Beyond the Void

Chapter 74, It is only one

of Stagnation 6 to 418 - During these years the current Kingdoms establish themselves, swallowing most of the smaller entities and city-states.

An excerpt from the diary of Pia...

AERIN

Five moons since the Mark of the Other One blossomed.

Aerin looked at Sonera's house across the street with mixed feelings. Life played odd tricks sometimes. Of all the places she had found an affordable living-space here. She did not mind, but Sonera had been unhappy and vocal about it. And her former student's attitude had hurt Aerin.

Her new apartment was one small chamber. The only differences from the closet under the roof in Sonera's house being slightly more room, a larger window and a small bath in one corner. It was nothing compared to what was once hers. There was reason to be unhappy, but this was a new start.

Aerin had gotten compensation for her old flat. That still surprised her when she thought about it. And while her luck with thieving was still at an all-time low, she had found other ways to make coin. She had wormed her way into a warehouse at the docks. Now that the Empire and the Alyar Dominions had signed the trade treaty, many merchants were looking for extra hands. They hired almost anyone.

So, she packed goods, filled crates and barrels, strung bundles of leather and herbs. This way she could send her old friends inside information on goods that someone needed taken. She did not need to lift a finger herself. People came to her again. All she needed to do was leave a discreet message, mark a crate or two and others took care of the rest.

The downside was that this job tired her. Packing and hauling large amounts of goods left her body sore. Yet it was an honest job. This perplexed Aerin. Why had she not thought of this before? Maybe this was the beginning of her way out. She could finally get that small piece of the pie. Maybe move outside the heart of the city. Perhaps even further away than that. Find a place to call home. Have children? She discarded the impossible thought. She hated the filthy little rats.

The idea had bothered her too much recently. She had calmed down a lot. She never had been the type to jump headfirst into unknown waters but these days she found satisfaction in simpler things. Maybe the thrill of the job was disappearing.

Aerin turned herself around on the mattress and stretched. Her body ached, and she thought about dozing off. But her rest was interrupted by someone banging on her door.

"Get lost! It's my day off!" She shouted.

She could afford to turn the knuckleheads down again. The banging stopped. She did not hear the visitor leaving either. Instead, a series of short whistles sounded behind the door. Five, six, seven. She counted in her head. She had sat up. Ten, eleven, twelve all in constant succession. That was an alarm.

Aerin blinked sheepishly. But after a moment of consideration, scampered off the mattress and yanked the door open.

"Finally!" It was Sonera.

"Was this a joke?" Aerin demanded before the brat could say another word.

"You're the laughingstock among us, not me! What do you take me for?"

"But that was twelve..." Aerin began but was cut off by her former student.

"Damn right it was, now get yourself clothed, we have work to do!"