Heist - The Radasanthian Job

[Haruzame]

((Closed))

Starlit sky towered above the restless city. Soldiers, armed and watchful, marched through the streets in three and ever ready. Citizens huddled together at the dinner table, praying thanks to their gods for the evening meal. Huddled together at the fireplace, feeding on warmth from the generous hearth within their homes.

A tiny white figure raced along the shingled roof, scampering to and fro in forage for her meal. With an unlucky pigeon in her maw, the creature perked its tiny round ears before racing off to find her master - a lonesome figure perched beneath the darkened sky.

Kenshin gave his little Misao a light pat on her head as she bounced over to her master, dropping the dead bird that would be her meal nearby. Smiling to his little princess as she resumed her late evening meal, the young thief turned his gaze out towards a large mansion several roofs away.

It was a wonderful night in the countryside not far away from the city's bustling center, but the young Akashiman thief was in no mood to take in the sights. After having wandered around Radasanth for many months, making the occasional getaway with a loaf of bread or two to sustain his own life, this proved to be the most serious of job he had received so far.

Here is what we want you to steal, kid. The meeting three nights back in a rather run-down tavern on the Radasanthian docks returned to the front of his mind, a piece of cloth he had "borrowed" from a clothesline earlier that night draped over his shoulders as he observed the people moving within the estate grounds. The Stone of Jhor Dann, a diamond dug up from the mines not more than two weeks ago in the Jagged Mountain mines. It's been cut and distributed, but we don't know how large it was at first. However, we do know where the largest cut piece is.

His eyes tracked a trio of armed Coronian Empire soldiers patrolling the streets outside the gates of the compound, seeing more in pairs standing at the ready on the other side of the grand-looking walls. These men were going to be a problem, that was what he knew.

"Viceroy Arundiel's Country Mansion, huh?" Kenshin mused to himself and sighed, pulling the warm blanket over his head to keep himself from catching a cold. "Man, what a night to go stealing stuff." Kenshin let out a sigh, thinking back on other informations he was given in the brief period of time.

What we want you to do is "liberate" the diamond from those power-hungry politicians and bring it back to us. With the stone, we can continue our struggle against this injustice imposed the Empire as well as force the Viceroys to pay for the gem they stole from the miners.

"Well, a job's a job. Can't argue with something that puts food in our stomach, right Misao?" Kenshin could care less about the conflict within Corone. He was not even a Coronian, after all, and there was nothing much for him to gain from this civil war asides a handful of stealing jobs and plenty of people in need. Then again, that would also mean he would have to steal less to survive day-to-day as well, so it was not all that bad.

Kenshin turned to look at his pet when she did not reply, only to see she was delving into the remains of fluff and bones that was once a bird. The thief groaned in disdain as he held a hand to his stomach, wishing the little ferret had not reminded him that he made do without dinner earlier that night.

"Phuu... I guess I'll just have to grab a stick of bread on my way out." The Akashiman thief sighed as he looked out towards the estate. Above his head, the stars shone dimly in anticipation of the heist to come.

[Crimson Rose]

The boat was slowly docking along the Corone harbor. Mariah was suppose to meet with a mysterious man who said that he had a job for her. She had been warned though, not to take any jobs. Soon after she had arrived at the Lavinian thieves Guild, the guild’s healer Mother had passed away. This had been a big shock to the entire guild and Darith had soon asked Mariah to become the Guild’s only healer. She had accepted gladly, because the job would restrict her from leaving the safety of the Guild.

However, at this time the Guild was short on available help. Sarah had been banished, Seth a sigh escaped her lips as she pursed them. Seth was gone, and most of the other remaining members were out on their own missions. So Darith had sent her, with sage advice Don’t over do it Rose. This is a mission based in Corone. You know your parents are looking for you, so keep a low profile.

These were words that Mari was keeping close to her heart, as she stepped off the ship’s wooden gang plank she kept her head low as a guard was checking each passengers ID. Hers was being taken care of by a young contact of the Guild. As she walked past the burly dark haired guard her escort said in a thick voice “The ladies with me. She’s a guest at my home!” as The cold night air blew around the trio, Mariah couldn’t help but shiver slightly.

The guard eyed the brown haired man suspiciously as he said lightly “We’ve had trouble in these parts. With the war and all, we need to make sure no trouble makers are entering this port. His eyes then fell on Mariah’s slim figure, who was pulling her cloak more tightly around her to keep out the chill. His eyes narrowed as he said softly “Who is this woman? She isn’t on the list of normal passengers who come through here at this hour.”

The man smiled disarmingly as he said softly “I know, don’t worry she’s just a healer. My mother is sick and I need to bring this young lady to see her at last minute.”

“Very well.” Came the guards short reply as he saw that all the man’s paper work was in order. Handing it back to the man, the two moved past the guard before Mariah spoke.

“Thanks Sam. You helped me out greatly.” She then gave the man a brief hug making the contact as limited as possible.

“It was no problem Rose. Your meeting place is at the warehouse. The party who requested to meet you should be there shortly..” He then moved away from the dock with the words “Be careful” Thrown over his shoulder to the red haired woman.

“I will.” Mariah said softly as she turned and made her way across the dock’s wooden walkway. She could hear the sounds of the ocean as she begin to make her way to the ware house district. Studying the gray colored buildings, she soon came to one number fourteen. This was the designated meeting spot. Pushing the steel gray doors open, Rose walked in to see a blonde haired woman sitting on a pile of boxes. Her hair was done up in a bun and her blue eyes were soft as she turned to stare at the young thief.

“Finally! You’ve arrived! We’ve heard that Lavinian thieves are the best around! We’ve a request for you! We’re a third party hired by the Coronian empire. We’re called Strath. We would like you to steal this gem for us.”

Taking the note, her eyes widened as she murmurs “ The Stone of Jhor Dann” Do you know how heavily guarded that stone is?”

“Yes Miss Mitami we do. Don’t worry you will be heavily rewarded for your services!” The blonde haired woman said a tight smile on her pale face.

Mariah let out a heavy sigh as she tucked the note into a leather satchel she was carrying. Nodding briefly she murmurs “Very well. I’ll do it.” She then moved to exit the warehouse and pulled the cloak around her again. She hated this cold weather, it didn’t bode as a good omen to the young thief.

Moving to exit the dock, she begin to sneak her way through the streets sticking to the shadows. As she begin to get to the Radasanthian suburbs she cringed. The area was starting to look all to familiar to the young crimson haired girl. Her parents home was here, not only would she have to dodge the guards that patrolled the streets, but she would also have to make sure that none of the goons her parents had hired to look for her found her.

A sigh escaped her as she tiptoed past a sleeping guard, the cold air was playing with his coat flaps, but he was in such a deep sleep that he didn’t notice. As she came onto the heavily guarded fortress. She noted the address…biting her lip she moves to begin to scale the wall.

Looking down she sees many guards patrolling the grounds as she thinks Well here goes nothing….this heist better be worth it. I didn’t leave the safety of the Guild for nothing…

[Haruzame]

"ACH-CHOO!"

Kenshin let out a thunderous blast of sneeze as he remained vigilant upon the Radasanthian rooftops. The boy had been staking out since nightfall and mentally noting the paths and rotations of the guards down below. While it did wonders to his health, what with the chilling breeze of early Spring breathing on the sleepless city to chase away the last of wintry flakes, the wait was all worth the trouble.

The estate covered a very large patch of land, most of the area within the safety of its solid stone walls which were topped off with intricate metal barbs at the top. Kenshin winced at the thought of getting his foot caught in one of those, feeling a chill creep up his spine at the very thought. Looking beyond the stone defenses and patrolling guards outside on the streets, his eyes traced the lines of trees and shrubs running across the front lawn in intricate patterns only a man with wagonloads of Crowns would be able to afford.

Of course, the lack of any tall trees frustrated the young thief. While there were definitely some running close to the mansion on the south side where he was looking from, there were barely any he could use to tarverse the grounds within.

"Hmm... This is a lot harder than I thought." He muttered, disenchanted by his usually brilliant brain, and slowly stood up with the blanket still over his head. Staring down on the Radasanthian Estate, Keshin casually flexed his dexterious fingers for the anticipated job to begin.

"Either way, this is going to be fun..."

Letting the blanket drift away with the sudden gust of cold wind, the Akashiman Thief grinned in excitement and disappeared from the rooftop.

Of course, it took him a while before finally getting his feet down on solid ground. Apparently, the young man had forgotten how he first got up onto the roof...

***

One, two, three... One, two, three...

Silent whispers hung in the darkened night air in puffs of white clouds as a crouched form lurked behind a wooden barrel. Soldiers, armed with halberds that shone amidst the grand manor's shining lights, marched past to the steady rhythm of the billowing clouds.

One, two, three...

Edging silently on his hands, the young thief watched as the pairs of armed guards walked by with eyes attentive and straight in front. Grinning to himself as they marched on by, the boy carefully tip-toed from one shadowy hiding place to another until he was almost opposite to the farthest side of the main gate - a spot he noticed that took each pair of guards almost ten seconds to come into view. It was a prime entry point for a sneaky cat burglar with the balls to do it. Kenshin certainly knew he had enough of that, given the fact he was certain that these men in heavy armor had no way of chasing him down on their own.

But down on the ground, he realized the guards were the least of his problems.

Kenshin stared up at the ten-foot tall, brick and mortar wall staring back at him from across the street. As unimposing as it seemed from the rooftop to the young man, the wall was a deceptively ingenius design. Tall, flat and concave... those were about the only words that came to the young thief's mind.

"Crap... How am I supposed to scale that thing?" Heaving a sigh of frustration, Kenshin almost missed the arrival of the guards and ducked behind the barrel just as the halberdiers rounded the corner. Staying silent as they passed by, the young boy poked his head out after the armed men disappeared out of sight.

Frowning at the impossible obstacle facing him across the street, Kenshin muttered a string of unsavory words to his Luck and looked down at the barrel. A sly grin slowly crept across his face as the gears began to spin.

Of course... There is this way...

By the time the next round of guards passed on by the wall, the only thing remaining was an old wooden barrel rocking lightly next to the manor's wall.

[Crimson Rose]

The red haired woman was perched on a high stone ledge. She was still scanning the estate. Nerves were rattling inside her stomach as she saw pairs of guards with large halberds walking across the manicured lawn. Honestly what she wanted to do was hop right back down to the street, sneak her way back to the docks and get on the next ferry that was headed for Lavinya. But, she couldn't do that. She had a job to complete...she was a better thief now...and she would do everything in her power not to get caught.

Closing her eyes her brain whispers After all...I don't want to be punished again. That is why I originally intended to stay within the Guild's walls. But...Darith assured me I'd be safe...could he perhaps have someone watching out for me? Looking down again, she gulped as a cold wind once more picked up, teasing the hem of her cloak, wrapping her arms around herself she finishes her thoughts I hope so...because with the way I'm feeling...I think i might mess up on this mission...

Her heart was beating rapidly again, as she watched the male guards continue to make their rounds. She counted at least a good ten seconds in between when they showed up, and when they disappeared. Her eyes continued to roam the pretty estate. She only saw a few small bushes and one or two dark areas that were pressed close to the stone wall she was sitting on. There were also a few tall trees closer to the estate.

Upon seeing this, Mariah shivered and her mind was made up I'm out of here. I won't be able to do this...there are too many guards and not enough hiding places! Pivoting on her feet, she was about to leap down, when a security officer appeared with a poster.

Narrowing her eyes, she tried to read what the poster said, but she gasped when she saw her own face. Pivoting yet again, she made the leap without thinking. Between stealing a pretty gem and getting paid, and getting caught by her parents. She'd choose to outmaneuver the guards. She already knew her parents were worried about her, were wondering why she made her rash decisions. But she couldn't answer then, she was an outcast now, she had made her choice when she left her father's manor.

Moving to sneak into the shadows, she murmurs quietly 'I chose to be my own woman. Now I make my way as one!" She then moved to her belly as she snaked across the silky grass. Her goal was a nearby bush, it was big enough to conceal her small figure. Moving towards it she kept her ears to the ground listening for the guard's footsteps. Hearing known as she reached the bush, she crouched within its scratchy leaves as she looked over the next area of the estate. Seeing more guards she sighs and thinks This is going to be slow progress...but I'll get it done! The gem will be mine!

[Haruzame]

...And I have a job to complete! That gem will be mine!

Kenshin gritted his teeth in determination as the thought cricled through his mind. As a thief, his only concern in life was to get what he wanted with whatever means he had. As a former member of the Kamaitachi, the guild of thieves he was involved with back in Akashima, however, his means was that of stealth and minimum use of force. And as a hired hand, his only concern was with the object in question.

...Just... As soon as I... Get up on this branch!

The young thief muttered darkly to himself as he dangled helplessly from his hand from the limbs of an apple tree. While the thief had thought of more than fifteen different ways to enter the estate grounds, he did not even think of how he was going to get into the estate itself. It had only been a few minutes ago when he was still staring up at the building dumbfounded within the safety of a bush.

Then, he saw the apple tree was right there in front of him. Sticking its branch out towards an opened window.

On the third floor of the mansion.

He knew he should have brought a length of rope, but the young thief did not even consider the tree a perilous climb until he was literally shaking in his hakama from limb to limb. And all it took was a mis-timed jump for a branch slightly higher than he imagined to land the would-be invader in a jam.

Kenshin bit hard as he drew in his arms, with every inch that the branch drew closer to his face his muscles burned with pain. Sweaty palms threatened to loosen his grip on the woody bar, compounding his feverish anxiety of being spotted by the patrolling guards. But after a fierce struggle with gravity, the thief safely made his landing and was now panting weakly from the exertion.

"Note to self..." Spouting off to himself in between short huffs of breath, Kenshin eased his weary form against the apple tree. "Grappling hooks."

***

With vigor returning to his body, the Akashiman thief carefully edged around the spacious limb and glanced about at the scenic view. The grounds below his perch shone a deep shade of brown, only occasionally broken by the lamps carried by each of the guards. Kenshin instinctively crawled back into the shadows as one of the patrol groups shone his lantern at the tree, a beam of light nearly striking the thief's foot as he carefully glance down at the ground. Moments later, the guards retreated and moved on to ensure security in other parts of the mansion grounds.

"Alright, Misao. Let's go."

Gently digging into his baggy dark-blue jacket, Kenshin lifted his pet ferret out and placed her on a nearby branch. The slender creature sniffed the air around her and stared back at her master, perking her ears as if waiting on his command.

"Go through that window." He pointed at their entry point, just a few feet away from one of the tree's more sturdy branches. The albino carnivore gave a tentative look at her master, but relented under his command. With slow and steady footing, she edged towards the nearest branch and leapt at the very end. Sailing through the air like a wisp of smoke, the ferret landed quietly upon the building's carpeted hall.

"My turn..."

The anticipation was nearly killing him as he edged his way towards the end, feeling the branch dip under his weight the closer he got to the window. His throat coiled into a knot as he tried his best not to glance down at the ground fifty feet below, all the while reminding him that the branch was safe and strong enough to support his weight. Taking in several deep breaths, the thief prepared for his jump.

And without as much as a snap of a twig, the Akashiman thief soared into the air.

"Oh, look at that! Margaretta, look! It's a little ermine!"

Blood literally drained from Kenshin's face upon the words reaching his ears.

Whoosh-!

[Crimson Rose]

The bush's leaves were smooth, as the young thief pressed some of the branches aside to see just where the guards were at the moment. Seeing a pair of guards and dogs passing right by the bush, Mariah pressed her back snugly against the soft leaves. Knowing that she needed to find information she listened in to the guards who were apparently talking with one another.

"The young miss, she always leaves her bedroom window open." a husky voice said as he paused letting his dog stop to sniff at a nearby tree.

"I see, doesn't she worry about thieves?" came a soft voice.

"Apparently not..." the husky voice said.

"I see, well lets hope that her bedroom is watched." the soft voice said, worry was in his voice.

The husky voiced guard laughed a bit as he replied his voice fading "Oh it is, her bedroom window is right here." he then pointed in front of him, his dog barking slightly wanting to go.

Mariah's eyes lit up joyously. She had seen through her brief gap in the leaves of the bush, where the guard had been pointing.

Mariah's eyes lit up as she heard the guards walking away. Now she knew where her ticket in was. With giddy anticipation, the thief crawled her way out of her hiding bush. Moving stealthily the thief soon reached a wall covered with ivy. The ivy crawled its way up an elegant balustrade. Looking up Mariah saw that the ivy ended at the balustrades's railing. Knowing that she did not have much time, Rose grabbed the ivy's cold smooth vines.

Balancing her weight, she slowly made her climb up the vines. Once she nearly slipped as due to her excitement, her hands were slippery. Scrambling to keep her hold, she had pressed her feet against the mansion's smooth wall. She then after that trouble had made her way to the balcony of the balastrude. Settling her feet on the smooth stone floor.

The thief saw an open window, which led to a sumptuous bedroom. Smiling she slowly made her way inside. Keeping to the shadows, Mariah could see a young girl lying in a sumptuous bed of pink silks, a pink canopy created a princess affect for her as she slept. Moving to crawl across the room's large exterior, she cursed softly when she bumped into a wooden rocking horse.

Moving to disappear into the darkest corner of the room, Mariah heard the girl rise slowly in her bed. She could see the girl's little shadow figure rubbing her eyes as she called out "Whose there?" the little girl's head was then looking around as if for the intruder.

Something brushed against Mariah's foot, a furry body passed and a soft meow could be heard as a cat jumped up on the girl's bed. The girl then shouted excitedly "Meow meow it was you!" giggling the girl then grabbed the kitten and snuggled back into bed.

Relief filled Mariah's heart as she turned to make her way to the hall. She had a close call, she had almost been caught, but now she was inside. Her next goal was to locate the gem and then make it safely out of this heavily guarded mansion.

[Haruzame]

"...OK, that was too close..."

Dangling beneath the window sill was the young thief, hanging on to his dear life between a pair of house servants and a three-story drop onto solid ground below. With the only thing keeping his form concealed was the opened window, the burglar had no choice but to wait for the two ladies to disappear out of sight.

As if the Angel of the Lucky Star had heard his plea, the two maids started walking away, chatting lively about the cute little ferret they had found. As soon as he could no longer hear their lyrical voices, the thief painfully pulled himself up and tumbled in through the window, letting gravity do the job of dragging him through into the mansion. Rolling head over heels, he unceremoniously slammed against the legs of a small table with a resounding whack ringing in his ears.

Oy oy oy...! I should've watched for that table...

A strange "rolling" sound caught his ears and the thief looked up just in time to see a bright turquoise vase teetering on its edge, slowly winding down with the cute pink roses within dancing in circles above its rim. He frowned in agony and held out his hands, just in time to catch the ceramic vase in his lap as water and flower petals splash onto his head.

...and now, I need dry clothes.

Setting the vase back on the table with the handful of bruised roses back in its former hold, Kenshin tip-toed his way down the corridor while grudgingly shaking water from his head. While he was out gathering information before the strike, he learned that the gem's showroom was on the fifth floor of the mansion. But with nothing else to lead him forward, the boy decided to just head on upwards and deal with anything else that might come his way. He would not fail on his jobs, whether the obstacle before him were pikes, swords or a vase of perfumy roses.

Hmm... Maybe Kohaku might like this smell... The boy could not help musing as he quietly rounded a corner, peering into the stairwell before scampering towards the next floor.

[Crimson Rose]

(Sorry Raven XD My first post attempt went bye bye after the computer had to be restarted. This is my second attempt.)

As the young thief closed the little girl's door behind her, she paused as she checked inside the room. Mari wanted to make sure that the girl was soundly asleep with her precious little kitten Meow Meow . Peeking in, her eyes fell on the princess-style bed with its bright silken pink canopy. She could see the little manor princess curled up snugly, her satiny sheets pulled up snugly to her chin. The little cat was curled like a ball of yarn in the girl's arms. Soft snores came from the young princess's lips, and the kitten simply purred in contentment. Satisfied that the young girl of the house was soundly sleeping, Mariah pivoted silently on her feet to continue her way down the hall.

However, one thought came to Rose's mind; If only I had been treated like that, like a young and pampered princess. Then perhaps father's unbearable lessons would have been tolerable. He tried to train me at a young age to be a perfect wife for some rich snob. He wanted me to know how to be perfect at etiquette and to know the precise things to say at fancy schmancy charity balls and tea parties. But, much to his dismay, I turned out to be a tom boy, far more interested in learning illusionary magic and wanted my own freedom. His thoughts of getting some rich son-in-law did not come to fruition. her thoughts though were soon disrupted by a heavenly aroma.

Blinking as her soft booted feet froze on the plush white carpet, Rose, whose nickname she had gotten due to her crimson hair, looked up to see a partially open door. Sumptuous smells were coming from the door way, her stomach did a little butterfly flip as it shouted Feed me! Feed me with that delicious smelling food! Creeping her way quietly forward, Mariah soon found herself peeking into a spotlessly clean kitchen.

Teflon pots and pans were hanging on hooks in front of a professional grade stove. Marble countertop work stations dotted three different islands in the cavernous kitchen. Two men were quietly preparing food at the farthest work station. One who appeared to be the head chef, wore a tall gray chef's hat and a matching professional gray apron. He was busy cutting a freshly cooked filet mignon. The meat itself was cooked to perfection, with just the slightest bit of pink glistening off the meat's pristine surface. His assistant, a freckled red-headed boy was busy making up a batch of freshly made rosemary potatoes.

Licking her lips as Rose tried her damnedests to keep her feet from moving toward the food, she heard her stomach give a low complaint as it growled damn it! The last thing you had to eat was that plain meatball sub on the ship! Feed me! a groan, muffled by Rose's hand touched her lips as she knew why her stomach was complaining. It had been ages since the young thief had tasted a gourmet meal. The last meal that was gourmet had been baked salmon with a garlic pesto sauce, served with a rice pilaf and steamed broccoli with a freshly made cheddar cheese sauce. She verily remembered that shortly after that meal she had made her escape. Due to the fact that she had heard her father discussing with some rich noble her proposal in marriage to his son.

Her thoughts on delicious delicate foods was interrupted by a squeaky eager voice. The young assistant was turning to his boss with a wide smile as he whispered "Did you hear chef Marcus? About that giant gem they've got stored up on the fifth floor? I heard it was worth millions! I-"

"Monsieur Sean! Do not speak of such matters! That mon amie is a secret! We low peasants do not speak of master's private treasures!"

Looking rebuffed, the young freckled faced man put down his potato masher as he whispered "But Master Marcus, I heard that many-"

A wide meaty hand was held up for the young man to stop as chef Marcus said in a terse, flat voice "Mon amie, we do not who listens! Stop now!" He then returned to finishing up the presentation for the filet mignon, with parsley dotting the rich brown gravy he had poured on top the glistening meat, he then turned and placed a generous portion of rosemary potatoes next to the meat, he then motioned for his assistant to take the plates as he muttered "Put these foil wrapped in the fridge, you know the young master returns late and he likes a bite before bed."

Mariah had heard enough, ignoring the young assistant's pattering feet, she silently pressed her way against the wall of the hall. She felt she had a lucky break hearing upon the information where the gem was stored. A grin wide and bright came to her pretty features as she thought gleefully SCORE! Now I know where it is, now its just the quick business of snatching up the prize, then getting safely away!