Author's Note: Just to clarify so that everyone knows, this isn't really set in any particular game. It uses whatever information can be gleaned about the Thief Universe from all three games: The Dark Project, The Metal Age, and Deadly Shadows. I personally don't count Thief Gold as its own game, though some ideas may be pulled from it. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Artemus." Garret waited as the Keeper stifled a gasp at the sudden noise, and then turned around calmly, possessing all the dignity Megan attributed the Keepers with.

"I wasn't expecting you." The tall man's eyes flickered down to Megan. "Who is this?" A faint smile spread across the Keeper's face. "Garret, I always saw you as a confirmed bachelor."

"Don't get smart with me, Artemus. I'm not in the mood," the thief growled, but to Megan's ears it didn't sound completely unfriendly… not completely… "This girl says she knows you."

"Does she?" Artemus turned his attention to Megan. His eyes ran over her with a thoughtful expression as they lingered on her face. "Have we met before?"

"In a matter of speaking," Megan said, stepping forward. "I know of you, and have seen you before, sort of…"

"You've seen a Keeper when he did not intend for you to see him?" The Keeper's eyes flickered up to Garret. "This girl sounds like you, Garret."

"I don't care what she sounds like." The thief glared at her. "You said you knew Artemus. I wouldn't have bothered to bring you here if you'd mentioned that you only knew of him!"

"Exactly! And I do know Artemus, he just doesn't know me!" Megan growled back. The flash in both their eyes made the Keeper smile faintly before laying a hand on Megan's shoulder.

"Certainly, certainly. Now, I'm curious to know why you needed to see me so desperately that you had to trick a master thief into bringing you."

"She didn't trick me," Garret snarled, glowering as usual. "She lied. That's different."

"I did not!"

Artemus waved a hand at the thief, who begrudgingly fell silent. "What is your name?"

"Megan Johnson, and I need to talk to you right away."

"Well, go ahead. I'm listening." The Keeper stood, waiting. Megan glanced over at Garret.

"I need to speak with you alone, sir."

At that, the master thief flared up with a growl. "Anything you have to tell Artemus, you'll have to tell me. I've got an interest to see where you come from, it could be important."

"I think you had better tell me what you know, Garret," Artemus said with a frown. "If it is important enough to you to hear what a young girl has to say, than it's certainly important enough for me."

Garret shifted, and crossed his arms as he stood in the dimmer shadows. "The Hammers contacted me earlier tonight. Said something was coming that would raise chaos in the city—in the world. Said the dead would walk about the city and everything would be covered in darkness. You know the Hammers. That's all they'd tell me." The way he shifted made Megan wonder if he was holding something back, but she suddenly found herself under Artemus's eyes again.

"And you? What did you have to tell me?"

"Well, I came to you because Garret didn't seem to want to help me," she began, trying to hide the shiver she got from the theif's chilling glare. "I don't even know how to explain…"

"Do your best, Megan. Start from the beginning."

"Okay…" And she began.

Daphne woke up slowly, blinking the dappled sunlight into her eyes as she sat up, her head whirling with fading dream images. "Man, Megan. I had the scariest dream. I dreamed we had somehow gotten stuck in the game, and Garret was there, and the Pagans, and"

"Good morning, little sprout," Adrianna said as she glided into the grassy clearing. Daphne started with shock as her gaze flew about, trying to remember what was going on. Overhead, the sun peered through the leaves of several large trees. The grass was brilliant green, greener than any yard well tended back in the real world. Adrianna looked less frightening in the light, but the memory of her temper kept Daphne from letting her guard down.

"Did you sleep well?" The woman looked human for the most part as she knelt beside the pallet of animal skins Daphne had spent the night on. "You look well rested."

"Thank you, I am. Where's Sherry?"

"Still sleeping. Tell me, sapling, how did you come to our world? You clearly know much about us and this place, especially about Victoria. Tell me, how did she die? Was she brave and strong like all our legends tell?"

Adrianna watched her with soft eyes, but Daphne couldn't help shivering. Those eyes could turn beady black in an instant, and her skin could shift to green so quickly she wouldn't have any forewarning. She must be careful. "Yes, she died well. If it weren't for her and-" Daphne bit off mentioning Garret, remembering the cold reception that name had received the night before. "If it weren't for her, I'm sure everything would have been destroyed by Karras's evil plot."

"Karras," Adrianna hissed the name and her eyes looked dark. Daphne braced herself, but the Pagan leader glanced down at her and chuckled gently, patting her shoulder as if to comfort her. The touch sent chills down Daphne's spine. "You know much of this, little shoot. Like the rings of a tree, you remember the ages past. Come with me, now. I shall find you something to allay the complaints of your empty stomach."

The woman took Daphne by the hand in her cool grasp and helped her to her feet, leading her across the clearing. "We shall have to find you some new clothes as well. These will not do for you any longer, now that you are one of us."

Daphne's heart jumped to her throat. "One of you?"

Adrianna smiled, and it looked strangely wolfish. "Of course, little sprout. Why else would the Trickster send you? Come, food has been prepared. I will have some new clothes made for you immediately. Only the finest bark cloth will do for you, messenger of our Lord of Chaos." Suddenly, her grip felt like ironwood, and her smile seemed as sharp as thorns. Daphne shivered and looked up at the sky, her silent plea to Megan whisked away on the wings of the wind.

Adrianna led her to another clearing where a long wooden table was set for a feast. In the center of the spread was a roasted animal of some sort, giving off a scent that made Daphne's stomach grumble. At the sound, the lady of the woods laughed and pushed her toward a seat near the head of the table.

"So hungry! Has the Woodsie Lord not seen to your health? How long have you been with us, little sprout?" Daphne was too distracted by the heavenly food in front of her to think about answering either question. Her hands were already on the loaf of bread steaming on her plate when she realized Adrianna was still watching her, sitting silently at the head of the table. At her hesitation, the woman smiled gently, "Go ahead and eat. The bread is delicious."

When was the last time she'd had something to eat? Her stomach pinched, and she could feel herself trembling with hunger. I have to eat something, or I won't be able to find Sherry and get out of here… She tore off a corner of the bread and bit into it. It really was delicious, with faint hints of parsley and chives flooding her as she chewed, but when she swallowed, it felt as if the bread was pulling itself down her throat. The glint of triumph in Adrianna's eyes sent a chill through Daphne. "What's it made of?" she asked.

"My own special recipe. It was given to me by the Woodsie Lord." The woman watched with almost too much interest as Daphne lowered the loaf. There was something very strange about it. She could feel her stomach tingling. Good job, Darson! She probably just POISONED you! The tingling grew, and it seemed as if the air had grown two or three degrees warmer. Sweat formed on her brow. Something behind her let out a warning hiss, and Daphne dropped the bread to the plate.

"Thank you, but I'm not all that hungry after all." At that moment, her stomach gurgled and twisted, and Adrianna's eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked toward the woods.

"Very well. Perhaps later." Then the woman stood up and strode across the clearing, vanishing into the trees without a trace.

Daphne sat for a moment, her hand on her stomach as she tried to settle it. A crunching sound from the table drew her attention, and she let out a squeak as the food morphed into vines, coiling around the table as they grew at a furious rate. Scrambling back, she watched as the whole table became a mass of wriggling vines like snakes, staring as the green tendons grew brown and turned to powered dust, blown away a second later. Overhead, dark brown clouds like smog curled menacing fingers toward the forest canopy, a peal of thunder made Daphne shudder.

"I have to find Sherry," she whispered, catching a faint movement in the trees of something she wasn't entire sure was human. The groan of tree branches moving without the aide of wind set a coil of fear between her shoulder blades. Her stomach twisted again, and she doubled over, shivering. This is really, REALLY bad. We have to get out of here… I don't know what Adrianna's planning, but it isn't good.

The twisting stopped, and she felt a sudden flood of energy. It was as if she'd slept for weeks and just awoken, fully renewed. Standing up, Daphne shivered. "Maybe the bread's supposed to do that…" She didn't half believe it, but the pain was gone, and she didn't seem to be dying. Why would Adrianna try to kill me anyway? She seems to think the Trickster sent me. She shivered at the name. He didn't, did he? With a furious shake of her head, she banished the idea. "I have to find Sherry. Then we're getting out of here." With that, she set off on her search, hoping the barmaid was still alive and well when she found her.

"Are you saying that there's another world outside of ours… that watches and manipulates the events of this world?" Megan drew back at Garret's snapping tone and clenching fists. "You and this friend of yours—are you some kind of…" The thief's lip pulled back in a sneer of disgust and anger.

Artemus stood quietly, watching. His eyes hadn't left Megan's face for the whole story, and even now, he watched her with an expression of deep thought. Knowing she was going to get no protection from the Keeper, Megan squared her jaw to face off with the master thief herself. Inside, every nerve was trembling at the man's fury. "We didn't have any choice! In our world, we didn't even know you were real!"

"Not real?" Garret took a step toward her, looking ready to rip her stomach out with the dagger at his side. All of a sudden, perhaps seeing his own reflection in her wide eyes, the thief cooled off and turned a cold shoulder to her, keeping his chin up as he looked down his nose at her. "I am no puppet." He spat the last word as he pulled his cloak around him and turned to leave.

"Wait, Garret." Artemus held up a hand. "Wait until I've looked through some of the books to see how this all fits in. I think we both know that there's more to this, and if you leave now I might not be able to help you."

The thief looked the Keeper in the eyes with his trademark arrogance. "I think you overestimate your influence, Keeper. I don't need your help." With a snap of his cape, Garret stepped into the shadows.

"Wait!" Megan stepped toward the shadows, but the Keeper's hand fell on her shoulder.

"He's already gone." Artemus turned her to look at him. "I'm going to take you to the Keeper Compound. You'll be safe there. Hopefully I'll be able to find something in the books that can help you, but I can guarantee nothing."

The girl glanced back at the shadows, wishing she could feel eyes on her from them, but there was nothing. Only darkness. "What about Daphne? I can't just leave her!"

"I will have some people keep their eyes open for her. If she's anywhere in the city, we'll find her." The Keeper turned and began leading her toward an apparently blank wall of stone. All of a sudden, a symbol of blue light appeared on the stones overhead. Megan stiffed a gasp as she stared at it.

"A glyph!"

Artemus whirled around, watching her with surprise. "You can see it?" At her nod, he frowned thoughtfully. "There is much more to this than I had suspected. You have the ability to be a Keeper, then? I had not expected this. I hope the books tell more of what is to come, for I fear it will be a time of great turmoil and change. The True Keeper will have a part in this, no doubt."

"You mean Garret."

A flicker of an eyebrow raise. "By this point I shouldn't be surprised by your knowledge of the prophecies. Well, if this is how it must be…" Artemus seemed hesitant before leading her through the glyph door into the Keeper Compound.

Megan had seen it before, with it's arching ceilings and walls of books. She'd been there, stolen trinkets from them while delving into the translator's private rooms. She shivered as she recognized faces, still uncertain whether or not they would recognize her. Artemis kept a quick pace, hurriedly leading her toward the private bedrooms she remembered Garrett residing in at one point. When they came to the guard, the Keeper whispered a few words to the man before leading her to the door. Megan had the distinct feeling that the man was noting every aspect of her face.

"Remain in here until I come for you," Artemis said in a low voice. "I'm not certain yet how the other Keepers will react to you. We've never had anything like this before." With that, he closed the door and left Megan alone in the room. That is, she thought she was alone.

A young woman with a bulging stomach sat up from where she lay on one of the beds. Megan stared at her. The woman was familiar, even if the appearance of pregnancy wasn't. "I'm sorry, I didn't know there was anyone else here," Megan stammered, shifting uncomfortably under the woman's eyes.

"That's alright," the woman sighed, laying back down. "I was just hoping…" She looked over at Megan. "Have you come to seek shelter with the Keepers?"

"In a way, yes. I suppose so." Megan's feet carried her over to the bed beside the pregnant woman, and she sat down, folding her hands in her lap. The woman was so familiar. But where had she seen her? "I came for help, at any rate."

"You and I are in the same situation, then," the woman sighed. "I came to seek the Keeper's aide when my husband was arrested for trying to get some medicine for me. I've been sick recently, and we didn't have any money. So Basso thought he might try—"

"Basso!" Megan cried, making the poor woman jump. "That's where I've seen you before! You're Jenivere! Garrett helped you escape from where you worked as a servant!"

The woman paled. "How do you know this?"

I have to watch myself. These people don't remember me, and so far, their reactions to me explaining that their whole world is just a game weren't very good. "I know Garrett," Megan stammered. "That's all."

"You know the Master Thief?" Jenivere whispered, leaning forward eagerly. "He is the one I was trying to contact through the Keepers! When Basso was arrested, he sent me a private note telling me to contact the Keepers and to find Garrett! Do you know where he is? Do you know if he'd help my dear Basso escape?"

The woman's excitement made Megan lean back, as if the velocity of the words could blow her across the room. "I'm sorry, I don't know where he is…" The woman's face fell, and she laid back on the bed.

"I had hoped the Keepers had found him. I'd hoped that when you entered, you were Garrett." Tears pearled up in the corners of her eyes, slipping down her cheeks. "They want to hang him. My poor, dear Basso. I've been here for a week, and the Keepers have done nothing."

Megan felt her stomach knot up. Artemis was RIGHT THERE with Garrett! If he knew about Basso, why hadn't he said anything about it to Garrett? She wasn't sure the thief would have cared, let alone done anything about it. Then again, Garrett did like flustering the city guard, and this was the perfect opportunity for it. If he could stand helping someone! She thought bitterly. "I wish there was something I could do to help," she sighed, then froze. Who had played Garrett all these years? I'm as close to Garrett as anyone else! If I break Basso out, then he'll owe me a favor. And it'd be something I could hold over Garrett's head. He might reconsider helping me if I could say I'd broken someone out of prison! "Jenivere," she said quickly, "I'll rescue Basso."

"No, I couldn't possibly accept that!" Jenivere cried, putting a hand over her mouth. "I would feel horrible if you risked your life! No, I could ask it of Garrett because I'd know he could take care of himself."

Megan's face burned. I've been through everything that blasted thief has been. I can do anything he can do. The memory of her and Daphne's sad attempt to use a rope arrow came to mind, but she shook it off. The only reason that didn't go smoothly was because I didn't have a bow, and Raife wouldn't lend it to us. Blast him! There's another worthless thief! It's about time I stop waiting around to do something. I have the skills, I'm not going to just sit around. Daphne and I have to get home, and I'm going to do something about it. Frowning, Megan stood up, still facing Jenivere as she prepared yet another lie. This is getting to be a habit, she scolded herself. After this, no more lies. Half-truths, maybe. But no more deliberate lies. "I happen to have a few connections who might know where Garrett is. I'll send them a message to give to him. I don't think the Keepers particularly care what happens to Basso. They're a little distracted with their own problems."

"Please tell Garrett to hurry. I don't know when they plan to hang my love. And thank you." Jenivere reached up and caught Megan's hand, squeezing it tightly before letting the young girl go.

First, she tiptoed to the door, cracking it open only to see the guard startle and frown at her. She closed the door softly and frowned. That won't work… There was a glyph… somewhere in this room…

Megan slipped to the wall, moving slowly until a block of stone caught her eye. The sliding wall! Of course! She stepped onto the slab and felt it sink below her. The stone bookcase slid open, exposing a bright blue glyph on the stones. With a smile, she watched the wall fade away into the smoky blue path of glyph magic. Ability to be a Keeper, huh? Well, let's just put this to good use. Behind her, she heard Jenivere gasp, but the sound was left far behind her as she stepped through and vanished.

The pagans stood in a ring around the still figure on the ground. Daphne came toward them, doing her best not to run to Sherry's side. One of the pagans, the leader of the guards, stepped forward, "Woodsie Lord Messenger," he whispered in awe, "Helpsies you need?"

"I want to speak with that girl," she replied, trying to keep her posture as arrogant as possible. If they were fully convinced that she was sent by their god, surely they'd obey her.

The pagan shook his shaggy head. "Askies any other thing, Woodsie Lord Servant. Speaksies you cannot."

"Why not?" Daphne demanded. Her stomach started tingling again. It hurt, but she wasn't about to stop now. Megan never shows her fear! I have to be brave! "I demand to see the prisoner!"

Three other pagans stepped up behind their leader, blocking her way. From inside, the twisting, knotting pain boiled up as she got angrier. I just want to make sure she's alright! The pain was overwhelming, and with a cry of anger and frustration, Daphne dropped to one knee, clutching her stomach. The pagan man stepped toward her, a hand reaching out in concern.

"Get away from me!" Daphne yelled, but her voice sounded strange to her ears. It sounded as if there were more voices than her own mingling together to say the same things. Inside, the knot grew larger.

The pagan man stopped, staring at her. "Getsies Adrianna—"

"No!" The voices, mingling together. She could hear the creaking of wood in her ears. She threw her hand out toward the pagan who had begun running toward the woods.

There was a hiss, like rope on rope, she could feel the man's skin in her grip, could feel… Daphne looked up from where she crouched and screamed. Her arm had become a writhing length of twisting vines, at the end they twisted around the pagan, crushing him to death. She let him go instinctively, and the vines whipped back to her, shaping back into an arm of green. Daphne looked over at her other arm, at her knees, everything was green. The knot inside her sent a tingling spike down her spine, and she doubled over again, pressing her forehead into the grass, pulling up a clod of it in each hand as she clamped her teeth.

Abruptly, the tingling ceased. Breathing hard, Daphne began shaking. What's going on? What WAS that? I'm not—she didn't…

"Mistress," the pagan leader whispered, bending down to lay a hand on her back.

"Don't touch me!" Daphne screamed, scrambling away from him. Looking down, she could see that her arms were flesh again, her voice was her own. With a sigh of relief, she tried to control her shaking. When she glanced up again, she saw that Sherry was awake. The barmaid stared at her in terror, mouth open, eyes almost buldging out of her head. She couldn't speak, but her lips were easy enough to read.

"You're one of them," she mouthed silently.

"I'm not!" Daphne cried. "I'm not, I swear!" The tingling was starting again. No, no, please no! This can't be happening to me! I'm not supposed to be a pagan, I'm supposed to be a thief! I'm supposed to be with Megan back at her house! I'm not supposed to be like Adrianna! The knot tightened in her stomach. She could hear the crackling of her skin turning to green, felt her vision shift as her eyes turned black. I don't want to be a monster! The pagans pulled back, terrified as she stood up. I don't want to stay here! I want to find Megan! I want to leave this place! And I want Sherry to stop looking at me like that! With a shriek that was not her voice, the vines whipped out from her arms and plowed the pagans down. She could feel the vines wrapping around them, throwing them against trees, up into the air, anywhere to get them out of the way. The vines had a life of their own, and as the tingling grew, she felt herself slipping into another mind. I am a plant. I am one with the forest. The Woodsie Lord is my Father.

"NO!" Daphne threw herself to the ground, the vines twisted back, the world spun in circles. "I'm not one of them!" she shouted, and there was no other voice. Just hers. Her arms were normal again, her skin was flesh again. Her eyes were back to normal. She shook all over, and before she knew it, she was crying. "It's not supposed to be like this!" she moaned. "I'm supposed to be the good guy! I don't want to be a monster!"

The grass pressed against her forehead as she cried, smearing dirt across her brow. She was afraid to look up and see Sherry frozen in terror. She was afraid to find all the pagans scattered unconscious around the clearing. She just wanted to go home.

"Daphne?" A hand settled on her shoulder, and though Sherry jumped back when Daphne raised her head, the barmaid did her best to hide her fear. "What's happened to you? What have they done to you?"

Daphne tried to reply, but the words stuck in her throat, and all she could do was start crying all over again. For a few moments, Sherry stayed back, watching as if to be certain Daphne's skin wouldn't suddenly mutate again, but when it didn't, she came over and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"We'll find a cure, I promise!" she whispered. "I know a guy who has a cure for everything. We'll go to him, he'll fix you."

"You have to go," Daphne choked. "Adrianna will come, I'm sure of it. She can probably sense where I am. She can probably tell when I… when I…" Daphne shook at the thought of her arms extending in a mass of vines.

"I'm not going to leave you here!" Sherry growled. "Just don't do that again, ok?"

Daphne nodded, though she resisted when Sherry grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Come on!" Sherry barked, pulling her toward the edge of the clearing. Through the forest on the other side of the grassy area, they heard the crunching footsteps of Adrianna's tree minion coming to check on the commotion. Fear stabbed the girls in the heart, and without any encouragement, Daphne dashed after Sherry into the woods.