Chương 9: New Life

"We are robbing the Branek Bank again." Atzi remembered the explosion. The magical device she was given to blow open the safe - something went wrong. It glowed red hot and burned in her claws. She only had moments to decide. She tossed it, fearing for her life. Atzi escaped injury, but not everyone did. She didn't fully remember what happened next, it was all a blur of screaming and heat. At some point, the guards dragged them all away. Almost a year in jail. One day, a prison break. Atzi luckily escaped.

Her life had been awful since. To get another chance, to do it right? It was everything she wanted. But what if she screwed it all up again? Atzi swallowed the poison and drool building in her mouth.

"B-Branek Bank? You want… me, for that?" V placed the coin on the middle of the desk and steepled their fingers over it.

"Yes. I believe my superior funding now should make the endeavor a success this time. I'm even putting the old crew back together." V smiled.

"Won't that be fun?" But they'll want to kill me!

"Th-the same crew and all? Won't… won't they, um, after it ended there was a lot of blame going around, a-and um…"

"Oh, yes. Make no mistake, Atzi. They all hate you, still." Atzi shrank in her seat, making a pathetic noise.

"Then… why hire me? I'll do it! I'll absolutely do it!" I'm not scared, I'm just…

"But I figured, nobody would want me there…" V looked up to the ceiling of the room. Atzi followed their gaze, but saw nothing but the wooden trusses. A stray cobweb. Closer to the middle of the room, a closed attic hatch. After a moment V's gaze lowered, and Atzi did the same.

"You could say I felt nostalgic. You might say I wanted to prove we could have succeeded. Perhaps I think you are skilled enough to do the job regardless of your mistake. All of these are true, to a degree." I'm skilled? I mean, I know I am, but V thinks so?

"The important part is, I want you all for the job." V pushed forward the second gold coin.

"Either you're in, or you're out." Things haven't been… the dream I chased, or the life I wanted. I'm barely surviving, let alone living. Atzi took the coin.

"I'm in." V stood.

"The job is the thirteenth. Night. I believe the festival should be in full swing then, providing the group maximal distraction. We will be having a meeting, here, to go over the important details on the evening of the eleventh." It was currently the seventh. Three days before the festival week began, four before the meeting, six before the job. Plenty of time.

"Oh, and Atzi?"

"Yes?" she replied quickly.

"Coraline will be there, too. I got her to come back to the city." Atzi swallowed. Cory… Of everyone Atzi knew back then, she missed Cory the most. After we're rich, what if we stayed together…

"G-great!" V stared at Atzi, saying nothing. Atzi tried not to stare back, but V's gaze was too intense. Am I meant to stand up and go…? Is there something else to be said…?

"You may leave," they finally dismissed her. Atzi darted from her seat and fumbled with the door before making it out. She furtively stalked out of the mansion, getting her dagger back on her way out, absentmindedly thinking about the direction her life was taking. Don't screw this up. Don't screw this up. Don't screw this up. Ahhhh they're gonna kill me. Don't screw this up. Don't screw this up… She didn't even think to go straight to the inn for a better room.

She was so caught up in herself that she went all the way to the slums. She noticed most of the refugees had cleared out, probably spreading more throughout the slums and city. When she entered her home, she found stooge one laying on the ground.

"H-hey, this is my house! What in the hells are you doing here?!" She prepared to scare him away, arching her tail. The blonde haired man quivered his lip.

"Ah, but I'm injured and don't have anywhere else to stay… I'm sorry…" It was the worst acting for sympathy Atzi had ever seen. Sure, Braun had put the guy on his ass, but he looked fine to her. Suddenly, Atzi had an idea. What was this guy's name again…?

"Listen, Lance-""Vance."

"Whatever. I know a place you can stay." Vance's eyes brightened.

"Yeah?"

"There's an inn - it's a good inn, too - and the owner's been having problems with assholes vandalising the place. She can't afford actual security yet, and the guards don't care." Atzi paced as she spoke.

"So you can help out with guarding the place and maybe she'll let you sleep there. How's that sound?" Vance shot up. Up close, Atzi noticed he was more than a foot taller than her.

"What's the inn?" He asked, excited. Here's the hard part…

"It's the One Eye Open. The owner's a cyclops." Vance's eyes twitched.

"A cyclops! Those fuckers-""Oh come on!" Atzi shouted in his face.

"She's been living here for a long time! She didn't blow anything up! That's why she's having trouble! And the food's good and it'll suck if I had to find somewhere else to eat for cheap. Do you think I like eating burnt chicken at a tavern?!" Vance scratched his head.

"... Do you think she'll feed me too?" Atzi huffed. Selfish asshole.

"Maybe. I dunno, I'm just figuring this out. But it's the best idea I've got." Vance hummed, considering it.

"Besides, you owe me. You have a rep. Guards were snooping around here asking about you." His face went pale.

"... They were?"

"I don't snitch, so I didn't mention you trying to rob the old guy and getting your ass beat. But yeah." Vance laughed.

"Thank you for your discretion, friend."

"Thank me by helping out at the inn." Vance strolled out of her home.

"Let me grab my buddies."

"Oh. Right, those guys." They probably won't be any help in guarding things, hopefully this won't create a problem… wait, I still have the short guy's dagger. Well, this is still my home, so.. Atzi took her dagger and hid it under the floorboards. Perfect, then I can come back for it when I get a chance. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Vance came back shortly, stooges two and three in tow. He pointed to stooge two, the short one.

"This is Karl." Karl gave a grin that made Atzi feel like her scales itched. Creepy.

"And this tough guy is Marco." Vance thumped Marco on the shoulder, and Marco almost fell. Vance chuckled. This is a good idea, right…? - Atzi entered the inn, the three men behind her. Hemm perked up.

"Atzi! You brought friends?"

"Sort of. They're, uh, without a place to stay. They're refugees. You said you needed some protection, though, so I figured maybe… they need a place to sleep and something to eat, and they keep away guys causing trouble here? Maybe fix it up a little?" Hemm raised her eyebrow at them.

"Wait, refugees? You don't…" Atzi shook her claws in front of her.

"Don't worry, I made sure they understood. The fact they're refugees should even help, so others don't mess with them, see?" Hemm ran over.

"Oh Saintess, thank you!" She wrapped Atzi in a hug. Atzi gave a stupid laugh. Does this mean free food? She smells nice. Did this idea really work out?

"Uh, you're welcome…?" Hemm let go and staggered back.

"Atzi, um, as thanks… how about a free… bath?" Atzi nearly choked.

"Right! I'll go do that! Where is it?" Her tail wrapped around her leg. Vance laughed.

"You three will take one next," Hemm said. Then she turned her attention back to Atzi.

"Upstairs, end of the hall. Wait there and I'll bring up some hot water." - Some time later, all four were clean, and eating a free meal to celebrate. Atzi internally celebrated that she got a free meal, after all. Marco was interested in helping with cooking, too. Though he didn't have a lot of experience, Hemm was willing to train him anyway. Apparently her old chef had ran out on her once things got dangerous. After the food, Atzi took out a gold coin.

"Can I get a room?" Hemm smiled brightly.

"Of course!" Then she hesitated.

"Ah, how long? I'm afraid I don't have a lot of change…"

"How much do you have?"

"Sixty bronze. I had just donated most of my profit to the temple before… this." That's why you shouldn't give to charity!

"Well… how about I stay seven days and eat two meals a day. So forty two bronze." That's enough to get me through the job. Hemm nodded.

"Thank you." She took Atzi's coin and handed her back a sack of fifty-eight bronze, and a key.

"Third room on the right upstairs." Atzi happily took her money and the key. She rushed upstairs and opened the door, running into the room with the door slamming behind her, and flopping on to the bed. It was so comfortable, she sighed. Having slept on the wooden floor for years, she was the happiest she'd been a while. A bed! Food! Money! The job! Atzi quickly passed out, smiling. That night, it rained.

=== She woke up a little later than usual, the insulation of the inn keeping her from waking up before she wanted to. As she got dressed, she realized her clothes were old and smelly. She decided to buy some new ones today. She went downstairs. It was still empty. She figured it'd take a while for people to come back. The smell of food hit her, and she followed it to the bar, peering into the kitchen. Hemm was guiding Marco on how to cook. He was trying to fry something in a pan. At least he's not burning it.

Hemm leaned over to show him how to do it right, and Marco blushed. Atzi snickered. Novae boy blushing over a cyclops, who'd have thought it. Even if justified…

"How's he doing?" Hemm called back, "He's trying, which is more than I can say for the other two." She left Marco by himself and came to talk to Atzi.

"They left this morning and haven't been back since."

"They didn't say where they were going?" Atzi asked, confused.

"No. Hopefully it's just a one time thing…"

"Well… I'm sure they wouldn't forget their buddy here, at least." I can already tell they're flakers, but this guy seems too nervous to be one.

"Marco, any idea where they ran off to?"

"They don't usually tell me things…" he replied. Ah, he's the loser of the group. Well, I wouldn't know anything about that, so he's on his own.

"I'll keep an ear out for them. See you around, Hemm!"

"Have a good day, Atzi! Thanks again!" She went back to teaching Marco how to cook. - Atzi bought a lot of things. First, she got herself several new pairs of clothes, including a nice dress to party in. The flirty lizard merchant had told her it looked great on her, and she bought it right up. When Atzi suggested she needed help trying it on, the merchant just gave her a wink and a 'maybe later'. Oh, she's into me! She also bought a bunch of tail-bags from the same seller.

They wrapped around the base of her tail without being uncomfortable, giving her plenty of pouches to store things in. At first she didn't believe it was the right size for her, the band looked way too big, but it fit snugly. Outfitted, she dropped her clothes off at the inn, had a meal, and then went gambling. She lost enough money she started to get suspicious, then outright caught Frank cheating with his dice, having used three and taken one out.

She yelled and screamed enough to disturb all the other customers, and got her money back. I knew it! I'm never going there again! Later, she visited her favorite prostitute, who looked like Cory. By the time she was done, she was down to less than a gold left. It didn't bother her at her all, she knew she'd have more than she ever needed after the job. She hadn't heard a word about Vance or Karl, and they didn't come back to the inn, either.

The next day she went out again, thinking about gambling on a fight at the arena. On her way she saw a strange looking person sprinting through the streets. They were wearing a black robe ripped at the sleeves and just above their knees. Their arms, legs, even their face looked sculpted, closer to a statue than a person, without a singular flaw. Yellow paint surrounded their eyes, and messy white hair flowed behind them as they ran. A loaf of bread hung from their mouth. A dozen guards chased them.

I hope they make it out. Dumb guards don't deserve to catch anybody. The strange sculpture-person leapt towards a nearby stall. They grabbed a wooden pole holding up a corner of a tarp, swinging around it, and launched themselves into the air. Atzi gawped, amazed. They landed on a roof and ran out of sight. The guards all stopped, exhausted. It was the best thing Atzi had seen all day. This remained true when she lost twenty bronze gambling at the arena. Aww, c'mon! Well at least there are better fights next week…

I'll win then. Trodding back through the streets, she saw her second strange sight for the day. A goblin. There was a raunchy novel Atzi had owned years ago, before she'd been forced to pawn it for food, about a traveler getting lost in the distant north, rescued and 'taken care of' by a group of goblin women. This one didn't seem nearly as short or voluptuous as the story made them all out to be, but she did have the green skin and flowers sprouting from her hair.

The goblin woman was asking questions to a merchant.

"Ah, you haven't seen any other goblins…?"

"First I've seen is you," The merchant replied.

"Hmmm… where did she go…" All types here for the festival, I guess. She paid another visit to 'her' prostitute, indulging the rest of her day away. Before heading back to the inn, she got an idea. Well if those two stooges aren't going to come back anyway, I should get the dagger. Hells, maybe they're at my shack. Lazy guys, running away from work! She took a trip to the slums - better be my last - and arrived at her shack. In the corner of the room, she saw a chicken pecking at the floorboards.

"Ugh, what are you doing there? Shoo! Stupid bird!" It merely wandered over to the side a bit, and Atzi sighed before grabbing her dagger. She swung her dagger in its direction and hissed.

"Get lost!" The chicken bawked, flapping its wings in a panic. It ran directly into the cracked wooden post holding up the roof. The post seemed to shift, letting out an ominous, high-pitched creaking sound. Exactly like the sound of wood that was about to snap- Atzi dove out of her home, panicking, expecting the roof to come crashing down on her at any moment. Only when she was well clear of the door did she look back to see her house not, in fact, collapse. The post merely wobbled and the chicken ran out.

"Whew!" Close one! She sat up and brushed herself off. Then, a pain like a thousand knives pierced every inch of Atzi's body. She made a choking noise, unable to cry out from the sheer agony. She writhed, and then her muscles seized. She could not think. She could not breathe. She could not see, as her vision went dark… - There was nothing but a pitch black totality. Then, only by her own dim awareness of the void around her did Atzi realize she was there, too. But she couldn't see, hear, or feel a thing.

Confusion washed over her as she desperately tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't even register her own eyelids. She was only her thoughts, floating within a void. Atzi tried to speak, "What's going on?!" and her words came not from her mouth, but from every direction around her. She tried to move, and ended up shifting the mass of void. She was the lack; there was nothing to move. She floated as the void. Then the darkness rippled, and a form slowly emerged.

It was a woman, her skin pale and sickly green, but with a strange beauty to her as well. Her hair seemed to flow in every direction, far longer than it should be, framing her body. Eyelids closed as if she was dead. Atzi had never seen her before, yet she felt somehow connected to this woman, drawn towards her. Her eyes slowly opened. Atzi gazed upon her face. The mysterious woman stared back at her, or rather, at the point where her consciousness lay. The woman began sinking back into the darkness.

She spoke just before she was entirely gone.

"Help me."