yay, another story. -ducks to avoid thrown objects- Actually, I'm already almost finished with the next chapter for this story, and this is just a little something I like to work on in my spare time. I do not own MapleStory, but anyone who plays on the Windia server, feel free to fame TsukiSan616! xD Hope y'all enjoy this story which currently has no end in sight, so...yeah. Ill try and have chapters of my other stories up and running soon!
I sat on a bench near a graffiti-covered brick wall, observing the dark clouds gathering overhead. Of course, it was always like this in Kerning City. No wonder thieves were always inhumanly pale; they never got a drop of sunshine in their system after getting their jobs.
I sighed as a party of chattering beginners hurried by, intimidated by the shady characters that lurked among the streets, one of those shady characters being myself, with silvery hair concealing half my face, only one violet eye visible, watching their every move. A sword's silver hilt shone through the folds of my dark trenchcoat, and an outdated war bow rested on my lap. I scratched my black tiger cub, Kage, between the ears as he sat on my overstuffed backpack on the bench beside me.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the alley, so I grabbed the edge of my feathered black hat to keep it on my head. And over the empty howling, I heard a familiar voice call my name.
"Kurayami!!" it cried. I looked around and spotted one of my acquaintances that had recently become a thief. A red bandana kept her black hair out of her face and she had equipped a metal gauntlet that could deliver a powerful punch. "I've got something for you," she told me.
"Yes?" I replied, trying to keep a smile from emerging.
"Here." The thief dug in her pocket for a moment before revealing three small mushroom-shaped game pieces, their surfaces shining dimly through the shadows.
I grinned, taking them and stuffing them into a pocket in my pack. "Thank you very much. Here's your payment." I handed her thirty mesos, ten for each Omok piece, which she took immediately.
"I had a lot of trouble trying to track you down this time, Kurayami," she told me. "More trouble than usual."
"Well, you know how I am," I responded, sitting back on the bench. "I'm a wanderer. I come and go as I please."
"I know that. I'm just wondering if it was worth it this time. Why do you even collect those things?"
"I really don't know. Some people collect ores, some monster items. I just happen to collect these Omok pieces,"
The thief sighed. "Ah well. I'd best be on my way; I promised my party I'd meet them in the subway for some training. I can't believe how overrun it is with bubblings."
"Good luck," I called as she ran in the direction of the construction site. Kage jumped down and rubbed my ankles with his head.
"I love you too Kage," I said. The tiger looked up with adoring eyes. I laughed and pulled out a carton of food, which I poured into a small bowl and placed in front of him. I waited until he was finished eating before I got up and shouldered my backpack with Kage following close behind.
The dark streets were unusually crowded today, full of a range of persons including traveling merchants advertising their goods to passerby, nervous beginners who for the most part traveled in packs, pickpockets, rich snobs, questers, rangers, young couples, and the occasional messenger bustling to and fro. I weaved my way through the throng, hearing Kage hiss occasionally at anyone who dared to venture too close. As expected, I was bombarded by strangers who wanted to buy my items or sell their own, even offering me free arrows or pet food. I strode past without so much as a glance at them, mostly because I could tell that they were mostly flirtatious adolescent boys or new immigrants from Maple Island that were trying to sell cheap items for more than they were worth.
What did catch my attention, though, was a sudden tap on my shoulder. I looked back, annoyed, to see one of the messengers reading from an index card. He promptly pocketed it and looked up at me.
"Are you Kurayami of Henseys?" he asked.
"So what if I am?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.
He pulled an envelope from his backpack and handed it to me. I noticed that the wax seal belonged to Athena Pierce; it had become familiar to me throughout the years. I looked up to thank the messenger, but he had already disappeared into the chattering mass.
I tore the envelope open and took out a folded-up piece of parchment. As my eyes zoomed across the elegant handwriting, I felt a growing sense of dread creep into the pit of my stomach. Scowling, I pocketed the letter and set off to the forest to the south; the fastest way to Henseys. I knew that whatever I had been called here for couldn't possibly be good.
Just as I was entering the nearly deserted outskirts of Kerning, a familiar figure wavered in the distance, near a rusted metal pillar. I crept closer and recognized my young friend, twirling a couple of shruikens on her fingers.
"Hello," I said loudly, walking closer. She looked up and I realized that her expression was cold and indifferent to my greeting.
"Were you just summoned to Henseys, like all the other archers?" she asked softly.
"I think that if you knew about the summons, you could answer your own question."
She turned to that her body faced me as she pulled out a sharp steel dagger. "Well in that case, I'm going to have to kill you."
My eyes widened. "On whose orders?" I asked furiously.
The young thief grinned. "Everyone knows that any rouge who disobeys the Dark Lord is in immediate danger of losing their life, right?"
"You can just walk away right now," I warned, "and say you never came into contact with me. I don't want to fight today with anyone except monsters, and I don't want to kill anyone who I just bought Omok pieces from. It's bad for business."
"It's your life or mine," she declared boldly.
"So be it," I muttered, pulling out two arrows and notched them on my bow's string. "If that's the way it's gonna be, then so be it!"
