I hand Raven a bag of gear.
That’s what I’m here for. The large sumeen hums for a while, tracing the edges of the sharps I hand over, checking the shields for any damage. It takes them a few minutes as they look everything over. Once, twice. Their blank face fixes on me. “Good work, Yuki,” they hum, sounding genuinely pleased. “These are sneaky.”
[Obfuscation 6 > 7]
If only they knew how sneaky the enchantments are. Of course, I don’t tell them that. Instead, I just nod. “Thank you,” I say.
“Now, your prices are still gouging me,” Raven pouts, humming with a certain sadness to it. Still, they somehow seem in good spirits. As if things were about to take a positive turn to them. “But, I can forgive that. No one gets to move up in this world without being a little greedy, hm? Compromises are all we live for,” Raven says.
Slowly, I tilt my head. What has them so chatty today? Is it really just the little meeting they plan with Thatch? The fact that it’s an ambush is obvious, of course, but they seem so smug about it. “Is something good happening?” I ask them, feigning oblivion.
Raven hums in amusement of that, giving what feels like the equivalent of a low, sadistic chuckle. “Nothing too special. I am simply getting some help in removing a problem. See, a little birdie of mine found a rather useful guard on this floor. And this guard, see, has agreed to help me remove a recent little thorn in my side.”
Then, they lean forward. “And,” they whisper, “a little birdie told me you might know some info on this new guild. Word is, you room with some of them, Yuki.”
A small shiver runs down my spine. The air in the room suddenly feels heavier. But I don’t deny it. “I’ve seen them a few times, at the inn I’m staying. Nothing too close, though.”
Humming softly, Raven reaches out, the long limb morphing as it approaches my face, turning into bird’s talons. They move to rake one of them across my cheek, but I scoot back in my chair. “Please don’t touch me, Raven,” I say politely. “I’m picky about my personal space.”
That makes them stop. The humming cuts off, and the ease of their words disappear. “Yeah,” Raven hums quietly. “Yeah, of course, Yuki. We wouldn’t want to be in poor standing. So… why don’t you tell me a bit about your acquaintances, eh? Anything you’ve noticed about them?”
I can hear the demand is thin with impatience. Raven already feels confident they’ll win. They… don’t even think I’ve betrayed them, really. I can see it in the way they lean forward. There’s respect there where it wasn’t before. Have my items been doing that much for them? Probably, yes.
Sighing softly, I nod. “Fine. I will tell you what I know. But it’ll cost you.”
“Good,” Raven breathes. “Very good. Yes, yes. I’ll pay your price, Yuki. Connections are everything in Downpour, after all. And we’ve been good business partners. Go. Tell me.”
For a long moment, I consider everything I should say, then smile faintly. There’s not really much to lose. Raven already has spies, and must have seen us fight sometimes. So, I give a rough outline. “Their leader, Hush, is strong. Channels monstrous things to fight. Shifts his body and all. One of them, the knight, can teleport. The flying one controls air-”
“Yes, yes, we know that,” Raven interrupts impatiently. “No, what I want to know is their jobs, Yuki. You must have seen them, right?” They lean forward as they ask, curiosity plain in their voice.
“Oh,” I say. “The teleporter carves gems. The boss paints, and I believe the faerie makes clothes. Oh, and the little one, blue skin, six eyes? She’s a chef.”
At this info, Raven becomes very pleased, nodding to themselves. “I see, I see,” they mutter quietly, as if mentally adjusting numbers. In fact, they do pull out a piece of paper, quickly scrawling down some notes. It makes me wonder about them a bit, and I find myself thinking about their abilities.
But that question goes nowhere, because Raven glances at me again, speaking quietly. “Now, Yuki,” they hum with a certain dangerous sharpness. “I’ve no reason to believe you betrayed me. The items always vanish from the bodies, but that’s within expectations. But, Yuki…”
Their tone gets even sharper. “Don’t give me a reason to kill you,” they say calmly. “It’d be a real shame, you know? I do owe you a little, right now. And I do take care to pay back my debts.”
Nodding slowly, I look at their extended hand. Coins drop onto the table between us. Chits, of course, but not just silver this time. Golden ones, too. Just a handful. But more than enough for all the items and then some.
My eyes drift to Raven again, and they wave a hand. “Go,” they say quietly.
I nod, and head outside.
Despite everything, Raven has treated me reasonably fairly. I suppose that’s part of why I worked with them over some of the other gangs. A small sigh escapes my lips as I walk through the dark streets, cloak over my head.
It’ll be a real shame if too many people die today. But, oh well. They are, at the end of the day, still criminals. I won’t mourn them too much.
So, step by step, I walk. I hide myself with my mana, and I charge my vessel one more time, preparing it even further to be molded. There was less time to prepare than I would’ve liked, but that’s fine. Despite everything, I am confident. Despite everything, I know we’ll win. When the fluttering of wings finally leaves me, and I’ve found a dark enough place to be on my own, I put on Kuro’s mask.
Solidified shadows coat my face, and I walk through the dark night. Lightning splits the sky nearby, a brutal bolt impacting some far-off building. The thunder rolls over me, and I breathe in the smell of ozone.
Not long now.
- - -
When I get there, the only other person present is Inu. She stands alone in the storm. Thick rain falls, and it gets colder as the night creeps on. Some of the raindrops are already freezing, beginning to turn to hail. “Hey,” I call, and the girl suddenly turns to me in surprise.
Quickly, the pensive expression on her face melts away into a smile. “Kuro!” she says. “Good to see you.”
I return her smile and nod. “Good evening, Hound. Something on your mind?” I ask.
Inu hums quietly, tilting her head, then giving an awkward smile. “Yeah,” she says. “I worry.”
“Borrow from me,” I tell her.
A moment later, I feel [Empathy] latch onto me, and there’s an exchange I can barely put into words. She shares her fears, her worries. The dread that comes with killing people. And in exchange, I lend her some of my calm. I sit next to her, and after a quick glance and affirmative nod, Inu rests her head on my shoulder.
I pet her head a bit. “We’ll be safe.”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “We will. I might feel bad, but it’ll pass. Are we bad people, Kuro?”
“You’re not,” I reply with a small smile. “In fact, you’re probably the best person I know. You could sit this one out if you want to.”
At that, she shakes her head. “No,” she replies. “No, I won’t sit it out.”
All I do is nod, accepting her decision. As always, Inu is a tough girl, valiantly placing herself in the way of danger for us. I smile at that, just a little, at how she cares. A minute passes like that, until, with a soft pop, Opal appears next to us.
“Yo,” they say, raising a hand. Then, their eyes land on us properly, and they tilt their head for a second before smiling happily. “Is your other shoulder still free?” the knight asks without hesitation.
I snicker, just a little, and Inu does the same. “Yes, Gem,” I reply calmly. “You can have it.”
“Awesome,” Opal replies easily, soon leaning on me as well. Another minute passes in comfortable quiet, before I begin to feel overwhelmed by it.
“Alright, and that’s all the capacity I have for that, today,” I tell them, and instantly, both my friends withdraw. They smile, though, their moods clearly lifted. Not too long after, Thatch, Sylves, and Richard show up, too.
The night grows colder, and the rain properly turns to hail, heavy ice falling from the sky. We stand underneath a half-crumbled building, peering out into the night. And, eventually, with a puff of feathers, Raven comes into view.
“Ah, I see you’ve made it,” they greet us all with a sweeping bow. “How very glad to make your acquaintance, Hush. I am Raven, founder of Aviary.”
“Hush, boss of Crybabies,” Thatch replies calmly. As soon as he starts talking, the nervousness slips off him like a trick of the light. He’s all business. Elegant, relaxed. It’s so unfair that I’m a little jealous.
Raven nods. “I see you brought your entire little… guild, you called it?” they ask.
“Indeed.”
The sumeen gives a long hum, then tilts their head. They wait for another long moment, then they sigh. “Well, I suppose it would have been too good to expect you to believe me. Come now, let’s get this over with, Hush. I’ve got you surrounded.”
At that, the smile on Thatch’s face turns wild. He lifts a hand, slowly dragging it through his hair, pushing the golden curls backwards. “Oh, don’t worry,” he whispers. “I’m counting on it.”
Raven narrows their eyes, raises a long, thin limb, and nods just once. Two people walk onto the field, to my regret. The first is Bloodstain, who smiles brightly at the betrayal, and gives us a cheery wave.
And the second, as Raven warned me, is one of the city guards. In fact, a very, very familiar city guard. My side throbs as I remember it. I stare at his dark beard and the sneer on his face as I remember how he stabbed me, then kicked me to the gutters. “These are the rotten fecks causing trouble?” he asks, and Raven nods. “Thankee,” he says with a grin to us. “I been lookin’ for a nice ol’ payday.”
My eyes lock on him, and I fire off an identification.
[Bright Guard, lv. 133]
Fear slowly courses through me, and I grip my shadow-wrought dagger closer. Terrifying. And at the same time… perfect.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter