Chapter 35: Chapter 33

We arrived home at the cusp of sundown, hearts heavy from our visit to the Adventurer's Guild. Lori and I walked in relative silence, and the tension from our worry was palpable. Our encounter with the robed creature left a sinking feeling in my stomach, and we were both on edge.

As we approached our home, a seemingly empty and quaint suburban house, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cobblestone path. The town around us was eerily quiet; the only sound was the faint clop of our boots on the stones. The houses lining the street all had steep gables and half-timbered facades, reminiscent of Tudor England. It was a testament to the town's rich history, culture, and relative wealth.

But something felt amiss as we approached the front door.

The door was left ajar, and I was instantly on alert. My instincts screamed at me, warning me of potential danger lurking within. Without a word, I drew my wand from its holster and traced a telekinetic push, opening the door from a distance.

Stepping ahead of me, Lori unsheathed her sword, the metal glinting in the golden light of the setting sun. Together, we stepped through the door cautiously, ready to face whatever lay inside.

The inside of the house was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the setting sun through the windows. We moved through the rooms, on high alert for any sign of an intruder. An increasing sense of tension filled the air, and the silence broken was only by the sound of our breathing.

As I walked through the foyer, I heard a faint rustling noise from above. Lori paused for a moment before turning her attention above. She slowly turned to face the staircase that led to our rooms upstairs. Then, she cautiously ascended the steps toward the source of the sound.

I stayed still, quietly conjuring a barrier in front of the front door before similarly blocking off the other halls and windows on this floor. If a home intruder was present, I didn't want to deal with a nasty surprise from behind.

I'd experimented with them in the yard; unfortunately, the barriers I could conjure weren't all that strong. A hard kick or axe swing would shatter one of my barriers unless I overcharged them using a staff or gemstone. These 'minor' barriers wouldn't hold up long against anyone who would threaten Lori. However, it would give us a second or two to react before they went down in a worst-case scenario.

Lori and I reached the top of the stairs and followed the noises to my study. The door was slightly ajar, and I could see a faint light coming from inside. Lori nodded at me, signaling that she was ready to go in.

I cast my spell again, and the door swung open as we stormed into my room. The room was a mess, with papers and books scattered everywhere. It was clear that someone had been searching through my things.

And there, at my desk, was a hooded figure bent over my notes. They startled at our presence, stuffing a handful of Alice's scrolls into a bag before darting for the window.

But Lori acted quickly, intercepting the thief as they tried to escape. She turned her sword in a two-handed, half-sword strike, the metal flashing silver in the faint light of the room. The thief turned to face her instantly, drawing their own short sword to meet it. The sudden clash caused my heart to skip a beat, and my heart pounded in my chest loudly as the adrenaline kicked in.

Our intruder's hood fell back with her block, and I caught my first glimpse of the thief behind the hood and cloak.

She was slender and agile, with delicate features and long, flowing blonde hair. Her race was difficult to discern, with a slim build that could have hinted at elven heritage, but what features I could make out were mostly human-like. She wore a ninja-like face mask that covered her mouth and was dressed in soot black with a flowing cloak and hood. Her sword was riddled with arcane-looking runes indicating god knows what.

The woman let go of the bag of stolen goods as she turned, measuring the space between her and Lori. There was a spark of tension in the air as they each took a step in tandem to circle and reposition around the room.

Lori stepped in with a flash of light and engaged the thief in a furious clash of blades. Their swords were blurs to my untrained vision, and dozens of silver and white streaks of light sparked out as the clash of weapons turned into a chorus of steel. The two combatants danced back and forth for about four heartbeats' worth of time, struggling to gain an advantage over each other. Even through the chaos of their godlike speed, I could see that the thief was skilled. Her movements were precise and calculated.

Suddenly, she struck up with an arm covered in light to catch Lori on the jaw with a forearm strike. She followed up with a counter-thrust aimed directly at Lori's heart. My stomach dropped with worry as I saw the weapon approach half an inch away from Lori's ribcage.

Time seemed to slow as Lori bent backward at an impossibly flexible angle. The thief capitalized on the opening, striking down at Lori's exposed side with a diagonal cut.

My heart skipped a beat as Lori drew her sword close and parried her follow-up thrust, rolling with the momentum. She jumped into the air and spun to land in front of me, standing in the doorway protectively.

A buckler appeared in a flash of light, materializing on the thief's outer arm as if summoned by some unseen force. It was a beautiful thing, with intricate designs etched into its surface. The metal shimmered in the light, and I could see faint sparks of magic dancing around its edges. She turned to move, but Lori shot forward in a burst of air and power.

I instinctively hopped backward during the brief respite, making space for the two combatants. I gripped my wand, searching for an opening. Finding none, I summoned a small barrier in front of me that would cover me from attacks, just in case.

The thief used her buckler to parry Lori's attacks, her movements swift and precise as she fought, forcing Lori back into the cramped room. Their movements were too fast to track, and slash marks appeared all over my bedroom's walls and ceiling. The two fought fiercely, and the vibrations of their swords almost sounded like a choir. Our intruder was evenly matched with Lori, her strength and speed almost on par with the seasoned adventurer.

No, it was less that they were evenly matched.

I paid careful attention as Lori struck at her with thrusts, tight slashes, and half-sword techniques. She was better equipped than Lori in these cramped conditions.

The fight lasted for what felt like an eternity, although only half a minute had passed at best. Sweat dripped down their faces, their breathing already heavy as they fought with everything they had. I watched in amazement, my wand clutched tightly in my hand as I searched for an opening to cast a spell to help.

But there was no opening to be found. The thief was too fast, her movements too graceful. She seemed to anticipate Lori's every move and vice versa, her sword always there to deflect the attack. It was like a dance, their swords moving in perfect unison as they fought and clashed.

I watched in awe as they closed in again, my heart racing with adrenaline. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the battle, my body tense as I waited for a chance to intervene.

I didn't need to, in the end. The thief was quick and agile, her movements precise as she fought to keep Lori at bay. She was clearly skilled, her sword dancing as she parried Lori's initial attacks easily.

Slowly but surely, though - the thief was pushed back. She fought with ferocity, but Lori finally found the thief's spacing and timing. Lori's sword flashed as she struck at the thief with all her might. Blow after blow rained on in a combo with her weight behind her as she tapped the runic power of her sword. It was a fierce and intense battle, and I could feel the tension in the room rising with each passing moment. Lori had found her footing and could now force her power and strength against the nimbleness and agility of the intruder.

The thief was close to the wall now, her sword held at the ready as she gazed at Lori. She was panting and sweating, her face contorted with determination and fear. Lori, on the other hand, looked calm and collected, her sword held firmly in her grasp as she advanced on the thief.
The hooded woman struck out with a feint with her sword before tossing her shield at Lori. It was a clever trick, and it knocked the wind out of Lori as it struck her in the stomach. With a flash, the shield returned to her arm, and she made a swift motion to reach for her hip.

I flinched as Lori flashed before me, deflecting the shield and a dagger thrown in my direction with her sword.

The masked woman backed away, her short sword at the ready as she kept her eyes on Lori. She was panting, and sweat dripped from her forehead. Her hands were shaking, and her breaths were heavy. I could see beads of sweat forming on the back of her neck. A trail of blood suddenly trickled down her cheek, dripping off the edge of her mask and onto her shoulder.

"Who are you?" Lori demanded, her sword still held out in front of her as she stepped back into the room.

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I took that opportunity to follow closely behind her.

Meeting the thief's eyes, I pleaded with her, "Hey umn. Please - we don't have to fight. How about we just talk it out? Make a deal with whoever you're working for?"

The thief remained silent, her green eyes flicking between Lori and me. There was fear in her gaze and a hint of determination and regret.

Then, the buckler turned into a glowing blue disc in another flash of light.

The woman swung her arm again, tossing the shield at Lori like a frisbee as she stood her ground once more in front of me.

Lori met it head-on with her sword, and sparks began to fly as it ground against her sword in the air.

The thief turned to the window behind her, and in one smooth motion, she grabbed the bag on the floor and bolted it out the window.

Without thinking twice, I took the opening to cast a spell at her — thinking only of protecting Lori. With my wand firmly in my grasp, I dropped my barrier and shot a powerful, concussive wind spell at her.

The sudden gust of air blew her off-balance, causing her to stumble as she was halfway out the window. She fell like a stone, screaming all the way until she hit the cobblestone street below with a crashing noise.

The spinning disc Lori was struggling against vanished in midair, Lori and I immediately ran to the window. We peered over the ledge to look down at her.

She was gone; her body was nowhere to be seen.

I looked up at Lori, who shook her head in response to my gesture. The woman had gotten away.

I cursed under my breath, feeling defeated. This wasn't the first time someone had outright stolen from me, and it wouldn't be the last either, I thought bitterly.

As I let those thoughts boil up inside me, Lori walked past me, heading towards the door. I followed her lead, watching her go.

Lori sighed, turning to me. "You know what? Forget about the thief. Let's call it in with the city guards and just clean up this mess. Have a nice dinner."

Biting my lip, I turned to her and nodded. "That sounds like a perfect plan to me. Umn, what do you want to tell them when they arrive?"

She just simply shrugged while walking out of the room. "We'll just tell the truth... that woman burglarized the house, attacked us, and fled."

A moment later, Lori returned with a large metal trash bin.

I opened the door to the hallway and scowled in frustration as I used my magic to float the leftover debris and broken glass into the bin.

Lori gave a small laugh as she watched my magic work. She'd been impressed by my ability to use magic since the beginning.

With that done, she picked up a shredded book and gently placed it into the box along with a shattered bottle and cup I'd missed.

"Well, at least the windows are intact," Lori said as she surveyed the damage. She walked over to the window and drew deeply from the cold autumn air.

I sighed as I joined her by the window, looking outside to check for any sign of the thief. Really, I should have figured that cliché would come into play here. That woman had fallen down like a ragdoll, but still managed to vanish on us.

"Did you notice anything strange about her, or did you sense anything from her at all?" I asked, curious as to whether Lori's senses had picked out something unusual about her.

Lori tilted her head slightly, her eyes furrowed in thought as she considered her answer. Then she looked at me with an amused smile.

"She was strong — and fast. I can tell you there are less than three hundred people in the Kingdom that can fight at that level or higher. And she was definitely a mage with a powerful magic artifact. She's a mage who is capable of fighting at my level without using magic. That narrows our search, if we do care enough to look into it."

I nodded, understanding that this wasn't a common thief then but a professional. The way she fought and disappeared, too. I still didn't like the idea of fighting, but if it came to it, I needed to make sure I could hold my own. If we were going to run into more people like her, I would need to learn to defend myself.

"Do you think she'll come back?" Lori wondered.

"If someone sent her here specifically for my research notes, I think we won't have to worry about her," I said as I turned around to take another glance at the destroyed bedroom.

"Anyone else who might be interested on the other hand... I'm not so sure about them," I frowned. "I think we should definitely head that one off. I'll definitely have to report this to the guild and the constables."

With that decided — I still had no idea what the thief wanted with those papers, but it couldn't be good news. I knew one thing for sure, though.
I rubbed my stomach absently; it rumbled like thunder in my ears, and Lori laughed a bit at my expense. With a sigh, I shut the window and the shutters with a wave of my hand. Then, I followed her down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

I was hungry. Really, really hungry — and I had a funeral to go to tomorrow.

I'd worry about this complete and utter bullshit later.

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