A Day in the Life in the Lower City
Asterin leaned over the cowering merchant, an all-too-sweet grin gracing her expression as she stared him down with her glittering violet eyes. Vibrations reverberated through his body as he cowered below her, the topic of their conversation less than friendly for how close they would appear to the casual passerby. Anyone else may have mistaken them for a pair of lovers, for that’s how dedicated her gaze unto him was. Not to mention her arm wrapped around him kept them tightly bound together.
“Now, Monsieur Delacroix,” Asterin held the knife against his side, “I believe you know full well what the Kratise Brothers do to those who don’t follow through on their end of a deal.”
“You have to believe me, the shipment was meant to come through.” The merchant’s voice wobbled a bit too loudly for her liking, earn more than a few glances from passersby who didn’t know to mind their business this far down in the Lower City.
Asterin pressed the knife deeper, hearing the distinct ripping of fabric as it made contact with his skin. Mr. Delacroix stiffened immediately.
“Now, I’m a bit on the cleaner side of things. But Mercer or Renaldo? They like to have their fun when it comes to this assignment. I’m only on hire for today, so either you come up with the missing items and invest in our good ol’ protection tax, or you’ll be dealing with one of them tomorrow.”
The look in her eyes left no room for argument—spelling out just what the consequences would be without her needing to outright say it. Some said looking into Asterin’s eyes was the equivalent of looking into the Void itself—that one could see their end, their beginning, and all of the moments in between if they got lost in the deep violet orbs. And that’s exactly what she intended in this moment. It’s what she needed .
Unbeknown to Delacroix, Asterin was desperate for this to work out. If she could return with good news, the Brothers would add a little extra to her pay for the day—and she would be that much closer to leaving this gods-forsakened city in the skies. She recently saw a Sky Key for sale in one of the markets—300 gold. She was halfway there but if she managed to work a couple more jobs…
A sob wracked through Delacroix’s body. Asterin was pulled from her thoughts as she noted the crying man in front of her.
Ugh. Another failure.
Asterin pulled away. “Very well, then. I’ll be sure to notify them on your stance.”
“No! Wait, wait—“
But it was too late, Asterin had pulled herself away from him and began walking down the streets—hands in her pockets and humming along to a long lost tune as though she had not just condemned a man to death.
Yet such was the way of the Lower City—either you worked for one of the local crime bosses or you became indebted to them. It’s not as though the Guardians would do anything, nor would any type of authority from the Upper City. As far as anyone was considered, these men and women were the true rulers of the skies—not the Empress.
Speaking of… Asterin made sure to send a message on her phone to her handler. As expected, they confirmed that Mercer would be handling the situation the next day as well as wiring her cut.
She grit her teeth at the low amount before shoving her phone into her pocket and continuing on.
When the streets became less dense and the scent of freshly baked bread invaded her senses, Asterin knew she was approaching her ‘home.’
She slipped in between the small opening between a bakery and old garment shop, shifting through the miniature alleyway until she was behind the buildings. A brothel entrance was several feet away as well, though she had yet to see anyone enter or leave from there. But there was always a first time for everything.
Asterin approached a pile of what looked to be discarded clothes covered in bugs and trash. She scrunched her nose, but it was the best way to remain unnoticed in the dead of night.
Ignoring the crawling sensations on her skin, she hunkered down for the night, using a pile of missing person’s posters as her pillow.
Not that she would have a lot of rest that night.