Erix | After the bookshop and Cora dragging on about her make-believe world, they finally got to Cora’s actual home. It was dark and old with stone steps and gargoyles on the rafters. “Homey.” Erix thought. When he looked back down on the ground, there standing outside the door was a large woman with messy brown hair tied up in a bun so tight it probably was cutting off circulation to her head. She had her chubby hands on her waist and a scowl to match. “How dare you take so long to bring home my cake. And what? All because you met a boy? Not only will you clean the bathroom with your toothbrush, but you also will sleep in the basement with the rats.” The lady shouted. Cora slowly walked towards her and the door and muttered, “ Yes ma'am.” Erix couldn’t believe it. The stubborn girl he had talked to 10 minutes ago was wilting like a flower to an old hag. “It was my fault.” Erix spoke up. Both the woman and Cora turned towards him in disbelief. He didn’t know why he had spoken against this woman, but he knew that if Cora didn’t someone had too. “I held her back. I took her to this bookshop a couple blocks down.” The woman looked at him in shock and disgust. Then she stomped her way over to him. “Saving your girlfriend are you? Cora, 3 weeks in the basement. And you, you go back to whatever alley that you crawled from.” Erix’s face went red and wanted to shout back at her but saw Cora’s face behind the woman. She was mouthing him to stop and walk away. No. He wasn’t going to let her win. “How about I put lead through your heart? I suggest you step away before I shoot.” Erix dropped the bag and reached into his pocket and heard the cake splatter against his shoes. The woman backed away with a stumble. “ You- you wouldn’t dare.” She said as her face went pale white. “Oh yeah? Try it.” The woman backed away into her house screaming for what Erix assumed was her husband. Cora stood in the doorway looking at him. Her eyes, blue and wet from tears, looked back at him with gratitude. “Get your stuff. By the time she realizes that I don’t actually have a gun in my pocket she’ll have your head on a spike.” Cora was matching his footsteps. Left, right, left, right. They were bounding down the streets, bags in hand, pushing people away. To be honest, this wasn’t how Erix expected his day to go but it was much better than baking cakes and smiling and old ladies picking up cookies. The wind rushing past them, people screaming in the distance from the sheer madness that is Ketterdam, and the taste of smoke in his mouth. Quite a beautiful day in comparison. Cora was wheezing from running so far so Erix pulled her into a small alleyway, hidden from view. The alley was so small they were so close he could feel her breath against his. He’s been up against a wall with someone before this time was weird. It felt… scary. “Sorry I just need to catch my breath. Noodle arms come with noodle legs and noodle lungs.” Cora said. “ Yeah, yeah just take a break. They shouldn’t be too close. That old hag won’t be able to catch up to us.” Cora let out a small breathless laugh that made Erix’s heart skip a beat. “ So. What’s the plan? I need a job and as long as Mrs. Katz has her estate and 20 maids and butlers with an urge to kill, that won’t be easy.” Erix slowly pushed himself out of the alley way into the street. Checking to make the coast was clear before they walked out. “ Well that sounds like a you problem. My only worry is to keep the job I have and make sure I don’t get killed.” Yeah he sounded like a total jerk but he didn’t care. He didn’t need this rag-tag kid to mess with his plans and he sure as heck didn’t need help. “ Are you kidding? You just got me out of sleeping with rats! And you don’t care?” Cora said, stepping in front of his path. Her hands were on her hips and it was honestly amusing, the fact she was trying to be threatening that is. “ Bingo. And for your information, I only helped you out of a moment of weakness. That’s it. So, if you’ll step aside, I have a job to be at.” Cora stepped aside with a little hmph noise. Kind of like the bag she couldn’t carry earlier. After walking down the cobblestone for a bit he heard footsteps and there she was again, right at his side. “What?” He asked, annoyed. “ I have an idea. You know when we were talking about fantasy and dreams and all that. Well I never really told you my dream. So, here it is; my dream is to go back to Ravka and see my family once again.” “That’s nice. Have fun living your dream.” Erix said, walking faster to try and get her off his tail. “BUT! There is a catch. I don’t actually know how to get to Ravka. I’m sure it would be a lot of hard work and dedication and would require someone who doesn’t have… well… noodles.” Cora was following his pace and he could see her sparkling eyes out of the corner of his eyes.
“ No. Absolutely not. I don’t do charity.” “I’m not asking for free help. I’m not stupid. I have lived in the Barrel for 11 years.” “ So what,” Erix said, finally looking down at her. “What is the prize that you could possibaly get me to join this suicide mission?” “About 10,000 kruge and a job that would pay much better than a baker in a barrel.” “You’re kidding.” Erix said in disbelief. There was no way this merch could get that kind of money. “Nope. My parents are strong fighters in the army and I’m sure they get paid more money then you could ever think of. Plus, the guard is always looking for new soldiers, even guarding the jail would get you enough money to wrap all of Kerch in millions.” Was she serious? She couldn’t actually get him this kind of money could she? “.... We’re gonna die.” Erix said solemnly. Cora practically jumped with excitement. She was beaming so wide, even though they were set up for failure. “YES YES YES! Thank you! So! Where do we start?” “The bakery. I’ll tell Steph that we are gonna die, she’ll try to talk some sense into us, we’ll refuse, get a map and head for Ravka.” Cora was skipping in front of him on their way to the bakery. She seemed so happy yet knew so little of the dangers they were about to face. At least he could say he died for a noble cause. Money.
