Beneath a crumbling moon, its surface shattered. With fallen pieces left to follow in its path as it orbits the planet, a brilliant azure trail in its wake. Lay Luven, an outlying city in the Kingdom of Lalon, that was known for being the closest to the eastern border. It had a high military presence due to the tensions between Lalon and their eastern neighbour, as well as an increasing 'Tainted' count; monstrous abominations that had many different species and breeds.
Luven was a hub of activity and wealth. Merchants and traders came flocking to sell their goods, and people came to find whatever employment they could. It was a wondrous place, surrounded by plains and meadows for as far as the eye could see. The city was peaceful, mainly due to the military's great disdain for criminals undermining their authority. However, there were still a handful of miscreants who always seemed to get up to trouble…
"Hurry Feln! We'll miss our chance!"
An alarmingly abnormal looking boy was dangling from the roof of a wealthy looking building made of rich stones and metal. The only thing keeping him from a long fall, was a gnarled rope that was being lowered over the edge of the building, a normal looking boy on the opposite end of it.
Gritting his teeth, and trying his best not to look down. "I know, Hof! I am trying! Don't rush me! You know I don't like heights!"
"Okay, okay! This isn't easy for me either!"
Beneath the thick layer of dirt and the curly auburn hair covering the young boy's face, one would see Hof's hazel eyes. He was quite tall for a human child, his features still quite soft. Especially considering he, like Feln, was raised on bread and stew at the church. A full meal. One orphans should be grateful for. Yet, Hof and Feln found it slightly lacking.
"Just hold me steady!" Feln snarled.
Feln was also abnormal. For a start; he wasn't human. He was a beastman. His crimson eyes, bone white fur, big ears and large tail; made his large frame the most normal thing about him.
He was almost as tall as the adults in the city, with the strength to match, which often caused him and Hof to get up to a lot of mischief.
Mischief like this.
They had already hit many buildings over the past couple years, the owners never got so much of a whiff of them. If they weren't stealing from buildings, they were pickpocketing. If they weren't pickpocketing, they were running through the street stalls snatching things before people could even see them.
But, he didn't think that trying to rob an apartment on the fifth story was the best idea. Especially when said building was eight stories high, and he was hanging from it. He was holding on for dear life, attached to a rope that they may or may not have taken from a pile of rotted garbage. 'Why did I let him convince me to do this?'
He kept reaching for the railing closest to him, his voice low and frustrated. "Remind me… Why… I let you hold me?"
Predictably, Hof's reply was quick. "Because! You are better at stealing! You can easily find out where the food is!"
He didn't like to think of it as stealing, it was more like charity. It wasn't his fault that the only good food happened to be quite expensive.
He was close to the railing now, yet still out of reach. So he prepared himself for what he intended to do next…
He was here now. Might as well go all the way.
"On my count! Let go!" He yelled, keeping his head locked on target.
Hof's eyes went wide, his voice full of disbelief, "Are you crazy! You are too high up! And I'm not sure I can hold you if you start swinging! Please, please, please don't!"
Without giving Hof a second more to complain, he started to swing back and forth using his body. The rope and Hof both groaned due to the sudden movements.
"1!" He shouted, beginning his count.
"No! Feln! I'm serious! I'm sorry I suggested it! C'mon we'll just go grab somethin' from the street!"
"2!"
Hof continued to anxiously plead, "Don't! Mother Meredith will kill me if you die!"
With one last swing, Feln started his final approach. "3!"
The moment Hof reluctantly let go, Feln did a somersault, into a roll, before landing on the balls of his feet. Now crouched, he took note of his surroundings. He had managed to get onto the main balcony overlooking the streets below, with various windows and doors leading inside.
Cupping a hand to his mouth, he called. "Hello!" His ears flicked, searching for any possible sign of life. 'They must be out! We were right!'
He shuffled over to the door, his ghostly white hands reaching for the handle. Grabbing hold of it, he slid it over and stepped through the threshold.
He was in.
And what he saw made his jaw drop. The interior was something straight out of a movie; not that he had seen many. Sneaking into those magical theatres was not easy, or productive.
The room was opulent: red velvet sheets and pillows, mahogany tables and bed frames with gold lining almost everything in sight. It was just wealth upon wealth.
But he wasn't interested in stuff that would be impossible to get rid of. He only wanted the food. So, he silently moved towards the doorway at the end of the room, his footfalls measured and light, his breath indistinguishable from the air flowing through the room. The door opened quietly, cracking open to reveal a corridor going left and right. He peeked around the corners, no one in sight.
He took a moment. Watching. Waiting. Listening. And smelling. He could tell that his bounty was to the right, waiting for him to retrieve it. He couldn't smell anything else; no trace of the owner. 'We picked the right time of day!'
Running through the corridor, his steps remained undetectable. He was like a phantom, none capable of noticing his passing.
He reached yet another door, standing before him like the gates of heaven before the soul; paradise was beyond. He would be damned if he didn't go through.
He stretched his arm out, reaching for the handle, the anticipation for what lay inside just eating at him.
Then it happened.
As his hand was but an inch away from the handle, the door creaked open slowly.
For Feln, time seemed to slow, his mind alert and energised. He saw a boulder shaped stomach dressed in a luxurious black suit, then a disgustingly inflamed shoulder, topped by a round and shining head. Then a face. An ugly and lard filled face.
"…"
'Shit! How did I not notice him?'
Wide eyed, the spherical man raised his meaty fingers and pointed at the terrifying wolf that he had come face to face with in his kitchen doorway.
His mouth opened, "...beeeeze!…" only being able to produce a ghastly wheezing sound. The man collected himself, his mouth taking in incredible amounts of air, before bellowing out one of the loudest shouts Feln had ever heard. "BEAST!"
His ears rang, too sensitive to the sound, he stumbled back a couple paces.
The man looked at him with such wrath.
…Yet... He seemed to stop for a moment.
…His face scrunched up, thinking...
They stood like that for a few moments; the wolf-boy holding his breath, the fat man thinking.
…Then, the man came to a realisation...
His face changed, it filled with murderous glee, his eyes becoming crescents of pure elation. An evil and malicious smile disfiguring his face, the contours of it unpleasantly stretching.
Feln's blood ran cold. 'Why is he happy?'
Everything in his body was telling him to run, to get out of there. That wasn't an expression of shock and fear.
That was excitement. That was pleasure.
The fat man reached deep behind the door, his hands grasping for something unseen... a shining steel barrel... a musket.
As the fat man brandished the weapon, his face became stony, the happiness now absent. "It's a shame, beast. Your blood is filthy, impure, tainted and disgusting. Your presence in this home is an affront to God; and an insult to me. I pity the poor bastard that will have to clean your blood out of the floors." He lightly laughed to himself, his unsightly body shaking from side to side.
"It's unfortunate that I'll have to explain everything to the other nobles. How a crazed beastman broke into my home seeking to consume my flesh and steal my riches. But… since you've given me such an opportunity!" His voice reached a crescendo, "I would be a fool not to take it!"
Feln felt every nerve in his body ignite with a burning sensation, the fear sending his body into overdrive '...shit…' He took off, his blood finally running hot again. His figure sprinted back through the corridor, leaving scratches on the flooring.
He heard a resounding click and the rush of air as a flame ignited.
'Not good!'
He was already back down the corridor, just managing to grab hold of the door frame and swinging into the bedroom.
Just in time too…
With a loud bang, the doorframe behind him exploded into splinters, his hand being seriously wounded in the blast, the lard man having shot a bullet from his powdered musket. 'Fuck! My hand!'
Fear threatened to drown his mind, internally screaming 'NonononononoI have to get out of here.' With painful tears in his eyes, he stumbled through the room, knocking over jewellery and trinkets as he scrambled his way to the balcony.
Breathing heavily, he tripped, landing on his side on the balcony. He hastily turned back to look at the door to the bedroom.
The man stood there, filling the doorway. The blood loss and adrenaline caused Feln's mind to see things that weren't there. The ripples of the man's suit began to resemble the billowing cloak of death. The gleaming musket, the scythe.
But... Strangely, it didn't serve to frighten him. In fact, it made him determined. It enraged him. 'Fuck! Fuck! I'm never stealing again!' He clenched his jaw and his fists.
He rolled over, his feet and one good hand placed firmly against the ground and his eyes locked onto the railing.
"BEAST! GET BACK HERE!" Another click, another ignition.
His heart was racing now.
He didn't want to die.
'I can make it! I have to make it!' The world seemed to slow, his heart and adrenaline working overtime to ensure his survival.
…He took one last deep breath…
…He launched himself at the railing. The ground behind him exploded from the musket's blast...
…His foot found purchase atop the rails, allowing him to leap once more and dig his clawed feet into the side of the building...
He climbed around the corner and out of sight of the balcony, right as the stone just to the side of his head shattered, spraying him with shards of rock. Luckily he had turned his face away, but it still cut up the side of his head.
There was so much pressure in his head he thought it might explode, 'Crazy bastard…'
He sat there for a handful of seconds, his heart rate slowing, his breathing calming, his fur no longer bristling.
With great effort, he scaled the side of the building, leaving deep grooves in the stone and causing his hand to bleed even more.
"Feln! Feln you made it! Here grab my hand! We gotta get out of here!"
He reached up and took hold, his bloodied hands staining Hof's.
Beside how he felt, he joked, "Really, Hof? I wouldn't have guessed…"
He felt tired.