The Thieves Guild ch.06

    *buuuurp*

    “Another beer sir?”

   “Yeah,” answers Scrags to the bartender.

   “Damn it all.” says Scrags, “This sucks, sucks, suuucks.”

   “Trouble at home?” asks the bartender.

   “No, shit like that I could deal with, nope.”

   *gulp* down goes the beer.

   “You wouldn’t know it looken at meee, but I’m on some dumb ass adventure.”

   “Ah, so one of those adventurers that had trouble in the woods sir.”

  Scrags laughs loudly drawing looks, “Oh…hell no,…we did great, we got the pay and everything, damn thing was a cake walk, its always a cake walk. Make matters worse those psycho chicks now think I’ve been slacking off on purpose.”

   “uhhh-hum.” Nods the bartender.

   “Yeah, some old…friend…bitch…evil freak…she just had to show up and accuse me of…*burp*…trying to trick them…”

    He staggers a little grabbing some peanuts from a free bowl.

   “Oh, no, no, no, no, no, hell no. What do they expect me to do? Every time something shows up, woosh, they swoop to action and take it out too quick man.”

   He taps his glass, “you see first off we got this lady in charge, she’s scary, I mean last boss scary, I mean blow up mountains scary, and like right away she was like this, but every time we turn around she’s gotten scarier. She acts all sorry like for being scary and evil, but you can tell man, just look in those glowing eyes man, she would snap your neck in a second if that precious little student of hers wasn’t around. Man oh man, something going on there man, something…” he waves his glance dismissing the thought.

   “But man,” he continues, “dissss…*burp* this last job man, she got
scarier, like fancy new sword, and like summoning monsters scary.”

   “Not too unusual sir.” says the bartender, “you shouldn’t feel bad about having someone strong leading your party, woman or not. Here have some more peanuts, gotta soak up your beer before you order your next.”

   “yeah thanks,” says Scrags, “Oh I could tell you more man, but knowing my luck she’s going to reveal like down the line like she likes to do that she could read minds all along or some scary shit like that…*burp*…man…did I mention that little precious student of hers?”

   “Yes sir.”

   “Yeah, she acts all mousy, but she’s a know it all type you know, the scary one, she’s like the teach of the little one, but she acts all helpless, but turn around and woosh she’s throwing out big spells, putting monsters to sleep man, she even has a pet dragon, like a real dragon.”

   “Yes sir,” says the bartender, “I do recal your group coming in earlier.”

   “Yeah you know then man, that thing was like a real dragon, not some animal man, but a real magical dragon, and its just her pet….woah.”

    His head spins for a moment, “but let me tell you the other two aren’t any better, scurvy sea dogs in the bodies of hot babes…a hot cat babe…yeah, one acts all ditzy, but piss her off and BOOM! Yeah boom man, she blows up a big monster like a tick with a fire twig….eh, I need to lay off the beer, got any coffee?”

   “yes sir,”

   “Well you know what I saved the worst for last, we got the cat babe, man not your typical cat-girl, were-cat, or what ever, she’s like one of them alien cat babes you know, but like all sword swinging, damn bitch spits lightning, every time I turn around she’s getting on my case about something.”

   *gulp* down goes the beer.

   “But like she’s a sea captain, you know I’d think okay that’s an excuse, but the other girl captain she’s the nicer one…but BOOM!, yeah boom man…uuuh, did I say that? I don’t know I need to just lay down and sober up. Gotta get back on the road.”

   As he starts to stand and lay down some coins for the payment, “But let me tell you one last thing man, I think they actually plan to walk aaaalllll the waaaay across the continent. I mean really we’re on a journey to the other end of the world.” He rubs his eyes, “I can’t even imagine actually doing that, they’re like waiting for their boats to get fixed and then catch up with us later. Its crazy I tell you, they could just sit back and wait it out back in like their home town for the boats to be fixed, do some local jobs, but they wanna walk across the…like…the wooorrrurl..urld..*burp* I’m outta here.”

   As he waves and walks away a thin framed pale woman with long black hair wearing strange gypsy robes, only black, with dangly earrings cuts him off, “Good sir, may I have a moment of your time.”

   “I aint got no money…*burp*” he looks back at the bar and back at her realizing even in a drunken daze that she knows better, “Okay I was being nice, I aint paying for no fortune teller.”

  “You have a good eye sir,” she says, “I am a fortune teller, yes I do normally charge people for my services, but the aura of evil around you is just too strong. I feel it is my duty to warn you.”

   She sets him down back at the bar, he just shrugs and goes along with it, and she takes out a small crystal ball. With a few waves over the ball she goes into a trance of sorts, “Evil walks beside you, your allies and friends of old turn on you, and gods conspire against you because of it…”

   *gak!*

   The bartender and Scrags are taken back as she is suddenly lifted into the air, the source however is not mystical power, but a hand wrapped around her neck from behind, connected to the hand is none other than Rhulan. Before Scrags can respond or any of the late night adventurers can stand and draw their swords the woman vanishes in a puff of black smoke.

   The confused bar patrons murmur amongst themselves as Rhulan puts her hands on her hips and scolds Scrags, “You really shouldn’t listen to shadows,” she says much to his confusion.

   On the stairs leading to the upstairs rooms Hollia has stood and watched the whole thing, which is to say until a moment ago she and Rhulan were spying on Scrags talking to the fortune teller. They came down right at the time when he was heading up stairs and was stopped by this fortune teller.

    “Miss Rhulan, Mr. Scrags,” says Hollia walking over, “Excuse me, but I think I know who that woman is…was.”

    “Really?” They both say in unison,

   “uh…yes…I think I do. She was dressed a little funny, but I could swear she was Miss Sally O’Field. She has been having meetings with my grand-father for some time now. I don’t think my grand-father likes her though, he’s always angry when she shows up and wont tell me what they talk about.”

   She thinks for a moment, “Remember Miss Rhulan, we passed her in the hall when you first met my grand-father?”

   “I was wandering when she’d make a move.” states Rhulan, “I’d also like to know what she was up to back in Stratalia.”

   “You mean you don’t know?” asks Hollia.

   Rhulan shakes her head, “I knew she was around, but she has some strong astral wards around her, couldn’t get in the same room to eavesdrop.”

   “What the hell is going on?” asks Scrags looking back and forth between them with his blood shot eyes.

   “In the morning,” says Rhulan, “This is important, everyone needs to hear it, and you need to be sober.”

   She glares at him as she ushers Hollia back up stairs.

   “What ever,” says Scrags, “I…I’ll…I’ll go throw up now…uhhh.”

   ******



    The morning has come, the early birds chirp, the bar is mostly empty, and the party sits around the table waiting for this important information Rhulan has woken them so early to hear, not that they weren’t intending to leave town early anyhow. Scrags leans back in his chair trying to keep his eyes open.

    “Okay,” says Rhulan, “Looks like we have a knew problem following us around.”

   Betty and Cata exchange looks, “Some rogue, or vengeful bandit?” asks Cata.

  Rhulan dismisses that with a wave of the hand, “No that’d just be an annoyance, no what we got is significantly more serious. Last night an old pain in my side showed up and tried to trick Scrags into going traitor.”

   They all look at Scrags, whose eyes dart back and forth, “I assume she failed,” says Rhulan, “Pretended to be a fortune teller, and for some reason she was also up to something back in Stratalia right before it was attacked. We can’t assume it’s a coincidence.”

   “Okay,” says Scrags, “So you gonna come clean about this one? Some old monster you made, some ally from the good old days, what’s it this time, some thousand year old witch? What crazy shit we have now huh?”

   “I,” says Rhulan in all seriousness, “Don’t know.”

   Everyone goes wide eyed.

   “Best I can tell she’s always a shadow-copy, a kind of solid astral body. Even at the school that’s all she was. A very strong astral projection, even able to use strong magic in that form, thankfully she can’t use offensive magic it seems, and the range on her other spells is severely limited, but no less powerful. Another factor working in our favor is that it seems it takes a lot of focus to maintain a solid state able to fool others and interact with the world like that, she can’t do much in the way of anything physical as far as attacks go, so it takes very little to take out one of those bodies.”



   Scrags and Hollia think back to the night before when Rhulan strangled the woman, “Just like last night when you strangled her Miss Rhulan,” says Hollia.

   Cata and Betty are astonished, “Okay,” says Cata, “Let me get this straight, some powerful witch then is up to something and is too much of a coward to appear in person. And I guess sees Rhulan as a threat, that’s understandable. But if she tries anything we can just take her out right?”

   Betty nods,

   “I don’t know,” says Rhulan, “I wouldn’t underestimate her.”

   She turns to Hollia, “You remember the legend of Gyro-Lee where they would say Gyro’s party was helped from time to time by a mysterious ghostly woman who talked in riddles and cryptic messages?”

   “Uhhh, yeah,” says Hollia…, “you don’t mean?”

   “Yes.” says Rhulan with a nod, “They are one and the same. She in fact told Gyro-Lee how to find that oh so incredible artifact that was used to defeat me.”

   They all look around; even Lin Lin coiled up in Hollia’s lap looks up at her in concern.

   “Something else worth thinking about,” says Rhulan, “Hollia remember that blast that hit the school right before the Dah-Hoth showed up.”

   “Yes,” says Hollia with a nod remembering that terrifying event.

  “Neither the Dah-hoth we fought or Sally could have done that, and I seriously doubt the Croix empire wanting to expand over Ravashira could have either, which we can’t be certain right now of everything Polymoebial or what ever was talking through her said anyway.”

   Cata and Betty lean in, during their travels to pass the time Hollia and Rhulan had brought them up to speed, however this is the first they recall hearing about a blast. They had mentioned the Dah-hoth attacking the school, but no blast.

   “really?” says Hollia,

  “uh-huh,” says Rhulan, “First we have Sally hanging around the school, a mysterious blast from some unknown assailant, then the Dah-hoth attack us in two different places. Now Sally has come after us specifically trying her old tricks. Put all this along side what Polymoebial said about a real enemy on the other end of the world and the Croix Empire, and we have ourselves a very big mess. Not to mention that it looks like they might be working together, targeting us.”

   “What about the Dah-hoth that went after that village?” asks Betty.

   “A rogue,” says Rhulan, “We ran into a whole hoard of some kinda like that during the attack on the school, that one must have been just smart enough to escape the will of their master and head out on its own…hmm…I didn’t mention that before? At any rate we’re being targeted.”

   She stops and looks over at Hollia as they think, remembering the blast that tore through the ceiling at come straight down on top of Hollia not herself as she would have thought. Is this about Stratalia? She remembers Los Rodos, that giant one Ravana had attacked there too. Even that rogue as she is calling it had gone past them and was gaining its strength in a town directly in their path, but that one could just as easily be said to be after her as it was one of her old temples it took out. And then there is Sally, she sounded like she was turning Scrags against her.

   “Hmmm,” hums Rhulan.

  “You think of something else?” asks Cata

   “No, nothing,” says Rhulan while thinking, “This is troubling, I can’t tell what they’re up to…it would also help if I knew who exactly they, it, he, she, or what ever was as well.”

   Their thoughts are cut short when they hear a messenger come in and ask the proprietor if the party of Holly-Lia and Rhulan have left yet.


   “They’re right over there.” Says the large man with the scruffy beard pointing out their table.

   “Thank you,” says the well dressed man as he heads over, “Miss Holly-Lia, Miss Rhulan, and associate. I have a message from Magistrate O’Bish, he would like for you to come by before leaving town, he has something of great importance to discuss with you.”

   “Such as?” asks Rhulan.

   “I’m sorry,” says the man, “I was only told to inform you of his request I have no more information.”

   With a bow he heads back out the door leaving them to wander what else the magistrate could possibly want.

    ******

    “What…the…hell…happened…here?” The girls all say at once, with Scrags and Lin Lin just staring in disbelief at the site of construction crews repairing a giant hole in the front of the mansion as well as a ripped up walk way.

    “Oh, yes, yes, yes,” says O’Bish coming around the side with a pair of the golems walking besides him, except now he seems a bit nervous as they stand close to him.

    “Is there anything else we can help you with Magistrate?” asks Hollia trying her best to sound like her mother.

    “Well,” he says looking back and forth between his golems, “there it…well…” he rubs his hands together trying to smile, “How would you all like to be my new body guards? I can pay you huge sums of money, so how about it, I’m sure my old pal Byron-Lia would agree, and of course your grandfather…”

    “Please magistrate we really must be on our way, our main adventure quest is just getting started, we owe it to the world, my family’s heritage as adventurers, and our own futures to see this through.” says Hollia

    “hmm,” says Cata, “Kids getting some spunk in her isn’t she?”

    “I like to think we’re a nice positive influence.” says Betty.

   “yeah…pirates and the evil overlord from days gone by…” thinks Scrags, “some positive influence.”

    “Won’t you please reconsider?” asks Magistrate O’Bish, “After last night I’m a little...” he leans in close to her and whispers while pointing behind him, “uncomfortable.”

   The golems exchange looks.

   Rhulan laughs, “So what happen get a prowler and your Petite Juggernauts, AKA Dark Girls, go overboard and throw the thief through the wall?”

   He stares wide eyed, “Miss…you know…you knew…what these things are?”

   “Things?” says the golems in unison.

   “Oh no, no, no, no,” he says waving his hands trying to apologize to them,

   “I didn’t mean it like that…girls…golems…what ever you want to be called.”

    “Apology accepted.” They say in unison, “you need not fear sir we will protect you.”

   “Translation,” says Rhulan, “Byron sold you some guards that you mistook for doll maids to play dress up with. Gotta be careful with Dark Girls, the schematic…”

    *cough*

   “The historical documents describe them as being somewhat unstable, their mental state evolves very quickly, and they are very strong. In fact…”


   She leans in what could be described as uncomfortably close to one of them, “They are officially called Petite Juggernauts. A Juggernaut was a golem said to be the size of a small city, or a town, with incredible power. These are all that power in a much smaller body, imagine if you had all the strength of a bull compacted into the body of a bug, it’d be able to jump over a house at that lighter weight, smash through walls despite its size.”

    Magistrate O’Bish stares wide eyed at the two behind him, and over at the four guarding the construction crew. He has counted no less than sixteen of these golems guarding his property and person. Sixteen, where each one could destroy a city.

   “By the goddess,” he says, “I…Miss Rhulan?”

   When everyone was looking at the golems she had snuck off and looks to be examining the ones by the gate.

   “Magistrate O’Bish,” says Hollia, “My brother is clearly concerned for your well-fare and I would say he was right. So what did happen last night?”

   “Oh, yes, yes, my dear, there was an attempt on my life.”

   “So not a prowler then?” says Scrags, “With this much damage I would have thought…”

   He shakes his head, “never mind,”

    “Oh, you mean your lady thief friend,” says Magistrate O’Bish, “yes, yes, yes, remember my watchers were keeping an eye on you guys, yes, yes, yes, I saw her confront your group, unfortunately to keep it safe it had to stay too high to hear you, but yes, I was very glad to see you scare her off. Those fancy techniques of hers were very scary, but you prevailed.”

   He sighs, “No, someone wearing an odd uniform broke into my house last night, he made an attempt on my life…it was…I can’t remember, I was too…well scared, he said something about executing me in the name of….some…empire…maybe it was a kingdom…” he shrugs, “to be honest as a merchant I am bound to have a lot of enemies all over the continent, it could be almost anyone…hmmm…maybe the kingdom of Troode up north, no they’re assassins use swords, honor bond or some such rubbish, maybe the kingdom of Acatara, they hate me, blame me for selling weapons to their enemies the kingdom of Back-Back, but then again…”

   “In any case,” says Cata, “Hollia, no offense, but this feels like a local political matter, with the problems we already have, as much as this may sound cynical, but these merchant assassin issues are nothing new, these people make all sorts of enemies. It’s a problem we could never solve, and if we chased after everyone who felt chided by them we’d be attacking all sorts of people, well meaning and not the rest of our lives. In fact we’d become mercenaries and assassins ourselves, many an adventurer as fallen into such a trap.”

   “Indeed,” says Betty nodding with her arms crossed, “I…like, have run into these guys too, yep, yep, yep, they always got someone in the woodwork out to get them.” She holds her finger up and winks at Hollia, “I bet that’s why your brother gave him these butt-kicker androids you know. He’s in good hands.”

   “I agree,” says Rhulan, “messy politics these merchant matters, this guy just didn’t real the manual on his new security system is all. We did our work, now all that’s left in our deal is the ferry across the bay…again, to be honest if not for the seven hundred gold I would think we should have just kept going…then again…coming back has its rewards…”

   “Yes,” says Hollia, “I am sorry Magistrate O’Bish, if you have any complaints about my family’s products please speak with my brother, I’m sorry that I can’t help you. We must be on our way.”

     With out further complaints, knowing when to bow out gracefully Magistrate O’Bish says his farewell and hands them a travel pass to another boat across the bay.

    “I don’t know why we don’t charter a ship.” says Scrags.

   Cata sighs, “We don’t have the money, and besides these are merchant ships, they don’t take passengers, unless you want to work on one for who knows how many months as they sale between the southern islands and back up north until they return here or to the Archae sea, which most ships docking here are heading north this time of year from the islands.”

   “You checked around?” asks Scrags

   Cata smiles, “I don’t have too, I’m a pirate remember?”

  Hollia and Betty both chuckle.

  “Where’s Miss Rhulan,” asks Hollia looking back as Rhulan comes up from behind them.

   “Sorry about that,” says Rhulan, “Its not every day one sees precursor technology in working order.”

   “Precursor?” asks Hollia

  “Yes, Petite Juggernauts, Dark Girls, are precursor tech, your family must have some impressive excavations going on to have found the full designs and not just documentations for them.”

   “So this adventure has been very rewarding for you too then?” smiles Betty, “always nice for a teacher to learn something too huh?”

   Rhulan smiles a wicked smile as she reaches behind her, only a few confused people looking as a small egg floats across the ground into her hand. As quick as a flash she tucks it back into her cape, “Very rewarding,” she thinks with a wicked smile which quickly vanishes as she walks back to her spot alongside Hollia at the head of the pack heading towards the dock, the smaller girl smiling back up at her with Lin Lin catching up on some sleep in her arms.