Pride before the fall.
My fellow scholars, myself included, simply sneered when one mentioned the Burrows. Like all Cedians, we deemed it a wretched hive of criminals and thieves, a parasite that continuously sucked upon our nation’s wealth. Many advocated outright genocide, to clean the Burrows out and take their precious resources for ourselves. Indeed, cries of vengeance rang true through our halls, mere hours after the brutal slaughter of Lady Edelinne Blackwall came to be known. Everyone, low born and noble alike, demanded swift and brutal retribution on these so called rats. Their wish soon granted, when The Council put together an army. An army of volunteers.
Be it miller or soldier, peasant or aristocrat, everyone was free to aid in the Burrows certain demise. Many indeed did, the army quickly swelling in size as thousands upon thousands joined its ranks. A sense of pride filled our hearts as we watched our people unite under a common cause. An unified army was born, akin to those that beat back the Derean aggression.
It was this army, led by Hadrian Blackwall himself, that would accomplish our long lost dream of stomping out that dark corner of our great empire. He would slay the Four Kings and bring glory to Cedia, bringing back the riches that the Burrows so greedily had kept for themselves.
And so we cheered them on as they marched through the long narrow canyon towards the Burrows. Our people already holding celebratory feasts at the inn as the sound of battle echoed ever so faint through the mountain tops.
We thought we were right, we had to be. How could mere slum rats stand up to our great military? Our cries of joy muffled those few that dealt with the Burrows, their words of warning drowned out in a sea of victory cheers.
Imagine our silence when Hadrian Blackwall returned, left hand clutching the severed head of Salamander himself. It would have been reason for celebration… were it not for the missing right arm, and the near destruction of his entire army.
- Burrowing into Redgate’s underbelly. A comprehensive guide to the Burrows, by Jullianus Retan.
Gob continued his made rave of insults at no one in particular, the sun now restored to its former glory as Deimos had disappeared from the sky. Almost as if it was never there.
Something crashed onto the remains of the wooden staircase, reminding me of the movement upstairs. Intruders. I turned to see a young, blonde woman, stand up from the wooden debris. Her identity unknown, were it not for the spotless tanned skin peering through her makeshift rags. Only one person could scurry through the Burrows, dirt-free. “Sly, is that you?” She turned to face me. Yup, that’s her. Short blonde hair, coupled with sharp, amber eyes that made me feel less of a rat, and more of a mouse. She may not have had the extra endowment typical to those blessed with Lust, but that did not stop her from striking an enticing figure. Even in rags, she looks predatory.
She smiled, the kind of smile that Gob made when he was up to no good. “Calling me by my name, little Marcus. Things must be really dire.”
I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I didn’t have time for her games. “The gang upstairs?”
“All four of em,” she said, slinking her way closer, like a cat stalking towards its prey. My heart started to hammer in my chest, mind coming up blank as she pressed herself against me. I’m no good with her. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she looked up to me. “So tell me, Marcus,” she said, finger circling my chest. “Why is there a demon ranting outside?”
That’s right, priorities. I grabbed her hand, ignoring the yelp of surprise. “No time for teasing, leader. I need a favor.”
She examined the grasped hand with playful demeanor, her earlier slip up all but forgotten. “Scared little Marcus, taking the lead.” She squeezed it, before looking at me. “Finally becoming a man, eh? Took you long enough, now tell me what you need.” Her hand feels so sof-
Focus, Marcus, focus! I quickly released my grasp, clearing my throat to regain composure as Sly softly giggled. I tried to hide my burning embarrassment by focusing on the task at hand. “I need you to get my footlocker from upstairs,” I said, before pointing at Ricthus’s unconscious form. “And take him with you. We’ll escape through the basement.”
Sly simply nodded as she started making her way back to the broken staircase, my feet instead moving towards the hidden liquor stash. I grabbed the biggest bottle hidden under the floorboard, not caring about the repercussions. Father was going to kick my ass anyway, the hole in the house made sure of that. I stood up, spotting Sly’s feet disappear onto the second floor. Quiet as always. I didn’t even hear her jump, probably due to Gob’s continuous barrage of creative insults.
Speaking of which… I closed the distance between me and Gob in a hurry, pulling him inside whilst slapping the bottle into his hands. “Shut up and follow.”
The demon’s mouth opened to protest, but shut close once its fingers felt up the cold bottle. A fire lit up in its eyes as it ripped out the cork, lips enclosing around the newly-formed opening, throat bulging at the big gulps of liquor streaming down its gullet. Not that it bothered me, him shutting up allowed me time to clear the basement’s entrance of debris. With the last of the rubble removed, my hands closed around the trapdoor’s ring. I spoke up as Gob shook out the last few drops from the bottle, “You ready?”
“You know me, Boss,” Gob said with a smirk. “I’m always ready.”
Ready to fuck up my day. I flung open the trapdoor, feet descending the rocky staircase. It’s more powerful than I thought. The summoning circle was still glowing with activity, its bright green hue illuminating the basement’s interior. The red glow of the warding net nowhere to be seen, its etched stone pattern the only reminder that it was even there. Claws hit stone behind me, pausing briefly at my command. “Close the trapdoor.”
I continued on till my shoes rested on flat ground, the heavy thud of wood on wood resounding through the basement. I turned around to see Gob hop down the steps, his carefree attitude getting the best of me. “What in Gods’ names was that form!?”
Gob stopped, before scratching the back off his head. A goofy grin plastered on his face. “I was a bit cranky, Boss.”
“So what?” I shouted, voice trembling. “Every time you get cranky the sun gets eclipsed? Anything else I need to know? Like the moon exploding when you feel upset?”
‘’That’s a secret, Boss,” Gob said with a sheepish smile. “Though you did tell me to Loose the Collar.”
I closed my eyes, fingers rubbing my temples. Of course I did. “At least tell me that you can’t do that… thing at will.”
“No worries, Boss. Can’t do anything of the sorts. Not with this Collar on me.”
Thank the Gods for that. For all I know, he was just blanketing the area in darkness… or he was about to doom the Burrows and anyone in it. Better safe than sorry. That Collar stays on, till I find out more. I’m not taking any more chances with this demon.
My questions had to wait as several people jumped down onto the ground floor, the wooden floor creaking under their weight. I opened my eyes again, looking for Gob. Apparently he was sitting quietly next to me, his tail functioning as a makeshift chair. So he can be silent after all. “Gob, I’ll stop pestering you for now, if you keep quiet about your recent… antics.”
‘’Deal, Boss,” Gob said, not even taking the time to think it over.
There was some more rummaging upstairs, before footsteps made their way towards the closed trapdoor. “Remember, Gob. Not a single word.”
“I’ll be as silent as the grave, Boss. Discounting any noisy zombies, that is.”
What are zombehs? Not that I could ask the question, the trapdoor already being thrown open to allow a pair of legs in, big legs at that. What followed was an equally impressive frame carrying Richtus on its back, Hammer’s size taking up the majority of the staircase. Where I was a good head taller than the average man, Hammer would tower even over me. Not that he was an exception, those with Gluttony tended to grow big. Leaves them more room for desserts. I wasn’t really intimidated as the hulking mass of muscle eyed me, knowing that beneath those brown eyes and scruffy hair, lay a gentle bear with a passion for cooking. Just don’t touch his rations.
“Morning, sergeant,” Hammer said with his gruff voice. “Where do I put the old one?”
“Just lay him down in the circle, corporal. I’ll deal with him later.” Hammer simply shrugged as he moved from the staircase, revealing the two blonde figures standing behind his back. Where Hammer was a wall of flesh, they were more like a pair of sticks. Silent, agile sticks. With a tendency to stick their grubby hands where they don’t belong. Their Greed betrayed by both their habits, and their yellow eyes. The Sin in their blood too thin to manifest in more significant ways. Fortunately.
I first addressed the male twin, before addressing his sister, “Dirk, Dagger. I trust you found the thing upstairs?” They started to shift uncomfortably. “You know, a certain shiny, golden goblet lying among the rubble?”
Dirk started squirming even harder, before his sister jabbed him in the ribs. “Just pull it out, Dirk. The sarge clearly knows.”
Dirk sighed as he took out the goblet tucked within his loose rags. “How’d ya know sarge?”
I didn’t. I simply smiled as I took it from him. “We Greeds tend to think alike, corporal. How else do I catch you so often?”
“Move aside, fuckwits,” an annoyed voice said from above. “Or I’ll drop sarge’s footlocker on your asses.” Dirk and Dagger quickly jumped off the staircase. Good choice.Pickle had a tendency to make good on his threats. What followed was a short and stout man descending the stone stairs. Disgruntled hazel eyes watched me as he carried my long wooden footlocker under his arm. Barely twenty years of age, and already a head of gray hair. Sucks having Sloth. Not that the Sin stopped him from being active. Actively getting into trouble, that is.
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“Good to see you, sarge,” Pickle said as he pushed the footlocker into my arms. “Now I don’t have to carry your shit around.” Still too lazy to care about military conduct. Business as usual.
“Thanks, corporal,” I said, not bothering to chew him out. “Where’s lieutenant Sly?”
“Topside, making a final sweep of the surroundings,” Pickle said as he found a place to lie down. “We ran into some trouble with the lizards, she’s just making sure there aren’t more crawling around.”
“Hopefully, the dweller ate them,” I said, placing the footlocker on the cold stone floor.
“Maybe… though that did not stop it from devouring your front wall,” Pickle chuckled. I joined in, happy to laugh the tension away. The other three kept silent as they watched my demon with visible interest. Pickle simply looked at Gob, before looking back at me. “So you gonna tell us about the demon, or what?”
“I’ll explain once leader gets back.”
“Suits me,” Pickle shrugged, ignoring the demon with his usual lack of concern. Dirk and Dagger quickly grew bored of Gob, their attention shifting over to my summoning circle instead. Hammer remained vigilant, however, watching Gob with a guarded expression, ready to step in at the first sign of trouble. With nothing to do but wait, I moved towards Richtus, checking his skull for any major damage. It seemed he was bleeding from a small gash in his hair, though a concussion probably knocked him out. With my low affinity for Light Magic, I wasn’t going to heal any damage deeper than an inch. He would have to wake up by himself. Which serves me fine. I placed my hand on the head wound, channeling magic as I willed it to close, the healing process proceeding slow but steady. Luckily, the green hue of the summoning circle gave me enough light to work with, though I always preferred healing in broad daylight. Nothing beat healing in the in the light of day, basking in the element of Light Magic made things so much easier. But I’ll make due with what we have. At least I was not healing by torchlight, now that would have been a downright shitty task.
My train of thoughts got derailed as a familiar form shut the trapdoor behind her. “Topside is clear, no lizards in sight.”
“And the dweller?” I asked as Sly jumped down the staircase.
She landed gracefully, before answering my question. “No sign of it either, though the way it has gouged out the ground, it would seem to be in a state of panic.” And with good reason. “But enough about that.” She moved closer to my place in the summoning circle. “I think you have some explaining to do, sergeant.”
I need to know what she saw. “Gladly, though I would like to know what you were doing in my house in the first place,” I answered, careful not to take my concentration away from the closing gash.
“Your unusually pushy today, aren’t you?” Sly asked. I did not bother to answer, focusing instead on mending Richtus’s wound. “I like that, you should crawl into my bed tonight.” The light glow in my hands sputtered, before going out completely. The rest of the squad chuckled at my failed concentration. One day, I’ll stop falling for her teases.
Sly spoke up again as I renewed my attention on the wound, “There were some lizards staking out your house, so we decided to sneak inside to guard it. Figured the windowless second floor would be a good place to hide.” She moved closer towards me. “Next thing we know, you stormed inside. Dweller busting down your doorstep.” Her faces now inches away from me, voice serious. “And then that voice began to speak, and all we could do was shiver in terror, Marcus.”
She maintained eye contact till I canceled my healing, waiting patiently as I turned to face her. “I know fear, Marcus. We all do. You know the fate of those that don’t properly fear the Long Dark.” She grabbed my shoulder, looking me straight in the eye. “But this was different, Marcus. Purer, intenser.” Her nails slowly began to dig into my skin. “Like my body screaming at me not to move a muscle, all to avoid alerting the thing speaking downstairs.” The others nodded their heads in agreement. “I didn’t see what said it, but I know you saw it. Now tell me, Marcus. The voice, what was it?”
So they didn’t witness the eclipse. Better not mention it. I opened my mouth, squad mates leaning in expectantly for the answer, only to be interrupted by a massive fart. It resounded loudly through the basement, slowly decreasing in intensity till it ended with a squeak. I quickly covered my nose with rags, to no avail, the unholy stench permeating through the thin cloth. The source of the deadly miasma sat undisturbed, as he simply leaned on his tail, breathing in deeply. “Boss, if you sniff hard enough, you’ll smell the guy I ate yesterday.”
No thanks. The serious atmosphere was all but gone as people coughed, retched, and pinched their noses. Hammer took the worst of it, his Gift of smell coming back to bite him. Poor bastard. I pointed at Gob, my voice somewhat muffled as I spoke through the rags, “Warriors, meet the source of your terror.” They all looked at him as he scratched his backside. “He is known as Gob. Spreader of farts, slayer of noses. And a righteous pain in the ass.”
Gob smiled. “Thank you, Boss. I try my utmost best to annoy you.” Oh I know, don’t you worry.
Hammer got up, moving towards the trapdoor as Sly looked at me with teary eyes, her voice quite doubtful. “He’s the one who spoke?”
I nodded. “Though his voice is the only scary part, mind you.” I’m sorry for lying. She raised an eyebrow in response, so I turned to Gob. “Gob, do that voice again. Just say something silly this time.”
Gob’s tail began to sweep along the floor, wings softly flapping. “Permission to Loose the Collar, Boss?”
I’ll have to risk it. Better than letting the truth be known. I pondered the correct wording as Hammer threw open the trapdoor, greedily sucking in fresh air. “Only a bit, and only for saying a few silly lines.”
Gob cleared his throat as he stood up, unable to hide the smile on his face. “Gob be my name,” he said, blood freezing in my veins as he continued to speak. “Farting be my virtue.”
I’m stuck. Whatever he did, it froze my muscles into place, my eyes being the only thing that could still move on their own. The others seemed frozen too, their eyes moving in a frantic fashion. Maybe I’m the only one feeling no fear? Strange. I was the first to regain my movement. Pickle being second as he burst out in laughter. The four remaining people soon followed afterwards, their faces sporting sheepish smiles. Safe for Sly, her face devoid of any emotion.
I spoke to her as she approached me, “Do you believe me now?” She didn’t answer, pulling a dagger out of her rags instead. Really, we doing this now? I just raised my hands above my head as she closed the distance.
She looked surprised, but did not waste the opportunity. Her form darted forward, cold steel resting on my throat within moments. “Do you yield?” she asked, more out of courtesy than actual necessity.
“Yes, yes. I yield,” I answered. “By the laws of yada yada, you know the rest. I submit to your leadership.”
She grinned, stepping between my legs, before shouting, “Victory Pile!”
Oh crap. I tried to move, but could feel my feet already leaving the ground. The ceiling briefly flashed past as I found myself lying on the stone floor, the airborne form of Hammer descending towards me. Gods have mercy. I sucked in air, steeling myself for the pain, Hammer forcing it all out as he slammed onto me. Pickle, Dirk, and Dagger gleefully jumped on top of Hammer, Gob joining in for good measure. Traitor.
As I was wheezing and struggling to breathe under the mass of living flesh, Sly took her time to ascend the human pile, sitting down on top of a giggling Gob. She looked at him, before speaking at me, “Summoning your first demon. I suppose congratulation are in order, lieutenant.”
“Victory celebration!” Dagger shouted.
“Drinks are on the loser!” Dirk added.
“Priorities people!” Pickle interjected. “We can’t have a virgin as our second lieutenant.”
“Agreed,” Hammer said, standing up as he shook off the pile. I was thankful for the air rushing inside my lungs, but could not find the strength to avoid Hammer’s grasping hand. He just lifted me up, and tossed me over his shoulder, bellowing for all to hear, “To the whorehouse!”
Cheers were heard all around, Gob shouting as hard as the rest. I started to struggle, pleading them to let me down. “Guys… guys, let me go.” I was supposed to slip away.
Sly just chuckled at my pitiful attempts, “Your father has been trying to keep you apart from the Burrows for far too long, Marcus. With this demon, you’re officially one of us now.” She stood on her toes, patting my cheek. “It’s time you accept that.” I don’t want to leave you.
Hammer and the group started moving towards the stairs, chatting among each other as they walked. “Brunette or blonde?” Dirk asked Dagger. I didn’t want to do this.
“Seen the way he eyes Sly? Definitely blonde.” Not like this…
I breathed in deeply as Pickle talked to me, “Don’t worry, Marcus. Well get you the bustiest blonde out there. Come morning, your balls will be as dry as a co-”
“I’M LEAVING!” I shouted with all my might, stunning the group into silence. Everybody stopped walking, my feeble voice breaking the room’s sudden stillness. “Please… put me down, Hammer.” He slowly placed me back on the ground, a look of concern on his face. All I could offer in return was a weak thanks.
“Hammer, close the hatch,” Sly commanded. He promptly did as he was told, standing next to her after he was done. “Say that again,” Sly ordered me, the gang’s faces filled with worry.
I can’t go back. Not now. “I-I…” I stuttered. You need to do this, Marcus. Your family depends on you. “I’m leaving,” I said. Leaving what, Marcus? “I’m leaving the Burrows,” I repeated one last time, conviction filling my voice.
Their reaction were unsurprising. Shouts of protest erupted, asking me why? How? When? Sly simply silenced them by raising her clenched fist, their ingrained training shutting them up quicker than any conventional words ever could. “Does this have something to do with that old man, Marcus?” she asked, her eyes now cold and hard.
They deserve to know the truth. “Yes,” I said. I moved myself between Richtus and the group, knowing full well what anger my following words would evoke, “His name is Richtus Redbridge, a Shaper of Cedia. And the man sent with me to retrieve my personal belongings.” At the mere mention of the enemy, daggers were drawn from concealed sheaths, Hammer’s rags even holding room for a short sword. Keep talking, Marcus. “I’ve been accepted into the Royal Academy, and will become a Warlock of Cedia.” Their eyes were now filled with pure hatred. Not just for Richtus, but also for me. I didn’t want to hurt you. “Using my new found noble status, I will retrieve my stolen family from the clutches of the Derean kingdoms.” They inched forward, doubt and friendship, staying their hands. Please forgive me. “And then I will come back, never to leave again. I promise.” I beg of you…
Those words seemed to douse the flames feeding their hatred. Sly stepped forward, hand trembling as she clutched the dagger. “Move aside, Marcus. We’ll deal with him, and pretend this never ha-”
“No,” I said, the look of betrayal on Sly’s face hurting far more than I wanted to admit. “He saved my life, I will not let you touch him.”
The others looked at leader, not sure what to do. I could see her bite her lip, drawing blood in the process. “Family, family, family,” she started raving. “It’s always that damned family of yours! Family this! Family that!… People die everyday, Marcus! Stop clinging to the past, and deal with the present! You have no idea ho-”
“YOU HAVE NO IDEA!” I shouted. “I was six years old, Sly! SIX! My mother! My sisters! Kidnapped as they torched down the whole fucking town! And the screaming! Gods, the screaming, Sly! I can hear still hear it, every time I close my eyes! Little Sara, crying next door for help! That awful screech she made when the fires reached her! I still can’t ge- ”
“And what about us!” Sly yelled. “We’re your family too! Why don’t you think ab-”
“I’M DOING THIS FOR YOU!” I shouted back. “YES, YOU! Remember when there were seven of us!?
Remember, Whisper!? She died, because of me! ME! I froze in fear when it mattered! I could have saved her, but I didn’t! Not then! Not now! Not ten years ago!
“Back then it was the same! I was the youngest, so I had the knife! You know what I did when the man dragged my sisters from under the bed!? Nothing! I could have stabbed him in the back, but I didn’t! I just froze up in the closet, like the scared little shit that I am! Fear binds me! Fear drives me! Fear has taken everything from me, except you guys!”
My voice cracked as I uttered the last sentence, tears streaming down my face in an endless torrent. “Don’t you understand? I need to do this. I need to fix my past. If I don’t, I’ll just fail when it matters the most. I’ll freeze up when I should save you. When you need me the most. Please understand.”
Sadness, fear, and guilt forced me to my knees as I pressed my forehead to the cold floor, afraid to be rejected face to face. My croaked voice pleading for forgiveness, “Please… I beg of you. Don’t hate me. Please… You guys are all that I have left… I can’t let fear take you away. Don’t let me lose you too. I-I just can’t… please don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. Please don’t leav-”
Warm hands enveloped me as Sly’s voice filled my ears. “Don’t worry, little Marcus. We’re not leaving without you.”
I cried.