Myth on 1/4/2009 at 20:37
I am bored at work and inspiration chose to come at a perfect time. I apologize in advance if this is not the forum to post this. Albeit hastily written while in the office I'm sure I will have more for you later on (if you care to read it) and also, that there will be others who will contribute as well.
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A chilly autumn rain sprinkled over the dusk covered City, the dark gray clouds above dimming the last light of the day almost to non existence. Only a few citizens remained outside, traversing the narrow cobblestone streets with haste and splashing loudly in the shallow murky puddles of rainwater as they ran from the unpleasant weather. The ominous ringing of the Bell Tower heralded the coming of the seventh hour of the eve, urging shop owners and craftsmen to close their stores and lock up the doors and windows tight for the fast approaching night.
It was no secret that a master thief operated on the city grounds, some of the more informed officials suspecting him in being involved in many, if not all of the major robberies and events of the past several years. Manors, castles, cathedrals, museums and common houses alike had been thoroughly looted by an uncaught and unseen man, who left nothing behind but a few dazed guards and the occasional extinguished torch. Some of the organized thief guilds in the City knew his name, as well as a handful of Hammerite priests and very few diligent members of the City Watch. But a name was all anyone had.
- Garrett. - it left a bitter taste in the Baron's mouth as he uttered it, watching the night spread over his City from one of the high balconies of his castle. The chilly, damp air filled the room quickly and made the torches flicker for a moment, while the raindrops outside padded softly against the metal roof above the terrace. - How can one man elude the efforts of our City Guard, the Hammerites, the former Mechanists and even the scum that runs the docks and the illegal gambling houses?
- He seems very skilled sire. - the answer came from a skinny, pale man dressed in the official attire of a servant of the Baron. - And my sources tell me he has been involved in some way or another with all of the City's prominent factions, although no one seems to know anything other than his name and some unbelievable tales of his exploits.
The Baron turned around slowly, his square chin and locked eyebrows giving him a stern look. He was a large man, once muscular but now grown lax and flabby with the accumulated years. Dressed in a red velvet gown laced with gold, and wearing heavy golden rings adorned with rubies and sapphires, everything about the man hinted at his superiority and power. The focal point of his appearance however, was the massive round pedant he wore above his clothes, which was the City's Sigill - a seal of his position as a Noble and sole ruler over the City and all the smaller Noble Houses.
- More must be known! I shall not be embarrassed like those other fools! Bafford, Rutherford, Truart - they have all been played like fiddles. Two of them now lay dead even, and the connection of this "Garrett" to any of the events that transpired is all too hazy for my liking.
The servant stood there and patiently waited for his master to finish, only occasionally scratching his large beak-like nose. The room they were in was lavishly decorated with old paintings, precious statuettes and massive carved furniture. It served as the Baron's study and was normally off-limits to all but the Master of Servants and the Baron's personal maid.
- Yes sire but still, there are more pressing matters to attend to than a simple thief. The war is not going well and some of the trading routes with the East have collapsed due to the increa...
- Don't you think i know all this Cedric! I don't pay you to retell month-old news! As the head of my intelligence network you should be able to locate any man within my own City!
The Baron's face was twisted with anger and grew red as he shook a fist at his invisible foe.
"Hmm.. I like to keep a low profile, but some notoriety can't be helped. Maybe our lord Baron won't be so tense when he loses the weight of all that gold he is wearing." High in the rooms' ceiling, latched on one of the wooden support beams, a shadowy silhouette stood still, the faint glow of a mechanical eye barely visible in the darkness.
Outside, the rain covered the City in it's cold embrace, accompanied by the subtle shroud of nightfall.
