STOP THE THIEF

    I had been off the game for quite a while. It was time to visit some places unannounced and borrow their stuff permanently. At heart, I was still a thief. Working honest jobs really wasn't my thing. Why would I work when the head of this country's thieves spread their corruption in every inch? The second these idiots – the king and his lackeys – stop with this nonsense over the top taxes, stop stealing from the poor, and stop catering to the rich, I'd be off to work in an honest job. Until that happens… I'd continue being a leech like one of them.

I opened the window of a two-story house I had been watching for a while. It was quiet, only a flickering lantern illuminating the inside. It was a back window of the kitchen, tightly locked. Though, with my trusty crowbar, that didn't last long. The lock gave way, and I managed to slip inside without being seen.

Inside was a small, quaint kitchen. Wooden shelves lined the walls, holding clay pots and utensils. A large hearth dominated one side, with a kettle hanging over the faintly glowing embers. A simple wooden table stood in the middle, surrounded by mismatched chairs. The smell of herbs and aged wood permeated the air.

"Well, well, well," I whispered, picking up a necklace that was left on the counter. "Hello, there, shiny thing."

[Silver Necklace: 10g. Sell it now?]

"Now? Huh… sure."

The necklace I was holding glowed with a golden light before it disappeared into thin air, leaving behind a few shimmering sparks that gradually went away.

"Wow… handy. Saves me the trouble of seeing Barton's face."

"Mom?" a kid said, walking toward the kitchen from his room. "Is that you?"

"Shit, shit…"

"Mom? Was that my father? Is he home?"

I quickly shut the window and hid behind the counter. The kid, who was holding a toy bear and rubbing his eyes sleepily, glanced around before returning to his room.

Sighing in relief, I entered the small living area, which was cozy and tastefully decorated. It had two couches, a vase as tall as my height, and a small table between two windows. The walls were full of neatly painted artworks. Upon closer inspection, I noticed two of them bore the signature of a well-known painter.

"Great," I whispered. "Good paintings. They might sell well."

I held one of the paintings and waited for the familiar box to appear, but nothing happened. Unsure if I was doing something wrong, I laid the painting on the kitchen table and scratched my head.

"Hey – Mia's heart? I want to sell this thing."

[Personal/Passive Abilities:

Thief's Dream: Sell an object that doesn't belong to you. Can only sell one object per house.

Kill, Gain, Repeat: Each kill provides an ability point.

The Shadow Ground: Lockpick chests/doors/traps instantly. Can be used twice a day.]

"Huh… Can I use my AP points to upgrade them?"

[Yes. Master can use his points to upgrade personal/passive abilities.]

"Well I already had one point. Let's upgrade Thief's Dream." I whispered.

[Confirm?]

"Yup. Confirm."

[Thief's Dream: Sell an object that doesn't belong to you. Can only sell two objects per house.]

"So I can sell twice per house. Nice… let's sell this piece."

[Grotemnas' Painting: 120g. Sell now?]

"120? Barton gave me 50g for a similar piece. That bastard… yes, sell."

The painting glowed and disappeared into thin air, leaving behind a few sparkling particles that gradually faded away. I could take the other paintings with me, but it would be useless, since Barton would fence them for a measly 50 gold anyway.

"Good. Time to hit the bedrooms…"

I sneaked across the living room and moved closer to the room near the kitchen, slowly turning the doorknob. As the door creaked open, I saw a bed and a person lying there, deeply asleep and snoring lightly.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the woman's left hand. She was wearing a golden ring that gleamed even in the dim light.

"Oh my, oh my…" I whispered to myself. "You are beautiful."

I tiptoed over and knelt beside the bed. I moved my hands cautiously, not wanting to wake her. I held the ring with my thumb and index finger, gently trying to slip it off. But, all of a sudden, she mumbled something in her sleep and turned to the other side.

I quietly moved around to the other side of the bed, following her movements. I held the ring gently and slowly slid it off her finger.

Once the ring was off, I pocketed it and turned my attention to the bedside table. Opening the drawer, I found small earrings.

"Nice…" I said, pocketing them as well. "What else you got, ma'am?"

I turned toward the wardrobe, but as I tried to open it, it creaked so loudly that I had to stop. Deciding to exit the room, I noticed a portrait of the family on the wall. The picture showed a woman, a man, and the kid I had seen in the kitchen, smiling.

I recognized the man; he was a regular customer at the Rusty Chalice. I had heard from Barton that the man had been killed by a thug because he couldn't pay a debt.

"Stealing from a widow… how low can I get, huh?"

I wasn't a monster, but I wasn't a saint either. Like everyone else in this city, I always put myself first. Doing something like this – I didn't like it, of course. But hey… I didn't hate it either.

I stepped through the door and made my way to the kitchen window.

"Hey, Axel."

My heart skipped a beat as I heard a voice next to me. I jumped, unsheathing my dagger and backing away. Haruko, the girl from school who accused me of being the Shadow Dancer, was leaning against the table with her arms crossed. She was wearing black light armor and tight pants.

"Shit…" I quickly checked to see if the woman had woken up. "What are you doing here, you weirdo!"

"I followed you," she replied sarcastically. "You didn't realize it, huh? So much for the Shadow Dancer, I guess."

"Shadow Dancer is dead!" I whispered angrily. "Why did you follow me?"

"I wanted to see which home you were hitting," she answered, standing between me and my exit. "You know, this house belongs to a widow. Her husband is dead and in debt up to his neck."

"I don't care." I shoved her aside. "Don't follow me. Don't get near me. Fuck off."

"Such bad language."

"You know what's bad? Following people."

"So stealing from a widow isn't bad?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "Weird way of thinking, isn't it?"

"Just go away, please. Stay away from me."

I jumped out the window, and that weirdo followed me. It didn't matter that she was trailing behind; I had my share of the night with the painting and the golden ring. I just needed to fence them off and finish the day. Visiting Sura crossed my mind, but with Haruko following me, risking my sister's location wasn't a good idea.

I could hear her steps coming closer by the second. She really was starting to tick me off…

"Stop following me," I said, not looking back while I walked the empty back streets. "Go away."

"I'm headed to the Rusty Chalice. Who says I'm following you? You're not the center of attention, Axel. Calm down, you egotistical maniac."

"Says the weirdo girl who's been on my ass nonstop," I retorted, stopping in my tracks and turning to face her. "What can I do to make you go away? Do I have to threaten you?"

"You didn't hear me?" She passed me, continued walking, then turned her head back and smirked. "You're not the center of attention."

She held up the golden ring I had stolen from the widow. My hand moved to my pocket, and when I couldn't feel the ring inside anymore, I gritted my teeth, glaring at her.

"Give that back."

"Give back what?" She said, still smiling slyly. "This ring?"

"Give it back," I repeated. 

"That's the plan, Axel." She said, pocketing the ring. "I'll give this ring to the widow. It's the only thing that reminds her of her husband."

"What, you a saint all of a sudden?" I sneered. "Give it back!"

"Sure… only if you catch me, though." She said, a playful glint in her eyes. "Can you? I don't think you can keep up with me."

"Stop this childish game, Haruko," I replied, trying to keep my face neutral. "Give the ring back or else!"

"Or else what?" She asked, moving again. "You'll do what? Teach me a lesson I won't ever forget?"

She began to run away into another back alley. I had to stop her; I couldn't let her get away with my ring.

[New Quest: Stop The Thief.

Upon Completion: 1 AP.]