Strangers in the Night, Scene v1

Kismet sat at a small table beside one of the windows and looked out at the moonlit streets of Koln. All of the traffic had vanished. Only a few people were returning to their homes from late-night errands. The clouds had cleared and the moon was bright. The stars sparkled luminously against the black night sky while the streets shimmered with a subtle blue. It was a beautiful scene she wished she could’ve shared with Delphi. The longest they had ever spent apart was three days, and it had already been six.

A traveling couple sipped their cups of tea nervously across the lounge, whispering between each other. “Is that—?”

“A furlicker? What is it doing here?”

“Is it safe?”

“I…don’t know. It’s wearing the Rokan colors. Are they using furlickers in their army now?”

Owen set his paperwork aside and approached Kismet. The whispers, the discomfort, it was all too familiar to her. She looked once more at the empty street. It looked so quiet, so lonely, and so peaceful. She rose to her feet and stepped outside before Owen could say anything. “I’ll leave on my own. Sorry for the trouble.”

Kismet closed the door behind her and inhaled the night air. It wasn’t a breath of ‘fresh’ air, as the saying goes. The streets in large towns often reeked of trade goods and waste, but nevertheless, it was peaceful and deserted at night. A hand touched her shoulder as she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.

“If you’re going to walk around, be back by dawn and try to keep a low profile. The last thing we want is to cause a panic.”

Kismet gave Devin a nod. “Thank you, General. I’m sorry for all of the inconvenience I cause you.”

Devin gave her one last look before returning to the inn. She walked away from the inn into the market district, where only a handful of stores were still open. As she continued toward the entrance of the town, the streets became silent and shrouded in the blanket of night. She looked at the empty streets around her, basking in the peace of night. A silhouette of a cloaked figure peered from around a corner a few buildings behind. Kismet locked her eyes on the mysterious figure, which quickly disappeared behind the wall. She walked in its direction until her ears stirred at the faint sounds of a man’s faint pleas from the residential district. She abandoned the thought of pursuing the suspicious character and followed the man’s voice. She kept to the shadows until she found a father and his daughter surrounded by a group of three men.

“Please, I swear. That’s all I have!” cried the father, his daughter cowering in his arms.

“Sorry pops, but that’s not enough. You’re gonna have to give us more than that.” The man fixed his eyes on the little girl’s silver necklace. He yanked her by the arm out from her father’s arms. “I’ll take this!”

The young girl screamed, “Daddy!”

Kismet darted behind the mugger and locked him into a chokehold with her left arm. She twisted his face to hers, baring her fangs with a piercing hiss. He released the little girl with a choked gasp of terror and brandished his dagger. The Catheran easily avoided his frantic attempts to stab her. He flailed his arms in desperation while his two accomplices turned to his aid. Kismet quickly swung her captive in the way of their attacks, sending them back. Seeing no other choice, the trapped thug attempted to stab Kismet’s arm. She quickly loosened her hold to move her arm out of the way. The thief cried out in pain as he plunged his dagger into his own shoulder.

Kismet left him groaning in pain and gasping for air on the ground. She stepped toward his accomplice on her right. He backed away cautiously, his knife held out in front of him. The second remaining thug lunged at her back. Kismet shifted to the side and gripped her attacker’s wrist. He dropped his knife as the Catheran twisted his wrist sharply. A scream of agony filled the air as Kismet thrust her arm upward into his, dislocating his shoulder.

The final thief slashed at Kismet, nicking her across the face. She retaliated with a swipe that gouged his arm. She bared her fangs at him with a threatening hiss that sent him fleeing into the night.

Kismet offered her hand to the child to help her to her feet. “Are you okay?”

Her innocent eyes examined the Catheran’s foreign face curiously. Her father quickly pulled her away into his arms, his eyes filled with fear. “C-C-Catheran!” he gasped, as he ran with his daughter scooped in his arms. The confused child clung onto her father, and stared at her feline savior until the darkness grew too thick.



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