“How the hell is this supposed to work, Virgil?” Edwin asked. We walked along the high topped buildings, giant marble homes with roof top gardens. I jumped over a metal fence and fell into a lower level, landing soft on the ground and rolling forward. Kal was below, tailing in a black hood.

“He isn’t even trying.” Lowell nodded his head and grabbed onto the metal fence and followed after me. I pulled away a long root growing off of a raised pot. The doors leading into the house were closed. The houses were empty, everyone had gone to the ball. Everyone part of this district at least. All across the the beautiful white marbled city, you could not see a light. I looked down, a yawning shop keeper was starting to close shop.

“It ain’t the time yet.” I spat. I kept low, hands on my knees as I looked out to the streets. Lowell came up and put his arm on my shoulder and leaned in, squinting his eyes.

“This Venryr guy.” He said. “We’re supposed to nab him?”

“Without witnesses.” I said.

“It’s going to be a while for that. Look where he’s going.” Lowell pointed down the street, past giant pearly gates. The lower districts were still very much alive, celebrating the night with street festivals. People ran with paper mache lions, torches in their hands, dancing across the steps in wild moves. This went on, all the way down the levels of the city towards the markets and out into the riverbeds where docked boats bloated the waters. Torches were ubiquitous. They almost looked like stars, standing from my vantage.

“His house is outside the city limits.” I said. “Past the river. We can nab him en route. Just keep tabs.”

Edwin approached, breathing hard.

“Just keep tabs he says.” Edwin wiped the sweat off his brow. “I hate this jumping shit.”

“You get used to it.” I stood and started sprinting, jumping high with the breaking wind to my side. My cloak floating to my sides, riding up and covering my face. I landed on the ball of my foot and braced, looking to my sides. Venryr hadn’t noticed. His guards hadn’t even turned. Still, too many late night shop keepers. One was enough to spoil it all. Keep it safe, do it patiently. That was the job.

We walked. When we approached the gates, we came down from the rooftops. Venryr had made it far ahead and we were broaching the lower district. A horse stall was to the side. Kal approached it and cut one loose, slapping it on its side. The horse sprung forward and ran out, past the guards who both turned and chased after it.

“It always works.” I turned to Lowell. “Listen, I want both of you up high when we get down there. Kal and I will stay on the ground. Okay?”

“Fuck. More jumping?” Edwin heaved.

I nodded and we walked through the gates, running down the steps and towards a growing crowd. Old men slapped their knees and clapped to the drum hits of street musicians. Dancers with loose fitting clothes (what little there was of it) danced in circles on round tables.

Children played with spinning tops and marbles and dolls, some lit ran around with small torches lighting rudimentary fire works.

Mages - grouped in four - waved their bony hands in the air. Strong gusts hit me. Hit the fires too, manipulating them into rings. Into figures. Wind speakers.

I removed my hood, looked stranger to have it on, and simply blended with the crowd, eyeing Venryr as he went down the festival. It wasn’t hard to find him, his guards kept pushing people off and into the street sides. Rice fell down the side of my head, thrown by children with flower bands around their heads. Cactus flora, picked fresh and still scented with an almost melon aroma. I looked over my shoulder, looking at Kal walk through door spaces.

We came to the riverbeds, namely the Lavender waters (as they were called). A purple, almost violet expanse where boats were docked and waiting with merchants who sold grilled fish and other water-foods. They were connected by bridges and congested the waters. I stopped at the edge of the docks and looked behind me, then up. How far we’ve traveled that the castle looked only as if a white blip. One fading into obscurity as the night continued and as the rage of fire and festivities died out. Below me, purple sand gathered. Colored stone from the bottom of the marble hillside, you could see it at the base of the city.

The merchant however, was not interested. He crossed the river by bridge and bay, heading towards the rear gate of the city. A smaller one, where guards towers kept the small doors opened.

Behind me was Kal, somewhere amongst the boats were Edwin and Lowell. We spotted each other and nodded and came to the gates, looking at which door in particular the target had taken. But he hadn’t moved out. Not yet. We found him instead in a little dilapidated building. Next to a tavern. On streets unpaved, with broken down horse stalls staging a wealthy coach. A strange place indeed. Women with bright rogue closed the flaps of windows. An old man by the side of the road sang some awful tune, sniffing one of the flowers every so often. He had an infected leg, gaunt and weak. He laid on his side at the front of a broken down house. A little cup of coins rested by his side.

The guards didn’t seem to mind, those that weren’t drunk.

I stepped on the boards leading up to this strange house. The rest of the task force waited, sat on a fence or standing against walls in the alleys. A dismal part of town, certainly.

The flooring below me flexed and I looked down to make sure I hadn’t sank.

“Wait there, young man.” The Singer looked up. “It’s two silver to go in.”

“Go in to what?”

He squinted and sniffed and ran his arm against his nose. Mucus stuck to his hairs and dragged, like snail smear.

“Why don’t you go back up the streets, soldier boy.” He said.

“I’m not an anything. Just a stranger.” I said.

He sniffed. Spat.

“You ain’t going in.” The Singer retracted his cup and sniffed his flower and started his tune again. I looked at the door, into a little window off the side of the building where the faint glow of pink light. Laughter. Screaming. Moaning. Behind me, the decorated coach waited in the broken horse stall. The driver rested, hooded. I did not stare long and took my feet off the steps. I went back, looking both ways for any strangers who stared. Not that many did. Into the alley, we all congregated.

“You should have just gone in there and tied him up.” Lowell said. “I don’t like staying here.”

“What’re we supposed to do again?” Kal asked.

“Tie him. Beat him up. Tell him to leave.” I said. “The king wants to recoup the business. Apparently this guys’ an arms dealer of some sort. Employs an army of blacksmith, owns the mines.”

“What’s Xanthus have against him?” Edwin asked.

“I didn’t ask.”

“And good on you. Who cares? Knowledge has a tendency to hurt.” Lowell said. “We’re just supposed to run him out. That’s it.”

“Then let’s get it over and done with.” Kal undid his sword from its leather grip. It hit the floor.

“You’re making too much noise.” I hissed.

Kal sniffed, looked dumb and retracted his blade.

“We’ll catch him on his way out. Just relax.” I said. “Breath. Take it easy.”

They did. Apprehensive about it, of course, each fidgeting or turning in place, but they did. And finally Venryr came out. Pulling his pants up, his guards leading him out the door. He stooped and gave the old man a gold coin. I nodded and started out. But stopped. My leg suddenly going numb.

Two children followed him out. A boy and a girl. Covered in rags, walking through the dirt road with bare feet. They were first into the cart, Venryr followed after wards and then the guards who hung at the front, with the driver.

“Virgil.” Kal said. “What’re we doing?”

I blinked and shook my head.

“The kids.” I said.

“Virgil. Hello? What are we doing?”

I breathed heavy and looked at the gate, giant beamed door ways rose up. The chains rattling as the doors slotted upwards. The cart went through. My eyes narrowed and I stood out into the weak light of the window frames. Pink and violent reds. Colors of flesh. Debased lusts.

“We’re following.” I said.

“Oh no.” Lowell said.

“We’ll catch him at his house.”

"From kidnap to home invasion.” Edwin put his hands behind his head. Kal shrugged. We headed on wards, to the gates.