"How would you like to join the Skull Troupe?"
It took some time for what he said to sink in for Roach, without thinking he suddenly blurted out "yes!"
The man grinned at his response "Good then now usually when you join us you get a tattoo but since you're too young just forget about that instead take this skull medallion."
The man threw a vaguely skull-shaped trinket at him that was basically a lump of metal.
Ignoring its poor quality, Roach thank him for the medallion and asked him about what he will be doing now that he was a member of their gang.
"It's simple all you gotta do is deliver a basket to the correct location. It's an easy job and it pays well four silvers a delivery to be exact."
Roach showed a visible surprise at the amount of money. Four silver coins were more than an actual citizen made each year but there had to be a catch.
Roach looked visibly hesitant, the man only sighed at his response "listen brat, the reason you get paid so much is because you're delivering hardcore drugs!"
'Well, it made more sense then!'
Roach no longer had any apprehensions about doing this job after all every gang dealt in drugs. Honestly, he should have already known what he had to deliver.
"Got it so when do I start?" Roach asked.
The large bearded man took a sip of his ale and then reached under the table and took a wicker basket with two straps like a backpack.
"Right now *burp!*," he said finishing his sentence with a loud belch.
Roach was momentarily baffled but quickly regain his composure and took the basket.
"Directions on where to go are right here on this slip of paper, tear it apart after you finish reading it."
Roach nodded while reading the paper and just like he said he tore it up after he memorized it.
Not wasting any more time he quickly ran off to deliver the basket of unknown drugs.
'Let's hope he doesn't get robbed and killed like the last guy hehe!' Thought the man as he watched Roach scurry away on all fours like the bug he was.
...
The delivery was uneventful for Roach all he needed to do was go to some house with a black skull painted on it located about a mile away.
Then he dropped the basket off at the door where a shady-looking man with a skull tattoo took them and gave Roach four silvers before hurriedly retreating back inside.
'That was...easier than I thought.'
Roach was happily surprised by how easy this job was. Other than having to travel long distances this was a dream job.
'Guess I should go back now?'
Roach then began walking back not noticing the man with a ghost tattoo on his hand looking at him from afar.
...
It had been three long years since Roach joined the Skull Troupe. Just last year he turned 8 years old.
It had been a very uneventful few years where all he did was deliver drugs and laze around the bar until his next job.
Right now he was in the gang's bar full of scantily clad women and drunken gangsters where he sat in one corner of the room next to a grey-haired man in a long robe and read from a book.
"You're a fast learner kid it didn't take you long to learn how to read or write!" exclaimed the old man who was smiling warmly.
Roach nodded at his praise only half listening as he read a book about the different flora and fauna located in the southernmost peninsula.
The man wasn't offended by his rude behavior instead he only laughed a little before getting up and leaving.
"I gotta get back to work see you later kid." said the old man.
Don't be fooled this man may seem kind on the surface but Roach didn't buy it. After all, he was the one who made all the gang's drugs.
Even though he taught him how to read and write and even provided him with books to expand his knowledge, Roach could never trust him.
He made "Happy Days," which was the name of the pills that destroyed the minds and lives of thousands of slum dwellers.
His name was Glenn, he was in his fifties, and from what Roach knew he once worked as an alchemist making medicinal pills and potions.
He also used to live in the inner city with the merchants until he was kicked out for committing some kind of crime. Which was why he had books and knew how to read and write.
After being kicked out he teamed up with the Skull Troupe to make the infamous drug "Happy Days." Which helped elevate the power and authority of the gang to a whole new level.
Making the gang one of the two most powerful gangs on the east side. The other is the much older and much larger gang the Ghetto Ghosts.
Roach knew what that evil purple pill did to people, it was horrid in his opinion.
When ingested it gave you the feeling of pure euphoria, according to some men he knew who took the drug they likened the experience to having a million orgasms at once. Once taken you were hooked for the rest of your greatly shortened life.
This drug would take its toll on your brain. After using the drug for even just half a year it would cause your brain to break down. Eventually, turning your brain into black sludge that would pour out your seven orifices.
Roach didn't like him but he was the most valued member of the entire gang so all he could do was ignore him when he tried talking to him.
But even though he didn't like him he was grateful for helping him learn how to read and write plus for letting him read his precious books.
In this world paper, wasn't a mass-produced material because not many knew how to read or write. It was also hard to make and only a few craftsmen knew how to make it. Books were even less likely to be made due to the material being uncommon.
That's why paper and books were usually reserved for merchants and nobles to record information, send messages, and whatnot.
'Still, he's a bastard but so what everyone in this room is a piece of shit.'
Roach sighed while reading the long and boring research journal which under normal circumstances he would never read but it was necessary to know about what grew and lived in this hellish place so he kept on reading.
"Hey kid, got another delivery for you!"
Roach put down the journal and walked over to the burly bearded gang leader, whose name he later found out was Broadrick, for his next job.
He was drunk and high off some kind of drug as usual so Roach just took the basket and read the note like he had done for three years now and quickly skittered off.
'Oh, good looks like I gotta go to Doug's place.'
Doug was the closest distributor near the bar so it was gonna be an easy four silvers and you may be wondering what Roach has done with the money he's been making for the past three years.
The short answer is he spends it all on food and water. That's right he never thinks to save it but it's thanks to him never saving a single coin that Roach was no longer frail and emaciated.
He was still covered in filth, ugly, and moved around on all fours but at least he didn't look half-dead from starvation. Roach was still pretty skinny though just not skeletal like he used to be.
'Huh, that's weird?'
Since the place was so close it barely took a few minutes to get there but for some reason, something felt off.
"Heah yo! Doug where you at!" Roach called out.
By now Doug would have come out but there was still no sign of him. There was also the black skull that had been crossed out with white paint on the side of the house.
'No one in the gang would do that, that skull is our symbol!'
Curious and slightly afraid Roach cautiously opened the building's rotting wooden door and peered inside. Only to freeze in horror when he saw the mutilated body of Doug on the floor.