A fist connected with Keziah’s nose, stumbling him back. He grabbed his face and cursed his contract giver. Not including that there was more than one thief was rather rude, to say the least.

“Just give me the statue and we will all be on our way like nothing!” he said, ignoring his one-to-five odds and a nose that started to bleed.

They didn’t appear convinced. He ducked, his coat flapping in the air as the next punch aimed at his face flew above his head. The attacker was pulled off-balance by his sheer mass. Rolling to the side, he swept the legs under the thief next to him, striking him in the throat as soon as he fell, leaving him struggling for air. “Can’t blame me for not giving you an option out of this, boys,” he said under his breath while standing up.

The man who bungled Kez’s nose started towards him, along with the big man who was trying to repeat that feat a few seconds ago. Kez focused on the smaller thief to his right first. Grabbing the thief’s arm as soon as it extended, he moved further to the right, avoiding the massive arms, trying to seize him. Crack. Screams filled the dirty, run-down room as the shorter man fell to the ground, clutching his broken arm.

The bear-like statue robber continued his attempts at catching Kez, stepping over the screeching man, fury in his eyes. The two other thieves, previously content with just watching, now joined the fight as well. Kez, noticing this, dashed towards the brawny assailant, surprising him in doing so. Forcing the mana inside him to swirl, he gathered a bit of electricity in his left palm. His right hand moved to block his opponent's vision while he connected the left with his chest. The sparks gathered on his palm jumped across the big body, overworking his muscles in the process. The man fell with a thump as Kez turned to see his next two opponents pull a knife each from the nearby cupboard. After that display, they must have realized that it won’t be so simple with just their fists.

Kez left his weapon back in his apartment, convinced that this was only a “retrieve a stolen object” type of job. With only one potential thief, he thought that letting Augustus rest might be a good idea. Now he found himself in a gang’s hideout with two very angry-looking criminals holding knives, ready to gut him alive.

Unexpected complications were something he detested the most. Not only made the job that much harder, but also they were rarely compensated for it. You would need solid proof of it happening and a truly naive client to get at least some extra coin out of it. Most of the time, the effort of collecting the proof wasn’t worth it, anyway.

“I knew we shouldn't take that job! Pompous bastards will send more guys like him after us now!” cursed one of the remaining thieves.

“You were the first one to agree to it, you bloody fool!” retorted the other one.

Thinking quickly, Kez grabbed a nearby metal tray, which looked suspiciously out of place as an impromptu shield, preparing himself for the attack. They didn’t jump at him immediately like the other three. Instead, they approached slowly, on either side of the room, trying to widen the area from which the next strike would come. Still waiting, Kez considered his options. Running away now, without the statue would do nothing. Not only would he put himself on the target of this gang and all of their colleagues, but he would also have nothing to show for his work except a bloodied no —

An incoming knife brought him up from his thoughts as he blocked it with his tray with amazing speed. He could feel the electricity running through his body, speeding his reactions. The blond-haired attacker looked in confusion when he tried to prepare for another strike as his knife wouldn’t come off the tray. Kez used his confusion to break away from this bind and smack the surprised thief across the head with his shield, shifting his body just in time to dodge the next attack.

Fast reactions and impressive agility helped him dance around the knife, frustrating his opponent. Slashes mixed with stabs came at him, but all missed their target, cutting only air. Finally, the last statue robber made one larger swing than usual and Kez was ready to punish it. Throwing the tray right in his face, he sidestepped to his right, away from the knife in the thief’s left hand, and punched him in the temple just after the tray connected with his face.

The final enemy fell to the ground along with the two knives. Kez breathed heavily, leaning on the singular table in the dimly lit thief’s den. Taking the first proper look around the place, Kez noticed bags next to the rough-looking wooden cabinets. Moving away from the table and closer to the pair of sacks, he looked over his shoulder to check on the thieves. Everyone was still lying on the floor, one still gasping for air, meaning Kez didn’t kill him accidentally. Even the fellow with the broken arm was unconscious.

“Must have passed out from the pain.”

Having confirmed that they aren’t a threat, for now, he opened the packs looking for the statue. They mostly contained clothes and some traveling necessities, but among them was the golden statue of a man Kez didn’t recognize. Happy to be done with it, he grabbed the statue and headed out of the dilapidated apartment. The old wood squeaked as he descended the stairs and stepped onto the muddy street.

If someone looked at him, exiting the building, they wouldn’t have found anything suspicious. His appearance made him look like one of the local people of this forsaken part of town. Worn-out coat, dirty leather shoes, and a small shoulder cape with a hood. The only distinctive features that made him stand out were his light orange eyes, unusual from the common brown and blue.

Going through the streets of Lower Waterside, the poorest district of Avinea, he was deciding whether he should go to the guild now and bring in the stolen statue for the contract giver to collect later or do it tomorrow. His muscles ached terribly after he forced them to work at their maximum capability. Evening was also on the verge of turning into night as the sun slowly disappeared over the city buildings. This ultimately skewed his decision towards going home for now and returning the statue first thing tomorrow. He knew that waking up early wouldn’t be a trouble for him after all.

After walking a couple of minutes, he was getting closer to his apartment. Bells rang out through the streets suddenly, and a group of men Kez recognized as the watchmen, responsible for keeping order in cities, ran through the streets. They were a rare sight in these parts of town, especially in such numbers. Something really bad must have happened, he thought while they were running past him, seriousness on their faces.

“Well, it’s not my problem.” He continued walking to his apartment.

Coming up to his door, he felt like he would collapse. It was a long day of tracking and fighting with the statue thieves. His reward would be 2 silver and 50 bronze coins. Probably not even the fraction of what the statue itself was worth. But he knew better than to steal it for himself. The same things that just happened to the thieves he just beat, except the man beating him would be paid 3 silver. He might get an extra 50 bronze if he is daring enough.

He liked his current situation. A roof over his head, a somewhat steady job, and not being hunted by anyone. That was enough for him, at least for now. The door unlocked, and he entered his apartment. Three small rooms, a bedroom, a toilet, and a place he called the “living room”. Barely 3 meters wide and 3 meters long, it could fit a small table and two chairs. One reserved for him and the other for Augustus, his sword.