"Why are we going back?" Drifus said. "We just came back from Crochetown."
"I have an errand," Lenora said.
"But we will have to come back here to use the portal and that would-"
"Relax, we don't need to use the portal. We'll just take a ship."
They stood outside the portal room. Just like last time there was chaos inside.
"A SHIP!" Drifus nearly screamed.
Was he excited or just downright paranoid, Lenora couldn't tell. But she could tell that the mages were still preparing and running around wildly.
A maid stood by the entrance, the very same maid. "I was not expecting you to just leave."
"I suppose, you weren't."
"If you plan on playing hard to get, it won't work."
"I don't plan on doing that and how would you know?" Lenora said. "You're but a maid, yes?"
The maid stared but didn't quite say anything. As long as she was a maid, she was going to be treated like a maid, or so Alberto explained.
"Since you're no longer a player, don't come crying back if Lord Xanard forgets about you," she hmphed and moved out of the way.
Lenora shrugged. "I don't plan to," and walked right into the glowing magic circle.
"Don't die out there."
"I have no plans to die. And the same to you, don't die," she said and together with Drifus, disappeared.
"Sadly, that's no longer possible," the maid mumbled.
***
Lenora appeared just outside the city, just like before.
"Why are we not flying over the walls?" Drifus asked as they approached the entrance.
"Plenty of reasons. The most important of which is that we need someone who knows the area," she said, standing just before the big door.
Of course, soldiers had the two surrounded but just like last time, they marveled at just how nonchalant the two were.
"You again," the door opened. "I certainly didn't expect you so soon, especially after you blitzed out like that," the rugged soldier said.
"I like my theatrics," Lenora said. "Do keep this secret from the nobles though. I'm only visiting."
"It would depend on what you intend to do," the soldier motioned for them to enter.
And they did. They entered the city and marveled at the rush of people. Still afternoon, and the city was bustling unlike the last time when most people had gone back home and turned in for the night.
"Never knew it was so lively," Lenora mumbled.
"And it still is, because of you," Drifus said.
"Hopefully it'll stay that way," Lenora faced the soldier. "Remember that boy from earlier, we need to find him."
"But he didn't manage to steal anything," the soldier said. "You took back- or had he stolen something else?"
"No, not stealing. I think that boy has potential and I can use him for certain purposes," Lenora said, smirking.
The rugged soldier sighed. "I didn't know you were into such things young ma- lady."
Lenora's smirk turned into a blank glare. "I'm not talking about-" she sighed. She had better things to do than explain how or why she wasn't a pedophile. "Just take me to the slums. I'll offer him a job. If he refuses, I'll leave. I have to be somewhere else in two days."
The soldier was of course hesitant but considering she was their savior, he bent his ways a bit. "Follow me," he led her down a different path from the last time, one that didn't follow the main road and just went down, down the dark alleyway. Within minutes, the bright city lights disappeared and was replaced by smoldering pyres and restless groans. The houses shrunk and eventually became cottages. But even cottages became scarce the further they walked. At one point, people were just sleeping on a mat.
"Smells like something died in here," Drifus said.
"Probably did," Lenora said. "Hopefully not that boy."
"What do you want him for anyway?"
"He has a particular skill, a skill that'll be rather relevant later on. I can't afford to-" she paused.
They all stopped.
An old man stood their way. "Please," he groaned.
"Get away~!" The soldier pulled out his sword and yelled.
But the man didn't listen and more and more people got up, begged, and groaned.
Some even pretended to be hurt when they were fine even minutes ago.
"This is getting ridiculous; shall I freeze them?" Drifus said.
"Don't be heartless. Just freezing their feet would do," Lenora said.
"You are the heartless one. I was merely joking," Drifus mumbled. And then blew. A gust of cold air swirled around them, making the onslaught of nearly dead people shiver as though it was in the middle of winter.
They quickly got out of there and moved into a bit better territory with cottages. Fires and big pots. People lined up to get some hot stew.
Rags, dirty rags.
Lenora had seen her fair share of slums but she could never get used to them. Back home the closest thing to a slum she knew was the four homeless people who lived across the block in tents. But they were of the clean kind and hardly ever looked this desperate. Some of them worked, some of them lived on welfare. One begged but he didn't look like this. No one Lenora knew was like this, like these people.
"We're looking for a boy, about yay high and-" the soldier tried.
They approached two small children who were standing in line at the very end. By the time they'd reach the front, the food was most likely going to run out. Yet, people like them got on the line.
"His name is Jacob," Lenora said. "You may also know him as Jay."
"I know him!" A little girl, about five said.
"Shh!" An older boy shushed her. "We don't know anyone."
"I'll buy you two big bowls of soup," the soldier said. "We don't mean him harm."
The boy gulped but sighed. "Sorry, we don't know."
"But Ya," the girl tugged at the boy's shirt and sniffled; her stomach rumbled. "Okay."
Lenora dropped down, and patted her head. "We'll buy you some food regardless. But you can trust me when I say this, I'm only looking for him. We don't-"
"That's enough lady," the voice came from behind the line. The boy was on the other said. "What do you want? You're not here to ask me to pay for the bread, are you?"
"I'm not."
"Then you'd ask me to stop stealing and get a job?"
"I'm not."
"Then-"
"I'm here to offer you a job and pay you so you can keep the kids fed," Lenora said.
No answer came.
"Come," Lenora held the girl's finger. "I'll get you some soup."