I hold Alice's small hands as Vice takes her lighter and guides our way through the cave. The air tasted a bit stale. It was a lot cooler in the cave than outside, and it was so dark in the hollowed-out space that I couldn't see the ceiling. I had to wonder what a young boy was doing in such a dark cave—how could he even see? We moved cautiously, the flickering flame casting eerie shadows on the rough, uneven walls. The cave seemed to stretch on endlessly, and every sound echoed, creating a sense of vast emptiness around us.
Vice glanced back at us, her eyes reflecting the tiny light. "Stay close. This place is a maze, and we don't want to get lost." I asked, "You okay, Alice?" She affirmed, "Don't worry. I am strong." I chuckled, "That's right, you're a strong girl." We continued deeper into the cave, the sound of dripping water growing louder. It wasn't long before we came across a small underground stream. The water glimmered faintly in the dim light, adding an almost magical quality to the otherwise ominous surroundings.
"This must be how the boy finds his way," Vice muttered, examining the stream. "Following the water would be the easiest path."
I nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. Let's follow it and see where it leads."
We walked alongside the stream, our footsteps muffled by the damp ground. The air grew cooler, and I could feel the chill seeping through my clothes. Alice shivered, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, trying to provide some warmth. After what felt like an eternity, we spotted a faint glow ahead. My heart quickened with hope. Maybe we were nearing the end of this cavernous labyrinth. As we approached the source of the light, we saw that it was coming from a small, makeshift lantern placed on a rocky ledge. Nearby, I spotted a small camp with a fire glowing and a shoddy bed made of furs and hay. Rune was huddled over a stash of objects, polishing gear and taking stock of his goods.
He seemed to be focused on the task at hand, but once we got a certain distance to him, his ears perked up. He stood up, his posture guarded, and called out to us in the shadows, "Who is there? Show yourself!" Vice whispered to me, "Stay hidden with Alice. We don't know what this shrimp is capable of; leave him to me for now. I am your bodyguard, after all." I nodded, "Be careful." Alice echoed that sentiment, "Careful." Vice chuckled, "Just watch. I know how to handle brats." She stepped out from the shadows, her revolver already drawn, "You thought you were real clever stealing from us, kid. I think I should teach you some manners."
Rune stood up, surprised, "How did you...? How did you know I was here?" Vice lit herself a cigarette, "I can smell someone that owes me money from across the planet, kid, and you got something of mine." Rune shook off his surprise, "So you found me, old lady. What are you going to do? You can't hurt me. I am well beyond your capabilities." Vice gripped her revolver, a smirk on her lips, "I wouldn't be so sure, shrimp. Now that I know you aren't human, I don't gotta hold back anymore. Also..." She kicked a wooden chair, "I am no old lady, kid. I am in my mid-twenties!" Rune looked annoyed, "You look well past your prime. I might be young, but you have no idea what I can do."
Before Rune could react, Vice fired a warning shot, the bullet ricocheting off the cave wall and startling him. He stumbled back, his bravado faltering for a moment.
"Think you can handle me?" Vice taunted, her voice cold and steady. "I've dealt with tougher brats than you."
Rune's eyes flickered with uncertainty, but he quickly regained his composure. He raised his hand again, this time summoning a magical force that extinguished the campfire, plunging us into darkness. Vice called out, "I have a lighter, dumbass. All you've done is hurt your own chances." The boy appeared behind her in a flash and kicked her in the back. Vice stumbled to the floor, "The hell, how can you see?" Rune chuckled, his confidence back, "I told you, grandma. I have power you've never seen before."
Rune's voice echoed through the cave, taunting and mocking. "You can't see me, old lady. But I can see you."
Vice didn't respond immediately. Instead, she calmly lit another cigarette, the small flame illuminating her face briefly. "You talk too much, kid," she finally said, her tone dripping with disdain. From what I could make out, she loaded a special bullet into her gun. In an instant, Vice moved, her revolver trained on the source of Rune's voice. She fired again, the bullet whizzing through the air and seemingly grazing Rune's cheek. He yelped in pain and surprise, clutching his face. Vice taunted, "I have special bullets to deal with special brats like you." The bullet only grazed Rune, but his movement stopped. I could no longer hear him running around.
A panicked voice called out, "Ah, what did you do to me, shit I can't move!" Vice smiled evilly as she approached the boy with her lighter. The boy was on the ground, his limbs seemed to be unresponsive. Vice took off the belt around her waist, "Grandma's special bullet, kid. It affects your nerves. No matter what kind of super freak you think you are, my bullet has a paralyzing effect that shuts down your limbs." Rune struggled and cried out, his eyes wide with fear. "Okay, okay! You win! Just don't hurt me." Vice gave a shit-eating grin, "Three times." Rune shuddered, "Three times? What?" Vice slapped her belt on her hand, "Three times you called me old. I think someone needs three lashings to make up for that."
Rune's face went pale, "No, wait, please, get away." Vice kicked Rune onto his back and did as she promised. She belted him three times in that cave, and once more for stealing from her. Once it was all over, I came out myself, "Alright, Vice, that's good enough. I think he learned his lesson." Rune was sniffling, "Owww, my butt! It freaking hurts!" Vice crossed her arms, "Maybe that will teach you not to be disrespectful to your elders, and to not steal anymore."
Rune lay on the ground, his face streaked with tears and his body trembling from the pain. I crouched beside him, my tone gentler than Vice's. "Rune, we need to understand why you did this. Stealing from us was a bold move, and I don't think you did it just for fun." He sniffled, looking up at me with a mixture of fear and defiance. "I... I needed the money. I am a dampier; nobody gives us half-breeds a second look. My sister, she was kidnapped a little while back, and I want to get her back. I need money to do that." A dampier? That was an extremely rare breed indeed. Not only were vampires far and few between, but the union of a human and a vampire was even more rare. I have never met one in person. I felt a small sense of kinship with the boy since I myself was a half-breed.
I asked, "Why do you need the money to get her back?" The boy sniffled, "She is being held in the town ahead of here, Goldrose. Our parents ditched us a while ago, so we took refuge in this cave. We hunted and made this place our home, but one day bandits took my sister. They found our cave; we couldn't fight them, and they took her. I heard those bastards talking about selling her in an auction coming up. I wanted to have enough money to buy her back!"
His story was heart-wrenching, and I could see the determination in his eyes. Despite the pain he was in, his resolve to save his sister was unyielding. I felt a surge of empathy for Rune, recognizing the lengths he was willing to go for family. I asked, "What is her name?" Rune frowned, "Jasmine." I nodded, "Alright, Rune, we'll help you buy her back." Vice grabbed my shoulder, surprised, "Are you serious?! This kid just robbed us and now you want to help the little shit? We are a business, dumbass, not an orphanage."
I looked Vice in the eye, my voice steady. "We are a business, yes, but we can't turn our backs on someone in need, especially a kid trying to save his sister. We can find a way to make it work."
Vice sighed, clearly frustrated. "Fine, but if this kid tries anything funny, I'm not holding back."
Rune nodded fervently. "I won't! I swear I just want to save Jasmine."
A small voice under me let go of my hand. Alice, feeling her way forward towards the voice, stretched out her hand, "Team?" Rune, seeming to be able to move again as his power reduced the effects of the special bullet, he hesitated but grabbed her hand. He blushed at Alice, "T-team." I smiled, "You'll be a temp hire until we save your sister. Now let's get a move on. We got a schedule to follow. When is the auction supposed to happen, do you know?" Alice helped Rune to his feet and he responded, "I heard one of them say it was four days from now. Since it's been a day I think we only have three days left. I thought of scoping it out, but it's far away, even at my speed, to travel on foot would take at least a half day. I figured I would gather the money first and then check it out."
"Alright, we've got three days to come up with a plan and get there," I said, my mind already racing with possibilities. With my caravan it would only take about an hour or two to get there. "Let's head to Goldrose and gather more information. We need to know the layout of the place, how much they are selling her for, and how we can get in and out without getting caught. We also need to find a good money-making scheme again."
Rune tilted his head, "Scheme?"
I laughed, "I never said we were good people, Rune. Stealing from bad people for the right cause isn't something I am against."
With his now puzzled expression, we made our way back out of the cave with his goods in hand with a new goal in mind.