash. The ground was damp, pockmarked by puddles which had gathered in potholes down the length of the street. It was not long since it had rained, the essence of moisture mixed with a blend of decay and grime into an especially putrid aroma.

Out from behind an overflowing bin poked a small black, twitching nose. The oversized rat sampled the mixture of scents in search of danger. It had not grown so large by being hasty when venturing into the open. Sensing nothing it emerged, scurrying swiftly to the nearest puddle to satisfy its thirst.

The rat's fur was matted with the decaying remnants of food, the water it drank a foul cocktail of pollution, grime and rainwater. To any other creature the mixture would spell trouble, but to the rat it was harmless. It had adapted to this and worse in order to survive.

Its ears pricked up, eyes scanned the surroundings. Nothing to be seen or heard, yet it was certain that there had been a slight disturbance not too far away from where it was crouched drinking. It sniffed intently, its fur stood on end. It could feel something coming, something which felt unfamiliar and dangerous.

The rat turned to run, its head in a panic over the strange sensation. It got no further. A foot came crashing down, ending its short existence in one sharp squeak. The one responsible for for the sudden, violent end of the rodent stood stock still, his expression twisted in distaste. No matter how many years passed, rats were forever a problem wherever he went.

It was late spring, he could tell by the lingering chill in the air, the sharp coolness on the wind. He had been absent for a long time and had forgotten how annoyingly inconsistent the seasons were here. The place he had remained in had always been hot, dark, never quiet... This place was filled with noise too, but it was different.

He could see the main road from the shadows he had chosen to conceal himself in. Large, loud machines roared obnoxiously as they raced up and down the blackened ground. Things had altered beyond recognition in his absence; it would be hard to adjust to the dramatic change.

None the less he had his orders, orders which he would have to carry out soon if he was to avoid all manner of hell from from his boss. He was never one to run in blind, however; this was to be a swift reconnaissance mission, to see if he could find his target prior to putting his plan into action. It would without a doubt make his job easier if he had a face to search for.

First things first, he would have to acquaint himself with these new surroundings. It was not wise to rush into such unfamiliar terrain without some prior knowledge of it. Carefully he approached the mouth of the alley, his black eyes fixated on the activity in the main road. So many people... He has no idea there were so many now.

His appearance and attire would cause panic, there was no question about what he had to do next. He had to find a way to blend in, to melt into the night time crowd. He smirked cruelly at the mere thought.

This endeavour was going to be incredibly interesting, so many possible targets for him to use, so many ways to achieve his goal...