51st of Searing, 120
It had been a little more than a day since Arkash's folly. The events of the day prior saw Cojack injured with a black eye, his chest mutilated with a branding scar and the entirety of their savings, stolen.
[indent=30]The Thompson Brothers were responsible, but they wouldn't have been able to find Arkash without help from an outside source. Barry, a Savant Baker who employed Arkash as cheap labor, sold him out. It was him that told the boys where Arkash lived, as well as the details of his shift and living arrangements. How Alec knew about their savings, Arkash didn't know.
[indent=30]Ultimately, it didn't matter. Arkash wasn't headed to the bakery for answers. He wanted compensation, an apology. How he would approach the subject, though, he didn't know.
[indent=30]He didn't want to enter from the kitchen, as that would land him trapped between Maurice and the fat human in the belly of the venue. If things didn't go as planned, he needed a quick escape. He'd have to use the front door instead of the usual entrance he took to work.
[indent=30]Arkash held his chest tightly as he walked through the cobbled streets of Lower Nivenhain. His wounds still pulled with every step he made; they were fresh, after all. As long as he breathed shallowly and maintained his focus, it wasn't a problem. And if anyone tried to mug him, he had nothing to steal but the rags and dirty bandages he wore.
[indent=30]Only the moon and stars lit his way. The Savants had stopped employing lamplighters in Arkash's district years ago, as vandalism and violent attacks cost them more money than it was worth.
[indent=30]So, the streets of Lower Nivenhain weren't safe. They never had been in Arkash's lifetime. And though he was accustomed to it, it still made him uncomfortable to peer down the alleys he passed, as anyone could have been waiting in there. People could have been staring back at him, and he would never have known.
[indent=30]Before long, Arkash arrived at the front door of the bakery; a stout cobblestone house with a flat roof and small, barred windows. The front door was wooden planks, braced with plates of iron that crossed the surface horizontally. The sign read 'closed', but Arkash knew that both Maurice and Barry were in there. It was the fat human's practice to prepare the dough and pastries early in the morning to get ahead of the day. They placed them in the furnaces shortly before opening.
[indent=30]Arkash stared at the door for a long moment or two before he took hold of the cast iron door knocker, and rapped it on the surface a few times. No response. A sigh flowed from his lips, and he tried to gather his nerves. 'This won't go well,' he thought. He'd definitely be fired, but that was fine. He was done with being walked over.
[indent=30]With a furrow to his brow, he gripped the handle of the door knocker again and knocked once before the door opened. Barry was stood in the door with his dirty apron and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. "Arkash?" he asked in common with his thick lowborn accent.
[indent=30]"Barry," replied the Rathari in his own common.
[indent=30]"What're 'ou doing out 'ere?" he asked with a grin and a scoff. "Getcha tail 'round back and help Maurice out." So he was playing that game, the stupid game. The fat man didn't even acknowledge Arkash's bandages, let alone angry glare that burned in his eyes.
[indent=30]This wouldn't roll off so easily. "You sold me out," hissed Arkash in almost perfect clarity. His venom began to pool in his mouth as he forced the words from his lips. A hard slurp saw him swallow the dangerous fluids.
[indent=30]"...Whatcha talkin' about?" Asked Barry with a furrow to his brow. He was quite convincing in his confusion, but Arkash knew better. The boys had info that only Barry knew, they even said that Barry had told them. He'd betrayed him.
[indent=30]"Three boys, Savants like youerself. You told 'em where I live," accused the Rathari. For just a second, there was a flash of recognition in the human's eyes. Arkash saw it.
[indent=30]"The fuck're 'ew talkin' about, kid?" Barry stepped out of the bakery and took a step toward Arkash. The lizard took a step back. "I didn' sell anyone out, ya ungrateful li'l shite." What was that supposed to mean?
[indent=30]"Yeah ya did!" he yelled, and slurped hard again to swallow more of his venom. As his heart picked up, so did his breathing. With that much stress, his venom glands were overly active. "'Cause of 'ou, they broke in an' fucked up Cojack! They took all my money-!" he hesitated a little as his foot went off the curb and cost him his balance. Barry took advantage of the situation and pushed Arkash to the floor in a quick extension of his arms. The lizard fell to his tail but stayed sitting up with one hand to brace against the floor while the other held his chest together.
[indent=30]"Listen, kid, I get youer proper fucked up, but don' go puttin' all ya shite on me. That's on you," spoke the human who crouched before the downed Rathari.
[indent=30]"Youer a fuckin' liar," hissed Arkash, who bared his serrated teeth as his rage crept upon him.
[indent=30]"-So are 'ou, lousy twat," snapped the human's confession. He was lying.
[indent=30]Arkash stared at him from the ground as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. "...I fuckin' knew it," he hissed.
[indent=30]Barry paused for a moment, then exhaled deeply and shook his head. Just a second later, he turned away.
[indent=30]"You owe me, Barry!" Cried Arkash as the fat human walked away.
[indent=30]"Fuck off, Arkash," he called back with a wave, then shut the door behind him.
It wasn't over. Arkash was so far from done. He'd told himself that he wasn't to be walked over anymore, so he picked himself up and dusted off the grime of the road before he set off to the Alley.
[indent=30]It was the same one in which Brodie, Alec, and Chad mutilated him. There was something he needed. When he arrived, he checked the corner and honed his dark-adjusted eyes to check for anyone that might have been lurking, then proceeded into the dark passage.
[indent=30]At the very end of the Alley, he found the pipe of the downspout. It was solid iron and had broken off the wall when Chad broke it. With how badly rusted it was, there was no wonder on how the human managed to break it so easily. He pressed one foot to the body of the downspout and pulled at the end. Steadily, the top section pulled free, and he was granted a section of pipe about three feet long.
[indent=30]He took his time, as Barry didn't leave the bakery until first light.
[indent=30]With his weapon in hand and a strategy in mind, he hid in the Back Alley of the bakery. In order for this to work, he couldn't be seen. Barry was in the Savant Caste, if a nameless were caught attacking him, they'd be executed by hollows. He likely had only one chance to hit him, so he had to make it count.
[indent=30]It began to rain, but Arkash didn't care. He was ectothermic, and the rain only soothed his scales. Being the season of searing, the rain was temperate that deep in, even at night.
[indent=30]Hours ran by, and Arkash kept his tired, weary eyes trained on the door from behind some crates. Before long, the day crew showed up and entered through the back. None of them saw him. Arkash backed up a little and looked into a nearby puddle. From the reflection, he could see the entirety of the Alley, including the back door. The droplets of rain muddied the image a little, but it was workable.
[indent=30]As the sun began to rise, it was still raining. Arkash readied himself and trained his eyes on the reflection. Just moments later, Barry emerged with Maurice and one other man that Arkash didn't recognize. Was that his replacement? The thought that Barry had replaced him so quickly admittedly hurt, but he suppressed his misery to keep his rage burning high.
[indent=30]Payments were exchanged, laughs and banter were shared. Maurice and the other guy departed, leaving just Barry to count his farthings beneath the shelter at the door.
[indent=30]Arkash carefully stood, as Barry had his back to him. The rumble of the rain masked his footsteps as he closed the gap with the fat human and lifted his iron pipe overhead. A whistle sounded as Arkash swung, and smacked the fat human over the back of the head with the pipe. The force of the strike reverberated through the pipe and caused Arkash to drop it with a clattering thud, but it wasn't enough.
[indent=30]Barry had dropped the money he gained the day prior, but he merely stumbled from the force of the blow. If Arkash didn't act quickly, he would have turned around and seen him. So, he rushed forward and wrapped his bandaged arm around the fat man's neck. He thumped the ground with his tail to stabilize his stance and pulled Barry toward him. The dazed, likely concussed human stumbled and fell with Arkash's pull. He gripped Arkash's bandages in an effort to free his windpipe and breathe, but Arkash didn't relent.
[indent=30]He pulled as hard as he could, almost as though he were trying to rip the fat man's head off. It wasn't the case, but it served well to cut off his breathing, and prevented him from calling for help.
[indent=30]His grip generally weakened on Arkash's arm, then finally fell limp. The Rath continued the choke for another five to ten seconds after the fact, then released him. Arkash was breathing heavily, as the fight took a lot of his stamina. But, he had no time to lose. He began to collect the farthing notes that barry had dropped, then searched his pockets for his wallet. He didn't bother to take the money from it first and took the whole thing. Before Barry could recover, he collected his metal pipe and ran.
[indent=30]Once he was close enough to his house, he slowed and paused to catch his breath. In one hand, he held his iron pipe. In the other, a wallet and a stack of notes. between them both? Red was seeping through his bandages. He'd not noticed due to the adrenaline, but he'd opened his wounds in the process of mugging Barry.
[indent=30]As his breathing returned to normal, he slipped into an alley to fiddle with his spoils and put the cash in the wallet. it didn't feel real, as though he hadn't really just mugged Barry. It almost felt as though there was a film over his eyes, that he had wandered through a dream, that he was still dreaming... but he wasn't.
[indent=30]Arkash had hurt someone and stolen what was theirs.
It had been a little more than a day since Arkash's folly. The events of the day prior saw Cojack injured with a black eye, his chest mutilated with a branding scar and the entirety of their savings, stolen.
[indent=30]The Thompson Brothers were responsible, but they wouldn't have been able to find Arkash without help from an outside source. Barry, a Savant Baker who employed Arkash as cheap labor, sold him out. It was him that told the boys where Arkash lived, as well as the details of his shift and living arrangements. How Alec knew about their savings, Arkash didn't know.
[indent=30]Ultimately, it didn't matter. Arkash wasn't headed to the bakery for answers. He wanted compensation, an apology. How he would approach the subject, though, he didn't know.
[indent=30]He didn't want to enter from the kitchen, as that would land him trapped between Maurice and the fat human in the belly of the venue. If things didn't go as planned, he needed a quick escape. He'd have to use the front door instead of the usual entrance he took to work.
[indent=30]Arkash held his chest tightly as he walked through the cobbled streets of Lower Nivenhain. His wounds still pulled with every step he made; they were fresh, after all. As long as he breathed shallowly and maintained his focus, it wasn't a problem. And if anyone tried to mug him, he had nothing to steal but the rags and dirty bandages he wore.
[indent=30]Only the moon and stars lit his way. The Savants had stopped employing lamplighters in Arkash's district years ago, as vandalism and violent attacks cost them more money than it was worth.
[indent=30]So, the streets of Lower Nivenhain weren't safe. They never had been in Arkash's lifetime. And though he was accustomed to it, it still made him uncomfortable to peer down the alleys he passed, as anyone could have been waiting in there. People could have been staring back at him, and he would never have known.
[indent=30]Before long, Arkash arrived at the front door of the bakery; a stout cobblestone house with a flat roof and small, barred windows. The front door was wooden planks, braced with plates of iron that crossed the surface horizontally. The sign read 'closed', but Arkash knew that both Maurice and Barry were in there. It was the fat human's practice to prepare the dough and pastries early in the morning to get ahead of the day. They placed them in the furnaces shortly before opening.
[indent=30]Arkash stared at the door for a long moment or two before he took hold of the cast iron door knocker, and rapped it on the surface a few times. No response. A sigh flowed from his lips, and he tried to gather his nerves. 'This won't go well,' he thought. He'd definitely be fired, but that was fine. He was done with being walked over.
[indent=30]With a furrow to his brow, he gripped the handle of the door knocker again and knocked once before the door opened. Barry was stood in the door with his dirty apron and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. "Arkash?" he asked in common with his thick lowborn accent.
[indent=30]"Barry," replied the Rathari in his own common.
[indent=30]"What're 'ou doing out 'ere?" he asked with a grin and a scoff. "Getcha tail 'round back and help Maurice out." So he was playing that game, the stupid game. The fat man didn't even acknowledge Arkash's bandages, let alone angry glare that burned in his eyes.
[indent=30]This wouldn't roll off so easily. "You sold me out," hissed Arkash in almost perfect clarity. His venom began to pool in his mouth as he forced the words from his lips. A hard slurp saw him swallow the dangerous fluids.
[indent=30]"...Whatcha talkin' about?" Asked Barry with a furrow to his brow. He was quite convincing in his confusion, but Arkash knew better. The boys had info that only Barry knew, they even said that Barry had told them. He'd betrayed him.
[indent=30]"Three boys, Savants like youerself. You told 'em where I live," accused the Rathari. For just a second, there was a flash of recognition in the human's eyes. Arkash saw it.
[indent=30]"The fuck're 'ew talkin' about, kid?" Barry stepped out of the bakery and took a step toward Arkash. The lizard took a step back. "I didn' sell anyone out, ya ungrateful li'l shite." What was that supposed to mean?
[indent=30]"Yeah ya did!" he yelled, and slurped hard again to swallow more of his venom. As his heart picked up, so did his breathing. With that much stress, his venom glands were overly active. "'Cause of 'ou, they broke in an' fucked up Cojack! They took all my money-!" he hesitated a little as his foot went off the curb and cost him his balance. Barry took advantage of the situation and pushed Arkash to the floor in a quick extension of his arms. The lizard fell to his tail but stayed sitting up with one hand to brace against the floor while the other held his chest together.
[indent=30]"Listen, kid, I get youer proper fucked up, but don' go puttin' all ya shite on me. That's on you," spoke the human who crouched before the downed Rathari.
[indent=30]"Youer a fuckin' liar," hissed Arkash, who bared his serrated teeth as his rage crept upon him.
[indent=30]"-So are 'ou, lousy twat," snapped the human's confession. He was lying.
[indent=30]Arkash stared at him from the ground as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. "...I fuckin' knew it," he hissed.
[indent=30]Barry paused for a moment, then exhaled deeply and shook his head. Just a second later, he turned away.
[indent=30]"You owe me, Barry!" Cried Arkash as the fat human walked away.
[indent=30]"Fuck off, Arkash," he called back with a wave, then shut the door behind him.
It wasn't over. Arkash was so far from done. He'd told himself that he wasn't to be walked over anymore, so he picked himself up and dusted off the grime of the road before he set off to the Alley.
[indent=30]It was the same one in which Brodie, Alec, and Chad mutilated him. There was something he needed. When he arrived, he checked the corner and honed his dark-adjusted eyes to check for anyone that might have been lurking, then proceeded into the dark passage.
[indent=30]At the very end of the Alley, he found the pipe of the downspout. It was solid iron and had broken off the wall when Chad broke it. With how badly rusted it was, there was no wonder on how the human managed to break it so easily. He pressed one foot to the body of the downspout and pulled at the end. Steadily, the top section pulled free, and he was granted a section of pipe about three feet long.
[indent=30]He took his time, as Barry didn't leave the bakery until first light.
[indent=30]With his weapon in hand and a strategy in mind, he hid in the Back Alley of the bakery. In order for this to work, he couldn't be seen. Barry was in the Savant Caste, if a nameless were caught attacking him, they'd be executed by hollows. He likely had only one chance to hit him, so he had to make it count.
[indent=30]It began to rain, but Arkash didn't care. He was ectothermic, and the rain only soothed his scales. Being the season of searing, the rain was temperate that deep in, even at night.
[indent=30]Hours ran by, and Arkash kept his tired, weary eyes trained on the door from behind some crates. Before long, the day crew showed up and entered through the back. None of them saw him. Arkash backed up a little and looked into a nearby puddle. From the reflection, he could see the entirety of the Alley, including the back door. The droplets of rain muddied the image a little, but it was workable.
[indent=30]As the sun began to rise, it was still raining. Arkash readied himself and trained his eyes on the reflection. Just moments later, Barry emerged with Maurice and one other man that Arkash didn't recognize. Was that his replacement? The thought that Barry had replaced him so quickly admittedly hurt, but he suppressed his misery to keep his rage burning high.
[indent=30]Payments were exchanged, laughs and banter were shared. Maurice and the other guy departed, leaving just Barry to count his farthings beneath the shelter at the door.
[indent=30]Arkash carefully stood, as Barry had his back to him. The rumble of the rain masked his footsteps as he closed the gap with the fat human and lifted his iron pipe overhead. A whistle sounded as Arkash swung, and smacked the fat human over the back of the head with the pipe. The force of the strike reverberated through the pipe and caused Arkash to drop it with a clattering thud, but it wasn't enough.
[indent=30]Barry had dropped the money he gained the day prior, but he merely stumbled from the force of the blow. If Arkash didn't act quickly, he would have turned around and seen him. So, he rushed forward and wrapped his bandaged arm around the fat man's neck. He thumped the ground with his tail to stabilize his stance and pulled Barry toward him. The dazed, likely concussed human stumbled and fell with Arkash's pull. He gripped Arkash's bandages in an effort to free his windpipe and breathe, but Arkash didn't relent.
[indent=30]He pulled as hard as he could, almost as though he were trying to rip the fat man's head off. It wasn't the case, but it served well to cut off his breathing, and prevented him from calling for help.
[indent=30]His grip generally weakened on Arkash's arm, then finally fell limp. The Rath continued the choke for another five to ten seconds after the fact, then released him. Arkash was breathing heavily, as the fight took a lot of his stamina. But, he had no time to lose. He began to collect the farthing notes that barry had dropped, then searched his pockets for his wallet. He didn't bother to take the money from it first and took the whole thing. Before Barry could recover, he collected his metal pipe and ran.
[indent=30]Once he was close enough to his house, he slowed and paused to catch his breath. In one hand, he held his iron pipe. In the other, a wallet and a stack of notes. between them both? Red was seeping through his bandages. He'd not noticed due to the adrenaline, but he'd opened his wounds in the process of mugging Barry.
[indent=30]As his breathing returned to normal, he slipped into an alley to fiddle with his spoils and put the cash in the wallet. it didn't feel real, as though he hadn't really just mugged Barry. It almost felt as though there was a film over his eyes, that he had wandered through a dream, that he was still dreaming... but he wasn't.
[indent=30]Arkash had hurt someone and stolen what was theirs.
