To The Border

Part 1: That Fateful Day...

Sphinx POV

"Lars are you insane?" I whisper-shout as me and the others hide up in the tree out of sight and earshot of the guards. "This is the Castle of Lilok, famous for its defence and security, and you want to break in. Have all these years of fun made you lose your intelligence as well as your sanity?"

"Oh, look at me!~ I know loads of fancy words because I'm a-" Lars mocks, but gets several twigs to the face and a hand slapped over his mouth before he can make more stupid comments.

The guards look up, but don't see us, and return to their conversation, about breakfast?

"Lars, maybe don't scream and shout like a brat when there are guards below us~ You're very welcome to scream for us later, though~" Lars turns red at Eros' comment and finally shuts up.

"Eros, stop being vulgar and everyone listen up." Don't look at me like that! Just because we're rogues doesn't mean we don't have plans for things like these! "If we're serious about breaking in to the castle, three things are needed, distractions, thieves, and escape routes. I want two people on each part."

"Sphinx, please tell me you're not going through with this." Sage looks up at me.

"Sage and Athena, you two are on escape routes, me and Crim will be the stealers, Eros and Lars are the distractions. So as long as they don't end up fucking each other and forgetting what they're doing, we should be fine." I continue, ignoring Sage's words, a move I'd regret in a few hours time, but thank myself for in the long run, which is usually how it goes.

"I'm not that unreliable am I, Boss?~" Eros tries to move closer and I push him away with my foot. 

"Everyone get ready, and Lars?"

"Yes?"

"Get your daggers ready, we might need them."

Everyone goes to their own branch, Athena and Sage going over the maps of the castle that Lars had stolen. Eros trying to decide on what hairstyle he should have, Lars sharpening his daggers and upgrading Sage's arrows, and Crimson sleeping on the branch below me.

After an hour,  Athena calls us all up to her branch. "Me and Sage have sorted out the escape routes, there's one window that isn't guarded at all, the window of the cellar, you and Crimson need to be very quiet when landing, because the window is above several barrels of wine and a  few rats." Athena was pointing at a small box on the blue print.

"Nothing we're not used to then?" Crimson muttered, his bed head almost comical if it weren't for the blood coloured eyes and scar down his cheek.

Athena looks at him with one of her signature  frowns, before continuing. "The window is just a hundred meters in front of us, and Lars has gone off to distract the guards in our way outside the castle, we've given you a rope to get out of there whenever you want."

"Why can't we just walk in through the door, claim guest privileges and get our way in like that?" Crimson ran his hands through his hair as he spoke. "I mean, Sphinx could do it, he's not got a wanted poster in this kingdom yet, right?"

"You're right, but I can't be arsed." I crack my knuckles. "And I'm on missing posters, which might've reached here, which will mean "bye bye Sphinx"."

"You'll be fine." Crimson looks to Athena. "Are we having a change of plan or what?"

"Fine, fine. How's this, Sphinx will go and take advantage of hospitality from the front, while you, Crimson, take advantage of the openings presented to you and sneak in."

"That's as much of my plan you'll allow, eh?" Crimson mutters and he takes away my jacket. "Let's roughen you up, Gemstone."

Timeskip