Blop could barely keep up with Ruchi. The tall guard's back had just disappeared around a bend in another alley, they were piercing the lower tier like a blood vessel bursting in the eye. The friends moved toward the eastern part of the City through the darkest and dirtiest areas. Even the most experienced thieves and murderers, embarrassed to be seen in such a place, rarely showed their face there. The dampness and the source of natural gas created a unique aroma that could not leave a person for years. This place was popularly known as a "cesspool" or "bog." The direct light of the stars never reached here; the only illumination was from a system of gas lanterns burning with a cold blue flame.
"Wait," Blop shouted, out of breath, hardly able to drag his legs, "Wait for me, I don't want to be alone here!"
"How will you get to the Mist Quarter then?" Ruchi shouted back spitefully, not even thinking of slowing down. "Think of it as a test!"
"But my armor is too heavy!" Blop continued to plead. "I can't go that fast."
"You got that one yourself. What was that you said? 'So the bullet doesn't get me'," Ruchi mocked, disappearing around the corner.
Blop sighed, shook his head, and followed his friend.
"Boo!" Ruchi jumped out from around the corner.
Blop hopped up in fear and fired. The bullet ricocheted around and disappeared somewhere in the air. Ruchi stared at his friend in silence, only fixing the cuffs on his broken arm with the bar that held it in place.
"I know. I know I'm a chump," Blop said angrily as he stood up, "There's no need to say anything."
Ruchi leaned over to his friend and picked at the fresh dent in his cuirass.
"It really didn't get you," he smiled as he helped the fat man up.
"Do you think the shot caught someone's attention?" Blop asked, looking around.
"I think it just scared them off," Ruchi replied as he turned into another alleyway.
"How do you know where to go?" Blop wondered, quickening his pace again.
"I grew up here," Ruchi said, "I spent my whole childhood over there, behind the gas storage facility," he pointed to the left.
"But there's no one here, does anyone live here?" Blop was surprised.
"You just don't look intently," said the tall one, "There's someone's toys left," he pointed to a pile of stones, "And there are signs of a hasty romantic meeting," he grinned, lifting his foot from a heap of dirty rags, "It's just the locals will never show themselves to the guard," he continued, adjusting his gun, "They would rather kill us unnoticed, when we don't expect it."
"Ruchi! Why? Why did you take us this way, couldn't you have taken us through the central sewer?" Blop chirped.
"Of course not, my foolish friend. Not only would they not let us in, they would laugh at us for mentioning Sept's message. Everyone laughs at him until he comes to them," Ruchi chuckled and jumped over a small puddle, "Careful, it's deep."
Blop took his foot off the water at the last moment and walked along the edge, gingerly peering into the murky darkness.
"How far is it?" he asked, twitching with nausea from another scent coming from the dark alley.
"Not far, just past the gas holder, down into the catacombs," Ruchi said, peering into the darkening building ahead.
"Gas-what?" Blop asked, bumping into his suddenly halted friend.
Ruchi raised his hand and pointed to the building ahead:
"Gas storage. There it is. But..."
"But what?" said Blop, frightened.
YOU ARE READING
Heart's tale
FantasyA long time ago, there was a planet on the surface of which a real living Heart was beating. Each of its beat gave life to many wonderful creatures, and humans were no exception. Once, during a mountain collapse, they became afraid that something m...
