A quick short story that I wrote a number of years ago for a short story post thing.
“Freedom lies in the shadows, but what I desire lies in the light. The City’s changed, I’ve changed. Progress, taking jobs from the poor, padding the pockets of the rich and they call me a thief. This city’s got troubles enough, sickness roams the streets, despair is everywhere, it cannot be contained by the walls that separate us and neither can I. In my dreams I see ‘her’ dying, I never paid the price for anything… until now.”
The City of Tousir, stretching out into the distance ahead of her. Standing on the Clock tower located in the Old District, she stared out into the vastness of the city.
“If there’s one thing this city’s taught me, you can put a price on anything. Secrets, reputations. A life. And trust? If you have to ask, you can’t afford it but then I suppose none of that matters when you’re me. After all. When did I ever pay for anything?”
There was a job to do, she’d caught wind of an aged Merchantman returning home and bringing relics of long distant nations. It would be the perfect heist. Standing in the window of the tower, she took a breath and pulled the cloak around his mouth, descending the wall in a slow methodical movement.
Reaching the ground, she headed out to the edge of the City, keeping to the rooftops.
“First I stole to survive, then I survived to steal. It is all I know and all I will ever know.”
There it was, the Estate in question. Pulling out the larger crossbow she’d made, she fired the bolt across the rooftops and watched as it pierced into a tree, tying the top off the crossbow, she pulled it tight and watched the rope stiffen across to the bolt it was held into.
“There are those that believe the perfect heist lies in the preparation, some say that its all in the timing, seizing the right opportunity, others even say its the ability to leave no trace behind be a ghost. For me its simple its a way of life.”
Climbing on all fours, hanging upside down. Taldiira Rilynarn, Jo’parmak; pale skinned, silver haired Master Thief more commonly known by the Imperial translation of “Black Finger”, entered the Estate.