Chapter 2

Tracker sprinted for a towering mound and threw himself behind cover. Night on Nynrah was oppressive, and although he had spotted a convoy on the far side of the island, he had been alone.

Alone until now, that is.

Tracker looked around. He had found himself in some sort of scrapyard, fenced off and containing dozens of towering piles of old machinery and broken pieces. Here and there, he thought he spotted biomechanical limbs and faces, but he wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

He listened closely. There were no sounds in the night, save the hushed whistles of Kirikori and the lapping of the sea against the ocean. Even the inland fortifications lay still. Tracker exhaled silently. The most capable hunters such as he was were also the best at hiding.

He heard a yelp from behind the rocks. Peering out, he spotted a white form in the dark, barrelling toward him. Waving his hands, he called silently. A small bull barreled into his arms, even as the sounds of launchers cracked across the landscape. Tracker dove for cover as the blasts exploded against the mounds of trash and rubble. The trash stirred for a moment before rising, and a metal claw swiped at Tracker who sprinted the length of the yard.

Nynrah weapons, Tracker thought quickly. But used by the Brotherhood.

Tracker had been sent to find a rogue Brotherhood agent. Ergo, it was entirely logical why Brotherhood agents would pursue him. But these creatures weren’t acting like Brotherhood operatives, and their weapons—

Who are these people?

Another crack rang, and a ball of pure light slammed into a mound. The light rippled across the mound, exposing Tracker before fading.

The Dark Hunter dove behind cover. Three creatures were approaching him, but he couldn’t see them in the glare. The light weapon had the sound of a Nynrah weapon too, but no Brotherhood operative would be caught using one. This was something new.

Find out who ordered the light weapons from the Nynrah, Tracker realized, and we will know.

The fence to the junkyard was before him. His pursuers no doubt thought he was boxed in. But Tracker is never boxed in.

Tracker whistled, and right as the pursuers closed in, his white bull sprang forward, its horns pointed toward the fence. Tracker sprinted after, and as the bull’s horns met the fence, the fence dissolved. Rahi and Dark Hunter ran into the night.

Tracker didn’t bother to look behind him, already looking for cover for the inevitable barrage.

Instead, a hulking, hideous red and gold creature with a giant maw appeared before him. He grabbed Tracker by the throat, both disappeared.