Chapter - 1; Act - 2: Cavurb City

“Well that was close, wasn’t it Tadashi?” The figure asked. He was crouched down on the ledge of a building, looking at the city as it stretched on for what seemed miles. “For a second there, I thought they’d never stop comin’ after us.”

A much taller building beside him offered a conveniently large shadow for him and the fox to hide in from a distance, the sounds of the sirens now only but a distant echo from where they were.

“Y’know though, you should really get better at sneaking around. Could’ve cost us that heist.” The figure said, directing it to Tadashi as he looked away with an irritated face and a small snarl.

“Oh come on. I was only joking, besides if it wasn’t for you, I would’ve been toast as well.” He said, looking back at Tadashi, reassuring him. “But we might as well get some rest real quick, it's not like they're gonna find us here anyways.”

Hopping down from the ledge, the figure gently slid the sack that he had been carrying all that time down into his hand, leaning it up against the corner where the ledge and adjacent building met.

Jumping back onto the ledge, he gently slammed his back against the building next to him, sliding down to sit as he left one leg dangling over the edge while using his other leg to rest his arm.

“Man…Ain’t that just a sight huh?” He asked, still looking off into the distant city as a 5 o’clock sunset radiated over the horizon. Tadashi soon jumped up to peer at the orange city. “It’s a shame really, if we were given the choice to live here I honestly don’t know if I’d pick the village over this…” He said, stargazed eyes fixated on what could only be described as an almost mystical sight.

“Suppose I should get a better view huh?” He questioned, taking off his hood and face covering to reveal a young adult-looking man, with messy brown hair that covered his forehead and deep brown eyes that were lightened by the setting sun’s glow. The soft breeze caused his hair to slowly wave around as he looked into the distance as if he were hypnotized.

“We should head out soon though, all that food’s just gonna go to waste if we stay here too long. Plus, I don’t wanna keep Winston waiting any longer. Knowing him, he’s probably rambling on about how late we are already.”

Sliding himself off the ledge, he made sure as to not step on the sack that was next to him on the ground, standing back up on his feet while grabbing the large strap that was attached to the sack. He would also put his hood back over his head, wrapping the scarf-like covering around his face to conceal his identity once more.

“C’mon let’s head out, I know a shortcut that’ll take us straight to where Winston’s waiting for us…Hopefully.” He said, smirking under the face covering as he slung the large strap over his chest once more.

Walking to the other end, he leaned over a ledge once more. Looking down and side to side, he pointed towards a pipe that ran down the side of the building. Climbing on top of the ledge, he braced himself with a deep breath as he leaped off of the building, clinging onto the pipe tightly as it unconvincingly shook from his weight. Once getting a good grip on it, he looked over towards Tadashi, who was waiting on the ledge for his signal. Giving it to him, the small fox took a big leap to the figure, grabbing onto the sack and securing himself by digging his claws into it.

Sliding down the pipe, a loud thud would echo throughout the desolate alleyway as he landed on the ground, the impact would form a small cloud of dust as he started to walk off. Tadashi would jump off of the sack, landing on the ground as he just nearly avoided a small puddle of an unknown substance. It had a particular stench to it that caused him to gag slightly, quickly scurrying as he went back to the figure’s side as they walked.

Getting to the end of the alleyway, the figure would peak around the corner, scanning up both ends of the street before motioning to Tadashi that it was ok to move ahead. The street was bathed in a deep orange glow, the distant sun being nothing more but a bright yellow ball in the sky with a red and pink ocean underneath.

They walked down the street of what was considered the shanty side of the city. Buildings that stretched down multiple streets, all having the same run-down and old look, as if they haven’t been attended to since their original construction. Windows on some buildings were smashed, parts of the walls also had some holes in them, and unknown liquids would drip from crevices that lined the buildings.

Walking across the road and into a side street, the both of them couldn’t help but notice just how quiet this part of Menghina was, only able to hear the faint droning sound of the distant city and muffled voices from inside these shambles. Of course, he didn’t expect this area to be as busy as the city even at normal houses. But still, the low hum of the wind being the loudest nearby sound filled him with an unnerving feeling. However, this less than comfortable silence would be drowned out by the rumbling of the fox’s stomach.

“Hm? What’s that bud’, you hungry?” He asked, looking down at Tadashi with a calm but concerned expression. The small fox would look up with a slightly embarrassed expression of his own, nodding to him as another growl from his stomach would bellow out.

“I suppose one lil’ thing couldn’t hurt…” He said, stopping to place the sack down on the ground. Untying the top of it, the figure would reach inside and pulled out a small tangerine, Tadashi watching on as his saliva would messily drip down his mouth. The figure would toss the tangerine at Tadashi, catching it in his mouth as he savored the juices that squirted out of the small fruit.

“Man, I guess you were really hungry,” He said, tying the sack back up. “But try not to devour it so quickly, we still got some time ‘till we get to Winston.”

Slinging the sack on his back again, both he and Tadashi continued on their path of rundown buildings and broken roads.

As they continued on their path of rundown buildings and cracked roads, something oddly strange caught the figure’s eye. Next to a large wooden post on the sidewalk was a small patch of dead grass and rotten flower stumps. But right in the middle of all the lifelessness, was a bright and glowing blue daisy with what looked like the sun in the middle. The sight of something that seemed so full of life surrounded by nothing but death and desolation, filled him with such an indescribable sensation that caused him to walk over and look at it.

Crouching over the small flower, he reached out to it and pinched it by the base. Picking it up, he stared almost blankly at the flower for a long moment almost as if it had put him under some hypnotizing spell. However, this weird captivation would end shortly after Tadashi walked over to investigate what had him so fascinated.

“Huh? Oh, sorry ‘Tashi, just thought this would be a nice little gift for Filia. What do you think?” He said as he snapped out of his trance. The small fox would tilt his head with the same curiosity as him, reaching his head forward to sniff the small blue daisy.

“Well, whatcha’ think?” He asked again. Tadashi slowly pulled away, staring at him with a confirming yip. “Really? Alright, I suppose it’ll look good on her anyways.” He finished with a soft chuckle.

Getting back up and walking once again, the figure would somewhat still be in a trance with the daisy. Blankly staring into the dotted yellow center, only looking up after hearing a bird fly off nearby. Opening a small pocket on the right side of his chest, he placed the flower so that it wouldn’t get damaged while walking. The flower sat snuggly in the pocket, poking out the top of it to reveal the shiny blue pedals that spiraled around the golden core. Some time would pass as the both of them walked down the empty streets, soft winds whistling a soothing tune that contradicted the more rough appearance of the back towns.

“We should be getting close. Just this right and we should be at one of the entrances,” The figure said, turning the corner to find what appeared to be an entrance that went straight down into the ground. “Yep, that should be it.” He added, walking towards it with Tadashi following behind.

The entrance was a rundown entryway with a sign on the roof of it reading Cavurb: Entry #13. The three walls that surrounded the staircase had their windows almost completely smashed through. Just the sight from the outside gave off an ominous aura that sent chills down Tadashi’s spine, whimpering quietly as his fur shot up as he hesitated to take another step toward the decrepit entrance.

“You’re still scared of this place?” The figure said lightheartedly, making his way to the front of the entrance. Looking down, it was completely pitched black and looked as if it went on forever. The orange glow of the waning sun did manage to light up a part of it which showed that there were sections in the side that housed a small area for a torch. However, the singular one that was still visible was empty, with only the small contraption that housed the torch remaining.

As he took a couple of steps down, Tadashi in a scared panic tried pulling him back by the bottom of his jacket. Curious, the figure looked back to see what the issue was.

“Aw, c’mon ‘Tashi, do you want me to carry you through there?” He asked jokingly before continuing down the steps, slowly being engulfed in the darkness below. Looking around in a frenzy, Tadashi was forced to follow along with him as there were no other options.

“Man, all the times we’ve been through here, I would’ve thought you’d get used to it by now,” He chuckled, though at Tadashi’s embarrassment. “But if you want, you can hop on my back again.”

Kneeling on the dirty stairs, the figure offered to let Tadashi jump on his back. Though he was keen on the idea at first, Tadashi then protested as he arrogantly trotted downwards to prove his courage. Amused, he stood back up and followed behind his fox friend.

As it got darker the deeper they went, the figure lifted his hand up, and the same gray orb with blue streaks from before started whirling around his hand again, producing just enough light for them to see quite a few feet in front of them. After a while of walking down what seemed like a never-ending staircase, they eventually reached the bottom that continued into a tunnel system that appeared even darker than before. A low; ominous hum blocked off any outside noises from above, only being disturbed by water splattering in the distance.

Tadashi, who was already scared enough, was bordering on the line of being petrified as he walked closer to the figure. The only thought going through his head was the terrifying idea that at any moment, something could reach out from the darkness and attack them. For him, it felt like an eternity of walking ignorantly into the void with the fur on his back still up as he was on complete alert at this point. After what seemed like forever, they eventually turned a corner into another part of the tunnel. However, it was different this time as a small orange glow radiated in the distance, and behind it was a large metal door with a small opening at the top.

“See? Wasn’t all that bad, we’re almost outta’ here already.” The figure said reassuringly. Though Tadashi was a bit calmer now, he was still a bit on edge and his fur was sticking up a little.

As they got closer, the figure got rid of the gray orb around his hand as they did not need the light it anymore. Walking up to the light source, being revealed as a lantern that hung on the tunnel’s wall with a hook, they passed by it and reached the metal door. The open slot at the top glowed an even brighter orange than the lantern, with loud noises coming from behind it as well.

“Well…We’re finally here bud, you ready?” He asked, looking down at Tadashi. Tadashi looked back up at him, giving him a confirming nod as he placed his hand on it.

With one heavy push and loud creak, the metal door swung open to reveal an enormous cave with an entire city system underneath. The buildings looked only a little bit better in shape than the buildings on the surface, and there were no cars in sight as this was considered a criminal’s paradise. There was rarely any police activity down here as most on the surface saw this underground city as a lost cause, barely providing the basics to the people who lived down here.

Walking through the door and letting it go, it went back to being closed with a loud clunk sound. Going down even more stairs, though not as much as how many they walked to get down here, they began walking on a path through the city. Somewhat resembling the surface, the underground city also had small market stands that lined the streets, though not as many as the streets above. Many people were sitting aimlessly in the streets as well, presumably homeless as torn-up blankets covered them and the ground beneath them.

Making their way through Cavurb, there wasn’t much of interest. There was the occasional sight of people brawling with each other and a couple of muggings from here and there, but other than that the city just seemed dead and barren. The city was also unnervingly quiet as well, with only whispers and murmurs of people talking with each other being the only constant sound. The rumbling noise from the surface felt more like a background drone, as well as the large cavern’s echoing groan.

Entering what looked like a small resting area, a group of shady-dressed men watched as the figure and Tadashi made their way through. They watched them like a pack of hungry animals, not even taking their gaze off to blink for a moment. That’s when one of them got up and started following them from a distance. The others got up as well, but they went the opposite way and out of view as they turned down a side street.

As they continued along, the figure noticed that the path they had to take led straight into a condensed alleyway with two housing complexes forming the walls around it. Quickly taking a glance around, it seemed like this was the only way they could go as every other path was almost identical.

“Great, this is where the fun begins.” The figure quickly sighed out, Tadashi looking up at him with a worried expression.

Entering the cramped alley, a group of similarly dressed men blocked off the other end of the alley. They all had some type of tattoo on their neck, though they were too far and it was too dark for him to make out what it was. Both of them stopped walking, Tadashi looking back up at the figure who was staring blankly; unable to tell if he was staring at the group of men as the already dark atmosphere blocked any sight of his eyes.

“Hey there kid, what are you doing here all alone huh?” The man behind them asked, blocking off their side of the alley.

“Just passing by…Is there an issue with that?” He questioned back.

“Normally? Nah, but considering we’ve been hearing a lil' ruckus up on top of the surface, it seems like whoever they’re after fits your description pretty damn well.” He said in a light gravelly voice. Walking closer to them, the tattoo that was on his neck became visible as a dimly lit light on the side of the building illuminated him enough to see it. The base of it was a flag designed to look as if it was being waved around by winds, and a skull in the middle of it with a spear going in through the jaw and out of the skull.

“It seems what eva’ you have in that bag of yours, is very important to them.” He continued, slowly inching his way towards them while rubbing his hands together.

“Hows’ about this, yous’ hand that bag you got there over to us, and we neva’ saw ya’. Sounds good dunnit?” He said in a somewhat demanding tone, pulling out a switchblade to try and intimidate them. Him doing this caused Tadashi to start growling as his instincts quickly went into defense.

“Stand down ‘Tashi, I got this.” The figure said, snapping Tadashi out of his defensive mindset. “So, your offer is I simply give this bag to you and we get to walk off huh?”

“Exactly that, unless of course, you decide to make a fuss.” He answered. Leaning on the wall, flipping the knife in one hand and snapping his fingers in the other, another group of guys would appear from where they came from. “Are we gonna have a fuss?”

Turning his head and observing the situation, the figure let out a loud and annoyed sigh.

“Fine. I suppose if it means we won’t have an issue here, take it.” He said, undoing the strap around his chest and tossing it on the floor.

“Great choice friend, it would be a shame if we had to make a scene here.” The thug said, confidently walking towards the bag. Grabbing the bag, the thug began to walk off while chuckling slightly.

“Hey, just a quick question if you guys don’t mind.” The figure asked, which caused the thug to pause walking and turn around.

“Yeah, and what’s that huh?” He asked, looking a bit annoyed as he was already growing tired of the situation.

“What group are you guys part of exactly? Judging on that tattoo y’all have on your necks, you guys don’t seem to be affiliated with Hijos De Dios, are you?” He asked in a somewhat smug tone.

“And if we aren’t so what. What are you gonna do ‘bout that?” He snapped back, appearing even more annoyed than before. “Come on now, tell me what you’re gonna do.” He demanded, walking back up to the figure, yanking him by the collar and almost lifting him off his feet.

“It’s not me that’s gonna do anything, it’s what they're gonna do to you. Like your buddies back there.” He responded arrogantly. Looking back, the other group of thugs that guarded the way they came were now slumped up against the wall and floor motionless, and the group that was ahead of them was swiftly taken down by another group of men who came up, choking them unconsciously from behind.

“What the-” The thug was interrupted by the figure pushing him away, holding onto his hand as he swung his leg up. Landing a kick to the bottom of his jaw, the thug’s grip loosened around the sack, which the figure quickly pulled back into his possession.

On the ground dazed after his kick, the thug tried standing back up to begin fighting the figure. Once he got back on his feet though, he felt a cold and metallic object placed against the back of his head. Behind him was a tall man in a somewhat fancy-designed trench coat, with a hat that had the left side of the brim buttoning up to the side that had a strap underneath, which was used to hold a pack of cigarettes that already had one sticking out the top slightly. The metallic object was a finely engraved revolver he held at the back of the thug’s head, its hammer already cocked back and ready to fire at any moment.

“Seems to be an issue here…Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.” He said, one hand in his pocket and the other still holding the gun to the thug's head. He had a cigarette that was loosely hanging from his mouth, the lit portion revealing a tan face that had a scar running across his right eyebrow and a scruffy goatee.

“I find respecting people to be one of life’s greatest qualities in such a dangerous world, so I hope you understand my frustrations when seeing a person disrespecting one’s property.” The man said, his tone slowly turning low and demanding.

“Y-Y-Yeah, o-of course I unda’ stand.” The thug said, his harsh and rugged voice now barely able to form a sentence without stuttering.

“Alright, but if you understand how come I saw you and your friends picking on this little man, hm?” He asked the thug in an almost jokingly tone, almost like he was mocking the thug on his current situation.

“Alright Santiago, I can smell him pissing himself from here.” The figure said, bending down to check up on Tadashi who was still a bit on edge.

“If you say so, Kendrick,” Santiago said, both of them revealing each other's names. “But just remember who runs Cavurb and the ruins…Now scram before I change my mind.” He barked. The thug ran off, bumping into one of Santiago’s men before running out of sight.

“So ‘Santi, who were they?” Kendrick asked, standing back up while adjusting the sack’s strap around his chest.

“Nothing more but a bunch of road rats if you ask me,” He replied, spitting out the almost completely shriveled cigarette out of his mouth “They’re a bunch of no-life criminals that go by the ‘Spearheads’.”

“Really now? The last time I came here, they weren’t even a thing.” Kendrick added, pulling his face mask down to talk easier to Santiago.

“Yeah, we’re still a little curious as to how- or even when they formed,” Santiago said, changing his sentence in a snappy manner. “But from what my men have gathered, it seems the only person who’s the real deal is their boss…All of these other guys are just no-named muscle.” He continued, walking over to one of the unconscious thugs and kneeling over to examine their bodies. “They’ve been trying to take over the entire underground scene by force, but they haven’t acquired much territory to properly compete against us.”

Walking over, Kendrick stood next to Santiago who was still kneeling over the thug’s body. After a bit of examination, he began to search his body for anything he may have on him like money or anything informational about their group.

“The Spearheads, huh? They don’t seem to be much of a threat if I’m being honest. Even I could’ve taken these guys on myself, though, it would probably be a pain to do so.” Kendrick said, sneaking a cigarette out of the packet before kneeling down next to Santiago.

“Individually, yes, they aren’t much of a threat. These guys you saw aren’t what I would call ‘strong fighters’. But even so, I have had a few run-ins with these guys, and they don’t just stand down…Most of the time at least.” Santiago said, moving both his index and middle finger over the tattoo on the thug’s neck.

“Hm…Hey, just a question,” Kendrick asked, looking over at Santiago. “How’d you guys know I was down here?” He asked Santiago.

“C’mon now ‘Ken, I’m the second in command of the Hijos De Dios. You don’t think I got eyes n’ ears throughout the underground?” He chuckled, answering Kendrick’s question. “Besides, they were right about one thing, you did make quite a ruckus up on the surface. It was only reasonable to have my men be on the lookout in case you tried coming through this way.”

“I guess you know me too well,” Kendrick replied with a chuckle of his own, shuffling the cigarette he had in his hand between his fingers to offer Santiago.

“Same to you as well,” Santiago said, grinning as he took the cigarette from Kendrick. Holding one end by his teeth, he took out a small lighter that had a leather wrapping over the base of it. Opening the lighter’s cover, it made a sharp shink sound as he scraped the wheel against the flint inside, using the flame that came out to light the cigarette.

“I should get going now though, and I suppose you should be too.” He said, standing up and putting both his hands in the trenchcoat’s pockets.

“Yeah, I guess I should be off, but what are you gonna do with them?” Kendrick asked, moving the thug’s arm with his foot.

“My men will take care of them, no point in making this place look messier than it is already,” Santiago replied while walking off. “Take Haven street, you’ll be in our territory. You shouldn't have to deal with any more of these guys from there, safe travels Kendrick.”

“Yeah, you too.” Kendrick farewelled as they both walked off in their separate ways.

While leaving the alleyway, Tadashi tried sniffing one of the thugs that originally blocked their way, but quickly hurried off as Kendrick continued walking ahead. One of Santiago’s men watched Tadashi as he ran off, shrugging as he went to help out another guy carry off one of the unconscious thugs.

Pulling his mask over his nose, Kendrick and Tadashi continued on their way through the underground city. While walking, Kendrick noticed that the further on in the city they went, the more lively it got. Once they got to Haven street as Santiago told them to, it was like the entire atmosphere had completely shifted from a cold and dreary city to a loud, vibrant one with orange and yellow lights filling the streets as lights were hung from building to building. People stood atop of their balconies watching over everyone below, kids running around with sticks in their hands pretending as if they were far distant warriors battling out one final duel. Beautiful music played in the distance by a group of older-looking men. The way their instruments managed to merge into one distinct sound made the place seem like it was nothing more but a fantasy to live in.

Though this part of the city was so soothing to be in, Kendrick and Tadashi could only admire this place for a bit as they couldn’t stay there for too long. The next exit was just a few blocks ahead of Haven, and with the amount of time they were down in the underground, chances were the sun was already down.

The farther they got from Haven street, the city got quieter and darker, with only echoes of their distant music and cheers. The street lights flickered a dim glow, barely able to illuminate the cracked pavement below. But after a while of walking through Cavurb’s less populated areas, they eventually reached an area that seemed to be completely abandoned of any inhabitants. The buildings were in even worse shape, with some buildings having entire sections blown up, a sign some type of conflict occurred here as dusty bullet casings and old char marks covered the road and walls. The air smelled like loneliness, with only a quiet whistle from the wind and the sounds of stepping over a crunchy ground filling the air.

After turning the corner to a dead-end road, they spotted a staircase at the other end that led to a metal door, reminiscent of the one they entered through to get down here. Walking up to it, they were able to make out a sign at the bottom that stated: Cavurb Departure Point #7, Entering Wall Alexander, Exiting Wall Osmand.

“You ready this time, ‘Tashi?” Kendrick asked, walking up to the door and placing his hand on the metal door’s handle.

After Tadashi gave him a confirming bark, Kendrick pushed down on the handle, causing it to make a loud chunk sound as it swung open. However, instead of being met with a long and foreboding hallway that was bathed in darkness, they stepped out into a dirt road that led to a lit-up town with cabin-like structures that looked to be made entirely of wood and stone. They looked worn but as much as the buildings from underground.

Stepping outside completely revealed the door resided in a dug-out portion of a somewhat steep hill, with its top being the foundation of a massive wall that stretched on for miles. The sun that had previously covered the sky in a deep orange was now gone; replaced by two moons, one being just a third of the other moon’s size.

Walking down the hill’s path and entering the town, it had the same quietness that the underground city and ruins had. However, it felt slightly more lively as some of the houses had their older-looking residents sitting on their rocking chairs outside. They seem bewildered at Kendrick’s sight, murmuring quickly to themselves about his appearance. Of course, Tadashi with his hearing was able to pick up their scornful remarks about them being in their quaint town.

“Ignore em’ ‘Tashi, we aren’t here for them. We’re here to find Winston.” Kendrick said softly, quickly picking up on Tadashi’s quiet growls. Though Tadashi was hesitant, he did listen to Kendrick.

After a bit of walking, Kendrick noticed a building that was quite a bit bigger than the rest. It was uplifted by a porch and had two floors. Hanging between the first and second floor sat a slightly crooked sign that read The Galene Canteen, with another sign attached to the bottom of it saying Vacancy.

The entrance was a double door design, having windows at the top of it that were split evenly inside with metal bars, with a yellowish light coming out of them, as well as the barred windows to the sides. Giving it a slight push open, the door made a loud creaking sound. Thankfully though, it only attracted the attention of the Bartender, who still didn’t give it much as he only batted an eye towards him before going back to cleaning a couple of glass cups.

Walking over to the stools Kendrick took the sack off and gently placed it against the bar as he sat down next to a person with navy blue overalls and a straw hat. His shirt was beige, the collar was undone and bits of dirt stains covered his outfit. His boots were beat-up and had scuffs marks that went from the toe, all the way down the sides of them that exposed the leather underneath the brown coating.

“So, what’s it gonna be?” The bartender asked in a low, but calm tone.

“Just a water, thanks,” Kendrick responded while taking his mask and hood off. There was a moment of silence as the bartender poured him a glass of water.

“You’re late.” The man in the blue overalls said, turning his head to the side and staring at Kendrick.