Tempokai

  A desert highway. An endless, empty stretch of sand and rock that stretched on for miles around me as far as my eye could see. The sun was low in the sky now with only a few hours left until nightfall, but I didn't mind the heat from the day's burning rays so much anymore.

  My sport car sped along at an easy hundred miles per hour, which made it feel like I was making great time for such a long journey. It wasn't hard to keep up this pace because I'd just been given some new wheels.

  Heavy metal music thundered out of the speakers as the wind whipped across the outside of the vehicle through my open window, tickling my cheeks with its touch. I felt good; better than good, actually. If you were going to die in a moment or two anyway, then why not enjoy yourself while you still had the chance?

  My vacation had only just begun.

  The road curved off ahead of me like a snake through the desert sands, cutting between mountains as if it was following where they were trying to lead it. Twice the path dipped down into canyons before climbing back up again toward higher ground and more barren hillsides. Few monsters roamed the sand, but those who did probably weren't used to dealing with cars. So far, we had seen none, so I figured I was safe.

  I pointed my car toward one canyon and turned off onto a smaller road leading deeper inside. There was a sign that read, Phoenix: 70 miles. I pulled over and got out to stretch my legs for a minute. My fingers curled over the slight bump under my shirt that marked the spot where Riptide's cws had torn through my flesh. That wound hurt a little when I moved, but there wasn't anything I could do about it now. Even healing magic wouldn't help, I guessed.

  Phoenix was what the local townspeople called their city, since it was farther south than any other pce in the state. I'd never really traveled too much further south, though, so I couldn't say exactly how big it was or what else y beyond. What I knew was that Phoenix was home to many people from all walks of life—humans and vampires alike. And I wanted to go there.

  I'm a Texan, born and bred, but there's something special about being anywhere in Arizona. The desert ndscape has a way of pulling me in. It's always there, stretching endlessly out around me. Always waiting.

  And I've learned that sometimes it wants to swallow you whole. Literally.

  But if I was going to live, then it meant getting out of Texas.

  So here I was.

  "Well, hello, handsome," said a voice behind me.

  I spun around, searching for the source of the sound. There was no one just now, just the vast expanse of sand and nothing more. But I knew that someone was watching me.

  "Hello?" I asked the air itself. "Who are you talking to?"

  There was a chuckle in response. It came from somewhere high on a nearby hillside, maybe even atop the mountain. I couldn't be sure.

  I gnced down and saw a figure in bck sitting on a boulder, leaning forward with his elbows resting on its edge. He wore loose pants and a dark-red long coat. His hair was slicked back, hanging past his shoulders with a few streaks of gray mixed in. He looked old enough to have earned a few wrinkles, but he didn't seem to have them yet.

  "Welcome to Phoenix."

  He stood slowly and walked to meet me, first walking around my sports car and then stepping directly in front of me. With each step he took, the wind blew slightly harder, whipping around his neck and trailing away behind him.

  "There are dangerous people in that city, so be careful," he continued.

  "Good advice," I replied. I shook my head and wondered if I should ask why he warned me. But he gave me no time to do so because he kept speaking.

  "It's also a city full of opportunities."

  "Like what?" I asked.

  He paused as if weighing whether to answer. Finally, he shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough, I imagine. Be wary of bird monsters. They're everywhere. I hear there are even a few dragon-type beasts in the area. The kind that might eat your face off."

  Now I ughed.

  "Really? You think I need to worry about that?"

  "Not necessarily. But I know some folks there, and they tell me that if you cross the wrong group of monsters, you won't see tomorrow."

  "Well, thanks for the warning, man. That freaked me out."

  He smiled briefly. "We all have our jobs to do. Now get going."

  I watched him retreat up the hill, and then I stepped into my car once more, ready to drive off toward the distant lights of Phoenix.

  ***

  The city was unremarkable at night.

  Phoenix was what you would expect of a typical metropolis. Streetlights lined the main roads, while overhead floodlights cast an unnatural glow across the empty lots. The buildings were tall and straight and made of concrete. A handful of restaurants were dotted the streets, most with neon signs advertising the food they offered. One of them looked like it was hosting a party, having set up tables outside for guests to enjoy their meals.

  Also, don't forget about giant barrier walls, I reminded myself.

  My mind wandered back to what I'd heard earlier. When I thought about the monster part, a picture fshed in my head of a giant red thing with wings and a tail. I remembered it well because I'd seen it before, but I couldn't quite put a name to it.

  Maybe I'd been told it was a dragon or something, but dragons weren't real. At least, intelligent ones were not.

  And neither were the birds that seemed to be such a problem. Not for me, anyway.

  I'm a professional hunter, after all.

  The people who lived in this town didn't realize it, but they had sent me here on purpose. Well, maybe not the locals themselves, but the council that ran things in Phoenix. I call it vacation time when I could travel and hunt whenever I pleased, which was usually six months out of every year.

  The rest I spent in Texas. Hunting there wasn't nearly as easy, but at least I knew I was welcome to stay.

  To be honest, I found hunting in other pces boring. I liked the thrill of the chase, the danger of being hunted. The excitement of knowing that anything could happen at any moment. Texas has it all, and I never tired of it.

  I pulled over to the side of the road and popped open the trunk, removing a couple of weapons from storage. The first was an automatic pistol by Ruger that I'd bought in Dals..50 caliber. Unloaded, I dropped it gently onto the floor of my trunk and then opened up another drawer, reaching inside for a sheathed sword. I grabbed the hilt and slid out the bde, admiring it for a brief second. High-frequency carbon steel. Lightweight. Sharp. Perfect for slicing through flesh.

  I grinned.

  This is what I was born to do.

  I closed the compartment again and jumped back into my seat. Always be prepared.

  A few minutes ter, I drove on. Just ahead y the city, glowing beneath the moonlight. The closer I drew to it, the bigger the number of cars grew along the street.