A Hunter and his Prey

Jonah Staples wants to become a bounty-hunter for the most basic possible reason--bounty hunters make money and he needs money to buy the alchemy texts that will allow him to advance in his field. Being a good researcher, Jonah tracks down Tamalaria's best bounty hunter and applies to become an apprentice. Simpa (were-lion) bounty-hunter Portenda isn't looking for an apprentice. If he were, he certainly wouldn't be looking for a human with slow reflexes and poor powers of observation. Still, when Jonah somehow disarms the bounty-hunter, Portenda decides he's worth watching--even if that does mean letting the human into his home. Jonah's plans to become a bounty hunter are disrupted when he receives word that his sister has been kidnapped. To his surprise, Portenda agrees to help search, as does Nareena, the sexy elf-woman Jonah has long held a crush on. None of them have any idea, however, of the powers that the kidnapper will bring against them. Even Portenda will be tested to the ultimate if he wishes to survive, let alone rescue the human girl. And then there's the matter of Jonah's subconscious programming--which just might turn against the three bounty hunters at any moment.