Chapter 1
Maria tried to open the door of one of the stone houses of Halasmir that she was robbing quietly but soon gave up as it creaked and groaned like an old man. She soon found out that like the door, the floor also creaked. So, overall, Maria gave up on being quiet.
She was a human girl with big brown eyes and chestnut brown skin. Her box-braided hair was pulled into a low bun. She wore a simple blue and white dress and tight trousers . On her feet, she wore soft brown boots. The house, which she was robbing, was plainly decorated. On the floor, there was a shabby red carpet, and above the carpet, a grand stone fireplace. Next to the left and right of the fireplace were two identical, well loved sofas, and on the opposite wall of the fireplace was a wooden bookshelf with scrolls, books, and a great crystal ball. On the left of the bookshelf were spiral stairs, and on the right was the door by which Maria was standing. To the left, on the side wall, an open door led to the kitchen. The whole place had a rather homey atmosphere, and if she wasn’t planning to rob it, she would have liked to curl up on one of the cozy sofas and pull out a book.
Who said burgling had to be quiet anyway? Maria thought as she started to shove things into her bag. She dearly hoped this was the house that man told her to rob. What was the house number he mentioned? 009? –Wait, no, it was 734! –no 894. What number is this house? She shrugged, it doesn''t matter what house this is, or does it? What was that man''s name anyway, Samuel? No, it was Greg? Wait, no, it was Bart- her thoughts were cut short as the door slammed open. As the figure walked in, Maria sat frozen, heart pounding. The short-ish silhouette against the door was cloaked in a long hood that reached down to the hips. Strapped to a belt at the waist was a sword in a black scabbard, engraved with the symbol of the lord Valdis.
***
Grace opened the door and was startled to find a dark, human girl with a bag. Wait! They told me that two professors lived here. Not this sorry wretch. Or maybe I got the house number wrong. Looking back at the door, she read the number.
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So then, it is the right house! She should not be here. Unless… Lifting her hood off her face, she asked the girl,
“Are you robbing this place?”
The girl responded, “Yup. What are you doing?”
“Well, I am also robbing this place on the orders of General Methuselah himself.”
Maria blinked. “Never heard of him.”
Grace scowled to herself. Apparently, intimidation wasn’t going to work here. “Just forget what I said, okay?” she commanded the thief.
Maria had lost interest and started up another subject. “Wait, so we are robbing the same person at the same time? That’s cool. And you even come on orders from this general what’s-his-face.”
Grace shrugged. “I suppose so. Now, let''s make a deal. I get the crystal orb on the shelf, and you get everything else.”
“Done. Also, can I get your name?”
"Names are dangerous,” said Grace, “yours?”
“Maria.”
Then they went on robbing.
Maria could not believe her luck in finding that the young, curly-haired, somewhat mysterious half-elf had opened the door instead of the house owner.
Grace, in turn, could not believe her luck that the girl had not seen the glowing orb for what it was. Methuselah had been searching for one like this for years, thinking it to have a direct link to the orb of the wizard, Albus Rigengaurd, through which one could send written messages to the other. But how it came to be in the house of two common professors, she did not know.
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Suddenly, a voice came from the top of the stairs, hidden by the spiral, "What’s all that noise?"
Stupidly, Maria called out, “Nothing!”
“Maria!” Grace growled through gritted teeth.
"What?" Maria asked innocently.
At this rate, we’re both going to get arrested, Grace thought. Before she could slap the thief next to her, a young elf reached the bottom of the stairs.
She had long strawberry-blond hair that was let down in multiple twisted braids that hung down her shoulders. She was dressed in a long, white, elegant nightgown and walked in tiny sky blue slippers. Upon seeing them, Katherine immediately orally launched at them, waving her arms.
“Who are you?! What are you doing here?!”
“Um… nothing?” Maria replied as she continued to stuff things into her bag.
“Who do you work for?!” Katherine demanded.
“I serve lord Valdis, rightful ruler to the throne of Eldoria!” Grace cried.
“A guy who hired me for a loaf of bread!” Maria yelled.
“A what?” Katherine yelled,
Exasperated, Maria repeated slowly, “A - guy - who - hi-red - me - for - a - loaf - of - bread”
“A. Loaf. Of. Bread.” Katherine repeated.
“Exactly!”
“Do you realize how preposterous that is!?”
Disturbed from absentmindedly braiding some string, Vivian walked down the stairs. What can Katherine possibly be doing this time? She thought.
Vivian was a young human girl with dark brown eyes and equally dark waist length hair. She was dressed in a dark green knee length nightgown that was cinched at the waist by a belt made of braided leather. Her feet were bare. A long, sharp dirk was in her hand. With obvious authority, she turned to Katherine, “What’s going on?! Who are these people?”
“They’re trying to rob us!!”
“Then why haven''t you tied them up and left them on the street?”
“Because we have a sense of humor?” Maria shrugged, worried by that last threat.
“That’s-”
Vivan was cut off by the creaking of the door. They all turned to see Elena, an elven girl with short dark hair and brown eyes, wearing a worn travelling cloak. Vivian looked up at her.
“Uhhh hi, your name is?”
“Elena, I was the one they sent to protect the Orb, Valdis regains are marching on the capitol as we speak, and some rumor that Methuselah is trying to get his hand on the Orb,”
“Oh, is that so,” Kathrine said, glaring at the valdian girl standing next to Maria “Well I think we just caught the thief,”
“Ooooh!” Maria said enthusiastically rubbing her hands together “ This is starting to get interesting,”
Vivian turned to Elena “Well… just give us a second to sort these two out,”
Elena nodded, set her bags down and walked out the door, shuting it softly behind her.
Katherine broke the silence, pointing to Maria, “Well, back to what you were saying Vivian, I was taken aback that this one is working for a loaf of bread!!”
Grace coughed and said, “I''m working for the lord Valdis!”
“WE KNOW!” Everyone yelled.
“Well, if we put everything back, can we stay?” Maria asked.
?“Where on earth did you get an idea like that?” Vivian demanded.
“When did you come into the picture? Who even are you?" Grace started at Elena.
“I am Elena, and why I come here, human,” Elena sneered at Grace, “is none of your business.”
“How dare you call me human! I am one of the half-elven! I come from Aedre!”
“So you''re from Aedre. Those from there were taken into Valdis’ service and easily corrupted.”
Realizing that she had made the mistake of revealing where she was from, Grace pulled out her sword and lunged at Elena. Vivian stepped forward, brandishing her dirk.
Suddenly, the crystal ball that sat on the bookshelf lit up. CRACK! The crystalline orb sent shards in all directions, but strangely they stopped in midair and slowly started to rotate around the dark room. Magic set Elena and Grace flying across the room in opposite directions. The shards all flashed, then condensed into one shape.
A scroll.
It was bathed in exceeding light. As suddenly as it started, it had stopped, leaving only the scroll. Shocked, Elena picked it up and read it.
“It says ALL of you must stay, for the fate of Eldoria,” Elena sighed, "Well then, it looks like you’re staying here.”
“For whatever dumb reason that might be,” Vivian growled, crossing her arms and glaring at the two would-be thieves.