Heist Pt.1
(Word Count: 1624)
POV: Omaren
Date: June 367 Ac (3 years ago)
Location: City of A'anora, Occupied Ak'aaran territory, Northern Mahador.
A loud clap of hands jolted me awake. I sat up in my bed, blinked a few times and glanced towards my room door, but quickly leaned back against my arms and groaned as i saw who had woken me. Mr. Jakun, the innskeeper, was standing there, his large frame took up most of the door frame and loomed over the entire room. His fat face looked unamused. "Come on, wake up Otha!* No time to waste, it's monday!" My sleepy brain took a few seconds to take in and understand what he was trying to say, but then i realises that monday's the day the ships come to port to trade! I needed to get to the market, fast!. "Alright", I said as i rubbed my eyes. "Just give me a few minutes to prepare" Jakun nodded. "I'll be in the other room, so just knock when you're done", He said, before closing the door behind him. I got up from my makeshift bed; Basicaly just a half-dozen or so blankets stacked on top of each other on the storage room floor. After i was done cleaning myself with water that was way too cold, i walked over to a little table, where i had left my pants and shirt overnight. After buttoning up my pants, i put on my shirt, making sure to pull on the sleeve so it hid the tatoo along my right arm. "That's a Firemage thing?", Jakun had asked me when he first saw it. I relunctantly told him it was but he thankfully didn't press further, which i was glad about. It happened the same day he accepted to take me in and take this spare storage room of the Inn he owns, so long as i did a few things for him, like deliveries. Monday was the usual day for those. I walked to the door and knocked a couple of times before leaning against the nearby wall to wait for him. After a little while, i heard his footsteps approche the room and i straightened up. The door swung open and he entered with a piece of paper in his hand, which he promptly gave me. "Is that a list?" I asked, confused since he had never gave me those before. "Is it not the usual stuff you wanted me to get then?" "Never mind that" He said, waving his hand. "I'll get someone else on it. There's another thing i need from you today." He said, nodding expectantly to the paper he had just given me. I looked down at the sqribbled notes on it. It was a store's name, the name of its owner, and directions on how to get to it. The name of the store told me it was an herbalist, but curiously, there was nothing listed about what i needed to get from there. "Oh, ok. You need me to buy something from that store then? What is it?" As i said that, i saw a slight grin appear on his face. "No, nothing like that. Its something thats been bugging me. Someone actually." Jakun walked closer to me as i was trying to figure out what he was talking about. He put a strong hand on my shoulder and looked me dead in the eyes. "He owns me money. A lot of it." he explained. "And i'll need you to get it back for me." I clenched my jaw as he squeezed my shoulder. "You want me to be your... dept collector?" He winked at me and patted my shoulder. "Thats why i like you, Otha. You're smart." He seemed happy that i guessed what he wanted from me, but his expression quickly grew sour as he noticed me shaking my head. "I don't really feel confortable doing this sir" I said, taking a step back. "I'd rather not-" "Not what? Have a roof over your head?" "N-no, its just..." "Listen here, boy" He said as he took another step towards me. "I've let you sleep in my Inn every night for the past month, practicaly for free! But now, it seems that you're not that gratefull after all." "Its not like that" I said, putting my hands up, trying to explain, but he cut me off again. "I specificaly told you this when you asked for shelter and a job here. That there might be situations where i require the use of your fire! You remember that right? Well, we're here now." "W-what do you mean?", I asked, curious what kind of situation he was implying this was. Jakun let out a frustrated sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The fucking taxes have gone up again." He said with an exasperated tone. "And i can't get my connection to get it back down. We can't do anything with Arba's soldiers patrolling the city, going door to door to collect it. It's due in a week, and i don't have the money, since buisiness is not exactly booming these days." He crossed both arms over his chest. "Now, if i want to keep my Inn, and you, the roof over your head, we'll need that money, understand?" I put my head down and let out a sigh. "Y-yeah, i do." i finaly said. "But this feels wrong.. I don't want to use my fire for stuff like that" I looked back up at him and much like i dreaded, he seemed mad at my response. "You know" He said as he gestured towards me. "As a firemage, you should know that the republic's soldiers all over the city have been on the hunt for any mages they can find for the past few months. I'm fairly sure they would love to capture another one, especialy a firemage, and get them under their thumb. I'm also quite certain that they would pay out a nice tidy sum to whomever brought it to them, certainly big enough to pay off my debt many times over at least..." He continued talking to himself, stroking his beard as he nonchelantly turned and walked away. "N-no, wait!" I said, grabbing his arm as he walked towards the door. He turned to me and shook me off. "What?" He asked, a hint of a smirk on his face. I bit my bottom lip, already regretting was i was about to say. "It's ok. I'll do it, just... please don't do that. Don't tell them what i am. You know what these people did to my family... i just need to stay here a bit longer, until ifind a way to leave the city to go search for my brother..." "Oh, so you're still set on doing that silly plan of your, eh?" I clenched my fists, ready to defend my goals, but he then threw me one of his signature shrugs. "Listen Otha, whatever you think you need to do to save your brother, or however long you need to stay under my roof, is fine by me, so long as you do what i say, understood?" I nodded back at him, which he seemed to be satisfied with. "Good mage", he said, patting my head, which i knew that he knew i really hated when he did and said that. A slight punishment for trying to go against his wishes, i suppose. I had come to realise that he was a rather petty man. His last words then made me realise something else. "What about the other guy? The herbalist?" I asked, prompting Jakun to raise an eyebrow at me. "What about him?" He said, dismissively. "If i go there, and things degenerate, i'll have to use this" I said, showing him my hand and creating a small fire inside. "That's the idea, yeah. Fire's great at convincing people. Nobody wants to get burned, after all." "But once he realises that i'm a mage, what's stopping him from ratting me out?" Jakun let out a sigh, scratched his beard for a second, nodded, and then walked to a nearby wardrobe. He opened it's door, which allowed a few item of clothing to spill out. He kicked them away and then started rumaging inside for a little while until he found what he was looking for and showed it to me. A mask. "A mask? But he'll still know..." "Yes, he'll know that you're a firemage, but what good is that information to him? He won't be able to identify you with the mask on, right?" I really hated admitting it, but he was right. He continued. "i would suggest putting it on before walking up to the store and to only remove it in a hidden area, alright?/" "Yeah, i'll do that..." I said, feeling a pit form in my stomac. "And if he tries anything, like taking it off, you know what to do: Just burn him." I nodded as he then gave me the mask. "Great! Now get going, his store's on the other side of the city. You gotta get back before curfew or i'm not letting you back in!" He said as he walked out of the room. "Yes sir Jakun" i said as he closed the door. I listened to his retreating footsteps and for silence to fall once more, leaving me alone with the piece of paper, the mask, and my swirling thoughts. "Oh, man... What the hell have i gotten myself into..."
Part 2: Part 3:
Part 4:
*Otha (Ota): A common way to adress younger accointancein Ak'aaran culture
Date: June 367 Ac (3 years ago)
Location: City of A'anora, Occupied Ak'aaran territory, Northern Mahador.
A loud clap of hands jolted me awake. I sat up in my bed, blinked a few times and glanced towards my room door, but quickly leaned back against my arms and groaned as i saw who had woken me. Mr. Jakun, the innskeeper, was standing there, his large frame took up most of the door frame and loomed over the entire room. His fat face looked unamused. "Come on, wake up Otha!* No time to waste, it's monday!" My sleepy brain took a few seconds to take in and understand what he was trying to say, but then i realises that monday's the day the ships come to port to trade! I needed to get to the market, fast!. "Alright", I said as i rubbed my eyes. "Just give me a few minutes to prepare" Jakun nodded. "I'll be in the other room, so just knock when you're done", He said, before closing the door behind him. I got up from my makeshift bed; Basicaly just a half-dozen or so blankets stacked on top of each other on the storage room floor. After i was done cleaning myself with water that was way too cold, i walked over to a little table, where i had left my pants and shirt overnight. After buttoning up my pants, i put on my shirt, making sure to pull on the sleeve so it hid the tatoo along my right arm. "That's a Firemage thing?", Jakun had asked me when he first saw it. I relunctantly told him it was but he thankfully didn't press further, which i was glad about. It happened the same day he accepted to take me in and take this spare storage room of the Inn he owns, so long as i did a few things for him, like deliveries. Monday was the usual day for those. I walked to the door and knocked a couple of times before leaning against the nearby wall to wait for him. After a little while, i heard his footsteps approche the room and i straightened up. The door swung open and he entered with a piece of paper in his hand, which he promptly gave me. "Is that a list?" I asked, confused since he had never gave me those before. "Is it not the usual stuff you wanted me to get then?" "Never mind that" He said, waving his hand. "I'll get someone else on it. There's another thing i need from you today." He said, nodding expectantly to the paper he had just given me. I looked down at the sqribbled notes on it. It was a store's name, the name of its owner, and directions on how to get to it. The name of the store told me it was an herbalist, but curiously, there was nothing listed about what i needed to get from there. "Oh, ok. You need me to buy something from that store then? What is it?" As i said that, i saw a slight grin appear on his face. "No, nothing like that. Its something thats been bugging me. Someone actually." Jakun walked closer to me as i was trying to figure out what he was talking about. He put a strong hand on my shoulder and looked me dead in the eyes. "He owns me money. A lot of it." he explained. "And i'll need you to get it back for me." I clenched my jaw as he squeezed my shoulder. "You want me to be your... dept collector?" He winked at me and patted my shoulder. "Thats why i like you, Otha. You're smart." He seemed happy that i guessed what he wanted from me, but his expression quickly grew sour as he noticed me shaking my head. "I don't really feel confortable doing this sir" I said, taking a step back. "I'd rather not-" "Not what? Have a roof over your head?" "N-no, its just..." "Listen here, boy" He said as he took another step towards me. "I've let you sleep in my Inn every night for the past month, practicaly for free! But now, it seems that you're not that gratefull after all." "Its not like that" I said, putting my hands up, trying to explain, but he cut me off again. "I specificaly told you this when you asked for shelter and a job here. That there might be situations where i require the use of your fire! You remember that right? Well, we're here now." "W-what do you mean?", I asked, curious what kind of situation he was implying this was. Jakun let out a frustrated sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The fucking taxes have gone up again." He said with an exasperated tone. "And i can't get my connection to get it back down. We can't do anything with Arba's soldiers patrolling the city, going door to door to collect it. It's due in a week, and i don't have the money, since buisiness is not exactly booming these days." He crossed both arms over his chest. "Now, if i want to keep my Inn, and you, the roof over your head, we'll need that money, understand?" I put my head down and let out a sigh. "Y-yeah, i do." i finaly said. "But this feels wrong.. I don't want to use my fire for stuff like that" I looked back up at him and much like i dreaded, he seemed mad at my response. "You know" He said as he gestured towards me. "As a firemage, you should know that the republic's soldiers all over the city have been on the hunt for any mages they can find for the past few months. I'm fairly sure they would love to capture another one, especialy a firemage, and get them under their thumb. I'm also quite certain that they would pay out a nice tidy sum to whomever brought it to them, certainly big enough to pay off my debt many times over at least..." He continued talking to himself, stroking his beard as he nonchelantly turned and walked away. "N-no, wait!" I said, grabbing his arm as he walked towards the door. He turned to me and shook me off. "What?" He asked, a hint of a smirk on his face. I bit my bottom lip, already regretting was i was about to say. "It's ok. I'll do it, just... please don't do that. Don't tell them what i am. You know what these people did to my family... i just need to stay here a bit longer, until ifind a way to leave the city to go search for my brother..." "Oh, so you're still set on doing that silly plan of your, eh?" I clenched my fists, ready to defend my goals, but he then threw me one of his signature shrugs. "Listen Otha, whatever you think you need to do to save your brother, or however long you need to stay under my roof, is fine by me, so long as you do what i say, understood?" I nodded back at him, which he seemed to be satisfied with. "Good mage", he said, patting my head, which i knew that he knew i really hated when he did and said that. A slight punishment for trying to go against his wishes, i suppose. I had come to realise that he was a rather petty man. His last words then made me realise something else. "What about the other guy? The herbalist?" I asked, prompting Jakun to raise an eyebrow at me. "What about him?" He said, dismissively. "If i go there, and things degenerate, i'll have to use this" I said, showing him my hand and creating a small fire inside. "That's the idea, yeah. Fire's great at convincing people. Nobody wants to get burned, after all." "But once he realises that i'm a mage, what's stopping him from ratting me out?" Jakun let out a sigh, scratched his beard for a second, nodded, and then walked to a nearby wardrobe. He opened it's door, which allowed a few item of clothing to spill out. He kicked them away and then started rumaging inside for a little while until he found what he was looking for and showed it to me. A mask. "A mask? But he'll still know..." "Yes, he'll know that you're a firemage, but what good is that information to him? He won't be able to identify you with the mask on, right?" I really hated admitting it, but he was right. He continued. "i would suggest putting it on before walking up to the store and to only remove it in a hidden area, alright?/" "Yeah, i'll do that..." I said, feeling a pit form in my stomac. "And if he tries anything, like taking it off, you know what to do: Just burn him." I nodded as he then gave me the mask. "Great! Now get going, his store's on the other side of the city. You gotta get back before curfew or i'm not letting you back in!" He said as he walked out of the room. "Yes sir Jakun" i said as he closed the door. I listened to his retreating footsteps and for silence to fall once more, leaving me alone with the piece of paper, the mask, and my swirling thoughts. "Oh, man... What the hell have i gotten myself into..."
Part 2: Part 3:
Part 4:
*Otha (Ota): A common way to adress younger accointancein Ak'aaran culture
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