There were more guards hiding in the area than Therion had expected, he had to admit. They had been more than fine with letting Therion and the rest of the party roam the manor at first, but it seemed as if Heathcote had given them a single to pull them all back to the treasure room at a moment's notice. There had to be at least a dozen of them, not that Therion was particularly paying attention to them. He was too focused on Heathcote.
Therion had to admit that Heathcote was much more durable than he expected. He released a small blast of fire magic, something that he had taught himself years ago, before following up with a dagger attack. The rest of the group was focusing on the guards themselves, though some were doing better than others.
"We aren't trying to cause you any trouble!" Tressa exclaimed. She hadn't taken the revelation about Therion being a thief well at all, and he could hear it in her voice. She used a blast of wind magic to knock the nearby guards off their feet, sending many of them falling backward into one another before they hit the wall unceremoniously.
"Consider this one final test," Heathcote announced, though Therion had no damn clue what that was supposed to mean. He dodged a swipe from Therion's dagger before following up with a slash of his sword. Therion raised his own blade to deflect the attack, a growl rising in the back of his throat. He hadn't ever known an old man to be so agile and threatening in combat, and he hated that he was being forced to test the limits of his instincts against someone who had proven himself to be so frustratingly unpredictable.
"I don't know what you want from us, but we'll be out of your hair as soon as you'll let us go," Alfyn said next. He was struggling to keep a smile on his face as he sent a small attack of ice out to immobilize the guard closest to him.
"There is something very important that I require from your party, and if you are able to succeed, then the time will come for me to explain," Heathcote replied, once again keeping his responses as vague and cryptic as he could possibly manage.
Ophilia was the only member of the group who seemed to wish to come to Therion's aid. In truth, it was much more complicated than that; everyone else was focused on the sheer number of guards in the area, leaving Therion to occupy their leader. Perhaps there was a quiet sense of uncertainty in the air regarding Therion because he had been the one to get them into such trouble in the first place, but he couldn't care less even if he tried. He worked best alone anyway.
Ophilia, however, didn't seem to think so, and she sent a pair of icy attacks in Heathcote's direction to knock him off balance before sending out a wave of magic that overwhelmed Therion's senses. It took him a moment to register that this was healing magic, something that he had never experienced until that moment. He had never gotten close enough to a mage during a friendly encounter nor had he ever needed it when he was around users of the arcane arts. Even though it was a new feeling, it wasn't entirely unwanted, Therion had to admit.
Therion used this opportunity to rush in Heathcote's direction. He slashed his dagger at Heathcote mercilessly, thrusting his left hand forward to use an attack of fire. This knocked Heathcote to his knees, leaving the man notably dazed. He held at his head with one hand in an attempt to regain his footing.
Cyrus seemed to recognize that Heathcote had been distracted, and he turned away from his work in distracting the Ravus territory soldiers to flick his wrist at Heathcote. Ice immediately began to mount against the ground, spreading toward Heathcote at breakneck speeds. It didn't take long for Heathcote's lower body to be fully encased, and part of his torso was left shrouded in the icicles as well.
This lapse of focus on Cyrus' part offered the chance for one of the remaining soldiers to attack him, but Olberic jumped in the way with his sword braced for the strike. Sparks flew in every direction, and Olberic pushed the man backward, causing him to stumble once again.
Alfyn had one hand shoved in his satchel, and when he removed his fingers, there was a small vial in hand. He grabbed at a few herbs located in an outside pocket before combining the material in the vial with the herbs in his grasp. From there, he shoved the product toward the nearby guard that Olberic had just stunned. It didn't take long for the soldier's body to slump over as he dipped out of consciousness. He collapsed to the ground, sleep overtaking him in full.
Therion, meanwhile, stalked toward Heathcote with enmity burning in his gaze. He shook his head with a scoff as he halfway turned his body to face the other members of the group. His left hand dangled near Heathcote's face, but Therion spared Heathcote little more than a passing glare out of one eye. His peripheral vision should have given him the power to see the rest of the battlefield, but he turned his head regardless.
Tressa knocked one of the remaining guards back as Ophilia did the same with an attack of light magic. Everything seemed to fall into place from there as Alfyn began to circulate with his new concoction. Therion assumed that whatever he had pulled together gave him the ability to put his target to sleep. The dazed guards were his first targets, and from there, he made the rounds to send all of the soldiers off to the land of dreams. Most of the remaining soldiers were encased in ice courtesy of Cyrus and Ophilia, but before long, that was hardly the only restriction keeping them from fighting.
With the rest of the guards taken care of, Therion turned back to Heathcote. Cyrus snapped his fingers together, and the ice binding the guards and Heathcote splintered into nothingness, flying off in every direction possible. Therion did his best to not flinch at the sound, but he did so regardless, and he glanced over his shoulder to glare at Cyrus from behind his scarf.
Heathcote slowly rose to his feet, brushing the remaining fragments of ice away from his body. He seemed shaky from head to toe despite his best attempts to hide it, like he was only a breath away from losing any footing that he may have had. "So you can hold your own in battle as well," he observed simply. "It seems I underestimated you."
Therion let out a heavy sigh. The adrenaline was starting to dissipate, and as it abandoned him, Therion was left to recognize just how exhausted he was in the aftermath of that battle. "That makes two of us. Was that a part of your 'butler' training?" he questioned dryly.
"I see you still have some reservations about my true profession," Heathcote commented carefully. "Though I'm sure my victory here lends my words no credit."
Therion glared at him. The rest of the group continued to eye their surroundings warily, having realized there was something off about Heathcote's phrasing as well. "Your victory?" Therion scoffed. He went to cross his arms over his chest when he felt something foreign around his wrist. A light jangling sound accompanied the strange sensation. He glanced down at his wrist, his eyes going wide with shock. "What in the-?!"
"Any thief worth his salt should recognize that band," Heathcote replied evenly. "The mark of a convict. The fool's bangle, as some call it. Undeniable proof of a thief's humiliating blunder."
Therion's core sparked to life with rage. He had managed to avoid being tied down for long enough to acquire a fool's bangle in the past, but it had all been for naught. He was hardly the convict of Heathcote's claims, but he did have a sense of pride to look after. "Get this off of me!" Therion roared, feeling his anger come close to consuming everything he was. The rest of the group stared at the chain on his wrist, silent in their confusion and terror.
"I do not take my orders from you," Heathcote told Therion, not at all bothered by the glares that the thief was shooting in his direction. "I've attached it to your arm for a reason. If anyone is to see it, they shall know of your failure here today."
Therion resisted the urge to rush at Heathcote with everything he had. He knew that it was hardly productive, but he had more anger than he knew what to do with in that instant, and it exploded out through his words. "Why you-!"
"However, I imagine your pride will not permit you to be seen with it, and that makes it the perfect leverage for negotiations," Heathcote interrupted, still entirely uncaring as to the rage being directed at him.
"Negotiations?" Therion echoed, his expression contorting into something sickened.
Heathcote simply nodded as footsteps resounded throughout the hall. The travelers all shifted together while Therion simply prepared himself for another battle. Instead though, he was met with the image of a young woman even younger than Tressa. Her hair was blonde and cut close to her face. She wore an intricate turquoise dress to match the color of her shaded eyes.
As the young woman approached, she looked over the entire party with a detached gaze. "You may have broken into my home, but for now, I will overlook your transgressions," she declared.
"Oh, great. More company," Therion scoffed, still not leaving his battle-ready stance. The rest of the group remained ever silent, unsure as to what they were even meant to say in the first place. Primrose reached for her dagger where it was resting in its sheath, though even she seemed to be aware that this newcomer was not as dangerous as Heathcote had proven himself to be.
"Pardon my belated introduction," the young woman began. "My name is Cordelia Ravus, and I am the lady of the house."
"Regards to your decorator. They sure have a way with traps," Therion remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he inclined his head toward Heathcote slightly.
Cordelia seemed almost insulted by his words at first before she corrected her expression back to its previous neutrality. "Allow me to explain. The treasure you were after is a family heirloom known as the dragonstones."
"You don't say," was all Therion could bring himself to say in response. He had no idea what Cordelia was talking about, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to understand everything and more soon enough.
"The dragonstones have been in my family for generations," Cordelia started to continue.
Therion held up one hand to stop her. "Wait, dragonstones? I see one," he told her, pointing off in the direction of the sapphire gem resting atop its podium nearby. There were certainly pedestals for four of the stones, but only one of them was actually where it was meant to be. The blue jewel glimmered in the minimal lighting as if trying to prove his point.
"Yes. Once, there were more, but the stones were stolen during the chaos following my parents' passing," Cordelia replied. "Fortunately, Heathcote was able to recover the sapphire stone."
Heathcote nodded from his place beside Cordelia. Therion merely rolled his eyes. "What touching devotion. Is this the part where I'm moved to tears?" he asked, his voice still as dripping with sarcasm as ever.
Heathcote shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps, once you understand your place in this story," he answered simply. Therion resisted the urge to roll his eyes once again. This was starting to get incredibly nauseating at aggravating speeds. Unfortunately for him, Heathcote wasn't yet finished speaking. "If you collect the three remaining stones, we shall remove the band from your arm."
"So this was your plan all along," Therion muttered.
Cordelia nodded. "Yes, but please understand, I had no choice," she told him, her eyes wide with vulnerability. Her previous aura of power had dissipated, giving way to nothing more than desperation. She was practically pleading with Therion in the silence even though she fell into the category of being his blackmailer.
"Well, aren't you two clever? Setting a thief to catch a thief," Therion continued. He could already feel the bangle at his wrist like a lead weight pulling him down to hell. He kept his back straight and his head held high for the sake of his own personal pride, but deep down, all he wanted to do was kick the wall and scream. He had gotten overconfident and cocky, and he had paid the price for it. Heathcote had slipped the bangle on his wrist while he was distracted by what Cyrus was doing to dispel the icy traps in the room. This had been a setup from the start, and he was the mouse caught at the center of the trap's sharpened jaws.
Heathcote's eyes narrowed at Therion. "Don't thieves often say, 'the ensnared has only himself to blame'?" he questioned.
Therion held in a sigh. Heathcote was just becoming stranger by the minute, and he wished that he could figure out what in Aeber's hell was going on. Unfortunately, his abilities of reading others were falling pathetically flat all of a sudden, and he wished that he could have saved his skills for the moment when he needed them most. "Yeah, they do," he muttered noncommittally before shifting his gaze up to glare at Heathcote, scrutinizing the man for any glimpse of information he could find. "For a butler, you sure know a lot about thieves, old man."
"I dare not bore you with my story when there are more pressing matters at hand," Heathcote told him, gesturing with one hand to the empty pedestals where the dragonstones had once stood. "Will you undertake Miss Ravus' mission, young thief? If you refuse..."
When a few moments of silence passed, Cordelia chimed in. "If you do this for us, I'm willing to do anything that you ask of us. If it's money you seek, we can most certainly provide it. Our search has been fruitless for years, and you're our only hope at finding the dragonstones," she told him. That aggravating sheen of desperation infected her eyes once more. "Please. We've hit the end of the line, and we need your-"
"I'll do the job," Therion interrupted, a snarl already forming at the back of his throat. He detested the idea of this more than anything else, but he knew that there was no choice. One thing about thieves was that they all held their pride close to their chests, and Therion wasn't about to let everything fall apart after all that he had accomplished. Cordelia's promises of other riches were nice, sure, but deep down, Therion knew that he had to find a way to help this bruise to his ego recover sooner rather than later. He already felt humiliated, and this was before anyone outside that singular room realized that he had failed in his mission. His reputation was simply that, and Therion detested feeling this damn helpless. He would do anything to get rid of this sensation, even if it meant chasing some long-gone jewels halfway across the damn continent. His fist clenched in rage, his nails digging into his palm as a last-ditch effort to keep himself from snapping.
"Excellent. Then I pray your journey will be a successful one," Heathcote said, smiling tightly from behind his mustache as if it wasn't clear that he was the reason all of this was happening to begin with.
Therion was more than happy to start moving to leave after that, but he was cut off by Cyrus speaking. "I have a few questions, if you wouldn't mind," he declared. Therion resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he continued walking for the door.
"We can answer them now, if you would like," Cordelia told him, her face too smiley and bright for someone that Therion wanted to punch. "We shall see you off when you leave town. You can meet up with the rest of your party then. How does that sound?"
Therion knew that the words were directed at him. He hated the idea of having to work with the rest of this group when he had barely agreed to do this ridiculous favor for Cordelia in the first place. He had been planning on slipping away when they weren't paying attention to continue going about his life as if he had never met them to begin with.
However, he knew that wasn't going to slide, so he simply growled under his breath before replying. "Fine. I have some unfinished business to take care of first," he said before he left the room behind entirely. Rage still burned at his core, and if he couldn't take his anguish out on Cordelia, Heathcote, or the rest of his party, then he was going to direct it at the person who had sent him in the direction of Ravus Manor in the first place.
Cyrus watched as Therion left with a passive gaze, uncertain as to how he was meant to respond before he realized that there likely wasn't a good way to reach out to Therion in that instant anyway. Therion needed some time to himself, it seemed, and this gave Cyrus the perfect chance to inquire about a few matters that had been bothering him ever since they arrived in the manor.
"I've heard of the treasure of House Ravus," Cyrus began. He did his best to forget about the fact that he had been turned into an accomplice for a thief as he trained his gaze on Cordelia and Heathcote. "These dragonstones seem to hold much magical power. I can feel the strength they possess from over here."
Cordelia nodded. "The dragonstones are incredibly powerful. They possess magical strength that most could only hope of understanding," she replied. "And they have been kept under the watch of House Ravus for generations. A warning has been passed down alongside the stones... They must not fall into the wrong hands. Their power is immense, and if it is used for the wrong purposes... The destruction would be immeasurable."
"And you've tried to get them back through ethical means for quite some time only to fall short. That's why you need Therion," Primrose frowned. She earned a nod from Cordelia as she turned her attention to Heathcote. "It seems as if you had business with the rest of us as well."
"I somehow doubt that those who have gotten their hands on the dragonstones will be willing to part with them easily. That friend of yours is a potent thief, but he will not be able to steal the gems alone. If something happens where the targets grow violent, he will need support. The battle was to see if you as a team were capable of dispatching of the threats that may stand in your way," Heathcote explained.
"I don't think we're going to be with him for much longer," Tressa muttered. "He used us. He lied about what he was actually going to do, and... I can't just stand around here and side with someone who did all that! It isn't right!"
"I trust him," Ophilia told Tressa, her voice so quiet that it could have been completely covered by a stray breeze. When Tressa stared at her in surprise, Ophilia continued. "Something about him... I can tell that he isn't going to abandon us. I can see it in his eyes. He's far kinder than he wishes for us to know. Something pushed me to speak with him in the first place, and I... I trust it. That was how I met all of you, and I'm going to count on it being true with Therion as well."
"It seems like our little group here has grown a bit larger then, huh?" Alfyn commented with a lopsided smile that hardly fit the situation. "Though I somehow doubt he'll be quick to warm up to the rest of us."
"I'm sure that you will be able to accomplish that in time," Cordelia assured him. "Heathcote and I will send you off from Bolderfall. We can explain the rest of our information to Therion at that time as well. For now, if there are any other supplies that you require for your journey, we would be more than happy to provide it."
Cyrus glanced to the rest of the group. Tressa was quick to step up to take care of matters from there thanks to being the resident specialist of inventory. The group started off into the deeper halls of the manor afterward. Cyrus gave one final glance in the direction of the dragonstone. The sapphire gem shone brighter than any other jewel, and he could tell that it held just as much power as Cordelia had described, if not more.
What strength could rest inside that stone? How curious...
Therion slid into the same old barstool that he had been using just earlier that morning, a scowl on his features. The barkeep was busy tending to other patrons, but he perked up when he saw Therion was there. "Ah, you're back," the man remarked simply.
"With a tale to tell, too. I'll trade it for a drink," Therion replied as he pressed his forearms against the table in front of him. He was glad to be back in the familiar chaos of the tavern. He would take that over the suffocating gazes of his newfound companions any day, and he had only been around them for a few hours.
The barkeep let out a chuckle. "'Fraid I don't deal in that currency."
Therion's eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a quality so dry that it was almost comedic. He would have laughed had he not been boiling with rage. The bangle around his wrist felt warmer all of a sudden, so uncomfortable that he had half a mind to claw it off himself. "Listen, I just came from Ravus Manor. Had a lovely chat with a fellow named Heathcote. Maybe you know him?" Therion prompted, though he already knew the answer to his inquiry. The evidence was easy enough to put together since he knew what he was looking for.
The barkeep nodded his confirmation. "I did warn ye not to go there. So, was it everythin' ye expected it to be?"
Therion shook his head, resisting the urge to sit on his hand so that he didn't start messing with the sign of his misstep where it hung like lead around his arm. "All that and more, and now I'm awfully thirsty. I might need two drinks to get this bad taste out of my mouth." He knew that a drink would do nothing but tide over his rage for a while longer, but Therion was willing to accept that. Nothing was going to fix this aside from carrying out the damn mission, but the barkeep didn't need to know that. He wasn't even going to tell the rest of the group that Cordelia and Heathcote seemed to want him to team up with permanently. Something in the back of his mind asked where everything had gone so wrong as he eyed the bottle of mead nearby.
The barkeep caved with a laugh as he shook his head. "Comin' right up." He pulled the cork from the bottle and poured into a mug before passing it over in Therion's direction, not even asking which drink the thief was seeking. It was the same one each time, after all, though Therion knew it was going to taste bitter this time around.
He wound up being right, and Therion spent what felt like a decade sitting at the bar and sipping carefully at his drink. He knew that he was just procrastinating, but he couldn't bring himself to go any faster. He had a job to take care of in the eyes of Cordelia and Heathcote, and he wasn't going to be able to get away quite so easily. Therion was a man of his word, and he didn't think that he had it in him to abandon them after promising to carry out this mission. Cordelia's eyes, so pleading and full of shattered hope, stung him to even think about, as if he had been slapped in the face by the very memory of her broken desperation. His fate for a short while was set in stone, it seemed.
At the very least, my next few heists are bound to be grand ones.
He sulked into his drink even more when he next took a sip.
When Therion finally left the tavern behind, he had figured out a way to silence the jangle of the band by tucking it under his sleeve. It was an uncomfortable fit, but he knew that it was better than broadcasting the subject of his blackmail for the world to see. The Cliftlands heat of Bolderfall felt even more suffocating than usual as he walked up the steps as quickly as he could without anyone taking particular notice of him. All he wanted to do was get out of the damn town and pretend that he had never been there to begin with for as long as he could even though he knew that was far from being realistic.
The entrance of the town was crowded, and upon closer examination, Therion realized that the rest of the party was gathered together alongside Cordelia and Heathcote. They were talking amongst themselves until Cordelia saw Therion approaching. She perked up and waved to him. "Mr. Therion! Mr. Therion!" she cried out. Therion wanted to sink into the ground. She was going to blow what little dignity he had left to smithereens if she wasn't careful. Chances were high that she had learned his name by speaking with the rest of the group, and somehow, that only made the situation more embarrassing at the reminder that Therion was going to be with them for quite a while longer.
"What now?" Therion asked, muttering it more to himself than questioning of anyone else. He knew that his bitterness was still seeping through despite his attempts to mask it, not that Cordelia or anyone else seemed bothered.
"I came to see you off on your journey," Cordelia said, and Therion realized too late that she had heard him a moment prior. She had already explained this, but she continued regardless. "As it is at my behest that you are setting out."
Therion shook his head. "Look, I'm just fulfilling my half of a bargain. Nothing more, nothing less," he told her, keeping his voice low so as to not attract the attention of the other members of the group who were chatting amongst themselves nearby. Their eyes were locked onto a map in Tressa's hands. They were undoubtedly planning out their next step as a team.
"I understand that, but..." Cordelia began, her voice trailing off when she realized that she didn't know how to finish the sentence.
"He's right, m'lady. This is simply an agreement between us and a skilled but... Shortsighted thief," Heathcote told her. Therion felt his rage boil over at the comment about being shortsighted, and he wanted nothing more than to slam his fist into something green and minty until someone started bleeding.
"Exactly," was all Therion could bring himself to reply with. He knew that Heathcote's comment hadn't been intended to be quite so personal, but as it was, that simply put him in an even worse mood than before. In all honesty, he hadn't even though that to be possible.
"There is something you should know before you go," Heathcote said next, not missing a beat despite undoubtedly seeing Therion's upset demeanor. "As you saw, I recovered a blue stone. It is known as the sapphire dragonstone. The remaining three are the dragonstones of ruby, emerald, and gold-each named for its sheen."
"And if I steal them all back for you, you'll remove this band," Therion replied impatiently. He resisted the urge to pick at the place where the metal made contact with his skin. This was already getting frustrated, and it had been less than an hour since he was given the twisted parting gift.
"You have my word," Heathcote promised with a bow of his head.
Therion scoffed. "Your word? Well, that sounds legitimate. Any idea where I should start looking?" Therion asked, every word dripping with malice and sarcasm.
"Rumor has it that a scholar in Noblecourt is researching the ruby dragonstone," Heathcote replied. Therion had to wonder how Heathcote became privy to this knowledge if the dragonstones had been passed around in back alleys as he suspected, but he knew that any inquiries would only end in deflection
Instead, he shook his head with a sharpened yet empty bark of a laugh. "Noblecourt? Great. I'll fit right in," Therion muttered. Therion was a city known for its lengthy history of nobility, and it was a refined city where many richer people found their homes. He was going to stick out like a sore thumb, and yet, he had no choice.
Therion was on the verge of leaving when he was cut off by another cry of his name from Cordelia. "Mr. Therion!" she exclaimed.
He rolled his eyes behind his scarf. "What is it this time?"
"Please... Do take care out there," Cordelia instructed of him. Therion didn't turn to face her, and her features went tight. "Did I say something amiss?"
Therion paused for what felt like an eternity before he offered a response. "Never thought a man of my talents would be working for someone like..." He stopped and shook his head. "Ah, it's nothing. You'll get your stones back soon. Just leave the thieving to me."
Therion turned on his heel and started to walk away from there. Cordelia sighed as the party followed in his footsteps, off to wherever the hell their next destination was set to be. Therion sighed from behind his scarf. He hadn't been around people this naive and trusting in a long time, and he hadn't missed it at all.
And so we're done with Therion's chapter one at long last! Victory!
This one took a lot longer than I would have liked due to me randomly getting busy and being unable to type much more frequently than I originally anticipated, but we're at the end! Woohoo! There was quite a bit of extra planning that had to go into this chapter in particular to incentivize the rest of the group to join Therion at all. He kind of clashes with a lot of them from a moral standpoint, so I had to offer a reason for the rest of the group to be there. I like to think that I did it pretty well, though it'll still be a while before they've all warmed up to him in full.
This chapter includes more of the interaction with the rest of the cast because of the previous point that I mentioned. Everyone needs a reason to be with Therion more compared to the other characters, and this includes some psychic intervention with Ophilia on top of other motivation from Cordelia and Heathcote. Listen, it's my book, and i get to nitpick everything until it makes sense.
There's not that much else ot say on the matter, so I'm going to round things off here so that I can stop updating stupid late at night. Next time, we're going to start off H'aanit's chapter one in our final stretch of frequent updates for the time being! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital