I...Got Nothing

[Dor'gen]

Fall 69, 514 AV

For quite some time, it seemed as though the sordid city was in dire straits. Food supplies were at an all time low, paranoia regarding petching Dhani was at an all time high, and strange occurrences were happening all over Sunberth. However, not long after Autumn had halfway passed did a glimmer of hope begin to shine. The stalls that were empty for what felt like an eternity began to open and offer food to the masses once more. For Dor'gen, who had practically lived off of fumes and the dried rations he had earned earlier in the season, this turn of events was a welcome change. However, with this momentous occasion came yet another strange happening...certain shops had begun to sell items wrought from Dhani parts. What's more, there were even some establishments which claimed to have magical artefacts for sale.

Intrigued by these turn of events, the Giant began his day by entering the Castle Commons relatively early in the day. The total sum of people roaming about the marketplace around him was sparse; and only a few stalls were staffed by their respective vendors. The Sun itself had only just peaked in the heavens, providing just enough light to pierce the darkness of evening. However, it was far from being enough to ward off the chill of Autumn; thereby prompting Dor'gen's choice in wearing his Winter Cloak for the day. At a glance, the purple "savage" was quite the menacing figure. He loomed well over seven feet and cast an imposing shadow over the stalls he passed. As typical, the Akalak was armed to the teeth; for gods knew that he would need every tool in his metaphorical box to survive Sunberth.

His studded armor, black as night, drew many an eye simply due to its "menacing" style. However, what sent chills down their spines were the spiked affixed to the shield he carried upon his left arm; for many were caked with dried blood. With his dominant hand resting upon the hilt of his bastard sword, Dor'gen strolled calmly about the marketplace. He could feel the eyes of those about on him; but he had become quite used to drawing attention by this point. As such, he simply went about his walk until he happened upon a stall which captivated his attention. At a glance, this particular vendor was nothing to be impressed over: simply a man of the sea peddling his wares. However, upon closer inspection, Dor'gen noted that his wares were quite out of the ordinary.

Boots. Belts. Trinkets. Hats....And all other manner of item were on display. However, what was striking about these was the item of their composition: snake skin.

Stepping closer, Dor'gen came to a halt and asked: "What sort of snake are these made of?" To this question, the vendor flashed a...disgusting grin that was lacking several teeth. With a raspy voice that reeked of ale, he answered with the utmost pride. "Only 'da 'inest snakes a man can wear: Dhani o'course!" Lofting a brow, the Giant initially regarded him with disbelief. "Really now? Dhani. And just how much are you charging for these...fine items?" As if picking up on the Akalak's skepticism, the vendor began to defend his case whilst simultaneously showcasing what he had available for sale. "Right 'ere, 'is un." he began, indicating a pair of boots, "Constricta. Str'ait outta Zinra." Moving along, he then began to identify the species of each item...

...And Dor'gen became truly skeptical when he mentioned a breed of Dhani he had never heard of.

"The petch is an Iyvess?" he inquired, eyeing the belt that the vendor eagerly pointed to. "Beats da'petch outta me mate. Just 'no thar water snakes. Live in da river or sum shyke." came the vendor's response, before he added...rather impatiently..."You goin' buy sumthin' or wat?" With a shrug, the Akalak decided to go ahead and make a purchase. After all, he wasn't exactly hurting for money at this point in time. "Eh, why not?" he said casually. "How much for those boots...and that belt...and that trinket right there." With each word, he indicated the item in question whilst slipping off his backpack from his right shoulder. He then gripped the strap as it came down and flipped open its top.

"Four gold an 'ive silva for da boots. Three gol' for da belt. An seven silvas, 'five coppas for da trinket." he said. Although this was a touch...pricy...the Akalak decided that it wasn't often that he got Dhani-skin anything! As such, he briefly switched the pack to his offhand and dipped his fingers into his belt pouch. It nearly cost him the whole of the ten gold mizas he carried, leaving him only a single gold, seven silvers, and five coppers left for the time being. However, the transaction earned him a spiffy new pair of boots, a belt, and a trinket that he planned on adding to his hair. All of which were neatly stowed in his pack before he slung it back over his shoulder. "Any'tin else I can do ya for?" inquired the vendor, now delighted to have made a sale.

"Aye...Been hearing talk about..." Dor'gen began, lowering his voice a touch, "Magical items. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would ya?" The vendor shook his head. Either he was lying or he genuinely didn't know; but at least he pointed the Akalak in some sort of direction. "Try da Pig's Foot. 'erv mi'ht now." With a nod, the Giant turned on his heel and began to venture across the Castle Commons in the general direction of the Pig's Foot Tavern.

Word Count987
Receipt-8gm, 5 cm
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[Shai]

There was just something about that giant man that stood out in a crowd, even among the newly reopened and busy stalls of the market. Some meetings were memorable and Dor’gen had managed an impression. It was still early yet for the nocturnal spider, but sleep had proven difficult. Things were changing now, faster than ever before and yet the transition felt like it would never end. Shai slid through the crowd, with cloak gathered tightly around the lithe little frame.

Slipping around one gentleman and stalking a few paces behind Dor’gen. She had watched quietly as the purchased were stored in a knapsack. Now it was a small matter for such a long limbed creature to secret away the small trinket. Shai pushed her boot out in front of a young woman of questionable profession, sending her sprawling towards the Akalak. As the woman fell Shai dance to the left and an alabaster armed snaked out of the ebony cloak and into the sack. A claw hooked the trinket and yanked it out before the prostitute could be set back on her feet.

The diminutive thief skipped ahead, examining the bone trinket in her palm. Even if Dor’gen had been a normal mark, there was no need to keep it. The bones didn’t appear to be valuable. One Sunberth shrug was the only apology offered before she held it back out to Dor’gen. “Good Morning Dor’gen.” She said. The black-hooded head swiveled looking at each stall.

Shai hadn’t stopped following Dor’gen by any means, but she was walking in a way that tried to imply she was looking for something which happened to be in the same direction. Finally, a stall with banners and ribbons of brightly colored fabrics sent the slender woman dancing and dipping through the crowd.

The weight of wandering had been heavier than any imaginable estimation. The impending home set her perspective at a new angle. It was a fickle kind of hope, shadowed by the growing doubt that someday it would all burn down anyways. She scanned the goods, before motioning with a nod to a number of leather folios. “Are they sewing or embroidery?” The spider inquired.

The merchant squinted down at her customer. Shai hardly stood taller than a child, but the stall keeper’s attempt to look beneath her hood was unlikely to succeed. Suspiciously the woman replied, “Both. Which one you want to see?”

Shai tried not to smile, as she replied equally as tersely. “Both.” Deft fingers tugged the leather ties and flipped the folders open. The kits were sound. Shai’s family had been tailors, so the needles, thread and hoops were all expected. The instructions and patterns were a pleasant surprise. “And a yard of…” Her eyes wandered over the stall. Finally she grabbed the corner of a cloth and ran it over her fingers. “This… It is wool? The undyed, one yard.”

The sales woman made the cut and placed it with the kits, “That will be forty gold rimmed, child.”

Shai turned her hood up, finally meeting the woman’s gaze. “I will give you thirty-eight and five silver rims, not a chip more.” Purple eyes seared against the cloth merchant. The other woman would know her race’s reknown for silk and fine fabrics, that Shai had little knowledge in that regard was quietly left unmentioned.

“Fine, it’s fair, Spider.” There was a sneer on the woman’s tongue but Shai dropped the mizas and took her purchases. Each found its way into her own small back pack.

As if with no intermission, she found her way back to the Akalak. Picking up the conversation precisely as she had left it, “Has the day seen you well?”

[Dor'gen]

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As the towering Akalak strode through the growing crowd of the Castle Commons, he found himself the target an exceptional larcenist. Although Dor'gen was known to keep his guard raised at all times, this was not even remotely good enough to liberate him from the advances of the Symenestra. With long, confident strides, the Akalak moved through the crowd; keeping his gaze sweeping back and forth with vigilance. Due to the nature of the sordid city, there were many unsavory type would were bold enough to wrong him; either by slipping a dagger between his ribs or an attempted robbery. As such, Dor'gen kept his attention placed on the crowds before him, attempting to spot any who walked in his general direction with purpose in their strides.

However, he did not have eyes in the back of his head.

The tactic employed by the larcenist went off without so much as a hitch. Her swift footwork sent a harlot careening to the ground immediately adjacent to the Akalak's form. A yelp of surprise leapt into the air, loud enough that reflex took over on Dor'gen's part. The whole of his body turned, thereby exposing his backpack to the "sticky fingers" of the Symenestra. Woefully ignorant of her advances, Dor'gen simply watched as the harlot attempted to scramble back to her feet; yet he made no attempt to help her. It was simply none of his business...and if Sunberth was truly being Sunberth this morning, it could have been a ploy of some sort. As such, the Akalak promptly returned his focus to what laid ahead and resumed his strides in earnest...

...Before he was stopped by an outstretched hand.

Looking down, there was a very familiar object which laid within the hand's clawed grasp. 'Twas the very same trinket that the Akalak had just purchased! What's more, a nonchalant greeting was offered from a soft voice...one that Dor'gen had heard before. With a light grunt of frustration, he reclaimed his stolen item before slipping his pack down from his shoulder. Quickly, he flipped open the top and rummaged about its contents in order to make sure everything was there. Satisfied by this check, he returned his trinket to its rightful place, closed the pack, and slung it back over his shoulder. "That's one helluva way to say hello to someone!" he seethed, whipping about to face the woman...who was no longer there.

"By Wysar's Blue Balls, where did you run off to." came the Akalak's low growl as he detoured from his path. Frustrated footsteps bore him across the breadth of the Castle Commons intent of discovering the Spider. However, this search yielded no fruit; much to his chagrin. Defeated, Dor'gen was about to resume his trek to the Pig's Foot Tavern...until Shai addressed him once more. It was if her stealing from him meant absolutely nothing...but then again, this was a Sunberthian after all. "Perhaps we should just be happy that she returned it?" came Goa's mental suggestion. Dor'gen made no response, but placed his gaze upon the itsy-bitsy-Spider. "My morning was going quite well...Until I was robbed...But fortunately, you were there to return my stolen trinket." he said, his tone alive with sarcasm.

Drawing a breath, he continued along; fully expecting that she would at least stick around for a few more ticks. "I'm heading to the Pig's Foot. Thought I'd look into a rumor I've heard floating around...something about..." he began, lowering his tone when he reached the touchy subject. "Magical Artefacts. You know anything about that?"

Word Count598
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[Shai]

Her nose scrunched, “I try to know as little as possible about magical artifacts.” The spider was watching the crowd the way she had previously watched Dor’gen. She had no compulsions against stealing, it was simply hers the moment the item hit her palm. At the same time she had been magnanimous enough to simply return it without any exchange of coin. How much more friendly could she act? “Anything that can be stolen in Sunberth, will eventually be stolen. What you do not know is that by making you my mark I stopped other pickpockets from looking your way. You cannot be so obvious in a crowd, making large purchases, and not become a target.” Her tone bordered on lecture but she was being rather light of spirit today.

While the crowd squished a narrow channel for the Akalak to walk through; the humans not stupid enough to want to be in his way. Shai recieved no such dispensation, nor did she wanted it. The little spider wove through the crowd, twisting and turning beneath bundles and outstretched arms. Rather than people the whole of the crowd was like an obstacle course for her.

The Pig during the day was a sad affair in Shai’s esteem. At night it was the perfect hunting grounds. She had made many a season more comfortable for the fools that stumbled out of the Pig. It had been years since her last proper bar fight, today wouldn’t be likely to change it. The Sun was already beginning to give her a headache, even beneath her cowled cloak.

She was quick to slip inside ahead of Dor’gen, like a cat brushing past. Every part of what Shai did was a vye for superiority though she had never consciously considered it so. There had been a number of times that by nature she had taken control of situations to make them work out. It wasn’t the power she craved by any means, she had no desire to lead a gang. It was simplicity in plan, to follow through with near perfection. She was a planner.

“I will wait in at the table.” The lithe woman whispered at the Akalak’s side, “I will not assist you in finding information, my features in broad daylight breed closed lips.” Without further explanation, she skirted through the tavern room until she picked a table that could see both the stairs and the front door. With that uncanny dexterity she pulled out the chair with her ankle and rested her rump on it with a twist of her frame.

Belying her words, her refusal to help gain intelligence, was the truth that she always kept her ears open. So while the swordsman sought information by whatever means he deemed appropriate the spider remained silent listening to the day drunk’s chatter. There were wild stories as per usual, but somewhere they had heard the tiny gem of information that founded their grand tale. Somewhere in each drunken murmured was a tiny truth waiting to be taken advantage of.
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[Dor'gen]

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The Akalak did not hold out tremendous hope that his Spider companion would know all about the rumored artifacts. However, hearing from the woman that she intentionally steered clear of such things came as a slight disappointment. Dor'gen at least hoped that she would a little something about the rumors, being that she had resided within the city longer than he. Regardless, the Akalak simply raised and lowered his shoulders in a light shrug. "That's understandable, I suppose." he commented, with little more to add on that particular subject for the moment. As Saris continued to speak, Dor'gen's eyebrows then shot skyward; for what she had to say in response to his snarky remark was...surprising.

What he initially interpreted as an act of ill intent was actually a rather "kind" gesture on Saris' part. Dor'gen did not realize that he was making himself a target due to his purchases; nor did he account for the fact that there were thieves just as bold as the Spider. The sad reality of the matter was that Dor'gen placed a large sum of confidence in his intimidating appearance. More often than not, simply a glance at his towering figure or witnessing one of his "famous" glares was just enough to ward off trouble. However, in this city of anarchy and greed, there were those who were skilled enough to get away with pilfering his possessions...At least he met one that was "nice" enough to return them. "Who'd have thought a Symenestra would have been this...'kind'?" remarked Goa in the rear of the Akalak's mind.

Responding to his sibling with a quiet grunt, Dor'gen looked down to where the woman stood. "I...Did not realize my mistake." he began, regarding her with a respectful nod, "Thank you for having my back there. I'll do well to remember what you've said." As the words escaped the Akalak's lips, he noticed that her presence beside him came to a sudden conclusion. With but the blink of an eye, the Spider had disappeared from his flank and began navigating the crowd. Her words of departure were brief; and Dor'gen was beginning to get the impression that this was her norm in terms of "conversation." "Symenestra or not, I like her." came Goa's eventual remark, to which Dor'gen chuckled.

Moving along through the crowd, he eventually made his arrival at the Pig's Foot Tavern and admitted himself within. At this hour, the establishment was not even remotely close to bustling; but instead had a meager some of patrons. Some were obviously remnants from the prior evening whilst others had arrived for an early meal. Dor'gen swept his eyes over the tavern and marked the progress of his "companion", who gracefully parked her bottom in a seat not too far off. Turning, the Akalak promptly took a seat at the bar and looked ahead, regarding the aging man who stood behind it with a respectful nod. "Mornin' Merv." he said, suddenly astonished that Sunberthian "grammar" was rubbing off on him.

Merv regarded the Akalak with a courteous thrust of his chin before asking: "What'll it be?"

After assuring himself that there were not prying eyes or ears from a glance with his peripherals, the Akalak began his request. "A mug of ale, if you would." he began. It only took a few ticks for the aging man to procure a clean mug and pour the bittersweet liquid into its depths. He then slid it over and Dor'gen promptly rendered payment on the counter. "That it?" came Merv's inquiry. Now, while the smell of a fresh meal was indeed tempting, the Akalak had other things on his mind. "I've been hearing rumors about new items hitting the market. Items that aren't normal around these parts. One of the merchants by the stalls said you might know a thing or two about them." he said, keeping his tone intentionally low.

There was not an immediate response on the part of the old bartender...However, his brow did knit at the mention of these "items." After a few ticks of silent contemplation, the man spoke. "Aye, I've heard a bit. Some say it's junk from Sahova. Some say it's just junk. Don't know much else..." he began, before throwing the Akalak a bone. "But if you want to poke your nose around, there's always the Storehouses. Aside from that, beats me." Rendering a grateful nod, the Akalak raised his mug to his lips and indulged in a sip. After this, he rose from the stool and turned, heading over to where the Symenestra sat. He did not take a seat at her table, but instead parked himself down at the adjacent booth.

"Care to join me for a stroll to the Storehouses?"

Word Count793
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[Shai]

Shai removed her new embroidery kit and laid it out upon the table. Ears perked at the conversations slurred around her while delicate claws sliced out a square of the rough fabric. It was one thing to set up an embroidery hoop, which she did with relative easy tugging the corners to keep the fabric straight. It was wholly another to decide on a pattern.

While she traced a little flower with her fingers, trying to visual the lines she overheard an most interesting tid-bit from the drunk to her right. “Ah did sho hur it. Gonna make me a mint Ah am. Thosh idjits with dem majicks gonna wish dhey nevah met me. Gonna rob ‘em blind all five o’ ---.” The drunk trailed off and the spider snuck a peek only to realize he was face down in his mug, amber liquid sloshing on the floor.

Dor’gen joined her, this storehouses. The Thief nodded, “We can but it is not walk, Akalak. One does not simply stroll into the warehouses.” Well, unless they were her she conceded. Putting the hoop safely back with the rest of her supplies, followed in Dor’gen’s shadow.

There was no glory in the spider’s dreams. It was never the adulation or admiration that Shai wanted it was the riches. The security of being able to handle all situations that arose. This was her main cause for stealing. Magically artifacts didn’t really interest her but they did interest others, others with deep pockets.

Shai followed him out in the street once more. As effective as he had been in the brothel he was more so on the streets. He was rather rough looking ,so much so that people didn’t often want to meet his gaze. Locking in eyes in Sunberth could lead to fatalities. Still as she trailed, her mind raced through the the plans of ingress for the warehouse. The biggest problem was she had only infiltrated the caches in the safety of the night. Doing it during the day was beyond brazen, but hiding Dor’gen would have been almost impossible anyways.

A frontal assault then, send him forward half distraction half decimation. What she had failed to disclose to the Akalak was she had once possessed an associate much like himself. Although Dor’gen seemed smarter than Cade had ever been. Still the abilities and frames were no different, that Myrian had been a strange individual but useful in a fight. No, if Dor’gen took the front she could sneak in from behind and pick off the guards who were too focused. It would be a matter of time, succinct timing. “Dor’gen, the area will be guarded. If you can create a violent and obvious distraction I can assist you from their blind spots. It is mostly all that I can provide during the day. Perhaps you want me to check ahead and see which storehouse we are targeting?”
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[Dor'gen]

Upon seating himself adjacent to the Spider, the Akalak noticed the presence of something within her grasp. 'Twas...white...fabric? The view afforded by his peripheral vision was not enough for Dor'gen to adequately discern what was going on within the Symenestra's hands; but he was perceptive enough to take a guess. After all, he had been reared in the midst of Taloba, where all either served in the Army or took up a craft. Seeing men and women alike working cloth in their hands was not a foreign sight by any stretch of the imagination. With a small, internal shrug, Dor'gen set his attention upon the mug within his grasp. All the while, he hearkened carefully to each and every word that the Spider spoke. Apparently it would not be a simple task to enter the Storehouses.

Being that Dor'gen was foreign to Sunberth, he did not chime in with any contributions to the planning...yet. He was an alien to this jungle of wood and stone; and as such the Symenestra's knowledge was vital to the success of the investigation. As Saris spoke, the Akalak raised his mug and indulged in a hearty series of swigs. The cool, bittersweet liquor cascaded down his throat and left a satisfying warmth in its wake. Noting that their time within the Pig's Foot would be brief, the Akalak decided to finish his beverage. Tilting his head back he continued his tremendous gulps until there was not a single drop of ale left. Once he had finished draining his beverage, he exhaled with satisfaction and lowered his mug to the table.

"Then we'll approach however you deem...safest...I suppose." he said, rising from his seat.

Striding forth, the Akalak took a moment to regard Merv with a respectful nod before exiting the establishment. Upon stepping outside, he was once again greeted by the nip of Autumn and shivered ever so slightly. When Saris inquired as to whether or not he could manage a frontal distraction, a toothy grin appeared on his face. This was exactly the sort of thing that Dor'gen was suited for...if the fact that his being armed to the teeth was any indication. Whilst walking along, the Akalak placed his gaze upon the Spider before regarding her with a nod of agreement. "Aye, I can handle creating a distraction." he began. "And any assistance that you can give would be excellent."

At that point, Dor'gen began to contemplate what sort of distraction that he could provide. Obviously it would involve engaging whatever thugs were located before the Storehouses...but this train of thought also raised a tactical question. If the two of them were apart, how would they communicate? "We'll need to agree on some sort of signal. Something that you can do from the shadows to let me know which Storehouse the 'items' are being held in. Do you have anything in mind?"

Word Count487
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[Shai]

Shai pulled out her crimson war fan. With a flick of her wrist the weapon bloomed in color showing off the golden embroidery worked into the fabric. In the sun a signal would be even easier than in the dark. In the dark she had to full extend and close the fan for signals, not she could use the sign as a reflection and just flick it back and forth. “I can use my fans, but which type of items are we looking for? I do not know what magical items look like.” What she said wasn’t entirely a lie, nor was it entirely truth. If Chell, the crystalline gem in her necklace, could be considered an item then she certainly had seen magical artifacts. Chell was sentient and to the Spider’s limited knowledge that meant he wasn’t an item. “Jewelry and weapons will be the easiest things to identify. Close and open once for jewelry twice for weapons?? You will be in my line of sights if this is to work, so… if you agree that what I have found is worth stealing you could nod? Also I will flick it to indicate the number of guards.” The spider suspect that silvery white hair would make a nod easily evident.

“Why exactly do you want these items, Dor’gen? They can only bring trouble.” The first the warehouses were not far from the Pig, but there were any number of targets available to them. Shai knew a couple of them, which might hold either of what they wanted. She drew ahead of the Akalak, finally leaving the large man’s shadow. The spider began to circle around the back sides of the buildings. If it was magical in nature it couldn’t be the first couple of warehouses those were used by food merchants and sometimes building materials. The finished product storehouses weren’t by any means organized together in her experience but they were always smart enough to not be the first a visitor would stumble upon.


Walking through the district wasn’t such a problem. They would likely even make it through unmolested if through was their goal. These thugs had jobs generally and having an employer loose thousands of Mizas in stock because you were mugging a street urchin would be the mistake of a lifetime. If they stopped, if they showed too much interest, or became too interesting the easy-going facade would rapidly come to an end. Shai used the fan to provide some reprieve from the sunny Autumn day as they walked, mostly to disguise the weapon. When they pulled up next to an empty alleyway between two storehouses the spider tossed her head away from it, motioning for Dor’gen to walk in the opposite direction. The little thief trotted away in the murky shade.

She had to be quick, there was little time for patience or to contemplate a concrete plan. She worked solely off experience and instinct. Beneath a high second story window the Spider scaled the wall with great dexterity. Through the window she peered down, just poking her head in as minimally as possible. There were a number of crates, closed, she might be able to work them open with time but if they were do this heist it would have to be a an in-and-out job. After disarming the active guards they would have perhaps three chimes to get in and out before reinforcements arrived. She was about to back down the wall and find another warehouse when a chest caught her eye. The weapons littering the crates all looked mundane enough, iron short swords a few kukris and a handful full of axes… but the chest. She could see there was a significant lock on it from here. The smaller the lock was the better it was and it was not one of the giant mechanisms that could as easily be used for a weapon as security. No it would be a test of her concentration and Dor’gens ability to hold back the distractions.

Leaning back out of the window she opened and closed her fan twice. Her eyes scanned the interior briefly and then she flicked the fan in the sun, five times. She waited for her queue. Shai could take out perhaps one before Dor’gen reached the interior and then their advantage would be blown. Four to one would be the opening odds. A gamble in the best of times, but it held a true ‘Berthian spirit to it.


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[Dor'gen]

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As the duo strolled along, the Akalak's attention was immediately drawn to the object of steel and crimson that flashed before his eyes. A war fan, the first he had ever seen, unfurled within the Spider's grasp and managed to intrigue Dor'gen greatly. As he took a moment to look over the tool, his chin bobbed up and down; denoting that he was following along with her statements and suggestions. "In truth, I do not know what to expect." he began. "Where I am from, only tools, weapons, and jewelry were anointed with magick. I assume that norm would hold true here?" The Akalak's words sounded almost like a question, for Dor'gen truly did not know what to anticipate. To say he was out of his element was...an understatement.

"Once for Jewelry. Twice for Weapons. Flick for Opposition...And a Nod to Start." he repeated, nodding once more as Saris explained the potential signals. As he hearkened to her explaination, Dor'gen had to admit that the woman was quite clever. However, this was to be expected from one who could so easily breach his belongings without him so much as noticing. "These signals work fine for me. I'm certain that, in the light, I'll be able to see that fan from a variety of angles. An excellent suggestion." he said, offering a small smile alongside the compliment. This expression lingered upon the Akalak's features for a tick or so, before the Spider made her next inquiry. This caused Dor'gen's brow to knit ever so slightly...

It was an odd question to ask one's self. The moment that he had heard about magical artifacts floating around, the Akalak was instantly intrigued. In fact, he all but abandoned his daily quest for work in order to investigate the rumors of these items. Although he was new to the city, it was not an unknown fact that magick was something despised by the denizens; yet this fact was not what captivated Dor'gen's attention. In truth, it was something much...simpler....Something that was almost sentimental. "Here, Magick is feared and hated." he began simply, "Yet in Taloba...artifacts are valued. Anointed weapons are a symbol of power and something to be proud of...and it's something I've never had."

With that said, the Akalak continued along beside the Spider. His ignorance of the layout of the city essentially made his itinerary entirely dependent upon the knowledge of his "partner". She knew the lay of the land, and as such he followed her movements to the letter. When the subtle nod was rendered and the time came to part, the Akalak then rested the palm of his hand upon the hilt of his sword. It was only a matter of time before it would need to unleashed upon the flesh of unsuspecting thugs. After a few ticks apart, a glint of light captured his attention. Turning his head, Dor'gen witnessed the signal displayed by the Spider. Weapons. Five Thugs. "What do you think, Goa? Should we go for it?" he inquired of his "darker" sibling.

"Aye. Between the two of us, these five brutes won't be much trouble." came Goa's confident reply. Confident in proceeding, the Akalak then looked at his partner and rendered a nod. The signal was sent: it was time to proceed. Reaching, Dor'gen promptly unsheathed his bastard sword and held his shield at the ready before facing the door to the warehouse. The tall, wooden entryway lacked a lock of any sort; and so a simple push would have been enough to admit himself within. However, as the scope of his "role" in this "operation" was to cause a distraction, the Akalak planned on making quite a bit of noise. Leaning back, Dor'gen raised his dominant foot and launched a tremendous kick forward.

Slam!

The door opened with a mighty din and Dor'gen immediately charged in. A bellow tore from his lips whilst he brandished his sword. The thugs within, to say the very least, were startled; with the closest literally falling onto his rear in surprise. The Spider had her distraction. The Giant had his fight.

Word Count688
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[Shai]


Shai accepted the nod and the rest was on the scales of fate. Crawling fully through the window the spider slunk. She could get to the nearest thug before the Akalak reached the door. The creep of barefeet on the cedar crates left something to be desired. The boards seemed to whine under even a breath’s weight, still she managed to get behind the nearest man with strategically time footfalls. Sliding down the side of the crates. The cilia along her shoulders and calves held her back to the crates. Lowering her arms, rapidly now because detection was eminent. Just before the door burst open she snapped her fan shut and slide it around the thug’s throat. With a succinct wrenching twist she pulled his neck sideways. He might be alive for all she knew, but never had any victim of a broken neck gotten up and walked in her experience.

Dor’gen crashed through the front door, swords drawn. The warrior made for a far greater spectacle than the diminutive killings of a subtle thief. The remaining four converged on the giant, a fair tactic given they had numbers and sought to take out the greatest threat first. If Shai had cared too tits for the Akalak more than as an associate perhaps she would have helped out of concern. Instead she leapt over the downed man, pushing off her gravity-defying perch. Using the entirety of her body to create the momentum for the jump. She reached the next crate, hands first. Grabbing with extended Cilia she pulled her body weight forward and extended the projection into a vault. Finally the acrobat hit her destination, the chest with her feet toppling the treasure onto its back, so the locked faced the ceiling. It was perfect to look into but the thief didn’t dare yet.

Delicate digits retrieved the picks and wrenches from her hair while amethyst eyes watched the guards. They had just been on duty on the wrong day, it would mean the end of their lives because of it. None yet turned at the clatter of the falling wood and so the spider squatting with feet planted for stability on either side of the chest, looked down into the lock.

After a few ticks she had a fair assessment of its quality. Surely the lock was within her ability to pick but it might have been wiser to arrange for the Akalak to carry it away for safety. It was certainly a nearer call than she would have liked. Given time she was certain, given constraint she felt her blood rush. Shai set her careful picks to work, first mapping out the structure of the lock. It was very much like closing one’s eyes and trying to discern a person’s facial features with only the blinded’s hands. The Symenestra mused that a person with an afflicted sight might make the finest lock pick for that reason. “Ah” her lips curled confidently as she found the right ridge in the lock. The pick slid in clean it was the tension wrench that could truly ruin it. Shai worked away, nudging left and right. Each right wiggle moved the lock a little closer to open, but the process would take chimes. Chimes they might not have.

Briefly, her hands stilled, and the thief glanced up to make sure Dor’gen, her distraction, was holding up.
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