Samantha made her way over to All the Fixin’s to meet Aiden as soon as she saw the first rays of sunlight peeking over the mountain range. He had said that being early was essential for getting the job done, so she wasn’t going to take any chances on being late.

The streets were still relatively empty, so she made good time to the unofficial market square. She quietly knocked on the storefront door and was let in immediately by the young Aiden.

“Cheese! I’m glad to see you. Are you ready for the big delivery today?” he asked, obviously excited.

“Sure am. What do you need me to do?” Samantha responded, having learned by this point in their working relationship that asking for more details was pointless with him. True to his reputation and her initial impression of him, he took confidentiality seriously and never gave away more than necessary.

“We’re delivering to the alchemist shop at the north edge of the gutter, ‘Green Harvests’. We passed it on a prior delivery two days ago. The building with the weird mushrooms growing out of the side, remember?”

Samantha nodded the affirmative and Aiden continued.

“But, before that, we need to pick up the goods. Follow me and I’ll tell you more on the way to save time.”

Samantha obliged, dutifully sticking near Aiden as he led the way out of the slums entirely. Strangely, instead of taking the roof routes as they normally did, Aiden walked at a fast clip through the city streets instead. After traveling several blocks in silence, Aiden picked up his explanation where he left off, “The Pack Rats have been stealing some of Green’s shipments recently, so that’s why he’s hired me--to get the job done without any interruptions. Payment is already taken care of, so all you need to worry about is successfully completing the delivery. Do you have any questions?”

“Several, but I doubt you’d answer any of them.” Samantha joked, and Aiden chuckled lightly at the jab. “I actually do have a few questions though. For one--”

Aiden held up a hand and interrupted her train of thought. She frowned, wondering if he really wouldn’t answer anything she asked, but then he spoke quietly to her, “Don’t make a scene, but we have some company off to your left.”

Samantha paused, then focused her attention towards the area he described. Now that he had pointed it out, she did notice a familiar face trailing them. She recognized him as one of the four boys that had tried to corner her in the alley during her first day in the slums. If she remembered correctly, this one had been hit squarely in the face by Aiden’s... unorthodox projectile. Realizing that she had been using Prey’s perception to observe him without actually turning her head, she made a small adjustment to her stance so it seemed more natural to Aiden that she spotted him.

“Already?” She asked.

“Seems that way, though it doesn’t look like he’s going to engage with us since he’s keeping his distance. Let’s save the detailed questions for when we get into the safety of the pick up location. Keep things general for now.”

“Got it.” Samantha easily agreed, and they bided their time until the shop was in sight and the Pack Rat member had disappeared into a side street.

“We’re here!” Aiden declared, gesturing to a modestly decorated two-story shop. A wooden sign hung above the doorway, slightly faded white paint spelling out the name ‘Marvelous Mixtures’ in immaculate script. The two large glass windows in the front of the shop let her see the clean and organized interior before even taking a step inside.

As they pushed open the door to enter the shop, a bright chime sounded. The movement of the swinging door had rung a bell that was hung in the corner of the doorway, and a muffled elderly voice called from somewhere upstairs, “Be with you in a moment!”

While the pair waited, Samantha examined the shop. The first thing to jump out at her was the nearly suffocating scent of herbs. She couldn’t make out anything distinct in the pungent cocktail, but she could only imagine the unbridled gluttony that such a smell would evoke in Silas who could probably distinguish better than she could.

There was a single staircase to their right which led up to the second floor. On the far wall was a grid of drawers and cabinets that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Each compartment was closed with a lock and was clearly labeled with relevant information on the plants inside (such as a list of properties), as well as a hand painted picture of what it looked like, and a price. A track for a rolling ladder was affixed to the ceiling, and the ladder in question was pushed off to the side so it was out of the way.

On the left was a wooden counter and even more storage for herbs mounted to the wall at head height. There were two wooden stools in front of the counter, each with three legs. They were obviously not new pieces of furniture, but they were in good condition and well cared for by the owner.

When she was satisfied with her observations, she turned to Aiden and resumed asking for more information. “So, what am I actually here to do? You said you needed my help with this delivery, but you never fully explained my role in this.”

“Ah, that. Well, since Green’s packages keep getting stolen his business is hurting. At this point, he just wants to make sure something actually makes it to him. So, this delivery has been split into two parts, one for each of us.”

A shuffling sound from the stairway caused both of them to look up, and a plump, elderly woman made her way over to them. “Hello dears, what brings you to Marvelous Mixtures this morning?”

“Picking up a delivery for Alchemist Harold Green.” Aiden confidently stated, reaching into a pocket and producing a stamped writ. The older woman took the paper and looked it over closely with a magnifying glass, held it up to the light, and then returned it, nodding to herself.

“Yes, yes. Everything looks to be in order. I’ll go get the boxes for you, just wait here please.”

Aiden leaned over to Samantha speaking quietly so as not to be easily overheard, “One of the packages will have a mix of common and uncommon herbs, while the other will hold the rare herbs. You’ll be handling the less expensive herbs, and I’ll be taking the rare ones with me. The plan is that if we get ambushed, which is likely based on the follower we had earlier, we split up so that we only have to deal with half of the group each. We’ll then separately make our deliveries and can meet up at Green Harvests, make sense?”

“So, once I deliver my half of the package, my debt to you is totally paid off right?” Samantha confirmed, not wanting there to be any room for ambiguity.

“Yeah, easy right? You’re more like insurance than anything else. I could probably do this on my own, but it’s better to be safe whenever the Pack Rats are actively involved. I guess you could say you’re repaying me in ‘risk’, if that makes sense. Even if nothing ends up happening, you are still willing to be there and help out, which is worth something in and of itself.” Aiden assured.

A shuffling sound signaled the return of the shop owner, and they looked up to see two packages being placed gingerly on the counter. One parcel was a darkly stained wooden box, a cube around 1 foot on each side. The corners were reinforced with polished brass fittings, and a sturdy looking lock sealed it shut. The second parcel was just a bundle of herbs wrapped securely in wax paper and twine.

“And everything matches the specifications?” Aiden inquired.

The old woman tapped him lightly on the head with a fan that she had been hiding in her sleeve, admonishing him, “Everything that comes through my shop always matches specifications, young man. Are you certain about this delivery though? These ingredients would easily be worth a year of your wages, and you’ll be responsible for paying for any losses.”

“Thank you for the concern, but I didn’t make a name for myself playing it safe. I’ll be okay. Besides! I have help with me today.” Aiden replied cheerily.

“Very well, safe travels you two!” the grandmotherly woman called after them as they picked up their respective packages and left the shop. Aiden placed the somewhat ornate box in his backpack, and Samantha gently settled the herb bundle in her own.

“Alright, Pack Rats are probably lying in wait for us nearby, so we need to hurry back to the slums and get to the rooftops for the best chance of staying ahead of them. Stick with me, and if I tell you to split up just take whatever route you can to complete your delivery as quickly as possible. Oh, and don’t get caught!” he said, a cheeky smile spreading across his face as he started running.

“Okay, but what if we do get caught?” Samantha hollered, pumping her arms and legs to catch up.

He shrugged.

“...Nothing? That’s the plan?” Samantha asked incredulously, a little taken aback by his reaction.

“You worry too much Cheese! Just don’t get caught! It’s been working for me so far.” he replied, laughing with each step.

Samantha nearly rolled her eyes. Sometimes she forgot she was dealing with a 10 year old boy. She couldn’t deny that his easygoing joy was infectious though, as she felt laughter bubbling up to her lips as well. Without much left to say, both couriers made their way back to the slums.

As they ran, both kept an eye out for potential ambushers or followers. While neither of them saw anything out of the ordinary, the sharp bird calls and whistles that came from hidden rooftops or dark alleys didn’t bode well for their journey. With each new signal, Aiden made course adjustments and changed directions to try to throw off their trail, but without success. It seemed no matter how obscure the path, someone nearby was always watching their progress.

“Dang, looks like we’re not going to be able to shake them. As soon as we pass into the slums and can get onto a roof, split up. I’ll go east, you go west, and we’ll meet back up at Greens.”

“Understood. What do I win if I beat you there?” Samantha teased.

“Ha! Good luck with that.” he shot back, speeding up even more as he spoke.

Another few minutes passed and they finally crossed back over into the slums, and as previously discussed, Aiden and Samantha sprinted in opposite directions once reaching the roofs. More shrill calls and signals rang out--presumably updating the ambush party about the change--and Samantha did her best to focus on finding solid footing as she ran.

She wasn’t overly concerned about being seen or pursued because in the back of her mind she knew she could handle most anything that a mortal threw at her, if necessary. She also figured that any pursuers chasing her would be one less chasing Aiden, so while she wasn’t screaming from the rooftops ‘Here I am, come get me,’ she wasn’t making any special effort to hide her location either.

The first sign that she was being actively hunted was a woman running along a roof parallel to hers, swinging some kind of weighted rope above her head. The speed of the rope spinning caused the air to whine slightly, and when released flew flat like a disk towards her lower body.

Samantha leapt, avoiding the mystery object with room to spare, and she observed as it struck a nearby chimney. The weapon coiled around the chimney like a snake, and two weighted balls at each end of the rope caused the line to twist and tangle together, tying it tightly.

“Huh.” was all she could utter before the familiar whine picked up again, the woman getting out another rope.

Before she could fully get used to the unique thrown weapon, a new attacker entered the fray. This one had a more lethal weapon, a small light crossbow adeptly aimed at her center mass as she made a particularly long jump. Fortunately, his aim was off, and she was able to avoid the bolt as she continued onto the next roof, leaving the loud cursing of the archer behind.

As more people joined the ‘hunt’, Samantha’s concern for Aiden grew. These thieves seemed determined to steal from them, not caring if they caused injury or even death. Just as she was beginning to consider breaking away from the plan and trying to find Aiden to check on him, she saw Green Harvests not 5 blocks ahead of her.

Deciding to quit playing around, as soon as she broke line of sight with her attackers she accelerated to a nearly inhuman speed. Within moments she was leaving the densely packed alleys of the residential area and moving into a more spacious area where businesses outside of the primary market square were established. She’d only visited in passing once, but was told that generally the “smellier” crafts were delegated to this part of the slums such as the tannery, butcher, and of course, the alchemist.

Having just come from a proper alchemist’s shop, the difference in quality was shocking compared to when she first visited. This hovel was dilapidated, made of scrap wood and rusted metal, and all manner of fungi grew from the water-damaged roof and walls. The musty smells of rot and mold were so potent that it made her wonder if he was trying to grow a portion of his ingredients from the building itself. There wasn’t even a sign to show that this place wasn’t abandoned.

Sliding to a stop in the doorway, she called out, “Delivery for Green Harvests?” and a wiry middle-aged man immediately rushed out to receive her.

“Yes, I’m Alchemist Green! You had me worried there for a moment. Where’s the boy?” the man inquired, eagerly taking the package from Samantha’s outstretched hands and tearing into it.

“We ran into the Pack Rats on the way and had to split up. If he’s not here yet, I expect he will be soon. He’s got the rare herbs you ordered.” Samantha explained.

“Oh? Maybe there was a mixup then, because these seem to be exactly what I was waiting for. 3 measures of platinum vine, 5 measures of chameleon leaf, 2 measures of sun buds… all the pricey items are here.” he said, carefully cradling the plants and carrying them to a back room.

“You’re saying that Aiden gave me the expensive one?” Samantha called after him, a little surprised.

“Seems like it, not that I’m complaining either way. I got my delivery, finally, so that’s all that matters! With this, I’ll--”

The whistle of a projectile coming her way cut through his words as Samantha jerked her body to the side. She watched with Prey’s Perception as a crossbow bolt narrowly brushed past her arm and lodged itself in a wooden support column near the center of the shop. The impact caused a rain of rotten wood debris to fall from the ceiling.

“Sorry, did you say something?” Green shouted, still putting his delivery away in the back room, “I didn’t catch that.”

“Pack Rats are here!” she warned, whirling to face the persistent group.

Four familiar teens were panting, sweaty, and visibly irritated as they ran up nearer to the shop front. It was the original group of Pack Rats she had come into contact with earlier this week. Each had weapons out and at the ready and they were arguing with each other, though Samantha couldn’t make out the exact words from this distance with the loud rummaging sounds now coming from Green’s direction. Behind them, the woman with the throwing rope and the man with a crossbow also emerged.

“One moment!” Green hollered, “I’ve got… something for those… thieves. If I can just find it…” his voice turning vindictive towards the end of his statement,

Samantha put the alchemist from her mind for now, fully stepping inside and taking cover to the left of the doorway. Effectively, this put a shop wall--as decrepit as it was--between herself and the gang members.

She peeked the smallest portion of her head around the doorframe so she could watch the group with Prey’s Perception. As useful as the passive art was, it didn’t let her see through walls, and they were also staying out of range of her sphere of perception, so she had no other way to keep tabs on their movements.

Samantha inwardly sighed, she was so close to making it through her stay in the slums without revealing her cultivator status, and she really didn’t want to mess it all up right at the end in case Thomas had bad news. She decided her first course of action would be to try to stall for Green however she could in the hopes that whatever he was looking for would take care of the situation.

“Would you guys give up already? I’ve already delivered it! Can’t you just accept the loss and leave it alone?” she yelled towards the boys.

“We could say the same to you. Since you’ve done your job and delivered the package already, what happens now isn’t your concern.” the man retorted, looking down at her as he loaded another bolt into his crossbow. “Why don’t you get lost, courier? We promise not to shoot at you as you go.” he offered, his tone mocking. Samantha didn’t believe him in the slightest, considering they tried to pick her off from behind less than a minute ago.

“Why are you so set on stealing Green’s packages anyway? I know this isn’t the first time you’ve done this sort of thing. Isn’t this more trouble than it’s worth?” As she finished speaking, the sounds of rustling in the back room quieted and she could hear the alchemist making his way up to the roof.

“We’re just following orders. The other details don’t matter.” he said simply, aiming his crossbow in the general direction of her voice. She could see the other five members preparing an attack as well.

It was then that she saw a seventh figure approaching, and her heart sank and the thought of what it could mean. A single cultivator made his way to the front of the small crowd, his face and fists speckled with blood.

The smallest boy spoke up as the cultivator joined up with them, “Any luck with Aiden?”.

The cultivator backhanded him across the face so hard that he flipped once in the air before hitting the ground. The entire side of his face immediately began to swell as he gasped for breath, winded by the strike.

“Don’t speak to me unless spoken to, brat.” the cultivator growled, eyes alight with rage, “it’s insulting enough I’ve been sent to work alongside you mortals.”

The Pack Rats gathered around their fallen member and shied away from the man’s imposing presence, his aura becoming heavier with each harsh word. Judging from the strength of his aura, he was Mid-Copper, like her. At least, if things went south then she’d have a decent shot of winning a fight.

“He didn’t have it.” the cultivator answered after several quiet moments, the pressure around him settling down to a low thrum, “the boy guessed we’d focus on him because of his local notoriety. He tried to dump the package as soon as he felt my presence, but when I opened the goods there was nothing of value inside. It wasn’t hard to catch up to him after that.”

The cultivator turned towards the shop with a cocky smile and raised his voice, “Hear that, Green? I’ve got your courier! You want to have his death on your conscience? Let’s make a deal, you and me.”

When it became clear to Samantha that the Alchemist was continuing to sneak across the roof without answering, she cut in for him, “You’ve stolen a mortal kid off the streets, for what? Doing his job delivering some plants? What honor is there in that? What’s the point?” Samantha asked, frustration leaking into her questions. She really didn’t understand why this was so important to everyone.

The smile was wiped from the man’s face at her words and he stared coldly in her direction, “You would question the integrity of a cultivator? You know nothing, mortal. Your kind is worth less than the dirt beneath my feet, and if you utter a whisper unprompted again in my presence I give a cultivator’s oath that I will return you to the earth.”

Clearly, this man was one who let the power of cultivation go to his head. She would laugh at the drama of it all if lives were not literally on the line and at the mercy of this unhinged person.

She was wondering what to do next when a glass vial shattered at the feet of the Pack Rats and a caustic orange smoke rose from the ground. Even from her distance nearly 20 feet away her eyes began to sting and water, and she decided to retreat deeper into the shop.

“Gods! What the hell is this?” one of the boys shrieked, covering his now blood-red eyes streaming with tears.

Even the cultivator was affected, Resilience not defending fully against alchemical attacks of this kind. The seven hacked and coughed violently, backing away from the painful cloud as much as they could when another vial broke against a Pack Rat’s chest. A gray sludge dripped down his torso as he, and his nearby compatriots, began gagging. The barest hint of the putrid smell hit Samantha from inside Green Harvests, and she immediately shut down Prey’s Perception, not daring to get the full experience of the stench.

The cultivator kicked the unfortunate human stink bomb to the ground as he resisted the urge to be sick, backpedaling away with murder in his gaze.

Maniacal laughter rained down from on high as the alchemist continued to pummel the would-be thieves with tinctures and potions from the roof, each with uniquely horrifying effects that made her both deeply respect and fear the twisted creativity of the madman who made them.

The cultivator quickly moved out of the alchemist’s throwing range, clearly pained and sickened by the amalgam of concoctions affecting him. His flesh was splotched with vibrant red patches, sores and boils opening up in places where he was directly touched by various elixirs. His veins stood out discolored against his skin, and he screamed in pain and fury as some red spots started turning brown. He used an art to amplify his voice, shaking the very structure with his shout and causing more debris to rain down from above her head, “You’ve made a terrible mistake, Green. A mistake you will certainly regret. You have until sundown to bring the ingredients, or the boy dies. You’ll be next.”

And with those words the group moved into a full retreat, the smallest Pack Rat needed to be carried off after having fainted from his injuries in combination with the abuse on his senses. When the chaos settled and cleared, Green came down from his attack perch on the roof.

“Woo! I haven’t had that much excitement since I was a lad in my prime! Really gets the blood pumping.” he said, beaming with delight. As he spoke, he started packing his things, not appearing to have a single care in the world.

“What are you doing?” Samantha asked, a little confused.

“Leaving.” Green replied, grinning as he picked a few choice herbs from his shelves and placed them into a box.

“But... you heard what he said. Aren’t you worried? What about Aiden?” she inquired, more urgently this time.

“What about him?” he said, looking back from his task with a raised eyebrow, “I paid quite a lot for this delivery, since it included hazard pay. Unluckily for him, it seems the hazard pay will be the last he earns. As for me, I’ve got somewhere to be.”

Samantha grabbed hold of his sleeve, halting his progress. “You can’t be serious! You’re not going to do anything? He’s just a kid.”

“So what?” Green said, exasperated, “So what if he’s young, old, or the City Lord himself? The bottom line is that he’s not me, and he will never be worth more to me than I am. Do I feel bad that this didn’t turn out well for him? Of course. Am I going to give up my chance at a new life to maybe save him if they haven’t killed him already, likely dying myself in the process? Obviously not. So, the most logical thing is to move on with my life, as you should too.”

He tugged his arm out from her grasp and continued packing, but the nonchalance only made her bewilderment morph into a simmering anger. She did her best to tamp down the emotion, not wanting her cultivator’s aura to leak out, but it was a difficult task.

“Can you at least tell me why this delivery was so important? You owe an explanation at least, considering all the trouble it’s caused.” her voice trembled with suppressed temper, low and quiet.

Maybe it was something in her tone that gave him pause, but he finally stopped his manic progress and sighed, his back still to her. “I owe nothing. I have paid for a service which has been half carried out to completion. Clearly, that’s not good enough for you though, so I’ll say this much if it gets you out of my hair. There is a city wide contest for alchemists like myself. The winner becomes the Court Alchemist and gets riches, resources, and prestige beyond imagination for their work, so long as it is in service to the Ruler. I will do anything to win, you understand? This is my only chance to be free of this place. I mean, look around you, girl.” He loosely gestured to the creaking floorboards and bowed walls, emphasizing his point.

“What single elixir could be worth a court position?” she pondered aloud.

“Isn’t it obvious? The only thing that matters in this world is cultivation. Our Ruler wants to be the first in the city’s history, perhaps in the floor’s history, to break through to Silver. He’s been in power for over 70 years and unable to move past Peak Bronze the entire time.”

“And you think that you can actually make this concoction?”

He snorted, as if insulted by the question, then turned to face her. He was covering his face with some sort of cloth soaked in a teal liquid, “I am the only one who can actually make it.”

Samantha was about to reply, but when she took a step forward her leg buckled beneath her. She caught herself on a nearby table, but was completely confused. “What the…?”

Samantha reactivated Prey’s Perception, wondering if she was being attacked by some hidden art, when she smelled it. A pleasantly floral subtle aroma filled the space. She must’ve missed the sound of him popping the cork on the container as well.

She looked up and her vision began to swim, the edges darkening. Green turned to look at her and shook his head, placing an open vial filled with a water-like substance on the table nearby. “I’m not an evil man, courier. This is not meant to harm you, just make sure you don’t get in my way as I try to leave. If you weren’t so plainly distressed by this situation, I would’ve let you go in peace but…” he stopped, and sighed again. “You’ll be awake within a few hours, and I’ll be long gone. Condolences, and thanks for the delivery.”

The last thing she heard before falling unconscious was a system notification:

*Ding* Sleeping toxins found in the body have activated “Poison Connoisseur”. Current sleeping poison resistance at Rank 0 - 0%.