Another Day

Chapter 1

My home is my freedom

Kai Hiwatari made his way through the streets of his home town. He blended well into the crowd; an art he had perfect long ago. On the surface he looked calm and unhurried, but inside he was tense and on his guard. He had been dragging a heavy sack along with both hands, but now he bent down and hung it over his shoulder. It was a lesson that all thieves had to learn if they wanted to stay in the game; don't carry your loot like it mattered to you, or everyone would recognise you for what you were. He knew that the hounds were still after him; they didn't give up easily. He had managed to shake them off once, but they knew his scent now, and could pick him out in the throng.

Rounding a corner, he caught sight of his pursuers; four, large, brutal-looking fellows with clubs. They were innocently hanging around, paying no heed to the angry saleswoman whose stand they were leaning on and blocking. They had stiff, blue uniforms that marked them as the upholders of the law, but for years now the police corps had been corrupted, with men hired for of their strength and lack of inhibitions. They held final authority not by law or moral superiority, but by brute force. The allies were crawling with cops these days; they'd been double hiring to try to cope with the rising crime rates in the slum.

Kai cursed his luck; there were more thieves than rodents in this part of town and yet he had to be the one they latched on to. He kept his head low and his pace steady, but of course they saw him.

"There he is!"

As soon as he heard the words, the slate haired teen broke into a run. No one lifted a finger to stop him, in fact the large crowd counted in Kai's favour; he was small and agile, and could dart between the people like a fish at sea, while the big warthogs that followed him had to plough their way through the mass, and that was slow work. The Hiwatari jumped over a row of barrels and darted into a side-street. He could hear shopkeepers yell after him, and then at the cops who simply pushed the fish-laden barrels out of the way. He sprinted down the narrow alley, quickly closing in on a dead end. He used his speed and managed to scale the plank wall easily, and a quick look behind him a moment later told him that only two of the four cops had managed to repeat the stunt.

After running for a little while, Kai entered familiar territory. He took a right turn into an even smaller passage and tossed the sack through a window, low on the right wall, before sliding in after it. He landed on the floor of a dusty basement, and stood still for a second, hardly daring to breathe even though his throat and lungs were on fire and his heart was beating like the hooves of a racing horse. As soon as he heard their footsteps and loud shouts go by, he grabbed the sack and tiptoed up the stairs to the first floor. He ducked under the planks that kept visitors out of the ramshackle house, ran down another alley, and finally he could fall down behind three bags of sand in a corner. There he stayed until he was certain that the thugs had given up. Then he headed home.

His home was just an old shed really, but it was the best that these alleys had to offer, and it was all that Kai needed. Once inside he sat down on a box and opened the sack. He was actually not quite sure what he had stolen; he had seen a man putting a flask of water in the sack, and clean water was a treasure like no other. So he had walked up the street like he belonged there, 'accidentally' bumped into the man and snatched the bag. Then he had used the old and never-failing tactic called 'run-like-hell-and-pray-the-cops-don't-catch-you', with a little experience and cunning on the side.

Now he took out the flask and opened it, drinking greedily of the life-giving liquid. When it was empty he sighed and stretched his aching muscles; he had been really lucky this time, even though he would pay for it with some rather nasty bruises and gashes tomorrow. He could already feel the sting in his side from where he had slid through the window, the splinters in his fingers from the rough plank wall and the pain in his jaw from where he had been punched the first time he was discovered. Still; the sack was full and the contents where promising, so Kai thought that it was enough to last a while. No reason to put himself out as a target more often than necessary.

Kai Hiwatari was the typical lone wolf. He had two-toned, grey and blue, short hair, sharp, red eyes and a strong body. He wore a tattered, black vest, brown breeches with torn knees, and worn shoes. Black triangles were painted on his cheeks in coal. He was rarely seen in the company of others, as he preferred solitude and his own thoughts to the noise of a crowd.

"Hello?"

The sudden call made him jump. He hid behind the door and listened, but when the voice called again Kai came out of his hiding place to greet the familiar figure, "Lee. You have to stop sneaking up on me like that."

In front of him stood a boy about five years older than him, in black breeches and a black vest. His arms, legs and chest were wrapped in white ribbons, and his black hair was held up with the same. The most noticeable things about this boy were his fangs, and the pupils that would slit when angry. Lee was the leader of the Tigers, currently a family of four; they had been a large group once, but most had been killed in a police raid, and the remaining children had been scattered.

Lee was the oldest of the four that had managed to rebuild the Tiger's old hideout. The only girl in the family was Mariah, Lee's girlfriend as well as the master thief of the family, green haired Kevin was the rascal who always got into trouble, and Gary...well he was Gary; big and burly, sort of slow but good to have in a fight. All of these shared the same feline traits that Lee possessed. The Tigers were the only friends Kai had; he had grown up with them and owed them his life many times over, for they had never thought twice about sharing their loot with him, or helping him out in a brawl.

Lee did not look his usual, composed and serious self, which told Kai that something had happened, but before he could ask, the other boy grabbed his arms, "Have you seen her? Have you seen Mariah?" The pink haired girl was perhaps the most feared thief in the entire district, known for her speed and cunning. She terrorised the streets and would always strike and be gone before you even realised she was there. Kai shook his head mutely at the other boy, and saw a dying reaction in his eyes. "Oh, well...I guess I'll keep looking then. Thanks anyway."

Kai was not the most emotional guy in the pack, but he couldn't let Lee walk away with that look on his face. "Wait! How long has she been gone?"

The Tiger looked at him, "A few hours. Why do you ask?"

Kai considered for a moment, but then he said, "I'll help you search. Four eyes are better than two." The slum was a cruel place to live; it had no mercy for its children, and Kai knew this well. Having friends to lean on might be the one thing that kept you alive at times.

Lee looked surprised, but accepted the help; Kai was a valuable guy to have on your side. Together, the two boys set off to find Mariah. They searched the alleys for her first, but it soon became obvious that they had to go out where the goods were. Driven by need they set their course towards the biggest street in the district, where the girl would most likely be operating. The closer they came, the more careful they stepped, keeping a constant lookout for the brutal arm of the law. Neither of the boys liked big open spaces; they hunted in the smaller streets where the loot was scarcer, but there were more hideouts and less cops, not to mention less competition. Finally they could peer out from a corner and observe the people passing by. There was no sign of the pink haired feline, so Lee and Kai were forced further out of their hiding place.

"Lee," Kai began, having spotted a couple of familiar faces in the crowd, "I've already been in trouble with the cops today. If they spot me you have to run in the opposite direction and keep looking. I'll shake them off and meet you again somewhere along the road." Lee nodded. The uniformed men were more obvious and seemed more numerous now that there were less people, but as the day-shift was approaching its close, they were also becoming lazy.

Lee spoke, "Well, they don't exactly like me either. We have to find Mariah fast or we will both be in trouble."

But the longer they walked the more anxious Lee became, until he had abandoned all thoughts of caution and was simply jogging along, looking and now and then calling out. Kai had no choice but to speed up as well, but he still kept a sharp eye out for smart cops, as rare as they were, who might recognise them.

They ended up at the Amber Market. It was a large circle with four arched entry points; one for each direction of the sky. Between them ran pillars that held up a narrow roof, and in the shade of this there were stands and restaurants, but there were also many stands and shops set up in the sun. The deep-orange cloth suspended above each stand, a sign that the merchant had permission to sell here, was what gave the Amber Market its name. None of these stands sold groceries, they sold silk and porcelain and jewellery and other fine things; Kai and Lee had crossed into the rich area of town.

The slum was not really inhabited by anyone else than the ones who had no real home; the slum rats, those who lived by theft, or by odd jobs. Just outside of their maze of alleys lay the general market were all the stands and stores selling fish, different meats, water, bread, cheeses, fruits and vegetables could be found. Servants and those too poor to have servants came there to shop. No rich and noble lady or gentleman would be caught dead so close to the slum.

There was a large crowd at the Market today; fine men in suits gathered for a chat or to hear the latest news, while ladies in pretty dresses bought figurines and perfume and all the things that only the rich could afford. Kai watched them in anger; how could they toss their money away on such junk when so many were starving right under their noses?

He glanced at Lee and felt guilty; the Tiger hated this place with a passion, mostly because he could not give his family any of its luxurious wares. He could not buy Mariah dresses or perfume or other fancy things the way he wanted to; he could hardly feed them all! The boy's ears were hanging, betraying his emotions, but his eyes were fierce. Kai meant to say something encouraging, but suddenly there was a scream and everything turned frantic.

"Thief! Thief!! He stole my purse! Get him!" A shrill woman's voice called out over the crowd.

Kai and Lee spun in the direction of the voice, hope blooming in their chests, but it quickly died again when an unknown boy, about their age, came into view; he had long black hair in a ponytail and rather startling golden eyes. He ran with a small bag of money clutched tight to his chest. He was filthy and dressed in rags, but his face was determined and attractive. Despite his haste he noticed the two equally dirty teens standing frozen in his path and, realising that he would not get away, he tossed the loot at them before disappearing in the throng.

Kai caught the bag and it took him only a second to comprehend the situation. "Run, Lee!" He yelled and the Tiger obeyed immediately, but Kai himself was too slow. Someone grabbed his vest and others his arms and suddenly he found himself held down by three policemen.

The bag lay before him on the pavement. Angry faces stared down on him. An officer with a badge on his chest and an air of soap and arrogance came over and picked it up. He was followed by a pale, blonde woman with a lush, ugly, purple gown and her nose stuck up in the air. She snatched her money from his hands before he could even straighten up. She looked Kai up and down, grimacing as though he was a spot of mud on her new, clean carpet. "I demand that he is punished. We cannot allow such vermin to roam free in our society," she said, still with that shrill, annoying voice.

The cop grunted in approval and turned to Kai, "How old are you, boy?"

Kai glared at him, and did not answer. One of the brutes grabbed his hair and pulled until he was forced to grind out, "Seventeen."

The officer with the badge smiled maliciously, "Then you are just old enough." A stab of fear coursed through Kai, but he kept up his defiant glare.

The officer stood up and called out to the crowd that had gathered. "Tomorrow, under the big slave trade, this boy will get what he deserves! Seventeen whips shall be his punishment for thievery!" He looked back down at Kai and his voice was low and dripping with satisfaction when he added, "One for each miserable year of his life." The smile that split his face sent chills down Kai's spine.

As he searched through the mob, Kai knew that claiming innocence was a waste of time; even the ones who had seen the kid toss Kai the money would not try to help him; to them he was just a rat, and that was crime enough in itself. For a second he spotted Lee in the crowd and their eyes met. Kai shook his head firmly, 'Don't try to save me,' he thought and hoped the other boy understood.

That night he was kept in a cell under the police station. It was cold, damp and murky, and very silent, despite the large number of prisoners; the only sounds where the echo of dripping water and the occasional traded sentences between the residents of the cells. After a while, a couple down the hallway began talking about the slave trade that would be the main event the next day. Every Friday there was an open market for buying, selling and trading slaves. Some came here with old, or unruly slaves that they wanted to trade for someone who suited their needs better, while others came to look at the new stock.

The slaves were mostly criminals; thieves would be sold as personal servants to the rich families or as helpers around the house, and murderers and more serious troublemakers were mostly used for doing heavy work in the fields.

"I have seen it many times," one raspy voice from the left began, "the slaves stand on the platform in shackles and those rich bastards walk around and inspect them like cows. They are treated like animals." Kai listened carefully.

Another deep voice spoke up, and it sounded closer than the first one, probably just in the next cell, "Before they are sold, the ones scheduled for it gets punished for their crimes. They begin with the lightest sentence and up go from there. The crowds love watching; they use it as a way to measure the slave's strength." Kai thought about his seventeen lashes and shuddered.

The first voice started again, "Women and children are usually treated better, but what's to stop one of those uniformed bastards from having a little fun while they're on duty? And if you're not sold you'll be sent back down here to wait for the next round."

Questions arose from other cells, but Kai stopped listening. He lay down on the floor and thought that he should have stayed home, 'This is what you get for helping out. Mariah was probably just around the corner to home. Lee worries too much.' But he knew that the most likely thing was that the feline had been arrested. 'But then where is she now?' The thought came to him suddenly, making him sit up and press his face against the bars. "Mariah? Are you there?" At first it was silent; even the other prisoners were quietly waiting to see if anyone would answer him. Kai could feel his heart drumming against his ribcage as he listened.

"Who is it?" A hesitant voice came back to him.

For some reason the voice made a surge of happiness rise in him, "Mariah! It's Kai!"

The pink haired Tiger's voice came back somewhere from the right, now full of relief, "Kai, what are you doing here? Were you caught too?"

It was a stupid question really, but he did not care, "I was caught when Lee and I went looking for you. Are you ok?" He calmed down somewhat, and the knowledge of her fate presented itself as a lump of worry in his stomach. Lee was the best friend that Kai had ever had, and he knew that the Tiger would be devastated when he found out about Mariah's enslavement.

"I'm fine; I got a bit of a beating, but I can take that." Now she sounded more like the Mariah he knew, confident and proud.

Unexpectedly the door banged open and two guards came in. They were trying to hold on to a frantically struggling teen, and Kai realised with a small shock that it was the same boy who had caused his arrest. The boy's pupils were mere slits in anger, and he clawed and snarled furiously at the cops. Kai had to admit that he was impressed; the boy fought like a wild cat, but in the end he was thrown into the cell opposite Kai's. The boy was up against the bars immediately, growling, but the guards left with a last, "You'll pay tomorrow, you wretched beast."

For a moment the boy's eyes met Kai's, and they glared at each other. Thanks to this idiot, Kai had lost his freedom. They stared each other down until the door banged shut and left the cells in complete darkness once more. Kai lay down on the floor and closed his eyes. He hugged himself against the cold and tried not to think about tomorrow.