The Death Market *Obi x OC* (COMPLETE)

Shepherd of Fire

Song: Shepherd of Fire - Avenged Sevenfold

As soon as Mitsuhide goes into the tunnel, the guards try to go after him but Harlowe tells them to leave him and I find myself the single target of three people in a small space. This is wonderful. I sigh and lift Mitsuhide's sword to block Harlowe's next attack. As the shrill sound of metal scraping metal fills the air, I duck under them and tackle her. We hit the ground hard and I spring off of her before her guards can capture me. Going into the tunnel would be stupid as it's a ten minute journey with no escape routes, so I have to go back into the Market. I rush through the flaps and curse. The Death Market is still busy, but the crowd is nowhere near as thick as it is during the day. It'll be harder to hide.

"This way!" I hear a soft whisper and blindly choose to follow the voice around the corner behind the tent.

Once I'm behind the tent I realize it's Iladriel. I don't know if I should trust her but it's follow the girl or wait for Harlowe to murder me. Besides, I'm fairly hopeful that my abilities would allow me to take down a ten year old if I absolutely had to. The girl leads me through the winding rows into the depths of it all, then tugs me into what used to be a bright white tent. The salty air and sand took it's toll on the fabric though. I look around the tent to find a small booth set up, filled with daggers ranging from plain standard blades and hilts to elegantly crafted and jewel encrusted. I arch a brow and watch as she settles on a stool behind one of the tables.

"You really messed up there, didn't you?" She hums as she tucks her knees to her chest.

"It appears that way. Where are we?"

"My booth. You definitely won't be safe for long though, Miss has eyes and ears all over The Death Market."

"Why did you help me?"

Iladriel shrugs and a smirk crosses her face. "I am loyal to Miss, but I also need entertainment. Besides, once you finally are struck down by her, I need to know where you are so I can take your boots."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. So, what now? I can't exactly hole up in your booth and expect to not be found."

"Well, the-" She trails off and tilts her head to the side before her eyes widen.

In the time it takes to blink, she launches herself off the stool and latches onto my shirt.

"Go, go, go! And be quiet." She hisses under her breath.

I'm unceremoniously shoved into a trap door beneath her main counter. The door shuts above me as I hit the floor. I get to my feet and realize that I'm in what must be her living quarters. There's a large pile of blankets and pillows taking up one corner of the room and several crates stacked on their sides to create shelving. The crates are full of clothing, weapons, and a few books. There's not much else to it though. I figured Iladriel was just a kid who lived here with her parents, I didn't expect her to have a booth and live alone. Above my head I can hear muffled voices, one being Iladriel, the other being Harlowe. I sigh and go to sit on the floor, but something draws my eye. On the top of one of the crates is the item we'd been looking for. It's a sword with a golden hilt and I guarantee if I look at the blade, there will be an inscription from Master's father to him. From what I was told, it was crafted when Master was an infant and gifted to him before his father died. Master had it stored in one of the forts. We searched for so long and it's right here. I was right to come to The Death Market, but I definitely wouldn't have found it without crossing Harlowe it seems. Iladriel was smart enough to not put it out for sale here.

The door opens above me and Iladriel lands on her feet a second later before looking up at me. She tells me that she bought some time but it's going to be hard for me to be invisible in a place like this. Harlowe's reach covers the entire island and she's already informed some of the merchants that I am to be brought to her if seen. This is wonderful. I walk over to the crates and pull the sword down from the top and look it over.

"Nice sword."

"Oh, uh, thanks."

"How did a ten year old get a hold of something this fancy?"

"I-It's a family heirloom... and I'm eleven."

"Family heirloom? So, you're related to the royal family? This sword says it was given to the king's son a month after his birth." I turn toward her and internally smirk at the look in her eyes betraying her running through possible ways to spin her story to not admit the truth.

"W-We're second cousins... The prince gave it to me to hold onto so no one would take it."

I chuckle and shake my head. "You're crafty, but you still have a lot to learn."

"What do you mean?"

"Your lying skills need some improvement. Why would a prince give his second cousin, a criminal, a gift from his dead father for safe keeping on an island full of criminals? The stutter gives it away too."

"I- uh, finders keepers? What does it matter to you anyway- oh... That's what you and Hide were looking for, isn't it?" I nod and her face pales but her gaze hardens. "It's mine though, you can't have it. Why does a criminal care about getting something back to the castle? They don't care about people like us..."

"How do you know they don't care?"

"They took my parents."