Chapter 3
“Your apprentice?” Willie exclaimed. “You? Not in a million years. You’re like, three years older than me.”
Rhode gave an expectant smile. “I’m one of the best Retrievers in the kingdom. But I thought you would say that, so I planned ahead. You will be my apprentice until you get me a certain object that I desire. After that, you’re free to go. Only one job.”
Willie chuckled and shook his head. “You can’t keep me here. I’m a free citizen with rights.”
“Rights?” Rhode asked incredulously. “Just look at yourself! I can already tell you’re a street boy. You have to scrounge and steal for survival, the guards and soldiers always on your tail. What rights has the kingdom given you?” Rhode shrugged. “And besides, I saved your life. You owe me this much.”
Willie was quiet for a moment. What had the kingdom done for him, besides throwing him out onto the streets? He was a nobody, with no chance of bettering his situation. He was trapped in an endless cycle of poverty and fear, never knowing whether the next day would be his last. Willie took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Why me, though? And how did you know I was in trouble with Nill and Frill? Did you just happen to be in the same area?”
Rhode nodded and said, “You’re not slow. I’ve been on the lookout for people with certain talents now, people who will be able to do this job for me. You were one of my top candidates, and in the next week I had actually planned to confront you anyway. I was staking out the barn where you and those other kids lived, and when I saw Nill and Frill drag your unconscious body from there, I knew you were in trouble.” He gave a sly grin.
Willie paced around the room. This guy did save his life, even if it was for his own personal gain. And the deal didn’t seem that bad either. But he could feel that Rhode was hiding something.
“Alright, I’ll become your apprentice and steal that object or whatever. But after that, I’m done. Understand?” Willie glared at Rhode and tried to look intimidating.
“Okay, it’s a deal.” Rhode smirked. “It’s not like you really had a choice though.”
Willie gave him another glare and sat on the edge of the couch. The whole bunker had a cluttered but homey feel, despite the various weapons strewn about the room. He surveyed the area closer and saw a small adjoining room off to the side.
Rhode followed his gaze and said, “That’s the lab. You know that cloth I used to knock the soldiers out with? It had chloroform on it that I created in the lab.”
Willie ignored the remark, rubbing his hands together. “Listen, I want to get this over with as fast as possible. Tell me what I need to steal, and I’ll be on my way to finishing this.”
Rhode sat on the couch across from him and said, “That is an interesting question. You know what an Origin Stone is right?”
Willie shook his head, and Rhode threw up his hands.
“What are they teaching kids in those schools these days! First you didn’t know what Retrievers were, and now you don’t know Origin Stones?”
“I never went to school,” Willie said quietly. “My parents died when I was young, so I never got the chance.”
There was a quiet pause as Rhode’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Willie nodded, then made a rolling motion with his hands to signal Rhode to continue.
“Right,” Rhode started. “Well, all Elites have three Origin Stones. They don’t actual have to be stones. They can be anything the Elite chooses. Those stones are tied to the Elites power, meaning if you steal an Elite’s Origin Stone, you can use it as leverage against the Elite.”
“Huh,” Willie remarked. “What happens if you destroy the stones?”
For the first time Willie had seen, Rhode actually smiled. “You are smarter than you look. The stones are tied to the Elite’s power, and the power is tied to the Elite’s life force. In theory, if you destroy all the stones, you will destroy the Elite themselves.”
“In theory?”
“Unfortunately, no one knows how to destroy an Origin Stone. Otherwise there would be random assassination attempts on people daily.”
Willie glanced towards a brown leather bag that Rhode was holding to his side. “If this conversation was to get me up to speed, I’m guessing I have to steal an Origin Stone.”
Rhode set the bag in front of him, creating a barrier between him and Willie. He stared intently into Willie’s eyes and said, “From this point on, there is no turning back. You must finish the job, or die trying.” He then reached into the bag and slowly drew two objects. One was an amulet with gold engraving along the edge, and the other was a pen.
A pen? Willie thought. An amulet makes sense, but a pen doesn’t seem like something someone would use as an origin stone.
“I can tell by your expression that you’re surprised. I said that Origin Stones can be whatever the owner chooses. These are inconspicuous and easily looked over. One of the smartest strategies I’ve seen.”
Rhode took a deep breath and continued. “These are two Origin stones from the same person. I want you to find the third stone. This is of utmost importance, and people’s lives depend on this.”
This last bit threw Willie off. He had pegged Rhode as a businessman, only looking for his own best interest. But maybe he had him wrong. It seemed that he wanted to help people.
“You won’t be alone in this mission,” Rhode continued. “One more companion will join you in the morning. But no more thought on that. Now you need to get some rest.”
Willie hadn’t realized how exhausted he was until Rhode said those words. His eyes immediately started to droop, and he wandered over to an already made hammock.
Rhode waved at him and muttered. “Enjoy your sleep. It may be the last you have for a long time.”
Willie gave a small shudder, then plopped down on top of the hammock. He wondered what all the other boys were doing right now. Did Stan ever eat that pie? Did the other’s even know he was gone. Next time he saw that rat Randy who sold him out to Nill, he would beat him to a pulp.
Soon Willie sank into troubled, fevered dreams.
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