Desperate times call for desperate measures. (Open)

[Ronin Invictus]

Day 87 of winter, 512 av.

Ronin had looked almost everywhere for a means to reclaim the money he had paid for Bethsyliss to help him across the desert. Their deal involved five hundred gold mizas, which he had stolen from his old master when he escaped. So far although, everyone he inquired about an actual job had turned him down, usually after they found out he couldn't read or write. Ronin wouldn't usually care about money, and wouldn't worry himself about learning these things, but he needed to mizas if he was to ever leave Ahnatep eventually. Ronin knew he couldn't travel across the desert by himself, he would probably end up in the same situation he was in the last time he tried that. The only other option was by sea, and that was expensive. So, with no other options left, he turned to the only way he was able to make any amount of mizas previously.

Ronin had first started with snatching things off market stands around the pavilion when the traders weren't looking, mostly small items they wouldn't notice where missing. He had done this for a few days, although with some close calls, it didn't make much mizas, and he had to carefully make sure he would re sell the items he had stolen to other traders without causing too much suspicion, although the large market made this quite a bit easier. Ronin needed more income though, so naturally he set his sights on bigger targets, although this might not be very wise considering his inexperience. He had hastily picked a jewler who worked from their house, which was bound to be much easier than trying to break into an actual store he figured, and they were bound to have some valuable items there. After a few days of watching the place he determined that only a single man lived there, and he would usually go on a stroll before he went to bed, this was when Ronin would strike.

Just then, Ronin saw the man leave his home, from where he watched in a darkened alley across the street. He waited a few moments until the man turned a corner before Ronin emerged from the alley. He breifly glanced up and down the street to see if anyone was approaching before he slipped in between the house and a shop next door. He quickly spotted a rear entrance at the back of the building, away from prying eyes in the street. When he tried the door though, it was locked. Ronin chuckled to himself, why would it be that easy. He knew he couldn't pick the lock, he would spend too much time trying to figure out how to open the damn thing and the man would return. Ronin sighed, picking up a rock. He paused for a moment before throwing it through a window, making a new entrance. Ronin quickly entered through the broken window, now in a rush. Someone was bound to hear the glass smashing. Ronin quickly made his way towards the front of the darkened building now, in his hurry he didn't see a short stool sitting next to a small table in what looked like a small kitchen, knocking it over and making a loud noise. Ronin cursed before hurrying towards the room where he saw the man do business.

When Ronin entered the room though, he knew this heist wouldn't be worth it. The Jeweler had most everything locked up in boxes, only a few pieces he seemed to have been working on in the open. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have known this already. Ronin, quickly threw the pieces of jewelery not locked up in his pack, and was able to fit a smaller locked box into his pack before quickly making his way out of the room upstairs. People were sure to have heard something, and were probably starting to come to investigate, he didn't have much time. Ronin would make his escape along the rooftops.

[Corneliun]

It was cool, as always, the air alive with a quiet hum of the wind. And here was Corneliun, dragging himself around the houses and along the alleys, a sleep filled expression filling his face. He had not been sleeping well lately, his mind kept up as he tried to memorise routes and places throughout the city. Although he was quiet capable of getting from one location to the other with ease, he was made to follow a set path instead and one that seemed less direct and useful to the public. Never the less, the mixed blood made himself walk it anyway his hand resting on the hilt of his sword and his eyes picking up the low light in the growing darkness. He gave a yawn, heavy steps landing on the floor, his eyes observing all that was before him. It was best to be careful in the dark, who knew what could leap out and attack.
Soon… Soon I can go home. Soon.
But alas, soon would not be coming within the immediate future, for other things demanded his immediate attention.

It was the sound of smashing that Corneliun heard first, and immediately his head turned, his ears pricking to find the source of the sound. His pace quickened, his eyes widening as they looked about, before he stepped onto a quiet street. He took cautious steps forward, his grip tightening around the hilt, ready to draw it if need be. He heard the quiet clink of glass, the sound of struggling, a sign that he should pick up his pace. Which he did, and rather quickly. Before long he found the source of the sound at least, the smashed in window being a tell tale sign of a possible break in, and the dark room that lied beyond. Carefully the mixed blood peered in, his eyes scanning the darkness for a sign of movement, a hint of a presence of another, but only silence seemed to answer him. He did consider for a moment climbing in through the glass, but then he too would be at risk of looking like a criminal and ruin what he had so badly tried to achieve. He pulled away, drawing his sword, the hiss of metal ringing in the air before going to the front door and knocking firmly on it.

“Hello?” He spoke in Arumenic, his voice both bold and loud “Anyone in there?”
Nothing, not a sound.
Always give them three attempts, and then break it down. Three attempts… break it down. Give them time, they might be old… and deaf.
He knocked against it again, firmer and louder this time.
“In the name of the Pressorah, open the door!”
Silence was the answer once more.
“By the Guard of Ahnatep, open this door!” It was a shout, a booming voice that would attract the many.
He waited for a few chimes, but heard nothing, and so he took a step back and rolled his shoulders.
“Unless answered by the end of my count,” he cleared his throat and spoke clearly into the night “This door is coming down!”
I’ve always wanted to do a raid! his mind chimed, a brief moment of self vanity ringing out, It’s so exciting! I wonder if I’ll be a hero?
“Ten! Nine! Eight!”

[Ronin Invictus]

Ronin was at the top of the stairs when from the front door, just at the foot of the steps, came knocking, followed by the voice of the man, but he spoke in a language unfamiliar to Ronin. Ronin stared at the door a few moments from the top of stairs in a slight panic, a second knock this time louder followed by a more urgent voice from the unknown man. Ronin broke from his panic then running down the small hall of the second floor and into the room on the far left, closing the door quickly and moving a cupboard in front of the door quickly. As Ronin turned around to look for a means of escape the man started to do what seemed like counting to Ronin, but the numbers in the foreign language were alien to Ronin. The room seemed to be a small guest bedroom, with only a single window on the opposite side.

Quickly, he made his way to the window now, Ronin in a rush now as he heard a loud crash from downstairs, the man was in the house now. He cursed in frustration as he found no means of opening the glass window, it seemed to be infused with the wall, no hinges to open on. His eyes darted around the room looking for something to break the window now, but there was nothing small enough yet sturdy enough to do the trick in the room, causing the young man to curse again to himself. Ronin quickly took the lock-box he had stolen out of his backpack and threw it through the window now as he heard someone coming down the hall and try to push the door in.

Shouldering his pack, Ronin darted towards the window, launching himself off the window sill, causing him to get small cuts from the unbroken glass. Ronin landed on a single story building's roof just behind the house, rolling to avoid breaking anything, and from there he jumped down to the street and quickly turning down a dark alley just across the street from the building he landed on.

[Corneliun]

“Two! One!” It was the sounding of the final number that Corneliun threw himself at the door, pushing his full weight and strength against it. The sound of wood groaned loudly, the creaking and cracking of hinges sounding out as he threw his all into it. He gave out a grunt as his shoulder barged against it, and the full force nearly ripped the door off its placement. The lock gave in, the metal ripping free as Corneliun tumbled into the darkness, the door crashing against the wall. His sword skidded away into the gloom, the metal sliding across the floor, its subtle shape being picked up in the light. Groaning he made himself stand up, feeling his side ache from where he threw himself and landed awkwardly, his face winced as his eyes glanced about. He gave a stagger forward, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he picked up his sword.
“By the Guard of Ahnatep!” he began with a frown upon his face “All those inside lower yourself!”
Silence was the answer to his shout, and so he lurched forward, rolling his shoulders and sharpening himself for combat. He pushed himself onwards, low footsteps on the stairs as he rose. But it was the sound of smashing glass that caused him to pick up speed. Going to the source of the noise he came to a second door and threw himself against it once more, only to have it not give. The low echo of wood hitting wood sounded out, the crunch of glass and the quiet curses of another from the other side.

An escape to outside? Through a window, and the way in is blocked. Corneliun gave a low curse before turning on his heel and dashing back down the stairs to the outside world. Clearing his lungs he reached out from the depths of his stomach and let out a bellowing shout.
“Break in! Break in! A thief is about! Get the Jackals!” It was an alert to say the least, a cry to rally the guard and begin searching. In the meanwhile however, Corneliun would make chase. He had to get his burglar. His eyes darted about, searching for that upper broken window and barely finding it. His eyes traced the gap to a lower roof, to which he quickly went to. Behind the house now he was able to see the empty street, devoid of life, the shattered glass that caught the moonlight. His ears twitched, his eyes watching for a single sign of movement.

Can’t of gotten far. he thought as he glanced down all the possible other routes this thief may of taken. But then he caught a shadow in the corner of his eye, a brief sight of another dipping down an alley, and with a bit of speed behind him. For a moment Corneliun simply stared after it, pondering deeply. It may have been a lead, but only following it would provide an answer. Quietly as possible Corneliun stalked after the other, trying to keep a safe distance whilst keeping his target insight. He kept the grip on his sword tight, his mind ready to call upon its edge, but most importantly, his lips remained silent. Speaking would give away his location, and ruin his opportunity to learn more.

oocRemember to take care not to describe your thread partner's actions before they occur. I'll roll with it this once though.

[Ronin Invictus]

Ronin quickly made his way through the city, dodging through many dark alleys, and taking purposely confusing routes, just in case anyone was following him. But he was not particularly skilled in this yet, so there was still a chance Corneliun would be on his tail, and Ronin wouldn't notice at this time. As he went through the dark alleys at a quick pace he could see a few guards hurrying down the road just as he turned out of their sight thankfully. The man had probably called the guards to the area, the man was probably returning from his nightly stroll just about now, only to find his front door broken down and broken glass littering his house, with guards sweeping the area in search of the burgular. Ronin was already long gone now although, as he neared the pillars of dust. Only a few people lingered in the streets, most had already turned in for the night quite a while ago. Ronin didn't need to fear the guards now, he was far enough away from the scene to pass as just a normal man returning home from a late night at the pub, so he slipped out of the alleyway into the street.

After about ten minutes of walking he suddenly turned down a small side alley, glancing back to see if anyone had followed him before he made his way towards his dwelling. Ronin quietly climbed up the small flight of stairs to the single roomed apartment now, careful not to wake any of the other residents of the quiet alley, and then he soundlessly slipped into the small apartment. If Corneliun had been able to follow him this far, Ronin hadn't noticed him.

[Bethsyliss]

Bethsyliss had been up all night. There was something reassuring about Ronin's presence in the apartment which made the evenings when he was absent rather distressing. She had grown accustomed to sleeping in her human form, as she found it more adequate for the city. Besides, Ronin slept in human form as well, and Syliss didn't want to accidentally suffocate him while they slept, with the automatic curling of the tail around anything close; cuddling was definitely more practical when they were both in human form. Syliss could defend herself perfectly when the circumstances required it of her, but for that she needed to be either in snake or in Dhani form. Since shapeshifting took her at least twenty seconds if she was going fast, she was particularly vulnerable alone at nighttime, especially in the Pillars of Dust where crime was not unusual, and considering the door to her flat had no lock -- essentially anyone could just barge in at any time. She was not worried about her personal possessions getting stolen, since those were kept in a heavy, sealed chest at the foot of the bed, but was concerned rather with the danger involved with the possibility of someone breaking in while she was slumbering in human form. The apartment had no windows or backdoor, so she'd have no way to escape if that happened, and the thought of being cornered disturbed her profoundly for reasons that had to do with her earliest childhood memories. She had tried to fall asleep in her other forms, but it wasn't working for her; Ronin was missing, and she didn't feel comfortable. So she simply stayed awake, her legs crossed, waiting for him. A dreadful feeling of something gone awry dawned upon her mind as the night dragged on. Some time into the night, she heard his footsteps on the wooden staircase leading to their first-floor flat. There was no doubt it was Ronin: her acute reptilian sense of smell identified his scent immediately when she became alert at the sound of steps on wood. He had definitely been sweating. What'sss he up to, she thought, noticing the fact that his steps were spaced out quite a lot. If he thinksss he's being quiet, he's making a hell of a racket trying. The truth was that he was actually not making that much noise, but Syliss was irritated and had been readying her body for possible danger. That sharpened her already heightened senses all the more. Somehow managing to slip inside the room without even making the door creak, he crept inside. "I hope you've got an explanation for waking me up in the middle of the night," Syliss lied bluntly, trying to startle him. She didn't want to embarrass herself by letting him think she was unable to sleep when he wasn't here. Perhaps he already knew that. "And quit trying to be inconssspicuous. It's just annoying when you can't do it right. What were you doing?" Syliss was desperate to know the reason for Ronin to be out so late and to come back smelling like he had indulged in an activity apparently involving a great deal of effort. A dreadful suspicion came over her as she considered the possibilities. Reassuring her would be no easy feat at this point, her expression flickering dangerously between worry and jealous distrust in the darkness of the night.

[Corneliun]

Corneliun tried his best to follow his target, the occasional chance to grab and outline of the thief. Human, male, just above average height perhaps, slim looking, most of the colours was lost to the darkness with the only exception that he was pale in complexion. Or at least to most of the people of Ahnatep. But in the growing gloom and the darkness that swallowed the city it became a near impossible task to keep tracking him down. His thief made distance and it was not long until the mixed blood found himself in the maze of alleys. He gave a curse, and quickened his step in the direction he thought he saw the thief go, the rough direction pointing him onwards. And as he did travel onwards he found the shadows and the buildings looking familiar, the stench of something he was far too use to filling his senses. The Pillars of Dust beckoned him, and here stood the man who had walked into a nest of hornets.

Had he not been associated with the guard, then the situation would have been different, but now he had to stay on his toes. He was a lone man in the den of wolves, the scorpions eying him up as he stepped out into the pale moonlight. For a moment he recoiled back into the darkness, his eyes looking out to see if there was any sign of his thief, but everything seemed calm and normal. Sure there was the few that existed, taking quick steps as they returned home, some slightly more staggered than the other. Yet there was no certain feature he could hold onto. He knew that the thief headed in this direction, but whatever hole he had crawled back into was lost to him.

Carefully he stepped out once more, wrapping his coat around him, his back straightening as he met the eyes of a scorpion. And it was perhaps at this point that Corneliun Frik no longer played the man who served the Pressorah, he was the rogue who roamed the streets and was ever ready for a fight. He continued on his way, eyes ever glancing about, and his hand resting on his sword hilt. Some would of called it paranoia, and in a sense it was, but it was this that kept him one step ahead of attacks. There had to be a clue, something he could use a hint.

Let’s see, male, slim, pale, has a bag. He may have received cuts and bruises from his escape through the window, he quietly worked through his memory for a clue He definitely headed in this direction, and if he’s a thief, there’s a good chance that the Pillars is a haunt.
The mixed blood however needed more cards to add to his hand, and so he continued walking, stalking out the ground eyes tracing the backs of those about. He paused for a moment and turned firmly on his heel, his golden eyes adjusting to the low light. And from there he simply stared, watching the few in the street, the shifting eyes matched the attempt to look normal. It was this moment of stillness however that helped him observe and realise. One may do a lot of walking, but if they are weaving in and out of places and continuously going back on themselves, they never got far.

He caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye, a shadow that dipped into darkness, and the mixed blood turned sharply to face it before it was snatched away from sight. It could have been anything, but as the image replayed in his mind, he found himself shrugging and going towards it. His ears pricking for sounds, he tried his best to keep out of sight and his ears sharp as he paused at the bottom of the steps and listened to the muffled voices from within.

[Ronin Invictus]

Ronin was slightly startled as he heard Bethsyliss's voice suddenly ring out in the dark room. He sighed slightly, he had been hoping she was asleep already. He scratched his head absently as she continued on, going on about his sneaking skills, he smiled slightly at this but not enough to chuckle. He stood for a few moments before sighing, "I had run into a bit of trouble, it was nothing though, I was able to out run them."

And this was part of the truth, and was something Ronin would be able to hide even through his and Syliss' bond, as it was technically the truth. He did not want her to find out what he had been doing, after the fact now he felt a slightly guilt about him, and he didn't want to find out what Syliss' would think about him being a thief. Even though he had confessed to her that the money he had in his pack was stolen from his previous slave master, that was different. The man was a slaver, a treacherous dealer in people, but the jeweler was a working man. Every time Ronin was in the act though, he would feel very alive in the moment, adrenaline would pump through him as he got even more and more daring, but afterwards he would only be left with the same guilt, which drove him to steal more. It was a never ending, vicious cycle, and by now Ronin wouldn't rather have any other job.

[Bethsyliss]

Syliss frowned while she listened to Ronin's evasive explanation. She could find half a million things wrong with what he said, depending on whether she decided to focus on the word bit, the word trouble, the word nothing or the word outrun. However, her attention was diverted from his actual speech by a peculiar sense of something missing nagging at her. The bond she shared with Ronin provided her with a stream of his consciousness expressed in images and conveyed in emotions, but it did not communicate precise information or formulated thoughts. Nevertheless, in that perpetual influx of images she was receiving since they had bonded a couple of nights ago, she perceived that something lacked, as if she was given the empty frame of a missing picture. She looked at him and raised one eyebrow. "There's sssomething you're not telling me," she said, the irritation from her thoughts plaguing her voice. Syliss was stricken with a spectral hint of guilt, which she immediately identified as being Ronin's. She instinctively knew that he had done something he wasn't proud of, although she was unable to put her finger on it. She probed her inner thoughts in search of a sign from Ronin's emotions of what it was that he had so shamefully perpetrated, but she found nothing -- only that vague feeling of guilt conveyed by his presence. She was too tired to investigate further into this matter anyway, her prolonged state of nocturnal alertness drawing circles under her eyes. She yawned. "You know what," she said with a sigh that indicated that she wasn't going to pursue the affair any longer. "I don't really care. Jussst come to bed." She closed her eyes, and added: "Whatever you did, don't do it again. You had me worried sssick all night long." She scooted over to one side of the bed to give Ronin some space. Now, they would finally sleep. She desperately needed to rest. She relaxed, since Ronin told her that whoever it was that was running after him had been shaken off and lost into the complex maze of the streets of Ahnatep. Sleep would not come to her easily, though, with that lingering feeling of guilt scattering doubts as to his activities all over her mind. She was certain that he was not cheating on her. Otherwise, she would have felt it. But she could not dismiss her dreadful suspicions regarding this mysterious night outing.