I despise the city. Everything about it fills me with bile that I want to vomit on the nearest cityfolk just to show my disgust for them. Everything about the city makes it clear they are catering to the weaklings. Those 'autotrans' they use instead of walking. Purchasing food instead of gathering or hunting. The Tech that caterers to every whim and fancy of whoever uses it. Where is the strength? Where is the drive to become stronger? Even the laws of this place are dumb.  No fishing in the ponds. No fighting. It's like this city is designed to make weaklings out of everyone who's within its walls. What I wouldn't give to be back home in my swamps, among my tribe members, raiding other tribes to increase our share of land and influence.

I walked through a part of the city called a 'residential district'. Gone were the massive buildings that pierced the sky. Instead smaller buildings were strewn about, 'mansions' I have been told is their name. I see the residents of this place peek at me through the windows. I could feel the hatred and disgust a mile away. I was an unwanted savage in their eyes and they wanted me gone. Bah. let them try to remove me from here. I am a warrior of my tribe, I will fight them and put them in the hospital.

My trek didn't last long as I saw my destination. Of the buildings in the district, the one before me was smaller than the others I have seen here, completely covered by the walls that surrounded it. The only way to enter was through a gate built into the wall. Besides the gate was a keypad with numbers on it. I pressed the code for the gate, and a loud and obnoxious BEEEEEEEP let out. “The fuck?" I pressed the code again and got similar results. After the third time, the screen turned red and made a click sound, locking itself up. “GODDAM MACHINE!" I raised my hand to smash the damn thing and forced my way in.

“Tox wait!" a squeaky voice said, “do not destroy it again! I'll just buzz you in." 

The pad turned green and the gate opened very slowly. The other side of the wall was not very impressive. Just filled with strange plants that don't serve any purpose than looking pretty. Boss' mansion was smaller than the others, well hidden by the walls, visible if the person was in the air or in the walls.

The front door of the mansion opened and a small Werrit stepped out. She had a cold look on her face, “thank you for being on time, Tox." Rodie gave a small gesture, grabbing the edges of her dress and bending her knees slightly.

I placed a hand over my heart and bow, a sign of respect for people in this city. It was an odd thing to do, but the Werrit deserves respect and she will be given it. “I am here to ssssee the Bosssss. Where might I find him?"

“Mr. Taloon is in his home office. He has been waiting in there for the past hour. Now please follow me." Rodie let me through the house.

All through the house was trinkets and gadgets that made me uneasy. The Boss told me that everything is so expensive and if I broke anything, I would be stuck here for years paying it off. The thought of being in the city for that long made me more careful around this place.

Rodie stopped at a door and knocked, “Mr. Taloon, Tox has arrived."

A muffled voice said, “Enter."

I entered the room. The room looked pretty much like the manager's offices at the clubs, but with much more tech involved.  The Boss was a portly man, with hair that grew on his upper lip in a shade of brown that reminds me of mud. The cityfolk human was wearing a robe with stripes on it that were so bright it almost hurt my eyes looking at it. When he saw me, he gave me a smile that didn't show off his teeth this time. “Ah, Tox, my boy, you arrived."

“How many timessss must I remind you? You are not my father." I scoffed.

The Boss laughed, “it's a figure of speech, my boy. No need to fret over it. Anyway, come in, come in. Sit, sit. we have important things to discuss." the Boss waved his hand, urging me to the seat in front of his desk.

I sat on the stool he has for me, “issss that why you had me come here? What could be sssssso important that I had to come here?

“Well," the Boss said, “this is incredibly important, and it is better to have as few ears as possible listening in." the Boss coughed, a single I learned meant he was going to talk for a while, “I have just received an order asking for a bodyguard to fill in a position for a caravan leaving the city in a week's time."

I hiss, “issss that all? Ssssssurely that can't be why I had to come here."

“It is, but there is more then you think." Boss taped on his desk and an image popped up out of the air. The image was of a pale human with light color hair, dressed in a suit, obviously posing for whoever was taking the photo. “This man here is the one commissioning us, Lord Brandon Burke."

My eyes narrow, “another human term I don't underssssstand. What isssss a 'lord'?"

“Ah my mistake." the Boss paused for a second, “I think in your tribes' words, a 'lord' would be considered equal to a 'chief'."

“A Chief? I will be guarding a chief this time?"

The Boss smiled, “yes, yes. He is a very significant person in the city."

“But shouldn't he be able to protect himself if he is the city's chief? And he looks too young to be a chief."

The Boss' smiles fade, “wait wait, I think I lost you. Let me start over. A lord is like a chief, but he inherited his title from his family. He is influential in this city and even funded the caravan you will be guarding. Even members of the Aegis Segun are joining the caravan for protection. That is how important Lord Burke is."

I stared at Boss, still completely lost, “okay?"

Boss saw the look on my face and sighed, “Okay, so let me point this out. The Aegis Segun is one of the highest authorities in the land. They are made of select individuals dedicated to their cause and you cannot just hire them like how you are. They are personally getting involved with this caravan and protecting it."

“But if this Aegisssss Sssssegun is sssssssso powerful, why hire me?"

“Originally, the protection of the caravan was to be taken care of by both the Aegis Segun and some guardsmen. However, it seems some complications left him with a short few men and he wanted some outside sources to fill them in." the Boss grew into a wide grin, showing off those white teeth he had, “how lucky that he heard about me in his time of need."

I felt a bit cold looking at that thing he calls a smile. From my time around then, I learned that humans smiled to show friendliness and happiness. That thing on my Boss' face showed neither of those things, but a chilling feeling that could freeze me to my bones. 

The Boss stopped grinning, “now then, while I would be more than happy to fill up all the spots personally, it seemed like he only had an interest in hiring one bodyguard for the caravan. Seems he found other people to fill most of them but wanted at least someone with experience protecting caravans, which is where you come in."

“So you want me to guard the caravan? Why not Rager or Balssssussss?"

“Few reasons. One, in terms of surviving in the wilds, you have both of them beat. Get you into the wilderness and you can take care of yourself, something the two of them can't do. Second, Rager and Balsus are both with regular clients and wouldn't be available until after the caravan has left the city. Third, and probably the most important one, I know the second you heard I didn't talk to you about a job that would take you out of the city, you would either come running for my head or rampage somewhere and get the guardsmen involved somehow. Your record is spotty enough as is with all those incidents you caused when you first arrived. I can already imagine the headache it would be to make sure you get on the team, but it would be completely worth it to have Lord Burke as a regular client." The Boss does that grin again, but it somehow felt colder, “how lucky I am to have this happen to me. I should give a quick prayer to thank the gods for allowing such a lucky thing to happen to me." the Boss threw his head back laughing, almost as chilling as I see that smile of his. He turned to me, an unrecognizable look in his eyes, “Now, my boy, do you accept the job?"

My body froze. It felt like all the warmth was being drained out of me. I was slowly losing feeling in my body. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I was helpless. I was afraid. I have faced things that could easily kill hundreds of people in this city, yet this man's smile is what terrifies me. I will do anything. I will say anything. Just please STOP SMILING AT ME. “I…I accept."

The grin softens, “ah that's, my boy, ya doing me a grand favor this time. I will give you the finest meats on the market as a reward for ya when you return. Roe!"

The door opens and Rodie steps in, “yes, Master."

“Tox has accepted the job, please see him to the door. I have to get the paperwork in order."

Rodie gave a bow, “right away sir. Come here, Tox."

My body moved and I slowly regain my feeling of touch. Still, even when I left the office, my body still felt as though I swam during the winter months in the swamp. I felt like I would collapse at any moment unless I had some warmth of any kind right now.

When Rodie opened the front door, I bolted outside and basked in the warm sun, finally feeling like I could breathe again.

“Are you alright, Tox?" Rodie said, obviously concerned about me.

“I'm fine!" I shouted, before calming down, “sssssorry, I am fine Rodie. Just felt cold."

“I see," Rodie's face didn't change from that cold, blank look she always has, but it felt softer this time “I will be sure to make sure the heater is on when you return from the job."

“Yeah, pleassssse do." Open my vest up to let some sunlight on my chest and stomach. I needed to feel warm right now.

“If I may, Tox," Rodie said, “if you feel like you need a moment to get warm, you are free to sunbathe in the garden as long as you remember to put your clothes on before you leave."

“No no, I am fine. I have a trip to prepare for." I close my vest and head to the gate.

“Tox."

I turn back to the Werrit.

She gave a bow, “good luck on your mission, and be safe."

A returned the bow, “I will return." I leave the ground and head back into the city. Thinking about that moment of warmth the werrit gave to me from that cold mansion.