Completed The Brand of a Thief

[Toan Onox]

The Brand of a Thief
Autumn 4th 514 AV, 18th Bell
Location: The Great Infirmary

He felt cold and yet hot at the same time, he had nothing but a blanket on over him as he laid on his belly in a foreign bed. He didn't even recognize the place he was in, but when he finally started to come around and in turn open his eyes, Toan first saw the face of the pet that sat beside his bed. Ven looked to have been rocking back and forth quite anxiously as he watched the floor, often did he glance over to his master as he felt a sudden itch over the area of his right shoulder blade. Come to think of it Toan felt an itch there as well, yet as he started to stir the entire upper region of his right shoulder suddenly burned in pain. He groaned and cringed for a moment with a harsh grind of his teeth, the hiss enough to break the Kelvic partner out of his trance as he finally looked over and rose from his chair. "Master, you're hurt! You have to keep still!" His plea led Toan to think about what exactly it was he suffered from, the bandages around his shoulder and chest area felt snug as the surface of his shoulder blade felt irritated.

"Just... what exactly happened?" He asked as he tried to swallow with a dry mouth, he couldn't help but feel slightly drenched as sweat somehow seemed to cover his forehead, the pillow he rested on soaked at the center in a copious amount.

"You don't remember, do you?"

"I remember..." He sighed as he tried to recall what he last saw, his memory in a haze as Ven went over to a nearby table to fill a mug with water from the pitcher. "We were going out today, but..." Something unexpected happen along the way, something that Toan didn't expect to deal with, granted that he should've seen it coming considering they were getting just a bit ahead of themselves. What exactly happened earlier today? It was by far the worst thing that could've happen to him yet...

10th Bell
Location: The Eastern Quarter

They were on the run from a quick game of fishing that had gone just a bit wrong, which led Toan and Ven to be hasty in their retreat through the streets and alleyways of Nyka that came into their view. With the way they had dipped and weaved in and out to lose their chaser along with a few said monks, he expected to had already left them behind enough to where they would be able to take shelter in the crowds on the streets and blend in. Fortune however didn't seem to favor them today as one monk managed to at least tail them, continuously turning every corner after them no matter how far ahead they seemed to be. The guy's fast on his feet I'll give him that! He sweated as he dared to avoid looking back, and attempted to pick up his speed by rushing himself further and urge his legs to move faster. That still didn't seem to do any good for him though since the only result seemed a lot less breath was available in turn, that was when he decided he definitely hated the fact his lungs required air in order to make a swift and wonderful escape.

We'll have to make a quick turn somewhere along the way, see to it we find a spot to hide in that he'll overlook. He thought to himself as they kept running, Ven however looked behind his shoulder and soon found that their merciless hunter had yet to falter, and in turn forced his own body to pick up the pace. "We've got a serious issue on our hands! If we don't lose him soon..." He trailed off between pants, determined to make sure the unsaid outcome wouldn't follow.

"No worries, I have a plan." Toan assured him, although admittedly he didn't really have much of anything to go on. He just hoped that their efforts would pay off and they would get away with little circumstances to follow.

[Toan Onox]

They ran and ran even when the legs that carried them started to hurt, and from what Toan could tell both his and Ven's lungs certainly well enough exhausted as the demand for a stop and gasp fest felt much needed. Yet they couldn't stop just yet, the had to lose this petching maniac that kept chasing them, and their chance in doing so came when they rounded a corner that allowed them to diverge in another nearby alley several feet away. "This way!" He muttered aloud only for Ven to hear, as they both changed direction and barreled down the alleyway to hide behind a few crates stashed within. It was by all means their only cover, and granted that the alley in general resulted in a dead end, he suspected that the monk would overlook the fact they'd use this as a means for hiding.

Thankfully his hopes were carried out by the Divines above, as he didn't even think to stop and look down their way. Of course that didn't stop Toan from remained tucked behind the crate along with his bondmate, aware that their chaser could just as easily decide to stop in his tracks and inspect it. After a few good chimes worth of waiting though, their breathing was finally allowed to take full sound effect, as the two wiped the sweat off their foreheads in earnest with a bit of relief in knowing they'd lost their blood hound. "Well then, I think... I think we lost him."

"I sure hope so... because if I do anymore running... I'm bound to hack up a lung in the process." Toan would've laughed a little had he the air to do so, but seeing as how they weren't out of the forest yet, he remained on edge until he had the absolute guarantee that they were safe from the alleged "law".

"Believe me, so long as we're quiet he shouldn't return this way." He peeked over the crate to see the entrance to their dead end they came from, the alleyway wide and empty as no signs of activity seemed to pulse before them. Had they managed to escape the fury of the monks? Would they be safer back at the Safe Haven Hostel? Given this was the Eastern Quarter, and the monks would search it out as a whole first, they likely had a chance at getting away hands free. That is if they played their cards carefully, but still something about this setting... set a bit of a chill down Toan's neck as he rose to stand on his feet a little feebly.

Ven thought to follow but Toan gestured for him to remain in place, his gaze still honed on their exit as he felt uncertain as to what may await them next. "You wait there, don't come out unless I say so. Understand?" He issued to the Kelvic as the boy looked up and nodded. "Good, now shift into your animal form just to be safe. And by all means keep hidden until I say you can come out." Toan didn't even need to look over his shoulder then, with a few moments to follow in his cautious attempt to walk out, a flash took place behind the crate to signify the shift had taken place. Now that Ven had no doubt respected his master's wishes, Toan could feel better knowing the risk of the boy being capture had significantly been reduced. The artist peered around the corner sheepishly at first, then went ahead and walked out to test and see if his suspicions were in fact true. So far though not a soul seemed present, he was by all means alone at this point.

I think we're safe then. He sighed in relief as he turned to face the alleyway he came out of, he was about to give a whistle until he noticed that not one but three monks happened to come around the corner they came from before hiding back here. Ooooh... Time to go! He twisted around in an attempt to take off, but unfortunately their previous monk had managed to find a companion to bring back with him. Reinforcements had arrived, and they'd cornered their rat like dogs no less. Well this just became a brilliant mess.

"No where to run now scum." The bloodhound smirked as they started to close in on Toan, his only option being left to retreat back into the alley once more. Yet... He couldn't put the boy at risk, not when it involved punishment for thievery... "Now where'd your companion go?"

"Yes.. well he and I split up and I lost him along the way. Its a tough job evading you Nykan's and keeping up with the-" The sentence was cut off as the Nykan's pushed him against the wall, had him completely backed up to where he had no where else to retreat to.

[Toan Onox]

"You'd best tell us now thief, granted you're in enough shyke already." The monk threatened as he punted Toan in the gut, the artist would've fallen to the ground afterwards, since the force brought enough pain to make him cringe and gasp for air. Is that what the smell is then? He wanted to say it aloud as the thought crossed his mind, alas his inability to breathe at the moment disabled him from accomplishing such a notion. Given the circumstances he was in there really wasn't much else he could say or do either, he had after all been caught in an elaborately set up trap. Its no wonder though, granted this is the Eastern Quarter. They no doubt close their nets on thieves all the time.

They continued to slander and torture him further, threatening his life and in turn mention repeatedly at how little it was truly worth. Now verbal abuse being something he was used to, Toan could easily take such a thing and reflect it with good looks and humor... but the fact physical abuse was involved it really didn't go as well as as it originally would, therefore after he received several more punts to the torso area Toan was finally released to where he fell onto his knee's, coughs and gasps a constant as they all moved around him with mutters and glares. Now as far as he was aware of he did probably deserve a few of those punches and kicks, but not the whole amount that they gave him before they decided to try and make an example out of him.

Well... I think that'll serve as example enough for one day. He winced as he remained on the ground, elbows and knees the only thing able to prop him up before they all finally started to act once more. He hadn't really any idea what they were about to do next, he was more convinced with the fact they were going to beat him down a bit more. Yet... two of the monks had grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up, leaving him on his knees while they ripped his shirt in two. Though his world had been in a bit of a haze at this point he definitely didn't appreciate the fact his shirt had been torn apart, yet when he heard a sort of hiss start to grow something definitely felt pretty wrong. He dreaded the thought of it but the fear, the insurmountable fear in knowing something bad was about to happen to you... That made it difficult to avoid looking in the direction in which it came from, and in this case what Toan witnessed coming his way led him to be horrified enough to actually try and struggle his way out.

Nothing good came out of it though, the Monks had him pinned down and positioned, so that the bareness of his back would experience the hot kiss... of a branding iron that one of the monks carried. No! No, no, no, no, no! NO!! He felt absolute terror as he could imagine the rod coming close now, already his back could feel a source of heat as it radiated above his skin. They all started to laugh a little too, all because they found his need to struggle free amusing before the end result. Finally. The heat grew intense as his very skin on the back of his right shoulder blade started to felt an intense burn, the smell of searing flesh soon followed as he bellowed out in a pained scream for the several ticks of time that the hot iron remained in contact with his skin. It burned. It burned so much, his entire shoulder felt on fire at this point. When they pulled the iron away and released him once more, he fell to his face as the pain continued to radiate all throughout his upper back. It hurt... it hurt so much.

Yet even when the pain had been so alarmingly strong to send him into shock, it'd also managed to send him into a sudden state of unconsciousness shortly afterwards. He could hear the monks laugh further about how he squealed, and in turn made a mockery of him as they left him there on his own. They'd done what they wanted now, and even if it wasn't the best thing for him to endure, it was by far the easier option that allowed him to live. Of course that meant he'd now been branded as the very thing he'd wanted to keep hidden, and with that done the city of Nyka as a whole would hear and know that he was indeed a "petty thief." He blacked out finally as the pain seemed to null his senses, his entire right shoulder numb he felt throbs occur in the muscles.

[Toan Onox]

Autumn 4th 514 AV, 18th Bell
Location: The Great Infirmary
"Why'd you do it?" Toan had his head buried in his arms when he heard the question, curious eyes directed at an inquisitive face as Ven still sat in his chair anxiously. "You said to wait, and I waited. Before I knew it you were already getting hurt by those guys, and then..." Ven trailed off as he scratched at his right shoulder once again, a distant look in his eyes as he looked to be occupied with a constant memory.

"Did they catch you?" The thief inquired with concern, Ven looked to him once more and shook his head. Toan sighed then, relieved to know that his pet managed to remain concealed, therefore avoiding the same fate. Yet... Ven scratched at his right shoulder... which was where Toan received his. So if Ven wasn't caught and didn't receive the same brand, then why was it he would scratch at the same place Toan received his? "Did you... feel same thing I felt in that moment?"

Ven looked a bit surprised but that changed quickly, his face drooped into the same sullen expression from earlier, before he went into explaining what all he'd experienced in his own way. "At first I started to pick up on the fact you were afraid, like legitimately afraid of what was about to happen. I thought about coming out to see I could help, but then my own shoulder started to burn right at the time you started screaming. All I could think about was how much it hurt to feel all that burning, and then finally when it lessened I was able to move again."

"So you did feel it in a sense, just not the same exact thing. Still..." To think that his little friend could in fact feel the same fear, the same pain even, was a little intriguing to Toan. It invoked curiosity to be sure but there was also the fact it brought concern as well, like how it wasn't really just Toan alone that had to endure such a harsh punishment. He thought about the burn and what it meant, knew that he very well just ruined his reputation. The fact he'd been given this brand, no matter how many times he might try and conceal it, everyone in Nyka would know who he was now by sheer title. One simplistic word that slandered everything about him, and made every Nykan very judgemental in turn. Thief. There was no way he'd be able to recover from this, not in terms of social standards. He'd been made a mockery practically, an example that many would revere. It was by far the worst way to develop the kind of reputation he wanted.

No... it wasn't the kind of reputation he wanted at all. This made him seem more petty, weasel like even and by all means no where near worth mentioning. He definitely wanted more than that, but when you're in a place that labels you as such, changing that label was by far impossible to do. That and Nyka was a cruel place to be when gifted with such a label, thus his being branded by the city pretty much signed his own death warrant in terms of politics and society. "What're you thinking?" The Kelvic interrupted the train of thoughts with a bit of concern, Toan finally looked at him once more as he came to the conclusion that Nyka was now useless to his ambitious endeavor.

"Its time to leave this place Ven. While I'm pretty much under recovery, you are to look after our room and take everything we need. All my essentials should be there, they just need to be packed in order for use to leave. Tomorrow night I'll be slipping out of the infirmary here, so that we may take a boat elsewhere?"

"But... where are we gonna go?" The sudden notion to leave was a bit of a shock to Ven, alas he didn't hesitate to stand on his feet as he prepared to head back to the Hostel.

"I'm going to think on that... In the morning though you're to head back and prepare us for a leave. Nyka will certainly not miss our presence any longer." The Kelvic looked a bit puzzled but understood well enough that his master's mind was made up, in short the only thing left to do was get some rest seeing as how he'd had the longest day out of the two of them. Thus the Kelvic decided to go ahead and shift into his animal form, and in turn hop onto the bed where Toan laid out. He was careful when he started to snuggle up to the artist, in fact he proved to be overly cautious even when he wasn't really anywhere near the shoulder area. Still Toan didn't refuse the boy's intent to lie with his master, given that he'd had the same amount of stress to endure in a day, it was practically a kindness the thief could offer really. Yet it was Toan who wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, as he had much to think about and in fact...

Much more to plan.

[Caela Dorin]

Grade Awarded Toan Experience Skill XP Earned Endurance 2 Investigation 1 Observation 2 Organisation 1 Planning 1 Running 1 Stealth 1 Subterfuge 1 Lores • Lore Earned • Planning: Losing a Tail • Keeping Ven Safe • Enduring a Beating • Branded a Thief • Ven: Feels What I Feel • Nyka: Glad to See the Back of Us Consequences : +1 Nykan Thief Brand on right shoulder that will leave a permanent scar Additional Comments This was a very interesting thread. I liked the way you used a fleshed out flashback within the thread to explain how he ended up in the state that he did, especially as it left me thinking that Ven had been branded too until I got to the end. Nice way to draw out the suspense and keep the reader guessing. It was fun to read and I hope you had fun writing it! Good work! Please edit or delete your grade request and PM me if you have any questions or concerns about your grade. x