Emma stomped hastily in the night’s cold heading in the Temple’s general direction.
“Left paid three months of rent ahead, take care. With love Nicole”
“A single line note!” she grumped clenching her fists.
While it was true that she wasn’t the best of all roommates Emma didn’t thought that her friend would leave so suddenly.
“I know she’s been saying her boyfriend wanted her to move with him but at least she could have said good bye!” She complained turning in a corner to get into a dark alley.
“Stupid Max! Stupid aristocrats with their stupid expectations!” She got out of the alley and ended her rambling as the Temple appeared on her sight.
Well, to say it was the Temple was a stretch when she purposely got to the back of the building.
“Hmph! Classic from the high ones. Pristine front but a full of trash backyard! At least that brat didn’t lie when he said he knew how to get here. I guess those five pebbles were well spent.” She mumbled trying to figure how to climb the wall.
Half a round, an old wood box and a broken chair later Emma was gasping for air while laying on top of the wall. But it was all worth it because in front of her was a small garden in which a petite pink haired girl played with sticks besides a pond.
“Oi girl!” she called at the girl “Come here! There is only a sixth of round until their night rites end!”
The girl turned and smiled when she saw Emma resting on the wall. She threw the sticks away and ran at her waving happily.
“Did you brought it?” She asked earnestly “Jimmy said you would! The old ones don’t let me have anything good!” The lass complained when she got close.
How had the little scoundrel found that Temple’s next maiden played at the buildings back garden when the priests practiced their night rites? Emma had her fair amount of suspicions. How had he gained the girl’s trust? It was a complete mystery. However; the only thing she cared about was that he had told her how to get there and that with a small bribe the girl would tell her everything she knew about the so called Ghost Priest.
“Here!” Emma said passing the lass a paper bag. “Now tell me what you know girl!”
“I’m Wendy!” the girl pouted opening the bag but it was quickly replaced with a smile when she saw the contents.
To Emma’s dismay, instead of replying Wendy reached inside the bag for a cookie and munched it immediately.
“Oi! Lass!”
“Mmm?” *chomp chomp*
“The priest! How was it like? I’ll give you this when you tell me everything!” Emma said showing the girl a small vase.
“What is that?” Wendy asked stopping for a moment before taking another cookie.
“Honey” Emma whispered with a wicked smile
“!!!... what do you want to know?!”
“The Ghost Priest! What do you know about him?”
“And you will give me the honey?” The girl asked squinting her eyes.
“Yes!”
“Okay!” Wendy smiled again “He was weird!” she said and looked at Emma expectantly
“What else? How did he looked? How did you find him?”
“Mmm, I was playing and heard noises in uncle’s Tom study so I went to check. At first I was really scared because he was big and looked mean all dressed in black! Even his face was covered in black clothes with some strange glasses and had this big metal thing!” Wendy trembled remembering the encounter.
“And what was he doing? Did you talked to him?”
“He told me not to scream and said that if I was a good girl and said where all the yellow and gray metal was hidden he would give me a gift”
“The gold and the silver? And you told him?”
“Yes! He took all the metal my uncle had. Even the one he used to decorate the stones. My uncle was really angry when he saw the stones were gone but it was better when he saw it were only the ones with metal” she said with teary eyes.
“He took the metal and the stones. What else?”
“He said I was really a good girl and told me to close my eyes and stretch my hand for the gift and I did it.”
“And then?”
“He put it in my hand and made me count to ten. He said that if I opened my eyes before finishing he would get really angry and would take my gift away so I counted with my eyes closed.”
“And when you finished?”
“He was gone. And I had this” Wendy said rising her left hand.
Around her wrist was a delicate bracelet with tiny pink jewels of different shapes. Emma gasped unwittingly at the exquisite finished of the gems.
“I- I can’t give it to you! Uncle Tom said it was a secret! You won’t tell them won’t you? They will punish me if you do!” cried desperately Wendy
“N-no, of course not! Perhaps do you know what those do?”
“Really?” She sighed a little more clamed now “I put mana in it and they help me heal people! Will you give me the honey now?”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Sure kid. Just don’t show that to anyone else without your uncle’s permission okay?”
“Okay!” Wendy nodded earnestly staring at Emma with her pink eye wide.
“Here” Emma said giving Wendy the honey pot. “Keep our meeting secret okay?”
“Yes!” Wendy answered looking once again at the cookies.
‘It was true!’ Emma thought while she walked away in the night. ‘This is ridiculous! Why would a thief able to get in and out of a warded studio without leaving a trace leave stones and gems behind to steal chunks of metal only useful for decorations? It must be the most stupid thief in all Highstone!’ She sighed inwardly walking to her home.
--------------------------The next morning in another place…
With a big pair of eye bags Daniel walked back while whistling a happy tune thinking about his new business partner. The first reason was that the old man did not ask a single thing about the gold and silver he wanted to sell him and the second one was that the price he paid for the goods went above the one offered by any of the pawnshops he visited by a fair amount.
Five hundred dollars in cash totally justified the night he spend without sleeping. While Daniel still thought it was little reckless on his part to strike so many consecutive times in the same area, he also had to consider the circumstances which drove him forward and truth be told, said circumstances were pressing him enough to justify his increasing boldness.
He remembered the first time he used a door to steal something, it was only a small hairpin and he almost got himself caught. Since then he practiced daily learning slowly which areas gave more profit and which ones were dangerous. Only once he had been seen and the look that the scared girl gave him made him feel so close to shit that he stopped his activities for a while. Not that it lasted much of course; the fists of the leader’s men quickly shook his conscience out of him and now the measures they took as insurance were more than enough to keep him really motivated.
But today the money he collected was a lot more than expected so he could relax a little, just a little and afford himself to get some coffee.
He entered the local coffee shop and walked to the counter to make his order.
“Good morning sir! What will you want to drink?” A boy with a face full of pimples received him smiling.
“Make it an espresso; mm, a large one. I’ll need it to stay awake today.”*yawn*
“Yes sir! Your order will be ready soon! What name should we call for?”
“Daniel.”
Daniel paid for the coffee and roamed to the only empty table in a corner to enjoy the strong scent of coffee inside the small local. Around him some small groups of teenagers chatted happily while others leeched wi-fi looking as gloomy as possible with a music that was closer to noise as background. ‘Hmph; there should be a better store to get coffee from.’ He thought while drumming off beat his fingers against the table.
“Daneel! Spresso for Daneel!” Soon enough a voice called him so he got closer to exchange his ticket for the coffee glass with girl wearing an apron with the store colors.
“Please enjoy it sir! Good day!” She said with a melodious voice.
“Thanks” he answered while taking the coffee with a twitching eye. On the side of the paper glass was clearly written in big words ‘dan-yell’
He walked out of the store while drinking the hot coffee and got lost in his thoughts until a hand landed heavily on his shoulder.
“Well hello there mister star. The leader has been missing you for a while now.” An acute voice called him and he turned back angrily.
“Jan, Phil; don’t you guys have someone else to annoy in another place?”
“Now now. You are going to make Phil cry” Jan said spreading his hands. “We are very busy these days and had to make a special time to remind you to pay in time hehe”
“This month is already paid! Now fuck off!”
“No, no no. You paid the boss his quote but you did not pay ours you see. Phil and I are in charge to get your sister her food and she eats so much, right Phil?”
Phil shrugged shaking his head with his eyes closed and a thin smirk.
“How much?” Daniel asked grinding his teeth.
“How much? Hehe. Take out your wallet.”
“Bastard, if you ever touch her not even Ronald will save you” he said passing Jan his wallet.
“Don’t worry, we will keep her well-fed hehe.” And he took out everything inside.
“Ive gotta say star. Your contributions disappoint me. But what can I do? I am a man of my word right Phil?”
And Phil nodded serious.
“Catch!” Jan threw him his wallet back “Enjoy your coffee star he he he”
Daniel saw them walk away and took a gulp of coffee. It was cold now and didn’t taste good.
‘Hmph! at least I only put twenty in the wallet’ he thought smiling and drank a little bit sweeter gulp of coffee as he restarted his way to his apartment. ‘Just hold a little bit more Mary. I’ll soon save you!’