Alethin sat in his cell. He hated being trapped more than Vesperbats hated the sun. But he supposed that this was the inevitable. He huffed. He felt the need to move, the need to travel. He had been on the run for a very long time and in his line of work this was only natural. He felt the need to get up and pace. He put his hands behind his back and began to walk back and forth. “Think, Alethin. Think!” He had buyers lined up, probably wondering where he was and where their goods were. He didn’t like to keep people waiting.
After about an hour of pacing Alethin sat on the floor and huffed. There seemed to be no fathomable way out of this cell. He seemed to be stuck in such a way that the only way out seemed to be death. Or if some rich person were to come along and bail him out, but he had made many enemies in his travels so that was unlikely.
As the early evening turned into crisp black night and a chill swept through his cell, his eyes turned to the small window way above him and looked up at the stars. Such stars had pointed him along the way in his earlier years. He never took the same route twice for fear of someone catching him. He was so careful to cover up his tracks. Perhaps he had just made friends with the wrong people? He thought it about he could have set him up. It wasn’t the guy who wielded the hammer and had a huge Lakiran Platypus collection was it? No. He didn’t think so. Perhaps it was Lady Alula? No. She rarely left her sanctum. He stifled a yawn and made himself as comfy as he could be on the dirt floor and drifted off into a restless sleep.
He found himself back at hustle and bustle of Synara. He stopped here every so often, around the full moon. He walked a bit and found himself in a crowd of faceless people standing outside of the Inn. Something dawned on him. He remembered overhearing a conversation a year or so ago, with the Innkeeper and a Magi. The Innkeeper had specifically said that he didn’t like having Alethin around. He then remembered something important. He left a map somewhere, he left it somewhere and couldn’t remember where.
As sudden as a flash of lightning, he was taken to the night of his capture. About a half a day's journey or so from the prison which he slept in. He was outside of Synara, walking with his cart along the river. It was midday and chilly. He felt like he had followed since he left the Alrsae Mountains. He stopped his Aselis, Lorelai, so she could get a drink of water. It was deathly silent along the riverbank for a while. He heard rustling to his left and right, he assumed it was some poor thirsty creature wanting to take a sip from the cool water of the river. That’s when he found himself being jumped by two dashingly dressed Magi.
He woke up panting and in a sweat. He remembers being dragged away and then nothing else. He remembers squirming and hollering but anything afterwards is black. When he woke up, he was here. Had they given him some herbs? No. Herbs would have had different side-effects. He touched his face and felt a bruise. “Guards be damned!” He thought about his dream. About the innkeeper. What was his name again? Reiki or Rami or something? “Damn him too.” He grumbled.
He veered his gaze towards the window. The moon wasn’t full yet. Maybe he had time to tell his contacts he would be late and that He would take care of his predicament. They had confiscated his eggs and Lorelai. Probably set fire to his cart as well. But he still had one trick up his sleep. He felt around in his robes. “Ah-ha!” He pulled out a flute. He checked to make sure no one was around. Guards, despite having Nightwatch usually went to sleep as they were very complacent. Ever so quietly, he played a small, short tune.
Sitting in an old wicker basket in the Guards Quarters, sitting amongst a pile of eggs from the cart of Alethin, a cobra slowly slithered out, much to the ignorance of the Gaurdsmaster. The snake followed the sound of the tune until he came face to face with his master.
The cobra came slithering up the cell. This cobra, and Lorelai, he felt were his only two true friends in this world. Loyal to the end. The black cobra hissed and Squeezed through the bars. Alethin picked up the snake and wrapped it around his neck. “Ah my old friend. Have they been treating you well?” The snake looked at the man with a pained look. “And of what of Lorelai?” The snake hissed. “Do you know where they’re keeping her?” He asked the snake. The shiny black cobra motioned his head to the west as if to say down that corridor, to the west. You had better hurry my friend. Alethin nodded. May I ask a favor of you, old friend?” The snake made direct I contact. I’m listening to you. “Find the key.” Alethin said softly. “Please.” The snake’s eyes glinted, and he quickly slithered off Alethin’s neck, down his body and into the darkness. Alethin positioned himself on the floor and tried his hardest to wait. But he ended up dozing off. It was almost dawn by the time the snake got back.
When he heard the snake hiss in his ear, Alethin leaped up from his seat. He snatched the key from the slithering snake. After freeing himself he wrote a giant A in the dirt. That would make the Gaurdsmaster mad for sure. As he admired his work, he heard shuffling in the darkness. “Come, friend.” He picked up the cobra and wrapped him around his neck. “We must go get Lorelai and get out of here.” He whispered.
He crept quietly down the hall. He noticed a sleeping guard, upright in his chair. “Hey!” He shouted, startling the guard. Alethin got closer to the guard slowly. The smuggler studied the boy, he was quite young. Alethin mustered up his best impression of the grandmaster's voice. “If I catch you sleeping on the job again you’ll be sorry!” Alethin’s voice echoed throughout the stone corridor. It was only lit by a single torch close to the now-awake guard. “Boy, come here.” Alethin said, using the darkness as cover. It wouldn't last as the young boy grabbed the torch off of the scone and held it firmly in his grasp. The young guard crept closer..and closer until he was face to face with Alethin. “Hey w-” The boy started to recognize Alethin, but before he could do or say anything, he was knocked out cold on the floor. “That’s for taking my livelihood away.” He was about to kick dirt on the guard when something dawned on him..
After he locked the now knocked-out guard into his cell (Making great care not to mess up his crafty Capital A) he made sure to lower guards' visor over his eyes. This would make sneaking of here out easier. That was until they discovered what he had done. He better leave as fast as he could. He had looted a few matches from the young guard and used them to light his own torch, thus making it easier to navigate in the dark.
He turned west and was led out of the prison into a courtyard and a stable. On the right there was a pasture filled with Pegasus, bearing blankets the symbol of Synara City. Over to the left there was another small pasture, filled with Aselis who also wore Synara’s symbol. In the darkness he had trouble locating Lorelai. He noticed that several farmhands had made their way over to the Pegasus stables. He maybe had five more minutes before guards would wake up and start their rounds. He walked briskly over to the Aselis stall and gazed over them. “Lorelai..Lorelai!” He called out. An old female Aselis stepped forward.
The Aselis didn’t recognize the man at first, with the visor covering his eyes. But as soon as Alethin put his hand on her head and scratched her behind the ears, she brayed with joy. The old Aselis had been quite worried about her friend, and hoped he was okay. Now here he was. She was so happy, she couldn’t help but bray. “Shhh-shhh” Her friend said. “We must leave before-” An alarm cut him off. He opened the gate and let her out. He intentionally forgot to close it. He hoped that the loose Aselis would cause more commotion than an escaped prisoner. He knew he wouldn’t make it on foot, and Lorelai was too old and frail to carry him. He spotted a young farmhand opening the stable door. Alethin had to act fast. He threw his torch onto some hay and made a break for it.
He shoved the boy out of the way and mounted the first Pegasus he saw. “Let’s ride! Yaw!” He shouted. The Pegasus reared up and ran out the door. With the snake around his neck and the Aselis at his heels, he made his way to the big gate at the front. “Lower the gate, he’s getting away!” He heard a far off voice call. He felt arrows whizzing by his head. Leaving meant freedom. Staying meant..being locked up the rest of his life..or worse. He pushed the Pegasus to go faster and faster. The gate started to screech closed.
He managed to escape before it closed, but only by mere seconds. He kept running and did not stop until he was sure that he was far away enough to not be captured again. He slowed the Pegasus to a walk; poor thing was probably exhausted. They came across a small pond in a clearing. The smuggler slid off the horse and on to the ground. His legs felt like jelly. He laid on his back and looked up at the late winter sky. He could still see the smoke from the prison, but they probably weren’t looking for him now. The fire and the loose Aselis probably were stirring up enough trouble. He had a day maybe two to get out of the area. He sighed and tried to close his eyes for a moment. But he couldn’t. Something was off.
He looked around. He had his snake, who was now sleeping soundly in the chest plate of the suit of armour. The pegasus was nibbling on some grass. It dawned on him that Lorelai was missing. But how? She was right on his heels! He remembered the arrows...oh gods? Had they gotten Lorelai?! He couldn’t go back and find her, he was a man who was wanted more than ever. He hoped that if she was gone, that her death was fast and painless. He felt tears sting his eyes. That innkeeper would pay for this.
The Man must have fallen asleep. Because it was early evening when he woke up. His body felt tired but he had to keep moving on. He headed towards the city. His snake around his neck, atop his white new Pegasus. He had ditched the Synara city blanket by the pond, hoping not to draw attention to himself. He would have to buy a new cart, and a bigger harness for the Pegasus. He named her Minoris after the bright stars that guided his way.
Once in the city he sold his guards garb to an old friend of his, a trusted ally who also dabbled in the selling and buying of illegal goods. From her, he bought new robes. This time with pockets. The viper loved the pockets.
He loved the familiarity of alleyways and dark streets. However, he was not here to trade. That was too dangerous right now. No one was around anyways, he could smell the smoke from the prison still. Word had probably broken out that he had escaped so people were staying inside for their own safety. That didn’t concern him right now. He simply had unfished business within the city. Once done, he would lay low in Arkene settlement for a while. The smuggler found himself at the entrance to Remy’s Inn, usually a hotspot for traveling magi and locals alike. Today, it seemed almost abandoned. He pulled up the hood of his blue robes and kept his head low. He entered slowly.
Remy eyed this stranger. Business had been slow today, all because of the breakout two days ago. He hoped it wasn’t who he thought it was, but he kept those fears to himself. “I’ll have some ale, please.” the stranger said in a raspy voice. Remy was quick to serve, and the stranger was quick to drink. The smuggler realized that Remy was trying to avoid his gaze. He made sure to make direct eye contact with the innkeeper. The expression on the smuggler’s face made Remy feel unsettled.
The Stranger wasn’t smiling, not on the outside anyway. “Do you always play dirty, Remy? Did you really think you had me this time?” The Stranger pulled back his hood and revealed himself. “Alethin!” Remy shouted. “How did you...!?” Remy stammered, shocked that the smuggler before him had managed to escape. He had heard talk about an escaped prisoner, but he assumed it was all rumor. “That’s none of your concern Remy.” Alethin said. Remy grabbed a knife from behind the counter. He shakily held it at Alethin drew slowly closer. “What is of your concern is my map.” Alethin said sternly. “I don’t know what you’re talking-” Remy started to speak, but Alethin cut him off. “Don’t give me that, Remy.” Alethin said shaking his head. “Tsk, Tsk. We both know what you did.” Alethin pushed the knife away with a single finger, the steel shined in the sunlight that leaked through the windows of the inn. It fell to the floor with a clink.
“When I was in town the last time, I rented a room here. I paid in full for a 3 night stay. “ Alethin said, a slight enjoyment in his voice. Remy nodded. “Y-yes...I remember that.” Remy stammered with fear.
“And during that stay, I forgot my map here. I hid it under the bed while I was out selling my goods.
Alethin picked up the knife. He flicked it, observing how sharp it was. Remy started sweating more than a sinner in church. “And when I got back from selling my goods, it was gone. I assumed I misplaced it. I am a forgetful person, you know.” Alethin laughed a cold laugh. A laugh that would chill the dead. Remy could feel Alethin’s breath on his skin. “I know what happened now.” Alethin said, in a growly voice. “You took it, didn’t you? You were cleaning my room and you found it and you took it.“ Remy, too terrified to move felt around behind him for something, anything he could use. He found nothing. The seconds felt like hours. Each second that went by felt excruciatingly slow. “You gave my map to the guards, didn’t you? You gave it to the guards, and they set me up. “ Alethin’s face was close to Remy’s face. Remy spat in it. “So what?!” Remy exclaimed “You’re nothing but a sewer rat! Those gaurds’ll catch up to you and you’ll get what’s coming!” Alethin made a stabbing motion, raising the knife above his head. Remy closed his eyes and braced for pain. As a few seconds passed, he realized that the only thing he felt was a slight pinch in his cheeks. The knife was stabbed into the wall directly left of Remy. His cheek was bleeding a little.
“I might be a rat, but I’m no snitch!” Alethin let out a chilly laugh. “I’ll be in town again next month. Until then you should learn to sleep with one eye open, Remy!” Alethin laughed as he slammed the door. Remy ran after him, but upon opening the door, Alethin was nowhere to be seen. All Remy heard was Alethin’s laughter on a wind that was colder than the grave...
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