Kidnapper

The five guards trailed behind their captain as they looked ahead warily. One of them whispered to the man next to him, "I can smell it from here."

His comrade lowered his voice so the captain wouldn't hear him as he replied, "It's not even the smell that gets me. Just being around them makes me feel like I'll get the plague or something."

Hearing his friends chuckling, the man's face scrunched up. "Hey, I'm not joking!" He jabbed the man in the ribs with his elbow. "What will Mary do if that happens? I told you she was pregnant, right? Eventually it'll get so big that she can't even make her little dolls for spare copper. I can't afford to lose the income from this job, and I especially don't want to die before I get to see my kid."

The guard smirked. "Hmph. Not even twenty years old yet you sound like an old man. If you're that scared of dying go find a new job." He sighed deeply with a look of great loss on his face. "I wonder where my young and hot-blooded friend went."

"I'm still young and hot-blooded! Put a bandit in front of me and I'll slash him up without a second thought. I'm just not willing to put my life at risk over these scum who don't even contribute to society."

The guard waved his hand nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say old man."

The man's temper flared and he raised his voice threateningly, "Who are you calling old man?"

Just as it seemed that a brawl was about to break out, a deep and commanding voice came from the front of the group. "We are payed to maintain order within the city. Whether the citizens are wealthy or poor doesn't matter. As long as you wear the uniform you will protect them all the same. Understood?"

"Yes captain!"

"Yes captain!"

The captain was happy with their attitudes. He thought for a second before calling out, "Fitzgerald."

The guard straightened his back and answered, "Sir!"

"After patrol today, I'll call in a few favors and see about getting you transferred. A desk job or working at the city gate should be doable."

The guard named Fitzgerald smiled. He never would have thought that his life would change so quickly. He used to spend his money drinking at the bar with his squad mates after patrol and flirt with the few girls that worked there, but now that he was getting married to Mary all that would change.

The bar is no place for a married man- at least not one of good character. So he would have to stop that. Now he's getting transferred to a desk job. He'll have to leave behind the captain and his friends but he felt that it will all be worth it. He wanted to be the best father and husband that he could be, so he has to prioritize his safety.

He nodded at the captain in gratitude, feeling a bit reluctant. "Thank you. Actually I-"

The captain had turned around from the front of the group so he was the only one that saw it. A man in a black cloak lifted a small beggar in his arms and ran down an alley.

He raised his hand to cut Fitzgerald off and strode off in the direction of the alley. "We've got a kidnapper."

Opposite the captain's reaction, the guards were furious. "But we're standing right here!"

"In broad daylight! These scum are getting more confident, seems we'll have to knock them down a peg."

"Just what do they think they're gonna do with a poor kid like that anyway?"

"Who cares? Let's just go teach them how to respect the law."

The group pulled out the clubs clipped onto their belts and followed after. The captain approached the alley cautiously and pulled out his weapon.

Being a higher rank than the normal guards that follow him, he was outfitted with a special magic weapon. It was a metal rod equipped with an electric type monster core. He had it set to the lowest power setting in order to preserve the mana and save money for the city guard's budget. It will cause some numbness and loss of muscle control allowing for easier apprehension of criminals.

Visibility in the alley was low. The old and rotten buildings towered at least three stories on each side and blocked out the light, but they didn't have time to be careful.

"Stay close and keep your eyes peeled."

The group jogged down the alley until they came to an intersection. The captain moved forward to determine which way the kidnapper went while the rest of the group started discussing.

"Shoot! There's no way he outran us while carrying a kid, I don't believe it!"

"Of course not! We should double back and look for trap doors."

A more timid guard spoke up from the back of the group. "Haven't you guys heard about the raven eye group? This seems an awful lot like a story I heard."

"A story? What do you mean?"

"Well there's a story I heard from one of the trainees in the barracks." His eyes scanned the alleys around him, cold sweat rolling down his forehead. "H-he said that the raven eye group had been causing trouble during the day as bait in order to gather souls that they could use to increase their power."

The atmosphere turned ominous as one of the guards came to a conclusion. "B-bait? So you're saying that this is..."

The guard didn't dare to finish his sentence, afraid that it would come true, but the captain had no qualms and finished it for him.

"A trap."

"Bingo!" An eery voice said from behind them.

The guards jumped back and pushed their weapons in front of them as they watched groups of black clothed figures appear out of thin air, blocking them in all directions.