The Market District, The Lower Ring~
The store was not doing well, this Teris knew well. The refugees who were pouring in from beyond the great city walls barely had enough money to feed themselves and the kind Mrs. Jin nearly turned the soup shop into a free soup kitchen. These acts of charity made them ever more popular and ever more destitute.
She was cleaning the tables when she heard Mrs. Jin sigh at the emptiness of the money jar. Teris furrowed her brows as she realized that they were soon going to run out of food themselves and she wondered what she could do.
"Kiln, perhaps I should go work…maybe at the teahouses as a cleaning lady or maid to…" she mentioned as she wiped the cups.
"No! Teris, you can't work for those whores…I won't let you work at a whorehouse, even if all you are to do is clean. It's not safe in the Red Light District. There are robbers, murderers…I'll take care of us…business is still good…"he trailed off as he gazed at the room full of unpaying costumers, "Just trust me okay?"
"I trust you," she smiled brightly back at his optimism but couldn't completely get rid of the worry which had settled deep in her heart.
Kiln knew that Teris was right at being worried. However he could not turn the starving people away…he couldn't for he and his mother had lost his father that way. They had been refugees when Kiln was still a toddler, nearly a decade ago, and they had been very much like the other refugees, starving and poor. His father had given every scrap of food to the two of them that he died of starvation.
Tears started to pool around his eyes as he remembered his father's gaunt face smiling at him as he withered away into the wind. Kiln couldn't ignore others who were experiencing the same tragedy but he couldn't accept Teris sullying her beautiful hands in so degrading a job. He was determined to have everything and he would support his mother and Teris all with his strength of will. He needed to take care of them...and he would with his optimism.
He smiled as he poured soup into bowls and watched Teris gracefully carry them to the tables. She was exceedingly light on her feet and every single movement she made was elegant. It was as if she had been a dancer in her previous life. She spun with ease and grace, even with a tray full of bowls of soup. Just watching her walk pleased Kiln immeasurably.
"Young lady! We've been waiting forever!" a red faced man shouted at Teris.
"Sorry sir! I'll be there in a moment!" she hurried to grab another tray of soup and nearly glided towards the customer.
"Your daughter is really pretty," the red-faced customer spoke suddenly as he grabbed Teris's wrist.
"Unhand her!" Kiln shouted as he rushed to their side and pulled Teris back, "Sir, if you are here for soup then simply touch the soup. Do not touch her."
"Protective of your sister, are you?" he laughed, "Or is she your wife perhaps?"
"Please leave, sir. We do not serve your kind," Kiln's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as he stiffened in anger.
"Do you have any idea who I am, boy? I'm Su Shen of the Black Scorpions!" the red faced man shouted angrily as he grabbed Kiln's collar.
"Oh sir, please! Please stop it!" Mrs. Jin ran to them and begged the man to calm down.
"Your boy should watch that mouth of his…he'll get himself into trouble," the man bellowed as he thundered out the store.
"Kiln! Do you want to get yourself killed?" Mrs. Jin cried, "Do you need to make more trouble for me?"
He remained silent and pushed Teris into the kitchen.
"You pour the soup. I'll wait the tables," he spoke statically as Teris looked wide-eyed with terror.
"Don't be scared…I'll protect you," he whispered.
"Why did you do something so stupid? The Black Scorpion gang is one of the most powerful here…I can't understand you at all!" she whispered back.
He ignored her and statically waited the tables. Kiln knew that what he had done was stupid and dangerous. He was aware of what the consequences might be yet he was more upset at Teris's ignorance. It was clear he loved her…not as a sister but as a girl. Yet she remained oblivious. He needed to protect her until she realized his love for her…no matter what the consequences.
"Kiln, you need to go to the Southern Gate to deliver an order!" Mrs. Jin shouted.
He smiled happily at Teris and his mother at the prospective of being paid and he eagerly left for the Southern Gate. After he was rewarded handsomely, he nearly skipped back to the store in merriment at sunset. As he noisily entered the store he stopped still in shock as the store was nearly destroyed with all the tables overturned and bowls broken. He found his mother sobbing in a corner and he quickly ran to her side when he realized that she was gone.
"She is very pretty as you mentioned Su Shen. Her eyes are the perfect shade of jade. What is your name girl?" The fearsome leader of the Black Scorpions was examining the pretty girl crumbled on the floor before him.
"It…It is…" she fell into sobs, "Oh sir, please let me go. He didn't mean to offend you!"
"Biming…that shall be her name. Because she has such lovely clear jade eyes," he laughed.
"My name is not Biming! It is Teris!" she angrily stood up and boldly glared at the leader.
"Well…now it shall be Biming. It sounds less foreign…you shall have more clients that way. The wealthy don't really like foreigners…she shall be popular I think Su Shen. She has the looks of a princess," he scoffed as he motioned for her to be dragged out.
"You shall regret this!" Teris imperiously warned as she glared at them, "Mark my words, your kind will wish that you had left me alone!"
The men were slightly taken aback by her sudden boldness and the assertive imperious tone in her voice which was reminiscent of nobility. They quickly scoffed however when the fire in her eyes extinguished as quickly as it appeared and she collapsed to her meek former self and was carried away.
"How could you let her go Mother? How could you sell Teris?" Kiln shouted angrily at his mother as he kicked the chest full of gold coins, letting them sprawl across the cracked tiled floor.
"I didn't! They took her from us! Kiln, please believe me…I did everything I could to hold her but they threw me aside and left the money. They warned us to never bother looking for her again. Kiln, don't go looking for her. If you search for Teris, they shall kill you!" Mrs. Jin pleaded with him.
Tears started to pool in his eyes as he gritted his teeth in anger. He stalked outside where the heavens were crying once more. As his tears and heaven's tears mingled down his face, he looked up to the sky. So many escaped into the Impenetrable City for a chance at hope…a beautiful dazzling hope that life could be bearable. Yet as he sank onto his knees that were sinking into the mud, Kiln couldn't help but realize that life inside the city's great walls were perhaps more cruel and unbearable than the war torn world outside.