Luca noticed the creature following him almost immediately. It was so well hidden that it required the help of the Legacy before he could even sense it.
If it hadn't been so close, he doubted he would have detected it at all.
He frowned.
Whatever it was, it had emerged right after he left Thalia's little store. That meant she suspected him. Luca thought his act had been convincing enough, but clearly he was wrong.
Mages were naturally suspicious people, it seemed. Every encounter he'd had with them so far proved as much.
The Count, for one, was relentlessly analytic and skeptical. Even in his own journal, he limited personal information so carefully that it would be nearly impossible to identify him under normal circumstances.
The same could be said for the other mages he had met at the gathering. All of them hid something or never gave up too much information. Even the airheaded Erina.
'I'm guessing this creature is how they knew I was coming that day,' Luca mused.
The strange presence trailed him across the hall, keeping its distance but never letting go.
As soon as they noticed someone suspicious, mages didn't hesitate to act. It was a good quality in its own right, but unfortunate for him.
Now Luca walked with three magical items in his possession. The bracelet he had obtained earlier was tucked inside his coat, its aura hidden by the unnamed spell that Crowley provided.
If she had sensed the third item, Thalia would immediately confront him.
That left him in a bind. If he tried to find Erina, wherever she might be in the market, he risked exposing her as well as casting suspicion on himself. But wandering aimlessly with the thing on his trail wasn't an option either, especially when he had other tasks to handle.
There was no safe move.
After several minutes of quiet thought, Luca decided the only choice was to leave the hall entirely.
He wove through the crowd carefully picking his way back toward the hidden entrance he had used to get in.
Digger was nowhere to be seen. Finding him would have been his first choice besides leaving.
At this point, Luca was convinced that Digger had to be a mage himself, or at least someone with close ties to them. If nothing else, he was a childhood relative and could be trusted somewhat.
Reaching the hidden wall, Luca was startled to see it had sealed up again. He pressed his hand to it, and forced it open. Without delay, he slipped through and retraced his path back.
Unfortunately, he wasn't any more alone than before.
Another follower had joined. This one was human, and an amateur at that. Their sloppy, heavy footsteps gave them away instantly.
Luca knew the sound well. Someone inexperienced at tailing, the kind that usually came with petty thieves.
Still, this wasn't the worst development. He could handle a single clumsy tail, and maybe it would serve as a distraction against the shadow-creature following him.
He climbed the stairs and emerged into the bar once more.
A dozen eyes turned to him immediately. Their gazes landed on the staff in his hand and the small red pouch holding the gemstone Raven had sold him, but they still minded their businesses.
Luca's own eyes swept the room out of habit. They stopped at a corner tablewhere two familiar faces sat.
Vito and Jonny.
Their eyes locked, and Luca knew at once that he was in a lot of trouble.
'Well, fuck.'
He bolted for the door before they could react. The air shifted, and it seemed as though the world itself had braced for action.
The strange shadow-creature picked up its speed, closing in while the amateur thief scrambled to keep up as well, his loud footsteps a mess of sound.
Behind them, Vito and Jonny bulldozed their way forward. Tables clattered to the ground and people yelled out curses behind them. The crowd split apart as the two men carved a straight path toward him.
Luca burst into the street.
This was one of the roughest parts of the entire city. Abandoned buildings leaned against one another, and homeless figures lingered in the alleys. The streets themselves were cracked and jagged, after years of neglect.
The map of the surrounding streets unfolded in his head. He sprinted forward, then ducked sharply into a narrow alley.
A short fence blocked his way.
Up.
He scaled it with ease, landing softly on the other side.
"Get back here, you rat bastard! I'll kill you!" Vito roared from behind.
CRASH!
The massive man barreled through the fence as if it were paper.
He crashed into the main road, forcing carriages and horses to screech to a halt. Drivers cursed, shouting angrily, but Vito didn't even look their way. He trampled through, still unharmed.
Jonny wasn't as lucky. A horse slammed into him at decent speed, but even that wasn't enough. The silent giant staggered, then pushed forward again. His strength bordered on monstrous.
On the far side of the road lay a construction site. Large piles of sand and neatly stacked bricks stood waiting to be used. Yet no workers were in sight.
Luca risked a glance back.
The two giants were charging across the road, and behind them was the fat man he had bought the bracelet from.
'Eh? That guy?'
He shelved his surprise quickly. Vito was already too close.
The brute lunged forward, his massive hand stretching out, trying to snatch Luca's coat as it whipped in the wind.
Three men and an unknown shadow creature chased him. He had to lose them.
'I need to cut them loose.'
Easier said than done.
Vito and Jonny knew these streets as well as he did. Running endlessly would change nothing. They were relentless, and they were his main opponents.
Knowing that, Luca's eyes hardened. He gripped the charred wooden staff, turned sharply on his heel, and charged directly at Vito.
"Die, you ugly oaf!"
He swung low, aiming for the brute's legs again.
But Vito was ready. He planted his foot firmly, catching the staff under his heel.
"Hahaha you idiot!"
'Shit.'
The man grinned wickedly, pressing down with all his weight, trying to snap the weapon clean in half.
But the staff didn't break.
Luca seized the chance. He scooped a handful of sand mixed with small stones and flung it straight into Vito's face.
The spray caught Jonny as well, given their proximity.
For the first time since Luca had known him, the giant's expression changed as nger and pain twisted his features.
"ARGHHHHH!" Jonny bellowed, his voice like a beast's roar.
He swung wildly, massive arms cutting through the air. One hand caught Luca, dragging him into a crushing bear hug.
'Oh no-'
CRACK.
The pressure was instant. His bones popped under the strain and his chest compressed painfully. Luca could barely breathe. His vision blurred and spots appeared across his sight.
Jonny's eyes had gone completely white with fury. He was seconds away from snapping Luca in half.
FWOOSH.
BANG!
The ground erupted. A burst of wind and sand roared outward, spraying stone and dust in all directions.
A figure appeared in the storm, clad in a silvery energy that shone brightly within the dust.
The figure blurred, moving faster than the eye could follow.
Digger.
He materialized behind Jonny, hooked his arms around the giant, and with shocking strength hurled him several meters across the site.
Thump!
Jonny crashed into the dirt, the ground trembling beneath him.
In the same motion, Digger caught Luca, pulling him free of the crushing grip. The younger man gasped for air, seconds away from unconsciousness.
Digger steadied him, then turned.
His sharp gaze swept across the scene. Vito stood warily. The fat man wheezed, scrambling to get his footing. And lurking unseen to most, the shadow-creature coiled in the air.
Digger's voice cut through the chaos, sending a shockwave that pushed everything back in all directions.
"All of you...scram."
*****
A/N: Longer chapter today. All the pieces have now been put in place for the rapidly approaching grand finale...