Oliver sighed quietly as he paced the alleyway beside the Tome-Binding supply shop.

It was his birthday, he was 16 years old. Not that anybody cared about his birthday, there were no cakes, no gifts, and certainly not any parties. There were no People who cared enough to sit in uncomfortable positions for extended periods of time just to jump out and surprise him when he came home. His only coming-of-age ceremony had been getting kicked out of the orphanage that had neglected him all these years. Instead, the brown-haired boy was here, keeping watch for the Gangsters who were paying him for the service so he could afford a place to stay and food to stop the Aching of his Belly

The air was cool and Ollie cursed at himself under his breath for not having brought something warmer. He wasn't dressed for the summer night, wearing only a linen shirt and trousers that seemed almost stark white compared to his Olive colored skin that Peeked out from the holes in his ragged linens.

Oliver didn't consider himself short, but he did seem smaller than he was.

His figure had been molded by years of malnutrition and roof running into a scrawny gangly toned build... scrappy as he liked to think of himself. The average height was further minimized by a quiet contemplative aura native to the boy, as though the boy had been taught early on the benefit of being overlooked and underestimated, which paired nicely with the watchful suspicion in his blue angular eyes.

He shivered as he peered out into the night, watching to ensure nobody was coming. He was happy that he hadn't been asked to go inside, not wanting to be caught up with the others if they were discovered. Despite the risk, The reward was promising to be very lucrative, a fully stocked page crafters shop would have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of magical materials, papers, inks, threads, leather, scales and so much more.

Even a low-ranking shop like this should have a wide variety of goods worth that much. This kind of score wasn't something that could be turned down by an orphan boy from the Outer realm, the common name for the Outermost ring of the city. A pretty name for slums that are so bad they aren't even inside the city walls. The rich and well-off don't like looking at the scum as they starve and die under their oppression. It's easier to ignore when we are outside the city hidden from sight. Starvation and desperation breed crime, which is why Oliver agreed to such a thing anyway. Not that Oliver needed to be desperate to rob someone, he wasn't exactly a paragon of morality. There is nothing Oliver wouldn't do to survive. Despite being willing, Oliver wasn't stupid, he knew that the risk involved in actually robbing the place is tenfold what it was just being a lookout.

The plan was simple, formed after having watched the shop for weeks. The Owner always locked the door and closed up shop around 4 but stayed till 9 working in the back. As he left for the night He would leave a Sonic Canine TomeBeast to keep watch while he went home one street over and got some sleep. the Store Owner would not return until 9 AM the next morning to open shop and begin selling his wares once more.

The canine was always alert, usually even when it was asleep, but it did have a weakness. The beast was weak to Sonic attacks due to its enhanced sense of hearing. it seemed a strange thing for a Sonic affinity creature to be weak to, but sometimes that happens.

RawDawg, the leader of the crew that had hired Oliver, commissioned a recording of a Sonic Lullaby, a powerful tune that when played would lull any creature with low defenses to sleep.

The crew piped the song into the shop and waited long enough for the Tome beast to be well and truly asleep before entering. This meant that even though it would normally awaken and attack, it was basically drugged and couldn't do anything. 

Next, RawDawg had his LockPick, whose gang name was ridiculously and unimaginatively named Lock, pick the Lock. Upon entering all the goods would be transferred into the Dimensional Storage Page Within RawDawgs Tome.

Which is what should be happening right now. 

After that is finished, they all escape and meet up at an abandoned warehouse on the other side of the Outer Realm. RawDawg would divide up the goods and everyone could go their separate ways, rich enough by far to live a comfortable life in the Outter Realm. Or a crappy life within the city walls and their safety.

'It all seems too easy' Oliver thought to himself as he sits there hidden in the darkness of the alleyway. Sure enough, Just as soon as he finished the thought A loud howling filled the air... It was coming from the store next to him.

Oliver begins to panic. Had something gone wrong? Why was the Tome Beast awake?

He hears a loud crash as RawDawg slams through the door and ran towards the alley. Oliver was ready to run as well but as he started out of the alleyway, Raw caught him by the shoulder.

"Wait little Ollie," he says to the Boy, His hands digging into Oliver's shoulder uncomfortably. "I gotta escape, the guards and the owner will be here soon and I can't let them catch me" 

There was a strange look in his eyes, sinister and desperate, it made the boy shudder in fear, and he tried to step back, and out of Raw's grasp, but Raw held him harder.

"Where is Lock?" Oliver asks in a voice that cracks with anxiety. 

"Don't worry, He's keeping the Beast Busy" Raw answers, in a voice that made Oliver Cower Inside. "Just like you will…. I'm sorry Ollie. I really am sorry, But I can't die here."

Oliver felt a heat spread through his body starting in his gut. RawDawg released him and pushed something cold into his hand "Here's your cut kid" he says as he walks backward several steps with the strange look still in his eyes.

Oliver looks down at his hand to see what had been given to him and that's when he saw it. His linens had a dark spot spreading across them, warm, and wet. 

He finally recognized the look in Rawdawgs eyes, it was Guilt…Desperate, Scared, Guilt. Raw had sacrificed both Lock and Oliver for his escape and he could barely live with himself for it.

Oliver gripped the item in his fist. His "cut" as Rawdawg called it. A small vial filled with silvery liquid. He gripped it until it broke, spilling all over his hands and even the stab wound in his gut.

Oliver knew he would be caught, or die, but Realm Rats don't die so easily.

He clutched his wounded gut and began to run. Through the complex alleyways surrounding Merchant Street. Alleys he knew so well. Until he found an entry into the rooftops that he could climb in his condition. He knew that he would be harder to track up here where the guards would be easily lost.

Oliver ran for what felt like forever, but his head was spinning and his knees began to weaken.

Running turned into stumbling, stumbling into shuffling, until finally, it was too much and he collapsed. 'perhaps Realm Rats do die that easily' he thought to himself as he stares up at the stars