[785] – Y03.085 – Vonda VII

[785] – Y03.085 – Vonda VII

“Boss, we really had to let ‘em go? Coulda killed him.”

“Too much light,” Moons replied. “If the noble wants the kid, they can get him from them. We know who they are, so send the word to let them know what happened. If she wanted to avoid this, she should have paid upfront.”

The thug remained silent. He hadn’t seen Moons like this before, but then again, he couldn’t blame him. The one known as Adam was someone who was crazy strong, someone who had completely pummelled the likes of Viper and Python, who were not unknown even to the likes of Moons.

“Who was it that brought them to us?” Moons asked.

“George.”

“Sink him.” Moons growled quietly, before a thought passed through his mind. “No. Don’t sink him. It’s bad luck sinking him when we met with someone like the Sister. Deal with him, and make sure he doesn’t come back.”

“Alright, boss.”

Meanwhile, Kitool led the way out, while Adam and Vonda escorted the four. The trio were heavily injured, and moved with the speed of those who were such.

“Manager Vonda, would you mind?” Adam asked.

Vonda prayed, placing a hand onto their shoulders, healing them with her magic. Due to her particular worship, her healing was greater than healing from other priests who did not worship Mother Soza as their primary Goddess.

“How about you, Alex? Do you need any healing?”

“No.”

“Alright...” Adam glanced towards Cobra and the others. “So, if you’re Cobra, and you’re Viper, then...”

“Python,” the young woman replied.

“Of course.”

Adam eyed each of them up. They were all similar enough in appearance, lightly tanned skin, dark hair, dark eyes, and they each wore similar outfits. Cobra’s hair had been cut short, while Viper’s hair was almost in a bob, and Python’s was shaved at the sides, and fairly short up top.

“So, what’s your story?”

“Let’s head back first,” Cobra said, her voice cold and stern. “We’ve got to make sure our brothers and sisters are okay.”

“Sure.”

Once Kitool had led them out of the alleys, Cobra took point, leading the way through a different set of alleys, making their way towards another area which lay in the shadows. The houses here were in a terrible state, boarded up, the wood rickety and rotten, and the people around were as hungry as they were dirty. The homeless around kept a small fire going which they bunched up around, though some of the streetfolk stayed away from them.

Cobra stumbled her way to a building, her eyes holding a vicious glare towards the others around, before she knocked on the door three times, before opening the door. “We’re back.”

Adam stepped in after the trio, noting the number of children around, over a dozen, as well as two more young women and a young man. Each were in quite the state, not quite as dirty as the others around, but equally as malnourished.

“This is quite a lot of siblings,” Adam said.

“Pardon the mess,” Cobra said. “Julia, put on some kip for our guests. You’ll have to excuse us, we’ve got no drinks to share.”

“Don’t worry about it...” Adam said, noting the looks from the children, half curious, half apprehensive, wholly afraid. “Good morning, everyone.”

“...”

“I usually wear purple armour.”

“You’re Purple Adam?”

Adam shrugged his shoulders gently, sighing at the name. “Yeah... I’m Purple Adam.” ‘It’s better than Unrivalled...’

Cobra took a berry, eating it, before noting how she felt slightly rejuvenated after eating it. She nodded to the others, who reached for the berries, biting them in half before offering the rest to another.

“No need to share,” Adam said, before reaching for his amulet, creating more berries.

Mana: 18 -> 17

Mana: 17 -> 16

“I’m not sure if they’ll work if you share them, but there you go.” Adam watched as everyone picked up a berry to eat, including Julia, who had brought over a large pot to begin cooking. “Hold on, let me clean your hands.”

Trick: Tricks

Adam reached over to cast a spell against the young woman, before the dirt and grime disappeared from her, scattering away onto the floor. The young woman eyed up her hands, noting how clean they had become.

“Thank you,” Julia said, though her eyes remained suspicious on the young man.

Adam nodded, smiling politely. “Were you all born in East Port?”

“Yes,” Cobra replied.

“Do you have any attachments to the city?”

“We were born here.”

“What about to the people of East Port?”

“Not much. Sometimes they show their kindness, but we still grew hungry.”

“Fair...” Adam slowly nodded his head.

“You’re looking to hire people for work?” Cobra asked.

“Yes.”

“What kind of work?”

“We work for the Enchanter. We need some muscle, hence why I’m interested in you snakes, but also youngsters to train into crafters, guards, labourers, so on.” Adam scanned the group as they ate, while Julia began making a fire. Adam could have used magic, but decided against using too much, just in case it offended her.

“You work for an enchanter?”

“Yes.”

“...” Cobra narrowed her eyes, even more confused.

“What I’m offering you all is a deal you probably won’t find anywhere else,” Adam said. “You can stay here and grow hungry, or you can join the business. We’ll deal with your housing, your food, your education, and so on and so on. Letters, numbers, a trade. If any of you have an affinity for the Divine, we can teach you priestly magics.”

“...” Cobra’s eyes remained focused on the stranger before her, who used so much magic, as though it was second nature to him. ‘What?’

Surely nothing will go wrong.