Fuyuko: Back again with Chapter Three! Or Four if you're going according to little numbers, but the point is that the next chapter is out! Be Happy! Go Sing and Dance in the streets proclaiming your joy! Since I got back to it a bit reluctantly, this one might be a little shorter than the last one, but I don't know that for sure, seeing as how Mr. Hamster isn't here to help my little brain run properly. On a more related note, I hope you're all enjoying the fic so far, and that the mass of characters and relationships isn't confusing or boring, because we'll finally be starting the plot for this story.
Krin'nal: … You mean the rest of that was just filler? It had nothing to do with anything?
Fuyuko: No, it had a purpose too, but from here on out we will be getting into the major conflict of the plotline, at least on one level. The other conflict level is that of the conflict within a certain thief who shall remain nameless (cough) you know who I mean (cough) and the race to find out who he really is by the other people in this story.
Krin'nal: …You make me sound like I have amnesia or something. I thought I was supposed to be secretive and shadowy.
Fuyuko: You are. But you're also running away from yourself, and…well, everyone'll see by the end of the fic! (smile) With that said, let us move onto Disclaimer-Bot and the next chapter of Anagram: Snebusis! Take it away my bot friend!
Readers and Krin'nal: …You're cruel.
Disclaimer-Bot: Excuse me. (silence) Thank you. The author, Fuyuko, has programmed e to tell you that she does not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its inclusive component materials. She has also programmed me to tell you that she does own Krin'nal and any other original characters or names. On behalf of the entire Anagram cast and myself please enjoy the fiction. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
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Anagram-Snebusis
"The way I saw things, to live with the world meant to give up your freedom to live as you want. To 'die' meant to slip through those clutches and obtain your own life." – Krin'nal to Zelda
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Krin'nal and Vern slid into the private back room in silence, where the thief sat in a low scooped out chair while he waited for the underground informant to return with the employer's instructions and limited personal data. The small room was rather dim; making the discernment of details a difficult task indeed. A second low, scooped out, almost bowl-like chair could be seen across from the one that was already occupied, and between them was a thick woven rug that had a long, slim table astride it. Like the chairs, the table was also low to the ground, with an oil-lamp in its middle that barely illuminated the tips of Krin'nal's black leather boots, giving the room very little practical lighting. All in all, the private briefing room that was secluded in the back of the Chaste Chasm did a marvelous job of being an obscure, secretive place for darker deals to be finalized.
Creepy. I'd have never thought a place like this could even exist in this time, much less that it would be in an establishment like Chaste Chasm. Makes me wonder how deep Vern's underground connections go. Krin'nal knew that Getado's old blade buddy form the Unification War had quite a network of alliances and arm-twists that he could use at any time, but it had never really crossed his mind before to think exactly how deep those threads ran, or how Vern had even acquired most of them in the first place. Then again, I probably don't want to know. I wonder how much Wresta knows, I mean they seem like they're pretty tight-knit. And they run the tavern together, so I wonder how much of a hand she has in his underground business. As the thought crossed his mind, the young thief could feel himself snicker with the image of the pushy matron twisting the arm of some rogue to get information about a job out of him.
"What are you giggling about? You aren't a schoolgirl, and this isn't a field trip, kid. Speaking of school, maybe I ought to turn you over to the Children's Protection and Correction Agency to get some schooling and smacking. You probably could stand to learn your numbers and letters, so you'll know if someone ever gets your number."
"No, that's quite alright, Vern, I've known my 'numbers and letters', as you call them, for quite some time. Just because Getado's stupid doesn't mean I am." Kicking his feet up onto the lamp-lit table, the thief smirked at his dry humor, knowing he was pushing his friend's temper, and jumping for the chance to watch the man's face get comical in his anger. Vern, however, decided to blow off some steam by whacking the brat's feet off of the table and smiling tightly. He seated himself in the chair opposite his young friend, tossing a thick, folded up parchment at the kid with a little more force than necessary. Krin'nal caught it deftly, and clucked indignantly at the older man's treatment of him.
"So I take it this is my little assignment sheet? Doesn't look like much. Here I was getting all excited about a big job and it turns out to not even be enough for one sheet of parchment!" He clucked his tongue again, wearing an expression of deepest sorrow, yet unable to hide the twinkle of sarcastic mirth in his blue eyes.
Vern rolled his own eyes at the kid's behaviour, seeing through the charade of arrogance to the fact that Krin'nal really was concerned with his new mission. "Sometimes, kid, I think you've got a screw loose between your ears. 'Course, that's a far sight better than what Getado probably tells you."
"No kidding. He tells me 'I'm a deranged kiddo, sick in mah head, an' I need to see a doctah', full quote. But I know you're both wrong because if I was crazy, I'd know it because I'd think I was sane, instead of thinking I'm crazy like I do now." The grin on the thief's face was one of utmost annoyance to Vern, who really hated the little logic puzzles the kid was so fond of spewing out. It was just one more of the infamous young thief's trademark traits that kept him hidden from others and one of the things that had inspired him to start using the nickname 'Anagram' as his calling card.
Having looked over the parchment with the beginnings of his newly acquired job on it, Krin'nal stood to leave the secluded meeting room at the back of the Chaste Chasm. Vern slowly got to his feet as well, motioning for the boy to wait for him to leave first, to come out only after a delay. When the thief finally did follow him out, it was to be greeted by the raucous manner of the Chaste Chasm in full swing. Stopping just short of the curtained off entryway back into the main hall, Krin'nal absorbed his surroundings-the music from a live band pounded in his sensitive ears, the flashes of bright colors from different lights across the room blinded his acute vision with multi-colored stars, and the stench of gallons of alcohol combined with countless cigars plus the sweat of the crowds burned at his nose. All-in-all, it was a little bit too much for him to take in so rapidly and suddenly, making the poor youth almost nauseous. Ugh, I can't believe people actually call this 'party-time' and 'happy-hour', it's revolting. The smells alone should be considered a crime. Looking around for Vern, the boy couldn't see him anywhere, but he could see the missus standing by the back door, looking work-worn. Thank Nayru! I'm so outta this place!
The thief made a beeline for Wresta, pushing and shoving through the crowd of people that stood between him and his quickest exit. Dodging a pair of drunk Hylians with swords at their hips and their lady companions on their laps, the boy rounded another table before running smack into one of the girls. She turned around, looking sultry at first then bewildered by the fact that there wasn't a customer, before she finally spotted him on the ground. She gave the thief a wry grin as he stood up, dusting off the seat of his pants.
"Better pull your hood up, Krin'nal, there's a lot of folks here tonight that don't need to see your cute little face."
"Thanks Perilli, at least I think. I'm not cute or little, y'know." Slightly miffed at being called his least two favorite things-cute and little-the thief barely mumbled off an apology for bumping into Perilli before leaving the girl to head over to the back doorway. Skirting a few more obstacles, he finally managed to get over to his destination, sighing heavily as he sank into a corner barstool. Wresta gave him a sympathetic, kindly smile as he did so, and unable to resist mothering him in some way, she pulled the cowl he had donned up higher over his face.
"Careful now, child, you don't want to be getting seen by the wrong eyes. Goddesses' know a poor little thing like you shouldn't have to be in a place like this! And at this hour too! Heavens no, a child like you should be in his bed by now, tucked away and dreaming under a thick patchwork quilt." The matron of the Chaste Cavern worried over her self-adopted charge, wringing her hands in lieu of being able to smooth out the boy's hair. The boy himself quietly steamed at being fussed over like a helpless child, but knowing he'd feel guilty about yelling at Wresta; …Afterall, she's almost like the mother I never had. I just wish she knew how to let me grow up and do my own thing…she knows I'm not helpless. Krin'nal slid off the chair, deciding that there really wasn't a better time to be leaving for his next job.
"I'm going now, Missus Wresta. I'll come back later if I get the chance."
"Going to a job? At this hour? Krin'nal, child, you're too young to work yourself so harshly. Sit back down and have a cup of warm milk." The gentle coaxing reproach of the missus fell on thin air, however, as Krin'nal himself was already gone.
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Krin'nal had always known that Hyrule Castle Town had two kinds of people living in it-those who retreated into their cozy homes after the eighth zenith and those who went searching for a cozy seat in a tavern in the dusk hours. Having never before really been 'out on the town' at this time of night, however, meant that he had never really realized just how empty the streets of Hyrule Castle Town got. Aside from the random drunk, or a laughing group of friends - Heh, more like groups of bar-hoppers – the normally bustling cobblestone avenues and lanes of the town were as deserted as a desert. Not that Krin'nal minded. I'm no fan of the crowds that are usually swarming all over this place, and anyways, its just that much easier to hurry along through the shadows now.
Slipping silently and unseen past a guard-who would probably have tried to take him 'home' for breaking curfew if nothing else-he made his way into the nicer district of the town that laid in the shadow of the grand Castle of Hyrule itself. There were more guards in this part of town, especially near the well-groomed and often gated villas belonging to such and such nobleman or so and so lordship. Fortunately for the young thief, most of these people kept themselves locked away in their ritzy houses after sundown, taking most of their guards with them for 'necessary' protection. Fat lot of good it does them though, any decent undergrounder can get by those lame-o guards without even breaking a sweat. The thief smirked at that, knowing all too well that the only protection the run of the mill guards offered was meaningless words. The cream of the crop-assuming that you believe there is such a thing in that lot-were kept as guards up at Castle Hyrule, since its fortified walls often did little to deter unwanted guests like Krin'nal.
Glancing at the number he'd scrawled onto his own arm from the paper Vern had given him, the youth scanned the numbers on the increasingly fancier houses around him. He'd forgone keeping papers from missions a long time ago, since the risk of the information falling into the wrong hands and being used against him was too much of a gamble, even for his level of daring. Granted, inking the onto his own arm probably didn't seem much better, but at least he wasn't going to just up and drop his arm where anybody could see what was written on it. Besides, it wasn't like the ink he used was permanent. Yeah, there's the real reason I carry a flask of water, definitely use my water reserve for washing over drinking, thought the thief sarcastically as he slid further down the darkened alleyways of the deserted town.
Silently, though, Krin'nal admitted that he didn't think that deeply about things like how to use supplies, it was mostly all out of habit and gut instinct. Carrying a flask of water, however small, was a force of habit that he'd picked up very early on in his willy-nilly first life, and as it was practical it was one of the few things he hadn't shucked from his past. Hnf, and Getado still claims that I'm the most 'cloud-headed, bumbling, unprepared idiot' he's ever met! It seemed to Krin'nal that he and Getado were always butting heads over 'the method to the madness' in carrying out underground jobs. But of course, being the one with a young brain, full of ingenuity, he was never wrong- Afterall, what's he know about what I need to do to finish a job, the senile old geezer probably doesn't even remember how to buckle boots!
Crossing silently under a string of unlit festival lanterns, the youthful thief had his grumbly thoughts shaken from him as the child that he tried so hard to hide looked with typical wonder and curiosity at the carnival that had been setup in town. I hadn't known there was a festival here…maybe it's just a traveling troupe that likes to hold a small show here to relax the people, and make the kids smile. A slight frown marred the boy's features as he realized that he really hadn't heard anything, he'd been too busy lately trying to provide for himself in the rough underground that he hadn't been 'up to the surface'. It was a term that many undergrounders, especially those that had more normal lives and in a few cases, families, used to describe a return to 'normal' life-life during the day and the light, instead of under night's watch and in shadow. Krin'nal had experienced very little of what passed for normal Hyrulian life, having barely had any idea that there was life outside his childhood village during his first life until he had been forced out into the normal Hyrulian world. By the time that he had a good grasp on who he was and what typical life was like, Krin'nal had been too busy with his 'duties'-At least that's what my 'tamers' wanted me to think they were. After he had escaped from the grip of his 'tamers' the first time, Krin'nal had gotten a small savoring of what the average Hyrulian did. …Minus the getting arrested for stealing when I got back from my, uh, 'soul-seeking' journey, the thing that took a huge bite out of my very short second life, that is. In his most recent past life, Krin'nal had been cooped up by those he despised the most, and made to live accordingly to their petty, backwards, restrictive rules. I am so glad I got out of that one, it sucked something major. Surprised it didn't suck the life right out of me-it was definitely driving me abso-frickin-lutely nuts!
Having meandered wistfully through the festival area, Krin'nal came upon a series of streets that were better lit, where the cobblestone looked grander, and which were lined with houses and buildings that displayed the opulent lifestyle of the revetie-Ylianas (1) perfectly. Krin'nal made a gagging noise, and couldn't refrain from childishly making a rude hand gesture at the closest set of buildings, though he didn't recognize any of the houses or the insignias embossed in glittering, grandiose, gold plates above the gated courtyard entryways. They're all the same, so shallow and useless, lazy and overstuffed on their own egos-they can't even get up to get a glass of water for themselves. That thought struck Krin'nal with an odd, crazy idea as he walked boldly down the pristine lanes, …If the servants all went into a revolt, what would those stuffy nobles do? I bet they'd just sit around and bitch and moan about their 'sad, cruel, miserable lives being slighted by those they loved and trusted above even their own children'. Pfft. Yeah, and I'm a Great Fairy.
At the very end of a row of these grand houses stood a tailor's store which claimed to have be under the management of the former master tailor at Hyrule Castle itself. Whether this was true or not, the youth didn't know or sure, but he did know that it had been included in the meager directions he'd been given by his new employer. He was to turn down the avenue it stood on the corner of, then follow that path until he came to a circle with a fountain of the First Queen of Hyrule in its centre. From his arrival point facing Queen Zereldina's back (for her statue had been built so that it faced the west, and her sister's kingdom, Calatia), the thief had been directed to go to the right side of the stone lady and proceed down the wide street he would then be able to see. Krin'nal's employer's last directive was to come to the house with the number 73591 above its courtyard gate and to not be seen coming into the noble's home, which was a roundabout way of telling Krin'nal not to come barging through the aforementioned gate. Like I would ever do something as stupid as coming in through the main door. No good thief does that!
Having come to stand under the very same gate he was just thinking of, the thief compared the numbers on his arm and the numbers on the gilded, gem-studded, vaulted archway that soared above his head. Unless he was blind and in need of the schooling Vern thought he was, the two sets of numbers were twins, and all he had to do now was a make himself known. Preferably in a grand entrance that would both display my mad skillz and scare the living crap out of my employer. Unfortunately for him, the current residence of his noble employer had high, perfectly molded together, polished Marudstone (2) walls around his grounds. Krin'nal knew from past experience that these were totally impossible to scale by hand, and nearly so even with a hookshot or grappling hook. The damn stuff is bad enough in a rough state, all slippery and slick and impossible to make handholds in; it's an outright bitch when it's fricking polished!, grumbling and grudgingly giving up on the whole idea of scaling the court walls to slip inside, Krin'nal proceeded around the perimter of the nobleman's house-his eyes examining every nook and cranny as a viable entry point.
The progress this search yielded to him, however, was not impressive and the whole ordeal was beginning to frustrate the young undergrounder. He hated missions that started out cryptic on all counts, primarily because they were too much hassle, and secondly because they reminded him way too much of his early 'quests' for them to be in his comfort zone. He also hated nobles who thought that they could pull this kind of frustrating, ridiculous, and controlling crap on the people that worked for them just to say that they were in charge and that they could expose a hired man for being 'impertinent'. Didn't they realize it worked both ways? It's not like their hands are clean either, they're breaking the law too, and they're only doing it out of greed. None of them have to stoop down and work like a dog for others just to put food on their plates. Krin'nal was now determined to make his grand entrance, and maybe the Golden Ladies were on his side, because unless his eyes were a pair of tricksters, that sewer led right underneath the seemingly impermeable nobleman's house.
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Exhaling as quietly as was possible in his current state, Krin'nal pressed himself further up against the dead end wall of the sewer-Nayru's mercy am I glad to be out of that stinking swine-pit! Eurgh, I still feel like retching from the smells, I can't possibly imagine what I might have been walking through…Ew. I don't even want to think about that. Craning his head away from the wall, Krin'nal just barely managed to see up through the grate that separated him from what was presumably the kitchen. Hopefully it wasn't because if there was one place that he was certain did not rest in the houses of the rich, it was the kitchen. There was always someone in there, either filching a midnight snack or spending six hours cooking one of those overly grand meals the nobles stuffed down their throats in less than an forty-five minutes.
Peeling himself away from the wall and steeling his nerves, the thief slowly paced his way under the grate and looked up. He hadn't heard too much noise while he was at the wall, and he couldn't see anyone in the immediate area of the grate…Maybe it's not the kitchen. Maybe it's really big and the cooks or whoever are all on the other side of the room. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm stalling over nothing. Rrgh, I'm just going through here and if anybody has anything to say about it then I'll shut them up! His hands reached up, slowly gripping the metal shafts. He pulled lightly on them, testing their strength. Loose, but not loose enough to shift without a sound. I'll have to oil the edges, acknowledged the thief as he blinked to keep falling bits of rust out of his eyes. Going into a small satchel at his right hip, Krin'nal pulled out an even smaller vial of his own homemade lockpicker's oil, and began applying it to the grate's edges. He used the stuff that could be bought from an underground supplier as a base, but having found over time that it wasn't always strong enough, he'd played around with a few additions of his own until the brew satisfied his needs. Replacing his tool, Krin'nal once again wrapped his hands around a couple of the shafts. He listened quietly again for a short time that seemed to stretch far longer than it really did. The thief didn't hear the barest peep and he didn't dare look. It was now or it was never, and he would go on from whatever came next. He slid the grate up, pleased with its silence, and his body followed it up into the normal world.
Having emerged from the sewer unscathed at last, Krin'nal spared the room a parting glance to confirm that it was indeed the kitchen as he ran silently out the closest exit, reappearing in an damp torch-lit hallway, that looked pretty neglected. He was probably underground still, and since the nobility liked to roost in fancied up towers like magpies, it meant he had a long way to go 'til he reached his employer. Fair enough, shrugged the thief as he slunk along the shadowed, mildewed wall, It's just one more strike against him. Apparently, though, Krin'nal trip through the noble's home wasn't going to be such a cakewalk, as he could hear a guard clanking around up ahead, probably at the foot of the only staircase up. Krin'nal snorted. Since when has one stupid guard stopped me? He crept towards the suit of armor at the end of the hall, crouching down when he heard another guard clanking around. …That might complicate things. One I can handle…but the stupidity from two might just be an x-factor in annoyance for them. The clanking stopped, and the whistling of the first guard came to a slow halt, as Krin'nal pricked up his ears to do some spying.
"Sir. I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary here."
"Good. Keep your eyes peeled though for Lord Res'Tauvel's 'guest'. We were told to pick him up if we caught wind of him."
"Why sir? I mean, didn't the Lord invite him here?"
"…That's true. But I guess it's like a game of cat and mouse. If the little street mouse it's good enough to get past us and to the 'big cheese' here, there's no need to keep him employed to do the real work." There was something about the way this guard spoke that gave Krin'nal an uneasy tremor. The guy was definitely not a slack-off, and he was certainly the heavy of Lord What's-His-Face. Thankfully, he must have only been dropping in for a routine checkup, because the clanking resumed, and the first guard could be heard to sigh and sink into a more relaxed position, now that his commander was out of sight.
Time to make my move around this pawn. As this thought flared up in Krin'nal's mind, he whipped around the suit of armor and dashed for the unsuspecting guard. The man started at the rapid pattering of feet across the floor, rising from the chair he'd been in. Krin'nal was faster. The agile thief used his velocity to help him ram the guard solidly in the midsection with his shoulder. To make sure it was done properly, he went down with the guard, the rolled to sit on the man's chest, cutting off his air at the throat, suffocating him just enough by hand to knock the guard cold. The guard didn't even have a chance to raise his spear before he followed had it to the floor in the attack. One guard less to bother with, and a merry jaunt through this place is now in order.
Like a shadow, Krin'nal swept silently up the stairs that hadn't been too well guarded, hoping to avoid any further obstacles. Passing by the first door he came to, Krin'nal wished he'd ducked into it temporarily as he picked up the sounds of two more guards talking at the next landing-the second floor-although it sounded like they were distracted by some maids. The men were talking in low tones, so he couldn't pick up what they were saying, but it was probably not something he wanted to know about, since the sounds of a washroom could also be heard. Most likely the pair of idiots were peeping on the maids cleaning clothing and themselves simultaneously. Coming in sight of them, Krin'nal took on a tomato hue as he could see that they weren't peeping so much as they were getting a show. EwEwEw! That is just so nasty! I can't believe they get away with that kinda thing while they're on duty! And with the maids? There is something so weird about that, even though it does seem kinda normal too. Weird. He stayed belly down on the stairs for a few more seconds, analyzing just how risky it would be to try and sneak behind the distracted guards. Fortunately for him, the guards must have decided they want to do some 'washing' too, because when he craned his head over the top step to look again, they were gone, and the door had just squeaked shut.
Shaking his head at the ridiculous situation, and the ignorance of royal security, Krin'nal made his way up to the landing on the second floor, and proceeded down the long hallway. During his 'merry jaunt' through this part of the manor, Krin'nal became increasingly aware of a rise in the finery around him. Must mean I'm getting warmer. Heh. I'll shock the pants off this guy, just wait. However, it seemed that the manor had an upper level that was like a maze, because after following the hall's twists and turns for what felt like forever, the thief was now faced with the old 'pick a door and hope's it's the right one' scenario. …There's another thing not to like about this guy and his home. Sighing, the youth walked around by each door, pausing at each to listen beyond it for anything that might give him a clue. At the third door he came to, his eyes gave him that clue, as he noticed that it had intricate designs on its hinges and knob, one of which was the seal that had been on the folded parchment Vern had handed him. Heh. Jackpot. Not so crafty are you, Lord Whoever-You-Are? Cracking the door, he peered around to ensure that his ears had not decieved him about the next chamber's emptiness, then slipped in, one step closer to his goal.
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Why does there have to be a procession of guards right now? Fumed Krin'nal as he hunkered down behind a gaudy faux gold statue of the Goddesses in the upstairs entry hall. The chamber he'd entered from the many-doored room had indeed been empty, so he'd assumed the floor was private and deserted. Big mistake, grumbled the hidden thief in his head, I should have known security dotls would be up here, guarding the big Lord Pain-in-the-Ass. What really had the youth angry, however, was the fact that he'd been in sight of the ornate curtain that acted as a doorway for the polished and rugged Marudstone stairs at the rounded end of the hallway. They definitely led up to the aforementioned employer, and Krin'nal would have been well on his way to scaring the big idiot, But nooo, that would have been too simple and too nice a thing to give to poor me. I swear, sometimes, I think someone up there just finds my life to be hilarious like this. Rrgh.
The guards were clearly not going to be leaving anytime soon, either, which meant two things in Krin'nals mind. A.) They're looking for me, and B.) I'm going to have to get by them, or go through them. Not fun. Steeling himself, Krin'nal poked his head the barest of amounts around the cheap statue, trying to get a good idea of what he was inevitably going to have to deal with. Huddling back up again, and reviewing the statistics, he slid a slender dagger out of its emerald sheath, thinking deeply as he twirled it. He stood up and replaced it suddenly, not bothering to cover-up the small 'shink' noise it made. It was time to do or die. Fly or fall. And he wasn't going to get caught like a common rogue, because now, he was just pissed off and wanted to give that revetie-Ylianas bastard a piece of his mind.
As if they were of one mind, both the thief and the guards came towards each other at once, the former with only his dagger and a small pouch clutched tightly in his hands. His opponents all carried spears at the ready, and a few had swords at their hips. The first guard reached the boy and tried to run his shoulder through, but being small was an advantage for Krin'nal right then, as the guard's spear overshot him and got stuck in the shoulder of one sneaking up behind the boy instead. The sneak attacker fell to his knees, clutching his wounded arm and crying out, in exactly the same moment that the first was knocked flat by a sweep kick from the boy. Stepping carelessly on the man's arm, Krin'nal clashed blades with the third guard in the room, who'd decided his sword was a better option for such a pipsqueak opponent. The last two guards came at him from either side, spears raised to stab him as soon as the two swordsmen parted. Seeing this, Krin'nal pulled out his trump card. As he whirled to dodge a thrust from his immediate aggressor, he slit open the small sack in his other hand. Still twisting away, a slate-gray powder (3) filled the air as the bag was whipped around, and it's contents emptied. The guard with the sword was hit directly in the face with some of the powder, and blinked to clear his eyes and find the boy he'd just been battling. But his vision was getting a bit fuzzy, and his limbs felt heavy, and he couldn't seem to fight that odd sensation of falling to the ground. Everything went black for him. His companions saw this and tried not to breathe in the powder, but it wasn't going to help them now. They too sank to the floor, leaving only Krin'nal standing, his hood pulled tight around his mouth and nose.
I may have been hit with small amounts of that stuff when I was little and living in the wild, but I'm still not crazy enough to risk breathing it like this. Boconfer pollen (3) is nasty stuff; it'll knock out a grown man in seconds if it's inhaled from too close. Krin'nal walked across the unconscious security, stepping on a few limbs as he proceeded towards the curtained doorway. It was past time to have paid a friendly visit to his latest employer, and he never like to keep a client waiting. Besides, they had a lot of important details to work out… Like how I don't appreciate his stupid little welcoming party. Crashing it was fun, but not something I want to have as a normal part of business.
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"So I see you made it up here. And without an escort of guards. You must be a clever one."
"Your guards weren't too tough. But, yeah, I am a 'clever one'."
"But not clever enough to sneak up on me. I know how your kind works, though, so don't feel too badly about having your grandiose entrance foiled." Lord Res'Tauvel turned from the stained glass window he'd been examining, calmly folding his hands over his crossed legs, and examining the slight thief before him. Similarly, Krin'nal narrowed his eyes and examined everything around him and the lord. His eyes picked up on a pair of boot soles hidden behind a tapestry-no doubt the chief guard from earlier. Doesn't matter. I've gotten this far, and I'm not scared of the rich dude's stupid hand-fed dog.
"Time's wasting, o rich one. So unless you think you can learn something about me by staring at me, you'd better get on with the job debriefing. I like to get my work done and out of the way, swiftly."
"Before dinner time, perhaps? You don't seem to have been a member of this world for very long."
Krin'nal decided this man was definitely not his favorite employer, since he was, true to Vern's words, not a stupid or skittish nobleman. Which made dealing with him way too much hassle, and certainly was not enjoyable for the young thief. Besides, his smile is all wrong. It's twisted, and it gives me the creeps. It's like he knows everything, has all the cards, and is just waiting to see when and where to play them.
"I'm not young enough to try and get money that won't come easy, …your grace."
"I didn't say you were inexperienced. On the contrary, since you wouldn't have made it here if you were lacking skills or intellect." Lord Res'Tauvel unfolded his hands slowly, and stood up even slower, an action Krin'nal recognized as an attempt at intimidation. He sneered. It's not gonna work that way, you rich bastard.
"But I understand you urgency, and quite frankly, I'm pleased with it. An eager, willing aid, is always the best, in my opinion. As such, I will have Karuse show you the most expedient way out in a moment." Upon these words, the boots moved out from behind the tapestry, revealing that Krin'nal had been right about who they belonged to.
"I want you, my dear little thief, to grab me a special…artifact…from the royal vaults. You see, I've been told there is a certain magical shield which reflects what is in the hearts of men as well as repelling evil sorcery in there, and I find myself wanting such a valuable thing for my own private collections. One never knows, when they will need a special shield like that." As the lord turned to face the window once more, Karuse came forward, and dragged the now fully employed thief out the door and out of the manor.
&
(1) The revetie-Ylianas thing is another one of those fancy-schmancy nobility only words I made up, literally meaning "most revered of the Hylians".
(2) Marudstone is a type of stone similar to marble, but with a mostly solid looking blue color to it and its quite slick, almost like its constantly damp. Its name comes from the old Hylian word "Marudei" which means "stone of water".
(3) Boconfer pollen, which is a slate gray-colored powder that smells like iron, is not dangerous if breathed in from far away or in small amounts, like would be drifting through a forest. However, it causes a state of paralysis and often loss of consciousness in grown men if breathed in too closely or in large amounts. In younger people, the same amount is potentially deadly, in that it would induce a coma they might not awaken from.
Fuyuko: Some plot development, and some new stuff for everybody to chew on, but otherwise not a whole lot. I should probably tell you that it is getting a bit harder to write this story, but mostly just the little things like the quotes. Which brings me to an interesting topic. I want to know what my readers think of the quotes I put at the beginning of each chapter, and of the anagram forms of the chapter titles.
Krin'nal: You weren't just making up weird letter combinations? Those are actually real words?
Fuyuko: … Yes, those were actual words, you dolt. They were just mixed up into anagrams, scrambled word puzzles. And now the readers have a multiple-choice quiz!
Readers: …What? Nani? Qué?
Fuyuko: Don't worry, it's easy! And here it is:
Quotes: Would you, kind readers, prefer to A.) Keep them and torture me by making me do them all, as I have been, B.) Keep them and contribute some at your own highly appreciated and valued discretion and effort, or, C.) Get rid of the dang things, because they only take up valuable story space!
Chapter Titles: Would you, ever-so-nice-readers, prefer to A.) Keep them as anagrams, nobody cares about them anyway, B.) Keep the anagrams, but solve them for everyone in the chapter, or again, C.) Get rid of them and replace them with the normal words that they actually are!
Fuyuko: My only other remarks are that if you choose to contribute quotes, they need to be original, or relative to the story or at least one of its characters. Similarly, if you choose to keep the anagrams and have them solved somewhere else in the chapter, I can tell you right now that it will probably be at the close of each individual chapter. It may, however, also appear next to the anagram form of the title, or in the chapter selection bar. So, dear readers, send me your feed back in a review, please? Oh, and while we're on the subject of reviews…(eye-twitch)
Krin'nal: O.O Here it comes! She's gonna blow, hit the deck, Disclaimer-Bot!
Fuyuko: …I WAS ORIGINALLY going to go on a MAJOR RANT about how NOBODY REVIEWS, but then, I guess I don't update very often so I can't demand too much of my readers. Still, there were only three people in total that reviewed this last chapter! I mean, come on, people, I know there aren't a lot of people reading this judging by the hit count, but I really would like to hear everyone's feedback. Reviews are what keep a lot of authors here at writing, because we know how you feel about the hard work we do on these stories. I don't even care if you leave anonymous reviews, or if you flame me, I just want honest opinions of my work. (gets off her soapbox) At this time, I'd like to thank E1pnvn for reviewing me each and every chapter, it's been a great confidence booster for me, and I honestly feel that I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Let me see if I can find some of those sweets you've been asking about, though, so that you may enjoy their virtual goodness.:) I'd also like to thank new reviewer Xaven, who encouraged me to keep updating. My beta, of course, also reviewed and he knows how much I appreciate it, especially since he already beta reads it for me.
Well, see you all next chapter, regardless of anything else.
Krin'nal and Disclaimer-Bot: That was kinda scary.
Read and Review or be Squashed Beneath the Giant Butterfinger of Squishing!
