Solo Flux: A Search for

[Sarina]

The crisp cold air whipped around Sarina as she strode down the nearly empty street. No one was out and right fully so. The air was chilled and Sarina’s heavy cloak was barely warm enough to keep her freezing. She would have greatly liked to have stayed home and out of the cold weather herself but she needed money and so she would be doing a job. She had arranged to meet with her employer today to discuss terms. There were going to be meeting at a small shady looking bar.

Sarina was extremely grateful as she pulled open the door and walked into a warm room heated by a roaring fire. It was a small room with only five tables and only two of them were occupied. Everyone in the room looked up as Sarina walked in. They looked her over, decided she wasn’t a threat and continued with what they were doing.

She glanced at all the people in the room, looking for her employer. When she didn’t see him she seated herself at a table that was as far away from the other people as she could.

Nearly as soon as she was seated a waitress dressed in the most impractical outfit Sarina had ever seen approached her.

“What can I get for you?”

Sarina considered ordering something just to humor the girl but decided she would rather not be drunk on her job. “I don’t need anything.”

The woman’s smile faltered. “Fine, then, I’ll just leave you.” Sarina barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes at the woman’s obviously fake upset tone.

“Good, you do that.” Sarina flashed a sarcastic smile.

Angrily the waitress walked off, probably to complain to whatever other waitresses were on duty on this cold morning.

Sarina was about to leave the bar and assume she had been stood up when she heard the door squeak opened on its not oiled hinges. Sarina looked up to see the man she was to be doing business with striding through the door way. He winked and smiled at the waitress that was now standing behind the counter cleaning a mug with a wet rag. She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes in return.

The man walked over to Sarina’s table and plopped himself down in the seat across from her.

“Well, hello there. Aren’t you pretty?” He whistled.

“Was that a question because I don’t think it needs answering.” Sarina flashed a smirked. The man just laughed. “I believe we have business to arrange,” Sarina didn’t want to waste her time flirting, the sooner she got this job over with the better.

“Yes,” His face light-hearted suddenly turned serious. “Down the street there is a store that sells books. They had a book called: Flux: a Tutorial. I want it. They don’t want to sell it. I need you take it. Fairly simple, huh?”

“Very simple”

“Good, I hope you can have the book for me by the end of the day.”

“I will.” With that Sarina got up. “I will meet you here at dusk and I will have the scroll for you.”

“Good,” The man said. “Maybe you’ll have something else for me too.” Sarina turned on her heals and strode out the door without another word to the man.

[Sarina]

Sarina walked into the book stop down the street. Book shops were so rare it was unlikely the man as talking about another one. It was a quirky sort of shop. Book shelves lined the walls of the small room. There were many books but Sarina could tell they were mostly just a many of copied of a few books.

Right in the center of the octagonal shaped room was a pedestal. Sitting atop its polished stone surface was an old leather clad book. Sarina didn’t even have to read the golden words on the books cover to know it said Flux: A Tutorial. Of course the man wanted the book on the pedestal. She had barely known him for a few chimes but she couldn’t help but think it was extremely like him.

Walking forward Sarina admired the book. It really was a very nice looking book. Sarina could tell the golden words inscribed on it were made of real gold. Although the book looked old its cover was barely worn.

“You’re admiring our most prized possession.” A nasally voice from right behind Sarina made her jump. She spun around and found a short older woman looking at her with a whimsical expression. “Don’t be scared. I’m not here to harm you.”

“May I ask why this book is your most prized possession?” Sarina wanted to know what she was getting into before she stole the book.

“My great grandfather got it from a real flux user. It has been passed down through our family since then.”

“So I take it you aren’t opposed to magic then.” Sarina asked because most of the people in Sunberth didn’t like magic users.

“No, are you, dear?”

“No, I don’t see any reason to be.”

“Ah, good, I like people who aren’t prejudice.”

Sarina turned her attention back to the book on the pedestal. She reached forward to touch it. Looking back at the woman for a second, “May I?” The question made Sarina shudder inside. She had to act trustworthy now so she wouldn’t be suspected later but was far nicer than Sarina liked to be.

The woman nodded and Sarina reached forward opened the book. She carefully flipped through the book, looking at the pages upon pages of text and hand drawn images.

“I assume this isn’t for sale then.” Sarina asked as she shut the book.

“No, I’m sorry. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No, I’m just here to look at the shop. I should probably go now. Thank you.” The word left a bad taste in Sarina’s mouth. Her sweet tone made it even worse. As she exited the shop she grimaced and hoped the woman never suspected her, or all of this kindness would have been for nothing.

[Sarina]

Sarina spent the rest of the day planning how she would go about taking the book. She went through various elaborate plans before settling on a simple heist.

She had sat waiting in her house for the cover of darkness and it had finally come. She realized she had already missed the dead line but she hoped the man would wait. Wrapped in nothing but her thin black cloak, Sarina made her way through the chilly air to the small book shop.

The shop had one small window on its side. Sarina glanced through it making sure no one was in there. As she looked through the small glass window she was met with a sight she hadn’t expected: a large, muscular man standing guard over the pedestal and the book it displayed. Sarina immediately turned away from the window. This had suddenly got far more complicated.

Sarina immediately started to contemplate solutions to the problem that now faced her. Unless the man was a lot less trained then he looked she doubted she could take him in a fight. The room was so small that it would be almost impossible to get in and out without the guard noticing. After some thought she decided on what she needed. A distraction.

Sarina began walking back towards a nearby bar, making sure it wasn't the one she had originally met her client at.

Opening the door she was met with the same reaction as when she had entered the bar before. Everyone in the room turned to look at her, and then continued back to what they were doing. The only real difference was the amount of people. There was a significant number more people there then there had been in the other bar.

Singling out a person that seemed to fit her purpose, Sarina walked up to the counter and sat down next to a very drunk man.

“ ‘ello there ‘oney.” The man slurred his words together and gave Sarina a flirtatious grin. His breath reeked of alcohol, making Sarina want to recoil.

“Why… hello.” Sarina returned the grin.

“What’s a nice lady like you doin’ in a place like this?”

“I came to see you, actually.” Sarina kept the grin on her face but the man’s face changed from surprised to confused.

“Do I… know you?”

“No, but I need you to do something for me.”

[Sarina]

It didn’t take long for Sarina to convince the drunken man that he wanted to help her and that he wanted to help. She had told him she would pay him latter but didn’t plan to. She doubted he would even remember their encounter when he got somber.

Sarina was waiting around a nearby corner as eh man was going to attempt to break into the shop and lead the guard away. She watched as the man kicked at the door with all his might, trying to knock it down. He got in two good tries before the door was swung opened and the guard came out, holding a candle stick in his hand.

Just as they had planned, the man grabbed the candle stick and took off running down the empty moon lit road. As she swerved back and forth across the road Sarina realized it wouldn’t be long before the guard caught him and returned to his post. Luckily the guard needed his one light source more them he need to guard the book and he took off running after the man.

As quietly as she could, Sarina crossed the street to the shop. The guard had left the door wide opened for her in his haste. When she stepped into the building Sarina understood his need for the light. The room was pitch black except for the singular strand of moon light that streamed through the window and the opened door. Luckily Sarina remembered the room’s layout well enough to be able to get to the book’s pedestal without much trouble.

The problem was when she reached for the book and it wasn’t there. Her fingers just grazed over the hard marble surface of the pedestal. Suddenly Sarina realized the guard must have hid the book before going outside. No matter how stupid a guard was there was no way they would leave what they were guarding out in the opened.

Inwardly cursing, Sarina made her way to the small desk that stood in the back of the room. She rummaged over it but felt only papers on its surface. A series of small drawers lined the front of the desk. Sarina tried the first one and found it to be locked.

She yanked on it a few times before she heard the wood splinter and knew she was in. She rummaged through that drawer but felt nothing more than stacks of coins. As her fingers ran through them she felt the stacks falling over and their neatness turning to chaos. Grabbing a handful of the coins she stuffed them into her pocket but quickly moved to the next drawer as she heard the yelling of the man she had hired some way down the road.

It took a few more tries until Sarina was able to get this drawer opened. When she heard the satisfying sound of wood cracking, Sarina tugged opened the draws. When her hand hit a book with a leather cover, she was immediately relieved. There was no way she could be sure in the complete darkness that it was the correct book but she could only hope it was.

Suddenly she heard the door close and the light in the room got even dimmer. From the light of the window she could see that the man had returned but without his candle, or at least without his candle lit.

Sarina automatically froze trying as hard as she could to blend into the shadows. The man didn’t seem to notice her, or if he did he didn’t let on. He walked to the opposite wall of the room, obviously to get another candle or something to light the one he had taken from the man Sarina had hired.

Either way this was probably Sarina’s only chance to get out of the room. If she could make it to the door she knew she could get out.

Waiting until she heard the man opening a cabinet, Sarina sprinted towards the door. She didn’t even try to stop herself and slammed into the door. Her hands fumbled for the door knob and turned it as quickly as she could.

Slamming the door opened she ran out into the street.

[Sarina]

The man was hot on her heals as Sarina sprinted down the labyrinth of alley ways in the city. Sarina had always considered herself to be fairly fast, being smaller than most of the men that chased her but she was having trouble shaking this man. There were times when she was sure he could have reached out and grabbed her if he had tried.

Turning another corner, she ran through yet another narrow path that seemed identical to the others. Sarina ran through all the possible places she could be trying to narrow down her location. If she could just find out where she was she might be able to get this man off her trail.

It didn’t help that the only light was the large moon shining in the sky and the light of candles that were pouring through people’s closed windows.

Sarina turned another corner this time she came out into a main road. She looked around, nearly getting caught by the guard that was still on her trail. She recognized the shops she passed. She was getting closer to her house.

With a burst of speed, Sarina pulled ahead of the man just enough so that when she turned another corner she could pull herself into the back door of the restaurant. She knew the door was always unlocked so the restaurant could get its shipments. This wasn’t the first time she had had to use this trick to escape.

The staff of the kitchen didn’t seem to notice her arrival as they were too busy yelling and cooking. The noise of every one working out did the noise of Sarina entering through the door.

The warmth and wonderful smell of the kitchen made Sarina not want to leave but she knew it was only a matter of time before her chaser realized she had slipped away and he came back to see where he had missed her. Before she left she just needed to check something

She pulled the book out from where it was tucked under her arm and examined its cover. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found it read Flux: a Tutorial in golden letters on the cover.

Exiting the restaurant, Sarina began walking back to the bar where she was supposed to meet her client. It was about a bell past when she was supposed to meet him but she hoped he would still be there.

[Sarina]

Sarina walked through the door to the bar and immediately her client stood up from his set at a table near the back, furiously.

“You’re late.” He practically yell, fuming, as Sarina calmly made her way to his table.

“I know.”

“I’ve been waiting her for at least a bell.”

“I know.”

“Don’t you have a better excuse then that?”

“Do I need one?” Sarina sat down across from the man. She slid his mug of alcohol out of the way so she could place the book down on the table. She watched the man’s eyes widen and his mouth fall slightly opened. She smirked at the reaction. “I’ll take 8 gold for my services.”

“8 gold?!? That is far too much for a job you couldn’t even compete on time! “ The man seemed outraged, Just as Sarina had expected.

“Alright, 5 gold then.” Sarina went down to the price she had originally intended to use.

“Fine,” The man reached into his pocket and pulled out 5 shiny golden mizas. He reluctantly placed them in Sarina’s outstretched palm. Tucking the coins into her pocket, Sarina slid the book towards the man.

” It’s yours.” Saying nothing else she got up and walked out, ready to go back to her house and go to sleep.

[Monarch]

Monarch



Bring me their Heads!

Hi! I'm Monarch, your resident Storyteller! Looking through this thread, I see a few errors that need to be resolved before you can receive a grade.

- There is no real 'bookshop' in Sunberth, thanks both to the insane value of books and the fact that many in the city are illiterate. Any books you'd find in Sunberth would likely be soiled, grubby, missing pages and the like, practically useless for someone trying to read the book in order to glean information.
- Furthermore, there certainly wouldn't be a book on Flux being sold openly. If the Mob caught wind of such a book existing in their city, they'd tear it to pieces. Magic isn't just disliked in Sunberth, it's actively stamped out.

I recommend just changing a few details of the thread to make it more suitable for the domain's theme. PM me when you're finished, and I will remove this intervention notice. Thank you, and happy stabbings!