Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala – 2F Balcony overlooking the Main Hall
The jewels and pearls laced about the chandelier clinked together as it swung from side to side, the figure atop it looking down upon the blind and staggering crowd below. Long blonde hair fell about his shoulders, the man’s face obscured by a black mask adorned with blue gems. The man’s dark outfit was as crisp and smooth a uniform as those of the guests below, as regal and distinguished as any of Tobias’ invitees. He looked down upon them all, his face illuminated starkly from the two glowing sticks far below, and a smile creased the young man’s smooth, delicate features. The smile of success.
Joyous laughter roared from the man’s mouth, enough to throw all of the confused and hapless people below to turn their attention above, to the mysterious stranger who had caused such a great disturbance to the night’s affairs.
“Is everyone alright?” Estelle asked between gritted teeth, one eye gingerly opening a fraction at a time to become used to and accustomed to the new light. She still saw spots, as her hands wavered over Amy and Dylan’s shoulders, hoping that they and Dalia, Rose and Simon were all okay. Nobody looked hurt, although both Dylan and Amy had stumbled over and collapsed to the floor in their drunkenness.
She twisted and turned, craning her neck to look up at the strange man far above, and her face frowned further at the sight. Was this the man behind all of this? Who on Ddaear was he, and what did he want?
Her hands reached to her side, instinctively reaching for the hilt of her sword, to draw it ready for defence, but the clasping of thin air suddenly reminded her that neither she, nor any of her friends had brought their weapons with them, leaving them behind at Dalia’s home. After all, nobody had any reason to bring such dangerous tools to what should have been a peaceful gala…
“Who on Ddaear is that?” Rose vocalised what everyone else thought, and as if on cue, the man above began to shout.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” The blonde began to spoke, the chandelier swinging from side to side in its pendulum arc over and over. “Please, forgive me for the rude interruption! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!!”
Below, on the main dance hall’s floor, Biggs and Wedge simultaneously looked up as well. Wedge’s eyes narrowed, and his head turned to the side, as if the man above, distant as he was, seemed somewhat familiar to him. Biggs too shared the same expression.
“Hey, Biggs… doesn’t that guy look familiar…?”
“Hmm… I think you’re right, Wedge. I’m sure I’ve seen him before, but where…?”
And then in unison, both of the Artar Empire soldiers’ jaws dropped and their eyes widened in incredulous realisation of who the man was. Indeed, a lot came racing back to the bumbling duo, as the masked stranger’s arrival suddenly sparked the memory of why it was they had even travelled from the capital to Aliquam in the first place! Days ago they had been given orders from their commanders after receiving a strange note… from a renowned thief… a thief whom announced his intentions to rob and steal before committing the act… a thief whom had sent word that they would do the same to Aliquam’s Academy for the Arts… and that Biggs and Wedge’s duty was to notify the people here, in particular their commander in question’s children, Rose and Angél de Cevantés, honorary members of said academy! They had gotten distracted first by their festival, and then by Tobias’ gala, but now…!
“We… we need to catch him, Wedge!” Biggs shouted to his partner, and the stoutly man nodded. As everyone else continued to look up and stare, the two soldiers began racing for the stairs, trying their best to hopefully climb up and catch him before the man could get away.
For the thief had a terrible reputation. Despite always announcing his intentions to steal in advance… even revealing where, what and when such a bold display of thievery would take place… no matter what precautions or measures of security were taken, they had never been apprehended! Before, these announcements always came through letters, marked by a strange seal. This time, however, was the first time the thief would make such a bold entrance as this…!
The man laughed again, and grinned despite the two soldiers desperately racing up. He continued to speak, despite them or the crowd’s murmured gasps and in talking.
“Some of you may have heard of my legend!” The blonde man grinned. “I am the legendary thief, The Masked Phantom!!”
“What?!” Simon stepped back in disbelief. He was one of the few who had heard of the thief’s reputation before, and he automatically began fumbling for his camera, lifting it up to try and take whatever photos he could. Rose and Dalia looked to each other with grim expressions, whilst Estelle, Amy and Dylan simply looked confused.
“Who?” Estelle muttered.
“I have come today to announce to you all my next game! The next target of ambitions, and I grant you all the chance to try and stop me… if you can!” The Masked Phantom laughed. “Let us make this something exciting, shall we?”
“What?” Estelle blinked, her face completely blank. Why is it that she and her friends always met the biggest nutjobs?
“Tomorrow night… at our very own town of Aliquam’s most prestigious Academy for the Arts… I will pull off my greatest heist yet!” The Masked Phantom laughed again. “I will steal the Academy’s greatest, and most valuable work of Art imaginable! Come!” The thief laughed. “Come, try and stop me, if you can!”
Within the blink of an eye, he was suddenly gone, black and white feathers cascading down from the swinging chandelier above, his laughter the last remnants and trace of his existence.
Tobias, at the furthest end away from where the Masked Phantom was, one-step upon the stairs leading up to the next floor’s corridor, watched the audacious man and his disappearance with growing anger and venom.
His hand shattered the glass he held into fragments.
