Heist

It was the day of the heist everyone was nervous sluggishly moving the gear into the wagon. Ark woke up beforehand to go into the forest. This had been ritual of his before every mission. He would head deep in the forest to an old autumn tree surrounded by greenery. Alone. Forgotten.

Ark remembered the trunk's many scars made by Col. He would look at the newest scar examining its depth using it as a sign of a jobs fortune. He ran past by some thick foliage expecting to see a bright autumn tree only to look up to see the tree split in two.

"What the hell" he yelled.

He walked closer stepping on the brightly colored leaves littered everywhere. He reached out his hand to touch the tree when his brother called out from the Road.

"Ark hurry up and get your butt over here!" he shouted.

He quickly ran to the road where their wagon was waiting. The wagon was large able to hold lots of people and more. They would need it for hauling all the treasure they were about to steal.

Col was sitting in the front with Knox steering the reins. The neighed in excitement as its snow-white mane wildly. Ark pet the steeds face as it ate berries Ark picked up in the forest.

"So, are getting in or not?" Asked Col trying his hardest to stop from smiling.

Ark was taken aback; his brother had never let him join a job that big. He quickly rubbed the horses head and ran to the back of the wagon.

And off they went.

 ***

The final arrived at Wayworth Manor. It was beautiful with statues strewed throughout its architecture. They were the faces of beautiful maidens draped in thin cloth. Rumor had it they were woman the lord met with during his time as a merchant. Desmond Wayworth formally Desmond Row a traveling merchant who gain wealth selling wine and furs in the Kingdom of [Insert name].

Col looked out into the wheat fields and saw men and woman working in hunched rows as a man in horseback whipped them into compliance. Men and woman in the lord's debt who are put in indentured labor to him.

'Scum's pat Col.

 Lords like this were people Col despised. Using their power to exploit the weak.

He quickly ducked into the tent from a passing guard.

"I think it's time for us to blend in, Elenor will you do the honors"

Elenor raised her hands and whispered eerily.

[Mist tome: Umbra]

 A thick grey smoke consumed them changing their appearance to unassuming guards clad in polished steel armor.

"We need to do this quickly it takes more energy to hide this many people"

They were stopped at the gate by spear wielding soldiers. Two checked the back while one on horseback came up to Col's side.

"What is your business here, sir?" asked the guard.

"We bring food, supplies to the men the reserves are thin" answered Col trying to act normal.

"Good, I'm tired of stale bread and rabbit stew" laughed guard.

" I know right, what's this lord trying to do kill me" He jested.

"What do you mean by tha-"

"Well, we have the food how about you let us in before it spoils right before our eyes" interrupted Knox disguised as a tall blond man. The guard submitted and let them through snickering as they entered the manors walls.

The building was surrounded by tall palm tree and ornamental shrubberies. King's Bane made their way so the kitchen witch was right next to the dungeons. They unloaded the food examining the number of guards at different parts of the building. Col managed to peer through the dungeon bars to see men and woman chained to the walls starved.

'I'm sorry this happened to you' He thought. Turning his back to the tormented men, he had a job to do and people who depended on him.

"We need to hurry up the longer we stay the more suspicion we will draw to ourselves" he whispered.

 They nodded heading into the building to vault room. On his way in Col rammed into a massive man speaking over a bushy moustache. His armor was also pristine different from the common guard's armor issued to everyone.

"Where do you think you're going soldier?"

Col panicking presented a trey of food for the princess who was known to not leave her room often. The man inspected the food before taking a piece of bacon with his rough dirty hands. Stale blood stained his knuckles.

"Go on ahead she won't eat it the little dove"

"Thank you, milord,"

They headed up the stairs to the daughter's room. The building was three stories tall with the vault room on the third floor guarded by a couple of men. Col quickly traipsed up the stairs trey in hand.

He knocked lightly on the door, hearing no answer he gently placed the food on the doorstep and walked off ahead. A part of him hoped that the girl would open the door and snatch the food. He flew down the stairs catching up to the gang already anxious. Knox gripped They were close to success as they only head-to-head down the corridor connecting at the far end of the manor.

A tired guards stood half asleep on the gate the path to which passed the lords garden a great beautiful ecosystem of exotic plant life. "Dark magic, they used potions" col spat.

The garden which seemed to stretch on forever.

Knox sniffed air smelling something strange," Sulfur". Their heads became light-headed as their vision blurred. Col decided to stop for a moment to catch his breath. "Hehehe",a young maiden's giggle rang through his head forcing him to look back.

His attention was quickly snatched by a beautifully flowing fountain overlooked by a throne made of purple crystals. It was stunningly molded throne with an emblem of a doe behind a flame the family crest of the Wayworth family. Col looked at the water flowing through the spout. His senses dulled slightly as he peered into the fountain's pool.

"When did I get here" he though as his head fogged. As he was on his knees his throat grew dry. He slowly scooped water in his hands growing ever thirstier.

"Captain what are you doing down there we need to get out before people ask questions"

In shock Col spilled the water jumping up in attention. He looked down to find there was fountain, no high throne just shrubbery. He scratched his eyes and shrugged off the entire ordeal.

The gate soldier stood slumped against his spear, snoring loudly.

"Elenor I hate to push you too far using your mancey but we need you to distract the guard" Col whispered.

Elenor wiped the sweat from her brow and nodded.

A cold wind passed the guards neck waking him up, he wiped the drool from his chin acting vigilante.

"What the hell is that"

He saw young girl wearing a purple scarf walking up to him. As she strutted over the tiled floors a cold dark mist crept passed his feet putting him in a daze. His eyes grew heavy as the girls footsteps got louder the closer she walked.

"Hey stop right-

As he blinked the girl seemed to disappear, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and looked ahead.

"Sorry can you help me"

Startle the man dropped his spear and shrieked in terror as a cold hand touched his shoulder.

"You scared me, how did you get in here this place is restricted?"

"Can you help me"

The girl's words put the man in a spell leaving him staring blankly ahead.

"Can I get the keys to the gate there I left my purse in there"

"Y-Yes, keys" he said giving the gate keys to Elenor.

She signaled to the others that it was save and promptly opened the gate. Her hands were trembling from exhaustion, she had pushed past her limit and unintentionally uncloaked the Col and the rest.

"Are you ok Elenor?" asked Ark rushing over to her aid, "Don't push yourself too far were here, we just need to get the gold and run before people get wise"

"Thank you Ark I'm all right I just need to catch my breath"

They walked inside hoping to see heaps of gold all around the place, but they were quickly met with two guards stationed inside.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" yelled one of the guards sitting on a chest overflowing with gold coins.

"Ah- We were sent in here by the Guard Captain, he wanted us to ask you something" Col said looking over at Elenor hoping she would handle them, but he saw her sweating and taking ragged breaths.

"Shit"

"So, what did he want to ask us?"

"He said go to the kitchen and grab a hot meal he would hate to have you working on an empty stomach. "

The guard looked at each other puzzled and stood up to stretch.

"We can't leave; someone has to watch the treasure at all times" he said solemnly.

"Don't worry we'll watch the gold for you, just make it quick" said Col.

"Whatever, I'm starving, let's go"

The soldiers raised their shoulders and walked out the room to get some food. As they were passing by one of the guards notice bright orange hair pocking out of Col's helmet.

"So where did you guys say you came from?" Asked the guard suspiciously.

"Were new from Rams Town, the pays good" Col said grinning awkwardly.

They walked out giving them a suspicious side eye. Immediately when they turned their backs to them Knox held one in a choke hold. The other guard dodged Col's attempt to choke him running out through the halls.

"Col stop him!" yelled Alyn.

Col ran full speed managing to clip the guard's foot toppling him in his heavy armour. He then jumped on the man's chest pinning him down then pulled a knife from his hip.

A struggle ensued; Col pushed against the knife panting hearing nothing but his heart beating. He as his heartbeat throbbed in his head he felt his strength fade. A cold panic ran threw his veins.

In that moment Col's mind cleared and all he heard was the sound of running water. He felt his strength increase with every breath. His entire demeanor shifted becoming calm and straight face. The closer he got to the man's throat the loader the water got drowning out everything around him.

"Please don't I ha-"

A sharp knife interrupted spraying blood on Colden face. He took a deep sign hand looked up from the ground to see the fountain even more beautiful then he remembered. Got up from the man and went over to the fountain to clean his face of blood. The water reflected Col with blood sprayed across his face. He knelt down and collected the water in his cupped hands.

The water was ice cold as Col drank it. He looked up at the throne his eyes filled with fervor.

'What is the feeling 'he thought as the he wiped his mouth.

A twig broke breaking his immersion. He looked over to the side to find a little boy playing with a stick on the other side of the fountain.

"Where the hell did you come from!?'

"…"

Col looked at the boy small and a afraid. He tried to call the boy over only to be meet with a quick escape.

"Wait don't run away you little-"

The boy disappeared into the fauna without a trace.