Bang! Bang! Bang!

                “Emaaaaa!”

                “Mm? What the..? Uuugh”

                Emma rolled lazily on her bed and opened her eyes. A blurry vision of her room lighted by the noon’s light appeared accompanied by a painful sting in her head. But the noises continued restlessly. Bang! Bang! Bang!

                “OOOOOIIIiii”

                “Nicole? Agg...”

                “Emaaaaa!” Bang! Bang!

                “I’m coming! Just stop hitting the dammed door already!”

                She sat on the corner of her bed rubbing her eyes and kicked around the floor until she found her boots. Putting them on Emma looked at herself and realized she had slept with her clothes on.

                “Well; at least I don’t have to take them off to get dressed.”

                She sighed at the throbbing headache and stood up while hiding from the sunlight.

                “I swear this is the last time I drink the crap Jhon gifts in that fucking bar!” Emma mumbled

                When she got closer to the door she heard Nicole talking happy.

                “I knew you were here! Hurry and open! I got you a job!”

                “How comes you leave me for the scoundrel and come back the next day asking me to work?” Complained Emma as she opened the door. “Iuk! What is HE doing here?!”

                When she opened the door Nicole was waiting for her with a big basket but besides her was standing her boyfriend looking at Emma as if he had just eaten a fly.

                “This scoundrel, is the one giving you a job.” Answered Max with a sneer.

                “Calm down Em; let’s just get in and talk about it yes? Come on, do it for me please?” Begged Nicole.

                Emma glared at Nicole but after thinking for a moment she moved from the doorframe and let her and Max inside.

                “I’m just doing this because Nicole and I should at least talk. So don’t any ideas about your job Mr. Perfect”

                “Do what you want. It’s not like my family is lacking in mercenaries anyway.” Max said snorting.

                “You haven’t had breakfast yet right? Here, let’s eat while we talk” Said Nicole putting the basket on the table.

                “You left me yesterday without saying goodbye. A breakfast is not going to fix it.” Said Emma squinting her eyes.

                “But is a start okay? You know I had to go. It were three whole months! Waiting for you to get out and start working again!”

                “Hmph! You could have at least waited for me before running away! I even brought food to celebrate! Why would you just leave like that?”

                “Come on Em, we both know you wouldn’t have left me go.”

                “I would. If you really wanted I would let you. Just not with him!” Emma said and glared at Max again.

                “She is way better with me than trapped in this hole. Nicole have talents that are wasted in this place.”

                “What do you know about it?! The only thing your kind cares is about power! We were building a better place for the people here!”

                “Stop fighting okay! This is important for me!” Said a finally angry Nicole.

                “Hmph!” sounded at the same time Max and Emma.

                “See! You agree at something! Come! Eat before it gets colder.”

                They ate bread with jam and cheese pieces, staring angrily at each other while Nicole threw occasional apologetic glances at both of them. When they finished an awkward silence reigned for a few moments before Emma took the initiative to speak again.

                “What was that thing you said about a job?” she asked Nicole.

                “It’s about a thief. Last night various vaults got robbed and no one seems to know who did it or how. The only clear thing is the pattern. The thief specifically took ceremonial stones.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

                “The ones for the princess coming of age”

                “How did you know that?” asked Max.

                “I got my sources.” said Emma smugly.

                “It doesn’t matter who told her. What we need is to know if she has a clue or something that can help. A lot of nobles are ranting and some of them are planning a council already” said Nicole.

                “Serve them right. They only care when it hits their pockets.”

                “Unlike you, we have things to solve that matter a lot more than your villagers troubles. Don’t blame us for not solving everything around.” Answered Max angry. “Besides; the stones are not the main here. What is important is the message.”

                “Message?” Emma asked confused.

                “You said it already Em. The stones were all for the ceremony so when they get stolen and every other valuable is left behind it shows a clear opposition to the princess party.” Explained Nicole.

                “And also implies one of her older siblings has a thief able to bypass every security measure in kingdom” Completed Max.

                “Haha… That won’t do guys” Emma shook her head “You are making a lot of assumptions there”

                “Assumptions that make sense!” Max said

                “Baseless ones. And even mistaken for what I know.”

                “Why? What do you know?” Asked Nicole

                “I’m already chasing him. And got the idea of what he is doing. But if your nobles want help they will have to give concessions.”

                “Concessions?! You haven’t started and already are asking for payment?!” Max snapped.

                “I only charge when the job gets done dumbass! But yes. If you want help you will have to guarantee with a contract my demands.”

                “Please Max. She can help. I know it. Let her say what she want and if you don’t agree I won’t insist anymore”

                Max who was glaring at Emma stopped for a moment and saw Nicole sending him an expectant look.

                “Hmph. What do you want then?”

                “Just three things. First. You will pay for every work expense plus three medium grade stones. Which considering the importance of the job is a really cheap price.”

                Max didn’t say anything but nodded indicating he agreed with the first term so she continued.

                “Second. I want the information pertinent to the case. And I mean everything. Don’t want to have complaints about things I didn’t knew existed were stolen or breaches in the security that were not covered.”

                “That can be arranged. You will have to be bound with a confidentiality agreement as the minimum requirement but we get you the access you need this time.”

                “I’m ok with the agreement. The third however is the most important point. I won’t back on this.” Emma said looking at Max with a straight face.

                “When, and I don’t say if because I plan to succeed, we manage to caught the thief I want him. The costs to bind him will also be covered by your people.”

                “That is not something I can decide on my own.” Said Max rising an eyebrow.

                “I can wait; go ask your daddy what he thinks” And she smiled at Max for the first time in the day. “It’s not my stone the one getting stolen hahaha”

                “Hmph! You should be grateful to Nicole; were not for her and your kind would never have a call in something of this level.”

                “You guys calling for help was just a matter of time. And Nicole will always be my friend regardless of her poor taste in men. Someone like you will never understand it.”

                Suddenly the sunlight filtering through the window wasn’t so annoying.