Ash 27, 4621¤
Miki was getting a lot of hard stares in the market. Opting to go without Izul she ran this mission alone. They needed a few amenities like bandages and new gloves. She was swathed in her new peasant outfit trying not to make eye contact with anyone in a mask. It was hard making a woman with red horns and red skin look small. To try to mitigate the jarring yellow stare her eyes gave she still kept on her small sunglasses. Her outfit was all black with white sleeves and she had her dark blue hair up in a tight bun.
The smell of bread wafted to her nose and she followed it to the baker's stall. Choosing some pemmican and hard tack she took her stock and left, but not without buying herself a sweetroll to munch on. Heading to the alley she quickly ate the sweetroll and was licking her fingers, thinking she needed bandages yet. That was when she saw someone small dashing through the crowd, knocking the aforementioned baker's stall over, spilling the contents into the street. It was a gnome girl and she was running with a black tapestry.
"EY! STOP THAT THIEF!"
Came someone in heavily accented common. The gnome girl ran forward and leaped onto a roof, taking off in a flash. Miki wiped her mouth and thought about chasing after her.
Not to rat, but maybe to tail her and corner her-- asking questions about the local gangs-- if any. Miki tossed her head, fiddled with her glasses, then set off at a slow pace the general direction the thief went. She didn't check to see if anyone was following her. Instead she was using her horns to find which way the thief was going. She would head that way for some time before giving up, it was about southeast. And so she set off with her sack of goods to find the whereabouts of the thief.
No one else was tailing the thief it would seem as no sound of chain or mail could be heard galloping throughout the streets. It was hard to decipher between the thrill and the fear of catching the thief. It was wrong, Miki knew it, but she had to meet that thief tonight. Like a black widow waiting for its mate she was sure she wasn't far behind. A rock fell in front of her, startling Miki from her quick pace. Looking down she looked upwards, that was when a black clothed woman, shorter than Miki by a whole head, catapulted in front of her, brandishing an knife and looking with wild eyes ready for blood.
"Who do you think you are?"
Hissed accented common beneath the mask.
"Me? I'm nobody, I'm just walking."
The laughter behind the mask was wheezing and when she was done she coughed.
"A liar too? You're hard to miss, you've been following me this whole time. What do you want?"
Miki considered her standpoint. She had found what she was looking for but the other had the upper hand. She bit her lip. No matter what she was marked now, her personal appearance was too weird here.
"I'm looking for a contact. I hail from the Badlands."
More wheezing laughter from the other.
"Come then, we're almost there."
Miki watched as like a shot the small woman leaped back onto the roof, Miki was shocked she was able to get away with her parkour. In the dark with no one around though the two slipped into a courtyard which was filled with overgrown hedges. The thief remained several paces ahead of Miki as she lead her through the maze. Finally, the two arrived at a large dragon's head chiseled in stone on the side of a wall. The thief moved a few pieces, finally twisting the tongue of the beast, the dragon sculpture opened like a door. Miki looked left, then right, then headed inside quickly after the thief. Getting into trouble was her forte this night, she had found what she was looking for.
~~~
They were inside a tiny, dilapidated hole in the wall-- likely literally. Miki was stunned. All over the walls were cement statues hanging, along with busts, bronze statues, and even a windchime.
"How would you just bring me to your hideout?"
The gnome scoffed,
"This is only one of many. You see, I am a gnome. Fitting into small places is what I do. Now, tell me. What is your name? You make call me Cloak for now."
Miki blinked.
"Well my name is Miki but that doesn't answer my question. Surely you wouldn't just let some stranger into your hideout, what's the motive here?"
"You see, it's clear you're different. I am not the trusting type but I see you and I have heard whisperings about a duo of red women making their rounds in Amoren. Yes, you're part of the gossip around town right now. Just lightly, but I've heard of your sideshow. I suppose, curiosity found the cat?"
Miki had a skeptical look on her face as she listened intently to the other.
It wouldn't be good to have any talk of the town on her or Izul. The less people knew about them the better. This one was young, Miki could see that despite her tough guy guise, she was too trusting. Miki shook her head, it was time to be direct.
"I need you an in for Amoren. I need someone here to help me recruit for my gang in the Badlands."
Cloak had her fingers in a steeple but clapped them together in what could only have been joy,
"Badlanders!? So interesting, no kidding. Imagine, putting a necktie and a wig on a peacock and expecting her to fit in with pigeons."
Miki wasn't sure what she meant, but Cloak continued on.
"I need you to do something for me. I want you to get this statue from a certain yard. I think it would look great in here."
She gave details about the mark.
"I've had my eye on this for some time and I think you could stand to prove yourself to me. Leave it here and then come find me. Yes, in one of my other hideouts. I want you to see if you are worthy of my services. If you can find me somewhere else in this city without blowing my cover I will join your gang and help you recruit."
~~~
Miki left the strange hovel and proposition feeling more confused than ever. She lounged outside the maze after finding her way through its winding path, she watched anyone who passed while smoking a cigarette. Tail swishing back and forth on the ground she was deep in thought. She found a coin on the ground and tossed it in her hand, waiting for something to happen. Either a poison dagger or some other insolent vermin to try to mug her, but nothing happened. She never even heard Cloak leave but when she went back to check the portal was sealed and it was assumed Cloak was gone. That done, the sun still high in the sky, Miki walked from her vantage point in the alley and rushed out onto the street.
