Eis found himself navigating the labyrinthine streets of The Belows, his thoughts consumed by the impending heist and the weight of his own mortality. They were not thoughts any other fifteen-year-old boy would have in his head.
But he wasn't very ordinary either. Life had made him grow up fast, but Eis didn't realize the dangerous combination of ruthlessness and naivety running rampant within him.
With each step, he felt the march of time pressing down upon him, a reminder of the finite nature of his existence. Yet, despite the gravity of his situation, Eis pushed aside his fears.
As he made his way through the bustling streets of Stonehold, Eis observed the ebb and flow of the crowds, taking note of the guards stationed at various points throughout the market. Mentally mapping out their positions, he weaved his way through the dense crowd, his ragged attire and terrible smell causing people to give him disgusted looks.
The market street stretched before him, bustling with stalls and carts overflowing with goods of every description.
Merchants hawked their wares, their voices rising above the din of the crowd as they extolled the virtues of their products. Colorful fabrics billowed in the breeze, catching the sunlight in a dazzling display of hues while the scent of spices and freshly baked bread hung in the air.
Eis couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he moved through the bustling marketplace. It was a scene filled with life and energy, starkly contrasting with The Belows.
As he brushed shoulders with the other patrons, Eis couldn't shake the thought that it would be a prime opportunity to relieve a few unsuspecting souls of their coin purses.
No, Geb would be mad if he did. It was better not to anger the big guy. Eis smiled. He could sense how troubled they were by his fate. It was comforting. At least someone would miss him after he was gone. He might even be able to help them get out of this city and start all over somewhere far away.
'It will be fine.' He thought. 'They will forget about me in a few months.'
Memories of Hungry Pete, a kind soul who had offered him solace in the aftermath of the orphanage fire, flooded his thoughts.
Hungry Pete had been a familiar figure in The Belows, known for his tireless efforts to gather food for those in need. Despite having enough to sustain himself, he dedicated his days to feeding the hungry souls who struggled to survive on their own. Still reeling from the trauma of his past and grappling with the harsh realities of life on the streets, Eis had found solace in Pete's kindness and generosity.
"Children should not go hungry," Pete said to him once, his words gentle and caring. "The Goddess of light is watching and will always care for you. I'm only her hand at this time."
At that moment, Eis felt a flicker of hope ignite within him—a belief that perhaps, despite the cruel reality surrounding them, there was still goodness in the world.
But such moments of respite were fleeting in The Belows, where tragedy and hardship lurked around every corner. A few months later, they had found Hungry Pete with his throat slit, his selfless acts of kindness repaid with violence and cruelty.
'No good deed goes unpunished,' Eis had thought back then.
It wasn't until months later that whispers circulated, revealing the man's true motives hidden beneath his benevolent guise.
Contrary to the compassionate facade he had projected, Pete had kept the children in good condition, not out of altruism but to extract more coins from them. The slave traders paid more for healthy products, after all. In his quest for profit, Pete had exploited the vulnerability of those he claimed to care for, preying on their desperation and need.
In the end, Pete's greed led to his downfall. In his final deal, he had grown too bold, too consumed by his lust for wealth. When he overstepped his bounds, he paid the ultimate price.
Others say The Snake killed him on a whim. Eis could say a lot about that f*cker, but he couldn't deny that he was the only man who could actually make changes in The Belows when he decided. Ruthless and brutal but very effective.
The guards turned a blind eye to Pete's demise, unwilling to disrupt the profitable arrangement between the slave traders and the noble families who patronized them. In other cases, they at least pretended to do their jobs.
As Eis meandered through the bustling market streets, the aroma of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery stand suddenly captivated his attention. The tantalizing scent made his mouth water and his stomach rumble with hunger, drawing him irresistibly closer to the source.
However, as Eis approached the stand, the owner glared at him coldly and regarded him with open hostility. "Go away, rat!" the owner spat, shooing Eis away with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Feigning compliance, Eis stepped back, his heart sinking with disappointment. But beneath the facade of resignation, he was buying time.
Eis watched intently as a well-rounded woman approached the stand, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the freshly baked goods on display. Sensing an opportunity, the owner's demeanor shifted abruptly as she began to extol the virtues of her products, eager to make a sale.
Seizing the moment, Eis moved swiftly and silently, slipping past the distracted owner with the skill of a seasoned thief. In one fluid motion, he snatched two pretzels from the display with a well-executed maneuver, his fingers deftly plucking the golden-brown treats from their resting place.
Eis had proven himself more than once to be highly agile and nimble. Today, however, the gods had decided it was not his day.
He collided with the unsuspecting man before him while checking behind to see if someone had noticed his crime. The impact sent both of them sprawling to the ground, and the stolen pretzels rolled out of Eis' grasp and onto the dusty ground below.
For a brief moment, there was silence. Then, as the woman whose gaze had been fixed on the commotion realized her missing merchandise lay at Eis' feet, a piercing cry of "Thief!" shattered the stillness.
In an instant, the guards sprang into action, their eyes locking onto Eis as they surged forward in pursuit.
With lightning-fast reflexes honed through years of survival in the unforgiving streets, Eis leaped to his feet, snatching up the tainted pretzels in a swift, fluid motion. Ignoring the protests and accusations that echoed around him, he bolted into action, his feet pounding against the cobblestones as he dashed through the crowd in a desperate bid for freedom.
'Geb is going to kill me.' That was the first thought that passed through his mind.
Despite the cumbersome weight of their armor, the guards proved to be surprisingly agile. Their strides closed the gap between them and Eis with alarming speed.
Seizing upon the momentary confusion that rippled through the onlookers, Eis plunged headlong into the crowd, weaving and dodging through the maze of bodies. He pushed forward with every ounce of strength and agility, driven by a primal instinct for survival and the burning desire to evade capture at all costs.
Eis took a sharp turn and sprinted through the narrow alleyways. His heart was racing with adrenaline, and he followed the familiar twists and turns that saved his life many times. He propelled himself forward with each agile leap over barrels and crates, not looking back.
What would Geb say about this situation? He would probably scold him for his stupidity and beat him up.
As he rounded the corner into the next alley, Eis abruptly stopped. Standing in his path was a young girl, her body draped in a flowing blue cloak that billowed softly in the breeze. Long tendrils of blond hair spilled out from beneath the hood, framing her surprised, delicate face.
Eis' gaze lingered on her slim figure, drawn to the depths of her mesmerizing green eyes, which sparkled with intrigue.
At that moment, time seemed to stand still as he weighed his options, his fingers instinctively seeking the concealed blade hidden within the folds of his sleeve.
He could have the weapon in his hand with a flick of the wrist. Or he could simply choose to keep running, to disappear into the crowd and evade capture once more. But with a witness now standing in the direction he had been heading, Eis knew that escape would not be so simple.
Yet his instinct was screaming to him not to take drastic measures.
He hesitated, his mind racing with possibilities as he weighed the consequences of his next move.
Eis was caught off guard by the girl's unexpected command. "Quick! Get into that barrel!" she pointed behind her.
Eis hesitated again, his mind racing with doubts and fears. What if this was a trap? What if he was walking right into the hands of his pursuers? Under normal circumstances, he would never entertain such a reckless decision. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to flee.
But as he glanced into the girl's eyes, he saw something there—a flicker of sincerity, a glimmer of genuine concern. It was a risk, a gamble with potentially dire consequences. Yet, an inexplicable trust welled up within him, compelling him to act against his better judgment.
Eis threw caution to the wind and leaped into the empty barrel, hastily pulling the lid shut overhead.
As darkness enveloped him, he cursed inwardly, berating his foolishness. 'You saw two beautiful eyes, and you started acting like a damn fool.' Geb would definitely say that.
In the suffocating confines of the barrel, Eis could only wait and hope that his impulsive decision would not lead to his downfall. As the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the alley outside, he braced himself for whatever fate awaited him.