Closed Catching a Thief (Rey)

[Sayana]

Summer 86, 515 AV.

The doors were unnerving… to say the least.

It was her first full day in Alvadas and she wanted to go exploring, but all she could see were doors and hallways, and hallways and doors. She clutched the key to the tavern with her low right hand as if her life depended on it and roamed through the labyrinth of a building. Or was it a house? Was it all some giant mansion of a fantasy land?

Sayana had left Tim with Andreas, promising that she’d return with a few basic necessities. But at this rate… The Eypharian opened yet another door that led to… a hallway. No surprise there. Finding herself growing in frustration, Sayana closed her eyes and imagined the place she was trying to get to. She had never been there, but a Bazaar was a Bazaar even if it was apparently a ‘bizarre’ one. She took a slow breath and tried to clear her annoyed and angry thoughts. Laughter. Merchants calling out. Brightly coloured stalls. Bustling crowds. Twenty gold mizas, no twenty-five, no twenty-three and it’s a deal.

Even as she relaxed and pictured the busy scene and all the joy it brought to her, she heard muffled shouting in the distance. She broke out of her concentration and curiously headed down the hallway. Her pace quickened as the sounds got louder. The hallway seemed to stretch onwards as if getting longer the faster she ran. Then suddenly a grand entrance appeared. With shining white pillars and a mosaic decorating the archway, it was beautiful and certainly unlike all the other non-descript doors.

Sayana opened the double doors and was greeted by a bustling marketplace full of people shouting out their wares. “You look rather new. Still getting you know your way around?” Asked a well-dressed looking man near the entrance. Perhaps her expression had revealed her surprise at finally finding the place.

“I’m used to cities with um, streets,” she responded with a little less certainty than usual. “Is it always like this?” “Always is a rare term in Alvadas,” he replied with a mysterious air and a flick of his hand. “Unless you mean, always changing. Would you like to come join me?” He asked with a wink.

His flirt was obvious but it pained her to think about straying from Aren so easily… again. She looked at the rings on her fingers. Three. Red, blue, and one brilliant diamond. And then the Lakan at her side. As her left low hand brushed over her collection of daggers attached to the belt at her hip, she realized something was wrong. The Lakan was gone.

Quickly Sayana turned and saw one of the main doors close the last couple of inches shut. She sprang forwards hoping against hope that the thief had only just left, and barged through the doors. She looked down the hallway and saw him sprinting away. She bolted after him, red skirt flaring out behind her. He must have heard her and he glanced back before turning to open a door.

Petch! Even as she ran she kept her eye on that door and when she reached it she yanked it open. Suddenly she was inside a bustling kitchen. Fortunately it only had one other exit. She jostled cooks aside with much disapproval and opened the next door to find herself in a giant theatre space. This time however, she could see the thief even as he got on stage looking like he might hide behind the curtain. But even as she ran to catch up with him, he went for center stage where a single rope was hanging. Then with a wave, he pulled it and he vanished down a trapdoor.

Sayana gritted her teeth as she scrambled up onto the stage, but when she reached the place she was sure he had been standing it was smooth wood. She pulled at the rope but nothing happened. She bent down on her knees and pounded at the floor with her fists. Still nothing. Had it been another dagger, any other, even her blessed cobra hilted one, she might have given up. Or at least for the time being. Had it been one of her two throwing daggers, she might not have even bothered to give chase, knowing that those were easily replaceable. But her Lakan, Aren’s Lakan, was the only thing that tied them together across the seas now. The only way he might find her if he loved her and had forgiven her. And she had lost it.

OOCSometimes my intro posts are a bit long (especially since I'm trying to get a sense for a new city), so don't worry about trying to match it.

[Yisanareysin]

True to its name, the Crooked Playhouse was an irregular mess of uneven walls and jagged corners. This was the first time Rey had been back to the Crook since a certain human's birthday masquerade party event thing, and he had to say, it seemed a lot different when there was actually a play going on. Or at least, the end of one. It looked like Rey had arrived just in time for the finale of the 10th bell play. Quickly, Rey scanned the applauding audience for his target. No such luck, it seemed. He'd have to wait for the thief to show up.

This job had come in several days ago, in a letter now tucked in his pocket,. A thief had stolen a family "heirloom", whatever that was. A golden pocket watch and chain attached, with some weird picture, a "crest" engraved on it. His client wanted it back "before the flash of the towers", which Rey assumed meant before the end of Summer.

It had taken a while, but Rey had tracked the thief down, and worked out a plan. According to his sources (which had better be petching right, because he was going to eat someone if he had to wait for bells for nothing), this thief returned to the underground through the Crook entrance everyday sometimes between the 11th and 14th bell. Which meant Rey was going to be sitting around waiting for around three bells, if he was unlucky.

Ah, well. The things he suffered for his clients.

Once the thief arrived, Rey would wait for him to descend into the underground, then follow him until he had a chance to strike. It was a simple plan, and the simplest plans were the ones with the least chance of going wrong.

As the audience and cast began to disperse, Rey found himself a nice, shadowy corner that offered him a good view of the stage, and settled down to wait. And wait. And wait.

Rey wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, but some time after the Playhouse had cleared out, the door flew open. Rey started slightly in surprise, but didn't rise just yet. Sudden movements would draw the thief's eyes to him. The man would be walking, unaware that anyone was onto-

Or perhaps he'd be running instead. Rey looked on, surprised, as his target bolted right to the stage, leaping on to it like he was being chased by an angry illusory bear.. or an Eypharian, apparently. The thief disappeared down the trap door, the Eypharian did not.

This was shaping up to be a weird day, even by Alvadas standards.

He stood, and made his way towards the stage, studying the scene before him. The Eypharian, a woman, he could see now, was unsuccessfully trying to open the trap door. From how aggressively she was going at it, he had a feeling he knew why. Hopping up onto the stage, Rey was gratified to see he was right. She had a number of daggers and knives at her hip, and one particularly large scabbard was missing its contents.

He smelled an opportunity here. He'd already been hired to recover one stolen item. Why not two?

"Hello." He hissed, not bothering to hide his accent. "Ssurprise to ssee a Eypharian sso far north." He gestured at her belt "That thief sstole a thing from you, yess? And you can't ssee how he esscaped. It'ss happened before with otherss."

Rey nodded at the trapdoor he suspected she couldn't see. "I am named Reysin, and I think we could help each other."

Snake Tongue | Common | Arumenic

[Sayana]

Sayana still pounded the floor fruitlessly as if it might help, and she scratched at the edges of where she thought the trap door had been. Yet there was no marring or any indication that it had existed. However, before she could come up with a better idea she was interrupted. By Arumenic.

The Eypharian glanced sharply towards him as she got to her feet. She had been sure the theatre was empty but apparently not. A brief smile flickered across her face at the mention of being so far north. It didn’t take her long to guess that he was a dhani by his hissing accent.

“Reysin? My name’s Sayana.” She replied sticking to the common tongue. It was clear he knew it better and frankly, she did too. She had been expecting a longer name but then realized he had probably just skipped to his shortened name. “You know how to find him? He took my… my dagger.” She didn’t yet know him and she wasn’t sure if he knew the value of a Lakan. Better just to leave it at a dagger.

“And I can help too. I can put one of these in his heart, or at least his gut.” Sayana affirmed as she drew her two throwing daggers with her high hands. “Are you after him too? How do I get down there?”

She was starting to grow more anxious by the tick. Was there another entrance? A set of stairs leading downward? She stepped over to the curtains to reveal… nothing. It was only then did she truly notice the crooked nature of the building as she glanced out into the audience. Uneven angles, seats that were cramped together in odd and almost impossible ways. It was almost dizzying to look at and only the stage itself seemed smooth and pristine. She turned back to Reysin.

“Tell me what to do.”

[Yisanareysin]

All that fuss for a dagger? Rey looked over Sayana, his head tilting slightly. Her clothing looked expensive, at least from what Rey knew of clothing, and she had several other blades at her side. What made this one special? More likely than not, it was either solid gold or very, very sentimental to her. Especially if she wanted to come with him herself instead, down to a place like the underground. Although on second thought, he should have realized that someone with that many daggers, and the skill to use them, might to do things themselves.

He considered a moment, then decided that it suited him to have an ally down there. He didn't need to worry about explaining his shifting to an Eypharian, and he would feel much, much safer with someone who could fight beside him. The underground still made him nervous, even now.

"Pleasse don't kill him sso quick. I need a thing from him." Rey paused, considering how much he should tell her. "Another sstolen item, but from a few dayss ago. He might have ssold it by now. I need to know where it iss. Afterwardss," He grinned at Sayana, flashing his teeth "I'd be good to help anything you wish to do to him."

"Asss for getting to the Underground..." Now that did raise a question. Rey had never shown anyone else to the Underground, and frankly, he wasn't sure how far the illusions went. Still, she'd known roughly where the trapdoor had been, so she had probably seen it open. So it was just that she couldn't open it herself?

Worked for him.

Waving at her to move off of the trapdoor, he reached out, and snagged the rope. Despite the urgency of the situation, Rey couldn't resist a bit of theatricality. "All ccities have secretss." He told her. Sharply, he yanked at the rope, and the trap door fell open, revealing a short drop, then a staircase spiraling down, torches flickering at too long intervals. At the sight of it, he twitched, his scales prickling, but he forced down his fear. "Alavadass hass them darker, and hidess them better than otherss."

He gestured at the trapdoor with his free hand. "Go firsst." He told her, gesturing. "It will closse when I let go." He wasn't sure if she needed to actually enter the underground before it would open itself to her, or if just seeing the entrance worked, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Snake Tongue | Common | Arumenic

[Sayana]

Sayana grinned evilly when Rey cautioned her not to kill the thief right away. So that’s why the Dhani was helping her. He also had something stolen that he wanted to get back. But that suited her fine enough. A little torturous incentive would do the thief well once she got her hands on him. Sayana’s smile matched Reysin’s when he mentioned that he’d be willing to help with whatever she liked afterwards. She liked the way he thought.

As for following after the man, the Dhani had said he’d gone to the ‘Underground’. Perhaps cities did have their secrets and she stepped away from the place where the trapdoor had been at Reysin’s gesture. When he pulled at the rope Sayana glanced down expectantly at the wooden floor of the stage. Nothing happened. Except… She frowned as it seemed like the lighting played tricks on her eyes. There were shadows that weren’t supposed to be there. The wood was no longer as pristine as it had appeared earlier.

Despite knowing that for every tick they waited the thief got farther away, Sayana bent down on her knees and placed a hand in the middle of where she thought the trapdoor was. Yet her hand did not meet any sort of resistance. The illusion of the wood even started to cover up over her hand as she moved it downwards. And then the illusion started to dissipate, even if only a little. She could see the flickering torches down below and a set of stairs spiraling downwards. There was still the haze of the wood to squint through but she could definitely make out the drop now and she could see it wasn’t too far down.

She suddenly remembered that time was of the essence and she jolted herself out of her sense of awe. “Alright, I’ll head down. The Underworld you said?” The Eypharian got to her feet and double checked her weapons. Painfully she felt the empty sheath of the Lakan and she readied herself to jump. It was the strangest feeling going through the apparently solid wood of the floor and only at the last tick did she remember to brace herself and bend her knees upon landing after the short drop. Once she was down, the hazy illusion of the floor suddenly vanished and she could see the steps downwards quite clearly as well as the Dhani still up top.

“I’m in. I’ll get started. You’ll be right behind me?” Sayana called back as she started quickly down the stairs. For a moment she was afraid he might just leave her there and slam the door behind her. Yet he had helped her and had showed her how to follow after this thief. She glanced back once and then started to take the stairs two at a time, round and round in a dizzying spiral downwards.

The stairs stopped suddenly in an archway and she was inwardly relieved that it wasn’t another cursed door that she’d have to get through. She had her two small daggers drawn in her high hands just in case. It was dark, almost too dark, and she shuffled around trying to find her way. Perhaps this was some secret hiding spot for thieves and if she could just sneak through and surprise them… But then she spotted a faint stream of light coming from a doorway. She must have been in a building of sorts and she carefully stepped towards the light trying to be as quiet as she could. Instead of finding some sort of back room that was lit up, she found an alleyway lit by the glowing light of the moon. But hadn’t she just gone down a hundred steps? And hadn’t it been daytime earlier?

Instead of questioning it further, the Eypharian spotted a beggar on the side of the alley in a tangle of grey cloth. “Seen anyone come running down here within the last ten chimes?” She asked the crumpled form. There was a pause and then a noise of affirmation. “Which way did they go?” Another long pause and then a finger pointed down one way of the alley. “Is he your friend?” Sayana asked sharply and was met with a quick inhale of surprise from the beggar. Within two ticks she had bent down and brought the point of one of her daggers to the beggar’s throat. “How good of a friend?” Sayana pressed, the threat obvious. In a hoarse and raspy voice the man finally spoke, “I, uh, think he was headed that way towards that big building. He usually goes there. Big place but lots of nooks and crannies to hide away things. Valuable things.” The beggar looked at Sayana hoping she’d believe him and at last she lowered her dagger. She gave a nod and tossed a gold miza at the man. He seemed surprised but took it nonetheless. Sayana motioned Reysin in the direction that had been pointed out, but wouldn’t be surprised if he was already leading the way towards this mysterious building of stolen goods.

[Yisanareysin]

Oh good, she did see the entrance. Sort of. Would have made for some awkward explaining if she hadn't.

As Rey dropped down after Sayana, the trapdoor snapped shut above his head, leaving the torches along the wall the only source of light. Already the Eypharian was bounding down the stairs, apparently eager to retrieve her dagger. Rey followed at a slightly slower pace, stripping off his shirt and cloak as he went and stuffing them into his pack. The letter in his pocket went into the bag too, somewhere easily accessible.

The moment he reached the end of the stairs, he began to shift, kicking off his pants as his legs began to fuse together. Carefully, he slithered/shuffled through the archway to the doorway, stopping just inside where the shadows would hide him until his transformation was complete.

In the alley beyond, the Eypharian stood with a blade in her hand over a quivering bundle of rags. As the last of Reysin's bones slid into their proper place, Sayana tossed something to the beggar, and gestured towards a building ahead of them. Catching her meaning, Rey moved out of the shadows, grinning slightly as the man scurried away. Slithering past Sayana, he made his way towards the building. The double doors were slightly ajar, and Rey stopped besides them, where someone inside wouldn't be able to see him.

Gesturing for Sayana to stay behind him, he leaned closer to the gap in the wood and sniffed at the gap, his forked tongue flicking in and out. The wood of the door, the dampness of the streets, and the scent of human. No, humans. Neither of them were close, but one was fainter than the other, almost entirely faded away. Rey turned his head to the side, studying the door instead. He couldn't be certain, but it seemed like the fainter scent lingered here. The scent of the thief, perhaps left when he opened the door?

Rey shifted forwards a little, and looked through the gap. Inside, the room was pitch black, save for a tiny, distant glow. Fortunately, the Dhani had no need of light to see. The stone wasn't that much warmer than the air around it, but it was enough for him to make out the shape of it.

The room was fairly large, and long, at least from where he was looking. The stone walls had holes in them of various different sizes. A few were empty. Most were not. It was difficult for Rey to tell exactly what was in those alcoves from the gap in the wall, only that they were all different.

On the far end of the room, there was what looked like a table, made out of some material that was not stone, and two sources of heat. One was the light he had seen, which, judging by the column of heat, was a small fire, probably a candle. The other was a person, probably the other, stronger scent he had caught. They looked to be sitting down, although since Rey couldn't see behind the desk, he supposed they might have been a very short person standing up.

Turning back to his companion, he quickly relayed what he'd seen to Sayana, before adding his own thoughts. "Our thief iss not there, but he wass. Thingss inside, in holess to dissplay. Perhapss the man inside iss a-" Rey paused, trying to recall the word. "A gate? A wall?" He sighed. "Buyer and sseller of stolen thingss. Perhapss your dagger is already in there."

Snake Tongue | Common | Arumenic

[Sayana]

As the beggar slinked off, Sayana watched him go for a moment and then cursed herself for not thinking to ask for his cloak. Her bright red attire stood out in this dark shadowy place and even some stinky grey rags might have helped her blend in. Or maybe just make her look even more out of place. It would be as it was. Besides Reysin was already slithering past her. Sayana was momentarily startled by his change to dhani form, but mostly because she hadn’t been in Ahnatep for over a year and had rarely had any dhani or even half-dhani as company. But his serpentine grace was a nice reminder of the true beauty of the world and she quickly scampered after him.

When they neared the building that the beggar had spoken of, Sayana quickly changed her fast hard steps to light delicate ones. Reysin clearly wanted to investigate the place first and she didn’t mind letting approach the double doors on his own. Though as a precaution she drew a pair of her throwing daggers in case the doors should slam open with someone unwanted. Nothing of the sort happened, but even as she watched him, the Eypharian was curious as to why he chose his dhani form. Did he feel unsafe here? Was it easier to sense things in that form? Or did he merely prefer it?

Her fingers were itching to do something when he turned back to her to speak softly, she carefully approached so she might hear his words. So the thief was here but had now vanished through the cracks. Yet here there was a wall? A gate? A look of confusion crossed her face but then he clarified that there was someone here who bought and sold stolen goods. Had the thief already sold her lakan here? What sort of price would it fetch?

Her mind raced for a moment. She couldn’t just waltz in and demand the dagger back. Well, she could, but it would be doing her no favours and would likely enemies rather than friends. And she might not even get it back. But if she took a more subtle route and acted as a true and genuine buyer… She certainly looked the part. And maybe a favour to lower the price. What could someone like this want? More business.

With a rough idea for the story she’d weave, Sayana stepped up to the door. “I’ll lead,” she murmured softly to the dhani. Sayana knocked loudly upon the door. “We’re closed! Come back some other day.” The man inside called out. The Eypharian frowned. She hadn’t expected that for an answer. Perhaps they didn’t want just anyone doing business with them. She knocked again. “I said, go away!” Came the voice.

“What if I’m looking to buy a very unique looking dagger?” Sayana called back. “My informants tell me that you are in possession of such an item and I would like to see it for myself.” There was a moment or two of silence and then a very short man came to the door to open it. “Your informants are very well informed,” he answered with a mix of suspicion and skepticism. “It only arrived today.” Clearly he didn’t want to admit that it had come within the last fifteen chimes or so, but Sayana felt no need to make him feel even more nervous. Or to suggest that she knew of its origins.

He threw a glance of surprise and a bit of fear at the dhani, and Sayana waved it off with an air of class and nobility. “He’s just keeping me safe amidst the Underground,” she explained nonchalantly. The man nodded and led the way to the desk, using the candle to provide light for them both. Lining the walls were various items of value tucked in cubby holes and alcoves. There were also boxes that surely contained objects that the owner didn’t want on display.

But on the desk was what she was looking for and at the sight of it, Sayana let out a soft breath of relief. “How much?” She asked sharply, maintaining her ruse as a refined customer. “Fifty gold mizas.” Her lips tightened at the price. “You realize it’s Akalak forged…” Sayana began. “That’s why--” “That’s why I’m doing you a favour for taking it off your hands. The Akalak who forged this is connected to it, and if he finds out it is not with its rightful owner… Well, let me say that I’m much better prepared to take on an Akalak warrior.” Her high hands twirled the little throwing daggers that had earlier been at her sides. “Twenty-five gold mizas,” the Eypharian stated as a counter offer.

“No. You said so yourself that this is a rare find.” He answered stubbornly. It didn’t seem like he’d be intimidated into selling the dagger for cheap. But she had an alternative idea. “Twenty-five gold mizas and a favour,” she countered again. “And that favour is an extra set of eyes to be on the look out. That means all my informants looking for potential ‘treasures’ for your collection.” She glanced about the darkened room to reinforce her meaning. Surely he’d appreciate the whereabouts of more items to steal.

[Yisanareysin]

As Sayana knocked on the door, Rey took the opportunity to steel himself. Beggars were one thing, but generally, the violence friendly people of the Underground made him nervous. He felt phantom fingers on his throat, and he'd half expected the face that emerged from inside to be Vann's.

It wasn't him, of course. But it might have been. Get a grip, Reysin. The nervous, slightly fearful look the short man gave him eased his worries a little, as did the Eypharian's comment. He wasn't alone down here. Well he hadn't been alone that time either but at least Sayana was less likely to stab his face in a panic.

Pushing his thoughts of irritating illusionists and murderous thugs away, he followed the human and Sayana, keeping alert for any signs of danger. The short man didn't seem to pose any threat, unarmed as he was. Still... Rey watched, curious, as the human walked around to the other side of the desk before naming his price. Now, that was interesting. Down in the underground, a person with valuables had to have some way of protecting them. There was no bodyguard here that Rey could smell, so he had to wonder about the desk.

Gathering his thoughts and calming his mind, Reysin emptied his lungs, then breathed in deeply. As he did, he let his sense flood through him, his nose and tongue tingling with new sensation. Directing his sense at the desk, and the area behind it, Rey focused intently as information filtered into his mind.

The desk was wood, old wood. The top was smooth, the sides rougher. The nails holding it together were metal, and slightly rusty.

The word Akalak registered in his mind, and his sense wavered slightly as he began to half listen to the conversation. The words Akalak forged intrigued him, but he didn't have the energy to think about that right now. Instead, he filed it away for later, and returned to the desk.

The desk had a locked compartment, with something inside it, though he couldn't tell what. The knob was metal. The hinges were as well, though there was a slightly different smell to it.

There was something leaning against the desk. There. Rey focused on that. He smelled wood, mostly. Some metal, in small bits. Something that was once living. Hide? No, gut. The gut had been worked into a tough, thin string, stretched tight. And he smelled.. strain, he supposed. There was a coiled tension, with the promise of an explosive release.

Ah.

Rey released his sense, and fought his exhaustion as the two continued to haggle. Rare find, offer money, a favor, blah blah blah. He had to wonder though, if the Eypharian actually had informants, or if she was just bluffing. She was an Eypharian, it wasn't out of the question in the least. Perhaps there was an opportunity to be had here. Later.

The man didn't seem particularly impressed, however. "Forgive my skepticism." the man said, crossing his arms. "But what kind of informants do you have, who could tell me what my own cannot?"

Rey let out a hissing laugh at that, as much to spook the man as to give Rey time to gather his words. "The kind who can know there iss a crosssbow hidden againsst that dessk." The man turned pale at that, and pulled away from them. "Large too, thiss big." Rey continued, his hands indicating it's approximate size. "Grip up, already drawn, eassy to jussst hold and sshoot. Besst be ssafe, yess?" Rey offered up a smile that was just a tad to smug to be perfectly polite. "Enough?"

The man swallowed nervously. "Yes, um, yes that's proof enough. I see." He turned back to the Eypharian, though occasionally nervously glancing at Rey. "Given that- that impressive demonstration, I suppose your offer is acceptable. Will that be all?"

"Don't supposse you have a gold watch and chain." The man raised an eyebrow, but shook his head.

"Don't have anything like that I'm afraid. My supplier had one a few days ago, but if he sold it it was to someone else. Yshul, I'm just a simple fence,"Ah, that was the word Rey had been looking for earlier. Gate, fence, close enough. "I can't sell something with a family crest on it."

Rey shrugged, feigning nonchalance. So the thief still had the pocketwatch, or knew where it was. How to get the fence to tell them where he was?

"If we will be helping your ssupplier, besst he knows, before he panicss the firsst time he sseesss me."

"I... suppose so. If you want to find him, he should be heading out for a second circuit of the city soon. He usually leaves through the stairs that come out behind the Stallion."

That was all he needed to know. Nodding, he stepped back, prepared to follow Sayana's lead until they were outside again.

Snake Tongue | Common | Arumenic

[Sayana]

Even as Sayana attempted to bargain with the man, his skepticism came out. She had thought she had won him over by arriving so soon after the lakan was acquired but apparently it wasn’t so. However, then her new dhani friend spoke up. At first Sayana thought he was bluffing or that he had managed to sneak a glimpse of something, but Reysin’s thorough description and the fence’s acceptance surprised her. Regardless, she kept a calm expression and exchanged the mizas for her lakan. Sayana was about to return the blade to its sheath, when she realized it would completely spoil the ruse of an innocent customer. She started flipping the blade nervously in her mid hand and testing out small swings and slashes with it. So long as the man’s attention stayed on the lakan, and not the sheath at her hip, all should be fine, but it made her jittery nonetheless.

But it was not to be so.

As the pair of them started to leave the building, the man caught sight of the sheath. “What’s that pretty thing at your hip?” He called out to her. “Did you manage to get yourself stolen from and are planning to come back to stomp out my business? You ain’t going to get far, not while I’m here.”

While he wasted time with threats, Sayana wasted no time in getting the petch out of there. With hardly a glance back, she slammed open the door and was bolting down the street. She turned down the first alleyway and heard an arrow whistle past, clattering against the stonework. Panting heavily and careful not to lose Reysin, she darted down the narrow alley and turned at another corner. By now she had sheathed her lakan and had her two throwing daggers out in case the man managed to catch up with them. She either led or followed after Rey. It didn’t matter, so long as they got far from the man with the crossbow.

She turned one last corner and leaned against the dark brick wall panting. “So much for making a friend… and so much for that favor.” She breathed and then grinned at Rey with a chuckle. “But you knew. You knew about that crossbow. I thought you didn’t know anything about the thief. Or at least not the place that he sold his stolen things.” Her tone was accusing and she wondered what else he might know or might be hiding.

But after a couple of breaths, her low hand drifted to her lakan. Whatever had happened, he had still helped her get the lakan back. Her suspicion vanished from her face and her eyes flickered over his form. “Sorry. Your pocket watch. He said the thief would leave at the Stallion? The Stallion? The tavern? By the love of Syna. If I see Remi and Ser Kevith, or even their look-a-likes…” Sayana brought a hand to her face with a shake of her head. This city of illusions was confusing at best and at worst… a real headache. Still, she was starting to become more open to the idea of the strangest things occurring and it no longer seemed so surprising that she might run into the homely cook Remi of the Rearing Stallion.

“Just lead on. And tell me who to maim and who to gut.”

[Yisanareysin]

It was, in hindsight, very fortunate that Rey had gotten everything he needed from the fence, because as he and Sayana turned to leave, everything went to shyke.

The mention of a "pretty thing at your hip" baffled Rey for a moment, before he realised that the human was speaking to Sayana. It took another moment to realise the pretty thing he was referring to was the empty scabbard that, he assumed, fit the dagger she had just repurchased from the fence.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rey saw Sayana leap into motion. He wasted no time in following her, keeping just a step behind her as she flung the door open and darted out into the streets. There was a metallic noise, and Rey almost thought he could feel a gust of air behind him where the bolt had passed.

Rey lagged behind Sayana, his exhaustion from the use of his sense keeping him from reaching his full speed, and when she finally stopped, he collapsed into a vaguely coiled heap. His heart was pounding, his muscles aching, and even his snout was tingling slightly. That was probably enough sensing for today.

He made a noncommital noise when the Eypharian's tone grew suspicious. He had expected the question to come, and he maybe should have expected that an Eypharian would be more cautious than curious. It had been rather obvious there was something going on, even if that was the point.

"Didn't know anything until I wasss in there."He hissed, awkwardly rolling over so his humanoid half was resting on the floor, face up. The stone was nice and cool on his back, as much of a pain as it was to slither over. "Thisss sshape hass itss sskillss. And one in the Underground musst be able to ssave themsselves from otherss, but he carried no weapon. Guesssing and noticcing, thatss all."

It was true, technically. Reysin had had plenty of practice using his sense in Alvadas, but his skill was still lacking. If he hadn't already guessed there had been some form of defence behind the desk, he would never have been able to sniff out the crossbow. And his Dhani form did have senses his human ones did not. Even if they hadn't had anything to do with how he had known about the crossbow.

The best lies, Rey knew, were merely half truths.

The Eypharian seemed to accept his explanation, although one of her hands drifting to the dagger did make his scales prickle. Although that did remind him. Frowning up at the blood moon, Rey ran through what he remembered of what she and the fence had said about it. That it was "Akalak forged" and something something it was "connected"? That was something to look into. Perhaps later. Right now, he couldn't risk alienating her, and from how strongly she had reacted to its loss, he suspected it might be something of a delicate topic.

Instead, he gathered his strength, and hauled himself upright as the Eypharian spoke. The sooner he got the watch back, the sooner he could sleep. "Letss go then."

Rey didn't know how to get to the entrance behind the Stallion, but in Alvadas, that mattered far less than it would have anywhere else. As he made his way through the streets, he chose his path at random, trusting that the city either would, or wouldn't guide him to his destination.

Fortunately, this time it seemed that it would. Before long, Rey started to recognise the streets, and, finding his bearings, led them to the stairs that would bring them up to the Stallion's Rear.

The entrance from the Underground side was simple, a spiralling staircase in a small room. The room was dark, the only source of light being a flickering glow along the staircase. Torchlight, if the other stairs were any indication.

Drawing close to the stairs, Rey smelled the bottom step, searching for the scent of human. Nothing. In fact, it didn't smell like anyone had been through here in a while.

Excellent.

"He hassn't been here." Rey reported, before letting a toothy grin stretch across his face. "Perhaps we sshould... surprisse him when he does come." Rey gestured out at the streets. "Chasse him to me, and I can catch him." He was no constrictor, but he was plenty strong enough for this. The thief was only a human, after all.

Snake Tongue | Common | Arumenic