Catching the stalker

I have to deal with this before it gets out of hand, Maximilian decided. Who knew what this stalker might do? On his way to the tavern he had spotted earlier, he ducked into a side alley and rushed down it, making as much noise as possible. As he popped out onto a different street, he leaped to the side and hugged the building wall. Anyone rushing past would sail right by him—or so he hoped.

And no plan survives contact with the enemy, he ruefully thought.

But this girl was no special forces operative. Just as he had hoped, she rushed through the alley in a hurry to catch up with him, making it ridiculously easy for Maximilian to sweep her legs. With a graceless thud, she fell face-first into the mud, her momentum knocking the air from her lungs. As she lay gasping, Maximilian grabbed her hair and robe and dragged her back into the alley. No need for any passerby to witness what was about to happen.

Maximilian lifted the girl against the stone wall of the alley, keeping one hand firmly on her throat.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" he demanded, anger sharpening his voice.

Unsurprisingly, the girl—still catching her breath from the fall and the drag—couldn’t answer. She just wheezed like an old vacuum cleaner he remembered from his youth, the one that drove her mother mad with noise but never actually cleaned anything. Maximilian realized he was being a bit rough.

Once she could breathe properly, the girl’s complexion brightened slightly, and she finally spoke.

"I’m not stalking you! I swear!"

But Maximilian wasn’t convinced; she had clearly been following him. He gave her a hard stare and raised his fist again.

"Okay, okay, I only followed you because you seemed to have a plan and I didn’t know what to do," she explained, sobbing.

"Why are you crying?" Maximilian asked, confused. She only bawled harder.

"Wha—wha—what do you think? We—we—we were kkkkkkkkkkkicked oh-oh-oh-out today and…" She sniffled hard, wiping her nose with her sleeve before continuing.

"I don’t have any money, like those assholes who just went home, and I don’t want to spend my life as the… as the… ATCHOOO!"

She sneezed violently, making Maximilian release his grip—but, unsurprisingly, she did not run.

"As the magical whore of some noble," she sniffled, finishing the thought.

"So yeah, I followed you hoping there’d be something I could copy or do to help myself," she admitted, still sniffling.

Maximilian thought carefully. He wasn’t heartless and fully understood her plight. Yet he was on a divine mission, and his path to the Labyrinth had to remain fast. Extra baggage could only slow him down. On the other hand, someone watching his back—especially a girl who could use magic—might prove useful.

He gave the girl a longer look. Sure enough, she was as cute as a button, with the willowy form of youth: brunette hair, round face, small breasts, plump lips. Desirable, yet unremarkable enough not to distract him completely.

"What’s your name?" Maximilian asked, adjusting his stance. Unintentionally, he towered over her, leaning close. She swallowed nervously, aware of the height difference.

"Anna. My name is Anna. My family are nobodies, and they certainly don’t need one more mouth to feed," she said between sniffles.

"Hey Anna, my name is Maxi… I mean Max. My name is Max Wax," he said, cursing the stupid last name. "I also come from nothing. But I have a plan that will make me a bunch of money, and with that money, I’m going to conquer the Labyrinth. Now, if that sounds insane to you, you’re free to go. Hell, I’ll even give you a coin to get you moving," he added with a half-smile.

"But if you’re up for it, I could use a girl to watch my back—especially a girl who can use magic," Max continued. He had unintentionally placed one hand against the wall beside her head, leaning close so that no one else could hear. The effect on Anna was immediate and electrifying; her eyes grew wide as saucers.