The Thieves Guild ch.04

    Stomachs rumbling, pockets empty. Scrags had pointed out a few times that the new spirit ID credit system set up in the port cities along the coast would allow Hollia to charge their room and food to her family. Of course Hollia had never received any permission to this, not to mention that this would only work in a larger city, the smaller numerous, and often bizarre little towns have nothing so complex relying on the gold coin standard.

   They have had to do a few jobs here and there along the way, a steel claw bear terrorizing a farm, an infestation of rats, and even a dragon stealing anything shiny from one small town. However today things have changed, today they have come up on the port town of Delca, a merchant port along the coast line for major ships. This fact makes it a bit odd that they don’t see much in the way of activity outside of the town walls, in fact the gates are closed.

   “Well that’s a first.” remarks Scrags.

   “No kidding.” says Cata, “I have come by this port many times before, never have I seen the land gates closed. Although the ships are still coming and going.”

    As they approach the town walls a guard calls down to them, “Hail, travelers, merchants, or adventurers?”

   Rhulan yells back up, “adventurers, we need to board the ferry across the bay!”

   “Sorry, but the ferry is closed to…wait you said you’re adventurers?”

   “Yes!”

   “In that case you’ll need to speak to the magistrate for passage. I’ll explain more once your inside. Boris, Yatan, open the gate!”

    *creeeeeek*

    This gate has clearly not been opened for some time now.


    “My apologies miss,” says the armored guard with in, “We have only had travelers come this way…” he looks back behind them, “not much out that way but the small town merchants who usually come along to trade along the bazaar.”

   “You’re town been having some trouble lately?” asks Rhulan.

  “Yes, if you want a job you’ll have to speak to the magistrate.”

  He points down the hill, from this gate one can see almost the entire town, a nice bit of serendipity for this group consisting mostly of people who have never been here before.

   “The red roofed mansion down that way is the magistrate’s house. Have to tell you though after talking to him no one will blame you if you don’t take the job.”

  “Yatan!” yells down the tower guard, “I don’t feel like being reprimanded by the captain again.”

   “Sorry, Daniel.”

   He turns back to the group, “yeah, new law, we can’t discuss the details of the job to new adventurers, the magistrate wants to say everything himself.”

   The group look amongst themselves, a wave of shrugging shoulders, even LinLin, although for her it might just be playing at mocking what everyone else is doing.

   They walk into town the guard bowing as each enters, only pausing a moment as Cata walks by, raising an eyebrow.

   As they descend the hill Yatan turns to the other door guard, “Either it’s the heat getting to me or, was that a were-cat in that party.”

   “I don’t think so,” he says, “Were-cats usually look more human despite walking around on all fours, and you know being all house cat like. No that lady had like paws and a more big-cat like head. I think I remember someone talking about people like that, some off worlder race or something.”

   “She might be able to still hear you guys!” yells down Daniel the tower guard, “and oh by the way their called Kuhrai.”

     “Job or no job,” says Rhulan as they walk the oddly empty streets, people looking out their windows at them, some even rolling their eyes, “We need to get across the bay, going around could take days, and we would still have the river to cross past the bay.”

   “Not to mention something is wrong with this town,” says Cata, “The streets should be bustling this time of day.”

   “You don’t think we have another dragon?” asks Hollia remembering a similar absence of people on the street when dealing with that oversized winged lizard.

   “No,” says Cata looking around, “the naval guards at the bay are strong enough to keep my ship at bay, they wouldn’t be this concerned with some dragon.”

   “Not to mention,” says Rhulan, “How the magistrate is acting, very unusual, no we have something worse here.”

   Scrags shakes his head thinking, “If this is another Dah-Hoth I am so ditching this group, I didn’t sign up to go save the world…this bitch owes me money.” he eyes Rhulan, but diverts his eyes as she scratches the back of her head exactly where he was looking.

    ******

       Up close one can’t help but gasp, the house is enormous, a mansion by any definition. From a distance they thought perhaps the city was small, but up close and through the streets reality tells another story, the city is indeed huge, the roads wide for merchant carts, and the gates of the mansion alone might be mistaken for the barriers to any of the smaller towns they traveled through. In fact the wealthy town the dragon had pillaged could be said to be smaller than this house.


    Even to Hollia who grew up in a city sized university, “this all seems a little much for one guy doesn’t it?” to quote her exact thoughts as she stares up at the building upon approach. The red clad uniformed guards distinctly foreign, she has seen similar uniforms worn by Croix merchant guards back home during meetings they would have with her parents, but so see them standing guard at a home in Ravashira just seems so out of place, in fact this whole city looks so foreign to her.

    “Adventurers to see the magistrate about some secret job.” says Rhulan to the guards.

   With a double tap of their spears the gates open, the lush green interior seen from outside revealing it’s self to be a brush maze.

   “Are you kidding me?” says Scrags as they walk in, “What’s this stupid shit?”

  “A test.” says Rhulan coldly, “Or some paranoid attempt to keep back thieves.”

   “Oh please,” he says pulling out a knife.

   “uh, Mr. Scrags,” says Hollia holding out her hand, but its too late.

   *Spriigg, frik*

   A vine lashes out snapping at his hand like a whip, “What the hell.”

   *heh heh heh heh*

   Rhulan laughs, the back of her hand to her lips, “What fun would it be if you could just cut through it? Of course it’s a living maze, basic old school paranoia. My guess would be they react to fire incantations, and levitation spells as well.”

   She examines the bushes, “hmmm, the second any one draws a blade, or essence of fire, or even any magic it seems, will set these off. But what’s interesting is the magic wards are new. Weird there is even spells on this to warn for necro and death energy. Perhaps for phasing, but the plain magic detection should work for that, this is a ghost ward. Looks like the basic protective features to ward off thieves have been enhanced to also act as a test and to ward off something else. My guess is what ever the trouble is, its more than most adventurers have been able to handle, so they put a test on this maze.”

   “Which would explain the lack of an escort.” adds Cata.

   “I don’t care the reason, asking for help and then this is just plain rude.” says Betty

   Hollia folds her arms nodding, “yep, my dad used to say, be up front or only take messages.” Lin Lin nods as Hollia does.

  “You hear that?” says Rhulan to an empty spot in the air, “This girl is the daughter of the Lia family out of Stratalia, perhaps you’d like them to hear about your uncouth methods for asking for help. Or perhaps you’re the type to not care about hype and prefer a more direct approach.”

   Rhulan taps the bushes with her finger.

   *guhswoosh*

 An area of the bush wall, wide enough for a very large man to walk through comfortably turns brown, withered, and falls dead to the ground turning to dust.

   *glee, clap clap clap*

   “Oh sorry, says Hollia, I…” she turns her head down a little, “I just love it when you use that lock breaker move.”

   “Lock breaker?” asks Cata.

   Rhulan shrugs.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” says Hollia, “Miss Rhulan, you just never said what it was called. But its just too cool how you can walk right through any lock spell or protective field like its nothing. So I…”

   “Lock Breaker?” says Rhulan, “Hmmm, I like it. Thanks Hollia.”

   Hollia blushes, as they begin to walk through the opening a voice booms from the empty spot in the air Rhulan had been looking at, “One moment if you please.”

   A floating armored eye manifests where the voice originated, “Lia family you say? I see as always you travel with some powerful protection, Hollia? Oh I see Holly-Lia, yes, yes, yes, I know who you are now. Younger sister of my dear, dear, dear, friend Byron-Lia. Oh yes…that…man brought some interesting guards with him on his last visit as well, of course none of them destroyed by bushes so easily, then again as you say I sent an escort for him. My apologies Miss Holly-Lia, I will send an escort right away so please tell your body guard to please not destroy anymore of my bushes, expensive things they are you know.”

    A few minutes later a woman in a long purple dress and odd square purple hat comes around the corner, “Follow me please Miss Lia and part.”

     “Heh,” says Scrags, “Looks like the little one’s in charge now.”

   Betty shoots him a mean look.

   “Just saying,” he says with a shrug.

   ******

   Past the great doors, easily a rival for the front gates, perhaps even stronger they see the inside of the mansion, a great wide room with two staircases heading off in opposite directions to the upper wings and perhaps as many as eight lower doors. The base of the stairs sports two other women standing guard, each identical to the one that showed them the way. The woman, who showed them the way stops as another, still identical woman, comes from a room to the right and indicates for them to follow her up the steps.

    She leads them to a large throne room, fitting any king, even a self appointed one.

    “The master will see you now.” she says, with the same voice as the woman who showed them in.

    Sitting in this throne is a large man, a fat man, wearing robes fitting a man sitting on such a throne, but not a man called a magistrate. Standing on either side of him are two more identical girls to the others in the mansion.

   He catches Hollia examining them, “Have the same eye for beauty that your brother does?” he says with a laugh causing her to straighten up having been caught.

   “Ehh,” she starts, interrupted by his boorish laugh.

   “Your brother, my dear, dear, dear friend yes, he brought along such a beautiful body guard a woman dressed like a Croix maid, oh but deadly I hear. Along with her he brought a pair of these…others…”

   “Golems?” says Hollia after a quick glance at Rhulan, realizing she fully intends for Hollia to do all the speaking, spoken not with words but a look in the eye, slight nod, and smile from her idol.

   “Oh, yes, yes, yes indeed.” He says with a laugh, “Gorgeous creatures they were, products of the ancient world he said. Gifts he said from his Island friends far to the southern great sea. He wouldn’t say who exactly, but I suspect Agrax or maybe some other power he’d like to keep secret. Oh but this is all merchant talk.”

   He practically leers at the women with Hollia, “Oh yes, same eye for beauty indeed, a tall powerful sorceress, a lithe oddly dressed blond, and, well, how exotic, a were…oh my…no a Kuhrai body guard…well indeed rare but that’s the Lia family. But I must say the scruffy man in back with the tiny toy knives really looks out of place.”

   *chiiirrr*

  “Oh and an adorable pet…dragon? My, my, my Miss Holly-Lia you make your brother look poor.”

   He looks again disapprovingly at Scrags again, “Well if not for the thief that is.”

   Scrags is about ready to do something before Rhulan puts out her hand and scowls at him, a gesture thankfully unseen by their host thanks to his being behind Cata and Betty.

   Hollia looks around the room again, a raised eyebrow to the women.

   “Oh, yes, that’s what you meant.” He says, “Yes, you’re brother sold me a very nice golem design, which as you can see I have managed to manufacture a nice number of here.”

   “Excuse me.” says Hollia, “Uhm, Mr…”

   “Oh?” he says, “That’s right this isn’t a merchant meeting. I forget so easily, so easy to be distracted by beauty they say. This is our first meeting, I am the town magistrate, and lead merchant, Forest O’Brish.”

   Hollia curtsies, “In that case Magistrate O’Brish, I am not here as a member of the Lia family. I am here as…an adventurer.”

   He raises an eyebrow, “Why, yes, yes, yes, that’s right, that’s why you were wandering the maze…well walked in and somehow destroyed one of my bushes. Very impressive. Yes, yes, yes, merchant or adventurer you must give it up to the Lia family to impress.”

  He raises his wine goblet, “Well then, down to business. Pleasantries over, you know me now, I know you, so we can talk shop as it were.”

   With a clap of his hands his golem maidens leave his side and walk out the doors, “I will have to remember to ask your brother the next time I see him how to make these golems a little less…intelligent. Never was an issue before for golems, but as nice as it is to have golems able to make decisions, walk around fragile objects with out fear of them destroying them, and even entertain guests. They seem to have the odd habit of gossiping like normal maids, talkative super-powered dolls is a tad disturbing. But hey, bonus they don’t really eat, sleep is just standing motionless…although it is a little creepy to see one just standing still; eyes open in a dark room like a statue and yet able to respond immediately to anything.”



   He sighs, “But there I go again, you are an adventurer party, no doubt you heard we have a job here. And one you have to come to me to ask for. Well you see we have had a little problem for a week now. With the number of adventurers that have come back and filled up the port hospital you’d think it’s been months. Every adventurer that came with the ships in the harbor has tried their hands at it; the captains are not happy loosing so many strong backs for their return trips. It seems also just knowing what the job is has caused some ruin hunters, and what have you to run off with out even bothering to ask for money, guess they figured they could get rich on their own. So a big hush, hush for the guards, and the town for that matter. They come here, go through my little test, and then if I approve I tell them where and what.”

   “Excuse me.” says Hollia, “Mr…I mean, Magistrate O’Bish, no offense but it kinda feels like you’re stalling.”

   Rhulan has to suppress a laugh.

   “Well, to be honest I’d rather not send a member of the Lia family on such a dangerous job, yes I know you’re family is well known for their past exploits, your parents are very strong…and thinking about it I would even be willing to pay them to come here when they get the chance to take care of this problem. However I know from your brother that you haven’t been out adventuring before.”

   “No offense.” she says, “But Mr Magistrate, I have been, we” she indicates the whole party, “have fought some very dangerous monsters. No doubt you heard about the attack on the school?”

   This peeks his interest, “Yes?”

   “Well we have tracked down and killed three giant monsters related to that…so if another one is here…”

    “Oh? No.” he says, “This isn’t related to that. But it is interesting they sent you out…no offense…to go on a quest to deal with something so serious. What with the lack of experience and all.”



   “Oh enough!” spouts out Rhulan, “No offense, no offense, Hollia is trying to be nice Magistrate O’Bish, but to be honest I’d like you to kindly shut up.”

  “Miss Rhulan.” says Hollia, “please…”

   Rhulan smiles and bows, “As you wish Hollia.”

  “Sorry Magistrate O’Bish.” she bows in apology, “but this woman here is my field instructor…we have all in fact been through a lot. And to be honest this is all very unprofessional. We are adventurers, you’re town is in trouble. We are both willing and able to take the job, you should tell us how much it pays, what it is, and where to find it. We will worry about the danger. As adventurers its our job, my family wont hold you accountable.”

    “Clever, clever, clever.” he says with a boisterous laugh, “Yes, to be honest I have been scaring off every adventurer for the last three days, we actually lost the first three parties completely, found the bodies later. I have been sending messages to Stratalia for aid, they tell me Tryos-Lia and Jasma-Lia won’t be back for months. We are holding down till then, in fact well I wasn’t supposed to tell you this but I did get work from Mr. Jinron-Lia that you might come this way, and to give you passage on a ship back to Stratalia.”

    Hollia narrows her eyes taking a tone more serious than she ever has, “Like I said, don’t think of me as a Lia, I am an adventurer. We will take your job.”

   “Not so fast.” says Rhulan with a smile as she pats Hollia on the shoulder, “Very nice show there for your independence, you are a real adventurer, reminded me of your grandfather when he was little, no one wanted to give him any work either when he started out until his reputation actually got around. Small towns aren’t good for spreading tales of heroism.”

   She steps forward, “You there, Magistrate golem lover, I am Rhulan, master sorceress, you have already seen how easily I destroyed your expensive magic topiary. Behind me are Captain Betty, and Captain Cata. No doubt as a merchant you are well aware of Captain Cata the infamous pirate, master swords-woman. Captain Betty is also a pirate, powerful rival to Captain Cata, and interestingly enough a gun-user. Both possess incredible mystical powers, this other man is a stealthy thief, useful skills for getting around when you don’t want you put on a big show. Hollia is our assist type sorceress.”

   Magistrate O’Bish notices Scrags rolling his eyes. No surprise to him, despite the bargain he made with Jinron-Lia to return his grand-daughter to Stratalia the family is well known for their skills, and Holly-Lia already has rumors abounded from the mouths of past students of the school, a prodigy of magic. He knows that under normal circumstances he wouldn’t have jerked them around and just given them the job sooner.

   “Damn it.” He thinks, “Jinron’s payment is already on its way.”

   “Okay, okay.” He says in surrender, “Yes, fine, but if Jinron asks I had no idea who you were, yes that works, all incognito traveling.”

   He sits back studying them, “You know what come to think of it you folks do fit the description I was sent from one of my own teams that was sent a little while ago to deal with some cult monster.”

    He shifts himself in his seat, “Okay, okay, done to real business.”

   With the push of a button a chime sounds and his golem maidens return to the room, one of them holding a rolled up map. He waves his finger from her to Hollia, the golem maiden brings her the map with a bow of the head as she walks backwards back to her standing position next to Magistrate O’Bish.

  “That,” he says, “My unknown adventurers is a map of the area to the south of the bay. Show the seal to the ferryman on dock 73, it’s a small powered boat just for going across the bay. Your payment if you complete the job is 700 gold.”

   “Seven hundred gold?” asks Rhulan, “And what exactly costs this much. As much as I enjoy beating around the bush you still haven’t told us the job. Its customary before an adventurer team accepts a job to at least know what it is, especially if someone wants to also scare someone off the job.”

   He glares at her for a moment, knowing she said it that way just because his talkative dolls are back in the room.

   “Well, my aptly named compatriot…you know I heard some small villages would still name their daughters after that evil figure, such a shame, such an evil name attached to such a pretty face.”

   *cough*

   “At any rate, Rhulan, Rhulan is our problem.”

  “Excuse me?” she says,

  “Concerned now are you? Maybe I should have said…this…earlier…”

   He looks at his maidens shaking his head, “In the woods on the southern shore, hidden away is an old ruined castle. Inside its dungeon there used to be a seal created so the legend says by Anna Norami and Magilish, the two magic users that traveled with the hero Gyro-Lee a thousand years ago. This seal held back a small army of monsters created by the evil empress Rhulan, mechanical terrors, and shadowy demons, amongst other ghosts. Yes, yes, yes, you see it seems a thief got the idea in her pretty head that there were jewels and treasure down there. This thief is pretty skilled, she broke the seal. And now our shores are being haunted by these monsters. That’s why the city is in lock down, no doubt you’ve run across some on your way here.”

   The party look amongst each other, “Uh, well, no.” says Hollia, “Mr. Magistrate sir, we have come across the occasional forest beast and odd-ball monster or high-way man, but nothing mechanical or spectral in anyway.”

   “I see,” he says stroking a none-existent beard, “Hmmm, perhaps this isn’t such a bad Idea after all. Well enough of that, so will you take the job?”

   Rhulan holds up her hand, “Just one more question, you said the thief was a girl, how do you know this?”

   “Hmmm, oh!”

   He brightens up, “Yes, yes, yes, well the thief went back to the scene of the crime. I have my watcher eyes floating around there now, early warning system yes, a pretty thing she is, long blond hair, a thin pointed chin, oh and that odd outfit she has on is so wonderfully form fitting, looks like one of those Croix banker or corporation costumes.”

    Scrags’s attention is brought back in full force; he had been falling asleep during this whole political and often odd side-stepping by both sides, but now.

   “Pillage?” he mumbles to himself, “ancient magic seal, able to survive what has killed adventurers…” his eyes narrow thinking, “crazy enough to try more than once…yeah sounds like Pillage alright. But if she’s around that means Plunder might be too, and if they are both around that means…”

   “You awake Scrags?” asks Betty. He looks around the warm sun shining in his eyes, “What the hell?” he thinks realizing he had somehow managed to day dream about his fellow thieves while they finished up their talks with the magistrate.

   As they leave a golem maiden leans in to Hollia, “Miss Holly-Lia, he is right we are great big gossips, but we also have great hearing, not much else to do but eavesdrop and gossip when we are treated like eye candy statues by that fat doofus. I feel obliged to tell you, your grandfather paid the magistrate to send you back home if you should come by here. That is why he didn’t want us in the room; it would hurt his credibility as magistrate to take a bribe from the merchant’s guild for personal reasons.”

   “Uh, thank…you.” says Hollia confused that a golem would act this way.

   As they leave the property, after being escorted out by this same golem, Hollia turns to Rhulan, “Have you ever heard of golems acting like that?”

   “Yes,” she says, “in that those aren’t normal golems, more like magically powered androids.”

   Betty nods, arms crossed, “yep, androids, yep yep.”

   “An..what?” asks Hollia.


  “Golems,” says Rhulan, “same concept, only a lot more complicated and most obeying mechanical laws over magical ones. And usually a lot smarter than golems. That fat pervert has more trouble than he knows with those, especially…those.” Her eyes narrow thinking, “and it looks like Byron-Lia has gotten his hands on some precursor technology. Not good, those golems…magical androids…they couldn’t be P.J. models could they? No, even Byron wouldn’t sell that design if he got…, if he knows what it is that is….”

    She shakes her head “Any who.” says Rhulan, “We have the job, despite that exhausting fat-ass’s sad attempt to trick us into leaving. I don’t know about you guys but I could use something to eat after standing around listening to that idiot yap.”

   Hollia tries to suppress a giggle, but to no avail. Lin Lin lowers herself into Hollia’s arms, apparently also exhausted, reflecting Hollia’s own mood. She has never before tried to act all diplomatic, act like her parents. It’s clear this guy wasn’t taking her seriously though, just putting on a show for her grand-father and brother’s sakes.