As I approached The Hunters Den, I could smell the aroma of the stew and bread in my hands. My stomach grumbled, reminding me I hadn't eaten anything since early this morning. Thank goodness there was a lot to go around.
"That was rather quick Elias," Daius said as I pushed through the doors of the Den.
Jean was still seated at the lobby counter but put his newspaper down as soon as he smelt what I had brought, "Mmm, that smells good."
"I know you won't be getting sacked just yet," Fleur said.
The meeting table was cleared of papers and files they were working on to clear room for lunch. I set the containers down on the table and everyone dug in, taking pieces of the bread to dip in the stew as the savoury aroma filled the room.
As we ate, Darius spoke up between mouthfuls of lobster, "So, Elias, I've got a job for you to do tomorrow."
Already? Shouldn't I get some kind of training? "What kind of job?"
"Well," Darius said swallowing some stew-soaked bread, "you've passed your first mission haven't you? It's time to get out there and do some real work."
Surly he was having me on. Getting lunch can't have been a 'mission', let alone a proper test.
"I'll have you shadow Lucas tomorrow while he's out scouting. I imagine you'll pick up a thing or two."
From the look on Lucas's face, he didn't look too happy with that. It was as if he thought he would be babysitting the newbie, but he wasn't going to speak up against Darius.
"You've been briefed, right Lucas?" Darius asked.
"Yes boss, I've looked over the contract for tomorrow. I'll make sure it isn't too difficult for Elias to follow, you have my word."
Somehow it felt as if he didn't mean that. But it's only a scouting mission, not an actual hunt.
"Eli, you weren't gone long. Did you get this stew at the market?" Fleur chimed in picking off a piece of bread.
I nodded with my mouth full, "I passed by scruf- Caius who took me there. First time actually."
"Really?"
"You know I haven't been around here much. I don't have all day to explore the town you know."
Jean, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "There are some great cafes and bars around here if you haven't looked around much. You should check them out. Maybe we can all go out sometime as coworkers."
Lucas rolled his eyes, "Yeah, because going out to a bar with a bunch of bounty hunters is my idea of a fun time."
We all laughed, except for Lucas who looked like he wasn't in the mood for jokes.
Darius cleared his throat after cleaning his plate, "Well, enough chit-chat. We all have work to do tomorrow. Elias, I've written down the list of clothing for you to buy, and directions too. You're dismissed until tomorrow."
"What about this afternoon?"
"All you need to focus on is getting some new clothes, that's your job for this afternoon."
I finished up my stew and bread, feeling more relaxed now that lunch was over. I thanked everyone for the meal and headed out to do my shopping.
As I walked down the street, I followed Darius's directions to Savile Row Tailors. The shop front was elegant, with polished glass windows and a sign that read "Savile Row Tailors: Bespoke suits for gentlemen." I was immediately greeted by a well-dressed man who introduced himself as the tailor.
"Good afternoon, sir. How may I assist you?" he asked.
"Good good. I'm here on behalf of D," I said, handing him the list that Darius had written out for me.
The tailor adjusted his glasses, looking at the paper note. "Ah, yes. I have just the thing for you."
The tailor led me to the back room of the store where he showed me a rack of suits, all fully black and double-breasted. "We custom make are just some of our suits for D's employees. They come in a black shirt and no tie, as per his specifications. And these boots here too," he said, pointing to a pair of shin-high lace boots in the corner. "They complete the look."
I browsed through the selection and tried a few on, making sure they fit properly. The tailor was helpful, offering advice on the best styles for my body type and how to care for the suits.
"These are great," I said, looking at myself in the mirror. "But I don't think I have enough money to buy them all." I did have enough at this point after getting my signing bonus, but bargaining never hurt anybody.
The tailor smiled, "No worries, sir. D has already paid for them. Just give me the list and I'll make sure everything is packed and ready for you."
Oh, well that's even better than a discount. With this extra money, I may as well get something else for myself since that other suit would only be for work.
Before heading back out, I picked out another more casual suit for everyday wear. A regular black suit with waistcoat, white shirt and dark red sash to complement my hair colour too. I would have to carry this one back home but that was ok since my work suit was being delivered—my compliments to Darius.
It cost me most of my signing bonus even though I was offered a discount, but I won't be buying anything substantial anytime soon so it's a worthwhile purchase.
I walked back out with a ring of the bell from the door and headed back to Caius' place with a plain black suit garment back over my shoulder.
Walking along I noticed a strange commotion up ahead and caught sight of a familiar navy-blue uniform, even though he was knelt over on the ground. The darker shade stood out from the other greyer suits. A group of people had gathered and were throwing stones at him, shouting insults and obscenities.
Without hesitation I walked over and reached out to him, offering my hand to help him up.
He looked up at me with a mix of surprise and gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I helped him to his feet, supporting him as he staggered back a few steps. He was clearly in pain, but he managed to regain his composure and stand up straight.
"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.
He nodded, his face a mask of stoicism. "I'm fine," he said, his voice firm and resolute. "Thank you…?"
"Oh, my name's Elias," I said. "I'm from the capital."
The enforcer looked at my suit noticing the brooch on my lapel. As I was walking over earlier, I decided to take it out and wear it. If I could use it to show some kind of status, why wouldn't I?
Samb's eyes widened slightly as if he was shocked. Seeing someone from the capital here in Leode must truly be rare. It's as if he wasn't used to being approached by such a person, but he didn't step back or hesitate out of avoidance. Rather he stood his ground to express his position too.
"Well, thank you, Elias." The enforcer reached out his hand. "I'm Samb."
I shook his outreached hand cheerfully. "Nice to meet you."
"And what's someone from the capital doing in a place like this?" Samb replied with a firm grasp on my hand.
Rather than feeling like an authoritative figure, I was already reduced to a pawn. I may be trying to suggest my status, but why would someone or anyone from the capital feel the need or care to come here?
"I'm just playing," Samb said. "It's the markets, and the great food isn't it? That's what Leode's known for."
"Obviously. You can't get a hearty lobster stew like the ones here back home." I replied. Thank goodness, he really had me on an edge there.
"You're an Enforcer aren't you, the one that was conducting the execution the other day? Pretty impressive stuff I got to admit," I said as my gaze lingered up and down his uniform.
Samb looked slightly chuffed. "Yup, that was all me. My first time in fact," he replied.
So was he new to the enforcers? "Oh really? How long have you been working?" I asked. This could be a way to climb up the ranks back in the capital if I play my cards right.
"I'm rather new, been with my unit in the field for about three and a half months now. It's a bit embarrassing honestly heh."
"It seems like a great career path then, if you continue to work hard I know you'll do great." I complimented him.
There was a slightly awkward pause so I turned to look behind me, pretending I heard someone calling my name. "Sorry but I gotta go, I'll see you around sometime."
Starting to back up, Samb asked a last-minute question. "Hey me and my buddies and I are grabbing a drink in a couple days, come if you want."
"Alright, I'll have to make sure I'm not busy."
"Well, the offer's there. Later," Samb said and he turned to walk away.
Backing up to leave I again waved to Samb and walked off back towards Caius' place once again.