Thieves Guild

Thieves Guild - Chapter 1

Note from the author:

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Ryker steadied his breathing as he watched the man with slitted eyes. He shifted his weight silently and pulled the cowl of his dark blue cloak further over his eyes. Three hours into the exercise and him and Lux, his training partner for the past twelve months they'd been old enough to train formally, were the last team standing.

The man's eyes slid over the spot where Ryker lay, his human figure obliterated by his dark tunic and cloak. He knew the secret to remaining undetected now was remaining utterly motionless, even though he instinctively wanted to sink closer to the ground. Any motion would draw the eye. As his target turned, the red piece of cloth stuffed into the pouch at his side was revealed. This was the goal. Steal the cloth, without being seen or heard. The other four teams had already failed. It was his turn.

The man swiveled on his heel and headed off in the opposite direction. Ryker followed, his padded boots making no sound as he synchronized the footsteps of his mark. The slightest scuff on the floor or brush on an obstacle could spell disaster.

What was that?

Ryker stopped in his tracks and sank into the shadows once more. Pulling his cloak across himself. Something on the gantry opposite him had caught his eye.

Again!

He allowed a smirk to cross his face. Lux. To get his attention, she'd angled one of her throwing knives to reflect the pale moonlight coming in through a broken roof window. That light is what had caught his eye. As he watched, she rose up slightly and made a series of hand signs, Thief code. 

I'll create a distraction

Ryker exposed his hand and responded with his own code; index finger and thumb touching tips with the rest of the fingers extended.

'O.K'.

They both ghosted towards the man, parallel to each other. He had pulled a flint from his pocket to light a burning torch and was now holding it above his head. A typical guard mistake. The shadows around you disappeared but the bright light made everything outside the torches illumination appear much darker, and made you an easy target for an ambush.

The tense silence of the night was broken as a loud sound came from over in Lux' direction. A firecracker. The man spun around and drew his pistol. Ryker used this distraction to slide up behind the man. He had slowed his breathing down and made sure not to glare too intently at the man so as to give him a watched feeling. Five paces away... Two paces...

CHINK

His boot landed on a shard of glass with a noise that could wake the dead. The guard spun around, pistol now cocked, and placed the gun against the side of Ryker's head.

Oh shit! He thought vehemently. It was over.

The man tutted and pulled the trigger.

Nothing.

Ryker groaned as he stood up, kicking the glass away angrily, as his teacher, Reno, looked at him scathingly.

'What did you do wrong?' he asked neutrally

'Didn't pay attention to my surroundings' he said glumly. Lux had vaulted feline like down from the gantry above and was now moving towards them.