It wasn’t too long after Lily graduated from high school that her father had moved them to Sanctuary City for his own work. Apparently there was a school he wanted her to attend there, but there’d be a few months before those classes started… so, Lily decided to try to take up some part time work. Maybe if she could get her foot in the door somewhere, she could move out on her own and not have to rely on her dad so much. That’d be nice.

Though this city was just the same as the last in a lot of ways. People tended to give her a wide berth. But she’d found a few shops that she got along well with, particularly one of the scrap yards that she liked to pick through to find components to play with. Through that connection, she met someone who wanted a courier to deliver orders to customers. Being from a Shadow Tribe wasn’t an issue: actually, the employer wanted someone with magic that let them travel around quickly. After showcasing how Shadow-Step worked, she got the job.

She was feeling pretty good about it. The first week or so went without a hitch, and she’d even racked up a decent amount of tips. It wasn’t enough to live off of by herself, but it was a start.

Unfortunately, Shadow-Step didn’t let her travel directly to her destination. Wherever she Stepped to had to be within line of sight… not to mention, have a shadow she could emerge from. Still, it cut down on travel time significantly, and was still faster and more direct than paying a shipping company to handle deliveries.

But for this reason, she was out in the open from time to time, still. As was the case here: stepping out of an alleyway shadow, then rounding the corner to pick out which shadow she would Step to next. While she was doing this, she heard a man address her:

“Hold it.”

Lily froze. Then turned her head to glance down the street. It was a peacekeeper, a man decked out in anti-magic armor and wearing what appeared to be a high level focus on his right arm. While he approached her, he slid a respirator over his face. Lily shuffled back towards the alley slowly.

“I said hold it. Don’t you dare try to Shadow-Step.”

“U-uhm, wh-what’s.. um…” Lily stammered, shrinking back a little, clutching the strap of her duffel bag.

“What’s in the bag? Put it down and open it. Slowly,” the peacekeeper ordered.

“I-I-I’m a courier, s–“

“Put it down and open it.“

Lily whined, then put the bag down as she was told, and opened the zipper.

“Now step back.”

And she did. And watched as the peacekeeper approached the bag, knelt down, and began to pick through its contents. He let out a grunt.

“You stealing packages?”

“N-no, I-I’m delivering them…!”

“Who’s your employer?” the peacekeeper demanded, looking back up towards her. She noticed him switching the stone in his focus to a Light crystal.

“Th-the mechanic’s shop on third east and fourth south…”

The man grunted again before standing up, then held his hand out towards her. With a flash, ropes of light extended from the focus to wrap around her wrists.

[Blinding Art: BINDING LIGHT]

“Stay right there. I’ll call them to verify.”

Lily grimaced, fidgeting with her hands. Not in an attempt to escape, but… because the light burned. Why’d he have to switch to a Light crystal? There are binding spells in other elements, too. She heard a whisper in her ear while the peacekeeper was occupied with his phone.

“Want me to get you out of here?”

“N-nox… n-no…” she whispered back. “Phil will vouch for me… i-it’ll be fine.”

“Hmmmm. ‘Kay, but I’m keeping an eye on him.”

“Don’t. Do. Anything that could get me in trouble…!” she hissed quietly.

“Ohohoho~ Whatever do you mean~?”

“What’re you whispering about?”

Lily jumped as the Peacekeeper addressed her again. “N-nothing…!”

“Hmph,” he huffed as he dispelled the bindings, letting Lily go. She rubbed her wrists, clicking her tongue at the burn marks they left behind. “Your employer vouched for you. You’re lucky this time.”

He then picked the bag up and tossed it at her, letting her try to catch it. She did, but stumbled back against the wall.

“Um… th-thank you…” Lily mumbled, zipping the bag back up and looping it back around her shoulders.

“You should be more careful Shadow-Stepping around like that. People will think you’re stealing things. Now move along.” The man waved his hand dismissively at her, before turning to resume his patrol.

Lily sighed, clutching the bag to her chest. She fought the urge to quit the job right then and there, then stepped back into the shadows to resume her route. “…r-right…”

Meanwhile, the peacekeeper was calling in the encounter, walking down the sidewalk as he talked.

“She must be new, I didn’t know we had any Shadows living here. Keep an eye out, the job could just be a cover. She could be sneaking packages from the deliveries for all we know. I guess we’ll know for sure if people start reporting missing packages, huh?”

He then felt… ‘something’ wrap around his ankle. And yank back on his leg. He let out a startled shout as he stumbled forward, dropping his phone and landing on his arms.

“What the–!?” He recollected himself and spun around, aiming his focus arm forward. “You little–… !?”

There was nobody there. And nothing there. At least… not that he could see. He could have sworn he saw somebody grinning at him from the corner of his vision, but… there was nothing there, once he had a better look.

“Officer?” his phone was still connected to his call. “Is everything alright?”

He huffed and picked his phone back up, standing up. “Yeah. I think I upset that girl’s Patron. Petty little devils.”

Nox grinned to himself from his hiding place as he watched the officer head off. “Serves you right.”