by Hans Bezdek
Of course, he’d not be able to find it if no one knew where it was.
Because Zeke had it.
“Look, this trip to the Lost Citadel sounds like its getting pretty dangerous, right?” asked Zeke.
Sloane nodded. “Kutarm having an Arcane Staff does make things… more complicated.”
“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly built like a fighter.”
Sloane held her right arm and looked away. Zeke took that as an awkward yes.
“I also don’t have any skill with magic,” continued the elf. “In fact, the only weapon I’ve ever really even held was my dagger, Lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“Long story. Anyway, it sounds like we are going to run into trouble before we make it to the Lost Citadel, especially if Lord Kutarm has men scouring the lands to find another Arcane Staff.”
“I agree,” she nodded, looking back at him. “What’s your point?”
“If you want me to be any help, I’m going to need to have something that packs a serious punch. The only thing I can think of that fits that description is the Fourth Staff.”
Sloane crossed her arms as she thought it over. Zeke could see the wheels turning in her head, and was starting to worry he played his hand too aggressively. He had really sold how useless he was going to be if they ran into any trouble. Practically the only thing he was good at was running and hiding. Maybe she’d view him as a liability now, and wouldn’t help him.
After a long pause, Sloane nodded.
“So you agree to come with?” asked Zeke.
“Sure,” she said. “What you said made sense. Besides, if we can get the Arcane Staff before Kutarm does, then we won’t have to worry about him taking over the whole world while we enjoy our time at the Lost Citadel.”
“Exactly!” cheered Zeke.
“We’ll get the Arcane Staff first, then continue on our way,” she nodded. “So, where is it?”
He almost said Wizard’s Keep, but stopped himself. That was for sure an elven-only name for the collection of rocks that housed the Staff off the coast. She’d have no idea what he was talking about. He wasn’t totally sure where the exact rocks were, but assumed it would just take some walking around.
“It’s a place near Nurem,” he said, mentioning the town closest.
“Nurem?” she asked taken aback. “But I thought that was a dwarven town?”
“What have you got against dwarves?” he asked, throwing his bag over his shoulder.
“I don’t have anything against them. I thought elves and dwarves didn’t get along.”
“How dare you assume such a thing,” said Zeke, place a hand over his mouth as he pretended to be offended. There was some truth to that, but nowadays relations were fairly good between the two races.
“I-I didn’t mean anything by that!” she quickly added.
“Don’t worry, your racism is safe with me,” he said, moving past her and out the door.
“But I’m not-”
“Come on, we’ve got to get a move on,” he said, waving for her to join him.
The human sighed and shook her head, then followed after. Zeke knew Re’Lus like the back of his hand, which helped them sneak out without being seen by anyone else. When they had reached the far side of town, he noticed a few of the town’s guards talking with excited people at their doors. They must’ve been explaining that no one was allowed to leave the town. It wasn’t like anyone in this town was actually planning on traveling, but they sure didn’t like being told what to do.
Zeke led Sloane past some homes that closely bordered the forest, then the two ran for the trees. Zeke checked to make sure they weren’t seen, and it appeared they were in the clear. Still, he kept glancing back behind them for the first hour of their march north.
Several hours passed without any excitement, good or bad. They were reaching the furthest north Zeke had ever gone, and the elf began to slow down. For Sloane, she probably didn’t notice much of a difference in the trees as they passed through the forest. Zeke was an elf, though. He knew the trees surrounding his town well, and there was a clear difference when they arrived at a section of them he had never laid eyes on before.
“Is something wrong?” asked Sloane, noting the change in Zeke’s pace.
“No, not at all,” he said, shaking his head. Truthfully, he was slowing down to make sure they were still heading north. He had never actually been to Nurem before and didn’t want to end up leading them completely off course. It was getting darker now, and he needed to keep his bearings. “Just thinking about how I won’t be back to Re’Lus for quite some time.”
“Understandable,” she nodded. She opened her mouth to say something else but hesitated.
“Is there something else?” asked Zeke.
“It was just… I wanted to ask you something,” she said, choosing her words carefully.
Zeke was feeling suddenly anxious. Why was she being so cautious? What could she be thinking that would make her nervous? Did she know it was him that made that girly scream back when they first met? Maybe she notices the cut in his boot and his slight limp...
“Sure,” he shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Whatever you want.”
“I’ve traveled around quite a bit over the past few years,” she began. “Different lands have different myths and legends not just about treasure, but also famous people. There was one that always fascinated me because so many people believed this one to be true.”
Sloane paused, watching Zeke’s face for a reaction.
Zeke had no idea what she was getting at. He knew a handful of legends himself but didn’t see what she could be going on about.
“Go on,” he insisted.
“There is one of a master thief,” she said. “Even though he’s relatively young, he’s proven to be the greatest thief that Linsuk has ever seen. There are stories that he’s stolen the Queen of Amul’s favorite portrait, priceless ancient texts from the Library of Yuta, and even prized jewels from dragons’ collections. No one knows his true name, and he simply goes by the title of The Elf Thief.”
Zeke nodded. He was familiar with this tale, too. Of all the legends, one that centered around an elf was bound to be popular in villages like his. Was she trying to ask if he knew the real identity of the man?
“There was something about you when we first met that I couldn’t place my finger on,” she continued. “You seemed to have no fear in the face of that demon. When I saw how quick you were when Moya threw that ladle at you, I couldn’t believe my eyes. And now… now you want to steal one of the Arcane Staves.”
Zeke suppressed his smile as hard as he could. Now he got what she was getting at. Him? The Elf Thief? She couldn’t be serious. He was flattered that someone would think of him in such a light, but there was nothing to it. He’d lived in Re’Lus all his life, and never stole anything. Well, aside from some food when Moya wasn’t looking.
While he was fast, the only reason he dodged Moya’s attack was because she had thrown stuff at him almost every day for the past several years. It wouldn’t be right to lead his new companion on with a lie…
Sloane stopped walking, turned and took a deep breath.
“Zeke, are you The Elf Thief?”
It wouldn’t be right… but what harm was there in having a little fun?
“Yes,” said Zeke, clearing his throat. “I am. I am The Elf Thief.”
Chapter 5
Sloane quietly gathered her things as first light broke the next morning. The two had ventured as far as they could the previous night. While Zeke would’ve been fine continuing thanks to his elven night vision, she wouldn’t have fared as well. Even though they were in a bit of a hurry, it wouldn’t have helped them much to keep walking through the night. If everything went smoothly, the two of them would make it to Nurem soon.
If Sloane was honest with herself, she wasn’t so sure about that. Outside of the run-in with the demon when she first met Zeke, they hadn�
��t run into anyone or anything while traveling. From her experience, that didn’t last for long.
Sloane wasn’t too worried about it. She enjoyed combat, although preferred it when there was a reward involved. The reward at the end of all this was the Lost Citadel, so she didn’t mind. Even if she was bothered by fighting, she doubted it would’ve mattered much that morning. She was too excited to be traveling with a living legend.
Sloane looked over at the sleeping Zeke. Who’d have thought that she would run into The Elf Thief one random spring morning? She couldn’t believe her luck. She’d keep his secret as best she could, although it wasn’t like she had anyone to tell about it.
“That’s my sandwich, I’m not sharing!” mumbled Zeke.
“I’m sorry?” asked Sloane. They hadn’t packed any sandwiches.
Zeke woke with a start. “W-What’s going on?”
“You said you weren’t sharing your sandwich,” shrugged Sloane.
“Oh… I must’ve been talking in my sleep,” he muttered, wiping the sleep away from his eyes. “Is it time for us to get going?”
The Elf Thief talked in his sleep? Incredible. Sloane usually refused to travel with people that did that. It was too much of a risk that they’d attract attention in the middle of the night. Somehow, this legendary thief had managed it without ever getting caught!
Sloane nodded. “Best to keep moving.”
“Do you know how far Nurem is from here?” he asked, getting to his feet.
“Oh, I assumed you knew where we were,” said Sloane, reaching into her pocket for her map.
“Uh… it’s been a while,” said Zeke, avoiding eye contact as he looked around. “I’d prefer it if you double checked for us. Never know how much things have changed.”
“You think an entire city moved since you were last there?” laughed the human as she inspected the map.
Zeke mumbled something but she let it drop. She didn’t know if he was testing her or just playing around. It didn’t bother her any. It wouldn’t be bad to get a feel for their surroundings whether he had actually forgotten or not.
Sloane focused on the Rundland territory, which they were at the northern tip of if she had to guess. They were getting ready to enter the Fdorn Confederacy, where Nurem was one of its major cities, along with Gruvek and Tunek. Nurem had a river that cut through part of its town, and it looked to be the same one that was near their camp.
“Is that the Sinter River?” she asked Zeke, pointing off to her left.
“Definitely,” he nodded. “You can always tell the Sinter by how clear it is.”
“Perfect,” she said, scanning the map one last time. “In that case, I believe we are another day or so away from Nurem. If we keep the pace up and follow this river, then we should be there in no time.”
“Hmm,” said Zeke, rubbing his chin. “That sounds about right from what I remember. Good job.”
Sloane smiled back at him. She had passed his test!
Sloane and Zeke finished packing their things then took off into the woods again, this time keeping close to the river. In addition to being an easy path to follow, the river had some added benefits. They were able to keep their waterskins full, plus there was an abundance of wildlife. An hour into their journey, they came across a deer that Sloane took down with ease.
“Good shot,” mumbled Zeke with wide eyes. She had shot it right after he pointed it out, which appeared to catch him off guard.
“Oh, I forgot a lot of you elves are vegetarians,” she groaned, shaking her head. How insensitive of her. She should really consider other people’s feelings more often. “I shouldn’t have killed it.”
“No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “I love meat! I’m just surprised how quick you are with that bow.”
“Thanks,” she smiled, approaching the deer to harvest some meat. It would’ve been a shame to waste a few days worth of food.
Zeke watched as she did her work for just a moment before turning slightly pale and focusing on the water instead. Sloane restrained from chuckling. It looked like the elf wasn’t one for dealing with too much blood.
After getting all the meat she thought would keep for a few days, she walked over next to Zeke and rinsed her sword and hands in the river.
“You’re two for two with that bow,” commented Zeke, looking away as she finished cleaning up.
“Don’t worry, I do miss occasionally,” she laughed.
“How did you get so good with it?”
“I was an archer in the Goldsworth militia,” she explained, drying her hands on the grass next to her. “After that, I became a mercenary.”
“Woah, really?” he asked, as the two of them began their trek again. The elf looked genuinely impressed, which Sloane thought was funny. There were many people like her across Linsuk, but there was only one who had Zeke’s talent at stealing and getting away.
“Really,” she nodded. “After what happened to Goldsworth, I lent my services out to whoever would pay for them.”
“You make good money?” he asked.
“I did alright,” she smiled. “It wouldn’t come close to the amount that's in the Lost Citadel, though.”
“Right,” he nodded. “Who all did you work for? Anyone famous? What would you do for them? Anything-”
“Slow down with the questions!” she laughed. “We’ve got tons of time left to talk on our journey. I did work mostly for groups, so no one particularly famous. I think you might be thinking of bodyguards.”
“Oh yeah…”
“I worked for all kinds of people from all over,” she continued. “The noble priests up in the High Mountains paid me to take care of relic hunters that kept harassing them. Not my favorite job. They were big on teaching them a lesson and letting them go. I always preferred more… permanent solutions.”
“Like killing them!” said an eager Zeke.
Sloane was quickly learning that the elf didn’t have an appreciation for nuance.
“I also worked for some orcs near Quintas,” she said, ignoring the elf’s quip. “They wanted me to assist them in a war they were having with some other orcs. I can’t even remember which side I was on, or what the war was about. I think their standard was blue, while the other's was green… or maybe it was the other way around? Anyway, they tried to rip me off when it came time for payment, so I had to take the rest forcibly.”
“You fought with orcs on payment in the middle of their camp?” gasped Zeke.
“It’s not as dangerous as it sounds. The orcs respect you for sticking up for yourself. After knocking a few heads together, I got what I was owed and they let me leave without issue.”
“Did you usually get ripped off?” he asked. “I’d imagine in that kind of work you’re dealing with some shady characters.”
“Not any shadier than the ones you’ve probably dealt with when trying to sell stolen items,” she shrugged. There was that one time with the dragons who hired her that got pretty fishy there at the end… but she decided against bringing it up. People tended to trust her less once they learned about that particular adventure. Something about dragons seemed to always spook regular people.
“Y-Yeah,” said Zeke, looking around. “Fences can sometimes be problematic to deal with.”
“How about you?” asked Sloane. She didn’t like talking about herself very much. “Tell me about your past.”
Zeke continued to look at anything but her. “What do you wanna know?”
“How about that job as a cook,” she asked. “Why did you take it? Were you trying to get closer to something in order to steal it?”
“Moya doesn’t have anything worth stealing,” he laughed. “No, unfortunately not.”
“Why were you in Re’Lus, then?” she asked. “It seemed like everyone there knew you, but didn’t think highly of you.”
“You picked up on that, huh?” he smirked. “Well… I did grow up there, which is why everyone knows me. That’s actually why I was back there.”
Zeke snapped his fingers and looked at her. “That’s perfect! I-I mean, yes, that’s what I did! After stealing a few paintings, I needed to wait some before trying to sell them. My fence wouldn’t risk buying them from me yet.”
“So where are they?”
“Where are what?”
“The paintings,” laughed Sloane. Could he have them on him? His bag wasn’t very large, and she was confident she would’ve seen him shove them in there.
“Oh... good question…” he said slowly. “I left them back in town. There are a few trees that aren’t real, and I’m hiding them there.”
That made sense to her. No telling if someone would come snooping around his place when he wasn’t there. Stolen goods would definitely be safer where no one would be looking for them.
“How much do you think you could get for the paintings?” she asked.
Zeke thought about it for a moment as they walked, mumbling numbers out loud and appearing to do some math.
“A little over a million,” he shrugged.
“A million?!” she gasped.
“What? Is that too high?” he asked.
“Why come with me to look for the Lost Citadel if you had a guaranteed million waiting for you back in Re’Lus?! Surely that’s enough money to live on for some time!”
“I, uh, I was just really looking forward to the adventure,” he explained. “It would be too boring to just take the money and wait out the rest of my days in a town like Re’Lus.”
Zeke continued to mumble on about why he didn’t like Re’Lus, but Sloane was suddenly distracted. A horrible scent came upon her suddenly, and she couldn’t escape it. The smell was like a mix of decaying flesh mixed with wet hair. It was faint at first, but as they walked it became stronger and stronger.
She had smelled this before, and it never ended well.
Sloane reached out and grabbed Zeke’s arm, pulling him back to a stop.
“W-What’s wrong?” he asked, looking scared. “You don’t believe me?”