2 Prayer

I went back to the guild with the info entering the sewer and I found Lewis I went to his office. Where he was busy going through some papers.

"I got the info they are investing in the usual stuff new items on the market and scholars. But the most common transaction is with LDD with someone named Joshua.

"They are just giving them money nothing else. It seems they are probably paying off Joshua to be quiet about something that should make negotiations with the Cambell family possible as well as other families." I said to Lewis

Lewis read the ledger for a little bit and didn't say respond to me.

"Good job you'll have your pay by the end of the week. Stay in the guild lounging meanwhile."

I quietly left cheering on the inside the amount of money this would net me would be colossal. Maybe enough to pay for a house, and food and clothing for at 10 years.

I went to my bed in the lounging area and went to bed. The stress and mental strain of a heist will calm only from 12 hours of sleep.

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In Lewis' room, he took his wine glass and threw to a wall in anger.

"Goddamn, they made a deal with Joshua. We can't mess with them we are even going to have to apologize."

"Wait it's alright as long as Joshua doesn't know that we know it will be fine. But….Joshua will figure it out and the executives will present my head as an apology."

"Alright, I bring this up the ladder with my thief responsible without my permission. I'll get rid of the paper trail and him as well. Sorry kid but it's you or me." Said Lewis with a sick smile on his face.

Lewis got busy getting rid of any paper trail and paying off anyone in on the heist. The executives need only one lamb for the slaughter. Too many would scare the members, and no sheep wouldn't satisfy Joshua or the executives.

******************************************

The next day I spent it relaxing unaware of Lewis' activities as I waited in the lounge area. I occasionally talked with some of the other guild members then I slept again. I was woken up by a tall dark man.

"Hey, kid Lewis is asking for you." The tall dark man said with a scowling expression

"Is it about my money?" A smile blossomed on my face at the prospect of the payout

"He didn't say just go ask." The dark man said as he shrugged expressionlessly

"Alright." I stood up and walked in front of him as we went to Lewis' room.

"Lewis, what's this about do you have the money already?" I asked quizzically

"Sorry kid it was me or you." Lewis said with a sigh

With those words, I realized I had been tricked I was about to dodge. When the man behind me struck me on the head. I was out cold, a small child against a large man wasn't going to work out anyway.

"Does your conscious feel better now Lewis." The dark man said with a sneer

"No it feels worse but I at least want him to know I did it. It's fair when he gets out I'll make sure to take care of him. He's a kid the Cambell family won't kill him but for me, it's completely different." Lewis expression became downcast in guilt

"I wonder who you're trying to convince me or you?" The dark man snickered as he carried me.

Lewis became quiet as the tall man tied me up. He left with me over his shoulder and the copy of the ledger in his right arm. He used the sewers to get close to the prison. There was a middle-aged guard in armor waiting for me.

He handed me off and the ledger then they brought me to a cell. They threw me inside as my body slammed against the cold ground I woke up.

I looked around it was dark, smelly, and small. It stank like a donkey ass after it ate bad cheese. I had enough space to stand up and walk in any direction 8 steps with my small feet. No one else was near me it was solitary confinement for dangerous nutcases.

I knew about it when I asked about to one the guild members who were in and out of jail for years. He said if you end up there you offended someone or you are just a nutcase.

Two days after I robbed the Cambell house my boss gets me sent to jail as well as apologies. There's no coincidence about that I found something in that ledger that offended someone.

Someone powerful enough to force Lewis to give me up and this person is somehow related to the Cambells. Back then I had already thought of Joshua as a lucky guy that just got paid off for not saying anything about some matter. So it never crossed my mind that Joshua was responsible.

'What's the point of even thinking about this? If I do say anything that will just make my situation worst. I should just quietly take this punishment and leave this business.'

I just felt my heart break the man who gave me everything, sent me here. I knew it was because he was forced to do so or at least that's what I told myself. But a seed of distrust and hatred started to grow in my heart.

I stayed in that cage forgetting the days as I remained in the dark. The only light I would see is the light as the guard enters to give me food. It just black bread and some gruel but at least it was food and company. I would try to converse only to be met with silence and darkness once again.

I clasped my hands together and prayed to Edith, Goddess of Light. I hoped to see the light again and to be free of the dark and its burdens. One day I finally was free from the dark and brought into the light. But it wasn't the light I wanted it was a slave market. The guard who handled my meals one day let me out and guided me to a caravan.

"Where are you sending me?" I growled as he forced me into the caravan

"Kid you offended the Cambells did you think everything would nice and dandy? They succeeded in convincing the prison guard to send you off. Guess who's the prison guard." He said with a malicious smile

I took note of his features narrow almost red eyes with a long scar across his eye to his note. He also has a tattoo in a strange script on his right arm. I was shoved in the back where there were a bunch of different people, young and old, men and women, children and a few small animals. We were stuffed together and forced to trek across the plains.

They led us to a slave market where we were given rags for men and minimal clothing for women. We were put in different sections of the slave market and forced to look stupid and demean ourselves to get sold. I wanted to hate Lewis for bringing me here, I wanted to hate the Cambells for their wealth, and I wanted to hate that guard for his greed.

But it felt pointless I couldn't do anything to any of them without ending up in an even worse situation. I have to take all this without having the slightest bit of hate it feels so pointless to do anything. I felt any motivation to do anything slowly eeking out of me. Each day was more humiliating than the last stripping for a disgusting old man that liked little kids. Or being forced to do manual labor on top of advertising yourself.

While I was there for a time I met Anna she was my age. We often talked as we did our labor but we didn't see each other often because the women were in a different part of the slave market. In my sadness, I was slumping over from the manual labor. I met her because she saw me slump over and became concerned. Looking unproductive would get you whipped so she came over.

"Are you okay? You shouldn't stop or else they will whip." She said with concerned eyes

My heartfelt dead so I didn't care about the beating. But she didn't stop persuading me, to get her off me I listened and went back to work. But she didn't leave instead she followed me around all trying to help me. It went on like that for a long time, I remembered Lewis' lessons.

One of the most important things was someone you could put your guard down to. As time passed, I developed a bit of a crush on her, and I felt anger every day I saw her return to the women's section. Running the risk of being bought and raped by a noble until he feels done with her and kills her or sells her to someone else.

Whenever I felt tired or hopeless I would pray. Pray to Edith that all will be well. The world was unforgiving the moment you or anyone related to you slip up. I didn't want that to happen to Anna.

But at least in this unforgiving dog eat dog world I can at least protect those I care about regardless of the consequences. I smiled thinking it was a beautiful picture saving the life of your beloved even at the risk of your own.

Knowing that someone else's happiness is your happiness is more comforting than happiness itself at times. Especially when all you feel is alone, I romanticized the idea and marked this feeling in my heart.

But of course, the slave market wouldn't stop because of my daydreams. Day in day out I kept working and waiting. For the day that either I or Anna would be sold and separated then I can fight for her. With that, I clasped my hand as asked Edith to bless my love and grant me more hope and light.