planning on doing with the other two pieces of cheese that you stole? Offer them to your friend tonight on the night guard shift?” The thief paled a shade.
“What is it that you want?”
“Your name for starters would be nice. Thief works fine, although… it gets old after a while.”
“Niman. Are we done now?”
“No. What if I were to offer you an opportunity to work for me. Would you take it?”
“What If I said no?” Niman crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.
“Your friend was not so very loyal just now. I tend to think that he would rather not risk getting beat up protecting someone for an extra bowl of soup.”
“It wouldn’t have come to that. All I need to do is make them think twice.”
“You can’t always hide in his shadow. Eventually you will be alone and they will have their chance. Two wrist blades can only do so much to three armed men.” Niman uncrossed his arms but not before Urake had seen the telltale forms of the hidden weapons outlined against a tight sleeve.
“What do you want me to steal?” There was not much in the flat question other than the wording that identified it as such.
“I didn’t ask you to steal anything. I just want you to work for me.”
“I'm not going to make any decision until you tell me what you want me to do.”
“All right, that is fair enough. I am putting together a group of Gifted individuals that will assist me in the war. We will be traveling fast and light doing damage behind enemy lines. I can’t guarantee safety.”
“Then you should be asking someone else. I'm obviously not Gifted.”
“The Princess says that you are, plus I can use a thief that feels comfortable in the city.”
“The Princess thinks I'm Gifted?” There was a little fear in Niman’s eyes for the first time in the exchange.
“Relax Niman, she is Gifted also. It’s how she knew.” Urake watched Niman try to think through what he had just been told. He was aware that he had just turned the man’s world upside down.
“If you are the Asgare, don’t you plan on killing me if I'm Gifted?” Niman looked ready to bolt for the door should Urake make any sudden moves.
“I only kill the ones that deserve to die.”
“You put me in a pretty situation here didn’t you… On the one hand, I can turn you down and spend the rest of my probably few remaining days looking over my shoulder. Or I could accept your proposal and die being chased by an enemy army. Which one would let me live the longest?” Niman cocked his head as he watched Urake answer.
“Probably the first option. Reigns doesn’t like to be mocked.”
“You are honest, I’ll give you that. When do you want me ready by?”
“Tomorrow morning first light, meet me at the cave entrance. Pack warm and one other thing, watch your back until then.”
“I will.” Urake left the seat and moved towards the first man that Em’risi had pointed out.
“What did you and the Princess want?” Surprisingly, the man initiated the conversation before Urake had a chance to sit down.
“She was merely pointing you out to me. What I want to know is your name.”
“Arken. I don’t got nothing to hide.”
“That is good. I hear that your father was a fisherman, but that you chose not to follow in his footsteps?” Urake decided to see how the man reacted with some small talk. He had a distinctive accent that would need some work if he wanted to blend into a city.
“Nothing secret about that. Laughing stalk of the village because I puke up my guts every time I get in a boat. What were you doing with Niman?” Urake smiled a little. He had an accent but his speech patterns weren’t terribly uncommon. In a pinch he could pass off as a city dweller, especially if he stuck to the poorer districts. The lower echelons of society in cities like Shienhin and The Forks tended to speak much the same way.
“I hired him to fill a position in my team. I want to extend the same offer to you.”
“He talks too much.”
“He does talk a lot. Some people are gifted that way. Em’risi mentioned that you are Gifted in a different way.” Urake noted the clenched fists and a small plume of smoke that rose from the table under his fist. Arken didn’t answer except for the glower he sent at Urake.