Meeting a Dead End
Prologue
The air smelled of damp wood, smoke and wine.
Underneath a dim lantern, Flynn Rider slowly sipped his beer, careful enough to not let his eyes wander past the dark cloaked man that had been watching him for the last few minutes.
After all, being who he was, Flynn was getting accostumed to knives in the dark.
The thief waited until most of the men in the tavern had passed out or were too drunk to discern whispering. He slowly made his way to the stranger's table and sat down, looking around to see if anyone had noticed their acknowledgement.
"You have news for me" said Flynn tossing over a coin purse. The stranger picked up the small velvet bag and looked inside, making the coins slide between his fingers.
"I do" he replied and leaned over the table "I've found something much more valuable than the crown."
"There's nothing more valuable than that crown" countered Flynn, smirking "You know what it's worth."
The man nodded and took a sip of his drink, a dark, reddish liquor that Flynn never saw before.
"I know what it's worth, Rider. But I am telling you: what I've found is far more valuable than a hundred crowns together."
Intrigued, Flynn leaned back in his chair. He looked around again, reassuring their discretion.
"If that object were as valuable as you say, you would have fetched it for yourself already."
"I knew you would think that" the man smlied again and leaned over the table, indicating the thief to mimic his gesture. "Alas, the thing I want you to find is not an object. And it's protected by the most powerful sorcery."
"It's not...an object?" asked Flynn Rider, wondering what could be more valuable than a gem or a pearl necklace "Then... what is it?"
"It's a girl."
Rider didn't answer, looking at the informer as if the man had gone nuts. A question formed in his mind and with a cocky smile, he let it slip out his throat: "What kind of girl can be more valuable than the crown of the lost princess?"
"The lost princess herself."
Flynn didn't believe the man at first. He looked at his features, trying to figure out if he was lying or telling the truth: after all, as a professional thief as he was, he was accostumed to discern wether a man was just being awfully cocky or simple speaking honestly. To his desmise, he understood that the man truly knew where was the princess.
"Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no. I will NOT go on a mission like that" he concluded, shrugging at the thought. What kind of monsters and hideous mechanisms could be guarding a princess that was being tracked down for eighteen years?
"Of course you will." replied the stranger "Rider, gold always moved you. And there's an awful amount of gold waiting for you if you bring the princess back."
"No amount of gold is worth my life" said Rider, balancing his chair. He didn't exclude the option completely – he was still thinking of the risks, listing mentally the equipment and supplies he would need for such a trip.
And then he thought about the gold – piles and piles of gold that he could spend on good wine, good clothing and good company. Oh, the dream of a man that had always searched for wealth and could find none! If he accomplished that one mission, he could be rich enough to spend the rest of his life on a small island full of beautiful women and countless food and drinking.
A smile suddenly stretched over his lips.
"There's something else." Added the informer, taking the coin purse into the pocket of his long jacket.
"What is it?"
"We need the girl dead."
