Tamma entered inside the narrow alley first. Miwah stayed close behind, keeping an eye on Lug as he lazily wiggled his way through the opening. In the midst of his movement, the brillick froze. His entire body became still save for his neck. He looked upwards, snorting while facing straight ahead.
"What is it, boy?" Tamma said as she turned around. Miwah pressed herself against the narrow wall to let the hunter get a better view of Lug.
"He was doing the same thing over by the bathhouse," Miwah said. She also looked at the brillick. He remained in his motionless state. “He was acting scared when I saw those silhouettes staring at us.”
"That's not good," Tamma whispered. "It wouldn't surprise me if the Cutthroats are waiting around here. Seems just like them to try and rob people after bringing back a hard day's earning." The hunter then leaned in closer to Miwah, cupping her hand over her mouth to whisper into Miwah's ear. "You got your... secret weapon?"
Miwah put her hand against her robe to feel for the diamond. She pressed against it. "Yes," she nodded.
Tamma gave her a wink. "Good. We might need it." She continued the procession, only to have Lug stay still, sniffing at the air while his legs trembled. Tamma whistled and then clapped her hands while facing the brillick. "Come on Lug. I know you're scared but we'll be just fine." Hesitantly, the animal obeyed and picked up the pace.
The seamstress kept her attention focused on the back of the group, pressing one hand against the cold cobblestone walls of the alley to guide her while watching for any potential threats from behind. Tamma stayed up front, maintaining a brisk pace as she kept the string of her bow taut with an arrow. As the walk continued, so did Lug's unease. His breathing turned into panting as the brillick constantly shifted his head from side to side, as if he was searching for a predator.
"How does Lug know that the Cutthroats are nearby?" Miwah whispered.
"Narrita's pet. Pierce," Tamma said with scorn. He's a Manolazo Cobra. Essentially a giant snake that likes to eat hefty mammals. It's also one of the few species known to kill other animals for amusement."
"Oh my..." Miwah muttered.
"Its fangs inject a deadly venom into the victim. It causes paralysis but keeps the poor thing alive and conscious. That's when the cobra coils the length of its body around the hapless victim and strangles the life out of it. Some say it just does it for pleasure since the venom is more than lethal enough to kill whatever it infects."
"Does it... have a taste for humans?" Miwah as she pressed her hand against her chest.
Tamma nodded. "It has happened before. And they're smarter than you'd think, too. That's why Pierce doesn't attack Narrita. He probably knows that she's a source of easy food."
"She feeds him other people?" Tamma exclaimed as loud as a whisper could be.
The hunter shrugged her shoulders. "Can't say for sure. The Cutthroats are a bunch of dastards, don't get me wrong. But they're not like the Ghenka Clan. They prefer scaring people rather than outright murder."
"But you would not keep a giant, deadly cobra as a pet if you did not plan on using him."
"That's a good point. Let's just hope that Pierce has had a full meal in case we come across Narrita and the others."
"I have a feeling that is more of a matter of 'when' rather than if," Miwah said with her eyes looking behind her. The end of the of the first corridor was in sight. Beyond the exit was a large expanse where the alley gave way to multiple forks among the buildings. Among the empty area was a wide array of trash and litter that had built up along the corners of the buildings' walls for years.
Tamma walked towards the edge, jutting her head out just enough to scan the oncoming section. Miwah stood behind her, tilting her head to the side just enough to get a view of the intersection as well. "I think it's clear," Tamma said in a low voice. "Let's try to cross it quickly." She dashed forward, making it to the center of the vacant section of alley in a matter of seconds. Miwah followed her lead, only to come to a screeching halt after hearing a squealing sound come from behind.
"Lug!" both women shouted as they turned their heads in the other direction. The brillick tried to run away, only to be restrained by his harness as the wagon attached to it refused to move. Tamma sprinted past Miwah, her bow drawn as she aimed down the corridor.
"Oh, Tamma!" a voice called out from the other side of the intersection. It was a woman's voice. Feminine and fierce, almost sultry in tone. Both Miwah and Tamma turned around to see a woman blocking off the other end of the alley. Her arms were crossed in front of her as stepped out of the shadow of alley and into the light that came from the passing sun.
Her hair was a dark blonde, reflecting a streak of golden sunlight as she stepped closer. She wore a black leather jacket like that of an admiral save for the worn look and fur attached to the end of the sleeves and bottom hem. Underneath she had on a loose salmon blouse tucked into a pair of matching leather shorts. The woman's legs were bare all the way down to the black boots that reached just above her ankle.
With a smile that showed her white teeth, she continued to advance forward. Her skin had a light tan to its tone, becoming more present as she continued to move forward. Following behind was the giant cobra that Tamma described earlier. He kept his head up while the rest of his body slithered across the stone ground. He opened his jaw wide, showing off a set of long white fangs that dripped a purple venom. A long and split red tongue shot out as Pierce hissed.
"Narrita!" Tamma replied. She spun around, pointing her arrow at the snake.
"Calm down, Tamma," Narrita said. "No need to make such a big scene." She angled her head towards Lug. The brillick scraped his hooves across the ground, trying to stop the wagon from being forcibly shoved and pushing him forward. Once the wagon entered the large area, the person thrusting it forward was revealed.
The man was massive, taking up almost the entire width of the alley. The contours of his exposed muscles were visible and defined. His skin was a shade darker than the Narrita's while his hair was hidden behind a beige bandana. The man's face was square, made more pronounced by his wide and toothy grin. From the waist down he wore loose pants with a single stripe down the sides, fastened to his hefty waist by a red band.
"You girls got anything good in here?" the man asked as she stuck his head inside the curtain of the wagon. The man's rummaging overcame the sound of Lug's panting.
"Take whatever you think's worth something, Horace," Narrita said while glancing at her fingernails. "Today hasn't been too fruitful. Maybe this can turn our fortune around."
"Yeah. Seems like people have gotten wiser and started takin' the long way 'round to and from the Market Center," Horace shouted back. He pulled back from the wagon with arms filled with fur. "One of you guys come here and help me bring this stuff!" A pair of men came out from the same alley that Miwah and Tamma had just left. Both were dressed in ragged clothing, looking unkempt and disheveled. Although still large, they were scrawny compared to the man that had just raided Tamma's wagon.
"Those aren't going to be worth anything!" Narrita said as she stomped her foot. "Tamma has had those nasty things for almost a month! No one wants to buy that! Hauling them around will be more trouble than they're worth!"
"There ain't much else inside here," Horace said as he took one last peek into the rear of the wagon.
The smile from Narrita's morphed into an angered frown. "Let's get straight to business," she said to both women. Tamma lowered her bow and slackened the string. The Cutthroat's eyes narrowed as she looked at Miwah. The seamstress darted back from the sudden attention. "Back near the fountain. I saw you holding something. And then you showed it to that old woman down at the market. I think you know what I'm talking about." Narrita put one hand on her hip and opened her other palm, extending it in front of Miwah. Pierce slithered closer, letting out another long hiss.
Tamma nudged the seamstress in the arm with her elbow. "Come on Miwah. Show her what she wants to see."
Art Spotlight: Narrita Dubéza and Pierce
