they were hanging around the harbour, the poorer districts and Xalveth. A week ago, they nearly picked my pocket.’ He huffed irritably.
‘I don't think you should be bragging about that last bit.’ Draco smiled wryly at the elf’s irritation. ‘It’s interesting that they’ve become so brazen. I didn’t think they’d be a problem in Atlantis. Especially considering how many patrols you see on the streets.’
‘You might run into the army and the City Guard on the main roads, but the further you stray from the main thoroughfares, the less likely you are to encounter them. Well, perhaps apart from Rithien and, until recently, Dorvus.' James began climbing the stairs leading to the upper floor. 'It's particularly bad in the slums, though I've only heard that through the rumours.'
‘Slums? Here?’ The dragon was surprised. Until now, he’d had the impression that the City of Light was a fairly wealthy city, perhaps with great disparities in wealth, but he’d never have associated it with poverty. Besides, he hadn’t encountered extreme poverty in Dagos either; one could say a lot about dragons, but thanks to their abilities, they were always sought-after workers in many fields. Their natural predisposition for amassing wealth also served as a motivating factor.
‘Shocking, isn’t it?’ Draco couldn’t see the elf’s face, so he only saw him shaking his head. ‘I didn’t know about it either when I arrived here; most visitors don’t.’ He glanced over his shoulder. James’s eyes gleamed with a somewhat unsettling light. ‘On the other hand, it’s pretty much the norm for larger cities, both the slums and the Thieves’ Guild. In Atlantis, it’s interesting in that the entire slum district is located in the old tunnels stretching beneath the city. Xalveth, as it’s called, has many entrances, but most are near the harbour. It’s very easy to vanish into the winding corridors or get lost, so I wouldn’t advise venturing in there. Especially since the arm of the law doesn’t reach that far, unless you count the underworld’s representatives as part of it.’
‘Tunnels beneath the city? Now that’s something interesting.’
