Chapter 82 - Screwed up


    My eyes examined the dagger in my hand, mesmerised by it''s beautiful craftsmanship it disyed. It''s


    curved de dangerously sharp that pointed upward into an arch, the handle was made from a hard


    steel edged with polished bronze encircling two round green gems, one disyed at the bottom of the


    handle while the other at the tip of the handle.


    I span the handle around to face me, it was quite heavy for a kid like me to handle but I''ll get used to its


    weight if I train with it daily.


    The seller had said this is a Windrock dagger. A weapon mastered by air and if used properly by an air


    magician you can st out air des at your enemy however a non-air magic user uses this it''s


    nothing but an ordinary dagger.


    I swung it back around. ''It''s a shame I can''t master air properly or I would have been unstoppable to


    those pesky knights, it''s pretty much useless and not worth my gold coin but since it''s pretty and I can


    sell it for double the amount, why not''


    I twirled the dagger around before sliding it back to its satchel.


    I sat un top of the roof with my feet dangling down the edge of the roof as I scanned themoner


    crowd of the northern district of Taivas for any new faces to scam.


    ''Scammed you''


    ''Scammed you''


    ''You look like you don''t have anything''


    ''Stole from you''


    ''Stole from you too''


    ''Scammed you as well''


    I mentally pointed at anyone I''ve done business with these past years.


    A long-disappointed sigh escaped my mouth as I leaned back with my hands supporting me up right.


    There wasn''t really anyone worth scamming here. They allck the things I want. ''Commoners, who am


    I talk though I''m a peasant boy who was kicked out of the orphanage and left out in the vast world to


    defend for myself''


    I gazed at the clouds soaring slowly above me, each one whiter than the other all in the different


    shapes and sizes. The sun shining down at me and keeping me warm in this spring afternoon.


    The thought of the masked men from this morning came back to my mind. ''I wonder if they realised, I


    scammed them. Heh, what a bunch of fools'' I snickered to myself mockingly.


    A long-tried yawn escaped my lips. I hadn''t slept wellst because the ratsst night were being really


    loud. I wonder why?


    I swung my feet forward and back as I continued to stare at the clouds thinking of what to eat for dinner


    when I heard a familiar voice from below.


    "Oi big brother Jackal" I nced down to see the street rats, Thomas, Calvel and Derek staring up at


    me with curiosity. Their clothes ragged and ruined from theck of looking after them but good enough


    to keep them warm. Their hair was messy and oily, their faces in gunk and one had lost a tooth.


    "What are you thinking?" Calvel the short one with the stupid mind asked, his brown eyes examining


    me from below.


    I didn''t answer the little boy who was younger probably younger than me and leaned forward my hands


    resting upon my knees.


    "Nothing Calvel but here" I flicked a gold coin towards the boys. All three divide in to catch the in


    I watched as they continued to fight over the piece of valuable gold with an expressionless face that


    resembled one that didn''t care or bother to react.


    "Give it back! He gave it to me" Calvel squeaked.


    "I''m older I should look after the money instead of someone stupid as you" Thomas argued back. They


    each bickered back as they fought over the small gold coin that they grovelled all over the dirt floor,


    creating a small dirt storm around them.


    My eye twitched and my lips pursed together in a scowl. "Oi you street rats that gold is enough for 4


    years even shared amongst the three of you"


    The street rats stopped fighting and looked over at the annoyed older boy wo sat at the edge of the


    rood with my feet dangling down.


    "And I trust Thomas too make sure of that or else I''ll take the gold back from you lot"


    "Yes, big brother Jackal" the two younger one, Calvel and Derek obeyed lowering their heads while


    Thomas snickered in a victory, flicking the gold coin in the air then to snatch it midway.


    "That doesn''t mean you get to be the boss of it Thomas" I pointed my finger at the tall boy who was


    probably the same age as me who flinched nearly dropping the gold coin on the floor.


    I''m not being nice to them I''m only helping them stand on their feet for a while before they start getting


    into to stealing. Calvel the idiot isn''t such a good thief either, he was caught a couple of times and I had


    to bail him out from the people grasps.


    I know every single of these streets orphans and each one steal for themselves none sharing what they


    caught. But I do my hardest to help the ones who can''t but in exchange for the information they can


    gather me.


    Not to brag but I''m the best street thief around here. I don''t have my little gang of friends or


    someone like me in their gang. So, I''m stuck doing things my own and I can say I''m doing better then


    they ever could.


    "So have you guys got anything to report to me?" I asked with a raise of an eyebrow and a cross of


    hands against my chest.


    The three boys eyed their surroundings as if they were worried if someone heard them.


    "We heard the young prince is recovered" Calvel whispered with his hand beside his mouth as he


    spoke. I gazed at him nkly, observing his silvers eyes for any misleading information but found none.


    "It''s not like I care. I never really cared about the royal family either way" I said nonchntly with a


    yawn as I stretched my arms in their air.


    "Shhh, you shouldn''t say something like that where everyone could hear you. You could get in deep


    trouble" Derek said worriedly, his eyes averting around quickly at the people who continued to mind


    their business.


    "Yeah, yeah. Whatever" I shrugged it off.


    "But that''s not it, apparently a female doctor stormed into the castle and cured the prince with dark


    magic" Calvel said, twirling his fingers as if he was going to cast a spell at me.


    I rose an eyebrow in disbelief. ''Female doctor? No that''s ridiculous. Only men are allowed to be


    doctors so howe this woman became one and where did she get the education too? But I''m


    curious how she convinced the royal family to let her cure that spoil brat especially if she used dark


    magic.


    It''s forbidden to cast that magic and the punishment for using it is death.''


    I shook my head, shrugging the thought away ''Ok maybe Calvel speaks of bullshit things he hears; I


    shouldn''t take his words.''


    Thomas smacked the little boy on the head making him wince in pain and rub the sore area.


    "Stop listening to those drunk folks from the bar they don''t know anything but to spout nonsense." He


    lectured like an older brother would to his younger siblings.


    Calvel lips pouted, moving as he mumbled silently.


    "I heard the knights discussing about the female doctor opening up his highness and taking out an


    organ or something, but I didn''t get the full details," said Thomas.


    My face slumped into an exasperation expression, a sweat drop falling down my temple. ''Maybe Calvel


    was more reasonable than Thomas''


    "That''s even worse than what Calvel said" Derek said with same expression as mine.


    "You know what I don''t care about how this female doctor cure the spoilt prince of the golden family" I


    mocked with a scoff. "Just go away and enjoy that gold coin" I shooed them away already lost my


    patience. Sometimes these streets rats aren''t always the brightest.


    "Wait we got something else" Derek said.


    I nced down and saw how their faces held determination and stern look. "Apparently Zander and his


    gang of thief are looking for a young Isvandy girl around Ventus for the chance to receive the promised


    gold from the ones who are looking for from the bar of bounty hunters that also came into the hunt"


    My eyes widened and quickly spun my head to see if their expression just to make sure they weren''t


    lying.


    "Anyway, that''s all we know. Goodbye" Thomas said with a wave as he turned around and ran off with


    Derek who also bid farewell.


    "Stay safe big brother Jackal" Calvel said with a wave before running after his friends. I just sat there


    dumbfounded and with nk thoughts.


    ''What?''


    Zander and his gang are bunch of wacko teenagers of all sorts from orphans, street rats and criminals


    that band together to be the ultimate thieves in the slums. They basically rule that street of the


    peasantsnds.


    And yet they are taking this task to look for the Isvandy from a couple of days ago. I wonder how much


    gold the people are willing to pay Zander to look for her. Just by what the masked man paid me


    yesterday he must be some rich nobleman or someone that works under one.


    So, they are desperate to find her even willing to pay bounty hunters and thieves to look for her or


    maybe word got out about them looking for someone and the bounty hunter took it upon themselves to


    try their luck of getting something out the masked people.


    "hmmm" I stroked my chin in deep thought. "I''ll probably get more gold if I take her in, but I''m just a kid


    with dagger. I''ll just make a fool out of myself in front of the woman. Either way I don''t care less, and I


    don''t want to get my self-involved withplicated things. Hope that Isvandydy knows how to put up


    a fight not like women know how to fight anyway" I scoffed.


    I stood up from the edge and dusted the back of my cloak so it would leave a but mark and getughed


    on by the people who see it.


    Looking out to the crowds of people again before jumping down the roof that wasn''t far form the ground


    with a loud thud. A fewdies yelped from getting surprised, but I ignored them and walked off, slipping


    through the bustling people, and disappearing from sight.


    I brushed many people and without them realising had stolen a few of their possessions that I slipped


    my hand and took without them realising.


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    I didn''t get far when I saw something caught the corner of my eyes. I quickly span my head to see the


    familiar silver white haired pping gently against the light breeze, her dark teal coat following after.


    ''It''s her'' I stood like a fool, with my mouth silently open as I gawked from the side lines as she stopped


    at stall that sold freshly cut meat and her fox stopping beside her, mouth wide open and drool could be


    seen dripping down.


    I could see how beautiful she was just by the side of her face. Soft milky white skin thatplimented


    the slight shade of red tinted on her plump lips, a perfect outline of her nose and jewel like eyes that


    gazed down at her pouch.


    Her beauty outshined the present queen of Ventus even if she was way younger then she was but I''m


    curious if she is a noble but a noble especially an Isvandy woulde in these parts of Taivas is kind


    of confusing.


    However, her clothes strike a core in me. I had never seen such style of clothing before, dark teal cloak


    that reached the bottom of her knees, but it didn''t have hood but long and wide sleeves that were long


    and a white twirly symbol that I couldn''t make out what it was embroidered on her back.


    The material looked really expensive, and those colours were really rare among themoners who


    only wore brown, white, grey not even ck which was hard toe by.


    She wore a night robe like dress with odd looking armour chest tes dangling down her waist and a


    sword that stuck out from the cloak and it looked oddly shaped. ''Was this how they dressed in Isvand?


    And why is that sword so curved? Did the smithy bang it so hard that it be a curve? Or am I just


    cooked in the head?''


    But something about her aura creamed out money.


    ''Maybe she git some extra pieces of gold hiding away in those satchels of hers'' I smirked just at the


    thought of more gold overloading in the palms of my hand dropping down like waterfalls.


    My hands twitched to reach out and steal something from her without knowing.


    ''She won''t know; no one will know''


    I slowly made my way towards her, walking as if I was minding my own business and going my merry


    way. Getting closer to her I slowly reached my hand my out but not enough for people to see.


    I was an inch away from her and my hand not far from hers. ''Just a little more''


    As I was about to grab something I felt a cold hand snatch my hand so firmly I let out a yelp of surprise.


    I was twirled around so quickly that I couldn''t react, and my hand was twisted behind my back as a leaf


    shaped de was not far from neck, threatening to slice my neck open.


    I don''t know how she was able to sense me but now I knew she wasn''t someone I should have messed


    with.


    "I wouldn''t try to steal from a woman with a sword" her words her cold and sharp, sending terrifying


    waves down my spine.


    ''I fucked up big time''


    \~Artemis P.


    O. V\~


    This little brat tried to steal from me, a mistake he should''ve avoided.


    I could feel him trembling a little in my grasp, the burning staresing from the people around, but I


    ignored them and continued my business with this little thief.


    "hahah" a forcedugh escaped him and said in a stuttering voice "I think you have mistaken young fair


    maiden" he lied through his teeth.


    My eyes met some of the people who seemed a little pissed at the boy.


    "I don''t think so kid. I know a thief when I see one and your quite a sneaky one at that aren''t you?" I


    said softly against his ear that made him flinch. I could how sense how rmed he was just by the air


    that surrounded this boy.


    "Hey how about I give something in return of letting me go" he tried to negotiate with a trembling but


    confident voice.


    "No" I said bluntly, gripping his hand even tighter making him wince in pain, his feet standing on his


    tippy toes from the ounce grip of my hand.


    "I know a great ce were they sell beautiful and cheap jewelleries. Let me go and I will show you"


    "Does it look like I am need of jewelleries?" I said raising an eyebrow.


    "Aren''t girls supposed to like jewelleries or pretty things to make men that''s older than them fall in


    love?" he asked the voice hinting how confused he was with my answer.


    "Not this one, she doesn''t"


    "Oi little human brat look what you did! I was about to get some meat" Homura growled angrily as he


    yapped his snout open and shut.


    I rolled my eyes.


    "What a pretty angry fox you have. How about I show a nice ce where you can get some stuff for


    him to enjoy. Maybe a bone" he negotiated with me again.


    "BONE! DO I LOOK LIKE A DOG TO YOU!" Homura looked like a Chihuahua right now if it wasn''t for


    me understanding what he meant.


    With a sigh I let him go and he stumbled forward nearly tripping over but I held onto his arm so he


    wouldn''t fall face first.


    "Next time know who you steal from because if it was someone else, they would have sliced your


    hands off" I said releasing his arm and he pulled back, his face showing terror and the beams of sweat


    that formed down.


    I could know what he was thinking just by reading his confused yet terrified expression while he rubbed


    his wrist.


    "Now scram" I said half-heartedly giving him a hostile gaze that made him jump from terror and then I


    turned away from him not seeing what he will do next, not like I care anyway.


    "Hey, you should have kicked him. It would teach him a lesson for next time" Homura grumbled in


    annoyance.


    ''That would have been nice but isn''t that child abuse if I did? Wait... Child abuse doesn''t exist in this


    world. So, if I kicked him no one would care.... Nah, I''ll be a nice person today''


    I was about to talk to the seller about the jerky when I felt a killing presence nearing me rapidly from


    above.


    I quickly clicked my heels and leaped back. It felt like everything was slowed as a near miss of his


    de that swung down at me. I caught a glimpse of something green glow for a second before it faded


    into the darkness. I had already moved back into a leap. Mid-air I unsheathed my tanto beforending


    silently into a defence stance on the ground far from the cloaked figure whose familiar mask was


    screaming death.


    People began to yell and scream from behind each one running away from the incident.


    I red at him coldly, pursing me lips into a scowl.


    "I had an unusual hunch you would move away" his young masculine voice echoed from behind his


    mask. It was a little muffled, but it was far too familiar for me to remember.


    "Diana"


    My eyes shook in dumbfound for a second but returned back to its usual re. "Edmond the


    douchebag, how''s the shoulder? Feeling better" I mocked with a hint of mischief crossing my lips.


    ''This douchebag how did he know I was in Ventus? I made sure I got rid of all my tracks. Tch this fucker


    when will he leave me alone''


    He may be Alphyria''s best tracker but you can''t track people when they are flying in the air, can you?


    Whatever I will just deal with him and make sure I don''t make the same mistake again.


    I couldn''t tell what kind of expression he was pulling from behind, but the click of a tongue told me he


    was annoyed.


    "You will pay for that" he hissed.


    Suddenly a few cloaked figures appeared, surrounding me with weapons in hand in case I attack.


    "Don''t pull any cheap tricks Diana, surrender now" he ordered, twirling his sword with his right hand.


    "Tch, this human, when will he learn?" Homura grumbled. I was about to say something in return when


    a small hand grabbed my wrist and pull me forward. I wanted to react, but my eyes widened when I


    realised who it was.


    "Run!"