Northern Markets
Episode 37+ Meeting with the Permanoob Boss

Almony’s assistant, the guy in the green business suit took Owl’s
back pack away and handed it to him. Almony opened it and reached inside.

Owl and Azure sat on the bench opposite Almony’s desk. Owl sat there
hands still cuffed together; Azure sitting shaking with fear.
“I am sorry you had to see all that,” Almony began. “That was one of
my lawyers; they are responsible for keeping the city and the
police off us. He wasn’t doing his job, so he was shot,”

Azure gulped and Owl said nothing as they both watched Almony pull
the contents of the woman’s bag; bottles of mana fuel, health fuel,
some speed pills, a few ores, and Owl’s Ad Lib papers. Almony
red over their project profile, then he looked at them.

“Ah, Azure, you have grown so much since the last time we saw you. You look beautiful.” Almony said.
“….uh thanks…” Azure said uneasily. Almony contined to look at the papers.
“Owl, you’ve got guts coming back here!”
“Almony-“
“Shut up!” Almony snapped. “I thought I was very clear you were to NEVER come back here! The entire Permanoob community wanted you out of the city and for good! That decision is well above reasonable considering what happened to us because of you!”
“I did not mean-“
“It doesnt matter!”
“What’s going on?” Azure blurted out.
Almony took a deep breath. “Has she told you?”
“She said she lived here when she was a kid and then the bowmen
attacked and took her away.”
“That’s true, Azure, Owl was only 5 years old when the Justice
Arrow attacked us. They covered up their hit and said it was an air strike by hackers from the SEA Lands in retaliation for the war going on in the jungles back in 1975. She was taken away by the Justice Arrow and became a promising hunter to them. The noobs and the Justice Arrow are enemies. They are the religious extremists employing brutal tactics to keep control over their town and people. To gain support, they need an enemy- the hackers. Because of our close knit with the non violent hackers and the victims, the J.A. considers us an enemy as well. and so they attack when the situation is right. Everyone belived it then, that the bombing of our neighborhoods was the work of hackers, and so they sent more troops as we suffered.”
Owl and Azure said nothing.

Almony continued, “It is unfortunate for kids we adopt, and who are taken away and sent to Henesys to be raised by the Justice Arrow and their supporters. It is because of the circumstances, that we disown those kids, never to consider them one of us again, even if they do desert the Arrow. They Arrow them, and if they are with us we are in danger of being attacked.

“Owl came back in ’91 after she abandoned the Justice Arrow. We discovered her secret when she shot a Ligator to save a kid’s life.
The Permanoobs were infuriated by her infiltration and told her to never come back again!”
“But she saved a kid’s life-” Azure cut in. Almony raised his hand
for silence.
“She left and returned posing as a Permanoob and lived in our neighborhoods for seven months. When Justice Arrow men attacked a hacker woman and her children, she shot and killed those rangers, using military like movements and tacts that no one outside the MPC or Justice Arrow would have been trained to do! Everyone wanted her to die for her when we learned of her infiltration! But I intervened and declared she leave Kerning City and never return! I gave you a chance, Owl, it is what I want done for our lost kids!”

“If you’re gonna kill me, then do it now!” Owl challenged. “You have no idea how much you people meant to me!”
Almony looked at the papers. “So, you two are students over at the academy, eh? And you are to travel north. Why are you here?”

“We need supplies and a vehicle,” Owl said.
“How did you and Azure cross paths?”
“She is training for Adventure Librarian. I heard a lot about her and I was there when she was injured by those hackers. I was asked by the school counselor to take her with me on my mission. The Institute is cracking down on the hacker students there and they hatched a plan to send as many as they can to the SEA Lands with Ad Libs under the impression they were doing a project and they’re to be left there with better odds of survival than in Victoria.” Owl said.
“Go on,” Almony promted.
“One of my projects was to study hackium contamination and Azure was a good specimen. I went with her when she was taken to Kerning General and they let me study everything they had on her. Back then, the hospital had no hack detectors. I found out she was first adopted by the Permanoobs when she was a little girl-“
“I know that!” Almony snapped. “We also cared for her when we got her out of the hospital! It was I who had her sent to the academy so she could continue her rehabilitation.”

“I was in re-hab?” Azure asked, totally confused. She had almost no memory beyond some weird class with disabled people years ago.
“You don’t remember?” Almony said.
“No, I don’t. Well, I was in this class and these people were holding me up when I was trying to walk, and I remember having to read a bunch of little kids’ books and write like I was some retard-“
“That would be rehab, kid. I’ll fill you in where it gets hazy: No one here knows what happened, but you were in surgery for over 75 hours; the surgeons busted their asses just trying to keep you alive while they worked to put you back together. You were in Kerning General for over 10 and a half months. When you came out of your coma and all the patches and stitches healed, they sent you off to Naora Hospital- aka the psycho house. They abuse the patients and treat them like s***. You remember a guy named Philly?”

“Yeah, he and some guys stole some bikes from the mecanics class at school.” Azure said.
“He and the boys were busting out another girl when he found you. We took you home too, but man you were messed up. couldnt walk, could hardly talk. Lass Sharoma felt bad almost wanted to kill you just to put you out of the misery,”
Azure gulped.
“So, Kim and Barl, the ones who pulled you off the streets way back long ago, took you in and tried to rehabilitate you themselves, but everybody else scorned you. Then they put you on the bus to Ellinia, and the people there got you back. I havent seen you since, but I am very happy ans grateful that you are in much better condition now,”
“Uhh….thanks I guess..” Azure said uneasily.
She looked at Owl who just nodded.
“Owl,” Almony said. “Why are you taking her North?”
“She is an accused hacker. She never hacked, but she was scanned by some body mana scanning machine and tested positive for hack contamination. The test results are in the folder you got. It shows the hackium is concentrated in her body where she was slashed. Students harassed her, people wanted to kill her, the GMs got a warrant on her, and her counselor asked that I take her north, where hackers aren’t a hated menace. She will have a better chance of surviving in the SEA Lands than here.”

“I am still looking for an answer: Why have you come here? The GMs want her dead, and we want YOU dead!”

“We need supplies and a vehicle to get over the mountains, and a note to pass at the canyon gates. I knew you guys missed her, so I brought her back in hopes to repair my relation-“
“Trying to redeem yourself is it? Well it’s a failed attempt!” Almony snapped. “I am grateful the girl is back home, but you can never be forgiven!”
Almony went back to reading the papers, then looked at Azure.
“Az, you have your messenger from…Pepper Jack?” he said excited.
Azure pulled it out of her pocket and placed it on the desk; almony picked it up and examined it.
“I see you have been set up with a new name and all,”
“On my last job, Bob and I went to the Free Market and the guy set it up,”
“Show me your new name tag,”
Azure pulled her necklace out from under her light blue hoody, revealing the metal name tags- one with the name ‘AZINE25’ etched on it, the other with a rabbit’s face carved on the top and Chinese letters carved below it.
Almony held the metal dog-tags and looked at them closely.
“Do you know what guild you are in?”
Azure shook her head no. “Pepper Jack said it was the Silver Bunnies-“
“It says ‘Jejemoon Rabbits'”
“Really?” Azure said, staring at her guild tag.
“Have they ever tried to contact you? on the messenger device?”
“N-no. I can’t read the words on it- its all in Chinese,”
Almony pressed a button and changed the language settings on the mobile device. “Now it is in Singlish. You will simply have to learn the Chinese words that mix in with the english.”
“T-Thank you,”
“Owl, do you have your false name tag and messenger?”
Owl reached into a pocket on the inside of her black cloak and produced her other name tag and messenger.
“Your real tag please,” Alomy said. Owl handed it over to the guy in the green suit standing behind the girls.
“Take that thing and slip it into an outgoing traveller’s bag,” Almony ordered.
“Yes, sir!” and the man walked out.
“That should keep the Justice Arrow away from you since you have just become very useful to me.” Almony said.
“I thought you hated me,”
“Owl, even though you screwed up in the past and endangered a lot of my fellow Permanoobs, I know deep down that it was never intended. Take note that while you have grudges here in Kerning City, none of which will follow you past Corazon Canyon.”
“What are you getting at?” Owl asked curiously.
Almony handed Azure’s tags and messenger back to her, then said, “Azure, please step outside,”
“Why?”
“For safety reasons, child. Owl is far higher level than you are. She is physically fit and is an excellent fighter. She could fight and evade the Justice Arrow or the GMs. You, on the other hand, I can tell wouldn’t last long in an ambush. It would be extremely dangerous if you have this information and fall into custody of the Arrow or cops.”
“what! That’s not cool!” Azure shouted, standing up. “I refuse to go into another job a blind idiot!” she yelled, tears coming out. Azure’s blue hair fell back as she stopped moving for a sec.

She recalled the mission to the Free Market. She was taken from class, tossed on a bus to Perion with an empty folder containing only a not saying to meet outside the Free Market portal at whatever time was written. She had no idea what was supposed to be done and walked into the new Free Market blind and clueless to everything- hackers, canniballs, freaky high levels, and frightening;y weird things. Azure almost died in there, twice. Then she was sick for a week and then she was tested as a hacker under impression it was a body magic scan.
Now everybody wants to kill her. She was thrown in a dangerous job blind and the repercussions were immense.
Azure sure as hell did not want to fall in the same trap again. she wanted to know BEFORE things happened so she could make decisions and save her own ass. She told Almony and Owl everything.

“I’m sorry those things happened to you, but be assured that won’t be-“
“Fuqk you!” the little magician spat back.
“Boys! Remove her at once!” Almony barked.
Two huge guys dressed in jeans and shirts came in, grabbed Azure by the arms and dragged her out. She struggled to get free, but it was no use.
“Let me go!”
“You will be briefed once you get past the border! Take her to a guest room and keep her there!” Almony shouted impatiently.
Once she was taken away, Almony resumed talking to Owl who was not happy at the sudden turn of events. The once father of noobs had turned into an appearant mob boss.
“You’ll get your supplies as you requested, and you will be taking her with you. Her membership in the Jejemoon guild is a critical link for me to the Permanoobs in the SEA Lands. We are in danger- The justice Arrow has been growing and our contacts who went to Henesys- rest their souls, called and said they have been stocking more powerful weapons, vehicles, equipment, armor and support. To keep the Arrow from attacking, I set up mob companies in town to protect the noobs and friendly hackers from the Justice Arrow, but the mob companies are taking their own turn and raising tens
ions with the Arrow!”
“No wonder you seem like a don*,” Owl retorted.
“I began evacuating Permanoobs north, but we have no major recievers up there who will take them in! And without a contract from powerful Permanoobs in the SEA Lands, it is extremely expensive if not impossible to get any of my people past the crossings in Croazon Canyon!”
“And?” Owl promted.
“Azure is a link. I want her to go to the SEA Lands, make contact with Jejemoon’s leaders, have them contact me so we can arrange a migration.”
“You got this all figured out, don’t you?” Owl retorted.
“What!?”
“Okay, first off, she just spazzed out because you refused to explain this to her, and second she doesnt know any Singlish! How can you expect her to go out there and negotiate a massive deal with a SEA Lander when she has little patience, no Singlish words in her brain, and on top of that, she doesn’t even know anyone in the Jejemoon guild! vice versa! She got the messenger and her tags from the Free Market; they could be expired or fake as in the guild doesnt even have her on their list!”
“That is hwere you come in,” Almony cut in. “You will teach her some Singlish, some diplomacy and you will get her there. The girl has to contact Jejemoon before you reach the Canyon, and ask her to send a magic pass code,”
“By messenger?” Owl asked.
“She will ask Jejemoon on the messenger, and Jejemoon will beam a pass code to her tags.”

Owl paused and took a deep breath. “But she won’t be able to call anyone in the SEA Lands from here. It’s too far-“
“There is a patch of land by Grogers Cliff north of Bones Mountain. Go there, make the call, get a code and drive to the checkpoint,”
“What if this Jejemoon person says no?”
Almony looked Owl in the eye. “That, I’m afraid is not an option,”

“Okay, what about me?”
“You will redeem yourself by doing this task for me. forget your mission for the academy or whatever it’s called, it is just a cover up for hopping the border as your papers state. You can live free again with Permanoobs wherever you like and I will work to diffuse the grudges against you if you pull this off and we can start moving people,”
Owl laughed quietly. This seemed so outrageous. “Almony, are you high?”
“No!”
“I don’t supposed you’re sending us alone?”
“You will go when we send out a transport. You drive your own vehicle with Azure at your side and break away to go to Grogers Cliff.
Don’t mind my transport- it is a supply job and they will have the cash to pay the crossing fees.”

There was a moment of silence. “Owl, will you do it?”
OwlSpirit175 paused and took a long moment of thinking. She was also wondering if her original ambitions to investigate the northern markets would work into all of this. Perhaps when everything is done.
She looked at Almony and said,
“Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll take Azure with me and follow this f***ked up plan you just hatched. Now gimme some money and wheels!”
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Ok ok this was supposed to be 36B, but screw it this a whole chapter on its own
Sorry i been off, had internet problems -_-.
btw is the grammar ok?

sorry i havent been on- internet problems