As Teti carefully weaved through the crowd, she noticed that she wasn’t the only one with the same idea. A few others were going for the table, and one of them was almost there.
“Shit, shit, shit!” Teti cursed up a storm under her breath as she saw the first person grab everything they could hold and run back into the cover of the crowd.
Just as she was halfway through to the stall, everything was already gone of the shelves.
Right as the last person was about to leave, one of the unlucky few who didn’t reach the table yelled out.
“THIEF! HE’S STEALING THE FOOD!”
That sent the already chaotic crowd into a frenzy, swarming the people who grabbed the food early in an attempt to take the food themselves.
“STAND DOWN OR YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!” a guard yelled in an attempt to get the crowd under control, to no avail.
Brawls began as people fought viciously over the smallest scraps of food, and Teti saw food being ripped in people’s hands as they fought over it. A tomato fell out of someone’s hands and was stomped by the unknowing crowd, making the poor soul who dropped it scream in despair.
Teti wormed her way through the melee in hopes of an opportunity, and she found hers: a cucumber fell out of someone’s pile as they ran away, and no one seemed to notice it. She jumped at it and snatched it before hiding it in sleeve and looking for a way out of the crowd.
***
By the time the crowd began to disperse, Teti was already out of there.
“I need to get this to Apis…” she said, making her way straight to the road out of town back to the makeshift orphanage.
The streets went by quickly as she ran, and the number of buildings still standing was falling rapidly as she approached the edges of the town. Right as she moved past the last of the buildings, she stopped dead in her tracks.
“That’s the girl, boss.”
Three men stood in her path, with one of them pointing a finger straight at her.
“…How can I help you, sirs?” Teti said with a bright smile.
The man in the middle walked up to her while the other two followed after him.
“You see, little girl, my man here saw you stealing a coin pouch in the market, and that you did it in the middle of a crowd. Mighty impressive; I’m impressed.” He said, before punting Teti in the gut.
Teti let out a silent scream as she rolled on the ground and held her stomach.
“Or I would be, if you hadn’t gotten that man killed by the guard. You see, he owed me some money, and now I can’t get it back if he’s dead.” He said.
Teti stood up and gave a bright smile once more as she pulled out the coin pouch and walked up to the man.
“You can have the money I stole, good sir. Hopefully this covers the money you’d lost?”
The third man grabbed Teti by the hair.
“You think a few coppers is enough to pay back that debt?! HUH?! THAT DEBT WAS THIRTEEN GOLD COINS!” he yelled shaking Teti left and right, ripping out strands of her hair.
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He then threw her back to the floor, where the first man put a boot on her face.
“The boss is going to be disappointed if he can’t make back the money he loaned. Surely you don’t want that to happen, right?”
“N-No…” Teti whimpered, the smile on her face never fading.
“No, what?!” The third man kicked her once more.
“…No, sir.”
“Very good. I hope we have a fruitful relationship from here on out, little girl. You have until next week to get me back the coins. If you’re late, I’ll add the interest to your debt. And if you try to run away…” the man gestured with his head towards the orphanage.
“We’ll drag you and the rest of the brats for punishment!”
***
Teti was sprawled on the ground after the thugs had left, letting her smile fade only when no one else was in sight.
“…At least the cucumber is safe.” Teti whispered, before trying to stand up.
She winced, and standing on her left leg must have been agonizing, judging by the limp in her step. She slowly made her way back to the orphanage, where Apis was waiting for her.
“Teti, you’re hurt.”
The first thing to come out of the boy’s mouth were words of concern for Teti.
“Don’t worry about it, Apis. It’s nothing. I’ll be up on my feet in no time. More importantly,” Teti said, pulling out the cucumber, “I got something for you.”
The boy’s eyes began tearing up.
“Teti, I can’t take that.” He said.
“Come on, Apis, you need food if you want to rec-”
“That’s enough, Teti!” he yelled.
A bunch of eyes moved towards us, but they quickly turned away after losing interest. Fights were common enough to not warrant attention.
“I can’t eat the food you bring me if you keep getting hurt and starve yourself.” He said, glaring at Teti.
Teti looked back at him unflinchingly.
“Don’t worry about me. I can find my own food and take care of myself.”
In that moment, her stomach rumbled loudly.
“Well, at least after I give you your share now. I’ll go get my own after.” She said, pushing the cucumber into the boy’s hands before walking away.
***
Teti moved through the orphanage, looking through the rows of children before finding the person she was searching for.
“Khonsu. We need to talk.”
The boy in question was the eldest of the bunch, already towering over most adults. He raised an eyebrow but followed her out of the orphanage. When they were at a secluded enough spot, Khonsu finally spoke up.
“What do you need my help with?” he asked.
“Huh? Why do you think I need your help?” Teti said.
The boy laughed.
“Oh, I am sure you dragged me out here to confess your long-held feelings for me. I am flattered, but I don’t swing that way.”
Teti rolled her eyes.
“Ha-ha. You’re right though, I need your help. Since you’re the only one with a combat class, I can’t ask anyone else to help me with the latest disaster I tripped into.”
All the humor drained from Khonsu’s face.
“What makes you think I have a combat class? And even if I did, why would I risk my neck out for you? You’re new here, you’ve caused your fair share of trouble, and you can take care of yourself without my help.”
“Well, I am sure that the kids here would’ve starved to death if someone wasn’t feeding them fish from the river.” Teti said, walking up to the boy.
“I do wonder who that brave soul is, wading through crocogator-infested waters to feed everyone. I also wonder if they would just let all that hard work go to waste because the kids died as hostages of some thugs.”
With a finger pressed at the boy’s chest, Teti carried on.
“My latest problem just so happens to have me threatened with the slaughter of the children in this barely functioning shelter. It’s now your problem as well, whether the two of us like it or not.”
Khonsu’s expression was grim, and he grabbed Teti by the collar to look her in the eye.
“What the hell did you get us involved with…?”
***
“Fuck!” Khonsu cursed, kicking at a crumbling stone pillar.
For all the fiery wrath in the boy, the pillar still didn’t budge.
Khonsu stomped his way to a toppled pillar near Teti and sat down on it, then ran his fingers through his hair.
“Can’t you just rob people? The coins they want shouldn’t be impossible for someone slippery like you to gather.”
Teti shook her head.
“You know how this thugs work. They’re never letting me go, and by extension, the rest of you. There is only one way to deal with pigs like that.” Teti said, her voice sharp enough to cut steel.
Khonsu’s frown deepened.
“And how are you planning to take out a whole gang with just the two of us? I don’t know how strong you think I am, but it’s not nearly enough, and you’re not a fighting type either.”
“Who said anything about just barging in and picking a fight? I’ve got a better idea. If we’re lucky, we’ll wipe them all out and we won’t have to lift a finger.” Teti grinned.
“And if we’re not?”
Teti shrugged.
“Then we all get butchered. But at least we won’t be getting squeezed to death by those fucking leeches.”
Khonsu closed his eyes to think, and Teti waited patiently. Before long, Khonsu opened his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.
“Fine, I’ll help. What did you have in mind?”
Teti grinned.
“I thought you’d never ask.”