by

Yanick Champoux (38%)

Lee Watts (18%)

Josip Nað (17%)

Michel Lacombe (16%)

Dorian (4%)

goldkngt55 (3%)

Andrew Avila (2%)

Marten (1%)

Oliver (1%)

Part 3

Dorian (17/10/2001)

It was a dry, earthen dusk in the city of Nutushu. In the process of day 'passing the buck' over to night, the shadows stretched and yawned their announcement to retire in the sinking sunlight. The city was winding down, though its citizens were not yet spent: with the night came the dark-traders and night-revellers, everyone looking to either make money or spend it.

Magdalena Nova stood at the corner of the cobbled street attempting to look both alluring and inconspicuous at the same time. She'd worked a hard day at the Reeve office processing debts for Landes Johnson, the mole-esque Manager of their branch, and worrying about the blind-date Annis Belial, the receptionist, had set up for her.

Magdalena was not the type to have blind-dates: not only did she feel more than capable to get her own men but blind-dates were so pathetic. But, here she was, waiting for a man she didn't know, trying her best to not look like a prostitute.

Darkness was fast approaching and she was beginning to cool. This 'really nice fellow' whom Annis had promised her had obviously failed to make their appointment, which was something of a relief to Magdalena, and so, deciding that she had stayed around long enough for a viable excuse, she hailed a hackney carriage.

The Li Halan city was rich and prosperous, filled with all manner of conveniences. Magdalena had heard tell of places where they had carriages which moved under their own power, but had never seen one herself. She presumed that they weren't just lies made up by dashing Charioteers trying to impress her.

The wooden carriage stopped before her, the driver looking down from his vantage point on the carriage.

"Where to, Miss?" asked a gruff voiced driver.

"Icon Apartments, block 2, please" she answered lightly as she climbed in to the open carriage.

She'd just seated herself when a man, dark of hair and uniform, leapt in to the carriage.

"The spaceport, NOW!" cried Demuel.