Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Three

"DARIO!"

Dario clenched his eyes shut, cursing under his breath as he lowered the dish into the soaping water, having to bite his lip to keep from screaming. What do they want NOW!? he thought bitterly. Life as a slave to the Mystics, he'd learned, was not at all a fun task. Hell, it pretty much sucked.

After the captain had turned them into the Mystics, the four of them had been given to a rich bigwig by the name of Ozzie VIII, a descendant of the original Ozzie who had worked for the sorcerer Magus over four-hundred something years earlier. Their master was a fat, purple Mystic who floated wherever he went and ordered around his servants and slaves as if they were the scum of the planet.

The only good thing about their current predicament was that they were all located in the same room, and at that, it was only the four of them. Only once had someone not been accounted before, and that had been because Karsh had been held over at the stables longer than usual. So, for the most part, they at least knew their companions were very much alive and well.

The bad news was they had now been working for Ozzie VIII for a whole year.

And what a year it had been.

They had learned their master LOVED parties, for one thing. They were, at the very least, on a weekly basis, but there was usually some sort of a gathering every night of the week. At these parties, the Mystics would dance and eat and drink for several hours, having a wonderful time as they partied the night away. Sometimes there were games and other times there was a show of some sort, but every party had a main event.

The main event was a very sick practice. Ozzie VIII would choose one human slave and humiliate them in some way for the pleasure of his guests. Sometimes he would shave their entire body free of hair. Other times he would paint them funny colors and make them dance naked. Once he even made Norris eat a live cockroach and Karsh still refused to talk about the cross-dressing incident.

Wiping his hands on a nearby towel, Dario exited the kitchen to find his cruel master, wondering what the floating purple Mystic wanted. For some reason, Ozzie VIII had a particular dislike for Dario, though that made sense considering how rebellious he was compared to his friends and little brother. So, if he ever wanted something done that was particularly nasty (such as toe nail clippings or cleaning the bathroom {which got VERY disgusting on a regular basis}), he often chose Dario to do it.

Before long he stood before the Mystic in his private quarters. To avoid a beating or an added nasty task, Dario knelt down on one knee and bowed his head. Don't think you'll get this on a normal basis, Ozzie- I just don't feel like scrubbing birds droppings off the roof AND getting all the grime out of the basement today, he thought to himself. "Yes, Master Ozzie? How may I be on service to you?"

"Are you up to something? I'm not sure you today."

"I am up to nothing- please, just assign me my task so I may get it done."

"Oh, I have no task for you right now," he said. Dario looked up in confusion, wondering what the Mystic wanted. "I wish to speak with you about your friends. Is that so awful a task, Dario, or would you like to give me a pedicure and a nice back shaving? Hmm?"

"No, I can talk, sir," said Dario. He knelt down on both knees and loosely crossed his arms.

"I wanted to ask you about your brother, the little one," said Ozzie VIII. The Mystic didn't like saying Glenn's name because of who Glenn was obviously named after- Sir Glenn, the knight who had defeated Magus after the wizard killed his friend and role-model, Sir Cyrus. Dario knew that it would be hard to hide Glenn's namesake from their master, but he could EASILY "forget" to tell Ozzie VIII that his brother hadn't just been named after the legend because of what he was, but because he was their great-great something grandfather.

"Glenn? What about him?" asked Dario.

"DON'T SPEAK THAT NAME BEFORE OZZIE!"

"Yes, yes, what about my brother do you wish to know?"

Ozzie VIII cleared his throat. "How old is he?"

"Six- turned six five months ago," said Dario. What's he up to?

"Strong kid, right?"

Dario shrugged. "No more than any other six year old I know."

"But he's a hard working little brat, right?" said Ozzie VIII.

The elder brother had to bite his bottom lip to keep from snapping at Ozzie over the "brat" comments. "Yes, he's very hard working and very determined. Forgive me for asking, but what do you care so much about him for all of a sudden? Usually you try to have nothing to do with him aside from assigning him tasks."

"That is Ozzie's business!"

"Okay, forget I asked," said Dario.

"Ozzie will."

Dario lowered his head. He didn't need Ozzie VIII to tell him what he was up to- he already had a very, very good idea at what the greedy Mystic was looking for. It was EASY. Glenn was young- someone could easily train him in a craft of some sort. He was also very determined and hard-working (though Dario figured out that Glenn's reasoning was that the faster it got done the more time he had to relax and sleep in).

Ozzie VIII wanted to sell Glenn.

"Ozzie is done with you- be gone!" he said. Dario nodded, slowly getting up as it began to dawn on him. "Now, go back to work before Ozzie gets angry, and we all know that it isn't a good thing when Ozzie is angry, isn't that right, Dario? Or have you already forgotten the last time I got angry?"

"No, I haven't," Dario admitted. That had been one NASTY beating- tied up, whipped, and a nice long hair pulling followed by a bath in the sewers below the house. Dario knew there was worse that could happen, but Ozzie VIII only believed in a little bit of physical pain- he preferred to gross out and/or humiliate his slaves. Whippings were the worst of the pain he dealt out.

As he left Ozzie's quarters, Dario decided that it was finally time for an escape.

Right then, the most important people in the world to him were Glenn, Karsh, and Norris. And where Glenn was the youngest of the three, and if he was sold off and separated from his older friends. . . Dario shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough being a slave in this foreign country, but at least the four of them were together and could support each other. Alone would be a horse of a different color.

I have to talk to the others before it's too late!

~

"They're gonna WHAT!?"
"Aye kinna believe tha bastard would stoop so low!"

"Dario, don't let them take me away!"

Dario hushed his panic-stricken friends. The four of them had gathered in their room and were huddled together to carry out their meeting. "Shh! If they know we know about it then we'll all get in trouble and they'll ship Glenn off sooner than they were going to in the first place!" His friends and brother quieted, though he noticed the six year old had begun to cling to him, whimpering slightly. "Glenn, we aren't going to let them sell you off."

"An how do ye suppose we do tha?" Karsh hissed at his friend. His eyes had narrowed as he looked at Dario like he had just suggested something unheard of (which he pretty much had, so the look was justified). "Think about it, Dario. The four of us are SLAVES here- the Mystics see us as nothin' more than cattle tha can talk and do more than just plow fields. What can we do? Nothing. If tha fat bastard wants to sell Glenn we're powerless to stop him!"

Glenn's bottom lip began to quiver as he looked up at his brother in worry.

Dario shook his head in determination. "No!"

"Then what are we going to do?" asked Norris.

"Easy. We're going to escape," said Dario.

Silence.

Norris broke the silence with a cough. "Um, Dario? Isn't that what we've been trying to do for the past year? What is so different about this escape attempt? Hmm? Nothing we've done has worked. I'm not saying you haven't come up with some brilliant idea, but you have to admit the odds aren't in our favor."

The unspoken leader of the group smiled smugly as he folded his arms and leaned up against the wall behind him. "I'll agree with that, but I do have an idea," said Dario. He signaled for his friends to huddle closer as he explained the plan to them. Giggles, snickers, and other sounds of approval came from the boys. This WAS a good plan, and this plan might actually stand a chance at working!

Once he had explained the plan, Dario grinned. "We'll do it tonight."

~

Night soon fell apon Medina, and the manor of Ozzie VIII was active and full of life as yet another party was in full swing. Mystics of all shapes, sizes, and color were dancing and drinking and eating and having a grand time as the night grew older. Ozzie VIII watched from a throne-like chair situated on the far wall in amusement, drumming his fingers on the arm of said furniture. Tonight was going to be a good night, because he was going to make a pretty penny from the sale he was about to make.

"Hello, my friend!"

Ozzie VIII looked up to see his friend Liberache approaching him. "Ah, how are you!" Ozzie VIII returned, shaking his friend's hand. Liberache was a tall, orange Mystic with huge ears and a short, pointed nose. He wore a flowing red suit with gold trimmings and ruby buttons, signifying that this was a very rich Mystic.

Who was willing to pay a hefty price for a young, trainable human slave.

"Lovely party, Ozzie- so tell me, where's the little one?" asked Liberache.

"I'll be sending for him soon enough- he'll be tonight's lucky victim," said Ozzie VIII, laughing voraciously at the mention. "I'll let you do as you wish to him- make him yours. Brand him, beat him, I don't care what you do- just make it good and entertaining, my friend- everyone is watching you."

Liberache grinned, patting a sack at his side. "I have everything I need right here in this little bag- tattooing equipment. Everyone will know he's mind after tonight, Ozzie. And he won't EVER get away. But you know that you don't get your money until I get him branded, right?"

"Should I call him now?"

"I don't see why-"

SLAM!

"The door's shut! The damn door's shut!" someone yelled. Ozzie VIII and his friend looked up to see the tall oak doors had, indeed, been slammed shut.

Ozzie VIII grumbled. "That's odd," he said. He cleared his throat. "Well? Open it!"

"It's locked!"

"WHAT!?"

"It's locked and we can't break it down!"

"That's impossible! The only other people in the manor are my human slaves and I'd had them all locked up for the night!" Ozzie VIII screeched. "So tell me- who closed those doors!? I don't think is very funny and something BAD will happen to the person who did it!!!"

And all hell broke loose. Chairs were smashed and tablecloths were ripped as the Mystics tried to determine who had locked them all in the main hall. Battle cries sounded as physical blows were dealt out and magic flew around like birds in a frenzy. Ozzie VIII and Liberache ducked behind the giant throne, watching in shock and amazement as the events unfolded.

Ozzie fumbled around his belt to try and find his key ring, which held a key to the main doors- at least if they could get out the rioting would be much less condensed. But the more he searched, the more frustrated he became. Where in Medina had his stupid house keys gone off to?

~

"Look at 'em! I didn't know Mystics could fight like that!" Norris said. He, Dario, Karsh, and Glenn were watching the main hall of Ozzie VIII's manor from the roof, where a glass window had been placed. Karsh was twirling the key he'd stolen from Ozzie VIII himself with pride and dignity, not finding himself able to pull his gaze away from it. Glenn looked up at his brother was a simple smile, knowing now that everything would be all right.

Right?

"So, not only did we outsmart Ozzie VIII, but we're free!" said Dario. They all cheered in agreement, high-fiving each other on their achievement. After several cries and hugs of happiness, their next task dawned on them. And it had been their main goal all along, but now was the time to implement it.

"Aye guess our next stop is El Nido," Karsh said.

"But how do we get there?" asked Norris. "Isn't it a chain of islands?"

"Right, so we need to get on a boat to get there," said Dario.

Karsh coughed. "Dario? Tha didnae work last time."

"I know that!" he said. "We're going to take a small boat, like a rowboat or something, back to the mainland. Then we're going to walk to Truce- hopefully we can get help there to get back to El Nido. By now everyone must think we're dead or something and we need to let them know we're alive."

Norris bit his bottom lip. "If I'm right, there's supposed to be an old man who lives on the southwestern part of this island- the Mystics leave him alone because he keeps to himself. I guess he's a hermit or something. Still, he might be willing to help us somehow."

"Good idea!" said Karsh. "Let's just hope he's na a crackpot."

~

. . . I know, I know, but Liberache was the only musician I could think of to go along with the whole Ozzie, Flea, and Slash gag from CT!

I got the Ozzie descendant's title (the "VIII") from Chrono Trigger: Tempus Fugitive, which is written by t-smitts, because I was too lazy to look in up in the actual game, and I felt like plugging something in addition to The Porre Affair for once. So after you're done reading Soulblighter2's masterpiece in progress, check out Chrono Trigger: Tempus Fugitive for the CT fan in you.

Miso14: Yup. Though as we can see that didn't last very long (story wise- a year is still a pretty long time). Yeah, I figure their first theft should be chapter five or six (though you could argue Karsh stole the elements). Yeah, it used to be just over three pages- pathetic length! As for PS2, I think it's time to get one. My PS was making funny noises today when I was playing Yu-Gi-Oh!: Forbidden Memories and even froze up once. Course, it's a hand-me-down from my cousin, so that might have something to do with it. But I know EXACTLY how I want to buy it (well, at least a start for an idea. . .)

Uftaki: Naw, ya'd think? But yes, there is a lot of character development here. For one, Garai IS alive in this one- the battle went differently because in addition to fighting the Dragoons, some men (Curtis was probably one of them) went looking for the escaped boys. Also, Curtis isn't demoted in this scenario because he knows they got help from an insider (Norris) and he is no longer being held accountable for the escape. Zippa is taking it better than Zappa- Zappa is depressed and cranky all the time. I won't say what's going on at Viper Manor (partly because it will spoil Person #6), though, but know that Riddel is still holding out for her friends. Well, what happened in CT according to the events in CC is hard to pinpoint- exactly what the hell did Crono and co. do to make a tiny fishing village into the big bad Porre?! Yeah, the mayor was greedy for a while but he wasn't THAT powerful- not nearly!

Rikku-oh-ki: Okee-dokee.

Yukari: No, the captain wasn't Fargo, but we've established. Everyone's favorite pirate captain could be a bastard from time to time, but I don't think he'd sell a few helpless kids to the Mystics. Also, if you pay attention the ages, Nikki was four when the events in Memories occurred- that means Marcy hasn't been born and Zelbess is still alive. So, if you listen to Nikki's lines on the SS Zelbess, you know that he remembered a kind and good-hearted father. So that means Fargo wasn't a cheap bastard and it COULDN'T be him! This also means that I know more about the storyline than I probably should (-_-*). Unfortunately, El Nido won't be that easy, and they'll figure that out soon enough.

Alba: I know, I'm awful, aren't I? Yup- apparently the Mystics weren't made nice after the CT gang was done. Yeah, I think I made him TOO smart- it's hard to get into that six-year-old mindset sometimes. Well, they do bicker as they begin to get a feel for what they're doing. Curtis may get demoted, but since I explained that since Norris was involved they may not hold him accountable. Yeah- you have realize he'll be growing up under much different circumstances and, out of the entire bunch, he'll end up one of the craftiest with only ONE exception. Reason? He starts thieving at six- Dario and Karsh are thirteen and Norris is twelve. They're older and, therefore, more difficult to teach. Glenn's still untrained and can adapt easier because of his age. Kind of like how they say that children can learn a foreign language more easily at a young age and it gets harder as the years go on.

Mana Angel: Thanks! I always get happy when I see the favorite author list number jump up. No pairings? There WILL be pairings, but they aren't the real focus of the story. One pairing that MIGHT show up (I'm still debating it) is a typical pairing and the other is EXTREMELY unconventional, unless you're Lena Ban Obsidian because she happens to like the idea of that particular pairing. Yes, there will be instances of childish antics (Dario: 'Karsh? Norris? What are you two doing with all this underwear? And where's the money?' Karsh & Norris: *whistling innocently* Naturally, that's just an example that may/may not show up). Thanks!

Okay, er, I'm stuck on the next part. But I have a ton of stuff mapped out for things down the line, such as cameo appearances and major heists/minor incidents thrown in for a good laugh. I just need to finish the next chapter, that's all.

~Dixxy