“Well, boy, congratulations you just got yourself a new occupation.” Vallerian nearly laughed at the odd look Kriss gave him. “Don’t stare at me like that. I’m hiring you, a guard of sorts.”

Kriss seemed to shuffle uneasily. “I don’t know my lord. I don’t have any formal training; I don’t know how good I would be at defending you. I’m sure there’s other men out there more worth your money.”

“Not for me boy. For Celeste. I’ll pay you two gold lyra a week, no more no less.” Vallerian felt quite satisfied at the man’s look of disbelief.

“Two… Two lyra? A week?” Kriss seemed gobsmacked. “To protect her?” Vallerian nodded and the boy strode back over to him. “Y… Yes, I accept of course.” Then the large man did something Vallerian didn’t expect, he hugged him. “Thank you, my lord. I won’t forget this.”

In short order, Vallerian pried himself free of the sweaty tower of a man, then motioned towards the door. “Come on, let’s get out of here. The dim lighting is romantic, but the air here is terrible for my constitution.”

Kriss led the way out of the room quickly. Vallerian stuck close to the man as he had no intentions of getting lost down here. They moved through the suffocating corridors, trying their best to ignore the screams of pleasure and pain echoing through the place. Vallerian noticed the man visibly wincing at every sound. How long had he been down here and Kriss still cringed at that?

“You chose to work here?” Vallerian asked Kriss.

“On the streets the weak have no one to look out for them. When you’re the strongest kid on the street, well ever other kid is your responsibility. If I can take a few punches so the little ones can eat. Well, I think that’s worth it.” He responded.

“You couldn’t have been a wall guard?” Vallerian asked.

“Doesn’t pay as well, besides your people wouldn’t trust a street rat to keep their own out.” Kriss responded. He couldn’t argue with that logic, you don’t hire a thief to watch over your jewels.

“Yeah, we sure are a bunch of bastards, aren’t we?” Vallerian joked, and Kriss laughed. It was a warm honest sound, not the rehearsed guffaws that he had grown used to among the nobles. Or worse, the silence he received from the Theremya. This Kriss was nothing like he had expected coming into The Pits. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, perhaps someone just like Celeste? Or maybe the opposite, some monster who kills for fun? But this Kriss seemed… well adjusted. Surprisingly so.

“Leaving so soon my lord? My offer still stands.” A crooning feminine voice jogged Vallerian from his thoughts. It was the Fershya girl from earlier, the one he had paid to help find Kriss. “It would be a shame if you went for…” She trailed off when she noticed Kriss standing behind him. In a moment every ounce of seduction in her body bled away, her face contorted to that of concern with a deep furrowed brow. Her body language changed to a tense shape. “Kriss what’s going on here? Are you in trouble?” She asked.

“Eleena, thank the gods.” Kriss pushed past Vallerian and placed the small satchel of coins in the Fershya’s hands. “Get this to the girls. You remember the place, right?”

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“What happened Kriss? What are you doing with a lord?” The Fershya responded, every word heavy with concern.

“Eleena, It’s fine. I’m fine, I promise.” Kriss shone the woman a reassuring smile. “Make sure she’s comfortable, okay? And take some for yourself, get out of here if you can. Go work in the city if you must. But get out of here.”

“Kriss, you know I can’t afford to…” She silenced as Kriss turned to Vallerian.

“My lord, might I get an advance on my first payment?” Kriss asked him. Vallerian chuckled, shrugged, and pulled out five gold coins. Kriss swiped it from his hand and placed it in the girl’s.

“Consider it a welcome gift.” Vallerian shrugged. The young girl’s eyes began to tear up.

“Kriss… I…”

“Look after your girl Eleena, give her a better life than we got.” Kriss smiled and hugged her. “I need to get going now. Stay safe, I’ll check in on everyone when I get a chance I promise. Let them all know I’m thinking of them.”

Eleena sobbed happy tears as she clung to the gold. “Don’t you dare get hurt out there Kriss. You’re a good man, too good for this bloody city.” She turned from Kriss to Vallerian. “You look after him milord. Don’t you let him get hurt.” She had shifted from her earlier accent, almost like a noblewoman’s, to the muddy tongue of Southshore.

They bid farewell to the girl, and shortly afterwards they departed. The girl heading in the opposite direction, still crying as she stumbled down the halls. This boy was getting more and more peculiar by the minute.

“A girl you’ve been courting?” Vallerian asked as they continued down the sprawling tunnels. That would make the most sense. Vallerian couldn’t see himself going after a whore, but when you were in Southshore he figured the pickings were slim enough.

“Who? Eleena?” Kriss snorted. “No. I don’t find myself much time for courting my lord.” The man said courting with a scoff. “Can you call it courting if you’re not of the court?”

“Courting was the polite term.” Vallerian jested. Kriss side eyed him.

“Not that either then.” He responded. “Eleena is like a sister to me. She always helped clean me up after fights.”

“Well, say what you want kid, but she certainly wanted more than just to bandage you up.” Vallerian ribbed the kid. Kriss turned to him with a confused expression.

“Eleena? No, she would never…” Kriss trailed off, then his eyes widened in realization. Vallerian couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed Celeste and this Kriss shared a certain innocence. By the Chaos, at Kriss’ age Vallerian had already… Well, he’d rather not think about that right now.

They continued in silence from then on, the large lad leading the way. Vallerian couldn’t help but wonder about him. This man had surprised him, and few enough things did that anymore. What kind of man would batter his own body to help street rats? Who would demand coin from a lord for a whore’s brat? Whatever Celeste had done to this lad as a child, it had stuck. Vallerian shook his head. That girl certainly changed people. Vallerian knew he’d have to be careful or else he’d start caring about gutter trash as well. Wouldn’t that be a sight.

It wasn’t too much longer of trudging through the dark before they climbed up a steep stone staircase, and out an old wooden door. Even with the dim, overcast light Vallerian’s eyes still took a moment to adjust to the outside. When they did, Vallerian wasn’t particularly sure where they were. Someplace still in Southshore no doubt, but he didn’t recognize the neighborhood.

“So which way to her?” Kriss asked, and Vallerian turned to him. The man was drawing attention standing in the middle of the muddy street with only trousers torn at the knees to cover him. Vallerian shook his head, he couldn’t take him to Celeste looking like that.

“Not yet my young friend. We have things to do first.” Vallerian patted him on the back. He was wet, and not from rain. Vallerian rubbed the sweat off on his cloak.

“What things? Where? Kriss asked, turning to him.

“Silvermarket.” Vallerian answered. “You need a tailor and a barber. You look terrible.”