The doors open silently, and close with a soft click. I slump against the door. Sweat trickles down the back of my neck. I look down at my clothes, curling my lips in disgust at the white garb of Inari’s agents. You don’t just walk into Chayton’s Thunderbird Casino without a disguise. Especially if, like me, you owe him money. He doesn’t like when people owe him money. I weave my way past the room’s support pillars, knocking on the wood behind Chayton’s desk.

Getting the disguise wasn’t difficult, and lucky for me, Chayton’s guards are…what’s the word I’m looking for? Right. They’re dumb. But I don’t have long in the office, as I’m sure Chayton is bound to visit it at some point. Especially if an agent of Inari was spotted heading in that direction. One of the panels on the wall gives me a low thud and I grin; a hollow section. Classic. I slide it open and groan. Just a secret exit. I need to find a safe. I turn to his desk; something in the low torchlight looks shiny. I like shiny. I run my hands over the desk and press a small button and one of desk doors opens quietly. Bingo.

I press my ear to the safe, twisting the knob a few times. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’m a thief, not an assassin. Well, I guess I’m many things, really. That’s not important right now.

With a satisfying click the safe slowly opens, and I rub my hands together. Wait a second…something isn’t right…

“I’m curious,” I freeze, pressing myself to the desk. “Why would one of Inari’s agents want to break into my office?” I slowly stand, looking at Chayton. His beaded hair swings, and in his hands are two metal batons. A handful of guards stand at the ready behind him.

“What we do is none of your business.” I snap. I do my best to seem intimidating and official, voice coming out sharp and clipped. That was good! I nearly convinced myself.

“Well, right now you’re in my business. This is my pride and joy, my home.” He takes a step closer, air crackling with energy as he spins the vibrating rods. “Nobody steals from me.” I pull out my kusarigama, chains clacking on the floor as the guards block the exit. So we’re doing this then? He points one of the rods at me, waves of pressure emanating from the sleek metal. “Nobody.” Guess we’re doing this.

Chayton lunges forward while I roll, shattering his desk with a loud boom. Damn, those sticks are powerful. I come up, turning to one the guards, but find that she’s occupied. What the hell? Amidst the guards and a whirlwind of blood and fury is a small woman. Bright runes etched into her poison green scales glow brightly, while bright red whips slice flesh and crack bone. The bladed tendrils of the whips seem to have a mind of their own, quickly clearing the room.

Chayton puts a hole in the wall where my head was just a moment before. Focus on the fight. Not the mystery lizard woman. Gods, this is a weird day.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“So,” I roll back from Chayton’s blow, directing my words at the reptilian newcomer. “Did Marinette send you too?” Her head snaps in my direction and I blink in surprise. She’s blindfolded? Now she’s just making me look bad. She cracks her whip in my direction and I’m barely able to avoid the deadly blows. Unfortunately for my weapons, they don’t fare so well. One tendril shatters my kusarigama, another knocking a pillar out of place. Before I can recover, Chayton is swinging his thunder sticks again. Give me a break!

“I’ll die before you steal from me!” He shouts, breaking a pillar clean in two. Oh, I have an idea. I angle myself in front of the next pillar, whips and clubs following me as I move around the room. The roof groans above us, and the lizard assassin looks up just in time. I roll forward, pushing Chayton towards the collapsing ceiling, snatching the chain from around his neck. And on it? A small little boar. That sure looks like a totem to me.

I leap back as the ceiling caves in, burying the casino owner. I race towards the hollow panel, crashing through it into a dark hall. I race through a maze of tunnels, eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, when I hear a sharp crack behind me. Warm blood runs down one of my legs. Damn, she got me! Which means she’s following me. Perfect.

The afternoon sun nearly blinds me when I come out of the tunnels near the docks. Several men stand there, knives and clubs at hand.

“Give me the totem.” My eyes snap to the woman in front, skin as dark as the water behind her. Bright tattoos glow on her body, hypnotizing me with every small movement she makes. I shake my head.

“Don’t think so, Karha.”

“Namonai?” She asks incredulously. Her face contorts into anger as I begin racing away, and I hear her men start the chase. “After him!”

My lungs burn as I twist through the alleys away from the docks. Suddenly, I’m nearly thrown off my feet by a body slamming into me. I stumble back, lashing out.

“Sorry, Marazan!” I call out, the large beastman clutching his snout.

“Namonai?” I look behind me in time to see him snarl, his gang, the Dier Fiends, coming out of the shadows. “He has the totem!” Does everybody want this totem? I skid around the corner, throwing my hand out. It catches around a rusty ladder and I scamper up the fire escape, snarls and shouts not far behind. Karha, Marazan, and a mystery assassin? I’m so screwed.

I yank myself up onto the roof, eyeing the gap between buildings. With my kusarigama, I could have grappled across; there’s no way I can make that distance with my bare hands. I back away from the fire escape as it shakes, Dier Fiends pouring up like zoo escapees. The roof access door bursts open, and Karha and her gang, Symbiosis, charge towards me. I jump back as the assassin slings the tendrils of her whips in my direction, my feet scraping against the edge of the roof. This might be it for me.

“Stop!” Of course, nobody does. “Stop or I drop it!” I hold the totem out over the side, and everyone skids to a halt. Now that’s more like it.

“Give us the totem, Namonai.” Marazan growls, stalking forward.

“Shut your trap you mangy mutt!” Karha steps forward with a hiss, tattoos gleaming. The assassin simply holds out clawed hand, blood red whip still for the moment.

“Just don’t come any closer.” I warn, taking a step back. But I only step onto air, and before I can recover, I’m falling back into nothing. Shit.