18-Just a Leisurely Shopping Trip™
5/1/5/4353 M.A.C - Niwut - Early Afternoon
I'm off to see the market! The wonderful market of ores!
Doro made his way to the market with a full belly and an even fuller wallet. He was in such a good mood that he could not help himself from humming a song from one of Emi's favorite musicals, albeit with slightly modified lyrics. With a spring in his step, he made his way to the market. He wondered what new resources he might be able to get his hands on and what he'd be able to turn them into.
Just imagine. Someone could be sitting on some rare earth metals, or some other useful resource that hasn't been properly utilized here yet. They'd just think they are some interesting junk if they haven't figured out any of their potential uses around here, and might sell them for dirt cheap. Meh, dirt is actually a valuable commodity here in Manzat due to the ongoing efforts to expand the farmable lands. I need to look around before settling on any purchases, there may be some hidden gems, literally.
Doro chortled at his lame pun before coming to an abrupt stop.
Now that I'm thinking about it, was it a good idea to come out here on my own with so much money? Even though I've been working out, and am on the taller side for my age, I'm still a nine-year-old boy carrying something akin to a monthly paycheck. If there are Choices or Abilities that help with pickpocketing, I have to be even more careful than back in L.A.
Doro put his hand into his pocket and closed his hand around the gold mark, clenching it tightly as he walked. After a few steps, he realized that his unnatural posture would probably give away the game, and that it would be as good as wearing a sign saying he had something precious.
Well, it is mostly made of gold, I could use [Inorganic Kinesis] and anchor it somewhere inconspicuous underneath my clothing. Since it is light and I'll be keeping it against my body, the cost should be easy to sustain for a long while, even with my 10 energy. Or I could always use the trick I came up with earlier, and place the stress on top of my head, like this if someone somehow notices it and tries to pickpocket me, I'll have physical feedback since it's anchored.
After fiddling for a few seconds, Doro moved the gold mark below his tunic and anchored it between his shoulder blades, toward the top of his back.
Between the rough fabric of my tunic, and my long hair, people shouldn't be able to see the outline.
Feeling some pride toward his thief-proofing, Doro relaxed and let himself enjoy his good mood as he approached the outskirts of the market. He made his way from stall to stall, inspecting any mineral and metal that caught his eye, and checked the prices of those that he could think of a use for. [Matter Analysis] returned the vast majority, if not the entirety, of the energy it used, and therefore, Doro thought he could swiftly make his way through the entire market. However, his plan had come up against an obstacle.
The first stall had been a breeze, and the second had gone by pretty quickly, but by the time Doro was finishing his inspection of the third, he started developing a headache. He tried to push on to the fourth, but the headache worsened and Doro started feeling as though his head was getting filled with water, the pressure inside his skull increasing.
Owowow....shhhhhhh.....my head...I need a break. Even though it doesn't consume energy, the flood of information is doing my head in. I need to find some shade to sit in for a bit.
Determined to take his time and be more selective about what he would inspect afterward, Doro found a small side alley with crates and boxes piled along one wall. He slipped inside and sat on one of the smaller crates, taking deep breaths and attempting to keep his head clear. Doro had never really tried any form of meditation, in either lifetime, but he tried to apply some of what he had heard secondhand. After a handful of minutes, the headache started subsiding, and Doro lost some of the tension it had caused.
Better. I'll stay another five minutes or so, and I'll go see some of the other stalls after.
Doro put both hands behind his head and leaned back against the wall to get more comfortable. So comfortable, in fact, that he failed to notice a trio of men making their way into the alley a minute later. Because Doro had leaned back against the wall, a stack of crates hid them from view, but not from earshot.
"I'm tellin' ya idjits my ability went off. Should be some gold real close around. In one of dem crates or somethin'. With nobody keepin' guard, mighty dumb to leave things around fer anyone to nick."
Two other voices joined in as the three men shared a sinister laugh.
Oh lord, did I really come across stereotypical fantasy thieves? At least I'm not a girl, so I'm probably less effed if they find me, literally. Damn it, no time for dark puns. Focus. They haven't noticed my feet, their eyes probably haven't adjusted to the shade yet. I have three options.
Option 1: I try and pull my legs in and try to remain hidden. Seems they have a way to sense the gold mark though, so even if they start at the other end of the stack, if they aren't interrupted by something, they will eventually make their way to me.
Option 2: Try to make a run for it. That would only work if I'm confident I can outrun three adult men. In addition, they are between me and the closest exit, so I'll need to outrun them for at least 90 feet into another alleyway and hope there is another exit nearby. Even if they didn't catch up to me immediately, it probably wouldn't work.
Option 3: Fight my way through them and back onto the crowded market street on the other side. Or in other words, assisted suicide. I don't even have any metal with me, aside from the mark, so I can only use the stone and dirt around.
Doro furiously tried to come up with a plan as his time unnoticed was running out. If he waited much longer, they would inevitably spot his feet. As Doro heard the trio pry one of the first crates open, he decided he would need to go with the fourth option.
Option 4: Stall and bullshit my way into gaining more time to come up with an actual plan! Here goes nothing.
Doro Yawned loudly and stood up. He stretched his arms upward, as if to make a show of having just woken up. He then rubbed one of his eyes as he attempted to, nonchalantly, make his way past the trio.
"Oh. What d'we have here? A pipsqueak taking a nap in the shadows? Got anything interesting on you?"
The man Doro had previously heard shifted to block his path to salvation.
I know I shouldn't judge by appearances, but hell. Not only does this guy speak and act like a stereotypical low-life, but he also looks the part. Is he actually human, or is he some sort of shaved ratman?
The man barring Doro's way was rather short, barely a head taller than Doro. His frame was wiry but the wicked glint in his eye and the sharp dagger he had used to pry the crate open sufficed to put Doro more on edge than any muscles the man could have had.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"Oh me? Nothing sir. I was just taking a break while my parents are buying some ore for their work. I should really make my way back to them, I didn't plan on falling asleep and I'm not sure how long I've made them wait."
Doro turned his pockets inside out as he replied to the rat-like man, to show that he really had nothing on his person.
"Dekt, how about we let the boy go? Not worth the trouble if he ain't got nothin'."
"Yeah boss, I'm sure this Boy is smart enough to keep his mouth shut if he knows what's good for him."
The other two men spoke to the rat-like man called Dekt, who turned out to be their boss. The two of them appeared to be middle-aged and had rather large builds, with as much muscle as fat. Unlike their boss, they wouldn't have looked too out of place working on a farm.
Yeah, too late for a name now. In my mind, you are registered as Ratman forever...I need to keep stalling, I'm nearly there.
As it turns out, Doro had slowly been infusing nearly his entire reserves of energy into the ground below the three men's feet as the conversation went on, and he held it there while waiting for an opportunity to arise.
"Eh, always ruinin' my fun, but ya idjits are right. Move along boy."
Huh? Damn, I spent all my energy for nothing. Better not complain about getting lucky. When you think about it, they marked me because I was carrying a mark. If they had grifted me as well, I would have been marked because of a mark and then picked off as a mark. Not worth the risk of staying behind and recalling my energy.
Thinking he had made it home free, Doro relaxed a little as he walked past Dekt.
"My apologies for interrupting you. Have a good day."
Doro had made it three feet away from Dekt and his thugs when he felt a sharp point against his back.
"Boss? I thought we were lettin' him go? Not like we can easily sell 'im off now that they are crackin' down on our friends workin' the docks."
The thug with the thicker accent spoke up as Doro froze in place.
"Nah, somethin' smelled fishy. The boy was too calm. Thought somethin' was off so I used my Ability again. Guess what? The gold moved when he did. That's why I'm the boss, and not the two of ya idjits. Ya would've let 'im go along with our payday. Also, wise guy, you let my name slip. Ya don't survive long in this business without tyin' up loose ends."
Shit! Shit, Shit, Shit! Don't tell me I somehow got reborn into a second life, only to die at the age of nine in a back alley...Wait! I still have like one or two points of energy and the dagger is made of metal. If I activate my trap and put all my remaining energy, as well as my physical strength, to stop the dagger from moving, I might be able to make it the 12-ish feet between me and the street. No time to waste, it's now or never.
Doro used [Phase Transition] to instantly liquify the ground below the three men's feet and used his remaining energy to stop the dagger from being thrust into his back. The three men began to sink as though they were standing on water, for the 5 or so inches that Doro's meager energy reserves had allowed on a surface of that size. He had set the energy flow as fast as he could and the energy expended itself in under a second. The energy gone, the ground in which their feet had sank returned to its solid state instantly. Doro lunged forward, hoping that his trap would hold. After taking two steps, Doro heard a large grunt as one of the thugs managed to pull a foot out of the packed dirt that had solidified around their ankles.
Why couldn't the floor be stone like in the main street?! It should slow them down enough for me to make it out though. Don't look back! Keep going before they can break out and catch up.
Doro took his final step out of the shadows and into the sunlight.
I made it! What do you say to death? Not tod-
As Doro rejoiced over his successful escape, he felt a sharp tug on the back of his tunic alongside searing pain coming from his shoulder. His momentum completely arrested, he felt another pull and was jerked back into the shade of the alleyway before he was able to yell out in pain. Between the pain and the jolting motion, Doro got disoriented for a moment and found himself lying back on the floor with Dekt kneeling on his stomach. One hand was busy keeping his mouth shut, the other holding onto a grappling hook.
Damnit, you are not Batman, you are Ratman! Why the hell do you have a friggin grappling hook! My Shoulder hurts like hell, I can't scream, and I'm out of energy...fuck! What do I do? What do I do? What do I do!?
Doro panicked and tried wriggling free, but Dekt's weight was enough to secure him, and Dekt himself was still anchored to the ground by Doro's trap. Dekt threw the grappling hook to the side and recovered the dagger he had dropped.
"Now boy, keep yer yap shut or I'll have some fun cutting yer fingers off, one by one, and then I'll chop off the pathetic little worm between yer legs before I kill you. If you save me some time and tell me where you hidin' yer gold, I'll be kind and slit yer throat now."
Dekt moved his hand away from Doro's mouth to let him answer.
"Help! Guards! Anyo-"
Dekt slammed the pommel of his dagger into the side of Doro's face, making his vision swim.
"Good try kid, but I have an ability that's stoppin' any noise from leakin' out. Can't ya hear the silence from the market street? I made our lil' party here private. And let me be clear, when I'm done with ya, ya'll wish that you hadn't tried that, ya little shit."
"Uh, boss? By definition, I don't think you can hear silence."
"Shut up and move to the other side to shield us from view while I have my fun. I think I'll start with your pinky. I might take my time to enjoy myself and have some fun with your teeth and tongue after I'm done with what I already promised. Choking on your own blood as a fingerless, toothless, and dickless lump of meat feels like a good punishment for tryin' to pull that stunt. Don't worry, I'll break a few bones so that ya can't squirm too much."
Doro noticed the two thugs shudder as they saw their boss move the dagger closer to Doro's hand. The one that had spoken up previously turned to face the market street to follow his orders, but did not step forward. Instead, he froze as all the color drained from his face. Doro could not see what had made the thug react that way, but an ember of hope rekindled in his heart. Dekt, however, was so focused on his upcoming playtime that he failed to notice any of the changes.
"Blame your rotten luck that I don't have a way to sell you off. Since ya can't bring me any profit alive, I'll just have some fun instead. One...finger...at...a...time.
As Dekt was occupied forcing Doro's hand open, Doro saw a flash of silver fly a foot above him, straight into the left side of Dekt's face. Dekt was lifted and jerked backward at a surprising speed, but instead of being thrown back further into the alleyway, his trapped feet acted as a fulcrum and swung him back into the floor, smashing the back of his head against the floor. Unlike a stand-up punching bag, Dekt did not bounce back to right himself but stayed crumpled on the floor, twitching. Doro looked up, and the silver streak had stopped in place, where Dekt's face had been but a moment ago.
A steel gauntlet? The thing that him like a truck was a punch!?
Doro blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what had just happened, as the two thugs turned tail to run. The hit he had received on the head, and the panic he was feeling, made everything seem jumbled and out of focus.
"Shit, he got Dekt! Scramble, we can't fight a dude in full armor!"
The thug, who had let Dekt's name slip, had managed to run to the other end of the alleyway and turn the corner. His colleague, the first one to spot the armored man, wasn't as lucky and received a massive punch in the gut before he could turn to run. The thug released what appeared to be the entire content of his digestive system, from both ends, as he crumpled onto the floor, convulsing.
"Heh, You decked Dekt. Ha.....ha..haha..ha..."
Doro let out a quiet, manic laugh as tears of relief flooded his vision.
"Hey kid? Are you okay?"
"T'is but a scratch! Just a flesh wound, sir knight."
Doro's laugh trailed off as relief flooded his body and his woozyness worsened.
It's over. I'm safe.
The events of the day caught up to Doro and because of his physical exertion, his lack of sleep, and the emotional upheaval of the attack, the relief washed over him like a tide, pulling his consciousness along as it ebbed. Before passing out, Doro heard a last few words coming from his savior.
"Tom! Get over here quick! The boy is injured and delirious, he might have been poisoned. He needs your help."
As the darkness closed in around him, Doro felt a strange sensation growing steadily stronger, but he was on a one-way trip and reached his destination before his brain could try and process it.
"How now! Has it already been this long?"
The man, apparently called Tom, sounded surprised as he approached, but Doro was already out by the time he arrived.
"Would you kindly move aside and let me attend to the young lad? You've expertly done your part, as always, old friend."