Prendre walked into the town slowly. He was in no hurry. The scent on the air let him know he was close. He had lost the smell for quite some time. He had started to worry about Davis being killed by something else.

As he entered, a crowd gathered to welcome him. He was well known as a follower, even though it was in name only. He sided with Kain because they shared enemies, but if given a chance he would rip the heart out of the pretend Prince-ling.

The crowd put some gems around his neck, gave him free food (which was neither fresh nor bleeding but he accepted it) and then they began to do something really annoying...talk to him.

They told him about an escaped bird, a living light. Many of them swore that the old man had been busy while it flew off, that he could not have freed it himself. Prendre studied the old man. He was weak and slow looking, he cowed under Prendre's gaze. A coward.

"You are free to go," he told the man. "If I see the bird, I shall eat it."

And so judgement was passed. The man cried and many others pouted, but none of them objected because they knew it was fair. Prendre didn't care an inch about either the man or bird. He only cared about the chase.

Then one of them told him something useful.

Some of them, before arriving, had spotted another of his prey. His true prey.

"Jace," he said, tasting the name of his prey.

It was a soft name for such a monster, such a killer. But then again, that was how the beast killed; softly.

Then he caught a scent.

It was very, very close.

__________________________

Davis froze behind the wall. His blood ran cold through his racing heart. The quick shallow breaths burned his lungs.

He had known his smell would be somewhat disguised by the mingling scents of the marketplace. He had just wanted to find out if Prendre had known they were there and found out something worse.

He knew where Jace was.

He returned to the others and nearly ran into Anbel as he walked out through the door.

"Careful!" said the boy, lifting a huge stack of balls held together with rope and wire. "This thing could go off at the slightest bump!"

Then the world shifted.