The boat trip to Heart was uneventful for the most part. The lack of petrifying monsters, made navigating the river less horrifying. The boat landed at a dock. Since Kumadra had been repopulated with flesh and blood people, the docks could be maned. However, Jarek's trip was not yet done. He still had a bit of a walk to get to. The one who offered him the deal stated they would be near the border to the tribe's entrance. The sun was already starting to set, and Jarek hastened his pace. Before long, he was within the woods that just lay upon the border of Heart. Within the dimness the woods provided, Jarek made out a shape. Looking on ahead, their eyes met and they each gave an affirmative nod.

"Well, you showed up."

Jarek recognized the figure as the man who offered him this job. He was a thin gangly sort, with his black hair tied in a knot, and his nose pointed giving off an avian impression.

"With the money, you promised me I would be a fool to turn it down," Jarek answered, "So it's just the two of us?"

"No, my brother and the boss will be here soon," the man answered.

Speak of the devil, another man stepped into view looking very much like the one who offered the invitation, presumably his brother. Collectively Jarek coined them the bird brothers, but he kept that to himself. But the third person, one whom Jarek assumed was the boss, was a woman. She was tall and slender, but her body showed a well-toned and muscled form showing she could indeed hold her own. Her hair was long but neatly combed back showing her full face. Though her face wasn't with marring for her held an eye-patch across her face. The woman had shown signs of aging, so much Jarek could tell she wasn't a young woman, but obviously, her genes had preserved her to a degree.

Her still functioning brown eye twinkled as she laid it upon Jarek.

"So you're the infamous Jarek eh?" She noted with a voice silky smooth.

Jarek felt pride swell up for a brief moment, "You've heard of me?"

"Not by reputation, but you look just like your father, right down to the beard," The woman said.

Jarek's eyes lit up with attention, "You knew my old man?"

"Oh yes, we ran several jobs together back in the day, nothing romantic mind you, he often bragged about this girl he eventually married, that and the two children he fathered, mentioned he had a boy named Jarek," The woman smiled, "When I heard your name around I took a stab in the dark, guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, following in your father's footsteps."

Jarek managed a small grin, he was glad at least his father lived on in memory.

"My condolences to what happened to him," The woman continued.

"Thanks, Ms?"

"Where are my manners? I was so busy talking that I forgot to introduce myself," The woman said outstretching her hand, "Names Sayua."

Jarek took her hand and shook it, "The other two?"

"They're nothing worth noting, just some pair I brought on after I got out," Said Sayua.

"Got out?"

"A job went south and I ended up incarcerated. I was going to be put away for a long time before everything went to hell eight years ago."

Jarek knew what she was talking about, "That's when the Druun returned."

"Once those monsters started tearing Kumandra apart, it was easy to make a break for it. Had some close calls though. The Druun aren't picky about whom they take," Sayua said grimly.

Jarek was no stranger to the threats the Druun had presented. Though he may have been extremely lucky, there were a few close calls.

"Just got to know how to handle them," Jarek said, attempting to show a display of confidence.

"Indeed, and from the snippets, I've heard about you, your luck may just be what we need," Sayua nodded to one of her men, prompting him to bring out a map, "It's a layout of the palace, there's a treasure inside we're going to steal."

Jarek looked at her confusedly, "The dragon gem, but it's-"

"Gone, I know, but we aren't going after the dragon gem, I'm talking about another treasure stored away," Sayua explained.

"I didn't think Heart had any other treasure beside the gem," Said Jarek.

"Oh they do, this one dates back to when the tribes first formed," Sayua explained, "It was said when the tribes first came to be, there was tension between humanity and dragons, but it all got smoothed out somehow, and as a peace offering, the dragons offered each tribe a token," Sayua's good eye gleamed as she added the final bit of the story, "Heart's token happens to be a dragon figurine cared out of the finest ebony."

Jarek had never heard about this before. But he supposed due to the importance of the gem, it made sense other treasures would be overlooked.

"Now in case you are wondering, yes eventually I'll work my way up to the other tribes, but we're starting with Heart due to the situation," Sayua added.

"Situation?" Jarek repeated.

"There's a festival tonight, one commemorating the day Kumandra was restored, we're going to sneak in, grab it, and make out like royalty," Sayua boasted.

So the details were given, and Jarek could feel his heart racing as he felt excitement, "What about security? How are we supposed to sneak into the palace?"

Though a celebration it may have been, there were still likely to be guards around the palace.

"That's the beauty of it, apparently the palace is open to the public tonight," Sayua explained, "Me and the boys will cause a distraction, while you sneak in and grab it."

Jarek's face dropped, "Me?"

"Come on boy, a man as nimble and lucky as you should hardly find this a challenge," Sayua leaned her face in, "After all, your old man loved the thrill of a challenge right?"

That was true, Jarek did share his father's thrill of a heist. His father had often spoken of the jobs he had been on. Oddly enough, he hadn't mentioned Sayua, but Jarek paid that no mind. It wasn't as if his father would provide every detail meticulously.

"Alright, what do we do?" Jarek asked.

Motioning everyone to lean into the map, Sayua grinned, "Glad you asked."

XXX

As night full fell upon Heart, its streets were lined with various torch lights. Everyone piled out filling the air with joyous applause. Music danced about, moving the people's bodies into an expression of celebration. Yet, there was an air of mystery tonight, for the various citizens that populated the tribe was all adorned in masks. Some of them were modeled after one Chief Benja had often worn around his daughter when they were sparring.

So joyous they felt they didn't notice the quartet working their way through the crowd and towards the palace.

"Hard to see with this thing," Jarek complained as he adjusted the mask.

"Get used to it," Sayua suggested.

They soon made it to the palace, and sure enough, the doors were open, and largely were left unguarded save for two

"I can't believe they just left the palace open like this," Jarek said with disbelief.

"That's Chief Benja for you, the man thought it was a good idea to bring all the tribes together where the gem was. Sure he had good intentions, but look what happened," Sayua said grimly.

That very blunder had caused much grief, but Jarek couldn't help but say, "Fang was the one who tried to take the gem."

Sayua swiftly looked to Jarek, and underneath Jarek could tell she was surprised he defended Heart's chief. Jarek was surprised himself. He never knew the man, but still, the man had good intentions.

"Very true, and speaking of which, that brings me to my next point, it may take a while to sell this thing, granted if we're successful," Sayua said.

Jarek knew there was some sort of catch, "How so?"

"Ever since the tribes made peace, Fang has been cracking down on the organized crime circuit," Sayua clarified, "I suppose they want to make up for causing the gem to break in the first place, but the black market has been keeping things slow. We'll have to wait for the right opening to sell it off, and that could take time."

"Don't worry, I have the patience of a saint," Jarek assured.

Beneath her mask, Sayua faintly smiled, "Good."

Wasting enough time, the group headed further inside. The guards let them in without trouble. They hadn't brought a lot of gear, least the kind that could be easily seen. Just a few things for a quick escape, which was very likely to happen. No weapons, so they would have to rely on their evasive skills to escape.

"You know the plan right?" Sayua asked Jarek.

Jarek kept an eye on the main chamber, where a large number of people were gathered, "Yeah, you three cause a distraction while I make for the chamber."

"You remember the details on the map?"

"Yeah. Just go ahead."

Nodding to her two associates, the trio was off, leaving Jarek alone. He got in closer to the crowd to now look conspicuous, and then he played the waiting game. He counted the seconds as he waited, uncertain of what distraction he was waiting for. In moments he got his action. A loud boom thundered across the area sending in bursts of panic. Jarek could make out smoke and drawn like a moth to a flame, the guards began to pile in the center of the room. That left an opening down the hall and Jarek took it.

Jarek kept a brisk pace but didn't break out into a full sprint. He traveled down the hall noting the landmarks upon the map. How Sayua had gotten a map of the palace was something he had neglected to ask, but he didn't think it was important enough to warrant a question. Several doors passed and Jarek's memory came to an end. Stopping at the large ornate doors, Jarek pushed them open and stepped inside a small chamber. He glanced inside and sure enough, there was a room lined with several figurines. Jarek didn't know what use this room was for. He wasn't sure if it was a treasure room. If what he sought was indeed here, was there supposed to be greater security? Perhaps this was just an art room of sorts. Whichever, the statues were kept out in the open, most of them tiny enough to be placed, carved out of material such as stone or wood. Nothing worth taking.

But what caught Jarek's eye was what lay at the room's end. There lay a dragon figurine, looking very unimpressive as the rest, but that was only because it held a distinct lack of care to it. Getting in closer, Jarek took a good look at it, and sure enough, it held a black but wooden quality to it. Instinctually Jarek reached out to touch it, grabbing hold of it. It only made him wonder about the laxness of the security in this place. Had Heart been this peaceful enough that they could leave things like this out in the open? Neverminding that, Jarek fingered the figure. It was certainly a mark of great craftsmanship, right down to the pointed teeth. Curious, Jarek put a finger to one of the teeth.

"OW!" Jarek suddenly let out a loud cry of pain. Despite it being carved from a type of wood, the teeth were carved to a point, so much that Jarek could see blood, "Piece of junk," Jarek muttered, temporarily ignoring that this "junk" was going to make him a rich man.

"Who are you?!"

Jarek nearly dropped the figurine as a female voice spoke up from behind. Swiftly turning around, he spied a young woman. Though clad in the same festival gear as the rest of Heart, what was noticeable was her long black hair, accompanied by a straw hat. Removing her mask Jarek could see it was none other than the princess of Heart herself, Raya.

The young man was at a loss as to what to do. One of the saviors of Kumandra was standing before him, and she didn't look happy. Her eyes reached towards the figurine. Jarek wondered if she knew its value? He didn't have time to ponder that as the princess charged right towards him. Jarek reacted quickly, going into a dive. Raya was just as quick, only clipping Jarek in his side. As soon as he saw an opening, Jarek took off into a full sprint.

"Help! Thief!" He heard Raya's voice behind him, which only spurred him to keep running.

As soon as he did, he came to a stop, as he noticed several guards coming through.

"Great," Jarek muttered.

His only choice was to run deeper into the palace but he knew that would lead to him getting caught. There was one other option to go with.

"Luck please don't fail me now," Jarek said as he quickly scampered up the open window and headed down. Luck was indeed on his side for he felt the impact of a tree as he slid down. Murmurs of confusion escaped the crowd as Jarek broke off into a full sprint. He kept running, ignoring the commotion behind him. His mind raced for possibilities and so he did the first thing that came to mind: he jumped into the river. A loud splash accompanied him, but he quickly swam under the bridge. He heard voices above him, waited long enough till they subsided. After a full-on five minutes, Jarek swam back to shore.

Once more, he was the luckiest man in Kumandra.

XXX

"Did he bail?" One of Sayua's men asked.

Sayua looked on ahead, saying nothing to her men but granted a smile nonetheless, "He didn't."

There coming sopping wet was Jarek, "Hey guys," He said as he removed his mask.

One of Sayua's men stepped up, "So did you get it?"

Flashing a proud grin, Jarek held up the figurine, "Naturally!"

Sayua snorted some air, "Well done," She outstretched her palm which Jarek granted by giving her the figurine.

"Truly this was crafted by a master," Sayua noted.

"Watch the teeth, they bite," Jarek warned, still feeling a stinging pain in his finger.

"Come on, we should head further towards the river, more than likely Heart is still looking.

Jarek knew she meant the part of the river which flowed further from Heart itself. The group did so stopping only once they were a good distance away.

"Man I can't believe we did that!" Jarek announced.

"Shh! Keep it down! You want the entire tribe to hear?" Sayua hissed.

"Sorry, I just man with this money oh man just the possibilities!" Jarek had never felt more excited. Though it might take a while to sell off per Sayua's little wrinkle when he did he could finally live the life he could only dream of. And not just for him, but also for Rapi and Padi. He could move them out of the docks of Talon and into someplace nice. That (not so) little house by the lake would become a reality.

"Yes possibilities," Sayua droned.

With a snap of her fingers, her men suddenly restrained Jarek's arms.

"Okay," Jarek laughed as he was lost in his giddiness, "What's going on? This some kind of initiation ritual or something?"

Sayua let out a small laugh, "I must admit, I knew your skill would help us, but I never realized how naive and trusting you were."

Jarek looked at her confusedly, "Trusting?" He repeated. Suddenly he felt something was amiss.

"First off, I did run with your father back in the day, even offered him a partnership, but he turned me down," Sayua explained, "And you know why he did that? Because he was soft. He didn't have the guts to do the hard stuff. That fool wasn't even willing to kill to get the prize, he had honor, something thieves like us aren't supposed to have," Sayua leaned into Jarek, the young man was starting to struggle as panic filled him, "And I can just tell by the look in your eyes you have the same weakness he had."

"Look I-"

"The minute I told you I knew your father, you just were so willing to eat up everything I said. We needed the extra hand, but this little assessment showed me that eventually, you are going to hold us back."

Sayua reached into her back and pulled something out, something that made Jarek's eyes grow wide. It was a knife, sharp and gleaming. Watching it gleam in the moonlight, Jarek's panic only grew.

"So sorry it had to come to this, but I just know the part of your father in you will hold us back down the line," Sayua apologized.

"I won't say anything!" Jarek pleaded, but anything else he was about to say was cut short as he felt something sink into his abdomen.

Jarek's eyes widened and he numbly looked down to see Sayua's knife perfectly embedded inside him. Sayua's men released Jarek as Sayua pushed him back towards the river. Her arm held him in place, and Jarek in his shock could only follow her movements.

"Shame, with your skill we could have turned this into a long-term thing," Sayua said disappointed, "But."

Then she pushed him back, and Jarek fell into the river with a splash.

The river continued to flow, and all the while, Jarek fought as much as he could. But the blood spilling out from his open wound slowed his movements to a crawl. He felt his mind growing heavy, his breathing subsiding as he struggled to avoid falling under the water. Jarek's head remained afloat, too tired to cry for help, and soon that same tiredness overtook his mind, and he and it sank like a rock. Jarek knew no more, and it would seem the luck of the luckiest man in Kumandra had finally run out.

His last thoughts were of Rapi and Padi.

A/N: Got to say, this action scene was hard. As for security being lax, I figure since the crime circuit is dying down, things have been peaceful. I've headcanoned Fang stepped up in stamping out crime in order to make up for causing the gem to break in the first place. But is Jarek really dead? Would I really kill off the protagonist so early in the story?