The Lonely Streets of Ennebess
Why hello there! Thank you for stopping by to read. I don’t know how to transition to the story, so I’ll just jump in-
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Walking down the lonely streets of Ennebess after dark is not something that is for the faint of heart. With it’s creaky, leaning houses, which were still very much destroyed after the 17 year long civil war the country had only just come out of, this was not a place for young Vince (only just barely 18 years of age), who had lived in the peaceful land of Aeary for most of his life. Recently, his mother was offered a high ranking job in a big company based in Ennebess, so they had to move here.
Why would she get a job here of all places, he thought to himself. It’s filthy, and there are pickpockets or goons around every corner…
Even as he was thinking this, he saw a group of people surrounding two people.
I best steer clear of there, he thought, and started looking around for a different route. This road went back a while without any links to other roads, so he only had two options; go back the way he came from and end up missing curfew, most likely resulting in his mother taking his Aerth Pod for a few weeks, not being able to comm with his friends back in Aeary, or…
Vince turned back towards the group of people and counted again. Two surrounded, three in front of them, and at least ten surrounding all of them…I should be able to get by if I go around back. He flipped up his hood and started to walk towards the group of people, carefully weaving behind the large circle. As he passed, he caught a glimpse of the two in the very middle; they could not be much older than him. One had starch white hair and gray clothing, while the other had a head of black with purple streaks. The one with the black and purple hair caught his eye, but turned back to the three in front of them, as if nothing had been seen at all. Vince tugged his hood over his eyes in guilt as he sped up, eager to escape the encounter without being noticed. He turned off into an alleyway, pulled back his hood, and started panting.
That was…strangely exhilarating. Growing up in Aeary, he had never experienced any violence in his home neighborhood, and had always wondered what it is like to be in a violent situation. Not that he wanted to, no, he just wanted the experience. He quickly pulled out his Aerth Pod and checked the time: quarter past nine, he still had time to make it home. He pulled up his hood yet again and started on his way home.
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Well now, that looks like a stealable face was all Flint could think when he made eye contact with the hooded figure. Those were some beautiful eyes…they shone a bronze hazel color in the street lights. Better save that snack for myself…
He looked back at the woman standing before him. Maureen was a very diligent bar owner, and didn’t appreciate it when certain people didn’t pay up their debts to the bar (specifically Pop and him). She only brought out her gang when it was a particularly large tab that had been there for quite some time, or when the people she was expecting money from were quite formidable.
“Come now, Maureen, let’s talk about this like sensible people,” said Flint as he held up his arms in a surrender like fashion, “no one needs to get hurt…”
“You say that as if you’re the one who’s going to get hurt”, returned a gruff voice from the hulking woman. “You’re a pureblood Ennebess kid, I think we both know you can put up a fight.”
Flint chuckled and put his hands down, knowing that this was true. Though, he was for sure not the only one here who could put up a fight…
“Hey, Pop, what’s our debt up to now?”
“Only about 400 drants, if I remember correctly” said a strong but quiet voice from the white haired woman on his left. “Not enough to need a whole gang to come after us.”
“That’s what I figured…Maureen, what’s this all really about?” Flint was somewhat intrigued by what the woman would have to say, but most likely it would be of no consequence to him whether or not he listened.
“Why do I have to get a whole gang of twelve men just to get you to listen to me?! I’ve been asking you to talk for the past week, and every time, you’ve blatantly ignored me!” Maureen seemed slightly enraged, but quickly put herself back together. “Nevermind that. I have a job for the two of you.”
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Pop did not know Maureen very well, only that she had raised Flint for most of his life. Pop was not a pureblood Ennebess like flint. They grew up in a settlement directly on the sliver of a border of Ennebess and Aeary. They had always found it quite silly that the most peaceful place in the world and the most violent place in the world were so close to each other, and that their home was right on that border. Would that make it the most neutral place in the world…? Not that it truly mattered to them. They had left that home long ago, and had found a new home in Ennebess. They had made but one friend, and that was Flint, and they trusted no one else like they did him. So following behind the woman who raised their best friend was an…interesting experience to say the least.
“This way”, said Maureen, motioning to a flight of stairs leading down into a basement. Flint had no problem following these directions, so Pop decided to follow along as well. Once the three of them were all inside, Maureen closed the door and prodded them as to say “move along”. The group traveled down the stairs for a good two or three minutes.
“…quite the staircase you have here, Em…” said Flint. Em was the nickname he would sometimes use for her, even though he knew it bothered her. Perhaps it’s because it bothers her… thought Pop.
In a slightly annoyed tone, Maureen replied; “Keep moving, we’re almost there.” As if her words had summoned it, a door came into view, as well as a string that Pop figured led to a light. Immediately proving that theory wrong, Maureen tugged on the string four times, and the door opened. Inside, there was a large, clean, lit up room, extremely unusual for Ennebess.
“Have a seat”, said Maureen, closing the door behind her. “Let’s talk business.”
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Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to read this! I hope it was worthwhile. I don’t know when I’ll post followup, but stay tuned just in case it’s very soon!
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