Niku stared up at the castle. He had done this many times before, but today was different. Today he would get through that castle and tomorrow he would be rich. "I can't live off pick pocketing forever" he always told himself. But in his heart he knew that he would always be a petty thief (and by always I mean until nightfall.)

The rest of the day dragged on slowly, but, when night came, he did it, and….failed. The king stared down at Niku smiling, "Wow, Niku," he said sarcastically, "It's not like you've done this before."

"I know right," Niku humored him, "this time I climbed up the gutter instead of going over the wall into the courtyard. Of course somehow I always end up here." Niku and the King were old friends; the two had traveled far and wide killing monsters, and stopping evil (in the king's case) and picking pockets and looting bodies (in Niku's case). Now, far past those days, Niku always raiding the castle had mostly just cemented their friendship. "But today is different, Niku," the King's smile faded.

"I have a Government Official in my court for a while, so this time I will have to actually have to put you through a trial."

"WHAT!" Niku yelled. The worst punishment he ever had was public service. "Just tell him to get out!"

"I can't do that; it would mean war between our kingdoms! The King sighed and then said quietly, "It's okay Niku; you've wriggled out of worse." But the king had lied; the worse was yet to come.

"Court is now in session! Niku, you stand accused of… how many raids against the castle?"

"Four or five." said the king. Ha! That liar. "Your majesty," Niku began, "I would like the court to know that the king and I are old friends."

"LIAR!" he was interrupted by the government official, "His Majesty and you are old friends?"

"Um, actually we are" said the king. This was met with mutters and shakings of the head.

"And furthermore I do not want the king lying on my behalf. I have raided the castle every other week for about two or three years."

"Liar!" barked the stupid government official "and you've never been caught?"

Actually I've never succeeded. I've raided his castle so many times he's installed an extra alarm for me."

"So you plead guilty?"

"Yep"

"You little liar, why are you lying? To bring the king down with you? To raise the sentence to death? Do you tire of your life? I don't even think I believe you when you say you're a thief! Never succeeded, Ha!"

"I can prove it"

"How?" demanded the Official.

"Is this your wallet?" He twirled a money bag around his finger. The official's expression was the funniest thing he had seen in a while and Niku had actually burst out into uncontrollable laughter

The trial went downhill from there. In the end Niku was sentenced to do something for the public that was not public service. The Government Official had said, "In your case, a death sentence would be a public service!"

The sewers had recently been blocked off and Niku was supposed to fix that. Niku knew that this was a death sentence. If he was to show his face on the surface again he would become a wanted criminal. The worst part of Niku's life was saying goodbye to the king.

"Goodbye"

"Oh you'll be seeing him," said the government official. Where did he come from?

"What?" said Niku incredulously. Could the man have changed his mind? And just in the nick of time too, Niku was halfway down the manhole already

"The king has kept a criminal in society for too long" said the official, "He is to go down with you."

"What?" said the king, "I didn't get a fair trial, I'm not the criminal here!"

"It doesn't matter what happened in the court," the official sneered, "what matters is what is right."

SHOVE! And then the two went hurtling down into the sewer.