The alleyway was dark, and not just because it was night. The buildings on either side of me were conjoined from the third floor up to their roofs. The alley felt more like a weird hallway than not, thanks to how they had built them.
Stepping over a weird looking puddle, I tried to plan my next move.
I had failed to track down the woman.
I'd blame my own lack of urgency, by not chasing her down as quickly as possible… but there was something strange going on. When I had left the Animalia Company, only a short time later I had thought I had found her. Only a few blocks away, heading towards the port. I had seen who I had thought was her at a distance, in an alley much like the one I was walking through now.
Yet by the time I got closer to her, she was gone.
Which wasn't possible. There were alleys, and backways, and of course buildings aplenty to hide in… but one moment I was following her down a large alley, then the next she was gone. She had crossed a small street, ran into a smaller alley, and by the time I had picked up my pace to enter the alley behind her she had disappeared.
Disappeared completely. I wasn't hunting her on the level I'd hunt others, but I had still been in pursuit. I had still wanted to know who she was and why she was stalking Renn. So it wasn't like I had been leisurely strolling…
Rounding a corner, I tried to focus through the stink of the port. There were far too many smells here to actually track her down by smell alone, but I was hoping I'd do so anyway. She had been heading towards the port, so odds were her place of operations was nearby. Or at least whoever she reported to was here.
It was around here that I had seen her the first time too. At that restaurant Renn and I had gone to, with the violinist. That place was only a few streets down. I was making a typical sweep along the port, methodically looking and trying to find traces of her scent.
Yet the last few hours had yielded no results. Not only had I not found her, I hadn't smelled her since I lost her.
I should have been more attentive. I should have simply ran forward and grabbed her, uncaring of the repercussions.
The worst part was… even though I had her in my sights for a good while, I really didn't know much about her. The color of her hair, her face, or stature. I had no idea about any of that thanks to the thick cloak she had worn. For all I knew she wasn't even a woman but a young boy who was just thin and gangly.
It wasn't often I failed such a simple task as this… but I knew another chance would show itself. They always did.
Sighing as I left the dark alley and stepped out onto the street, I ignored a tall man who went still upon my exit. I walked past him, and ignored the very concerned look on his face as I did. He must have thought I was a mugger, thanks to the way I had stepped out of the alley.
The man sighed in relief as I headed back towards the company.
Wish I could sigh in relief.
Slowing my pace, since most of the traffic walking around was doing so leisurely, I rolled my shoulder and decided to grab them the next time. Those embassy people would come tomorrow, I bet some of them will leave with them and Renn will of course join them. I'll grab that stalker then.
Crossing a street, I studied a pair of men on the corner. They were laughing at something said, and looked like dock workers. They weren't wearing the Animalia guild logo, but they wore common work clothes. There was a chance they were employees of the company, just simply wearing whatever common garb they had at the moment.
Brandy was trying so hard to make the company something more than it was. Putting the logo everywhere, making everyone in different stations wear different clothes and follow different dress codes.
Pointless. You did such things in the military, not a business. Or at least, you didn't do that in this era. The people here wouldn't, and didn't understand it. The idea of a brand logo was beyond them, since it didn't exist.
Most people in this era didn't even realize that their coins half the time had different crests and names upon them. All they knew were the colors and weights. And how much bread a single one would buy.
But who could blame anyone? Life was hard enough as it was. When surviving the cold, and keeping food on your families table took all your attention as it was why notice or care about anything else?
Did Renn even realize how gentle she and the rest of them were? Even the members of our society, who didn't care for humans, were willing to help them out to a certain extent. A rarity… and not just because they weren't human themselves.
People weren't kind in this era. Even the religious had their trepidation's about helping strangers.
I rounded a large warehouse, and the Animalia Company building came into sight. The thing was large, with flat walls and tall roofs, made in such a way to hide the inside roof-courtyards from sight. Other than the pointy and tall roof walls, the rest of the building was plain and simple. Unimposing, and without much decoration.
We had built it that way on purpose. I had built it that way on purpose.
Yet I knew soon that type of lifestyle choice would come to an end. Brandy and Gerald were changing the way they operated. Changing how deeply they got involved in the cities politics, and how much money they made.
I sighed as I crossed the street and headed for the main entrance, since the depots were now all locked up and shuttered.
The main entrance was the only doors open this late, and would only be open for a short while longer. They were the last to close, as the human workers slowly made their way out and home. Rarely did anyone actually enter the building during these hours.
Sometimes I'd sneak in through the rooftops, but I wasn't in the mood to clamber up the side of the depot like I did. I had never gotten caught doing it, but sometimes being… normal was best.
"Normal," I scoffed. Sure. I was totally normal. What kind of normal man returned home after half a day of searching for some would-be kidnapper or stalker?
What kind of protector failed to actually catch the bastard he was chasing?
"This one," I told myself as I stepped up to the main door. It was closed, but there were lights inside, and voices.
There were half a dozen doors, all very large and usually propped open, but I knew only the two in the center would be unlocked. I pushed one open slowly, being careful just in case a human was just behind it. They got hurt easily.
Entering the main lobby, I glanced around at the few who were in it… and was a little surprised to find Brom amongst the group, yet no Renn.
Brom noticed my entrance first, and perked up. He hurried over; carrying the spear I had gifted him earlier today, and smiled as I shut the door behind me. "Welcome back, Vim!" he said happily.
"Hm… did you lose her already?" I asked him.
"Huh? Oh… no. Renn is in the houses, with my sister and Merit," he said softly.
I noted he spoke softly not out of shame, but necessity. The rest of the group in the lobby, mostly women who wore clerk uniforms, were all human.
"She better be," was all I said as I stepped past him and headed for the hallway hidden behind the stairwells.
Brom groaned quietly as I left him in the lobby, and realized I probably shouldn't have said that so… directly.
Walking past the group of clerks, I ignored their stares as they all went silent as I walked past them. By the time I rounded the stairs and went into the hallway I heard them asking Brom who I were and what I was doing.
I didn't care about hearing his answer as I headed for the Societies doors.
Merit and Reatti? Reatti I understood… but I hadn't expected her to become close with Merit. But why should I be surprised? Renn tried to become friends with everyone, why wouldn't she also try to befriend someone who used to hunt our kind down?
Opening the Society door, I made sure to close it with care. The bottom floor ones were always a little worn, thanks to being the ones most opened and closed. It was why I tried to not use them often.
"Then why did I just use it?" I asked myself as I headed down the hall, to the kitchen and eating areas.
Ignoring the answer to that question, I peered into the kitchens I passed. I could smell lingering scents of food and cleaning supplies. They had not just cooked recently, but had cleaned up too.
Following the sounds of voices, I noticed the deeper voice of Wynn and… As I peered around an open door, I saw the few sitting at a table nearby. They all had cups in their hands, and were talking lightly. Something about some rumor of the war to the south they had overheard from someone.
Wynn and Magdalena were nodding in agreement to what Jasna had just said. Pierre and Reatti were shaking their heads, however.
Reatti, but not Renn or Merit.
Stepping past the door, I ignored the mention of my name being spoken lightly. Reatti had noticed me.
I didn't find Renn in any of the other rooms, so I headed upstairs… then to the next. Heading for her room, I wondered how long Brom had abandoned her into Merit's hands.
It really wasn't that big a deal. It wasn't like Renn was actually in danger, just yet anyway… and Merit, well…
Renn was safer with Merit than she was Brom and Reatti, if it really came to it.
As I approached her room, and my own, I slowed a little as I heard light chatting.
Renn's happy voice somehow pierced the walls and her heavy bedroom door… I could just barely make out what she was saying, which told me most others wouldn't have been able to do so… but it wasn't her voice that I found interesting.
"You think so too?" Merit asked Renn her opinion, and I came to a stop right before her bedroom door.
They weren't actually in her bedroom, by the sound of it… their voices had a very slight echo. They were in the bathroom and…
Sure enough, I heard the sound of faint splashing.
They were taking a bath together.
"I do! How could I not when he says such things!" Renn said, a little loudly.
Frowning, I tried to imagine it.
Renn and Merit? Was anyone else in there too? Surely not. I didn't hear anyone else.
Merit was actually… Wait, no… Renn's tub was one that was recessed into the floor. There was a good chance they were just soaking their feet in hot water. It was chilly, and damp in the air thanks to the storm that was about to hit the port.
I nodded at myself. Yes. They weren't actually bathing together; they were just sitting and soaking their feet.
Surely.
After all if they were actually in the bath together… then…
Turning around, to leave before I got curious enough to actually open the door and check, I headed down the hall to the metal door at the other side of the housing area.
Exiting the Society area, I closed the door and headed towards the eastern section. To the apartment block and storage.
Time to check on the eastern girls, I guess.
Renn was fine. Especially if she had somehow been able to make Merit comfortable enough to bathe with her.
How had she done it?
I'd need to tell Renn later how serious Merit was… and what kind of friendship she had just earned, however she had earned it.
Merit used to kill those who had seen her naked, after all.
Heading downstairs, I walked along the dark hallways until I found another door. A metal one, but not as heavy and not as locked as the ones we used for the society housing area. I opened it quietly, and made sure it closed quietly too.
Walking down the hallway, it didn't take long until I started to hear the loud talking of many women. Most of the conversations that I could make out amongst all the chatter were positive, and full of excitement.
Slowing to a stop near the entrance to one of the community rooms, I listened into a small group.
"Pram is so lucky," one said.
"She is? More like we are. If it really is Pram's sister, that means we can trust her to tell us the truth. No more guessing," another said.
"Does it matter? Whether it's here or there we're still better off than we had been," a third gave her outlook. A couple others chimed in to agree with that statement.
I nodded; glad that at least a few seemed to understand their predicament.
They didn't have much a choice in the matter in the first place… so they should be thankful for what was happening, and that it wasn't that bad.
But… that wasn't what people like them wanted to hear. Even if it was reality. And not just because they were humans, either.
Stepping past the room, I went deeper into the apartment building. I passed a few bedrooms which were empty, but then another that had a sleeping woman inside it. She was curled up under her blankets, like a child.
"Vim?"
Nodding at Lamp, who stepped out of her room, I approached her slowly. To take in the rooms and people I passed.
They all seemed relatively fine, if anything a little excited. Pretty much most of them were awake, even though they should be getting ready for bed. They must be anxious over tomorrow.
"How's it going Lamp?" I asked as I stepped up to the scarred woman.
She smiled up at me, and I noticed the way she glanced around… as if to make sure no one else came over. I'd wonder why she'd do such a thing, but she gave me the answer as she reached over to grab me by the wrist. She pulled me into one of the larger rooms, one with a single table and a few chairs. For some reason it was cold.
"Where's your girl? She usually comes to say goodnight around this time," she asked.
"Occupied. There's stuff that needs to be handled before your embassy folk show up tomorrow," I told her.
Lamp nodded, acting as if that made perfect sense. Well… maybe to her it did.
"Brandy was here earlier. Telling me that she wants to be there when Pram meets her sister," Lamp said.
"She probably just wants to make sure it all goes well," I said.
She nodded and then stepped over to one of the chairs, as to sit in it.
Once she was sitting, she smiled and gestured to the chair next to her.
With a small sigh I accepted her invitation, and pulled the chair a little away from the table… so I could sit in front of her. It let me put my back to the wall, and not the door to the room. Not that I needed to worry about anyone here sneaking up on me, but it was just habit.
"You're an odd man, Vim," she said with a smile as I sat in front of her.
"Why do you think so?" I asked.
"Just… the way you sat down. Did you not want to sit to my left?" she asked as she shifted a little.
"Oh… no, Lamp. I didn't want to put my back to the door. It had nothing to do with you," I said gently.
She had thought I hadn't wanted to sit staring at her scarred face… not that her right side was much better, but it was a little more normal than her left.
"Your back… do you worry one of us would attack you?" she asked, suddenly smiling again. Although I wasn't too happy to have her talk about this, it was better than her thinking I had been discomforted by her looks.
"No… it's just habit. Something I've acquired over a lifetime," I told her.
Lamp giggled, and it somehow reminded me of Renn. They didn't have the same giggle, or laugh, so why had it done so?
"I wonder who learned their kindness first. You or Renn," she wondered.
"I'm older than her," I said.
"Still, something tells me you were a brute before you met her," she said and nodded to herself, as if it was obvious.
Frowning at her, I wondered why she thought such a thing. I mean… there was no way to tell her that I had only known Renn for a short time, but even if I did I doubted she'd believe it.
"Mind if we change topics?" I asked her.
She tilted her head as she nodded lightly.
"Do your people plan to accept the embassy's offer?" I asked her.
"Yes. If we can. Though… I'm not sure how many will choose to risk the journey home. I think we'll all end up staying here, or maybe just going to one of the other embassies closer. Tripol said there are a few nearby, ones only a few weeks away and it's at a city where most people speak our language," she said.
I nodded. "That'd be a good place if you chose to stay in their employ," I said.
Lamp slowly nodded, and then glanced at the door. I slowly followed her gaze, and we watched as two heads ducked out of sight. Their bare feet slapped against the stone floor as they hurried away back to their rooms, giggling.
"Some are younger than you think," Lamp whispered.
"All of you are younger than you think," I said gently.
"Hmm… makes me want to prove to you I'm not as young as I look," she said softly.
Please don't try.
Looking back at her, I wanted to sigh at her warm smile… and the small gleam in her eyes. That wasn't the kind of look I wanted to see right now. If we had been alone, hundreds of miles from anyone… maybe a hundred or so years ago…
"Has Brandy or Renn talked with you about another choice?" I asked her.
Lamp blinked, and the little lights of passion in her eyes died down a little. "Another choice?" she asked.
They hadn't yet? Though… I had told Renn to do so after the embassy. And it wasn't like I had given her much time to do so. Plus she might have chosen to not offer it either.
"What do you plan to do?" I asked her.
"Well… probably work at the embassy, if I can. I have no home to go back to… and spending another year, or so, on a ship or wagon doesn't sound too fun anymore," she said.
A year. Had they been slaves that long? It was a miracle they not only had survived, but that their minds had as well. Maybe that was why she desired me. Hard to fault her for that then.
"What did you think of the embassy?" I asked her.
Lamp shrugged. "Seems… fine? Normal, I guess. Everyone there seemed happy enough, but I did notice most of the people there were older… and a few were like me," she said lightly, and tapped her left cheek. Where one of her scars was curling the deepest into her cheek.
"People unable or unwilling to venture home," I said, understanding what she meant.
She nodded. "It was a little obvious."
"There's nothing wrong with not risking such a perilous journey. As you so obviously know, they're not always fun or quick," I said.
"Obviously… but a few of the girls do have homes to go back to. A few have husbands, or children. Though… who knows if any of them would even take them back even if they made it home," she said.
She spoke callously, but honestly. It seemed she and the rest had long talked and pondered such things… probably even before I had found them in those cages.
"Would you do me a favor?" I asked her.
"Anything," she said. Rather quickly too.
"I expect Renn to ask you, and the others, if they wish to stay here. In the employ of our company. The Animalia Guild," I said.
Lamp blinked, but said nothing.
"If you do you'll live well, be paid well, and be taught the local language of course. You won't have to stay here in these apartments either, you'll be given real living quarters. But, at the same time… it's probably the same as what your people's embassy is offering. Plus they have a bunch of your own kind there, so that's something we don't have to offer," I said.
"You have other things to offer, though," she said. I was about to continue, but stopped. She nodded after a moment, and then gulped. "Like yourself. Or Renn. Or Brandy. And the others who have helped us out. People that are… good, even if we're different. Even if we can't speak to one another," she added.
"Renn and I will not always be here. We're travelers," I warned her.
"I know… Renn and I have had many conversations, Vim. Though they're odd ones," she smiled as she thought of them.
"Though… we would return occasionally. And there are others here, that you've not met, who are like Renn and myself. People you could learn to trust and be friends with, just as much as us," I said to her. As I spoke I glanced at the door again, expecting to see more eavesdropping girls… but instead it was just one of the younger ones walking by. She smiled and waved, but didn't stick around.
She nodded. "I've seen them."
Oh? Wonder who she saw?
"Though I'm not sure how many are like you two… so far I've seen three at least, not including Brandy," she said as she thought about it.
My wandering eyes smoothly went back to Lamp, and I stared hard into her eyes as she looked upward in thought, and then nodded. "Yeah. Three. A little girl with white hair, that Lawrence, and I think that man who drove that carriage too," she said.
Parts of my shirt became a little… tighter upon my body as I realized what she was talking about.
"Lamp?" I asked softly.
She blinked, and then looked down at me. "Hm? Am I wrong? The girl is obviously one, she speaks like my grandmother. I don't know the words she says, but her tone and the way her eyes stare at me make it real obvious… and Lawrence spoke like you, in that old accent from generations ago," Lamp lifted a finger to point and wave, as if proud to declare how obvious it was that we weren't normal.
Spoke like me. She must mean from the ceremony. From the funeral, where we laid that girl to rest. Maybe one of the rites he had preached upon burying her had been something archaic.
The cold room became much colder, and what had been just a simple and happy conversation suddenly became very serious.
I kept myself from moving. I gripped my knees, so I wouldn't shoot my hand out to grab her by the throat.
"You've noticed?" I asked her softly.
"Well… I've been starring at you and her, so…" Lamp blushed a little as she shyly smiled and looked away, not realizing how serious this suddenly had become.
While staring at her happy face, I felt a bile and disgust begin to form in my stomach.
This woman had noticed we weren't normal. That we weren't human. And instead of hating us or wanting to kill us or tell anyone… she instead found herself more attracted to us all the same. Or maybe simply overlooked it entirely.
Hell she was blushing and smiling in such a way that it'd make one think she found it a positive, not a negative at all.
"Plus, I mean… Vim… you're way too strong. I watched you lift that anchor all on your own!" Lamp ended all doubt of what she meant, and did so with a smirk.
"Right…" I said softly.
My hands slowly released my knees, and I began to breathe again. Slowly, at first.
Lamp smiled warmly as she nodded, and didn't seem to be bothered at all. It made me wonder how long it had been since I had met someone like her. How long had it been since I myself had met a human who realized what we were, and not cry out in terror or run away? Or run to the church?
Maybe it was because they were pagans. Or maybe her life she's lived until this point. It had obviously not been a kind one at all. I could only imagine how much pain and suffering she's had to endure, even from her youth.
She saw the unnatural, and instead of running or fearing it she instead embraced it and found it… well… something special. Like a warm fire to rest at, after a long walk in the cold rain.
Even though she had suffered terribly to get to this point… Lamp, even if I didn't want to admit it, was someone perfectly suited to be given the opportunity to join the Society.
"Would you… come with me, Lamp?" I asked her.
"Hm? Please don't invite me to your bed Vim… I really would like it, but Renn would hate me if I did and I value her over you and," Lamp quickly began to blunder through a gentle rejection, which made me shake my head and scoff.
"She'd not hate you, but me!" I said.
"True, but still! It'd be very awkward! Just think, me trying to talk to her and her trying to talk to me… then she'd stab you, and then get her little wooden board and…" Lamp started giggling at the thought.
"Stab me she would…" I said softly.
She'd do much worse if I broke your neck too.
Slowly standing, I chuckled as Lamp went to giggling away, her thoughts must have gone even further and whatever they had found had been hilarious to her.
Smiling down at her, I realized I'd not be able to kill her. Not yet, anyway.
"I'd like you to meet Renn… to show you something about her," I told her.
"Hm? Meet…" Lamp slowly stopped her giggling, and then looked up at me and went quiet.
I held out my hand… and after staring at it for a moment she nodded.
She took it, and I smiled gently at the young, scarred woman who was doing all she could to be positive in one of the darkest moments of her life. She was the embodiment of so many of our members. She'd be able to fit in and live amongst us, because the rest of the society would see themselves in her.
"Just me?" she asked softly.
To think I had come here just to occupy my time, while Renn bathed with Merit. Hopefully by now they'd be done.
"For now. Maybe the others can come later," I said.
"Sure. But I swear Vim, if you take me to a bed I'll hop into it and you'll have to deal with the consequences," she warned.
"Duly noted," I accepted.