Episode 28: The Rogue and the Cursed Luck Charm

The door creaked open again — this time, with the kind of slow, calculated movement that screamed "sneaky person incoming."

In slinked a man dressed in dark leather, hood pulled low, trying way too hard to look inconspicuous. The fact that he walked like a cat burglar in a pottery shop kind of ruined it.

Zira leaned in to Felix. "Five silver says he calls himself something dramatic."

Felix smirked. "Ten says he mentions 'shadow' within the first minute."

The man reached the counter and glanced around, then spoke in a hushed, gravelly voice.

"They call me… Shade."

Zira silently held her hand out. Felix grumbled and handed over ten silver.

Shade leaned closer. "I need a charm. One that gives me perfect luck. Silent footsteps, no alarms, no guards catching me, no traps triggering. You know… rogue stuff."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you want to cheat at life."

Shade grinned. "That's exactly what I want."

Zira smirked. "You sure? Perfect luck doesn't always mean perfect outcomes."

Shade snorted. "I'm a professional. I'll take my chances."

Felix shrugged. "Alright, you asked for it."

---

One Hour Later…

Felix handed him a small, jagged black stone on a leather cord. "Here. One luck charm. Enjoy."

Shade slipped it on immediately. "Let's see what this baby can do."

He flicked a silver coin into the air — it landed perfectly on its edge and stayed upright. He grinned.

"Nice," Shade said. "This'll be easy money." He turned and strolled confidently toward the door.

The moment he stepped outside, a giant barrel of fish rolled loose from a nearby cart, slammed into him, and sent him sprawling into a puddle.

Felix winced. "Oof. Bad start."

Shade stood up, soaked and smelling like low tide. "It's fine. Just a fluke."

He took two steps. A random passerby dropped a bucket of cabbage off a balcony — it landed squarely on his head.

Zira covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Still feeling lucky?"

Shade growled, peeled off the cabbage, and stomped away. "I'm a rogue. I can handle this."

---

That Night…

Felix and Zira were locking up when the door burst open again. Shade staggered in, barely recognizable under a mountain of misfortune. His clothes were torn, he smelled like a brewery, and his right eyebrow was missing.

Felix blinked. "What the hell happened to you?"

Shade glared. "I fell into a hay cart… which caught fire. Then I landed in a pig pen. After that, a horse bit me." He pointed at his eyebrow. "Then a bard tried to 'help' by giving me a 'healing potion' that turned out to be beer."

Zira couldn't hold it anymore — she doubled over, laughing until she wheezed.

Shade slammed his hands on the counter. "This is not perfect luck!"

Felix chuckled. "Actually, it is. You survived all of that, didn't you? Statistically speaking, you're the luckiest man alive."

Shade stared at him. "…Take it off me. Now."

Felix grinned. "No refunds."

Shade groaned, stumbled toward the door, and muttered, "I swear, if one more thing happens to me—"

A bird pooped on his head.

Zira hit the floor laughing.

Felix smirked. "See? Lucky you weren't looking up."