Chapter 3
The Dirt of Friends
Ariaz rested inside this quarters, a large house, hammock, poles with strong rope to swing to each floor, paintings (Stolen), jewelry (Stolen), and weaponry (also stolen), his house was perfect from the rest. He sharpened his sword with a piece of adamantine, he loved the new look of his blade as he sharpened it, it was becoming see through like a diamond. Someone knocked at his door, he didn't know who would dare bother him at his alone time.
"Enter."
Carol stepped inside his house, she was lost in the treasures it contained, then she looked at Ariaz.
"Oh, hey Carol, what can I do for you?"
"I…was wondering, if I could…sleep with you tonight."
"Sure, I'll get a spare Hammock."
"No…I mean…I want to sleep not beside you, but with you."
A silence filled the room for about five minutes, then Ariaz actually came back to reality.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Now hold up, I'm not actually ready for this-"
"I didn't mean that way! I just don't want to be alone tonight, I need something warm to keep me in."
"Oh…you're cold and don't want to be alone, alright, well make yourself at home."
Carol smiled and examined the paintings inside his house, many were of cerinian historic property, the jewelry glowed in the moon, shining in its ray of beauty, she gazed at Ariaz, his bracelet was also a cerinian jewel, glowing with the color of the sun. She felt a slight warmth from the sight of that gem.
"Well, lets get some sleep, tomorrow, we got a big day for the cerinian town."
Carol climbed over Ariaz, lying on his side, and rested her head of his shoulder, falling asleep on his arm. Ariaz looked at her purple fur and her white stomach fur, he felt whole when he was near her. He stroked her face with the his index finger, and kissed her on the fore-head.
"I love you Carol."
Morning/ Cerinian town
The captain and his guards walked into the woods, tracking down Blitz with staff and rifle in paw. They looked at the tree near the shore of Cerina, hook sword marks were dabbed going upwards into the treetops.
"Well, look what we have here."
The captain bashed his staff against the tree, magically making a stairway, climbing up the tree, knowing that they may have found what they were looking for over ten years, and they did, the thief haven. Before they could make a move, Ariaz jumped down in front of them, pushing almost all the Guards off the tree top. Cain quickly stood up and held his axe, staring at Ariaz.
"Well wadda ya know, if it isn't Cain of the Crimson guard."
"Well if isn't Ariaz, king of the thieves."
Ariaz held his long sword out, crouching while Cain unsheathed his Axe, swinging it at Ariaz, but missing every slash.
"Come on, you'll have to do better then that!"
Ariaz evaded another swing from the axe and landed with a handstand, spinned and kicked Cain in the face, knocking him away from his body. Ariaz jumped down from the tree and blew into a nearby horn, warning all thieves of intruders, the thieves stumbles over the place andreadied themselves with any weapon they could get their paws on, Ariaz leaped off and flipped once, landing on the on the platform to face the Guards.
"Alright you Cerinian scumbags, come on out, and let us show you what thieves really can do under my hand."
Cain and over one thousand guards stepped out into a clearing, only one hundred thieves were inside the haven. Cain smiled as the guards prepared their rifles and staffs with magic.
"Now Ariaz, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
"English please."
"Either you come with us, or we burn this haven to the ground and take you anyway!"
"Like you could take me, we built this Haven in a day, and we'll do it again if we have too."
Cain leaped forward and actually quaked the ground, noticing Carol next to him. He grabbed her by the throat and held her high, Ariaz panicked, he was afraid that Cain would kill her.
"Come with us, or this young vixen dies, you'll be coming back from the town, but she won't be coming back from where she's going if you refuse."
"Alright, alright don't hurt her!"
Cain lowered his arm, Blitz hid from his sight, hoping that he wouldn't be found, but Cain already knew that Blitz was there.
"You win."
Ariaz fell to his knees, he had been defeated, Cain threw Carol to the side of him and signaled Guards to shackle him, then shackled Blitz after Cain kicked him out of his hiding spot. He looked down at the pain filled Blitz.
"Blitz, I cannot believe that you would betray your mother."
"She's not my damn Mother! She looks nothing like me!"
"Still, you defied your mothers orders and her law, so…I'll tell you one thing."
Cain stepped closer to Blitz for a whisper, whatever Cain was about to tell Blitz, he wasn't going to like it.
"I am going to kill her and rule Cerina, and not you, not the thief king, and none of these thieves can do a damn thing about it."
Blitz struggled to strike down Cain, but his shackles were to strong for him to break free, The guards held onto the chains tightly, Blitz and Ariaz was taken away, Ariaz wasn't even putting up a fight, Blitz struggled to get free, but it was hopless.
"Cain, you Miserable bastard!"
Carol tried to get herself up, but once she was standing, they had already left, she was unable to do anything now to save Ariaz. Carol held her paws over her face and cried, Ariaz was taken away to face trial of Cerinian judgment, where, most likly, he would be executed.
Cerinian town
"Blitz…I…I am dishonored by your negligence to the Cerinian order, I sent you to patrol and seek out what happened to the other Prisoner, and I find that you have sided with the thieves! What do you have to say for yourself?"
"None of your fucking business."
Everyone in the Court gasped, the town was peaceful place, Blitz was the first to even curse in front of the entire town.
"Throw what ever you can at me, and I'll just keep coming."
"I will. Cain...do what you will to him. I don't raise traitors in my town."
Krystal signaled to have Blitz taken away, then she looked down at Cain with an readied face for the next person to be judged.
"Alright Cain, you say that you have found a human?"
"Of Course, I think you may like who I have found."
Ariaz stood in the center of the court, keeping his head down from Krystal's eyes, knowing his secret was going to be blown into oblivion.
"Your majesty, I give you…the one and only…Ariaz, king of thieves!"
Krystal just froze, then quickly stood up, ordering everyone to leave court, the Cerinians moved out of the court until the room was empty, Krystal ran down the steps, hoping that it was a lie, she looked at Ariaz, lifting his head, and backed away in fear, it was true. It was Ariaz, her childhood friend.
"Ariaz…why?"
"Hey, we have to go our own seperate ways don't we? You were royalty and I was…well, into stealth."
"Yes, but why thievery? Why didn't you come back?"
"Because…fate…doesn't always bring the right person."
Krystal looked down at the floor, Ariaz's words were true. He was the thief King, and she was the Queen of Cerina, it's not a good mix.
"I mean look at you, you have robes and the whole town under your rule, me, well, I have a haven, taking care of thieves, wanderers who need shelter."
"Yes, but you didn't need to leave me out of your life! After my father was angry with you, you ran away from town, I was devastated…I...became alone. You didn't come to even start over again."
"I am sorry…but I can't throw ten years of my life away, We were kids, I didn't mean that much to anyone anyway."
"You did to me!"
Ariaz froze, what was Krystal saying to him, he just kept his eye on her, wondering what the big deal was about him anyway.
"Nothing in the palace ever made me happy, nothing, butthen you came into my life, and I was reawakened, but then you left after my fathers anger of how you should have stayed away from every royal family member.You filled me with sorrow when you didn't return."
"Like I said, I am sorry, but I'm not a Cerinian, I'm not even a vulpine, plus…I...found someone…actually…I love her."
"What? You…you don't even care about me anymore! You just left me behind and went to go fall for someone else!"
"Krystal, please try to understand that I-"
"No! You listen right now Ariaz, I cared about you, I hoped that you would come back, and now…you're a thief king and with someone else!"
"Krystal…you'll never understand."
"Just go away, I...I hate you."
Ariaz lifted his head, and slowly let it fall again. Krystal signaled to have Ariaz taken away, she ran to her quarters and cried, leaving Ariaz to feel guilt in his heart. Cain slowly walked over to him with a smile on his face.
"Well don't worry thief boy, once she is out of the way, I'll set you free, just like I said to you when I threatened that Vixen of yours."
"Damn it…she…"
"What?"
"She was wrong, I did care, but now…not anymore."
Ariaz stood up hoping what he was about to say would also catch Krystals ears.
"I HATE YOU TOO!"
It did because he heard the door slam so she could hide her cries,she really got her tears out. Cain looked down at him, like he had done him a great favor.
"Thank you for saying that, this should make my job easier."
Ariaz was left there in the center of the court, not taken away, just left there to cry, a small light shining down on him as the rest of the court room became silent and dark.
"I hate you too."
He lowered his head with guilt and sadness, then the room...finally was dark.