Styxx Shade: chronicles of a Spy Lord

Street Job

Styx stared at Ethan's retracting back as he walked away down the street. He looked around the middle class business neighborhood with worried air. He had been given a task that seemed simple enough if it wasn't for the fact he had no idea what the hell he was supposed to find out from people in the neighborhood.

"Can you give me a damn hint at least?" Styx asked.

Ethan never looked back as he gave him a lazy back handed wave of his left hand. "Get to it. Walk around a bit and find out what you can and make friends." He said lazily like Styx knew how to do that at all.

"Shit." Styx said softly. He started down the street. He had no idea what the hell Ethan was expecting him to find out and for what reason but he started off down the street looking around.

The street was a lively friendly middle upper class restaurant business area two blocks in length that led into decent cream colored town houses on both sides of the road. He didn't make it to the residential area because as he passed two stores separated by thin alley and he saw down a group of boys in a pack huddled in close together.

He walked down the alley. His nose caught the scent of bread from a bakery next door. The bread smelled heavenly. One of the boys caught sight of him and sneered at him. Styx held up four gold coins as he neared them and raised an eye brow.

The boy's brows rose and he waved him forward. As he neared them however somebody smacked him on the back of the head. Styx dropped down to the ground and glared up at the tall brute in a bakery apron.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing behind my Mother's bakery?"

"I'm a messenger and runner for a rich Lord. I saw a dice game and I wanted to play. My boss gave me some coin to use while he goes off to find a whore or something. What's it to you you big asshole and why the hell did you hit?" Styx said rubbing the top of his head.

"I'll have no trouble from you, boy. Your a stranger around here. Who was that rich nob you were with?" He asked.

"My boss, dumb ass. What the hell is your problem and why you asking me all these damn questions? You a copper or something? I didn't steal shit so you can go fuck yourself you big asshole." Styx said angrily.

Baker stared at him and snorted in laughter. The boys all stopped to join him in his laughter. "Alright. Alright. Have yourself a bit of fun boy but don't cause no trouble or I'll cause you trouble with your boss. You hear me?" He said.

Styx nodded. "Fine Fine damn nation. Wait a minute how much is a small slice of bread?" He asked.

The baker snorted at him shaking his head. "More then you got boy. Play your game of dice but don't cause no trouble for my friends around here." The baker said before turning around and going back into the bakery.

Styx's stomach growled. "Damn asshole can't even give me a damn crumb. I was going to pay em. Damn." He cursed and turned to see the boys all staring at him.

"A got some coins. Can't I get a game in?" He asked.

The leader of the boys looked him up and down and stared at Styx's ears. Styx glared at him feeling himself blush.

"I ain't a elf. I'm just a mutant black." He said.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Listen kid you get one game. My name's Boa Manning. You seem like an unlucky idiot so your only betting one coin. Then you got to push off. We're waiting for our boss to be given jobs. What's your name?" He said.

"Styx Shade." Styx said proudly.

The boy laughed in his face. "I like that. Did you think of it yourself?" He asked.

Styx smiled. "My adopted Mom gave the name Styx to me when I tried to steal her jewels and my boss gave me the name Shade because I'm blind." He said proudly.

The boy laughed even louder. "Fucking hell. That's a interesting bullshit story. Here you get the first roll." He said handing Styx the dice.

Styx shrugged taking the dice and he started rolling them in his hands as he crunched down. "Alright if I get a seven I want-" He started to say and then looked down to see them betting bread slices. That were warm and smelled like heaven to him. "Two slices of bread." He said and rolled some dice and hit snake eyes. "Fuck me running." He said.

The boys laughed in his face and took his money. They heard the back door open to the bakery and the boys scrambled to bakery back porch where an older lady with red hair and few gray strains of her in her short cut hair. She was dressed as a baker with a white apron she stood and started giving out scrapes of bread wrapped in paper. The boys took the paper and scrambled away.

Styx hung his head and started to leave but turned back to the baker lady who was staring at him waiting. He walked over. "Hello mum, It's a fine morning. I happened to smell your lovely bread and I was wondering-"

"If you want a slice of bread to eat you got to run a message for me. Will you do it, yes or no." She asked.

"I'll do it." Styx said quickly.

"Wait here." She said and turned to go inside.

Styx waited in place. She came back quickly with slice of bread wrapped in paper and book gave them to him. "Go down to my house number 221b and wait by the servant's entrance and knock. Wait for the maid to open the door and give her the book. Don't look in the book. I'll know." She said.

Styx took the book and bread and took off running eating the bread on the way as he ran toward the direction of the houses.