Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Mercifully, the door swung open to reveal an old man. His face strongly resembled a prune that had been left out in the sun for too long, and he leaned heavily on a wizened staff. A sunhat sat askew on his head and his clothes were too long, causing the sleeves to dangle and the pants to bunch underneath his feet.

“Gibson?” the old man asked. His voice was surprisingly hearty for the age he looked.

“I’ve brought a member for your team,” Gibson said, pushing Chance forward. “New arrival. He knows absolutely nothing.”

“Earth?”

“Earth,” Gibson confirmed.

“Are you really sure this is a good idea? I was under the impression you had made a deal with–”

“The terms changed. We weren’t expecting someone this inexperienced to join up. I trust you can deal with it. I’ll arrange for another member to join as well so you can have a full team. We’ve always got transfer requests coming in.”

“Very well,” the old man said, but Gibson hadn’t even waited around to hear his answer. He was already walking back down the street toward the training yards. Chance gave the man a weak smile.

“Ah, hello. It sounds like I’m inconveniencing you. I’m sorry.”

Chance resolved to keep the exact details of his arrival secret. Gibson’s reaction to it had felt significant, and he didn’t want to give anything else away – not until he knew more about the world he’d arrived in. He couldn’t afford to take any chances.

“Oh, no. Not at all. Not me,” the old man said with a kindly grin. “My name is Pete.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Chance. From Earth, as Gibson already said.”

“Well, let’s head inside,” Pete said, stepping back through the doorway into the house. Chance trailed him inside, looking around in wonder. The main room was spacious, with a large circular dining table in the center.

To the right was a neat kitchen, while an open doorway to their left led into a common room with soft couches and warm daylight spilling into it through a wide window. A stairwell at the back of the room wound upward to the second floor.

“I’ll start by showing you around,” Pete said. “You’ve already seen the kitchen and the dining room. To the left is the living room. The bathroom is in there.”

He started up the stairs. Chance moved to help him, but Pete bounded up them before he could even offer. He hurried after the older man, half worried he’d get outpaced by someone ten times his age.

“Up here are the living quarters,” Pete said once Chance reached the top, gesturing grandiosely down a hallway that ended in a square window that overlooked the street. There were two doors on each side of the hall. “The closest two rooms are taken, but you can take either the back left or back right one.”

Chance swallowed. It had been so long since he’d last had a room he could actually call his own. Pete spotted the look on his face and chuckled.

“I recognize those eyes. Don’t worry, nobody will take this from you. But, before you go picking out a room, come with me. There are a few things I should let you know early on.”

They headed back downstairs and into the living room. Pete sat down in a large, cushioned rocking chair and Chance took the couch across from him. The material covering it wasn’t something he’d ever felt. It felt like a cross between leather and some fuzzy caterpillar, but it was quite comfortable.

“I need to make sure you understand what you’re signing up for,” Pete said, setting his staff to the side and interlacing his fingers as he leaned back in the chair. “Shikari get paid well, but you have to defend the city as well. Do you know what that really means?”

“Something about defending Gleam from monsters,” Chance replied. “That seems kind of strange to think about, though.”

“It won’t feel real until you’re standing there and a bloodthirsty Soothound is staring you down, wanting nothing more than to rip your throat out and find out what your innards taste like,” Pete said, his smile fading. “I don’t know what you’ve been told, but this is not a safe job. Gleam is a beautiful city, and there are sacrifices made for all great things. We are that sacrifice.”

Chance’s hair stood on end as he recalled the monsters that had hounded him through the alleys. Pete caught the expression on his face and misread it.

“You are by no means guaranteed to die. If you are wise and careful, you’re quite likely to survive, and you’ll grow from it. When you get stronger, you’ll be able to travel between the great cities without fear. Normal citizens can’t do that. There are many benefits to this path, but there are also drawbacks.”

“Just like everything. That makes sense. But I can make a lot of money doing this, and I get to help people, right? Getting strong means I can protect myself as well. There aren’t many other choices.”

“There are other options, but if you need a large quantity of money, then there aren’t many.”

“Then this is what I’ll do,” Chance said firmly. “My parents might be somewhere in this world too. I want to find them.”

“A noble cause.” Pete heaved a sigh, but he gave Chance a slight grin. “I didn’t expect to convince you not to take this path up. I just want to make sure you understand that you are putting yourself at risk. There are other, safer ways to live in Gleam.”

“Not interested,” Chance said. “There’s no point to life if I don’t live it the way I want to, and this is what I want.”

“Well said. In that case, allow me to be the first to welcome you to team Whiteheart. I’m the resident instructor for this house, and I will do everything I can to ensure you’re properly equipped for a job like this. You’ll be staying with us until you reach the Knight rank, which is three above what you currently are now. We’ll get around to that later.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Chance said, extending his hand. Pete gripped it with surprising strength.

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“Likewise,” Pete replied. “I’m sorry your first experience with us was with Gibson. The good captain has gone through some dark times. Try to be understanding. It comes with the line of duty, and any of us could find ourselves in his position.”

“Did something happen with his team?” Chance asked. “When I asked about mine, he got really angry. Maybe something to do with someone from Earth?”

Pete’s eyebrows crept upward and he leaned forward. “You’re perceptive. Yes. This isn’t my story to share, so I will not spread it, but Gibson has old grudges caused by a man that came from Earth. I would not recommend pressing. If he wants you to know, he will tell you.”

“I understand.”

“Good,” Pete said, relaxing. “Don’t worry about that for now. Now that I’ve warned you about the danger involved with being a Shikari, I can tell you about all the benefits it provides. Like I mentioned, this is a very lucrative career, and you’ll form a lifelong bond with your team. Everyone does – go through enough life and death situations with them and you won’t have a choice.”

“That’s… not all that reassuring,” Chance said with a short laugh. “But I get what you’re saying. I’ve always wanted to have a close friend like that.”

 “Right. Yes. I’m sure you will.” He didn’t sound very confident. Before Chance could ask what Pete was getting at, the old man pressed on. “You’ll receive a stipend of one gold a week. You can use it how you see fit, but I recommend getting gear before anything else. In addition–”

There was a loud bang from above them. Pete stopped midsentence as footfalls descended the stairs. Chance twisted, his eyes going wide as a young woman walked down from the second floor.

She was around Chance’s age, with sunkissed, almost golden skin and long, curly hair that bounced around her head with every step. She raised a hand in greeting as she spotted Pete, then froze as her eyes landed on Chance.

“Ah, Bella. You’ve got good timing,” Pete said. “This is Chance.”

“No,” Bella said flatly.

“I haven’t even finished.”

“I thought we had this all laid out,” Bella snapped, stalking down the stairs and striding up to the old man. “Pete, I told you the only way I was doing this would be if it was on my own. No team. That was the deal. We agreed!”

“I know,” Pete said apologetically. “Gibson changed it.”

“I don’t give a damn what Gibson wants!” Bella said, her voice raising. “Have I been underperforming? I’ve hit the quotas without a problem! What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing, but Chance needed a team and Gibson decided this was the proper one for him. He’s from Earth and has no experience with any of this.”

Bella’s eyes narrowed in anger, and it struck Chance that Pete had chosen the absolute wrong thing to say. “He’s completely new? Are you both insane?”

“It was Gibson’s decision. All we can do is follow it. I’m sorry,” Pete said. “But I’ve been talking with Chance, and he’s a good kid. I’m sure we’ll have him up to speed–”

“Absolutely not,” Bella hissed, thrusting a finger into Pete’s chest. “Don’t even think about it. Agh! I had one forsaken request. One! How was that so hard to do? Fix this! Move the Earthling to a different house.”

“I can’t do that. Gibson makes the rules, and you know how he is about these things. The only reason you were able to work on your own this long is because he agreed to it in the first place.”

Bella gritted her teeth. She turned her gaze on Chance, her eyes cold. Chance cleared his throat, but she didn’t even give him a chance to say anything. She just turned around and strode off, stomping back up the stairs. Both Chance and Pete winced as they heard a door slam shut.

“Well, that went well,” Pete said.

“I get the feeling I’m not welcome,” Chance muttered, staring at the stairwell.

“I’m sorry.” Pete rubbed his forehead and let out a weary sigh, looking his age for the first time since Chance had met him. “Bella – well, she’s a fine lass. She’s not truly that bad, but she was very insistent on working alone. I’m afraid your arrival has upset the status quo. Don’t apologize for that, though. It isn’t your fault, and she’ll eventually come around.”

“I’m not so sure about that. I’ve seen angry before. That looked like she hated me.”

“Not you. More like the idea of you.”

“Thanks,” Chance said dryly.

Pete laughed. “Anytime. Well, there will be another member arriving shortly if Gibson sent you here, so don’t worry. Once you’ve all been on a few jobs, things will smooth out. Until then, please feel free to use anything in this house. All the ingredients in the kitchen are for you to use, and I’ll pay to restock them. If you ever need anything, just let me know and I’ll add it into our budget.”

“Thank you,” Chance said, pushing his meeting with Bella into the back of his mind. She wasn’t going to ruin this for him. He had a house! And a room!

“Off with you, then,” Pete said. “I’m sure you want to go claim a room. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but hold off on them for a little. Time will help you get used to Centurion, and then you’ll be able to think more rationally.”

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