"Ahhh... This is so good... what did... you put in it... ahh... so good..." Riven's words were punctuated by greedy chomps as he devoured the plate of thick, dark liquid with potatoes and other ingredients.
Ashwyn watched him with cold eyes, eating her own food with a careful composure. "I thought you said you didn't like how it looked."
"Ahh... Let the past be in the past. I was being foolish..."
"The past was five minutes ago," she deadpanned.
"Can you let me eat... erm... what did you call it again?"
"Gravy soup."
"What a boring name. I'd rather call it Kippy's delicacy," he teased, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Call me Kippy again and I'll drag you back to where you came from."
Silence descended upon the small shack, broken only by the sound of Riven's relentless chewing.
****
After the meal, Ashwyn meticulously cleaned the utensils and tucked them away under the bed. Riven, meanwhile, lay sprawled on the bed, waiting for his food to digest before he could resume his nonstop chatter. Ashwyn sat on the edge of the bed, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the runaway noble.
The silence grew heavy and awkward. Both of them, in their own minds, prayed for a miracle to break the tension. Their prayers were answered by a loud knock on the door, followed by Muckboots's voice.
Ashwyn opened the door.
"Ohh... Am I disturbing you? So sorry... I'll just stay outside and wait for you to org–"
"What!" Ashwyn cut him off, her face flushing with irritation. "Shut up, Muck. It's not what you think."
"Oh... so who the hell is he?"
"He's a nobody."
Riven simply watched them from the bed, wishing he was still eating while enjoying this live movie.
****
"What do you mean you couldn't steal anything!"
"Tell the boss I'll make it up to him tomorrow."
"Yeah, that doesn't matter anymore. He says this will be your last job if you go to the Mechanum Chapel by midnight." Muckboots handed her a paper with the details.
'Mechanum Chapel, huh?' Ashwyn thought, her mind racing. What could be so valuable in a cathedral? But this was the chance of a lifetime, her last operation. She had always dreamed of going to Aurethia not to steal, but to enjoy its beauty. It seemed her dream was finally coming true.
"Well, I'll be on my way then... Bye, Ashy's lover," Muckboots said with a smirk, waving to Riven, who waved back enthusiastically.
Ashwyn shot Riven a cold glare as the door closed behind her. She then locked the door and lay down beside him on the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling.
Riven shifted awkwardly, his heart skipping a beat.
Ashwyn slowly turned her head to him, a confused expression on her face. "What?"
"Ermm... It's nothing... Ermm... Do you... ermmm..." he stammered, his cheeks burning.
"Huh? What is wrong with you? Can't I take a peaceful nap?" she hissed, turning to the other side. The torn part of her dress revealed most of her bare back.
Riven felt his body burn with a sudden heat. He quickly turned to face the opposite direction, mumbling incoherent words.
"Shut up. I'm trying to sleep," Ashwyn snapped.
*****
Later that night, Riven woke up to find Ashwyn gone.
"Ahh... Kippy's gone to steal... Must be that place that smelly pig talked about. What was it again? Ahh... like I care..."
Silence. He was alone again. He would be until that rat came out of its hole. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the little beast.
Deciding to get some fresh air, he stepped outside the shack. His brief moment of relaxation was cut short when he noticed officials approaching. They were questioning children in the street, and though he couldn't hear their words, he understood the meaning when one of the children pointed directly at his shack.
"Dammit!"
He rushed inside and slammed the door shut. "What to do... what to do..."
If he ran, he'd be putting Ashwyn in danger. He couldn't do that to someone who had helped him escape, given him food and shelter, and even a free view of her bare back. His eyes landed on the small paper Muckboots had given Ashwyn.
He picked it up and read the message: "Mechanum Chapel. It's at the east side of Aurethia."
He jumped through the open window, the night air a sharp shock against his face. Just as he hit the ground, the door of the shack burst open, and three officials stormed in. One of them spotted him instantly, a shout echoing behind him. Riven didn't look back. He bolted, his mind a jumble of fear and adrenaline.
He sprinted down a narrow alleyway, his feet slapping against the grimy cobblestones. The alley was a labyrinth of overflowing bins and discarded junk, the stale smell of refuse thick in the air. He stumbled, his shoulder scraping against a rough brick wall, but he didn't stop. He emerged onto a wider street, the glow of distant streetlamps casting long, distorted shadows. The city, usually a blur of activity, was quiet now, its inhabitants tucked away in their homes.
But for Riven, it was a terrifyingly open space. He could hear the shouts of the officials behind him, a sound that spurred him to run faster.
He wove through a maze of dimly lit streets, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The buildings loomed over him like silent, monolithic sentinels, their dark windows like unblinking eyes. He passed by a shuttered bakery, the faint, sweet smell of day-old bread a cruel reminder of the normalcy he had left behind.
He ducked into another alley, this one darker and narrower than the last, his heart pounding in his chest like a frantic drum. He had no idea where he was going, only that he had to get to the Mechanum Chapel at the East side of Aurethia.
He then passed through the hole beside the bakery earlier and was already in Aurethia.
After a while of running, he entered a cinder light filled alley.
He burst out of the alley and onto a grand boulevard, its wide expanse a shock after the cramped streets. In the distance, he could see the silhouette of a towering spire, its intricate carvings catching the cinder lights ahead. It had to be the chapel. He was close. But then he saw them—two more officials on the boulevard, their lanterns cutting through the darkness. He ducked behind a horse-drawn cart, his body shaking with a mix of exhaustion and terror. He peered around the side of the cart, his eyes fixed on the chapel.
He was so close, yet so far. He knew he had to find a way to get there without being seen, for Ashwyn's sake and his own. His heart ached with a sudden, desperate sense of loyalty to the cold-eyed thief who had shown him an unexpected kindness. He had to save her. He had to get to the Mechanum Chapel.
"Please tell me that damn spire is east..."