[i][b]You're sixteen, and your location is Chicago, Illinois,[/b][/i] in a five-star restaurant named Courtier's. 

The steam from your hot drink teases your nose, and you wrap your hands tighter around the cup, inhaling the warmth. The manager of Courtier's, Wilma, stands behind the bar, flicking through a newspaper with one hand, smoking a cigarette with the other.

Wilma is of nymph descent, her father having married a druid back in the 70s when druids were often mistaken for hippies among the mortals. Her features scream eternal; with her elegant jaw and large doe eyes combined with flawless, dark skin.

"Your Sea God is just cruel with these earthquakes!" Wilma exclaims now, shaking her head. "Those poor, poor fools in California."

"Another one?" you ask. "Didn't they have one just a few days ago? What was it, a 6 on the Richter scale?"

Wilma nods, snubbing out her cigarette. She twirls a loose strand of hair, folding the newspaper. "Late night shift again?"

Since the incident with the hunter on the rooftop, and relocating to Illinois, you've been working as...
*choice
    *selectable_if (Magician = "1") #A smuggler of magical artifacts, working under a dwarf named "Oden."
        *set Drachmas +600
        *set Essence +5
        You were hired by Oden at a local Magikeep. You had come for a VisiCharm, and Oden must have been impressed with your knowledge of them because he immediately began questioning you. You were a little put off; Oden has a kind face. With his milky skin and plump, pink cheeks framed by a clean white beard, he highly resembles Santa Claus.
        
        Until he opens his mouth.
        
        His voice is that of a heavy smoker with a bitter tongue, deep and barren, chilling to the bone. And his eyes are like white, clear orbs of mist, staring intently at every minuscule move you make.
        
        But he pays you well. 
        
        "I can never believe what you do..." Wilma begins, leaning her delicate chin between her palms. "Remember that artifact you delivered that had the power to age people?" Wilma asks, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "I would have been too scared to touch a thing like that! Imagine accidentally activating it and, oops, you're 80!"
        
        It's true that your occupation is exciting, but it's also dangerous. Often times the line between the two is blurred, and other times, like most of your life, the line is achingly clear.
        
        Last week, this became painfully apparent.
        *page_break The night started out as it always did.
        *goto job1
    #A busboy at Courtiers, thanks to Wilma.
        *set Allure +2
        *set Drachmas +300
        You'd like to believe that Wilma had given you the waiting job out of the kindness of her heart, but you suspect it was most likely her chance to fire her incompetent nephew.
        
        She pays you in US dollars, but also gives you Drachmas on the side, knowing how desperately you rely on VisiCharms.
        
        It's true that your occupation is exciting, but it's also dangerous. Often times the line between the two is blurred, and other times, like most of your life, the line is achingly clear.
        
        Last week, this became painfully apparent.
        *page_break The night started out as it always did.
        *goto job2
    *selectable_if (Warrior = "1") #An assistant to a beast wrangler named Cremissius Clair.
        *set Drachmas +400
        *set Combat +5
        You'd come out of the local [i]Magikeep[/i] and ran straight into Cremissius, a broad Australian man with leather-worn skin and a long nose. He had sweat accumulating under his arms and a nervous twitching tick in his right eye. You had inquired about his behavior, and he told you he had just been stung by a baby manticore—a creature with the head of a lion and the stinger of a scorpion—and was going into the Magikeep for an antidote.
        
        After a few of your questions about his occupation, he offered you a part-time job as his aid.
        
        "I can never believe what you do..." Wilma begins, leaning her delicate chin between her palms. "Remember the giant [i]Gajamina[/i] that fairy asked you to chase away from her watering hole?" Wilma asks, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she recalls the half elephant, half fish hybrid. "I would have l-o-o-o-ved to see one in the flesh!"
        
        It's true that your occupation is exciting, but it's also full of hard decisions. Often times the line between the two is blurred, and other times, like most of your life, the line is achingly clear.
        
        Last week, this became painfully apparent.
        *page_break The day started out as it always did.
        *goto job3
*label job3
You sat on your stool in Cremissius's auditorium, feeding a baby chimera that had yet to grow its third head. The auditorium resides in the midle of nowhere, only a small distance between your location and the wilderness.

Cremissius had yet to return. He had told you he was going to retrieve one of the rarest creatures known to man and otherwise; the name was too complicated to remember.

The baby chimera tries to bite your hand and you pull away, leaving the plate of food in its cage. Your coworker, a Brazillian girl named Valencia, laughs at the chimera's attempt to bite off your hand. She raises her own bandaged hand, waving.

Valencia was busy attempting to soothe a wounded harpy that laid across her workstation, far too sedated to do anything but screech. The half bird, half woman hybrid had an arrow lodged in one of her wings.

Then, the door to the auditorium burst open, and Cremissius strode in before a group of people holding a large cage with the most beautiful creature you'd ever seen.
*page_break
The creature was a brown skinned, black haired woman from the waist up, and a large, green-scaled snake from the waist down.

Cremissius grins. "I present to you, the last descendant of Echidna. These fine men and I found her in her mother's cave near the equator, hiding out among serpents."

The hybrid woman stared forward with blank, unseeing eyes. She had a look of indifference on her face, her eyes rimmed with a dark red paint of sorts. Then, she hisses, snapping at you.

"${name}," Cremissius called. "Take care of our newest addition if you will. She was hell to capture."

You make your way over to the hybrid, who's black slits glance at you, widening. You hold her gaze, then wheel her cage past the group of onlookers.
*page_break
Valencia sat beside you as you two observed the hybrid. The creature hadn't tried speaking, and you weren't sure if she could. The one time she opened her mouth to accept the live mice of the platter, her tongue seemed to fill her mouth, long and forked like a snake's.

"She's so beautiful," Valencia cooed beside you. "But doesn't she just look miserable to you?"

You knew where this was going. Valencia was a mortal, and a self-proclaimed animal rights activist. She loved working with Cremissius due to the array of mystical creatures she could rescue, but the darker part of this job, keeping them caged long after they were healed, left her sour. She often spoke openly of releasing the beasts Cremissius kept locked up.

"Think about it, ${name}," she continued. "We could just let her go. If Cremissius asks, we can say she attacked us and we hadn't been able to fight her back." 

Echidna's descendant tilted her head, a wave of black hair framing her face. Maybe she could understand what you're saying, or perhaps your expression gives away your thoughts.

You turn to Valencia's pleading face, then to the door on the far south wall.
*fake_choice
    #"Fine," I relented. "We have to make it look convincing, though."
        Valencia squealed, standing up immediately. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys to the cage.
        
        You watch as the door to the hybrids cage opened, and the creature slithered out. She's quick as lightning, her tail liquid against the floor. Her head swerves left, then right, looking for an exit. She finally spots the door and makes a break for it.
        
        "Look at her go, ${name}," Valencia says after the creature disappears into the forest, clutching your arm. "Do you think she'll visit?"
        
        You side glance at the strange girl. "Somehow, I doubt that."
        
        You two spent the next half hour pushing over desks and chairs, ripping up papers, and smearing dry blood on your faces. By the end of that whole ordeal, it did, in fact, "look convincing".
        
        When Cremissius came back, he had fallen for the ploy, apologizing for leaving you two with such a high-risk creature.
        
        Valencia's dazzling smile nearly gave you away.
        *page_break "${name}?" Wilma calls out, pulling you out of your thoughts.
        *goto whodunit
    #"No way," I said. "We can't let her go."
        Valencia had sighed, turning her gaze back to the hybrid. 
  
        You two spent the next half hour feeding the creature live mice, Valencia taking out her anger at you by naming every mice "${name} Jr."
        
        When Cremissius came back, he and his team had hauled the creature away, claiming to have found a buyer for her. Valencia had complained through it all, throwing a stream of fluent curses at Cremissius, who simply rolled his eyes at her anger.
        
        On the bright side, you did receive a hefty bonus for taking care of Echidna's descendant.
        *page_break "${name}?" Wilma calls out, pulling you out of your thoughts.
        *goto whodunit        

*label job2
You were cleaning up the last table from the late dinner rush when Bran, your coworker, walked in. Bran was a bouncer at a night club in addition to a bartender at Courtier's and had a faint welsh accent. He also had a tendency to wear trucker hats that shadowed a majority of his face, making him, essentially, a large nose that spoke.

"Did you get full pay last week?" Bran asked. "They docked me for being late, but I think it's because I called Wilma's boyfriend a tree."

Before you could answer, two men walked in. You nearly mistook them for hunters with their dark hoods. They paused at the door, surveying the area...

And then one of them pulled out a knife 
*page_break
Bran leaped up the same time you did, but instead of progressing toward the men, he sank to his knees, hands in front of him.

"Take what you want!" he exclaimed.

The men, both alike in paleness and height, nodded to one another, the one with the knife pointing it at you.

"Get down!" he demanded.

You nearly rolled your eyes. You've dealt with bloodthirsty hunters with a tendency for lethality, and here were two mortal men thinking they could disarm you with a flimsy kitchen knife.

You mocked kneeling down, one leg in front of the other...and pounced on the men. The first one backed out of the way, startled by your sudden move, knocking back into the stack of chairs behind him. The one with the knife tried jabbing at you, but with little to no effort, you had disarmed him.

You stand before the men and a speechless Bran, the knife in your hand. It's a very familiar feeling.
*choice
    #"Leave before I change my mind," I said.
        They didn't need further encouragement. The men had scurried out of the restaurant with a trail of curses.
        
        Bran got up from his position on the ground, still staring wide-eyed, pulling his phone from his pocket. "Holy shit."
        
        He left the room to call the police, and you were left alone with the knife in your hand. You look toward the cash register.
        
        How simple would it be to claim that the robbers took the money and fled before you had a chance to save them? You could use this money more than anyone else in this place...
        *fake_choice
            #I took out the money from the cash register before Bran returned.
                *set Immoral +3
                *set Drachmas +120
                It was only a short time later that the police had arrived, taking both your personal statements. The entire restaurant hailed you a hero, and you even got a drink named after you.
        
                It was no also surprised that you found a nice bonus from Wilma in your check later that week, in addition to the money you took from the cash register.
                *page_break "${name}?" Wilma calls out, pulling you out of your thoughts.
                *goto whodunit
            #I couldn't do it.
                *set Drachmas +50
                It was only a short time later that the police had arrived, taking both your personal statements. The entire restaurant hailed you a hero, and you even got a drink named after you.
        
                It was a nice surprise when you found a bonus from Wilma in your check later that week.
                *page_break "${name}?" Wilma calls out, pulling you out of your thoughts.
                *goto whodunit
    #"Bran, call the police," I said.
        *set Drachmas +50
        Bran got up from his position on the ground, still, shell-shocked at your display, running behind the counter. You watch his shaking fingers dial the number on his phone, his face reflected by the screen.
        
        It was only a short time later that the police had arrived, taking both your personal statements. The entire restaurant hailed you a hero, and you even got a drink named after you.
        
        It was no also surprised that you found a nice bonus from Wilma in your check later that week.
        *page_break "${name}?" Wilma calls out, pulling you out of your thoughts.
        *goto whodunit
*label job1
You and your partner, Yisette, had sat outside Oden torch-lit office, waiting to be admitted in and given your assignment. Yisette was a few years older than you, a college student at a university she wouldn't disclose the name of, and took jobs from Oden periodically. She was mostly mortal but has distant cousins that are fairies. On jobs, she dressed rather dramatically in an all black, leather catsuit, her equally inky hair tied in a face-stretching ponytail. 

"This is just until I get my Bachelors," she had explained time and time again. "I know everyone says that, but I [i]actually[/i] mean it."

You had simply nodded, having heard this same speech from her far too many times to pretend to be interested. Then, the large doors to Oden's office opened, and a dwarf stepped out and gestured you inside.
*page_break Oden was cheery, but this was normal.
Oden, despite his grim and shady occupation, always held a pleasant smile on his face. His entire appearance seemed to contrast his surroundings.

"My favorite freelancers," Oden exclaimed, spreading his short arms wide. "Just when I thought my night couldn't get any better; first I find a rare [i]centaur[/i] horn, and now you two show up!" The dwarf stroked his white beard thoughtfully before continuing. "I hesitated before giving you this assignment, truth be told. Wasn't sure if you two were up for it yet."

"What's the job?" you asked.

Oden's smile widened. "There's a mortal man who lives a few miles from here. He has...something that doesn't belong to him. An old family heirloom if you will. I need you to retrieve it; in and out as quickly as possible, you hear?"

Yisette was already nodding, ponytail swinging behind her. "We're on it, Oden."

Oden slid a picture across his desk, and you picked it up. It was a large, embroidered golden egg with an address scribbled on the bottom in red ink. Usually, Oden asked you to retrieve magical artifacts of rarity, but this job seemed to be more personal. Oden was already speaking on the phone, clearly dismissing you two.

As you left the room, his voice called out. "Do well, and you'll be paid triple the regular price!"
*page_break The wind was bone chilling.
You and Yisette arrived at your location after a quiet cab ride. The apartment was on the 12th floor, and it was Yisette's idea to climb the fire escape.

The stairs were unsturdy and rusty, but somehow, you had made it to the top without falling to your deaths. You had pulled open and unlocked window and slipped through, landing in a large, dark room.

"It's in the bedroom," Yisette said. "I'll go get it. Stay here and keep watch, okay?"

You nodded and crouched onto the floor outside the long hallway as Yisette's figure disappeared into the dark shadows.

You counted to fifty, then a hundred, before becoming worried. You had thought that Yisette probably hadn't been able to locate the heirloom, but what if...?
*Page_break And it is after that thought that you hear a loud [i]thump![/i].
You rushed into the room, swinging the door open.

Before you was Yisette, hands wrapped tightly around an old man's bulging neck.

"Yisette!" you had called. "What the hell?"

Yisette turned to you, ponytail dangling in front of her face, a scratch on her cheek. "He woke up and I panicked!"

The man had let out a gruff noise, snarling. "Mo' of Oden's goons? I'll tell ya what I told da others; if yer looking for the orb, ya not gonna find it. Ya might as well just leave with yer tails tucked 'tween yer cheeks."

Yisette tightend her grip on the man's neck. "We know it's here. Don't make this any harder on yourself."

You gazed around the disheveled room, the bedsheets thrown across the floor, a dent in the wall...the wall. You squinted, and saw that the hold has revealed a hidden alcove. You dove down to the ground, using the clock as a hammer to break through the foundation...

And there laid the golden orb.
*page_break "Crap," the man muttered.
Yisette threw the man to her side, lunging down onto the ground to snatch the orb. "Thank God," she said. "this baby is going to pay for the next three years."

The man, clutching onto his neck, which was bruised with purple, glared at you two. "Ya got no shame, huh? Don't know what Oden told ya, but that aint no family valuable of his. I got that from Aphrodite herself!"

The man looks truly disheartened, gazing longingly at the orb. You glance between him and Yisette.
*choice
    #"Sorry, old man; finders keepers." I say.
        *set Drachmas +100
        Yisette stood up, then reached out a hand to help you rise. The old man grumbled a few curses at your direction as you slipped out of the apartment and into the night.
        
        When you reached Oden's office, Yisette slammed the orb down on his desk. Oden leaned foward, eyes wide.
        
        "Oh," he breathed. "Look at this beauty!"
        
        Yisette nodded, already impatient. "US currency, the promised amount in my account by tomorrow morning."
        
        With that final demand and a wink to you, she left the premises.
        
        Oden was then examining the orb with a magnifying glass. He gestured for you to approach, the handed you the glass. You squinted, then saw that clear as day, it was engraved with a poem written by the goddess Aphrodite to a man named William Brundt.
        
        Oden leaned back in his chair. "Everyone just wants a little magic, kid."
        *page_break "${name}?" Wilma calls out, pulling you out of your thoughts.
        *goto whodunit
    #"We should let him keep it, Yisette." I say. "Just look at him."
        *if Allure>35
            Yisette glared at you, eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
            
            "You heard me," you said, your voice coying. You place a hand on her arm, keeping your tone pleasant. "We'll just tell Oden that we couldn't find it, just like everyone else he's sent after this guy. Come on, Yisette. There will be other jobs."
            
            A tense moment of silence passed as Yisette gazed down at the orb glinting under the moonlight. The old man seemed to be holding his breath.
            
            Then, Yisette groaned, throwing her head back. "Christ...[i]fine[/i]. But you're the one telling Oden. And on the next job, you're giving me half of your cut."
            
            You nodded, grabbing the orb from her. The old man's eyes lit up and he snatched it from your hands without so much of a thank you.
        *if Allure<35
            Yisette glared at you, eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
            
            "You heard me," you said,. "We'll just tell Oden that we couldn't find it, just like everyone else he's sent after this guy. There will be other jobs; bigger, better paying ones."
            
            A tense moment of silence passed as Yisette gazed down at the orb glinting under the moonlight. The old man seemed to be holding his breath.
            
            Then, Yisette laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, no way. I [i]need[/i] this, ${name}. You can play saint by yourself."
            
            Before you could react, Yisette was out of the room, disappearing into the shadows.
            
        When you reached Oden's office, Yisette already stood before Oden, the orb in his small hands. "Oh," he breathed. "Look at this beauty!"
        
        Yisette nodded, already impatient. "US currency, the promised amount in my account by tomorrow morning."
        
        With that final demand, she left the premises.
        
        Oden was then examining the orb with a magnifying glass. He gestured for you to approach, the handed you the glass. You squinted, then saw that clear as day, it was engraved with a poem written by the goddess Aphrodite to a man named William Brundt.
        
        Oden leaned back in his chair. "Everyone just wants a little magic, kid."
        *page_break "${name}?" Wilma calls out, pulling you out of your thoughts.
        *goto whodunit
*label whodunit
"You alright?" she asked. "You kind of zoned out a little."

You nodded. "What were we talking about?"

Wilma smiles sweetly at you, patting your hand. "Don't worry about it. ${name}. Here, I'll refill your cup."

Just as Wilma turns, you see a shadow cross past the lage bay windows to your right...

It turns out to be a young couple running through the streets, their laughter bouncing off the walls. Still, thoughts of the hunters plague your thoughts, as always.

It's been weeks since you've gathered all your thoughts together to form a clear theory, but you believe that...
*choice
    #The hunters are being sent by the gods.
        *set theory1 true
        It's a speculation that you've dreaded for years; the gods are supposed to be your family, but there is a great possibility that they're the ones after you to begin with. And what if—
        
        Tonight, you'll be at work. Tomorrow...who knows? The hunters could appear just as easily as they disappear. You just know that have to keep moving...for however long you're able to.
        *page_break Chapter One
        *finish
    #The hunters are possessed by another higher power.
        *set theory2 true
        It's a speculation that you've dreaded for years; the hunters are already a powerful force by themselves, but to think that there's a being even more powerful than them with mal intent toward you? It's enough to kick your fear into high gear.
        
        Shaking those thoughts away, you grab your jacket along with your final check, and the resturant keys, then head to the front of the dimly lit resturant.
        
        When you reach the large glass doors, you hesitate.
        
        Tonight, you'll be at the airport. Tomorrow, you'll be in another part of the state. Which one? You have no idea. You just know that have to keep moving...for however long you're able to.
        *page_break Chapter One
        *finish
    #The hunters are another species entirely, sent by their own will.
        *set theory3 true    
        It's a speculation that you've dreaded for years; the theory explains how the hutners are so powerful. They're no ordinary mortals, that for sure. But what would another species want with you, of all people?
        
        Shaking those thoughts away, you grab your jacket along with your final check, and the resturant keys, then head to the front of the dimly lit resturant.
        
        When you reach the large glass doors, you hesitate.
        
        Tonight, you'll be at the airport. Tomorrow, you'll be in another part of the state. Which one? You have no idea. You just know that have to keep moving...for however long you're able to.
        *page_break Chapter One
        *finish