Chapter 2

Zelgadis hoisted himself onto a tree branch that overlooked the outer wall of a large manor. He was here to 'liberate' some of the money the greedy merchant who owned the large house had swindled. Two years had passed since Zelgadis joined the thieves guild and he was now a skilled burglar. His sensitive ears gave him an edge when watching for guards or detecting that faint tell-tale click of an opened lock. They also helped when watching for any guards on the way in, such as the one passing by. The lantern the guard held clinked against the sword at his side as he led a dog around the house. This merchant was taking no chances when it came to his money. Dark fell around Zelgadis again as the guard turned a corner. Carefully and silently, Zel lowered himself into the courtyard, his black outfit, complete with hood and facemask, blending into the black marble of the wall. He went towards a nearby window and hoisted himself up, then smiled. 'Foolish merchant', he thought, 'having guards and tall walls, but not bars on the windows. Oh well, makes my job easier.' He slowly lifted the window and slipped in, very careful not to make a sound. 'Let's see, if I wanted to hide money, where would I put it? On second thought, where would I put it if I was a paranoid old fat merchant?' Zelgadis chuckled inwardly and headed towards the middle of the house, checking in rooms as he went. Finally, he came to the master bedroom, where the merchant was snoring quite soundly. Sure enough, there was another door in the other side of the room. Zel slipped along the wall and reached the door. Gently pushing it open, he saw what he was here for. A large sapphire sat on a pedestal in the middle of the room. Chests, some open to reveal vast amounts of gold, lined the walls. A bookcase full of small containers filled the entire back wall. Glimmers of light slipping into the boxes revealed lesser stones, though few would call the small jewels, emeralds, amethysts, even diamonds, 'lesser' when not confronted with the magnificent sapphire on the pedestal. It was fully the size of a hand and rounded, with multitudes of facets catching the light. To call it merely beautiful would be an insult. Zelgadis slowly closed the door and advanced slowly towards the jewel. He slowly paced around it, examining it from all angles. This merchant was richer than all even the wildest rumors hinted at. Slowly, he reached his hand over the sapphire and closed his fingers around it, raising it up. Suddenly, the pedestal screamed, sounding an alarm. Zelgadis quickly slipped the jewel into his shirt and swung open the door to escape. The merchant was just sitting up and, when he saw Zelgadis, screamed "Stop! Thief!" Zel ran for the door as the merchant got up and went after him. He ran down the hallway and turned a corner, running directly into a group of guards. Quickly jolting into a room, he streaked for the window. It was barred. He turned around to find the guards right behind him. Making a quick decision, Zel reached for the bars and pulled. After a long second, they tore out of the wall and Zel threw the bars at the guards, then slipped through the hole pulling the bars out had created. He dashed to the wall and scaled it, dashing off into the alleyways and leaving any guards far behind him. He slowed down to a normal pace and headed to Swift's house, which was also the guild headquarters.

He opened the door to find the whole guild watching him. Gavin sat lounged on a chair, grinning and fiddling with a large flawless garnet, about half as large as Zel's sapphire. "Hey there freak! What took you so long? Did you find a cute girl who didn't run screaming fast enough? Get anything as good as this baby?" He sat up and plopped the garnet on the table, showing it off. Zel smiled, walked over to the table, and gently placed the sapphire next to the garnet. Gavin just stared at it, dumbstruck. The rest of the guild crowded in to gaze at the magnificent specimen Zel presented to them for inspection. Then Deigan walked down the stairs, followed by Swift. Deigan walked to the table and looked at the jewels and the two boys. "So, Zel, that's what you managed to get. Nice job. All I managed to procure on my final apprentice run was a large topaz, smaller than either of the stones you brought." Gavin looked smug at the compliment, but Zel only blushed, then a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Final apprentice run? Does that mean..." A large grin crossed Deigan's face. "Thought you'd figure that out. You've go a good head there. Yep, it's true. Both of you have passed my final test. You're both full members of the guild now. Congratulations." Everyone started to congratulate the two boys, but Gavin wore a scowl even as his back was patted and his hair mussed. Zelgadis had managed to steal his thunder once again. All through training, whenever Gavin did something commendable, Zelgadis would go and not only do it, but do it better. It got on his nerve. 'That little freak, why won't he just die and let me get what I deserve!' Gavin pulled away from the crowd and went upstairs, leaving everyone standing there perplexed. A sad but knowing look crossed Deigan's eyes.

---------------

Author's Note

Another chapter! Didya like it? Anyway, Zelgadis doesn't belong to me. He belongs to so rich Japanese guy in Japan. If only I had enough money to buy him... um, forget that ^_^;