2 years later.
“You did a good job, Cete. Here’s your cut for the day.” A bald man with a snake tattoo curling around his neck handed a small pouch to the teenage boy. The clink of a few copper pieces sounded inside.
“Glad I could be of service,” Cete replied, taking the pouch with a nod. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction—just a few more jobs, and he’d be out of here. Just a bit more, and I can get to Kahn City, he thought, doing a quick mental count. Two silvers and thirteen coppers… The trip’s only three silvers. I’m close.
The man paused, eyeing him. “By the way, we’ve got a big job coming up. Pay is a silver if you’re interested. It’s riskier, but I know you’re trying to save up. Got one spot left.”
“What’s the job?” Cete asked a little too eagerly.
“Can’t give you all the details. You’re either in or out,” the man replied with a smirk. “But don’t worry, it’s pretty low risk.”
Cete thought for a moment. I know Snivel isn’t known for his plans… the usual plan involves the keepers coming and putting their foot down and then someone gets grabbed. I’d rather not risk my future on a gamble, but I really need to get to Kahn City before I turn 15 and I’m running out of time. 15 is the cut off for the entrance to the keepers guild and if I don’t make it in time I wont have a future. He nodded with a slight frown. “I’m in.”
“Perfect. I knew you’d say yes. Meet under the Diamond Pearl at eight tonight. It’s all going down then.” He grinned. “Looking forward to it.”
“All right. See you then.” Cete pocketed the pouch and turned away, and made his way to his room and stashed his coins. Then he left the apartment and closed the iron door with a bang, the sound reverberated through the alley, causing echos that spooked a few rats that darted across the sewage pipes that littered the walls.
I really hope nothing goes wrong, the last thing I need is another accident like before.
As he headed down a dark alley with a snake mural on the grime covered wall Cete couldn’t help but remember one of the previous jobs he did with Snivel. Snivel said it was just going to be a quick snatch and grab but everything went wrong. Markus and Ted, his two close acquaintances, got grabbed by the keepers. He still remembers their faces on the concrete, blood dripping from the head wounds and all he could do was watch as they were dragged away. He nearly got grabbed as well, but fortunately his sewing skills are subpar at best, and the jacket he stitched back together ripped apart when one of the keepers went to grab him allowing him to get away. I definitely won't make the same mistake again. At any sign of trouble I’m leaving. Just hope nothing goes down. Every step he took caused roaches to dive for cover under rusty metal scrap, and old broken wood pallets. At Least from the rumors, I know Kahn City isn't as filthy as this. He thought with a sign.
His next stop: Slinky’s, where Margaret had asked for help with something. The alleys stretched out dimly before him, their green light stones casting a faint glow over the crumbling bricks and orange sewage lines. Finally, he reached Slinky’s Super Brothel, the garish sign above the front door faintly illuminated with pink light stones. He knocked twice. “It’s Cete,” he called out towards the door. “Margaret sent for me.”
The alleys stretched out dimly before him, their green light stones casting a faint glow over the crumbling bricks and orange sewage lines. Finally, he reached Slinky’s Super Brothel, the garish sign above the front door faintly illuminated with pink light stones. He knocked twice. “It’s Cete,” he called out towards the door. “Margaret sent for me.”
A peephole slid open, revealing a pair of curious purple eyes. “If it isn’t my lovely little toy,” a strangely reptilian, feminine voice cooed. The door swung open, and there stood the pink lizard “Love”, her lips curled into a sly grin.
“Do you have to make it so embarrassing?” Cete rolled his eyes with a frown. “And maybe we can skip the ‘toy’ nickname? I’m tired of it.”
Love laughed, clearly amused. “Oh, but that’s what makes you my favorite. Anyways Margaret’s in the back. Go say hi.”
As Cete weaved his way past Love down the narrow, dimly lit hall he had to take a quick side step to stop her tail from sliding up his pant leg. I swear one of these days I’m going to stomp on her tail and maybe that'll get the message across.
“Awe you’re no fun.” Love cooed out with a mischievous smile.
Curtains hung on either side, barely covering the rooms. He made his way down the hallway, trying to ignore the noises that threatened to awaken his demon. He sidestepped grimy stains, careful to avoid any leftovers... Eventually, he reached the back room and found Margaret seated at a posh wooden table, scribbling on a stack of papers.
“I see you finally made it,” she greeted him without looking up.
“Yep, wrapped up with Snivel. I Heard you needed help?”
“Yeah. One of the girls needs Snoove and I like to keep some on hand. Can you pick up six from Clementine’s? Prices on it are up, but that shouldn’t be an issue. Also please don’t talk to that rat anymore than you need to… he’s always up to something.” She tossed him a pouch. “Six silvers should cover it—one per potion. Oh by the way, Lusties closed down so expect a lot of business headed your way as I’m going to need more small jobs done.”
“Alright I’ll get right on it,” Cete replied, catching the pouch. Maybe I won't need to do that job after all. If I get more jobs from Margarete I will have enough. Ah, but I already said I was in. Damn. I remember the last time I backed out last minute. He reached down and felt the phantom pain from his arm. He turned and left, not bothering to say goodbye to Love as he slipped out the back and into the street. He made his way through the streets, crossing a few blocks until he reached Clementine’s.
As Cete approached Clementine’s, he couldn’t help but pause, his gaze drawn to the oddity of the building. Only three stories, it stood out with its tall, pointed towers capped in blue shingles. Every time he got close, he felt that familiar, inexplicable aura—a mysticism that seemed to emanate from within. Compared to the dull, grimy buildings surrounding it, Clementine’s was a vibrant spectacle. The bright red door and cheerful yellow paint, clean and untouched by dirt, definitely was a work of some type of magic that kept it that way.
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He took a deep breath, shaking off the eerie vibe, and pushed the front door open. A cheerful chime rang out, bouncing off the polished walls. Behind the front desk, a small man looked up, adjusting his glasses as he offered a slight smile. The white lightstone overhead reflected off his balding head.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Cete,” the man greeted, his voice smooth. “I believe we’ve met before. How can I help you today?”
“I’m just here to pick up a shipment for Margaret,” Cete replied.
At the mention of Margaret’s name, the man’s expression soured, a shadow of realization crossing his face. His smile faded, replaced by a scowl. “What does she want now? I’ve already told her I’m short on the necessary ingredients.”
That piqued Cete’s interest, and he tilted his head. “Oh? And what ingredients was she looking for?”
I wonder what type of potion Margerete would be requesting. Only specialty potions would require ingredients not kept in stock. Maybe a type of hallucinating potion? Or a Dream potion?
The man paused, noticing Cete’s genuine curiosity. He quickly shook his head. “Never mind. Ignore that. Clearly, you’re here for something else.”
Cete gave a shrug, hiding his curiosity. “Yeah, you got me. I’m just here for some snoove. Got any in stock?”
The man let out a sigh. “A silver apiece, though honestly, I should probably charge more with how often Margaret’s been buying them up. Makes sense, though,” he added, with a strange look that lingered on Cete. “We don’t want anymore… accidents.” He glared directly into Cete’s eyes as he put extra emphasis on the last word.
The word hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Cete kept his face neutral, quickly squashing the anger growing inside, but he knew the game he was playing. If Clemetine weren’t such a powerful figure I’d jump the counter and punch him in the face right now. Damn bastard.
“All right, you got the snoove or not?” Cete asked, biting back his irritation as he tossed the pouch onto the counter. It landed with a soft thud, the coins inside jingling faintly.
“Yeah, yeah. Give me a moment,” Clementine muttered, casting Cete a sidelong glance before shuffling to the back. Cete could hear the clanking and banging of bottles, but he could tell it was mostly for show.
Finally, he returned, setting down six small bottles filled with a swirling purple liquid. “There you go. Snoove, as requested.”
“Thanks,” Cete replied, slipping the bottles into a bag. “See you around.” He turned to leave, already eyeing the alley.
The man’s voice followed him. “Hopefully not too soon.”
Cete smirked but didn’t look back. The tension in Clementine’s still clung to him as he stepped out he mumbled “Asshole” under his breath, the quiet of the street greeting him again. Glad this area doesn’t have a lot of foot traffic. It’s nice to have some peace and quiet. As he stood outside Clementine’s he looked around noticing that it was actually pretty busy, but all the noise was muted. Ah so that’s what the mystical feeling is. He took a step away from the building and the noises bombarded him. It’d be nice to have something like that in my bedroom or even the dens at Slinkys then I wouldn't need to hear the noises…
Cete made his way back to Slinky’s, once again dealing with the lizard named Love, who was doing her best to toy with him in ways that made him uncomfortable. He gritted his teeth through the exchange, finally making his escape and returning to Margaret.
“Here’s the snoove, just like you asked for,” Cete said, placing the bottles on the table. He took a glance at the papers she was working on, but they were in a language he didn’t understand.
“Perfect,” Margaret said with a nod. “Faster delivery than expected.”
She reached down and grabbed a handful of coins from one of the drawers, handing him 13 coppers. “Here, take these few coppers for your trouble.”
Cete slipped them into his pocket with a casual motion, though the weight of his final goal weighed heavily on him as it wasn’t as much as he normally got. “I appreciate the business.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Margaret replied, her attention already turning back to her papers. “Alright, I’ve got to get back to this. Keep in touch with Snivel. He’ll let you know if I need anything else done.”
“Sounds good.” Cete nodded, turned on his heel and headed back outside. I wonder if Kate is still doing okay… I know the last place I saw her was by Len’s fitters. With that thought he knew his next stop. He made his way towards Len’s Fitters, a well known plumbing supply store.
On his way towards Len’s his thoughts wandered to the slum city of Hora, where he currently resided. There is literally nothing here for me. The ukrue vein dried up 3 years ago, and ever since it just continues to get worse. Flux is everywhere, I can’t go 2 alleys without seeing one of those accursed green vials. Plus the smell of sewage never goes away especially on this level.
He stopped for a moment, as a man almost pushed him down while he was lost in thought. Damn, got to watch where I’m going. I’ll just take the short cut. He slipped into the next alley and walked to the end. The end had a broken crumbling wall with a large pipe shoved through the side. He crawled under the wall and onto the large pipe and squeezed through to the other side. The pipe was covered in footsteps, as this was a fairly known shortcut used by many kids. It reached across a chasm that no one truly knew how far down it went. Well atleast the old ukrue mine still has a few benefits. Cete thought as he made his way across. As he made it to the other side and out the alley, he unfortunately missed a muffled cry coming from the pipe.
He made his way to his destination, and looked for the girl named Kate. He knew her well, as he would visit atleast twice a week. Glancing around he saw the area she usually sat empty. That’’s a bit odd, she usually doesn’t switch places until the keepers force her to… He glanced around looking for anyone that might have a clue. Unfortunately he didn’t see any familiar faces.
He decided to ask a man walking by on the street. “Hey, do you know where the girl who usually sits here went?”
The man stopped seeming a bit startled “Sorry what did you say boy?”
“I was just wondering if you knew where the girl who sits here went, her name is Kate.” Cete replied while pointing to the spot.
“I don’t sorry, but I do know something went down last night. People say there was a raid on the Luminites 2 alleys down, not sure if that has anything to do with her though.” The man said and then walked away.
The luminites… Yeah I don’t think she would be caught up in that. She doesn’t run with anyone tends to make her own way. Well guess she will show up eventually, doesn’t look like she left in a hurry her blanket is still here. After coming to the decision Cete decided to head back to his home.
He walked down the familiar path to the apartment with the snake mural, the narrow hallways feeling more suffocating with every step. Ugh I can’t wait to get out of here. Leave it all behind, make my own decisions, be who I want to be. Three doors down, he reached his room. It wasn’t much—barely more than a broom closet—but it was his own, and that was enough. The small bed was just big enough for him to sleep in comfortably, the walls close but familiar.
Cete lifted the mattress, pulling aside a loose stone from the floor. He shoved the coins he’d earned inside. Two silver and twenty six copper total. Only seventy four more, and he was out of here. He could almost taste freedom.
With a deep breath, he sat on the bed, nervousness about the last job he would have to do hung in the air. He only had one more task to complete before everything could change. All he had to do now was wait for that final job.