by Jamie Davis
"You've never said much about where you're from, Hal. You've only said it's far away. How could they just now be discovering you're missing if it's such a distance?"
"It's a long story, Kay, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Maybe I'll tell you the whole thing someday but not now."
"Definitely not now," Kay said. "We've got work to do; rogue's work. Are you ready?"
Hal checked his gear, emptying all the clothes and extra items out of the backpack except the lock pick set, the healing potion, grapnel, and rope. He looked up at Kay when he finished and nodded.
Kay smiled and blew out the lamp before opening the shutters to the outside. They waited a few minutes for their eyes to acclimate, then Kay slipped over the edge of the window sill and dropped to the ground about ten feet below. Hal followed. As he landed in the alley beside the inn, he saw the exposed timbers of the inn's exterior. Good. There would be plenty of foot holds to get back up to their room when they returned.
Hal followed Kay as they snaked through a series of alleys, crossing deserted streets until they reached the street across from their target. It was close, only five minutes from their new hideout at the inn.
A guard appeared around the corner across the street, walking along the front of the warehouse. It was well lit with torches and lanterns. Hal pressed himself back into the shadows of the alley as the guard passed by across the street. The guard looked in his direction twice but didn't see the two thieves hiding there.
A notification popped up in Hal's display vision.
NEW SKILL LEARNED - Hide in shadows
KAY PUT a hand on Hal's arm and pointed up to the second floor of the warehouse. It didn't stretch the whole length of the warehouse. Instead, it sat like a tower in one corner at the front of the building. There were shuttered windows there that might allow them entry.
Hal nodded and took off his pack, removing the rope and grapnel, setting them on the ground beside him while he put the pack on again. The guard had turned the far corner on his rounds. They waited for two more circuits until they were confident they had the timing down for the guard's appearance.
Waiting until the guard rounded the far corner once again, Hal and Kay raced across the street until they were at the front of the warehouse. Hal stepped back a few steps and looked up, gauging the distance to the roof of the second story.
While Kay kept watch, Hal swung the rope and grapnel in a circle, gathering momentum. He concentrated on the task, and the lucky slot machine in his head started rolling again. Taking one last look upward at his target, an exposed beam above, Hal let the grapnel fly. The slot machine stopped with a chime as soon as he let go. Based on past experience, Hal knew that meant his luck would hold.
The grapnel flew straight up to the beam and over the top, wrapping around twice before the grapnel’s tines dug into the wood. Hal pulled down on the rope, and the sharp prongs dug backward into the wood even more. He tugged a couple of times before he was satisfied it was seated, then started climbing. The rope had knots tied in it periodically to assist with the climb, but it was still hard work going up, especially with his armor and other gear.
Hal hooked a foot over the edge of the roof and pulled himself up, rolling out of the way. Kay was right behind him. Once they were both safely on the roof, Hal pulled the rope up from below and reached up to retrieve the grapnel. They'd made it just in time. The guard below them turned the near corner and walked along the front of the building.
Both the men on the roof let out a quiet sigh of relief and waited until the guard passed around the far corner before they moved again. Hal rose and walked over to the shutters, checking to see if the nearest were secured from the inside. It didn't budge at all. He and Kay circled the structure on the flat roof of the warehouse checking all of the shutters of the second-story structure. On the far side, they discovered one was ajar.
Hal smiled. His luck was holding for a change. Kay pulled open the shutters and peered inside. It looked like a small storeroom or pantry judging from the sacks stacked in the corner and the shelf full of cans and jars. Kay went in first, followed by Hal, who closed the shutters behind them.
Kay paused at the door, listening for noise on the other side. He shook his head, frowning and beckoning Hal over. Hal went over and pressed his ear against the wood. He heard the sound right away, snoring. At least one person was asleep on the other side.
Hal stepped back and tried the doorknob, turning it and pulling the door open a crack. In the dim light on the other side, Hal saw a kitchen area with a cot in the corner. A very large form lay snoring on the cot.
Hal opened the door a bit farther, wincing when the hinges squeaked a little. Looking around, Hal saw an open doorway leading from the kitchen to another room. It must be the kitchen and dining area for the workers and guards. He stepped back to let Kay have a look.
Leaning forward while his companion took in the scene, Hal whispered, "We can sneak past this guy. You go first. I'll follow once you reach the other room."
Kay nodded and took a few tentative steps, testing the floor boards to make sure they didn't creak. He'd almost reached the doorway to the other room, when the large figure on the cot rolled over and jumped up.
"Gotcha, thief!" The cook said while grabbing a cleaver from the butcher's block on the counter. Hal got a look at him as he stood and realized he wasn't a human, or at least not a hundred percent human. The guy had tusks protruding from his lower jaw, and he stood nearly seven feet tall.
Kay, caught by surprise, barely dodged the first hacking attack from the cleaver. Hal didn't think the hardened leather of their armor would hold up long against that heavy blade.
"I'm gonna kill you; thief, then I'm gonna cook you up in the stew for the boys tomorrow. You're gonna be tasty."
The cook easily batted aside Kay's first attack and then launched a flurry of attacks that had Kay dancing backward across the kitchen to the far wall. If the cook managed to trap Kay against that wall, it was all over.
Hal thought fast. The cook had his back to the closet. He obviously didn't think Kay had anyone with him. Drawing his daggers, Hal crept out from the doorway until he was standing behind the giant man.
With all his strength, Hal drove the two broad-bladed daggers forward into the cook's lower back.
NEW SKILL LEARNED - sneak attack
Critical hit!
THE COOK GASPED and arched his back, trying to turn around to reach his new attacker. Hal pulled the daggers out and drove them forward again and again in punching motions until the cook's back, side, and now belly was covered in deep gashes while he turned to face Hal.
Hal dodged backward from a slow downward strike from the cleaver. At the end of the strike, the cleaver fell from the cook's hand. The eyes had a surprised expression in them as the big man sunk to his knees before slumping to one side to the floor.
250 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED.
XP doubled for rogue skill attack combination.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, KAY?"
"Yeah, just scared a bit. That guy was a monster."
"You're not kidding," Hal said. "Let's search the room and see if he's got anything useful stashed here."
Kay nodded, and they began checking all the cupboards. Hal noticed a small stand next to the cot with two drawers. The top one was locked. Taking his lock pick tools out, Hal decided to give this a try while Kay kept searching the rest of the room. He knew the theory of lock picking, but that didn't mean he knew what he was doing.
Inserting two of the long probes into the small wooden keyhole, Hal began to manipulate them, trying to feel for the pins or tumblers in the lock. After a few minutes of trying, he was rewarded with a soft click.
NEW SKILL LEARNED - Open locks
HAL PULLED the unlocked drawer open and found a pouch of coins, a stack of letters tied together with butcher's twine, and a small box. Opening the box, Hal found a silver ring with a small emerald set in the silver band.
Kay came
over and saw what he'd found. He smiled at Hal.
"That's a good start. Let's see if we can't find the merchant's office. He's got to have a chest or something there with the real treasure inside."
"Let's go," Hal agreed. "I'll take the lead this time."
Kay nodded, and Hal drew one of his daggers, leaving the other hand free. The room next door was a dining room as he'd expected. There were two long tables set up to seat about twenty people. Hal hoped that was mostly warehouse workers and not the number of guards nearby. Otherwise, this was going to be a painfully short adventure.
The dining room opened onto a catwalk overlooking the interior of the warehouse and a set of stairs down to the ground floor. Hal crouched by the door and scanned the warehouse floor. It was dark inside the building, but his dark vision skill helped him penetrate most of the shadows below. There were stacks and stacks of crates and pallets. He didn't see any guards.
Starting down the stairs, Hal stopped when he reached the bottom and looked around. There was a door to his left that lead to whatever was beneath the kitchen and dining area above. To the right was the whole open warehouse floor.
"This way," Kay said, pointing to the door to his left. “This has to be the offices.”
Hal nodded and tried the handle. It was locked. He crouched down and pulled out his picks again. This lock took a lot longer as it was larger and more complex. He concentrated and was rewarded when the slot machine started rolling in his head again. When the chime sounded in his head, Hal felt, rather than heard a satisfying click. Trying the doorknob again, Hal discovered it was now open.
SKILL LEVEL ACHIEVED - Open lock level 2
KAY AND HAL darted inside and pulled the door closed behind them. There were no windows in this room, and the darkness was almost complete. Even with his dark vision in play, it was hard to see anything. Kay was having the same problem.
Hal saw a few sparks that told him Kay was trying to light a candle or something. A light flared and Hal saw a small lamp sitting on a desk in the corner.
Kay turned around and smiled. "That's better."
"Indeed," Hal replied. He pointed to a large chest in the corner. "You want to try this one while I guard?"
"Sure, thanks," Kay said. He crouched down next to the chest and started working then cursed. "Damn, it was trapped. I just got stuck by a pin or needle or something."
"How bad is it?" Hal said.
"I don't know. It just hurts like hell for a little prick like that."
"Step back and let me take a look," Hal said.
Stepping in front of Kay, Hal grabbed the lamp and held it in front of the chest. He saw the tiny needle protruding from the lock right away. It looked like opening the lock released the spring-loaded trap on any unsuspecting thief who didn't know it was there.
Working carefully to avoid touching the exposed needle, Hal started working on the lock. It took a few minutes but he managed to puzzle out the mechanism, and the lock sprung open.
Lifting the lid, Hal looked inside. There were all sorts of ledgers and books inside, but there were also seven bulging bags stacked in the bottom. Hal lifted them out. Each was heavy with coins.
QUEST COMPLETED - Get Ilsa's dowry back.
500 experience points awarded
Level Up!
HAL SMILED at the notifications while he and Kay stuffed the bags into their backpacks. It was a heavy load, but Hal could manage. He looked at Kay and saw his friend sway under the load.
"You don't look so good, Kay. You sure you're fine?"
"Yeah, my hand just hurts from where that needle jabbed me."
"Let me take a look," Hal said.
Kay held out his hand. In the lamplight, Hal saw the red streaks going up his friend's hand and forearm away from the swollen finger right away.
"I think that needle was poisoned. We have to get out of here and find some help for you before it's too late. Can you make it back upstairs if I help you?"
Kay nodded, and Hal helped his friend back up the stairs. They were soon back in the kitchen. Kay looked worse, and Hal helped him sit on a stool in by the stove.
"Wait here; I have an idea," Hal said. "No one would use a lock with a poisoned trap like that without having an antidote nearby just in case. I'm going back downstairs to search the rest of the office. You stay here."
Kay nodded and closed his eyes. Hal had to hurry. He bolted back down the stairs and went back into the office, shutting the door. He lit the lamp once more, using up painful seconds Kay might not have. Once he did, Hal searched the office. He started with the inside of the chest. There was nothing there but the ledgers and papers they'd left behind.
Turning to the desk, Hal started pulling drawers open and rifling through papers and odds and ends. In the bottom drawer, Hal finally found what he was looking for. It was a small ceramic vial with a cork stopper. He laughed when he read the tag attached to it with a length of string. It read, “for accidental poisoning.”
Turning down the lamp again, Hal raced back upstairs. Kay was unconscious now, his breathing ragged. Hal knew he didn't have much time. Pulling the cork from the vial with his teeth, Hal poured the liquid into Kay's mouth and rubbed his back to awaken him enough to swallow.
Kay coughed and spluttered a little bit but managed to get most of the antidote down. Luckily, it didn't take long to work. Within a few minutes, Kay was feeling much better.
"Thanks for finding that antidote, Hal. It was a good idea to go and check the office again for it."
"Every now and then, I have a good idea," Hal said, smiling at his friend. "We should probably get going. We're pressing our luck remaining here."
"Agreed. I feel like we should do something to cover our tracks, though."
"What did you have in mind?" Hal asked.
"If we set a fire here in the kitchen, it will look like the cook left the oven lit or something. Hopefully, it will burn the whole building, and it will take the merchant a while to realize he's been robbed."
"Makes sense to me."
QUEST ACCEPTED - Cover up the crime.
KAY POURED some cooking oil on the cot and held the lamp over it while he looked at Hal.
"Are you ready?"
"Let's go," Hal said.
Kay threw the glass lamp against the wall above the cot. The oil inside burst into flame and spilled down onto the cot. The rest of the cooking oil he'd spilled flared up immediately.
Hal smiled and climbed back through the window to the rooftop. He tiptoed over to the edge, looking for the guard below. He saw him just turning the far corner. Perfect. Hal sat down on the edge and then turned to lower himself down until he was hanging about five feet from the street. Dropping the rest of the way, he crouched and waited for Kay to join him.
Once they were both down, they sprinted for the alley just as thick black smoke started billowing from the second-floor windows of the warehouse.
QUEST COMPLETED - Cover up the crime.
250 experience points awarded.
THEY'D DONE IT. Hal smiled as shouts of alarm sounded in the distance, and an alarm bell sounded. Their escape was complete.
By the time they climbed back through the window of their room at the inn, the burning warehouse had become a massive red glow seen over the rooftops behind them. Hal settled down on his bed and removed the backpack. Kay closed the shutters and lit the oil lamp in their room.
"How are you feeling?" Hal asked Kay.
"Better now. I'm glad you found that antidote when you did. I don't think I could have made it back here even with your help.
"So, we lay low here at the inn and wait for a few days until it's safe to go back to Selena's, right?"
"That's the plan," Kay replied. "We need to count through what we have, though. We know Ilsa's dowry was four hundred silver pieces. We'll put that aside first then count the rest."
Hal and Kay made sure their door was secured by a bar across it and started counting out the money from the leather moneybags. The
y ended up having just over two thousand two hundred silver pieces total. When they factored in Ilsa's dowry, that left a six hundred silver piece share each to Selena, Hal, and Kay.
"Not too bad for a night's work, don't you think?" Hal said.
"Agreed. Now we need to guard it until we can get it back to the Gilded Cage and Selena can lock it up there for us. Do you want to take the first shift?"
Hal was tired, but given what Kay had been through with the poison that night, he decided to let his friend sleep first.
"Sure, I'll stay up. Lay down. You've got to be exhausted."
"I won't argue with you. Wake me in a few hours, and I'll take my turn," Kay said.
Kay rolled over and pulled the blanket up over himself.
Hal took a moment while Kay slept to allot his new level points. He put two attribute points to Brawn. He also allotted a skill point to sneak attack. That was a useful skill given how it took down the cook so easily. His stats were now starting to look halfway decent.
NAME: Hal Dix
Class: Rogue
Level: 4
ATTRIBUTES:
Brawn: 10 -- +1
Wisdom: 8
Luck: 18 -- +5
Speed: 12 -- +2
Looks: 8
Health: 32/32
SKILLS: Taunt, Dark vision, Acrobatic dodge - 2, Hide in shadows, Sneak Attack - 2, Open locks - 2
Experience: 1,600/2,400
HAL FINISHED with his stats adjustments and went over to sit on the stool in the corner. He drew his daggers and began to sharpen them using long strokes of the whetstone just like he'd seen Kay do earlier.
All the while he thought about Mona and Cari, wondering when he'd see them again.
13
HAL AND KAY ended up waiting two days at the inn, taking turns going down for meals and breaks to the outhouse, spending the rest of the time sitting in their room and learning more about each other. Hal learned that Kay was from a land far to the east where the Emperor had first begun his conquest.
He asked Kay about it during the second night in the inn.