This is a one chapter short story I wrote a really long time ago. I tried to make it better before I put it up. If you think it's bad, it was a lot worse before... just tell me what you think.

A lamp flickered overhead barely illuminating a sign that read: Good Fortune Inn. Slipping on the wet cobblestones, Tao grasped the doorknob and leaned forward with his last remaining strength. The door swung forward, he stumbled inside drenched from the rain, and panting with exhaustion. He sat himself at the table in the corner across from a man wearing a hood. The barmaid spoke to them.

“I’m sorry sirs, but I was just closing up. You’ll have to leave.”

“We’ll only be a few minutes,” said Tao, trying to keep a friendly demeanor. He stressed a smile and handed her a small coin purse. She peered inside.

“Take all the time you need, hon.” she smiled and left to another room. When the two were sure she had left, they turned their attention to each other.

“Kept me waiting long enough. Did you get it?” the man said in a dull whisper.

“Better late than never, right?” Tao growled as he pulled a long, curved package out of his pack. He shoved it across to the man. He cautiously peeled back the cloth that it was wrapped in. As he did, a faint golden glow shone. Tao watched apprehensively as the man ran his fingertip lightly along the edge of the golden blade.

“’S nice,” he said.

“Nice? I went through all that trouble to steal it, all you can say is ‘nice’?” Tao said, becoming enraged with his new client.

“Quiet down, kid. Now how much did we agree on? Ten gold?”

“It’s not worth that much. Gimme a hundred.”

“One hundred gold? Just what are you on, boy?” The man suppressed a laugh.

“I’m dead serious. A hundred gold or no deal.”

“We agreed on ten. Why change it?”

“I hit a few road blocks on the way out.” He shifted uneasily.

“Road blocks? Did you get caught?”

“That doesn’t matter! Do we have a deal or not?” Tao’s voice was rising again.

“You know it matters, little thief. I thought you said you were good. Did the definition of good change?”

“I took care of it, alright?”

“Hmm, you like to play dirty, huh? Didn’t add that to your resume.” He still managed to keep his cool when Tao was loosing his.

“I never said that!” Tao said nearly shouting.

“But that’s what you did.”

Tao paused a moment, unable to think of a come back. He noticed he had risen to his feet at some point. He had also been biting into his own lip. For a while, neither said a word. The hooded man broke the silence.

“Alright, so you took care of it. Fine. How about I give you fifty and an oath of secrecy. I won’t tell a soul what you did.” With that, the man re-wrapped the sword and counted out fifty gold pieces. He left the money on the table and stepped out into the rain. Tao watched the door close behind him.

--

The air was cold and still. Nothing moved. The only sound was his heartbeat, ten times faster than normal. To him, it sounded like a hammer beating on a wall, its tones echoed through the large room. He deemed it safe to move. He glided across the floor, each step taken with speed and precision. Slowly and as quietly as possible, he pushed each door open, searching for the family’s heirloom. Only one door was locked in the entire manor. That room had to hold it. He edged his lock pick into keyhole. Slowly and carefully, he worked his tool over the tumblers, making each one click into place with more sound than was truly heard. Ten minutes he patiently worked on the most complex lock he had ever attempted to break through. At last, the final piece was in place. The door would open. He turned the knob, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. It painfully squealed on its hinges every inch of the way, until finally, it was open.

The room beyond held nothing but a glowing golden katana on the back wall. He inched forward toward his prize. He lifted the treasure of the hooks that held it. As he did, they move upwards on a nearly imperseevable track on the wall. It was a pressure sensor, a trap. He heard a bell toll deep and loud.

Within seconds a man, the husband of the family, entered the room with a torch and armed with a short sword. He had been seen. There was no way out of it. No other choice. He felt his dagger penetrate the man’s flesh; scrape against one off his ribs… The man lay crumpled on the floor before he knew what happened. He was shocked at his own doing. He hadn’t even thought about it. In blind panic, he ran for the exit, but the mother and two daughters were out of their rooms. They saw him, and blocked his way. He did not think, only acted on instinct. He couldn’t be caught. All met an end through their hearts. He heard their screams run past his ears; felt them sink to the ground and watched as their eyes rolled back into their heads. He looked down at his dagger; it was covered in blood.

“No! I didn’t mean it! It was an accident!” he tried to yell, but his mouth would not open. Outside, it began to rain. Thunder roared around him, screaming MURDERER!

Tao shot out of bed, yelling. He shivered realizing he had been a dreaming. Slowly, he calmed himself down. He made a plan in his head. The only way to forget this was to leave the country. He would get on the next ship to Cerogend and start a new life there. He readied himself as he thought it through. Once satisfied, he exited his room. As he walked forward, he bumped into a large man wearing steal armor with the Emperial insignia on his chest plate. Tao walked into an imperial guard. Behind the man were two others and in the very back, the barmaid, smiling smuggly.

btw, heres some money conversions (I use this same currency often): 100 coppers1 silver, 100 silvers1 gold