Author: FalseHope, Posted: Sat May 19, 2018 5:02 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

The rest of the work in getting the tavern up and running seemed to fly by as everyone worked their hardest.  It had taken them most of the night to get everything done, and by the time it had happened, most of the boys had fallen asleep.  Even Bat and Danwe seemed to be exhausted, and were resting in their own individual areas; Bat was laid out at the bar, while Danwe had disappeared into the rafters.  Xeik had found himself a nice, near hidden spot in the back of the tavern, where normally the food stores would be.  The spot, for the moment, was perfect, but the young thief knew that at some point he would have to find a permanent place to call his.

Despite his exhaustion, though, he couldn't really sleep.  Instead, he pulled out a book that he had been given by Bat earlier in the night.  The book was a lot of generalized information on guild management, from the expenses incurred to basic leadership skills.  As he flipped through the pages, he was getting a small sense of just how much he had to do in order to merely start his guild.  The 'official' part was unneeded, due to the fact that a thieves guild was considered a 'black guild,' much like the assassins, so they could never truly be official. 

"That's not an issue," he said, moving to the next chapter.  The next part more or less told him of the supplies and costs of upkeep, which he grimaced at.  The tavern itself would bring in some minor profit, but it was only a front.  Xeik knew that they would need a fence, which was not an easy thing to find.  Furthermore, they'd have to come up with loot drops, as Danwe had explained earlier, as well as someone to come by and pick up those drops at a later time.  There was also training, which needed space and talent to do.  He let out a sigh.  So much…

By the time he finished the book, the sun had risen.  As he made his way back into the main hall, a few of the boys started to stir.  Xeik smiled, crossing his arms as he watched them all slowly stir awake.  I've got a lot to do.  But…it's definitely doable.  This is my family now…  

"Rise and shine, Heaven's Dawn," he said, clapping his hands.  "We've got work to do." 

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 11:53 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

"Me? I'll stick around here for a while to make sure things are going to run smoothly. After that, who knows. I might head to Karith or Kometeia… or I might even go back home to Zets'Ki. It's been a long time since I've been back that way," she answered as she looked skyward thinking about what she was going to do. At the mention of Terrance maybe seeking revenge on her, Danwe scoffed and shook her head slightly. 

"Terrance is all talk. If he has that kind of pull, I don't think he has the balls to try and get them to come after me," she said confidently. "I have a reputation that most don't like messing with. It hurts his reputation going to one of the bigger guilds to go after me than I think it might be worth for him. He'd be better off trying to start a new group."

Danwe looked skyward at the stars and how they shimmered and twinkled. "I like Hoja Mesto… the sky always look a little different every night," she said softly. After a few minutes of watching the sky, she patted Xeik on the shoulder and stood up. "Come on, let's go help the others."

By the time the sun rose the next morning, the new guild hall had a completely patched roof, a functioning kitchen, and even swept floors, and was complete with a horde of sleeping adolescent boys strewn about wherever they could find floor space. Bat was lounging on what once would have been called the bar, and Danwe had found a nice perch in the rafters above everyone. The sounds of snores filled the air as soft morning light filtered through the boarded up windows. 

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 8:09 AM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

As Xeik watched the rest of the boys get to work with Bat, Danwe pulled him to the side, sitting him down.  At first, Xeik wondered if the other shoe was about to drop, and that he had lead his 'guild' into another hopeless situation, but his worries were lulled by Danwe's calm voice.  You can trust her.  She wouldn't have done all of this had she not been a good person.

"Any tips you have would be appreciated," Xeik said, eager to listen and learn.  As Danwe glanced up,he too looked up, watching as the sky moved and swayed with the great titan that the city was built on.  As Danwe spoke about her philosophy, Xeik took in every word.  To live by a code like this would be a huge change for all of them, and it would take some of the older boys some adjusting to change their idea of how it should be done.  But he knew the younger ones would enjoy the ideals that Danwe spoke of.  And, of course, if Bat was as trustworthy as Danwe said he was, he could always rely on Bat's backup if it came to that.

"Okay," Xeik said.  "So, I know Bat will help out here, but what do you plan on doing?  If Terrance really does have pull with the upper leagues of the city, he might come after you with backup…" 

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 12:05 AM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Bat shook his head. "The faster we all get that roof patched, the faster we can bed down for the night," he said and thumbed for everyone to head inside to get to work. 

As the other boys ran inside to get to work with Bat, Danwe hanged back to talk to Xeik. 

"I've got some tips if you want to hear them for how you could run this new guild of yours," she offered as she sat down on the stoop and looked up at the sky changed slightly with each step of the city. "It's a philosophy that I live by, as a thief. It would be a good way to help you guys keep a low profile and not draw unwanted attention to yourselves," she offered. "It would be a lot different than how Terrance had you working, but some of the others might appreciate it better," she said. 

"Never steal from one another. Steal only what you need from people who can afford to lose it. Keep hidey holes throughout the city so you are never caught with stolen goods on your person. Never steal something you can't put up your sleeve or in your pocket, and trust each other and watch each other's backs," she recited. "When you have a guild, that last bit can be easy. I didn't have a guild growing up. Just a brother for a while, and then Bat. He's helped me out of more trouble than I can to admit," she said. "You can trust him, I promise."

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:10 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

The boys listened to Bat intently.  In all honesty, they had been expecting much worse than what they were given.  The rules, for the most part, seemed to be reasonable.  A few of them even shifted uncomfortably, as if anticipating the rug to be pulled out beneath them.  As Bat opened the floor to questions, one of the older boys stepped forward.  

"So, this is…great, and all," he said, "But how can we know that you won't be another Terrance.  How can we trust you?"  A few of the other children nodded in agreement.  They all had similar fears.  What if this was another lie?

Xeik stepped in front of Bat, and turned to his guild mates.  "The reality is, we can't know."  He glanced back to Bat, "Er…no offense, sir."  He turned back to his crew, and cleared his throat.  "We've been through a lot, but we've seen today that if we band together, we can really make a difference.  I'm sure…I'm sure if we ended up with another abusive leader, that we could oust him, just as we did Terrance.  Bat is willing to help us, but if this falls through…well, we can still make it on our own.  Having a base like this is a great plan, but we've made it work on the streets once before, we can do it again."  

The older boys seemed content with the answer, and stepped down.  "Any other questions?" Xeik asked.  No one spoke up.  "Okay.  Then you three, go ahead and start heading to the roof.  You two, start gathering the materials to repair it."  He looked back to Bat.  "Anything else?"

Author: Axeslinger, Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:59 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Bat reached out and took the kid's hand and shook it firmly in his big beefy one. "Danwe's got a good eye for talent, Kid," he chuckled heartily. "I doubt you will," he said. He looked beyond at the group gathered. "You're a raggle taggle bunch," he commented. "No doubt you'll prove your salt before long. Well, first thing to be done is to patch up the roof. Can't call a place a home or guild house if it can't even keep the rain off," he said. "I got boards and nails. If you boys can set yourself to helping me get the roof in tip top shape, we should be in a good place to get started in general," Bat explained. 

"Now, since this here is my establishment. We have some ground rules to cover," Bat said. "One, I will not tolerate fighting inside the buiding. Two, everyone puts up a share to pay for food and bedding. You all will be responsible to each other, to keep each other safe," the half-orc explained. 

"I know Danwe has some ground rules as far as how she wants you to operate, but for now, let's get the guild hall fixed up a bit before we cross that there bridge," he said. "If any one has issues with that, speak up now."

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 6:24 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Xeik and Lewis both helped with the clean up, and once everything was done, they parted ways.  Xeik told Lewis to go ahead and gather any stragglers and have them meet up at the arranged location, leaving Xeik and the remaining boys to follow Danwe to the old tavern.  When they went in, though, they were taken aback at the person who met them.

Immediately Xeik's fight or flight response kicked in, the few hairs he had on his arms raising.  The half orc looked smart and dangerous, which was a deadly combination.  The other boys were intimidated as well, and seeing their new leader in such a way led them to believe they may have been tricked.  But as he spoke, Xeik noted the tone of his voice, and his guard lowered.  

Bat was his name, and as he broke into a smile, Xeik and the boys let out a collective sigh of relief.  Danwe introduced Xeik as the head of the newly formed guild, Heaven's Dawn, and Xeik stepped forward, giving a nod.  

"It's a pleasure, Bat, sir," Xeik said, holding out his hand.  "I hope we won't disappoint."  He looked around at the old tavern.  To him, it didn't matter the condition of the building, or even if it was a wreck.  What mattered was it was a place to call home.  "I'm…not too sure what needs to be done," he admitted.  "So….Bat, sir, if you could give us direction.  We're all ready to work."  He put on his brightest smile.  

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:43 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Danwe smiled. "Eat up, boys. There is still plenty to go around," she said, motioning to the still partially full pots of stew and the bread and cheese that sat out on the table. "Once everything is gone, we'll clean up, and we'll make our way to the location of your new guild headquarters. With all of us helping it shouldn't take long. We don't want to stay out in the open," she said with a smile. 

They all sat and ate, laughing and talking until all the food was gone and every belly was full. Clean up was in fact quick with all of them helping out, and with each of the thirty or so boys carrying something from the site, Danwe guided them through the back alleys of the quiet evening to an old abandoned tavern that was on the far outskirts of the walking city. Here, the sway of the city was a little more prevalent than in the center, which might have attributed to the disrepair of the place. Standing outside was a stern-faced half-orc who looked like he might have had a touch of troll-blood in his veins. His black eyes were bright and intelligent, and he wore an overcoat, tunic, pants and boots. He was bigger than Terrance was, and even more scary looking. 

"Well then, Danwe. It appears things went well today then," he said as Danwe came up with Xeik. 

"Yes indeed, Bat. I see you got the place," Danwe smiled. The half-orc's face split into a grin. "Piece o' cake," he said. Danwe grinned back and presented Xeik. "This is Xeik. He has been made the appointed leader of the Heaven's Dawn guild. Xeik, this is my friend Bat. He owns this place, and with your help, it will be your guild headquarters."

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:31 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Xeik looked to all of the boys of his previous guild, and the boy Lewis who he had helped.  With Danwe at his back, he felt more confident, but there was a still nervousness in his voice as he cleared his throat.  

"I don't know what to say…all of you, I know we've been through a lot, but…"  He smiled, "Now that we're here, it's a new chapter."  He looked to Danwe, "We all find these terms acceptable.  And, if…if I may…"  He looked back to his new Guild, "We of the Heaven's Dawn will do everything in our power to prove that we're worthy of your help."  He held out his hand to Danwe, "Thank you, Lightning Thief…"

"Now, let's see this place.  The sooner we get to work, the sooner we can have a roof over our heads, right?"  The boys nodded in agreement.  However, as they started to move, Xeik's stomach growled in protest.  He hadn't had the opportunity to finish his food, and he blushed.  "Er…maybe we can start tomorrow, then?" he asked.

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:21 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Danwe couldn't help but smile. This was working out better than she would have hoped. Of course, she hadn't expected the boys to turn to her to be their leader, that wasn't the objective. Xeik was the obvious choice. He had already proved that he was always looking out for the younger members, and didn't care about risking his own hide. 

"What you boys call yourselves will be entirely up to you. Just know,  you won't be completely on your own to do this," Danwe said. 

"What do you mean, Miss Lightning?" one of the other boys asked. She smiled at him. "Xeik will run your guild, but my personal guild will oversee. There are only three of us. Me, my friend who owns the place you'll call headquarters, and a boy who is a couple years Xeik's senior will be in charge of helping train you. Other than that, you will be completely autonomous. I'll only offer advice and help Xeik establish the guild rules," she explained. "Xeik, is this agreeable?" 

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:08 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

The remnants of Terrance's thieves were perking up and getting excited by all of this talk.  The idea of their own guild, of a permanent place to call home, the concept of camaraderie and standing ground on their own terms.  As Danwe finished, the boys started to talk among themselves, and a few glanced at Xeik.  Lewis even joined in, and they walked up to Xeik. 

"We'll agree.  But we want Xeik to be the head of our new guild," Lewis said, pointing at Xeik.

Xeik put his hands out, shaking his head.  "No, I couldn't possibly do that. I-" he looked to Danwe for help, but as he feared, she seemed to be staying out of his affairs, but with a smile on her face.  

Lewis and the boys were insistent. and wouldn't back down.  Finally, Xeik sighed, and acquiesced.  "Fine, fine…" he said.  "I'll be your leader.  But we''ll need a name.  Any ideas?"    

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 2:51 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

"See, that's something that Terrance wanted to stomp out of you," she said, pointing at Xeik as he made the statement that all of them together could curb stomp Terrance if he showed up again. "The whole point of what went down today in the alley wasn't about someone not bringing in a haul. It was about stomping out any thought of banding together. If he kept you from trusting each other, he could effectively manipulate each of you to believing that you weren't strong. Now, by what I saw, a lot of you look up to Xeik. At least young Lewis here does for sure, otherwise he wouldn't have spoken up to try and help, right?" Danwe asked looking at Lewis. 

The younger boy blushed red but nodded. "That was why Terrance targeted Xeik. He didn't want someone like Xeik stealing control out from under him by making you realize that when you stand up for each other, you can be powerful," she explained. "Now, I'm not saying that you can or can't do this on your own, but I am saying you shouldn't have to. But Terrance wasn't teaching you effective ways to do the jobs he demanded you do. And you were getting paid squat for it, weren't you?"

Several of the other boys nodded. "I want to change that. I want to change how things in the guilds are run here. All the adult thieves and guilds depend on you, you are the eyes and ears of this city, right? Then you should have a fair share in what you bring in. I want to help you. I want to teach you," she told them. 

"I have a friend who owns an old abandoned tavern here. It needs some work, but if you all were willing to help us convert it, it could be a proper guild headquarters and safe haven for you guys. You would be taught properly how to steal, and would be expected to use those skills to help provide for the guild, but you would always earn a fair cut, always have a bunk to sleep in, and you would always have food waiting for you. You would be off the streets, and out of bad weather. How does that sound to you?"

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 2:20 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

It didn't take Xeik and Danwe to do the shopping.  While they were getting the ingredients, the two discussed the ''Guild Members."  According to Xeik, there were about thirty to forty in total, but usually working in shifts of morning and evening.  Xeik could identify most of them by sight, but he was on friendlier terms with the evening crew.  He also mentioned that there were some who were, for the most part, loyal to Terrance, and who reported everything to him.  If someone starting thieving off schedule and didn't report it to Terrance, he would know.

But that wasn't going to be a problem anymore.  Xeik watched in earnest as Danwe gathered the ingredients for the meal.  "Wait, those can go together?  And what do these spices taste like?  How does that get cooked?  You can cook that too?"  There seemed to be a lot about the world that he didn't understand, and Danwe was the key to opening that path.  When she started to put carrots in the bag though, Xeik frowned.  "I hate carrots…."  

As they finished up and headed to Danwe's current hideaway, Xeik contemplated what to do from here on his own.  If she would have him, Xeik planned on following Danwe around for a little longer.  At least he might stay alive longer that way.  

There were a few boys waiting for her at the hideout.  Lewis, beaming, was one of them.  With her leadership, the boys were put to work to earn their meal.  As they worked, more and more of the boys showed up, each one being put to a task that seemed to suit them.  It only took a few hours, and at the end, they had the three pots of fresh, hearty stew.  Xeik watched as Danwe doled out their fair share of earnings, and helped dish out equal portions of the stew.  More and more children, not just the boys from his guild, showed up, but Danwe seemed open to letting them in on the food.

However, at the end of it, Danwe handed Xeik his own share.  "I…no, I can't.  What if someone else comes.  I…"  She insisted further, and Xeik put it into his bag, thanking Danwe.  He went to get his own portion of stew, and started to eat as Danwe took hold of the conversation.  

Lewis stood up to answer Danwe.  "Right.  Terrance go his ass handed to him!"

Xeik waved his hand, "Language, Lewis."  He looked to Danwe.  "He's right though.  No way any of us will listen to him.  Hell, we could all take him on if he shows his face again."  

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 12:07 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

"Meal prepping? Short speak for preparing a meal," she told him. "In order to survive, you have to eat, right? Well, eating scraps and rubbish isn't going to keep you alive for long," she said. "I'm going to teach you how to actually cook a meal that you can share with the others," she grinned. "Come on. Let's go get some shopping done. I'm thinking a nice hearty stew with meat, carrots, and potatoes. About how many boys were in your little guild?" she asked him.

The two of them went out into the markets and with Xeik and a couple of the other boys who met up with them, Danwe bought enough food to cook and feed the boys that night. Fresh bread, some cheese, potatoes, carrots, meats and a couple of spices, even a pail of goat's milk and they were all off to the tower ruins where Danwe had previously set up what looked like a little camp, with makeshift tables, a large fire pit, and several different cooking pots and a barrel of clean water for drinking and cooking. With that, Danwe put the boys to work helping her wash and cut the vegetables to go into the stew. In the matter of a couple of hours, there were three massive pots of bubbling hot stew, slices of fresh bread and cheese, and goat's milk to drink. The dishes were rough, and probably salvaged from other businesses, but they did the trick. 

Before they were allowed to get their food, Danwe had all the boys line up, and gave each of them a sizeable, but equal share of the loot that they were all rightly entitled to in the first place. Then each was invited to get something to eat. There were even some kids showing up that might not have been a part of Terrance's group. Danwe didn't turn them away, but unless she got confirmation from Xeik that they had earned part of that haul, they were simply offered some of the food to fill their bellies. This was all they really wanted anyway. 

Once everyone was sitting down around the fire and talking, Danwe turned to Xeik and handed him his share. "Here," she insisted. "This is yours," she said. "Now you get some food too," she added with a laugh before she went to sit on one of the logs around the fire with the boys. 

"Hey guys, I've got something I want to say," she said as she came up to the fire with the rest of them. "You all know that Terrance is no longer in charge of you, right?"

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:39 AM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

As Xeik listened to Danwe's speech about her plans for the boys, he couldn't help but smile.  "I'm not one for arguing against that.  I'm completely fine with having somewhere I can call home."  He had currently been living down a particularly grungy alleyway, but it was safe.  And he knew a few places to steal a quick rinse if the smell got too bad.  But to actually have something like an actual guild…well, a boy could dream.

"Yeah, my name is Xeik.  Xeik Eraphim, of the not-so-noble lowest class."  He smiled warmly, and started to follow Danwe back into the open street.  "Meal prep?  What's that?" he asked.  Xeik and the boys had been living off of trash, table scraps, and on rare occasion, when they could save up enough. a fresh loaf of bread and maybe a small piece of dried jerky.  So the concept of an actual meal, or even meal prep, was lost on him.  

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:28 AM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

"Let me worry about Terrance," she told him as she put a hand on his shoulder. "If my plan succeeds, I think the other guilds may come to thank me," she said. "The idea is that you boys all need a proper guild. A proper guild with someone who can look out for you and actually teach you how to survive," she said. "You older boys fare okay, but the younger ones are the ones who get caught the most, and they get only the most meager of shares," she said. "I want to give you all a place where you can train and live, but still maintain your autonomy. A safe place where you can eat and sleep instead of being out on the streets. I want to give you guys the chance to see what it SHOULD feel like to be in a true guild," she said. 

She gathered up all the loot and tossed it into a thick sturdy bag she pulled from her sleeve before she slung it over her shoulder. "Come on, I'm gonna need some help," she said. "We have some meal prepping to do," she grinned. "The other boys call you Xeik, right?"

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:06 AM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

As Danwe set his nose, he let out a small wince, but did his best to keep quiet.  After all, he would hate to seem weak in front of his white knight.  As the warm healing light washed over him though, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.  The pain was fading, and that was more than enough.  He listened to her words, carefully picking out the details that were impertinent. 

Terrance would probably be going to his friends now.  I should warn her.  As he started to open his mouth, Danwe moved over to Terrance's loot stash, and started to gloss over its contents.  Xeik followed, and his eyes widened at the entire stash.  "I've…never seen so much in one place.  There has to be more than just us thieving for him," Xeik said aloud.  He's been swindling a lot of us.    

Xeik had been thinking about what Danwe had said, "So what happens now.  Terrance won't take this lying down, and I doubt the adult guilds would like having an outsider here.  And what will happen to the rest of us?  This might be enough to survive off of for awhile, but between the older kids and the adults, it'll get used and stolen till there isn't anything left.  And despite Terrance being a savage, he did bring us together…we'd need a strong leader, and I don't know any of us who are cut out for it."  Xeik knew that he would not be a good leader.  He was far to single-focused, and not very good at planning out ideas involving more than just himself. 

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 10:49 AM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Her massive wings folded tightly against her back and seemed to shrink as she looked Xeik over, and gently held his face in her hands as she examined him. "I've always enjoyed that title," she smirked. "But in this instance it takes to long to say. So, from now on, kid, you can call me Danwe," she smiled. "Brace yourself, I'm going to set your nose right. It's gonna hurt but it will heal better," she warned. She quickly used her thumbs to force the cartilage and bone back into place on his face before he really could process what she said while he talked. Then she sent a warm light through her hands which helped relieve the pain. 

"Of course it will cause some problems. Terrance will probably make a big fuss about it. But the why is simple. He was sloppy. He wasn't teaching you boys, and he set up in an alleyway where just about anyone could come and raid. I was able to do it no problem. And that is the problem. IF a guild is going to exist, there has to be some loyalty to it. I've been watching how you boys work for a while, I realized that as long as Terrance was in control, you boys were in more danger than you should have been. From malnutrition alone you've lost five boys in the past month, and all Terrance does is replace them with other boys in the same straights. It's bad for the city, and bad for the other 'adult' guilds. Believe it or not, Terrance obviously didn't, there has to be some sort of camaraderie between thieves. We aren't out here alone, we need to be able to trust and rely on one another to have each other's backs," she explained. 

She laughed when he mentioned this being an almost storybook-esque situation. "Don't knock the fairytales, kid. They are iconic for a reason. And who ever said the white knight always had to be a man, huh?" she asked with a grin. "Come on, come help me with this stuff," she said. 

Terrance hadn't been lying. Aside from the trinkets and other items pilfered from the streets, there was easily around three thousand silver. It as probably more than some of the boys had ever seen in bulk sum in their entire lives. Quite literally a small fortune. 

She looked at Xeik. "See… this is just sloppy. No self-respecting Guild head should ever have loot just lying waiting to be snatched like this. And at LEAST a quarter of it should be going back to you boys to take care of yourselves, at least as far as food and shelter goes," she said. 

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:52 AM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

Xeik watched in amazement as Terrance was thrown off guard, letting Xeik go.  The tyrannical 'king' of thieves had been overthrown.  As the Lightning Thief threatened him once more, spreading her awe inspiring black wings to further intimidate the fallen man, Xeik couldn't help but feel as though a heavy weight was lifted.  She did it.  She really did it.  As the rest of the boys chased off Terrance, the woman had a few words with Lewis, who excitedly ran off, a grin plastered across his face. 

That left Xeik. 

She walked over to him, and asked his status.  "I guess I'm fine," he said, still a little out of it.  Everything had moved so fast that he hadn't really fully grasped the situation.  "All my teeth are in check.  I think I'm okay.  Probably."  He shook his head, "The infamous Lightning Thief herself.  Never thought I'd see you in action like this.  Why, though?  I though Terrance had an agreement with the adults.  Won't this cause a problem?"

Xeik, of course, knew way more than he should of.  Had the Lightning Thief not intervened, Xeik would have taken a few more hits, and then attempted to blackmail Terrance with this information.  It was a bluff, because the reality was, Xeik had no way of verifying it, and didn't have a dead man's switch in place to trigger if he had died.  It was a risk he was willing to gamble on, though.  Yet, the woman had arrived just in the nick of time to save the day.

"It's like a stupid fairy tale.  Only you're not a white knight," he said aloud, absentmindedly.   

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:38 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

She didn't react, not at first, as Terrance grabbed the boy with the bloodied nose. If anything, she seemed to get very, very still. Her eyes darted from Terrance, to Xeik, to the other boys in the alleyway. She put on a considering air. 

"All your haul to leave… and the kid only loses two fingers…" she hummed. She saw the look in Xeik's eyes, and she lowered her head for a brief second. "I have a better idea… how about I split the haul between all these boys who earned it, you go see a healer, and the kid gets to keep ALL his fingers AND his life," she said. The other boys began looking at one another at the prospect of actually getting to keep a portion of what they had all stolen. 

The blade began to move against Xeik's skin. There was a flash, and she suddenly had a hand extended forward. A dagger blossomed from the back of the hand that held the knife to Xeik's throat. Terrance screamed and his blade clattered to the ground. His grip on Xeik faltered as he fell back clutching his bleeding hand while crying out in pain. 

She stepped down off the box and walked up to the man quivering on the ground. "Let's see you use your fists to beat another child now," she hissed low. A pair of massive black feathered wings tipped in silver spread from her back, and with several powerful flaps, blew the tent over. "I'd recommend you get up and run," she added, giving Terrance a dangerous glare. 

As the man stumbled to his feet and ran past her to the exit of the alley, she turned at looked at the kids. "He's all yours boys," she said. Needing no other invitation, the kids began throwing anything and everything they could get their hands on, and even chased after Terrance with sticks. She grabbed Lewis. 

"You know those older boys who took off?" she asked him. 
"Y-Yes ma'am," he stammered out, looking a little nervous. 
"Go find them and tell them to meet in the tower ruins. I'll give everyone a fair share of this haul, as well as a good meal," she said. The boy's face split into a smile. "Yes, ma'am!" he said eagerly and ran off to do as he was told. 

Danwe walked over to Xeik, and knelt next to him. 

"You alright?" she asked him. "You didn't lose any teeth did you?" 

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:01 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

As if to anger him further, a few of the boys seemed moved by the Lightning Thief's words.  Some of them even started to look at Terrance with a different view, the fear fading from their eyes.  And of course, standing there, holding a bloodied handkerchief, was the boy who started this 'rebellion.'  The woman be damned, he wouldn't go out without at least taking the brat with him.  With surprising speed, he lunged at Xeik, who was still woozy from the beating he had taken earlier, and pulled him into a headlock.  He pulled Xeik's dagger from it's sheath, and pushed it against boy's throat, drawing the faintest of blood.

"Right….no honor among thieves.  Which is why he'll die right here if you take another step.  You don't give that much of a damn about his life, don't ya?  Tell ya what.  You can take everything in my tent.  It's at least three days worth of hauls…thousands of silver.  If you do that, and leave, I'll pretend none of this happened.  I'll even let ol' Xeik here off with a warning.  Two fingers…I'll only chop of two."  But for all his talk, he was shaking.  He knew that the woman outclassed him in speed, and without a lucky hit, he'd be dead in the water.

Xeik froze, feeling the edge of the blade dig into his skin.  Huh.  This isn't exactly how I intended things to happen.  Well…at least Lewis is safe.  With knowing eyes, he raised his head, his eyes locking with Danwe's.  Just take the money and go.  My life isn't worth it.  Besides…knowing Terrance, he's set a trap of some kind, or he'll have hired an assassin.  He's not exactly stupid…  

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:47 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

She gently ruffled Xeik's hair. "Don't worry about it. They are easy to make," she reassured him. "I'll fix that nose of yours in a minute after I'm done dealing with the bottom-feeder," she said as Terrance yelled at her and rushed. She stepped away from Xeik to keep him from being hit again by one of Terrance's wild swings as he threatened to 'put her in her place'. Now, Terrance had bulk on her, she knew that. She also knew that close quarters was going to be his favored place to attack from. So she skipped easily out of his path, his fists coming dangerously close, but even then she dodged around like it was child's play. Almost like, to the onlooking boy, that it might have been a taunt to Terrance. 

With a laugh she did a back-hand spring, her boots connecting solidly with Terrance's jaw, before he landed in a sitting position on a nearby crate, looking rather bored at her nails. 

"Now, here is a lesson for you boys," she said lightly, her eyes kind as she looked at each of the remaining younger boys, but still wary of Terrance's position. "A true leader does not have to rule out of fear. A person is a true leader when it is loyalty that keeps his followers, not the threat of pain," she said. "No honor amongst thieves, Terrance? This is why you will always be a second rate pickpocket and scum sucker."

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:03 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

The lightning that struck Terrance was a shock to both Xeik and the cruel man.  As Xeik hit the ground again, he looked around to try and find his savior.  Oh.  It's her.  As she mocked Terrance and made her way down the alley, a few of the older boys ran past the mysterious woman, ditching Terrance to save their own skins.  Xeik was surprised as she walked straight to him, and offered her aid.  The boy was still speechless, but took her hand and let himself be pulled up.

"Thanks…" he said with a distant voice.  Did Terrance kill me?  She looks almost…angelic.  As the woman handed him her handkerchief, he glanced down at it.  "Oh.  Right…."  The pain was coming back now as the shock wore off.  "Thanks."  He pushed it against his nose, trying to staunch the bleeding.  "I'll….sorry.  I guess I'll clean it."  

"Oi, you wanna go then?" Terrance yelled, scrambling to his feet.  "I'll put you in your place!" he screamed, rushing at Danwe.  Despite the fact that he only really used his skills to beat the children, he was a skilled combatant, and wasn't a slouch when it came to close quarters combat.  With a lightning fast jab, and a flurry of blows, he had every bit of confidence that he would rain on the Lightning Thief's parade.  

Xeik saw everything that was happened, but simply stepped back.  He had witnessed her work earlier in the day, and she was infamous even among the younger boys.  As fast as the wind, gone in a flash… rumored to have even stolen a star from the sky.  

"He doesn't stand a chance, does he…" Xeik whispered to himself with a smile.  

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 8:11 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

As Terrance lifted his fist strike Xeik again, a bolt of lightning arced down the alley and struck his hand. It was a nasty shock that made his entire body spasm, dropping Xeik back to the ground before the big man fell backwards and landed rather unceremoniously upon his rump. It might have been comical had the boys not been both shocked and scared of what they were seeing. They all looked down the alley to see where the lightning had come from, as a pair of boots clicked smartly down the cobblestones, and the silhouette of the woman that walked there. 

"You know, there is nothing more pathetic than a man who feels the need to beat on kids half his size," she said as she stepped into the light. Her hair was the closest shade to purple that black could be with brilliant streaks of silver through out. Long bangs obscured part of her face, but her eyes were a shining intelligent amethyst, and her features were fair. 

"When are you going to learn to pick on someone your own size, Terrance?" she asked, a slender eyebrow arched as she blinked slowly at the man who appeared roughly her age. She turned to Xeik and offered him a hand to get up. "You ok, Kid?" she asked him gently and turned his chin to get a good look at Terrance's handiwork. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it him so he could stop his bleeding nose. 

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:05 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

It was an odd thing for Xeik to witness.  His hand was reaching out, about to nab the merchant's pouch, yet in the blink of an eye, everything was gone.  He reacted quickly as he heard the faint laughter, and saw the black feather fall at his feet.  He swiftly grabbed it up, darted back into the crowd, blending himself as the man called for the guards.  It was her, wasn't it?  His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the rooftops and alleyways.  Damn it.  How does she move so fast?  It has to be magic.  He glowered, and shook his head.  Now that the guards are alerted, this area is a bust.  I don't have time to scout another one.  What i have will have to do for Terrance, he thought to himself.

With a sigh, he made his way down a side alley, and to a parallel street.  It barely took ten minutes for Xeik to weave himself in and out of the streets and side streets until he found a ragged tent, made up of various woven fabrics that had been discarded, set up in what was a dead end alley.  In front of the tent was a small line of children, ages ranging from around ten, to almost as old as fifteen.  Some of the older kids held an air of arrogance, while the younger seemed malnourished and timid.  Xeik shook his head as he noticed a particularly frail boy, shaking and barely able to stand.  He's not going to make it to tomorrow.  

Xeik frowned, and crossed his arms.  Damn it…  He opened his bag, and pulled out his entire haul, handing it to the frail boy.  "Here.  Terrance will take most of it, but he'll leave you with enough that you can get food."  The boy stared in awe at Xeik, and nodded slowly.  A few of the other boys looked at Xeik in disgust, while a few others winced, knowing full well what Terrance would do to him for coming home with nothing.

"Don't worry about me," Xeik reassured the boy.  "I can handle myself."  He winked, and walked to the back of the line.  Not soon after, the inglorious Terrance made his debut, striding out of the tent like a regal king.

"Ah yes, my thieves guild…" he said aloud.  He was around twenty, and built like a bull.  The fact that he seemed more like a fat pugilist more than a thief was not lost on the majority of the boys, but no one was going to argue against his fists.  "Now, now!  What have we here?  Who's first!?"

the frail boy stepped up, showing Terrance 'his' haul.  "I'm impressed, Lewis.  This is the best I've seen yet.  Did some poor sap take pity on you while you were begging in the streets?"  The man laughed, and took the entire haul, throwing the boy a few coins, as Xeik said he would.  The rest of the line went similarly, until he came at last to Xeik.

"Well, Xeik?  I know you usually have decent hauls.  What do you have today?"  Xeik held out the black feather.  "Just this."  

Terrance's eyes narrowed, and without a word, decked Xeik, sending him crashing to the ground.  "What bull shit is this," he said, leaning down to pick up the feather.  "You trying to play like that stupid bitch, the Lightning Thief?"  He lashed out with a heavy kick into Xeik's stomach.  Xeik recoiled hard, gasping as all the air left his lungs.  "You're so stupid," he said, and kicked Xeik once more.  

"S-stop it!" called a frail voice as the young boy Xeik had saved stood forward from the onlookers.  "I-it's my fault.  I took….I took his haul.  It s-should be me!"

Xeik, gasping for air, tried to stand up.  "N-no…just step back…."

Terrance laughed.  "What?  Are you trying to stand up for your buddy here, Lewis?  Listen here, brat…"  He closed the gap between him and Lewis in an instant, and picked the boy up by his hair, tossing him into the alley wall.  "You brought me the haul, like I asked.  Xeik didn't.  I don't care if he helped you, or if you suckered him out of his haul.  What matters is, you obeyed my rules, and he did not.  Now, I have no issue beating both of you to death, but let's be real kid…you didn't break my rules."  He walked over to the fallen Lewis, and hunched down over the boy.  "Now…what's it going to be."

"I…I…"  He looked over to Xeik, who was shaking his head, despite his pain.  "I'll…stand down…then…."

"Good choice," Terrance said as he stood up straight, and looked at the other members of his Thieve's Guild.  "Anyone else want to join out little hero on death's row?"  Silence.  Not a single one looked Terrance or Xeik in the eye.  "That's what I thought."  He walked over to Xeik, pulling the boy up by his hair.  "No honor among thieves.  I'd have thought I beat enough sense into you, but…I guess I'm wrong."  

Xeik simply smirked, blood tricking from a gash in his lip.  

"I hate your face.  I've always hated it," Terrance said as he raised his fist to punch Xeik.

Author: LightningThief, Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:22 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

There was a breeze and a blur of movement ahead of the boy, and the faintest hint of a laugh that was almost lost in the din of hustle and bustle of the street. The breeze lightly tossed the bejeweled man's hair an one of the chains about his neck was gone. Another blur and gust of wind, and another chain was gone, as were the rings from the fingers. Another gust and all the jewels were gone. The man went to pat the back of his neck after being tickled by the breeze, and he realized for the first time that his jewels were gone. 

"Thief! Thief!" he yelled, summoning the local guards to his location. Again, there was a soft laugh on the breeze as a single solitary black feather floated to Xeik's feet. 

Of course, by then, she was long gone. Danwe patted the pouch full of jewels on her hip. Each one of those jewels had a price, and she had a man who was in the market. Best part was, the settings would be melted down and each piece would be made into something new, so there would be no tying the pieces or jewels to any particular owner. And the money would be going to where it was going to be needed most. Hoja Mesto was a massive conglomeration of people from all over Revaliir, and that included a bunch of runaways and orphans who were struggling to live. 

So if there was anyone her money was going to help this day, it was going to be providing food and clothes for the cities guttersnipes. She looked at the kid she had just stolen his mark from. He might have gotten a ring or two off the man, but that was about it, and he would have had the guards on him in no time. He had to be one of Terrance's crew. The dark haired half-celestial shook her head with a slight roll of her eyes. The kid might have had talent if he wasn't running with a second rate boss who was just greedy. 

Author: FalseHope, Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:45 PM, Post Subject: The Wrong Path [P/R]

The idea of a massive, moving city was lost on Xeik.  He barely noticed the rocking sway of his world.  The hodgepodge of architectural blending meant nothing to him.  The busy streets, filled with people going about their everyday lives, however, meant everything to him.  Not old enough to stand his ground, but not young enough for the world to take pity on him, he found his meager way by pilfering on those too rich to realize a few coins were missing.

"Hm?"  He perked up as his eyes caught his mark.  A merchant waddling through the streets, his pockets lined with silver.  He wasn't very smart about it either.  He could practically hear the coins jingling across the way.  The boy smiled, and darted through the crowd, weaving in and out expertly.  The merchant had no idea what hit him.  A small bump, an excuse me, and Xeik was gone, fading into the crowd.  By the time the merchant noticed anything, Xeik would be long gone.

Moments later, down a side alley, he opened the stolen coin pouch.  "Jackpot," he said to himself as he emptied the contents into his own bag, and threw the remaining evidence further into the alley.  "Not bad.  Terrance will take most of that, though, so I need to work harder."

Terrance.  The leader of the unofficial 'Thieves Guild.'  Calling it a guild, in Xeik's opinion, was an insult to real guild members.  It was more of a tyrannical monarchy, where Terrance beat down those who opposed him.  The other 'guild' members didn't stand a chance against him.  Xeik had watched many of them lose a finger just for not making the daily tribute.  He'd seen even worse happen to those who tried to escape.

But Xeik barely had to worry.  He was a better thief than any of them.  He'd only ever been caught once, and even then, he had escaped without any help.  But I can't fail again.  Just once was almost enough for Terrance to threaten my ring finger.  Another slip up…  He frowned, and shook his head.  He'd rather not think about that now.  Instead, he looked out the alleyway, and tried to find another mark.

Hmm?  He noticed another merchant, this one a little more on guard.  Still an easy mark.  Gaudy jewels marked this merchant's hands and neck, ordained with emeralds and rubies.  Xeik smirked, and weaved himself into the crowd.  Closer, and closer he came to the next target, his hand outstretched.  

Just another day…