Jano was nervous and oddly excited. He finally had something to do. For weeks now, they had just been training. At least they had moved on from disassembling walls to the stone spear technique. They had practiced each moveset over and over again. Jano knew he needed to be able to call on his power as if it was second nature and that there was a reason for the monotony. But still; he was even doing it in his dreams. He wasn’t ungrateful, but a little part of him wanted to get on and do something. Even if he didn’t know the exact details.

Still, he couldn’t deny it. He was beginning to enjoy his new routine. No early morning walks to the workhouse. No gruelling fourteen hour days doing menial tasks on a loop for almost no money. He got to spend more time at home and with his wife. Overall, it was one of the more relaxing periods of his life so far.

The skies were heavy and the driving rain bounced off the grey cobblestone. He had spent some of the money Darrel had paid him on a new cloak. It was nothing fancy, but it was enough to keep most of the rain off him. As he approached the thick wooden door, he could hear two voices. Darrel’s voice was recognisable enough, but the other was a woman’s. He couldn’t tell what they were saying through the door, but it sounded relatively heated.

Jano still wasn’t comfortable hanging around on the streets of the Middle. Even though now, as a Class Seven, he was no longer out of his depth. He still felt odd. As though he was moments from being found out. He knocked on the door and the vibrations resonated through his body, as the hard wood reacted to his knuckles.

The door opened and Darrel was showing the woman out. Her eyes met his, and Jano felt a sharp tingle down his spine. She was one of the Guard. He stiffened up and tried to say hello, but it was stiff and weird. She regarded him as a curiosity; looking him up and down.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Her words were meant for Darrel but she was still looking at Jano. She walked away but Jano couldn’t help but watch her leave with a gawping expression. His heart rate was pounding and sweat rolled down the small of his back. She was dressed in black leather armour, the uniform of the Guards, and she had tousled dark brown hair. She wore two long daggers down her back in an ‘X’ formation. To Jano, she looked formidable.

He turned away from the woman and walked into the stone building. Darrel’s face was stoic and warm, as though there hadn’t been any shouting whatsoever. Though his cheeks were slightly pink, betraying him a little. . “Jano! Just the man I wanted to see. Did you bring what I asked?”

Jano pulled out a small dagger from his cloak. “Excellent, excellent. And no one followed you? Perfect. Of course why would they? Come on, come in.”

The door shut behind him and Darrel sat on a comfortable chair at the far end of the room. Jano slipped carefully onto an accompanying chair.

“What a stroke of luck we had there.” He said as the Mage leaned back in the chair, stretching himself out.

“Do you remember what I told you? That you will be accompanying a woman called Nara on this little task. Well that, my good man, was her.” He tapped his knees and leaned forward erratically.

“So that’ll save me a job describing her. She will explain the fine details of the job. I can’t be seen to actually go in with you, that would cause a bit of a stir. Just as you couldn’t be seen to be walking with a Guard. As good as you are, in most eyes you are still a Slummer.” The Mage stood up, still moving in odd jerks. “It is a shame I can’t join you really, as I’ve heard it’s particularly nice in there.”

In where? Jano thought.

Darrel was acting strange. His voice seemed different somehow and he had his hood up once more. His features were difficult to make out, much like the first time they had met.

“As I said, she is the one who will be providing the muscle. She also knows what you two are there to steal.” He paused as he began collecting his things.

“Not that I haven’t come to trust you. It’s just that I thought we needed a bit of expertise when it came to the fighting part.” Inwardly, Jano breathed a sigh of relief. The Guard were renowned for their abilities in hand to hand combat and defensive techniques, alongside various other physical enhancements which were bestowed upon them by a series of potions and secret techniques. He felt that he was getting pretty good with his stone spear. But if he had to rely on it to defeat more than one rather slow moving person at a time, he wouldn’t last very long.

Jano continued to think about the Mage’s bizarre behaviour as he watched him gather a few more things and then hurry out of the door, expecting Jano to follow. Which he did, as Jano shut the door behind him, he heard a thud. The door had locked by itself. He hurried after the Mage.

“Come on, come on. They stop letting customers in after dark without a membership or a letter of recommendation. We need to get there soon.” The Mage muttered to Jano as he caught up. They left the Middle and walked for a while before entering the Northern Quarter. The stone buildings became bigger, the beggars disappeared and the streets became quieter. Jano grew nervous.

The Mage took a sharp turn and Jano didn’t have time to think of what it meant to be back in the Northern Quarter, he just had to keep up with Darrel.

The rain seemed a little less grim than before, but there was much more shelter in the Northern Quarter. Many of the others milling through the streets kept their hoods up regardless. Jano even saw a few more people in similar robes to Darrel. He grew tense at the sight of them. They would be able to sense his Class, and even though he was with one of them, they might take exception to him being here and ask what he was up to.

They drew a few glances but mostly people were caught up in their own affairs. Jano followed Darrel as closely as possible. Though the Mage made it difficult as he took as many sharp turns as he could. They finally stopped down a narrow alley. It was dark and a little grimy compared to the rest of the Northern Quarter but at least it was dry. Most of the alley was covered by a slate roof and the jagged eaves hung over them, providing cover.

The path was illuminated by ornate lamplights, in the style of fantastical creatures: Hydras, Dragons, Demons. All sorts of twisted creatures were on display. One of the lamplights was cracked and an orange light jerked out awkwardly. In an otherwise pristine section of the city, it looked out of place.

Darrel gave a series of knocks on a metal panel opposite the cracked orange light which Jano hadn’t noticed until now. It stood next to a black wooden door. The knock was almost musical - knock, knock knock knock… knock.. Perhaps it was a jaunty tune after all but Jano just didn’t know the song. Either way, it was clearly some form of code. A bolt hole opened and a suspicious pair of eyes sized up the sodden pair standing in the dark alley.

Darrel muttered something to the gatekeeper. Jano didn’t hear what was said, but the shifty eyes behind the bolt hole flashed to him. Darrel said something else. He had more bass in his voice this time, as though really trying to convey authority. Whatever was said, they had obviously passed whatever test it was as the door swung open. A man glared at them both as they walked in, but Darrel didn’t pay him any further attention and so neither did Jano.

The room was small. With many tinctures and glass bottles on the walls and a wooden counter below. The man took his place behind it and watched the Mage and Jano patiently. Darrel coughed. “Gerland Handcrabs.”

Jano looked at him with a wild look. Had Darrel gone crazy? He looked back to the man behind the counter expecting to see a similarly confused face. Though the other man nodded and pulled something aside. Perhaps that’s this man’s name, Jano thought. They walked to the side of the counter. A tiny door, roughly half the size of a normal person appeared from behind a curtain next to where the man was standing. The small man crawled inside, leaving them alone. Okay, this is weird again.

“Well this is where I leave you. Follow our friend there and find Nara. Or perhaps, she will probably find you. She will tell you what you need to know.” He smiled at Jano and held his arm towards the small door.

“If you’re sure.” He replied.

“I am. Now get a move on.” Darrel moved his arm and looked to the doorway with his eyes.