Burning Night: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 1: Adrian

Adrian carefully marked the dandyish fop, and deliberately kept one of the others between them as he approached. He approached slowly and casually, careful to avoid letting himself stand out. Dandy coat was, by far, the most dangerous of the group.
As he approached, Adrian put his hand into his coat pocket, and felt for a small pouch.

He wrapped his hand around it, and immediately felt biting cold stealing heat from his entire arm. Adrian grit his teeth, pulled the pouch out, and flung it underhanded at the old lady with the cane.

The package struck her in the chest and bounced onto her lap, before she responded. The old woman hissed in surprise, and the others followed her gaze towards Adrian, who held his hands out, palms facing them.

His response wasn't enough for the woman in black, who seemed to melt through the distance between them. Adrian nearly couldn't follow her movements until she kicked him in the shin, wrenched his arm behind his back, and knocked him to his knees.

Adrian grunted in pain, but kept his eyes locked on the old woman, who had taken the cloth pouch by its drawstrings and held it in front of her face.

"Who are you?" The woman behind him hissed, as the man in the expensive coat rose out of his chair and sauntered over.

"I'm all right, Irene." He old woman said, irritably. "No thanks to your security perimeter. Let the boy go. He seems to be delivering a very expensive message."

The woman released Adrian with a hard shove, nearly knocking him to the floor. Adrian didn't respond to the woman, but rose and addressed the old lady. "That's payment, Madam Ghally. From Stenman Xavier for services to be rendered."

The old woman smirked, and slowly stood up from her chair. The cane was held lazily in her hand, as she walked towards him.

"Now what, my dear boy, does Stenman Xavier of the Porters expect me to do, that he's already paid for?" She asked, as she slowly drew towards him.

"Ma'am. You've spent a long time cultivating the image of a cripple." The woman in black said, from directly behind him. Adrian was surprised, not having heard her move.
Which shouldn't be so surprising, Adrian thought to himself. The woman used to be a shadow.

"Xavier's most trusted people are the ones who deliver messages for him, and Xavier has always know my condition was a ruse. Now stop interrupting and let the poor boy deliver his message." Madam Ghally said, her voice tense. Despite her stance, Madam Ghally's knuckles were now bone-white as she gripped her cane.

"Madam, my boss expects you to abandon your alliance with the Hacksaws. When they make their move on Cadrego's iron vein, he expects them to face Coalhouse and the Watchmen alone." Adrian said, repeating the wording as closely as he remembered.

"Give her space to think think through the implications." Stenman had said, just before Adrian had left for this mission. "Ghally takes discourtesy personally, and her temper doesn't have a lot to keep it in check."

Madam Ghally stood silent for a long moment, seemingly intent on Adrian's boots. But Adrian held his silence, and waited.

"So Xavier wants us to shiv our largest ally, to favour our enemies. He pays in advance, with a few ounces of cold-stone. Your boss is getting too big a head, boy." One of the burly trio still standing near Madam Ghally said.

The old woman whirled and swung her cane into the thug's knee. The sharp snap was a sickening sound to Adrian, as he watched the thug drop to the ground, screaming in pain.

Madam Ghally took her cane in both hands, and thrust it hard into the man's leg. Adrian was surprised and horrified to see it punch through, and out the other side The gangman screamed again, a cry that ripped through the air and brought the distant cacophony of labour to a halt.