Gravel crunched beneath Xena's boots as she and Sandra made their way through the winding lanes of the Undercity.
Since it was still dawn, the common folk busied themselves with chores: hanging up clothes, making breakfast, attending mass, sweeping the floors. It was odd for Xena as she traversed through the area to see the honest work of others, knowing she earned her living by taking what they were working for.
Meanwhile, Sandra strolled beside her with an easy smile, untouched by such guilt.
'Perhaps it's just me then, who burdens myself with these useless feelings,' Xena thought.
She had never truly ever blended in with the rest of the thieves. No matter how much she tried, she knew she would never be one of them. The odd gazes and snide comments she received each day from them were proof enough.
Why do I have to be like this?
A sudden gasp to her left snapped her from her musings.
It seemed Sandra had spotted her favourite Rodsadi corner shop that they had frequented a few days ago, called 'El Rincón'.
Grinning like a child, Sandra seized Xena's wrist before she could protest, pulling her towards the familiar doorway. Xena couldn't even bring herself to complain because, truth be told, El Rincón served some of the best food in the district.
The doorbell rang as they entered. Inside, warmth from the hearth washed over them and chased the cold out of their fingertips.
Conversation filled the room as labourers and merchants crowded around wooden tables, grateful for a hot meal before the day's work. They approached the counter and ordered a small cup of soup each.
Xena leaned back against the wood and sipped on her meal, while Sandra had already wandered off chatting happily with a stranger across the room.
'Of course she is.'
Xena sighed, staring into the murky broth before taking another sip. It wasn't particularly good. A little too salty, with barely enough meat to justify calling it a meal. Definitely not up to Mimi's standards, that was for sure.
Many of the customers looked exhausted. Men and women with dirt under their fingernails and heavy bags beneath their eyes. Some spoke quietly amongst themselves while others ate in silence, too tired to waste their breath on conversation.
A few glanced at Xena, as if wondering how someone who looked like her had any business in a local establishment such as this. Nosy idiots, Xena thought. She didn't stare back or pay them attention; she knew it wasn't worth the trouble.
"You're awfully quiet."
Xena looked up.
Sandra had returned, wearing that oh-so-irritating smile of hers. How one stayed so joyful all the time, she would never know.
"You weren't," Xena replied curtly as her friend moved next to her.
Sandra shrugged and took another sip of her soup. "I was just being friendly. One of us has to."
"You were talking to some man you've never met, who might've had hidden motives!"
"Oh please. He had some interesting stories." Sandra said in defiance, "That man told me he'd been through 5 of the 9 kingdoms. Can you even imagine the amount of things he's seen? Gosh, I want to go back over there and ask him more!"
Xena stared at her.
She stared back.
Suddenly, Xena snorted. " You're impossible, you know that?"
"So I've been told."
Sandra finished her cup and set it down on the counter.
Outside, some of the distant sounds of the Undercity made it through the walls. Footsteps. So many footsteps. And somewhere within those footsteps, the clang of metal against metal.
Their brief escape from the cold was already coming to an end.
Xena pushed herself away from the counter and stretched, savouring the warmth still clinging to her skin.
"Come on."
Sandra shot her an exasperated look. "Already?"
"We've got somewhere to be."
"Ugh. Right, right."
Sandra grabbed her coat and followed.
The moment they stepped outside, the cold struck them again. Xena pulled her own jacket tighter around herself and glanced around her.
The warmth of the shop soon disappeared behind them as the door swung shut, leaving only the familiar gloom of the Undercity ahead.
Following their route once again, they began walking.
The cold bit through her clothes, but she refused to spare it a second thought. There were more important things demanding her attention. Like what to say once they did find their miracle merchant, who they were betting would save them from the complete mess they walked into willingly.
"We've been walking forever, Xena. How much longer?" Sandra asked, still unhappy about being forced to leave the warm place.
"I don't know," Xena said, pulling her clothes tighter around herself.
Sandra grumbled under her breath, though Xena couldn't make out the words.
They continued through the twisting streets in silence, the number of people diminishing until only the wind kept them company.
After about 20 minutes of walking, they stopped before another shadowy building. She glanced around to make sure no one was near, then slipped in with Sandra close behind.
The entryway was dim, dust swirling in the shafts of light that filtered through cracks in the walls.
Without a word, Xena led the way to an old staircase, her fingers trailing along the bricks until she found a loose stone.
Pressing it in, a low groan sounded, and the wall shifted, revealing a hidden stairway spiralling down into darkness.
Laughter, pleading, haggling, and the sharp clink of coins grew louder as they descended.
In the past, she used to visit the place whenever she had the time, but lately, she'd found herself avoiding it because of how the crowds made it far too easy for one of her old targets to identify her.
At the bottom, a curtain of moss hung across the passage, green and glistening in the faint lamplight, light spilling across Sandra's rosy cheeks as she dragged her fingers through the first layers.
It was like stepping into another world, except this one wasn't exactly legal.
The cavernous place teemed with life, stalls and shops lining the streets, everything bathed in a golden hue by the swinging lantern light.
'I wonder how long it's been since I came down to this place. Definitely not long enough.'
With a regretful sigh, she pushed her tired muscles forward and stuck to the edges, avoiding people altogether and being careful not to disturb any of the more...colourful...members of the night market.
Eccentric posters and signs hung brightly from one of the shops, practically roping customers in.
But the two girls weren't the type to fall for such tropes and instead observed the opposite direction, where the more private stores lay.
A small emporium was settled near the end. The sign at the front read 'Sunnie's Emporium!'
Through a large glass window, they saw the back of an elderly man as well as various bottles and tomes stacked around the walls.
To someone with a good eye, the whole building gave off the vibe that he was a master of his craft, something that wasn't common in the Undercity.
'This is it.' Both of the girls shared the same thought and made their way toward the building.
As they walked, Sandra stayed a little closer than she would've liked to admit. Her shoulders were tight, eyes forward, pretending not to notice foreign gazes travelling down her and Xena's figures.
"Don't stare at them," Xena muttered under her breath, barely moving her lips.
"I wasn't," Sandra shot back, though her voice came out thinner than intended.
The air felt like it grew heavier with each step they took, or maybe that was just Sandra's imagination.
As they crossed the grimy lanes, a voice laced with venom cut through the noise around them.
"Well, well, well, who do we have here? An oblivious blonde and a...orphan? You two are hard to miss, even down here"
A ripple of laughter broke from the crowd.
Xena stiffened; she didn't need to turn to know who it was. The crowd parted slightly as Venus stepped forward, a dark silhouette flanked by three hulking men.
'Of course. Of course, we had to meet her here.'
"Still slumming it, little sister? I thought you'd have learned your lesson by now."
Sandra froze.
"...Venus. How nice it is to meet you here." Xena said, her voice low.
"I agree. It is pretty nice to see me, isn't it? Little sister, it's been forever since I last saw you." She practically purred.
"Let's keep it that way," Xena muttered under her breath.
Venus leaned forward. "Hmm? What was that?"
"Nothing! Anyway, we'll just be going now." Xena exclaimed while backing away.
Xena tried to pull her friend away with her, but Venus's hand shot out, catching Sandra's arm in a bruising grip.
"AH!" Sandra yelped.
Venus stepped out so that she was face-to-face with Xena.
"Now what do you think you're doing? I hope you haven't forgotten about what you owe me." She whispered into Xena's ear.
"Let her go," Xena growled, her patience fraying.
Something hot flickered against her leg—the manuscript—but she couldn't see past the red bleeding into her vision.
For a moment, Venus's eyes glinted with recognition, but she released Sandra and stepped back, spreading her hands in mock surrender. "Fine. Run along, then. But we're not finished."
Xena didn't wait for another word and yanked Sandra away once more, weaving through the crowd until Venus's laughter faded behind them.
Only once they reached the quiet shop did they stop, both breathing hard.
"Seriously!? What the hell!" Sandra hissed once they were out of hearing distance. "That was worse than last time!"
She rubbed her arm carefully, and her friend looked at it guiltily.
"I know," Xena muttered, glancing back over her shoulder.
Getting harassed by Venus was a torture both had gone through many times, and each time she got bolder, testing to see when they would finally snap.
Only then would she have a proper reason to justify killing them, but it hadn't gotten to that point.
Yet.
The Manuscript still pulsed with heat, but Xena didn't notice it. She shoved her anger aside and pushed open the shop door, a faint bell chiming.
The shop felt strangely familiar, even if you had never been there before.
Inside it was cramped, every surface covered with jars, scrolls, and trinkets. Xena's eyes wandered over the place, taking in all sorts of oddities and baubles.
Behind the counter stood an elderly man, his back bent but eyes sharp as he surveyed his visitors.
"Looking for something special, girls?" the man asked, his voice dry as old parchment.
Xena hesitated, her fingers brushing the Manuscript in her pocket. Sandra shot her a warning glance, but Xena took a step forward, the weight of everything that had transpired pressing down on her shoulders.
"We need information," she said quietly.
"Information is the most expensive thing I sell."
"Figures," Sandra muttered.
Xena ignored her. "We can pay."
"Can you?"
Xena gulped nervously, fidgeting with her fingers behind her back. After a beat, she pulled out the still-hot manuscript and showed it to the man.
Behind her, Sandra crumpled her face in her hands, annoyed at how quickly her friend had spilled their secret to someone they didn't know.
His smile vanished instantly.
"Can you buy it? Mr..?" Xena stepped forward, holding it out just enough for him to see.
"Dorian." He said. "And no."
Her grip tightened. "Why not? You deal with this kind of stuff, don't you?"
"I deal with all sorts of things, things that are rare, things that are common and even alive." His gaze flicked back to her. "This is different."
Sandra crossed her arms. "Everything has a price."
He let out a quiet, rasping chuckle. "Spoken like someone who hasn't been alive long enough."
"...Explain." Xena finally said.
Dorian sighed. "That manuscript has already bound itself to you."
Sandra let out a laugh. "Okay, no. So that's not—"
"It's feeding."
Silence.
'...What.'
Xena's jaw clenched. "You're saying it's some sort of parasite?"
"I'm saying," He said stiffly, "that it has chosen you."
"That's the same thing."
"Not quite."
He straightened, folding his hands behind his back. "Know that if you were unworthy, you'd already be dead."
"Not just anyone can use these magical artifacts. You have to be qualified and worthy to harness them, and, in rare cases, the manuscript forms a connection with the host."
'Host?' A shudder ran through Xena at the thought.
"Slow down. Tell me what it actually does."
Dorian sighed again. "No amount of explanation would help you understand the nature of this artifact, and if I do explain it, you will misunderstand it. If you misunderstand it, you will misuse it."
"I suggest waiting until the scripture reveals itself and going on from there, though I doubt that would be anytime soon." He added.
Xena's face settled into a scowl. "That's not fucking helpful." She slammed her fist on the table.
"Well, it's the only answer you're getting."
The room fell quiet again. Xena stared at him, searching for anything—hesitation, doubt, a crack in the act. But there was none.
They had gone all that way, had even managed to get past the devil incarnate named Venus, but ended up with knowledge that was basically of no use to their current predicament.
"…Then what can you tell me?" she asked, more quietly this time.
Dorian's gaze flickered briefly to the manuscript, then back to her.
"A warning. Whatever you do," he said, voice low, "do not use it out of anger."
"Why?"
His expression didn't change.
"Because it listens best when you do."