Flashback A Thief in the Storm

[Kaie]

10th of Spring, 512 AV

The whole world was madness. The whole city was thrown into a state of emergency, Knights and officials of every branch shouting and herding every body they could down into the depths of Syliras, into some dank mouth of the world like ants scurrying into a hill. Then there was darkness, the occasional torch along the underground shedding light upon the people corralled like livestock together. The voices were deafening at times. Some had screamed for hours in fits of despair and fear, only to be met with either comfort or the shrieks of annoyed neighbors. It was simply not the time or place to become claustrophobic, but given the situation, it seemed just everyone was beginning to develop the disorder. There were just so many bodies shoved together it was enough to make one sick. Little gangs of people had formed through the week, the strong banding together to try to monopolize supplies they could bully from their neighbors. And all the young Myrian woman wanted to do was get out.

Kaie had found her own little corner of paradise against a cold wall of stone. Her supplies were all stuffed deep within her pack, which she leaned against while she rested, her back against the stone behind her. Her leather vest and loincloth were shrouded with a brown cloak, and a gladius hung loosely upon her right hip. Luckily she was yet to use the weapon, but as the days of their confinement continued, she was finding it was hardly a deterrent against starving thieves anymore. In all her days within the Fortress City of Peace, the jungle-born woman had never felt so alone.

It seemed her biggest problem at the time was sleep, a fact to which deep circles beneath her eyes proved testament to. So many times had she tried to slip into the unconscious. Her efforts were generally futile, for her mind always wandered to the darker thoughts that plagued her. And once the stream of thoughts began, there was hardly a way to stop them.

Where is Molly? I haven't seen even a glimpse of her or her father. I bet they're hiding in some ridiculously expensive bunker of some kind...assuming they made it back at all.

And what of home? Is Taloba even still standing? What of my clan, my family? Will there even be something to come back to?

And for once when she let her heavy eye lids flutter closed, she felt the gentle hands of much needed sleep tease at her. They cradled her, gradually pulling her deeper and deeper away from the dark, cold, filthy world that had so suddenly become her reality. For once she didn't fight it.

[Nyxie Nadira Draer]

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“It’s your turn.”

Nyxie groaned, turning over on the dirt floor. Maybe he’d shut up if she ignored him.

“Get up!” An elbow poked into her back, making her grumble an inaudible curse. “Nyx, just go. It’s getting easier now; they’re all fed up and worn out.” She rolled onto her back, eyes still closed. “Ugh, Nyxie…”

The redhead breathed a deep sigh, knowing her cousin was right. He managed to do it in under a bell yesterday. That would’ve been impossible a little over a week ago. It was almost as if the people here had given up on trying to survive; being underground for more than a week seemed to drain every ounce of hope out of most Sylirians.

But the thieves were thriving.

Survival required supplies, and supplies were plentiful. But only those that seemed to give up on morality were the ones who now held the most desired necessities.

The Svefra, of course, had almost no trouble being resourceful. They considered themselves entitled to anything that was left unattended. Thus, the motto was simple: “If you’re not strong enough to hold onto something, then you don’t deserve to have it” Did it give the Svefra a bad reputation? Yes, it certainly did. But such a philosophy has obviously served to benefit the race, greatly.

Nyxie’s family was no different. They found a corner in the Syrilian underground to call their temporary shelter and base, keeping all their gathered supplies in bags that were guarded by the slaves they’d captured before the storm hit. The storm that was apparently so devastating that it was dangerous to be above ground. The redhead wondered what it would look like up there. What possible damage could a simple storm cause to this fortress of apparent safety?

Her wandering thoughts were interrupted by a light shove. “Nyxie! Hurry up, it’s getting late.” She swatted Erich’s hand away, clicking her tongue in irritation. “Alright, look. If you come back with a full bag,” the young Svefra lowered his voice to a whisper, “I’ll share some of the rum I found last night.” Nyx’s eyes shot wide open. She scrambled to sit up, cross-legged, and glared at her cousin’s smug face.

“You petching bastard! Where’d you get it?” Erich smirked, rolling his eyes, clearly satisfied with his cousin’s reaction. “Does it matter? Now go. You don’t have a lot of time before the knights make their rounds”

Knowing that Erich succeeded in bribing her into doing her share of work, Nyxie cursed under her breath. He smiled and patted the girl on her back. “Remember, be⎯”

“Yeah, shut up,” she interjected “I got it. I’ll be fine… And I better get half the bottle.” Slinging her canvas bag over her shoulder, Nyx got up and yawned before setting off towards finding a target.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Though useful and well sharpened, a measly eating knife was the only weapon at her disposal, stuffed into the pocket of Nyxie’s skirt. She slipped a hand in to grab the knife while walking through the twisting paths with the hood of her cloak over her head. Blue eyes surveyed the people around her, searching for a victim. They settled on a woman who looked alone and fast asleep, leaning on a pack that was clearly full of supplies. Perfect.

A closer look made her wary; Nyx spotted a sheath by the woman’s hip. Usually, such a sign would make her turn around and search somewhere else. But the Svefra was driven by the desire for rum and the limited amount of time. Besides, this lady was knocked out. There was no way she’d wake up.

The redhead quietly sat down beside the woman, and set her own bag next to the pack. With practiced hands and head down, Nyxie set to work, using her eating knife to shear through the outer layer of material. A prayer to Laviku ran through her mind in hopes that she’d be done before the poor soul woke up.

It’d be easy enough to feign fatigue, in the case she gets caught. A swift sleight of hand would hide her knife, and her head would lean against her bag, making herself look like she was simply curled up to sleep beside the women’s pack. But Nyx was safe for now. She managed to make a hole through the pack, and started to pull stuff out, transferring the supplies into her bag.

A smirk crossed Nyxie’s face, pleased to be on the verge of completing the job.

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[Kaie]

Before long the young savage had discovered she was just about powerless against the descent of her slumber. The sensation was likened to that of the rolling tide. She'd experienced the feeling once before. It was a ship that had left the coast of Falyndar, the first one she had ever been on. She remembered laying down upon its deck, watching the brave Svefra sea hands clamber up the rat lines like monkeys in the jungle canopy. All the while there was that gentle, soothing rock of the ship as the ocean rolled and dipped under the hull. Had the sun not been so bright and the air so humid, she might've slipped into the sort of unconsciousness that plagued her just then. Yet just before Kaie disappeared beneath the waves something in her world changed. Something was different. She could feel it...

At first there was nothing but that ever ominous feeling of another's presence. The sort of thing she had often known to come when she was travelling through thick foliage alone. Then there was the sound of careful tearing of fabric just behind her head. With none but a stone wall at her back where she had leaned herself and her supplies against, there was one explanation. Thief.

Noise of the cutting isn't clear. Sounds like it needs some kind of force behind it. Blade probably dull or not made for this type of work.

That's when there was an almost imperceptible shift within the bag itself. A cautious retrieval of the goods inside that altered the way the young woman's back was buffered away from the cave wall. A sort of fire lit at the injustice and the audacity somewhere within the Myrian, and in a flash her amber eyes snapped open and she twisted as her hand began to wrench the gladius free of its keep. Her gaze was wild and the hiss of revealed steel cruel. Within a tick she had found her feet and slipped around the thief, leaving the crimson haired to choose between the wall and the sword.

"That was cute," The young woman growled irritably, her hand clenching the sword tightly as she studied the woman. Her freed fingers ran through her curly brown hair, shaking it a bit as the locks fell loosely behind her. Kaie's words were inherently harsh, the Common words naturally brutalized by her rich accent. "That was bad idea. Not know if angry more for waking me or stealing things. Things that are mine."

OOC:Sorry for the wait and quality!

[Nyxie Nadira Draer]

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Petch.

Nyxie looked up at the woman with frightened eyes, her back to the wall and her knees up to her chest. She mentally scolded herself for being too reckless. Choosing a victim with a weapon in close reach was a stupid thing to do. But there was no way she was going to leave here with a single scratch on her body - not if she wanted to have bragging rights against Erich. The best thing to do would be to surrender, begging forgiveness, bringing a tear to her eyes and feigning desperation.

“I--I--I'm so sorry ma’am! P--please, I don’t want any trouble, I j--just,” she started to hyperventilate as the crying turned for worse. “I d--d--didn’t know what else I could do! I’m s--starving, and the r--rations are running lower every day,” her eyes downcast, Nyxie broke down. She took a few good ticks to bawl, trying her best to look convincing. Her head lifted once more to look back at the woman with puffy, reddened eyes, hoping she could garner some sympathy. Her story was similar to the majority of people in this rat hole, after all.

Nyxie let go of the things in her hands and held them up to her face in defense. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want, just p--please don’t hurt me~”

If she played her cards right, Nyx should probably be on her merry way in no time. She’ll have to remember to avoid this area during her next rounds.

OOCThis took me way too long – RL became pretty hectic. Apologies for the wait & length, but things should run much smoother now

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[Kaie]

The Myrian was...shocked to say the least. One moment the little thief had been all bold and cunning, stealthily ravaging through her things like she might've harvested fruit from a ripe tree back home. The next she was stuttering in a stunning display of self pity and utter fear. Within a tick her eyes had become puffy and red, tears leaving watery lines down her cheeks. Kaie blinked hard, face contorting warily. She toyed with the gladius in her hand and adjusted it before her. A quick glance was stolen over her shoulder to be sure an accomplice wasn't waiting to jab a dagger in her back.

"This storm, hard on everyone. You want to pester someone about food? Next time try a knight," She replied stubbornly in the face of the pathetic image before her. A boot kicked nudged the torn bag beside her. "And look? You ruin bag too." Several nearby underground dwellers began to stare in their direction, mouths gaping and pointing toward the blade in her hand. The jungle-born could see the queer looks in their eyes as they stared, horrified. Thousands of Deyhan crammed underground, resources scarce, and a single savage threatening a sobbing woman with a sword. I don't need to be some glorified scholar to see where this is going, She thought bitterly with a scowl.

After several ticks of tense deliberation, Kaie finally chose to sheath her blade, all the while cursing viciously in her own language. She knelt down beside her pack and picked up one of the near-stolen contents: a full load of bread. When she stood again she extended her hand toward the woman, waving the bread before her in the gesture of an offer. Yet before the thief might take it, she pulled it back and glared.

"You tried to steal. You ripped my pack. This is not reward. Is not gift. Must be earned now. How about trade? What might I get in return for bread?"

OOC:Don't worry about it! I know how it is. Besides, I just recently got back on my own feet as well. Take your time with replies.

[Nyxie Nadira Draer]

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A breath of relief escaped her lips as her body slowly started to unwind the muscles that had been tensed to display her fear.

Nyxie was thrilled.

Not only did this woman spare her life, she also wanted to barter with her. Surprised with her sudden stroke of luck, a brief smirk escaped from the corner of her lips. It was subtle enough to hint at the redhead’s questionable sincerity before she started to sob again,

“Oh, thank you!” Blue eyes lit up with feigned gratitude as they welled with elated tears this time. “Yes, we can trade! We can…” She paused, taking a moment to carefully consider her options while she wiped her face clean with both hands. This savage-looking woman seemed like she could be capable of wielding a weapon, in addition to being able to intimidate the weak-minded. But could she trust her?

I can trust her just as far as she can trust me.

Nyxie looked down to the ground, legs crossed underneath her. All the crying had stopped. She sat still, without a sound, for a moment of uncomfortable silence. At the brink of the woman’s patience, a voice so different from the wailing just moments ago now came from the Svefra’s throat,

“The knights won’t help us,” she said, in a tone of complete gravity, low and steady. Nyxie looked up at the woman, gesturing her to crouch down and come closer. She continued to unblinkingly stare into her amber eyes as they became level with the iced blues of her own. Keeping her voice quiet enough to avoid the ears of others, Nyxie continued,

“People tried. They say the knights are running out of supplies. That’s why they’re killing the rioters,” the story rolled from her tongue as persuasively as possible. Of course everyone saw or heard the riots that happened, but most people figured that the instigators had gotten restless or panicked… or greedy. And that was probably the truth. Nyxie had no idea whether the rations were running low. She just knew she wanted to get her hands on much loot as she could.

“They apparently can’t keep all of us sustained for much longer, so they don’t care whether some people die in here. We need to look out for ourselves now, ma’am. We can’t rely on them anyone. We have to prioritize our own survival…”

Nyxie hoped she’d said enough to strike at her fear. Now all she had to do was convince her to abide by the Svefra’s philosophy,

“I can show you the people who don’t deserve to keep whatever they aren’t strong enough to hold onto. With your help,” she paused.With eyebrows raised and a hopeful smile, Nyxie purred,

“We can take what we need to stay... comfortably alive.”

She’d cast the hook and let it sink. All she needed was for the woman to take the bait.

“So what do you say?”

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[Kaie]

No Myrian trusted a deyhan. Everyone back home knew that rule of thumb. They were heathens and barbarians that pledged their faith in gods, goddesses, and all those in between that were strange to Falyndar's inhabitants. Oftentimes the males were chosen as the dominate gender, and more than once had Kaie seen men abuse that power. Perhaps it would be unfair if she didn't consider the occasional aid they had offered her. After all it had been a Svefra that captained the ship to Riverfall, Drykas that helped them navigate the Sea of Grass and teach her to ride a horse, and a Human by the name of Drexel Winslow that taught her some of the basic social etiquette necessary to possess while dwelling in their foreign world. Even so, one thing was for certain: she did not trust this deyhan.

The teary act had been alarming for sure, but the easily missed break in the performance to smirk for a mere tick was far more so. She was a thief. A con. And still when she leaned in close with a quiet, grave murmur, the savage found herself leaning forward to listen. Never did her hand leave the handle of her sword. A while times Kaie brought her focus on the woman's face to glance at the people nearby. Some had lost interest when the threats and gestures toward violence ceased, but those still alarmed had their gazes permanently fixed on the two. Apparently the more amicable transition had given them some whiplash.

The more she listened to the ramble, the more wary the Myrian became. Kaie knew better than to wholeheartedly take the woman's words for fact, but still there was this looming uncertainty the foreigner could not shake. She'd never been much of a fan for the knights despite their polite and honorable demeanor. Few that approached the armed men begging for information about the world above had succeeded in finding answers. Then there were the riots. One tick all would be as calm as a city's population forced into the dark underground could realistically be, and the next was utter calamity. Stressing denizens of Syliras would begin to panic over one detail or another. Concerned voices would shift to wild, desperate shouts and all order would collapse. When the Knights resorted to bloodier work, Kaie would sit with her back against the cool stone corner and watch the show. The people would scream and rush from their created mob and peace would once again be enforced. It was always best not to find oneself involved in the situation to begin with, especially when your race's reputation is not one that inspires love and admiration from the common people.

Could it all be true? Food shortages? Knights turned disgruntled and apathetic toward those they swore to protect? What if this is all just another con? Kaie questioned herself, amber eyes searching the thief's face as she contemplated the stories she had been told. A strange feeling entered her stomach. Your own survival has always been your first priority hasn't it, Kaie? If anything this woman has said proves true, maybe she could be useful after all. Silence persisted for a long time. Finally the bronzed woman leaned away from the thief.

"I am not thief," She declared decisively despite the other woman's efforts at persuasion. Her eyes drifted toward her bag and a scowl took over her expression. It disappeared into a more neutral one soon after when she looked back to the thief.
"But you are. You owe me, fix bag. Need tools to fix. I make counter deal? Not report you to Knights. You find me right thread and needle. When food does get short, you share what you stole. Anyone try come after you, I come running. Yes?" The Myrian offered the loaf of bread once again but made no motion that might indicate she'd pull it away this time. The other hand slipped from her gladius out toward the woman as well: an invitation to shake hands, which Drexel had taught her was common practice when one made such a contract or an introduction.

"Kaie of the Cutthroat Shadows. Your name?"