Prologue

Hell erupted throughout the Kingdom as people ran to and fro. Night would be arriving soon and the preparations were not yet finished. I lay quietly on the table, awaiting the final incantation. Awaiting the pain was more like it. The rest were not too bad, but this last one was to be the worst. My eyes closed as they began it. I just hoped it wouldn’t last too long; I still had a long walk ahead of me before nightfall. Pain erupted throughout me, so severe it caused me to fall unconscious.

He quietly stalked the darkened streets, looking for his next target. He had to hurry before the guards noticed he was out and about. With the changes in the world, none were allowed to leave their homes at night and he had two more houses to find. He quickly ducked behind a couple barrels as guards’ voices reached his ears. He held his breath when they stopped before the barrels he was hiding behind and shined lights down the alley between the houses, before continuing on their rounds. Taking a deep breath of relief, he rose to his feet and finished the short walk to the first house.

Peering around in the darkness, he pulled out a long skinny tool from the pouch strapped at his hip. He then slid it between the window and wall and jimmied open the latch. Taking another look around, he slid the window open and slipped inside. For a moment he stood stalk still, making sure there was indeed no one home. Not hearing anything but the insects outside, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small flashlight with blue paper over the lens to make it less bright. Looking around to find the stairs, he hurried up to the second floor and the master bedroom.

A large jewel encrusted box sat on the dresser, but he was not tempted by it. It was a decoy and had an alarm placed on it. Instead he rushed to the closet and flung open the doors. Rummaging inside, he pulled out three smaller boxes filled to the brim with semi-precious and precious gems, as well as antique coins. It was enough bounty to buy the entire village and a few others. Pouring the contents of the boxes into his bag, he hurried back downstairs; there was one more thing in this house he was after.

Walking into the living room, he shined his light onto a small statue sitting on a table. It was of a woman dancer in full relief. Made out of a crystalline material that could no longer be made, giving the illusion that the statue was alive and moving. He had desired this statue for his collection the instant he heard about it. Walking up to it, he circled it three times, before he decided it had no wires attached to it. Licking his lips, he slowly reached out for it, never taking his eyes off the moving surface.

He cursed loudly as an alarm erupted out of the darkened house. He hadn’t thought they would run a trip wire through the table and attach it to the bottom of the statue. Throwing the statue into his bag, he rushed for the still open window, hoping he could make it out of the house before the guards reached it.

Reaching the window, he threw himself against the wall as a guard walked through the alley towards the window. She shined her light from side to side, making it impossible for him to sneak outside in the shadows. Cringing back some, he dropped to the ground when she reached the window and peered inside. She shined her light around the entire interior before backing away and finished checking the alleyway. Cursing again, he leapt out the window as the front doors to the house were kicked in.

Kneeling quietly in the alleyway, he tried to figure out the best and safest route out of here. The female guard had went further down the alleyway looking for him, but it did not mean she would not turn back and head towards him again. Nor did it mean the other end of the alleyway would be safe enough to exit from. Sighing, he looked up at the house on the other side of the alley. There was a drainage pipe leading from the roof to the ground. Taking a quick look around to make sure none of the guards were near enough to see him, he shimmied up the pipe.

Once on the roof, he quickly but quietly made his way to the other side of the house. ‘Shit!’ He thought as he peered over the roof at the distance between the house he was on and the next one. Shaking out his limbs to loosen his tense muscles, he knelt down some in preparation to sprint across the roof. As long as he leapt at the right time, he could jump the distance and make it safely to the other house’s roof.

Taking a deep breath then letting it out slowly, he ran across the roof. Leaping off it, he smiled slightly; he was going to make it. The smile left as he realized he misjudged the leap. The air was knocked out of him and a few ribs cracked as his abdomen slammed into the roof of the other house, while his legs dangled over the edge. When he tried to move his right arm to pull him up, excruciating pain erupted throughout it. All he could do was curse adamantly as he slid from the roof, knowing he could not stop his fall.