Not An Easy Mark

[Hadrian]

57th Summer, 512 A.V. In the thief's defense, Hadrian didn't really look all that formidable. To be sure, he was quite tall, but gangling, and dressed in a sensible shirt and trousers, not adding layers to keep the heat in on a summer day. There were blue streaks in his dark hair, but he was too tall to be a Vantha; it must have been some affectation. And his eyes were too bright, but they were elsewhere, lost in thought. All in all, he seemed to be an easy mark. But a part of him kept track of the auras around him; while it wasn't a perfect science, he could get flashes of warning when someone wished him ill. Sometimes a little alert was all someone needed, and their mundane senses could do the rest. He wasn't stupid enough to carry a lot of money, anyway. In fact, he was considering the foundation of a bank, something he had read about from pre-Valterrian times, a treasury for the common man. But he was thinking on other things now, and one could easily assume he was not paying attention, but he had learned that lesson long ago.

[Jimmy Avery]

A lone figure absently fiddled with a coin in the scant shade of an ale house marquee. To any observer he was a bored patron absently sipping a refreshing mug of ale whilst relaxing in the slight midafternoon breeze, however the young man had other agenda’s as befitting his role in society. This young man was a Thief, a fact unknown to the casual observer, but to any that knew his stock well would notice the inexperienced eyes that seemed to casually inspect every possibly source of wealth as they passed by on the busy streets of Zeltiva. His eyes where bright signifying his youth, hiding the past pains of a life best forgotten, though they seemed to darken taking a note of malice as he marked someone in the bustling crowd.

He had marked his intended prey.

His lips curled slightly into an expression of mild amusement as his took a last sip of his ale, savouring the taste for a moment as he felt it energize him in preparation for the moment. Without further thought he slipped from his perch outside the small alehouse and moved into the bustling crowd, he wasn’t stupid enough to try anything like a mugging in public but he noted the mans weighted slightly weighted purse and decided that maybe a simple accidently nudge would provide him an opportunity. He moved swiftly, making himself a simple unimportant part of the crowd, though nothing could prepare him for what he was about to encounter.

As he moved beside the young man he swiftly angled toward him making it seem like he was moving down an alley to his left, when in actual fact his plan was to accidently bump into the young man garbed somewhat smart clothing.

He suddenly felt a note of fear, a moment before he was playing the role of the predator moving against an easy prey, now his mark looked him dead in the eye and the young Thief hesitated…

[Hadrian]

Whatever combination of impressions drew his chlorine blue eyes to the young man's triggered an internal alarum, but he didn't react; his gaze slid away like water off a duck's feathers, though he did loose a bolt of hypnotic power, a sudden thought in the unknown young man's own voice, Yes, this one will be an easy mark. And Hadrian kept walking, seemingly unaware of the thief's designs, but Hadrian had been trained in the arts of intelligencing by the legendary MaeClair, or partially trained, at least. With a subtle working of Illusion, his pouch shifted and seemed suddenly more full of tempting coin. But the thief could not see what happened within Hadrian's clenched fist, how his palm became slicked down with greenish res, nor could he see the djed Fluxing through his limbs, preparing them to react with lightning speed. He would not kill the thief; oh, no. But people had their uses, and the longer Hadrian stayed in Zeltiva, the more his ambitions grew, and the need for good help.

[Jimmy Avery]

Whatever thoughts ailed him a moment before slid away as the blue eyed rich boy looked away. Jimmy cursed to himself, he had been spooked by nothing more than a chance glance in his direction and now he knew in the back of his head that he would have to leave this one. He knew from experience when to back away, this man had seen his face and a man that knew his face was a man that could bring him trouble in the future. However he just couldn’t shake the itch, something seemed to tug at him telling him that this man was an easy target, a feeling that only amplified as he chanced a glance down to see that previous observations of the man’s purse where perhaps not quite so accurate.

A slight smile crossed his lips before he gathered his senses, the man had now gained precious feet as Jimmy spent those few moments considering his move, his mind told him that he had to go for this and ever the curious, this once he would follow what his desires said and put wit’s aside.

He picked up his pace slightly, it didn’t take but a few more moments for him to close the gap and that was enough. In that time he had judged his angle of approach and had spied an alley across the road where he could quickly make a dashing escape, without doubt he could vault a wall somewhere and be gone like a cloud of smoke before his mark could gather his wit’s. With but a moments thought he executed his plan and feigning an accidental trip his left shoulder connected with the other mans right and his fingers lightly gripped the bulging purse…

[Hadrian]

But Hadrian was ready for him, and as soon as the greedy hand hit the leather of his purse, his own hand slapped around the thief's wrist with unnatural speed, and the res began to harden around their hands, conjoining them in stone that seeped further up their wrists with each passing heartbeat. With that same speed and matching strength, Hadrian hauled him into the alleyway, and shoved him up against the shadowed wall. His hand came up, some of the Fluxed energy morphing his free hand into black claws, a model of Vizyous' Symenestra hands, and this the thief could see transforming before his very eyes if they weren't too taken with the elemental bond that had trapped him. With their bodies pushed flush together, it took no time at all for his aura to burst upon the thief's, sending a shudder of fear through him. Each bit of magic was economically used, just enough of each to achieve the desired results. He had learned his limits and how to work within them. "What is your name?" he whispered harshly. "Where do you live?" They were simple questions, and he hoped to scare the truth out of him, because the answers would give him power.

[Arcane]

Rewards and Treasure! Experience Points +1 Flux +1 Morphing Lores Bungling a Robbing Attempt Integration of Magic: Magical Thief Trap Comments This ended too fast that nothing much can be fairly awarded EDIT: Award reviewed and edited accordingly.