“Are you sure the person who told you to meet them wasn’t trying to lure you into a dark, secluded area to slit your throat and rob you?” asked Rizzo after they had been waiting for almost an hour. Vosh looked at him, clearly agitated.
“The person came to me when I was sleeping,” said Vosh like he shouldn’t have to explain. “If he wanted to kill me and rob me then he would’ve done it while I slept.” He stopped pacing and froze, eyes transfixed towards the roof of a building on the other side of the street. Rizzo noticed Vosh staring and looked at the roof himself, but saw nothing.
“Is something wrong?” asked Rizzo.
“I could’ve sworn I saw a person standing on that roof,” replied Vosh, still looking at the same spot. “It was the strangest thing. I was staring at the outline of a figure, and then it was gone, without the slightest hint of movement. It just vanished.” Vosh sounded panicked.
“Your eyes are playing tricks on you,” said Rizzo, partly to convince Vosh and partly to convince himself. He was not a fan of the night, especially when in the slums.
Rizzo didn’t see anything, but when he looked back to Vosh his heart leaped into his throat. Vince stood less than a foot behind him, wearing the black cloak of the Thieves Guild. The hood was pulled up and there was a cloth attached at the neck that was pulled up to hide his face from the eyes down. His cloak was wrapped around his shoulders with the front open, revealing a pair of daggers only inches away from ready hands.
Vosh saw Rizzo’s expression and turned around, pure surprised terror on his face as he saw Vince merely a few feet away. Stumbling back and tripping over his own feet, he fell to the ground. Vosh’s hands fumbled inside his cloak for a dagger while scooting backwards. His hand gripped the dagger, pulling it out and slashing it through the air in a feeble warning.
Vince did not even flinch, he simply waited for the shock to fade. Vosh eventually calmed down, realizing that no one was trying to attack him.
“You were supposed to come alone,” said Vince with a deep, rough voice. “Get rid of this kid and follow me.”
“He… He is my friend,” said Vosh, still on the ground and off balance, struggling to get the words out. Vosh slowly slipped the dagger back into his cloak and got to his feet. “I was hoping he could come with me.”
“No,” said Vince plainly.
“Please, just give him a chance to prove he can be useful,” said Vosh, a little more firmly this time.
Rizzo knew Vosh was not one to take no for an answer and was scared he might ruin his chance to join the guild. He appreciated the consideration, but it wasn’t worth it.
“This is the chance you’ve been waiting for,” said Rizzo, putting his hand on Vosh’s back and trying to nudge him forward, as if to force him to go. “Don’t risk it for me.” Vosh planted his feet and pushed Rizzo’s hand away.
“NO! You have helped me with almost every job that the guild has given me. And if it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t be here.” Rizzo swelled with pride at hearing his friend’s praises, even if he didn’t believe that Vosh needed his help.
"We are not interested in recruiting him." Vince did not sound happy when he spoke. “The only reason we are considering you is because of how highly Sten spoke of you." He was blunt, making it obvious he didn’t want to debate the matter. Vosh was impossibly stubborn as usual though.
"I’m not going anywhere unless Rizzo can come too." He held his head high, not backing down.
Vince respected the loyalty, even if it was foolish and would normally cost him this opportunity. But if Vosh had magic, he couldn’t let him go. He was not willing to lose him because of some kid, but he also wouldn’t let Vosh think he could demand things so easily.
“Ok. I will give him a chance to prove himself,” said Vince with an unseen smirk, face still hidden behind his mask. “I have a certain… test in mind. We will watch him, and if he’s successful, he can join.” Vosh’s eyes lit up with excitement. “But if he fails, you leave him behind.” The excitement quickly faded. He looked to Rizzo for approval, who nodded his head.
“Fine,” said Vosh, looking back at Vince.
“I agree as well,” said Garen from behind Rizzo and Vosh.
They turned around to look at who had spoken. Their eyes drifted upwards to the top of a building to see another person wearing an almost identical cloak with the mask pulled up, hiding his face as well. Garen jumped off the roof, landing softly on the ground with barely a whisper of noise. He stood slowly, his cloak closed, hiding his body from sight.
Rizzo and Vosh had a moment of stunned surprise, followed by curiosity as to how many people were watching them from the shadows. The thought of it sent chills down their spines as they glanced around at the rooftops.
“So, what did you have in mind?” asked Garen.
“What is your name boy?” asked Vince.
“Rizzo.” He didn’t like being called boy, especially with how this man said it.
“Ok Rizzo, I want you to sneak into someone’s house tonight and steal a pouch of coins from under their pillow,” said Vince, a devilish smile hidden under his mask.
“What?” asked Rizzo incredulously. “How am I supposed to know if someone is sleeping with a coin pouch under their pillow?”
“No need to find someone,” said Vince, his smirk growing even wider. “I already have a person in mind. Follow me.” He turned and walked down the street with the rest of the group trailing behind. Vince led them on a long walk to the southern side of the slums, with Garen trailing behind, watching them.
Rizzo got the strange feeling he no longer had a choice. If he tried to bail now, one of the two would probably stop him. Thinking of that made him worry about what would happen if he failed their test.
The group stopped in one of the best sections in the Slums. The homes were still small, but almost perfectly intact, with only a few having small pieces of stone chipping off the walls. Vince pointed towards a building on a right corner before the street split off in two directions leading left and right.
“There, that’s the building. Good luck,” said Vince sarcastically. He turned and walked between them, back towards Garen. “And remember, we will be watching.”
Garen turned away and walked towards the window of the building beside him. He took the last few steps at a quick sprint, then used the momentum to run up the building and grab onto the ledge of the roof. He effortlessly pulled himself up and within seconds disappeared into the night. Vince walked to the same ledge and followed, leaving Vosh and Rizzo alone in the darkness of the street.
The two sat there in silence for a few seconds until Rizzo spoke. “You should probably wait here. I’m pretty sure they want me doing this on my own.”
“Good luck,” said Vosh, nodding his head. “You got this.” His words were encouraging, but Rizzo knew he was not good at breaking into places. He only planned jobs, Vosh was the one who did the heavy lifting.
Rizzo turned and walked down the street, towards the building, knowing he didn’t have a choice anymore. When he got to the door, he went straight to inspecting it. It was made of heavy wood with a metal handle and lock, which was rare in the Slums. People normally just had a wooden board they placed on two metal hangers on the inside of the door.
He tried softly pulling the latch on the door and found it was locked. He doubted it would be that easy, but he had to at least try. Knowing he could never pick a lock, he walked to the other side of the building. There was a single window on the wall with wooden shutters that were closed.
Rizzo thought about trying to check if the shutters were locked but thought against it as it would make too much noise. The other two walls were connected to the neighboring building, making it so these were the only two access points.
He stood there for a few minutes trying to think. Just as he was about to give up all hope, an idea struck him, and he ran back over to where Vosh was standing.
“No, you can’t give up without at least trying
,” said Vosh.
“No, I’m not giving up,” said Rizzo, waving away Vosh’s objection. “Do you have some steel and flint?” Vosh reached into his cloak and pulled them out. “Thanks.” He grabbed the items and ran back towards the shutters on the other side of the building.
When Rizzo rounded the corner, he knelt on the ground and took off his cloak. He then used the flint and steel to catch it on fire. It took a few attempts, but eventually, some of the loose threads caught.
He waited for the flames to get bigger, and then he put the burning cloak on the ledge of the window. Rizzo pounded on the shutters and then ran around to the other side of the building, past the door and crouched in the shadows.
“SHIT! FIRE!” Yelled a man from inside the house, followed by loud shuffling as he ran to the door. A loud metal clink sounded as he unlocked it and swung it open. He then ran outside with a bucket of water in hand, straight for the window, screaming fire the entire way.
Rizzo hadn’t planned on the commotion the man would make when he woke up. Never the less, he wasted no time and ran into the house to snatch the coins.
When he reached the bed he immediately went for the pillow and grabbed the coin pouch. Water poured through the shutters as the man threw the bucket onto the fire. Rizzo turned and bolted back out the door, coin pouch in hand. He kept running down the street until he reached were Vosh was at, and then they both started running.
They stopped after a good distance, deciding it was far enough. Neither Rizzo nor Vosh witnessed a single person open their door and come to help the man screaming fire. That was life in the Slums though, everyone for themselves.
Seconds after they stopped, Vince and Garen jumped off the rooftops, one after the other. Rizzo walked up to them, coin pouch in hand, extended in offering. Vince held up his hand, palm out as if to stop him.
“You failed boy,” snarled Vince.
“What?” asked Rizzo incredulously. “How? I got the stupid coins.”
“Not as intended,” said Vince. “Your tricks will only get you so far. We are looking for real talent.” Rizzo stood there, accepting his fate and knowing it only mattered what the guild thought.
“Actually, I think this kid may prove useful after all,” argued Garen. Vince was clearly not happy, and let a few seconds of silence pass.
“If that is your wish,” said Vince. “He is your responsibility, though.” Garen nodded. They reached into their cloaks and pulled out two black, cloth hoods, then walked over to Vosh and Rizzo and put the hoods over their heads, blocking their vision.
“Keep quiet,” said Vince as he led them on a brief walk.
Rizzo could see nothing, relying solely on his guide. They stopped after a short walk, which let him know they were still in the southern section of the Slums. There was muffled conversation, followed by a door opening.
Someone grabbed him by the arm and led him into a building, then down a long spiral staircase. Rizzo knew that if they were going down stairs, then they had to be going underground. He was impressed as they continued down for what seemed like forever. To build something that went this far underground, and have it hidden in the city was miraculous. He wouldn’t expect less from the Thieves Guild though.
Finally, they turned onto a flat surface, then went a short distance further and removed Rizzo’s hood. He looked around, stone walls surrounding him with torches attached for lighting. Down one direction was a dead end, and the other led back to the staircase, which only continued up. Wherever they were, they were at the bottom. Garen was standing next to a large metal door, his face still hidden behind the mask. Vosh was being led by Vince further down the hallway.
“These are your homes now,” said Vince as he removed Vosh’s hood. “When it is time to start your training, we will come to you. Until then you will stay here.”
Rizzo noticed a metal bar on the outside of each door that slid and locked, making it so people couldn’t break out rather than preventing someone from breaking in. He didn’t like the idea of being confined to a prison-like room, but he was too far to turn back now. Once inside, the doors were closed, then there was a loud scraping noise as the metal bar slid into place.
Rizzo stared at the door for a second. A part of him was terrified, wanting to open it and run away. He couldn’t shake the feeling he was a prisoner. After thinking about it for a while, he realized the guild was smart for doing this to new recruits. It ensured they wouldn’t be able to leave the guild and reveal its location.
After trying to rationalize their methods, he calmed down and turned to look around. There was a long wooden table spread across the left wall, with a small candle on top, illuminating the room. Next to the candle was a generous plate of fruit and a pitcher of water.
There was a bed on the other side of the room and he walked to it and pressed his hand on top. A chill ran up his spine, having never slept in an actual bed before. Even back in the orphanage, there were only cots to sleep on.
Deciding he might as well enjoy it, he dove face first into the pillow, the cool fabric chilling his skin. It quickly reminded him that it was the middle of the night and how tired he was. But this was something he could get used to. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, falling asleep shortly after.
Chapter five
Rizzo woke up a few hours later to the sound of scraping metal as the door was being unlocked. The candle’s flame was still dancing around, a few inches lower than before. A yawn escaped his mouth as he sat up and stretched.
The door opened, and a person walked in wearing the Thieves Guild black cloak. But this one had his hood down and his face revealed. The man looked friendly enough, with a smile that touched his eyes. He had a plain face, mildly handsome with mid-length light brown hair combed back.
“Nice to officially meet you.” It was the voice of the man who had spoken up to let Rizzo join the guild. “I’m Garen by the way.” He looked towards the table. “You should probably eat the food we provided. You are going to need your energy.”
“What do you mean?” asked Rizzo.
“You will see soon enough,” replied Garen. It seemed he would be giving no details. So, Rizzo tried another line of questioning.
“Will Vosh be coming too?” asked Rizzo.
“He will be on a different training schedule with Vince, and his starts earlier than yours,” said Garen. Rizzo gathered Vince must have been the other man from last night. “If you’re not hungry though we can go ahead and get started.” He turned to walk away.
“Wait,” said Rizzo, not wanting to miss out on a free meal. He quickly went to the fruit and stuffed bite after bite into his mouth as quickly as he could.
“Ok, slow down kid,” said Garen, sounding concerned. “Well, you definitely grew up in the Slums.” Rizzo was unsure of whether he should be offended or not. “It’s a shitty life, but just about every member of the Thieves Guild has the same background story as you. Remember though, you have a chance to change how you live, so don’t screw it up.”
Rizzo thought hard about what Garen said as he continued eating, slower now. After he ate the last bite, he looked over to see Garen leaning against the doorway, patiently waiting.
“Follow me,” said Garen as he turned to walk towards the staircase. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions for me. Like, why are we locking you away?”
“Yes, but I think I know the answer to that one,” said Rizzo. “it makes sense to keep us from escaping. Someone could try to sell the guild’s location to the guards.” Garen look at him questioningly, making him think that most people didn’t realize that. “I do have one question though, why aren’t Vosh and I training together?”
“Damn, you really are a persistent one,” said Garen as they walked onto the staircase and started going up. “Vince is going to be training Vosh alone. They are working on a… different set of skills.”
“Is Vince the other man who was with us last night?” asked Rizzo, wanting to know for sure.
“Y
es,” said Garen. “We are the two faction leaders for the guild. It is our responsibility to find and train new recruits.”
“Vosh and I have always worked with each other,” said Rizzo. “Wouldn’t it be best if we trained together?”
“Woah, slow down kid,” said Garen, stopping and turning around to look at Rizzo. “Let me explain better how this is going to work. You have a chance to be a part of the something great, and you are lucky to even be here. Normally we choose one person at a time, but since Vosh begged to let you join as well, we are having to change the rules a bit. And since I was the one who said you could join, and not Vince, I will be the only person training you. Once you complete your training, you will be a full guild member and you can do whatever you want. Until then, you are stuck here with me, no one else. Got it?”
“Yes,” said Rizzo, deciding it might be best to stay silent for a moment. It seemed Garen was not happy about something.
Garen turned back around and continued up the stairs. It wasn’t long before they came to another open hallway further up. The stairs continued higher, but Garen stopped here. The hallway was like the rest of the building, made of stone, but with only one door directly ahead at the far end.
"I’m not going to lie, it’s going to take some time until you are ready,” said Garen as he walked down the hall and stopped outside the door. "First, we need to teach you how to be a proper thief. You are lacking some of the talents that our normal recruits have, but I plan on getting you up to speed. The first part of your training will focus on improving your hand speed and reflexes." He opened the door and walked through.
Inside was an enormous room with walls easily twenty feet away in all directions. The floor was smoothed stone, clear and open with various objects placed along the outer edges.
Garen walked over and picked up what looked to be a flat metal bar with two sets of legs running towards the ground, making it stand almost waist height. Connected to the top of the bar were two metal rods about two feet long with spoon-shaped ends. When the device was still, the rods balanced perfectly on top of the bar, making them level with the ground. He set it in the middle of the room and motioned for Rizzo to come over.
The Mage's Path (The Age of Legend Book 1) Page 7
