Cris hadn’t been expecting to die in an alley. He’d ended up being beaten lightly a few times and thrown out of his share of taverns but not like this. At least not in this way, drunk and broken as an extremely old man who had spent his last coin on alcohol which was strong enough to strip the flesh from his skin made sense but not like this, not in his youth when he still had good looks.

‘He’s a pretty one isn’t he? Unique even. Foreign perhaps with that hair and those eyes. Pretty. I think we can use him a few times, knock him out and dose him up with a good amount of lotus to sell on. As long as none of us touches his face or his teeth or course. The rest of him can be used pretty good. Been a long time since I had me a pretty one like him. A good long time since a noble touched my skin. What do you think pretty one? Fancy using your skills to give Agnes here a good time? I promise the others won’t touch you, not in the way you think. You may have to use your imagination to keep them happy but it’ll work out. Better than us beating you into unconsciousness and taking you against your will, eh?’ said the cloaked woman.

Even though there was a distance from them, Cris could still sense the aura of decay that affected the woman. There was a degree of purity which was odd although not entirely in equal balance to the degree of decay. She wasn’t entirely corrupted, not in the worse sense of the word but her aura wasn’t far off it. He doubted that she’d be able to form clear enough sentences if she had devolved far enough.

Besides, the priests and their followers tended to keep a close lookout for any distinct markings. During his own training before he had dropped out Cris had learnt enough to pick up smaller details with a quick glance. The teachers had admired him then, not like these people in this stinking alleyway.

Standing opposite him at the end of the stinking alley was a trio of three people in cheap, woollen cloaks. He was sure it wasn’t down to the chilly night.

From the body shape, the one who had spoken to him was a woman judging from her body. One of them was more heavily built but standing upright and another figure who was hunched over a little standing in between the other two.

‘Shut it Agnes. You always want to take the pretty ones for yourself. I think we should just take him, tie him up and drop him off at the ladies knocking house. She’ll dose him up with her own lotus supply. I’m not wasting a single leaf when we can get some money out of him. Besides, he’s too young for an old lady like you. Better you find a real man, one with a bit of maturity. This young pup doesn’t even have a whisper of a beard yet.’ said one of the cloaked figures.

Backing himself up, Cris stopped short of touching the wall behind him in the alley. He had chosen to relieve himself here after the tavern had relieved him of his last kingdom allocated vouchers. It hadn’t been easy to find a low-born place which would accept them in lieu of physical coin but they had given him a filling meal and a glass of low-quality wine which he would have poured on the floor if he had any better choice.

The cloaked man had a similar aura to the woman, not as decayed but on an even keel. The fact that both of them were disguising their faces and bare skin made Cris concerned in that they had both suffered physical change, even a small amount of the magical virus could cause corruption if it wasn’t treated immediately by a Priest of Purity and Light.

No, it wasn’t the two that bothered him. All they had done was approach him after he had finished shaking off the last of his urine in an attempt to stop him getting it on his trousers. Cheap quality wine always ran through him like water through a sieve, not that he would dare to drink non-boiled, not treated water. The Kingdom Temples offered for it free as long as he was willing to be checked over by a priest but Cris had his own reasons for keeping a low profile.

‘Your friend. What’s wrong with him? If you’re looking to make some coin then this is the wrong time and place for it. How about we go back into the tavern and I buy us all a meal and a drink and we can be on our way? I’m not as nice as I’m talking and I don’t want to kill anyone else today just because they made a mistake. Your friend, how about you take him to a temple to be checked out? The pair of you are still clean but who knows for how long?’ said Cris as he reached a hand to the hidden blade behind his back.

As though in response to his words, the third figure hunched over even further and Cris was certain that he detected a shiny glint there underneath the hood. Likely a mark of corruption. Spreading out his sense he forced himself not to recoil from the sense that he received from the third person, embedded corruption, not deep but it hadn’t been treated either.

‘Even his voice is pretty. I wonder if he sings as well as he talks. Been too long since a man recited poetry to me, especially such a young and fresh one. Look at him, not a single blemish or trace of corruption on his skin. Not often we see such a fancy high-born who comes down from his fancy palace up on the mountains to frequent us low-born. You came here for a bit of slap and tickle pretty boy? Agnes knows how to treat you right if you respond the right way. We don’t even need to give in to violence. Not as long as you do what we say, you’ll even get a cut of the payment from paying customers. Richen and Marley here will do exactly what I say.’ said the cloaked figure called Agnes as she gestured a gloved hand to the two other cloaked figures in the alley.

Shaking his head lightly, Cris had put his hand on the hidden blade behind his back. He’d be able to force a little purity essence into it to give the trio a scare as long as they didn’t notice his actions. He could also scream or shout and hope the guard or the bouncers inside the tavern took notice but he doubted they’d respond in this place. More likely the trio had paid them off to keep this alleyway as part of their territory.

‘Dear Lady, as much as I like the idea of becoming an entertainer who offers physical services on the side I’ll have to kindly reject your offer. Why don’t you take off your hood and let me see who I’m talking to? You and your….compatriots have me at a disadvantage when you can clearly see my fine face and I remain unable to see yours. This is the usual case when conducting business, and in return I promise not to shout or raise my voice to draw attention to your...place of territory and work. I was merely passing and wanted to relieve my bladder of the pressure of a little wine. Would...Richtson and Marley agree to your instructions?’ said Cris as he wrapped his fingers around the blade.

There was a noticeable shift in the area of the third cloaked figure in the alleyway. There was a strengthening of the degree of corruption which had began to take hold of the figure and infusing his hidden blade with a touch of purity had began to draw a response.

He had always been good with names and knowing them in passing was as good as a weapon in certain circumstances.

‘They do what I say. Marley, you agree don’t you to a little par-ley before we do our business. No sense in fighting until we know we have no choice. Richtson doesn’t speak much but he’ll agree. He will if he knows what good for him, don’t you boy?’ said Agnes.

The one called Marley who had spoken earlier simply shook his head before he gave out a deep sigh and closing his fists and crossing his arms across his chest in a physical sign of agreement for a contract. Cris assumed that Richtson was the figure who had crouched over and bent down, closer to being on all fours that any human being had a right to be.

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He kept one hand behind his back on his hidden blade but released some of the slowly building purity magic keeping his aura senses on the figure and his eyes on his physical movements trying to detect a response.

‘How infected is your friend? Sorry, Richtson. Have you been giving him treatment for his condition?’ said Cris.

A deep growl came from under the cloaked figure which had straightened it’s back slightly but a pair of hands stretched outwards from the folds of the clothing covering it. Both hands were clean of any taint but Cris could see the length of the nails on the fingers and the distinct trace of purple on the exposed skin.

‘None of your business boy. You a priest of the church? No, you’re too young for that. An adept maybe, out spending your Mistresses coins to try and find an infected to work on? Tell you what, you come with is and give Richter a little boost to help him fend off his...bad cough a little and we’ll let you go free. No more business talk about how pretty you are. I’ll need a good kiss from you though, no sense letting that face going to waste and maybe a quick grope but only from my and not from my boys. We got a deal, handsome cutie?’ said Agnes as she held out a hand to her side and made a lowering motion towards the one she called Richter.

The sudden motion of the back doorway from the tavern released a burst of light and noise into the back alleyway as a young woman dressed as a barmaid held a bucket with both hands and poured the contents on the side of the door.

Giving Cris a quick glance and a smile she waved towards the three figures in the alleyway before she picked up the emptied bucket and pulled the door behind her slamming it tight. Stretching his hearing, he was certain that he heard an audible click as one escape route for him was locked tight.

He pulled his blade out from behind him and held it in a sideways motion in front of him, letting one arm hang loosely down on his side. He’d infused enough purity essence in the thin edged white metal blade to enable it to glow a little but his energies were going to run out soon enough. Making sure the balance of purity inside the blade for this long had caused his hand to shake and a bead of sweat ran down his brow.

‘I guess I don’t have much of a choice then do I Agnes? Three against one doesn’t seem like very fair odds does it? I have a counter offer though, You can come over here and let me give you a kiss and then I’ll do my best for your friend to help him stave off the corruption a little until you get him to a priest for further treatment. I’ll even throw in a few of these as a bonus.’ said Cris as he reached his hand inside his trouser pocket and pulled out what was left of his vouchers before he held them up, illuminating them in the glow of his white metal blade.

‘High-born. I told you he’s a high-born. We don’t need that kind of heat on us and if he’s going to give old Richter a dose of purity for free and throw in a few of them vouchers then we don’t need to fight. You know how he’s been getting, the lotus won’t been enough to keep him calm and I’m not going to offering him fresh meat from my own arm when he loses control.’ said Marley.

The man had reached up both hands and pulled down his own cloak to reveal a middle-aged man with messy mid-length common black hair and a pair of matching colour eyes. His skin was marginally sallow and he had a haggard look under his eyes. Letting out a deeper sigh he casually walked to the side of the alleyway and leaned backwards against the wall folding his arms across his chest and crossing his legs.

Agnes took several steps back, keeping her attention focused on the glow of the blade and Cris noticed her eyes widen marginally at the sight of the vouchers in his other hand as he waved them a little in the non-existent breeze. She reached out a hand and grabbed onto the cloaked arm of Richter, steadying her own feet as she lifted him up with a single strong motion.

‘Marley. You don’t talk for me or over me. Are we clear on that? High-born or not I’m not letting him walk away from us. A waft of money and a little threat and you back down like a good little servant? No. I need results. You don’t want your share then leave, I paid High Heeled Alice for this territory and she’ll want her own cut or either goods or services. You. Get over here and give Richter a boost. I’m not taking him to a temple, they check them and they take them away from us. Not that you’d know about that being as pretty as you are. I was a beauty once when I was young, a dozen pretty boys like you would have flocked to hear me talk but the war took that away from me. Not that it’s any of your business. Get over here and give him a boost before any guards come. You can hand over those vouchers to Marley first, just to make sure you don’t try and bolt.’ said Alice.

Her strength surprised Cris, either the woman was far stronger than she looked or she had been augmented. Likely the latter he considered which meant that he wasn’t dealing with a standard group of would-be muggers out to make a decent coin from either kidnapping and selling him as a male escort and enjoy themselves in the process.

‘When did you leave the war? When were you disbanded and left with nothing? You were corrupted but you’re walking the streets. Your friend is a danger.’ queried Cris.

He was struggling to keep the purity energy running through the white metal blade in his hand but he gritted his teeth and held on. There was no reason to delay opportunity when it came knocking at his door with open arms.

A voice came from under the cloaked man as he was raised up by the woman called Agnes. With her free hand she pulled back her hood from her heavy cowl to reveal her own features. A touch of red remained in her hair in several streaks running through what had turned grey, she was older than Cris by several decades at least and he saw that once she would have been a highly attractive woman before time and life took its toll. The darkness of the alley made it harder for him to make out her features clearly but he was able to work out just enough from moonlight shining down.

Her face was slim but her mouth was deeply creased and a look of anger flashed through her eyes as she involuntary glanced towards Marley leaning against the wall. A hand signal flashed as she made a gesture towards him and the man stiffened as he reached one hand behind his back

‘Not your concern….boy. Too many died and not enough survived the plague and the great cleansing that followed. We did. Maybe if you came down from your high up home on your mountain and went over the walls you’d get a taste of the real world. We killed and kept you safe. Our reward? No, not your concern. Neither is my friend. You’re too young to understand real loss. I’d like to keep you pretty for a little longer as long as you stop asking questions like that.’ said Agnes as the anger on her face melted away with a bright smile.

When she made a quick movement with her head the man pushed himself off the wall and stood straight, one hand reaching behind his back and the other opening and closing in a clenched fist.

‘You work for the Crown? The Queen perhaps? A lay brother out for an opportunity to capture a deeply corrupted? A boy like you wouldn’t have even been born the day we set foot in the cursed lands. Marley, prepare yourself for an attack. I don’t think this young noble is as simple as he makes himself out to be. Could be he was looking for us after all, either to take our comrade away for a priest to examine or for another trick.’ said Agnes.

Her hand holding the remaining fully covered cloaked held onto his arm lifting him upright eliciting a deep grunt from the man. The fact that both of her hands remained gloved gave Cris little indication of the true nature of her arm. An augmented one, he had found a living myth at last.

‘I don’t give a rats fart who you work for, as long as you stick to our previous agreement then a pretty boy won’t have to learn the hard lessons we did when everyone we fought with died and we lived. And after you give me a kiss handsome boy, we can go inside and talk. Make a choice and be quick about it. My comrade here is getting heavy.’

Cris wasn’t feeling like dying in an alley and the situation had both become more dangerous and rewarding than he had expected. He gave an inward sigh and moved forward to hand over his vouchers to the man standing by the alley wall, he let the energy flowing into the white metal blade slow and still before he stored it on his back again.