Elias was woken from his sleep by the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life in the Lower Streets. The past few hours remained dreamless and peaceful, and he loathed having to end it so soon.
The sun had already risen above the buildings, bathing the cobblestone streets in a warm light - a welcome change from the almost constant rain that seemed to plague Elias' sleeping spot.
Elias stretched and yawned, taking in the sites of the area. City Guard members were heading back to their barracks from a night of drinking and whoring, small families were hanging their clothes on lines spread between the buildings to dry, and rats scurried everywhere, avoiding people as best as they could.
After taking a few moments to fully wake up, Elias decided he was going to go find some food scraps. Usually the Bakeries had some leftover burnt bread pieces for him, but they were up towards the Town Square.
Normally, this was a half hour walk for Elias, but it took him right through the heart of Braydens gang's territory. After his encounter with the boy earlier in the morning, he wasn't too keen to walk through those streets.
His internal debate was quickly settled when his stomach growled so loud that he was sure all of the Lower Streets heard it.
Gently clutching his stomach, he got up from his sleeping spot and started on his journey.
"Now, what's the best way to the Town Square?" he thought to himself.
Elias had made the trip through the winding veins of the Lower Streets hundreds of times before, but this was the first time he felt nervous.
Stopping to rest against a nearby building, Elias conjured a mental map of Oclus. The city was more or less laid out like a large rectangle, with the Lower Streets being at the bottom of the city, the Town Square being dead center, and the Upper Streets being at the very top.
The entire city was walled off with massive stone walls for protection, and there were only three gates that led into the city: one in the Lower Streets, and the other two in the Town Square for merchants to enter and exit from.
Elias thought it over for several minutes, trying to find some alternate route to his destination, but only coming up with one feasible option: right through the heart of Brayden's territory.
He exhaled a long sigh before heading down the side street he was already on. As he walked, he found himself constantly looking over his shoulder to see if Brayden or his goons were following him.
Most of the walk was uneventful, aside from the City Guard detaining a few people for various crimes. To Elias, it looked like he was home free.
About three-quarters of the way to the Town Square though, it finally happened. He rounded a corner to take a new side street, and ran straight into Brayden and a few members of his gang.
They were relaxing atop some old barrels and eating some apples they had found. Had Elias been more careful, they may not have noticed him.
"Well, if it isn't the fucking brat from earlier" said Brayden while hopping off of his barrel.
"And if it isn't the wannabe Wielder with the swollen face" retorted Elias.
He couldn't help but smile at the damage that was still present on Brayden's face, which only angered Brayden more.
"You may have surprised me once" said Brayden, "but it won't happen again. Besides, if you haven't noticed, it's not raining now."
A cruel grin formed on Brayden's face, knowing for sure that he had the upper hand this time.
The boy and his gang began advancing on Elias, who was slightly panicked at this point. After all, Brayden was right: his Magic would be working fine in the sun.
Elias turned and sprinted as fast as he could down a different street, not really caring which way it took him as long as it was away from Brayden.
He could hear the slapping of several pairs of feet on cobblestone behind him, but he didn't dare look back.
He took a few more turns, hoping to lose his pursuers without becoming hopelessly lost himself, but it didn't work. While the noise of his attackers was fading slowly, it was still constantly present.
After what seemed like hours of non-stop running, Elias could no longer hear the footsteps behind him.
He stopped long enough to catch his breath, thankful that he was able to muster enough energy for what he had just done.
A short glance around revealed that he was alone, but he actually knew exactly where he was within the Lower Streets.
He rested for just a bit, never letting down his guard, before continuing towards his destination, which was just a few streets away.
Elias heard the noise of the Town Square before he could actually see it. There were always hundreds of people milling around the area - mostly merchants and craftsmen.
He emerged between two buildings on the opposite side of the Square from where he had intended.
Men, women, and children of all ages and social classes browsed the Square, looking for any exotic goods the merchants may have brought in with them today.
City Guard members could be seen in clusters around the square, the bright sun glinting off of their large tower shields. Their distinctive pine green and silver uniforms contrasted starkly against the brilliant reds, yellows, and purples of the market.
Elias had always liked the Town Square, because he was never really noticed when he moved through the crowd. This not only made it easy to steal food scraps, but it also let him move un-bothered by anyone, like Brayden.
With the Bakery in his sight, Elias let out a small sigh of relief, and his stomach seemed to growl right on cue.
The thought of some fresh bread, even if it was slightly burnt, was enough to almost make him drool.
All of a sudden, a few screams and shouts from nearby caught his attention. Turning towards the noise, he could see Brayden and his gang pushing through the crowd - even going so far as to knock people down.
Brayden had his sights set on Elias, who was now out in the open of the Town Square. His hand was extended forward in a familiar motion, and Elias could see the air around it wavering in the heat that he was generating.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find you?" shouted Brayden from across the Square. "I have eyes everywhere. You can never hide from me!"
Elias was looking around frantically for something to hide behind or escape into, but he found nothing. Aside from the bakery a few yards away, he was completely alone and exposed.
The crowd around Brayden began to space out, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.
"Listen, Brayden" said Elias, "why don't me and you settle this like men once and for all?"
Brayden began to laugh.
"Do you really think there's anything to settle, or that I'd try to fight you alone? I have the upper hand here, asshole, and this time, I will make you pay!"
Elias knew he wouldn't be able to reason with Brayden. He also knew he was too far away from him to close the distance before he was incinerated. His only option left was to try the Bakery.
He took off sprinting towards the door, hoping to reach it before the fireball reached him.
He heard the distinctive woosh of the fireball being hurled at him before hearing a very loud metallic crash, almost like when a hammer is beating a sword in a forge.
With his hand on the bakery door handle, Elias turned to see what caused the sound. Where there was once no one between him and Brayden now stood a City Guard. His shield was smoking from the impact, but he looked otherwise unphased.
A few more City Guardsmen surrounded Brayden and the few boys that were with him, all of them with their swords drawn.
"You know the laws!" shouted the Guard between Elias and Brayden, "No public displays of Magic by commoners. Only Craftsmen and Aristocrats are permitted to use Magic openly."
The Guards surrounding the boys quickly placed them in shackles and hauled them off towards the Upper Streets, where the dungeons were kept.
Elias knew they would try to question him, but he had no inclination to speak with the City Guard for hours on end.
Instead, he quietly slipped into the Bakery, where the smell of fresh bread and pastries greeted him like an old friend.