50 years…
The Spires of Salvation, the city of dreams and wonder, unmistakable for any resident of the loosely assembled nations of Lustria. The walled city of Salvation stood as a safehold for travelers and a symbol of the unity of the Lustrian nations in the face of insurmountable odds. It was in this location where the mighty forces of Valtrox saw their inevitable victory.
50 years…
The furor of battle waged below as the god-like Rimoru fought a losing battle with the brutal Valtrox. Before his moment of victory, his general and twice turned traitor, Sarik the ungrateful, Sarik the Traitor-Lord…Sarik the Savior, struck the mighty blow, falling the Flame-Keeper, the God of Brutal War, amongst other things.
50 year…And things should have been better…
The setting sun cast its red beams on the bustling city, easily as big as the once glorious Imperium City, with no sign the busy people were slowing down. The street lights sprung up, either by magical or natural means. Fireflies sprung from their daytime hideouts to add their own sparkle to the shimmering sky.
The spires that rose from the brilliant white walls of Salvation kept watch over the city like a vigilant guardian, rising high above the trees outside the walls. The towers were built to protect the good people of Salvation from outside threats, threats that shouldn’t be there after Valtrox’s defeat. But demons still lurked outside the walls, disorganized bands, usually half demons mixed in with true demons. There were also the bandits, usually displaced soldiers who needed their fill of war as it was all they believed they knew. The occasionally were joined by the more intelligent demons, making them an even more potent force. But amongst the wild animals, barbarians, and bandits, the worst were the coordinated demons; enough sentience to know effective battle strategies and powerful enough to pose a direct threat to the city. That is what the walls keep out and have successfully kept since they were completed 30 years ago.
Within the walls stood mansions, markets, and other large buildings that kept the economy and the people busy. One could hear the shouts of a merchant attempting to sell the finest jewelry, crafted from the Guardian’s private jewelers themselves, or another trying to sell the legendary scales of Orogen, said to have healing properties and good luck for fishermen. Despite these tall tails, people purchase and merchants prosper, in turn funding the local taverns, brothels, and other businesses, keeping the coffers full and the city sprawling.
These prospects would certainly appeal to the ruler, who would most likely be considered the ruler of Lustria, a feat that has never happened under Lustrian History, as it was always divided.
There were the people of Iskan, a massive desert nation notable for its now ruined library, stuffed full of knowledge of varying kinds, even forbidden, hidden, and even forgotten information. The brilliant nation of scholars and mages were lead by the famed goddess-of-sorts, Rimoru, whose gaze was said to melt the heart of even the strongest willed men, who was said to have stolen faithful men from their wives only to be slaughtered as sheep and served as a meal to guests. The once unending deserts of Iskan have become pockmarked with glass, said to be from Valtrox himself as he raced to destroy the unified nations of Lustria. Rimoru City, the jewel of the desert was raised by the dragon-demon during the final battle, but is now the site of Salvation. What became of Rimoru or her family is unknown as they disappeared after the fight with Valtrox.
To the South, the Imperium, a nation built on laws and order, strict and powerful. The Imperium was said to have flexed their military muscle during the end of the last Gate War, before their city was destroyed by the demon dragon himself, Valtrox, in which they fell into disarray. Their endless plains now lay scorched and dead. Necromancers have been found to linger about the city ruins, attempting to find corpses but even the corpses are in short supply. The Arena still stands but it is no longer a tool used to dispatch of criminals but a tool for the enjoyment of the Arena ruler, a criminal himself who throws his opponents in the pits to fight against impossible odds.
Just south of the Imperium was the noble Illuminata, headed by the legendary Patriarch until his downfall while fighting the monstrous Inzikai. It is said that after his downfall, the Illuminata fell to ruin, the Imperium and the Cult of Valtrox destroying what was left of their once magnificent empire. Now, the majority of the towns are in ruin due to the massive offensive of the “Uncivilized Races” against the Illuminata before the final gate was opened. The former capital, Illucia, ironically enough, is under the control of the formerly known “Uncivilized Races” trying to keep their rag-tag alliance together. Their success is mixed as groups splinter from the once mighty barbarians.
In the north used to be the mighty Cultists of Valtrox, a land still flooded with disease and death, covered in swamps and literal ghost towns. The effects of the fanatical cultists is still felt as remnants of the Cult still occupy a significant portion of the nation, although they are scattered and disunified after their avatar and god fell to Sarik the traitor in what they believe should have been the decisive victory in their favor. Like most heroes of the final Gate War, Empress Teralynn, the latest ruler of the Cults disappeared. Most believe she died, whether by her own followers or by other means. There are still some who say that she yet lives, her never-ending schemes waiting to come to fruition…
In the Exe-Duun Mountains, where the mythic ferocious Morgrathiens lived are still home to barbarians, however after the final gate war, the barbarians broke whatever unity they had and fought amongst each other for territory, supplies, and nearly everything one could fight for. What became of War chief Higsthor, the legendary mammoth of a man is also unknown.
It certainly seemed to most Lustrian citizens that what should have been a happy ending certainly did not end up a happy ending. The mighty nations of Lustria have dissolved, giving way to anarchy and evil, too small a threat to create an army against but too large to be considered a nuisance. Salvation was the only city in Lustria worthy of note during these dark times and even then, should an army march against it, it is doubtful Salvation could save itself, its ruler ailing and bordering on the insane.
Yes, not even the ruler can enjoy being ruler much, having terrible ordeals to confront on a daily basis, basically leaving the city and its territories to the greedy hands of corrupt nobles who, although do some decent things for the city, act more for themselves than the poor rotting in the slums, giving way to crime and more corruption. The good side of town looked great while the slums were tucked away like a child’s poor attempt at cleaning his room, throwing his toys under a rug in hopes no one will notice.
Yet People still flocked to Salvation, pushing the limits of its manmade borders. Farms and smaller towns were built just outside of the wall’s protection, a treacherous run away from Salvation. The guards along the walls frequently patrol the outlying territories, keeping the peasants relatively safe from the dangers, more for the agriculture they provide than for their own personal well-being.
The bustling day in Salvation slowly sank into a peaceful night, the stars reflecting off what was left of the Lustrian Sea, a body of water that had seen better days, so the stories say. As the hours went by, the city seemed to fall silent except for the bustling taverns and brothels that dotted the city. The glittering stars began to dissolve amongst the rolling thick clouds, filled with moisture and ready to burst. Lightning arced through the dark grey mass, ever increasing in size. It was going to be a stormy night…
That’s for sure… A figure, cloaked in shadows lurked amongst the alleyways, avoiding other forms of life as much as possible. As the citizens scuttled for the safety of cover, the figure stepped into the light. It stood a good eight feet tall, at least, its shoulders bulky and broad. Its body was cloaked, preventing anyone from seeing what being resided underneath, not that anyone cared really. It wasn’t the most unusual thing Lustria had ever seen before. The figure walked down the cool cobblestone street, its’ cloaked head turning every which way as if searching for someone or something. It turned a corner, seeming to move faster after a quick glance at another clock, the fringes of the cloak giving way ever so slightly to reveal a reddish tint to what appeared to be a thin tail.
Where is he…I know he’s here… the cloaked figure thought to itself. It let out a deep growl as frustration began to boil over as it passed street after street, turning corner after corner, searching the alley ways for a specific figure. Someone who shouldn’t be here. Who shouldn’t even be alive... And suddenly, the figure leapt into the shadows, slowing its’ breathing almost to the point of breathlessness. Heart pumping, adrenaline rushing, the creature began to finger the hilt of a hidden sword. Must wait for it…
“Are you sure then? The arti…the people can be found in these cities?” rasped a voice from the alleyway. It wasn’t as the figure remembered it…but it had a similar timbre.
“Aye, milord. Me scouts found him themselves…with strange powers an’ e’rything…” came a half-drunken reply from an unrecognizable figure.
“Garren, you have done a good service to your people. Soon…we shall not have to hide anymore,” rasped the target again. “Soon…he shall rise again and right the wrong.”
“Good luck, milord. I look forward to that day.”
With that, the sound of armored boots came from the alleyway, stopping right at the alley entrance, a mere four feet from the cloaked figure in the shadows.
Wait for it…too many people around…I don’t want to get hunted again, thought the figure, fighting it’s’ hardest to keep from slashing out at the…thing in the alleyway. It was much smaller than the cloaked figure remembered. The creature stood perhaps five foot six with black armored boots revealed from under its own cloak. Yet there was no mistake that the figure was more than it seemed. Underneath that cloak was a creature the world should never see again. There was a flash of lightning, revealing that dreaded mask, then came the thunder, as though announcing his presence…
The shadow-figure couldn’t wait anymore, with an almost inhumane growl, it leapt for the shadows to deal the killing blow, right across the neck of the slimy demon, yet it was still as fast as the shadow-figure remembered. With a smooth, steady motion, a gauntleted hand pulled out a wicked, serrated sword that appeared as though it were embers glowing in a fire. Sparks flew as their swords caught onto each other.
“I should have smelled you, abomination…” growled the alley-figure.
“And I should have killed you when I had the chance, demon,” replied the shadow-assassin. Whatever innocents were still roaming the streets at that time soon ran, to the safety of their homes or to get a guard, they may not know for as soon as the shadowed-figure pulled its’ weapon free, the target leapt nimbly away, opening a gauntleted hand and letting free a blinding flash of light, straight into the assassin’s face, revealing gently curving horns on the shadow-figure’s forehead.
“Who’s the demon now, young one?” came the reply, almost gleeful before the figure took off, dodging people and carriages as he made his way down the streets.
The shadow-assassin blinked away the blindness, setting off to follow the running figure, frustrated at the purple blobs refusing to leave its’ vision, frustrated at the figure running from it, and moreso than that, surprised that the figure would even think about leaving. It growled as it knocked over a person and crossed the street, nearly getting hit by a carriage twice before it tried regaining distance, which it knew it could do with such size advantage.
Yet the smaller creature nimbly latched onto a support beam, despite the armor, to a second floor-balcony and quickly climbed up to the second floor railings and leaping up to grab hold of a gargoyle atop the building, hoisting himself up.
The cloaked assassin snarled obscenities before leaping up to the railings and pulling itself up, the iron rails groaning at the massive weight. As the large figure made its way to the ceiling, much the same way, lightning flashed again, with the tidings of the rain. Where did you go, demon? Then it saw him, leaping onto another second floor balcony from the ceiling of this building and making his way to the third floor, most likely to continue scaling the buildings to the roof. I hope you get what you deserve from the lightning was the only thought that crossed the cloaked figure as it dashed to follow the fleeing man, who had already climbed to the fourth balcony.
The cloaked figure leapt up to the third, the cloak covering the shadow-figure splitting in half down the middle back to reveal two demonic wings, giving the creature a boost to the fourth, nearly catching the nimble man, who had flipped out of the way to the fifth floor, flinging another flare into the demon’s face, who promptly looked away, feeling its hair sizzle slightly. “You’ll have to do better than-” Suddenly a blast of smoke choked its lungs as it nearly fell off the fourth floor of the building, its hands quickly grabbing hold of the rails. Yet the older rails of the fourth floor could not stand the demon’s weight and snapped from the balcony floor, jouncing the demon, loosening the grip it had on the metal bars. The demon let out a short curse before pulling itself onto the balcony and looking up, only to be pelted with heavy rain. Shielding its eyes, it leapt up to the roof, pulling out a small dagger just in time to deflect the deadly serrated blade from its neck, the cloak ripping from the closeness of the blade’s edge. With its other hand, it reached out to grab the head of its’ foe, however the alley-figure spun away from the demon’s hand, using its momentum to strike from the other side, which was quickly blocked by the demon’s main weapon, an elegant elf longsword, possibly stolen. The masked figure growled a series of harsh syllables and opened its palm, letting loose a blast of fire right into the demon. The demon shouted in pain and surprise, however swung the cloak in time for it to take most of the damage rather than the wearer. When the demon cleared its eyes, it only saw the edges of the masked-opponent’s cloak flapping behind it as it leapt off the edge of the building.
It rushed to the rampart of the building and quickly scanned the street floor below, only to notice the figure riding atop a carriage headed towards the gate. With another curse, the demon leapt off the building and spread its wings to catch up to the fleeing man. “You should be dead!” it shouted as it flung itself at the man, barreling him over, his hand barely latching onto an elegant handle atop the carriage.
With a growl, the man swung himself to the door, barely missing a slice at his hand from the demon’s longsword. The man balled his fist and punched through the carriage window, resulting in a scream from the occupant inside. The man then latched onto a ceiling handle on the inside made for bumpy rides with his inside hand before bringing up his serrated longsword to deflect a blow from above. The demon growled and struck down again, however the man caught the edge of the demon’s blade with his serrated edge and pulled down violently, toppling the demon, at least most of the way, so the demon was barely hanging on to the edge of the carriage, having to pull its feet up to keep from dragging onto the ground. Now face to face, the demon and the man glared at each other before the demon kicked out at the man, the force of the kick pulling him from his hand hold from the inside. His sword hand swung forward to grab hold of the door, which opened at his accidental pull, providing a barrier between man and demon. The demon’s only visible facial feature, its lips, smiled viciously, revealing large wicked fangs as it knew the man could not defend and keep hold at the same time.
The man looked up to judge the distance between his free hand and the rooftop handlebars he had just been holding onto. Just the opportunity the demon was seeking as it thrust out with a well timed strike. However the man expected this, leaping to the roof handle while pushing the door closed, the broken window catching onto the demon’s sword, twisting its arm in an awkward position and slamming on its arm. The demon yelped and fell away from the carriage, rolling some distance away to avoid getting trampled over by other street traffic. It rolled onto the balls of its feet, ready to give chase to the figure who had now commandeered a horse from the carriage and was riding out of the gate.
The demon swore loudly as it flexed its wings, the burned, tattered cloak beginning to fall apart, revealing a reddish tinge to the oddly textured skin, almost as though it were made of rocks. Someone nearby screamed and the demon felt a fist-sized rock smack into its horns. It looked over from underneath its hood, its eyes glowing in growing anger as it leapt to its sword, which had fallen a few feet ahead and was about to set after the origin of the thrown stone when something caught its attention along the edge of the sword. Hair…white hair… The demon narrowed its eyes, the world suddenly dissolving around it, ignoring the rocks and the clip-clop of guards approaching via horseback. Its eyes were focused on the silky strands of white hair…they were familiar…like someone else the assassin knew…
“Die, demon!” growled a guard as he slashed down at the demon. Unlucky for the guard, the demon snapped to reality and leaned back to avoid the shot, pushing its full body weight into a quick spin of its arm, digging its own sword into the guard’s shoulder, between the plates of his armor and dragging him off his horse. Then with a glance around, realizing causing more trouble won’t help things, the demon crouched low and soared upwards with a burst of speed, the cloak flaking apart as it went, its form revealing a humanoid body, a thin tail trailing behind it.
Something was bad was going on in Salvation, the people feared. They knew demons normally weren’t seen inside the walls. But it wasn’t the demon sighting that scared the people the most…it was not knowing why it was…
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Deep in the slums of the west, near the dockyards alongside the Lustrian Sea stood the “Tree House”. The “Tree House” was nothing like a tree house, but was more in fact, a shoddy, run-down warehouse. A quarter of the roof had fallen in a few years ago, while most windows were cracked. There were makeshift beds, too small for a grown adult to sleep in, that littered the floors, along with random debris and knick knacks considered junk to most but held sentimental value to their owners. The Treehouse was the unofficial safehouse of the street children. It was usually occupied by children who had no home for themselves or from the street children caught in the middle of trouble, whether being hunted by guards or in the middle of a terrible storm, much like the one that had started to occur…
“I wonder what’s going on?” came a child’s voice.
“Certainly got the guards in a hurry…” replied another.
“Aye…maybe one of the nobles was murdered?” came another quiet voice.
“Nuh-uh. Would definitely be more guards and screaming…”
“Well, I ain’t gonna leave this. I don’t wanna get into the rain…last thing we know, the lightning is gonna hit one of us!”
A scream resounded through the slums before a few clanks of metal. The children looked at each other worriedly, cowering in what little shelter they had.
There was a loud knocking at the door, making many of the children yelp in surprise and worry. One of the older kids looked at the unofficial leaders of the Treehouse who nodded slowly, allowing the doors to be opened, revealing one of the older kids, a notable thief amongst the teenagers unaffiliated with organized crime.
“What are you guys doin’ here? There’s plenty of easy pickin’s here!” he said as he brushed his slick dirty brown hair out of his face. “I mean, there’s a huge commotion with the guards and rumor has it that it was a demon!”
There were more gasps at the word demon, something that frightened children and adults alike. While these children knew little about what had occurred ages ago, knew little of Valtrox and the millions of lives lost, they still knew full well the terror and destruction the demons can and have caused.
Out of a small hole around seven to eight inches tall, a very small and bony girl with odd wings that looked like they belonged more to a dragonfly walked out quietly. She had very pointy ears and was covered with dirt so much you could not tell what color her skin or hair was. Amongst the brown that coated the tiny girl, a bright green shined from behind her dirty face. Her clothes were just as covered with dirt as the rest of her, but a keen eye could tell that they were cast-off baby clothes from a rich household. Nothing else could fit the small girl. Her eyes and face were lit up with curiosity as she listened intently.
No demons have been sighted inside the walls before! How can this be? Or is it just a rumor that is being passed around? Perhaps there was a demon though! That's so interesting. Why would it be in here? How did it get in? Her mind was whirling with all the information that she wanted to shout out at the teenager. She had learned that among the street kids that it's sometimes easier to get information by waiting for them to finish speaking though so she kept her mouth shut for the moment, bouncing slightly on her toes in impatience.
“We don’t want to get eaten by the demon!” shouted a kid.
“And we don’t want them to put evil demon egg sacks in our stomachs or turn us into imps!” shouted another. Screams erupted from the crowds at this last worry.
“Pah, quit being a bunch of cowards!” the teenage thief laughed. “The demon took flight after it failed to kill its target…So, now the guards are all patrolling the streets.”
“So how does that make the pickings easier?” called an older kid, a veteran at finding secret tunnels and passages for the other kids.
“Well, ol’ friend. More guards on the streets mean fewer guards guarding the buildings…Think about it, the candy shop, the toy stores, the food stalls, the taverns, the palace. Let your mind wander because this night, anything is possible!”
“The palace? Nuh-uh. That is untouchable. I doubt they would have put all the guards from there on the streets!”
“No…but someone sneaky enough…could probably find out why the mighty king of Salvation won’t come out of hiding. I mean think about it, with that knowledge alone, you’ll have people craving your attention to try to find out who the ruler really is. They’ll feed you, clothe you, and serve your every whim. Not to mention the palace is said to have some of the most valuable trinkets Lustria has to offer. You could buy the palace if you wanted to!”
There were sounds of excitement and awe from amongst the crowd at this prospect.
“So, anyone want to try it?”
“Why don’t you? You have the skills!” said the unofficial leader, intrigued but not wanting to risk himself.
The boy frowned slightly and pulled up his ripped pant leg, revealing a deep gash running down his lower leg, almost to his ankle. “Got caught on a fence when I was trying to jump off of it. But look, it was worth it!” He opened up a large bag which probably served as his pillow case as well, revealing glittering jewels, jewelry, and other valuable trinkets. There more sounds of awe from the room as children scrambled to take a look.
“And I think you all are chickens to try to get this kind of loot. Even you,” he said to the children’s leader. “In fact, I’d be willing to bet no one is going to set foot in the palace. I’m willing to bet this entire bag for it. Heck, I’ll throw in all my belongings as well!”
More sounds of amazement however, no one seemed to be taking his challenge.
Knowledge itself would get people to wanting to be around me and they'd feed me regularly so I wouldn't have to steal all I ate? I'd be able to get new clothes? Valuable trinkets too? They're always soo pretty! Plus, why would the king not want to come out? I guess I would have a better chance than most of the other kids at getting into the actual palace.... They also have to have some better food than the street venders have. If I get some of that, I may not have to steal as much food for a while. Even if I don't find out exactly why the ruler won't come out, I'll get some respect for getting into the palace itself. The other kids may stop trying to steal my own catch if I can get that respect! The little girl thought with hope.
For a few more seconds the young girl watched the crowd of kids before starting to smile a little. She suddenly climbed up some rubble to get a better view and shouted loudly and proudly in a high pitched voice to be heard over the crowd, “I'll take that bet! I can get into places none of you can just because of my size so I could get into the palace without too much of a problem.”
All eyes turned to the tiny fairy-like girl. Most children raised their eyebrows in surprise. Some burst out laughing a few minutes after her outburst, while more stared at her as though she was joking.
“Buzz, you couldn’t get into the palace if your life depended on it. You’d run at the faintest shadow, hide at the quietest noise, and beg for mercy at the smallest nudge. You’re a coward,” grumbled the unofficial leader. Some snickers resounded in the Treehouse. “The only thing you’re good for is giving us sport to catch for fun.”
The young winged girl scowled. “I may run and hide at many things that you guys won't, but that's what keeps me from getting caught as many times as some of you have!” She glared at the one who had spoken as she addressed him, “My ability to run from all of your grasps has made it so I know how to find the small cracks so that the guards and others won't know where to look for me. My small size makes it so most traps don't actually hit me even if they go off because I was unable to disarm them, but all of you would have to admit, I'm quite good with disarming the traps. Plus none of you are brave enough to even think about trying to get in there! I am! I can get in if everything is like he said!” She gestured angrily at the teenage thief.
The thief smiled as he walked over to the little girl. “Buzz…” he pat her rather roughly on the back as he sat down on the rubble pile next to her. “I say let her go. Why not let her show to you guys how good she really is. Let her do a service to us and this town. Right, loyalty amongst the Treehouse. Right, Buzz? If you succeed…” he gently tapped her nose, “then you take all the credit but put all of us in the limelight. Perhaps this won’t just benefit little Buzz but me too. And you…and you! All of you!”
There were certainly a lot of conversations happening after that comment. The leader narrowed his eyes at the others, his own close friends whispering amongst themselves. “Alright Buzz. If you want to go humiliate yourself again, go right ahead. But if you do come back…well, we’ll talk about that if you do.”
The teenage thief smile and peered down at Buzz, “Congrats, Buzz. Sounds like we have our own little adventure.” He stood up, putting most of his weight on his uninjured leg and raised his arms for silence. “I will go with Buzz, as I have seen the guards and their patrol paths. Perhaps this is the night we begin a lavish lifestyle!”
There were cheers amongst the children, some of the younger ones beginning to chat, “Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
The girl smiled at the thief's confidence that she could do it. That didn't happen very often. She then scowled slightly at the leader's comment. She started to beam when the other kids started chanting her name. She wasn't much older than those that were chanting, but she had at least a year on the majority of those kids. She looked up at the thief for a moment then glanced down at his injured leg before saying, “You can help me get past the guards, but with that leg you said that you couldn't actually get into the palace. I'll be doing that alone.” She reached into one of her sleeves to feel for a small pocket that she kept a second set of clothes that she had made in. She tried to never leave the Tree House without one.
“Aye, you’ll have to do the palace exploration yourself, Buzz,” the thief replied. “Now prepare yourself. I will tend to my wounds and await you at the entrance. Don’t take too long, I don’t want the guards to go back to their positions ‘cause then things will get really hard.” With that, the thief walked off to “his” position and began bandaging up his leg before walking to the entrance of the Treehouse, his bag of loot tied on his back for safe keeping.
Buzz glanced around at the kids before quickly slinking back into the hole that led to where she slept. There she kept her tools for dealing with traps and locks. This is a big job, just to get in the palace. No one has done it before. I need to be careful the whole way. Now's the time more so than ever before to not get distracted or caught. I don't even know what the guards would do with me if I did get caught. She glanced at her small catch that she had collected over half her life. A few wigs, some stuffing from one of the noble's teenage daughter's when they had stuffed their tops to look like they had bigger chests, some baubles that had caught her eyes in homes she had broken into, and just a couple of coppers that she had saved from some people, who unknowingly, donated from their pockets.
Buzz picked up her tools and pulled out of her sleeve what looked like a tiny bag with little holes that a tiny head and arms could stick through. She smiled and tucked it back into her sleeve with a few tiny wires. In her other sleeve, she tucked the tools for locks and traps. She then walked out of her hole and carefully moved around the other kids to the entrance. She nodded at the younger kids who spoke up as she walked by to give her encouragement, and carefully avoided the hands and feet of the older ones who thought she was no good other than their own entertainment.
The thief was waiting at the entrance when she arrived there and she looked with distaste out at the rain, flinching slightly at the lightning. “I'm ready to go.” Buzz said happily, covering up her dislike of the rain and lightning. She paused for a moment before saying, “But can we try to stay out of the rain. I may need my wings and I can't fly that well when they're wet.”
The thief glanced at her and said, “Glad you're ready to go. As for staying out of the rain, it'll be almost impossible to do.” He glanced out into the rain looking in the direction of the palace before saying, “Let's go little Buzz. The longer we stand around talking the harder it will be for you to get in.” He started walking off staying to the shadows, but not trying to stay out of the rain.
Buzz glanced at her wings sadly before setting off after him. I cannot ask him more questions about the demon now. If I did, we'd be at risk of the guards hearing us and if they hear our conversation, they may assume we have something to do with the demon. I don't want to be caught even before we make it to the palace. She concentrated on not asking questions and following the leading thief while she tried to stay as dry as possible.
They had to stop a few times to allow the patrols to pass them by, often forced to retreat to alleyways to keep from being spotted. When they reached outside of the palace, the thief stopped in the shadows and whispered, “This is as far as I can take you. Good luck in there. I'll meet you back at the Tree House if you make it in and out, but I'll stay here until you go in to make sure you go in.”
Buzz looked at him insulted and said firmly, “I'm going in. I'll be finding out exactly why the ruler never comes out and you will be the first one I tell.” She turned around and quickly moved away from the thief.
She quickly climbed the fence and started to circle the palace She suddenly saw one window slightly open as she moved up to it she noticed the smell of food being cooked. She carefully climbed up to the window and peered in, keeping herself from being seen. Inside she saw one older lady working on kneading the bread for the next day. The lady's back was turned toward the table so Buzz slipped in the window dropping to the counter and then to the floor really quickly and quietly. She looked around slightly before deciding to grab some food to snack on during her explorations since she hadn't eaten in a while.
She sneaked quietly to near the furnace and turned her back to it for one minute to let her gossamer wings to dry before sneaking over to the door. It was left open to help heat the servant's quarters. She started to make her way through that staying carefully away from the servants that were moving around the area. Since these were the servant's quarters, there were no guards, but she had to figure out how to get through the door into the regular halls. She knew that those would be patrolled. If she opened the door and there were guards passing by on the other side then she'd be caught or as good as it.
She examined the door for a couple of minutes before smiling. She walked over to a corner of the hallway. And shifted sizes moving around in her sleeve for half a minute before coming out with the tiny clothes on. She quickly flew over to the door and laid down on her stomach. Crawling forward she moved under the door. Peering around after she stuck her head out she quickly pulled back. Well, I'm glad I tried this first or those guards would have caught me and Granz would certainly have recognized me. He's been looking for a reason to capture me for the last year since I made his patron, Lord Zwalaski, angry by showing that he wore a wig because he was bald. After a minute she looked back out. The coast was clear.
She crawled back and flew quickly back to her clothes and changed her size back putting on her other clothes again and tucking her small clothes back into the inside pocket. Then she went to the door and opened it slowly before slipping through it and shutting it behind her. The first thing she noticed was that the walls of the hallway. They all either had colorful tapestries or colorful paintings. All of the pictures showed battles. The colors were all eye-catching. The magic was always shown in some of the most bright and unusual colors. There was purples, reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and blues used to do the magic. She did take notice that all the swords seemed to be really pretty, but had no bright colors so she didn't pay much attention to them. She really didn't take notice of the people, except for the ones that were surrounded by bright colors. She started wandering down the hallway looking at the paintings as she went.
After a few minutes, she heard a noise like another patrol walking around, she hurried her steps, moving just as quietly as before, but this time it was with much more purpose. The personal quarters of the nobles are normally upstairs and that's where the nobles generally keep their secrets and their valuables. So that's where I'll start... Now just to find the stairs. After a few minutes she found the stairs and snuck up them before the patrol could get close enough to spot her. There she noticed everything seemed more barren than the downstairs. The walls and floors still had the same paintings which she couldn't take her eyes off of. There was also a few ceremonial sets of armor. She climbed up a few to get a better look at them and left lots of dirt marks behind her.
She kept wandering around and noticing lots of bedrooms that were pretty fancy, but they for some reason didn't look like they were lived in much. There was no dust or anything, it's just that they didn't have the feel of a regular bedroom. These are very fancy guest rooms, the fanciest that I've seen so far.... She looked around them, but they seemed to not have anything that she could easily lift. As she continued on she found the dining halls and noticed that they everything was very fancy as well. Nothing to take here either.
Eventually she looked down a hall and saw a pair of guards standing by one door. Bulls eye. She thought happily. Now how to get in there.... She glanced around silently walking around the hallways before climbing up to one of the helmets. She smiled as she gently picked it up. It was fairly round and would roll quite nicely. She walked back to a nearby hallway junction, glancing around to see if there was something she could hide behind nearby. She stopped there and put the helmet down gently she suddenly pushed the helmet with all her strength to roll it at the feet of the nearest statue which the helmet did not belong to. The second after pushing the helmet, she ran behind one of the other statues in the hallway closest to the guarded room.
The helmet crashed into the feet of the helmet and the noise caused the guards to rush past Buzz to investigate. As soon as they moved past, Buzz flew to the door that had guarded and tried to open it, but it was heavy and she couldn't the first try. She knew she only had a short time so she ran to the other side of the hallway before running at the door and throwing her shoulder against it. The door opened slightly and she slipped in and got behind the door to hit it again with enough force to shut it. She then looked around the room she was in.
There was no one in the room and there was actually a bunch of rooms that were connected. All the walls and floors were perfectly white with not a speck of dirt or dust on them except for where Buzz had left some dirt. As she wandered she found all the rooms were fairly stark. There was one odd thing in the rooms and that was a pristine and very fancy armor standing in one corner. She climbed all the way up it to get a good look at it all, leaving a trail of dirt and smudges all over it. After a few minutes of searching around, she decided that she needed to leave. She couldn't leave the way she came in so she had to find another way.
Looking around she saw a window and opened it quietly before slipping out and leaving it cracked. It doesn't look like anyone is going to come by anytime soon so I'll just leave this open. It's too hard to shut it. She thought as she used her wings to float down to the ground. She then walked back to the kitchen and snuck in the still open window and dried her wings in the same way. She went back to the door that she had entered into the public way before. Buzz avoided the guards the same way she had before.
Looking around the first floor led her to the guard rooms first. She glanced heard the talk of the few guards as they were about to switch duties. That place won't have any good items to take. She walked into a room that was silent and saw tons of armor and weapons that were not quite as fancy and looked more used. Guess this is where they store the stuff for the guards... Won't be much here. She then came upon some less fancy rooms that had the feeling of not being lived in. These rooms were not mad quite as well. Buzz looked over some of the bed clothes and shook her head thinking, Too much to have any value. There were some vases in the rooms and they weren't too big so they were easy to carry with her.
She continued her search avoiding patrols by hiding in small areas that no one else could stay in. When some guards were distracted by talking to a patrol about the helmet that was way out of place upstairs, she poked her head in a doorway that was slightly open and saw a large empty room. She walked squeezed in without moving the door at all. She gazed around the room it was covered in banners of things she didn't recognize. There was also a large fancy chair at the end of the room. She gave an almost imperceptible gasp when she saw it and quietly moved up to it. It's COVERED in Gems! She thought with excitement. She suddenly pulled out a small knife and pried a few of the gems off the chair placing them carefully in the small jars she had taken.
She hadn't realized it at first, but she had started feeling an attraction as she walked into that room. She poked her head around the throne and quickly pulled her head back before she was seen by the two guards standing by a door behind the throne. That HAS to be the treasure room or some big secret of the ruler! She thought to herself excitedly. But how to distract them? She glanced around herself and pried one more gem off the throne before taking a large breath and tossing the gem as far as she could towards the door she had just came in. The noise of the gem clattering to the floor attracted the guards from behind the throne as well as the ones from outside. Fortunately for Buzz, the ones from inside reacted first and she moved around the edges of the throne to the door while they rushed forward to investigate the noise.
She moved quietly up to the door only to find it locked. She pulled out her tools for unlocking doors and undid the lock feeling like she had to see what was inside this door. She started to feel like she could do anything if only she got to whatever was behind the door. She unlocked the door before the guards came back and shut the door behind her before looking ahead to what she had uncovered. It was a long hallway that ended in a small room containing a glowing red sword. She started to walk forward drawn to it. As she moved closer she started seeing images in her head of herself with everything she had ever wanted just because she had that sword beside her and in her hands.
This must be what is keeping the ruler on his throne! The sword does everything he wants and he doesn't have to do a thing. I must have it! It will help me escape from the palace and even get off the streets to above the life I had with my parents alive.... Her thoughts were racing as she walked as if dazed towards the sword. Unfortunately for her in some ways, there were magical wards placed all along the hallway so that no one could get to it without alarms ringing through the whole palace. She passed one and the alarms went off and the door was slammed open revealing the guards at the door.
“Buzz!?!” One of them shouted incredulous. That snapped her out of her daze as she glanced back and realized that she had to go if she was to get out of there without them locking her up or punishing her in some other way. She turned fully towards the guards and flew directly at the face of the guard that looked more angry than surprised. He ducked as she expected and she went over her head as the guards tried to catch her with their hands. She has had so much practice with maneuvering around hands she easily avoided them. The time for sneaking is past. They've seen me and recognized me so I just need to get out of here. It's time to fly all the way out. The servant's quarters will make a good place to get lost in and the kitchen window should still be open. She thought seriously as she flew out the large doors that led into the throne room since the guards were opening them to come to the aid of the ones inside of the room. These guards were too surprised to try catching her, but soon the cry went up to catch the flying thief who tried to get the sword.
She was able to avoid them with difficulty, and make it to the door to the servant's quarters ahead of them so as to swing it open and dart to the kitchen and out the window. She then dashed directly to the fence and climbed over it and was well on her way back towards the Tree House before the guards could either get out of the kitchen window or get to a door.
