◈ Chapter 144:
The journey back to Warwick's place went smoothly. Most levelers seemed to figure that a large monster was not very likely to be wearing a giant bear plushie and just walking around calmly on its own. He was left alone, and especially left alone as they neared simply because there were so few people. Bean seemed to act as a natural geographic falloff, the nearer you got to where he lived the less people wanted to be around.
Rain looked for the right opportunity and stepped into the alley depths unseen. The stark emptiness of the place was almost eerie and he wondered how many years they had been abandoned like this. Bean had supposedly been around a very long time, many many years, and that was reflected in how unlived in the place appeared.
He found his way deeper and entered the building that housed Warwick's hideout? base? Wherever the grumpy leveler did his work anyway.
The stairs had been changed since Rain had last used them, the mostly shattered and broken steps replaced with oak and bracketed in steel, someone obviously putting quite a lot of work into replacing them.
His foot still went through a number of them.
At the top he found Opal fiddling with the doors, apparently she had watched Warwick carefully and figured a way to open the things on her own, that or she had stolen a key. In any case, her small hands worked quickly and she got through the first then shoved open the second door and rushed through.
Impatient, and struggling with the too small doorway, Rain forced his way past as he followed, knocking part of the door frame off as he stepped free into the grassy square that made up Warwick's home, various buildings surrounding the rooftop garden.
A startled Warwick looked between Opal, who was clambering up onto the outside dining table, and the giant plushie barging its way through his front door.
It only took him a moment to figure it out.
"Gods damned clumsy monster! What have you done to my doo-"
"We need your help." growled Rain.
"Help? I have an agreement with your master for Pickle to end your life. There was never anything about 'help'."
"If she dies you won't get me. The deal will be void."
Warwick blinked then turned to see Opal and Red together dragging an incredibly pale and deathly looking Lyra free of the dimensional bag and onto the table.
Warwick stared at the rapier that was stabbed through her chest.
"She's dead," said Warwick, his voice cold and quiet.
He suddenly turned and backed away from Rain. In the same motion his arms rose and a heavy loaded crossbow materialised from thin air and fell into his hands. He aimed it at Rain.
"Don't move an inch monster or I will send this bolt straight through your chest."
"It wouldn't be the first thing to be sent through me today" said Rain as he looked over Lyra. "She's still alive right?"
Opal nodded as she held her hand over the sheep girl's mouth.
"Mmhmm. Still breathing and beating."
Rain turned on the leveler. "You have treated severe wounds before. I know you've been at what you do for a long time and I've seen how many people are maimed in these slums. Florens' dungeon is so bad that you must have come across the worst cases over and over, therefore you must have significant experience and a supply of healing potions, potions she needs."
The crossbow lowered slightly.
Rain frowned when Warwick didn't make a move to go fetch them.
"You made an agreement leveler. And if you think a few potions are worth more than a monster like me then you are a fool. Even nobles would kill just for the opportunity to kill me."
"Agreement?" came a female voice.
A tall muscular woman wiping her hands on a rag appeared behind Warwick, her hair done up in a severe black bun, a heavy apron hanging over her front.
"What does this, whatever this bear thing is, mean by agreement Warwick?"
"Uh," said Warwick. "It's nothing, uh, we have... an injured leveler. An accident in the dungeon I assume, they've come for help."
The woman looked over at Lyra as Warwick gestured at her. Her brow rose in alarm as she saw just how dead looking the sheep girl was.
"So help them!" she yelled, smacking him on the arm.
"I was... going to do that. Gods, give me a moment."
"Moment over, get to it."
"I was-!"
Pickle raced past his leg, an open topped box filled with bottles balanced on her head.
Warwick looked down in alarm as the rattling box passed him by and reached out to grab it. The small goat child nimbly darted away from his grasp and jumped, thrusting the box on top of the table. She quickly scrambled up on one of the chairs and then onto the table top along with the box.
