Dungeon Runner
The Tiger Writes
sciencefiction
sciencefiction
31K5
Tibs survived by picking pockets; until he's caught.
Instead of losing a hand, he's sent away and told he must now survive a dungeon.
How is a kid who knew nothing more than his ...Bottom Rung, Chapter 50
Tibs saw someone else with the leather case while searching for the metal essence user who could have made the balcony fall. No guards had been called to that; and as best as Tibs could find out, only the builder got in trouble for shoddy work. Tibs thought about letting the owner know what had happened, but without knowing who had done it, he had a feeling they'd lash out at every Runner in town. They were nobles, after all.
This person with the case went into the Long in the Tooth tavern, and Tibs continued on his way to the archery field. He'd checked out the metal sorcerers, and while they were both thin enough, they didn't move stealthily at all. It might still be one of them, the girl was softer on her feet, so she could be playing up the clumsiness, Tibs would first eliminate anyone he was sure wasn't the right person before looking into the maybes. If he was lucky the right one would give themselves aways and he could find out why they'd tried to kill him.
He could go to Harry. No matter how little the fighter liked Tibs, he would take the accusation seriously, and with his ability to know the truth, it would be easy for him to find the right person. Tibs thought it would be the right thing to do for the town.
But Tibs was Street, and on his street, he didn't pass his problems on to someone else. If he had to, he'd bring in his friends, but not a stranger, and definitely not a guard.
The archer was with the other Upsilon archers, practicing. Mex was there too, pulling on the string of his bow without an arrow notched. The look of concentration told Tibs he was trying to get the flame arrow to form.
In contrast, the metal archer was relaxed and had an arrow notched. He pulled on the string and something happened to the arrowhead. Tibs was too far to feel the essence, but it shimmered as if someone had polished it. He let go, and instead of embedding itself in the target, it flew through it, leaving one feather to drift down from the hole it had left behind.
Mez snapped at the girl next to him and immediately looked regretful. She smiled at him and they exchanged a few words. She also didn't have an arrow, only when she pulled on her string, an arrow of fire shimmered into place. She said a few things and Mez—
"Can I help you?" an old archer asked Tibs. "If you wanted to be an archer, you should have come on the first day, with the new Omegas."
Tibs looked around the teacher, where a handful of men and women were shooting and mostly missing the targets. "There aren't a lot of archers this time, is that normal?"
"Those of noble birth have their own way of training. These are the less fortunate, but who could still amass the money needed to come." He looked over his shoulder. "Normally, I'd say my trainees will outshine any of the nobles, but this crop is rather undistinguished, except where enthusiasm is concerned."
"They haven't been in the dungeon yet," Tibs stated. He doubted those who survived would show this level of energy.
"Indeed. You sound like you have been."
"I'm Upsilon," Tibs replied, which caused the teacher to look him over again.
"Then I have to ask what a Rogue is doing among archers."
"Mez is on my team," Tibs answered. "He's having trouble, and I thought I'd come to encourage him. Rogues have more free time." He smiled at the archer.
"Which you could make better use of." The teacher turned. "If anyone complains, or anything goes missing, I will be sending the guards after you." He rejoined the Omegas.
Tibs looked at the metal archer again as he let another arrow fly. This one made a large hole through the target, leaving half the shaft protruding. If he wanted Tibs dead, it would be simpler for him to shoot him with one of those.