With trepidation, she continued to travel through the settlement. She needed to be efficient in her movements, to prevent her nerves from getting the better of her. Nev was careful not to move too abruptly or swiftly, however, lest she draws the attention of the enforcers that likely dotted the settlement’s streets. With cautious haste, she reached the healer’s stall as dusk began its rapid approach.
Noticing a single guard stationed near the healer’s stall, Nev sighed heavily. The large man, wearing the recognizable armor of an enforcer, would definitely complicate matters. It was thick, metal, and encompassed almost every inch of his body except for his head. Due to her injury, Nev was in no state to deal with him directly. Being cautious and avoiding his focus would be her best strategy. Unfortunately, the enforcer had already noticed her approach.
The guard’s gaze intensified, assessing her meticulously as she neared the healer’s shop. Instinctually, she lowered her head downwards and pivoted slightly away from the enforcer’s gaze. Still, she could feel his steely glare burning through her hood. Building anxiety crept into her mind, and she felt as if it might consume her composure at any moment. Her breath quickened, and her hands trembled slightly as fearful thoughts raced through her mind.
Perhaps they had been expecting her. What if they had anticipated her injury would push her to seek treatment? They would have dispatched enforcers to the huts and stalls of every apothecary, alchemist, and village wise person this side of Obsidia. No. Remember what you were taught, she scolded herself under her breath. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to center herself. Gradually feeling her breathing slow, and her hands become still once more. In her mind, she recited the code she had been taught from the moment she could speak. Quieter, swifter, and cleverer is the predator than the prey. Though I am hunted, I am no one’s prey.
With her mind and body again steadied, she approached the healer guardedly. The market was eerily quiet. The empire-wide curfew was approaching ever closer, descending upon the settlement with the darkness. Sensing the enforcer’s attention turn to a beggar that had unintentionally drawn his ire, Nev seized upon the moment of opportunity. Scanning the healer’s wares, she spotted the tiny vial that was her sole goal in this venture. With trepidation, she reached for the bottle and gasped softly when she felt the healer pounce on her left hand. Pain violently rushed through her arm as the force of his grasp yanked her shoulder forward. She was left reeling. Reflexively, she clenched her teeth tightly and attempted to force her agony to retreat enough for her to hide her discomfort, at least a little.
“Show me your mark, then you buy,” the healer ordered firmly, his voice full of disgust. Nev hesitated for a moment as the healer refused to relent, pulling her closer to him. His face scrunched up as he glared at her and whispered menacingly, “Raise your other sleeve, or I call that enforcer over here. Allowing an Unmarked to shop here will only bring hardship to my patients and family. Show me your mark. Show me you have been tested, and then I will consider selling my wares to you. Risk my livelihood, and I’ll see that you are drug off for testing today.”
He continued to glare at her with scorn. For a heartbeat, Nev cursed herself for thinking this venture would end any differently. With the next heartbeat, she stopped thinking and simply acted, driven purely by desperation. Allowing her instincts to take over as she suddenly produced a dagger with her right hand and drove it deep into the healer’s throat. His eyes flashed with hatred and then suddenly went dark. Nev snatched the tiny vial of herbs with her left hand and returned the dagger to her belt. Deftly she turned to leave down the alley, opposite the enforcer and now, unconscious beggar. After taking a few apprehensive steps, an older woman’s scream pierced through the air. The shriek was immediately followed by a thunderous voice barking orders. “You. Stop!” decreed the enforcer.
As the scream echoed down the alleyways, the few citizens not yet home began to scurry into their dwellings and locked their doors. Whatever ills were befalling someone, most people just wanted to avoid it. The emperor and his enforcers had a well-deserved reputation for being ruthless and uninterested in separating any potential innocents from a perceived threat. Anyone and everyone caught even slightly interfering with the official duty of the emperor would be met with swift and severe justice.
Nev, however, never turned to see if his order was directed at her. Nor did she have a nearby home to take shelter in. So, she kept moving farther into the alley, hoping against hope that it wasn’t meant for her. Any optimism Nev nurtured was quickly crushed when she heard the enforcer in full pursuit behind her. Her senses kicked into high gear as she ran down the alley, quickly scanning for potential escape routes.
The rain had caused the streets to become thick with mud, making the side streets inherently treacherous. The enforcer’s thick and cumbersome armor was intimidating and fierce in battle, but impractical for mud-slicked pursuit. He blew his whistle as he chased her, beckoning reinforcements to aid in his efforts.
Nev clung to the possibility that there was no more aid to be summoned or that they would arrive much too late to offer their assistance. As Nev rounded a corner, she almost tripped over a scrawny dog. It desperately scrambled into the shadows, no worse for wear. Nev, however, was not so fortunate. Having pivoted at only the last moment, she lost her
