The plan was simple, use his resonance to steal that mirror, run away, and make a profit. That is why it had flaws. He did not prepare an escape route in advance, his resonance was enough for him; he didn't want to ask anyone for help so as not to split profits, his resonance was enough for him; he also didn't try to prevent them from starting a search, because his resonance was enough to solve all that!
What an idiot...
If any of those present were able to visualize Hax, they would notice that he is a young man in his twenties, with white hair and light skin that was easily marked, it would be obvious that he is not someone of great financial capacity because of his torn pants that kind of weren't brown originally. Ah, his T-shirt was black and he wore on top of it a leather belt with half a dozen small knives —for what resonance can't handle —and a pair of leather shoes that almost fell apart on their own.
"Sorry?" Natsume addressed the guy in the golden armor. "Under arrest? Why?"
Hax crawled to the remains of the mirror, praying that the discussion would be long so that he could grab as many pieces as possible.
"For stealing one of the precious crystalline mirrors" The guards started down the hill.
"I am sure there is a mistake" Seng took an eye on the guards, for him they were not a big deal but that the three of them wore almost full body armor and a sword confirmed their origin. "Or are you talking about these pieces of glass that we found?"
"You're not going to fool us," said the red-haired guard, "if they disappear from my sight for a second I will have no mercy." He accompanied the threat of him placing his hand on the handle of the sword.
"We are just travelers heading to the city, I see no reason to treat tourists like that" Seng replied, even he had the grace to raise his hands in submission.
The red-haired guard came face to face with Seng, kept an eye on him for some weapon or dangerous object, both Natsume and Layd were kept on the sidelines by the terrifying stares of the taller guard —who took Seng a couple of centimeters or so and nearly fifteen to the other two —and the third full-helmeted guard carrying not one but two swords.
"If this is what you want, then take it." Seng glanced at the pieces of the mirror. "I'm sorry it's broken, but that's how we found it."
"Hm," The redhead scratched his chin. "Well, we'll escort you to the city anyway, don't resist and there won't be any problems."
Seng and Natsume sighed in unison, for sure they were going to spend an annoying amount of time answering stupid questions ad nauseam, at least they weren't attacked.
"Won't you pick up the pieces?" Layd asked innocently, which had the opposite effect and aroused suspicion from the redhead about him.
Hax gulped, already carrying a good number of the pieces in his arms. It wasn't what was promised, but they could give him a reduced pay after all, it was a matter of being patient and waiting for them to go to hide behind the hill so that they would not see him when they left.
Hax's resonance is one of the most crawling and convenient a petty thief like him could have, allowing him to go unnoticed for a ridiculous amount of time as long as there are more than one person other than him present within a ten meter radius. It is so incredible that whatever it carries on it is not perceived either, although it is enough to come into contact with it to notice it.
In fact, he likes it so much that he gave it a name: Social Camouflage. He loves to say it; the bad thing is that for privacy reasons he has never commented that to anyone other than his brother.
And for this he himself is an idiot.
He stole the mirror with the help of its resonance, invisible to the eyes of the crowd and left the city to go to the meeting point. He didn't stop to think what the guards were going to do when they realized that the mirror was not there, nor did he think that they would be able to notice a guy walking outside with a mirror in his hand alone, is that, please, to be so proud of his resonance, how he doesn't understand it one hundred percent?
Anyway, he was lucky to hear that the guards were coming after him and even more so when he heard the intense debate and shouting from Seng and Natsume. An easy way out! Ha! His luck ended the moment Airys fell across and knocked the mirror out of his hands.
"We will wait for it to reassemble" said the tall guard.
"Re-assemble?" Hax thought those words and immediately the pieces of glass between his arms began to press against his skin, to the point of ripping him and leaving several cuts that, if it had not been because he opened his arms to release them, would have been lethal.
The pieces of the mirror regrouped —blood dripping on the path —to form a mirror the size of a man on the ground, free of marks or scratches, yet none paid attention to that wonderful act of magic, no, they saw Hax appear out of nowhere to Seng's right.
Since thanks to the pain, he deactivated the resonance inadvertently.
There was an awkward silence.
For those present it was not too much. Hax's low, suppressed groan bounced off everyone's ears, the only one who looked at him with pity was Layd, self-conscious about the painful wounds. Of the rest, Seng and Natsume fixed their eyes on him like hungry wolves and then exchanged glances with each other in anticipation of what was to happen.
"I'm really sorry, but I have no alternative" Even with his arms shaking and his mind partially clouded, Hax reasoned a creeping tactic to try to flee: incriminate those strangers. "Guys, hel/"
Seng jerked back and Natsume raised her guard in reaction to the swift and shocking movement of the red-haired guard, the subject planted his glove on Hax's face and lifted him up from there while the pair watched the scene.
"I'm going to want a detailed explanation." Poor Hax held the guard's arm. "From all of you" The aura of authority he transmitted to Seng and Natsume was underscored by a macabre violet reflection in his eyes.
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"Name and occupation."
Seng was behind golden bars, chained to a stone wall by chains of the same color that led to his voles and neck, apart from the fact that his arms were handcuffed behind his back with golden handcuffs.
"Name and occupation," the tall guard repeated.
"How about Seng? Totally innocent traveler" Seng underlined as he considered an escape method with his resonances the instant the guard will leave the room.
After that unfortunate misfortune, the trio of travelers and Hax were escorted to the base within the walls —also known as the prison corridors —for questioning. Typically, visitors pass through a very different place, a large gate with golden touches guarded by guards dozens of times friendlier who at most ask for basic information and let people pass without much problem.
In cases of suspicion, they take you through another smaller door to delve into the questions; and beyond, they take you underground to —to be honest —incarcerate you until you can prove your innocence.
That was what happened to the four of them, taken underground and separated.
"What were you doing hiding the thief's presence?"
"Well, even though it bothers me to admit it, I had no idea he was there to begin with." Seng glanced at the light from the single candle in front of him, it was a good angle, casting a faint shadow just behind that would be useful in case he was not released.
"Do you have proof to back up your words?"
"Excuse me?" Seng blinked and narrowed his eyes in doubt.
"Until you prove you have no connection with the thief, you will be locked up here."
"How do you expect me to prove something like that?"
"Not my problem."
Seng grumbled.
-"Anyway, when I leave the room I'll get out of here and see how to find the brat to leave" He said to himself with confidence "There is no way that they can watch me all the time" Right?
"Name and profession."
"E-eh Layd?" I-I haven't really thought about what I'd like to do…" Layd was chained and handcuffed the same way as Seng, in a different room. "I guess… adventurer? Maybe bodyguard?"
"What were you doing hiding the thief's presence?" Asked the tall guard, interrogating both in different places at the same time while another room interrogated Natsume in a similar situation.
"I don't even know him; do you really think I'm his accomplice?" Natsume questioned clearly annoyed.
Ignorant of the resonance of Padd, the best guard in the city of Dingars.