• Chapter 2: Sight Seeing

    The traveler had gone to sleep rather early in the day, and so as the sun rose over the big apple, he snored through the hours, and as it kissed the horizon, setting off in the distance out by the Bronx, he awoke, preparing himself to see the beautiful city. It was not unusual for him to sight see during the evening hours, simply unusual for him to sight see during evening hours where the lights were so prevalent it hardly felt like evening.

    When he woke up, he made himself a small breakfast of eggs and bacon, as there were common amenities in the small room. It was approximately the size of any other cheap apartment in New York City, but a little cleaner and entirely free of rodent issues. The furniture was was fairly expensive, and the king sized bed had nice linens, making the room an incredible increase in living standards for the traveler since his excursion through Eastern Europe.

    While eating he sat in bed, watching the evening news. There were hints of mischief beyond that of mortal kin. Three teens had been killed in Central Park that day. Two had been found at a sewer entrance, and one was found next to it. Reporters claimed the grisly attack was graphic enough that they were not allowed to show footage of the scene. Police were telling travelers to avoid that section of the park, and patrols in other areas of the park were being increased threefold. There were no suspects, and it was suggested it was some sort of animal that was set loose in the sewers. The traveler muttered, "Must be one of those damned alligators they all talk about. Myths, eh?" He shook his head and shoveled some eggs into his mouth. A slayer would take note and go hunting that night, perhaps a small team of them. Either way, by the next day the killings would stop.

    Finally, food partially digested and news mentally digested, the traveler made his way outside. There was a hallway with five other rooms identical to his, and then stairs leading down. There was a bard giving the mystical news for the evening. It seemed a slow night, as the male bard, perhaps 20, was already giving an old oral history of some culture in Arabia. From his appearance, he may have been related to the line he spoke of. Half the people in the pub were ensnared by the tale, while the other half drank, played darts, and talked amongst themselves. Some kid worked behind the bar. It was a Friday night, and the normal staff would likely be at some more lively locale, looking for any mystical information they could gather. Perhaps the Norse god-man was out hunting the creature that killed the three teens in the park earlier. The traveler snapped out of his speculations and ordered a drink.

    The kid stuttered a little when he saw who he was serving. Word got around quickly considering they were in New York City. "Sir, I-uh, what would you like?" The kid's face turned red.

    "Shot of Jack. You're not from around here, are you? And how old are you?"

    The boy poured the shot and placed it on the counter. "Well, no. I am from Iowa. I ran away not that long ago, and when I got here, I could see this place, so I came in. The bouncer nearly knocked me out. And I just turned 18. So what are you doing here? I hear you're a legend of some sort, yeah?"

    The shot was down quickly, and the traveler sighed at the taste. He missed absinthe a little, but was happy the whiskey was palatable. "I'm just a traveler, kiddo. I'm here to see the sights and move on as I always do. Just that I'm old, came by the other day with an old card, and everyone assumes I'm ancient. If any of the stiffs who started this place were alive to vouch, they'd tell you I'm little more than a no good who's had some real good stretches of luck." He tapped the table, "Another one. I'm not driving tonight anyway."

    "You're a hero here, sir. It's an honor to serve you." He poured another, "Though, I should warn you that binge drinking is unhealthy. You should moderate yourself and drink more mixed drinks interspersed with water."

    The traveler raised an eyebrow at the kid, hammered down the shot, placed the glass on the table, and tapped the table. "There are spells to get past the hangover. Mastered those long ago." The man thought for a moment, "Granted, never really had hangovers even before that. Just thought I might as well get it in case. Boy, for being so concerned and knowledgeable towards me, I think I might as well be a little knowledgeable towards you. What's your name, Iowa?"

    "Iowa, sir?" He poured the shot and placed it on the table.

    The traveler drank the shot, "I'm calling you Iowa until you give me a name. My buddy and I use to do that to women we met. We'd call them by their location. No need for names." He looked through the empty glass, "Names have power. They make you attached to someone. It's a sad state, a name."

    "Uh, Kyle, sir. I'm sorry you feel that way about names. Do you have a name, sir?" Kyle reached for the bottle of Jack, and took the shot glass.

    "Kyle, what are you doing? Don't pour that; I'm not some common drunk. Just like a quick buzz. Water please." Kyle put the glass in the back to be cleaned, and reached for another glass, filling it with water. "Anyway, I don't use my name. Too many enemies, and too much of a history. I'm just a traveling sage." Kyle nodded, putting the glass in front of the traveler. "I'm hardly even a sage. Haven't taught someone in a couple years now. Too many things to be investigated these days." He shook his head. His eyes started losing perspective and he drank the water quickly to calm the burning in his stomach. The room swam a little, and he wavered, no longer steady. A smile spread across his face. "Much better. Now, Kyle," his voice was lighter and quicker than previously, "Where are some good places for me to explore in this grand city of yours? I came here to sight see a little, and tonight's as good as any."

    "Well, sir, it might not be a good idea to go out there if you're already half way trashed. People pick that out as a good mark. Even us Will users have to be a little careful when going around the city. Mortals are dangerous." Kyle took the empty glass and started cleaning both of them.

    "Boy, I can protect myself plenty fine. Wouldn't worry too much 'bout me. But you talk down to me 'gain, I'd worry mightily about your own safety." The traveler attempted to point at Kyle, but his finger wavered from one point to another, and soon he was looking at the finger. "Well, then guess I'll need a guide to keep me all safe. Any cute women in these parts up for that role?"

    "Uh, not sure sir, but there are other customers I need to help. I'll be back once they're all taken care of." Kyle put another glass of water on the counter for the traveler, and helped the other patrons.

    The traveler sighed, downed the water, and straightened up. He stood, then left eh bar. When he looked back, he admired it. "The Twisted Space" hung on a small out hanging like in the old days, way before even the traveler's time. It was a parody of the spell used on the place. Long ago the area was smaller, and the tavern still has that smaller feel, but more importantly it exists outside of the space known as New York City. Only those who had breached the illusion of space could find the tavern, along with a few specially trained to perceive it as breaching the illusion of space was hard even for a will user. A few mortals were capable, generally ones suffering from some sort of mental instability. This meant that these humans were dangerous to the instituted, but it also meant that by claiming they saw this place compounded the fact they were unstable to friends and family. Beyond that, no mortal had ever pierced the shroud hiding the building.

    The place was located near the warehouses and docks, in a seedier area of the city. Few people traveled through except for work, and most of them didn't ask questions, making it easy for people to enter and disappear into the tavern. After observing people walking about the streets for a while, the traveler hailed a taxi and made his way to Time Square.

    People littered the street blocks before he actually arrived at the square. He paid the taxi cab driver, and made his way out into the street. The lights were bright, nearly blindingly. It reminded him of a small trip to Shanghai and Tokyo, with the traffic and the brilliance of it all. It was a good feeling to be back in such a dense area, where one could easily get lost in a crowd. The buzz started to fade, he was was able to intoxicate himself on the waves of the people.

    He closed his eyes and focused on those around him. Emotions filled him, flowing up and down his body, through his mind, and filling him with energy. Some was negative, but most was positive. It was a good night to exist in New York City it seemed. The traveler smiled, opened his eyes, and walked into view of the large buildings that made up the Square, viewing the different adds and lights flickering in the distance. He wandered for some hours before he became tired of the place, eating at McDonald's, buying a CD at Virgin Records, getting a small side order at a deli. It was two in the morning by the time he was tired of the area, spending nearly six hours there.

    The option that first struck him was to go back to the tavern and see if there was still a room open. He was fairly positive they would save his room for him, but in his time traveling he found it a safe bet to never assume. Then there was a nagging in his gut to travel north, and shortly after he found where his intuition was taking him: Central Park.

    The scene was beautiful, with the lights of local buildings illuminating the streets. Cars zipped by, horns honked and echoed off the buildings. Headlights ran past at dizzying speeds. Then there was the park, silent and haunting despite the lighting that was created inside. There was something haunting about the park, past the police announcement to stay away. It was a fear created in the same way a child knows to fear the closet or under the bed. There was once something there that remained in the mind. In this case, though, something had entered the park that was unwelcome by the city.

    The traveler meditated for a moment, closing his eyes and chanting, "Make me invisible to the world. Make me below their notice. Make me the air." He ran down the street and crossed to the park. When he stepped foot past the sidewalk he could feel a shiver enter him. His body temperature dropped a little, causing him to shudder. He chanted another incantation to give him heat, but he could still feel his nerves slightly frayed. "Strong mojo," he whispered, continuing through the park.

    The park was quiet, though considering the hour it made sense. Teens would be present here and there, and police officers were very apparent in all portions of the park the traveler had wandered through. After a while of traveling, the man sat down on a park bench, tired. The incantations were wearing off by five. A couple walking by said hello to him, and he responded in kind. He could also feel the cold overtake him once more.

    The sky started to lighten, and little had happened. The man decided he would make his way back to the tavern, but a scream interrupted his thoughts. He ran towards the noise where he found a large amount of blood splattered upon the ground. The man he had just seen was face down, dead, and the woman was nowhere to be seen. The traveler quickly recited the incantation to make him invisible just in time to avoid the gathering crowd of police and pedestrians. The people were pushed back, and in a half hour the area was swarming with police.

    The traveler furrowed his brows, watching as the investigation started. No one saw him, and he kept his incantations in place to make sure he remained invisible. There was a trail of sludge that seemed unnatural. It was mixing with the blood, which likely meant it carried the body. After a little while, he followed the trail, finding that it led into the underground subway station, and soon into a lower level of the city that had long gone without prolonged exploration. He didn't feel up to such an adventure on his own against something he didn't understand, especially something that would be so bold as to attack humans in a highly populated area. He made his way back to the tavern, reported briefly what he had seen to the bartender, and then shuffled up to get some rest. "An interesting day of sight seeing. An abrupt end to my vacation. Tomorrow should hold interesting challenges."