I left the square at a calm walking pace. Then a fast walk. Then a jog. Then a run. Until finally I was full on sprinting.

People stared at me as I sped past, a tall hairy man blazing through their streets as if hellhounds were nipping at his heels, but despite my incessant practice and policy to remain as unnoticeable as possible, I didn’t care.

I had just stolen from the Coalition. A single unnoteworthy not even worth remembering small tiny little book, but I had stolen nonetheless.

Crimes against the Coalition for the unanointed, no matter how small, all end in death. That is how heavy the Coalition holds their prestige over the powerless. Any insult, any challenge in whatever manner, must be met with swift and merciless fury.

Of course, after sprinting so passionately for so long I eventually ran out of steam. Exhausted and ragged, I somehow found myself collapsing into a side alley somewhere between the crime scene and my base of operations, struggling to breathe, while at the same time also trying to calm my thundering heart.

After an indeterminable period of time, I finally did manage to achieve this, and with steady breaths and a now clear hear I could now take a moment to take stock of my situation.

As I had already realised, I was in an alley. I was drenched in sweat and riddled with aches and pains all throughout my body. But what really stood out to me was the sensation coming from against my lower back.

Reaching around and pulling it out I discovered that even with all that running I had thankfully still kept my prize tucked into the back of my pants, the 45th Volume of The Warriorhood Baptismal Technique Compendium.

Sweeping my eyes around and searching the immediate vicinity I excitedly found no one looking my way and so, with great trepidation, I opened the book up.

Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

They’re all here.

Hundreds of Baptisms for me to study and use, my way of finally changing my future.

Filled with relief, I closed the book and leaned my back against the alley wall as I closed my eyes, holding it to my chest, raising my face up to the sky as I thanked the heavens.

By some divine miracle, I had managed to pull it off. I had gotten the first book, now…now I only had 44 more to go.

Shit.

This sobering thought unfortunately woke me from my momentary victory to my chagrin, and what I saw after I opened my eyes didn’t help to console me much either.

The Tower!

Just like every other time I had looked up before, it was there, blocking my view, marring the regal blue and ivory clouds as it cast it's dark shadow.

Through my years I had always seen the tower standing there, over this city, though I had made a serious effort to avoid noticing it as much as possible. The terrors I witnessed are still a part of me to this day and so too are they a part of that dark looming monument.

I looked away.

I cast it’s hold on me to the back of my mind as I left the alley and once more started making my way back to the Side Branch, its presence however towering behind me as it watched me slink away.

On the road again I put this from my mind however and once more focused on the execution of my plan, part three of my heist. I had pulled off the first run successfully but I still had many more to go through if I wanted to smuggle all those books out, and time was definitely of the essence. The longer I take the higher the chance of my actions being discovered. This first robbery was just the beginning, and I have many more to go through with if I want to succeed.

It was with these contemplations in my head that I continued on my way home, going over how my first burglary went, the mistakes I made, the things I could have done better.

And so it was that as the sun began to set and the sky grew dimmer, I walked onward, all the while readying myself for the many more times I would have to do it all over again.

***************************************************************************************************************

For the next month or so, I experienced the most stressful period of my life.

Exam periods, relatives in the hospital, skydiving, nothing came close to the amount of stress I experienced during my days as an amateur book thief, as every day could very well be the day of my discovery, that would either result in my death or a lifetime of inhuman experimentation.

Kara of course noticed my troubles, but as her health began declining very rapidly she attributed my stress to her imminent demise, which isn’t to say that it wasn’t adding onto my anxieties but it wasn’t the root cause.

For the past month, and with Kara’s permission to leave more regularly, her way of giving me a break from facing her approaching demise all day everyday, I went to the Institute Main Branch three or four times a week to steal books and swap them out with my blank fakes.

My method of theft stayed the same every time, only changing the days and the times I went so that no one could associate me with specific times of day and so wouldn’t immediately connect me to the book shelf I was always visiting.

When stealing a book, I would sweat constantly, and occasionally even get a tremor in my hand which even with the best efforts I could not completely conceal.

Another ailment of my stress was that after the first three or four times I think I’ve developed ulcers in my stomach as it roils and aches constantly. Something which is making it very hard for me to eat anything at all, a detail Kara has more than once commented on during our mealtimes and has even caused her to suggest I go and see a herbalist, every time of which I have dismissed and played it off as her worrying too much, an action that only exacerbated my anxieties as the deception piled guilt onto my already negative emotions.

Despite my troubles, I can at least see the rewards for my efforts. Of the 45 books I need to steal I have so far managed to nab 18, leaving 27 left for me to still smuggle out.

I can’t rush though. The only thing I can do is execute my plan patiently and hope that nothing goes wrong, a reassurance that brings me no comfort whatsoever and that I realise will in all likelihood fail me at the worst possible moment.

With regards to the books themselves, I have looked over them, but I haven’t started practising any of the Baptisms they contain yet.

I’m barely getting enough sleep as it is and the extra strain of trying to practice them now just isn’t feasible for me at the moment. I’m planning on doing all of that after the fourth phase of my heist, the escape.

I’ve already acknowledged that, even if everything goes right, I’m escaping this town as soon as possible. I’ll wait on Kara as long as I can but I have no delusions that the longer I stay here the worse my future will look after all of this is done.

My escape plan is pretty straight forward. After I have all the books I’m splitting town and heading to my farm. I finally have all my equipment and goods ready, stashed away in a warehouse I have rented at the edge of town with carts and cattle like animals to pull it all away with me waiting there.

It's also where I’ve stashed the books and Kara’s Warriorhood Technique too, along with Elde’s flask and the money the Wizard gave me, the majority of which is left despite all my recently large expenses buying and setting up my new farm. I’ve also got the deed to the farm there, recently transferred to my supposed younger cousin, Darrel Korpa, a name I created from the most common names I have come across in my years spent moving through the city of Mellawin and will soon claim as my own.

All in all, once my heist is over, Barde Eldeson will disappear, never to be seen or heard from again.

All that will remain…will be Darrel Korpa.

These were the thoughts running through my head as I reminisced over the past weeks whilst I lied in bed as I stared up at the ceiling, before finally summoning up the will to get up and tackle a new day.

Coming downstairs I went to the kitchen and was greeted with the immediate sight of Kara, sitting there as always.

She didn’t look good.

Her skin was looser and paler, her hair thinner too. She was sitting down but her cane was still firmly in her grasp, so dependent is she on it now that she never lets it go no matter what, worried that if she drops it she won't have any chance of getting up or getting anywhere, even taking into account how slow she moves now.

“Good Morning Barde. What’s for breakfast this morning?” came Kara’s first words for today as I hear that her voice is gratefully still strong.

“How about your favourite, you deserve it after all.” I banter.

“Damn well I do, now start cooking. I’m hungry.”

With our friendly exchange to start the day I immediately got to cooking our breakfast, a savoury sort of pancake that I think I might have invented here in Calzyn, made from the ingredients I had found in markets of Mellawin, something which Kara had very much taken a liking to over the years.

Once the food was cooked and eaten, Kara and I had a bit of discussion about what I had been reading lately like we always did before I took our plates to wash up with everything else.

“Going to the Main Branch again today?” Kara asked

“Yes. Last time I was reading a book on magical flies that was quite interesting, I hope it's still there today.”

“With what you find interesting, I’m sure it will be. You will be back for dinner I hope?”

“Of course. Now there are the leftovers from yesterday for your lunch today and I’ll make sure to pick up some steaks for us on the way back, so don’t worry about going hungry.”

“Don’t bother with those.” Kara admonishes “They’re too expensive and I’m hardly likely to finish it all anyway.”

“Then I’ll just have to eat the rest of it for you. Ha! Don’t worry about the money, you deserve it after all, remember?”

“I suppose I do. Very well, I’ll see you for dinner then.”

“Yes you will, now have a good day.”

After our little send off conversation, I waved Kara goodbye and set off to the Main Branch once more, prepared to perform my 19th robbery.

On the way a cold breeze blew around me as dark clouds hung over my head. The island was on the cusp of winter and the snows were only a short breath away from coming down on us hard. Nevertheless, even with the cold and crisp climate, I trudged onward as I made my way to the city centre.

Walking through the town like I had many times before, the temptation to glance up came upon me like always. But unlike my previous instances of strong will, today my eyes failed me, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to look. So it was that I found myself looking up at the massive dark tower cast against the sky again, standing ever looming as always.

In the dark light of a cloudy day it looked even more imposing, but once I had my look I pulled my gaze away from it. Now disappointed at myself, I put my frustration into my walk to make up the slack as it became determined with its intent to reach my destination.

After a few hours the Scholar Association Main Branch came into view up ahead. And as always I walked up the stairs and once again passed through the reception to make my way into the library.

Instead of my usual target, I visited a few other bookcases before I made my way over to it. Just as nervous as every time before, I climbed the ladder to the top shelf and picked up the next book in my collection of stolen goods, bringing it down with me before I went and found myself a secluded alcove, one that just happened to have a direct view of the main entrance.

I read through my books, I stretched, I yawned, I looked around to see who was nearby, and when I decided it was the opportune time to make the switch…

…he appeared.

He was a teenager, maybe a young man, but what really made him stand out to me was the bubbling excitement plastered across his face.

…which was odd. This is a library, a quiet and sombre place despite the decadence and decor of the building, and nothing exciting ever really happened here.

But that fact didn’t seem to deter the boy. I watched him talking to the receptionist whose back was to me but who I could still see was talking and nodding along to the young man. At the end of their chat I saw the boy light up at something the receptionist said, who he then thanked it seems and walked past to enter the library…

… and immediately turn right.

It was then that I noticed what the boy was wearing.

A robe, a very specific robe, the robe used as a uniform for low member Institute employees.

…fuck.

…Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

No! No! No! No! No!

This can’t be happening! That kid can not be about to pick out a Baptism! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Fighting off what I knew for sure was a panic attack, I stood as smoothly as I could manage (not very) and walked over to the far wall of the library, where I knew I could have a direct view of the bookcase containing the books in question.

When I got there, I almost collapsed. The boy, he was already on top of the ladder scanning his eyes over the bookshelf, licking his lips excitedly.

Please, Please, pick one of the ones near the beginning I prayed. Whoever listened I didn’t care, only that they granted my wish as I hid behind a bookcase staring desperately at the boy.

He picked one towards the end.

SHITTY BASTARD!!!

In what seemed like slow motion, I saw the boy take out a book, open it up, look down… and discover what was there. To then see a mask of confusion sweeping across his face.

…at this point, I did collapse. I slid down the side of the bookcase to the floor, my eyes fixed on what seemed to be my order for execution.

His confusion persisted of course, and so he took another book off the shelf.

And another one.

And another one.

Until finally, with all of my fakes in his hand and him still being obviously very confused, he started coming down the ladder.

…I’m fucked.

I’m fucked I’m fucked I’m fucked.

Those two words kept repeating on a loop in my head as the boy came down from the ladder, and continued repeating until he started walking away… towards the reception.

At that sight did my panic swell back within me and with it, so did thought.

I can still walk out of here!

I still have time!

I scrambled up and with all my will only quickly walked over to the alcove I had been using earlier and crumpled into the seat.

Okay. I can grab the book I have already and switch it out. Then, I just walk outside, and then, and then…

But before that thought could continue, it was interrupted.

DOOOOONNNGGG…

DOOOOONNNGGG…

DOOOOONNNGGG…