Maria POV
The exterior of the building we stayed in had striking similarities with a Pagoda. From its exterior alone, someone would take it to have a small interior. But, it was all a facade.
We deliberately made it this way to deter any individuals who discovered this place. After all, in a world So big, who would care for an ordinary-looking Pagoda in an isolated landscape with so much horror?
We built our home in place, surrounded by one of the ghastly places in our world. To get to our home, one would have to journey through the desert that dehydrated anyone that dared journey through it, after which a land filled with greenery would be reached.
But currently, we were the only ones with the key to journeying unhindered through the desert. A perfect asset for outcasts like us.
"I must say, you are pretty fast, for a female," Liam commented as he exited the Pagoda, taking in deep breaths of air. "I can't help but marvel at this sight, no matter how many times I witness it."
"I would pretend not to hear your first remark!" I said, struggling to contain the flames of anger burning within me.
"Thanks," he answered under his breath. Not like I couldn't hear him, but we had more pressing matters.
"What are the coordinates for the job?" I asked, scrutinizing the male I fell for.
Liam had the look of a guy in his thirties, with an average height of about 1.88 meters. Trust me, you wouldn't want to believe in appearance; it didn't matter much to us, as with power comes life.
Anyway, Liam's red hair and black eyes were so perfectly-matched in my eyes that I burned the image of him into my brain. He was literally the most handsome guy I've seen throughout my life.
"The look on your face makes me want to hide. To be honest, I can bury myself six feet below," Liam said with a smile, walking towards me.
"Ohh! Seems someone wants to get beaten." I giggled as I watched sweat trickle down his cheek.
"Bully!" He yelled, pointing his fingers at me. "Why must you bring violence into our discussions?"
Teasing Liam was fun, but I knew better than to continue our current act. "The coordinate?"
"... Mayhem Port… that's the location."
His words made my world come to a halt as I recollected everything I knew of Mayhem Port.
As the name implied, it was a place filled with violence. A place for scumbags and outcasts.
It was located on the borders of Mayhem City, which accepted all types of beings. Not caring about their character or affiliations.
As if reading my thoughts, Liam continued. "The broker can be trusted. He made sure to confirm the validity of the goods."
"How can you trust?!" I snapped at him.
The word 'trust' brought bad memories. Everyone we had put our trust in always failed us in the end. And here he is, talking of trusting a broker; of all people.
"I know things have not been easy for us, Maria. But this is our chance." He moved towards me in steady steps. "You said we should take any chance that comes our way, and this is it."
I could feel his broad arms on my shoulder. It brought a sense of comfort I wanted the bask in.
"I don't trust your broker." I looked into his eyes. "But I trust you… so, let's make this work."
"I'll not fail you, Darling."
"No time to waste," I said as I drew him towards a hut not too far from the Pagoda.
The hut's interior had no special features. Having ruined equipment littered throughout the room.
Stretching my hand forth, a similar array to that of Stiles, my son, appeared on my hands, triggering a chain reaction as complex drawings became visible throughout the room's interior.
"Are you ready?" I inquired, looking to Liam for a reply to which he replied with a subtle nod. "Lanuæ! [Teleport]"
Fuush
***
My senses adjusted to the change in environment as I picked up the sound of people discussing. It was kind of rowdy since I couldn't pinpoint what they were talking about.
I was currently in a room filled with boxes of different kinds and sizes. Looking to my right, I caught sight of Liam who was still struggling to adjust.
"Using that method is such a hassle," he hissed, tapping his ear in discomfort.
The facility we used to arrive at here is known as an array, specifically: a teleport array. You only need to have an overall idea of your destination to arrive there. Preferably, you should have visited the place before.
"What now?" I asked, observing to get an overview of our location.
"We head for the Port," Liam replied as if it were the normal line of action.
"I know that! But the Port is not small, we can't walk about aimlessly." I snapped.
"Ohhh!" He exclaimed in exasperation, seeming to have come to a realization. "Why do you underestimate me, Maria?"
"I don't underestimate you. And I don't want to do this now."
Fighting won't help us in any way, so I decided to cut whatever point he was hinting at short.
"I have a way to contact him." He said, dejectedly. "And I'd appreciate it if you could trust me more."
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't trust you," I said under my breath.
"..."
"There is a group of thugs outside. They are small fries, so leaving here won't pose much of a problem." I said, trying to analyze the situation.
"Can you tell me the exact location we are at now?" Liam inquired.
The teleportation array could take us to the place we pictured. But, we could not determine the exact location within the region.
"At least, we should be in Mayhem City, not far from the Port," I answered. "These boxes are proof of that. There must be cargo from a ship."
"Your intuition is still as frightening as ever."
"Maybe you should work on yours." I snapped, hiding my blush with my hurried movement.
Liam's praise was one of my weaknesses. "Why the sudden rush?!"
"Shut up?!"
It was time to confirm if the information the broker brought is true.
If it is, then I would be the happiest woman alive.
If it isn't, then I'll have to find another way.
For my son!