Tonight was the night of the heist. There was a chill in the air that seeped straight into my bones, unnaturally so, an omen of the dangers to come. Aurorah, normally a city bustling and loud, felt like it too was holding its breath. As if it was waiting for the inevitable clash between titans.

What? I am a titan of the city, known far and - I shook myself out of my bravado. It was no time for self-aggrandizing, I can save that for after the job was done. As Grandma Noel always told me.

“Now listen here, doll,” I could just hear her voice, as well as feel the thick tobacco filling my lungs. “Too much puff in your chest will trip up your feet. Always remember, the goon who barks the loudest is often the first to die.”

The memory of sitting on her porch, overlooking my hometown of Heart Beats, filled me with a warmth in my soul that I much needed. I donned my usual sorceress attire, minus my mantel and cape. It wouldn’t fit under the hoodie and sweats I wore over my enchanted garb. Tonight, I decided to disguise myself as one of the average folks hoping to win a hand against the bourgeoisie or hit the jackpot at the machines. No one I’ve met the last few nights should recognize me now.

And no one did, not even Cadence. I had to get his attention at the bar by making awkward prolonged eye contact. It took him an uncomfortable amount of time till recognition dawned on his stupid face.

“Oh, Miss Rin… what happened to you?” He whispered conspiratorially.

“Shut up. I didn’t want to be noticed.” I could feel the heat in my face.

“Well, you sure blend in with the… uh…” his eyes darted to the corner of the club where the average looking folk gathered around the various game machines. “Well, you fit in with the other crowd.”

I grinded my teeth, keeping from slapping the jerk. It was the whole point to look like the other group, I made too many acquaintances here and if I was all dolled up it would be… I took a calming breath. I’d rather be avoided than have people drag me to tables again.

“Just get me a drink, Cadence.” I demanded, annoyance evident in my voice.

“Uh, right. Of course.” He quickly scurried and made my drink.

I turned in my stool, leaning back on the bar. The tables were filled, the machines bursting to give out that jackpot, and the security bats resting above. The eyes closed on all of them. Cipher was already starting. I glanced across the club when I spotted Vex strolling in. Her form is that of an eight-foot tall amazonian woman in a cocktail dress that looked like it came straight from the Twilight Line itself. The cascading colors of the dress sure did draw the attention of everyone in the club, which was perfect, and her figure sure kept those eyes on her as well. My eyes only turned away when Cadence tapped me on the shoulder, giving me a start.

“Ah, sorry… But your drink.” Cadence said.

“Forget the drink, things are about to start.” I said, nodding my head over to where Vex was walking, no not walking. She was more graceful than that. Gliding perhaps? She was gliding across the floor to the slot machines.

“Oh, wow.” Came the awe from Cadence's slack jaw.

“Close it up, we gotta move.” I said, jumping off the stool with excitement.

As Cadence made his way around the bar counter, the familiar triumphant chime and ringing bells blared across the room. Vex was standing over a man at the machine going off. Her hand was intertwined with the man’s own over the lever of the winning machine. His mouth was practically on the floor, though his eyes were clearly focused away from his winning machine and on the stunning Vex.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Jackpot! It’s started.” I quickly made my way towards the door in the back. The sign on it read ‘Staff Only’. I had to impatiently wait for Cadence to get the door open.

More and more jackpots blared one after the other. The patrons, the desperate and rich alike, began to swarm over the machines. Security quickly jumped into action, doing their best to tame the dozens of ravenous people. This made it easy for the two of us to just casually stroll through the back door once it was unlocked.

Cipher was right, it was pretty funny to see all those machines go off at once. I’ll have to get them to do it again next time I play a few games. I wouldn't mind a bit of reimbursement from the last few nights tossing my money around, not that I was running low.

Getting beyond the back doors, the corridor was a bit of a shock. Where the club was loud and vibrant, the hallway was deadly silent and bland. The lights were somehow bright and dull, the contradiction straining my eyes. There was also this pungent smell that filled the space. It was a bit gross and oddly familiar. The awful corridor stretched about twenty yards; doors staggered about before it turned off.

“Alright, where too?” I asked, looking up to Cadence.

“It’s at the end of the hall, directly around the corner.” His voice a dead whisper, the fear radiating from him a near physical force.

“Alright, then let's get to it. We don’t have much time.” I said, then darted down the hall.

I didn’t look back to see if Cadence was following me, but I did hear his clumsy feet a few moments later. I turned the corner and ran right into the two guarding the door.

“Ouch.” I said bouncing off one and falling on the floor.

Looking up, I noticed a problem. It wasn’t Leigh and Jeffery, the two I was expecting. Instead, it was two giants, (okay not literally giants, they did have a hard time fitting in the hallway), both were at least nine feet tall and half as wide.

“Well, you two aren’t who I was expecting.” I said, the humor dying on my lips as their glares burned into me. “W-well, I’m just gonna walk through an- EEEP!”

The one on the right, my right, reached for me. His hands blurred as he tried to seize me. Something yanked me back, sending me sliding on the floor. Cadence yelled in pain. Scrambling to my feet I saw Cadence in the giant man's grip, the second man taking a step towards me. I pushed mana towards my hands, casting a spell that was as familiar as the pounding within my chest.

“Rai Tempus!” I shouted, the mana releasing from my open palm at the rapidly approaching figure.

The man froze in place. Rather I had slowed him down to where he seemed frozen in time. Give it an hour or so and he would finish his step. Though I should have remembered Grandma Noel's wise words as pain flared throughout my chest as something smashed into me, flinging me into the wall. I broke a few ribs, guaranteed. Trying to spread healing mana through my body, I was quickly seized by the hair. My eyes only caught a glimpse at the fallen form of Cadence on the ground where I once was. The brute really had tossed Cadence at me.

I held in my screams of pain, as the giant man forcefully yanked me up and facing him. My scalp felt like it was ripping from my skull. But I didn’t let it show. I glared into the eyes of the giant man and spat right into his eyes. But nothing, dude didn’t even blink.

“Oh, now that is just gross.” I said, watching my spit slide from his vacant eyes.

Vacant eyes. The gross smell. Giant hulking figures. The pieces finally clicked together.

“Fucking Draugrs.” The words just escaped my mouth as the giant undead brute smashed me into the floor. My prior healing and my enchanted clothes being the only thing keeping me from dying, though not keeping away the nearly soul crushing pain.

“Agaura-“ I started as I was being lifted, the mana gathering within me. As I felt the pungent air speeding pass me, as I was coming closer and closer to the ground I shouted. “VOLANTES!”

I stopped centimeters from the ground. The draugr began to lift off the ground. He released me as he failed to try and regain his balance. I took a moment watching the absurd sight before I collected myself and filled my body once again with mana to heal. Wincing in pain as I felt my ribs pop back into place. The damage was more than I thought. I floated over to Cadence, who was looking worse than I felt. I casted a minor healing spell over him.

“Guess you are out for the count buddy. Why don’t you watch these two and make sure they don’t go anywhere.” I said to the sleeping Cadence, jerking my thumb at the two undead. One slowed in time, the other bouncing off the walls.

Making my way over to the door, I quickly looked over the enchantments. The scuffle might have only taken a few moments, though I am sure someone heard it. So, I had to hurry. But these enchantments looked… wrong. They were glowing and were full of arcane power. But the sigils, or rather the strange markings didn’t make any sense. I pushed my own mana into the enchanted door. Outside the strange marks lighting up nothing happened. No push back, no anti-tampering spell going off… nothing.

“No way…” I said as I stood up straight and grasped the doorknob. Anticipating some sort of feedback or a surge of pain I winced. But again, nothing happened. I gave it a twist and slowly opened the door. “Seriously? A fake enchanted door.”

I opened the door more and slipped into Vincent Stone’s office. Which was impressive. The floor wasn’t the tile that the club was filled with, but a deep plush carpet. A deep ruby red. The walls were trimmed with gold, and I could only hope it was painted silver, else the walls were worth chipping away at and pocketing the pieces. The office was also adorned with art, some I was sure were reported stolen or lost to the ages. On the back wall were bookshelves filled with books and in front of it an ornate wooden desk, a work of art in itself. On said ornate desk, sat the prize I was after.

“Hello, Rin Valesine,” a familiar gruff voice said, the door I came through slammed shut.

The wall slid open on my left and a tall, older gentleman radiated an imposing presence from within the doorway. His broad shoulders and muscular frame filling out his finely tailored suit to the point it was straining not to tear at the seams. His gray hair, neatly combed back, contrasted sharply with his deep tanned complexion. His weathered scarred skin hinting at the man's past as a former adventurer. Though despite his age, Vincent Stone still gave off an impressive powerful figure of strength and authority. I could feel my stomach falling and my mind going blank.

“I’ve been expecting you. Oh, how I have been expecting you,” he said, a terrible grin that stretched from ear to ear. “Or should I call you Ashtren?”

My soul fell through me.