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Prince Among Thieves {Eckhart!}

Started by Celegwen, February 07, 2018, 12:59:13 PM

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Celegwen

As the sun began to sink beneath the treetops, Eric Huntington-Whitley packed his horse brushes into his bag. The tack had already been taken care of, and his black mare had her blanket on. Throwing the bag over his shoulder, Eric took hold of the mare's lead rope and brought her into her stall. Giving her a quick pat on the neck, the man locked the stall and walked out of the stable.

He squinted slightly at the sun, picking up his pace to reach his apartment in time.

Throwing his bag on the ground next to his bed, Eric started stripping his clothing off, leaving it all in a pile in the corner of his bedroom. He redressed himself in black clothing with a lot of leather, equipping himself with four knives, two daggers, his bow, and two grappling hook arrows. Glancing in the mirror, he pulled up his hood, smirking at the reflection of his assumed identity, Zack Blaque.

Zack looked out the window at the quickly darkening sky. Squatting on the open windowsill, he nocked one of the arrows, shooting it onto the roof of a neighboring apartment building. He closed and locked his window, then swung through the air to the other building. Scaling it, Zack crouched on the edge of the roof to get a better look of the town.

He saw another figure on another rooftop. Recognizing him, Zack gave a short nod, to which the other man gave a subtle salute. He took hold of the grappling arrow, wrapping the cord around it and sticking it back into its belt loop. Zack moved carefully and quietly to the opposite side of the roof, suddenly glimpsing something that held his attention.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"And when the chronomancer's outta the way, that vault'll be completely defenseless!"

Terrence's job was far too easy at times. The unremarkable boy sat in a back ally, watching as the thieves make their plans. Lady Hildegarde didn't pull heists incredibly often, but this particular vault had something she wanted in it- an magical dress known as "The Queen's Fancy".

Of course, another group also wanted the dress. As they had already done their reconnaissance, Hildegarde figured the easiest way to break into the vault was to let them break in and then sneak in behind them. That's where Terrence came in- he was the perfect person for this kind of job.

The men had all come to an agreement- they would pull the heist tomorrow night. As they dispersed, Terrence stood up and stretched. "I suppose I better scope out the vault myself, too." he thought, as he began to walk. "Never know, there may have been something they missed..."

Celegwen

Chronomancer? Zack thought, pursing his lips. I don't remember coming across a chronomancer in Zantaric.

He ducked quickly when the group started to go their separate ways. He wasn't expecting any of them to look upward, as they didn't look like the sharpest of men, but better to be safe than sorry.

What really held his eye was the boy sitting apart from the group. He couldn't have been older than a teenager, while the others were definitely in their thirties. That wasn't important, though: tons of thieves used young ones. No, what was intriguing about this boy was that Zack recognized him. He didn't know the boy's name, but he had seen him following Hildegarde Von Musel almost everyday.

I didn't think the Friends were into heists, Zack thought, quickly exchanging glances with the other man on the roof. He made a few hand signals, gesturing towards the group of men. Basically, it told the other guy not to interfere.

Zack looked back over the ledge to see the boy start to move. The thieves weren't important at the moment. He wanted to see just what this boy was getting himself into. Silently creeping along the rooftops, he followed the boy to wherever he was going.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

It only took a few minutes for Terrence to get to where he was headed. The Gorwood Brother's estate was unmistakable amongst the drab buildings of the Zantaric's southernmost district. Tall spires shot up out of the roof, lantern-lit observatories dotting the sky like the stars they watched. It was a building Hildegarde talked about often- she really wanted to live there when they captured this territory.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. The Gorwood's human trafficking empire was the largest of it's kind, and the security the brothers could afford made Joan look like a playground bully. 

"I wonder how the Blackcrow Guild got the info on this place before we did." Terrence thought as he approached the wrought iron fence that served as the brothers first line of defense. The boy slipped in between a gap in the fence, careful not to touch the metal bars. "Maybe they have an insider? That's the only thing that makes sense."

Walking past a pair of guards without so much as a second glance from either, Terrence peered through one of the buildings many stained glass windows...

Celegwen

Zack frowned, realizing where the boy was going. The Gorwood Brothers? He thought, furrowing his brows.

The way the boy was able to slip right pass the guards would've made Zack believe that they knew him, but sneaking through a fence weakness made him think otherwise. Though, he was slightly confused at how he was able to get by completely unnoticed.

He had to hand it to the kid, though. Good instincts. Clearly, he didn't touch the bars, or he would've been writhing in pain from a major electric shock. The spell on that fence was like being struck by lightning, as Zack had found out the hard way.

If he was still in his formal attire, he could've walked in through the front door. As Eric, he was quite close with the Gorwood Brothers. Ironically, his Zack Blaque persona was hated by them. He was the one who interfered in many of their trafficking activities, after all. Climbing down from the rooftop, he picked up a few stones, finding the correct one. He took out a knife, scratching a message onto the surface.

The Bloody Rat
5 minutes

The man climbed back up to the roof, peering at the boy looking through one of the stained glass windows. With his perfect aim, Zack whipped the rock towards the boy's leg. He knew the time was pressed, but he also knew that taking on the Gorwood Brothers was a major task. If the boy looked for where the message had come from, he would simply see a black silhouette retreating on the rooftops in the direction of the tavern.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Stained glass windows weren't easy to see through. In addition to the color, the glass was very foggy- it was really only meant to let light pass through. Terrence could make out a few blurry shapes moving inside the building, but nothing was distinct. Frowning, the boy decided to look for a better window...

Something suddenly struck him in the leg, causing the spy to bite his rogue to prevent himself from crying out in shock. "What the-" Whipping his head around, he saw...

Nobody. The guards hadn't seen him, and there wasn't anybody else in sight. Looking down, Terrence saw what had hit him- a rock. He gingerly picked it up, and found a message had been carved into it. "In five minutes?" he immediately thought. "The Bloody Rat is on the other side of town! It'll take me at least twenty!"

Terrence slid back through the bars of the fence, feeling incredibly annoying. "I bet it's Iggy." he thought as he approached the wall of a building, searching for an entrance to the city's tunnel system. "He probably thinks this is a "cool" way of setting up a meeting or something stupid like that..." Finding what he was looking for, the boy slid into the dark catacombs, feet sloshing in the slimy water as he ran. "This way will save me a few minutes at least..."

Celegwen

In a combination of natural speed, agility, and quite literally swinging from rooftop to rooftop, Zack was able to reach the tavern in seven minutes. He knew that the boy wouldn't make it in five, but he needed to know just how quickly he could move when something important was on the line.

Landing silently on the roof of The Bloody Rat, Zack put his bow on his back and tucked the grappling arrow in its loop. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then pulled on an almost unnoticeable black ring. A hatch lifted, opening a secret door - which Zack had installed - measuring about four square feet. He jumped down, pulling the hatch closed after him.

One of the waitresses walked into the back room, where the secret door opened to, and she definitely wasn't expecting to see a hooded man in black standing there. He pulled out a knife, then pressed his finger against his lips, telling her not to cry out. He motioned towards the door with his knife, then put it away. She walked nervously ahead of him, and he motioned to the empty corner table.

Zack sat there, pulling out a paper and requesting something to write with. She got him a quill and inkwell from who knows where, and he started writing.

Waiting for someone. Bring a weak ale. Surprise me.

The waitress, who probably thought he was mute, left to get him the drink as he requested. In actuality, Zack was smart. Almost no one in Zantaric even knew the name Zack Blaque. He was almost never seen, and his voice has never been heard. To the public, he might as well be the rumor of a ghost.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Making his way through the catacombs, Terrence began to get nervous. If the person who wanted to meet him had thrown a rock to get his attention, that meant they had seen him from a distance.

Seen him from a distance.

It was something that had never happened before. Even Hildegarde could only see him if he was up close, so who was this person? Feeling very troubled, the boy took out his knife and fiddled with it. "Maybe I shouldn't show up." he thought. "This could be a trap."

After fifteen minutes or so, Terrence climbed up a ladder into an alleyway. This was a more familiar part of town- the Bloody Rat was only a few minutes from here. "I suppose I need to show, though." he thought moodily. "I need to know what the person who can see me looks like so I can have Griselda make a sketch..."

Arriving at the tavern, Terrence walked inside. It wasn't incredibly busy tonight, and the normally loud chatter was reduced to a quiet murmur. The boy looked around, knife clutched tightly in his pocket. "Alright, where is this guy?"

Celegwen

Zack sat at the table, as the waitress brought over his drink. It was a light amber color, so that was probably a good thing. Taking a sip, the man smirked from under his hood.

The entire time he was there, he kept his hood up and his head down. Even though he was technically in the public eye at that moment, Zack didn't need anyone seeing anything more about him than was necessary. Anonymity was top priority for his survival.

When the door opened, he looked up - as much as he dared. The boy from before stepped inside, and Zack made a note of how quickly he was able to make it. Good, he thought. He's quick.

The man pressed his fingers to his lips, releasing a short, quiet whistle and waving his hand to get the boy's attention.

His waitress walked over, and Zack quickly shooed her away without giving her a chance to even ask if he wanted anything.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

A low whistle fought the boy's attention. Looking over, Terrence saw a man dressed in all black gesturing for him to join him. The young spy looked down at his own shabby shabby trousers and vest, sighing. "Why do these people always wear black? The moment anybody sees you, they'll know what you do."

Sitting down gingerly, Terrence stared the man in the eyes. "You can see me." he said curtly. "How?"

Celegwen

"Why are you fishing around the Gorwood Brothers' estate?" Zack asked, not acknowledging the boy's question.

His voice was gruff and unpleasant, like he'd been chewing on gravel. He kept his face angled downward, so only his lips and jaw were clearly visible. This was a highly unusual situation for Zack; he never spoke to anyone face-to-face, rather letting Eric handle public relations.

"The Gorwood human trafficking industry is a major problem, and they are more powerful than you know. I have been working to dismantle their empire for years, and I still have hardly made a dent. Take my advice and tell Hildegarde that nothing is worth getting on the Gorwoods' bad side. They will make your life hell."

Tearing a piece of paper off of the one he had in front of him, Zack wrote down an address. 3 Westwood St, Apt. 12. He slid the paper over to the boy.

"There's a man at this address. Eric Huntington-Whitley. He's a friend. He can tell you anything you want about the Gorwoods. Go alone or bring Hildegarde. Just don't piss him off."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Terrence stared at the man. He had the voice of somebody who had spent their entire life smoking, and it was difficult to listen to without the boy's own throat beginning to hurt. Looking down at the address given, Terrence's expression soured. "But that's not even what we're doing." he said after a while. "We just..."

Looking up, he saw the hooded figure had disappeared. "Stealing a dress..." he finished softly.

Now feeling rather angry, Terrence stood up and walk out of the pub. "Asshole! That was a waste of my time!" he thought, clenching his teeth. "And disappearing is supposed to be my thing!"

Celegwen

Three days later, Eric was sitting on the red leather sofa in his apartment with an open envelope and a piece of parchment. His suit jacket hanged on the back of the wooden chair in front of his corner desk, yet perfectly-fitting black gloves were on his hands. It was mid-afternoon, so he had some time before once again assuming the identity of a spy and decided to spend the day relaxing.

Two nights ago, he had been scouting - as he normally did - and watched a painful death of the thugs who were planning on stealing the dress. It was an unfortunate thing that they had to die, but Zack couldn't risk revealing himself and wasting all of the effort he had made in keeping his persona a secret.

The parchment he held was a letter from the Gorwoods telling of the attempted break-in and the execution of the dastardly criminals. Of course it also told of how much they regretted not having their friend there to partake in the murder - as Eric thought of it - but he wouldn't tell them he actually watched the whole thing.

His eyes snapped up when the handle of the door started jiggling. "It's unlocked," he said, not moving as it cracked open. "Come in."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

The heist had been a disaster- Terrence was barely able to escape with his life. The thieves themselves weren't as lucky, and were quickly executed for their "wrongdoings". Word on the street was that the Blackcrows leader was furious, and had begun to plan an all out assault on the Gorwood estate. "Good." the boy thought. "The Crows were becoming a nuisance anyway."

Terrence looked at the door of the apartment and sighed. He really didn't want to be here- Eric Huntington-Whitley wasn't somebody Terrence was too fond of- but Hildegarde had insisted he investigate out this lead. He opened the door slowly, then faltered as he heard a voice inside. He waited another few minutes before walking inside. "Let him think a draft opened it."

The apartment was... fancy, to say the least. "Even Alderon's apartment isn't this nice..." the boy thought. Eric was sitting on the couch, but Terrence paid no attention to him for the time being, instead choosing to look over a paper the man had left on his table...

Celegwen

What the hell is he doing? Eric thought.

After the door had creaked open, there were a few minutes where nothing happened. He was confused by the wait, especially when the boy from the other night entered and started looking around his apartment. He searched his memory, picking out the conversation he had with the boy in the tavern the night before the heist.

Not only did he watch the Crows get executed, but he watched the boy slip away undetected. Now, one could assume the guards didn't notice him amidst the chaos, but Eric was cleverer than that. The boy probably had some kind magic that shielded him from most people noticing him. Plus, the fact the boy was shocked the other night that Eric could see him told the man there was something unique about him.

He also knew that what he was about to do would out his secret identity.

"It's an invitation," Eric said, standing with the letter lying on the sofa. He turned around, looking at the boy examining the paper. "The Gorwoods are having a party in a few days, and they invited all of their friends." He put his hands in his pockets and grinned. "What's your name?"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Terrence froze. "Oh..." Slowly he turned around, eying Eric suspiciously. "So you are the man in black, then?" He shook his head suddenly. "That doesn't matter." he thought. "Only one thing matters now."

The boy crossed his arms, pouting. "My name is Terrence." he said sharply. "Now, I'll ask again. Why can you see me?"

Celegwen

"Perfect memory," Eric said simply. "Nothing escapes me."

He wanted to ask why other people couldn't see Terrence, but that would waste their time. It didn't really matter, anyway. The fact was that they had a bigger discussion.

"Sorry for the mysterious manner in which we spoke the first time. My alter ego isn't known to the public, so I couldn't stay there for long. Now that we have the niceties over and done with, let's discuss the reason I asked you here." He sat on a chair to face Terrence. "Why were you fishing around the Gorwoods' estate?"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"My boss wants a magic dress." Terrence said flatly. "The Gorwoods have it at their mansion."

On the inside, the boy felt very confused. "He can see me! So... So does this mean anybody with a good memory can? But Lady Hildegarde forgets things all the time! Is he lying?"

Terrence crossed his arms. "So I take it you want to take me to the party then? What, exactly, do you have to gain from this?"

"He probably wanted to take Lady Hildegarde, the smarmy fuckwit."

Celegwen

"Of course this is about the Queens Fancy," Eric said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "She has interesting priorities, I must say."

He stared out the window momentarily, thinking about his plan. He actually didn't want to bring anybody. The invitation wasn't even a plus one. Eric knew the Gorwoods quite well, so bringing another person into the mix wasn't exactly what he was looking to do, but it could definitely be a good cover... If he brought someone new, he could start a conversation and maybe get the brothers to admit some new information.

I don't trust him, Eric said to himself. If I just bring him, it could be obvious that he's sniffing around.

"Actually, I wanted to bring Hildegarde and you. You take me to see Hildegarde right now, and I can promise that you'll have the Queen's Fancy in two days. As for what I'm gaining... I'm a spy and a vigilante, Terrence. I gain information."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"Of course that's what you want. Of course."

Terrence crossed his arms, trying to look less angry then he felt. "I'm afraid Lady Hildegarde doesn't deal with people like you directly. If you must invite somebody, I'm afraid you'll have to settle for me."

"Fuck you shithead, Hildegarde is mine! Die in a fucking fire, then piss on your own ashes. Kill yourself."

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