Roland and Shadow left Gnorbit’s house and started to cross the city with the usual shadow illusions. Shadow, is Rogue around? I don’t want him knowing what we are up to.
Actually, he just flew by and was headed toward the palace. I think there are more important things for him to do than keep an eye on us.
They headed to the Merchant’s Guild and spent the next few hours observing guard movements and rotations. It was incredible. They were still using the same rotations and guard changes. Roland even found an entrance into the building on the top floor. There were three windows on each side of the building accessible from the roof. They all had the same type of lock which was easy to pick. Roland was quickly able to locate the vault, examine the door for traps and get back without being noticed. He didn’t even have to use his invisibility spell.
They returned to the house and slept in the next morning. Roland heard Hazel leave the house followed by Vivi. He should get up soon. He needed to withdrawal some funds from the bank to purchase the items for the house. He also thought it would be a good idea to pick up that mana potion Gnorbit suggested. As he was leaving the Alchemist shop, he remembered he needed to pick up some tea for the dinner at Eli’s house.
After checking off his to do list, he went back to the house. Hazel was there preparing some more elixirs. “I thought you had enough already?”
“We do, but when I have time I’m going to keep working and building up a stock pile. We do have a basement to store items in. It never hurts to build our reserves. Did you get some coins? I’ve already found some furniture for the house at a second-hand store. It was from an old house, but it looked to be in clean and in decent condition.” Roland handed the coins to Hazel, who pocketed them and went out the door to make the purchases.
Roland was at the house by himself, Shadow having escaped into the woods outside the city. He went down into the basement and set up his targets and practiced knife throwing. It had been quite some time since he last practiced and it was obvious. He practiced with both hands, underhand, overhand, and moving side to side. He had worked up a sweat by the time he heard Hazel return. It sounded like she had a group of men moving the furniture in for her.
She smiled as he came up the stairs. “We have furniture for the living room, a dining room table and chairs, a kitchen table and chairs, two beds with dressers, a desk with a chair, and a dresser for your room. The really cool thing I found were some clothes drying racks. I am going to use them to hang our herbs from in the basement.”
“You bought all of this furniture with the money I gave you?” Roland was astounded.
“I still have some left over. Will you let me, have it? I have already put everything in the ledger. You can look at it at any time. You should check my math to make sure I’m not making any mistakes. I’ll be recruiting someone soon for helping with collecting the herbs, which reminds me. We need some mountain laurel for the mana elixir. Are you going to the mountains anytime soon?”
“No, can you buy some at the market?”
“I can, but it is so expensive that I don’t make much of a profit from it.”
“Instead of mountain laurel you can replace that with marsh marigold. It is a plant that grows at the edge of swamps. I think I saw some of that in the market. It isn’t as good because you have to dry it really well and it takes a long time to dry, but it is a cheaper replacement.”
“And why have you not told me about this? I could have been making so much more mana elixir and we could have sold it all. That is one of the most asked for items. The new mages seem to have problems replacing their mana and the potions are expensive.”
“I forgot about the marigold. I should write this stuff down. I have it in my head. I have a few other elixirs that I haven’t taught you because we can’t get the herbs to make them. I’ll start writing everything down that I can remember so you will have a record. If you could get me a folio of blank pieces of paper and ink, I’ll get it written down for you.”
“I’ll have everything for you by tomorrow. The paper and ink will be in the desk. Just put the finished papers on one of the shelves in the office. After the ink dries I’ll have the pages bound.”
The next evening, Roland and Shadow travelled to Eli’s house. They had dropped off Roland’s armor in the sewers near Eli’s house. When dinner was over, they would head to the Merchant’s Guild and raid the vault, picking up the armor on the way to the guild house.
When they reached Eli’s house, Roland knocked and Amelia welcomed him inside. “Welcome you two. Shadow, Rogue is out back waiting for you.” Shadow trotted off to the back of the house like he owned the place.
Roland handed the tea to Amelia. “Your father told me that your mother liked the tea.”
“Yes, she does. We went through it way too fast, or we haven’t had you over enough to get more. Dad said you were gone to the Painted Desert or somewhere out that way.”
“I was collecting Stun Lizard glands for the Alchemists Guild.”
“Sounds a bit too boring and hot for me. Come on in we shouldn’t just stand here in the entryway.” They walked into the living room and waited for the others to join them.
“So, what do you do Amelia? Are you training at the Mages Guild?”
“Yes, I’m training in Telekinesis. I can pull and push things around. It helps me jump across the roofs in the city at night. I noticed you running across the roofs too. You don’t train in telekinesis or I would have seen you training in the guild. You wouldn’t want to share your trick with me how you fly across those same roofs would you?” She had a sly smile on her face.
“That would explain why you moved so easily. And no, I would rather not go into how I get across the roofs. Some secrets I need to keep to myself.” He knew how she could move across the roofs, but how did she know where he was? Still a mystery was this young lady. Her smile still made is stomach twist in knots. Time to change the subject.
“Do you have much trouble in the city as a Half-Elf?”
“I never let my illusions drop unless I’m here at your house or in your father’s office. Shadow hates being in an illusion but it gets him through the gates more easily.”
“It isn’t too bad now. When I was younger, and in school, it was difficult. I wear very nice clothes so most people know that they shouldn’t bother me, and the people in the palace know who my mother and father are so, again, I am buffered to a large degree. Do you get tired of staying in an illusion all the time?”
“Like I said, I’m never really out of an illusion. Even when I leave the cities I am camouflaged. Living in the city just changes the illusion I cast. I guess I’m more of a chameleon than anything else. I have to say it is very convenient.”
“Have you ever cast an illusion and acted like a specific person?”
“I’ve cast myself as an orc and spent time with them. All my other illusions are just imaginary images I dream up. When I was younger, I usually made myself look older. I have also put scars on myself to make myself look tough.”
She laughed at that last comment. “My father says you’re an amazing individual. Why do you feel the need to put a scar on yourself? Is that scar on your hand an illusion or do you really have a scar?” She was pointing to his hand.
“Well, when I first started out with the Adventures Guild, I worked with some experienced members and I did receive a scar across my face in a battle. The healer did such a good job that you can’t see the scar now. I wanted to look tough and experienced for the other members. And yes, the scar on my hand is mine. A Stun Lizard bit me. It’s not much of a scar.”
“I thought those lizards were poisonous?” She had a look of concern.
“They are but the poison only causes paralysis. It is only deadly when the lizard eats you. Shadow prevented me from being eaten. It took some time, but I recovered and I am reminded that I can never be careful enough.”
“You wouldn’t let a healer take away the scar?”
“I doubt it c
ould be taken away at this point. Even a good healer can’t completely heal old scars. You’re probably the only person who has seen the scar. Like I said I always keep an illusion on myself.”
“Surely you don’t completely cover yourself in illusions, do you? I would think you would only make your ears look human.”
“When I started casting illusions on myself they were for camouflage. When I cast it now I don’t think about the illusion really. I just cast a complete illusion. If I didn’t cover myself completely, I would feel exposed. I know that staying hidden from other illusionists is better if I keep the illusions small and less obvious. I only want to travel without being hassled by guards or attract attention, so my full body illusions work well for me.” He was using two small illusions hiding his ring and amulet. He wouldn’t give that up information though.
Eli and his wife Evelyn entered the room. Evelyn walked over and gave Roland a hug. “Roland, it is so nice of you to accept our invitation. I hope Amelia has been keeping you well occupied?”
“Yes, she has been a delightful hostess.” They spent the next several minutes discussing immaterial subjects. Then they arose and entered the dining room for a delightful dinner. The night went extremely well. Amelia smelled intoxicating. Even Shadow noticed his enjoyment of her scent.
Are you going to make her your mate?
No, it isn’t any of your concern either.
It is!! I’m the beta and you’re my bond. Everything you do affects me. I will continue to ask the important questions.
Well, I’m not ready to take a mate. I’m still too young. I’m only 19 and I’ll live for hundreds of years. I think Elves would consider me very immature actually.
The group ended the evening by drinking the tea Roland had brought with him. It was a good tea. He should get some for himself. Eli was very quiet most of the evening. Evelyn and Amelia asked many questions about what Roland thought about a number of topics. Most of them he really didn’t have any concern about. Roland and Shadow took their leave and returned to the place where they had hidden Roland’s armor.
Once Roland adjusted the armor, together they traveled through the sewers for most of the way to the Merchant’s Guild House. If Rogue was following, this would be the time to get away from him. Shadow couldn’t detect anything from down in the sewers. They figured that nothing up top, even a small dragon, could detect them down here.
When they approached the guild house, they exited the sewers and Roland headed to the roofs while Shadow patrolled the ground. The area was mostly clear. A few people walked the streets, but most of them moved like they had someplace to go. There weren’t any vagrants around this area of the city. There was one patrol unit of three guards. That patrol was always in the area. The patrols changed three times a day. Roland and Shadow waited for over an hour, looking in all the alleys and possible hiding places. They didn’t want anyone to see a thief. It was odd to think of himself as a thief, the one thing he never thought he would be.
When they were satisfied that nothing was going to interrupt them, Roland went to work. He opened one of the windows and cautiously avoided the patrolling guards. He gained access to the vault entry. He took out his handy dandy tool from Gnorbit. Just before he broke into the vault, he thought it might be a good idea to cast Detect Trap spell, just to be cautious.
He wasn’t expecting anything to happen when he opened the vault, but then a large vase right next to the vault door illuminated. It had a wire going from the back of the vase to the wall. On the wall was a row of five small holes. It was a dart trap. No reason to bother it. Just don’t move the vase.
He quickly opened the door like Gnorbit said it would open. That was too easy. He pulled the door open. It was difficult because the one place that would have been nice to get traction to move the heavy door was right where the vase sat. It was a good place for a trap.
He entered the vault room and pulled the door closed. No one from the outside would know he was in the vault. He cast Night Vision. The room was filled with draws of all sizes. At the end of the room were carts filled with stacks of coins, silver, and gold. This vault truly had a few king’s ransoms in here. He wasn’t after the coin.
He quickly found drawer number 43. That particular drawer had a covering that looked like the box he was holding. Someone must know these stones were a problem. He pulled out his box. He knew that he had to move fast and that the stones could affect him adversely so he had to do this quickly.
He held the small box in front of him to give him some shielding. He had his potion on his belt. He took one last breath (Why he was holding his breath he wasn’t sure, but he did it anyway). He pulled open the drawer and quickly reached in. There were three black stones. They were so black that it seemed to pull his night vision from him.
As he picked up two of the three stones it felt so good. He was so comfortable. If felt like he was in a huge feather bed, all warm and toasty. He just wanted to lay down and sleep. Then he sort of remembered something was important. Oh, yea the stones. He reached into the drawer further and felt a small black stone that was about a quarter of the size of the other two. He pulled them out and placed them in the box. He didn’t want to let go. Two of the stones dropped in the box. The last one seemed to want to stick to his hand. He shook his hand and if fell into the box.
The next thing he knew, Roland found himself lying on the floor of the vault. He was breathing heavy and had no energy at all. The night vision was gone and it was completely black. Why was he lying there? He couldn’t remember lying down. Did the stones take his mana away? He tried to pull up his status panel to see how much mana he had left. The panel didn’t come up. This wasn’t good. He had never heard of anyone not being able to bring up their status panel.
As he lie there trying to think what needed to be done, he felt the box in his hand. He took the box and placed it in a pocket inside his armor. His arm fell quickly to the ground. He could feel his knife at his side. Something else was there. It was the potions. He took out the mana potion and drained the small vile. Oh, how nasty it tasted, and worse, it didn’t make him feel any better. By this time, he had no idea how long he had been lying there. He pulled out another vile but this one was one of his elixirs for stamina. He downed it. It didn’t taste good either, but it was better than the potion. He was beginning to feel much better. Gnorbit didn’t say anything about taking stamina away from him. He then realized that Shadow wasn’t in his head. He tried to reach him but he just wasn’t there.
He pulled out another vile. This was his elixir for mana. It should slowly help. He pulled himself up sluggishly and proceeded to the vault door. He cracked it open just enough to listen for the patrol guards. They came by and then turned left. He had 2 minutes to get to his window. He pushed with all his might to open the vault door. The thing had gotten so much heavier. By the time he closed it he was sweating profusely.
When he reached the window, he could see it was still dark out. He opened the window, exited and closed the window behind him. He had no idea how much time had passed and he still couldn’t reach Shadow with his mind. It took way too much time to get the window locked, he hoped no one would discover the robbery. Roland went to the side of the roof and realized he couldn’t just jump down. He had no mana to put into his ring. The jump to the next building was too far to jump.
There was only one way down, and that was to climb down as best he could on the outside of the building. It was a stone building so there were some hand holds. He was half way down, when he became too exhausted and fell. The fall hurt but he hadn’t broken anything. Shadow was there waiting for him. They just looked at each other. Both seemed lost.
They began to head towards the nearest sewer entrance. They finally made it into the sewers. They traveled for what seemed like hours. As soon as they entered the sewers, Shadow was pulling Roland along by the arm. Roland didn’t even know where he was by then.
They were standing at a wall in the sewers. For the life of hi
m Roland couldn’t figure out why they stopped and were looking at the wall. Then it came slowly. This was the hidden door into his house. He opened it and they went in. After getting through the door, he collapsed. He was in the tunnel to the house. No one should find them here. He fell asleep.
His dreams were tormented. He had lost his mana and his magic. He wasn’t good for anything. It was all gone. He was being chased in his dreams by someone. No, it was something. It was always there. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get away. He ran and ran. Every turn was the same. He ran through the forest. He hid in the brambles but the beast was always there. He was starting to see it. It was getting bold. Wisps of shadow were ghosting by. Then the dreams were gone and he returned to oblivion.
He woke up to a wet lick to his face. It was Shadow. Shadow was there. He felt his presence back in his mind.
How long have we been here?
I have no idea. Without any light, it would only be a guess. I think we have been here at least a day. Probably longer. I am very thirsty. We need water.
Let me see if I can bring up my status panel.
Status Panel
Level
25
Age
19
Health
65/320
Title:
N/A
Mana
40/765
Heath Regen
0.001/Second
Stamina
100/465
Mana Regen
0.0005/Second
Vitality
32
Stamina Regen
0.01/Second
Strength
34
Race
Half-Elf
Endurance
59
Bonus
Dexterity +2 per level
Dexterity
84
End +5 and Str +5
Caged: Book 2 Of the King's Hand Series Page 12