Read Aethosphere Chronicles: The Rat Warrens for Free Online Page A

(usually to save his love), the
Wilderman was a force to be reckoned with. But Fen wasn’t that age
anymore, and Eddy wasn’t there to pretend at being Elaine; and the
chains…those were just leftovers from some earlier utility lost
over the decades…or centuries.
    Fen really wasn’t sure how old Junction was,
nor did he particularly care. The city had always been, and so had
the Rat Warrens as far as he cared. And he just kept shuffling with
the line towards the Skylight without saying a word; without
pretending he was the Wilderman. It took all his concentration at
that point just to choke back the fear setting him to quaking.
    Up until then, Fen hadn’t dared approached
the Skylight by day, not since the scamp lost his thumbs. Even
regular adult ratties weren’t allowed to loiter beneath the
Skylight, let alone rat pups. It was said Boss Trask hated children
with a passion, and sometimes went sport hunting in the Chimes Way
with his dangermen and bruisers; something Fen had heard called pup punting . Enough of his mischief mates told
horror-stories about it that he’d never pressed his luck by
trespassing in the rat lord’s domain…not alone anyway…not until
now.
    It was Lydia who typically dealt with the
Exchange when it came to some of their goods; being on the cusp of
adulthood as she was, and being a girl to boot. Fen had accompanied
her enough times to know the rat lord’s men took a shining to her,
and he’d had to grit his teeth and bear the catcalls and wandering
hands thrust her way. As for Lydia, however, she seemed to deftly
slip through their dirty old groping hands with an ease, and with
not much grumbling. But today, today was different. Today Fen was a
man, well…at least sort of. Mostly, he had to do this himself
because Lydia would probably scalp him for not following through
with disposing of the money.
    Taking a deep calming breath, the boy-rogue
stepped past the chalk line and into the Pinprick’s wash; though
the light wasn’t direct this afternoon, and the Node hung in gray
twilight as a result. He’d hoped for some sun, like the sort from
the trial all those years ago, but today wasn’t the day.
    “Whoa! Stop right there,” hollered a
sunkeeper as Fen came strolling towards the Sentinel. Beneath the
Skylight, the tree’s scraggily up-turned leaves looked like the
sparse hairs of an old man. Fen had been about to round his way
left towards the stairs to the Bartermen’s Exchange when the rat
lord’s Node enforcer came swooping out of nowhere to cut him off.
“Now you rat pups know there’s no lollygagging ‘neath the Pinprick,
so off with you.”
    But Fen stood his ground and looked up to the
man coolly. “I’m on course for the Bartermen’s,” he replied,
confident, but the thickset keeper just gave him a dark look of
skepticism, and folded his arms over his chest. With jet-black eyes
he glared down, adding a scowl to scare off the pipsqueak caught
beneath his broad shadow.
    But Fen didn’t back down, and instead
narrowed his eyes and stepped up like he’d seen his sister do time
and time again. “I got business.” He realized he could have avoided
the whole rigmarole had he just come during the dark hours, but his
eagerness to cash-out for some tokens overrode any
sensibilities.
    “Business? A little rat pup like you? What
for? Need some baby’s milk for you tummy-wummy?”
    “Only if it’s coming straight from the
source,” Fen stated, straight-faced and bold.
    The man took a moment to ponder the meaning
of this comment, and then broke into uproarious laughter when he
got it. “You got chops, kid, and a wit to match,” he admitted,
wiping a mirthful tear from the corner of his eyes. “So alright,
off with you… you and your business .” The amused keeper
stepped aside and motioned for Fen to move along. “But if I see you
linger a half-second longer than need be, I’ll flay the skin off
your ass, boy. Remember, there be ratties ‘neath the