"I'm telling you, I paid your bastard son in full!" Ramona snapped at the green-scaled gorgon man.

He tapped his claws on the arm of his rocky throne.

"You come into my sewers unannounced, you call my son a bastard, and then you lie?" He said, in a chillingly calm manner. "What makes you think I shouldn't have my wife petrify you where you stand?"

Ramona put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Because your 'wife' isn't here, Xoph. And you won't receive a lick more of gold from me if you turn me into one of your gargoyles overlooking your bridge."

Xoph scratched an itch from just under his left, yellow eye. He stared at the Halfling thief and wondered if he actually should call in Mellox, his beloved mate. She would make quick work of the tiny woman, but at the same time, she would likely go on a rampage and kill more of his guards—And guards were not easy to find for someone of gorgon kind; everyone was afraid of being turned to stone after all.

"Call your jerky jerk son in here!" Ramona challenged. "I'll fight him in a duel, how bout?"

Xoph also couldn't afford to lose his son, Xetto.

"It seems we've reached an impasse." Xoph muttered, snatching a fly from his forehead and shoving it into his mouth. "So you should pay me this time."

"I'll pay you next time." Ramona threatened. "And if I find out that my home has been broken into, or that another eviction notice has been placed, I'll come for you!"

She pointed a painted black nail at Xoph and narrowed her eyes. She shoved her finger forward again for good measure, and then turned on her heel and stomped out of the throne room of the Xoph. She detested that the thief's guild was run by a pompous coward such as Xoph, but what could she do? Take over? Even though she was confident in her combat abilities, it would be far too much trouble to become a leader of a network of thieves.

Ramona stomped past the stone bridge and glanced from side to side. All of the statues that overlooked from the ledges above were those who had crossed Xoph. She really did wonder why he actually didn't try to put her up there with the others.

"Cuz he's a coward!" Ramona spit on the end of the bridge and followed the path to the ladder exit.

She climbed up two scores of rungs before finally reaching the rooftop exit. She pushed the trapdoor aside and emerged onto the roof of the Temple of Sunkist, the sun goddess.

Resetting the trap door, she sprung forward into a sprint, and leaped across the gap between buildings. The Halfling landed on the edge and turned to look at the streets below.

"Hmm..." She murmured. "What to do for lunch?"

She usually only stole magic items, but when she grew hungry, and she tried to keep it to once a day, she would snatch someone's coin purse, and take just enough money for a meal—Then drop it back to where the owner would find it.

On this day, her belly rumbled all the more loudly. In all her excitement from stealing the griffin effigy, and then stealing the magic weapon from Gonzeelda, she'd completely forgotten to eat.

"Oh fetter..." Ramona whimpered, grabbing her belly. She was famished.

No one on the street seemed to be a good target. Most kept their hands on their purses, or had them hidden within their clothes. The thieves of Kendobul had reaped the citizens nearly dry and had them on their toes.

In the distance, something caught Ramona's eye. Huge white sails of a sand ship were coming up to the outskirts of town on the southern edge. A merchant ship stopping in the small desert city was unusual for this time of year, but good luck for her. The merchant's likely wouldn't know about the heightened security in town.

With a hop, skip, and a jump, Ramona ran across rooftops, leaping between them when necessary. Coming up to the final buildings, she flipped to the wall, and ran along the narrow ledge on the inside. Finally, she lashed out with her magic rope, and swung up to the top of a guard tower. A guard sat in a chair, snoozing, and snoring loudly.

Keeping as silent as she could, she tiptoed onto the wall before the guard, and perched, watching the sand galleon pull up just a hundred yards from town. Any further would be suicide for those exiting the ship. Sand sharks infested the desert on all sides of Kendobul but north.

"Now what do we have here?" Ramona whispered, watching and waiting as the gangplank was lowered and three figures walked down to the road.

One was short with a blue beard. She knew he was some sort of dwarf, but she was no expert on the broad shouldered race of people. Beside him was an elf with short blonde hair. He was carrying an empty looking belt pouch. And then there was a giant walking behind them.

Ramona's jaw dropped as she pulled on her magic seeking goggles. The creature, that was made entirely of lime green metal, glowed a light orange. From head to toe it put out a magical aura that could not be ignored. With everything in her gut she wanted to dismantle the magic contraption and take all of the pieces to her home back in Skeanda. But he was big, and she was not.

The thief's eyes landed on bag attached to the iron-man's waist. It looked like a bottomless bag, and sure enough it glowed blue, the exact color one would. Surely something of value was kept in there.

Ramona grinned, knowing she had found her target—And she wouldn't even have to be too careful. Such a big man of metal surely couldn't run fast in a chase, so she'd easily be able to get away.

***

Lavina felt the sand ship come to a stop, and everything in the cargo bay lurched forward. Her eyes snapped open as she came out of her sleep.

"Where am I?" She whispered, not remembering her whereabouts.

But a second later, she heard shouting on deck, and although it was muffled, it was coming from a gruff dwarf.

"Oh!" Lavina gasped. "I'm on a boat!"

She strapped on her pack, and climbed onto a box next to the porthole. Peeking out, she saw the blaringly hot sand, and just several hundred feet ahead was a desert city surrounded by palm trees.

"Get off me ship, ye dirty swindlers!" She heard a voice bellowing at the top of his lungs. "Before I slit ye throats! Come on Willy, let's get goin from this desert shart hole."

Lavina could guess it was the captain and he was referring to his first mate. Which likely meant her friends were exiting. She needed to move quickly.

The half-elf girl squeezed through the porthole, and turned around pulling her feet out. But something caught her ankle and she fell back, suspended midair.

"Where ye think ye going, stowaway?" A voice grumbled.

Lavina looked up and saw the hairy head of a dwarf with a flaming beard.

"Um... this is my stop!" Lavina said, and struggled to get free.

But the dwarven man was angry; he had just lost out on a pile of gold, and he wasn't about to let a stowaway walk all over him too!

"Yer coming inside and being our cook for the next journey!" Captain Gutfist snapped.

Lavina reached to her hip and pulled the metal rod free from its grasp.

"Ice puff!" Lavina cried.

A burst of snowy air smacked the dwarf in the face, and his grasp loosened just enough so she could kick free.

Lavina flipped and fell towards the sand. With a thud, she landed on top of a dune, and slid down into a small valley made beside the ship.

"Hot sand, hot sand!" Lavina cried as her buttocks and hips touched the burning stuff. She jumped up onto her feet, thankful that she had worn her boots on this journey.

"Now to get to town!" Lavina nodded, snatching up her pack and climbing the dune.

Once at the top, something moving caught her attention from beside her. She looked off and saw a large gray fin poking out of the sand, and it was coming straight for her.

"Oh." Was all she could think to say. Her mind instantly recognized the creature—It was a sand shark! And not a small one either.

With a screech, Lavina burst into a sprint, running up and down the dunes, making her way towards town.

She spotted her three friends stepping onto the road as the gangplank was brought back into the ship, and they all turned when they heard her cries.

Angon raised his arms and started waving frantically. And Buster and Gavin; well they looked terrified. The anger would come later, if she survived.

Lavina ran as past as her tiny legs would move. She dared to look back and saw the fin closing in, just a few yards away.

"Don't look back!" Buster cried, as Gavin nocked an arrow in his bow.

Lavina was within inches of the road when a shadow fell over her. Her eyes went wide, and Gavin shouted, "Duck!"

Instantly the half-sol elf girl dropped her legs from under her and slid.

Gavin let loose his arrow, and a screeching came from behind. She continued running right towards Angon and jumped up into his waiting arms.

The forge hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe, but as she looked back and spotted the massive sand shark sticking its head out of the sand, she gave thanks that it was dead, with an arrow stuck right into its bulbous black eye.

"Oh thank the stars." Lavina gasped.

Gavin and Buster both turned to look at her. Gavin wore a furious scowl, and Buster grinned. But then Angon dropped Lavina.

She fell to the ground and landed on her tailbone, with a loud, "Ow!"

"Why did you drop me?" Lavina whined.

Angon looked around, confused. "I feel lighter."

"Well, of course!" Gavin sighed. "You dropped Lady Lavina!"

"No..." Angon said, feeling at his side. "By bag is gone!"

"What?" Buster cried. "The rest of our supplies were in there!"

Angon spun around and spotted a small figure disappearing over the lip of the one of the town walls, with his exact bag in her hands.

"A thief!" Angon cried. "She will not get away!"

***

Ramona hopped down on the other side of the wall, and landed in an alley. She grinned from ear to ear as she sat down and opened up the pack she had stolen. Searching through the belongings, she found clothes for cold weather, rope, a grappling hook, a dozen days worth of rations, and two quivers of arrows. Before she could reach further inside the bottomless bag, a great roar came from above.

Stone from the wall rained down around the tiny Halfling girl, and she lifted her arms to shield her head. When the dust settled, she looked up to see the top part of the wall destroyed, and dust falling all about. Her eyes trailed to back before her, and she saw the giant man made of metal rising from one knee.

Ramona gulped as the man turned around to face her. He looked down, with burning yellow eyes, and held out his hand that was more than double the size of her head.

"Give. Back. My. Bag." Angon said, his chest puffed out, and his fingers clenching.

Ramona swallowed hard, and whispered. "No."