29 CLIENT REPLACEMEN (1/2)
”You've chosen a slippery slope to climb, youngin,” A cackling voice — weirdly gruff — reached Lirzod's ears but he couldn't locate its source. With all rooms locked, the four streets seemed unpeopled, except for the presence of those two.
”Who's there?” Lirzod shouted, stomping his foot on the locally not-so-dusty wooden floor.
”Run. Run like a river[1]!” Hundred began to run and forced Lirzod to run with him.
”You said, Stone Spitters, but I don't see anybody here,” Lirzod asked, already panting a little even though they haven't yet taken ten steps together.
”Look at the floor ahead,” Hundred said, his focus fully shifting towards reaching the end of the street. ”They are critters smaller than the size of our fists.”
Surprised upon hearing the words, Lirzod stared at the floor, when he saw dozens of tiny rock-like beings in the shape of a smooth cone hopping on the ground, which didn't remind him of the icecreams he used to buy for Duera when he was a kid, but surely reminded him of some sort of poop. ”What the heck are those?” Lirzod watched them with an incredulous stare. ”How are they moving?” Goosebumps took over his body.
They seemed to have no limbs or eyes or nose but had one striking thing — their mouth — which changed in its shape and size. Some of their mouths appeared like that of a shark's teeth, while some others seemed more human, simple and plain. It was too obvious for Lirzod to not reckon that the pointy teeth were for digging into things and the plain shape was to grind things out.
”We can worry about their details afterward,” Hundred said, getting to Lirzod's front. ”I don't seem to be included in their target list. Just stay behind me until we cross them. Also, watch out for the ones that might come from behind.”
Lirzod nodded, though he didn't exactly get what was going on. He glanced back once to see if he could find similar beings behind him but didn't see any of them.
Beholding the approaching duo, the tiny beings were amused but at the same time also appeared to be bemused.
”Why are you coming in our way, Hollow?” One of the Stone Spitters cackled and spat something out of its mouth which didn't go straight towards Hundred but instead hit the ceiling, bounced off it in a blistering speed and directed down towards Lirzod, who openly stared at it, but before it pitched into him, Hollow managed to kick Lirzod away, resulting in that stone knocking the floor, thereby assembling an exquisite noise. Though it didn't form a hole, it still left a petty mark.
In the time Lirzod's body was coming to a halt from the push generated by Hundred's kick, more than ten of the Stone Spitters shot stones through their mouths which ricocheted off the walls and the ceiling before ending up striking Lirzod at many places.
The raining blows, each of which felt no less powerful than a human punch, brought into existence a bellow birthed through affliction and indignation.
”Hehe,” Seeing Lirzod howl, two of the shadows watching the ongoing event from the end of the street were enlivened. One was Bilka and the other was the pointy-nosed guy.
”Look at them, they're doing a better job than we thought,” the pointy-nosed man's body shook with excitement and he was totally into watching the unfolding scene.
Natheless, Bilka's smile looked to be tight. ”We are broke as a joke now. All of it was to beat some barmy boy. Was it that necessary, Pilli?”
”What are you saying?” the glow on Pilli's face subsided and stress marks arose on his forehead. ”Because of that bastard, Geragorn kicked us away.”
”Well, in a way, it's good for us, don't you think? We couldn't have gotten out of that group even if we wanted to. Now, some of our months were definitely saved.”
”Hmph, why are we discussing his right now? Did you forget that he humiliated you in the hall?”
”That's right too,” Bilka's breath paused.
”Yeah. Just enjoy the show.”
The two of them resumed watching the event with their whole bodies hidden behind a wall, except for their heads.
Their eyes sparkled as they witnessed Lirzod get ill-treated.
Though blood didn't leak out, bruises were still visible at most of the spots where the stones hit Lirzod. If he were to say that he didn't feel a twinge at various places on his body, it would mean he was putting up a front. ”You poop look-alikes, just what's your problem?” he roared.
The Stone Spitters just laughed it off and approached closer in a cute fashion. ”We don't beat around the bush. We are here to fudge you up.”
”Yeah. Fudge you up. Fudge you up,” the other Stone Spitters also voiced in their views.
If anyone who didn't know them, were to see their motion, they would think that Stone Spitters were dolls and would probably want to take one or more for themselves. Having said that, their smile still got on Lirzod's nerves.
”You fudge faces…” He ground his teeth and said in a strained voice, his fists tight.
Hundred stepped closer to Lirzod and said in a low voice, ”Don't badmouth them and give them another reason to hurt you.”
”Why should I?” Lirzod knitted his brows, irritated like an open wound. ”They are the ones who are picking a fight with me.”
”I know that they are full of shit,” Hundred spoke in a low voice again. ”But, just stay silent. I will handle this,” he stood in front of Lirzod again, but this time, he stood a bit too close that the scent of his sweat made Lirzod blow his nose in discomfort. However, Hundred was totally unaware of Lirzod's situation, as his focus was on the ones ahead of him but not on the one behind him. Lirzod, however, silently took a step back. ”If you all don't stop, I will make a big stink about this incident.”
The forwarding of the Stone Spitters stopped slowly but surely, and all of their mouths flattened, though none knew for long.
Hundred found it hard to believe that his words worked. He knew that the Stone Spitters didn't want to create an unnecessary commotion, so they almost always chose empty streets to take care of their targets.
”Don't come in between us,” one of the Stone Spitters said, ”we must bring home the bacon for us to survive.”
”Brothers from other mothers, sisters from other misters,” Hundred said, without expecting any reply. ”H-How much money did your client offer?”
”Who are you calling brothers and sisters, human?” One of them furiously shouted.
”Trying to throw air biscuits at us, are you?” Another Stone Spitter rebuked. ”We won't reveal our client's information. And if you don't get lost, things won't end well for you.”
”I'm being honest,” Hundred persuaded, ”I'm not the kind to give a bum steer to anybody.” (Well, at least not without a reason.) ”What should I offer for you all to stop?”
”Kekeke, a Hollow from the tenth deck thinks he can bribe us,” one of the Stone Spitters burst out into a freaky laughter. ”This isn't even a joke, though it made me laugh, kekeke.”
”Why don't you all try me?” Hundred sounded somewhat confident, though Lirzod was still giving icy stares at them.
”What's your name, Hollow?” One of the Stone Spitter asked.
”Hundred.”
”So you've been here long enough.”
Hundred slightly nodded.
The Stone Spitters in the three other streets stayed where they were, seeing which Hundred understood that they were more inclined on blocking off their path instead of attacking them from both directions.
”This poor bugger is innocent,” Hundred still tried to talk into changing their mind.
”If you don't buzz off in the next five seconds,” another Stone Spitter said in a flat voice, ”don't blame us if we fill you with holes.”
Hundred looked a bit sullen, however, on the inside, spleen smoldered in his stomach. (These little bastards are taking this too far.)
”Two more seconds left, boss,” another Stone Spitter said, making others titter, all the while they bounced off their bottoms again and again.
If Hundred could be said to be hassled by the Stone Spitters, then Lirzod was even more so, albeit the sable blackness on his face wasn't as plain as a pikestaff.
Brassed off by their interaction, Bilka and especially Pilli clenched their jaws.
”Why are you all booty chattering with him?” Unable to contain his annoyance anymore, Pilli shouted out of his lungs. ”Shoot him. Shoot him hard. Shoot him till he bloody pisses[2]!”
”Mm?” Both Hundred and Lirzod turned back and caught a glimpse of Pilli's face as it got pulled behind the wall.
”Fool!” Bilka rapped Pilli's head with his knuckle. ”What have you done?”
”Oww,” Pilli bit his tongue in startlement. ”You think they have seen us?”