Post by Joshua, the Wayne on Nov 4, 2007 4:16:47 GMT -5
The fire was a bad excuse for heat. This cold night, when it was snowing a mild blizzard as Dameus and Zeth sat opposite eachother trying best to keep warm. They had spent their gold at their friend's shack.
I haven't told of our friend yet, have I?
Ehh... Well, Zeth and Dameus had a secret friend on the sidelines... Always in the shadows. He was a blackmage, a maker of lethal weaponry and black enchantments for those a tad more on the sneaky side...
All of them met one day when Dameus and Zeth tried stealing ammunition from him for their crossbows. But ah, they would be bad thieves without some of his equipment...
Razor string was both of their favorites... A string that could cut into steel given the pressure. It sliced necks like butter.
That's what thieve's liked... A string near unseeable, compact, lightweight, and deadly. So thin the human eye can hardly make out it's image but a mere glint of light in front of them that's gone a second later.
But their friend was smart as he developed a spell to give both Dameus and Zeth advanced sight, they could zoom in on targets, they could see in the night, and most definately they could see razor string.
But their eyes turned grey when it was dark, so it was pretty creepy. Especially when their pupils turned white.
That was a sight to see. But, there were even more inventions.
Grapples that could shoot near two hundred yards and pull the sender to it's reached target in the course of about five seconds.
Razor boomerang-like disks with razors on the edges that easily hunted and killed men in the night when thrown just right.
Gauntlets that could shoot darts near the speed of Dameus' crossbows.
Hehe...
The crossbows were made by their friend, too.
Something dark, mysterious, useful, and deadly? Name it, their friend made it.
well.... this went quite off subject...
...
"So, what food do we have?" Dameus murmured across the dieing fire.
"Mushrooms and some tea..." Zeth answered sheepishly, eyes turned elsewhere.
"I'll drink the tea. That stuff is pretty good..."
"You drank five of the six bags and now you want to drink the last one? Pfft... You must love that royal tea that nearly killed us last reaping." Zeth rolled his eyes.
"Well I like coconut mint... It's... ehh... minty."
Zeth shook his head and let out a small laugh.
"What??"
"So, what do we plan to thieve next? Any ideas?"
"...grab your cloak, we're sneaking around today."
Zeth nodded and both of the two friends grabbed their disguises and put them on, dashing into the royal streets.
They were looking for a reward. Any reward. A reward or a notice, that's what a thief had to look for first. So...
They had on sale some sapphire jewelry at Marton's Mystic Manner? Bah. They never have any real jewelry down there. There was large selections of new teas down at Tea for Two... Some new armor selections down at Shields 'N Swords, a few new spellbook releases at Sheldon's Shapeshifts and Sorcerii, but there was one thing in particular that captured Dameus' eye.
"Zeth... Come here..."
Zeth turned his head and shifted away toward's Dameus, suspicious to every other commoner.
"Reward: Five thousand--" Dameus winked "-- crowns to whoever finds and turns in: Dameus Exavior, Zeth Gurido
Other names for their clan and such are: Blackhands, The Velvets, and Owaykanzi ((Pronounced: U-way-kahn-zee))
DEAD OR ALIVE"
Zeth shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"THAT'S US! How do you expect us both to turn ourselves in and claim our reward?! Idiot, by gods!!"
Dameus laughed.
"Idiot? I'll 'accidentally' get caught by you--of course you in your disguise-- then, when you claim half of the reward, you come and rescue me, then I 'capture' you and turn you in, then I claim the other half and rescue you."
Zeth was silent, his face dumbfounded.
"That was probably the smartest idea and yet STUPIDEST you have ever come up with... and maybe even the only one you ever will. Well, I can't believe I'm saying this about your plan but...
I'm in."
Dameus nodded his head, pride on his face, and both thieves ran back out to their campsite, readying themselves for their next adventure.
Both thieves woke from their sleeps, it was near the break of dawn. The snow was packed full around them, several blankets blocking numerous--but not all-- paths.
Grabbing their cloaks, their supplies, their loaded belts, crossbows, daggers, vulneraries, elixirs, ropes, trinkets, doohickers, clocks, books, tea (for Dameus to get his mind thinking, of course), fake mustaches, woman disguises, horse disguises, razor string, ammo, dust grenades, grapples, stealth gear, teacups, teapots, chains, Dameus' lucky pinecone, some fl-...
ehh...
In short terms, 'lots of stuff', if you will....
Dameus always had to make sure he was prepared...
...
however.... a horse... disguise... was pre...pared...
...
yeah...
well!
Off went the two thieves towards the imperial city, sure to set up all of their equipment secretely during the day, etcetera etcetera.
Dameus took tea breaks, both read books, they set up razor string, readied ropes here and there, laid traps, and such. But Dameus noticed here and there the common stares of shady folk all in a group. Guessing they were all just onlookers, he hid as they saw quick glances and suspiciously ended up looking at them whenever they were in sight range.
And, as if time had set itself forward, it was the afternoon. The sun was setting, the streets grew less congested, and the thieve's night-eyes began to flip on.
It was night...
Oh, sweet night... Thunder in the distance, Dameus loved that. For some reason it calmed him all the time... Zeth liked the snow, though. So as it snowed in a lightning storm, both thieves were enticed to advance further in their sneaky evening.
"Oh no! Aaah!!" Dameus said nervously through his mouth. Zeth was holding him with his hands tied behind his back, acting like he was struggling to hold on.
"Guards! Guards!! Come!!" Zeth called into the darkness, and soon lamps from the distance grew closer and closer.
'Yes, commone-by gods, we've gotten one of those Blackhand rats!!'
"Oh, really?? You mean one of those horrible thieves you listed for a reward?"
'Yes, my friend. Thank you for your hard work. We will take him to the jail and come back with news of your reward, if you would please wait.'
Zeth nodded and pushed Dameus into the guard's hand, now he was dragged by the neck away, and Zeth stood in the snow laughing quietly, waiting for their return and reward.
'Aye, there you are. He is in jail, thank gods you caught him.... eh?' the guard motioned for Zeth's name.
"Ehh... mm... uhh... My name?"
The guard nodded at Zeth's seeming insolence.
'Why, yes. We can't just announce the capture of one of the city's most notorious thieves without the name of the capturer.'
Zeth nodded, thinking fast.
"Ehh... I have... many names."
'Oh, really?' the guard asked, surprised.
"Yea... uhh... so... I can't give you a specific name..."
'...Alright then, I'll just call you Bob.'
"That's.. great, I guess," Zeth faked a grin.
"So what of the reward?"
'It will be given to you once Dameus has been executed tomorrow as the sun rises. He is already under our best security, not even I know how to get past it. You should be grateful that brat didn't kill you when he had the chan-'
"WHAT?!" Zeth's eyes grew wider and his hood slid off his head, revealing his face.
Thank the gods for fake mustaches.
'My, Bob, no need to scream. What is the problem??'
"The problem? The problem?!
...
My dear sir, your shoe I do believe is untied."
'Oh really? Why thank you B-'
Zeth punched the man square in the nose, sending him to the ground unconscious.
"That's for not giving me a reward, and by the way, DON'T CALL ME BOB." Zeth kicked the guard in the side and darted towards the jail, laughing his head off that Dameus might be executed. Now that would give Zeth a good laugh.
"Psst..."
'Heh?' The guard turned around at the sound of a whisper behind his ea-
BLAGH! Now that hurt...
"Lights out..."
Zeth dropped from the rope tethering him to the cieling, silent as a mouse, and darted without a noise down the jail hall.
The doors. His destination, most definately. Two guards were patrolling it, Zeth sniped them with his crossbow, clean and swift, then proceeded towards the one with keys on his belt. Pulling them off, he sifted through each one by one and tried them out.
The last key... A click, and the door opened.
Zeth dashed through, running across dark halls and through corridors lit with only a single dieing torch.
Now he was in a particularly large room, a maze of rotting moldy cells and puddles of dark water gathering on wet floors. No Dameus... No Dameus... No Dameus, again and again. Of course they wouldn't put him in these simple confinements!! He was the second most infamous thief in the city. Somewhere higher up, maybe... Or lower... Who knew...
Stairs, over there... Zeth ran towards then and went down them, obviously down since they didn't lead up. The lights seemed to grow dimmer and dimmer with each step down he took, further and further. Five minutes later, he exited the staircase...
What an ugly place to be confined.
It was black. Black and blue. The light, the only light, was a single oil lamp which was nearly out. Zeth didn't need light though, his eyes could see in the darkness perfectly anyway.
But where was Dameus?! Not here... Not there...
Zeth decided to call out.
"DAMEUS! DAMEUS CAN YOU HEAR ME?! DAMEUS!!!"
...wait...
....
GAH! That was stupid!!
Now guards all over would hear him... grand... grand grand grand.
Zeth darted straight down the halls looking for Dameus in either cell beside him. These cells were obviously different than the others, they had five locks, smaller gaps in their bars, and no doors. The only way it seemed they could get put in their was being lowered from ropes in the high placed cieling, and that was it. That was higher security??
Idiots...
But wait... Where were the guards?
Zeth's call was easily able to be heard from even a deaf man. Either the guards were asleep or...
...
They were dead...
Zeth stopped in his tracks, remembering the other day he and Dameus thieved from the royal castle.
All of the dead men in the room they ran through... And the noises...
Zeth turned his head. He heard the same noises now that he focused around him. His heart's pulse grew faint and cold. Whatever had done that the other day was something Zeth did not want to get in touch with...
Gah... Zeth had to find Dameus... Unsure exactly what was following him and not wanting to know yet, Zeth turned back and ran into the darkness, hearing the shuffle of... something far behind him, stalking him.
Left and right, no Dameus either way.
Further and further into the shadows Zeth advanced.
No Dameus!! GAH!! Where was he?!
"DAMEUS!! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME JUST-"
"Call?"
Zeth jumped two feet in the air, yelping, and turning behind him. There was Dameus.
"Why didn't you call before?"
"I was busy drinking tea."
"UGH! I swear, someday you are going to be the end of yourself! Your stupid actions are going to come back and kill you one way or another. Now, let's both freaking get out of here!"
A shuffle in the distance broke Zeth's words, letting them die off.
"Wait... You weren't the one making those noises??"
"No... I'm using the silent talisman our friend gave us, remember?"
"Then... What's that sound?"
Dameus shook his head and shrugged.
"Well, let's light a torch, then."
Dameus reached onto his belt and pulled out a black stick and a small match, lighting the match and then bringing it's fiery tip to the top of the torch.
A burst of flame on the end and the room was lit, revealing several cloaked figures surrounding both of the two thieves in a circle.
"Oh... Snap..." Dameus whispered, Zeth speechless and staring.
"You two, surrender yourselves to us."
The largest one, the one in front of Zeth, stepped forward and stared down at the two young thieves, one eye appearing out of the shade of his hood.
"Surrender...? What do you plan to do?" Dameus asked, brow lifting.
"Killing you both and turning you in to get a reward."
All of the other cloaked figures around them nodded quickly.
"So you want us both to surrender so you can kill us right here and now and claim your reward that we were both going to get for ourselves?"
"Yes."
"Zeth? I have a question." Dameus winked just the slightest.
Zeth's face lightened with surprise and he turned to Dameus, eyes wondering what he meant.
"Yes?"
"How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck coconuts with mint?"
Zeth stared, dumbfounded.
"Oh! I remember! Peter piper picked a patch of pickles?"
All of the figures around the two thieves stared in confusion.
"She sells sea shells by the stupid shore."
"Ah! So your mother really is a badger!"
"Ooga booga chooga hooga looga WOOGIE WOOGIE!!" Dameus grinned and pulled out of his belt a coconut, high fiving Zeth and both skillfully spun around, Dameus tossing the coconut at the man right next to him.
The man was hit straight in the head, a nice Clonk! on the forehead with the coconut and he toppled to the ground, unconscious.
"Moonshade, kill them both!!"
The crowd sprang to life and metal sounds of drawn swords rang through the air.
Now this would be fun!
Zeth drew two daggers from his belt, stancing, and dashing straight into the crowd.
Dameus wildly glanced at both sides of himself as men flung themselves at him and he ducked, all of them hitting eachother in the heads.
Pulling out his two crossbows, Dameus shot straight into one running towards him, but one was already attacking him from behind as well as another from above.
Dameus twisted to the side, reaching behind him and grabbing the shoulder of the man speedily, and spun towards his back. With a mighty kick, Dameus spun backwards and hit the wall, leaping off and kicking the other man, landing on nothing but the cold wet stone, in the nose.
Ouch...
Zeth caught three men's blades on his own two daggers. Tough, requiring much strength, but he maneuvered so easily, pushing away and as the spikes in his boots stuck out, slashed two of the men straight across the forehead. His arms hitting the ground, Zeth backflipped three times, the men leaping after him.
All three now dead, Dameus shooting them each in the heart with his crossbows. Estimating, there were probably twenty left. The two thieves grasped hands and flung themselves away from eachother, flying through the air. Zeth grabbed his crossbow swiftly and both thieves aimed at the men, shooting easily... gracefully.
Well...
If you counted slaughter as graceful...hehe...
Seven fell down to the ground, never rising ever again, and the two friends landed, their feet forcing them forward into a blur of motion.
Dameus shot two others, but two more were attacking him. One threw three daggers, the other moved forward for a stab with a longsword. This would be difficult.
Dameus wheeled towards the longsword, grabbing it by the hilt and throwing it straight back at the thrower, and now for the hard part.
Twisting his left leg, throwing his head to the right, and lifting his chest, Dameus dodged the three daggers which continued through the air to hit two other men. Hitting the ground hard, Dameus realised he was now vulnerable.
The three men grinned and dashed forward, grabbing the hilts of their swords and drawing them out, ready to kill Dameus.
Not unless Zeth killed them first.
Zeth charged at the first from the side, hitting him and making sure to slide his dagger into the man's throat. The one next to the now-dead man glanced at Zeth and moved forward to kill him, but Zeth was to fast for him, curling in a circle and slashing the man's arm off, then dashing forward and stabbing him in the neck.
Ripping it out, the sound of tearing muscle and spurting blood, Zeth stuck his crossbow in front of him and shot the third man, still running at Dameus, in the back of the head.
Dameus grabbed a throwing dagger and tossed it behind Zeth's head, where another man was ready to stab.
Leaping to his feet, Dameus stuck his crossbows forth and shot another running away.
...
Only one more left. The man who had first tried to get them to surrender.
His face was pale and frightened. All of his men were dead!!
And now, he would be the dead man.
Dameus and Zeth walked towards him, eyes sagging with boredome.
In unison both spoke, as if they knew what they would each say next.
"Lights out."
Both of their hands outstretched and with two loud bangs, the man fell to the ground with crossbow arrows in his forehead and heart.
They were all dead now.
'Men! Spread out! Someone has killed all of our fellow guards, span the area!!'
'HRAH!'
Zeth and Dameus looked at eachother.
Snap...
Now the guards were after them.
Grabbing their cloaks, both thieves dashed off into the darkness, not even dousing the torch.
Passing cell after cell, crossbows ready, unwilling to get caught in the middle of the night.
They heard the clinking of armor, the noises of men calling eachother, and the extreme suprise Dameus and Zeth had left for them-- a pile of dead men.
Hallway after hallway, cell after cell, the two thieves passed through with godspeed.
They had to make it out.
"So, Zeth, yet again we both find ourselves trying to escape the clutches of regal jail. Another great addition to my book I'm writing, don't you think?"
"Shutup. We have to focus..."
"Oh, fine...
..."
Dameus halted.
Zeth hesitated and turned back, staring at Dameus.
"What's wrong with you?! We have to r-"
Dameus flew forward and slapped his hand over Zeth's mouth, sticking his finger in front of his own and shushing him.
"Listen..."
It took a few minutes, but Dameus could hear crying in the distance.
Someone crying.
"You go ahead, I'm staying behind."
Zeth was stunned.
"What do you mean you're 'staying behind'?!"
"Just go! I'll be right behind you, but I'm going to find something..."
"UGH! Yet again, your stupidity is going to turn on you someday and kill you, you know." Zeth rolled his eyes and dashed, muttering to himself how much of an idiot Dameus was.
Dameus didn't care. He sneaked around, searching for the source of the crying.
It grew closer and closer as he walked to the edge of the large room, but he could not distinguish exactly where it was coming from.
He searched high and low, avoiding guards when they came by, and as he walked by a cell gate he heard the faintest whimper from beyond it.
He turned his head and peered through the gate to see a small girl in the corner, cut and bruised, terribly wounded. Her hair was a mess and...
Oh my gods...
Those were wings on her back!!
"Hello?" Dameus spoke softly through the hole.
"...!! Help me... Please..." The young girl began to cry even more, her hair matted from the wet droplets gathering and falling like a waterfall on her cheeks.
"Don't worry, I'm getting you out of here..." Dameus grabbed his crossbow strongly and stepped back, aiming at the gate.
"Close your ears, this might get loud."
As soon as the winged girl covered her ears, Dameus shot cleanly in a square on the gate, pushing it with his foot and letting the gate fall with a loud clang on the ground.
Any minute and the guards would be after them.
"Come on, I'm getting you out of here."
Dameus inched forward towards the girl and held out his hand. She didn't move her hand, but turned her eyes to stare into Dameus'.
And, for a moment, it was as if life had dimmed.
Help me...
Dameus didn't know why, but a tear fell from the edge of his eye.
The girl stuck out her hand and lightly grabbed with a featherlike touch Dameus' hand, and Dameus felt an energy pulse through him.
What was this?
Pulling the girl up, Dameus took off his cloak and put it around her. Now he noticed she had white hair, but it appeared so dark and grey from the mask of dirt and mud that matted it.
"Let's get you out of here... Come, follow me, watch your step and don't let go of my hand, okay?"
"Thank you..." the girl spoke so softly Dameus hardly heard it.
After saying that, the girl leaned in and hugged Dameus around the waist, her head on his chest.
Dameus, unknowing of what she was doing, reached to her hair and patted it lightly.
'Halt! Who goes there?'
Dameus suddenly let go and gripped her hand strongly, both of them running forward into the darkness.
Dameus and the girl arrived outside safely, and Dameus led her to he and Zeth's small campsite.
Zeth was stunned to see him emerge with her at his side, his cloak still around her to keep her warm.
"What's with the girl?!"
Dameus gave Zeth a specific look and Zeth backed off quickly, shaking his head and prodding the heap of... mushrooms over the fire.
Dameus led the girl to a makeshift bed with several pieces of cloth and laid her to sleep in it, pulling the cloak over her.
Turning back to Zeth, he walked to the fire and sat in front of it, staring off into the night sky.
"Dameus? Are you crying?" Zeth asked quietly, eyes fixated on the small trickle of freezing water on Dameus' cheek.
"It's the rain."
"Alright... Goodnight, then."
Dameus didn't say anything and Zeth doused the fire, laying in his bed. Dameus didn't sleep though, he only kept staring into the sky.
Why was he crying?
I haven't told of our friend yet, have I?
Ehh... Well, Zeth and Dameus had a secret friend on the sidelines... Always in the shadows. He was a blackmage, a maker of lethal weaponry and black enchantments for those a tad more on the sneaky side...
All of them met one day when Dameus and Zeth tried stealing ammunition from him for their crossbows. But ah, they would be bad thieves without some of his equipment...
Razor string was both of their favorites... A string that could cut into steel given the pressure. It sliced necks like butter.
That's what thieve's liked... A string near unseeable, compact, lightweight, and deadly. So thin the human eye can hardly make out it's image but a mere glint of light in front of them that's gone a second later.
But their friend was smart as he developed a spell to give both Dameus and Zeth advanced sight, they could zoom in on targets, they could see in the night, and most definately they could see razor string.
But their eyes turned grey when it was dark, so it was pretty creepy. Especially when their pupils turned white.
That was a sight to see. But, there were even more inventions.
Grapples that could shoot near two hundred yards and pull the sender to it's reached target in the course of about five seconds.
Razor boomerang-like disks with razors on the edges that easily hunted and killed men in the night when thrown just right.
Gauntlets that could shoot darts near the speed of Dameus' crossbows.
Hehe...
The crossbows were made by their friend, too.
Something dark, mysterious, useful, and deadly? Name it, their friend made it.
well.... this went quite off subject...
...
"So, what food do we have?" Dameus murmured across the dieing fire.
"Mushrooms and some tea..." Zeth answered sheepishly, eyes turned elsewhere.
"I'll drink the tea. That stuff is pretty good..."
"You drank five of the six bags and now you want to drink the last one? Pfft... You must love that royal tea that nearly killed us last reaping." Zeth rolled his eyes.
"Well I like coconut mint... It's... ehh... minty."
Zeth shook his head and let out a small laugh.
"What??"
"So, what do we plan to thieve next? Any ideas?"
"...grab your cloak, we're sneaking around today."
Zeth nodded and both of the two friends grabbed their disguises and put them on, dashing into the royal streets.
They were looking for a reward. Any reward. A reward or a notice, that's what a thief had to look for first. So...
They had on sale some sapphire jewelry at Marton's Mystic Manner? Bah. They never have any real jewelry down there. There was large selections of new teas down at Tea for Two... Some new armor selections down at Shields 'N Swords, a few new spellbook releases at Sheldon's Shapeshifts and Sorcerii, but there was one thing in particular that captured Dameus' eye.
"Zeth... Come here..."
Zeth turned his head and shifted away toward's Dameus, suspicious to every other commoner.
"Reward: Five thousand--" Dameus winked "-- crowns to whoever finds and turns in: Dameus Exavior, Zeth Gurido
Other names for their clan and such are: Blackhands, The Velvets, and Owaykanzi ((Pronounced: U-way-kahn-zee))
DEAD OR ALIVE"
Zeth shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"THAT'S US! How do you expect us both to turn ourselves in and claim our reward?! Idiot, by gods!!"
Dameus laughed.
"Idiot? I'll 'accidentally' get caught by you--of course you in your disguise-- then, when you claim half of the reward, you come and rescue me, then I 'capture' you and turn you in, then I claim the other half and rescue you."
Zeth was silent, his face dumbfounded.
"That was probably the smartest idea and yet STUPIDEST you have ever come up with... and maybe even the only one you ever will. Well, I can't believe I'm saying this about your plan but...
I'm in."
Dameus nodded his head, pride on his face, and both thieves ran back out to their campsite, readying themselves for their next adventure.
Both thieves woke from their sleeps, it was near the break of dawn. The snow was packed full around them, several blankets blocking numerous--but not all-- paths.
Grabbing their cloaks, their supplies, their loaded belts, crossbows, daggers, vulneraries, elixirs, ropes, trinkets, doohickers, clocks, books, tea (for Dameus to get his mind thinking, of course), fake mustaches, woman disguises, horse disguises, razor string, ammo, dust grenades, grapples, stealth gear, teacups, teapots, chains, Dameus' lucky pinecone, some fl-...
ehh...
In short terms, 'lots of stuff', if you will....
Dameus always had to make sure he was prepared...
...
however.... a horse... disguise... was pre...pared...
...
yeah...
well!
Off went the two thieves towards the imperial city, sure to set up all of their equipment secretely during the day, etcetera etcetera.
Dameus took tea breaks, both read books, they set up razor string, readied ropes here and there, laid traps, and such. But Dameus noticed here and there the common stares of shady folk all in a group. Guessing they were all just onlookers, he hid as they saw quick glances and suspiciously ended up looking at them whenever they were in sight range.
And, as if time had set itself forward, it was the afternoon. The sun was setting, the streets grew less congested, and the thieve's night-eyes began to flip on.
It was night...
Oh, sweet night... Thunder in the distance, Dameus loved that. For some reason it calmed him all the time... Zeth liked the snow, though. So as it snowed in a lightning storm, both thieves were enticed to advance further in their sneaky evening.
"Oh no! Aaah!!" Dameus said nervously through his mouth. Zeth was holding him with his hands tied behind his back, acting like he was struggling to hold on.
"Guards! Guards!! Come!!" Zeth called into the darkness, and soon lamps from the distance grew closer and closer.
'Yes, commone-by gods, we've gotten one of those Blackhand rats!!'
"Oh, really?? You mean one of those horrible thieves you listed for a reward?"
'Yes, my friend. Thank you for your hard work. We will take him to the jail and come back with news of your reward, if you would please wait.'
Zeth nodded and pushed Dameus into the guard's hand, now he was dragged by the neck away, and Zeth stood in the snow laughing quietly, waiting for their return and reward.
'Aye, there you are. He is in jail, thank gods you caught him.... eh?' the guard motioned for Zeth's name.
"Ehh... mm... uhh... My name?"
The guard nodded at Zeth's seeming insolence.
'Why, yes. We can't just announce the capture of one of the city's most notorious thieves without the name of the capturer.'
Zeth nodded, thinking fast.
"Ehh... I have... many names."
'Oh, really?' the guard asked, surprised.
"Yea... uhh... so... I can't give you a specific name..."
'...Alright then, I'll just call you Bob.'
"That's.. great, I guess," Zeth faked a grin.
"So what of the reward?"
'It will be given to you once Dameus has been executed tomorrow as the sun rises. He is already under our best security, not even I know how to get past it. You should be grateful that brat didn't kill you when he had the chan-'
"WHAT?!" Zeth's eyes grew wider and his hood slid off his head, revealing his face.
Thank the gods for fake mustaches.
'My, Bob, no need to scream. What is the problem??'
"The problem? The problem?!
...
My dear sir, your shoe I do believe is untied."
'Oh really? Why thank you B-'
Zeth punched the man square in the nose, sending him to the ground unconscious.
"That's for not giving me a reward, and by the way, DON'T CALL ME BOB." Zeth kicked the guard in the side and darted towards the jail, laughing his head off that Dameus might be executed. Now that would give Zeth a good laugh.
"Psst..."
'Heh?' The guard turned around at the sound of a whisper behind his ea-
BLAGH! Now that hurt...
"Lights out..."
Zeth dropped from the rope tethering him to the cieling, silent as a mouse, and darted without a noise down the jail hall.
The doors. His destination, most definately. Two guards were patrolling it, Zeth sniped them with his crossbow, clean and swift, then proceeded towards the one with keys on his belt. Pulling them off, he sifted through each one by one and tried them out.
The last key... A click, and the door opened.
Zeth dashed through, running across dark halls and through corridors lit with only a single dieing torch.
Now he was in a particularly large room, a maze of rotting moldy cells and puddles of dark water gathering on wet floors. No Dameus... No Dameus... No Dameus, again and again. Of course they wouldn't put him in these simple confinements!! He was the second most infamous thief in the city. Somewhere higher up, maybe... Or lower... Who knew...
Stairs, over there... Zeth ran towards then and went down them, obviously down since they didn't lead up. The lights seemed to grow dimmer and dimmer with each step down he took, further and further. Five minutes later, he exited the staircase...
What an ugly place to be confined.
It was black. Black and blue. The light, the only light, was a single oil lamp which was nearly out. Zeth didn't need light though, his eyes could see in the darkness perfectly anyway.
But where was Dameus?! Not here... Not there...
Zeth decided to call out.
"DAMEUS! DAMEUS CAN YOU HEAR ME?! DAMEUS!!!"
...wait...
....
GAH! That was stupid!!
Now guards all over would hear him... grand... grand grand grand.
Zeth darted straight down the halls looking for Dameus in either cell beside him. These cells were obviously different than the others, they had five locks, smaller gaps in their bars, and no doors. The only way it seemed they could get put in their was being lowered from ropes in the high placed cieling, and that was it. That was higher security??
Idiots...
But wait... Where were the guards?
Zeth's call was easily able to be heard from even a deaf man. Either the guards were asleep or...
...
They were dead...
Zeth stopped in his tracks, remembering the other day he and Dameus thieved from the royal castle.
All of the dead men in the room they ran through... And the noises...
Zeth turned his head. He heard the same noises now that he focused around him. His heart's pulse grew faint and cold. Whatever had done that the other day was something Zeth did not want to get in touch with...
Gah... Zeth had to find Dameus... Unsure exactly what was following him and not wanting to know yet, Zeth turned back and ran into the darkness, hearing the shuffle of... something far behind him, stalking him.
Left and right, no Dameus either way.
Further and further into the shadows Zeth advanced.
No Dameus!! GAH!! Where was he?!
"DAMEUS!! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME JUST-"
"Call?"
Zeth jumped two feet in the air, yelping, and turning behind him. There was Dameus.
"Why didn't you call before?"
"I was busy drinking tea."
"UGH! I swear, someday you are going to be the end of yourself! Your stupid actions are going to come back and kill you one way or another. Now, let's both freaking get out of here!"
A shuffle in the distance broke Zeth's words, letting them die off.
"Wait... You weren't the one making those noises??"
"No... I'm using the silent talisman our friend gave us, remember?"
"Then... What's that sound?"
Dameus shook his head and shrugged.
"Well, let's light a torch, then."
Dameus reached onto his belt and pulled out a black stick and a small match, lighting the match and then bringing it's fiery tip to the top of the torch.
A burst of flame on the end and the room was lit, revealing several cloaked figures surrounding both of the two thieves in a circle.
"Oh... Snap..." Dameus whispered, Zeth speechless and staring.
"You two, surrender yourselves to us."
The largest one, the one in front of Zeth, stepped forward and stared down at the two young thieves, one eye appearing out of the shade of his hood.
"Surrender...? What do you plan to do?" Dameus asked, brow lifting.
"Killing you both and turning you in to get a reward."
All of the other cloaked figures around them nodded quickly.
"So you want us both to surrender so you can kill us right here and now and claim your reward that we were both going to get for ourselves?"
"Yes."
"Zeth? I have a question." Dameus winked just the slightest.
Zeth's face lightened with surprise and he turned to Dameus, eyes wondering what he meant.
"Yes?"
"How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck coconuts with mint?"
Zeth stared, dumbfounded.
"Oh! I remember! Peter piper picked a patch of pickles?"
All of the figures around the two thieves stared in confusion.
"She sells sea shells by the stupid shore."
"Ah! So your mother really is a badger!"
"Ooga booga chooga hooga looga WOOGIE WOOGIE!!" Dameus grinned and pulled out of his belt a coconut, high fiving Zeth and both skillfully spun around, Dameus tossing the coconut at the man right next to him.
The man was hit straight in the head, a nice Clonk! on the forehead with the coconut and he toppled to the ground, unconscious.
"Moonshade, kill them both!!"
The crowd sprang to life and metal sounds of drawn swords rang through the air.
Now this would be fun!
Zeth drew two daggers from his belt, stancing, and dashing straight into the crowd.
Dameus wildly glanced at both sides of himself as men flung themselves at him and he ducked, all of them hitting eachother in the heads.
Pulling out his two crossbows, Dameus shot straight into one running towards him, but one was already attacking him from behind as well as another from above.
Dameus twisted to the side, reaching behind him and grabbing the shoulder of the man speedily, and spun towards his back. With a mighty kick, Dameus spun backwards and hit the wall, leaping off and kicking the other man, landing on nothing but the cold wet stone, in the nose.
Ouch...
Zeth caught three men's blades on his own two daggers. Tough, requiring much strength, but he maneuvered so easily, pushing away and as the spikes in his boots stuck out, slashed two of the men straight across the forehead. His arms hitting the ground, Zeth backflipped three times, the men leaping after him.
All three now dead, Dameus shooting them each in the heart with his crossbows. Estimating, there were probably twenty left. The two thieves grasped hands and flung themselves away from eachother, flying through the air. Zeth grabbed his crossbow swiftly and both thieves aimed at the men, shooting easily... gracefully.
Well...
If you counted slaughter as graceful...hehe...
Seven fell down to the ground, never rising ever again, and the two friends landed, their feet forcing them forward into a blur of motion.
Dameus shot two others, but two more were attacking him. One threw three daggers, the other moved forward for a stab with a longsword. This would be difficult.
Dameus wheeled towards the longsword, grabbing it by the hilt and throwing it straight back at the thrower, and now for the hard part.
Twisting his left leg, throwing his head to the right, and lifting his chest, Dameus dodged the three daggers which continued through the air to hit two other men. Hitting the ground hard, Dameus realised he was now vulnerable.
The three men grinned and dashed forward, grabbing the hilts of their swords and drawing them out, ready to kill Dameus.
Not unless Zeth killed them first.
Zeth charged at the first from the side, hitting him and making sure to slide his dagger into the man's throat. The one next to the now-dead man glanced at Zeth and moved forward to kill him, but Zeth was to fast for him, curling in a circle and slashing the man's arm off, then dashing forward and stabbing him in the neck.
Ripping it out, the sound of tearing muscle and spurting blood, Zeth stuck his crossbow in front of him and shot the third man, still running at Dameus, in the back of the head.
Dameus grabbed a throwing dagger and tossed it behind Zeth's head, where another man was ready to stab.
Leaping to his feet, Dameus stuck his crossbows forth and shot another running away.
...
Only one more left. The man who had first tried to get them to surrender.
His face was pale and frightened. All of his men were dead!!
And now, he would be the dead man.
Dameus and Zeth walked towards him, eyes sagging with boredome.
In unison both spoke, as if they knew what they would each say next.
"Lights out."
Both of their hands outstretched and with two loud bangs, the man fell to the ground with crossbow arrows in his forehead and heart.
They were all dead now.
'Men! Spread out! Someone has killed all of our fellow guards, span the area!!'
'HRAH!'
Zeth and Dameus looked at eachother.
Snap...
Now the guards were after them.
Grabbing their cloaks, both thieves dashed off into the darkness, not even dousing the torch.
Passing cell after cell, crossbows ready, unwilling to get caught in the middle of the night.
They heard the clinking of armor, the noises of men calling eachother, and the extreme suprise Dameus and Zeth had left for them-- a pile of dead men.
Hallway after hallway, cell after cell, the two thieves passed through with godspeed.
They had to make it out.
"So, Zeth, yet again we both find ourselves trying to escape the clutches of regal jail. Another great addition to my book I'm writing, don't you think?"
"Shutup. We have to focus..."
"Oh, fine...
..."
Dameus halted.
Zeth hesitated and turned back, staring at Dameus.
"What's wrong with you?! We have to r-"
Dameus flew forward and slapped his hand over Zeth's mouth, sticking his finger in front of his own and shushing him.
"Listen..."
It took a few minutes, but Dameus could hear crying in the distance.
Someone crying.
"You go ahead, I'm staying behind."
Zeth was stunned.
"What do you mean you're 'staying behind'?!"
"Just go! I'll be right behind you, but I'm going to find something..."
"UGH! Yet again, your stupidity is going to turn on you someday and kill you, you know." Zeth rolled his eyes and dashed, muttering to himself how much of an idiot Dameus was.
Dameus didn't care. He sneaked around, searching for the source of the crying.
It grew closer and closer as he walked to the edge of the large room, but he could not distinguish exactly where it was coming from.
He searched high and low, avoiding guards when they came by, and as he walked by a cell gate he heard the faintest whimper from beyond it.
He turned his head and peered through the gate to see a small girl in the corner, cut and bruised, terribly wounded. Her hair was a mess and...
Oh my gods...
Those were wings on her back!!
"Hello?" Dameus spoke softly through the hole.
"...!! Help me... Please..." The young girl began to cry even more, her hair matted from the wet droplets gathering and falling like a waterfall on her cheeks.
"Don't worry, I'm getting you out of here..." Dameus grabbed his crossbow strongly and stepped back, aiming at the gate.
"Close your ears, this might get loud."
As soon as the winged girl covered her ears, Dameus shot cleanly in a square on the gate, pushing it with his foot and letting the gate fall with a loud clang on the ground.
Any minute and the guards would be after them.
"Come on, I'm getting you out of here."
Dameus inched forward towards the girl and held out his hand. She didn't move her hand, but turned her eyes to stare into Dameus'.
And, for a moment, it was as if life had dimmed.
Help me...
Dameus didn't know why, but a tear fell from the edge of his eye.
The girl stuck out her hand and lightly grabbed with a featherlike touch Dameus' hand, and Dameus felt an energy pulse through him.
What was this?
Pulling the girl up, Dameus took off his cloak and put it around her. Now he noticed she had white hair, but it appeared so dark and grey from the mask of dirt and mud that matted it.
"Let's get you out of here... Come, follow me, watch your step and don't let go of my hand, okay?"
"Thank you..." the girl spoke so softly Dameus hardly heard it.
After saying that, the girl leaned in and hugged Dameus around the waist, her head on his chest.
Dameus, unknowing of what she was doing, reached to her hair and patted it lightly.
'Halt! Who goes there?'
Dameus suddenly let go and gripped her hand strongly, both of them running forward into the darkness.
Dameus and the girl arrived outside safely, and Dameus led her to he and Zeth's small campsite.
Zeth was stunned to see him emerge with her at his side, his cloak still around her to keep her warm.
"What's with the girl?!"
Dameus gave Zeth a specific look and Zeth backed off quickly, shaking his head and prodding the heap of... mushrooms over the fire.
Dameus led the girl to a makeshift bed with several pieces of cloth and laid her to sleep in it, pulling the cloak over her.
Turning back to Zeth, he walked to the fire and sat in front of it, staring off into the night sky.
"Dameus? Are you crying?" Zeth asked quietly, eyes fixated on the small trickle of freezing water on Dameus' cheek.
"It's the rain."
"Alright... Goodnight, then."
Dameus didn't say anything and Zeth doused the fire, laying in his bed. Dameus didn't sleep though, he only kept staring into the sky.
Why was he crying?