Renting a room for the week didn’t prove much difficult. I left my backpack in the room, bracing myself for the unknown encounter. What type of person might own the artifact Tarask talked about? Someone who didn’t want to be recognized was probably a shady person. Or in similar circumstances than myself, perhaps? 

How was I supposed to find this stranger anyway? A picture wouldn’t be of much use thanks to the artifact's abilities. Tarask said he felt the artifact's presence, but I didn’t feel comfortable just walking along the roads by following his instructions. 

I fear you don’t have much of a choice. Even through I started to affect you, you’re still not sensitive enough to these signals. If you were, I wouldn’t mind you searching without my guidance, pitiful thing. 

I sighed and accepted the inevitable for now. Alright – time to move out. It might take some time to find the artifact's owner in all the people walking through the streets. Still, I hoped to gain it as fast as possible. But how should I steal it from him or her? I didn’t take my staff with me, nor did I change into my robe. These things would only draw more attention to me. 

Why are you so worried, pitiful thing? It’s just a human you’ll be up against. There won’t be any need for a weapon. At least not with an enemy of his caliber. Trust me.

Sure, trusting someone who forced me to drink lizard blood seemed like a genius idea. But in this case, he would gain nothing from me getting beaten up. Still, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was keeping important information from me. Humans are still dangerous to humans, after all. The person we were searching could own a knife or perhaps even a firearm. 

So, why was he so calm about that possibility? Could he simply rewind time whenever he pleases? That would explain his demeanor, but I shouldn’t count too much on it. I left the hostel and walked out on the street. 

Take the street to your left and follow it until you reach the crossroad. I’ll give you the directions step by step, as he will surely be moving as well.

I nodded reflexively. For anyone watching me, it must have seemed strange for a person to nod to himself but as in most cases of bustling cities, most people focused on their smartphones and themselves. 

With Tarask directions, it was easy to close in on the man we were searching for. I caught up to him as he walked into a fast food restaurant. There was nothing special about him. A man with an average height, an average build, probably in his early thirties if I had to guess. Sure, he had a stubble and some sharp eyebrows that might give him a ‘bad guy’ appearance when he was annoyed. Nothing too intimidating, though. 

I set down a few tables behind him, so I could monitor him. Not that it was particularly interesting to watch somehow wolf down a cheeseburger. But when I wanted to get the artifact, I had to catch him somewhere alone without too many witnesses around. I tried to find the artifact Tarask had talked about. Where was it?

His left hand. Do you see the ring around his finger? That’s it.

My gaze moved to his hand holding the cheeseburger and found what Tarask mentioned. The metal ring felt unremarkable. Its shade resembled brass, and there were some small markings that seemed more like scratches on the metal rather than engravings. I wouldn’t have been able to tell its properties. Was that part of its abilities? 

No, it’s not. Human senses are simple really dull if it comes to energies. You’d need to wear it to at least feel something. Just keep watching him for now and follow him.

Wouldn’t he notice if someone followed him around the town? Not that losing him was an option, but I never tried to tail someone before, so I wasn’t confident in blending in with my surroundings.

No, because he is an idiot. 

Ok. That was one way of telling it, but what was Tarask trying to hint it?

Your senses are duller than I thought, pitiful thing. 

I rolled my eyes. What was I expected to notice? There was nothing suspicious about that man. He simply enjoyed a meal in a fast food restaurant, what was that supposed to tell me?

It’s not what, it’s how. He is completely relaxed. He knows that people are unable to recognize him as long as he wears the ring. So, he doesn’t expect a single person to watch out or follow him. He must be doing this for quite some time to feel so relaxed. Other people couldn’t even keep a focus on him. 

Tarask was right. He basically hid in broad daylight, and who knew how long he had been doing this? If people were unable to focus on him, following him would be impossible. Still, how was that turning him into an idiot?

He simply assumes that humans will never be able to find him. That might be true, but there are other artifacts out there, that could still manage. Not to talk about all the nonhuman beings that would have an easy time sniffing him out. Assuming things and planing with just a portion of knowledge is stupid. He should be more wary. 

I couldn’t agree on this. How should he know about any of these things? Sure, being too confident about one’s situation might seem stupid. Still, it seemed unfair to deem him an idiot just because he worked with what he knew. I shouldn’t complain, I guess. With him being unaware of any danger, I should have an easy time following him.