Archives of Mallory Flint
Chapter 1
A gentle evening storm cascades on the sleeping city of Belfast. Cobblestone streets trickle streams of muddied water, rainfall watering the sickly gardens of the citizens too busy and weary to tend to. In alleyways, stray cats and rats scurry in a waltz of predator and prey, some finding themselves in the unfortunate way of fate- or, rather, rushing carriages. A pale yellow moon peeked through the clouds to watch the sun set opposite of it, and the gradient sky behind it glowed eerily red and purple.
These were the kinds of evenings Mallory loved most. Most of the cityfolk were sleeping, or in bars, and they could skirt the streets mostly unthreatened. Tonight, like most, Mallory could walk right in the middle of the street, making a game of dodging rushing carriages, snickering at how the drivers would swerve to avoid them, even if Mallory was well out of way by the time they even pushed the thought. The fledgling would spend hours doing just this, barefooted, watching the street be washed of the filth spewed from everyday life. Sometimes, they would follow the water to where it overflowed the sidewalks, waterfalling next to a bridge and into whatever ravine was below.
Now, they sat on the railing of a bridge, holding their hand out to collect water and take sips. It was nice to them to have completely clean water to drink rather than well-water from one of the abandoned farm's on the outskirts of town. There were many of those. After the famine, many people either left for the Americas or died. Mallory had a lot of fun with Kitty rummaging through leftover properties, finding lost jewelry or letters from loved ones in far off places. Some they even took back to the Underground and kept in boxes.
"Mallory!" A familiar voice called from the end of the bridge. Mallory looked down, and even though the rain was coming down harder and made it difficult to see, they could tell it was Kitty himself at the end of the bricks, waiting. They jumped off the railing, sliding a bit in mud, before sprinting down to their friend, whose normal cat army was missing due to the inclement weather.
"Thought you'd stay at home 'cause the rain." Mallory asked as Kitty grabbed their hand and led them to stand beneath an overhang of a nearby store.
"I thought about it, but then Marshal told me some weird gosp about Getty." Kitty answered hushedly as a coated man walked quickly by.
"Getty? What business does Marshal know about the Lord? Boy never been outside his own gaff more than twice a week!" Mallory laughed. "Whatever it is, it likely ain't true."
"No, no, he was out this mornin'! When he came back, he was blatherin' about how he was up in ol' Gurman's attic huntin' rats, and he overheard the missus talkin' about some missionary comin' to stay up there on Getty's orders! He said they even pulled all the rat traps from up there in preparations!" Kitty insisted, tugging on Mallory's arm.
"They probably took 'em out 'cause the boy been up there eatin' 'em all." They replied with a playful scowl. "Look, whatever he said, he's makin' up cause Mister Jon isn't paying him any attention."
A look of contemplation and doubt crossed Kitty's face but he sighed and let Mallory have the round.
"Fine... Anyways, speakin' of, Mister Jon sent me to get you."
Mallory lit up, as Kitty had anticipated, and grinned. "He did? What's he want?"
"As if he'd tell me! Still cheesed over me flooding the gutters of the Ailbe house. Only let me come 'cause he knew I'd find you the fastest." He said proudly, even though Mallory found it kind of pathetic.
"Well, if the great man himself requests me from my nightly stroll, might be a worth while trek home to see what he needs?" Mallory smiled before darting into the rain again, Kitty following.
A lone, ornate carriage lumbered past where they had once been, crushing a stray rat beneath one of it's wheels. The storm above, which had yet to give any lightning, boomed with thunder and flashed violently.
These were the kinds of evenings Mallory loved most. Most of the cityfolk were sleeping, or in bars, and they could skirt the streets mostly unthreatened. Tonight, like most, Mallory could walk right in the middle of the street, making a game of dodging rushing carriages, snickering at how the drivers would swerve to avoid them, even if Mallory was well out of way by the time they even pushed the thought. The fledgling would spend hours doing just this, barefooted, watching the street be washed of the filth spewed from everyday life. Sometimes, they would follow the water to where it overflowed the sidewalks, waterfalling next to a bridge and into whatever ravine was below.
Now, they sat on the railing of a bridge, holding their hand out to collect water and take sips. It was nice to them to have completely clean water to drink rather than well-water from one of the abandoned farm's on the outskirts of town. There were many of those. After the famine, many people either left for the Americas or died. Mallory had a lot of fun with Kitty rummaging through leftover properties, finding lost jewelry or letters from loved ones in far off places. Some they even took back to the Underground and kept in boxes.
"Mallory!" A familiar voice called from the end of the bridge. Mallory looked down, and even though the rain was coming down harder and made it difficult to see, they could tell it was Kitty himself at the end of the bricks, waiting. They jumped off the railing, sliding a bit in mud, before sprinting down to their friend, whose normal cat army was missing due to the inclement weather.
"Thought you'd stay at home 'cause the rain." Mallory asked as Kitty grabbed their hand and led them to stand beneath an overhang of a nearby store.
"I thought about it, but then Marshal told me some weird gosp about Getty." Kitty answered hushedly as a coated man walked quickly by.
"Getty? What business does Marshal know about the Lord? Boy never been outside his own gaff more than twice a week!" Mallory laughed. "Whatever it is, it likely ain't true."
"No, no, he was out this mornin'! When he came back, he was blatherin' about how he was up in ol' Gurman's attic huntin' rats, and he overheard the missus talkin' about some missionary comin' to stay up there on Getty's orders! He said they even pulled all the rat traps from up there in preparations!" Kitty insisted, tugging on Mallory's arm.
"They probably took 'em out 'cause the boy been up there eatin' 'em all." They replied with a playful scowl. "Look, whatever he said, he's makin' up cause Mister Jon isn't paying him any attention."
A look of contemplation and doubt crossed Kitty's face but he sighed and let Mallory have the round.
"Fine... Anyways, speakin' of, Mister Jon sent me to get you."
Mallory lit up, as Kitty had anticipated, and grinned. "He did? What's he want?"
"As if he'd tell me! Still cheesed over me flooding the gutters of the Ailbe house. Only let me come 'cause he knew I'd find you the fastest." He said proudly, even though Mallory found it kind of pathetic.
"Well, if the great man himself requests me from my nightly stroll, might be a worth while trek home to see what he needs?" Mallory smiled before darting into the rain again, Kitty following.
A lone, ornate carriage lumbered past where they had once been, crushing a stray rat beneath one of it's wheels. The storm above, which had yet to give any lightning, boomed with thunder and flashed violently.