《Jadepunk》


 1: The Jade City

    Darkness was a common theme in Jeff¡¯s life. Born blind, Jeff could see absolutely nothing, but today, it was darker and colder than normal.


    ¡°Jeff!¡±


    Mia¡¯s voice was distant. He could barely feel her as he lay cradled in her arms. But she was alive and well, by the sound of her voice. And that was good enough for him as he felt himself getting weaker. He could taste blood bubbling up his mouth and coughed it out. Slowly it filled his lungs and he struggled for air.


    ¡°Jeff, no¡­Please! Come back.¡±


    A robbery. Yes, that was what started it all. He accompanied Mia shopping. And then, he heard the click of guns. The screaming. It sounded like someone struggled against the robbers. She took Mia in his arms and they huddled against a wall. Gunshots fired. The next thing he knew, his back stung and now, here he was. Shot. Dying.


    He didn¡¯t even get to tell Mia he liked her.


    Jeff tried to open his mouth, but blood bubbled up through his throat and he spat it out.


    Cold.


    He could barely feel her.


    ¡°Jeff! Please¡­ Don¡¯t die,¡± her voice was growing fainter and fainter. ¡°Not like¡­¡±


    They say it was always darkest before the dawn. Jeff didn¡¯t know if it was true, but at that moment, a tiny pinprick of light started in the middle of his vision. Growing larger and larger until it consumed everything. His eyes hurt and he moved his lids. Everything was white. Blurry.


    And then colors.


    Colors?


    They all blurred with the white. Becoming more and more distinct as he blinked his eyes.


    Could it be? Could he see?


    He blinked a few more times. Colors formed into shapes. Shapes into objects.


    ¡°Shadow?¡±


    He could see! Was this what the world was like? There were a lot of people selling in canvass stalls. This must what a market was like. Every stall was filled with everything he could ever think of¡ªand things he strangely knew about. It was all familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.


    Where were the cars? Glass panes? He didn¡¯t know exactly what they looked like but he had touched his world all his life, that he had an idea. And why didn¡¯t people have phones? For that matter, where was his?


    ¡°Shadow!¡±


    And yet, at the same time, he knew things were the way they should be. This was the Taisao City Marketplace. Taisao City was the heart of the world of Miralai, ruled by the four Magnate Families, one from the four corners of the world. And himself? He was the best thief in all of Miralai. Or at least, he used to be until he was betrayed and caught.


    His head snapped to the side, his cheek stung and he saw a few white spots before his eyes. He shook his head and looked at the woman who slapped him. She was cute, if a bit hard-looking. She had a small face and large, blue doe-eyes with black hair streaked with red in several places held down by goggles. She wore a bodice of copper that accentuated her curves and a utility belt slung around her hips. Her ruffled skirt was cut off at the thighs in front and ran to her ankles at the back. Underneath, she wore dark lace leggings and boots. On her arms were leather gloves with gears and pistons attached.


    Part of him knew this look was normal. Part of him thought it was a costume party.


    ¡°Remember our deal, Shadow,¡± she hissed. ¡°You will help us complete this mission.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Nadia. Her name was Nadia. A brilliant Jadetech engineer who also happened to be part of the rebel group in Taisao City.


    And she didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°I remember,¡± he heard himself say. His voice was deeper than he usually heard it, but that was always how his voice had been.


    And yes, he remembered. Like he remembered how his name was Roth. Shadow was his alias. He stole and duped people for a living. Killed and assassinated when the job called for it, leaving no evidence except for those that he wanted found. Until his partner betrayed him and he was surrounded and caught.


    It was Nadia¡¯s team that went into the Prison Catacombs and got him out, in exchange for helping them steal a Jadeite core that the Zobu Family Magnate was using to power a what a new invention they called the Jadeskin armor, which they would also be taking. He was where he should be.


    And yet, he knew he was also supposed to be in a crime lab as an audio forensics expert. His acute sense of hearing meant that he could differentiate sounds better, isolate noise and even echolocate. When he pulled out his memories of what his surroundings must have been like when he echolocated to what it was now, things were just too different.


    What was going on?


    Both, he felt, were true. But both could not be real, could it?


    One was a selfish thief, and the other just took a bullet for a friend.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t trust you,¡± a large, dark man to his right said. He was wearing the same metal-and-leather combination like everyone else, but his was more opulent. Richer. Of course, he always thought that the man was part of¡ªor at least a crony¡ªof the Magnate Families with the way he carried himself. He said his name was Steele, but he had an inkling that was just an alias.


    ¡°But you¡¯re the only one who had ever broken in to the Zobu family vaults,¡± Dai said, ¡°so we have no choice. And you don¡¯t either.¡±


    Dai was old, and his walking on a cane served to highlight that fact. But his movements betrayed him, at least to Roth¡¯s trained eye. Because he could pick up the slightest muscle twitch and movement, he knew that the old man was more than a limping guide. He said he was formerly trained in youdo, but Roth suspected his training led him to become a master of it.


    ¡°I know,¡± Roth answered them. ¡°I¡¯ll help you take the new armor they¡¯re creating and then we¡¯re done. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with this rebel business. I want to live, thank you very much.¡±


    Steele nodded. ¡°Now, how do we get there from here?¡±


    Roth looked around the marketplace looking at camel- and horse-drawn jade-lev carts hustled back and forth among the tent stalls. A few times, a jade-lev cycle would weave in and out of the traffic of carts and people. Overhead, large airships sauntered in the skies, casting shadows in parts of the city.


    In one stall a Kandani was selling a delicacy from their country made from the tongue and liver of a camel. It was a stall where mostly only Kandani visit. Roth looked at Steele. ¡°Easiest way to get in is to distract the man while we get in. You¡¯re both Kandani. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for you to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to deceive him?¡± Steele frowned.


    At the back of his mind, Roth grumbled. The man was too chivalrous and honest for his own good. But part of him was elated for the man¡¯s sincerity. Strange, he always thought honesty was idiocy. But then again, he also remembered himself to be blind and with acute hearing in a strange-looking world.


    ¡°Just talk to him and don¡¯t let him look at us. There is a sewage system entrance just behind his table where we can get in.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s guarding that?¡± Dai rubbed his chin. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like much of a fighter.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t. He doesn¡¯t even belong to the Zobu family,¡± Roth said. ¡°He¡¯s just really protective of his secret recipe that he doesn¡¯t want anyone going past his table. Otherwise, he¡¯ll make a scene and the guards will be on us very quickly. You know how alert they are here at the market. Too many Magnate family interests to protect.¡±


    ¡°And how does Steele get in?¡± Nadia crossed her arms on her stomach.


    ¡°He stays behind. He may be too large and clunky for all the sneaking we have to do anyway.¡±


    ¡°I do not leave my team behind.¡±


    ¡°Technically, we¡¯re leaving you behind. Which is fine since you¡¯re going to be one less problem,¡± Roth said. Some strange part of him was surprised at his own callousness. What was it with the blind man in his head?


    Steele glowered and walked toward him menacingly. Instinctively, Roth stepped one foot behind him preparing for a counter. But before anything could happen, Nadia stepped in between them, glaring at Roth. ¡°No one is getting left behind, and no one is a burden. We got you out, this is our mission, you play by our rules.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up to getting caught again,¡± Roth grumbled.


    ¡°Well, you better think of a new plan, young man,¡± Dai said. ¡°The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can part ways.¡±


    Roth sighed. A voice scolded him for being too harsh making him click his tongue. Since when did he grow a conscience? Was that blind man a manifestation of some sort of kindness he had he thought he killed a long time ago? He didn¡¯t know, but it was beginning to be a nagging annoyance.


    ¡°Fine. Dai, use your limping old man ruse and stumble in one of the stalls. Make as much noise as you can. I¡¯ll put the Kandani to sleep. Make sure when you get to his stall that you look inconspicuous and people don¡¯t see you. People here are very paranoid. One strange movement and people will be looking to investigate on the stall.¡±

 2: Inner Struggle

    Dai¡¯s performance was worthy of any seasoned charlatan. People came to help him and see what was wrong. Of course, the delicacy seller didn¡¯t leave his stall, but he did stand and crane his neck trying to see what was going on. Roth quickly snuck behind him and pricked the base of his neck with a tiny tranquilizer needle. The dark man slapped the sudden sting and looked around, but his blood quickly delivered the drug to his brain and his eyes were barely open by the time his eyes met Roth. Roth caught him and sat him on his chair before opening the sewage entrance and climbed in, lighting a hand lamp in the process.


    No matter how many times he had gone through back entrances in the sewage, he never did get used to the smell. He hated the smell of human and rat waste. Even covering his nose with his cloth mask didn¡¯t help.


    Was this how he lived his life? In filth? No. Not filth. Doing what he needed to survive. What was wrong with him? After all these years, questioning himself.


    ¡®Because it¡¯s not the way to live. That¡¯s why.¡¯


    He growled at that nagging voice. He was probably going insane. That¡¯s what. That was what being insane was. Hearing voices inside your head. Remembering things that aren¡¯t real. New York? That wasn¡¯t even a real place. And he¡¯s been all over Miralai. Calcedon in the north, Kanda in the south, Roku-Shinlai in the east and Maua in the west. No place was called New York.


    Nadia and Steele soon followed him down, and a few more moments later, Dai followed. The old man nimbly navigated the stairs without so much as a pause, closing the hatch above him. As soon as the old man got down, Roth led them through the walkways of the sewage sure of every turn he made in the maze-like underground tunnels.


    The scraping of their boots and the flow of water was the only constant sound echoing throughout the chamber. And strangely, Roth realized that he could pick out every sound and isolate them in his head. It was a surprising new skill, but one that would definitely come in handy. The hand lamp that guided them cast an eerie green glow from the jade core. No one spoke, and that was good for Roth. He needed to figure out what was going on inside him.


    Who was Jeff? What was the world and the life he remembered? What was real? He knew his childhood and remembered it vividly. The streets of the Outer Reaches taught him things he could never have known growing up sheltered. He did everything he could to survive. Stealing, cheating and hurting people was the only way to survive. He had the scars and bruises to prove it. They were signs of the reality he lived in. This was real.


    And yet, he also knew that a life of hardship did not mean a man could be bad. He was born blind, bullied and bereft of opportunities. His parents didn¡¯t value him as much so he made his own way. He learned to echolocate, and with how acute his hearing was, he not only could differentiate sounds, he could also differentiate the kinds of material in front of him as he echolocated. His sudden overdeveloped hearing was proof that life was real as well.


    He clicked his tongue and, even when the dim light of his hand lamp, he could tell beyond what he could see. He could accurately tell how far the wall was. He never did that before, and yet, he knew how.


    Did questioning his sanity make him sane? Did the insane knew they were insane? Because he could think of no other explanation of living two different lives. And both those lives were just too different. Their beliefs as far as east is from west.


    They were near the exit when Roth heard a different scraping sound.


    He paused and held his fist up to signal everyone to stop. Now that he could easily identify the different sounds each of their boots made, it was easier for him to know that they were being followed. It stopped almost as soon as they did. Added to that was his normal thief¡¯s sense: he could feel they were being followed. It was a strange sensation to actually hear it first.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Roth held his palm up signaling them to wait. It was likely time for him to see if his newfound skill could be useful. He signaled for them to get down and he turned off his lamp.


    He turned clicking his tongue, and amazingly, he could actually make a picture with the sounds that bounced back from the walls, the bridges and what little the water gave. It wasn¡¯t as good as actually seeing something¡ªfar from it¡ªbut this was an amazing new tool he could use.


    ¡®Don¡¯t use it to steal things or hurt people!¡¯


    What was that annoying voice in his head? He silently retraced his steps toward where the sounds of those following them came from.


    ¡®Jeff. My name is Jeff. I¡¯m not Roth.¡¯


    Why was he starting to argue with himself?


    ¡®I am Roth. The Sahdow Thief. I stole from the Magnate Families. Took contracts to kill. The world is a harsh place where you either take advantage of the world, or the world takes advantage of you.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong!¡¯


    Roth shook his head. There was no use arguing with himself. He had to do what he had to do. What he was good at. That will help him survive and get out of whatever this is. Whoever was following them made the wrong move.


    He clicked and he could almost see someone pressed to the wall. He felt the creeper move and he threw his hand lamp, turning it on at its brightest white. He squinted to protect his eyes and saw one of the marketplace guards shield his eyes with his arm.


    Wrong move.


    Roth quickly moved forward, fist digging into his solar plexus before twisting behind him and locking his arm around the guard¡¯s neck.


    ¡®Don¡¯t kill him!¡¯


    Really? Now? He was growing a conscience now?


    The man struggled under him as he slowly lost breath.


    ¡®Don¡¯t kill him!¡¯ The voice insisted


    ¡®If I don¡¯t kill him, this passageway will be exposed. I¡¯ll have less ways to go around.¡¯ Roth can¡¯t believe he was actually arguing with himself¡ªor Jeff. Whatever his conscience called himself.


    The man stopped struggling as he lost consciousness. Roth prepared to throw the man into the running sewage water, but something else took control of him and he stopped.


    Jeff couldn¡¯t believe he was about to kill a man in cold blood. The thought of it made him shiver. What a horrible man he was to actually have considered it. If he didn¡¯t stop himself, he would have done it.


    ¡®What in the name of cursed jade?!¡¯ The voice inside him raged.


    Jeff picked up the hand lamp and shook his head. What happened? One moment, he was in New York, the next thing, he was in a strange mix of Bedouin-Oriental Steampunk world where instead of coal and steam, the world was powered with jade.


    From the murky waters, he saw his reflection. He looked like a hard man, with a strange charismatic aura radiating from him. He looked good if he said so himself. He didn¡¯t have a beard. And it looked like he would have a hard time growing one, unlike his blind self. His eyes were narrower¡ªeastern¡ªbut he also had more western features. Mixed blood.


    Jeff shook his head and walked back to where his companions were. He looked at them as they looked at him expectantly.


    ¡°Market guard. We were followed.¡±


    ¡®Yeah, someone was stupid enough to be seen and followed.¡¯ The voice grumbled.


    ¡®Oh, stop blaming others.¡¯


    ¡®So what now, you will lead them to what they need to do? You don¡¯t have the balls for it.¡¯


    Jeff sighed. He was right. He had head knowledge about everything, but the instinct, that was all Roth. It was just like Roth trying to use his talent for echolocation and sound identification. He knew how to use it, but he couldn¡¯t use it to play sports with his eyes closed. Or in his case, to fight with his eyes closed.


    ¡°What?¡± Nadia looked at him as if expecting something more.


    He realized he was just standing there staring at them like an idiot. Roth sighed and cracked his neck. ¡®My body. Go away.¡¯


    ¡°Now, we move. Exit is right there. Once we¡¯re in, I¡¯ll take you the main laboratory. From there, you lead, unless you give me the blueprints of the place and I can take you there much quicker.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t trust you for that,¡± Steele said.


    Roth raised an eyebrow. Well, they were right not to. He would leave them if it came to that. Besides knowing the blueprints would help him get in and out of the lab after this job and steal things for himself that he could sell on the black market.


    ¡®Why am I such a horrible person?¡¯


    Roth shook his head mentally ignoring Jeff. ¡°Fine, but if this goes south, you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    ¡°We expect nothing less from a dishonest, thieving rogue,¡± Steele said.


    ¡°And unfortunately, that¡¯s what makes you so good we have to compromise our beliefs to use you,¡± Dai sighed.


    Roth grinned. ¡°Then maybe you¡¯re just as bad. You just don¡¯t know it.¡±

 3: Split Union

    It was the fourth jadetech engineer¡ªor jadegeneer as Nadia often called them¡ªthat Roth knocked unconscious. This one, like the others, had their clothing stripped off but for their underwear. A pleasure he didn¡¯t get to have when he knocked out a woman. Nadia had been very insistent that he step away and look away as she took the female jadegeneer¡¯s uniform and wore it herself, before slipping the metal breathing masks on.


    After rifling through the jadegeneer¡¯s pockets for anything that might be of use, he took the clipboard and gave it to Steele.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Steele squinted at the files. ¡°I don¡¯t understand these. Nadia should take it.¡±


    Roth rolled his eyes and sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t lie to save your life. One look at you and people will know something is wrong even if they don¡¯t see your eyes. See how jittery you are right now? That will get worse when we step out in the open to get to the vaults. Do us all a favor and keep your head down, read, nod every so often and just follow our lead.¡±


    ¡®Ouch. You¡¯re too harsh,¡¯ Jeff-the-goody-two-shoes said. The tone he took seemed as if he was shaking his head at Roth.


    ¡®Oh, shut up.¡¯


    Steele grunted but took the clipboard from his hands freeing Roth to put the copper mask and the goggles he took from the jadegeneer on himself. He turned to Nadia looking so unflattering in the shapeless Zobu jadegeneer uniform, taking away her only redeeming factor as an eye-candy. Jadegeneer¡¯s masks were always so ugly. ¡°Lead on.¡±


    Nadia led the way and Roth took a quick glance at Dai. The old man didn¡¯t leave his staff behind. The makeshift cane was actually retractable and fit inside the old man¡¯s lab attire. He took the lead beside Nadia, talking to him about computations, getting right into the person he was portraying.


    They walked through a steel arch and the two halves of Roth was finally in agreement. It was impressive. The lab was a circular structure that had a steel walkway spiraling up. Doors were embedded into the walls at spaced intervals and at the center was a large core powered by a large jade jutting out from the ground. There were several guards and jadegeneers walking about, and none took a second glance at them.


    Nadia led them up the spiral walkway. Perhaps Nadia had already memorized the blueprints and therefore didn¡¯t need to look at it to know where she was going, but it made Roth antsy. The first thing about thieving and assassination was knowing about the place. Knowing where to get in and out. Knowing about defenses and security protocols. Sure he knew how to get in from the sewage, but he had never been into the lab itself. Blueprints were too difficult to find and scouting out the place meant blending in: which meant increased security with a knocked-out jadegeneer. That these rebels got their hands on the blueprint meant that it was an inside job. He stowed that knowledge away for future reference.


    ¡°Here, but it¡¯s locked with a combination.¡± Nadia said stopping at a door.


    ¡°Continue talking about science. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Roth stepped toward the door and frowned. Not only was there a combination, there was also a keyhole. Fantastic. It would look really strange if he put his ear to the lock to open it. There would be no alibi good enough for that.


    He tried spinning the numbers. Unfortunately, not even his newly discovered acute hearing could help him. He turned to Steele as he leaned sideways to the door, arms on his stomach as if waiting. ¡°Spin the numbers one by one slowly. I¡¯ll tell you when to stop.¡±


    Steele looked at Roth from his clipboard. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to pick locks.¡±


    ¡°Just do what I say.¡±


    Steele shrugged and started doing exactly what Roth told him, stopping and shifting to the next number wheel whenever Roth whispered stop. Thank goodness for his hearing. He normally had to crouch near the lock to hear the distinct clicks, but through the vibrations the clicks made running throughout the steel, he was able to hear it no matter how faint it was. Once or twice, guards walked passed them and Roth didn¡¯t even pause, though he was on full alert. As the last number clicked into place, Roth put his lock pick into the keyhole and it clicked open.


    Once they were in, Roth shut the door as the three rebels headed for a jade bracer in one of the glass casings. Nadia put her geared gloves back on and started working on getting the bracer out.


    ¡°Would you let me do that?¡± Roth said wincing as Nadia started work on the secured case.


    ¡°Just guard the door,¡± Steele said.


    ¡°Fine. At least tell me all possible exits to this place,¡± Roth said.


    ¡°We just go back through the sewers, right?¡± Dai said.


    ¡°Not a chance. That guard will be missed and soon, they will find out we¡¯re headed here.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°How can they know that?¡± Steele looked at him. ¡°That sewer is a huge maze. It¡¯ll take them too long before they figure things out. Plus, you know of other exits. We could use those.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill the guard. He will wake up soon. Our footprints aren¡¯t exactly untrackable in such a filthy place.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him?¡± Nadia¡¯s voice was surprised though she didn¡¯t even look away from what she was doing.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°And here I was about to praise you.¡± Roth could hear the disappointment in her voice.


    ¡®See? We did good.¡¯


    Roth growled internally. ¡®You¡¯re still here? You do know that doing good gets people killed. And what do you mean we? This is my body. This is me. Go away.¡¯


    ¡®Just a question,¡¯ Jeff said, ¡®Do you remember New York? Mia? Growing up in downtown Manhattan.¡¯


    Roth didn¡¯t reply. He knew them. He remembered them. He even felt like he lived them. New York had always been noisy. But that was besides the point. The voice was just driving him even crazier than he already was.


    There was a ping. A constant rhythmic ping as Nadia opened the case.


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Roth grumbled shrugging out of his overalls. ¡°You should have just let me take that!¡±


    ¡°I disabled the alarms!¡± Nadia quickly snatched the bracer.


    ¡°Apparently you missed one,¡± Roth growled. The small contraption at the back of his left hand opened into a hand bow and out of the knuckles of his right, three long claws jutted out.


    Dai pulled out his staff and extended it while Steele pulled his sword out from his back.


    Steele moved forward. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Roth rolled his eyes as the mad reached for the door handle. ¡°Get out of here blind. Perfect! You don¡¯t trust me to know this place and you don¡¯t trust me to do what I do best. Steal. If I get killed here, I will hunt down your ghosts and make you suffer a thousand times. I can¡¯t die like this. I¡¯ve worked too hard!¡±


    ¡°Then we don¡¯t die,¡± Dai came in behind Nadia to the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m with a bunch of lunatics!¡± Roth shook his head.


    ¡®But you can help them, right?¡¯


    ¡®You again?¡¯ Roth thought. ¡®You know what? This was probably a set up for me to die first. Blame it on the thief! Sacrifice him for the cause of the rebels. And if I die, you die too. Have you ever thought of that?¡¯


    ¡®They don¡¯t seem like bad people.¡¯


    Roth growled, bursting through the doors. ¡°Curse you to nine hells, Jeff!¡± he shouted and let loose a volley of darts from his hand crossbow on the soldiers coming up the walkway. They were prepared and raised their shields to block the shots, but what they didn¡¯t expect was him diving on the ground swiping his long claws against their legs making them buckle and scream in pain.


    He rolled and twisted, just in time to see Steele charge through them. His size and weight knocking them down easily unable to support themselves on injured legs. Behind him Nadia and Dai followed, the old man using his staff to knock out those Steele missed. Behind them, other guards were running down the ramp toward them.


    More guards came pouring in. Worse, they had fire lances. If Roth didn¡¯t do anything, they would be caught and die. ¡°Follow me.¡± He attached his special hook on the rail and slid down.


    As soon as he was on the ground, the guards turned to him and he drew out his daggers. The guards flared the fire on the tips of their lances closing in on him as Dai began climbing down, followed by Nadia.


    Roth threw one of the daggers. It went through the fire and one of the fire lances dropped revealing one of the men punctured through the throat as he dropped to the floor. Flame gone, he threw another dagger as they sought to close the gap, hitting one of the tanks on the soldier¡¯s back and causing it to catch on fire. The man screamed and jostled around, disturbing their ranks as he tried to get it off. Two openings. Roth dove through it, ignoring the flames that he quickly passed through. The soldiers, desperate to catch him, turned toward each other and unwittingly started torching themselves.


    ¡°Here! Quickly!¡± Roth couldn¡¯t believe he said those words as he rushed through one of the open arches. No, wait, that was probably Jeff calling out to them.


    The rest followed him and then he heard a click. He stopped grabbed a wrist to his left and pulled down just as an arrow whizzed past where Dai¡¯s head had been. Another moment later, they were running again.


    That great hearing was coming in handy.


    ¡®Sound source localization,¡¯ Jeff corrected.


    ¡°I know what it¡¯s called!¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Nadia called after him.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± They were reaching the end of the hallway with doors shut at either side. ¡°Now would be a good time to tell me where to go.¡±


    Nadia tried to open the left door, but it was shut. Steele took the door and tried himself, but it didn¡¯t even shift.


    ¡°We are going to die and you still don¡¯t tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°This door is a stairwell to the ground levels,¡± Nadia said.


    ¡°And this wall?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to face out of the cliff and into the ocean.¡±


    ¡°This would have been easier if you told me something.¡± Roth took out a small disc¡ªa cracker¡ªand attached it to the wall. The wall vibrated, cracked and seemed like it was waving like paper before breaking into pieces. He caught his cracker and looked below. There were rocks there, but if they jumped far enough, they would be able to avoid it.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Nadia glared at him.


    ¡°I have a voice in my head, so I think I am.¡± Roth took a running start and jumped falling seven storeys before breaking into the water. He sank and then his feet felt like it touched something. Rocks. He pushed up and away breaking the surface. He looked back as saw that he had a good clearing from the rocky outcrops.


    A scream. Then a splash. Someone actually had the guts to follow him. Another scream, this time distinctively womanly followed just as Dai broke the surface. Steele followed a moment later, without any sound but the splash he made in the water.


    Roth looked up and aimed his hand crossbow where they had been. He changed the dart into a cartridge that was a little bulkier and shot it through the hole. A couple of the guards looked out from the hole in the wall and Roth found himself screaming a warning. ¡°Watch out! It¡¯s going to¡ª¡±


    The charge exploded. The boom resounded everywhere. Next to him, a severed arm splashed into the water. He looked at it, but something inside of him squirmed at the sight of a bloody body part.


    ¡°This way,¡± Roth motioned to them as smoke and clouds of dust filled the hole they jumped from. From here, he knew of an underwater tunnel where they could make an escape.

 4: Dead Heroism

    ¡®We helped them!¡¯ Jeff said smugly.


    ¡®I was just helping myself,¡¯ Roth muttered in his head.


    ¡®Oh come on, admit it. You helped them and you feel good¡­or was that supposed to be we? Why are we sharing the same body?¡¯


    Roth felt himself getting a headache as they were being transported to one of the rebel¡¯s safehouses. The carriage they were in was a jadelev carriage filled with plush pillows and goblets of wine for each of them, pulled by a rhinoceros through the streets. It was far too opulent for a rebel group, but one look at them and the carriage master opened the doors and shadowed the windows.


    Across him, Nadia sat staring. She was wet from head to foot, dress clinging to her body. And she looked really nice. But of course, Roth pretended not to notice. After their ordeal, he needed a respite from dealing with her. He was a survivor, not a sadist. And he was still rightfully angry at her for not sharing information and not letting him do what he did best. He might be a thief and a killer, but he always honored his deals.


    That was his redeeming factor.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve run,¡± Dai said beside him, ¡°but you didn¡¯t. Why?¡± Wet as everyone else, he looked even more old and haggard with his dark hair flat and matted on his head.


    ¡°Is that why everyone is staring at me?¡± Roth raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. There¡¯s someone else in my head named Jeff and he¡¯s controlling me sometimes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re serious here. The least you could do is not make up a silly name.¡± Steele leaned forward, elbows on his knees. For some reason he looked more regal than Roth had ever seen him. And that was with his clothes hanging limply. The dark man stared at him and, for the first time, he saw how intimidating he was, even when he wasn¡¯t standing a head taller than Roth.


    Steele continued. ¡°We are considering the ramifications of you being here with us.¡±


    Roth snorted. Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction. They didn¡¯t want the truth? Fine. He could tell a lie that they could swallow instead and mix a little truth in it. ¡°Turn for turn. Law of survival. And I honor my contracts. You hire me, I see it through. I wouldn¡¯t be in such high demand if I didn¡¯t make good on my word. There is still honor in my profession.¡±


    ¡®Did he just think my name was silly?¡¯ Jeff said.


    ¡®All that and that¡¯s what you heard?¡¯ Roth thought.


    ¡°For all we know, you could have set up your capture so we could trust you and bring you to one of the rebel bases,¡± Nadia said.


    Roth laughed. ¡°I may be a brilliant thief, but planning something that elaborate is way beyond me. But even if I were to use all my knowledge of the criminal mind, this wouldn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t think the Zobu family would be happy with me mutilating and killing some of their finest soldiers. Or busting their lab. I don¡¯t think that will be worth the tiniest chance you would welcome me into the headquarters itself. A tiny safehouse wouldn¡¯t be worth the damage we caused.¡± Roth paused. No, that wasn¡¯t him talking anymore, but bravo to Jeff with an airtight analysis.


    ¡°And if we¡¯re playing the long game, that would take me gaining your trust over a period of time, stealing back the armor thing, and betraying you. But that would also mean that you would have put me through so many jobs, cost the families both their arms and legs, and even if they have all the information, you would have all the tech and you would have sabotaged them enough to weaken them. Besides, why would they use someone who isn¡¯t trustworthy like me to be a mole? If I were them, I would look at the most invisible person in the organization. Someone who has the ability to go in and out unnoticed. Important enough to be privy with information, but unimportant enough to not be in the spotlight.¡±


    Dai grinned at him. ¡°Now I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re trying to wheedle into our graces, trying to cause division in our ranks or you¡¯re a criminal mastermind.¡±


    ¡°Hey look, get me out of this and I¡¯d be out of your way,¡± Roth said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with this rebel nonsense. I like to live, thank you very much. I live adventurously, yes, but safe because I know what I¡¯m going into first, and knowing where I can get out after a job or when things go south. You people are just too dangerous to be with.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°And you would sell the information to the Magnate Families?¡± Steele asked.


    Roth barked a laugh. ¡°Are you kidding me? After what happened back there? They would kill me rather than reward me. Or, they would say they will reward me, then kill you all, then kill me too in the end. As much as it might get me a lot of money to give information on you, I think I value my life more. Especially with how scrupulous and mercurial the Magnate Families are.¡±


    There was sudden silence in the carriage. Roth was used to silence, but in a scenario like this, silence was not exactly the best of signs. They were thinking of something. Something that pertained to him. Whatever it was, he had to be on guard.


    ¡°I think deep down you¡¯re a good man,¡± Steele said.


    Roth paused then as the words sunk in, he barked a laugh. That was funny. Hilarious. Jeff, whoever, or whatever it was might be a good man, but he wasn¡¯t. He was neither on the side of good or evil. His side was the only side that mattered.


    ¡°Why? Because I steal from the Magnate Families? I have you know I steal from common rich folk too. Both the honest and the crooked.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t steal from good common folk,¡± Steele insisted.


    ¡°Why should I? They have nothing.¡±


    ¡°Right. And the rich usually get rich because of their connection to the Magnate Families.¡±


    Roth¡¯s eyes furrowed. If riches still come from the Magnate Families, then why were they even riding something worth two lands worth in the Outer Reaches? ¡°So why is your rebellion so well-funded, then?¡±


    ¡°The point is,¡± Dai stepped in, ¡°we might need your help again. Can we count on you?¡±


    Roth shrugged. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care what the job is. As long as it¡¯s survivable and I get a lot of money from it, why not? But of course, except for this one time, I check and double check the job before I agree.¡± He tried to look outside the carriage, but the darkened windows revealed nothing. He did notice one thing though. The rhino¡¯s stomping changed. They had gone from hard-packed dirt road to paved cobblestones. He hated not knowing where he was. Even more, he hated not knowing a way out. ¡°Look, it¡¯s been nice knowing you all. If you need a job, ask around the city. Some people might point you right to my points of contact.¡±


    Steele looked at Nadia and Dai. Nadia didn¡¯t say anything, but Dai nodded. Steele pressed a button on his seat and the carriage slowed to a stop. The door opened and Roth stepped out, surprised that he was in the rich side of town. The very rich side of town. This was where the mansions of Magnate Families and their cronies had their mansions and townhouses.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re a good guy too,¡± Dai said quietly just before the door closed.


    Roth shook his head and instead looked at where he was. Every building looked more opulent than the last, and each representing the countries they came from. Taisao was the melting pot of Miralai, and here, people were so proud of where they hailed from, their culture bled through every pore of the architecture of the mansions. Calcedonian mansions were entirely geometric and covered in brick with gilt detailing, and every door has depressed arches. The Roku-Shinlai houses were raised at least a foot above the ground and used the most expensive hardwoods, topped off with tiled roofs and doors that slid, rather than swung open. Kandani architecture was made from hewn stone enhanced with limestones, and rounded rooftops that sloped pointing upward. And finally, the Mauans were the boldest of the lot as their featured openness that let the sun, the winds and the public have a view of its interiors dominated by lavish interiors of bamboo and wood, taking advantage of Taisao¡¯s year-long temperate climate.


    In the middle of it all, Roth looked out of place wet and grimy. He quickly slunk to the shadows and kept to it as he walked the streets back to the more ¡°commoner¡± area of the city that surrounded the lavish mansions here. Mid-Town served as a buffer against the poverty-ridden area of the city that ran around the outskirts, with decent houses that were a mix of the different architectures of Miralai. And the area where the poor were? The Outer Reaches was massive, with so many people struggling. Those were the people who thought that Taisao was the city where they could be rich, only to find that they were nothing but slaves and pawns who could never get back to their own countries because an airship out of the city would wipe clean even the middle-class.


    ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why you agreed to helping them,¡¯ Jeff mused. ¡®Maybe you see the injustice being done here at the expense of the poor and you¡¯re hoping the rebels could change that.¡¯


    ¡®I do not!¡¯ Roth growled. ¡®A job¡¯s a job. Now, keep quiet.¡¯


    ¡®I thought the rebels were too risky?¡¯


    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve worked with them, whether or not I take another job, I¡¯ll be linked to them. Best if I can take money from it too.¡¯


    ¡®Uh-huh¡­keep telling yourself that.¡¯


    The voice in Roth¡¯s head was so smug, he wished Jeff would materialize physically so he could bash the blind man¡¯s face.


    ¡®Even I know you¡¯re a good guy deep down,¡¯ Jeff added. ¡®And I have it on good authority. After all, I know what¡¯s in your head as much as you know what¡¯s in mine.¡¯


    ¡®You do know that could just be you mixing yourself with me.¡¯


    ¡®Hmmm¡­maybe you have a point there. But that¡¯s awesome, isn¡¯t it? Combined, we could be the hero of this city!¡¯


    ¡®Go away!¡¯


    ¡®Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d like that.¡¯ Jeff said, and in Roth¡¯s silence, he added. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why I died and got here. I have to turn you into a hero.¡¯


    Roth paled. A hero. That was the worst thing he could be. Heroes died. Heroes always died, because if they didn¡¯t, they became rulers and famous people who would never have peace. No. Being a hero was the worst thing he could be.

 5: From Poke to Stab

    ¡°Shadow has more honor than we gave him credit for.¡±


    Nadia rolled her eyes at Steele. Of course he didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. Unlike the rest of them, Steele was born and raised in the upper echelons of society. His mother was cousin to the head of the Zobu family. He wasn¡¯t born or raised in the slums where people stole, lied and cheated to survive. His own household was over the guards posted in Taisao City, so whatever mishap happened at the market would be easily taken care of¡­though he would not really move himself. That would be taken care of by his City General, Mandu.


    And Mandu was a crafty, thorough individual. A criminal mastermind of the highest degree, he was zealously loyal to Steele and, in turn to the rebel cause he served. An oddity, in Nadia¡¯s experience. Whatever happened between Steele and Mandu must have been so significant that a cutthroat criminal whose way of life was double-crossing people would become loyal to anyone.


    ¡°I would go for the word smarter,¡± Dai said. ¡°When that alarm was tripped, I didn¡¯t think there would be a way to escape. Even with the skills I have, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take down enough of them to escape. Shadow is better than his reputation.¡±


    Nadia nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I thought we were done for.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t have to kill them though,¡± Steele frowned.


    ¡°Well, it was us or them. The kid did what he had to do,¡± Dai said.


    Nadia could feel the distress in Steele¡¯s eyes. He might be with the rebels because he believed things should change, but those were still his people. His family¡¯s people. Steele volunteered for this mission because he didn¡¯t want people killed. But people did die and it was tearing Steele apart from the inside even though he didn¡¯t show it outwardly.


    As for Nadia herself, she was only glad she was still alive. Until today, the rebellion was nothing more than a nuisance. It was a nameless rabble dissatisfied with the way the Magnate Families ruled. And because of that she pushed for this move. Wanting the rulers to know that people would actually fight back. When she was planning it with Dai and Steele, she was excited, but being actually in it¡­It frightened her. They actually could have died!


    Silence hung in the air as they sat in an enclosed opulent room in an exclusive restaurant that Steele created himself. Built for the rebel cause, it had several closed rooms and secret entrances and exits. But because of the exclusivity he put on the place and how good the food tasted, it had become so popular that people were willing to pay insane amounts of money to be part of the exclusive club. And in turn, the money was used to fund the rebel activities.


    ¡°Worried about your family¡¯s losses?¡± Dai finally said to break the silence.


    Steele shook his head. ¡°The families of the guards that died and were maimed. They are good, honest folk. Making a living. And they have to suffer because they¡¯re employed by my family. I hope that armor is worth all this.¡±


    ¡°Once I break its component pieces, see how it¡¯s made, I can equip our people with this. Keep them from getting killed,¡± Nadia said. ¡°I know you¡¯re risking a lot for this, Steele. Your reputation. Your standing. Your whole life. To be honest, I still can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re actually turning your back on your family. Not just because you can see gains if we get the upper hand, but because you actually believe in our cause.¡±


    ¡°I saw beyond the richness of this city, Nadia. What I saw¡­¡± Steele shook his head. ¡°I thought we were doing good work here. Providing jobs, creating jadetech that would improve lives and protect people. Then they took me to The Games.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Nadia frowned. ¡°It¡¯s chilling enough to have people kill each other or get killed by something else for the entertainment of the rich. But that only happens once a year. You have the mining quarries where people suffer and die every day and the Magnate Families don¡¯t care. And don¡¯t forget how they just get what they want. Just last week, they seized a land from an old widow just because she had some jade deposits under her land. They killed her for resisting and called it an accident, saying that her jadetech was so old and unstable it blew up.¡±


    That brought silence to the room. Not only did the incident cost the life of the woman, but the buildings surrounding her house has been burnt and cracked where they surrounded the house. No one cried out for justice. Everyone knew how the Magnate families fought over the land offering the woman better and better deals with harsher and harsher threats. The rebellion tried to help, but she refused. In the end, Nadia knew they should have done something instead of hanging back and watching it happen. What was the point of the rebellion if they couldn¡¯t help anyone?


    ¡°We need to start moving openly,¡± Nadia said, ¡°We can¡¯t continue just poking at them. We¡¯re not helping anyone with weak actions.¡±


    Dai glanced at Steele, ¡°If we do that, we can no longer be seen with you, Steele.¡± He shook his head. ¡°And I really wanted you to be the leader. The one we will follow. I don¡¯t know a better person than you to truly lead this, but we can¡¯t expose you. You live in the heart of the lion¡¯s den.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not one of the oppressed. People might think the Magnate Families are behind all this just to put one of their own as a supreme dictator. What about Nadia.¡±


    Nadia waved her hands vigorously. ¡°No! No. I can¡¯t. I relate better to jadetech than I do people. Besides, we get all the plans and advice from Dai, so maybe you should be in charge.¡±


    ¡°As you said, my dear, I¡¯m just the planner and the advisor. I¡¯m not a leader.¡± Dai said. ¡°I can¡¯t even get people on board with the idea, except you, Nadia. Mandu was the one who got all of our members and supporters. And even if we did want Mandu to be the leader, he would rather continue to serve you, Steele.¡±


    ¡°We can ask him if he wants to be our leader when he returns,¡± Steele said.


    ¡°Believe me, kid. He won¡¯t budge. I¡¯ve seen fanatically loyal men in my time. He will not want to be over you. Maybe for fear of relapse into his darker past, or something as serious, but whatever the reason, lording himself over you will be a betrayal to him. Whatever you did to gain his loyalty, you have it and you have it forever.¡±


    Nadia sighed. ¡°So we find someone to be our leader. Someone who is loyal to the cause, charismatic and someone we can work with. That¡¯s not such a tall order.¡±


    ¡°No one said it¡¯s going to be easy,¡± Dai smirked at her. ¡°But we need to move and move fast. This, thus far, has been our biggest attack on the Magnate Families. If they think we were buzzing flies before, now they will think that we¡¯re a bunch of hornets. And no one likes hornet stings. They will act.¡±


    Steele nodded. ¡°We set something big in motion. Soon, word of it will spread. More people will look for us and join us. It¡¯s probably why Mandu is late. And a direct assault on a Magnate Family¡¯s base of operations will begin alerting all of them. They will soon talk about measures against us. Not just reacting to us but actively seek us. By then, we have to be ready.¡±


    Nadia sat back taking a deep breath. She was the one who wanted to push things. She told them they needed to do more. To really start hurting the Magnate Families and let them know that the people of Taisao were not happy. Dai warned against the repercussions but they went through with it anyway, prompting Steele and Mandu to make sure to delay and confuse the Magnate families until they were ready. But they could only do so much until the Families moved. And without a leader¡ªa face to unite them¡ªthey would not be able to hold the rebellion together.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call for several meetings in town. Search for candidates, test them after. See if there is anyone who would be suitable for the job. We find him, we act as his council and we make our plans bigger,¡± Nadia said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have Mandu vet them,¡± Dai added. ¡°And we see who can work with this council.¡±


    The door opened and in walked Mandu. The large, fair-skinned, light-haired man had multiple scars on his face, but despite them, he was charismatic, and his mere presence drew attention. Nadia thought the man was a natural leader. It was why Steele placed him where he was.


    Mandu closed the door behind him and sighed, looking at Steele. ¡°We have a problem. Your father is calling for you. Tomorrow the Magnate Families are calling a meeting for the ¡®rebellion threat.¡¯ He wants you to come up with a solution to solve it and present it to the meeting.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have a name yet and already pain is coming,¡± Nadia closed her eyes.

 6: The Question

    Roth frowned staring at the cut on his arm. He didn¡¯t realize he had been injured in his little escapade until he was at one of the rooms he rented across Taisao.


    ¡®Admit it, you wanted to help them escape,¡¯ Jeff chided.


    ¡®I helped them escape because I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be running to a dead end, or a place with more guards. That would kill me. This cut is already uncharacteristic of me, and I have an inkling that you know this,¡¯ Roth thought.


    ¡®Uh-huh¡­¡¯


    Roth growled. In his mind¡¯s eye, he could see Jeff looking at him with that smug look on his face. ¡®What are you doing in my head, anyway? And who are you?¡¯


    ¡®I think you know me as much as I know you. As for what I¡¯m doing in your head, you know I don¡¯t know the answer to that. If I knew, I would be finding a way to get back. Talk to Mia. Tell her I love her.¡¯


    Dying from a gunshot in New York then suddenly awestruck at seeing Miralai for the first time. Yes, Roth knew Jeff was as clueless as he was, but he was getting so frustrated with two consciousness in his head that he just had to ask. Maybe there was a part of Jeff that was hiding that fact, no matter how improbable Roth knew it was.


    For now, he would be stuck with another person inside his head.


    ¡®Or maybe I¡¯ve always been you and all the horrible things you did awakened your memories of me?¡¯ Jeff said.


    ¡®It¡¯s not horrible. It¡¯s called living. I don¡¯t enjoy it, but world doesn¡¯t give you much of a choice.¡¯


    ¡®Killing is living? Being feared is living? Fearing for your life is living?¡¯


    ¡®At least I¡¯m not starving and dying. And I know better than to get myself shot.¡¯


    ¡®Ouch¡­¡¯


    Roth was glad for the silence as he looked out his window. The Outer Reaches was where he grew up. It was always dark here even if it was daylight with all the buildings gray or darker. Buckles, goggles and strips on metal on the clothing of people barely glinted as the light barely touched the ground. There was very little design or thought to the structures. Nothing but the essentials, stone and metal stacked on top of one another that they created buildings that were at least seven storeys high pressing against the tiny roads that looked more like alleys. If one was going to survive in the Outer Reaches, practicality was all that mattered.


    The figures below walked faster than in any part of the city. Mugging was all too common an experience and the slow tended to always be the victims. Roth knew because that was how he started. Mugging the common folk. Until he found out that was more trouble than it was worth. Stealing from the rich, however¡­that was more lucrative.


    ¡®How do you think jade works? I understand steam and electricity and gunpowder. But jade? Doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯


    ¡®How should I know. I¡¯m a thief. Ask jadegeneers.¡¯


    ¡®Like Nadia?¡¯


    Roth shook his head. Nadia was a bad choice of example. He didn¡¯t even know if the woman was what she claimed to be. But even if she was, she would not give him the time of day to explain why jade was a source of power.


    In any case, Roth had to resupply himself then check for anything about his capture. And the man who put him there. Of course, he had to take vengeance, aside from knowing if the city watch was on high alert for an escapee like him. One can never be forgiving nor too careful. It was too dangerous to be less.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    He went out from his tiny room and went down cramped rickety stairs, nodding to the landlord as he left. He put his hood up and pulled his cloak close as he walked the streets walking briskly like everyone else. A group of thugs eyed him and he threw a blade connected to a chain embedding itself in the stone wall beside the face of who looks to be their leader. The man started and Roth glared at him. He pulled the blade back to his hand and spun it walking away. The thugs didn¡¯t follow. They rarely do. A prey that was dangerous was always more trouble than it was worth. They would look for easier targets.


    Not that Roth was a master fighter. He was more of a hit-and-run kind of guy. Put him in a duel he cannot get out of and he would die if he didn¡¯t get his opening gambit to kill his opponent.


    The shop he was looking for had a run-down feel to it, much like the rest of this part of the city, with goods on the shelves rusted and looked like they were decaying. Of course, for those who weren¡¯t in the know, this shop was where you go stuff if you had nothing. But for people like Roth¡­


    ¡°Shadow.¡± A man with half his body made of bronze grinned at Roth. His teeth were polished bronze and his right arm ended in a clamp.


    ¡°Idris,¡± Roth nodded to him.


    ¡°What can I get my best customer?¡± Idris limped around his counter and put an arm around Roth and leaned in close. ¡°Heard you were taken in,¡± he whispered. ¡°The city watch went public with your capture. Thought I lost a good money machine.¡±


    ¡°Tsai betrayed me. I intend to collect on his debt.¡±


    Idris stepped back and whistled, sounding more like a boiling tea kettle. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯d miss the guy. He barely brought in any business. And this means, you¡¯re looking for something to kill him with? I think I have a new sword from Roku-Shinlai that would make your collection worth it. Lightweight, not too long and, as any good Roku-Shinlai swords go, perfectly balanced.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯d be giving him a slow and painful death.¡±


    ¡°I bet you could skin him with it,¡± Idris grinned.


    Roth smiled. ¡°Not right now.¡±


    ¡®How could you find skinning a person amusing?¡¯


    Roth held back from rolling his eyes and ignored Jeff. He pulled out his cracker and showed it to Idris. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the wall had palladium. I didn¡¯t configure it right. Fix it.¡±


    Idris took the cracker with his claw and brought it to his eye. He sighed and looked at Roth. ¡°You¡¯re usually more careful than this, Shadow. Losing your touch?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have prior information on what I had. So I made do.¡±


    ¡°Well, if this helped you out of the Prison Catacombs, I have to say that you are insanely resourceful to have kept this in your person. Do I want to know where this came from?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± In his head, Jeff shivered. Prisoners were stripped bare when they were imprisoned there. Which means that contraband was next to impossible to smuggle in when you were bare to the world. Not that Roth kept anything on himself when he was imprisoned. The rebels gave him everything he had when he got out. At least everything that the guards didn¡¯t divide among themselves yet.


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Idris said. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Roth gave him a list. ¡°I¡¯ll be needing these tonight. Tomorrow, I hunt.¡±


    Idris took the list and smiled as he read them. ¡°Of course. Just makes me wonder how on earth you escaped the Prison Catacombs.¡±


    ¡°You and everyone else who knows.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else know?¡± Idris raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°The city watch.¡±


    Idris laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll get right to it then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Idris, one more thing.¡± Roth took a deep breath. He hated to ask, but Jeff was really making him question his sanity. The newfound skills were amazing, but it came with a person in his head. A person he did not agree with. ¡°Which religion deals with spirits whispering in your head?¡±


    ¡°Almost all religions, I believe. Why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just thought it would be interesting to study theology.¡±


    ¡°Theology?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never know when you have to dress up as a holy man for a job.¡±


    Idris laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t. I¡¯d never. But you know what, I heard the old priest Haram is an easy fellow to talk to. Maybe he can pray for your soul too. He does that to everyone, even those who don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°With the right grease money?¡± Roth grinned. He never believed religion was true. If it was, they would never ask for money in exchange for the salvation of your soul.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. He doesn¡¯t care for money. He just prays for you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he a priest of?¡±


    ¡°Ahamadra. He¡¯s the only priest that never went up from the Outer Reaches. He started here and he¡¯s likely to end here. Too kind and generous. Never making the priesthood any money.¡±


    ¡°Good to know. And Idris? Never tell anyone I asked about religion.¡±


    ¡°And compromise your job? Of course not! I¡¯d never want to lose a client.¡±


    Roth grinned and nodded leaving the shop. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t¡ªcouldn¡¯t say that he had a voice inside his head and a priest might be his only chance at understanding why. He didn¡¯t exactly expect any god to answer. Not with who he was and what he¡¯d done, but if he could understand it, maybe he could control it. And he could be back to his old self.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think I want to go away. If I can stop you from doing evil things, then I¡¯ll stay. Besides, I think I¡¯m dead so I have no place to go back to. Might as well make myself useful and straighten you out.¡¯


    Roth sighed. Case in point.

 7.1: Breathing Hope

    The church was as run down as the rest of the Outer Reaches. Usually, they were opulent and grand¡ªeven when they were in the slums. But this one was well-cleaned but in a state of disrepair that was unbecoming of a place of worship. The structure once held beautiful sculptures and intricate patterns on the walls that were now barely identifiable blobs and scratches. There were no vandalisms, like other buildings that surrounded it, indicating respect for the place.


    Or perhaps it was the priest. If Haram was as pious and untainted as Idris said he was, then how was he still a leader of a church?


    ¡®Even in my world, you can¡¯t really trust all religious figures,¡¯ Jeff noted. ¡®Pedophiles, money hoarders¡­hypocrites. Killers of life and dreams.¡¯


    Roth was surprised at Jeff¡¯s belief. Of course, he knew about it, but it didn¡¯t rise up to his consciousness until Jeff talked about it. It was like knowing you breathe but you¡¯re not aware of it until you notice yourself breathing.


    ¡®I thought you would¡¯ve been more pious,¡¯ Roth replied as he entered the run-down building. ¡®You seem to be the type.¡¯


    Jeff snorted. ¡®I¡¯ve only ever met one preacher who actually said he believed in God, the writing in the bible, and actually lived by it the best he could. Never found him again. Sometimes, I think he was just a dream.¡¯


    Roth started to ask Jeff about the different beliefs in his would that could probably answer what was going on with them, but he stopped. He found that he knew. He didn¡¯t have to talk to Jeff. And really he didn¡¯t want to encourage the man.


    Karma. Dying and being reborn¡­but usually as something else, depending on how you did as a human. You did horribly, you became an insect. You did well, divinity. But that didn¡¯t make sense. Other religions believed in going to heaven or hell, but his world didn¡¯t fit either description.


    ¡®Sorry, can¡¯t help you. Thought about those things too.¡¯


    Roth didn¡¯t think he was sincere. Jeff did say he didn¡¯t want to leave his body because he was dead in his own world. Jeff was the one who said that he would stick around.


    ¡®I¡­¡¯ Jeff hesitated knowing exactly what Roth thought.


    ¡®Hypocrite, huh?¡¯ The thought silenced Jeff in his head. The New Yorker was not entirely a good guy. He had his faults, but compared to Roth, Jeff was a holy man. And he kept his purity despite all the crimes he came into contact with at the crime lab where he worked. Roth had no right to call Jeff a hypocrite.


    Neither called out to each other as Roth went in the temple and closed the doors behind him. It was empty but for the rows of worn knee pillows on the floor facing an altar that held a sculpture of nature and a light hanging in the middle. Standing guard on the sides were images of men. The founders of the religion, larger than life and seeming to look at everyone who came to worship.


    ¡°Haram?¡± Roth called out. ¡°Anyone here?¡±


    He walked down the aisle and studied the altar. It held nothing. Ahamadra believed in a god that cannot be conceived, but he¡ªor it, whatever the god was¡ªwas there. At least that was what it was according to the scholars.


    The temple was silent save for the shuffling and the creaking floorboards behind the door to the left of the altar.


    ¡°Hello? I need to speak with Haram.¡±


    ¡®You could say please.¡¯ Jeff said,


    Roth ignored him as the door creaked open and a young boy came out quickly closing the door behind him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Priest Haram is quite busy as of the moment.¡±


    ¡°Is it a life or death situation?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°Then he can talk with me.¡± Roth moved toward the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but you can¡¯t enter. This is the sanctuary for the servants of Ahamadra.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re going to stop me?¡± Roth loomed over him.


    ¡®Stop threatening the boy, you bully.¡¯ Jeff growled at him.


    ¡°I will try sir.¡± The boy looked brave though he had a resigned look that said that he knew he was going to lose. The room behind him still sounded busy with all the scuffling and walking on creaky floors.


    Roth took a step toward him, then stopped. Jeff might be a mild-mannered man, but his will was so strong that Roth was surprised Jeff had wrested control from him and he didn¡¯t even realize it.


    Jeff stepped back and sighed. He looked deflated and non-threatening and smiled at the boy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. I¡¯m just a little agitated. Please tell the priest that we really need to speak urgently with him. I mean no one no harm. It¡¯s just that¡­I¡¯m quite certain your priest needs to hear what I have to say. Could you please just ask him.¡±


    The boy hesitated and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡± He ducked back behind the door.


    ¡®See what you can accomplish with a little humility and respect?¡¯ Jeff said. ¡®You don¡¯t need to be a bad guy all the time.¡¯


    Roth rolled his eyes. ¡®I need my body back.¡¯


    ¡®If you promise to be nice and behave, I¡¯ll let you take over.¡¯ Jeff said.


    ¡®How do you do that anyway?¡¯


    Jeff paused and scratched his chin. ¡®I don¡¯t know. I just do. Neither of us has any practice in this. And for some reason I can take control and I have to give it to you. We can ask the priest about that too, because I¡¯m as clueless as you are. I¡¯m sure you know.¡¯


    He could feel Roth seething inside him. The man was frustrated about the whole matter, Jeff understood. Even he would be angry at having himself knocked aside for control of his own body for some other to take over it. In fact, he might not be as calm about it as Roth was. Roth sat their patiently, biding his time and figuring things out. In his shoes, Jeff might be screaming and panicking making all the noise and confusion he could to gain control of his body again.


    ¡®If you really know how I feel, give me my body back,¡¯ Roth snapped.


    Before Jeff could respond, a thin, old man in the blue-and-white priest¡¯s garb of the Ahamadra came out from the door and looked at his visitor with a tired smile. He motioned for Jeff on the cushions and Jeff sat on one of them cross-legged. The priest sighed and knelt on a pillow opposite him, sitting on his heels.


    ¡°Panar said that you are in need of my help. What can I do you for you?¡±


    ¡°How do I start¡­¡± Jeff mused.


    ¡®Let me out and I¡¯ll tell him,¡± Roth grumbled.


    ¡°Well, you see I have the memories and the capabilities of two people inside me,¡± Jeff started. ¡°Now, it might seem strange, but I know I¡¯m not crazy because both of them are true. See, I¡¯ve always been a¡ª¡± Jeff cleared his throat before saying he was a thief. ¡°A very athletic person, but I¡¯m more than that now. Now, I can even¡­hear objects. Not that they speak, no. I mean, that when sound bounces off them, I can see them even with my eyes closed. Along with that are different memories that I never had before. So, what do you think?¡±


    Haram rubbed his chin and have a low hum. At the same time, Jeff heard more scuffling, creaking, muttered voices and closing of what seems to be a door on the floor in the priests¡¯ quarters.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re insane,¡± Haram said. ¡°Can you tell me more about these other memories you talk about.¡±


    Jeff paused considering what to tell the priest. He didn¡¯t seem to be suspicious or judgmental. He looked genuinely interested. He opened his mouth, but closed it as more scuffling and voices disappeared behind a closing door.


    ¡°How many priests or priests in training are here? Or maybe guests?¡± Jeff said, ¡°I¡¯m just a little cautious of how many people might hear or know about my problem. You know how people gossip.¡±


    ¡°Oh no need to worry, there¡¯s only three of us here,¡± Haram said with a smile. ¡°This temple doesn¡¯t have enough money for a full entourage of servants to the Ahamad. And guests are entertained here, so you¡¯re the only one.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Jeff kept his face neutral. So there were people coming in and the priest was hiding them. If it weren¡¯t for his acute hearing, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear the muffled noises. ¡°Well, I guess I should recollect my thoughts about all these memories. I don¡¯t know how to describe them. I¡¯m not a very descriptive person. I¡¯ll come back when I can piece my thoughts together. They¡¯re still such a blur.¡±


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Roth demanded. ¡®No. Don¡¯t poke your nose into something you don¡¯t know! For all you know, that¡¯s the Zobu family trying to get information!¡¯


    ¡°Are you sure, young man?¡± Haram said, ¡°You seem to still be troubled. Talking to me can help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back, I just feel a little confused. Maybe we can talk when it¡¯s more private?¡± Jeff stood up smiling at the priest and walked out as the old man shook his head.


    ¡®If it¡¯s the Zobu family, then it¡¯s all the more reason to find out what they know and be prepared,¡¯ Roth said.


    ¡®Why do I get the feeling that this is your forensic background urging you on more than your apparent care for our safety?¡¯ Roth growled.


    ¡®Look, the more informed we are the better prepared we can be. That¡¯s you rule, right?¡¯


    ¡®But I never go into the lion¡¯s den! Stop being curious!¡¯

 7.2: Breathing Hope

    Jeff ignored Roth and snuck around the temple. It was a strange thing to actually see where he was going compounded with knowing exactly what was ahead of him as he skulked in the dark. It felt even more amazing that Roth¡¯s body knew exactly what to do. Muscle memory took over when he started to sneak and climb up, opening a window quietly to get in. Jeff didn¡¯t need to think about it anymore than Roth needed to think about echolocating or sound source localizing. The difference between them was experience and instinct. Even with muscle memory, Jeff wouldn¡¯t know what to do if he needed to fight any more than Roth knew how to sprint in a dark maze.


    He stayed in the dark shadow of the hall as one of the young priests in training walked across carrying water. As soon as he was at a blind spot, he followed the boy careful of any other sounds that might signal an approach. He slunk behind a column as the boy knelt and knocked in a specific rhythm before opening a trap door. The trap door scraped and squealed open to a cacophony of voices and the boy went in closing the trap door above him.


    ¡®If you¡¯re doing this, then do it right,¡¯ Roth growled as Jeff was about to move. ¡®Wait for him to get out. If he¡¯s a servant as he seems to be, then he will crawl back out. That is when you get in.¡¯


    ¡®Thanks.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m only helping you because this is my body.¡¯


    As Roth predicted, the boy climbed back up and went back the way he came. After a few seconds, Roth urged him and he snuck up to the trap door. He knocked in the same pattern as the boy and opened the trap door. Jeff tried to do it as quietly as he could, but the hinges were no longer working as it used to and the boards we no longer aligned.


    ¡®Why are you even trying to be quiet when you already knocked?¡¯ Roth mentally shook his head.


    Jeff grimaced. Yeah. That didn¡¯t make sense. He peeked inside and saw the tops of the heads of men from the Outer Reaches. Heads worn and dirtied by their work. No, this didn¡¯t seem like people from the Magnate Families conducting activities. There was a lone voice rising above wave of mutterings and assent.


    A hard man looked at him and nodded his head, telling him to come down. Roth did so and stayed at the back in the shadows observing the people that came. They were mostly workers. Angry workers. Fed-up workers. At the head was Dai and Nadia. A rebellion meeting, then?


    ¡®Why am I getting pulled back into this?¡¯ Roth sighed.


    ¡®At least we know they¡¯re not a threat to us.¡¯ Jeff said.


    ¡°¡­and now, they¡¯re having the games twice a year! And who pays? Desperate men and women who would do anything to save their family from hunger and poverty. To give them a chance in the world.¡± Nadia spoke, her voice carried through the crowd. ¡°We, who have nothing more to lose if it means that our families get a chance at a better life. We, who were falsely accused and forcibly put in the Games for redemption.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± Someone from the crowd spoke up. ¡°We storm the Games, we get killed. They have weapons, trained guards and even their beasts and jademechs. What do we have? We can¡¯t hit them!¡±


    The crowd muttered.


    ¡°Yes we can!¡± Nadia spoke lifting the jadetech they lifted from the lab. ¡°We attacked the Zobu Family lab and took this. Armor that could withstand even jademechs. Armor that can give us the extra strength, speed and agility we need. With these, three of us can take down a jademech. We can fight back once I replicate this.¡±


    ¡°If you can, then they can too,¡± another man spoke. ¡°And you stealing it means that they can create more of that thing and do it faster, equipping more of their people. And they have more people.¡±


    For once, Jeff and Roth were in agreement. The rebellion might have a point. They needed to fight back against the rule of the Magnate Families, but what they were proposing was a head-on collision. In every way, the rebellion was at a disadvantage. They had more people, had more resources, more trained fighters and more of basically everything. All the rebellion had was disgruntled people who wanted change but were too afraid to move for the sake of their families.


    Soon the people were talking over one another. Obviously, neither Dai nor Nadia had the ability to charm people into joining them. If things went on like this, they would be caught, killed and squashed even before they did anything meaningful.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    And that would expose Roth. He could always run away, but Taisao City was his home. This was where he grew up, lived and became who he was. This was where he made and lost friends. Where he honed his skills and abilities. Where he made connections and established himself. This was his home. He hated and loved it. It was driven to the ground and yet full of opportunity. Which meant that agreeing with the rebellion had tied his fate to them. If they get rooted out, he would be too even if he cut ties with them. The attack on the Zobu family lab wasn¡¯t something that was easily forgivable. Not with the damages he caused.


    Jeff, on the other hand had a softer heart. He saw Roth¡¯s memories of the Games and shuddered. Men and women, old and young¡ªthe Games didn¡¯t choose. Anyone who wanted to give their families one hundred tokens could join the Games and secure the money. Those who survived were given their own place in Mid-Town. One had to be extremely lucky to survive. In the last twenty years there had only been one survivor in all the Games. Roth. And he would be the first to admit that if luck hadn¡¯t been on his side, he would have died. And thinking about what those people would go through out of desperation, or because those who were framed were needed to shut up¡­Jeff felt sick.


    It was that moment of weakness that Jeff retreated and Roth took over. It surprised Roth that Jeff would give control back to him. Jeff would push to help. It was evident in his thoughts and in his heart, but he didn¡¯t push. That surprised Roth.


    ¡®It is your body, Roth,¡± Jeff answered the unspoken question. ¡®I want to help, I really do, but that would mean that I would hijack your body. Understand Roth, I¡¯m not a tyrant. I don¡¯t want you to do what you think is needless risk for you. For us. If we¡¯re going to help these people, I want us to do it together. I have skills and knowledge you can use and between the both of us, you will be better at using everything and make sure we survive. The question is, would you really want to? Or would you just slink back in the shadows, hope everything blows over and that the rebels will never speak your name.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re trying to manipulate me.¡¯


    Jeff mentally shook his head. ¡®I really want you to decide. Do you really want to be a thief forever? I know deep in your heart you just want to have a safe and quiet life. That¡¯s why you always make sure of your job. You don¡¯t want any more danger, but what else can you do? This is what you¡¯re good at. But what if things can be made right and you can have that normal life you always wished for as a kid?¡¯


    Roth didn¡¯t answer back. Somewhere deep inside of him was a buried, dead dream of living in peace with a family in a nice little home and a job that his children would be proud of. A dream of giving the kind of life to his children that he had been jealous of as a kid.


    Would joining the rebels resurrect that childhood dream? They were talking of storming the Games. Freeing the people who joined. Creating distractions and using jadetech to beat the guards and get more people to their cause. They had the heart and the dream of a better Taisao, but their methods would kill them. Part of him wanted to believe they could pull it off, but in reality, they would be crushed. And the bigger problem would be the torture after they were caught. Names would be asked. And his name would come up. He had evaded manhunts before, but looking for a nameless, faceless thief was something he could always use to his advantage. These rebels knew his face. Perhaps not his name, but his face would be more than enough.


    They argued about how best to storm the cells. How foolish it was. And by that time Roth couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The more he heard, the funnier their plans sounded, until he was laughing aloud that people stopped talking and turned to him. He was still in the shadows, most of his upper body covered in darkness.


    ¡°Really, you don¡¯t find all of this funny?¡± Roth said as his laughter died down. ¡°You ragtag bunch of people going against trained soldiers in jadetech that is still in its prototype stages. Assuming that you can even outfit half of your number in it. You really think you can win?¡±


    Nadia¡¯s face grew red, face a mask of fury. ¡°And you think we should just stand around and see our people killed? Who are you anyway?¡±


    ¡°Your resources don¡¯t match that of the Families. Your people and skills don¡¯t either. Face it, storming the place is suicide. What you need to do is steal the players. No players. No Games. Get them to your cause and protect them and they will be your army. Be careful and root out snitches. Be merciless. Then let people talk. Let people know what happened. Then little by little steal the confidence of the Families. Steal their resources. Weaken them by poking at their core strengths but never engage. Hit when they¡¯re smug, disappear when they want to fight. You¡¯re small and agile. Use that against a lumbering, slow behemoth. Grow your base and steal the hearts and minds of the people. The outer reaches have Taisao surrounded. What better positioning can you ask for.¡±


    A wave of mutters rushed through the crowd. Excited whispers. A plan that actually could work. Faces changed from worried to hopeful. From hesitant to eager. Even Dai started to see the point in what he said. He could see the old man thinking of all the things they could do.


    ¡°You know who to ask for when you want to think of actually succeeding.¡± He turned his back to them amazed at how he put together such a plan so quickly.


    ¡®Do I have you to thank for that?¡¯ Roth asked.


    ¡®That¡¯s both of our experiences combined. CIA and actual criminal experience. I guess I just have to remember terrorist guerilla tactics. They¡¯re insanely efficient and effective.¡±


    ¡°Shadow? Wait!¡±


    Without pause, Roth retreated and climbed up out of the cellar running back the way he came before anyone could even run up to him. It was bad enough that Nadia screamed out who he was, it¡¯s even worse if they saw his face.


    One thing he was sure though, he would hear from them again very soon.

 8: Your World and Mine

    ¡®Part of me thinks that you¡¯ve duped me,¡¯ Roth thought as he checked the new items Idris sold him. The shop had a few patrons, all of them selling the shop owner things they scavenged. One, however, was perusing at the refurbished junk that passed for low-class jadetech for the poor.


    Jeff snorted. ¡®Oh come on, you know you wanted to do it.¡¯


    ¡®Only because they¡¯re going to get themselves caught, and tortured. That would mean spilling out my involvement in this. Which means a manhunt. I hate manhunts.¡¯ Roth studied the blade in his hand remembering the last time he was identified and looked for by whatever passes for the law in this city. He grunted at all the work he had to go through to convince the law he was dead, before building up a new reputation as Shadow. He was not about to go through that again. So many clients lost. So much reputation to be built once again. Climbing back up from the bottom was not a pleasant experience.


    Roth turned to Idris and handed him payment in a little moneybag.


    ¡°No offense, but you know I have to count these first,¡± Idris said as he opened his drawer and spilled the money out.


    Roth shrugged. That was always how Idris did business. Always making sure of things. That was why he was the best. Now that Roth thought about it, he went into helping the rebels without making sure of anything. Well, not that he agreed yet. He could still back out of it.


    ¡®Think of your childhood!¡¯


    Roth growled as Jeff invaded his thoughts. Admittedly, that was part of the reason why he spoke at the underground meeting. He had no inclination to help, but the memories of his past unearthed a deeply buried emotion within him that caused him to act irrationally.


    ¡®Come to think of it,¡¯ Jeff said, ¡®I don¡¯t exactly know how you feel. I know you felt something. I just don¡¯t know what.¡¯


    ¡®Good,¡¯ Roth mentally smirked. ¡®At least there¡¯s still something we can keep from each other.¡¯


    ¡°All here,¡± Idris smiled at him. ¡°Always a pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have anything less than perfection,¡± Roth said he turned around to leave but stopped as Idris cleared his throat.


    ¡°Word on the street is, some people are looking for Shadow,¡± Idris murmured loud enough for Roth to hear


    ¡°Oh?¡± Roth said rummaging through his pack as though looking for something, hiding his mouth. No doubt Idris was busy with other things as well. ¡°What kind of people?¡±


    ¡°The usual kind of people and one not so usual. That one doesn¡¯t seem to be in our circles.¡±


    ¡°Any of my contacts reached?¡±


    ¡°Cross. But he still thinks you¡¯re in the Prison Catacombs.¡± Idris snorted. ¡°Funny thing is, there¡¯s a bet going on among your contacts about when you¡¯re going to be publicly executed. I have one bet that said you were going to get out.¡±


    ¡°People have no faith,¡± Roth grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to hand him the money as soon as you decide to make your escape public.¡±


    ¡°Make it public. Young criminals need a legend to look up to.¡± Roth stopped rummaging and nodded as if he was sure that all items were in his pack, then walked out the shop waving at Idris without looking back at him.


    ¡®Think it¡¯s the rebels?¡¯ Roth asked.


    ¡®Likely.¡¯


    ¡®What do they call themselves?¡¯


    ¡®You know I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Roth thought irritably. ¡®I didn¡¯t even know they existed until I was busted out.¡¯


    Out in the gray streets, the sun barely had any room to light the streets, but it was bright enough to walk around in, but dark enough that very narrow alleyways grew dark the deeper it got. It was like the law. It was there barely keeping peace and order, but it wouldn¡¯t pry when things got bad. It actually made Roth wonder why there aren¡¯t more criminals in the area. Perhaps as long as people had a means to live¡ªeven if it was in the mines¡ªmany would not resort to crime. It took guts and a seared conscience to be one. Something that can only be crossed by the most desperate. Or the inherently corrupt.


    Every now and then someone looked at him, but quickly looked away as he flashed his hand crossbow. Of course, he could always outfit himself with a jaderound, but those things were far too noisy when fired. Faster to fire and easier to shoot, yes, but it wasn¡¯t a weapon for one as sneaky as he was. Besides, jaderound ammunitions cannot be retrieved, unlike crossbow bolts. And they can¡¯t be outfitted with ropes or smoke pellets, or whatever his need may be.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡®What do you know, you have guns!¡¯ Jeff grinned as he followed Roth¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡®And apparently, your armor is made of layers of cloth,¡¯ Roth said, genuinely curious for the first time. ¡®I wonder if the same thing can stop a jaderound.¡¯


    ¡®And you actually have mechs! That is so cool!¡¯ Jeff said excitedly. ¡®You know I actually went to Japan and see¡ªwell, as much as I can see¡ªwhat the fuss was about with mecha and Gundam. The one in Odaiba was only a statue, but it was amazing. And to know that they actually work here? Well, more like the Iron Giant than a Gundam mech, but point is, we don¡¯t have that. Wow¡­it seems that you¡¯re more advanced in some things, as we are with others. Like how awesome with digital technology are and yours are so¡­Steampunk Industrial Revolution.¡¯


    Roth smirked despite himself. ¡®If I didn¡¯t have your memories and knowledge, I would have been completely lost with all the things you¡¯re going on about. But we don¡¯t run on steam.¡¯


    ¡®I know. You run on jade. I¡¯m so curious about how that works, because we have so much jade in our world, but impossible to use as a power source. And it¡¯s even green energy!¡¯


    Roth stepped out of the narrow streets opening to a large lake that stretched end over end. Usually, small boats dotted the lake. It wasn¡¯t the most pristine, but there were still some freshwater creatures that were able to live in it, and fishermen were all too eager to fish them out and sell them. Now however, they were nowhere to be found. Instead, wooden bridges were being built crisscrossing the huge lake. And all around, stands were being erected in sections, each able to hold a thousand spectators.


    Off to his right was the fortress. It was the heart of the games where people planned and prepared for the event. It was where players registered and were kept until they were called to play. It was where creatures and armory were kept. And it was more heavily guarded now than it normally was. The fortress used to be the home of the only man people respected in the Outer Reaches, Hadrian Emellian. People gave him everything as he sought to help out the people as best as he could. Roth didn¡¯t know much about the man as he died of an illness a hundred years before he was born, but as soon as he was gone, that was when the games began. His son disappeared, and the mansion taken by the Families.


    Not for the first time, Roth wondered what it would have been like if he lived during the time of Hadrian. Every memory of life during that time was erased, and everyone who remembered had long been dead. Now, all the Outer Reaches had were morphed stories that conflicted with each other, but one that stood out was that the Families wanted a hold on the Emellian estate for the treasure it held. What it was no one knew, and if the Families found it, no one could say.


    ¡®People said that in our world, places like this exist. People living in squalor. Having nothing to eat¡­¡¯ Roth thought sadly. ¡®I never knew what they were like. I was too afraid. They said a white man in such places in Africa and Asia would find themselves robbed and dead.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re thinking about the Edges,¡¯ Roth got the idea of what he was talking about and he grimaced. At the southern end of the lake, the Edges was the dead end of Taisao City. None but the most destitute and hopeless live there. And Roth lived there for two years, barely surviving day by day.


    ¡®I kinda feel bad for you,¡¯ Jeff said. ¡®I might have been blind but I was treated well. I had family and friends. And a girl I so badly wanted to confess to¡­I had a job that was fulfilling. When we caught criminals, it was an amazing feeling. Getting to know how criminals work. How we can out-think them. But I¡¯ve never really dug deep into why. I guess with you, I understand more now.¡¯


    Roth laughed. ¡®You think all criminals are like me, desperate? No. What you have to understand is that many are just plain evil. Many are just greedy, selfish, antagonistic just because they are. Just because they prefer things that way. People don¡¯t always need a reason to do bad. Truth is, sometimes they just do, whether they are aware of it or not.¡¯


    ¡®And you? Which are you?¡¯


    ¡®Started off desperate, continued because it¡¯s what I¡¯m good at. And honestly, it¡¯s a fun job. I don¡¯t regret killing off members and cronies of the Magnate Families. World¡¯s better without them. Thinking about how they deserve it, I actually enjoy it.¡¯ For a long moment, Roth noted the silence of the New Yorker. He didn¡¯t care about how Jeff felt about the matter, but the silence was very telling. Orr at least it narrowed down how Jeff felt. ¡®Angry?¡¯


    ¡®Disappointed. But you¡¯re not a lost cause.¡¯ There was an edge in Jeff¡¯s voice that Roth was surprised to hear. ¡®When I started in the CIA four years ago, we caught this terrorist who blew up a bomb in an event. They hurt many innocent people. People who thought they were just going to an event and have fun. Rich, poor, everyone was there. The kid was supposed to be in college and he was only three years younger, but his home in Syria was destroyed. He became a terrorist. Vowed to destroy the western civilization.


    ¡®Mia was one of the psychiatrists who worked with him. After a few years, he began to grow a conscience. Sought penance. He admitted he still harbored the hatred, but that he saw himself in the children he killed. I¡¯m not a psychiatrist, but at least we can try removing how you enjoy doing all this.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯d rather live a life without regrets.¡¯ Roth turned around and saw a man wearing a cloak embroidered with green mask patterns with a shocked expression. It was one of his contacts. Idris put out the word and it spread quickly.


    ¡®By the way, that was your idea I spouted on the rebellion gathering?¡¯


    ¡®Mine? That was all you. I¡¯m part of the anti-terrorist task force. I don¡¯t cause trouble. Besides, what do I know about stealing? People steal from the blind, not the other way around.¡¯


    ¡®And I don¡¯t do government destabilization plots. I plan break-ins.¡¯


    Roth looked back at the cloaked man. If neither of them thought of the idea, how did it just happen?


    But that was a puzzle for another day. He had a job.

 9: To Change Taisao

    Nadia sat inside a plush seating room with Dai. It was¡­more opulent than she expected from a place in the Outer Reaches. The room had no windows, and had a single door that was padded with so much softness along with the rest of the room, the only way a baby would get hurt is if he smacked his head on the table. It was so strange having such a richly-themed room that looked like a tiny, padded version of a rich man¡¯s study right in the middle of such a poverty-ridden location.


    The Old Hag¡¯s House was anything but old or a hag¡¯s, unless, of course, one looked at the exterior of the building, which was just as dirty, unkempt, and neglected as the rest of the buildings in the Outer Reaches. Who knew that at the tenth floor, riding up on a rickety jade-powered lift with grilled doors that creaked and squealed, lies such an opulent place.


    And one where only those with invitations could come in.


    Nadia had not grown up in the Outer Reaches but she did spend some time in it. To think that there were hidden gems like this made her uncomfortable. What kind of people met in such a lavish, strictly guarded location in the ugly side of the city?


    ¡°Act relaxed,¡± Dai said to her side. ¡°Or at least, unclench your jaws. We still have protection.¡±


    Nadia looked at the old man sipping on a beer he ordered, looking as if he had done this a thousand times. She took a deep breath trying to emulate him. Besides, he was right. They were well protected. ¡°How do you do it? You look so¡­calm about everything.¡±


    ¡°Child, I¡¯ve learned that in every decision I make, I just roll with whatever comes. That way, I won¡¯t be stuck in a half-assed job of doing things.¡±


    Nadia nodded at the wisdom of it, pulling at her gloves. Her jadetech-less gloves. The security of the place would not let them in if she didn¡¯t surrender them. She argued that they weren¡¯t weapons, just a technological toolbox she needed as a jadegeneer, but they would have none of it. Even Dai¡¯s cane was left with the guards. In the end, all they had was their clothes, but knowing Dai, he had another weapon tucked somewhere in his gentleman¡¯s clothing.


    At least, she hoped he did.


    She almost jumped as the door opened, barely managing to stay still and calm. In came Shadow, and as his namesake, he wore everything black, including the cloth mask that covered his face and head, the goggles over his eyes and the varying jadetech and weapons around his arms, and those strapped on a belt across his chest. With or without the mask, Nadia could feel the mystery surrounding him. Without the mask, his heritage was a mix of nations, and his eyes held a depth that even Dai admitted was too deep for him to read.


    Shadow closed the door behind him and sat opposite them across the table. ¡°I would offer you drinks, but it seems that you¡¯ve ordered, and you¡¯re too stiff for one. Now,¡± he leaned back, ¡°my contact told you about my consultation fee?¡±


    Dai reached in to take the money from his coat but Nadia touched his arm. ¡°Why are you so well-armed while we have to surrender everything? You own this place?¡±


    Shadow laughed. ¡°No. This is too gaudy for me. I¡¯m one of the clientele privy to this location. If anything should happen to the owner, it¡¯s my job to make sure he¡¯ll be safe. In exchange, we get to use the facilities he offers. Now, the payment?¡±


    Nadia removed her hand as Dai put the payment on the table. Shadow took it, and counted. Satisfied, he put it under his coat.


    ¡°Now, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°We want you to help us,¡± Nadia said. ¡°You said something that we think can work. We¡¯re all new to creating chaos and we need your help to pull this off.¡±


    ¡°To do exactly what?¡±


    ¡°Distabilize the Magnate Families.¡±


    Shadow laughed out loud. ¡°Are you,¡± he said as his fit of laughter started to die down, ¡°serious?¡±


    Nadia felt a stab of offense. ¡°Yes!¡± He had no right to laugh at their efforts. They wanted to change Taisao and help everyone live more peaceful and equitable lives. Both she and Dai tried to without resorting to revolution, only to be used by the Families and left for dead.


    Of course they were pretty damned serious!


    ¡°Okay,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°Okay, just let me¡­¡± he paused taking a deep breath. For a moment, he didn¡¯t move, he didn¡¯t speak, surprising Nadia with the next words that came out of his mouth. ¡°Sorry. Of course, you are serious. But that what this consultation is for. Though I have to admit, I was thinking this was a consultation about destroying the Games for the Families. And no, I won¡¯t charge you extra.¡±


    He said the last part a little too strongly that Nadia thought he argued with an invisible, silent opponent. Or maybe he had a communicator on his ear? But no. She could see no wires running to the floor or wherever it could be connected.


    ¡°Now, before anything, what exactly do you want to accomplish?¡±


    ¡°As I said, I want the Magnate Families gone,¡± Nadia said unable to keep the annoyance in her voice.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not the accomplish---wait, no. Let me make it clearer. What is your end goal? You remove the Magnate Families, then¡­?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Nadia was surprised he sounded rational. Calm. ¡°Replace them with a new government.¡±


    ¡°What kind? And for what reason?¡±


    Nadia was taken aback by the deep questioning that she looked to Dai. Between the two of them, Dai had the bigger picture, he had more answers and as a former university lecturer, he was more learned than she was.


    The old man shifted in his seat and stood straighter. ¡°We would like to change it with a system where people can vote. Where their voices can be heard. It has always been talked about in circles all around Miralai, but never implemented. Just think about it. The people decide exactly what happens to them! Now no one can be oppressed.¡±


    ¡°You want millions of people in Taisao to vote on every single thing?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dai said with a smile and Nadia could sense that he was beginning to enjoy this little trip meeting with a criminal. ¡°We divide Taisao into districts and the people vote for someone to represent them. Then, they decide what to do.¡±


    ¡°So you think that¡¯s better?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Voices are represented. The people get to put someone they trust into leadership. Someone who would protect their interests. And these representatives, to avoid confusion, vote on one who will lead all representatives.¡±


    ¡°Look, democracy sounds really nice on paper, but it¡¯s just as horrible as any other form of government.¡±


    ¡°Demo¡­cracy?¡± Dai blinked.


    Nadia looked from the old man to the thief. Perhaps, Shadow was more learned than any of them gave him credit for.


    ¡°Just a random word play. You know, demonstration and crazy? I mean it¡¯s a crazy new idea,¡± Shadow said a little too hastily and leaned forward. ¡°Anyway, what I mean is, voting does not ensure that your interest will be protected. Let¡¯s be real. Who are the ones who will be voted into office? Someone charismatic. Someone with money to get people to vote for him by giving them free stuff. Someone who can make a thousand promises that he wouldn¡¯t fulfill. Someone who will be supported by the rich with their wealth so they can go around and make the people vote for them. And the slim chance of someone who just really wants to make things better for everyone.


    ¡°See, people will vote for who they think promised them the best. Most people cannot be bothered and will have no means to vet the people who want to be elected. Or maybe some do, but people change with power. Power corrupts even the most well-intended, and when you fight over votes, it changes you. The honest become cunning, and those who stay true and honest and humble get stepped over.¡±


    Shadow leaned back. ¡°I am not saying that de¡ªthat voting is a bad idea. It¡¯s a good way to know the sentiment of the people, but it¡¯s not really about the kind of government. It¡¯s about the kind of people you have in power. You vote in the wrong people and the little people still suffer. You have a righteous non-voted ruler and things are pretty good.


    ¡°Think of it this way. You know of good businesses that are rich and have contented workers? Like the airship industry. Everyone is well-compensated and taken care of and the business thrives and grows because well-taken care of people take care of the business. None of those airship businesses are voting their leaders, but their leaders have the interest of the company at heart. Now just think how any business would do with a dem¡ªa voting system.¡±


    Nadia chewed on everything Shadow said and his thoughts blew her mind. Laborers would demand higher wages that could drive prices higher to the point no one could afford them. They would demand company budgets that would strain the coffers. And it wasn''t a farfetched idea for people to demand longer breaks, fewer work hours and days...their own schedule that would disrupt the entire company! Or if their interests weren''t represented by their leaders...Voting was a bad idea there.


    She glanced at Dai and saw him ponder on the things that Shadow said. She agreed with his line of thought, but it felt like it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°True¡­¡± Dai mused, ¡°but trust has been lost and we have to get it back.¡±


    Shadow shook his head. ¡°You know what, I shouldn¡¯t have gotten into this conversation. You¡¯ll figure it out when you get there. That¡¯s not my problem. Now, just to be clear, I take one job at a time. This whole revolution thing is not for me. Tell me what job you want to do. One at a time. We¡¯ll work on that.¡±


    And just like that, Shadow was as curt as Nadia first got to know him. Now, Nadia wasn¡¯t good with people, or maybe because she wasn¡¯t good with people, that she thought he had been two different people in one sitting.


    But that was not a puzzle she was willing to solve. Humans were far too complex, unlike machines.


    ¡°Well, of course we have to disrupt the games,¡± Nadia said. It was the most pressing concern they had, after all. ¡°Free the players. Make sure they have enough money to live off of. Maybe enough for those who want to leave to leave, and like you said, bring more people to our cause.¡±


    ¡°Steal the players. Steal the enjoyment and the confidence of the Families. Steal the money for the players. Possibly hijack an airship,¡± Shadow tapped his chin. ¡°That I can work with. It¡¯s complicated, risky, and I need a team.¡± Shadow wrote on a paper and slid the paper over to them.


    Nadia looked at the writing and her eyes bulged at the amount he demanded. ¡°Are you insane? Maybe you can use one of us instead of your associates for your team.¡±


    Shadow chuckled. ¡°You have a professional criminal in your ranks?¡±


    Nadia and Dai looked at one another. The amount was too much to ask from Steele and he was already doing some covering of his expenses through circuitous means just so his spending won¡¯t be questioned. They had to bring down this cost, but it would also expose an ace they had.


    One thing that Cross constantly assured them was that Shadow was a professional and that jobs and secrets go down with him like every other professional criminal. That was how they remained at the top, and there was only a handful of them. Whole careers in their line of work was destroyed with the utterance of a single hint, which was why there were too few of them at the top. Mandu told them same thing, but it did little to comfort her.


    That he would keep their secret didn¡¯t mean he would sell them out when he had the chance. Or that he was already hired by the Magnate Families to root them out and wipe them out.


    ¡°How do we know that you¡¯re not hired by the Families already against us?¡±


    Shadow sighed. ¡°Look. Take it or leave it. Business is business. I have other clients waiting, and if one of them is an order to root you out. Then I have information on what I need to do for the job.¡±


    ¡°If we pay you, you will not sell us out?¡± Nadia¡¯s palms were becoming slick with sweat through her gloves.


    ¡°Doing investigative work is not our thing. Once we go into that, it endangers our careers. One thing we can never ply our trade on is information. Kill, steal, sabotage? Sure. People don¡¯t know us coming and going or who sent us. Information? That leaves all kinds of footprints. Now you see why I can¡¯t sell you out. Might as well kill myself for destroying my reputation.¡±


    Nadia took a deep breath and looked at Dai once more. The old man nodded and she turned back to Shadow. ¡°We do have a professional criminal who can help. We don¡¯t know who he used to be, but he was a pretty big name before he went on the straight path.¡±


    ¡°Bring him, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Shadow stood up, but before he can take another step, Nadia stopped him. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±

 10: In for a Coin

    There were two kinds of silences in the world. One that made you feel alone and free, and another that made you feel as if it were a fog so thick it was oppressive and heavy.


    Sitting alone with the criminal that was with the rebels created a third kind of silence in the room. Roth couldn¡¯t decide what it felt like, but it felt tense, though not oppressive. Like lions sizing each other up before pouncing. The silence stretched on, neither giving in to the anticipation. That was a sign of someone competent, but not necessarily of the kind of criminal he usually worked with. For all he knew, the man was nothing but a low-level pick-pocket.


    The man covered his own face with a metal mask of a miner. Not uncommon, of course, for people to walk around in their work masks. Sometimes, it was easier to wear them than to carry them around, especially when workers lugged their tools with them.


    ¡°Ardthena?¡± Roth said.


    In Roth¡¯s head, Jeff was surprised at the realization of how complex and well-structured the crime scene was in Taisao. Roth had reverted to the crypt that only the highest circles knew of. A few exceptional men and women who garnered reputation and infamy by their aliases, or were leaders of organized crime were the only ones privy to the language. They consisted of single words that translated into whole sentences. There were not a lot of words, but there were enough to convey important messages. In essence, Roth just asked the man what line of work he was in.


    ¡°Capa,¡± the man said. Retired. It could also mean dead.


    Despite a correct answer, Roth wasn¡¯t impressed. He could have learned it from somewhere. Of course, someone else learning it was highly unlikely. Passing on the knowledge was part of the rite of passage, burned into their very memories the moment a member retired and embedded the jade shard from his body to his successor.


    Jeff could hardly wrap his mind around the concept. It was like inserting a flash drive from one person to another and downloading the entire vocabulary. That was one thing electricity couldn¡¯t do. Or if it could, his world had yet to discover it.


    ¡°I mean before,¡± Roth said. There was nothing in the vocabulary for that.


    ¡°Minkha.¡± It was the all-encompassing title for those who plan jobs, or were mercenary strategists.


    Roth couldn¡¯t help but be skeptical. In all, there were only four minkha in Taisao. And yes, one had been replaced six years ago, but that still didn¡¯t mean it was all lined up. Asking for his alias was an easy question, so he thought of a different track. ¡°Jbar?¡± Job. Or in this context, what notable job he had done.


    The man nodded. ¡°The Kalimar mines owned by the Karmal family. I¡­procured it in behalf of the Lyoness family.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Roth¡¯s brows crinkled. How that was accomplished was certainly not common knowledge even in the high circles. The only reason Roth knew about it was that WindWhisper took him as a partner for the job, along with Caravan. The payout made sure that the three of them would live comfortably doing nothing for three years. But there was one caveat to the story. WindWhisper died there. He saw it with his own eyes¡ªhow he was crushed in a grinding machine. The machine eating him slowly from the foot up to the leg. Roth, of course, didn¡¯t help. Between him and WindWhisper was a line of soldiers. To go there was suicide.


    ¡°We planted enough discontent and fixed the books. Caravan created the mechanisms to funnel the jade out and created pathways and explosions. You created havoc within the mines, delayed the family from coming with a family crisis, and I sowed discontent among the ranks and promptly died,¡± he said without skipping a beat. ¡°You, I remember, walked away from me.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡®Okay, so the man is not dead,¡¯ Jeff said trying to remove the memory when Roth saw WindWhisper being crushed. Even Jeff could still hear the screams and the crunch of bones that accompanied the blood.


    The man¡ªWindWhisper¡ªlaughed. ¡°Oh, come on Shadow. I¡¯m not going to crucify you for that. I understand. I would have done the same thing if our roles were reversed. But you see, that was also part of an elaborate plan to retire. Though I really did not expect my legs to be crushed.¡± He stretched out a leg and pulled up his pants revealing a metal leg with gears, cogs and tubes running through, with a green glow radiating from seams. ¡°I don¡¯t feel a thing, but it works as well as a leg.¡±


    Roth looked from the leg to WindWhisper¡¯s face, which, he surprisingly uncovered. It was the first time he had seen WindWhisper¡¯s face. The man had sandy hair and piercing blue eyes. His scar-less face radiated handsomeness with intimidation mixed in. Roth also knew who he was. Mandu. The General of the peace force in Taisao.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain you don¡¯t expect me to uncover my face as well?¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. Of course, there were a few who knew the faces behind the aliases of the top criminals. Like how Idris knew Shadow. But even they didn¡¯t reveal themselves to one another. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re risking your identity.¡±


    ¡°Because I want you to help the rebels.¡±


    ¡°You know, we all keep calling your group, rebels. Do you have a name? Rebels don¡¯t exactly inspire confidence,¡± Roth said echoing Jeff¡¯s concern.


    ¡°We¡¯re working on that,¡± Mandu said. ¡°I know you¡¯re fine with the system. You profit from it very well. In fact, you are getting most of the contracts from the families themselves as they try to pull each other down. But your life has to be more than that.¡±


    ¡°What, and be like you?¡± Roth snorted. ¡°Lackey to someone else?¡±


    ¡®You know, you may be right,¡¯ Jeff said. ¡®You¡¯re not a nice man.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Mandu shrugged. ¡°But being retired is only the official statement.¡±


    The gears in Roth¡¯s head suddenly began turning. Only the official statement? That meant that WindWhisper was still running a job that began from his ¡°death.¡± A six-year job that he was patiently working on.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect you to get caught. But when you were, well, plans formed in my head. Ever wonder why your mask was only taken off when you were alone with a single soldier? I chose him exactly for his horrible memory in people¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Truth to be told, we can continue with or without you, and I won¡¯t expect you feel any need to recompense me for leaving me to die. But I won¡¯t lie when I say that your expertise will increase our chances for success. All plans always fall on execution and I¡¯m working with the most crude of resources. Miners, workers, farmers¡­honest people who only want to do good, but have had enough of the cruelty dealt them. Ask them to do a simple pickpocket job and 99 out a hundred times, they will fail.¡±


    Roth leaned on the armrest. ¡°Why are you doing this? You could¡¯ve continued as WindWhisper for another ten years and then retire. Do whatever you want with your life.¡±


    ¡°Suffice to say, I have my reasons,¡± Mandu said. ¡°And you have yours as well. You practically offered your services. Against your clients. Seems to me, it¡¯s more than protecting your identity and your profession.¡±


    ¡®I hate you, Jeff,¡¯ Roth growled internally.


    Jeff snorted in return. ¡®I did not have anything to do with you laughing your ass off at their plans, and giving a crude skeleton of what to do. That was all you, you pompous thief.¡¯


    ¡®You unearthed my past. Rifling through my memories like that. It¡¯s a tender spot,¡¯ Roth muttered.


    ¡®Pfft! I unearthed it, but you could¡¯ve just run away and laughed after. I did give you your body back that time.¡¯


    Roth simmered in silence, wanting to scream at Jeff, but couldn¡¯t. Not with Mandu in the room with him. Instead, he took a deep breath and told Jeff, ¡®Shut up.¡¯


    Thankfully, Jeff did as he was told.


    ¡°You have your reasons and I have mine. I won¡¯t ask, and you won¡¯t pry. Law of Crime.¡± Mandu stood. ¡°If you want to be paid, fine. But also, remember: you¡¯re working with me and my resources. I think we can drive the price down, don¡¯t you think?¡± He put his mask back on and opened the door, speaking softly to one of the serving men before closing the door and sitting back in silence.


    Roth chewed on the thought. Working with WindWhisper meant that plans would be perfect and that the perfect people would be put in the perfect job. Among all minkha, he was a legend. He had a perfect track record, considering that his ¡°death¡± was included in the plan all along. And he had a knack for getting people to follow him. And the man was only two years his senior, a year or two into his thirties.


    A few more moments and Nadia and Dai came in, settling themselves in the negotiating table.


    This time, the negotiations tilted more against him. WindWhisper was an ace that he did not see coming.

 11: Red Band

    If the Outer Reaches was the moat where all the trash sunk, and the Estates were the rooms and ballroom of the nobility, Mid-Town was the rest of the castle. It was, as its namesake, in the middle of the two parts of the city in more than just its location. It was almost as clean and orderly as the Estates with just as many people and shops in the Outer Reaches.


    But more than that was the kind of people, shops and sights in Mid-Town that drove home to Jeff that he was no longer in his world. While he truly didn¡¯t see his world, he had a good idea of what it looked like. The sounds that he received gave his world an image¡ªof tall buildings of stone and glass, of noisy vehicles and planes. Of the hustle of people on their phones and of ships and technology mostly in plastic. Of people wrapped in cloth of the latest fashion or in corporate wear.


    In Mid-Town, Jade-lev replaced vehicles¡ªsome pulled by large animals like rhinoceroses for added protection and social status, and some moved on their own. Instead of planes, metal-and-glass mast-less galleons moved through the skies more commonly than planes and helicopters combined in his world. And instead of phones and tablets, people still used papers and books, writing with actual pens. Here and there an occasional horse or pack animal dragging carts could be found. And instead of the usual cloth, everyone wore a bit of metal on them, and not just belts or earrings or necklaces.


    Even walking around at night, lit by the city lamps, no one looked suspicious or out of place. People felt safe here, unlike in the Outer Reaches, but neither did they walk languidly as they did in the Estates. Everyone moved with a purpose.


    ¡®You do know you¡¯re acting like a child seeing a new toy,¡¯ Roth said as he walked the streets in a steel worker¡¯s mask and suit, carrying a set of tools that were not exactly in the steel worker¡¯s trade.


    ¡®But it¡¯s just all so¡­strange.¡¯ Jeff knew that it was all normal, he felt it was normal. But at the same time, he also knew this was not the way things were supposed to be. His and Roth¡¯s lives were still a jumble of confusion in his head.


    ¡®As fuzzy as your images are,¡¯ Roth said turning a corner to the warehouse district, ¡®your world is even stranger. Plastic? And what about those phones? Little squares where you talk to people anywhere without physical connections.¡¯


    To be fair, wireless technology was, indeed, amazing. Even he still couldn¡¯t wrapped his head about all that information and data floating in the air.


    Roth sidestepped a passing cart and stopped at one of the buildings. In this area, most of the buildings were identical: three storeys high and large enough to store at least three airships in. Unlike in the Outer Reaches, the warehouses here were clean and scrubbed down every day. Workers wore identical suits for the place they worked in, and not some strange combination of whatever people could put together in the Outer Reaches.


    He squeezed through the alleyway between the two buildings, put on his cloth mask and removed his worker¡¯s mask. Shrugging his worker¡¯s clothing and turning his coat inside-out, he was in the all black garb of Shadow. From his toolbox, he brought out his tools and attached them to his arms, strapped them across his body, and put his goggles on his forehead. Then, he dismantled the toolbox and the mask, and set them aside to make them look like scrap.


    ¡®I know I should know all about this,¡¯ Jeff said, ¡®But, wow, you¡¯re efficient!¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯d be dead if I wasn¡¯t.¡¯ Roth shot his hand bow that opened up into a grappling hook as it shot up. He tugged the rope twice and climbed, his feet barely making scraping sounds as he pulled himself.


    Pulling himself up, he unlatched the hook and walked to a corner of the roof. Cutting off a square large enough for him, he descended to the rafters making sure to close replace the section he cut.


    Books talked of men moving with cat-like grace, but it was the first time Jeff actually saw a man move as quickly, precisely and softly as a cat on beams that barely fit the width of Roth¡¯s feet. But Roth¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on his feet. They were on groups of men gathered below. He stopped in the middle and crouched.


    At the front of the warehouse, there was a large wall. On one side, which took up less than a tenth of the space, was a display of gears with different specifications and a desk for an attendant who entertained clients who chose from the displays during the day. Behind it were large machines for the gear work, but they were not arranged in the most efficient and space-saving manner as with all manufacturing warehouses. Here, the machines were pushed to the side creating a large space in the middle. And there, in that space, were the rebels.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    At the end of the warehouse, he could see the smallest group. They worked quietly on desks with tools and glass discs that magnified things on the desk. One of them, Roth saw was Nadia. In the middle were four other groups. One, he could see was headed by Dai. The man seemed to be teaching them to fight. He didn¡¯t know how long the rebels had been training, but if they were new, it would make sense why they were far from being combat-ready.


    Of course, Roth could have just come in and said the password the rebels gave him, but it always paid to be certain. Always better safer than to walk into another trap.


    He walked over on top of the tallest machine and dropped down, still silent in the midst of the cacophony the people below were making. One of the men training under Dai saw him and froze. Roth leaned against the machine, his arms crossed under his chest. A few more moments and the lad cried out to Dai, the quarterstaff he had at the ready.


    Roth suppressed a laugh. People would have been dropping down and dying one by one if that was the job he was here for. He had made his entrance as noticeable as possible, but only one person actually saw him, and it took a few more seconds before he raised the alarm. People turned to face him quite unsure what to do.


    Before anyone else could react, a man covered head to toe in grey garb stepped in between Roth and the rebels.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know when you were going to come down, or where from.¡±


    Mandu. Of course he had an identity to hide as well. Moreso now that he was also a public figure. Stepping on so many eggshells.


    ¡°I guess I still have a measure of unpredictability.¡± Roth pushed off from the machine. ¡°I only saw three eyes watching out for this warehouse.¡±


    Jeff started. ¡®There were three people watching?¡¯ He didn¡¯t even notice.


    ¡®Of course, you won¡¯t notice. You were busy being in awe.¡¯ Jeff said.


    ¡°Seven. Only one mentioned you, but even then, in passing.¡± Mandu shrugged. ¡°They need more training. But you didn¡¯t see the other four, so that¡¯s good enough.¡±


    ¡°Grey Cloak,¡± the man who saw Roth first cut in, ¡°You know this man?¡±


    ¡®Grey Cloak?¡¯ Jeff mused. ¡®That is so on the nose.¡¯


    ¡®We don¡¯t need to be creative for names,¡¯ Roth said. ¡®We just have to be remembered. I¡¯m not the first Shadow. There was one twenty years before me. But he was more of an assassin in the pure sense.¡¯


    Mandu nodded. ¡°This is Shadow.¡± He paused and a ripple of murmurs went through the ranks. ¡°He will be helping us free our brothers from the Games.¡±


    The cheering started out small, but the enthusiasm carried and soon, more and more people joined in. Roth winced, feeling pressure knowing that people expected a lot from him. Quickly, Grey Cloak rounded them up and settled them back to what they were doing.


    Roth stayed where he was. Mandu and he hadn¡¯t gone over the plans, or what they were going to do to wreck the Games, so he waited, but it was Dai who came up to him.


    ¡°How many would you have killed if your job here was to kill us?¡±


    Roth raised an eyebrow under his cover. Dai was very much aware of the situation. Again, the man was more astute in combat than he let on. ¡°Counting Grey Cloak¡¯s warning, I¡¯d say I¡¯d have gone through a quarter of you before I have to deal with whatever countermeasures Grey Cloak has.¡±


    Dai¡¯s brows rose. ¡°I thought you would have gone through more.¡±


    Roth shrugged. ¡°I hit and run kind of guy, and not a pure assassin. With Grey Cloak here, I would be more cautious. You don¡¯t get a second chance at life. You screw up, you¡¯re dead.¡±


    Jeff cleared his throat. ¡®Um, hello? Second chance here?¡¯


    ¡®Shut up. We will go to that priest again soon and find out how to get you out.¡¯


    ¡°No style or school of fighting, I reckon?¡± Dai looked him up and down. ¡°Just plain survival, instinct and raw skill.¡±


    ¡°Fighting styles are for fighters. I¡¯d rather spit out a poisoned dart and kill the man from afar then hide before his friend can strike back.¡±


    ¡°To each his own.¡± Dai smiled.


    At that moment, Grey Cloak stepped up with Nadia in tow. ¡°We have to talk about how to infiltrate the Games.¡±


    ¡°Before that, you have to have a name first. Calling you ¡®the rebels¡¯ isn¡¯t exactly the most inspiring way to start this,¡± Roth said. ¡°Grey Cloak called me Shadow in front of everyone and you see the effect? You have to have a name that you can use to inspire the same thing.¡±


    Grey Cloak nodded as he led them to a small corner office with piles of papers that looked like orders. He closed the door behind them. ¡°We¡¯ve tried. But we can¡¯t come up with anything.¡±


    ¡®Well, since you guys are so literal, why don¡¯t you call yourself Red Band?¡¯ Jeff laughed. ¡®You know for the tickets in the Games.¡¯


    ¡°Red band,¡± Roth said.


    ¡®Whoa! Wait. What?¡¯ Jeff choked.


    ¡°Red band?¡± Nadia asked.


    ¡°Many of the common people¡ªthose who are not of the nobles¡ªare forced to pay to watch the games,¡± Roth said. ¡°To signal they have paid, they wear red bands on their arms. Many wouldn¡¯t like to be there, but they have no choice. They might lose their jobs. Let¡¯s make that red band a symbol of power to the people.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re serious?¡¯ Jeff said in disbelief.


    ¡®Might have been a joke to you, but it¡¯s a good idea,¡¯ Roth said.


    Dai grinned. ¡°I like how you think.¡±


    Nadia nodded. ¡°It makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Red Band it is, then.¡± Grey Cloak sealed the name.


    ¡®What do you know, Jeff? You can be helpful sometimes.¡¯ Roth grinned under his mask.

 12: The Plan

    Roth waited in the small office as Dai and Nadia went out to spread their name and tell some of the women there to make red bands for everyone. Alone with a silent Mandu, he wondered for the nth time why he was in this rebellion business. Sure, he was going to get a cut from the treasury, but this job was bad for business. Not only was he putting his life on the line, but he was also targeting people who paid a lot for his services. Besides, he really didn¡¯t need the money for this job. He had so much shored up in the Calcedonian banks that he didn¡¯t even need to work for five years and still live comfortably.


    ¡®You want me to dig up why again?¡¯


    Roth grunted earning him a look from Mandu. He brushed the man off and returned to his mental conversation with Jeff. ¡®I don¡¯t need the reminder.¡¯


    Honestly, it was more like he didn¡¯t want the reminder. He hated who he was: a scrawny little kid whose parents died even before he knew what parents were. Raised by a small-time gang of thieves, he lived day-to-day and getting beat up when he didn¡¯t have anything to show for. He tried so many times to get an honest job or an honest trade, only to be shoved away. When he accepted an offer for the Games, he thought he had nothing to lose. And when he survived¡­that was when he saw that the world of poverty he knew was only one side of the story. He saw the abundance of the rich for the first time, and that disgusted him. Not that they were rich, but that they thought nothing of the lives of the poor but as slaves to enrich them or toys to amuse them.


    ¡®Fine. So how are you going to come up with the plan?¡¯ As soon as the thoughts got out from Jeff did he realize he knew how.


    ¡®WindWhisper and I have done several jobs together,¡¯ Roth said, ¡®We think similarly, but he would always come up with something to make it work better. And I would supply the probability of success according to the skills of everyone involved.¡¯


    Jeff nodded. ¡®And you¡¯re worried with what you have to work with?¡¯


    Roth nodded mentally. ¡®For this to be successful, no one must know we¡¯re in until we¡¯re out.¡¯


    Before Jeff and Roth could continue, Nadia and Dai came in and sat themselves in the little room, closing the door behind them.


    ¡°They liked it,¡± Dai leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. ¡°But how are we actually going to pull this off?¡±


    Grey Cloak stood and took a pen and walked over to one part of the wall that was overlaid with a glass panel. ¡°First, we have to understand all the parts¡ªwell, you have to understand all the parts that make it work, then figure out how you¡¯re going to break them. So four goals: Destroy the Games,¡± he started writing them down, ¡°get the players out and safe, take the money, and make the Red Band known. So first, we start with getting the players out since it¡¯s the priority. How do we do it?¡±


    Nadia and Dai looked at each other. Roth knew that their solution would be to get in, bash some heads and get the people out. But that didn¡¯t work.


    ¡®Get an insider and sabotage from the inside,¡¯ Jeff said.


    ¡®That thought wasn¡¯t from me,¡¯ Roth said, ¡®But I am thinking the same thing.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s what the jihadists did. And they were able to shake the strength of the USA.¡¯


    Roth didn¡¯t know what the USA was, but he understood what it was from Jeff¡¯s memories. Jeff had been at work decrypting noises of possible leads. He passed several recommendations to his superiors about a possible infiltration, but no one paid him any mind until it was too late.


    In the silence, Roth stepped up to help Nadia and Dai along. ¡°The fortress is guarded by twenty of the Families¡¯ elite forces, five from each house. Under them, a soldier of twenty each. Don¡¯t let the four hundred men fool you. The only ones you really need to worry about are the elites. The others are greenhorns. But even before you have to worry about them, you have to think about how to get the locks picked. All of the locks are held by a single man, always heavily guarded by four of the elites.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°So, we have to get the keys and distract the guards?¡± Nadia asked.


    ¡°Close enough,¡± Roth grabbed another pen from the desk and wrote infiltrate and distract side by side under the save players. ¡°Fist, we have to get a man to work closely with the master of keys¡ªor whatever his official title is¡ªsteal the keys then distract the guards.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a pickpocket in our ranks,¡± Dai said, ¡°But how do we get him close and how do we distract the guards?¡±


    ¡°The Lockmaster¡¯s assistant will be¡­unavailable for an indeterminate amount of time. The how doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll take care of that,¡± Grey Cloak wrote the word assistant. ¡°You have to put a man with a good head on his shoulders and a deft hand. Or at least a smart man who isn¡¯t clumsy and we can work with him.¡±


    ¡°And the distraction?¡± Dai¡¯s brows creased, his mind working.


    Roth drew a line from distract to destroy Games. ¡°Part of the main event in the games are the beasts against the players. Make the beasts rampage where they shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Nadia put a hand to her lips. ¡°The beasts are located in a different part of the lake and with a different Lockmaster.¡±


    ¡°That lockmaster is going to be Lishin Tailan,¡± Grey Cloak wrote the name. ¡°Shadow can take care of her.¡±


    Roth shrugged. ¡°Had her as a client once. Careful woman, but workable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± Grey Cloak¡¯s eyes twinkled as he looked at Roth. ¡°Now, Taking the money will be the same as getting the players out. Infiltration and diversion.¡± Grey Cloak scribbled on the glass and connected diversion with make Red Band known.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of the keys to the money?¡± Roth looked at Grey Cloak.


    ¡°Edmark Ducasse,¡± Grey Cloak said.


    Roth grinned inside his mask. ¡°We need a seductress. The man¡¯s single and is going to be in an arranged marriage he doesn¡¯t want. He¡¯ll be looking for a distraction from that.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have a whore in our ranks,¡± Dai said. ¡°That would make the job easier, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Nadia will do,¡± Roth said, ¡°Not that I¡¯m saying you¡¯re a whore. Cute girls are his type. It¡¯s not even that hard with him as your target. Plus, you¡¯re a jade engineer, so you know how jadelocks work. That¡¯s a plus.¡±


    Nadia grit her teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to seduce anyone. I¡¯m not even a friendly person.¡±


    Grey Cloak¡¯s eyes twinkled at Roth.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Cons are your specialty, not mine.¡± Roth could hear the grin in Grey Cloak¡¯s voice as he said it. ¡°Besides, you did say he¡¯s not a hard target.¡±


    Roth sighed. ¡°Only if she¡¯s willing to put in the work.¡±


    Nadia grunted. ¡°If it means saving those people and forwarding our goals, fine.¡±


    Grey Cloak nodded. ¡°Good. Now that we have the basics, we need to work on the background. We need to sabotage the jadetech security systems and make sure that the players and their families get away or get housed with us if they¡¯re going to join our cause. Nadia, I¡¯ll let you take point on the jadetech. Roth, how many can you babysit for the infiltration?¡±


    ¡°Never worked with them, don¡¯t know how good they are,¡± Roth rubbed his chin. ¡°Three, including Nadia.¡±


    ¡°We can work with that,¡± Nadia nodded.


    Grey Cloak turned to Dai. ¡°You can get them out?¡±


    Dai nodded. ¡°An airship captain owes me and the rest, yeah, we can sneak them out.¡±


    Roth¡¯s brows rose at Grey Cloak. The man was apparently confident in the old man¡¯s skills.


    ¡°He¡¯ll surprise you,¡± Grey Cloak said knowing exactly what Roth¡¯s reaction meant.


    The got over a few more details and by the time they were done, Jeff had the equivalent of a hanging mouth. ¡®It¡¯s like you read each other¡¯s minds!¡¯


    ¡®We get each other,¡± Roth followed everyone out and he slipped away from the building, and using the cover of the shadows, changed back to a steel-worker¡¯s outfit and, finding his discarded tools, reassembled them and went on his way back to the Outer Reaches.


    ¡®So, how are we going to find time to talk to Haram?¡¯ Jeff asked.


    ¡®We will have the time,¡¯ Roth said. ¡®If the jadegeneers are good, we don¡¯t have to spend a lot of time going back over and over. If not, then we have to spend more time pretending to be part of the security check.¡¯


    ¡®And how long do you think it will take them?¡¯


    ¡®I saw Nadia¡¯s work. She¡¯s good. Whoever she¡¯s bringing, I¡¯m not sure, but at least I know one of the three is reliable.¡¯


    ¡®Speaking of Nadia¡­¡¯ Jeff grinned, ¡®You¡¯ll be teaching her how to seduce.¡¯


    ¡®Now that will take time.¡¯ Roth grunted.


    ¡®Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡¯


    ¡®Shut up, Jeff!¡¯ Maybe he would enjoy it if the woman wasn¡¯t cold and hard.


    ¡®As they say, the more you hate, the more you love.¡¯


    Roth winced. ¡®Who says that?¡¯


    Jeff shrugged. ¡®Heard it from a friend. But really, it¡¯s not impossible. You¡¯ll never know. You might be attracted to each other.¡¯


    ¡®No, thank you. I don¡¯t need to explain how I like to be alone. It¡¯s just more logical.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, but since when are emotions logical?¡¯


    ¡®Shut up.¡¯

 13.1: The Art of Seduction

    Nadia hugged herself, grumbling as she made her way through the streets, pulling her shawl closer to herself. She had tried to argue her way out of this. There had to be some way of stealing the keys without seducing a man! Granted, she wasn¡¯t a pickpocket, but there has to be a way of taking it without him knowing.


    She sighed. There was no way learning to seduce was going to be easier than learning to pick pockets¡­or in this case, getting the key off of the man¡¯s neck.


    As soon as she got to the Pleasure District, she stopped and blanched, still in disbelief that she was here. She made sure to be in the Mid-Town side of the district, but it was easy to see where the buildings and the people transformed into that of the Outer Reaches.


    Where she was, the buildings looked reputable, and even the names of the establishments were classy. The streets looked dignified and so did the patrons who came up in their tuxedoes and top hats and canes. The further down she looked the more the streets shed off its mask to what it really was. Beyond, she could see women hanging out outside their establishments, bosoms threatening to spill from cuts that were too low. Face paints were either gaudy or nonexistent with nothing in between.


    Nadia shuddered. She could never be any of those women!


    ¡°Asher.¡±


    Nadia turned around surprised at the voice, hand gripping at the jaderound in her hand, before relaxing when she recognized him. Shadow barely had a rugged look about him, but he did have a strong jaw. His high cheekbones and narrow eyes gave him his Roku-Shinlai appearance, and his skin color said he was Mauan, but when you add his blue eyes and his build, he was pretty much Calcedonian. It shouldn¡¯t work, but on him, the mish-mash of nationalities did.


    ¡°My name is Asher,¡± Shadow said. ¡°You are Nadia yes?¡±


    He had on a pleasant smile that Nadia wanted to punch. ¡°I am not going to learn to be a whore,¡± she hissed.


    Shadow laughed and Nadia grumbled. The man looked pleasant and charming. It was like who he was and what he looked like were two very different people. I was hard to hate him face-to-face like this, but it was easy to dislike him because of his morals and everything he stood for.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he said, offering his arm. ¡°Come, stroll with me.¡±


    Nadia looked at his arm, then at his face. Was she supposed to take it? He nodded and she sighed, walking arm-in-arm like he was a gentleman and she a lady. It was all an act that must be a way Shadow masked his identity.


    ¡°I ask you to trust me. Everything will come to light. And I will assure you that by the end of the job, you will not be soiled unless you want to. Seduction will be nothing but a mere distraction to what you really have to do.¡± He touched her finger ever so gently in assurance, and strangely, Nadia did feel a little more at ease with what she had to do.


    They walked deeper and deeper into the heart of the pleasure district until they came to where the two divisions seemed to merge.


    ¡°You see the women displaying their wares?¡± He said very conversationally as if they were talking about the weather.


    Nadia nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Shadow smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to hear.¡±


    Nadia¡¯s brows creased. ¡°I don¡¯t understand Sha¡ªer¡­Asher. Why are we here? Why am I looking at the women if you don¡¯t want me to do that?¡±


    ¡°I want you to look at what not to do. You see, when people hear the word seduce, this is what people usually think about: blatantly showing what they have to offer. Enticing with such wild abandon. But that is the worst way to seduce.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I want you to look at them. Observe them. Think about how you would to all of what they do without being so obvious.¡±


    Nadia sighed and looked at the whores. They swayed their hips and shimmied their breasts at people, calling out with sickly sweet voices, batting their eyes so often it was like dust was in their eyes. Everything they did felt so¡­contrived.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting it,¡± he smiled at her. And she found that his smile was very, very charming indeed. And yes, it made him handsome, if she admitted it only to herself.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. Your face showed everything,¡± he grinned boyishly. ¡°I knew you were smart enough to get it. And yes, all this is something I would hate for you to do. After all, your charm lies in your purity and innocence. It would not do to have you soiled. Horrible thought that.¡±


    Nadia blushed as he talked about her purity and innocence. Of course there was value in not being carnal, but to have him say it, it felt embarrassing. Like she wasn¡¯t an adult. She bristled, but took his advice and observed the women who reeked of desperation, blatantly telling the men to take them. It was distasteful, catering to the basest instinct of men to satisfy their needs, but it obviously only worked for those who themselves are desperate for a lay.


    ¡°You see, Nadia,¡± Shadow¡¯s conversational tone continued at her side, ¡°a Ducass needs nothing. They can want, but need? They have everything and their desires are not on the readily available, but on the unattainable. Something they can feel is a conquest because they can¡¯t easily have it. And that is your job,¡± He turned to her, bright eyes gentle, as if sharing a conversation that was only meant for them both. ¡°Make him want you, by denying him. Make him curious by being different and interesting.¡±


    Nadia caught herself staring at him and she took a deep breath surprised that she had been holding off breathing. There was a¡­change in Shadow. Something she could not put her finger on. The Shadow she knew, the one they took from the Prison Catacombs, was rough, heartless and quick to get people out of his way. This Shadow was different. Charming. Easy to be with. But perhaps, it was because he was without his mask in public. If people recognized him, this charming man whose lips were perpetually quirked as if he held a secret, they wouldn¡¯t connect him with the stoic outlaw Shadow.


    ¡°Come,¡± he offered his arm out again, the very picture of a perfect gentleman. ¡°Perhaps you can absorb things better once you¡¯ve had a bit of a treat in you. Calcedonian strawberry cake, maybe?¡±


    Nadia couldn¡¯t help but smile. The cake was a favorite of hers! But she quickly schooled her face still and took his arm without a word.


    Shadow chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    Nadia took a deep breath and nodded. She was never one for a lot of words, but now, she couldn¡¯t even trust herself to speak as he shook her whole view of him. Perhaps, this was the real Shadow? She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He looked ahead tipping his top hat to a few people who greeted him. His cordial look never wavered.


    He stopped a jadelev carriage and told the driver to head to the Leranne House in the Estates. Nadia gasped. Prices in any establishment in the Estates were exorbitant, but it didn¡¯t faze Shadow and even hiring a jadelev was an excess. They could have just rented a carriage. Cheaper. It was the difference between levitating and traveling on wheels. But since he was paying, she rode with him, still in wonder that he even knew where to get the best Calcedonian cakes.


    He grinned at her and nudged her chin prompting her to close it. She bushed and looked out the window as the jadelev passed the streets.


    ¡°Oh, come on, Nadia. Not even a word to me?¡±


    There were a thousand things she wanted to ask from his appearance to his finances to knowing what she wanted, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. Instead, she settled for the first thing that came into her head. ¡°Why are you helping us?¡±


    Shadow paused for a moment, considering, then sighed, letting his arms rest on his knees leaning toward her as they sat opposite each other. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know I didn¡¯t have the best childhood with what I¡¯ve become. But the reason behind it all still eludes me. Perhaps, in time, we¡¯ll know for certain what it is. For now, let¡¯s just say, I don¡¯t want other children to go through the same things I have.¡±


    Nadia searched his eyes for any guile. For any semblance of trickery or deceit. She saw none. He was earnest and that shocked her more than anything. A man like him made a living out of lying and other underhanded tactics. To see him actually honest, open and vulnerable¡­it was unexpected.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask what you have been through to create this rebellion yourself. I¡¯m sure you will tell me when you feel more at ease about it.¡±


    Asking what he went through would have been rude when he made the statement, so she asked the other thing that was on her mind. ¡°Do you really think we can do this?¡±


    ¡°If you and your jadegeneers are as good as you claim, then the security wouldn¡¯t be a problem. More than anything, it¡¯s the jademechs that would worry me. Sabotage that, and we can probably take care of any other mishap.¡± He leaned back, his eyes twinkling, ¡°And if you do a good job, we won¡¯t have to resort to a riskier backup to get the money.¡±


    Nadia stiffened. ¡°You have a backup plan?¡±


    Shadow nodded. ¡°Always. With everything. Even with my part. Sometimes, things don¡¯t always go the way you planned. What do you do then? How do you make it work? Of course, spur of the moment decisions make a big impact on the outcome, but plans under plans provide a safety net that reduces problems.¡±


    ¡°So that was why you were so stiff and snappy when we took you to steal from the lab?¡±


    Shadow nodded. ¡°If it failed, what do we do? If we get caught with no way out, what will make sure we get out of it alive? Nothing.¡± He shrugged, palms open. ¡°People say our business is risky. They¡¯re right. But when you know how to manage risk, well, it becomes a different matter. It¡¯s what separates the common thief from the¡­specialists.¡±


    That bit of information shed a little more light into who Shadow was, but she still didn¡¯t know if she could trust the rebellion¡¯s success in a criminal¡¯s hands. Of course, Mandu was a different case. The man was there from the beginning. Helped build the Red Band from the ground up. Covered for the Red Band¡¯s activities.


    And Shadow was nothing but someone who ran in Mandu¡¯s circles before he reformed.

 13.2: The Art of Seduction

    As soon as they arrived, Shadow got down and offered his arm to her again. She took it and looked at the Leranne House as Shadow paid for the fare. ¡°Are you sure about this Sha¡ª¡± she frowned shutting her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡±


    Shadow laughed. ¡°Asher. We have to remedy that forgetfulness of you. It¡¯s best if you remember names and faces, even if you would rather remember the names and features of different jadetech. For now, always keep in mind may name, Asher. Shall we, Nadia?¡±


    The way he said her name made her feel like she was a lady of sorts. She blushed and nodded. He spoke to the waiter at the greeting area and he promptly led them to a corner of the expensive dining spot with drapes that partially hid the diners. Shadow¡ªAsher, pulled a seat for her and she fidgeted as she sat down. All of this was too opulent. Too rich! It was obscene. From the gold-and-jade gilded tableware to the plush seating, she felt like she was drowning in luxury.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Asher smiled across her. ¡°You must be used to such excessiveness if you¡¯re going to blend in with the Families. Pretend as if you belong here. Because you do. And you¡¯re probably smarter than anyone else, so you have the right to act all snobbish like the rest of them.¡±


    Nadia gave a small smile. Yes, she was probably smarter than many in the Families. And yes, at the same time, she needed to get used to this if she was going to steal from Edmark Ducass. She took a deep breath and focused on enjoying the ambiance and the light music that floated through the whole establishment. And when the food arrived, she savored every bite of the cake.


    She was having a wonderful time of it that she almost didn¡¯t recognize a sudden heat that enveloped her hand on the table. She looked at Asher¡¯s hand on top of hers and then at him, feeling the heat radiate from his hand to her cheeks. Her eyes remained on his face, his roguish features softer. As if he understood her pain. Why she was going through with this rebellion.


    And then she thought of another thing. His hand was rough and calloused. A working man¡¯s hands. Not the soft plush hands of a rich man doing nothing with his life than amassing more wealth for himself without anything to spare for others.


    In the grand scheme of things, Nadia and Asher shared a reason to rise up. They¡¯ve had enough of how the Families controlled jade and the people living in Taisao. And those eyes told her he understood more than anyone.


    Suddenly, he let her go, eyes turning ice and sat back with a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. Any further and I would have thoroughly seduced you. We¡¯re quitting here while you still have some wits about you.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Nadia recoiled surprised at how she was taken in. She actually thought him charming and he was just playing her! Anger roiled inside her for playing with her.


    Shadow eyed her, head barely resting on his index and forefinger as he leaned over to the side. ¡°You¡¯re pissed. I know. But what¡¯s new? You¡¯ve always hated me, so brush that off. Think about the differences between the whores and what I did, and think about fitting into this kind of lifestyle. Going into it like you actually belong and channel that anger toward coolly biting the head of those who don¡¯t think you belong in this opulence.


    ¡°Actually, the more you hate me, the better. You will be charming Edmark, and he¡¯s not a very handsome fellow who would sympathize with your cause. If you seduce him with that anger uncontrolled and boiling within you, you will not succeed. So, refocus all that anger and with all you¡¯ve seen and experience, you will have to try to seduce me. If I think you can properly seduce someone you hate like me, then Edmark would be an easy target for you.¡±


    What he said made sense, of course. Aside from the fact that she didn¡¯t know how to seduce, she found that she had a gut-wrenching distaste for seducing someone from the Families. Which means that she would fail if she let her distaste show. But actually seducing Shadow? She blanched.


    ¡°I am not going to seduce you,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°You have no choice. You have to wear a mask completely and utterly so that he will not see through your motives. You want to succeed? You do it my way. We don¡¯t have time to hire a courtesan to teach you how to perfect the art. It will take you months¡­no, if It¡¯s you, it will probably take years. I¡¯m putting you through the test over and over. You learn faster but it¡¯s also the harder way. We have a few weeks and all those lives will hang on weather or not you do your job right. Grey Cloak and I won¡¯t have any issues killing people, but you do. Think about that when we meet tomorrow.¡±


    Shadow stood and straightened his coat, his features changing again into that cordial gentleman. Into his alter-ego Asher. Shadow, was again, nowhere to be found in the mask he was wearing. ¡°Now, Nadia, would you like to go home? It would be a pleasure to escort you back.¡±


    Nadia clenched her jaw. She knew she should take his arm, but the rogue was nothing but that. A criminal whose whole life is a lie. And she could not bear to touch such a horrible person! Instead, she stood and swept out of the place with Shadow walking behind her.


    Finally, he caught up and she saw him smirk out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Ah, lover¡¯s quarrel. I hope you forgive me, Nadia, but we shall work on so many things with you if you wish to succeed. Remember, you hold an important role. If you cannot keep a mask, then the failure is yours.¡±


    Nadia saw his arm still offered to her but she clenched her hands to her sides and refused to take it. She would put on that damned mask, but not now. Now, she would seethe in anger at being duped. She would let it boil and simmer and overflow into rage, which she would dissipate once she got back with a few jaderounds.

 14: Knife in the Dark

    ¡®Cruel. So cruel.¡¯


    ¡®Shut up, Jeff!¡¯ Roth growled. ¡®Stop harping at me.¡¯


    ¡®But what you did to Nadia¡­¡¯


    ¡®Believe me, there was no way for that stiff to learn quickly. Now, will you please shut up? I¡¯m meeting a client.¡¯ Thankfully, Jeff did shut up, but he could still feel the judging presence Jeff had in his head.


    Roth sat in the usual plush room in the Old Hag¡¯s House. His glass of whiskey was almost empty, but he had gotten there earlier than the agreed time just so he could think. He could always walk away from this rebellion business. Especially when he looked at the ideas running through Jeff¡¯s mind.


    Rulers did come and go, and it was the luck of the draw whether you get a good one or one that¡¯s absolutely horrible. Democracy wasn¡¯t the solution. While it did give people a voice, a lot of smart and rich people could still dupe the populace and cause havoc. As in the case of whoever the President Zuma guy was. And even dictators and rulers held countries together better like this Saddam Hussein person did as opposed to the introduction of a failed democracy in Iraq. Then there were great monarchs in the past who had done well for their people like Emperor Cyrus II, King Louis XIV and Emperor Meiji.


    It was still strange knowing all that and understanding all that, and yet he didn¡¯t. But he knew one thing from all that knowledge Jeff had. Whoever the Red Band placed as the head of their new government had better be someone who can be wise, benevolent and cunning all at the same time if they were going to reform the city, help the people and fend off those who would try to subdue Taisao all over again.


    ¡®Basically, yes,¡¯ Jeff said. ¡®Democracy has so many ways it could be abused without those abuses being seen by the public. At least with emperors and monarchs, you know where the problem is.¡¯


    But the rebellion didn¡¯t know that. Democracy was never tried in Miralai. The Roku-Shinlai had warlords who competed in the strength of their land. Calcedonia had monarchs with rulership passed down by birth. Maua had rotating tribal leaders chosen in tests of wisdom and courage. Kanda had high priests drawn by lottery. To vote another person to be the leader of the land was unheard of!


    The door opened and a man swept in wearing the distinctly Roku-Shinlai rich garb, consisting of an overlapping robe with elaborate silk stitches and pants that looked more like two skirts stitched together. He wore no sword or mask following the rules of the Old Hag¡¯s House. He was a lithe man, but face, sun-kissed and hardened. Someone of the warrior class¡ªsomeone who ranked high in their country.


    Of course he was. Roth dealt with him three times before. Two planting jobs and one requiring him to steal a letter from a Ducass. He paid well and he was one of his best clients, but Roth didn¡¯t know what his real name was and neither did he want to know. Business was business.


    ¡°Kuronoma,¡± Roth nodded for him to sit.


    The man bowed slightly and took his seat. He looked at the red wine on his side of the table, but did not touch it. Odd. The man was usually relaxed.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing this isn¡¯t a normal visit,¡± Roth said through his cloth mask.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Turning down a Hecker no. 69? Not like you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Kuronoma sighed and sat straighter. ¡°Not everyone of the Families sees the storm brewing over the ocean.¡±


    ¡°You Roku-Shinlai, always metaphorical.¡± Roth shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a simple man used to simple jobs. Storms are not things my little mind can read.¡±


    ¡®I think you know exactly what he means,¡¯ Jeff said.


    ¡®Never let them think how much smarter you are,¡¯ Roth grumbled. ¡®Now, shut up.¡¯


    ¡°Rebellions come and go. They¡¯re usually annoyances that we can sweep away with a crook of a finger. But this one, I think it¡¯s serious.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You mean, the attack on the Kandan lab?¡±


    Kuronoma nodded. ¡°Both Ducass and Lauena are brushing this off as nothing but a little problem that we can¡¯t easily handle, but Zobu and Tailan know better.¡±


    ¡°So they got lucky.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t lucky,¡± Kuronoma leaned forward. ¡°The Zobu family will not admit it, but what was stolen from them is something that was highly guarded to the point that they were willing to hire our elite forces. In exchange, we would be the first they would sell it to. But they completely evaded our forces and got out before they could step in.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, lucky.¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so chill about this! You know in the end he¡¯s going to ask you to sabotage the Red Band.¡¯


    Roth sighed internally. ¡®Can you please shut up for a bit and let me work, Jeff.¡¯


    ¡°Resourceful. They got information about a secret development that only a handful of people know. They knew where to find it and how to evade our forces.¡±


    ¡®Well, the evasion thing was more like luck.¡¯


    ¡®Shhhhhh!!!¡¯ Roth almost lost control and clenched his teeth, but he caught himself before he reacted.


    ¡®Sorry.¡¯


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about the past,¡± Roth said feeling calmer than he felt dealing with Jeff.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Kuronoma said bringing out a pouch of money. ¡°I want you to eliminate the heads of the rebellion.¡±


    ¡®Okay, this is worse¡­¡¯ Jeff grumbled.


    Roth ignored Jeff¡¯s comment. ¡°You know who?¡±


    ¡°That, unfortunately, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You know we don¡¯t deal with information. All that digging is bad business for us. Things get too complicated with information¡ªeven if the information is nothing but about a street urchin.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll find out and you make the hit.¡± Kuronoma slid the money bag to him. ¡°We¡¯ll add the pay depending on the number of heads they have.¡±


    Roth took the money and looked inside and took a deep breath. How much was in here was enough for five hit jobs. He looked back at Kuronoma who was standing up.


    ¡°That¡¯s half the payment. I¡¯ll come back with the information you need and the rest of the payment.¡± He bowed slightly. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, as usual, Shadow.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Roth tossed the pouch back to Kuronoma who caught it glaring at him. ¡°I want payment in jade. Blocks of jadeite and nephrite spearated.¡±


    Kuronoma grinned and tossed the bag back to him. ¡°Take this, and we¡¯ll give the rest of the payment in blocks of jadeite and nephrite.¡±


    ¡®Call him back! You can¡¯t do this!¡¯ But even as Jeff screamed inside his head, Kuronoma walked away closing the door behind him and Roth did nothing. ¡®You¡¯re just going to accept that?¡¯


    Roth retied the strings, pulled his mask down and downed the last of the whiskey. ¡®Business is business.¡¯


    ¡®Are you kidding me right now?¡¯ Jeff was practically screaming in Roth¡¯s head, which was worse than screaming in his ear. There was no blocking it. ¡®You¡¯re helping the rebellion. People who have no hope. Who are in need and neglected and treated as nothing but amusement. And you¡¯re just going to kill the people you¡¯re helping?¡¯


    ¡®You said it yourself. Who¡¯s to say the new leadership won¡¯t be as bad or worse than the one they overthrew? Do they even know what they¡¯re doing? Will they even succeed? Yes, WindWhisper might be working with them, but he¡¯s not the only genius strategist in Miralai.


    ¡®In this world, you don¡¯t put all your bets on one position. Especially in my line of work. If they succeed, where does that leave me? This is the only trade I know and I¡¯ll be out of business. Or if I¡¯m still in business, they would know who to arrest.¡¯


    ¡®But¡­this is betrayal.¡± Jeff sounded desperate.


    ¡°You lived in a world where you had opportunities. Where people like you have¡­welfare, as you call it.¡± Roth started talking aloud and downed the wine that Kuronoma left. ¡°Maybe if I was born in any of the other countries where the rulers are much more benevolent to make sure that their people give them more power, I could probably be the better person that you¡¯re thinking of. But this is Taisao. The one place those rulers turn a blind eye to because this is nothing but a factory of jade to them. This is a source of money and power that they can exploit, which is why it¡¯s held by the Families who bring the jade back to their countries. No one cares about Taisao. They only care about the jade.¡±


    ¡®Then, isn¡¯t that all the more reason why you should help change Taisao?¡¯


    Roth laughed. ¡®I¡¯m sure you know the countries won¡¯t turn a blind eye to this. A government that controls most of the jade in Miralai? You think the rebellion will end with just overthrowing the Families?¡¯


    Jeff stayed silent. He knew. They both knew. The battle was uphill and against them. Jeff knew from the very beginning of the domino effect that the rebellion would bring. He knew that it would be bigger than a civil war inside Taisao. He knew and it was only then that both Jeff and Roth really thought about it. It frightened Jeff, and he was sure it frightened Roth making him play both sides.


    ¡®Then why did you agree to help the Red Band if you didn¡¯t think they would win?¡¯


    ¡®If you didn¡¯t think they would win. You knew the repercussions and kept them from me. I¡¯m not as smart as you.¡¯ Roth sighed. ¡®I agreed because I want to hit the people who hurt me. That¡¯s it.¡¯


    ¡®Is that really it?¡¯


    Roth didn¡¯t answer. Right, now, he was conflicted. He didn¡¯t know what to do, but instincts told him to play both sides. To survive. And right now, that was the only thing that could be a reasonable course of action.

 15: Softening a Stiff

    Nadia had been in bliss for the whole day, but her face fell as she stared at the small townhouse in Mid-Town.


    Though she had never worked with jademechs and other jadetechs before, she knew how they worked on principle so finding the right gears and tubes where jade energy ran through was simple enough. It was amazing how, in just a day, Mandu was able to get her and a few of their guys into the Fortress as part of an official jadegeneer delegation. And for the first time in a long time, she was able to work closely with amazing technology without lack of resources preventing her.


    The only thing was, she came to destroy, not build. There were twenty jademechs. One for each of the Family¡¯s best men-at-arms. And she had to work everywhere so that no one would suspect her or connect her to the failures to the faulty jadegeneering that would happen when the time called for it. It was delicate work, making the maladjustments just right to make it perfect for inspection, but faulty when actually used. The exact science thrilled her.


    But now, come night, what she had to do next made her shiver. It was a horrible way to end a perfect day, but¡­


    Nadia sighed. It was necessary. They had no other way of stealing the key, short of killing the man in front of everyone. She grit her teeth and steeled herself forcing her leaden legs to walk up to the door and knock. The door opened and she blinked, surprised that a little kid opened the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± the boy said. ¡°I have another job, you know, lady? Make sure you don¡¯t mess up anything in there.¡±


    Stunned, Nadia could only nod as the boy left her with the keys. She looked from the key in her hand to the house and gingerly stepped in. The townhouse was Spartan in its white and light wood interior, but spotless and neat. There was barely any furniture except for a simple kitchen with a single seat on the counter and a couch on the living room beside the window.


    She closed the door behind her and called out. ¡°Shadow?¡±


    ¡°Up here,¡± Shadow¡¯s muffled voice came in. ¡°I sent a message to the boy that you would be housekeeper for the night. He¡¯s pretty miffed that he won¡¯t get to live in such a fancy home. At least, fancy for his life.¡±


    Nadia climbed up dreading each step. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°You looked like you were wondering.¡±


    She stopped at the landing. ¡°You saw?¡±


    ¡°You arrived a little earlier than I did. I just took a different entrance.¡±


    Nadia sighed and continued her slow climb up. ¡°You employ that kid to keep the house?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good job. And he doesn¡¯t know his employer. Besides, I barely come here, so he can use it.¡±


    Nadia¡¯s brows creased. Why wouldn¡¯t he live in this house? Why even keep it? A safehouse, perhaps? She shrugged. It was none of her business.


    Reaching the top of the stairs, it had two doors on either side, but one had written on it Kar¡¯s room. Which must be the kid¡¯s name. She opened the door to her right to find that all the windows were darkened and lit by white jade lamps. There was a settee at the foot of the bed. The bed itself was large and thickly padded with a layer of blanket, comforter and duvet with four pillows. Off to the right was a door where Shadow leaned on the wall beside. This time, he was wearing the rich shirt-vest-coat combination of the rich of Calcedonia.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stiff. I¡¯m not going to devour you.¡± he smirked. ¡°You may be cute, but you¡¯re not my type.¡±


    Nadia scowled. ¡°As if I¡¯d let you do anything to me!¡±


    ¡°Any emotion is better than being stiff. Even anger.¡± He walked over to the settee and lounged on it. ¡°Now, we can start.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to start,¡± Nadia said through gritted teeth.


    Shadow looked at her from head to toe and it was all she could do not to smack his head. She took a deep breath and waited for him to say or do something. But he just stared at her. She stared back, unmoving, unflinching.


    Moments passed by and it felt like Nadia was running underwater, but she held firm and relaxed. It wouldn¡¯t do to show him any sign of weakness. Moments passed, stretching further and further until she was ready to burst.


    Roth nodded. ¡°You look calm and reined in. Good. You will need that when you get into the den of wolves.¡± He stood and went into a corner putting down the bag slung on his shoulder. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Nadia stood still, a little bewildered. Was he just saying things to make her feel comfortable?


    ¡°Take a seat.¡± His tone brooked no argument. There was a tone of finality to it. An order.


    Taking a deep breath, Nadia went to the settee and sat, wary as if Shadow would pounce on her. And she wouldn¡¯t put it past a rogue to do something like that. She gripped the locking mechanism near her thigh ready to release and shoot her jaderound should the need arise.


    Shadow nodded and squatted returning to his backpack searching and pulling out random objects from it. ¡°Now, I want you to get my attention,¡± he said without looking at her. ¡°But remember, you¡¯re not an Outer Reaches whore who screams, ¡®hey! Look at me!¡¯ You¡¯re a sophisticated courtesan.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even looking.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has a sense that can¡¯t be explained. When they know, they just know.¡±


    Nadia glared at him. First, he praised her, now he¡¯s confusing her? The insufferable man! If they didn¡¯t need him, she would leave and walk out of this farce!


    ¡°That¡¯s not very seductive,¡± Shadow muttered connecting a gear to two pipes. ¡°That¡¯s more like you want to kill me. Actually try, please. Unless you want innocent blood on your hands.¡±


    Nadia mentally shook herself and bit her lips. She was doing this to save people. If she screwed up, she could compromise the Red Band and the people they were trying to save. And for that, she had to get over her hatred of the charlatan. She took a deep breath and glared at him, clearing her throat.


    ¡°Right now, you¡¯re more a dissatisfied teacher more than anything.¡±


    She frowned at him as he continued to work on¡­whatever it was he was working on. She closed her eyes and looked at him and cleared her throat again.


    ¡°You need cough medicine?¡±


    ¡°You told me to get your attention!¡± The calm slipped and again anger ruled.


    ¡°Clearing your throat is never a subtle move. Try¡ªouch!¡± he shook his hand as something clicked. ¡°Try again.¡±


    What was he working on? It didn¡¯t matter. Nadia sighed trying different ways to get his attention. Staring at him. Trying to look like a love sick puppy. All of them were met with one type of failure or snide remark from him about how it didn¡¯t work.


    Frustrated, she gave up on him and looked at what he was working on. It looked like a trap of some sort, but it¡­looked wrong. The poor machine. ¡°What are you working on?¡±


    ¡°Something for one of my clients.¡±


    ¡°The two parts don¡¯t seem to go well with each other. Can I see? It¡¯s getting a little frustrating seeing you fumble about.¡±


    Shadow laughed and let the thing fall apart. He looked at her grinning. ¡°You almost got it. But you just had to say that you¡¯re getting frustrated with what I¡¯m doing. That derogation will not work well with a Ducass.¡±


    Nadia blinked. She¡­actually did it? Her frustration was the key to actually getting it. The grin he had made him look less like a rogue and more like a normal human being. ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Shadow laughed even more. ¡°You got it without getting it? You are a funny one, you know that?¡± He stood and faced her, hands in her pockets. ¡°You usually get people¡¯s attention by copying them. Liking what they like. Being interested in the same things they are. That establishes rapport with your target. Find something you can have something in common with, or just be curious about something that they like and you have them on the hook. The question then becomes, how do you reel them in?¡±


    Nadia groaned. Rapport with people. Ugh! Humans are much more complicated than just liking what they like. Why couldn¡¯t they be machines that followed logic?


    She sighed and buckled herself through the rest of the lesson. After all, lives depended on her.

 Apologies

    I have been trying to write but these past few days have been insane. </img> I am so sorry for the lack fo chapters so far. I will really try to get one up soon.


    And I promise, I''ll turn up the heat! Things are going to get more and more problematic from hereon out.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Hopefully I can get the next chapter out next week.


    Now I don''t really know how I can make this much longer since it''s required so...just a hint, nothing goes according to plan especially with Murphy''s Law (oh, you should know what that is, right?).