There was much two could say about her colleagues. The kind of people to deal in kidnappings and theft tended not to be the pleasant sort. The fact she’d spent most of her teens in their company had not inured her to that fact. Despite not being the worst of the bunch, Two held a special dislike for butch.

He was one of few who talked to her and in so doing inflicted her with his company

“Hey, lass!” A beggar dressed in ratty grey clothes that looked as if their wearer had gotten in one too many knifeings waved at her. Dark curled horns sprouted from the side of his pale weathered face, a tangle of grey hair covered his head and joined his pointed beard. The old goat was grinning wildly.

Her eyes traced the wiry muscle beneath the scraps he called clothing. He was splayed on an equally tarnished mat.

“How you doin.” His voice sounded much like he looked, coarse and scraggly.

Two stopped in front of him.

This… man was also a cultivator. He was a stark juxtaposition with her target, the guards and all the other powerful people Two avoided in her day-to-day. Even Daisy, mildly unhinged as she often acted, possessed some decorum. Butch however knew no such thing, instead, he swaggered about like an idiot reeking of pride. Generally existed to prove that good things did indeed happen to bad people.

“Hello Butch, I found what you looking for, we should go before someone else buys them. “ Two replied evenly, it was a simple misdirection, serving only to grant a shroud of normality to their actions.

Two swallowed a sigh as confusion twisted his features. Unfortunately, there was no subtly to him, hence why he decided to dress like a beggar that would beggars feel rich.

“The thing, what the boss is looking for.” She tried.

“The thing!” he slapped his scrawny thigh and jumped up, joisting a large sack over his shoulder. Grin bold and renewed. “Why didn’t you say, lead on.” He stood taller than her and his tattered clothes fell drapes only participially concealing his weathered skin and many scars. It wouldn’t surprise her if that was intentional.

Two didn’t bother responding, she simply took a breath to refresh her senses and went in pursuit of her mark. Butch trundled behind in an attempt at suave that landed somewhere near deranged. It caused the flowing crowd part, and the guards to pay them a second glance.

Two sighed heavily and loudly. “Uncle, can you please stop being weird? Well get your medicine then you can go about your day.”

“What are you talking about lass! I’m perfectly fine.” He declared, and the suspicious glances levelled on them turned commissary.

Two’s slumped shoulders completed the act.

She sighed, and continued the stream of mindless bickering that Butch reveled in. She could taste his satisfaction and that only annoyed her further.

Off all the people she could’ve worked with it had to be him. If only cultivaots weren’t so rare in the city, for the most part magic was limited to the guard and nobility. Irregulars like Butch were rare and those with criminal incrimination even rarer.

As the thought came to her another followed. Her target was a cultivator, she was too young to be in the guard. That implied she was a noble.

A noble scion playing commoner and buying overpriced trinkets.

She sighed. Truly nothing could be simple.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

They found the potential noble perusing a different selection of equally trite items. As to watching her from a distance the ‘potential’ part grew increasingly unlikely. Details slotted into place, their simple black cloak was too black, dyes that deep were extraordinarily expensive. She paid in silvers and golds never coppers even if meant waiting half a minute for change.

It added up an image of extreme wealth, and a poor attempt to hide it. She was a bright young miss simply enjoying her day, and they were about to ruin it.

“What are you waiting for Butch. I’ve bright you here, you can do the rest by yourself.” She said not taking her eyes of her the young woman.

“You’d leave me out dry. I knew you were heartless but you’d throw out dear old Butch.”

“Butch.” She said in a dead tone.

He chortled, “Fine, fine” he shifted the bag on his shoulder, and his grin grew predatory. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He swaggered off bumping shoppers as he walked a straight line to the target.

Two tore her gaze away and ducked around around a corner and produced away at a quick walk. She didn’t want to be around when things kicked off.

A quickly muffled scream proved the wisdom in that. Shoppers and peddlers alike stopped and turned to look at the commotion, only a people followed her in quickening the pace.

She was half way out of that particular nest of tarps and shops, when she let herself relax. The screaming and shouts had mostly trailed of she imagined Butch had snuck away through the alleys to make his escape.

Two wasn’t certain what would happen to the young cultivator, though she tried not to think of her as such, She was older than herself after all, but, she didn’t feel older. Two sighed and stared up, a sliver of blue sky peeked through the many layers of cloth.

Then stall beside her exploded, vomiting forth a familiar silhouette into the street. Two had a second to blink before she found her self thrown onto her feet and onto the shoulder of a rapidly accelerating man.

“Wonderland to see you here lass, I seem have to run into some trouble!” Butch’s shout echoed in here ear before the wind then stole sound from her and his voice was all she could here.

He ran led like a headless chicken, taking corners at speeds that flipped her stomach, or running through stalls where turning failed to be convenience. Thankfully he did not dive through shops with the shoulder she occupied. Unfortunately splinters had a knack of finding themselves in unwanted places.

Two had gathered her gathered her sense from her most recent crash when she heard Butch’s shouts. “Lass! Lass you alive!”

“I’m going yo stab you!” was her reply.

He laugher. “Wonderful, I need you to tell me where the nearest sewer entrance is. The little lady had more goons than expected, I’d rather not meet those fellows again.”

A dozen expletives came to Two mind. She swallowed them with her boiling frustration and turned her thoughts to more productive means. It took a second for her to piece together her present location, and another two to consider her options.

The main streets were lined with manholes and drainage, they were also lined with guards. The Alleys were interspersed with drains and other forms of access. They were bound to run into one eventually, but that took time and luck. Two was feeling short on both.

Guards it was.

“Turn left, then right along the edge when we hit the main road. There’s access to the drainage tunnels along the side.”

The sharp turn that followed almost turned her stomach and painted the ground a vibrant shade of green.

They raced forward and Butch didn’t bother turning, She braced and they plowed through stall after stall. Shattering wood, tearing cloth and screams echoed in their wake. Leaving tumult and likely more than a few broken bones.

Then they were on the main streets. Two had a moment of perfect calm, many faces stared at her wide wide-eyed and gobsmacked. Butch straightened, proudly showing the sack and the girl and squirming bag held in each arm.

Two realized her good was down. “Help!” two screamed, preforming her best damsel, it came out rather indignant. Only then did the crowd explode into motion.

Butch boomed a laugh and was off, trampling any in the way. Two meanwhile dragged her hood down, to shield from the wind and any errant gazes.

Many “Stop!”s were heard as the surrounding guards tried and failed to catch them. They couldn’t match their pace with going over or through the crowd. They could no more fly than they could trample fleeing pedestrians.

Butch skidded to a halt and dropped her and the bag. She lurched to her feet, and forced down the rising acidic taste.

Butch thrust his fingers between the bars of a storm drain then he heaved. With a single grunt of effort, he lifted it. Two didn’t know much about other cities or how they compared to Spes Nova, but she knew they didn’t do drainage the same way.

The storm drain was a slab of solid stone. Though lined with bars to fulfill its function it did little to take away from the weight of things. It had to be to survive the city’s rainy season.

With one smooth motion, Butch Hefted the metres long and half a metre thick object on his free shoulder. Then with a squat and exertion, he bounced it into the air. Under Two and many others shocked eyes.

Then he grabbed two, who had rocked to their feet. And jumped down the dark hole and the tunnels below.