After getting the map, Thane and Annabelle left the guard barracks, "So what do we do? I mean, this is all so bizarre. Are we up for this?" Thane looked over at Annabelle, "I don't know what else we can do. I can't go back to my life drinking and sleeping. In the end, all that matters is the way you die."
Annabelle fell quiet, "I don't think I can be like you, Thane. I don't know how to fight or do anything, really. And I froze when you were attacked. How can you trust someone like me watching your back?"
Thane turned around and started to walk backward, "Because you saved my life. If you weren't there, that bush viper would have killed me. And if I'm right, that was the first fight you've ever been in. "
Annabelle nodded, making Thane grin, "Well, what else did you expect to happen. But nothing I say is going to take away the guilt eating up inside you. I know that from first-hand experience. Just know when that next fight comes. Imagine that feeling of helplessness before pushing through it."
Thane winked at Annabelle, "And you not knowing how to fight, I can fix that, but that can come later. First, we go shopping." Before Annabelle could say anything, Thane grabbed her wrist and dragged her along, "There should be a tailor right around the corner. I can't spend another minute in these's potato sacks."
As they ran through the city, Annabelle tried not to make eye contact with anyone. She couldn't help but notice that all of the structures had a distinct Asian influence, 'Most of the people seemed to be of Asian descent as well.'
Before she could follow up on her train of thought, Thane came to a halt, "Here we are, the Needle and String." Annabelle looked up at the luxurious building with a sign inlaid with gold.
"This place looks expensive. Are you sure we should spend our cash here?" Thane smiled confidently, "The captain said we had enough to buy whatever we could need. I counted 30 gold pieces and about 80 silver coins. That should be enough."
With that, Thane walked into the store. Stepping on the polished wood floor, Thane looked around. The store was definitely fancy, with mannequins displaying silk gowns and traditional Japanese clothing that he recognized but couldn't recall the name of.
Taking a sniff of the air Thane smirked when he realized the store was burning incense, 'We are definitely not their targeted clientele.' Before Thane could take even two steps, a short, portly man popped out of nowhere.
"How can I possibly help you two today?" The man's eyes held nothing but disgust as he looked at Thane and Annabelle's drab clothing.
Thane put on his most savvy smile, "I was just wondering how much it would cost to order two custom outfits for my companion and I." The attendant puffed up his chest, "Sir, we are a professional establishment, and as such, our prices reflect that."
With the same smile, Thane placed his hand on the man's shoulder, "Just tell me how much it is alright. If we can't pay, we'll leave the store."
The portly man stiffened, "F-fine if you must know for a completely custom outfit, the rates can be anywhere from 50 silver pieces to 80 each." Thane nodded, "About what I expected. Now tell me, what could you do if I offered 5 gold pieces for two outfits made out of the best material you have?"
Chuckling, the man thought Thane was joking, "I would say, Sir, that if you could produce such wealth, I would make you three outfits, each all out of the best material we have." Thane smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling out his coin purse, 'Gotcha!'
Without letting the attendant see inside, Thane pulled out five gold pieces and put them in his hand, "How soon can you have those made? While we're not in a hurry, I can't stand these clothes much longer."
The man started to tremble as he looked at the gold in his hand, 'Who is this guy? I don't recognize him from any sects. Can he be a transfer from one of the branch clans? No, that can't be it. I would have heard...'
Seeing the man freeze, Thane snapped his fingers, "Hello? Anyone there?" The man jumped, "Around three to four days until then. I could give you some substitutes, all free of charge, of course."
Thane smiled, "Thank you, uh, I never did catch your name." The portly man bowed, "My name is Yumi Sir. May I request yours."
Offering his hand Thane grinned, "Thane Macedon, now how about those substitutes?"
---
Half an hour later, Thane and Annabelle walked out of the store. Annabelle was clothed in a pink and white Kimono with a decorative print of a sakura tree. Thane also wore the same clothing style though he went with a more relaxed look, letting the robe slightly open to show off a bit of his muscular chest.
"Do you deal with people like him often?" Thane looked over at Annabelle, "Yeah, my work required me to interact with the 1%, so I learned to play a little hardball."
"What exactly did you do in the military?" Thane's smile slipped a little, "I killed people, powerful people, I was good at it too. I came close to dying a few times, but I got sick of it after a while. All the fun was gone, and I started to hear voices, so I was honorably discharged and put on medication. Though I haven't had to take them since I got my mark."
Annabelle couldn't help but look at Thane warily, 'He doesn't seem like a killer, but he talks about taking a human life so casually.' Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Annabelle jumped in front of Thane, "How about we go get something to eat? I'm tired of having nothing but jerky and bread."
Thane thought about it for a second, "I really wanted to check out the market to see if I could find anything. But I wouldn't mind getting something to eat if you're that hungry."
Annabelle pulled out the map and pointed to a spot close to their position, "There's an inn right around the corner. I wonder what type of food they'll have."
Walking into the inn, Thane and Annabelle stood out. Their nice clothing screamed wealth, and their faces outcast them as foreigners. Though Thane ignored their gazes, Annabelle moved closer to Thane, not liking the way the men's eyes roamed over her body.
Sitting down at the bar, Thane held up two fingers to the bartender, "A bottle of your strongest drink, and whatever's good around here." The man opened his mouth to reply, but Thane placed a silver coin on the table, "Right away, sir!"
Thane grinned as the man was sent scrambling, 'It feels good to be feared again.' Before he could get too full of himself, Annabelle pinched Thane on the leg, "Don't go flashing around your wealth like that. Everybody is looking at us now."
"What does it matter? It's not like they can do anything about it," Thane spoke louder than usual, making sure everybody in the bar could hear him."
Annabelle stiffened as she felt a wave of hostility get directed at them, "Are you trying to get us killed!?" Thane reached behind his back, taking out one of his knives, "Remember what I told you, remember that feeling of helplessness."
With that, Thane turned back around as if nothing had happened. A few minutes later, his meal and drink arrived. Here you go, eat up. You're going to need it."
Thane slid the bowl of noodles and broth to Annabelle while pouring his sake into the drinking cup. As she was about to refuse, Annabelle's stomach rumbled, and she blushed a bright pink.
Wordlessly, she began to eat the noodles. It wasn't the worst soup she'd ever had, but it wasn't the best.
By the time Annabelle finished her meal, Thane had ordered ten bottles of sake and was swaying heavily on his chair, "Y-you, you know, I-I don't remember the last time I kissed a girl."
Annabelle looked at Thane in his drunken state, "You don't know what you're saying." Thane held up his finger as if he had an idea, "I-I know, maybe I k-kiss that will help jog, t-the, t-the memory!"
Thane then grabbed Annabelle's shoulders and turned her to face him, "S-so what do you say, pretty lady? W-will-you, help this lonely soul." Annabelle had turned a bright red by now and was struggling to form a cohesive sentence when a shadow fell over them.
"It seems like your partner is a little indisposed at the moment." Annabelle's palms started to sweat as she looked at the three thugs standing over her. She could smell the alcohol on their breath even though Thane was right to her.
The thug in the middle continued to berate Annabelle, "He was making all these big claims earlier, but now all I see is a drunk with a mouth too big for his own good!"
Annabelle flinched back before looking at Thane, who was resting his head against the counter, a bright red hue to his cheeks. She was alone and had no one to rely on, "So here are your options, either we take all your money. Or you try and stop us. We'll end up winning, take the money and have a little fun with you as well. So what do you say?"
Frozen in place by fear, Annabelle couldn't do anything but shrink, "I-I don't want any trouble." The thug grinned before reaching out to take the coin pouch on Thane's hip, "That's what I thought."
Annabelle watched as the thug's fingertips grazed the pouch. Was she really going to let them take everything from her while she sat on the sideline? That sickening feeling of helplessness and guilt welled up in Annabelle so far she had been reliant on Thane, knowing that he could protect her.
Ever since she first knocked on his door in a last-ditch effort, Annabelle had always been afraid and scared of what else could be taken away from her.
Just as the thug grabbed Thane's bag, Annabelle lashed out, taking the curved knife Thane had given her and pricing the thug's hand. The man screamed in pain and backpedaled, taking the knife with him.
The other two men looked back at their friend, then Annabelle in shock. Grabbing the knife from his hand, the thug tore it out and tossed it aside, "You bitch! I warned you what would happen if you fucked with us!"
Before Annabelle could react, the leader was on her reaching out his hand to grab her clothes and expose her for all to see, "I think that's far enough."
In the blink of an eye, Thane stood up and grabbed the thug's wrist before pushing him back at his friends. Annabelle turned to look at Thane, "H-how, how are you?"
Thane smiled, "Sober? It seems like alcohol counts as a poison. I only got a slight buzz after drinking those bottles. Sorry to do that to you, but tell me, do you still feel helpless?"
Annabelle wanted to curse Thane out, but when he asked her, she only had one answer, "N-no, no, I don't." Thane winked at her before turning around to face the three thugs.
"Now, are any of you still in the mood to fight? It's been a while, so excuse me if it takes me a minute to get back in the zone." The leader growled before pushing his two lackeys towards Thane, "What are you two waiting for? He's only one man. How much harm can he do?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to thank my patrons for supporting my dream:
Derrick, Matt Ryan, Osmund Okorie, Joseph Suh, Zack Munson, Siddhartha Steakley, FlameFTW, Judd, kool_aid756, ryofu, Matt Campbell, Vampwalker709, and Hades.