Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 18

Tibs crouched at the edge of the roof, looking as a group of urchins were escorted to a more ostentatious house. Two boys and a girl, each holding a child. Six seemed to be the size each couple took in. He didn't know what rules governed which Runner they got, but he'd yet to see a group with more than half of it children too young to go in the dungeon.

Well, he thought they were too young, and they hadn't been at the training. But he'd find out when the first teams of Omegas were sent in if that meant anything.

The man and woman were dressed to match the house. More like successful merchants than even low nobles, but stood apart. Not every couple who took in Omegas were together. Some had been assigned to each other by the guild. There had been negotiations, Serba had told him that, so most were okay with who they were partnered with, but she hadn't been interested in looking into who those people were for him.

"They're people," she'd told him, rolling her eyes. "That's all I care to know about them."

The man welcomed the urchins warmly, while the woman stood away and didn't react to their presence. The two had argued before the urchins arrived, but Tibs hadn't cared to bring the words to him to find out what about. The urchins got a roof over their heads, and people who'd be there to comfort them if they returned from their runs. He'd do checks to ensure no one took advantage of them, but otherwise, Tibs felt the situation was acceptable.

The urchins remained closed in, even as the man laughed at something he said. There was no light on the laughter, so an honest one. Tibs had known not all laughs were real, but he'd been surprised the first time one had come with light.

He left as the man ushered the Omegas inside. There was another house he wanted to check on. The couple there had smiled as they welcomed the runners, but while Tibs hadn't heard what they'd said, he'd seen the light as they spoke. They, he suspected, had plans for the runners, and Tibs was going to ensure they didn't come to fruition.

* * * * *

"Hurry," the Runner by the door to the shop's basement called, "I think I see them."

Tibs extended his senses feeling for details that would confirm those were the guards on their way to raid Tibs's equipment stash. He shook his head when Jackal glanced his way. Not them. No swords at their hips, no metal buckles on armor. They still had time.

Tibs had hurried to gather everyone he could on finding the paper warning him of the raid under his tankard when he'd returned to his table. It had meant Quigly and his team, Jackal and the Runners who'd been in the inn. One and three. Fortunately, they all had an element, and it made moving the crates containing the equipment easier.

Once everything was moved to a temporary location, Tibs took position on a roof facing the shop and waited.

The group of guard was eight strong when they arrived. The woman in the lead showed a paper to the shopkeeper, and he stepped out of the way. When they exited a few minutes later, she wasn't happy. She questioned the merchant before rejoining the others in the distance.

Tibs waited until they were out of his range before stepping down and checking with the merchant.

The paper had explained what they were doing; he told Tibs. In this case, searching for illegal weapons and armors. They had to present the paper to the building's owner before they could act on it, and it needed to be signed by the Magistrate of the Law, who needed to be convinced something illegal had happened.

In most towns throughout the kingdoms, the position was assigned by the king or one of their stewards, but in dungeon towns, the leader of the guards was automatically that person.