Who The Fire Favours (ONC2023) gxg

Chapter 18: Rider

Rider was surrounded by idiots.

Loitering outside a random alleyway wasn't her favourite pastime but neither was waiting for a certain Water Traited to do a piss. Keeping her hat over her eyes in an attempt to give the poor sod some kind of privacy, the sandy haired idiot sauntered up to her and proceeded to dunk his twin brother's head in the sewage pipe.

"Fuck sake, Nate. I know I said to get your head on straight but isn't that a 'lil bit overkill? Tuskarr'll kill you if he finds out you and Chase have been pissin' about again."

The lanky bastard had the nerve to give her a cocky grin, raising his hand in a crude gesture and preoccupied himself by wrestling with his brother. Rider rolled her eyes, wincing at the sudden light to her left and adjusted her position away from the skittery Tinker Mole.

The cane she had pilfered from Tuskarr's lost and found was far more useful than anything he had done so far. She greatly regretted not bringing the Havalog instead.

Gizmo was, in a word, a clumsy ghost.

Wrapped in a full length cloak bigger than himself, his four foot stature was swamped by the mammoth hood. He was attempting to not draw attention to himself and failing miserably. Rider watched this human curtain wallow aimlessly for several minutes just for entertainment until she got fed up.

"Alright, Gizmo. Enough with the dramatics. Either you're a wretched Traitor like us or you've clearly underestimated your own self importance. You said you were in and I've paid far too much time, money and attention dealing with your impression of a wraith with his arse on fire. Buck the fuck up or fuck off."

Gizmo wriggled out of the oversized cloak with the dexterity of a greased pidgeon, squawking and complaining all the while. He cursed and swore at the Shadow Traited but Rider had heard worse from an Undercity child let alone a sheltered Tinker Mole. The twins offered their support by cackling at him.

"Alright, alright. I'll do what you've asked of me, Hellraiser."

Rider glared at the Tinker Mole with the wrath of an ex Regent, the macabre nickname following her wherever she went. She had asked Tuskarr to scout out any potential guides for Axis and the only one was this pesky half pint of a Tinker Mole. But a plume of purple fire would soon change that.

"Knew you couldn't stay away."

If Rider was expecting a visible response she didn't get one.

The dancing flame broke through the gloom of darkness, Rider grinned at the joyous display of Trait and the familiar red hair of the Opalian Regent. She was fully prepared to move ahead without Ixis but the whole reason for waiting in this dingy corridor had paid off.

"It's not like that."

Ixis obscured her face with her scarf, her choice of attire being far more stealthy than Gizmo had ever been. The familiar, well worn protective gear of the miners in Pelt helped with heading to Axis. It wasn't too left field for a Shadecaller, a Fire Traited and a Tinker Mole to survey the area. The only problem was the two Water Traited behind her.

"Well, I better introduce everyone before we get going. Ixis, welcome to the current, dilapidated, slightly dysfunctional Night Force clan."

The twins stifled a laugh, puffing out their chest to impress the new girl before falling to pieces laughing. At least it wasn't jazz hands.

"We're missing a member right now but judging from the number of demons around she'll be joining us soon enough." Rider added, casually and gestured for them to start moving.

If Ixis was worried about the presence of demons she certainly didn't show it.

She pulled her hood up over her head, following silently despite the look of confusion on her face. It was like she was caught in a storm, drifting endlessly and aimlessly without direction but willing to follow them regardless. Rider frowned but stubbornly kept going, gripping her cane tightly and fell into step with her. Rider could easily guess why she was willing to do this.

"Demons? You never said anything about demons?"

If Gizmo hadn't already been nervous enough he was now a bundle of jitters, so scatterbrained he wasn't looking where he was going and tripped over Rider's cane. Seizing their opportunity, the twins capitalised on the pipes below and clapped Gizmo on the back with a wet slap of sewage water.

"Don't worry, Gizzy. They'll only go after the one's with the grimoires hidden in our chest. We Traited are their favourite food." Nate reminded him, coiling his Trait in the air like a wild snake.

"So, while they're feasting on our ashes you can scuttle your way to Pelt and pray they have the Excelliars have their defences up in time. Or any defences at all." Chase added, nudging his brother forwards in the right direction.

"Unless our boss catches you first. You do know why they call her Hellraiser, don't you?"

The twins had blocked the Tinker Mole from bolting, his expression more akin to a startled horse than the calm, confident Forger Crafter he had portrayed himself to be. Rider couldn't help but tease him, lifting her chin just a little and tipping her hat upwards just to make him squeal in terror.

"As I was saying, this sorry prat is Gizmo. Our guide. While the two mismatched twins over there are Nate and Chase, the thieves. Respectively." Rider explained to the Fire Traited, trying to get back to some sort of normal conversation.

There was a flicker of recognition on Gizmo's face but Rider knew the night she broke was supposed to be the first introduction for Ixis had she attended. Rider wouldn't have involved them if either one had been a blabbermouth.

"And you, my dear Timekeeper, are going to help us excavate the lost city of Axis long enough to rescue my Oathed."