Aaron and Laee after traveling all that distance from the City of Laee have finally arrived at the coastal city. From the fields outside the city the view was amazing with its large walls and its tall standing fortress. Though the city has seen better years with its wear and tear seen from sections of the walls that have fallen into disrepair.

Aaron, “We finally made it.”

[Enea, “Aaron we still have a long ways to go before we find the next chosen.”]

Aaron, “I know but the journey so far has seemed longer then it was.”

Laee, “Your right Aaron we should go relax at the beach or an Inn while drinking some mead.”

Aaron, “Well we should go find a ship.”

He started to walk for the city gate.

[Enea, “Be carful at the port Aaron this city seems to be a dangers place.”]

Laee, “hay don’t ignore me!”

She quickly ran to catch up with Aaron.

As they neared the gate they did not see any guardsmen standing guard but there where plenty of people about. There where beggars lining the streets and groups of thugs hanging out at alleyway entrances.

Laee, “this is a sad place to be even if I had mead.”

Aaron, “who would live in a place like this. The ruler here sure has let things go.”

[Enea, “there really hasn’t been much law and order here since the empire fell. What’s left in many areas is like this.”]

Aaron, “Well someone needs to improve things here.”

As they continued to head for the port district a person ran into Aaron cutting off his coin pouch. Laee noticed this and grabbed the mans shoulder.

Laee, “Hay what do you think you are doing.”

Cut purse, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

He raised his now empty hands while another man a few feet away began to run down the ally. Aaron was still fumbling at his side noticing that his pouch was gone.

Laee shoved the man aside.

Laee, “Aaron quickly after him.”

Aaron looked to where Laee was pointing to and saw the man running. He quickly took off running towards the man as he entered an ally. Rounding the corner he could still see the man running further along but he seemed to be catching up to him.

The man noticed Aaron was still after him and started to nock things down to slow him down. Aaron just jumped over the obstacles or used his sword to cut through them.

The man turned off down another intersecting ally. As Aaron continued to chase him he once again glowed and turned into Enea’s form.

Aaron, “just great.”

Though he was irritated by the change he soon noticed that he was running a little faster then before. He quickly turned where the man had and could see him about to make his way to another street.

[Aaron, “great I might lose him now.”]

[Enea, “Just keep running.”]

As Aaron made it to the street himself he lost site of the man but Laee was standing there leaning against the wall.

Aaron, “Laee how did you… oh never mind did you see where he went?”

Laee smiled while popping open one of her bottles of mead and took a sip.

Laee, “Laee don’t worry I got something even better then seeing where he went.”

Aaron, “And what would that be?”

Laee took another sip of her mead, “I managed to tag him with a tracking spell so we will know where he goes and hides his spoils.”

Aaron just stood there with his mouth open before shaking his head.

Aaron, “well should we be fallowing him then.”

Laee chugged down some more mead before answering.

“We should let them have a little think we lost him before we follow him any further.”

He just stared at her before looking through his pack to make sure nothing else was stolen along with his main stash of gold. All his stuff was there but now they did not have enough for supplies and a ride on a ship. They only had enough for one of the two now.

After he through his pack back on he followed Laee who was using the spell. They continued to walk down the streets passing some stores and abandoned buildings. Eventually she led him down an alleyway as they entered the warehouse district. Stopping at its end she pointed at one of the abandoned warehouses.

Laee, “he has been in there for a while now.”

Aaron, “then that is their base of operations?”

Laee, “Probably but we need either a rouge or a thief catcher to get in there since it is most likely trapped and guarded.“

Aaron, “lets go find one then.”

Laee, “It might not be easy to find a thief catcher and most of the rouges are probably thieves themselves.”

Aaron, “we still need to give it a shot.”

Laee looked at him.

“Then we will need to look in the area around the fort to find anyone or even the inns.”

Aaron, “then lets start looking.”

Laee, “let’s start tomorrow its almost night fall and it is very dangerous to be out here at night.”

They headed for an in towards one of the fortress areas inns to look for rooms but they where all expensive for what he was asking for.

Laee, “let me get the room.”

Aaron, “give it a try but we most likely have to go somewhere else or camp outside the walls.”

Laee just smiled at him before heading over to the innkeeper. She talked to him for a bit then handed him some coin and headed back to Aaron.

Laee, “see it wasn’t that hard to get a room if you tried hard enough.”

Aaron, “right well let’s head to the room then.”

They headed up to the room that she had paid for. When they walked in Aaron noticed something. There was only one bed so they either had to share or he was going to sleep on the floor.

Aaron, “You can have the bed I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Laee, “no we’ll share the bed.”

Aaron looked at her blushing remembering how Laee sleeps holding on to him and talking in her sleep.

Aaron, “No I don’t mind taking the floor.”

[Enea, “Laee what are you thinking!?”]

Laee shoved him onto the bed.

Laee, “you are sleeping with me and that’s final!”

[Enea, “come on Aaron resist more.”]

Aaron gave up at that then noticed she was stripping out of her armored robe ware so he turned to face the opposite direction. He could hear her as she changed to a shirt nightgown and laid next to him.

Laee, “come on Aaron get out of your armor I thought you would have been tired of wearing it continuously.”

Aaron blushed a even deeper red.

Aaron, “I’m fine as I am Ill just sleep on the floor.”

Laee, “no you won’t… wait you don’t know about that armors ability do you?”

Aaron turned to face Laee, “what ability?”

[Enea, “don’t do it Laee!”]

Laee, “you can make the armor disappear for about 8 hours once a day.”

Aaron, “will that cause any problems between me and my connection to Enea?”

Laee, “no It wont do anything other then have your armor gone for a period of time or until to cancel it.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Aaron thought about what it would be like to not be stuck in his armor all the time, so he nodded in agreement. Laee told him how it works and did what she said. The armor vanished and he was left in his beginner clothes that he was not able to change until now besides the one time he was treated after the battle with the Necromancer so he could be treated.

[Enea, “you traitor! Don’t talk to me.”]

[Aaron, “How am I a traitor!?”]

she did not answer him.

He decided it would be a good time to go to sleep so he laid on his side. As he rolled over he felt awkward since he was still in Enea’s form. It felt a lot different for him then when he was always in his armor. To get rid of the awkwardness he turned onto his back and laid there staring at the ceiling. As he began to think about things he noticed that Laee was already asleep. He looked at her for a few moments then stared at the ceiling trying to keep his thoughts from wandering to certain things.

After a while as he began to fall asleep Laee began to hug him again in her sleep. She began to talk about strange things and even at times about Aaron as she slept.

[Aaron, “will I ever get used to this let alone another five of them.”]

Soon Aaron to fell asleep still tightly held in Laee’s embrace.

Later he woke to Laee’s eyes looking right at his. He quickly hopped of the bed and reactivated his armor to hide his nervousness though it made it obvious.

Laee, “Ah you missed a perfect chance oh well there still is plenty of time.”

Aaron turned back to her.

Aaron, “What was that?”

Laee began to change back into her robe so he turned away once again.

Laee, “Oh never mind one day you will figure it out.”

That just confused him even more.

Aaron, “where do you think that we should begin our search?”

Laee, “How about the Inns.”

Aaron, “Enea what do you think.”

[Enea, “I told you I’m not talking to you!”]

Aaron, “What did I do?”

[Enea, “you really don’t know?”]

Aaron, “Know what?”

[Enea, “Never mind lets just go to the fortress first.”]

Aaron, “sounds good to me.”

As Aaron turned around Laee was staring strait at him.

Laee, “what about the inns.”

Aaron, “we’ll check them if we don’t find any at the fortress.”

Laee tuned away, “you always follow what Enea says!”

Aaron, “I don’t think that’s true its just if we go to the inns you will drink my coin dry.”

Laee’s cheeks turned bright red.

“I don’t always drink.”

Aaron and Enea, “Oh yes you do.”

Laee’s shoulders fell at that.

Laee, “fine lets go.”

Laee lead the way out of the room as they headed out. The first thing did was ask the innkeeper if he new about any thief catchers in town. He heard that there was a famous one in the city that showed up a while back that finds those he assists and they don’t find him. Aaron and Laee believed that that was just a tall tail so they headed out for the fortress.

As they reached the fortress they where only allowed into the courtyard to make requests. They went in again but all they heard was that those that could be found where usually taken out by the thieves’ factions in town but that there was still one who found his clients. It was the same thing that the innkeeper had said.

They continued on starting in the other inns. As they went around Laee barely touched a glass of mead, which made Aaron a little happier. After they visited five of the city’s inns a group of Rouges surrounded them.

One of them stepped up grinning with an eye patch over one of his eyes. He wore torn up clothes but had a fine black cloak along with a shaved head.

Thief, “You will regret the day you set foot in this town.”

Aaron, “and what do you mean by that. I seem to remember taking a number of bandits lives out East.”

Thief, “You will find out in only a second.”

That confused Aaron for a moment before he heard a pair of clunks behind him. He quickly turned to face what caused the sound. Two rouges had been sneaking up behind him but they both had knives imbedded in them one going through ones eye the other stabbed into the man’s chest.

Aaron quickly drew his sword and finished off the one with a knife in his chest while the other one disintegrated from the blade in his head. After the second began to disintegrate he tuned to face the other rouges.

Laee had tuned back after the knives had impacted the two men and started to cast her famous fireball spell. She tossed them at the rouges who where still stunned from seeing their companions taken out.

Once Aaron had turned around the other rouges where finally taking action. They each drew daggers or a few short swords. A few of the dagger wielders throw their blades at Aaron and Laee but where blocked by Laee’s shield.

Aaron Quickly ran forward to attack the first rouge. He blocked each of the rouges quick and calculated attacks before chopping of one of the guy’s hands. As the man yelled out in pain his other hand grabbed his stump while Aarons swords where coming around to take off his head.

Laee was now striking the other rouges with lightning strikes since they where more spread out and fireballs where to destructive to their surroundings. They tried to come at her but Aaron had hopped in their way attacking them with his now flaming swords.

With Aarons and Laee’s tag team strategies there was only two left. Aaron went for the closest one while the other one began to run for it back into the accumulating crowed of onlookers. Aaron quickly took out the one facing him before using shadow step to get in front of the one that tried to run away. As Aaron went to stab the mans chest the rouge fell on his blade slowly disintegrating with another dagger in his back.

Aaron turned looking up to see a man disappearing over one of the buildings roves. Aaron quickly grabbed the loot dropped and the three daggers that had struck the rouges.

Aaron, “Who do you think’ed helped us?”

Laee and Enea, “I Don’t know.”

Aaron had a suspicion but did not believe it.

They soon went around the other inns asking around for the thief catcher but they learned nothing new. They soon headed back to their inn in disappointment.

They entered and headed to the bar counter where a man in a gray clock was sitting. As they neared it the man turned removing his hood.

Thief Catcher, “I heard you have been looking for someone of my talents.”

Aaron and Laee looked at each other before looking at the man.

Aaron, “you are a thief catcher.”

Thief Catcher, “the one and only here in this fine city. Oh and by the way I would like to have my three daggers back if you don’t mind.”