AN:
There's a bit of an info dump at the end so sorry about that.
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Chapter 6: The Life
Within Karanes's packed streets, people and families can be seen aimlessly wandering around or sitting wherever they find a spot.
Soldiers in the market square hand out rations to crowds of people who take their food and try to mind their own business.
"Hey! Did you just take my bread!?"
Tried.
"What? No I didn't!"
Two men start yelling at each other, the crowd giving the two space as their argument starts getting heated and the first man shoves the second to the ground. Face red, the man quickly gets up and socks the other in the jaw, dropping him to the ground in surprise as the other mounts him and rains more punches down on him.
The two start to punch, kick and grapple before a group of garrison soldiers shove themselves through the crowd, "Alright break it up! Break it up!" Four soldiers move and roughly subdue the two brawlers.
"Beat it! Nothing to see here!" One of the soldiers yells out.
"Animals." He mumbles under his breath as the murmuring crowd dissipates and head back in line for their rations.
At the front of the line, a young boy in an oversized coat silently takes his rations from the soldier manning the counter.
"Move it kid. Next!" The man grumpily says as he reaches for another bread from the crate beside him but grips nothing but air.
Nodding, the boy takes a bite of the loaf before stuffing the rest inside his coat and starts walking down a crowded street, the soldier yelling for more bread from the others behind him. Weaving through the throngs of people heading for their food, the streets start thinning out until it's just various families and people sitting at the side of the road.
Behind him, a dirty man wearing worn-out clothes stands up, slowly following the boy with a gleam in his eye.
Rounding the corner, the man quickens his pace to catch the boy but turning onto the near-empty street he sees nothing, no sign of the boy and no alleyway or passage he could have gone through, just gone.
Scratching his head the man jogs down the street while trying to spot the boy.
Two stories up, a pair of blue eyes peer through a slightly ajar attic window as the man gets farther away. Bringing his eyes away the boy lightly sighs as his shoulders sag, 'Why do I always get in these situations? Just why?' The boy bemoans to himself.
Pulling his coat open the boy pulls out the loaf he had taken a bit out of, and another, and another. Smirking to himself as he stuffs the other two pieces in his backpack, 'Guess this is why.'
Eirlet had just gotten to the market square an hour beforehand, and as he was getting in line he noticed one of the thugs that tried mugging him back in Verask talking to someone, with a loaf of bread in his hands.
A mischievous grin worming on his face, he quietly slipped through the crowd and took the bread from the man straight from his hands before he noticed him and moved away to the front of the line, quickly swiping another as the soldier manning the table was distracted by the fight. Finally getting his last piece by standing at the front of the line, he made his exit before anyone noticed anything. Netting him a total of three pieces, food worth three days with how they are rationing right now.
In the small attic, one with barely any space to move around, Eirlet has a similar setup from his time in the basement underneath the window he just climbed through from.
Sitting down on his 'bed', he eats half of the bread before stuffing that away as well. Laying down with a huff, he soaks in the rays of spring's noon sun as he figures out what to do with his time.
'Well, it took me three days to find this place and another two to make sure I can get here properly because unlike the last place, anything I do can be heard downstairs.' Just as he thinks of that, voices start to speak incoherently beneath him, 'And vice-versa.'
Tracing patterns on the ceiling with his eyes he tries to translate the conversation below to pass the time but only achieved hearing a few words before the voices peter off.
'Well, tomorrow's the deadline… what he offered is a good deal. Only a week later there's food shortages and tension's just racking up, it's only a matter of time before the King takes action, and with how the soldiers are treating the refugees, it'll probably be gruesome like Sherbolt said.'
Biting his lip in thought, he runs through all the benefits he could get with going with them and the disadvantages, 'Ahhh screw it! This is the best chance I'll get to get stronger and proper info on the group I'm searching for, whoever they are. Military won't work 'cause god knows how big of a boner the useful ones have for titans.'
His plan set, he lazes around his temporary room before nightfall, passing the time by watching citizens trying to go about their day in the streets and reading the journal he found once again.
'Hmm, seems she kept some notes on what she learned, titan weak points and strategies to take one down. Useful stuff to keep in mind for later I suppose.'
Doing his best to remember relevant points, he reads until sunset before finally resting, intending on waking before dawn to give himself enough time to reach the gate.
'Let's hope this is gonna be worth it.' Are his last thoughts before succumbing to the night.
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As the city sleeps before morning's light, Eirlet walks through the streets by his lonesome, only hearing light snores from the exhausted refugees sleeping wherever they can find space. Even approaching the gate, he sees no movement in sight except through the window of the guardhouse beside the gate itself, holding the night watch.
'Seems I'm a little too early.' Looking around he sees that there are reinforcements in place in the inner gate as well, though lesser than the outer gate, being cannons and small trenches.
Seeing all the space around the gate occupied by sleeping bodies, he goes to a nearby tree and climbs to the lowest branch, 'People are probably paranoid that another attack's gonna happen, staying near the gate would be the fastest way to leave.'
Getting comfortable he brings out one of the loaves he stored from the day before and starts munching on it, 'Wish I still had that jelly.' He wistfully thinks as he chews.
As the dark sky starts to brighten, early birds rise from their slumber and slowly start about their day, staying with their family or getting up to somehow find some more food.
Eirlet watches as the sun peers over the wall, slowly filling the city with light and bringing his way out with it. He hears the carriages before he sees them, rattling along the cobblestone road as they come into sight, the very same carriages he came into Karanes with.
Jumping from his spot -and scaring some people that didn't notice him- he approaches the carriages as the first reaches the gate and a squad of fresh soldiers come out of the guardhouse to meet them.
Looking around for a familiar carriage -absently noting there are less than before- he spots the one he saw Sherbolt riding and diverts his path towards it. The same driver from before spots him and says a few words into the carriage before Gavec exits from the back.
The bearded man grins at the sight of him, "Atta boy! Knew you were smart!"
Quickly reaching his hand over, he ruffles Eirlets hair before he can react. Ducking, he swats the large hand after getting over the surprise and glares at the man whose grin stretches farther from his reaction.
"Yes, indeed he is." A scratchy voice speaks out. Looking up in the carriage, he sees Sherbolt's intense eyes once again gazing upon him.
"I hope you've thought this through because once you're in, there's no going back." He gets his answer once they meet eyes, Eirlet's resolute in confidence and acceptance.
Closing his eye's Shebolt nods to himself before stepping down and extending a hand to him, "Very well, now let's make our investments worth it shall we?" Gripping his hand tight, the two shake as they finalize their deal.
Bringing his hand back Sherbolt steps back up to his carriage, "Let's get on the road then, I'll explain what's going to happen once we rest for the night. Oh and Gavec? Get him something proper to eat, he'll need his strength later on." He finishes as he disappears into the carriage.
"Aye aye captain." Gavec gives his two-finger salute before turning to Eirlet.
"C'mon, let's get some food in us." He waves his hand as he walks away, Eirlet falling in step with him.
"You'll be working with us for a while so let's get you introduced to some people while we eat." He says before stepping behind a carriage and swinging himself up.
Following his lead, Eirlet steps into the carriage and sees crates stacked towards the back filled with various food items, presumably their rations for the trip.
"Oi dumbasses! Get two meals ready!" On the seats on the side, two people stop their conversation and look over from the plates in their hands, looking closer, he recognizes them both.
One quietly stands as he puts his plate down before going to the crates while the other with heavy tattoos on both hands sours his face, creases deepening once he notices Eirlet.
"What, first babysitter for the brat now chef? The fuck am I? His butler?" He questions as he looks at Eirlet in disgust, the boy blankly staring back which annoys the thug even further.
Before he can speak again Gavec quickly grabs his plate from his hands and takes a bite from his food, holding the man's stunned gaze as he slowly chews and swallows before taking another bite.
The quiet man reaches behind him before smacking his friend's head, bringing the man out from his surprise before he crosses his arms and grumbles under his breath.
'Like a brat.' Eirlet joyfully thinks as he smirks externally.
The quiet man hands a plate to Eirlet who nods in gratitude, getting one in return as all three sit down and eat their food while the fourth sits with a dark look.
In between bites the quiet man speaks up, "Kores."
Eirlet looks up from his plate, confused by what he said.
"My name. Kores." He clarifies. Eirlet nods at that, the carriage falling to an awkward silence as he stays quiet.
Gavec sighs, "Eirlet here can't speak, if you wanna talk to him he's gotta write it down in the notebook he has."
Kores nods after a moment before elbowing his friend who looks at him in annoyance, responding with a tilt of his head towards Eirlet. The man looks the other way in response, gaining a sharper elbow to his side.
"Fine!" The man grouses out, not before elbowing Kores as well, "Name's Lok brat."
"Wasn't so hard now was it?" Gavec pokes at him with a grin.
Lok opens his mouth but thinks better of it and closes it right after, resorting to grumbling once again.
'Looks like someone's smart enough to not push their luck.' Eirlet muses.
Travelling until dusk the trip stays relatively calm, at least compared to Eirlet's last trip. The four of them get off once the carriage comes to a stop, Lok and Kores stay in the carriage while Gavec wanders off, Eirlet following behind him having no idea where to go.
"Ah ah ah, I got stuff to do for a bit by myself so go do something useful." Gavec says, wagging a finger in his face.
Eirlet raises his eyebrow before he spreads his arms questioningly, looking around the two see everyone doing some sort of job quickly and efficiently.
"Oh now everyone's doing their job huh?" Gavec groans out loud, making everyone in earshot move faster.
Getting annoyed by the finger still in his face, Eirlet tries to slap it away but Gavec moves it and points towards the two they travelled with, unloading crates of food for dinner.
"Dumbasses!" The two turn to look at him, "Give him some shit to do for now! I'll take him off your hands in a bit." Kores responds with a nod as usual while Lok clicks his tongue before going back for another crate.
"Well then off you go!" Gavec says cheerfully before shoving Eirlet forward.
Stumbling, he catches himself before he can fall and flips a bird at Gavec's back, the man already walking away.
'Dick.'
Patting himself, he gets to the carriage as Lok taps his foot impatiently with a crate of food in his hands, "Oi brat, take this to the others." Is all the warning he gets before Lok drops the crate towards him.
Now a normal person can easily carry the crates, catching one would be harder but not by much. But for someone Eirlet's age, it would already be hard to carry a crate somewhere without getting tired, but catching one would not be happening.
Lok grins at Eirlet's surprised face, waiting for the boy to fall and embarrass himself, a possibility that doesn't become true.
Although surprised at the suddenness, Eirlet quickly moves his arms underneath the crate and catches it, his only show of exertion being a small exhale and a bend of his knees.
Straightening himself, Eirlet looks up and meets Lok's bewildered eyes, knowing what the man tried to do. Holding his eyes for a few seconds Eirlet breaks off and walks to the side of the carriage where the rest of the crates are and where Kores is coming back from.
Passing him, he drops his crate with the rest before heading back for another, this time Lok properly handing it to him but with his attitude unchanged.
Going back and forth for more crates, Eirlet drops the last crate on the ground with the other dozen before Lok and Kores open a larger crate behind them, revealing stacks of plates inside.
As the two sit down and start stacking food, people that were wandering around start lining up and taking a plate offered to them. Following their lead, Eirlet prepares plates as well, no one questioning him or creating a fuss for their food.
As the sun nearly dips below the horizon the line diminishes, handing another plate over, Eirlet grabs the last plate -his own food set to the side- but someone takes the initiative to talk to him.
"Hey buddy! What's a kid like you doing in a place like this?" A cheerful voice says but Eirlet feels chills go up his spine at that voice, making him even warier than before.
Keeping a straight face, Eirlet turns and his vision is nearly filled with clothing and flesh as he hands a plate to a meaty hand. Looking higher to put a face to the body and voice, he sees that it's the fat man he noticed when he was escorted the first time, still with a creepy smile plastered seemingly permanently on his face and notices he's much taller than he initially thought.
Ignoring the man, he just grabs his plate and gets up, wanting to get to Lok and Kores inside the carriage and away from the man as quickly as possible.
Not taking kindly to being ignored, the man reaches out to grab ahold of Eirlet's shoulder, "Hey now, don't you know any manners?" Still speaking with his cheery voice.
Immediately reacting, Eirlet pulls his shoulder before the hand could land on it and takes a few cautious steps back, narrowing his eyes at the man as he discreetly brings his right arm behind him.
The man blinks a few times as his hand swipes air, slightly ticked off the man takes a step forwards, "Now now, why so cautious? I'm just trying to be frie-" His next step freezes midair as a deep voice speaks up behind the man's large body.
"Moosher." Face stiff, the man slowly turns around, revealing Gavec standing with his arms crossed, and although shorter than Moosher, he exudes an aura that seemingly makes him dwarf the man twice over.
As the silence stretches and Moosher starts sweating buckets, Gavec is the first to speak up, "Get the fuck outta here."
He nods his head so fast in relief that his cheeks also start nodding with him. Moving as fast as his large body can carry him he vacates the area, the two remaining people staring holes into his back as he does.
Once he disappears past a carriage Eirlet sighs, dropping his hand from the handle he was holding behind his back. He nods gratefully to Gavec who also pulls his eyes away once Moosher disappears.
He waves his hands dismissively in response, "Ah, don't sweat it kid, just keep away from that creepy fat fuck yeah?."
He nods in response 'Wasn't going anywhere near him anyway, at least not without an arrow sticking out of him.'
Gavec motions him to follow, "Come on kid, we've got work to do." Before he starts walking away.
Eirlet quickly jogs until their side by side, walking past carriages filled with thugs and seemingly heading into the forest. Wanting to get some food in his stomach Eirlet reaches for his spoon but his plate is quickly snatched out of his hands before he can react.
Snapping his head to the side in anger at having his dinner stolen, he sees his plate in the bearded man's hand. Quickly reaching his hand out he tries to snatch it back, but Gavec takes advantage of his long arms and pulls the plate further away.
"Ah ah ah, you can eat after we finish, you'll thank me later." He replies, wagging his finger in front of the smaller boy's face.
Eirlet once again misses his slap as Gavec pulls his hand away, ticking him off even further.
'How the hell does that dick keep catching me off guard!?' He stews his frustration in his head as the two walk for a minute in the dimming forest before they enter a small clearing with a campfire lit in the center surrounded by two figures.
Getting closer he notices that one of them is Sherbolt and the other a thug standing guard a ways behind him. Gavec sits down with his plate and starts gorging on the food, Eirlet staring in bewilderment and indignation at the audacity of eating his food.
Sherbolt notices his anger and speaks up before he can act, "Calm down Eirlet, you'll get more food later."
Still irked but not wanting to anger his soon-to-be boss/benefactor, he sits down with a huff, not before kicking Gavec in the leg who doesn't even react and continues his conquest over his food.
Once settled Sherbolt starts with pleasantries, Eirlet responding through his notebook as the other two in their company remain quiet.
"Moosher eh? The man's a relative of a supplier for us that I'd rather not lose." He rubs his chin absently as he ponders, "Gavec should have scared him enough to leave you alone for now. If he does try something you have my blessings to make him regret it, just don't kill him without good cause."
Eirlet nods in subtle relief, 'At least I won't need to worry about any consequences then.'
"Now, onto the real reason you're here. Tomorrow we're going to reach Stohess and you'll be set up in a place where you can grow and earn money for the both of us."
Intrigued at that, Eirlet leans forward to pay close attention.
"For some background, a few decades ago a project was started, a project to create underground cities to hold the growing population safely beneath the central districts and away from titans. Well, shortly after completing the one under the capital, the rest were abandoned and left to ruin. But certain people got wind of them and started occupying them, those certain people being large organizations and gangs with noble backing behind them."
Eirlet listens with a fascination, hearing about secret cities that not many civilians know about.
"Each district in Wall Sheena has its perks. Stohess for instance is known as the entertainment block where you can do anything your heart desires. What you'll be doing is fighting in The Pit."
Eirlet freezes as he hears the name, remembering a sentence said long ago.
"So? Even if he doesn't sell we'll throw him into the Pit, brat can get us some change at least."
"The Pit is a fighting arena where you're matched randomly depending on your experience and you have to fight until knockout or the other person isn't able to put up a decent fight. No surrendering." He explains.
Still reeling from the information that he's going to fight, especially somewhere he was going to be sent as a slave, to fight presumably to his death, he takes a second to respond.
'Isn't there a good chance of death then?'
Gavec takes the chance to speak, scoffing at his question, "No shit. There have been deaths while fighting, but those are mostly in deathmatches with weapons. Regular matches with just fist fighting will just lead to a fine and dealing with the dead's backer."
"But you don't have to worry much about dying," Sherbolt cuts in, "You're matched depending on your record and apparent skill so as to not have blowouts and keep thing's interesting. Given Gavec's assessment, you'll win the first couple of fights with what you've got and improve as you go on. You'll get enough coin to last but it'll take you too long to fight for the big prizes because of your size, so you can pull out in a year or two for something better once you get good enough."
Eirlet's face scrunches up, his thoughts are clouded with apprehension, not of the actual fighting but that he'll probably have to fight people that are doing it against their will if what the kidnappers from before said is true. Seeing as what they're talking about is the underworld, no one probably cares as long as they get money or entertainment from it.
Not noticing his apprehension, Sherbolt continues, "That's something for tomorrow, right now though, Gavec's going to hammer some of the basics into your head to give you a better chance at not sending yourself to the infirmary in your first fight."
Snapping his head to the side, he nervously fidgets as he sees Gavec grinning maliciously at him.
"Well hop to it then! I'll see you two sometime tomorrow!" Sherbolt says with fake cheer, getting up and walking back to the campsite with his guard.
Gavec also stands up, dusting his pants off before speaking with a smile, "Now kid, I saw some stuff in our scuffle that we're gonna fix, and you ain't eating or sleeping until I'm satisfied! First things first, when in a fight, anything goes." He finishes before suddenly shooting a fast punch that lands on his abdomen, making him lose his breath and pushing him off the log.
Thump
Laying on the cool ground and gasping for breath, Eirlet has only one thought before he has to scramble away from a vicious curb stomp.
'Help.'
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Eirlet groans as sunlight shines on his eyes. Fluttering his eyelids, he blearily looks around from his position in the moving carriage, Lok and Kores quietly talking in the back while to his right sits a sleeping Gavec, drooling on his beard.
Rubbing his eyes he sits up on the rumbling carriage floor before he feels a flash of pain stemming from his everywhere. Hissing in pain and confusion he takes a moment to collect himself, by then the two people at the end take notice of him.
"So sleeping beauty's awake eh?" Lok says with mirth in his voice, quietly cackling at the finger he gets in response.
Taking a breath he stands up, stretching his sore and painful body every which way before sitting with a sigh when a plate is placed in front of him. Eirlet's eyes follow the arm back to its owner, Kores, who's also smirking at his pain.
Grunting in thanks, Eirlet takes the offered plate before digging in, not savouring anything, just trying to fill his empty stomach.
In the middle of gorging on his plate, a snort comes from the waking Gavec. The man yawns and stretches his arms before looking around, taking the offered plate from Lok's hands.
"How close?" He asks as he takes his first bite.
"We passed by Moonshire not long ago so not much further." Lok responds
Grunting, Gavec takes that in before leaning towards Eirlet grinning, "So kid. How'd you like that training? Still wanna learn from me?"
"...Buuuurp." Is his only response, setting his plate to the side after finishing and delicately dabbing his lips with a tissue from his pocket.
The carriage pauses, Gavec blinking once in surprise before he makes a face and pulls his head back, coughing to the side and waving his hand to try and disperse the smell.
Both Lok and Kores try to suppress their laughter, Lok needing to put a hand over his mouth as his shoulders shake to keep himself from laughing while Kores lips furiously twitch up and down.
Before Eirlet can feel smug, a fist slams the top of his head. Hard.
Bonk
Crying out in pain Eirlet grabs his burning head. His pain ignites the fuse as both Lok and Kores start laughing, Lok much louder than his counterpart.
Gavec also joins in with chuckles of his own, "Well look at that spunk! I'll push you even harder next time!"
Eirlet pulls his head up and slouches in his seat, rubbing his aching head, 'Dick.'
It's approaching evening before the caravan reaches the gate to Stohess, looking around Eirlet can see it's nearly identical to the others he's seen but once they pass the inspection there's a whole new difference.
Eirlet looks around, people walking the streets, many wearing high-quality clothes and the buildings much more extravagant and well built than the majority he's seen in the other eastern districts. However, he notices the lack of refugees, no one hungry and none looking like they haven't taken a bath in months.
Gavec leans over to speak to him, "People you see around here? These are the higher class, the ones that dictate over everyone else while they stay cozy with their luxuries. These are the people that will stay full while the rest starve, but what we'll be getting sooner or later will be worth a lot more than what they have."
Patting his shoulder, the carriage continues on as Eirlet continues looking, contemplating and comparing as he does. Passing through the streets, the caravan starts travelling to the outer edge of the district near the wall, the crowds getting replaced with more carriages before the caravan turns into a courtyard.
On the other side is a large warehouse, not looking out of place from the others surrounding it. Two people chatting on a bench nearby notice them approaching and both get up to pull the double doors of the warehouse open, revealing stacks of crates lining the area.
The two go in with the first carriage slowly following behind, straight-ahead he can see there's a large cube made from multiple stacks and the two go to either corner and start pushing.
Eirlet watches with fascination as the massive cube starts getting pushed back, revealing what it's hiding being a large slanted hole in the ground.
Without stopping, the caravan travels down the rocky hole, Eirlet unable to see anything beyond the lanterns each carriage lit up once the entrance behind them is closed once again.
"Smart right?" Gavec says, "There's a lot of traffic around here for trading and deliveries so it's not out of place for so many carriages to come and go and inspections are smooth sailing with nothing for them to find."
Spending the next few minutes travelling in silence, he notices the tunnel starts to become more visible as they pass by flaming torches lighting the walls.
Soon after, Eirlet squints as the lighting suddenly changes. Blinking his eyes free from black spots, he looks out the window in confusion before they widen in awe.
From his view, a massive cavern expands out from him, smaller than the district itself but still large enough. Scattered throughout the floor he can see buildings littering the area with many in ruins, but in the center of the city, the area is lit up like a beacon, a cacophony of noises stemming from it.
"Now that Eirlet, is the Sinful District Aurum." Gavec speaks up behind him as his eyes stay transfixed to the exuberant city.
Getting down to the streets, the caravan travels past a variety of people littering the streets as they get closer to the center, drunks, prostitutes, poor and rich. Many drunk as they enter extravagant buildings with women and bottles in their arms or heading into brightly lit casinos with expensive jewelry and clothes, some leaving with smiles and some with tears.
"Never seen anything like this before have you?" Eirlet absently nods to Gavec, quickly pulling his head back from the window in disgust before a cooing drunk woman with too much makeup can touch his face.
"Hehe. Well, you better get used to it, this is your home for the foreseeable future."
Before the group gets caught up in the increasingly large crowd, they turn around a corner, heading down a less crowded street with various stores lining the streets with shady and tough-looking people entering and exiting, many eyeing the passing carriages.
'Exotic Dust, Busty Brandy, Newt's Nacks, Dewy Dew Devil? I don't even want to know what the last one sells.'
Portions of the caravan start dispersing, stopping in front of the various stores they pass or heading out of sight.
Curious, Eirlet looks to Gavec who explains, "Those guys are heading to our various business partners, either for protection money or giving what they ordered from us."
Getting his notebook out he writes something before raising it with an unimpressed eyebrow, 'Protection money? Really?'
"What?" Gavec says defensively, "It's good business! And they rightfully do need protection, how much money do you think this place pulls in? Any place not under someone will have many hungry eyes on it."
'And you guys are 'someone'?'
He scoffs in response, "Obviously, how else would we have that many partners otherwise." He waves his hand generally at the carriages in front of stores, "We don't got the stuff on Main Street, those guys we don't wanna mess with yet, but we still rake in quite the profit."
As he finishes, the remaining three carriages in their group stop in front of a large four-story building that stands out compared to its neighbours with two thugs standing guard by the door.
Getting off he sees Sherbolt also disembarking from his carriage while three thugs from the last carriage start unloading crates. Kores and Lok separate from the two to help out the three, the former offering a silent wave of goodbye while the latter begrudgingly nods after a nudge from his partner.
Offering his own wave he watches the two start moving crates into the alleyway to the side of the building where there's likely a side door before Sherbolt approaches them. Gavec pulls ahead and talks with his boss in a low voice, Eirlet smartly keeping out of earshot before Gavec calls him over.
"Now then Eirlet, Gavec will take you to The Pit and get you set up for your first match, I trust you have no problem for one today?" Sherbolt asks.
Eirlet shakes his head in the negative, not tired much by the day's travel.
"Good, I will be watching and betting on you so be sure to win, don't make my investment go to waste this early." He says with a warning tone at the end which Eirlet catches onto.
Eirlet nods seriously in response, not wanting to show weakness when he's this close to his next step.
Seemingly satisfied, he nods to the two of them before walking inside the building with confident strides, the guards straightening themselves as he passes by.
Gavec pats his back once before waving his hand, "Let's get going kid, it's a bit of a walk."
Nodding he looks up at the building for a second before catching up with Gavec and striding beside him.
The two cut through the streets, taking the same path back towards Main Street, "Remember these streets kid," Gavec says before the brunt of the noise hits them, "No one here is gonna give you a helping hand, even if you're a kid."
Although unable to vocalize his displeasure of thinking he can't handle himself, he settles at looking at him with an annoyed glare. Ignoring the boy with a smile, Gavec weaves into the crowd ahead, making Eirlet focus so he can keep up with the man.
Gavec starts to turn the walk into a game, purposely trying to lose Eirlet in the crowd as the boy dodges and weaves between sweaty bodies.
As Eirlet starts catching up he sees Gavec take a glance back at him, noting his pace with surprise, before grinning and picking up the pace. If before he was casually walking, now he's in a brisk jog, taking advantage of the increasing crowd and winding streets.
Eirlet curses before increasing his pace once more, needing to take more time to make sure he doesn't get lost and mapping out the streets and alleyways for the future.
The two spend the next twenty minutes in the chase, Gavec increasing the pace and difficulty every time Eirlet gets too close but he's able to match it and never lose sight of the bearded man.
Eirlet huffs as he passes through a smaller street, wiping some sweat from his face before he sprints ahead and rounds the corner where he saw Gavec turn into, and where the man currently stands a little ways ahead.
Getting closer he sees Gavec has sweat dripping down his face and soaking his shirt which he wipes off as he tries to catch his breath.
He takes a deep breath before speaking with a happy grin, "That was a nice damn workout kid, it's been ages since I've had to push myself, and you don't even look as tired as I do!" He says with some surprise at the end, watching his breathing and noticing the lack of sweat compared to himself.
"What the hell type of training did you do to get that much stamina?"
Hearing that, Eirlet takes a second to think back to the training his dad made him do when he was younger, before promptly trying to forget what he tried to dig up with a shudder.
Noticing his reaction, Gavec doesn't prompt an answer and changes the question, "Forget about that, more importantly, your stealth skills from last week and your tracking from today shows you were trained. I'm guessing as a hunter right?" Eirlet nods in response.
"Good, that'll be good for us. We don't usually get hunters 'cause they got all they need in the wild, so your skills will be helpful for quite a few jobs. Those pay better than what you would get otherwise so keep sharpening those skills."
Once again nodding, the two take a moment more to regulate their breathing before they walk at a normal pace down the road, the sounds of cheering getting louder the further they walk.
Turning another corner, the street opens up into a large plaza where throngs of people are heading into. A variety of stalls are set up at the edges and at the opposite side, a large wall with multiple arches as entrances are lit up by torches and in the center, a large banner hangs, 'The Pit'.
Crowds of people eagerly flow through the entrance for the oncoming fights they are waiting to see. Beyond the wall, he can see a large ruin looming over the area towards the left and pillars lining along the length of the wall where he can hear various cheers from.
Eirlet takes a moment to adjust, the crowd much larger and packed than before as people wait to get in. Gavec bends down so the two can speak over the noise, "Follow me, we'll enter through the competitor entrance."
Turning he follows Gavec as he skirts the edges, the man shoving his own path through with himself close behind before the two reach the divide between the walled portion and the buildings surrounding the plaza where three thugs block the way.
One opens his mouth to say something before he snaps it shut seeing Gavec, the three move to the side and nod towards Gavec in respect.
He nods back before passing by the three, Eirlet following beside him and as they walk, he can feel three sets of curious gazes stay on him.
Curious about his reputation, Eirlet nudges Gavec and tilts his head back towards the three in question once he looks at him.
Understanding his question, he smiles with a bit of pride that leaks into his voice, "Well I'll have you know that this old man is a two-time Blood champion! Something no one's seen before!"
Eirlet just looks at him with a deadpan face, making Gavec's smile twitch slightly, "I beat 20 of the best fighters in a free-for-all! All 20 were gunning for me and I took them all on single-handedly!" He tries to impress Eirlet again, an action that doesn't visibly work.
Looking at each other for a few seconds as they walk, Gavec gives in first, his smile shattering as his shoulders slump, "Tch, whatever." He says in annoyance as he speeds up.
Behind him Eirlet smirks, 'A bratty child and a sulky teenager. Where the hell are the adults I need?'
The two turn a corner, the path cutting off a few meters ahead but connected to the wall, a staircase leads a few meters down to a door.
Heading down, Gavec reaches the door first and bangs on it twice, a slot on the door quickly slides open to reveal a set of eyes. Quickly take in the two of them, the eyes widen once they land on Gavec and the slot shuts as quickly as it opened.
The two hear several sounds of locks and deadbolts being unlocked from behind the door, heavy locks. Eirlet looks at Gavec with a raised eyebrow as they wait for a rather long lock, sounding like a gear, to finish turning.
The man answers without looking away from the door, "These fighters are all typically part of some gang or organization, if not then they'll get invitations from whoever's interested. And since this place is sorta considered as neutral grounds cause of the number of top dogs invested in it, that leads to the fighters being protected within these walls. Well, as long as they're not in the ring that is."
The door starts to slowly creak open, and as it opens, Eirlet notices it's a lot thicker and heavier looking than he first thought, "But that's only inside here, so anyone that's got bad blood got this place to come to if things get hot leading to this much defence. Though it hasn't stopped some people but they're no longer among us." He says with some amusement at the end. Finishing his explanation, he walks inside the large stone hallway lit by lanterns.
Entering behind him, Eirlet notices another three thugs sitting to the side of the door playing cards, guns resting nearby with a fourth closing the door he just opened.
Their footsteps echo as they walk, doors evenly spaced on either side of the hall before they come across an intersection. To the left a hall similar to the one their in, a large staircase heading upwards to presumably the ground floor to their right, and straight ahead a smaller hallway which leads to a larger area.
Ignoring the other two options they continue going straight before the area expands, the ceiling a few meters high held up by support beams and the ground made with stone and covered with a variety of stalls and makeshift walled areas.
Gavec turns right and approaches a stall nearby with a bored blonde woman manning it, looking like she'd be anywhere but there, amplifying once she catches sight of Gavec.
"Hey Charlotte! How's my favourite clerk doing!" He cheerily says with a handwave.
She responds with a drawl with a hand on her chin, "I'm the only clerk Gavec."
"I know, that's why you're my favourite!" She sighs bitterly at the end, sounding like they've gone through the act one too many times.
"What do you want Gavec? You're retired."
"Pssh," he waves his hand, "Not like that'll stop me. Either way, most of the current lineup are fodders anyway and the good ones are too scared to accept a rematch."
"Yes and if you remember correctly they were all deathmatches you asked for."
"Not deathmatches!" He whines, "Just with blunted weapons! You know, to spice things up!"
"Yeah, and that was fine for some of them until Jorge." She points out.
He raises a finger to speak before lowering it, mulling over his answer before answering with surety, "Fucker deserved it."
"Never said that." She says with some mirth, "Now what are you here for? You wouldn't come all the way here just to see me."
"Of course not." He scoffs at that notion, "We go to the same bar so there's no point."
"And you still owe me a beer." She points her finger at him which he easily ignores.
"I'm here to register for one, pre-teen. Name, Eirlet. Sponsor, Gavec. He needs a room as well." He says, Charlotte already writing everything down on a form.
She looks up and takes in Eirlet's form, making some estimates and writing them before getting up and heading to a door behind her.
Eirlet takes the time to take in the room, looking around he can see that there's essentially a very miniature market taking nearly a quarter of the area behind him. Right beside it, he can see a walled area that has a red cross right above its entrance.
'Seems like these guys do care about their fighters, at least those that can pay for it.' He muses.
Across from the infirmary, he can see there are benches lined up in front of a board and staircase where he can see some people waiting nearby, some calmly sitting or others nervously walking around. Squinting his eyes, he can make out pairs of names on cards beside each other with some of them having a name crossed out with black ink and lined up with different times.
Just as he finishes scanning through some of the cards, a man with a black and red bandana wrapped around his bicep comes down from the staircase and approaches the board. Bringing a hand up, he crosses out a name from a pair with red ink.
Confused, he looks through the previous matchups and sees that none of them are crossed out with red, only black, before it clicks.
'Oh. Ohhhhhhh!' He belatedly realizes.
Charlotte comes back as the next pair of fighters head up the staircase, one looking decidedly calmer than his apparent opponent.
Sitting at her desk she pushes the same sheet from before to him, filled with some information and notes of him along with a key with a number 23, "Don't lose that outside of here, it's your pass to get in through the competitor door, so unless you become as famous as your sponsor here you won't get back in without a very thorough and very annoying check. The key is for your room which will not be touched for as long as you pay for it after your first month and your still a competitor."
Taking the offered page and key he stows them away she says her last piece, "Fight's at quarter past eight at Dugout Two, be at least five minutes early, if you miss it you'll be banned from The Pit, any other fight just results in a fine. Good luck and spill blood."
Taking that last piece as her type of motivation the pair go with a wave and head back to the intersection, going down the same hallway they came from before stopping in front of a door with the number 23 on it.
Opening the door, he can see the room's filled with the bare necessities, a bed and a table with a chair, lit up only with a lantern.
He plops down on the bed while Gavec leans on the doorframe, "Ok, you got about an hour and 15 before your match. Ask whatever questions you got right now then you're on your own."
Grabbing his book he writes, 'What was this place supposed to be and how do the matches work?'
"It was supposed to be a military HQ but obviously it wasn't finished and so The Pit took over. Each corner is called a Dugout where a match happens and you can view it for a small fee, there are three always active during the night, while the fourth is where the main building was being built. That's where all the tournaments like the Bloodbath I told you about happen at the end of the year."
"The matches are pretty simple, you wait, you get called and the one with the better odds comes last to pump the crowd, then you fight, win, and come back." He explains simply
Eirlet rolls his eyes before asking another question, 'What about my pay?'
"You get paid depending on how high the bets go. If your opponent is a fan favourite, more people bet on them and when you win, you get a portion of the earnings which counts as your pay."
'So if I lose I get nothing?'
"Yep," He responds cheerfully, "And if you lose three times in a row, you're thrown out of The Pit, no matter how good you are, and the only way back is if you agree to have your fourth fight be a deathmatch against The Pit's fighter, but it's been years since the last."
Eirlet muses over that for a moment, 'How are match rules made? Who chooses if it's fist, weapons or a deathmatch?'
"That Eirlet, is on the fighters. Unless one takes initiative and both agree, it's only fists. Though typically deathmatches are between feuding gangs or people with grudges so don't expect yourself to get an offer like that, most fighters here like keeping their lives."
Eirlet nods at that, 'I like keeping my life as well!' He sarcastically says in his head.
He mulls over his next question for a moment, remembering their talk last night before writing, 'I've heard some rumours on the streets about nobles having slaves, and since this is the deep dark underworld, will I have to face one eventually?'
Gavec pauses for a moment, mulling over his answer and eyeing Eirlet intently before he slowly gives his answer, "Well, slave trading does happen, it's quite a profitable business but typically it's in the west and those high enough to buy one and stay safe don't bother coming down here. It has happened but they typically put up shitty fights so there's no profit or entertainment. And anyone trying to bring a slave down here without safe passageways don't get far, the military has some greasy people but they do have their limits."
Eirlet thinks his words over, 'So you're telling me I could've stayed in the carriage and would've been safe?.' He frowns, 'Shit, I wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble then… the fuck fate?'
Getting over his irritation, he asks a few more questions before he's satisfied, "Ok, leave your stuff here, keep only what you don't mind leaving with someone else, nothing other than the clothes on your back and what the armoury gives you is allowed in a match."
He stands straight before he reaches for the handle to close the door, "Eirlet," the boy looks to him, the older man dead serious, "Don't lose." Is all he says before he shuts the door with a soft -click-.
Eirlet sighs as he flops onto his back, arms splayed to the sides as he stares at the ceiling.
'I won't.'
