The City of Springs

The reality of the thieves' tunnels was not what those who reside above ground picture or believe them to be. Above ground, it is pictured that those who live under it, live in damp, cold, barely habitable conditions, with penetrating darkness and unforgivably unsanitary conditions, with tunnels that are so complicated that it remains a mystery as to how anyone can navigate even a small well known portion of them.

This is laughable to the thieves, who maintain this impression, with ease it must be added. What the thieves have, is indeed a series of narrow, cold, damp, dark and impossibly difficult to navigate tunnels. However this is the tip of the iceberg. These tunnels criss-cross directly below the city above, creating an intricate network of connectivity and the ability to move product quickly. However on the outskirts of the city, and beyond, the thieves delved deeper. Vast caverns miles deep surround The City of Springs, unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the city.

The city was called Sakura Springs due to the natural springs that ran through the surrounding area, and the glorious cherry blossoms that bloomed all year round.The springs also meant that the thieves below surface had access to natural springs that they had directed through wooden pipes to supply fresh water to anyone who needed it.

Sakura Springs, or The City of Springs as it was also known, was built in an area highly concentrated in a mineral that made the land intensely fertile. So as well as the beauty of the city from the cherry blossoms, and other foliage, the surrounding farms were always plentiful, and the city had grown to be the largest and richest in all of the continent.

Beneath the surface, in the vast caverns, the thieves had spent years separating the minerals from the water and implanting them into the stone walls in patterns. The mineral let off a glow of light, magnified when light was thrown onto it. So with well placed lanterns, the caverns were full of light, there was fresh running water, and adept, fast hands provided all the home comforts required to live a happy peaceful life. Some of the thieves' nation had never ventured above ground, so did not know of the beauty in the outside world. Those that did venture above ground, went there to steal or gather information, very very few stayed. It was a hard world to integrate into when you had grown up underground, knowing very different social rules.

Aart loved the underground. He never intended to leave it, however it was not for family or friends that he stayed, it was purely for the comfort of knowing the familiar. He had an ease in his life. He might take risks, he might piss people off even, but he never got himself to a point where his life was to be destabilized. Aart liked it this way.

Aart was currently sitting on top of a low roof top, considering whether or not he was going to meet this man from last night. He needed his chain back. It had been his mothers chain, and it was very precious to him. However he was unsettled by all his encounters last night, and trust didn't come easy for Aart, even when a person was not stealing from him, or pushing him to the floor.

Aart decided he would meet him, and he would not be pushed around and bullied. At least that's what he told himself, in reality Aart was thinking he would meet this man in order to find out more about it. And to find out how much this man knew about Aart. Aart had been to Rat and delivered the note. He had also, of course, read it. Upon reading the note, Aart had become angry at first, and felt humiliated. The note had read

‘I'll deal with your debt, but you release your mini Rat to my service’

It was signed off with an insignia that Aart didn’t recognise, but he assumed that it was this man he had met last night. Aart had watched as Rat had opened the note, read it three or four times and then screwed it up. As Rat threw the scrunched up note at the wall, he had approached Aart and told him to return to whoever had given him the message and ask for proof. Aart, having read the note, assumed he meant proof of the debt being paid off. Aart was not in the slightest bit interested in the debt. He did not like that he himself was now an asset to either Rat or this stranger.

What did this stranger want with Aart? He watched a gentle breeze flutter through a cherry blossom down below, and his gaze travelled towards the church tower in West End. Sighing he stood up and glanced towards the Sun, it was going down, it would soon be dusk. With reckless abandon, he made the decision to go and meet this stranger.

The journey was a simple one, Aart climbed down to the streets in an alleyway and strode confidently out into the streets, he walked casually and purposely towards West End, not drawing attention to himself. As he got closer to the tower, he looked up, he couldn't see anyone up the top. He walked around the church a couple of times, to check who might see him. Choosing a spot and a moment when no one was around, he began to scale the church. As he climbed he pushed thoughts of concern about what he was doing. Aart enjoyed climbing as he was good at it, he allowed the burning in his forearms, thigh muscles and finger tips to be a distraction to his worries. Reaching the top he gasped as he pulled himself up to the flat top around the spire. This stranger stood right on the edge of the platform, the sun framing his position. Hoping he hadn't heard him gasp, Aart pulled himself right up. The stranger turned around and stretched out his hand.

‘Response’ He commanded.

‘I want my chain back’ said Aart, trying to keep any tremor out of his voice.

‘No’ said the stranger. Aart considered the situation, there was no harm in giving him the response he thought.

‘He said that he needs proof’

‘He’ll have it,’ said the stranger, turning his back on Aart again. ‘And what is your response?’ it was a strange question, thought Aart, and he wasn't sure what an appropriate response would be. As he paused considering the question the stranger spoke again ‘you read my note, you know my intentions. I'm not as you have probably assumed, trying to make you my errand boy. Although that is what you currently are.’ the stranger pulled his hood down, revealing a scared and weathered face. ‘Im asking that you run services for me from now on.’

‘And why would I do that?’ retorted Aart, still annoyed at the fact that this stranger had been controlling this for the last day.

‘Three reasons. Firstly, you have skills and I could use them. Secondly you are not the most unintelligent thief I have met, and thirdly, come and stand here with me.’ Aart paused, the stranger turned and stood once again on the edge, looking down. Aart approached and stood slightly back to the left of him. ‘From here you can see your new friend’ Aart followed the strangers gaze, he squinted in the lowering sunlight and saw a group of men entering a building down below, following up the street were three men, two large with a third smaller man leading them. ‘You've got on his radar, little rat’ said the stranger.

‘My name is Aart’ Aart snarled back, although if Aart was afraid last night, he was not as afraid as he was now. Realisation dawned on him that not only was this stranger right, but that he was not the most dangerous stranger he had encountered last night, he was just the one who had distracted him the most.

‘Indeed and you give it up so quickly’. The stranger turned and walked back towards the spire away from the edge of the tower. ‘This man is dangerous, but not because he is powerful, you can see by his stature that he is not. He is dangerous because of the man who stands behind him’ Aart didn't know what this meant. ‘My name is Lemuel, you may call me Lem’ at this Lem sparked up a light and took a drag on a cigarette. He then turned and looked at Aart. ‘I have lots to teach you, I need some help in my… business... and in return you will have all the protection that I can offer you.’ taking another drag he looked at Aart and surveyed him. ‘Take it or leave it Aart, but ill warn you, you don't know the half of what this man is capable of’ with that Lem tossed Aart his chain back. Aart stretched out and caught it mid-air, he examined it quickly with his fingers and felt the familiar worn patches he had rubbed his thumbs over many many times before. Slipping it over his neck he said

‘Who are you? And what is your… business’

‘I was an assassin. I still am in some ways, but now I don't work for anyone. I have seen things that concern me, movements, strange, unnatural things. I believe there is something bigger moving, and not everyone agrees with me.’

‘And who is everyone?’

‘Aart, the question for you is this. Do you want to keep doing what you are doing, and stumble across Old Scar Face down there on a dark night when you're trying to spark a cigarette?’ Aart hesitated again.

‘How can i trust you?'

‘I guess you can't Aart, or at least I am not going to bother trying to convince you. If you'll accept my offer, then I will train you. But you will have to be up early. I start at dawn, not easy for a thief I know. Also, you will have to take this’ Lem threw a brown paper package at Aart who caught it mid air. ‘You’ll need it to pay off Rat’s debt. Aart looked inside the package, what was inside would keep a thief boss in business for at least a year, with no need to take any additional jobs. ‘I'll meet you outside the city walls at dawn each day for training, South West of the city in the bluehorn woods, there is a clearing not to deep inside. It will give us privacy, and also shelter.

‘Why me?’ said Aart.

‘Why not?’ said Lem, and with that Lem jumped over the side of the tower. Aart rushed to the edge, where he saw a ting grapple on a thin line of rope and watched as Lem swung on the rope and into a window below. Aart stowed the grapple and rope, feeling it might be useful, and also his thieving mindset was not easy to put down. He sat on the edge for a bit and his eyes found the building the men had entered a bit earlier. There were lights on in the building, and Aart was curious about what was being discussed. He decided to pass though. This man, Lem, was an assassin. It explained his quick movements and lightning reflexes. He sat for a bit, and let his mind wander. The cool night air was pleasant, and he watched as candles were being lit steadily through the city. The city was built on the south side of a mountain range. And the very rich were closest to the mountain. The palace was carved out of the mountain itself, it loomed high above everything else with great steps leading up to it. There was a ramp hidden on the east side that also led up to the entrance so the king could easily ride his horse in and out when he wanted. Flanking the palace were the homes of the king's advisors, courtmen, and members of the queen's court. The houses were pure white laced with gold, which reflected the sunlight, and cherry blossoms had been planted and encouraged to grow in the grounds.

From high up where Aart was, he could make out a couple of ladies taking a late evening stroll around the palace gardens out the front before the great steps. Surrounding the palace at the base of the great steps were the houses of the rich, they flowed out circling the palace. The richests living closest, and the further from the palace you lived, the poorer you probably were. Aart found this system strange. Down below, it was not wealth that made your life more comfortable, but power. Then again a thief never dealt in money, he just stole what he needed, when he needed it. This was not a system that resonated with him either, and he sighed. Lem was the first person who had taken an interest in him since his mother had died. Was he being tempted by flattery? No Aart thought, Lem had not been all that flattering, but he had hit the right notes of fear in him, and also the right notes of arrogance in his skills. He got up, he would get below ground quickly with this package, then take an early night in order to rise early to meet Lem.