Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Catching a Stray

Days spun on as life slowly returned back to normal in Gray Gate. Builders began working on the damaged outer wall and some homes were being reconstructed. Relief touched the populace as the grandmaster mages and the grand magus notified the everyone in the city of changes coming. The umbra beast attack was a wake-up call for change and the leaders of Gray Gate promised those changes.

Symon walked along the cobblestone streets of Old Town, listening in on conversations and mentally filing away the pulse of the city. Sunlight painted high mage towers as it began to set. Walking the streets, Symon could almost feel the electricity in the air. People were excited, talking about the changes and new future for the famous city.

The young man in black walked with his hands in his jacket pockets and head tilted forward. The aloof demeanor was to disguise his interest as he listened intently and glanced around when he felt no one was looking.

The air grew colder, soft mist spilling from his parted lips and nose. Memories of the last few days and nights crept closer, distracting him a little from his plans for the evening.

Cedric, Nyana, Qin seemed to fit into the guild instantly. Symon stood by and watched as Serafina pulled out small velvet bags, a crystal vial with a drop of blood already in it, and a sharp knife with runes on the handle. She informed them of the ritual and what was required. They all agreed to it and stuck out their hands. Nyana looked at Symon with a small smile before turning back to the ritual moment. The small knife sliced at a finger each and drops of blood were added to the crystal vial. After it was done, drinks were pulled out and Serafina began the task of explaining the code and history of the guild.

Cedric interrupted Serafina many times with a deluge of questions. The guild leader had had enough, telling him to shut up and listen or she would sew his mouth shut. Symon couldn’t hide his smile as it seemed like a near impossible task for Cedric to remain quiet, but after a few looks from Serafina, his bit his tongue.

Nyana and Qin on the other hand took to everything Serafina said like fish to water. They listened intently and digested it very well. They had a few questions about the future, especially since the guild didn’t have a guild stone, and the politics about the other guilds. Serafina answered their questions, to a degree. She did tell them that she had a plan for getting the guild stone back, but it would have to wait until everyone was ready.

The night spiraled into happy smiles and drinks. Cedric tried to sing, and was booed for his attempt. The man could write and fight, but singing was not his forte.

The next day, training began. Serafina and Symon worked together, showing them the importance of their ledgers and learning the guild skills. Pickpocketing was everyone’s weakest skill, but it didn’t stop them from trying their best. Serafina played out scenarios and everyone had their chance to pick pockets. Symon helped, but it was Serafina who gave the new members hints, tips, and tricks on how to pick pockets.

Symon woke from his daydreaming to see a man passed out by an alley. He had a tipped over bottle in his hand, the contents dripping on the stone floor. His head was tilted forward, but his clothes were well-kept.

Old Town resident who had too much to drink. It never fails. When people have a lot of coin, they seem to live in a dream, unaware of watchful eyes.

The young raven stepped to the man and knelt down.

“Are you okay, sir?” Symon asked as his back covered his true intentions.

The man stirred and made an odd sound. Symon was already pulling his hand from the man’s belt, fingers holding a coin purse.     

“I’ll get the city guard to help you,” Symon said as he stood up and simply walked away.

The coin purse was stuffed into a jacket pocket. He felt around and pulled out his ledger. He opened the small book and continued to walk the street as the last rays of sunlight began to fade away.

Symon

Raven Guild Rank: Novice

 

Copper Rooks: 712

Silver Knights: 456

Gold Queens: 13

Platinum Kings: 0

 

Natural Abilities

Shapeshift: Minor (Fox)

Shapeshift: Vulpine Form

 

Skills

Flee: Proficient 

Pickpocket: Proficient

Hide: Proficient

 

The drunk was carrying about twenty-six silver knights and a hundred copper rooks. I’m nearly to my goal. Forty-four knights and Serafina will teach me more skills. I love that many here in Old Town carry a good amount of silver knights. After a night or two, I will be ready.

Symon’s gaze drifted down to his natural ability. He stared at the new entry, Vulpine Form. It was an unexpected, but welcome surprise. Faint memories of his father and mother casting charms on him when he was very young filled his thoughts. At the time, he wasn’t sure what was happening, but as years passed, they explained that it was to help hide him and aid him in controlling his natural abilities. Judging from how the new ability surfaced at his most desperate time, it didn’t take much to reason that new abilities may unlock, depending on the situation. The drawback to such abilities was the toll it paid on his body. Turning into his vulpine form was too much, causing him to sleep a whole day away. It was an ability he would not take lightly, and only use in dire circumstances should the need arise.

I wonder how many abilities I do have locked away? I know my parents wanted to protect me, but if I can unlock more abilities, our guild would be unstoppable.

Symon closed shut his ledger and put it in an inner jacket pocket. He continued to stroll, passing under an archway that read “Welcome to the Theater District”.

The young raven glanced around to see the streets filled with people. Glowing lanterns above marquees changed colors. Men and women shouted from small stands, enticing people to see various plays. A bohemian mood struck Symon as this was one of his favorite districts. Street performers juggled or performed acrobatics. People in strange costumes added to the party-like atmosphere. Drinks were poured from spirit stations throughout the district, visitors handing over silver knights for drinks that cost barely a few rooks. It was a schemer’s paradise, glitz and glam luring many to spend more coin than they needed to.

The Theater District was one of Symon’s favorites for two reasons. One was the thrill of being in the party. Two, easy marks for they were distracted my lights and entertainers. Laughter and smiles pervaded many of the large groups and smaller clusters of people. Some waited outside theaters, caught in an enthusiastic cloud. They were often too distracted as a stray hand slipped into a pocket and pulled out a coin, or several coins.

Symon would have spent the night palming coins, but tonight, other business brought him here.

Thoughts shifted to goals as the young man walked with ease down a crowded street.

It all seems to be getting easier, this new life, but I still have a lot to learn.

Symon approached a theater. The marquee spelled out “A Time for a Dark Spell” in bold, artistic letters. The front was empty as he approached. The last rays of sunlight vanished from the darkening sky. Stars blinked into view, filling the heavens.

Symon kept his head down as he moved to an alley beside the theater. He stepped into the mouth of it and leaned against the wall. People passed by, not giving him a second glance. The young raven stayed still, blending with the area like he was part of it. It was easy enough to do, once he got the hang of his Hide skill.

Time ticked by, before the front doors to the theater burst open. Theater patrons spilled out onto the street, singing their praises of the play. Clusters formed as many theater followers digested the thrilling experience of witchcraft and lovers scorned.

Symon waited and listened.

The crowd slowly bleed off, but some stayed close to the alley. A side door in the back of the alley opened. Actors spilled out, the exhilaration of finishing another sold out performance sending tingling bliss through them. They moved as one group, talking as they walked to the end of the alley, leading into the street.

Symon remained as many fans of the play rushed to the edge of the alley. Actors and actresses joined the crowd, eager to interact with the fans. The excitement and enthusiasm were blinding, no one giving the young man in black a second look.

When nearly everyone was in the street, a cloud of excited chatter rising up, Symon stood up from the wall as a woman was just passing him. His hand touched hers as she looked at him.

“I’m a big fan,” Symon said with a gentle tone.

The woman turned to him with wide, amber colored eyes. Her hair was blonde and her look regal, still wearing her costume from the play. Despite her outfit, her hand shot to a hidden pocket at the small of her back. Symon’s hand darted and placed it over her hand before she could pull, a most-likely hidden blade, out.

“Let’s not make a scene,” Symon said with a harsh whisper. “I just want to talk. Better to speak in private or alert everyone on the street you’re the burglar in the night.”

The woman’s eyes half-closed, but fear still remained. She was silent as she gave him a nod.

Symon used his hand to pull her fingers away from the hidden pocket and turn her around. The pair made their way deeper into the alley, away from the crowd fawning over the actors and actresses of the play on the street.

When the pair were far enough away from the street, the woman turned to Symon and he turned her to her. She put a hand behind herself again while giving him a shrewd look.

“Did you come to taunt me before you murder me? Because if you are, I will not go down without a fight!” the woman said with a scathing tone.         

“If I was going to kill you, I wouldn’t do it with so many people close by, Olivia,” Symon said with a low tone.

Olivia’s eyes widened. “How…How do you know my name?”

“It’s on the marquee for tonight,” Symon smirked. “Your fellow actress, the lead, came down with a stomach issue. As her understudy, it was your time to shine, but I do have to ask, was she really sick, or did you make her sick?”

Olivia’s eyes half closed. “I would not be so cruel as to poison my fellow players.”

“I wasn’t sure, considering you’ve been robbing Old Town blind and getting away with it for the most part.”

Olivia pulled out a blade and held it to the side, barely covered by the edge of her puffy dress. “I’ll kill you if you make one more move against me.”

Symon kept his body relaxed. “I only wished to talk, nothing more. Put the blade away or one of your fellow players might get the wrong idea.”

“Did the dragon guild send you?” Olivia asked with a hint of concern.

“Dragon guild?” Symon said with a raised eyebrow.

Olivia’s eyes glanced down for barely a moment. “From the other night, when we met. One of them chased me,” she said cryptically.

“I’m surprised all the other guilds are not searching for you. You created a great system for robbing residents in Old Town. It took me a little time to piece it together.”

Olivia stood her ground, still holding the blade.

Symon continued, “I spent some time exploring the Theater District. I noticed a pattern. Most of the people who had their homes broken into were always at the theater at the time. When you spend a lot of time listening, you pick up on a few things. Everyone who was robbed mentioned seeing this particular play, your play.

“It didn’t take much to know that names and dates must be taken with payment to secure their seats for the play. I’m sure a few copper rooks to people who know the city can point you in the right direction. As an understudy, you would have access to those names. Speaking to a city guard here and there, pretending to be a lost visitor, would have also pointed you in the right direction. It wouldn’t be too hard for you, being an actress.

“Once you had the locations, and the marks were at the play, it was easy to break into homes and rob them blind.”

“Are you telling me all of this to impress me with your deductive skills?” Olivia said with a hard tone.

Symon smiled. “No. I wanted to say was you impressed me.”

Olivia blinked. “Who are you?”

The young man in black gave a slight bow. “My name is Symon. I’m with a guild here in the city. We’re looking for talent to join us.”

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Olivia stared at Symon, her grip on the blade relaxing a hair.

“You told me on the roof, you were leaving the next day,” Symon smirked.

Olivia looked away. “You surprised me.”

“I don’t blame you. I may have said the same thing if I was caught doing something nefarious.”

Olivia nodded, but remained silent.

Symon eyed her, seeing the nervous energy. Despite showing a brave face, he could see her shift on her shift. Despite remaining silent, her eyes gave it away, weighing her options as she was clearly cornered in an alley with a stranger.

“If you’re thinking of running, I know where you work and I know the inn you and your fellow castmates are staying at. All it would take is a casual word to a city guard and you would be found very quickly,” Symon said.

“How much?” Olivia asked.

She feels trapped and the only way out is through bribery. I would gladly take some knights to reach my next rank, but that is thinking small. If the guild is to succeed, we need capable members. She has some skills, but clearly, doesn’t have the backing to last much longer here in Gray Gate. She robbed houses under the protections of certain guilds. It’s only a matter of time before they find her.

“You can pay me by coming back with me to my guild house. We can talk it over and see if you want to stay, with us.”

Olivia’s eyes darkened. “No. I will not be led away so the dragon guild can stab me in the back. Tell me your price and I will pay it. I will truly be gone by the morning. If you found me, it only means others will find me soon as well.”

Symon hid his curiosity. “You keep mentioning the dragon guild. Did you do something more than just rob houses under their protection?”

Olivia’s eyes took on a gleam of desperation. “I knew this night would come, but I didn’t expect it the same night I was the star of the play. Name your price and I will pay it. I will be gone, never to darken Old Town streets again.”

Concern slid deeper down Symon’s spine. “What happened? What have you done?”  

Olivia bit her lip, remaining silent.

A raised voice from the street caused Olivia and Symon to turn their heads in that direction.

“Oh yes, Olivia is back there,” an actress said to a kobold as she pointed down the alley.

“Dammit!” Symon said and turned back to see Olivia gone.

His head swiveled to the left and up, Olivia holding her puffy dress up as she pushed off a wall with one foot and hit the other wall with her other foot. She let go of her dress and grabbed into a rung of a metal ladder. Hands reached over, one at a time, pulling herself up until she was able to put her foot on the bottom rung.

“Stay there, raven!” came a shout from the end of the alley.

Symon turned to see several kobolds, two Norden men and a goblin rushing toward him. They blocked the alley as people behind them craned their heads up to see the commotion.

Symon glanced to the walls and the ladder. Olivia was nearly to the edge of the roof.

“Not how I expected the evening to go,” Symon said as he bent his legs and leapt up.

Daggers cleared sheathes as the group charged. Symon kicked off one wall to the next. He kicked off again as a dagger swung up and missed his boot by several inches. Muscles tensed and pushed as Symon leapt onto the bottom rung of the metal ladder and pulled himself up.

That might buy me time.

Symon glanced down as he climbed. His eyes widened as the goblin leapt up into the Norden man’s arms. He heaved back and threw the goblin up. The goblin cackled as it flew up. One hand grabbed the side of the ladder as a dagger aimed for Symon’s neck. The young man let go of the ladder with one hand and caught the goblin by the wrist. The green goblin with big, floppy ears snarled before it cried out in pain, Symon twisting its wrist.

“Does no one follow the code?” Symon said before driving his elbow into the goblin and sent it sailing from the ladder.

The Norden man reached up with wide eyes, catching the female goblin before she could hit the floor.

“Bring us the stray and you will not have to answer for her crimes!” a kobold shouted.

Symon ignored the kobold as he climbed up and over the edge of the roof. The young man was to his feet and saw in the distance, Olivia leaping to another rooftop.

“This really wasn’t how I wanted the evening to go,” Symon said with a flustered edge as he gave chase.

The glow from the streets stabbed up like tiny pillars of light. They crisscrossed around tops of buildings, giving the city a magical aura. Amid the rows of light, two figured darted and leapt from roof top to roof top.

Symon kept pace, keeping Olivia in sight. She never looked back, her legs pumping and keeping up her speed. A boot touched the edge of a roof and Olivia soared through the air like a silent acrobat. She landed on the other side and charged ahead.

The air grew colder as the night deepened. Symon caught sight of the mist rising up from Olivia, as she huffed and ran. He followed, slowly gaining on her. She leapt over a thin street, Symon just behind her. Olivia cursed, the puffy dress slowing her down as she landed on the other side. She made it a few more steps, before a pair of arms appeared around her waist and a shoulder crashed into her lower back.

Olivia and Symon sprawled to the floor and slid a few inches. She tried to roll away, but Symon bunched up some of her dress in his hands. Olivia’s hand reached for her hidden dagger. It slid out and she cut at a seam along her waist. Symon held on as the dagger flashed again. The bottom of the dress ripped free and Olivia stumbled into a run.

Symon let go of the dress in his hands and pushed off the floor. He gave chase, seeing that she was much faster without the bottom part of her dress. He leapt into the air and forced his body to change.

Clothes billowed and fell as Symon’s body grew smaller and changed shape. Boots, leggings, and shirt drifted like a black ghost as a fox leapt further into the air. The fox landed and bounded forward, black clothes puddling on the rooftop.

Olivia saw a wide street ahead of her, knowing full well she could jump it because she had done it a dozen times before. Tight, thin leggings covered her lower body and legs as she ran like the wind. She was nearly to the edge, ready to leap for freedom, when something crashed into her and bit the top of her dress. It knocked her off balance, the young woman stumbling forward. She turned with wide eyes to see a fox hanging onto her, part of her dress at the shoulder firmly in its teeth. She grabbed the fox, but further lost balance. The pair tumbled to the floor, feet away from the roof edge.

Olivia thrashed with the fox, not sure what was happening. Terror stabbed at her as the fox changed over her. It grew longer and thicker. Muscles shifted as fur receded back into the skin. She stopped struggling as Symon was over now over her, and naked.

“I didn’t want to do that, but you left me no choice!” Symon said as he stayed over her.

“What are you?” she asked with unblinking eyes.

“A conversation we can have at another time, if you come back with me to my guild house,” Symon huffed as he looked down on her.

“You’re not going to kill me, or turn me over to the dragon guild?” Olivia asked with a timid edge.

“If I was going to do that, don’t you think I would have done it in the alley? The dragon guild figured out you were there. There is no other place to hide, but if you come with me, maybe there’s a chance you’ll make it out of this in one piece.”

Olivia glanced down at Symon’s nude form.

Symon’s eyes widened. He pushed off the floor and cupped his groin to hide himself.

Olivia pushed up onto her elbows and looked at the suddenly shy Symon. A wry smile appeared as the naked young man danced in the freezing cold.

“I promise, I will not see you taken away or killed. Just come with me. We can work out the details later,” Symon said as he hopped on one foot at a time.

“We better get your clothes first,” Olivia said as she slowly got up.

“Good idea,” Symon grinned as he continued to hop in place.

***

The front door opened. Serafina, Cedric, Nyana, and Qin all looked up from the different couches and seats. Jayson stepped in, and just behind him was woman with blonde hair.

“You caught her,” Serafina said with a sly smile.

Cedric looked from Serafina to Symon with a questioning brow. “You were running an errand? You should have told me! I would have helped.”

“No time for that now,” Symon said as he quickly closed and locked the door.

Everyone looked at Olivia as she stood. She gave them a nervous smile and looked away. Symon moved to her side.

“Everyone, this is Olivia, the stray I told you about,” Symon introduced and explained.

“Pleased to meet you all,” Olivia said while shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

Cedric, Qin, and Nyana blinked. Serafina was the only one to rise to her feet and approach with a welcoming smile.

“Welcome to our home, Olivia. My name is Serafina Black,” Serafina introduced herself.

Olivia gave a small bow before Symon spoke up.

“We don’t have time for pleasantries. The dragon guild has been chasing us across half the city and I’m sure they are coming right here.”

Cedric and the kobolds were to their feet.

Serafina’s eyes took on a deadly sharpness. “They know? This is a difficult situation. They will demand her to be released to them. Since she is a stray, we will have no choice but to hand her over.”

“But if she’s one of us?” Symon said with an edge.

Serafina eyed him before giving him a small nod. “We will have to work quickly,” she said before turning to Olivia. “I wish we had more time to ease you into this, but as of this moment, your life is in danger.”

“I know,” Olivia said with a small shadow of defeat in her eyes.

“Then let’s get started,” Serafina said.

A blink later, a voice roared from outside.

“Lady Black! Release the stray to us or we will go in and take her!” came a loud voice with a hiss to their tone.

Everyone turned and looked at the door.

“Damnation!” Cedric said as he grabbed his book from the couch and held it.

Olivia’s pulse quickened when a hand touched hers. She looked over to see Serafina close to her.

“Well get through this,” she said before shifting her gaze to Symon. “Follow my directions to the letter and no blood will be spilled this night.”

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