Totrium

Chapter Four: Striking a Deal

"Am I outmatched?" Adrian crouched to the ground, picking up a handful of sand that had blown into the chamber and quickly tossed it into the man's eyes.

"Ack!" He slammed his eyelids shut, stumbling backwards as Adrian snatched the bag and threw it over his shoulder before sprinting up the stairs. "You fucker!" his opponent shouted below him.

He dashed up the last of the steps, glancing behind him as he sprinted away, only to crash into a massive chest. Falling to the ground painfully, he looked up at a tall, broad shouldered, black man with a voluminous black afro, full lips, brown, nearly black eyes wearing clothes that were a size too small for him.

Before Adrian could really register what was happening, large hands seized him by the shoulders, lifting him easily up off his feet, turning him, and pinning his hands behind him. He quickly realized struggling was useless against such a strong grip, so he simply stayed put, his chest heaving up and down.

"Oh, wow, Andre, look at his hair!" someone exclaimed next to him.

He turned his head to see an androgynous person wearing a corset over a men's shirt, with men's puffy pants, and a soft bonnet with a feather in it. They had bobbed, mousy brown hair with bangs and brown eyes, and they stood slightly shorter than Adrian. They had light brown skin and wore a pair of metal-rimmed goggles around their neck.

The person walked over to stand right in front of him, looking him over.

"What, never seen a blond before?" the man holding him named Andre asked. Adrian could feel the voice rumble against him.

They gasped. "Oh, he has blue eyes! I've never seen blue eyes before. Thought they were a myth."

"Let me go," Adrian said firmly.

"Well, well, well," a voice rang out, and Adrian swallowed as the man whose eyes he'd just thrown debris into, ascended the last step of stairs. "I see you've met Andre and Zuri." Zuri stepped aside so that Adrian's opponent could approach. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Jacques. What's yours?"

Out of habit and because his breeding simply willed him to, Adrian immediately responded, "It's Ian."

"Well, Ian, I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"And whose fault is that?"

Jacques chuckled lightly. "You really think you're hot shit, don't you, Sweetheart?" He took the bag from Adrian's shoulder. "Just tell me who gave you the relic and why, and we can be over with this encounter. I'm sure you have places to be."

"I told you, I can't tell you that, and why do you care this much about it?"

Zuri leaned an arm on the leader's shoulder. "Jacques, I can't help but agree. This does seem a bit excessive, don't you think? You broke the relic anyway, so what does it matter?"

"You don't understand, Zuri," he snapped, shrugging them off him. "Someone who knew too much about the Alchemists gave him not just a relic, but specific instructions leading him to this location. Don't you see how fucking problematic that is?"

"Why is it problematic?" Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think he knows very much," Andre added, ignoring Adrian's question. "Probably just another tourist trying to find meaning in old junk. I think you're digging too much, Jacques, and besides, I thought you'd let all this stuff go."

"I had!" he shouted. "I did, but this is all a bit too big for my liking." He folded his arms, looking away. "You're all missing the point."

"Missing what point, Jacky, dear?" a sing-song voice rang out, and Adrian sighed as yet more strangers showed up. This was not how he wanted things to go.