"Yer gunna stahp us, eh?" said the woman. She spit some type of foul liquid onto the ground.
"Sure as sure." Aislynn did not cower even as the three thugs drew themselves up taller. The idleness vanished from their bodies as they cracked joints, growling at her through stained teeth.
Between their shoulders, Aislynn saw into the gathered crowd. There was cloaked figured observing. Blue orbs of light shone from under the cowl, and one hand raised lazily to push up a set of glasses. It seemed Zalgus was watching once more, having found a place that clearly separated him from being squeezed or hassled by the flock around him.
"Go'un, girly," said the thug to Aislynn's left, rubbing his thumb against a jagged scar on his jaw. He stuck his tongue out, running it along his upper lip. "Git'on with it den!"
Aislynn's expression pinched, and a frown appeared. It spoke all the feelings of disappointment her tongue could not form words for. She gazed at the three before her; dressed for a fight, chewing their money away in spit. They had decided long ago that they would step on the backs of others to set themselves higher. That there was nothing they could do to better themselves other than by knocking those around them lower. Snapping or stealing the rungs from others' equally shabby and precarious ladders. A light blinked into existence in her mind - raise up the voices.
"People!" She projected her voice to all watching, lifting her arms up on either side of herself. "Do you hear this? That these three, who have taken what they can from you and your neighbors, seek to steal the one dream that burns bright in this child's heart!"
Zalgus' eyes flashed, stars flittering before him as he felt a fire come to life in his chest. Casting his piercing gaze over the crowd, he saw apprehension begin to melt into uncertainty. But all - from the old man with a broken cane and crooked back, to the young mother with two children of her own on her hips - were transfixed by Aislynn's voice.
"Do you understand?" Aislynn said, taking a single step forward. This prompted the thugs to instinctively step back. Silver lines of smokey light started to seep from the ground under her. "Before he even has a chance to step up, they would grind him into the dirt. Is no one allowed to climb higher? Are you content letting them police your achievements? Dragging all back into the mud along with them? We should wish our children to aspire to better than we had. That all should have the chance to shuffle the deck and re-deal the hand fate started us with!"
Back straightening, Zalgus began to build links to a chain of light beside him. The thugs were showing signs of frail nerves, but he knew better than to expect a brute to succumb to powerful words. They probably only understood half of Aislynn's eloquence, despite the amplification of her spirit. They were going to strike her down; it was all written in the clenched jaws, tensed shoulders, and tightening fists.
Before his chain was complete, the woman with spit stained lips lashed out. She was fast, already in front of the much smaller figure and her fist was a hair's breath from connecting with Aislynn's jaw. It would knock her out in one clean blow, there was not doubt about that.
Aislynn's breath caught, eyes widening as she heard a myriad of cries go up from the crowd in shock and alarm. Just as she felt the rush of air from the oncoming fist, a massive paw of a hand seized hold of her attacker's wrist. The owner was one bear of a man, whose cheerful yellow eyes belied the intimidation of his hulking frame. He was clearly more fond of striking metal than the soft skull of another person. Imposing himself between the thugs and Aislynn, he tossed his catch back into her two comrades.
"Well naw," he said. "Dat ain't nice."
"Dunt ya stert ol'man," growled the scarless male. His pupils were tinged red from his overindulgence in drug-laced spit. "Ya know bett'r den ta git in owr way!"
"Oh, I do," the huge man replied in a quiet voice that did not match his chest. "I steel got da scars from owr last run'en. But, why dunt ya try telling dem?"
Uncertainty had dawned into realization, transforming swiftly into anger and confidence. Every person in the crowd now leveled a disapproving glare on the thugs. Most people had picked up some type of sturdy object - from debris to already cracked pots - and even the old man was waving his broken cane in a two-handed grip.
"We'r sick o' yous tree!"
"Git'oot o' here!"
"Crawl oof a bridge 'n die!"
Each person seemed to radiate a dim, silver light. Together it was quite a sight, stirred up by the impassioned words of one young shaper. The thugs bunched together, back-to-back, spitting and hollering back into the crowd.
"Shuld be shamed o' yirselfs," cried the mother, and her two children punctuated the scolding with YAHS! and two synchronized raspberries.
Aislynn slipped into the crowd as their voices drowned out the protests of the thugs. The big man who defended her was ruffling Adelbert's hair, and hefting him onto one meaty shoulder. To her, she had done all she could - it was up to the people to dispense their own judgement. All she did was rekindle a lost fire.
A hand fell on her shoulder, and she felt something wind its way around her arm, locking at her wrist. A chill passed down her back, and she suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable.
"Well, you do speak the truth," said a familiar voice, "you certainly did stop them. In the most fascinating way."
Looking over, she saw a gold chain coiled along her arm. It immobilized her entire body, wisps of golden dust floating around her. Zalgus lifted his hand away, exposing finer chains trailing from his fingers to feed the larger one keeping her in place. The smile on his face was slightly different now, though his tone remained the same.
"Try not to make a fuss," he said, his glasses reflecting the golden light. "This is just a precaution. I would not want you to vanish on me again."
"W-why?" The chill had passed, but she still felt that terrifying sense of being peeled open. "What do you want?"
"Those with talents that you and I have are targets for others," he answered, looking through her being. "And you, my dear, having no place to live, would be better suited remaining by my side for the foreseeable future." For him, that future was quite some time.
"H-how did you?"
"Please, Miss Aislynn, this alley is not suitable surroundings to hold such intensive and frankly long winded discourse. Come with me, and I will see you fed and comfortable."
"Am I a prisoner?"
Zalgus examined the fear in her face, and how her body was tight against the chain. It was such a contrast to what he had seen previously. She truly was a much more fragile figure than first assumed. Perhaps she gained strength in the defense of and collaborating with others. By herself, she seemed a pale shadow in comparison.
"By no means." Lowering his hand caused the chain on her to shatter away, and instead he offered her his arm in a courtly manner. "Please do me the honor of accompanying me."
Aislynn hesitated, rubbing her arm where the chain had been. It still tingled. Having a bed to sleep in and some food in her stomach was a tempting offer. Even if it was from a man who liked to play with words and ring his phrases around her head until she was dizzy. She was also sure he enjoyed the sport of making her blush and fret. Still, blushing was better than starving and sleeping on the ground.
"O-okay," she said, taking his arm.
No comments:
Post a Comment