[Chapter 1] The Fugitive.

He awakened. There was nothing around him except darkness. He tried to stand up but realized that he was not able to. He had a strong headache. He couldn’t neither understand where he was nor remember what'd happened. It seemed like he was in some kind of a prison. But what was he doing there? Was it just a cruel joke, a mistake or a planned hijacking? The only thing he could recall was an interesting conversation with a young pretty girl in that bar near his office. And then everything like in mist, no clarity.
“The girl - he thought – what was I talking to her about?” Suddenly it struck him like a thunderstorm in the desert and the whole occurrence appeared in his mind as something simple, banal and clear. Exactly that girl was the main reason for seizing him hostage. He remembered their talk, a very strange one; about some kind of a sect and those shocking facts she had collected herself. She was trying to deliver him some data to hide it and save it from those who were seeking for it. Unfortunately he couldn’t remember anything else: who that girl was, how he was connected with her and why she asked him for help. He began to think over it trying to concentrate and remember something but failed.
He got to his elbows and understood that his eyes got used to see in the darkness. Peering around he determined that it was a triangular room with a low ceiling above. But he couldn’t find the entrance to the room and there were no windows either, not even a hole in the walls. It was rather strange, like he was inside a nutshell where there are no entrances or exits. He could only hear an irritating sound of dripping water, which was slowly driving him mad. He looked in the direction of the coming sound and noticed that there was a crack in the ceiling from which the water was seeping.
“Still, this place is not abandoned – he thought – and I’m not alone here.” Just after this idea came to his mind he heard another sound, a different one, coming somewhere from the outside – it was someone's approaching footsteps. Abruptly he fell to the ground and pretended unconscious. The steps calmed down and everything quietened for a time. But silence was broken by a creaking sound of a moving handle. Then the wall began to slide aside and the passage emerged. There stood two men in black robes with hooks hanging over their faces. Each of them was holding a lightgun in a hand.
“He is still out” - uttered the first man.
“Impossible. The drugs must have lost their influence by this time.” – said the other one.
“Maybe he’s dead? Look! He seems not to be breathing at all.”
“What a naïve dolt you are! He’s not dead and he is breathing like you do. Be ultimate, as I see he’s just playing with us.” He pointed his lightgun forward so not to stumble in the darkness, came up closer to the body lying on the ground and kicked it slightly. There was no motion.
“Damn! Kill him at once, won’t you?” – snapped the first man. He was much smaller than the other one. But at the same time he didn’t look as a defenseless dwarf. He was a brawny, muscular athlete. It was obvious he was strong as a mule.
“We are not allowed. You know the rules.” – snarled the bigger one.
“Rules, rules… These fucking rules everywhere. They curb and stiffen our lives. Don’t you agree with me, Zulos?”
“Yeh, Neil. On the one hand you are right. But on the other don’t forget about our duties. We work on our master and he pays us generously, besides we never ever got any problems. But if any disobedience takes place we will be slain severely. And you know that better.”
“Yes, I know it – drawled Neil twisting his lips. I’ve seen a lot of great and powerful people in my life but that necromant certainly takes the cake. He is just…”
“He’s the one who saved us from our inevitable doom. – Zulos cut his friend off. We owe him a lot. So let’s stop arguing and just do what we have to. I don’t want to cause any problems with it.”
“Neither do I. We have to wake this man up and interrogate him.”
“Yep. This humanlike must be shown to the master’s chambers in a few minutes. So we’d better act on the spot.”
“Don’t worry about it and leave it to me", – Neil muttered, his voice became cold, low and indifferent. It was a voice of a person who had killed a great number of people in his life, a voice of a really brutal assassin. "Yes, and one more thing – never speak of humanlikes again while in a company with a stranger. It’s so reckless of you, in fact this guy might have been eavesdropping on us, just heard what we were talking about.”
“Never mind, it’s not worth bothering – Zulos replied – even if this guy has any weird abilities he is not capable of using them properly, consequently he can’t be considered dangerous, at least, not for us. If the Master is right and our feeble friend is the one who possesses the power of Chal…”
“Enough, Zulos, - his companion abrupted him - shut your trap immediately and don’t let a word come out! You’ve already said many superfluous things.”
“Are you threatening me, Neil? Where is your politeness? You know my power is much greater than yours. So be gentle and choose the right words speaking with me. Do not make me angry.”
“Then do not behave like a small child yourself. I meant no offence, just trying to warn you. Anyways I beg your pardon, my friend.”
Zulos was smiling pleased by his friend's excuse but Neil suddenly became very pale. He looked as he was terribly scared of something, reminding a dreadfully frightened child who has done something bad and wrong and forbidden and then stands sulky thinking about his inevitable punishment.
“What’s the matter with you?” – worried his ally.
But Neil couldn’t utter a word; he was still shocked by something, staring at the floor, exactly at that place, where not long ago a weak body had been lying, which seemed to be strapped, tied and drugged and even unconscious. Turning round, to see what his friend was so surprised with, Zulos, of course, saw nothing and at once realized what'd happened. The captive escaped, escaped somehow while they were altercating with each other. It was their fatal mistake and both men understood it clearly.
“Dammit! – Zulos snarled. Where has he vanished? It’s fucking impossible.”
“I warned you... – snapped Neil at last. You must not have spoken about weird abilities at his presence. It could have worked like a trigger. And now he can be just anywhere.... And we...we will be dead soon. Be sure of it, Zulos.”
“Do not panic, Neil – muttered his friend. His eyes became two blooded red-on-red glittering rubies. I’ll find and catch him. It won’t take me long!”
“I hope so – answered Neil. But be quick, I’m afraid Warlock already knows what's going on here. And something prompts me he is not very satisfied with it.”
“It won’t take me long – Zulos repeated. He bent and crouched, stretched his hands forward and strained. The tense made him swell larger and larger until at last he became look like a panther. He froze for a second, sniffing for something or someone, his two red-on-red glittering spots stiffened in immovability, he was intently thinking and then he suddenly snarled, bearing his white big canines and jerked his body towards the room passage with such a speed that the eyes of a common human were hardly able to register such a motion. He was so fast, swift and unnoticeable that Neil even envied his ability for a moment but then reassured himself that he was also powerful and in some way even stronger.

To be continued...