Llhora Revinas

Llhora came back from her hunt with her three brothers as the group of hunters came back with Deer and Rabbits this morning to return to their father who would later later butcher the sell the meat. The misty, cool morning brought together a pleasant sense of relaxing and labor as the relaxing morning was slow and adequately paced for the hunt, perfect for Llhora and her brothers. But while passing through town, the men and women strangely attracted their attention towards the center part of the town near the marketplace of Fireside. Nobody in their right minds would normally be up this early, not with this many people. So after Llhora and her brothers dropped their hunt off for their father she followed the people who eventually led to where the commotion was gathered. She looked over yonder to see what exactly the fuss was about, climbing over several stacks of hay to see the marketplace and in the center a ragged merchant was holding a map for auction as buyers attempted to fix a reasonable price for the map.

As the crowed softly talked among themselves to arrange prices and Llhora couldn't help but feel entertained that so many people would exaggerate and spend so much effort and/or money just for one map. This however, this was not 'just one map', this was none other than a map which supposedly led to great treasures and that only so few have dared to travel this far according to the merchant. This particularly caught the attention of many aspiring adventurers who wanted both a taste of both adventure and what riches came with it. This is what singularly her attention too as she always dreamed of having an adventure beyond Fireside, the home she had always been attached to nearly all of her life. But how could she be so sure that the map is in fact as accurate as the merchant said it was? Was it even true and was there and treasure at all? Was it worth either the money or the risk? One person even offered a pot and a stick and Llhora soon thought of her options and waited to see what would happen among the buyers.

Vella's eyes widened in shock at the latest bid. 250 coins?! That's outrageous, Vella thought. However, it was perhaps a great move to do, as it seemed that no one wanted to place a bid higher than that. Vella was fairly sure that the map wasn't even worth that much. Oh well, might as well see who else will contend, she thought as she took one step backward, continuing to watch. Perhaps something would happen, or the large bidder would win the map. Only time would tell.

"Ek kan nie glo jy het dit gedoen ..."

That was the most shocking thing she'd ever seen. It was like two wagons crashing into each other full bore. She couldn't take her eyes off the carnage of someone ruining their life.

The merchant took a deep breath and proclaimed: "SOLD TO THE SNAKELY GENTLEMAN WITH THE NICE HAIR! YOU, SIR, ARE NOW THE PROUD OWNER OF THE MOST VALUABLE MAP IN ALL OF..." The odd little merchant stopped out of nowhere and just looked around for a moment, tapping his foot on the ground once, and then finishing with: "ALETHRION!"

Excitedly, the merchant waved the fragile map around frantically, as if he'd just found the bleeding golden ticket. Rapidly walking towards Amon, he held the map up proudly, and, when he went over to Amon, he raised his hand and...there was no longer a map in it.

Staring for a good long minute, the Merchant quickly turned his head to the side, the black blur of a man dashing through the crowds and holding HIS MAP! Rage filled the little hooded man's glowing eyes, the shade turning a burning scarlet as he picked up ROOK'S ENTIRE STAND and threw it in the general direction of the thief, leaving the Tuljin farmer stunned and afraid, clutching his little safety box. "M-My vegetables..."

"THIEF! SCOUNDREL! BANDIT, MARAUDER, MORE SYNONYMS!" the merchant screamed as he bolted through the crowd, pushing through many and knocking down a few as he went on his rampage, chasing after the black clad figure. "NO ONE DEPRIVES MY CUSTOMERS OF SERVICE!" he screamed as he threw the remnants of Rook's harvest at the rooftops the thief traveled along.



Rook was, in a word, speechless. In another, terrified. And, in a few more, absolutely fucking depressed over the loss of his stand. Sitting there sadly, he threw his cap to the ground and just looked at the remnants of his hard work strewn about the marketplace. Standing up, he walked over and started picking up the destroyed vegetables, while some of the townspeople went to call the guards about the thief...and the insane merchant.

After a moment of cleaning up, Rook looked at where the path of destruction lead and took a deep breath, before he worked up the courage to run, run to where the thief was going; To the Edge of Fireside Canyon. Maybe if he could get the map ...or...at least catch the thief, he could afford to rebuild his destroyed stand. Running as fast as his little legs could carry him, Rook soon passed up the merchant, who, in a fit of rage, threw him too. But at least he landed on a nice, soft, destroyed cabbage.



Dashing from rooftop to rooftop, the rogue jumped and climbed over buildings, avoiding the various ammunition of the merchant. Clutching the map in his hand, he tucked it down his black leather tunic as he continued dashing, hood and mask covering his identity as the town guards started arriving, trying desperately to intercept the scoundrel.

Hargh stood in a posture of defeat when the map was sold to the snake man. He really wanted that map but alas he couldn't have the prestigious piece of paper. Then as the thief dashed away with the map, Hargh could only watch as the map left his grasps, likely forever. He began to help pick up pieces of the farmer's stand before chasing after the farmer as he chased the theif. Sadly Hargh wasn't very fast at all and couldn't keep up but he still followed from quite a ways away.

And that settled that. As she watched the thief making his escape, Arusi was fairly certain that Amon had been saved. No map meant no payment.

But... Everyone had seen what Amon had done. Hell, if she was his father she'd boot the young man out of the family at the first chance. Leave him in the street with the rats and the fools. He deserved it, he really did for shooting his mouth off without thinking.

She could see it all and she was just going to let it happen...

She was letting it happen.

/Uuuugh.../

"Hey Amon. Watch my stand. I'm going for the map."

With that she was off and running, scooping up Rook and Hargh along the way. Her longer strides could keep pace better and the extra weight didn't really bother her. Hauling all her pottery from here, to the kiln, and back again made her more than capable of keeping up in a long distance race.

"Rake I'm going to need you and... you... your friend to help me corner the thief when he gets to the canyon. You think you can do it?"

Rook rose slowly from his landing place, rubbing his schnozz and sniffling. Landing straight down after being thrown hurt like a son of a gun, but he was at least durable enough to not have broken anything. Looking up just before Arusi picked him and Hargh up with no effort. Staring at her for a moment, Rook shook his head; it was never a good thing to have prejudices, but holy hell, beetle people were scary. At least to him. Then again, most things were. Looking over at the rooftops as Arusi ran, he said: "D-Do you think we can? He's so fast...a-and he's up there and the guards can't even get to him..."



More shit was getting flung around like crazy as the Merchant kept going on his path of destruction, the deceptively strong midget fucking blitzing through everything. "NO ONE STEALS FROM A DUDUDUDUDUDU AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! I WILL RIP OUT YOUR GUTS AND SELL THEM FOR A BOX OF CORN!"

Arthur saw as the snake man's map was suddenly taken by a very quick thief, and watched in amazement at the merchant selling the map's "little" tantrum. Wow, that really sucks. Glad I didn't buy that map now. The bard began to walk away when a sudden idea entered his head. Hey, ladies love heroes. Guys who save the day and all that. If I catch that guy, I'll be the talk of the town. Everybody will love me. And, just like that, Arthur took off running after the thief, quickly catching up to Rook, Hargh, and Arusi. "Hey there," he greeted. "Name's Arthur. Don't worry about this guy, I totally got 'em," Arthur said in a cocky voice before running full sprint toward the thief. The man with the stolen map had quite a head start though, and even Arthur wasn't completely sure he'd catch him before reaching the cliff.

Hargh made the same blank stare that he had made at the snake man but it was now directed at the beetle woman. He held that face for a few moments letting Rook speak and Arthur to talk before salute ing the beetle lady with his large hand and leaping from her grasp. As Hargh leapt he landed head first (palm first?) on the ground just in front of the beetle and merchant. Hargh quickly got to his feet and went into a hand stand position, after getting into position he used the hand upon his head to begin scuttling at a quicker speed He was not fast but it was enough to keep up with the beetle woman at her current speed though his face clearly showed this was straining him a lot.

"He's going to die..." Arusi deadpanned as she passed the guards, but still wasn't fast enough to outpace the thief or the bard.

That was okay though. It was all part of the plan. Just box the thief in once he'd made it to the canyon. Unless the thief could fly, that was where they'd get him.

"It's fine," she huffed, "When I give the signal I want you to go right and your friend to go left..."

THE STARE. Holy hell these hand people were creepy. It didn't help that he just tumbled out of her grip and started using his head as a means of locomotion. Yup, definitely creepy.

Rook just stared as Hargh started...uh...doing that thing he does sometimes. With his head. Wondering if maybe giving Hargh a high-five was offensive, Rook had just enough time to see the thief jump from another rooftop, to a building overlooking the cliffside. Pointing up, he said: "Look! He can't get across, the Canyon is miles wide!" with a tone of confidence. After all, there was just no way anybody could-



With absolutely no regards for the laws of physics, the Thief got a running start form the tall building overlooking the several hundred foot drop, and did the unthinkable. He jumped. He jumped, and, effectively, CLEARED the entire canyon in a single bound. The guards as well as Rook were absolutely awestruck; such a thing was beyond anything anybody in the town could have ever seen. Though, there was one significance beyond the jump that anybody could see. The thief's hood and mask had been blown off, the hood just barely being placed back on his head in time for everyone to see his face, or lack thereof.

Staring back at the tiny town with the map in his tunic, the thief simply began walking away; there was no way that someone could catch him. The bridge leading out of Fireside was roughly half a mile to the east of him, and by that time, he could easily get away. But, an astute few would recognize the faceless man from bounty posters in every major city, and every little hamlet. Gorgei the Swift, with a Bounty of over 200,000 gold coins. More than enough to purchase a few Firesides.

Welp.

Skidding to a halt. Arusi caught her breath as the spectacle unfolded before her. That wasn't leaping. It was flying, and completely unfair to boot. It also meant that the map really was valuable.

Freaking 200,000 gold bounty Gorgei the Swift. From out of nowhere. Gone just as quick, She had no words for this. Dully, she turned and started the long walk back to her stand, barely registering that she was still carrying Rook.

Hargh stopped before the ledge and watched the thief leap across the gorge. Hargh returned to his standing position and put on his face of determination once more. Hargh was pretty garbage at many things but he didn't survive as long as he did by just giving up. He turned around to see the beetle lady walking away with the Rook so he quickly scurried in front of them and held out his hand to stop them. Hargh stared at the beetle lady for a moment then pointed at the thief, he then held out his left hand and punched it with his large head-hand.

Llhora observed the thief while he rushed away from the crowds of people behind him, he was rather quick for a petty thief as he jumped over roofs while Llhora watched in the distance. Hoping of seeking the opportunity of a lifetime, she thrust herself forward across the crowded, speedily darting her way to the thief and trying to keep up with his fast unimaginable quick movements. The thief then slowed and darted across a corner and stopped just a few hundred feet ahead of her and walked slowly away from town. She then noticed an upcoming dispute between Hargh and the thief, thinking of her decisions, she thought it wise to remain calm and not to intervene until she had an opportune moment to seize the map for herself while Llhora hid behind a bush, eagerly waiting for the decent moment to strike. She then observed the spectacle while being completely hidden while she readied her bow and arrow, hoping to look for an opportunity to seek a chance at taking what the thief had for herself.

As the thief leaped across the canyon, Arthur, who was closest to him when he made that amazing leap of faith, skidded to a halt, almost falling off the side. Arthur looked over the side, staring at the large fall that would have been in store for him had he continued the chase. Then, he looked up across the canyon to the thief. If he could make it, I'm sure I could. Arthur then backed up away from the cliff side to get a running start. Okay, you can do this. You can do this, Arthur. He took off sprinting, ready to jump across the large, huge, big, enormous... "This wasn't a good idea. This wasn't a good idea!" he shouted as he skidded to a stop yet again, right on the edge of the canyon.

Dejected at the sheer spectacle before him, Rook just kinda stared in the general direction the thief had jumped, staring even as Arusi carried him. Not like he even noticed. Not when someone so infamous had done something that cool and gotten away with it. Despite how much of a bad guy he knew Gorgei was, he kinda had to admit that he was amazing.

Only even noticing he was being carried after Hargh stopped before Arusi, Rook looked at the little guy in the eyes and said: "...Do...Do you want to go after him? He's a dangerous bad guy Hargh...he might hurt you if you even find him."



Gorgei simply kept walking away from the town, and, one could deduce from the direction he was walking in, that he wasn't heading to any nearby city...rather, he was heading to the plains to the North of the town.

Hargh stared at Rook for a moment and nodded as he was asked if he wanted to go after the man. He felt very strongly about stealing unless it was justified by himself. Hargh looked back over at where Gorgei and shook his huge fist at him, silently vowing his revenge.