Zatch

Thief Lords Manor, port city of Ashrung

Zatch studied everything carefully with the ease of long practice, assigning values to the priceless art that hung on the marble walls, converting gold gilding into ounces and its current value on the black market. He stopped counting after the first 1,000 Gold Fangs worth of lavish decorations. He snorted at the thought of a single gold Fang, the most he had ever held was 1 silver Talon, worth a hundredth of a Fang, and usually he was only given his cut of the weekly take in Copper Thorns at 1/10,000 of a Fang.

He realized that the Thief Lord’s entire house was his vault and was not guarded as such wealth demanded, was he so secure in his power? Or was he simply that confident in his abilities? Zatch wondered. Before any more disturbing thoughts could present themselves to him the Thief Lord took his seat. He sat down at the end of his entrance hall in an ornate throne covered in elaborate carvings and scroll work. Gems glittered in the eyes of lions carved all over the heavily padded chair. Mattie led them over to one side of the raised stage that the throne occupied. Zatch stood in front of his small gang, Slug and Mattie stood just behind his thin shoulders. Next to them a large group of identically dressed men and women in dirty green shirts and plain brown pants arranged themselves with quite shoves and grumbles behind their leader. The Leader of the Fishguts wore a green silk shirt and sturdy brown leather pants. He glanced over at Zatch and smiled condescendingly at him. Zatch grinned up at the man and casually scratched his scalp with a throwing knife then tumbled it over his fingers as nimbly as some would tumble a coin.

The leader of the Fishguts snarled and started to step towards Zatch, but the Thief Lord rapped his sword sharply against the floor and waved the first contestant forward to present their prank. Typical pranks and mischief, Zatch saw disgustedly. It was the same thing as last year with few variations on the general themes of mean spirited mayhem and idiotic mischief. After a dozen of others went the Thief Lord looked bored, he lounged in his throne yawning.

“Almost time.” He whispered to Mattie and Slug. Finally the last of the other thieves presented themselves, Zatch waited a beat after they had finished then stepped up onto the platform. He took a deep breath as all eyes turned to him and spoke as steadily as he could manage.

“My lord! We have saved the best for last.” Zatch said in his most cultured accent, Mattie had been working with him for weeks to imitate the speech of nobles that visited her in the night.

The Thief Lord sat up straight to hear such a refined voice coming from the child in front of him. He was dressed hardily better than a beggar, the uniform of the gutter snipe children of the city, patched trousers and a ratty shirt washed so many times it had lost all colour. He quickly studied the boy, to see if he was indeed a member of his guild or a noble slumming. The boy’s hands confirmed his membership faster than any questions he could have answered. Scars marred his knuckles from fist fights, calluses shielded his finger tips from rough stone when climbing, and his darkly tanned skin proclaimed him a thief more clearly than anything he wore.

Zatch Held out a hand and Mattie took it as she carefully climbed up next to him with her dangerously high heels. She stepped seductively towards their Lord and with a move that was too fluid to be practiced, she unclasped her cloak and let it slide to the floor. The thin material slithered off her body with the reluctance of a boa constrictor releasing its prey. She strode forward with the perfect amount of bounce and just enough swing of her hips to mesmerize her audience. When she reached the throne she gave a graceful spin showing off her outfit. She had slashed the black over robe to nearly nothing, it rode over her shoulders and just over her breast, the back was completely gone exposing the graceful curve of her spine. The only thing that kept the black material from sliding to the floor to join her cloak was a thin gold chain at her waist. The plain brown under robe had undergone an even more stunning transformation. The neck line plunged to her belly button, the back was held together with crisscrossing strips of black lace. Slits exposed her long legs to perfection, Zatch had to give it to her though, Mattie was an artist with cloth.

“M’Lord” she said curtsying. The Thief Lord smiled at her and waved Zatch forward, he bowed over Mattie’s hand and kissed the back of it causing her to blush prettily.

“And who, are you? Who speaks for this ravishing creature before me.” The Thief Lord asked sitting back down without releasing Mattie’s hand.

“Zatch, called sponge,” Zatch said with a grimace of distaste, he had earned his nickname from silently absorbing everything he could, along with having washed up from the ocean. “My lord, a humble member of your mighty guild, with my companions Slug,” He waved to the silent staring figure behind him. “And Cheri’ we have pulled off the most daring trick the city has ever seen.” Zatch stated confidently

“Do tell.” The Thief Lord said blandly, he gestured and a servant brought a chair for Mattie to sit in beside him. Zatch continued his confidence building.

“We have managed to…” he paused smiling slightly as he chose his words carefully, since outright theft was forbidden. “Exchange the garments of all of the nuns in the city with outfits generously donated by the members of Cheri’s guild. A far exchange, my lord, of course the ladies have altered the robes slightly as you can see, wouldn’t want them to lose any business for you on our account.” Zatch paused gauging the reaction of those listening. The room exploded into laughter including the Thief Lord, his laugh was booming and deep, but sounded rusty as if he seldom used it. After he recovered himself, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye before he spoke again.

“Excellent! But how are you going to stop the nuns from simply wearing their bed clothes or sheets when the wake up in the next hour?” He asked, eyes twinkling.

“I’m glad you asked my Lord. Getting the clothes wasn’t hard, what was hard, was sewing the sheets and bed clothes to the nuns’ mattresses without waking them up!” Zatch finished his tale with a gallant bow, sweeping an imaginary hat off his head. That had indeed been the hardest part. It had taken all of the favors he been able to call in just to get the other orphans to give him a hand. Some he had to bribe for their silence others he threatened, but in the end it had worked out perfectly. Slug might be simply, but he sure had the right effect when you wanted someone to do what you needed. All he had to do was lift up a calf or small wagon to get his point across, no elegant words needed. The Thief Lord laughed again and even clapped a few times.

“Come let’s go and see young Zatch’s prank unfold.” They all followed as he led the way outside. Zatch saw that the blood had been scrubbed off the cobbled street in front of the manor house. A chill went up his spine at the efficient way violence was dealt with. Thieves’ still busy celebrating the contest bowed low to their Lord, and by association Mattie. He still held her captive by her hand, which she didn’t seem to mind in the least. Soon they stood at the bottom of the bell tower down the street from Zatch’s orphanage. The bell tower was the highest point in the city, towering over even the keep of the ruler of Ashrung. The Thief Lord dismissed most of his court, selecting only a few of the highest ranking thieves to accompany them to the top of the tower. The sun was already rising as they came out onto the round balcony that completely encircled the top of the tower. Zatch closed his eyes as the new day unfolded shining on the first day of his new life, no evidence of the clouds that had soaked him mere hours before.

“Look your first victims awake.” The Thief Lord said silently moving to tower over Zatch. Far below them, a nun darted into the street like spooked thief she hugged the shadows, desperately trying to flag down a passing cart loaded with clothes headed to the dawn market in the square below the bell tower. Zatch smiled but took little pleasure in his success; he had nothing against the devout women who thanklessly manned the orphanages. He had simply needed a prank that was both spectacular and harmless. Their pride had been the only thing injured, but then again he mused faith wasn’t in the clothes you wore. The thought made him smile, those with any real faith would be fine and any with more pride than faith deserved their fate.

“So young one, what would you and your friends ask of me?” The Thief lord asked, Zatch turned to face him and saw that they stood alone on the top of the tower. He was painfully aware that the one day that allowed no killing had ended with the dawn. Zatch swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat.

“Well my lord, I would ask that you make Slug comfortable, he needs a job that will feed him. He is completely trust worthy my lord, it would simply not occur to him to steal from you. If it is possible he would make an excellent face for your front on Drury lane, the bakery.” Zatch continued in a rush as the Thief Lord said nothing just stared hard at him, his dark eyes unreadable. “Mattie, I mean Cheri’ would like promotion to the head of her order, the ladies of the scarlet petticoats.” Zatch finished stumbling over Mattie’s’ thief name. The Thief Lord simply stood regarding him for the longest 30 seconds of his young life.

“Done. Let’s continue this in the square.” The Thief Lord said steering Zatch down the stairs just as the door closed the bell boomed out over the city waking everyone for their days labor. Zatch jumped slightly at the noise and wondered if the Thief Lord had timed his decent to coincide with the toll of the bell. He glanced back as he hurried down the stairs, and saw the small smile on his Lord’s face, and knew he had indeed done just that. Once on the ground, The Thief Lord quietly waved over one of the scribes who followed him around at all times. Zatch managed to overhear just enough to know that he was indeed giving Mattie and slug what he had promised. He let a long sigh of relief ease out as he contemplated what he was going to do once the nuns found out who had embarrassed them so effectively. Zatch winced as he studied the group of women vainly trying to work up the courage to step out of his orphanage’s gates. The clothes they had been forced to wear fluttered in the early morning wind like gaudy feathers, there shrill voices cackled in despair as a crowd started to gather in front of the gates.

The Abbes strode through the crowd of her sisters and their laughing charges. Zatch’s eyes snapped shut in mortification. Switching her white striped over robe for a mesh jacket and a bright pink corset had seemed like a great idea at 2am that morning but in the harsh reality of daylight, needless to say it was not her colour. He thought deeply embarrassed. The clack of her heels coming briskly closer made his head come up and his eyes snap open, his mouth dropped open a little, she didn’t wobble in the least coming over the cobblestones in 4 inch spiked heels. Her garter belt strained valiantly to keep her strategically ripped stockings up on her skinny chicken legs and knobby knees. Zatch was deeply impressed with her composure, at almost 90 years old, it seemed nothing could phase her any longer. He purposeful march stopped with a click of her heels in nearly military precision she stood with her hands clasped behind her and her spine ramrod straight.

“Ma’am,” The Thief Lord said bowing elegantly to her. She sniffed and looked hard at Zatch’s slowly heating face. He wished he could stop the blush from reaching his ears, but he did manage to not look away from her eyes.

“YOU,” she said to the Thief Lord jabbing a boney finger like an accusing dagger into his chest, “where, never! This much trouble when you where my charge.” She scowled at the Thief Lords bland face, and turned to head towards the clothes seller who had set up shop under an awning. Zatch turned to say something to the Thief Lord and a flash of movement caught his eye. He whirled back just in time to see the Abbes fall one of her heels having caught in a cracked paving stone. Zatch lurched forward but a large calloused hand held him back firmly by the shoulder. The abbes turned he fall into a graceful roll and sprung to her feet smoothly and spun on one delicate heel with her arms upraised for applause that broke out around the square. She winked at Zatch before continuing her stately walk over to procure clothes for her sisters. Zatch felt his face drain of colour and his mouth fall open again.

“People are not born old Zatch, they simply get that way, with luck.” The Thief Lord said smiling slightly at Zatch stunned look.“She's performed for kings in her day, she was an acrobat, spent her fortune on setting up these bastions,” he gestured at the high walls of the orphanage across the square, “for other homeless children so they would not be without a home as well as parents, as she was when she first came to this city.” The Thief Lord finished, leading Zatch over to a stall selling fried dough for breakfast. As they walked in silence Zatch prepared to ask his bold favor of his Lord.

“My Lord.” He began finally.

“Ah I was wondering when you would get around to asking. Let's sit down.” They both sat on the lip of the large fountain depicting a troop of dancers and acrobats leaping amongst the jets of water in the center of the square. Zatch silently wondered if the Abbess had also put it there for the poor of the city, he was willing to put money on it that she had at the contemplative look on the Thief Lords face as he studied one of the women depicted in marble performing a back handspring. He looked like he was recalling a fond memory.

“I would ask a boon of you my Lord. A simple favor that you would complete to the best of your ability no matter what I ask of you once in the future.” Zatch said at the Thief Lords encouraging nod he continued quickly. “I simply want a chance to prove myself.” Zatch said in a rush as he ran out of breath. The Thief Lord was silent for a minute then broke out in another rusty chuckle.

“I should have known it would be a bold request, but I like it. Done. Now you’ll need a place to say. Go see your friends, Cheri’ may need a hand moving since she has been elevated in her sisterhood.” He started to say something else but a messenger ran up and whispered in The Thief Lords ear urgently.

“I have to go. We will talk again soon.” The Thief Lord said as he stood and shook Zatch’s hand. Zatch noticed the thick gold ring that was the only jewelry he wore, its texture was strange against Zatch’s skin. More like a gold coloured callous than a metallic ring. Before he could more than glance at it though The Thief Lord released him and faded like smoke into the crowd that had gradually been growing thicker in the market square all morning.

Zatch glanced up at the sun, it was nearly noon and he had been up for over 30 hours time to go find someplace to crash for the day. He trudged wearily towards Mattie’s rooms. He was so tired that he didn’t even see the guards the Thief Lord sent to guard him discreetly in the blinding noonday sun, he squinted blearily as he dodged the traffic with the instincts of a true city boy.

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

Careful to keep well back from his new charge, Rock followed his master’s directions carefully. He hoped he wouldn’t have to step into protect the most promising member the guild had produced in decades. The boy seemed to be able to follow the ebb and flow of foot traffic with his eyes literally closed. One of the other men following Zatch from a block in front of him took off his jaunty red sailor’s cap, the signal that trouble was approaching from the front. Rock sped up angling to intercept whoever was approaching. He saw from their clothes it was a couple of the mid level members of the Fishguts guild. Working in practiced harmony, rock and the other members of his crew closed in on the two unsuspecting men lurking in an alley mouth. Sally Sweet, the only female member of the crew, tripped into the two men as she walked past. The three off them struggled with her full skirts swearing vehemently under their breath.

Rock calmly walked up behind them as his other two men dropped black cloth bags over their heads and he smacked the Fishguts soundly on the tops of their heads with his lead weighted blackjack. They silently went limp and his men drug them away for the Thief Lord to deal with later. He helped Sally Sweat straighten her clothes and they embraced as lovers in the shadows as Zatch stumbled past. As soon as he turned the corner Rock released her and she stripped off her skirt turning it inside out changing it from red to blue, she stuffed it tightly into her bag she carried and her long black hair followed suit as she took off one of her wigs. Rock nodded and they resumed shadowing Zatch without his ever having glanced in their direction.

Something odd had caught the corner of Zatch’s mind and he stumbled wearily to a stop trying to focus in his bleary sleep deprived state. He struggled to think clearly, usually the Thief Lord paraded the winner around the city. His eyes snapped open as he wondered at what could possibly have drug the thief lord away. Re-invigorated by the mystery presented to him Zatch spun on his heel and ran back the way he had come, dodging around people and obstacles without thought or effort. He never really thought about his about his ability to instantly recall everything he had seen, the things he had passed and logged away where mapped out perfectly in his memory. He charted his path, estimating where people would have moved too, and compensated expertly allowing him to travel in nearly a full sprint in the seemingly crowded streets.

A slight commotion broke out behind him but he was too focused to give it much thought. He took a path through the back alleys that would hopefully let him intercept the Thief Lord if he had kept heading in the direction he had been going last time Zatch had seen him. Unnoticed to him Rock and his crew desperately tried to follow his weaving path, giving up Rock stopped gasping at the mouth of an alley Zatch had zipped down and waved his crew up to the rooftops so they could follow without the crowds slowing them.

“I’m getting to old for this crap.” Rock thought wearily climbing the drain pipe of an old closed down Inn.

Out of Breath Zatch spotted the Thief Lord talking with a few of his advisors and scribes who fluttered around him like vultures in their drab black clothes. Pecking at each other for his attention and to establish who was who in the pecking order. Silently Zatch followed them desperately trying to remain unnoticed with all of his skill. As they headed into nicer and nicer parts of the city Zatch had to slink further and further into the alleys because of his ragged clothes. Finally just before he would have to give up his pursuit at the gate that separated the wealthy from the poor, the Thief lord went into the courtyard of the largest and most expensive inn the city had to offer.

The Dragons Nest it was called, it towered a gleaming white tower of wealth just within the borders of the merchant quarter of the city. A high wall ran around the entire building providing wonderful gardens for the Inn’s customers to enjoy if the mood struck them. Zatch skirted the main entrance stealthily and went down one of the cramped alleys leading to the delivery gate. Nimbly he clambered up a stack of shipping crates to peer over the wall careful not to cut himself on the glass embedded in the top of the wall glittering like jewels in the bright sunlight. With a gasp Zatch nearly fell from his perch. A monstrously large tiger lounged in the shade of the wall he was peering over.

Working his courage up he looked back into the garden. No bars contained the magnificent beast. Zatch had read about and heard stories about mighty tigers from the jungles but had no idea they would be so huge. The tiger yawned and stretched, Zatch could have walked under the huge cat without his head touching. He noticed the fangs next, they where as long as his arm and thicker if he was any judge of such things. The bright orange of its fur stood out starkly against the white paving stones it was sleeping on. An oxen pulled cart pulled around the corner of the building that hid the kitchens from view and stopped with a jerk when the usually dull witted oxen caught sight of the glorious predator they were headed towards. Their eyes rolled back in their heads and they refused to take another step no matter how their rider yelled or beat them with his whip.

A man came around the building from where the oxen had come. He was wearing some kind of military uniform, black trimmed with a stripe of orange along the seams, his highly polished black boots clicked against the stones as he walked up to the head of the oxen and calmed them. The driver apologized profusely, but was waved into silence as the man gestured for him to turn the cart around then helped him un-hitch the two animals that still shivered in fear. The cart contained a whole side of beef, Zatch watched in shock as the uniformed man grabbed the huge piece of beef in one hand and drug it out of the cart with seeming ease. The tiger got up as the oxen disappeared back the way they had come it moved over with starling speed for such a large animal. It picked up the side of beef in its jaws just like an alley cat picked up a rat, and carried it back to its resting spot leaving small droplets of blood gleaming like rubies on the perfect white cobblestones, the man stared silently at the Tiger who glanced back at him and grew still as it looked at him silently then went back to eating contentedly as the man shook his head smiling slightly and walked off. Zatch lost himself in watching the great cat eat, and then delicately clean itself just as a normal cat would.

The sun moved slowly over head unnoticed by Zatch, so entranced was he by watching the great cat napping in the warm afternoon sun. Suddenly the tiger’s ear jerked irritably breaking the spell that had settled over Zatch. A small stone had flown over the wall further down the alley. He glared over at the small pack of boys, the oldest was a few years older than him, they were perched on another stack of boxes piled against the wall, the younger boys trying to get a good look over the edge of the wall that was just over their heads.. They met his eyes and made a rude gesture in his direction, he waved them off trying to get them to leave before they angered the Tiger. The simply laughed at him and tossed larger rocks over the wall trying to hit the now angrily twitching tiger. Zatch ground his teeth and silently leapt from the top of the crates, he tucked into a ball as he hit to shed some of his momentum before he sprang to his feet running towards the other boys. They scrambled down five of them against him alone, none of that mattered to Zatch he was so angry at their thoughtless actions. He didn’t even bother to draw one of his knives he reverted to childish fist and kicks even bites as they piled onto him, his fury fueled his strength and the five boys together couldn’t hold him.

As three of them sat on Zatch, and he bit and wiggled the largest boy tired of the fight, he picked up a makeshift club from the pile of broken crates they had created in their brawl. With a yell he swung it two handed and hit Zatch high on his cheekbone. Zatch reeled back blood burning down his face, as his head hit the street he saw stars through the burning red cloud that had blocked his vision. He heard the other boys running away as he clasped his face in agony. Large hands helped him to his feet as he opened his eyes he recognized a man he had seen earlier after leaving the Thief Lord to head home, he had been kissing a women in an alley he had walked past.

“You alright young one?” The Man asked. Zatch nodded shakily. “You were handling yourself well back there, you could have beat them if you’d kept your head and they hadn’t outnumbered you five to one.” He said smiling. Zatch appreciated the man’s words, and other images started to filter through of the man. He had followed Zatch when he turned back, he had been in the square when he talked to the Thief Lord Silently Zatch faked a stumble and pulled away from the man preparing to run. But the man held up his hands.

“Easy there, our Lord ordered my crew to make sure you got to bed safe, we handled a pair of Fishguts back there. Let’s go see what the Tiger Rider wanted with our Master. They call me rock, by the way. Nice to meet you.” He said shaking Zatch’s hand.

“Likewise,” Zatch said still holding his bleeding cheek. Rock led them into the side gate of the Dragon’s nest Zatch followed apprehensively and saw the uniformed man come back towards the tiger with the Thief Lord at his side.

“Zatch! Why am I not surprised?” The Thief Lord said coming over to them. “Rock I thought I told you not to let anything happen to him,” the Thief Lord said handing Zatch a small black square of cloth to press to his bleeding face.

“I… lost him for a minute in the city sir.” Rock said hesitating slightly.

“You lost him’” The Thief Lord asked sounding incredulous.

“He’s very… nimble my Lord, a credit to the guild.” Rock said embarrassed.

“Well that’s another achievement for you already. Where are my manners, Zatch this is Rider Durak Tibor and his Tiger partner Kahn. Durak, this is the boy I was telling you about.”

Durak studied the silently bleeding boy for a moment before moving forward to offer his hand. Zatch reached up unsure of how to treat the man, unsure where a Rider ranked in the order of things. As soon as their hands touched, a shock traveled between them making Zatch’s arm jerk.

“I see what you mean, he does have potential,” Durak said smiling, “Come let us talk about your future, son. And let’s get that eye looked while we’re at it.” He said warmly to Zatch, leading him past the intently watching Kahn until they were engulfed by the lavishly appointed Inn.