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Screaming at the sheer audacity, Brine immediately gave pursuit as her attacker disappeared up the tower. Her only source of joy at present had just been snatched out of her hands. She was fuming. This frantic, second ascent had her quickly re-evaluating the potential of the place. It was the worst, suddenly. Just a dizzying hodgepodge of stairs and beams, crumbling in horror at its own existence - which only made the chase that much more aggravating. She was gaining on him, anyway. And he was constantly looking over his shoulder - like he'd realized he'd just made a critical mistake. Back on the top floor, the thug leapt straight for the loft with Brine at his heels - who skittered up the ladder like a frenzied animal before finally cornering him. The girl stared daggers as she slowly walked across the tall, rickety platform, approaching her foe with malicious intent. Grinning even in the face of unbridled drunken fury, he deftly shuffled his feet to the very edge and raised the stolen drink high in the air - unaware that the rag in the bottle was being held up against a lit torch. Her liquor set ablaze, Brine snapped out of her trance-like state at the thug's panicked yelps - and only as the bottle inevitably slipped out of his hands did she remember what was in all those boxes down below. She took a breath. Outside, Tusk and his goons were surrounded. They'd been ambushed by a rival gang that had previously called dibs on the building. Everyone was shouting and holding each other at bladepoint - until suddenly they weren't, as the Great Heron's Tower erupted in a livid mass of starbursts and colorful flames. For a minute, the whole night sky lit up. Shrill whistles and thunderclaps pierced the sound barrier as the disgraced monument came down in a deafening instant. Chunks of debris, soaring amongst beautiful dragon motifs - followed by severed limbs scattering in the air. And then... silence. Standing in the smoke and rubble was King Tusk - unharmed. His trusted henchmen had acted with haste, forming an impenetrable shield to protect him from the blast. Naturally, they too were intact. Tusk stared at the remains of his would-be arms factory, utterly dumbfounded by what had just transpired - until they all suddenly saw movement in the pile. Her hair the color of soot, Brine stuck out her head with a tired groan as she emerged. How she'd survived the explosion was anyone's guess. Upon freeing herself with some effort, she immediately froze at the sight of her big, scary boss stumbling his way over. "You... Did you do this?" Tusk hovered over the girl, eyes fixed in a glare. She could only look up at him with a resigned pout, her tone flat. "Yes. Are you gonna eat me now?" "... You saved my life." "Whuh...?" Tusk was suddenly on his knees, gently dusting off Brine like a dirty little plushie. She was scared stiff. "Buh... B-But, the..." Brine only kept stammering. "The tower...? I-I blew up your..." "Who cares?!" Tusk snorted and planted both hands firmly on her shoulders. There was that glint again. "You just took down a competitor... I think I've got my weapon right here." With a wide, foreboding grin - tusks on full display - the man stood up and extended his meaty paw to the girl. The sun was coming up. "... How would you like a promotion?" Brine only stared back, unsure what she was signing up for. If she said yes, would she finally get to sleep in a bed? Maybe even take a bath? It's not like she'd been given a whole lot of choices lately. This wasn't a world that would take no for an answer. Distantly aware of this, Brine accepted her fate with a handshake. ... At least she wouldn't be needing those points anymore. <b> - CHAPTER 2 END - | |