Indistinct human voices say something, echoing off the sewer's walls as Straf and Cycelia walk deeper in. The chatter grows louder and more intelligible as they draw closer. A man laughs quietly.

「…And I told him he should have done that from the start.」

Another voice finishes telling a story, and the man lets out a suppressed chuckle.

「Oh.」

Straf exclaims in surprise, as he and Cycelia arrive at a side passage. For one reason or another, the passageway widens just past its entrance, then narrows again. Two men sit at a small table within the widened space, and they appear unnerved to see another person there.

「Who the fuck are you?」

One of the men asks, gripping at his dagger in his sheath as he and his companion stand up from the table.

「Straf. Katastrof. Vindict.」

「…Never heard of you. You're not guards, are you? Adventurers?」

The leather-armored men look at each other. The one gripping his dagger eases his posture lightly, and inconspicuously exhales in relief.

「Nope. Well, I am registered as an adventurer, but I'm just taking a look around this place. Mind if I check out the Thieves' Guild or whatever you've got there?」

Straf shrugs, then nods his head momentarily as he explains his guild status. He points his palm to the narrow passageway behind the men, and asks.

「What the- How'd you know? You're not supposed show up unattended by another sticky-fingers!」

The men glance at each other again, wary and confused, before returning their cautious gaze to Straf.

「The sticky fucking what now? Sorry, I think I got the Perverts' Guild by accident. You leather-bound freaks are all dime-a-dozen.」

Straf shakes his head and spreads his hands, before scoffing at the man.

「Sticky-fingers, our guild members. So you just randomly wandered into the Thieves' Guild? And you're not a guard?」

The men look at each other again, still warily eyeing Straf. The man in front peeks over Straf's shoulder, taking a look at Cycelia.

「You two are the Thieves Guild?」

Straf shakes his head in disbelief at the statement.

「No, stupid. We're just on guard duty.」

「Well then, that makes sense. I wouldn't say I wandered here by mistake, or randomly, so how about we do what all the parents do and call it a happy little accident? I'm not a guard, and neither is Lia. In fact, she's something of an anti-government extremist.」

Straf shrugs his shoulder, then wraps his arm around Cycelia and pulls her closer to himself to present her to the man. The sudden impulse makes her gifted chest sway side to side.

「Gah! Straf, that's-!」

Cycelia's jaw drops as Straf casually threatens to deconspirate her identity and their plans.

「Yeah? That right, lady?」

The man the passage way asks Cycelia directly.

「Ahh! Well- N- Well- It's not entirely incorrect, but…」

She waves her arms, before stopping herself and nervously looking away. Cycelia stammers as she anxiously scratches the side of her face with her index finger with an uneasy grin.

「Yeah, she wants to kill the king.」

「Straf!」

Straf nods, and Cycelia's jaw drops again. She shouts out and clutches onto his shirt with clenched teeth. The men glance at each other, then lean in to whisper to themselves.

「…Wouldn't say that…」

「…By accident?…」

「…I don't know… The boss says…」

They whisper to each other, with only bits and pieces of their conversation becoming audible as they try to speak over the calmly flowing water in the sewer that grows louder in pulses, before becoming quiet again.

「Ahem. Alright. I'll take you to the boss, and we'll see what he has to say about it. We have a couple o' guys who share the same sentiment with the lady. Anarchist types.」

The man clears his throat as he straightens out. He nods, and his wary stance dissipates. He holds his hand on his dagger's hilt, but in a relaxed and non-aggressive stance as he explains the situation to Straf and Cycelia.

「Nice. They're not some stinky bearded people who think everything should be free, right?」

Straf declares as he snaps his fingers. He lifts his index finger up, and asks for clarification.

「Huh? No, beards make you recognizable. And everything is already free, if you are willing to risk taking it, heheheh. Let's go.」

The man says, and walks further into the narrow passageway. Straf follows, and Cycelia trails behind him. The man's companion stays behind in the widened area, and continues watching the entrance as he sits back down.

「Shit.」

Straf clicks his tongue in sudden frustration.

「What?」

The man asks, looking over his shoulder with furrowed brows at Straf while they walk down the spiral staircase.

「Ah, nothing. It's just there was this big stupid fucking worm, and I forgot to take the stuff that came out of it when I killed it.」

Straf sighs and shrugs, grimacing mildly in annoyance.

「…What? What fucking worm?」

「Forget it, it's not that important. Bet it was a fucking teacup that cures indigestion, or a spyglass that lets you see 10 seconds into the future.」

「…What?」

The man quietly asks again, growing only more confused. He looks down at the stairs to watch his step, blinking as he's trying to make sense of Straf's deranged statements. They exit the staircase out into another sewer tunnel. Only a dry and empty deep channel runs in the middle of the brick walkways, waiting for the water that will never flow through it.

They walk further down the walkway, an orange lamplight floods out of an iron-barred segment of the wall, as well as sounds of life. They walk through an arched doorway nearby, a large band of men with a few women mixed into the group sit at out of place tables in a tunnel illuminated by handheld oil lamps laying about.

All conversations immediately stop as Straf, Cycelia, and the guard accompanying them enter the room fashioned out of a flow ramp, beyond the iron bars. The light from the oil lamps scattered everywhere fades out, and the ramp leads upward into darkness. Only a faint blue glow is visible at its end.

「Boss, I brought a vagabond. He just wandered in, and he somehow knew about us.」

The guard points his palm to Straf with a nod of his head as he talks to a man in pitch-black leather, trimmed with black fur around his neck.

「What about the girl, Slink?」

The boss asks the guard as he puts his fancy, decorated and gemmed tankard down on the table. He lazily sits sideways in the chair, with his elbow on the table. The vast majority of the room is centered around him, with some men sitting at his table, and the others standing beside him with their arms crossed.

「She's with him. Wants to kill the king.」

Slink nods at Cycelia, and adds another statement with an amused grin that's missing some teeth.

「Eyyy!」

A voice from within the room cheers quietly, though he's obscured by the people between him and the doorway. The boss clicks his tongue as he tilts his head, and nods slightly. Not in annoyance, or frustration, or even surprise.

「Alright Slink, go back to Slim before he gets his throat slit by someone and we get this place wiped out by the guards, or the competition… Or the whatever that was skulking around the ratways the other day…」

The boss shakes his head, sighing with mild, veiled concern in his voice. Slink nods, and turns towards the way he lead Straf and Cycelia from.

「Try to behave, alright? Don't talk about worms or some shit right away. I don't want to hear it from the boss that I've dragged in some fucking lunatic with me.」

Slink leans into Straf's face and speaks with a hushed tone, before walking away.

「So… What's your name, fella? Don't have to be your real name, only Nona is stupid or brazen enough to do that. We use trade names so to speak. If you don't have one, we'll give you one… I'm Fost, by the way.」

The boss asks Straf, waving with his hand in a circular pattern as he talks. He adds a little nod or tilt to his head every few words, with a very gesticulate manner of speech. When he introduces himself, he leans back onto the table, and takes a gulp from his tankard.

「I am Straf. Katastrof. Vindict.」

Straf places his fists on his hips, and introduces himself with a smug gusto as he smirks, distinctly enunciating each part of his name. Quiet mumbling and hushed conversations start as soon as he's finished.

「…That a real name?」

Fost asks with an inquisitive tone, rising his brow in a very tempered surprise.

「Nope.」

Straf quickly shoots a reply back.

「Huh? It's not?」

Cycelia leans in and asks Straf in a hushed tone.

「It's complicated, Lia, just leave it be.」

He answers as he glances back at her. A woman hops up to Cycelia out of the crowd with a bouncy step. She wears only a leather chestpiece over her short shirt that exposes most of her toned abdomen, and short pants that leave majority of her thick legs uncovered.

「I figured as much! And who's your cute friend?」

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

She asks Cycelia, her amber eyes stare directly into Cycelia's soul through her eyes with enthusiasm.

「Ah?- Um. I'm C- Lia. Hello-」

Cycelia struggles to maintain the intense eye contact with the woman in front of her. Still not used to her false identity, she stammers as she introduces herself.

「You are so pretty! Are you a princess or something!?」

The woman doesn't let Cycelia finish, and immediately shoots another question right after a compliment.

「Gah! No! No! I'm just- I'm a noblewoman- And, and, and…」

Cycelia's eyes snap wide open in panic, she almost shouts before lowering her voice to just loud speech and vehemently denies the complimentation. She looks away with a nervous grimace as she struggles to come up with a cover story on the spot.

「What's with this medallion? Looks exp-」

Slap.

Cycelia slaps the woman's hand away with a backhand blow as she reaches for her sapphire-set medallion hanging off her neck. The woman is stunned as Cycelia's emerald eyes glare at her. The boss sighs as he observes the scene unfold.

「Ah- Ah… Sorry… It's just… It's very important to me, so…」

Cycelia blinks and her glare softens. She breaks eye contact, and skittishly fidgets with the medallion as she explains herself. The woman looks glances at Straf, and sees a near identical, ruby-gemmed amulet hanging off his neck.

「Ahhhhh… I see… So that's how it is…」

Her shock twists into an amused grin as she covers her mouth with her hand. She forces back giggles as she speaks with narrowed eyes.

「Huh?」

「You two are a couple! How cute! Figures a pretty girl, and a stud like him would be together!」

The woman exclaims, taking a few steps back with a massive grin on her face.

「Gah!」

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

「Nona, stop pestering them, I haven't even managed to explain anything yet.」

Fost calls out to the woman in front of them, and her head snaps to him. She glances back at them, before once again returning her gaze back to the boss. Nona lightly taps the top of her head with her fingers, and sticks the tip of her tongue out as she backs away to disappear into the crowd.

「Right, so… To be frank, I don't care who you are, as long as you're not working for the guards. You can join us, unless someone has any objections… Nobody?」

Fost looks around the room, and the crowd's attention is split between Fost, and Straf.

「In that case, here's the rules… One, no killing on the job. When you're thieving, you're not killing. We're a Thieves' Guild, not a Murderers' Association. Corpses attract attention, and they get the guards off their lazy asses. Especially if some rich noble ends up with his throat slit.」

Fost speaks with a serious expression, focused on Straf.

「Ah. Looks like you'll have to delegate the king's execution to someone else, Lia-」

Straf smirks, knowingly looking into Cycelia's eyes.

「Now, what you do on your own time is none of our business. If killing people is how you get off, go ahead, just don't pull us into it.」

Fost holds his palm up, gently shaking his head as he interrupts Straf.

「Oh, maybe not.」

Straf shrugs as he scoffs, and glances at Cycelia again.

「Two, honor among thieves…」

Fost continues, and Straf rolls his eyes.

「Oh boy.」

Straf scoffs, looking aside.

「No stealing from other guild members. Ever. If I find out you pinched even a single copper from one of us, you're out in the best case… Or you'll lose your hand. There's very few people we can trust, and it's fundamental that we can trust each other.」

Fost taps his finger on the table for emphasis as he speaks.

「And three?」

Straf asks in a sarcastic, almost mocking tone with his mouth aslant.

「I was getting to that… No talking about the Thieves' Guild.」

「What? You mean it's the first or the second rule? Or both, at the same time?」

「While it's important enough for it to warrant that… All the rules are equally important. Do not break either of them.」

Fost nods, and takes a gulp from his tankard.

「Okay, and how do I become the boss?」

Straf nonchalantly asks, and Fost chokes on his drink. He leans forward as it drips off his chin onto the grimy floor.

「Straf!?」

Cycelia's jaw drops in shock. The crowd starts murmuring again. Fost chuckles, still leaning forward as the liquid drips down. A grin appears on his face, and he stands up.

「You're an ambitious one, huh?… Let's see…」

Fost sets down his tankard on the table and wipes his chin. He slowly walks towards them as he looks aside, thinking with a wide, amused grin.

「I don't suppose I can just beat you up for it, right? I mean, that'd be kind of boring and practical.」

Straf shrugs with his hands, tilting his head a little.

「Oh, we could do that if you'd want… But you're right, we're a Thieves' Guild. It indeed would be rather boring, a show of brute force like that…」

Fost rubs his chin, standing in front of Straf and Cycelia as he thinks.

「So how about I steal something nobody else can? Is that how it goes?」

Straf asks, shrugging his shoulders with his hands in his pockets.

「That is exactly right. But the question is, what would that be?」

Fost snaps his fingers and points his index finger at Straf's face, before returning to his chin-rubbing.

「Okay, well… How about I steal the, uh… I don't know, the royal scepter or something. A king ought to have one like that, right, Lia?」

Straf asks, looking at Cycelia.

「Huh? Yes, there is- I mean, I don't know! Maybe!?」

She nods her head, before her eyes widen and she starts waving her hands in front of her face while energetically shaking her head left and right. Fost and the rest of the room explodes into laughter. He almost says something with tears in his eyes from laughter, extending his index finger…

Before bursting into another bout of laughter, leaning forward with his hands on his knees as he laughs. He manages to control himself, and sighs. Some of the men in the room still chuckle under their nose, but now only amused smirks remain.

「Ahh… Straf… Pal… If you manage to get the king's scepter, not only will I call you boss, I will also give you my favorite tankard.」

Fost points his palm at his gem-encrusted tankard on the table.

「Okay. You've got a deal.」

Straf shrugs his shoulders, once again nonchalantly stating the nigh-impossible. The room explodes into another prolonged laughter session as Fost returns to his chair, cackling.

「Heh heh heh… Anyhow… Membership comes with perks. We have a fence, Beard. He'll buy hot goods off of you. His contacts help him peddle that stuff.」

Fost points to a bearded man sitting at another table, and Beard nods his head up at Straf.

「Cool. See, Lia? I told you the pacing will be snappy. I'll be their boss by the end of the month.」

Straf says, smirking at Cycelia.

「You talk big, but I really want to see if you're as big as your talk is. There's a job coming up… In a few days, a local winery magnate will be holding a party in his manor.」

Fost points his finger at Straf, then starts to gesture with his hand again.

「Other magnates and nobility are of course invited, and this, my friend, is a ripe target. Take Nona with you-」

Foss continues, he points his palm to brown-haired woman standing off to the side off the crowd. Straf turns towards the door.

「Not interested, get a stealth archer to do it. Let's go, Lia.」

Straf says interrupting Fost with a bored expression on his face, and exits.

「Huh!? You're just going to join and leave!?」

Fost loses his composure and exclaims as he shoots up from his chair, staring at the empty doorway. A moment later, Straf is walking by on the other side of the iron bars. Nona hops up to the grate.

「Straf, you're going already? Be careful, a few guys said there was some really weird and creepy stuff that way.」

Nona says as her bright amber eyes track Straf as she clutches and leans onto the bars between them. He pauses momentarily to look at her, and his mouth goes askew again.

「Yeah? Like what?」

He asks with bored eyes, his hands remain in his pockets. Cycelia stares at Nona with a nervous grimace.

「I don't know. Nobody had a good look. Someone said it looked like a giant rat, someone else said it looked like a robed man…」

Her messy hair jitters as Nona glances back and forth at Straf and Cycelia with concern in her curiously bright eyes.

「Nothing about a turtle man?」

「What? No- I don't think so?」

Nona's brows furrow as she breaks eye contact to think for just a second. She shakes her head as she replies with a doubtful tone.

「Riiiight. So it's just something that may or may not be a rat, and may or may not be a man. We're in trouble, Lia.」

Straf sighs, shaking his head as he resumes walking deeper into the sewer, down a gentle slope.

「Huh!? We are!?」

Cycelia asks, hesitating to take another step, but braves on as the gap between her and Straf extends.

「Yeah, transformative use only goes so far. Ratmen in the sewers of all places are bad news.」

「…What?」

Cycelia tilts her head in confusion, as they descend deeper into the sewer…