Max didn’t find it particularly easy figuring out when exactly Proprietor Skole’s fancy stone house would be empty. He spent the next few days waking early and going to bed late, just so he could get some idea of the mine owner's schedule.

The proprietor of Brix was a bald man with a barrel chest. He carried a belly that challenged the belt around his waist and seemed to be winning. His middle-aged brow was creased with the years, while his wide chin supported a full, dark brown beard. Immaculate best described his manner of dress. He wore nothing but silk tunics, clean trousers, and polished leather boots.

Truthfully, aside from Skole's outward appearance, Max knew very little about the severe-looking man. He'd only really seen him in passing, here and there throughout the months. Skole rarely interacted with the miners, preferring to leave management to his guards and his loyal wizard Aldor. Despite this, his reputation was well-established.

The proprietor had zero tolerance for sedition or theft of any kind. Though he never engaged in violence himself, everyone knew Skole’s guards had the license to deal severe beatings for even the smallest infraction. Max himself had witnessed a miner nearly clubbed to death for attempting to sneak out a gem in his boots, and he'd heard stories that would probably make even a hardened man like Brennan shudder. Not to mention the rumors surrounding what went on in the wizard Aldor's tower... but Max had no way of knowing if those were real or not. What was certainly true, though, was that Skole ruled his camp with a steel fist, and no theft ever went unpunished.

This was the man Max had decided to steal from.

After a few days, he began to get a sense of Skole’s daily routine. In the early morning before the miners started work, the man left his house and took the short walk to his office located right outside the entrance to the mines. Aldor always met him along the way—from Max’s observation, the long-haired wizard was never too far away.

Max never saw the proprietor in the evening, which meant the man left his office before the workday was over. Though Max wasn’t sure he went directly to his house, he suspected as much, due to the candlelight which flickered from the corner window each night. It had to be his bedroom, or study.

That would be his way in.

Max was surprised to discover that the proprietor never set guards around his house. Initially, this gave Max pause. Did the house even contain anything valuable? Based on the expense that Skole spent on his clothes and the home itself, however, it was reasonable to assume there had to be something of worth inside. Perhaps the man figured that without any skills to speak of, few of the miners were a threat to his wealth.

Or perhaps he was just lazy, overconfident?

Whatever the case, Max also reasoned the home wouldn’t be completely defenseless. He figured the front door would always be locked, the bottom windows latched shut. He didn’t even bother checking—someone might see him snooping around, and he didn’t need that kind of attention already.

Given that Proprietor Skole was human, just like him, the man would have to logout at some point. Wealthier individuals had access to higher quality Juice back in the real world, which allowed them to stay logged in for longer periods of time. Still, it wasn’t indefinite. Max would just have to be careful, and make sure his timing was right.

Armed with this knowledge, Max’s plan was all but settled.

He’d wait until after dark, when it was most likely Proprietor Skole had logged out for the night. Then, under the cover of darkness, he’d need to find a way to access the corner window without anyone seeing.

There was just one problem—Max could hardly climb a tree, let alone a flat vertical surface like Skole's house.

Even if he managed to reach the second-story window without altering the entire camp, chances were he’d just fall off and break an arm in the process of pulling himself up. No. He couldn't risk it.

He needed someone better.

Someone who could silently scramble to the window, slip inside, and unlock the front door.

Luckily, Max had just the person in mind.

“Let me get this straight,” said Alby. “You want me to risk my health and reputation so you can sneak into the proprietor’s house and steal his most valuable personal possessions?”

“That's just gist of it, yeah,” said Max. No reason to sugarcoat it.

“You’re mad. Absolutely mad. The mines finally drove you off the deep end.”

The two boys were packed into Max’s rented room on the third floor of Rilliard’s Inn & Tavern. It was late after a long workday, and the smell of dirt and sweat hung throughout the cramped space. With just a single person inside, the room already felt like a closet. With two stuffed inside, it felt like a cupboard.

When Max had asked Alby to join him in his room for a little bit, Alby looked at him curiously. Max knew his friend could tell something was up immediately, but the blond-haired boy nodded and followed without any outright questioning.

With this newest revelation, however, Alby's eyes were wide as coins. He didn’t even need to say anything to make it clear he thought Max was insane.

And maybe he was.

“This is the part where I remind you that Skole has people beat bloody just for nicking a single gem,” Alby continued.

“Look,” said Max, making his case. “I know it sounds nuts, but hear me out. If we just—"

“I’m in.”

Now it was Max’s turn to look incredulous. “Wait, what? Really?”

“Sure.” Alby shrugged. “Why not. Sounds exciting.”

“At this point, I’m not sure who’s crazier. You or me.”

“Good question. My mom always said I had a nose for trouble.”

“I feel like I should remind you that if we’re caught, Skole'll probably have us killed.”

“Yeah, well at least I won’t die from eventual boredom.”

“No, just from multiple blows from a club.”

Alby laughed, nervously. “Alright, so what do you expect to find in there anyways?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. But there’s got to be some things worth stealing, right? I’ll bet just one of those fancy shirts he wears would net some serious coin.”

“Okay, so what then? Say you fill your inventory with a bunch of valuable stuff. Old Skole will tear this place apart when he finds out, and it’s not like you can just sell it off at the General Store.”

“There’s lots of merchants in Tiann City, I heard…”

A pause.

“Yep, I wasn’t sure before, but now it’s official,” said Alby. “You’re certifiably batshit.”

Alby wasn’t wrong—traveling to Tiann City at their level was possibly the only thing more dangerous than stealing from Proprietor Skole in the first place. But Max had thought it through carefully, and made up his mind. If he stayed on the road, and traveled fast, he might have a chance. Once in Tiann City, he might be able to convince one of the artisan’s guilds to take him on as an apprentice. Not to mention, he could get the mysterious stone in his possession Evaluated…

He told Alby as much. How he planned to escape out the small gate hidden behind some bushes against the palisade’s south wall. It was an open secret amongst the camp, but none of the guards bothered watching it. After all, what reason had any of the miners to leave the safety of Brix for a wilderness that would almost certainly kill them?

They’d have to be crazy to even think about it.

“Well, now that I know the full extent of your plan,” said Alby, “I’ll help you under one condition.”

“Shoot.”

“I get to go with you.”

Max smiled, inwardly relieved. Truthfully, he was scared to death of traveling to Tiann on his own. The chances of survival went up with someone to watch your back along the way. He extended his hand, and Alby shook it firmly.

“Should we tell Zaia and Dalen?” asked Alby.

“The less they know, the better. Just in case.”

Alby nodded, grimly. “Alright. So when does this master plan go down?”

“Tomorrow night, circumstances allowing.”

“No time like the present, eh?”

“The more I wait, the less I’ll want to do it. I’m already second guessing the longer we stand here.”

“So you won’t punch me in the face if I go on record saying this is probably a terrible, really bad, awful idea?”

“No need,” said Max. “I think we both already know that.”