Theo cautiously eased the window open, mindful to extend his aura to silence any sounds the rickety old window sill made with the action with a simple application of his aura. Easing himself through the window, he set his foot down quietly on the plush carpet of the room, before turning around and closing the window carefully. Kneeling down just under the window, he spared the room a quick examination.
The room consisted of a lavish plush bed draped in shimmering silks and soft looking sheets. It was empty, which Theo was grateful for. The room itself, despite the opulence with which the owner of this domicile exuded, seemed rather sparse in terms of other furniture. A simple dresser lined the far wall, a vanity mirror for women (and some men) set up on a stand next to it.
Tiptoeing across the room, he stopped at the door. A soft flickering light came from just underneath the doorframe, alerting him to the possibility of company beyond the door. Summoning his aura as slowly as he possible could, less he inform any magic user within any appreciable distance to his work, Theo softly bit out, "Clairvoyance."
***
Outside the door was a long hall away, numerous doors similar to his own lining the walls. At the far end of the hall way he could see a heavyset man lying unconscious on the ground.
***
Pulling his aura back within, Theo let off a relieved sigh. "Ranma's already been through here." he whispered, opening the door and stepping out into the hall. Examining the hall way more thoroughly, and finding nothing of immediate interest, he moved towards the downed figure.
***
Pantha grunted, a lance of pain ripping through her mid section as the stab wound began to heal itself. At least her tormentors didn't have silver handy, else this would really hurt.
Carl, a barbarian with shaggy brown hair and cold brown eyes cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward, pushing aside the human knife user as he stalked towards the woman. "Bitch, where are your friends?"
Pushing herself up from the floor, Pantha cursed herself an idiot once again. Leave it to her to get busted out of the three of them. "Go to hell!" she bit out in defiance.
Carl reached down and grasped her by the throat with his meaty hand before slamming her against the wall; he reared back with his other fist and punched her viciously in the stomach. Pantha grunted with the blow, but struggle as she might she couldn't break the giant of a man's hold on her. He ignored the pain of her claws tearing viciously into his arm as if she wasn't even hurting him.
Edge, a were-fox, not to be confused with kitsune, snorted in disdain. He was a short chap, coming to five feet four inches in height, and dressed rather loosely in a green tabard and matching pants with a black over the shoulder belt hung loosely, numerous knives hanging loosely. "Carl, let me slice her up abit. She'll be more cooperative, I promise yah that." he leered at the girl, idly dangling a knife in his hand as he moved up to the girl.
"So here you are." a bodiless voice echoed around the small storeroom.
Carl and Edge tensed, the barbarian increasing the pressure around Pantha's neck while Edge whipped around in surprise. "Who..who are you?" Edge cursed himself for his weakness. He couldn't keep his genuine surprise off his voice. Damn it.
Pantha winced. Why did it have to be him of all people that came to her rescue?
***
"Sleep." Theo commanded.
Izubar, a short halfling, collapsed over the book he had been writing in, snoring loudly.
Theo walked over to the desk the little bugger was at, kicking the unconscious halfling from his chair before turning his attentions to the books. "Hmm..."
The book the halfling had been writing in was streamed with City names, the name of some individual beside it, and a long string of numbers. Theo closed the book before pocketing it in his dimensional pocket. It would be something to look thru later; right now he had work to do.
Pulling out a cheap quartz crystal, Theo kneeled down by the unconscious halfling. Lifting the Crystal to the halflings forehead, he closed his eyes and began chanting incoherently just under his breath. The gem slowly began to flare with mystic energy, until it was growing as bright as a light bulb, where it suddenly ceased to glow. Theo nodded, standing back up and pocketing the crystal.
"Now... where are you hiding, Cecila.." Theo whispered.
***
"Not that I ain't grateful to you, but why?" Pantha gave her rescuer a strange glance, curiosity shining in her eyes.
The man shrugged. "I like you."
Pantha grimaced. "Don't ever say that again."
The man chuckled weakly, before handing her something covered in a white cloth, "A gift. Use it well." he said, not giving Pantha time to answer - or not accept the gift - he turned around and disappeared through the shadows.
Pantha blinked as the man vanished, before looking at the bundle she held in her hands. Curiously she peeled back the white cloth, only to gasp in surprise at what was hidden beneath. She stared at it for a very long time, before she recovered her senses and threw the hidden treasure against the wall angrily.
"A pineapple?!?"
***
"So.."
"Hmm.."
Ranma snorted, "What the heck are you doing here?"
Jato shrugged, or tried too. It was hard to shrug when you were chained to the wall, arms held overhead. "The boss was very upset with me."
"Oh.. dems the breaks I guess."
"Look. How about we make a deal? You get me out, I'll tell you whatever I can about the people who want you dead." Jato offered sincerely. He had been chained up for the better part of the week, ever since he failed to kill the real mage of their group. How was he suppose to know he'd flip a gasket when he threw those Silver shuriken's at the were-panther?
"Deal." Ranma grunted, grabbing the chains before pulling on them roughly. "Your kid's been giving me nothing but hell since our last fight!"
Jato chuckled. There last fight had been over two weeks ago, and Hanzo had been present. He didn't know why the kid had jumped at the boy and begged him to teach him his moves, but at least the kid wasn't harassing him for food, money, clothing, and training anymore, he was Ranma's problem now. "Hero-worship."
Ranma grimaced. Hanzo was a good kid, despite his father's profession. He was just a wee bit too desperate to learn Anything Goes for his taste. Heck, the kid had practically become his own son with the way he refused to leave him the heck alone. He really needed to find a way to get the kid out of his hair.
"He should be worshiping you, Jato. Your his father." Ranma grunted, finally pulling the chains from the wall. "Man, those were in there pretty tough."
Jato gawked, "Damn.. I said get me out of here, I didn't expect you to rip the chains from the wall!" he goggled, "How the hell did you do that! Those were magically held!"
Ranma blinked, "Eh? How the heck did anyone infuse magic into the metal?" He didn't even think it was possible.
Jato blinked, "Eh, no clue. Think it has something to do with normal dirt.." he shrugged, before wincing. Damn his shoulders hurt, his arms feeling like dead weights.
"So... about taking your kid back.." Ranma glared.
"Heh.."
***
Theo grunted, ducking behind an over turned table as arrows flew thru where his chest use to be. It was just his luck he ran into a group of thugs loading up a wagon while he was trying to escape the house.
Not for the first time he wondered how he got into this mess, and not for the first time he realized it was all his felt. "God damn you, Cecila." he grunted. The woman had just shown up one day and challenged him to a fight. No explanation was given, only the stipulation that the loser had to do any one thing for the winner. He had been about to turn down her offer, not interested in the least bit with the duel and the prize, when the woman had threatened to kill his friends.
He hadn't appreciated that. Not on bit.
While the fight had been quick and to the point, Theo emerged the victor despite feeling like utter shit from the beating he had received. The woman had informed them that a certain group of thugs by the name of 'The Trioca Syndicate' had put a hit out on their heads for their involvement in catching the Tumbling brothers. They might not have put the hit on their heads, if Ranma hadn't robbed them of over three months revenue to their little organization. Leave it to Ranma to make their lives far more difficult then it already was.
She even supplied them with the address to this house, a base of operations in Lirith that expertise in extorting public officials and smuggling various illegal items. Though, she did warn them she would be back to kill them all the next time.
Theo was brought out of these thoughts as an arrow broke through the sturdy wooden table's surface, the arrowhead glinting dangerously no farther then an inch from his head. "Heh.. wanna play do you?"
He raised his hand over the table and shouted, "BRUNT!" a whirlwind of magical energy lashing from his hand and blindly tearing through the area. He received an arrow through his hand for all his efforts.
"Come on out, Theodore." a familiar and entirely unwanted voice sent a shiver down his spine.
"Cecila."
***
"Break!" Ranma hissed, the palm of his hand glittering dangerously before the vault door shattered into little pieces. He huffed a bit. Damn, that technique was really really tiring. He made a mental note to increase training in magic. He had been training like a bat out of hell in his Ki again, which meant his magic was starting to suffer. Argggh! Finding a balance was going to be hell!
Jato spared the insides a glance, "Make sure to grab the maps!"
"Huh? Maps?" Ranma blinked. What the hell did they need a map for?
"Trust me!" Jato whispered fiercely, "There's one in particular the Trioca have you are going to need if you plan to ever be rid of them."
Ranma nodded, grabbing what he could and tossing it into his own dimensional pocket. He sure as heck was glad he bought his own, no matter how harsh a blow to their funds the purchase had cost. "Whatever." he snorted.
Jato grimaced, "Where are your friends anyway? You broke in all alone?"
Ranma waved him off, closing his pouch, "Nah. We broke in from three different points. I came in through the chimney, Pantha through the back, and Theo.. eh.. don't know, wasn't watchin him." he wouldn't be surprised if Theo decided to wait back a bit and see if they were busted straight out. That damn weenie.
"Lets get the hell out of here." Jato hissed.
"You're not going anywhere!" Ranma and Jato freezed at hearing that voice. Turning around, they glared at the woman, both hissing her name.
"King."
***
Pantha darted from shadow to shadow, moving down the hall in search of Theo or Ranma. She had been beaten for the better part of an hour, so she doubted there was anything she could get her hands on that the two hadn't already gotten. Peering down a hall, Pantha blinked.
The hall led to an open door, probably leading to the stables. She could see numerous men present, all with arrows notched and at the ready, like they were preparing for something or someone to go charging out their like an idiot. She was about to go a different route, when she heard the strained voice of Theo reply to some one.
"Cecila."
Pantha grimaced. She hated that slut. While Ranma and Theo seemed oblivious to the woman's advances, she wasn't. Her little duel with Theo was nothing more then a grope fest for the woman, hugging and touching him in such ways that made her panther blood boil at the sight of it.
"I'll get that bitch, and her little weasel too!" Pantha grimaced, remembered that perverted little creature when it had groped her chest.
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See other episodes by Matdeception
(Posted Wed, 28 Jan 2004 22:25)
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