The Job

Aoric averted his gaze from her revealing dress, instead focusing on her face. "Sure. Tell me the details."

The woman's bewitching smile widened. She licked her lips as she stepped closer. "Won't you come down from there? This is no way to start a… business relationship." That pause before she continued rang alarm bells in Aoric's head. She wasn't too different than the other woman, was she?

"I'd rather not." He grasped the spear of the statue tighter. "Now, what is this work you'd like me to do?"

He glimpsed disappointment in her expression for a split second. It came and vanished so quickly that he couldn't be sure of whether he imagined it, or if it was real.

"She said you were no fun," The woman said with a chuckle. "But alright, if you want to get the job done first," She licked her lips again, her eyes glimmering with a wicked light. "I don't mind."

"There is a large mansion behind the cathedral. The one with the tower, and the two large angel statues. I want you to steal something for me."

Aoric nodded. "Go on."

"A box, about so large," She held her hands about half a meter apart. "Made from ebony wood, with silver ornaments and a hefty lock. Steal it and bring it to me."

Aoric's eyes narrowed. "Too large." He finally said after a moment of pondering. "How heavy is it? Stealing boxes was almost never a good idea.

"There should be documents and a vial." Her lips curled down, forming a frown.

"Do you need the box itself?" Aoric asked to clarify. "I can hide a vial and papers under my cloak, but a box is bound to draw attention. I'd rather avoid that."

"No, the box." The woman's sharp voice startled him. "You may unlock the box to see if it's contents are right, but I want the entire box, as well as its contents."

Aoric clenched his fist. Carrying some papers or a vial was easy. He could easily slip out of the building and disappear among the crowd. But a box of that size, no matter how light, was difficult to hide and hard to move while carrying it around.

"That is going to be… challenging." He sighed. "I'll see what I can do. How can I contact you?"

The woman's lips curled up with a satisfied smile. "I will contact you when you succeed. And if you fail…" She shrugged. "I'll know of it." She turned to leave, but Aoric was quick to pipe up.

"And what is the payment for this job?" His words stopped the woman clad in black in her tracks. She glanced over her shoulder towards him. "Ten times the worth of what got you into this in the first place." She licked her lips again as her gaze lingered on him. "And perhaps something… more."

Her voice sent a shiver down Aoric's spine. "Ten times the worth." He declared, deciding to ignore whatever else she was implying. "You've got a deal."

"I do hope we stand on equal ground next time we meet." She said with a smile.

Aoric laughed. "Not as long as you bring your pet with you." He gestured towards the wolfdog seemingly sleeping on the ground. "I'll be taking my leave." He jumped up and caught the edge of the roof and with a quick, swift motion, pulled himself up. He didn't look back and ran over to the next roof instead. His steps carried him up north, towards the cathedral.

The cathedral was the tallest and largest structure in Vesporum by far. It towered over the city, a majestic, yet also dark structure. Made from dark stone blocks and steel, it lacked the colours one would expect from a cathedral. The tinted windows were only coloured black, white, and silver.

Aoric's expression turned sour as his gaze lingered on the massive structure. It had two towers in the front, and one in the very back that seemingly reached for the skies. Ornate carvings and intricate statues decorated the walls. Not a single block of stone was left out of the design, and not a single one was unused.

Yet, there was something eerie about it. The carvings and statues didn't depict prophets, saving humanity. They didn't show promises of a bright future, the light of Eden or the sins of man.

No, it was just like the other statues he had seen scattered throughout the city. Angels, whose wings were chained to the ground, or ripped apart, or pierced. Men, being bitten by creatures of the night. Children being lured away by beautiful women, only to be devoured.

Aoric shivered. He didn't even want to imagine what twisted mind had created this, let alone who had accepted it.

He turned his back on the cathedral and ran along the rooftops. He had no intention of getting any closer to the cathedral than he had to.

As he jumped over the narrow alleyways and made his way to the northern side of the cathedral, he noticed a stark difference between the two sides of the city.

The people here were wearing silk and velvet, instead of patch leather and wool. While dark colours still in the majority, he spotted some women wearing white and bright blue dresses, and some men wearing red uniforms.

Soon, as he circled around the cathedral and reached the northern side, a mansion with a small but tall tower entered his view. A tall, surprisingly simple wall surrounded the building. Two massive angel statues decorated the entrance. In between them was an iron gate, with two guards standing by it.

"Of course she doesn't mention the guards." He frowned as he continued walking along the roofs, though he was crouching now. While his clothes weren't vibrant and his cloak was black, he didn't want to risk being noticed.