"What?! No way, man!"
Jack Willison, former knight, 'secret' snow mage, had been recently 'condemned' to picking up the streets in Reajh. A small out break in the North of the city had a fortifying wall decimated by some illegal black powder use and the Grand Duke wanted to see it repaired within the week (or day, if even possible!). Considering it was either that or jail time, Jack elected (albeit it a bit reluctantly) to help rebuild the wall in question.
"Fine, alright, alright," he groaned. "But can I at least get a sandwich out of this?"
And his sentencers only glared at the man in response.
Hours later...
"Ah, the North wall," Jack narrated out loud. "Full of promise, rubble, and a whole lot of sticky mortar." He wiggled his fingers which were covered in it and wiped off the excess on some nearby spare stones. The men who had been working along side Jack Willison were soon realizing it was best to ignore the narrating fool and focus on their work- because Jack Willison had too much to say, and Jack Willison really needed to learn to keep his damn mouth shut.
The crew had now taken off for lunch, leaving the former knight ontop of the scaffolding lining the southern face. His legs dangled over boredly as he munched on a sandwich and stared up at the sky.
Mustard and olives on Rye bread was for lunch- dry, crusty rye bread infact, that had started to grow some mold on it. He just brushed it off with one calloused hand and ate it anyways, his cheeks puffing as he chewed and while he did so, he noticed a few of the visors who pushed for his firing at his formerly knightly position. So he wasn't cut out to be a knight, nor never wanted to be one- but the job had a lot of perks and good pay- and now, being fired, and seeing one (well, TWO, in this case) of the people responsible, he leaned over the wall and gave a dark chuckle.
"Look at those pig-faced richy boys," he huffed, holding onto one side of the edge as he leaned over. He shook his head. "They've got more fat in their belly than I'll eat in a whole life time- and the grease even slicking back their hair." The former knight snorted. "I wonder where they are going-" And as if on cue, the visor's voices carried his way as his smile stretched across his lips like that of the grinch who stole christmas. "Think you're going to finish filing that report on me do ya?" He held up a hand and, not even bothering to really see who was looking, then let a series of snow flakes fly from his finger tips.
"Take this as payment from the snowman."And with a flick of is wrist, he froze a puddle of water ont he street as his powers licked over it in a rush of freezing cold wind, and he watched with a crooked grin as the group of men slipped over it, landing painfully on their backs while Jack laughed and nearly choked on his sandwich
"Oh, god that was too good," Jack said, laying on his back again as his eyes filled with tears from laughter. He brushed them away with a single finger and took a bite of his sandwich, mustard and a few loose olives gooping down his chin.
"Oh, sandwich, sooo good." It was (at least to him) a victory sensation as he moaned over the taste of it. So sandwich. So good.
Being in the anti-magic capitol of the world, the place where the atmosphere was the most against anyone of any magic standing, was enough to make any mage nervous - at least any mage with even a smidgeon of sense. In the three years since she had joined the resistant effort, Sadie spent very little time in this particular city. Many of the known mages in this place were beyond help, and the majority of mages knew to just stay far away.
So what possible reason could a resistance fighter and mage have for being in Reajh? Well there had been that minor outbreak of violence. Part of a wall had been destroyed. What had they called it? Oh yes, illegal black powder use. Well, there had been black powder involved, and yes it had been used 'illegally', but okay, no, it was illegal black powder use. Being a thorn in the Grand Duke's side was intensely satisfying work. Of course there were already people working to repair the damage the wall had sustained.
Fools, the lot of them and the Grand Duke was the biggest one of them all. A group of mages with the proper abilities could have fixed that wall in no time at all. Could none of them see the benefit mages could provide to everyone? If they could just live and work alongside each other, and with magic, Connlaoth would be magnificent beyond this Calent's wildest imaginings. Well, they would learn that magic could tear down that damn wall in minutes - with properly motivated mages, of course. The Grand Duke and his lackeys were all the motivation needed.
It was surprisingly easy to get on top of the wall. A bucket of water on each end of her staff, slung over her shoulder, with a drinking scoop in each bucket and Sadie was simply another worker, a woman to bring water to the men laboring away to repair the wall. Being on top the wall was a good place to have a pair of eyes and ears. She could see all kinds of interesting things. When the men took a break for lunch, she found herself staring down at the people moving in the street below. Grudgingly she had to admit that repairs were progressing admirably.
Most of the workers had gone, but there was one sitting on top the wall with his legs dangling over the side as he ate his lunch alone. This wasn't particularly interesting, or unusual, and she was about to dismiss the worker out of hand, until she realized he was talking to himself, and then her eyes narrowed as he did something completely and utterly stupid. As snowflakes appeared at his fingers, there was no doubt in her mind that he had just used magic. Looking down over the wall she saw just what he had accomplished.
Of all the idiotic, childish things to do, and in the middle of Reajh in summer. They would know that the ice could only be formed by a mage, and here he was laughing like a fool. Maybe he wanted to get caught. She sure didn't. Walking over, as calmly as you please, she let one bucket slide off the end of her staff and drop right on him. Her only regret was that it was only half-full.
"You're the dumbest mage I have ever seen."
One second he had been basking in the sun and deliciousness of his sandwich- the next? Both he and said sandwich were as soggy as the sea. Sputtering, he floundered about like a fish out of water and wiped the water from his face, not realizing his sandwich had taken the plunge off the side of the wall until it was too late and he groped for it but got nothing but air.
Pausing, he kept his eyes averted of the other woman's as he just laughed.
"Oh the irony to loose one's lunch." Sighing, he shook his head and smoothed a hand over the water on his face before peering up at the girl as water continued to dribble off the hair on his chin.
"Dumbest mage?" he laughed and realized- oh shit, he had been caught- but had she been like any other mage hater- she would be screaming by now- not dousing water over his form. his eyes then went to the other bucket she held and he knocked on it with his knuckles.
"Ain't that the water for the workers?" He shook his head. "You know the head of operations is going to be pretty mad that you just wasted supplies."A nd eh gave a tsk and shake of his head, finding himself now seated more properly on the broken wall.
And he looked the girl over.
"What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at home? I didn't think they sent ten year olds to work with men. There are a lot more qualified woman, or other men, I'm sure. Jobs are hard to come by you know. Now come on, get otu of here. Scram, kid. You already made me lose my sandwich. Don't make me get really mad now by trying something funny again or-"
Yeah, that's right. He was trying to lecture her. But seriously, he missed his sandwich.
The reaction was priceless. Definitely worth it. Perhaps Sadie was acting a tiny bit childish herself with that, but honestly, he had been so stupid! What mage with any sense would use their magic in the middle of Reajh in a place where anyone could have caught them? The answer was obvious, of course, this moron had no sense. Served him right that his sandwich was lost over the wall. Maybe being hungry for a few more hours would teach him a lesson in caution.
A flicker of annoyance crossed her face as he laughed, but it seemed to suddenly dawn on him just what she had said. He tapped the remaining bucket with his knuckles and she pulled her staff away, jerking the bucket out of his reach. Was he not taking any of these seriously?
Sadie was taken aback when he began admonishing her for wasting supplies. She had just called him out on being a mage and that was what he decided to say? All the petite woman had to do was yell and he would be condemned. Not that she would ever do such a thing, but he didn't know that.
Then he said the dumbest thing of all. Ten? TEN?! Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she peered down at him with contempt. There wasn't an actual thought process that happened just then. Without even thinking about it she had the end of her staff still with a bucket swinging at his thick skull.
"I. Am. Not. A. CHILD!"
CRACK!
Oh, that was painful, and the dizzy sea of stars he was seeing twirling around before his eyes soon afterwards left him groaning as he clutched his head in pain. Baring his teeth, he turned his gaze towards her and barked out, "Well you could of fooled me!" And then as he continued to clutch onto his throbbing head, he grimaced and added, "And what the hell did you just hit me!?"
Really! DId he have to tell her parents on her? Maybe she needed a good whipping! Kids these days!
Hitting the idiot felt pretty good. It was childish, and unladylike, but boy was it fun. Sadie smirked at Jack as he held his throbbing head and snapped at her. Well wasn't he a delightful person. Really, a big, tough man that couldn't handle what he thought was a little girl. He sure as hell wouldn't be able to handle a grown woman.
She smiled sweetly as she answered his question of whether or not she had hit him. "I don't know, was it something like this?" Her staff swung at him again, now free of the burdens of water buckets.
CRACK!
Jack gave a yelp of pain as the stick whacked across his nose, and doubling over, he cupped his hands over it as his eyes closed tightly, his voice practically sobbing.
"Oh God, my nose! It's bleeding!"
and he groaned when he realized- this was the second time this week he thought it might be broken!
Sadie winced even as she heard the sound of the crack as her staff hit his face. Sure, she'd been angry with him, but perhaps she was allowing her temper to get the best of her, just a little bit. Hearing the sob in his voice as he exclaimed about his nose bleeding she actually frowned. Honestly, she hadn't meant to make him bleed, let alone break his nose.
Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket she knelt beside him and pushed his hands out of the way - gently - to cover his nose with the cloth instead, catching the red droplets on the white linen. "Serves you right for being so dumb. And here you were calling me the little girl."
Jack blinked, and tried to bat back as many tears as he could, but his vision was still blurry as he looked over at the girl.
"But that's what you are!" he grumbled, the clothe to his nose muffling his voice- and at her touch, he winced.
"And be careful with that nose! This is probably the second time this week it got broke!"
Sadie snickered softly as she kept the cloth right where it was, though she did try to be gentle. "I'm older than you are, I'd bet a copper on it, and I'd bet another that you deserved it both times. You should be thanking me really. I stopped you before you did anything else really stupid. I bet they're looking for the mage that caused that ice right now."
Glancing seafoam eyes over the wall and down below there was a bustle of activity and people arguing about what Jack had done. Thankfully they weren't looking up...yet.
"Pfft," Jack waved it off as if it were no big deal. "No one was paying attention and besides, they'd only have the mordecai to blame for not snuffing out all the magics in the city. See?" And he pointed towards a series of guards and one knight of the white lily that appeared on the scene and was getting a mouthful from the people gathering and from their superior. Jack smirked at that and gave a laugh.
"That was probably worth me losing my lunch." And turnign to her, he yanked the clothe away and pressed it to his own nose. Really, he didn't need a little girl tending to him. He made a face at her comment about his age.
"Ha! I'd take that bet. Clearly you are a bad judge at people's age. I'm nearly thirty, kid. Now scram. I've got some work to do." Not that he was planning on working any more that day.
Sadie did look, and there did seem to be some admonishment going on for the mordecai that was down there, but she still didn't trust that they weren't in danger of discovery. Although really it wasn't her that was in danger. At least she didn't think. After all, she hadn't been the idiot that had used magic. That was all on the moron beside her.
When he yanked the cloth away, she let him. It wasn't as if she enjoyed looking after imbeciles. Though she smirked at him when he told her he was nearly thirty and to scram He really did think she was a child, didn't he? The man was clearly even dumber than she had originally thought.
"I am thirty, Sir nearly thirty. I believe you owe me a copper."
Jack's eyes went wide for a brief moment as he took her in, then let out a bark of a laugh as he reclined back, keeping the clothe to his nose.
"Sure, and I'm the Grand Duke of Connlaoth! Where are your parents anyway? I bet they're worried about you with all of this commotion going on, so why don't you take that little stick of yours and find yourself another worker to harass. This one is still on his lunch break."
Though he paused a moment to realize-
right, and he frowned.
He lost his sandwich, which made him peer over the edg eof the wall to inspect it's final destination-
perhaps it was still ok to eat...
But as a horse and carriage passed by, he winced as he watched the delicacy being squashed beneath.
"I guess there goes any chance of rescuing that lunch."
Oh that was it. The fiery haired and fiery tempered alchemist had endured quiet enough of this fool's laughter and taunts. Was it so hard to believe she was a grown woman? And he thought she was horrible at telling people's ages! She did not look like a child.
Huffing softly she turned away, letting her staff rest on one of her shoulders. "Serves you right to lose it. Wasn't much of a lunch anyway. You'd do well to watch yourself in the future. Next time you might not be so lucky. I could have been a mage-hater."
Sadie walked away, rather disgusted with the man. The entire thing had been a waste of time. She hoped he did get caught. That would teach him a lesson. Might even get through that dense skull of his to have the Grand Duke's lackeys give him some of their tender affections.
As Sadie left, he waved her off.
"Good riddance!" But as he was left alone, he found himself once again, stretched out on his back and staring up at the sky with a frown. He really missed his sandwich, and a grumble from his stomach reminded him of that. Peering back over the side of the wall, he was startled to find someone glancing up his way and pointing accusing fingers in his direction.
"Oh, shit!"
So hurriedly, he threw herself away from the side of the wall, but as luck would have it, his hand slipped and he began to fall...
Though thankfully he fell the other way, and away from the forming crowd as he let out a cry of alarm and went down, down, down down....
- landing right on top of Sadie with a painful groan. ANd her remaining bucket of water spilled EVERYWHERE.
With all the commotion it was probably best to simply clear off from the wall. Sadie had already put the idiot out of her mind. He wasn't worth the thought process. They were repairing the wall more quickly than she'd have imagined. Drats. Next time she would just have to do more damage, wouldn't she? Well, at least that would be a nice distraction for her mind and hands. Building more charges to use against the wall, or perhaps a few buildings...Wrecking havoc was the ultimate goal at the moment.
All thoughts were broken as something slammed into her hard, sending her crashing to the ground hard. Pain blossomed in her entire body it felt like she'd been crushed by something. Had part of the wall broken off and hit her? She hadn't heard a cracking sound that would have indicated...Sadie realized there was something still on top of her, and it sure as heck wasn't made of stone - although it was certainly as dumb as one.
"Get off me you moronic fool!" The words were more gasp than anything, oh god, it hurt.
Jack simply groaned a second time in response, but didn't bother to get up.
"I think everything is broken."
He'd landed on her and he wanted to groan about being broken? Sadie was the one that had broken his fall and was still crushed beneath him. "Get off me before I hit you again!" Jack was big, and freaking heavy, so squirmed and flailed, trying to either get him off her back or to wiggle out from under him.
Jack groaned and whined like a kid.
"I don't think I can. Just five more minutes, or an hour.. I think I feel faint."
Sadie groaned and smacked her head down lightly against the surface beneath her. What had made him fall? Probably tripped over his own stupid feet. "I feel...crushed." She did hurt, all over. How many bones were broken? Any? None? She honestly had no idea, but she gave up trying to get away, because she was small and he was heavy and it just wasn't happening.
"That's because I crushed you when I fell," he said, and groaned painfully before rolling off of her.
"Man.. I think you might have been a harder landing than the brick,"he said, wincing as he rubbed at the back of his head.
"What are you made out of, iron or something? I didn't think a woman so small could also be equally so bony."
As he rolled off, Sadie sucked in a large, gasping breath, now able to actually expand her chest properly. Oh this guy was dead meat. It took a great deal of effort for her to climb as far as her hands and knees.
"Oh shut up." Another wheezy gasp. "You wouldn't know hard if someone hit you in the face with a brick."
"Wait, woah, woah, woah- you can't use that phrase after a man's just fallen from a wall," he told her, sitting up and looking a bit perturbed. "Besides, I think we ought to both get running- seems some guards our heading our way."
And with a painful grunt, Jack got to his feet and began to hastily limp away.
Guards?
Sadie glared after Jack in confusion. What about guards? Aw fuck, he was a mage and had just used magic in Reajh of all places. What an idiot! Guards take him, it wasn't her problem. She hadn't been the dumb one. Cursing under her breath she used her staff for a support and hobbled after him painfully.
"Wait for me, you jerk. This is all your fault."
"My fault?"
In a petty attempt to one up her, he nonchalantly froze the spilled water in her path, but was pretending to rub at his nose- even though he was wriggling his fingers to cast the spell, and was clearing his throat in attempts to make himself seem less obvious-
but a few sparkles emitted from his finger tips, and the second Sadie stepped onto a small puddle, it iced just underneath her feet.
"I'll show her what's actually my fault," he grumbled through a short cackle as he hobbled away faster than before.
Sadie felt the traction disappear under her feet as water turned to ice, and with a curse she fell hard, teeth clicking together painfully as her chin hit stone. No he just didn't use magic again, and this time on her.
Getting up carefully, the alchemist bypassed further ice and dashed after Jack, this time her pain forgotten, sea green eyes burning with a lust for revenge. Hate was a remarkable painkiller, she should remember that for future reference.
"You are going to pay for that, you hairless primate." Energy arched through her and a stone jutted out at face-height in front of Jack. He wanted to whine about a broken nose, she'd show him a broken nose.
The stone struck out- hitting him square in the nose as the man let out a wail of a scream and went down- doubled over, and clutched on, teary eyed, to his bleeding nose.
"Oh Ansgar's nose hairs, I think you broke my nose!"
Sadie smirked at Jack went down. Was she sadistic to be taking pleasure in someone else's pain, even if said person was an annoying fool? Oh well, she laughed anyway. "What's that, three breaks in a week, two from me?" He had mentioned breaking his nose before she'd hit him with her staff. "Serves you right for making me fall on ice you dick."
Petty is as petty does, and as Jack was scrambling to get back to his feet, limping over and wincing as he cluthced a hand over his nose- he wriggled his fingers and incased one of her boots in ice.
"See how you like running with that!" he said, hobbling along right after her.
One of her boots became coated in ice, nearly causing her to slip again, but archs of energy swirled and the ice dissolved to water. Glaring back at Jack, Sadie skidded to a stop, rounding on him with green eyes burning. "I don't like you, and you don't like me, but let's call a truce until we get away from them." She pointed at a few guards that rounded a corner, obviously hunting for the rogue mage or mages that had been making ice.
"Ha! You're only right about one thing!" Jack tried to say, puffing out his chest proudly that he got the last laugh. "That... er, we should run like hell from the guards-"
He barely had a chance to gather his thoughts when he continued to run- one look at the guards and their sharp and readied weapons but lit a little fire beneath his heel as he ran like hell, but the moment they rounded the bend, Jack let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Oh for the love of Ansgar's beard, of course it's a dead end!"
Sadie had been hot on Jack's heels as they ran, when they rounded the corner and he exclaimed that it was a dead in she ran right on around him. "Dead end for you maybe."
Skidding to a stop in front of the brick wall that blocked their path, she swung her staff up and struck the stone. Sparks flew from the contact, then archs of pulsating energy, looking like little dancing lightning beams, flowed across the surface, and in seconds an arched doorway had been formed. Sadie ducked through and urged Jack to hurry. As soon as he was through she would reseal the wall - couldn't have the guards following them through it.
"Wait- what?"
Jack didn't like where this was going- but the moment some gaping mouth door just formed inside the wall before them- Jack stumbled to a halt and bristled like a cornered cat.
"ANSGAR FUCKING CHRIST- what the-" his eyes were so wide as he scrambled to keep his distance from the thing. "What the hell- what.. I... Ansgar's name- What are you and what did you do to the wall, woman?"
Sadie rolled her eyes, what the hell kind of question was that? What did he think she was? As if he had room to talk, he was the one summoning ice out of thin air! With a snarl she stepped forward and grabbed him by the shirt, jerking him through the door whether he liked it or not, then pressed her palm to the stone, sealing it back up.
The guards rounded the corner just moments after she finished, and would be left to scratch their heads as they'd have seemed to have simply disappeared into thin air. "You're an idiot." She hissed softly. "You're a mage and you're going to freak out over what I can do? How about your ice, frosty? Hypocrite, but let's get out of here before more guards show up."
"Hey- woah woah woah, easy on the mage talk. At least my magic is normal. I'm not the one making weird doors out of thin air," Jack remarked, jogging off behind her.
"Don't be ridiculous, I don't make anything out of thin air. I rearranged the base materials and then I put them back." Sadie's tone seemed to imply that this was the most obvious thing in the world and that him implying that she had made anything out of thin air was the most preposterous thing she'd ever heard.
"Yeah, rearranged?" Jack scoffed. "Is that what kids are calling it these days?" He shook his head but kept on running. "Frankly, I don't give a damn what you call it- magic's magic and you might, you know.." He said, looking her over as he gave a lick to his dry lips. "Be careful with that stuff before you hurt someone."
Was...was he serious? Sadie honestly wasn't sure. Could someone be so stupid? That question almost immediately answered itself. Of course he was that stupid, she'd been witnessing the almost impressive level of stupidity he was capable of displaying. "Look who's talking! Besides, it isn't magic, it is science! Alchemy. And I'm well aware of what I can do to someone, so shut up before I rearrange you." An empty thread. Human alchemy was dangerous and imprecise.
Jack snorted.
"Science, magic- same thing," he muttered, but at the threat, the man actually grew quiet. Use it on him? His stomach turned sour and cold as he held onto it while the two were making their get away.
"I'd rather not find my face on my ass, thank you very much. Just keep up the running. We're almost out of the clear."
Or so he thought as the pair rounded the bend only to find a pair of guards on lunch break, hanging out doing some leisure talk at the end of the street. He cursed, but then eyed their sandwich- his stomach growling. He idly wondered what sort of sandwich it was. And did it have any olives? Bu then recalling the young girl's temper, he came to a halt.
"Got any bright ideas that don't involve rearranging things?" he asked her in a harsh, hushed whisper.
The thought of putting his face on his ass made her snort at the absurdity, but then snicker at the idea. Impossible, but that would be something to see. "I don't know if I'd be able to tell the difference either way." She smirked quietly.
Sadie was as quick to come to a halt as Jack was as she spotted the guards eating down the street, her blue-green eyes cut to him as he asked her for ideas. "Does using you as bait count?" She asked, only half kidding, but her voice was as quiet as his. "Here's an idea: Let's stop running as if we're in trouble and walk right by? It's not like they know anything."
"Just walk by?" Jack's voice perhaps came a bit too loudly and it was enough to draw one of the guard's attention their way. He grit his teeth. "Yeah- just walk on by while one is looking at us.." he grumbled, eyes shifting around as he tried contemplating an alternative means to escape.
"Could you be any more of a screw-up coward? Just play along, you idiot." Sadie hissed as the guard looked their way. Raising her voice she began ranting at Jack - very convincingly in a shrill voice. "I don't care who's watching! Let the guards see! You good for nothing, lying bastard! Cheating son of a bitch! Just wait until mother hears about this, see what you get. I hope she chases you out of the house with a broom!"
With that she gave him a whack with her staff, not nearly as hard as before, but still enough for him to be feeling it as she tried to herd him down the street. "I'm throwing every thing you own out of my house. Maybe we'll build a bonfire!"
"What?"
Whack! That's when she hit her with her staff, and the pain behind it (though not as badly as before) bubbled up his quick fused temper as he bristled and growled back at her.
"What are you going on about woman!? Are you crazy!?" Though maybe, heck, she was!
God this man was dumber than a wheelbarrow of bricks. Oh well, Sadie would just have to work with what she had.
"Behind every crazy woman is an idiot man!" She snapped at him, still herding him with solid hits of her staff to where she wanted him to go. If the guards bought it they could be well past them and slipping into low traffic roadways and eventually out of Reajh, if they wanted. She just had to keep up the act a few more minutes, and keep him from saying anything overly stupid. They were doomed, she thought bitterly. "Just shut up, you moronic lug before you dig your own grave with your lying tongue. You're already in enough trouble."
"Hey!"
Whack!
"That stick hurts!
Whack! Whack!
"Stop hitting me with it before I-"
Whack!
"That settles it!"
Whack!
And he whirled around, finally catching onto her weapon just as they were barely out of ear and eye shot of the guards.
"Cut it out before I use this stick back on you!" And his anger was enough to flare up and coat a piece of it in ice.
Even if it was just for show, Sadie was having fun hitting and berating him. Too bad the fun part was over all too soon. He caught her staff and sea green eyes blazed angrily as he frosted part of the wood.
"It worked, didn't it?" They had managed to get far enough past the guards that it was unlikely they were going to try to stop them unless something very unfortunate happened. Since it was doubtful that the guards could even hear them now, the alchemist was rather pleased with herself.
"Besides, what kind of man threatens to hit a woman?" She asked with a haughty sniff as she jerked her weapon back out of his hands and tried to step around him.
"Worked? I'm not sure I'm clear on how well this worked. I think you've given me enough lumps on my head to make it it's own mountain range," the mage grumbled, rubbing at his sore noggin before making a face her way at her last retort. "I don't know if I'd count you as a woman, so much as a kid who needs a good- OH GOD, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?"
"We got past the guards, so it worked." Sadie said matter-of-factly. The goal was accomplished, whether he liked the means to reach said goal was another matter entirely and not at all her concern.
She opened her mouth to interrupt him, this calling her a kid nonsense was gonna stop, but then he freaked out and she clicked her teeth shut to look at what he was looking at and her mouth fell open again as she stared. "How the hell should I know? It didn't look good, though."
There was a trail of blood on the cobblestone, and upon realizing this, it sent a chill through his veins. His expression, never once having been serious before, now took a different turn as they followed the trail. But the trail ended in the darker end of the alley, which was blocked by the tall city houses on this side of town.
And just as quickly as the seriousness set in, Jack went right back to his normal persona.
"Well, this sure as hell ain't do trail of bread crumbs. I think I'll follow it away from the source." He didn't need to see what had made that blood after all, even if he was at least slightly curious.