General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.
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The Life of a Thief
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The companions entered Mae'Var's guildhall early the following morning. Coran had done little more than exchange some flirtatious talk with the barmaid, it seemed, and then opted for a sensibly early night alone, much to Valygar and Nalia's relief. The ranger also witnessed him leaving his room as they emerged to the inn's corridor at the same time, and gladly noted that his room was not only empty, but showed no obvious signs of having a women visitor the previous evening.
Their quota was handed over to the young thief, who quietly counted it, then sullenly nodded to them. "Mae'Var'll want to see ye then," he mumbled, jerking a thumb towards the stairs in the corner of the room that led down to the cellar. Coran nodded his thanks, and strode off down with Valygar behind him. Nalia hesitated for a second before following, her eyes cautiously taking in the surroundings as they descended into the gloom.
A row of cells met them as they turned around from the bottom of the stairs to take in the passage ahead. Their walls were transparent, made from chain that was stretched from the ceiling to the floor. Most, thankfully, seemed to be empty of inhabitants, but one contained an older man, painfully thin with greying hair. His gaze followed them as they passed, but he made no sound; as Nalia's eyes met his own, he threw a panicked look ahead of them, and fearfully huddled down into one of the darker corners. She looked to see what scared him so much, and noticed the men standing ahead of them.
There were several of them, in fact. Most were lurking at the sides of what appeared to be the torture chamber, their eyes fixed on the newcomers in a most disconcerting way. Three others stood in more central positions; one was clearly the torturer himself, brandishing a shiny knife that already had the spoils of blood upon its blade. Next to him was a man in simple chainmail, a flail hanging from his belt. The symbol of Cyric hung from his neck, and Nalia wondered if he was there to prevent their captives from dying, to prolong their agony and pain. Across the rack was the final man, who was obviously Mae'Var. His armour seemed to glow slightly in the light, his sword hilt was more jewelled than the others. He was sneering at them, his eyes travelling over them one by one as he assessed their potential. Nalia felt almost violated by his keen gaze when his attention fell to her, but thankfully it was over within a few seconds, and he returned his regard back to Coran.
"Hello there, I certainly hope you've got a reason to be bothering me, because I'm quite busy, as you can see." Mae'Var gestured idly to the rack beside him, then sighed theatrically as he looked down upon the body attached to it. "Ah, poor Lin passed out. I've a few minutes to spare then. Who are you and why shouldn't I kill you?"
"We were sent down to see you by one of your men," explained Coran, seemingly unaffected by the sight before him. "Renal Bloodscalp sent us as reinforcements some days previous; we are Shadow Thieves of good standing."
"I am sure you have letters of authorisation or that sort of thing," murmured the Guildmaster serenely. "Irrelevant. How about we throw you on the rack and make sure you are who you say you are?"
Coran didn't reply. He stood side by side with Valygar, holding Mae'Var's gaze unblinking, while Nalia swallowed nervously in the background. The Shadow Thief's gaze fell to her.
"Scared you did I?" he smirked. "Fear will keep you honest. You don't want to end up like Lin here, with me having to test your honesty -- difficult to do with certainty."
"Better to die an honest man, than live as a liar," muttered Valygar. Mae'Var smiled cruelly to him, failing to notice the hidden meaning in the ranger's words.
"Such thoughts are akin to mine, but I will hold you no closer knowing you are as cold as I," the Guildmaster said casually. "Instead, a simple quest to test your worth and pad our coffers. I suppose I should make the task something you wouldn't balk at completely. How about a little petty larceny amidst the stuffed robes over at the Talos temple?"
"What exactly is it you need?" asked Coran.
"I require... " Mae'Var paused, seeming to ponder the situation. "The amulet worn by the Weathermistress. Yes, it looked lovely on her, and I've a beautiful sheltie-spaniel cross that it will adorn just as well. You need not kill her to get it; she likely removes it in the night. As pleasing as it is, it would leave a welt the size of a melon if slept upon."
"We will do as you wish," replied Coran, bowing his head slightly.
"Yes, you shall... I've told you the mark, you do the rest. Pick it from her in her sleep if you must, but do not bother me again without the goods." Mae'Var waved them away impatiently, watching them as they returned to the stairs and trooped up to the ground floor. They left the building in silence, and made sure they'd walked a fair distance from its confines before any of them spoke.
"I'm not sure about crossing the Talassans," said Nalia nervously, throwing a wary glance over her shoulder as they moved steadily towards the Temple District. "The Stormlord is rather fond of lightning, if you know what I mean. I have a cantrip to protect from electricity, but, well, I don't know how effective it'd be against a god."
Coran chuckled. "Well, we can always duck into the sewers to allow you to cast it on me before we get there," he replied lightly. "If you both then stand guard outside, I should be able to perform this on my own; and if only I go in, we'll draw less attention to ourselves."
"It'll be risky," noted Valygar doubtfully. "If something goes wrong, we will have no idea and you'll probably be held in the Temple before you can escape."
"If I don't appear within, let's say... ten minutes of having gone inside, then feel free to come and rescue me. Preferably before Nalia's spell wears off," the elf said dryly.
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With the protective spell in place, cast in the seclusion of the sewer, Coran slipped back out into the pathway that wound its way towards the front of the Temple of Talos. Valygar and Nalia emerged a few moments after and began loitering around, failing miserably to blend into their surroundings.
The elf casually sauntered up to the grand entrance of his destination, his hood drawn up around his face to shroud it in darkness. Valygar had thought they should wait until nightfall; to sneak in and steal it as Mistress Ada slept, just as Mae'Var had suggested. But Coran wasn't keen on wasting time. It was going to be a challenge, one he felt a need to do. A reminder of his past, a way to prove to himself that he was still the person he used to be.
Except he wasn't -- not in every way, at least.
He frowned at his wandering thoughts and cleared his head. Before he passed into the threshold of the sanctum, he let his hands wander under his cloak, grasping firmly at the necklace he wore, always. The small golden heart, symbol of Hanali Celanil, felt warm to his touch, and he mutely apologised to her for what he was about to do. Then with a deep breath, he withdrew his hand and strode confidently into the temple.
Priests scurried around him as he casually made his way across the foyer. Storm Knights stood guard to every corridor and passage that led away, their platemail as black as night, emblazoned with streaks of gold. Their helmets covered their faces, crimson plumes adding a surprise patch of colour to their ensemble, and vicious looking poleaxes were on prominent display. He didn't want to mess with one of those.
There were only a handful of worshippers paying tribute to their god that day, and all were using the same exit from the antechamber. He took it also, ignored by the guards on duty as he passed. The marble floor underfoot was a delightful cream colour, patterned with images of storms and pandemonium in swirling detail. It was a sharp contrast to the sable walls, rough and looking as if they'd been hewn from a mountain side, rather than erected by man. Another Storm Knight loomed in front of him, coming to a halt before the elf and peering at him curiously from his visor.
"Holy Destruction upon us all!" he announced.
"Chaos prevail!" replied Coran automatically, hoping his plea to Hanali had been acknowledged and accepted. The guard nodded at him approvingly.
"Blessed be Chaos!" he proclaimed, before marching back down the corridor. Coran let out a small sigh of relief and went on his way.
Before long he passed a small parlour, where a few robed figures sat in silence, their heads bowed. He moved on from it, continuing past the altar room and taking the first passage that led off to the left. There was a lack of guard presence this far into the temple, which surprised him, as he found himself passing through the bunkrooms for the priests.
Voices echoed ahead, and he swiftly moved to the side, concealing himself as well as he could behind a large drape in one of the dark alcoves that were periodically placed along the walls. Two priests soon swept past, deep in conversation as they went, and he stayed perfectly still until the sound of their voices had disappeared into the distance. Taking a deep breath, he moved on in his hunt. Time was of the essence; he didn't want the others rushing in, thinking he was maybe in trouble.
Soon he reached another junction and had no hesitation in following the carpeted corridor; crimson in colour, with bolts of golden and silver lightning streaking across. He was midway down when he spotted the guard at the end, and he frowned slightly to himself. The Weathermistress' room was no doubt past him, and he knew he had to get past the Storm Knight.
He withdrew back slightly, and pulled a small bottle from one of his pockets. He'd always kept a small supply of invisibility potions on him due to his trade, and once again, the expense of such a luxury would prove to be worth it. He gulped it down swiftly and watched as his hand vanished before his eyes. With a hidden smile, he quietly manoeuvred himself down the corridor, and past the unwary guard.
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Valygar watched as Nalia restlessly fidgeted with her sleeve, her eyes continually drifting to the temple despite her obvious attempts to appear inconspicuous. He'd perched himself on a low wall, looking down at the canal running past. Though a ranger, he could appreciate some aspects of city life; the clerical buildings themselves were not to his taste, but the freely running water and wildflowers allowed to grow on the occasional grassy banks made it more bearable to spend time in.
He let his eyes go back to the running water, focussing on the bubbling sound, and letting the noise of the passers-by be completely washed from his conscious thoughts...
Nalia's sudden scream dragged him sharply back to the present and he leapt to his feet, pulling his katana free from its sheathe and brandishing it wildly. The closest citizens shrieked in surprise and ran away, warning everyone approaching about the madman ahead. He ignored them, and looked confusedly at the young thief. She was completely on her own but as pale as a sheet. She was tense -- rigid, even, and trying her best not to move, though her trembling was apparent.
"What's wrong?" he asked eventually. She didn't answer.
"You know," came a voice, "if you continue to wave your sword about like that, we risk being arrested."
"Coran?"
"I'm here, yes, so you can both stop looking so uneasy! Really -- I would have expected you, Nalia, to at least be able to look casual."
The girl had relaxed at the sound of the voice, and quickly moved from her position. She glared into space stonily. "We were worried."
"And I told you there was nothing to worry about -- I'm not standing there any more, by the way; you should turn the scowl slightly more to the right. I don't know how long this invisibility will stay on, so if you head back to the guild, I'll follow behind and appear somewhere along the way!"
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Valygar caught up with the two thieves when he finished apologising to the elderly woman who had been minding her own business until Coran had suddenly winked into existence right before her. It wouldn't have been so bad if she'd not been looking straight at his location, but one second there was nothing there but a clear path through the crowd, and the next, a tall elf loomed over her, hood pulled up over his head, a faint smell of sewage clinging to his clothing.
She'd screamed, then hit out at him with her bag, then tried to back away. Then she'd fainted. Nalia had angrily told the elf to pull his hood back as he apologised to the unconscious woman, herding him away while Valygar checked to see if she was all right. A bunch of people had paused momentarily to take in the spectacle, then moved on in complete indifference as to the condition of the helpless stranger.
Nalia took Coran's arm firmly and began marching him through the crowd, but eventually her annoyance had faded and she'd smiled, discovering the amusing side to it all. Coran graced her with a lop-sided grin as they waited for the stalker to reach them, and she shuffled her feet, suddenly shy.
They were waved in to the stronghold and ignored as they made their way down to the cellar to see Mae'Var. Nalia was distraught to see that Lin had apparently come round from his bout of unconsciousness, and was in the middle of having his fingernails removed, one at a time. The process was paused while the Guildmaster admired the medallion that Coran handed over.
"It's a mystery how they walk with a dinner plate around their necks," he crooned, holding it up to the faint light coming from a musty looking lantern. "I'll file it with the other garbage sent to Calimshan. They like jewellery big, I hear." He turned and tossed the necklace into a crate, then sat down lazily on a nearby stool and looked back to the group. "Now, let's put you to some real work. I haven't the time to piddle around with you, so my right-hand man will keep you busy until you can work for me personally."
"More pickpocketing?" asked Coran somewhat contemptuously.
Mae'Var sneered. "Not quite. This time you'll see my real second in command. Name's Edwin -- bloody good spellcaster, but he likes his luxuries. Usually happens to adventurers that hate the road. He's on the third floor above us, so get going."
They were dismissed by another wave of his hand, and obediently they filed down the corridor, and climbed the stairs to the top level of the compound. There was no sign of life, initially; only several beds laid out in a row which obviously served as a dormitory for some of the lower ranking thieves. Bookcases lined the walls, holding tomes of history and geography, maps and scrolls. A few tables were pushed up against the walls with some half-burnt candles extinguished on them -- learning was not just encouraged as a Shadow Thief, but expected.
Then the man came swirling around the corner, a flash of red marking his appearance. Coran frowned slightly; there was something achingly familiar about the red robes... the bearded face... but he had no idea where he'd seen it before, and so no way of knowing under what circumstance it had been.
"Greetings," came a richly thick accent. Coran assumed it was Thayvian, if only because of the remarkably scarlet gown. "I am Edwin Odesseiron. You simians may refer to me merely as "Sir," if you prefer a less... syllable-intensive workout."
Valygar's swear was colourful, but remarkably quiet, and only caught by his elven companion. It suggested that while Edwin may be capable of performing the odd cantrip, he may not know his real father's identity, and would spent most of his time frolicking in latrines of life.
Coran chuckled, causing Edwin to peer at him as if he'd grown another head. The elf cleared his throat quickly. "Mae'Var told us that you would have need of our services to complete a mission on your behalf."
"Yes..." murmured the mage thoughtfully, before deciding to dismiss whatever had happened. "Hear me. It seems my prowess as a mage has captured the eye of the Cowled Wizards. I'm certain they are envious, though their actions are not fitting tribute."
"How... shocking," offered Coran sincerely, suppressing his urge to grin. Edwin seemed to pay little attention to him.
"They have dispatched an agent to investigate my activities, something I don't appreciate. This insult must be punished by killing the Cowled agent -- Rayic Gethras is his name. His house is a grey three-story behind a fence along the westward wall of the Docks District; if he is home, his door will be open."
"How very helpful of him," muttered Coran.
"When you find Rayic Gethras, kill him. Question him beforehand if you like. Any insight into the Cowled Wizards is useful. A little torture would soften him." The wizard paused, studying the elf's reaction intently. Coran didn't even flinch, though he knew that if Edwin looked beyond him, he'd see Nalia visibly cringing.
"Consider it done," he said simply.
"Good," nodded Edwin approvingly, turning to head back to his chamber. "Don't linger about then, get going! (Ugh, motivating these sloths is like pulling teeth.)"
The group watched him disappear into a sideroom, slamming the door behind him, before they exchanged glances. Nalia opened her mouth to protest, but Coran shook his head warningly, and pointed to the door that would take them out to the rooftops.
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Rayic Gethras' house was home to a minor menagerie of creatures, all intent on being as hostile as they could be to any potential visitors. Despite the front door being thrown wide open, almost enticing people inside, vicious creatures appeared on every level, from every corner, seeming to bay for blood. Valygar was sure it was just the twisted sense of humour of a perverse spellcaster, and Nalia seemed to take great offence at the statement. The ranger apologised under duress, but didn't make it sound too convincing.
The Cowled Wizard wasn't prepared for the three interlopers -- he glared at them as they wandered into his study, asking them why they'd come. Coran began to talk, hoping to reach a peaceful agreement on how to proceed without failing totally at his mission; Rayic, however, barely let him begin his speech before he let loose a bolt of lightning at the elf, before falling to Valygar's swiftly shot arrow.
When Coran had picked himself up from the ground, they left. Nalia was appeased over Rayic's death by the fact he made the first offensive move, and she merrily stripped what valuables she could find as they made their way back down to the entrance. It was only a short walk back to the guild, and Edwin seemed to be pleased with their efforts.
"Well done," he muttered darkly. "An inconvenience that needed to be dealt with. I've another mission for you then, one that does not necessarily involve any bloodshed at all. This task is the simple retrieval of some crucial documents, and you must be as discreet as possible." He stared at them as he continued to mutter to himself. "(As if these club-footed fools will manage.)"
Coran rolled his eyes slightly. "Certainly, we'll get your documents. Where are they?"
"A merchant named Marcus currently has them," replied the wizard airily. "He may be found at the Seas' Bounty. Retrieve them in any manner that you wish; I would suggest using guile (but such subtle means are beyond these monkeys, I am sure.)"
"I heard that," muttered the elf, stalking back towards the door and herding his companions out. Both were less than enthused about performing a murder in the establishment they were currently living within, but Coran calmed them down, and pointed out that they could reduce it to mere robbery. Neither was particularly happy with his attempts to soothe them, but the theft was swift, and the merchant oblivious to their presence until long after they'd left the tavern. Once again, Edwin was satisfied with their performance.
"Marvellous work, marvellous work," he crowed with barely concealed delight as he pored over the parchments. "You've obviously exceeded your lowborn heritage and surged to the vanguard of goonery!"
"Uh... " began Coran, looking quizzically at the others. Nalia and Valygar just shrugged with the same puzzled expression.
"Never mind," snorted Edwin. "Now, I've conferred with Mae'Var, and there is a final task for you, a last test of loyalty. Go and he will give you your final assignment."
Coran joined Nalia in a heavy sigh, and the three companions trudged back down to discover that the now nail-less Lin was undergoing a painful looking exploration of his torso at the end of a rather sharp looking knife.
"Edwin has been telling me you are, at the very least, competent," said Mae'Var as he watched the ritual slicing with an indifferent expression. "Fairly good at the sneaksman's trade, but a little ham-fisted when you fight. Exactly what I'm looking for."
"What is it you require?" asked Coran, deliberately not looking at the rack.
"I've a special task for you; you do this for me and you'll be set within the guild for whatever you need. Don't think it will be easy though." Mae'Var stood from his stool and walked over to Coran, his voice falling to a whisper. "There is a... traitor amongst us! Yes, one who has abused the trust we have given him! He must be dealt with in a permanent fashion. Embarl is his name, and you are to kill him with prejudice. He's at the Seas' Bounty -- bring me back his dagger to show you have done the deed."
Coran shifted uncomfortably. Valygar's face remained impassive, looking back down the corridor to the stairs leading away from the torture chamber, while Nalia's eyes were fixed firmly to her feet. "We will see to it immediately," he said eventually, his voice muted.
Mae'Var smiled broadly and clapped him on the back. "Good! That's the spirit I like to see! Show him what it means to be a Shadow Thief, and I'll have your reward here for you when you get back. Off with you!"
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"We're not going to... to kill him?" asked Nalia fearfully as they slowly returned to the inn. "I mean... the Cowled Wizard was one thing, but..."
"But a Shadow Thief is another?" asked Valygar. The ranger shrugged. "It bothers me not, either way. Consider the misery this man has placed on innocents of this city before this day. He's not guiltless."
"Does that mean he deserves to die?" Nalia shot back at him. "I mean, you hardly hide your distaste of magic -- do you think I should be killed just because I have a knowledge of spells and cantrips? Or because I can pick a lock or two, and disarm a snare?"
"You know I have no issue with you," replied the ranger tensely, "while you stay on the path of what's good and right."
Nalia stopped. "And if I didn't? Are you going to judge me? What gives you the right-"
"Enough! Both of you!" interrupted Coran with a frown. "You're going over issues already covered numerous times -- I would have thought by now that you could keep our business separate from our personal issues."
Nalia hung her head abashedly, and Valygar stonily glared somewhere in the distance. When he was satisfied they'd stopped sniping at each other, Coran continued walking.
"We're not going to kill him if we can help it," he said quietly. "But it really depends on how this 'Embarl' reacts, doesn't it?"
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They found the thief in his room, packing a bag hurriedly. He froze when he saw them standing at the door and a panicked expression crossed his face. He was a young man with a look of innocence around him; Coran idly wondered how he'd gotten involved with an organisation like the Shadow Thieves.
"You... you're here to kill me, aren't you?" he asked fearfully. "Please! Tell Mae'Var it was all a misunderstanding!"
The group entered the room quickly, closing the door behind them. Embarl stepped back in nervousness, falling over a stray boot. He whimpered as he sat on the floor.
"What misunderstanding?" asked Coran. "What are you talking about?"
"I didn't mean to..." he replied, beginning to sob. "I overheard Mae'Var talking to some of the other guildmembers about killing Renal Bloodscalp! I cried out in shock and Mae'Var heard me! I'm as good as dead, I know it! Please don't kill me, though... I've been faithful to the Shadow Thieves! I never wanted to get mixed up in this!"
Coran frowned slightly. "Do you have any proof of what you are saying? Or would you come to Renal with us, and tell him what you heard?"
Embarl looked horrified by the prospect. "No, I cannot! If I say anything to Renal, Mae'Var will hunt me down! Worse, Renal may think I am the assassin! The only proof I have is what I overheard! I must flee the city! Please, let me go!" He was bordering hysterical, and his voice was steadily rising.
Coran nodded slowly, and extended his hand. Embarl looked at it suspiciously as the tears rolled down his face, but eventually he accepted it and got back to his feet.
"We've no desire to kill you," said the elf. "Give me your dagger, so I can prove to Mae'Var that the deed is done."
The thief gawped, then fumbled at his belt and pulled his weapon free. "You... you would do this?" he asked, handing it over to Coran. "I don't know who you are, friend, but I thank you truly! I shall flee the city immediately."
"I think that would be wisest," noted the fighter. "Good luck -- you'll probably need it."
Without another word, the companions left the room, and both Nalia and Valygar expressed their approval of the path they'd taken. Coran was less enthusiastic; though he didn't want to hurt Embarl, he was concerned his survival would still become common knowledge, especially if he was caught trying to leave the city. But, with the only other choice being to perform a cold-blooded murder on an innocent man, Coran was willing to take that chance.
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Mae'Var gladly accepted Embarl's dagger, and seemed satisfied that the group had carried out his task as he asked. He dismissed them then and there, telling them to report to Edwin the following morning for more assignments, which caused the three of them to groan in annoyance when they got outside. The thought of having more days like the one they'd just had wasn't doing much for group morale at all, and even Nalia was finding it hard to live the life of a Shadow Thief.
"How many more people will we be ordered to kill?" she wondered quietly as they huddled around the table in Valygar's room, unwilling to talk in the common room for fear of being overheard. "I know that it's important for us to stay on their good side so that we get what we need from them, but... I don't know how much more of this I can take. And it's only been one day!"
"I have to agree," sighed Valygar, unstrapping his bow from his back and tossing it onto his bed. "We're walking a fine line between law-breaking and justifiable actions. I don't want to cross that."
"Neither do I," agreed Coran softly. "We will see what happens tomorrow, and hope that it proves to be easier than today. We shouldn't need to perform this role for long, and if at any point we're asked to do something that we can't all agree to do, we won't do it."
"And have the Shadow Thieves hunting us?" asked Valygar disbelievingly.
"Only Mae'Var's thieves," pointed out Coran. "And Renal ultimately will want him removed -- if we have to hasten the process before securing the evidence, then... so be it. Neither of you would have an objection to that particular assassination, I assume?" Both shook their heads. "Then, we know what we need to do. If we're put between a rock and a hard place... we'll kill Mae'Var, and make sure Renal doesn't hold it against us."