One - Hail

People are moving fast this night on the streets. There is an event on the city square despite the rain. It rains almost every day. People are not bothered by it anymore. I am bothered by the rain.

My cloak is soaking. I don’t have the resources to buy the ones that protect you from the water. Nor the need for it. In this rainy city, the wet ones are invisible.

I am very wet.

I ploy through the alleyways and back streets. The main ones are too shine and full of people. You can learn a thing or two about surviving when you have to sneak everywhere.

This is the capital city of Gorod.

When I arrived, the herd was already there. Hundreds gathered around the outside the central hall. Actively waiting for the pseudo artificer, business man and famous politician, Council Member XVII Karlos Joshua Bowthe, to appear on the building balcony.

He is nothing special. People think that he is one of the smartest and the most powerful artificer that exist. But all the magical technology that he claims is stolen or done by other people.

I keep moving to my checkpoint. People do not willingly touch you when you are wet. I was being noticed. People are looking at me. I do not like when people look at me. I climb up to the rooftops nearby. It took a while. Now the night is hiding me.

It is slippery. I move slow and steady. I am seeing everyone down the square. A lot more people than I predicted, but still, the mission must go on. I received my orders and to execute them is my assignment. I do not know from whom the tasks come. I just do it. I belong to a group with no names. We are fighting back against tyranny and to save magic.

We do not know each other. We never meet. We receive the orders telepathically when we sleep. We do the job no matter what.

I trust the process. As far as I know we have the same cause. We fight the same fight.

In the end, after everything, if I am wrong this whole time. I will also get rid of them. No one will stay on the way of my revenge.

Arriving at checkpoint, I find a box hidden under some dusty fabrics piled up. It has binoculars, a long-distance explosion device and an enchanted cape that protects me from the rain. This will be a big step to our victory.

The security gets tighter the more I am closer. The nearby roofs are being heavily surveilled by the gargoyles. Those things can sense and eliminate any magic quick and efficient. They are the scariest invention from the Council.

I dress the cape and get down. The coordinates for dropping the device is in the middle of the crowd. I need to get close enough so the explosion can hit the city hall. There will be other devices starting up together. I do not know where. At the striking of the tenth hour of this day, close to when the event is about to end, they are going off. I will be as far as possible when it happens.

While I move through I managed to steal some coins and valuables. People are really careless. I might as well get some while here. They will not need anything after.

The closer I get, the hardest it is to continue.

I can not move without bumping on other people. I get to where I need to. I drop it and use my feet to press it between the uneven stones. Someone grabs my arm from behind.

I pull back and turn. Not a guard. A man insisting that I stole his gold. I probably did. I move forward pushing myself against him and the other people around. He loses balance but do not fall. He advances on my direction. I move away putting my leg in front. He falls. I disappear.

Nobody is following me. I walk thousands of steps away. It is almost time. I got dry while wearing the cape and I can go inside a restaurant to wait. Inside, they have a magical screen where the event is being shown. The food was hot and salty.

Nothing happened. What in the falling boulders of temptation is going on? Karlos wave good bye to the people and go inside after the speech. Not a single device went on.

Someone must have betrayed the operation. I feel indigestion. I get out and leave. I throw the magical cape away. Unfortunately I can not keep anything from the mission for my own safety. Use and discard.

I keep moving. Controlling my breath. It is too cold. But I am hot and sweaty. I have nowhere to go now. I find a roof to sleep under for the rest of the night.

I seat next to a back exit of a building. Its balcony covers an area where I can start a small fire. I do not know what I was feeling. I do not feel sadness anymore.

I like the heat. I have found memories about the days where I lived dry and safe at my village. The sun was bright and warm. I hate this rain. The atmosphere is gloomy, and a distinct petrichor hangs in the air everywhere. The mold on the buildings are so strong that not even magic could get rid of them. Everything here smells like it is deteriorating. This is supposed to be the capital of technology and magic, where all dreams will come true. It smells moldy and rot.

People got used to it. I never did. They probably do not remember what a sunny day is.

I got used to sleep on the streets. Half awake and half dozing. I hope I do not dream tonight. It is all memories from a life swiped from me a long time ago. I have to sleep. That is how we communicate. Every new mission comes with a new place to be. NO where to return. I had a name once. Sometimes I am referred as 2014. I’m a number.

Numbers have no feelings. It is easier. I do not know if there are two thousand other people involved with the movement or if it is just a random designation.