Chapter 3
Zelgadis walked slowly down the crowded street. It was an hour before sunset, the time when dinner is bought to be eaten or the supplies needed for another meal gotten so it can be prepared in advance. Farmwives hurried with their packages, desperate to get going so they could get home to their farms before sundown. The tall building lining the streets were already blocking sunlight from reaching the streets and the carts of the merchants. Lanterns had already been lit to provide light and the various smells of heated food for workers too busy to cook for themselves filled the air. Street urchins dashed through the thick crowd, their small size and agile legs helping them through. Every so often, there was a small disturbance in the crowd as one of the urchins or another slipped their hands into a pocket. Some of those could eventually join the thieves guild, if they were found before they got into too much trouble with the law. The law in this town may overlook the guild because of the bribes they paid, but street urchins were another matter.
Zelgadis then felt a small, almost imperceptible tug on his own pocket and quickly caught the hand of a street urchin who had mistaken him as a rich merchant. That wasn't too large a leap in logic, since all merchants wore black in this noble-rich area. No matter what color combination they chose, they were likely to be the same as some noble somewhere and the problems that could cause were immense when you had money that could be taxed. Zelgadis' own attire was black, but few merchants wore hoods and face-masks, though some had gloves and many did wear gems at their collars as cloak clasps, though few had gems as magnificent as the large sapphire at Zelgadis' collar. The boy he had caught squirmed in Zelgadis' grip, trying futilely to escape. Zelgadis smiled and looked the boy in the eye. The boy's eyes grew wide and he redoubled his efforts to escape. A small phrase escaped his lips, sounding like "The Sapphire Demon!" to Zelgadis' strong ears. Frowning slightly, Zelgadis let go of the boy. His fame was definitely on the streets, no matter how much he disliked it. The few months he had passed as a master thief had lead to his natural skill at thievery to grow into something legendary. The name the street rats and even some of the thieves guild had given him was "Sapphire Demon" and no matter how hard he tried to tell them to stop idolizing him, they still called him that. He slowly got up and walked along the street towards the guild headquarters. Deigan was expecting him.
Zelgadis knocked on the door to Deigan's office. It was where all the necessary business of the guild was conducted, whether it was keeping track of which policemen were properly bribed or counting and keeping the dues given by members or giving out good prospects for jobs. Also on the floor of this building, which Swift owned, were the bedrooms for the members who didn't have somewhere else they could stay. It was a small number who chose to live here, despite the cost benefits of not having to pay rent. You were always being watched and were always there to be grabbed for some job or another if you chose to live in the guild. Zelgadis lived there, though that was mostly because his chimera skin made it difficult for others to accept him. He could never forget the farmers who had beat him or the crowd's reaction to him that first fateful day. His grandfather Rezo was at fault for all that had happened and, while Zelgadis did not fully hate him for changing his life so much, he did dislike the man with a passion. If he ever did see Rezo again, he would have to demand for an explanation. Below the floor with the bedrooms, which was the second story of the house, was the large gathering area. There was a kitchen on that floor as well, where food could be cooked or heated. The back half of the bottom floor was one large room, where there was a training area. The training area was where new recruits learned the skills necessary to be a successful thief and where the experienced thieves practiced other skills. There was even a regular swords training area, which Swift ran, for anyone who wished to learn the weapon of war, along with the dagger all thieves learned. Zelgadis was quite skilled with the sword and preferred it over the dagger, though he carried the dagger due to concealment benefits. The thieves guild was a rather large building, but it was able to hide in the midst of the warehouses that surrounded it. Zelgadis shook himself out of the mood he was in. He did have to get on with this meeting.
Zelgadis opened the door to the office. Deigan sat in a large padded chair behind a large desk. The desk was covered with various piles of paper and there were several daggers stuck through some of the larger piles. Bookshelves lined the walls of the small room, with books both old and new, whether handwritten or printed, their covers often worse for wear. A small window let in some light, but most of the light came from a collection of candles on a small side table. It was a dark room, rather musty, but it gave a homely sense to anyone who walked in. This was a much used, and much loved, room and it showed. There were a few other chairs scattered throughout the room, taking up what space wasn't covered by boxes of old files. In one of those chairs sat Gavin, his long black hair slightly messy and his black outfit accented with garnets and burgundy embroidery gave him a beautifully dangerous look that often got him girls. He was managing to slouch and look dignified while doing it at the same time, a feat few can accomplish. Looking up, Gavin raised his hand in welcome and Zelgadis returned the gesture. Then Zelgadis sat down in another of the chairs in the room and waited for Deigan to speak.
"Good, you're here," said Deigan, looking up from the book he was reading at the sound of the door opening. "Now then, I called the two of you here because I had a requested "borrowing" and you two are my most skilled people. Basically, a family heirloom of one of the local nobles was mistakenly put in a trade deal with a local merchant. It was a rather irreplaceable heirloom, one that they didn't go into its value beyond a description. Apparently, in this trade deal, basically a gift for one of the merchants to seal an agreement for shipping some... less than lawful items. The heirloom was not included in the deal and the servant who put it in the collection has been... removed. It looks like a statue of three green turtles stacked in a pile. They say that it is completely solid and weighs more than it looks like it should. The merchant should not have any idea what he has and that should continue even after it is gone, so the ones who lost it are asking us, as a third party, to get this heirloom without any dealing with the public authorities. They are asking us to steal this item, along with some other random items of value to make this appear as a random robbery that just happened to grab some of the items in the noble's gift. This is a rather simple job, but we get to keep any items we steal along with the heirloom, plus 500 gold when the heirloom is returned. That monetary value is why I am asking you two, as my most skilled employees, to do this. To tell you the truth, that 500 gold will help smooth a little problem with some new law officials that came up recently. I hope you can understand why I need your help. Both of you, mind, you'd have to work together. Will you accept the job?" Deigan leaned forward expectantly.
Zelgadis and Gavin sat and digested the information Deigan had just given them. Then they both nodded simultaneously.
"Good. The merchant is Merchant Sailan in the Silks District of the Merchant Quarter. I'll give you a map of the building's location and as best of a description of the interior of the building as I can. You should be ready to go about three hours after midnight. Good Luck."
Zelgadis sat on some boxes in the alley behind the merchant's house. It was a large alley, but several boxes sat on the edges. They were mostly large crates filled with various refuses of the types silk merchants produced, combined with fragrances to mask any unpleasant smells. There were several cats prowling the dark passageway, keeping away the rats that can completely ruin the career of a careless merchant. The wall Zelgadis leaned on was of plain hewn stone, though the other side was likely polished and covered with a more expensive stone. The merchant's main garden lay on the other side of the wall, though he had garden surrounding his treasure house. According to the description Deigan had given of the various areas to get caught, there were only two windows and the main door that could be gotten through without encountering various unpleasant plants and traps. There was even a spiked pit trap under one of the more visible windows. The two available windows were smaller sized windows that were concealed behind thick shrubs, put there as escape routes in case of an emergency. It was impossible to find the windows unless you knew exactly where to look. This was a merchant who wasn't taking any chances, so Gavin and Zelgadis weren't taking chances either. The information they had gotten from the magical probes Deigan had chosen to send in as scouts was priceless. If left to only one's own wits, even the most luckiest of lucky people would have some trouble with the maze inside. If you took the front door, you had to pass several difficult puzzles, both magical or mechanical, before you came to the easier area, where you just had to watch out for the various enchanted creatures who prowled the inner area. This job could be done by one thief if he knew the right route to take and could avoid the watchers, but both Gavin and Zelgadis were going in to make sure they got the item even if one of them was caught. This merchant was both the richest and most paranoid of the merchants in the city and all thieves wanted a chance to break in, but few did. Only the best and most resourceful could manage the process necessary to survive the experience. The large church clock sounded at that moment. It repeated twice more, for a total of three long tones that echoed through the sleeping city. The signal for the night's operation to begin.
Zelgadis hoisted himself over the wall and landed soundlessly on a small clear area behind a clump of lilacs, their flowers past their prime. He peered out between the branches, but saw no one. Moving silently, he dashed across a large clear area used as a pathway and paused in a small copse of trees that grew next to the large treasure building. He peered upwards hunting for the small window positioned higher on the wall than most would look. A small crack sounded in his ears and he froze. Something, or someone, had stepped on a twig near him. He waited for a full minute, then moved on with his mission, figuring it was a cat. He hoisted himself up to the window sill and worked the latch open. He slipped inside, then carefully closed the latch and window. Slowly, he made his way through the twisting hallways, avoiding the dead ends that led to nothing but traps. This merchant really loved traps, Zelgadis figured. Why else would he have so many? He peered around a corner, then recoiled. One of the animal watchers was walking across an intersection in front of him. It was a badger, a cautious animal and one you did not wish to fight. Luckily for Zelgadis, it was going down a passageway he was not, so he could bypass it, if he was careful. The treasure vault was nearby. Slowly, the badger walked away. Then, moving both quickly and quietly, Zelgadis turned several corners, watching for any more animals. The door to the vault was there in front of him, it's door already open. Inside, Zelgadis could see Gavin gathering some of the treasure into a small bag to carry with him, quickly choosing the most expensive pieces so he could get more out of his small load. Zelgadis walked up to Gavin, who just waved and nodded at Zelgadis, having already identified who was coming. Zelgadis nodded back and started filling his own bag. Gavin already had the heirloom they had come to get.
Then, when Zelgadis' bag was about half-full and Gavin was tying his off, a loud alarm screamed through the house. Something had tripped a trap of some sort. Zelgadis quickly tied off his own bag, then the two thieves quickly left before they were discovered, Gavin pausing to properly close the vault door and they left the ways they had come in. Zelgadis rounded several corners, then saw the cause of the commotion. A young boy, dressed entirely in dark browns with a large cap on his head and a sack in his hand, was trying to fight off several of the animal watchers, their spells triggered. A wannabe thief, obviously, and that put this whole mess right in Zelgadis' lap. He quickly went up to the boy and started to kill the animals that surrounded them. Once he had done that, he grabbed the boy by his arm and dragged him quickly back to the window, opening it and closing it quickly. He dashed over the wall, never letting go of the boy, and ran several blocks away. Then he stopped and looked at the boy.
"You know, boy, that was a foolish thing to do, trying to break in there. That's stealing and that's the job I'm paid for. Please try to be more careful next time, though you did do well to get as far as you did," said Zelgadis, chastising the boy.
The "boy" pulled off his cap to reveal long strands of dark green hair that cascaded down her back. Her large blue eyes stared at him in amazement. "Yeah, I guess that was foolish, but, since you said you got paid to do that, there has to be some place where I can learn how to do that past what I've figured out, am I right?"
"Yea, the thieves guild.." said Zelgadis, slightly taking aback by her gender and her demands. "but, how did you get in to that..."
"Oh, you mean the merchant's house? I followed you. Anyway, could you take me to that guild? My name's Peri and this whole thief business seems like the best way I can go, so please take me there?" She looked at him with big blue puppy dog eyes and he felt all the reasons he had to object dissolve. As he started to lead her to the guild, he thought, 'What have I gotten myself into now?
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Author's note:
Weeeeeeeeee! Description's fun! New chapter done (and longer than my usual, too, I think) Anyway, Zelgadis doesn't belong to me. I want him, though, if he's for sale! (hint, hint) ^_^ I think I'd get outbid, though. -_- Did you like this chapter?
Zelgadis walked slowly down the crowded street. It was an hour before sunset, the time when dinner is bought to be eaten or the supplies needed for another meal gotten so it can be prepared in advance. Farmwives hurried with their packages, desperate to get going so they could get home to their farms before sundown. The tall building lining the streets were already blocking sunlight from reaching the streets and the carts of the merchants. Lanterns had already been lit to provide light and the various smells of heated food for workers too busy to cook for themselves filled the air. Street urchins dashed through the thick crowd, their small size and agile legs helping them through. Every so often, there was a small disturbance in the crowd as one of the urchins or another slipped their hands into a pocket. Some of those could eventually join the thieves guild, if they were found before they got into too much trouble with the law. The law in this town may overlook the guild because of the bribes they paid, but street urchins were another matter.
Zelgadis then felt a small, almost imperceptible tug on his own pocket and quickly caught the hand of a street urchin who had mistaken him as a rich merchant. That wasn't too large a leap in logic, since all merchants wore black in this noble-rich area. No matter what color combination they chose, they were likely to be the same as some noble somewhere and the problems that could cause were immense when you had money that could be taxed. Zelgadis' own attire was black, but few merchants wore hoods and face-masks, though some had gloves and many did wear gems at their collars as cloak clasps, though few had gems as magnificent as the large sapphire at Zelgadis' collar. The boy he had caught squirmed in Zelgadis' grip, trying futilely to escape. Zelgadis smiled and looked the boy in the eye. The boy's eyes grew wide and he redoubled his efforts to escape. A small phrase escaped his lips, sounding like "The Sapphire Demon!" to Zelgadis' strong ears. Frowning slightly, Zelgadis let go of the boy. His fame was definitely on the streets, no matter how much he disliked it. The few months he had passed as a master thief had lead to his natural skill at thievery to grow into something legendary. The name the street rats and even some of the thieves guild had given him was "Sapphire Demon" and no matter how hard he tried to tell them to stop idolizing him, they still called him that. He slowly got up and walked along the street towards the guild headquarters. Deigan was expecting him.
Zelgadis knocked on the door to Deigan's office. It was where all the necessary business of the guild was conducted, whether it was keeping track of which policemen were properly bribed or counting and keeping the dues given by members or giving out good prospects for jobs. Also on the floor of this building, which Swift owned, were the bedrooms for the members who didn't have somewhere else they could stay. It was a small number who chose to live here, despite the cost benefits of not having to pay rent. You were always being watched and were always there to be grabbed for some job or another if you chose to live in the guild. Zelgadis lived there, though that was mostly because his chimera skin made it difficult for others to accept him. He could never forget the farmers who had beat him or the crowd's reaction to him that first fateful day. His grandfather Rezo was at fault for all that had happened and, while Zelgadis did not fully hate him for changing his life so much, he did dislike the man with a passion. If he ever did see Rezo again, he would have to demand for an explanation. Below the floor with the bedrooms, which was the second story of the house, was the large gathering area. There was a kitchen on that floor as well, where food could be cooked or heated. The back half of the bottom floor was one large room, where there was a training area. The training area was where new recruits learned the skills necessary to be a successful thief and where the experienced thieves practiced other skills. There was even a regular swords training area, which Swift ran, for anyone who wished to learn the weapon of war, along with the dagger all thieves learned. Zelgadis was quite skilled with the sword and preferred it over the dagger, though he carried the dagger due to concealment benefits. The thieves guild was a rather large building, but it was able to hide in the midst of the warehouses that surrounded it. Zelgadis shook himself out of the mood he was in. He did have to get on with this meeting.
Zelgadis opened the door to the office. Deigan sat in a large padded chair behind a large desk. The desk was covered with various piles of paper and there were several daggers stuck through some of the larger piles. Bookshelves lined the walls of the small room, with books both old and new, whether handwritten or printed, their covers often worse for wear. A small window let in some light, but most of the light came from a collection of candles on a small side table. It was a dark room, rather musty, but it gave a homely sense to anyone who walked in. This was a much used, and much loved, room and it showed. There were a few other chairs scattered throughout the room, taking up what space wasn't covered by boxes of old files. In one of those chairs sat Gavin, his long black hair slightly messy and his black outfit accented with garnets and burgundy embroidery gave him a beautifully dangerous look that often got him girls. He was managing to slouch and look dignified while doing it at the same time, a feat few can accomplish. Looking up, Gavin raised his hand in welcome and Zelgadis returned the gesture. Then Zelgadis sat down in another of the chairs in the room and waited for Deigan to speak.
"Good, you're here," said Deigan, looking up from the book he was reading at the sound of the door opening. "Now then, I called the two of you here because I had a requested "borrowing" and you two are my most skilled people. Basically, a family heirloom of one of the local nobles was mistakenly put in a trade deal with a local merchant. It was a rather irreplaceable heirloom, one that they didn't go into its value beyond a description. Apparently, in this trade deal, basically a gift for one of the merchants to seal an agreement for shipping some... less than lawful items. The heirloom was not included in the deal and the servant who put it in the collection has been... removed. It looks like a statue of three green turtles stacked in a pile. They say that it is completely solid and weighs more than it looks like it should. The merchant should not have any idea what he has and that should continue even after it is gone, so the ones who lost it are asking us, as a third party, to get this heirloom without any dealing with the public authorities. They are asking us to steal this item, along with some other random items of value to make this appear as a random robbery that just happened to grab some of the items in the noble's gift. This is a rather simple job, but we get to keep any items we steal along with the heirloom, plus 500 gold when the heirloom is returned. That monetary value is why I am asking you two, as my most skilled employees, to do this. To tell you the truth, that 500 gold will help smooth a little problem with some new law officials that came up recently. I hope you can understand why I need your help. Both of you, mind, you'd have to work together. Will you accept the job?" Deigan leaned forward expectantly.
Zelgadis and Gavin sat and digested the information Deigan had just given them. Then they both nodded simultaneously.
"Good. The merchant is Merchant Sailan in the Silks District of the Merchant Quarter. I'll give you a map of the building's location and as best of a description of the interior of the building as I can. You should be ready to go about three hours after midnight. Good Luck."
Zelgadis sat on some boxes in the alley behind the merchant's house. It was a large alley, but several boxes sat on the edges. They were mostly large crates filled with various refuses of the types silk merchants produced, combined with fragrances to mask any unpleasant smells. There were several cats prowling the dark passageway, keeping away the rats that can completely ruin the career of a careless merchant. The wall Zelgadis leaned on was of plain hewn stone, though the other side was likely polished and covered with a more expensive stone. The merchant's main garden lay on the other side of the wall, though he had garden surrounding his treasure house. According to the description Deigan had given of the various areas to get caught, there were only two windows and the main door that could be gotten through without encountering various unpleasant plants and traps. There was even a spiked pit trap under one of the more visible windows. The two available windows were smaller sized windows that were concealed behind thick shrubs, put there as escape routes in case of an emergency. It was impossible to find the windows unless you knew exactly where to look. This was a merchant who wasn't taking any chances, so Gavin and Zelgadis weren't taking chances either. The information they had gotten from the magical probes Deigan had chosen to send in as scouts was priceless. If left to only one's own wits, even the most luckiest of lucky people would have some trouble with the maze inside. If you took the front door, you had to pass several difficult puzzles, both magical or mechanical, before you came to the easier area, where you just had to watch out for the various enchanted creatures who prowled the inner area. This job could be done by one thief if he knew the right route to take and could avoid the watchers, but both Gavin and Zelgadis were going in to make sure they got the item even if one of them was caught. This merchant was both the richest and most paranoid of the merchants in the city and all thieves wanted a chance to break in, but few did. Only the best and most resourceful could manage the process necessary to survive the experience. The large church clock sounded at that moment. It repeated twice more, for a total of three long tones that echoed through the sleeping city. The signal for the night's operation to begin.
Zelgadis hoisted himself over the wall and landed soundlessly on a small clear area behind a clump of lilacs, their flowers past their prime. He peered out between the branches, but saw no one. Moving silently, he dashed across a large clear area used as a pathway and paused in a small copse of trees that grew next to the large treasure building. He peered upwards hunting for the small window positioned higher on the wall than most would look. A small crack sounded in his ears and he froze. Something, or someone, had stepped on a twig near him. He waited for a full minute, then moved on with his mission, figuring it was a cat. He hoisted himself up to the window sill and worked the latch open. He slipped inside, then carefully closed the latch and window. Slowly, he made his way through the twisting hallways, avoiding the dead ends that led to nothing but traps. This merchant really loved traps, Zelgadis figured. Why else would he have so many? He peered around a corner, then recoiled. One of the animal watchers was walking across an intersection in front of him. It was a badger, a cautious animal and one you did not wish to fight. Luckily for Zelgadis, it was going down a passageway he was not, so he could bypass it, if he was careful. The treasure vault was nearby. Slowly, the badger walked away. Then, moving both quickly and quietly, Zelgadis turned several corners, watching for any more animals. The door to the vault was there in front of him, it's door already open. Inside, Zelgadis could see Gavin gathering some of the treasure into a small bag to carry with him, quickly choosing the most expensive pieces so he could get more out of his small load. Zelgadis walked up to Gavin, who just waved and nodded at Zelgadis, having already identified who was coming. Zelgadis nodded back and started filling his own bag. Gavin already had the heirloom they had come to get.
Then, when Zelgadis' bag was about half-full and Gavin was tying his off, a loud alarm screamed through the house. Something had tripped a trap of some sort. Zelgadis quickly tied off his own bag, then the two thieves quickly left before they were discovered, Gavin pausing to properly close the vault door and they left the ways they had come in. Zelgadis rounded several corners, then saw the cause of the commotion. A young boy, dressed entirely in dark browns with a large cap on his head and a sack in his hand, was trying to fight off several of the animal watchers, their spells triggered. A wannabe thief, obviously, and that put this whole mess right in Zelgadis' lap. He quickly went up to the boy and started to kill the animals that surrounded them. Once he had done that, he grabbed the boy by his arm and dragged him quickly back to the window, opening it and closing it quickly. He dashed over the wall, never letting go of the boy, and ran several blocks away. Then he stopped and looked at the boy.
"You know, boy, that was a foolish thing to do, trying to break in there. That's stealing and that's the job I'm paid for. Please try to be more careful next time, though you did do well to get as far as you did," said Zelgadis, chastising the boy.
The "boy" pulled off his cap to reveal long strands of dark green hair that cascaded down her back. Her large blue eyes stared at him in amazement. "Yeah, I guess that was foolish, but, since you said you got paid to do that, there has to be some place where I can learn how to do that past what I've figured out, am I right?"
"Yea, the thieves guild.." said Zelgadis, slightly taking aback by her gender and her demands. "but, how did you get in to that..."
"Oh, you mean the merchant's house? I followed you. Anyway, could you take me to that guild? My name's Peri and this whole thief business seems like the best way I can go, so please take me there?" She looked at him with big blue puppy dog eyes and he felt all the reasons he had to object dissolve. As he started to lead her to the guild, he thought, 'What have I gotten myself into now?
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Author's note:
Weeeeeeeeee! Description's fun! New chapter done (and longer than my usual, too, I think) Anyway, Zelgadis doesn't belong to me. I want him, though, if he's for sale! (hint, hint) ^_^ I think I'd get outbid, though. -_- Did you like this chapter?
