Hoja Mesto swayed back and forth, reminding Akira of the ocean voyages. Her eyes wandered the diverse city. There was so many different people here, the plethora of languages were grating against her ears. A lot of things were on sale, and the curious child looked at each item eagerly. Mommy Larka’s belly was getting bigger, and Akira was slowly realizing that soon, she would not be the only child in the Nash home. It was odd to try and wrap her mind around the concept of two little ones being her siblings.

Yet, as she walked through the marketplace, the child wondered what one would buy a baby to be. Fabric could be acquired for the making of clothing, and this vendor had a beautiful assortment. But then again, this woodcarver had beautiful carvings dangled on strings to decorate their field of vision from their cradle. The room that Celeste and Larka had picked out, right across from Akira’s own, was already being filled with furniture and gifts for the children. Excitement for them was mounting with each passing week.

Akira was playing it smart though, keep her options open before making the decision. There was only so much coin she had before she must return home to her mothers. Amidst the crowd’s cacophony, one sound reached the child. She turned, golden eyes spying a few dozen crates of animals. Her heart squeezed tightly, as this was her weakness. Almost in a trance, she approached one of the cage. In one was the most pathetic looking kit, a baby red fox, looking up at her with the biggest eyes she had ever seen. The child pulled out her pouch of coin and began counting to see how much she truly had.

The streets of Hoja were crowded as always, and ripe for the picking. Xeik scanned the crowd from the rooftops. The coordination of the Heaven’s Dawn Thieves Guild had gotten to near perfection. Down below, a heist was going down without a hitch. Xeik’s main lead, Lewis, had infiltrated a merchant’s household with two other boys. They had gone in just moments before, and were already on the out.

Xeik was on lookout duty this time around. Sure, he could have hogged all of the fun to himself, but the boy wanted to make sure his other guild members could hold their own weight. However, there was a shimmer that caught his eye from the side street. The dark haired boy looked over, his eye twinkling. What fool of a- Xeik saw the little girl holding a coin purse.

Xeik facepalmed. “Oh Gods, why do you test me so…” He looked down. “Lewis should be able to hold his own…” He sighed. Damn it. Danwe, please don’t be mad… He jumped down, blending into the crowd. He effortless weaved in and out of groups of people; merchants trading their wares while shoppers eyed their prices. Most of them would be easy targets, but right now that was not his focus.

Suddenly, he broke through the crowd, and standing there eying her coin was the smallest of children, a girl. Xeik walked up to her, and put on a childish smile.

“Hi!” he said with an over exaggerated enthusiasm. “Whatcha doing?” the boy asked. While his ‘child-like’ curiosity was fake, there was the question of what she was doing. There didn’t seem to be any adult figures around, and she had a hefty bit of coin on her. It would be a shame if someone stole it.

I’ll judge her character and see if she deserves that coin or not… the thief thought to himself.

Her ears twitched, listening for anyone who might be bold enough to swipe the coin right out of her possession. Being raised in Vilpamolan had taught her that many people were ruthless. She still spent far too much time alone to fall into a false sense of security from her mothers’ protectiveness. Akira eyed the fox once more, its pitiful whine sealing her decision. It was a solid third of her current supply. But to Akira, it was worth every coin.

Before she could make the purchase, however, a young boy greeted her. Hastily, the child stuffed the coins back in her purse, and hid it behind her back. When she finally looked up, the boy was obviously older, but too young to be considered an adult. But he was approaching it soon. He was at the age that adults tended to press far more responsibilities on. ”Shopping.” Akira glanced at the fox briefly.

Was it time to find the bell? Ring it and Daddy shall come. But, she did not like to abuse that gift, and has yet to ring it even once. ”My mommies are waiting close.” Akira’s voice was hesitant, and too soft to come off as convincing. Nevertheless, she spun on heel, and began to walk away. Something about his happiness reminded her of the pirate haven. Often there was a decoy, and they worked in packs. Her heart was beating loud enough, she feared anyone could hear it.

As the girl spoke, Xeik realised he may have misjudged the situation. She clearly knew how much coin she had, and she knew well that it could be swept away at a moment's notice. However, the fact that she hid it behind her back was a shortcoming. Had Xeik been out to get the coin, it would have been far too easy to grab the coin, especially with the help of the Guild.

Shopping had been her answer, and her eyes gave her away. It was less shopping, and more that she had been distracted by the caged animal. Xeik had learned early on that animals were a commodity, just like spice and alchemy, and could fetch a pretty price for the right client. Recently, though, he had also known what it was like to be the fox, caged and miserable, just waiting for someone to come along and use you for their own gains.

She started on about her guardians being close by, but Xeik knew very well that was a lie. The fact that she was lying though meant she had seen through his false smile. As she started to walk away, Xeik shook his head. She was too focused on her nerves, making her an even better target. He glanced to the caged fox. Ok, ok…

With all of the training he had done, it would be far too easy to pick the lock on the cage. The problem was the stall’s owner. Xeik glanced to him. He seemed to be distracted by something. It’s a risk. He could look at any moment. Still, it would be less than three seconds.

He slid forward, pulling a tool from his pocket. As he thought, the lock was old, and it come undone with ease. The boy looked to the shopkeep once more. Still distracted. The cage swung open, and Xeik grabbed the fox, cradling it. By the luck of the Gods, the fox stayed quiet, and he darted back into the crowd.

Not a soul seemed to notice, or care. The girl had not gotten far in the time he had stolen the fox. Whether she had decided to hang around and watch, or not, he caught up to her.

“Hey! Here…take it.” He held out the fox, who surprisingly, was still cooperating.

As she walked, Akira tucked her pouch into her backpack. The shuffling woke Neera up. ”Child?” ”Can Neera go smaller, hide in coin purse?” She never requested things such as that. With Neera watching her from the shadows her entirely life, the puca knew her experience with pickpockets. Not another word was spoken as she shifted into a small scorpion and hid with the coins, ready to strike any who reach their grubby hands inside.

Soon enough, the boy called out to her once more. Akira was nervous as she turned around, only to find the fox she had been eyeing shoved practically in her face. Hesitance showed as she glanced nervously up at the boy. Did he steal it? Pay for it? No, the vibe she got from him was not an honest streak. Slowly, Akira reached for the fox. Once in her hands, she cradled it against her body, nuzzling its head while simultaneously running her fingers through its fur.

It didn’t matter how he acquired the fox. ”Don’t worry, foxy. When we go home, you have plenty of space. No cages.” Remembering the boy, she looked up at him. ”Thank you, but nothing free. What you want in exchange?” While Akira was being genuine in her gratitude, it was obvious she still didn’t trust him, her guard still up. Her ears were still straining to catch wind of any possible friends of his waiting.

The boy was genuinely surprised at the reaction he got from the girl. She had taken the fox without question, cradling it gently. Xeik had assumed correctly this time around. The girl had a kind heart. However, this did not absolve her completely of all sense, like some kind hearted folk he had met in the past. She eyed him warily, as if expecting him to turn on her in an instance.

After the many experiences he had had in his own life, he couldn’t blame her. Xeik shook his head, “Nothing in particular. Just…stay safe. Guard your coin better. You were wide open most of the time. I’d hate to see someone with a kind heart such as yours be taken advantage of.” This time, his smile was genuine, and he waved slightly.

“Xeik Eraphim, master of the Heaven’t Dawn Thieves Guild” he said, introducing himself. “Just promise me you’ll take care of the fox, okay?” he asked. He wasn’t sure why he was trusting her with his title, but he felt that he might be able to.

There was a slight commotion behind hm as the store owner finally noticed that the fox was missing. Xeik glanced back, cursing. That was faster than I was expecting. He glanced back at the girl. “There’s a tavern…” Xeik quickly explained the instructions to get there. It wasn’t overly complicated, but it was definitely off of the normal path of traffic. “It’s run by some friends of mine. If you need a place to hide, even for a moment…tell them that I sent you. They’ll know what to do.”

Xeik turned away, and darted towards the commotion, intending to act as a decoy to throw the owner off of the girl’s trail.

Huh. I never even got her name….

A shocked and confused expression riddled her face as she cocked her head to the side. Stay safe? The boy was giving her advice as if he truly was a thief who was scoping her out. But he was being honest, if his smile was anything to go by. Akira gave him a huge smile. ”Promise!” As Xeik cursed, so did she, clutching the fox protectively. ”Fenedhis.” It was an elvish word that Mama Celeste would probably gripe on her about using.

Without thinking of where he was sending her, or why, Akira nodded after receiving his directions. She darted away, the fox appeared calm in her arms, accepting events as they came. ”Child, what are you doing?” Neera’s muffled voice called out. ”Safe place.” ”You’re not getting yourself into trouble, are you?” ”No, Neera.” When she came out of an alley way, she turned left as instructed, past two doors, and there was the tavern.

The child pushed open the door, greeted by a sea of male faces, all not much older than herself. She froze for a moment as they were judging, waiting, calculating her. ”Um… Zzz… Zee… Xeik sent me?” Their demeanor changed in an instant to a welcoming manner. Akira was drawn deeper into the tavern, seated at a table, and a meal ordered from someone named Bat. A bit overwhelmed and ochlophobic with the sudden warmth, and press of bodies surrounding her. Too many voices were talking at once, she couldn’t make out much.

With a wince, Akira let go fo the fox to grab her ears, pressing them against her head. ”Please! Too loud. One at time.” The fox darted under her chair, but remained close to her. Soon, the children had her feeling more comfortable as she began answering questions.

Once Xeik’s name had been mentioned, most of the boys relaxed around the strange girl who showed up. She was younger than most of them, though there were a few that were close to her age, or younger. Despite being a den of thieves, though, all of them appeared to be genuinely good people. A lot of the boys crowded her table, asking her a variety of questions.

“What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “You’re so cute!” “Is that a fox? Can I pet it?”

The one boy in particular who brought her the food from the back, courtesy of the tavern’s owner, Bat, seemed particularly interested in the girl.

As he set the food down in front of her, he shushed the other boys, and told them to back off. Upon first glance, he seemed like a wiry sort of boy with pale blonde hair, and massively underweight. While this was mostly true, he had gained quite a bit of weight and strength compared to the rest of the boys.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking to her. The blonde haired boy couldn’t have been much older than the girl, but he held himself with the authority of an adult. “They can be a little much sometimes.” He sat down across from her at the table.

“Food’s ready in the back. Go ahead and get some,” he said to the other kids.

“But-”

“Leave the poor girl alone,” he said.

“Okay, Lewis…” one of the older kids said. “We’re coming back, though.”

Lewis sighed, shaking his head. “I swear…they don’t have any manners.” He looked to the girl with a warm smiled. “Go ahead and eat. You can answer the questions as slowly as you need to. But…a name would be nice. And how you know Xeik.” “

Akira actually began to blush at the questions and compliments, and suddenly felt quite shy. She was not used to so many kids in one area, least of all in a positive attitude toward her. None of them were pulling on her ears, or her tail, and all seemed genuinely interested. Each time she went to open her mouth to answer a question, another was asked before she could. Finally, one boy came to her rescue, placing food before her.

From under long lashes, she glanced at the boy, and decided she liked his hair. While not as white as her own, it was as close as one could get with any pigmentation. She shook her head at his apology. ”It’s okay.” Primarily, she was glad with the lack of pulling hands. The boy managed to make all the others disperse. Akira took a bite as he encouraged her to, and could not believe the flavor. It was amazing!

”I Akira. This good, what is it?” One habit, despite her mothers attempts, was not yet broken. She still ate as if she was starving, shoveling the next spoonful the moment she swallowed. The boys coming back with their own food went unnoticed. Soon enough, Akira wiped her mouth on a napkin, one thing they actually did manage to teach her, took her plate, and put it on the floor next to the fox. Akira had not eaten all of her food, saving a small portion for her new pet. A smile spread across her face as it ate the remainder of her food.

When she sat up, she had the fox in her arms, noticing the boys’ eyes upon her once more. ”I Akira.” she re-introduced herself. ”Akira from Vilpamolan. Yes, this is fox. Akira name her… Amber!” Her eyes slid over to Lewis. ”Xiek gave Akira Amber. Gave Akira advise, but Akira don’t think shop owner was happy, so Xiek told Akira how get here.” Meanwhile, Neera was listening, and was not sure that her ward should be a tavern full of possible little thieves. But Akira was a spirited child, hardly accepting a simple no for an answer.

“Akira,” Lewis repeated. He smiled, “It’s a pretty name.” She was starting to feel more comfortable. Good., Lewis thought. “Bat made that stew last night. It was made with fresh venison and some herbs we started growing out back. The vegetables are from the market.”

Watching her eat was a treat. She reminded him of a starved animal, not unlike what the boys used to be when they were under their previous leadership. Lewis was impressed, though, that she left a small bit for the fox that she had brought in. “So, Xeik gave you Amber, did he?” Danwe is going to scold him later, but…I can’t blame him. He must have had a good reason.

“Xeik should be here shortly, then,” Lewis stated, standing up. “Until then, you’re welcome to stay here. Just don’t go out back. We’re still working on some of the ren…renno…” He frowned. “Fixes.” Between Bat and Danwe, they had been trying to teach the boys how to read and write. Xeik had picked up most everything like a sponge, per usual, but Lewis and the others seemed to be struggling a bit on the fancier words of the common tongue.

“It might be dangerous,” he said, finishing his thought. “So…” he walked around the table, and leaned down to pet the fox. “Did Xeik tell you anything about us?”