Gods Cry; Mortals Die

Chapter 1: Reservations

The alleyway was dimly lit to the point of being more shadow than light. The few lanterns that were hung in front of the shop seemed to emphasize the dimness rather than banish it. Even the store windows were dark and dirty, though there were customers inside. Most of the customers came in to sit down and pretend to eat, while the real deal went on behind locked doors. It was not a friendly neighborhood, being close to the edge of the industrial section of the city. At one time, the warehouses there had been full of imported goods, and the many stores in the area prospered from the trade that the large, foreign boats brought. However, that had been before the river sunk, isolating the city and cutting off their primary source of income. Now the broken-down and deserted buildings faced a wide, desolate marsh, with reeds taller than people and ground nearly as treacherous.

The owners of this lonely store knew that they were the only means of food and other...supplies in a wide radius. They were protected by a certain organization that profited from their contributions, and if the agreement was a little shady, what of it? Times were hard. They certainly weren't the only ones to bend a rule or three.

Two figures emerged into the lantern-light in front of the store. Even for the odd people that frequented the store, these two stood out. One was a very young man with short, gingery hair. He wore a suit jacket over a collared shirt. His pants and boots were more casual, but overall he carried an aura of authority despite his young age. He was slimly built, and his sharp, blue-green eyes belied a deliberately impassive face.

His companion was a young woman whose pale honey hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, the end of which was a pale blue. She was wearing a somewhat bulky white trench coat with her hands tucked into its pockets at all times, which was unusual given the warm season. Yet the oddest article of clothing she wore was the delicate-looking, slightly opaque turquoise visor that completely covered her eyes. Symbols, grids and crosshairs could faintly be made out upon it, flickering rapidly over the surface. It didn't seem to hinder her sight at all.

The young man tilted his head toward the woman. "Is this the place?"

The woman turned to check the grimy sign over the street. "Who knows what that says under the dirt, but the address checks out." She walked up the scummy stairs to the door, pausing at the top to wait for her friend.

The young man was staring down the alleyway to where there was a glimpse of the endless marshes, eyes narrowed slightly. He turned toward the steps and followed the woman who held the door open for him with a condescending flourish.

The interior of the store was almost as dark as the exterior. There were bulging shelves full of cardboard boxes and various daily necessities; it seemed to be a mix between a restaurant and a convenience store, judging by the clanging and steam coming from the back. At the cash register, innocent-looking candies were tucked into not-so-innocent small plastic bags, underneath which was a display case of cheap jewellery and knives. Tucked in every spare space around the store were alcoves with sticky tables surrounded by tough-looking men and women who muttered to one another, hands resting in suspiciously full pockets. A haze of steam and cigarette smoke hung low in the air, further obscuring the unsavoury clientele.

Heads turned as the pair entered the store, and there was a fair amount of staring. Both newcomers ignored it, and turned their attention toward the busboy who was behind the cash register. He was also staring at them, but in a slightly friendlier way. Customers meant business, regardless of the type.

"Welcome! Welcome to Jjin's Food and Supplies," the man said in a foreign accent, a mostly insincere smile crinkling his pockmarked cheeks. "Would you like to have a seat, or is there perhaps a previous reservation...?"