CHAPTER ONE

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Shepard stood near the edge of the canal, tossing a pebble up and down. Brown bubbling sludge moved down the canal. Each pop spewed a putrid stench into the moist warm air that would make an outsider reel back and gag for fresh air. There was no fresh air deep down in the Bowels. It was originally a mining town abandoned after the Calamity happened. Now it was where the Empire kept its undesirables. A large abyss that barely saw any sunlight.

Across the canal was a vaulter. It sat hunched over underneath a chemical lamppost burning blue inside the glass orb. Its back against a lopsided home on the brink of collapse. Its skin was made of metal, patches of long black hair covered its rusty scalp, and it wore a ragged and dirty blue dress and shit-stained scarf. Shepard wanted that shit-stained scarf. It would be a nice accessory to his shit-stained clothes.

Babel came up behind Shepard and patted him hard on the back. Shepard lurched backward, falling to a group of laughter around him. He looked back to see Babel, Lugel, and Hunch pointing and teasing him. They joked about how it would been funny had Shepard fell forward instead and into the cesspool canal.

“Not funny,” said Shepard, straightening his patchwork hat.

“You should’ve seen the look on your face,” teased Babel. She leaned towards Shepard, making an exaggerate face. Babel was about Shepard’s age. A skinny body under a slim dress. Her dirty feet covered in scabs and blisters. “Honestly, I wasn’t even trying to scare you.”

“I wasn’t scared,” said Shepard.

“Yeah you were,” said Hunch. He was the largest of the four. He was best described as round. All fat and no muscle. He was the first to insult people but quickly teared up when anyone made fun of his lazy eye. He grabbed Shepard’s arm below the shoulder and hoisted him to his feet.

“Thanks.”

“Why do you keep coming here?” asked Lugel wearing fresh stitched clothes his mother made for him. Lugel was better off than most children in the Bowel since his father owned one of the few taverns there. While the tavern kept him fed, it couldn’t pay for medicine he needed for his cough. Mucus occasionally pooled in his lungs and he’d have a violent coughing fit.

Shepard pointed at the vaulter. Babel scooted closer to the edge of the canal for a better look. She shook her head and turned to Shepard, crossing her arms. “Why do you care about a vaulter?”

“It’s not the vaulter,” said Shepard. “I want the scarf.”

“Then go get it. No point in just standing here.”

“He’s afraid it might be the Snatcher!” said Hunch as he grabbed Shepard by the shoulders and yanked him close.

“I’m not!” Shepard pushed away from Hunch, walked towards the edge, and scooped up another pebble.

The children met the Snatcher with uneasy laughter and smiles. It was the latest scary story spread through the Bowels by older children and adults. Children started disappearing several months ago. Most of them Shepard’s age. At first, people thought it was because children were getting lost in the abandoned mine shafts scattered across the Bowels. Exploring the mine shafts proved unfruitful and grieving families were left empty.

This grief turned to anger. Mobs formed and began searching the Bowels for the one responsible for taking their children. The most likely culprit was a greasy fat bastard rumored to have a thing for children. The mob hung him by the neck over the canal until life left his throat and shit spilled down his legs. It was true that fat bastard had fucked a few street urchins. But he was not the Snatcher. The people realized this days later when another child went missing without a trace.

“That’s not the Snatcher anyways,” said Babel.

“How do you know?” asked Hunch, glaring Babel.

Babel shifted her eyes between Hunch’s good eye and lazy eye. She knew that annoyed him and he quickly backed off.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m getting that scarf,” said Shepard. He flicked the pebble across the canal. It pinged off a rusted bent drain pipe inches from the vaulter. He grabbed another pebbled and flicked it. It pinged off the vaulter’s head. He froze when the vaulter shifted, but quickly relaxed when he watched it fall over.

“Guess it’s dead,” said Lugel. He coughed into the pit of elbow. He spat on the ground and wiped his mouth.

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“Maybe it’s pretending so that say we’ll get close enough to snatch!” said Hunch.

Shepard smirked and rolled his eyes. Hunch was trying to spook them. Shepard would not let it get to his head. He knew that if the Snatcher did appear, Hunch would be the first person to run with his tiny cock between his fat thighs. And they all knew this.

Without a word, Shepard took of running towards the wooden beams laid across the canal Babel started running after him. Hunch hated running and Lugel couldn’t run, so they both walked quickly. Hunch complained about Shepard and Babel always running off without a word. Shepard came up to the wooden beams and was across the canal in a few strides. Fearing splinters, Babel took her time. She tiptoed across the beams. Once on the other side, she sprinted after Shepard, and quickly caught up to him.

“Slow down, Shepard!”

Shepard did not hear Babel. He vaulted over wooden crates and kept sprinting. He was fast. Eventually Babel gave up. She hunched over, hands rested on her knees, and caught her breath. Shepard slowed down once he got closer to the vaulter. He stopped short of it. Its flickering shadow extending towards him from the blue chemical glow.

Living vaulters were a rare sight. Only those who paid kings could afford to buy one. It was why vaulters were highly sought after and why they avoided human contact. This vaulter was dead, a rusty decrepit husk. What good was a dead vaulter to anyone? Dead is dead, Shepard told himself. The scarf was right around the vaulter’s neck. All Shepard had to do was take it. He inched closer to the vaulter, taking small forward steps with his lead foot. His hand slowly stretched out.

“What are you doing?” called out Hunch. “What if that thing is the Snatcher?”

Shepard looked back over his shoulder. “Shut up about the—” He felt a firm metal hand grab hold his wrist. He tried breaking free, but the firm hand squeezed tight until he was gritting his teeth. The woman pulled Shepard closer, leaned into him until their faces was inches apart. She was a tall beautiful woman with flawless pearl skin, long hair was the color of limestone, and full reddish lips.

“The dead should be left alone,” she whispered in his ear. Her breath on his ear made the hairs on his neck tingle. She slowly released him.

Shepard backed away. He noticed that she wasn’t from the Bowels. She couldn’t be. She wore pristine leather britches tight over her curved hips. Her boots laced up just below the knees. She wore a long coat embroiled with a magnificent floral pattern. Leather straps wrapped around her gloves with metal studs at the end. And around her neck was a crimson brooch resting between her bosom.

“Shepard!”

“There are more children,” the woman said.

Babel ran up to Shepard. She looked down at his wrist. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” said Shepard.

Lugel and Hunch arrived seconds later. Both intimidated by the woman’s appearance. A chill swept through and sucked the moisture from the air. A smile crept across the woman’s face as she eyed each individual child in front of her. They were young which was good but had clear defining faults. Too skinny with scabby feet. Too short and sick. Too fat and weird looking.

The woman looked at Shepard for the longest. What was wrong with this one? Shepard was average height for his age, dark skinned with a minor scar across his left cheek, and nappy black afro.

“And where are your parents?” she asked Shepard.

Shepard shrugged as if he didn’t care about the question. “They’re gone.”

“Who takes care of you?”

“I take care—"

“I do,” said Babel. “At least…I try to. Can I ask who you are?”

“I’m Lady Maria.” She offered her hand to Babel. Babel grabbed it, surprised by how firm the woman shook her hand. It was cold and crushing. She wanted to pull away but felt that would be impossible. She saw Maria’s eyes focused on her feet. They were scabbed and with fresh deep cuts from running barefoot through the Bowels. The filth she subjects herself to made it impossible for them to heal properly.

“And where are your parents?” asked Maria.

“I don’t know,” said Babel just above a whimper.

Maria felt Babel’s face with a gentle hand. The rough leather caressing up and down her soft cheek. “Had life been in your favor, you would have made a fine brothair. Men would flock to taste you. Throw endless coin in your bed.”

“And what about you two?” asked Maria to Lugel and Hunch.

“My dad and mom work a tavern,” said Lugel.

“My mom cleans the shafts,” said Hunch.

“Interesting…”

“Do you…have children?” asked Babel, trying to tug her hand free.

Maria released her grip and stood up tall. “I want children. Sadly, I can’t have them.” She went over to the vaulter, planted her boot against it, and kicked it into the canal. It landed splat. The sludge gurgled as it slowly swallowed the corpse.

“Why’d you do that?” snapped Shepard.

Maria looked at Shepard sidelong. “Vaulters are quite valuable. These slums would be up in flames in word got out.”

Shepard looked over the canal and caught a glimpse of the vaulter’s fingers twitching as it was swallowed. “Vaulters are so valuable why did you kick it into the canal?”

“The amount of effort I’d go through outweighs its value,” said Maria. “You’re a child so I doubt you’d understand.”

“You rich or something?”

“Very…”

Shepard watched Maria walk away. The jingling sound of coin grabbed his attention. He glimpsed a fat velvet purse tied to her waist. The sight sparked his smile. Shepard and Babel would be able to eat again. Lord knows Babel was tired of sleeping with an empty stomach. He felt the chill in the air disappear. The goosebumps on his skin were gone. He looked back at the other. They had to have felt the sudden change in the air too.

“What are you planning, Shepard?” asked Babel.

“I plan on us eating tonight,” said Shepard.