Pilfer
Couriers are taught one core principle: payload over everything. The Couriers Guild strips children of their names and individual identities, training them in a secret martial art to ensure that high-value packages reach their destinations. When one Courier fails to deliver a critical payload to the front lines of a war, he finds himself in possession of a magic weapon, a branded wrist marking him as disgraced, and an unwelcome responsibility for a small group of refugees who would surely perish without him. Pushed to the limit in hostile lands where warring Queens seek to reforge a shattered empire, he clings to the only truth he has ever known: the guild. But as he fights for survival, the cracks in his beliefs begin to widen. The masters he serves are not what they seem. The people he once ignored begin to feel like something more. For the first time, this Courier, this tool, is learning what it means to be human.
Currently out on submission. If you're interested in reading or supporting this project, please reach out to me directly through the contact page!
