Aaron and Laee where shocked to see the thief catcher that had been searching for all day was sitting right there in their inn. Aaron and Laee looked at each other before they sat next to the men but still being cautious of their surroundings.
[Enea, “be Carful this may be a trap.”]
[Aaron, “I know I’ll be carful.”]
[Laee, “I’m here so you don’t have to worry about him.”]
[Enea, “That just makes me even more worried.”]
[Aaron, “Really are we going to start this right now!”]
he sighed before asking the thief catcher.
“Why should I believe you are a thief catcher?”
The man looked at the bottom of his almost empty mug before answering.
Thief Catcher, “Well before I answer you why don’t we move this conversation somewhere more private so no one could over hear us.”
He nodded his head at a group of men sitting at one of the Inns tables throwing some glances at them.
Aaron, “there is plenty of noise so they can’t hear us.”
The man shook his head as if to agree.
Thief Catcher, “That is true but would you be willing to risk letting anything slip that you do not want overheard?”
Laee, “No we would not. We have a room and I can cast a spell to make sure no one can hear us.”
She got up from her seat and nodded to the stairs. Aaron and the thief catcher got up and headed for the stairs. Laee went up first fallowed by the thief catcher with Aaron coming up behind keeping an eye on him and made sure no one was following them. Once they entered the room they closed the door and locked it behind them.
Laee, “so now would you like to talk?”
Thief Catcher, “Of course my lady. Well to start the moment you entered the city dressed like that you have been a target for the city’s thieves Guild. They are currently the ones ruling this city since the last late rulers death.”
Aaron watched as the man sat on one of the room’s two chairs.
Laee, “this isn’t really doing anything that will lead us to believe you.”
The thief catcher turned to her.
“You really should be patient. Well since I’ve been tracking the thieves’ guilds movements for some time you gave me an opportunity to weaken them a bit. I noticed that once you began to search for help to get whatever it is that was stolen I thought I would take the chance to help you and weaken their power in this city.”
Aaron, “and why do you wish to stop them so much let alone help us?”
The man looked at them then lowered his shoulders a bit.
The thief catcher began to speak with a hint of sadness to his words. “I lost my family to the guild a long time ago. My Brother was the last ruler of this city before the guild truly came to power. I lived in the city with… my wife and newborn son. But soon the guilds influence began to rapidly grow along with a number of the higher ups dying mysteriously.
When we finally noticed that the guild was behind it we where to late. The guild had begun to move rapidly and kill all those in power including my brother. I had been rushing back to get my family and flee the city but when I arrived…when I arrived my family where already slain. I was so overcome with grief that I almost did not notice that the guild still had men in my home."
Laee was already tearing up due to the mans story while Aaron was still not to sure about him.
Aaron, “how did you survive the guilds attack?”
The thief catcher looked up at Aaron with a sorrowful stone cold face.
“I killed the closest assailants and ran for my life. I knew I could not outrun them so I faked my death while falling into one of the canals with one of their men. Since then I’ve been trying to take revenge on them for my family.”
Laee was already balling at this point while drinking some of her mead she had stashed.
Laee, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
She handed him a bottle of mead.
Thief catcher, “That’s why I’m willing to help you.”
[Enea, “I believe the man is telling the truth.”]
Enea also sounded like she was tearing up at his story.
Aaron agreed with Enea and believed the man was sincere but was still not sure if the man could help them.
Aaron, “I’m willing to work with you but can you give me your name?”
The thief catcher nodded, “sorry I did not introduce myself earlier. My name is Riclamin Silvershaper.
Aaron, “nice to meet you Riclamin and sorry about your loss.”
Riclamin, “I’m just grateful for another chance to hurt the guild, by the way what were you trying to get back from them.”
Aaron, “well when we arrived they stole the gold we needed for getting a ship to take us to the northern Island. I also believe we discovered the guilds base of operations.”
Riclamin just stared at him for a moment before talking.
“If you already have the information and since you have the skills why do you need a thief catcher?”
Laee, “We don’t have any of the skills needed to deactivate traps or sneak in so we needed someone to help us.”
Riclamin, “I have the skills that you need then and if it really is their base of operations then we can possibly take them down for good or at least heart them bad enough they would take years to regain what they’d lose.”
Aaron, “That’s the idea.”
They began to strategize through the night about how they where going to strike. While they where planning Aaron returned to his original form freaking Riclamin out. They had to explain to him about who they were so he began calling them chosen and hero’s of the East.
The next day they headed out to the warehouse district just before sunset and waited. Once the only thing providing light was the moon they quickly headed for the warehouse. They stopped across the way spotting a guard posted by the door sitting on one of the many crates lying about.
Riclamin, “I will take care of him.”
Aaron, “be carful.”
Riclamin was gone before Aaron could finish what he was saying. He quickly turned back to watch the guard. Soon a figure appeared on the other side of the crate from the guard. The figure slowly rose then covered the mans mouth while pulling his head back and slitting his throat. As the man began to convulse he was dragged behind the nearby crates.
[Enea, “That man sure is skilled.”]
[Aaron, “I hope I never get on the wrong side of him.”]
Soon the figure moved out from behind the crates and singled them over. They quickly ran for the warehouses side door.
Aaron, “nice job back there.”
Riclamin, “thanks but we should stay quiet.”
Aaron quickly nodded in understanding.
They gathered around the door while Riclamin looked in to make sure the coast was clear. Once he was sure he opened the door and ran in with Aaron and Laee in tow.
As they made their way through the stacks of crates they came upon two men talking while in front of a open trap door in the floor.
Guard, “have you heard about what those travelers did to Charles group?”
Second guard, “yah they took a beating, not even one of the one that confronted them survived.”
Guard, “yah, I hope I don’t have to face them anytime soon.”
Second guard, “same here I’d just prefer to stay on guard duty since nothing ever happens.”
As the guard finished his sentence he noticed there was a knife sticking out of the others neck. As he was about to give a yell a hand grabbed over his mouth as he heard a whisper in his ear.
Riclamin, “are you sure you prefer guard duty now!?”
All the man could do was try and pry the man off his mouth while his throat was slit open. For a few moments he tried to breath but only had blood run down his throat drowning him. Soon the two guards had disintegrated into piles of loot.
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Riclamin whispered, “hurry we need to go down there.”
Aaron nodded before fallowing him down the trap door. At the bottom they had to stop as Riclamin had to disarm a few trap wires that lead down the underground hall. Once that was done they continued on.
Soon they reached a few doors hat where locked. Riclamin quickly unlocked the doors with his lock pick and kit. They moved through the rooms but they where just storage. Aaron grabbed as much of the loot as he could finding some interesting books on tactics of war and some blueprints.
They quickly moved on further down the hall checking rooms the came upon. After a while they came upon an intersection where some rouges where coming around the corner. Riclamin was already throwing his knives as Aaron was drawing his bow back to shoot some arrows and Laee began chanting.
The rouges did not expect the borage of projectiles that where coming at them from down the hall. Most of them where dead in seconds while one fell to the floor an arrow in his side and another one was running down the hall.
Aaron used shadow step to prevent the one from getting away while Riclamin finished off the wounded one. But as they were about to look down the intersection more rouges came out of the near by rooms to see what had caused the commotion.
When the spotted Aarons group they drew weapons while yet again another rouge ran down the hall right into Aaron thinking that he was going to warn the others about what was going on.
Aaron drew his swords and began to hack away at the man but missed a number of times do to his speed. Soon he was on the defensive at the man drew his knives throwing one here and there at Aaron's vital points. He had to continuously doge until he got an opening and slammed the rouge against the wall.
Laee was shooting lightning out of her hands at the other rouges while Riclamin was bissy fighting off another two rouges. Soon Laee was finished with her group while Riclamin managed to take one out by throwing one of his daggers up through the mans lower jaw neck area.
Aaron had the rouge that he was facing pinned against the wall. Using his free hand he was stabbing the man repeatedly watching as his health dropped. He stabbed one more time while stepping back to free his other hand and cut his throat making his health hit zero.
Stepping back Aaron turned to see that the other two where finished and where picking up the scattered loot. He picked his up and walked back to check the rooms that the rouges had come out of.
Aaron, “that was a close one. They almost warned the rest further on.”
Riclamin, “I’m not sure they need to warn them anymore but we may be lucky.”
Aaron, “why is that?”
Riclamin, “Though we needed to take out the group the magic was loud enough to echo down the halls.”
Laee, “Oh come on dose everything have to be my fault!”
Aaron turned to her; “No it is not your fault since without you we may have been swamped by them.”
Laee, “thanks Aaron though it was still a mistake to use those spells. I should have put them to sleep.”
Aaron, “don’t worry about it.”
Aaron once again changed into Enea’s form making Riclamin jump.
Riclamin, “Do you have control over that or is it just random!?”
Aaron, “I have no control over it what so ever.”
They then quickly headed further into the tunnels. They ran into another two groups before coming to a door at the end of the tunnel. Slowly they slid into a large cavern with a ship anchored at a dock.
There seemed to be no one in sight so they slowly walked forwards until the reached a wider area before the dock.
Aarons group soon had to stop as more then thirty people came out of hiding surrounding them. Aaron recognized one of them as Crazed and that one of the others where dressed like a necromancer with a black robe.
Crazed, “Ah if it isn’t my little toy. Have you come to have a little bit of fun.”
Laee, “you are not laying a hand on him again.”
Crazed turned to her, “oh and if it isn’t the lightning wench did you gain some weight.”
Laee, “oh that’s it you’re a dead man!”
Aaron, “calm down we need to be carful or else this could end badly.”
Riclamin looked around before asking, “Do you know this guy.”
Aaron, “we have had a few run ins in the past but right now is not a good time to talk about it.”
Crazed, “Ah I thought we where on a better relationship than this. We even kissed.”
Aaron almost throw up just thinking about it but instead just spat at the ground towards crazed.
Laee, “you forced yourself on her... him you bastared.”
[Enea, “hurry begin to cast firestorm.”
[Laee, “alright good Idea.”]
Laee began to quietly chant the spell.
Crazed, “Oh but she did not even resist.”
Aaron, “How could I have after nearly being blown to bits. I barely had the strength to even stay conscious. Oh and how was the bight is it even healed yet.”
Crazed just laughed.
Necromancer, “I can deal with them.”
Crazed, “You can have the other two but you can not touch my precious little toy.”
The necromancer began to chant while the mix of rouges and bandits moved forward.
Aaron quickly slid his blades out but stayed next to Laee while she was still casting her spell. Riclamin stood on the other side of her drawing his knives while looking back and forth between the oncoming attackers.
As a bandit neared Aaron he nocked the sword out of the mans hands disarming him and stabbed through the mans chest piercing the mans lungs. He quickly pulled the blades out while kicking the man back. As the man fell he disintegrated falling through a rouge that came at Aaron.
While that was happening Riclamin was fighting another rouge cutting his arms to ribbons while dogging his feints. As he blocked another attack he brought up his foot with a blade popping out into the mans crotch. The man gave a high-pitched scream before falling to his knees.
Riclamin said, “how did you like them nutcrackers.” While he stabbed his two daggers into both sides of the mans neck.
Aaron was finishing off the rouge when another bandit came at him with an axe. He quickly used twin blade to cut of the mans arm and strike his leg. As the man fell Aaron stepped back and hacked at the back of the mans neck.
As that happened the necromancer finished his spell causing the dead to rise once again and new ones to emerge out of crates near the dock.
Aaron quickly took out the ones that where rising around him while Riclamin did the same. They readied themselves as more of the attackers came closer. Right as they where nearly upon them Laee finished her spell and activated a shield to cover her Aaron and Riclamin.
The remaining bandits and rouges where being in ripped apart wile the undead exploded into flying bits of bone. As the last of them fell Laee deactivated the spell and waited for the fire to stop before removing the shield. Looking around the group noticed that the ship that was anchored was beginning to cast off and set sail.
Aaron, “Oh you are not getting away this time Crazed.”
They ran for the end of the dock but had to stop as the ship got to far to jump. They looked at the back of the ship as Crazed began to waive at them.
Crazed, “sorry I could not play more with you my toy but we will be seeing each other once again soon.”
Aaron, “Stop running away you coward and face me like a man.”
Crazed laughed out across the water as the ship exited the cavern.