Dungeon Runner (Book 1 and 2)

Stepping Up, Chapter 49

The two thieves broke into the store from a window in the darker part of the alley, where the pitiful light from the torches set to illuminate the street barely reached. Tibs needed to ask Sto about the light stones used at his entrance. If those could work without having essence pushed into them, it would make lighting the town easier and make such easy entry into buildings rarer.

The shop was a tailor's. The owner moved in when Sto was healed and catered to anyone who thought looking important was better than keeping their coins. Nobles were the majority of their customers, but Tibs had seen a handful of Runners shop there.

Don wasn't one of them. The sorcerer didn't dress the way his behavior said he should. He thought himself better than any Runner, but his robe was worn, just like the others. He kept it until he found one in the dungeon, then only spent the coins to have it dyed that dark purple that almost matched Corruption's color.

Tibs sneaked in through the small window a minute after the thieves. It was too small for them to take anything out, so this was sabotage.

There were two other tailors in the growing town, but they aimed their wares at the more common folks. They had received business from the nobles since, until this tailor, the nobles' only other option was to travel to another city, and even they found the cost of the transportation platform to be too much. Tibs would have to look into which of them paid Sebastian's people to do this.

The shop was on two floors. The ground one was divided into the storefront, with two wooden forms showing what the tailor was capable of, a smaller room for the tailor to take customer measurements and do fittings, and the storeroom at the back.

Tibs had explored the building when the tailor first moved in, as he did with all shops. The rolls of fabrics were stacked to the ceiling and only had enough space for the tailor to move and pull out what he needed. At the back, to his left, since he'd entered from the side, were the stairs leading up to the living quarters.

Tibs moved silently, listening to the two thieves grumble as they had to squeeze through tighter space caused by the uneven stacking. The tailor was thin and Tibs was small; the thieves were neither.

He saw the back of one of them. To him, it was as if Claria and Taurus were in the sky, providing enough light to make out shapes and larger details. Khumdar told him it was possible to see more by weaving the essence, but Tibs hadn't managed that in the last few days.

He maneuvered close without being noticed, had his hand in and out of the pocket without a reaction, then retreated to look at the item he'd taken. He'd aimed for that pocket because the thief had patted it before entering. It was a box, but he couldn't make out more of it. Inside, he felt his essence wriggle about. Whatever was in it was alive. He pocketed the box; Carina would know what was in it.

The thieves were further in when Tibs returned to them. The one he'd picked the pocket of was cursing softly, patting himself.

"What?" the other thief hissed. Tibs climbed the walls of fabric to ensure he was out of their way.

"I can't find the tin she gave me," his victim whispered back.

Tibs wondered how deep of a sleeper the tailor was.

"Did you at least take it before we left?" the other asked with derision.

"I did. I checked I had it before we entered."

"Then it's probably in here and it opened on falling through that hole in your pocket."

"There isn't a hole."

"I still have mine so, don't worry, even if you lost it outside, this is still going to happen."

"Don't we need both tins?"