1

The cluttering and clashing of iron became conscious to the ears of Griem. Did the guards find her? How long was she unconscious for? She wiggled her hand underneath the covers and couldn’t feel the blade in her usual strap. She needed clues. Griem perked her ears to gather information.

The footsteps were loud...they must be in the same room as her. Two? No, one. It was just one and Griem would be able to handle one as long as it wasn’t some boulder armed giant. She conjured up a plan and readied her mind for combat.

Griem leaped up from the bed and onto the floorboards assuming an improvised fighter stance.

“So you are my capti-”

Griem’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed red. She never expected for her captor to be completely...naked. A tall female with short layered dark hair with blond highlights. A piece of bread sticking halfway out of her mouth. The air grew silent, a tension sharp enough to cut through that damned loaf.

They both stared at each other. Griem with a look of disbelief and the other with a blank look as if all was normal. She began chewing on her bread slowly, making the only noise in the room full of her light smacking.

“You’re finally up. Took you long enough, the food was about to go cold,” said the stranger as she poked another piece of bread atop a small wooden plate. “Ah, just kidding. It’s already cold. Here, eat up.”

She tossed the small half to Griem, catching it in her hands after fumbling a bit. Griem didn’t let up her stance, she had to be ready for anything. This could be a trick by some guard to act like some perverted hostess. Trying to lower her guard so she wouldn’t be able to fight back.

She paused for a bit, Griem feeling like she was looking at her as if she was stupid. The stranger just shrugged and pulled at a chair from the table and sat down. She lifted up her leg and crossed it over the other, making her see things she wasn’t prepared mentally to see.

“Who are you, and where is my weapon?”

She tilted her head towards a nightstand beside the bed.

Griem started to walk, but a surge of pain filled her lower half as she took a step. She fell down to one knee, looking down to see her leg, bare with blood soaked bandages. The fabric of her tight blue-grey breeches, torn abruptly just above her thigh. A shadow fell over her body, a blade dangling in front of her.

She looked up, the stranger holding it with one finger in the hole at the end of the hilt. Her dagger stained with blood. The leather hilt showing heavy signs of wear and the blade littered with scratches.

“As for who I am,” she said, sucking her fingers after she chowed down on the rest of the bread, “to you I’ll be known as Aylie, nice to meet you.”

Griem snatched the blade and thrusted into the ground to help prop herself up. She glued her sight onto Aylie who strolled back into her chair, gulping down from a mug which presumed to be water.

“What do you want and why are you...exposing yourself.”

“I want a lot of things, and you are going to help me achieve it,” said Aylie, smirking after placing her cup at the far edge of the table “for why I’m naked? Well I don’t feel like you would be able to hit me.”

Her cheeks grew even hotter, now staring blankly into the medium-sized chest. She looked down at her own body then back at her, noticing the curve difference or, lack thereof.

“Lots of confidence for a flat girl without a weapon.” said Griem, lying through the skin of her teeth.

“Flat?! That’s some nerve coming from that undeveloped body of yours.”

“I still have a few years left to grow. You have reached your peak.”

Aylie sprouted up from the chair, walking briskly towards Griem until she was looking down at her. She was undeniably taller and sturdier, Griem knew that she wouldn’t stand a chance in head on combat.

Griem threw her dagger into the air and caught it, holding the blade sideways. She brought it close to her face with her elbow up like a praying mantis.

They matched death stares, Griem’s hand trembling with the blade inches away from Aylie’s face. On top of the table behind Aylie was the wooden mug balancing itself on the edge. The room fell silent once more. With the sound of a light thud, the mug tipped over and impacted the floor.

Griem swung her dagger at the person in front of her, but Aylie leaned back to dodge it. Griem let out a flurry of aimless swings, hoping one would connect, but to no avail she avoided them all. Aylie spun down to the floor and with a sweeping kick, knocked Griem onto her ass.

Griem stabbed the dagger into the floorboards beside her head, gripping it tightly with her right hand. She flipped her body over the blade and twirled onto her feet with her right leg, slashing with the blade behind her where Aylie should have been standing. However, she sliced nothing but the thin air.

She scanned the room, Aylie nowhere in obvious sight. Getting a good look at the room, it was small and everything was wooden like a miniature hut with no windows. The cup rolled on the floor stopping to the peg of the table. Griem spun around, but nothing as the only door was still shut closed.Then before she knew it, a cold piece of steel was hovering under her chin. The glint from the sharp blade winking at Griem.

“A real thief leaves no stone unturned. Meaning cover all your bases, such as the ground and sky.”

Griem could feel the hot breathing on her nape. Aylie stood right behind her, at any moment she could end Griem’s life and she knew it. Griem held her breath and shut her eyes, embracing herself for the swiftless death.

“Relax,” whispered Aylie, moving her blade away from Griem’s throat. “Killing you is no fun. How about we eat and talk about life, hm?”

Aylie pointed at a chair, bending down to pick up the fallen mug. Griem gulped and turned around slowly. Watching Aylie sit down in a chair with no signs of embarrassment for her predicament.

Griem nodded her head slow, sheathing her dagger back into the scabbard on her waist. She limped to the other side of the table, pulling out a chair to sit across from Aylie. Griem lowered her hood, revealing the sleek light-blue hair that rested just beneath her shoulders. She patted down the unruly sides and started to part her lips, but closed them after not being able to find her voice.

Aylie interlocked her hands on the table, the corners of her mouth turning upwards into a sly smirk. Her eyes glittered with ambition, or was that untamed greed? Griem rested her hands on her lap, not knowing how to act since she never conversed with anyone other than her father. Aylie leaned in forward and a golden sword necklace around her neck dangled down making itself apparent.

“Right, so let’s get started shall we? Lady Griem.”

2

Griem skulked on top of the market district, leaping over from building to building. Her leg healed just enough to keep her limber. With a new sleek black hooded cloak and breeches, she was equipped with new gear. Griem padded down her arms and legs, feeling the maroon colored leather graves gifted by Aylie for whatever reason.

She gritted her teeth underneath her matching mask. The thought of laying down uselessly for another month in that perverted thief’s cabin did not dwell high on the list of things to do. However, she was given a mission and there was no way she could tuck her tail between her legs now. The girl was better than her, perhaps even better than her father.

The lanterns lit up one by one around the circular market district. The stalls sparkled with jewels to uncut gems that value themselves at a pretty coin. Yes, if she were to pocket all the jewels from one vendor she would be able to live lavishly for at least a few months. Though, her sight was set on something more grand.

To the center stood the public auction house in charge of all things polished and refined with a certificate to their name. The building was quite grand indeed. A lengthy building with intricate wooden columns all around the sides and embedded into the wall as well. Leading up the steps were pure red granite with two grey stone pillars standing before the entrance.

The bell rang from the very tip of the building, signifying the one hour that the auction house was opened for. The steel links that covered the windows were pulled up and the iron doors opened wide with twelve crimson guards posted up on the path just leading to the entrance. A long line of noblemen and women gathered to the iron doors, being thoroughly patted down before being let inside.

The auction house carried so much importance that you needed a ticket and connections to be let inside. A ticket for entry would cost at least two-hundred Velori, equal to two-thousand silver. For a thief to get a hold of two-hundred Velori would no longer be considered a thief but part of the society they chose to steal from, funny isn’t it? Stealing to become what you despised, It was a joke of an ambition Griem laughed at. Her only goal was to make the city bleed.

Griem stood a few buildings down to the side of the auction house, just enough to see the slanted roof of her destination. A shadow moved along the top of the auction house, forcing her to squint to see the movement.

“Just what in the hell is she thinking,” whispered Griem, “Aylie came up with this bloody plan and now she’s about to get caught. Splendid, just splendid.”

Griem took a few steps back then sprinted over onto the other buildings. She flew from roof to roof until landing just below the tall auction house. Taking out her silver dagger, clean of all blood, into her hand and running onto the jutted edges of the wooden column. Griem lodged the blade into the wood and pulled herself up until she was horizontal of the building. She leaped up with gloved hands and grasped onto the marbled window sill.

It took about thirty seconds to scale the building until standing in front of the shadowed figure. Griem sheathed her dagger and walked nonchalantly to her forced employer. Except, something was… different. The frame of Aylie’s body was much larger, and the dagger on her waist had a golden hilt, very much unlike her signature blue tinted twin knives she kept close at hand.

“Aylie?” said Griem, patting the shoulder of the large figure.

The moon light shifted a bit, revealing the olive green colors that her father used to wear. The person flinched upon Griem’s touch, but just slightly. The body shifted to face her, the large scar on the man’s cheek becoming apparent.

Griem jumped back, equipping her silver dagger close to her face and elbow bent. The figure stepped forward into the moonlight, a crimson guard? No, the gear wasn’t fully on and looked far too small for the large shoulders this person possessed. It’s someone imitating the crimson guard, donning their clothes and trying to sneak in, could only have one plausible option.

Griem ran to the right of the man, there’s no way she could beat him in fair combat, so she had to do what she learned from Aylie. Griem unlatched the leather graves from her right arm and threw it onto the floor, then moved to do the same to the left. She ran circles around the man, yet he stood there not even trying to follow her movements.

Griem kept her feet light, the only way to fight would be through sheer speed. She lunged in from the stranger’s right shoulder but in a whirl of events, it was Griem being sent flying backwards. Her dagger being sent over the edge as well as it being her only weapon besides the throwing stars Aylie gave her.

She felt blood trickling over her lips and into her mouth, tasting the iron. She brought her hand to feel her nose, wincing from the pain upon touching it. It was obviously dislocated or seriously bruised. Griem propped herself up and shut her eyes, remembering more of what Aylie taught her over the course of the last month. Along with the teachings from her father, there were a number of ways this beast could be brought down.

Griem slid one leg backwards with the toe of her shoe facing the moon and her right leg facing her perpetrator. She bent her back leg and raised two palms up with one hand close to her body. The man brought out his golden hilted dagger, twirling it between three of his fingers. He was experienced, that’s for sure.

The scarred man charged at her, bringing down the blade to her head. Griem moved with snake-like movement to the left, dodging his attack. She brought her shoulder down to the close point of dislocation, using three fingers to jab under the bicep of the man where armor did not cover.

“What the fuck!” he yelled, rubbing the part Griem hit.

She tumbled forward, taking a moment to enter the same stance while he fiddled with the small gear he had on. Griem couldn’t let the opportunity slip. She ran at the man and slid between his legs, hitting him behind the knee, making him fall to one leg.

Griem smirked, with one more move he’d be knocked out for a week. She twirled on her right leg, bringing her other foot leveled with his head. However, just before making contact with the side of his head, her foot was shielded by his arm. He held her foot under his bicep and swung her over his shoulder, smacking hard into the tiled roofs.

She scrambled to find her footing but she was winded, and he was fuming through the nose. He rose up, picking up her foot once again but she twisted her body over and kicked directly into his ugly mug of a face. He stumbled backwards and Griem tumbled back onto her feet.

Griem grinded her teeth, a feeling of anxiousness washing over her. How was she supposed to beat this man? Without a dagger in hand she’s nothing more than a stray cat clawing at it’s perpetrator. She took a few steps back, feeling the violent trembling in her hands and legs. Her face grew hot but had no way to resolve her new fiery emotions. Was she angry or terrified, she didn’t know. What she did know was that if she couldn’t think of anything, that golden hilt would be lodged deep into her chest.

Being backed into a corner, Griem reached into her cloak to pull out two ninja stars from her back pouch. She held them for a second before throwing both of them haphazardly at the man walking towards her with seemingly no affect.

She continued to walk back, until feeling the edge of the roof on her heel. She looked behind her and saw the sixty-feet drop that would soon be a lot lower in a few seconds.

“Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!” yelled Griem, bringing out her last ninja star.

“Bye, you bitch,” said the man, licking the blade of his dagger.

Griem knew the only way this could end. She crossed her arms and shut her eyes, pulling her feet straight together. With the final breeze in the wind, Griem fell backwards like a coffin in the sky.

“Till we meet again, Aylie.”