I guess I should probably feel bad for stealing hard-earned goods from my fellow survivors but really, all I felt was a grossly high thrill of satisfaction. I was starting to think the game makers had known me better than I’d known myself when they gave me this class.

I tossed twice as much as I kept as I weaved my way through the streets, melding with the shadows or simply blending in with a crowd. Whenever people glanced my way I put on a serious face and moved with purpose like I was on some assigned mission. Every time their gaze slipped from me, deeming me too boring to waste precious energy on. I loved it. It was a high I’d never really felt before. One I’m sure I was already addicted to.

I rounded a corner, my eyes focused on a grandly dressed mage standing by a fountain and walked straight into a young girl.

“Ouch, hey!”

“I’m so sorry,” I said, reaching out to help her to her feet. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Joe?”

“Miranda?”

The young girl, still dressed in her fiery pink robe beamed and leaped up, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. “It’s been so long! I didn’t know where they’d placed you.”

“What,” I said, squeezing her back. “The spirits didn’t bother to tell you?”

Miranda sighed and rubbed her upper arms as she looked away from me. I couldn’t help but notice the heavy black smudges under her eyes. “There are so many here. They scream at me all day and all night. I can’t make sense of the things I see and all the words I hear are jumbled together. It’s exhausting.”

“I’m sorry, is there something I can do?”

She smiled sadly up at me. “The Elders have deemed me a useless mage. There is nothing dead here for me to manipulate and they say I’m too young to join the warrior parties outside the walls. So, instead, I get to run boring errands for all the other mages all day. I wish we never came here.”

“I’m starting to feel the same way,” I grunted. “I thought it would be safe here. That we could somehow find a comfortable sort of life. But it feels wrong somehow. Like we’ve been turned into pawns in some asshole’s big game.”

“That’s it! That’s what it is. Maybe we should…”

Before she could complete her sentence a loud bell toll sounded out. It was so loud you could hear the thing from the forest outside the walls.

Miranda’s face turned white. “Oh no! I haven’t collected the gems yet. Janice is going to kill me!” She started running but turned around before she reached the corner. “Don’t forget about me, Joe. I’m in the Western most Mage quarters. Come see me when you’re not busy.”

I lifted a hand in a wave. “I’ll see you soon.”

She smiled and disappeared. I turned and searched for the mage I’d been focused on before but she’d moved on at the sound of the dinner bell. In fact, just about everyone was heading to the main hall for the evening meal. It would be suspicious if I walked against the crowd.

I slipped from the crowd before I was forced into the hall. If I went in there, I’d be stuck until at least nine-thirty. For some reason, dinner always took a long time and the ring of elite warriors standing ready around the walls always had questions if you got up to leave early. It gave off prison vibes every time I ate in there. Well, maybe not quite that strong, but something along those lines.

I checked the timer as I slipped from one shadow to the next, working my way back toward the wall.

Time Remaining: 4 hours 3 minutes

I checked my inventory. Happy with the collection of goods I had. Everything I had stolen and kept was either enchanted or a higher-value material like gold or gemstones. I was fairly sure I was either close to the five thousand gold mark or well above it. It was hard to judge without a merchant to tell me. Would have been helpful if the quest had offered a value counter but apparently that was a no-go.

It didn’t matter though, I’d already resolved myself to steal as much as I could in the time limit. My own personal quest inspired by the one the Shadow Walkers had given me.

As I neared the wall a pair of hushed voices made me dive into a darkened alleyway. I peeked around the corner, listening in to the conversation of the pair slowly making their way toward the main hall.

“Stop it, Theo, we’re going to be late for dinner.”

The man laughed and grabbed ahold of his companion, pressing her up against a wall not too far from my hiding place. “So, let’s be late.”

Moonlight flashed off the woman’s axe as she let it clatter to the ground, her arms wrapping instead about Theo’s neck as the pair started passionately kissing.

I silently gagged as I pulled back into the alleyway. Miranda might hate it here like I did but it appeared Nora was having a grand time of it. Not really sure I needed that information. I could still hear the heated noises of their embrace which gave me a cheeky idea.

Carefully, I glanced back around the corner to ensure they were too busy to notice me. Their distraction confirmed I slipped from my hiding place and moved close enough for the pickpocket icon to appear. I focused on the one floating beside Theo Thundershield bringing up his inventory for my perusal. My jaw dropped at the sheer amount he held.

50,087 Gold

Ebony Armor of Recoil

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Steel Longsword of Blood Letting

Steel Towershield of Energy Blast

Ebony Boots of Stamina Boost

Jade Amulet of Eagle Eye

Homing Compass

Silver Plated Rose

956 x Croc Tooth

37 x Stamina Potion

69 x Health Potion

Sealed Scroll

Belt of Many Pockets

Emerald Ring

Everlasting Canteen

Hal-eaten Bag of Jerky

The list just kept going. I couldn’t believe the sheer amount of high-quality goods he had. It seemed so unfair that he had so much. Some of the other people I had looted from had had maybe one or two items that were even worth having at all. This place led to a lot of hoarded wealth. I guess some things hadn’t changed from the way it had been in the world before this one.

I stole the rose, the jerky, the sealed scroll, and the emerald ring. Anything else and I’m sure he would have noticed. I moved to slip back into the shadows when the icon flashing beside Nora drew my attention. I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head and disappearing back into the alleyway. Nora might have moved on from our little raiding party but she was still a friend. I couldn’t steal from her.

I followed the dark passage between the buildings until it opened up onto another street. I continued toward the wall but aside from Nora and her nighttime pal, I didn’t see another person to thieve from. Up on the wall, there were a few guards but there was no way to approach them without being seen.

I wandered for a long time before I began heading toward the stables. I was pretty sure I’d more than made the required gold amount but I was a little disappointed I hadn’t completely filled my inventory. I fingered the second pouch I’d threaded onto the strap of my bum bag, thankful for the extra space it gave me. It was an odd collection though; the hot pink bum bag, one fancy leather pouch, and the last a fabric sack-looking thing with a small embroidered bumblebee on it.

Along the way, I spotted a trio of young troublemakers near one of the training yards. I hide in a shadowy part of the yard and listened in on their conversation.

“He can’t even hit the broad side of a barn and yet he’s the chief's favorite. It’s bullshit man. And the way he boasts about his adventures before he got here, it's just ridiculous.”

“Yeah, once I heard him gloat that he’d taken down a swamp hag on his own.”

My ears perked up at the mention of a swamp hag. That had been a battle I’d never forget. It made me think too, that they were talking about an old friend of mine.

“He jumped when the chief stubbed his toe and howled like a wolf. There’s no way he did that.”

Yep. They were definitely talking about Jacob.

“He’s alone in the barracks at the moment. Maybe we should go teach him a lesson about lying.”

One of the three punched his own hand and the lot of them started laughing. They rushed off in a hurry, heading toward a long low building on the edge of the warrior's zone. I followed them. They pushed through the door and from the other side I heard a familiar shrill squeak.

“Darren, what the hell?”

The leader of the trio stormed forward and shoved Jacob onto one of the many bunks in the room. The kid was even younger than Jacob was but he was built like a brick shithouse.

“We’ve had enough of your bullshit, haven’t we boys?” the one named Darren snapped, a toothy grin on his pockmarked face.

“Yeah.”

“We have, man.”

Jacob’s face drained of the little bit of color it had. “Come on guys, this isn’t funny.”

Darren cracked his knuckles. “It will be soon.”

He launched himself at Jacob, grabbing the boy by the neck of his shirt and yanking him up as his fist moved back ready to strike.

The ring of my blades leaving their sheaths had all of them spinning in my direction. I stepped from the shadows, letting out a cruel laugh as I marched toward the dumbasses.

“Three against one, that’s a little unfair,” I said.

“Who the fuck are you?” One of Darren’s lackeys shouted, pulling out a small handgun and aiming the thing at me.

“Put that away before you get hurt, kid.”

“Joe!” Jacob screamed, yanking himself free from Darren’s hold and rushing over to stand behind me.

I laughed again and glanced at my old teammate. “You’re too nice, Jacob. A boy who took down a swamp hag on his own shouldn’t be hiding from a pack of pitiful bullies.”

Two red blotches appeared on Jacob’s face. “Well, I’d feel bad if I killed them, you know?”

I smiled wickedly and swung my blades in a fast loop, eyeing Darren. “You might feel bad, but I sure as hell wouldn’t.”

“Look, we didn’t mean anything by it alright?” Darren said. “Why don’t you just get out of here.”

“I have a better idea. Why don’t the three of you go find another target for your games? That or you can taste the bite of my swords.”

Darren lifted a shaking hand toward me holding a big six-shooter. “You shouldn’t bring a knife to a gunfight,” he said, his voice squeaking like a mouse.

I smiled bringing one of my blades up close to my chest. “Try me.”

Darren's hand shook like crazy but still, the boom of the gunshot filled the air. The world slowed around me as I slashed at the air with my blade, cutting the bullet flying at my head in two. The pieces clattered to the ground at my feet.

I swung my blades again and chuckled. “Nice try tough guy. Now hop along. I don’t want to hear about you guys messing with my friend here ever again, do you hear me?”

“Yes,” Darren managed as he and his friends charged out of the barracks. He called over his shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

I laughed and sheathed my swords turning to face Jacob. “Some friends you’ve made.”

Jacob shuffled uncomfortably. “I just wanted to fit in.”

“Then stop lying your ass off. You’ll make more enemies than friends that way.”

“Thank you for helping me, Joe.” He said, sitting back on the edge of his bunk. “But why are you here?”

“Just checking up on the gang, that’s all.” I glanced at the timer next to my quest menu. I only had a short time left until I had to meet Kendrick. “I have to go now though. Take care of yourself, alright? Come find me if you need a hand again.”

Jacob smiled. “I will.”

With a wave I rushed out into the night, heading toward the stables as fast as I could. It felt good to see everyone again, even if it was in bizarre ways. I pushed open the doors to the stables and stepped inside.

“About time. I thought maybe you’d decided to quit after all.”

I smirked and looked up into the rafters where Kendrick was sitting, swinging his legs like a little kid. “Keep dreaming, dick.”