Chapter 20: Runners
Bidding Miss Janis a goodbye as we exited the butcher shop, we made our way not to the church, where the Sisters all waited for us, but instead we made our way deeper into the maze of back alleyways and rundown buildings, making our way towards the base of the Scaled Runners, where Lukan was waiting for us.
"Ready for another run? Got a shipment needin' transport from the Merchant's Guild to the Soldiers Barracks over on Eastside. Same pay as last night, and if you get it done with no questions and no scares, I'll consider givin' ya a bonus. 'Ere's the medallion."
Lukan tossed me the small silver medallion that had a serpent embossed on its front, the piece of metal meant to display who we were and give us access to the shipment that needed to be transported.
"Same merchant as last time? Or do we need a new spot?"
"All the same. Make it quick now!"
The blonde waved us away as he turned back to the others in his crew, dishing out orders and handing out jobs left and right, the various lanky children taking their medallions and slipping out of the building and into the shadows.
Seika and I were no different, taking the medallion and jogging through the city as we made our way towards the Merchants Guild, which was - to no ones surprise - a hub of above and under table deals that the city most certainly wanted to crack down on, but didn't want to deal with the power that the Merchants wielded, hence the turning of a blind eye.
It wasn't... the most pleasing to see, since this city had been the one that I had come to love deeply all those centuries ago, but it was only understandable after I had lived in the here and now for a few days.
Things had changed, and I sadly accepted that the place I had known so intimately was now rather different...
Seika followed behind me wordlessly, the red eyed child leaving the thinking to me and just doing, placing their faith in me and doing what they could to improve the skills I placed an emphasis on; knife work, physical strength and control, perception, and how to better blend in with the background, making it so no one focused on them at all.
The job we had been forced into taking was another blessing in disguise, containing a landfall of coin and benefits that were more than acceptable with our current state; the coin that we made from the butcher shop was decent, and the free bread everyday from the church was nice, but neither could compare to the coin and meals we got from the Scaled Runners, who handed out sandwiches made with vegetables and thin slices of meats as well as fruits, providing quite the healthy array of food despite appearing to be little more than street kids.
Lukan kept it a secret where he got the jobs from, but everyone knew that the money coming in was more than worth the effort required for their work, and a sense of camaraderie permeated the abandoned building that the Scaled Runners had requisitioned, one that made them tight knit and almost like a family.
We had done one run already for the Scaled Runners, and it paid out handsomely at a dozen silvers and some good food, which was why I was willing to keep working beneath Lukan; I wasn't a prideful idiot even in my last life, and there was no need to start now.
He was providing benefits to me and was being amiable, and I wanted to keep it that way as I scrounged together what I needed for us going forwards; weapons, clothing, necessities and more.
Our feet plopped quietly against the stone road as we made our way towards the Merchants Guild, the city changing noticeably the closer we got to the center of wealth in the city.
Buildings were cleaner and more lavish, the infrastructure was solid and maintained, the people wore more formal attire, and the guards were more abundant, which made this a stressful job to some degree.
We stood out a bit in this area, but everyone was too busy with their jobs and lives to pay us much mind, allowing us to approach the large structure made from stone brick that was engraved with ornate symbols, adding a layer of opulence to the Merchants Guild.
With the sun setting and shrouding the city in the shadows of dusk, the looming palace situated in the midst of a gorgeous park was a our first stop, and we approached the far wall of the Merchants Guild, where we found the overweight man dressed in satin lounging on a bench, munching on some seeds that he occasionally tossed towards the birds gathered around him.
"Mister?"
Turning his greasy head towards us, the merchant looked us over before his eyes landed on the medallion, which made him nod as he wordlessly gestured to the package beside him, turning back towards his birds and seeds.
I grabbed the box and retreated, keeping an eye on him before leading Seika off towards the Soldiers Barracks, which was our final stop of the night, and atop the package was a location for drop-off that had been written into the packaging.
The sun continued to drift below the horizon, and the lamps lit the paths as we traversed the alleys, carrying the heavy box with us as we continued our run.
In the midst of the run though, I frowned as I heard the sounds of footsteps echoing behind us, poorly concealed yet still quiet.
Taking a turn, I led Seika away from the quickest path and began to take a few turns, listening intently for the followers and sighing as I heard them, even as I took another turn that no one would reasonably take.
"We're being followed. We'll take a few more turns and rush towards the Barracks before melding into the crowd on Main Street. Got it?"
Seika nodded, remaining silent as we both listened to the sounds of footsteps continuing to come from behind us.
Setting off again, we wove around the maze of alleyways a few times and bolted for the Barracks, slipping through a few streets and finding the waiting soldier at the meeting point, who accepted the box with a nod, not sparing us a second glance as he turned back towards the Barracks.
Main Street was just a few feet away, and without hesitation we joined the flow of the city, though I stopped us at a stall as I had Seika peruse some of the wares, keeping my eyes on the alleyway we exited in hopes of catching a glimpse of the people following us.
Lo and behold, after a few more seconds I watched as a tall boy stepped out from the alleyway, his dark hair and clothing only disrupted by the single red string of beads that was tied into one of his sideburns and onto the sleeve of his shirt, a peculiar fashion choice...
He looked around the area before clicking his tongue, brushing his hair out of his face and returning to the alleyway, making me sigh again as Seika and I left the stall, finished for the day.
It would seem that someone wasn't happy about the Scaled Runners, perhaps...
~~~
This new form is... growing on me, I suppose...
A few years from now, I'd wager quite~ the fortune that this little Tiberius would become quite the looker~!
Though... that angers me a tad.
Just a tad though; after all, he's mine.
~~~
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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Ketsueki_Hasu Whew~
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