Building a Criminal Empire

by Logan Jacobs

  “A dwarf will help me?” Ashlin narrowed her eyes.

  “You’re a pretty human woman,” I sighed. “They will at least pay you some attention.”

  “Don’t forget young pretty human woman,” Penny added.

  The dancer’s eyes widened.

  “Be strong,” I said. “If Cimarra has taken you under her wing, then I know you must have shown her some strength and resolve as a dancer.”

  “I like to think I have,” Ashlin replied.

  “Good,” I answered. “Don’t think you have, believe you have.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Wade,” Ashlin said with a smirk. “Shall I go now?”

  “Please.” I nodded toward the street. “As soon as you give them the message come back here and let me know.”

  “I will,” Ashlin said as she turned around and started to jog down the alley with our message in her mind.

  “Hopefully, she doesn’t forget what to say,” Penny chuckled.

  “She won’t,” I said. “If she does, then you and I will still pay the miners a visit whether they like it or not.”

  “True,” Penny said. “Now, we got a very illegal dragon to worry about.”

  “Fuck,” I sighed as I scratched at my neck. “Let’s go.”

  “Is Selius here?”

  “He should be,” I said as I started down the small hill and moved toward the stables.

  I wasn’t sure how the day would pan out. We had a lot of moving parts happening at once. Between the elven walkthrough and needing the miners to cooperate with us, so I hoped the message would be enough to get their attention. I wasn’t sure what to do if they didn’t want to meet with me.

  I opened the stable door, walked inside, and greeted Azure.

  The inside of the stables looked much different from a day or so ago. The elephant tubs were covered with a tarp, and there weren’t barrels along the walls, and it even smelled different. Instead of the usual sweet and sour hay-like smell, it smelled more of the wood and mud around the barn.

  “Wade?” Selius squeaked from Dar’s stable.

  “Yeah,” I said as I patted the dragon at my feet. “We have some elven visitors.”

  “What, already?” Selius jumped out of bed and held his chest. “Where?”

  “Calm down, kid,” Penny muttered. “They are touring the theatre, but they may come down here and check out the stables.”

  “What do we do if they come here?” Selius asked with wide eyes.

  “We stay calm,” I said as I pointed my finger at the kid. “Then we just say we are cleaning this place out for the Eclipse Festival.”

  “And Azure?” Selius gestured to our most obvious problem.

  “He hides in that bed of hay with you,” I suggested. “And you keep him quiet.”

  “Will that work?” Selius asked.

  “I think that’s our only option,” I replied. “We can’t move a dragon as big as a dog outside for anyone to see, especially with a few elves sniffing around.”

  “Shit,” Selius hissed.

  “Penny?” I asked as I turned to the pixie. “Open up the stable’s door. We need to look open and inviting if the elves peek their heads out from the theatre.”

  “Why?” Selius asked.

  “Trust me, kid,” I said. “You don’t want to be caught hiding, but the best kind of hiding is done in plain sight.”

  “Right,” Penny said as she moved over to the stable door and shoved it wide open. A rush of wind came in along with some new golden light from the sun.

  “Hey, bud,” I whispered to the dragon as I moved to where we kept the mutton and tossed a few chunks into the beast’s bowl. “We’ll need you to be extra quiet after you’re done eating.”

  “That’s the plan?” Selius said as he threw on his shirt and brushed some hay out of his hair.

  “It’s our only plan,” I said as I watched the dog-like creature gobble up his food. “I can’t believe we forgot to move him to the apartment.”

  “So did we get the bakery?” Selius wondered.

  “We did, and we didn’t,” I sighed. “It’s a long story and one still in progress, but we have it, just not for sure yet.”

  “Okay?” Selius scratched his head. “Whatever ya say, Wade.”

  “That’s why I like you, kid,” I chuckled. “You just go with the flow.”

  “I try,” Selius said with a shrug.

  “If we had a wagon, we could easily just load up Azure and get the fuck out of here,” Penny said as she leaned against the door and kept an eye out for any elves.

  “That would’ve been ideal.” I nodded as I took a seat at the round table. “But here we are.”

  “Here we are,” Penny repeated.

  “What’re we gonna do with you, pal?” I asked the dragon as he wobbled over to me and then looked to the open door. “You want to go outside, don’t you?”

  The dragon cocked his head, and then his long tongue slipped out the side of his mouth.

  “There they are,” Penny muttered and then looked over at me. “We should get our scaly friend hidden.”

  “Oh, shit,” Selius huffed. “I don’t know how ya both are so calm.”

  “Just relax, kid,” I said, even though I felt the tension return in my shoulders. “C’mon, Azure.”

  I tapped the dragon’s butt and moved him over to the open stable where Dar and Selius slept.

  “What do ya want me to do?” Selius sat down in the bed of hay and looked up at me.

  “They are headed this way,” Penny remarked from the stable door.

  “Just hold him tight and keep him calm.” I ordered the kid and patted the dragon on the head. “You can do it.”

  “Alright, alright,” Selius said as he started to pet the dragon that sat in his lap.

  “Thirty yards,” Penny stated as she plastered on a fake smile. “Showtime.”

  “And these here are just our old elephant stables,” Cimarra’s voice shook. I’m sure she screamed in her head when she saw the door wide open with Penny standing near it.

  “Mmm,” an elven voice hummed.

  I still couldn’t see the elves yet because I stood near Selius and Azure to provide even more cover for them both.

  “May we see inside, human?” A female elf asked. “This might be the perfect spot to serve some food, especially with the barn door open like this. It creates a uniquely rustic atmosphere that pleases me.”

  “I agree,” the first elf added.

  “Sure, sure,” Cimarra answered.

  “We were just clearin’ it out for you,” Penny said as she moved to the side and bowed slightly as the elves stepped inside the stables.

  This was not how I pictured it being like if any elves ever entered the stables. I pictured a lot of bloodshed and death, not a morning tour of our distillery.

  “Very good.” The female elf frowned at Penny and then turned toward me with her golden eyes. The elf wore an elegant turquoise robe with the capital insignia of the moon and sun etched onto the front pockets. She had long bronze hair and ruby-colored flesh. “Who are these humans? Laborers?”

  “Uh … yes …” Cimarra cleared her throat. “They are just putting the final touches on the stables. We weren’t sure if you would want to use them or not.”

  “Of course,” the female elf said as she sniffed the air. “Smells musty, though, doesn’t it Ferrelian?”

  Ferrelian stepped inside with his hands folded in front of his similar turquoise robe. He, too, had darker hair but had sand-colored flesh, almost like a human, but just a shade darker.

  I wasn’t sure if they were both nobles, or just one of them was.

  “It smells … off.” Ferrelian tapped his nose as if it weren’t working right. Then he eyed me from the side. “Human, why does it smell this way?”

  “Because it’s a barn, my lord,” I replied as I forced myself to bow.

  “Don’t be smart with me,” the elf sneered. “Is there anything you can do about the stench?”

&n
bsp; “With all due respect, my lord,” I began. “That’s what we are trying to do now.”

  “Well, do it better, human,” Ferrelian huffed. “This is where Wyn will be stationed throughout the event, and she is one of the most sought after noble women of our time, so please, show her some respect and clean this stench out.”

  So the woman was the noble.

  I don’t think I ever met a woman noble from the Capital. That was a rare sight.

  “It’s alright.” Wyn flared her nostrils as she glanced at me. “I trust these humans understand what is at stake if they disappoint us.”

  “We do,” Cimarra answered as she opened her stance toward the door. “Shall we continue the tour and allow these workers to finish up?”

  “Not quite,” Wyn stepped closer to the stall where Selius hunched over Azure. “How many elephants did these stables hold?”

  “Only held one for a time,” I said as I moved over with her and leaned against the railing to cut her off. I didn’t want the elf walking in front and seeing Selius. “But I think back in the day it held--”

  “Three total,” Cimarra cut me off. “We had three at one point.”

  “Wow,” Wyn ran a dainty finger through the tips of her silk-like hair. “Such a shame a space like this is being wasted.”

  “It’s not,” I added. “We use this for a lot of our storage needs.”

  “Hmm,” Wyn frowned as her golden eyes observed me. “It’s not as magnificent as an elephant, but I guess it would make sense to store other things in a place like this.”

  “Why do you keep hay in here without any animals, and what about that bowl?” Ferrelian pointed to Azure's metallic food bowl on the ground.

  “We have a dog who likes to come in and sleep in here some nights,” Cimarra replied. “We leave out some meat and water for him from time to time.”

  “Mm-hmm.” Ferrelian nodded. “Well, keep the beast far from here during the festival.”

  “We will,” I said.

  “I do not understand why humans take a liking to animals other than horses so much,” Wyn commented as she ran her hand along the railing of the stable, and then she turned around to face Cimarra. “Okay, let’s continue to the next building.”

  “Very well,” Cimarra said as she smiled. “Just follow me this way, please.”

  “Clean this place good, humans,” Ferrelian looked to Penny, who leaned against the far wall with her arms crossed, and then locked eyes with me.

  Then the elf stepped outside and left the stables.

  “For the Empire,” Wyn gave us a final salute before she followed the other elf and Cimarra out the door.

  “Fuck,” Selius sighed in relief. “Is it okay to let go of Azure yet?”

  “Lemme shut the door first,” Penny said as she walked over to the door and shut it closed. “I thought they'd never fuckin’ leave.”

  “Good job staying calm, kid,” I said as I gave Selius a thumbs up.

  “I thought we were dead when the elf lady wandered over this way,” Selius said as he took another deep breath and let Azure out of his arms.

  The dragon didn’t move far since he enjoyed all the cuddles he could get, so he dropped back down onto the hay near Selius.

  “I guess we have to clean this place now,” I sighed as I wiped my hand along the stable’s dusty railing.

  “Rindell’s girls can do that shit,” Penny said. “Speaking of Rindell, I wonder when she’s going to be back from her own elven adventure?”

  “I wonder,” I said as I gestured toward the theatre. “We should probably wait over there anyway when Ashlin comes back.”

  “True,” Penny agreed. “You care that the elves are still lurkin’ around, though?”

  “Naw,” I replied. “For all they know, we just work here.”

  “What’re we doin’?” Selius questioned.

  “You’re welcome to stay here or come wait with us at the theatre for a bit until Penny, and I have to go to a meeting.”

  “I’ll wait in here,” Selius said. “I’ll keep an eye on Azure just in case the elves come back.”

  “Okay, kid,” I said as I tousled his hair and then headed toward the door. “We’ll be back later.”

  “Sounds good, Wade,” Selius waved at Penny and me and then dropped into his bed of hay.

  “Let’s see if Rindell made it back in one piece,” I commented as I opened the stable's door and headed toward the theatre with Penny right behind me.

  As we left the stables, I saw the elves and Cimarra near the horse stables on the other side of the property. I hated having them so close to where we operated, but it was a victory for us that they remained clueless.

  “You think Rindell’s okay?” Penny asked as we walked up to the back door.

  “If anyone knows how to survive with the elves,” I said as I opened the theatre door for Penny. “It's gotta be Rindell.”

  “That’s true,” Penny chuckled as we both stepped down the hall and looked throughout the theatre for Rindell, but we got our answer soon enough as one of her dancers came racing up as soon as she saw us in the front lobby.

  “Madame never returned last night, what did you do to her?” the busty blonde woman known as Miss Coco pressed her finger into my chest.

  “I did nothing to her,” I replied. “We were actually just looking for her, too.”

  “If she’s not with you, where could she be?” Coco asked. “She left with your gang last night right after the show, and it’s not like her to just pick up and go.”

  “I know,” I said. “But she left us with an elf late last night.”

  “An elf?” Coco’s eyes dropped to her feet. “Did she say she would come back?”

  “She did,” I answered. “Keep an eye out for her here and let me or Cimarra know when she gets back, okay?”

  “Okay, okay,” Coco said as she adjusted her corset to keep her breasts from popping out from the dress and then turned back to walk out of the lobby.

  “Shit,” Penny breathed as she rested her hands on her hips.

  “Madame is fine,” I said, and I wasn’t sure if I was convincing myself or Penny. “The general wanted to … uh …”

  “I know, I know.” Penny frowned. “Disgusting.”

  “It’s still morning so she could be back soon,” I said as I stepped over to the front window and glanced outside. The street was growing busier for the day, and a few human kids were handing out orange pamphlets to everyone that passed by.

  Then I saw our bright-eyed dancer, not Cimarra, but Ashlin.

  “She moved quickly,” Penny said as she stood next to me and nodded the same direction I looked.

  “She did,” I said as I stepped over to the front door and opened it to the smells and sounds of the Entertainment District.

  “Oh, good,” Ashlin panted as she jogged inside and hunched over as she caught her breath. “I … ran … as … fast … as … I could.”

  “You made great time,” I said as I shut the door and all the noise with it. “Did you find the dwarf?”

  “I … did.” Ashlin nodded. “He said … he is very interested in hearing from you today.”

  “Perfect,” I said as I clapped my hands together, and the sound echoed throughout the lobby. “Thank you for your help, Ashlin.”

  “Of course,” she replied. “Cimarra has helped me more than anyone else, so it’s about time I help her out, and if that means helping you, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  “Again,” I said as I held my hand over my heart. “Thank you.”

  “You need anything else?” Ashlin asked as she looked at Penny first and then to me.

  “No,” I answered. “You’re free to do whatever it is you need to do.”

  “Okay,” Ashlin said with a shrug. “If you need another message delivered or something, just come and find me.”

  “Will do,” I said with a nod and then turned toward Penny. “You ready to meet the miner dwarf?”

  “If you are, then so
am I,” Penny replied.

  So, Penny and I put our cloaks over our heads and joined the chaotic streets full of orange and black banners, signs, and streamers advertising the Eclipse Festival. As we walked past them, the kids handing out pamphlets shoved one in our stomachs as we walked past them.

  Upon inspection, they were the guidelines’ to abide by during the festival activities the next day.

  “Fucking dancing?” Penny scoffed as she threw the pamphlet into a pile of horse shit on the side of the road. “How do they expect us to dance on the same road as these gallows?”

  “We won't be doing any dancing,” I replied. “Well, maybe we will, just on top of Hebal’s dead body.”

  “Now that’s something I can dance about.” Penny smiled as we continued down the road and turned right past the gallows.

  The Dwarf District looked the same as the Entertainment District, as far as decorations go. It really seemed like the elves were making sure everyone had to take part whether we liked it or not.

  “What’s the plan with this miner guy?” Penny asked as we walked on the side of the cobblestone roads.

  “We convince him to help us,” I said. “He wants Hebal, and we can give him just that.”

  “How do you know he wants that prick?” Penny asked.

  “Because Hebal is the only thing standing in his way from owning the entire district,” I said.

  “So, we’re about to deal with the much bigger version of Hebal?” Penny questioned.

  “Exactly,” I replied. “But let’s hope this dwarf is smarter than him.”

  “I have a feeling he will be,” Penny remarked. “Although, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

  “I know,” I said with a nervous chuckle. “Remember, we aren’t obligated to make a deal with them. We can walk away if we don’t get what we like.”

  Dealing with the miners could open up more problems down the line, but for now, we needed them, and they needed the information I had.

  So, we continued to make our way through the Dwarf District until we came upon the central square. There were a bunch of food stalls, shops, like usual, but this was also where the dwarven administrative buildings were located.