Story Bin

Spirit-Bound: Chapter 1 Leaving

In no time at all the rogues had their bags packed. Eve had her whip, sword, daggers, gold and food,as well as a few thieving tools at her disposal. She clipped her hair back with a couple of bobby pins.

"All good?" Eve asked.

"Yep. Good to go." His bag was all packed as well.

"Well, we should probably leave now.... It's getting dark." Damian nodded, and they took off. Running and jumping, roof to roof. They made good progress, occasionally looking down in the streets in case they were noticed. Luckily, no one did. They made it to the city gates. Now this was the tricky part. Word in a town like this spreads quickly, but they had a chance that hadn't made it to these guards yet. The forest loomed over the guards, and even the rogues.

"How do you want to do this?" Asked Eve.

"Run and hope like hell." Damian said, his eyes never leaving the forest.

"I guess that might work. Don't really have much of an option, do we? No..... Well, let's get to it!"The thieves made their way off the building and down to the ground. There wasn't many people around, but there was two guards on either side of the gate. Eve and Damian slowly made their way up to the gate. So far, so good. The guards haven't marked them as suspicious. They do look like adventurers, so they might not notice that they were now renowned thieves in this place. But as they advanced, a voice called out to them and they stopped.

"And where do you think your going? You can't leave without returning our stuff first!" They turned to the speaker. It was a male human that was dressed as a thief. He was accompanied by a group of about 8 or so other thieves as well, some male, some female. Some human, some other races. It takes all kinds to be a thief in these kinds of cities.

"Do I...... know you?" Eve tilted her head and asked.

"I don't think so. And what stuff did we take?" Damian replied to Eve, before addressing the speaker.

"My pendant. It's silver with a red ruby. Give it back, and we'll pretend nothing happened., Otherwise...." He glanced at either side of him, looking at the people that were with him. They all took a step forward, drawing their weapons, except for the speaker.

"Hey, do you have a name? I mean, I can't refer to you as speaker all the time in my head, can I?" Eve put her hands on her hips.

"My name...? That is of no concern to you." He said.

"Well I, for one, would at least like to know who tried to rob me, or kill me, or whatever it is that your supposed to be doing....." Damian said. The man just laughed.

"Come on, give it back now. Or do I have to take it back?" Eve held her finger up like she had an idea, or just remembered something.

"Oh, you mean this?" She pulled out the pendant the man had mentioned from her bag.

"Give it to me!" He yelled. The guards did not move. They seemed as if they didn't care.

"Nah, I think I'll hold onto it for now." Eve slipped it into her pocket. Damian leant over slightly.

"Did you really want to do that?" He whispered, asking her.

"You ready to run? The guards won't stop us. There are rumours about the woods behind us. That monsters beyond nightmares lurk there. So, I have a plan." The people were advancing slowly upon them now.

"Tell me, sir, have you heard of the stories about this forest?" The lead thief looked confused. The rest of them stopped moving, looking at their leader, wondering what he was going to say or do next.

"Do you know of the monsters that lurk there? The things beyond the nightmares of normal folk?" Eve asked. This was solely to intimidate them, and to make sure that they didn't follow. He shook his head, so she continued.

"He is always watching. Staying in the shadows. Aware of your every move, tracing your every step. And his name? Well, no one knows. Some call him The Shadows. There are many names for this one beast." As Eve was talking, she had been taking steps back, ever so slowly towards the forest behind them, Damian following her lead, staying silent. The thieves who had ambushed them were silent also, seemingly unaware that they had been advancing slowly.

"Uh..... Boss? I've heard this before. It's really creepy. I've also lost family and friends in there." A male thief said.

"Me too." saidanother.

"I have seen this beast. He spared me so I could spread the word. But I am the only one, he said. I am the only one who has protection from this beast, and if I wish, my friends also. But if you follow, you will be devoured." The leader of the thieves was completely engrossed in her story, fear all over his face. He had seemed to have forgotten all about the pendant.

"So, only follow us if you feel brave. But remember, that if you know anyone who has been lost in these woods, or has entered and never returned, then you know what happened to them, and the same could happen to you." She turned and fled, Damian by her side. The thieves, standing still in shock, just inside the gates, watched as they fled.