chapter 9. The issue price

The alley was a narrow stone gap between two tall buildings that smelled of wet stone and rotting vegetables. Sunlight hardly penetrated here, and for Gray it was an advantage — there were familiar, contrasting shadows.

The guard walked slowly, whistling some kind of bravura march under his breath. His metal armor clanked dully with every step.

Gray's heart was pounding so loudly that it seemed to echo off the walls. He took the final step, standing directly behind the huge, powerful back in the blue uniform.

"Hey!" Gray shouted. His voice, raspy and loud, sounded unnatural in the narrow space.

The guard flinched and turned around, snapping out his halberd with a crack. His face, bloated and displeased, contorted into a grimace of irritation.

"What are you doing, you little devil? Trying to scare me?" He gave Gray a disdainful look. "Get out of here before I give you a slap on the back of your head!"

Gray didn't back down. He stared at the buckle on his belt, unable to look up at the angry face.

"I... I need to find a girl. Lyra. The daughter of my father's colleague, Hugh. They work at the Guild," he blurted out the rehearsed line.

The name "Hugh" caused the guard to frown for a moment. The name "Guild" made his face look a little more attentive. But then he snorted rudely.

"Master Hugh?" I've heard it. A weirdo who messes with faded ones. So what? Didn't the babysitter put you in charge of him? Look for your girls somewhere else.

He took a step forward, clearly intending to just push Gray aside and move on. But Gray, yielding to a desperate impulse, stepped back and stood in his way again.

— She was with us yesterday! She knew something about Master Vivan! That he wanted to—” he stopped, unsure how to voice his horror, “—to bring order!”

The silence in the alley was suddenly thick and ringing. The guard's mocking expression vanished, replaced by a wary, cold mask. He slowly, almost silently, lowered the halberd's shaft to the cobblestones.

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"What did you say about Master Vivan?" His voice was as soft and slick as a knife blade.

Gray felt scared. He felt that he had made a huge mistake. This man didn't just know Vivan's name. He said it with obsequiousness and... fear.

—I... nothing...— Gray tried to retreat.

But it was too late. The guard took one long step and loomed over him, blocking out all the light. His iron-gloved hand grabbed Gray's shoulder so hard that it hurt.

"Who told you that?" He leaned in so close that Gray could smell garlic and sweat. "Is your father talking too much?" Or that red-haired beast that's prowling around the Guild?

The red-haired beast. It was her. The lyre.

Gray was silent, trying to pull away, but the grip was iron.

— Are you silent? The guard grinned. —Well, it's okay. Master Vivan is very interested in those who spread... unverified rumors. Especially children. He thinks they need special... re-education.

The word "reeducation" sounded so ominous that icy goosebumps ran down Gray's spine. He understood everything. This man was not just a guard. He was their man. Vivan's man.

"Let me go!" Gray finally exclaimed, his voice filled with panic.

"Come here," the guard hissed, pulling him towards the exit of the alley and the main street.

At that moment, a sharp, whistling sound came from around the corner, from a pile of garbage cans. Something small and dark whistled through the air and hit the guard in the temple with a dull thud.

The guard gasped in surprise and pain, momentarily loosening his grip. That moment was all it took.

Lyra emerged from behind the cans like a shadow. Her face was contorted with rage.

"Run, you fool!" She shouted to Gray, and without slowing down, she kicked the guard in the knee with all her might.

The guard roared in pain and fury, letting go of Gray and trying to grab the girl. But she was as quick and agile as an eel. She managed to jump away, grab Gray by the sleeve, and pull him deeper into the maze of backstreets.

"Stay close!" she called over her shoulder, and they were off, leaving the angry shouts of the stunned guard behind them.

They ran through the market, knocking over baskets, ducking under carts, and weaving through the streets. Gray's heart was racing, but he kept up with her, trusting in the red-haired creature that was leading him away from danger.

Finally, Lyra turned sharply into a dark, almost invisible passage, and, throwing open an old, peeling door, she pushed him inside, collapsing to the ground beside him to catch her breath.

Gray leaned against the wall, gasping for air. They were in a tiny, dusty shed that smelled of old wood and earth.

Lyra was the first to recover. She pushed herself off the floor and stood in front of him, her eyes glowing in the dim light.

"Are you an idiot?" She hissed, not hiding her anger. — Shouting all over the street about Vivan? Letting himself be grabbed by his thugs?! Do you want to be found in a ditch with faded eyes?!

Gray could only stare at her in silence, realizing that she was absolutely right. His first attempt to become a hero almost ended in disaster. The price of the issue turned out to be much higher than he could have imagined.