[PP-F2] "What is a Hero?" Saga - The Shadow of the Mountain - Part 2 (Flints, Razum-dar)

[Endilix 0]

Continued from Part 1

Endilix followed behind Raz, still fairly intrigued by the idea of a warehouse full of thieves. But as they had walked, and continued along the landscape of Floor Two, Endilix watched the sun begin to set behind the mountains and was beginning to wonder if Raz was actually leading them anywhere. His thoughts began to mirror Flints, as he watched the other redhead practically skipping his way to what he hoped was their destination, before beginning to consider the idea that this was all a trap. Raz was too happy, and perhaps Endilix had been too trusting of the boy.

Finally, Endilix called a stop to their wandering, as he said, "Hold on. Raz, we've been walking for the better part of an hour or two now, and I feel like we're no closer to our destination. Not to mention, the more I think about it, our destination seems a tad too... convenient for you. How can I be sure that you're not just leading us on either a wild goose chase or into another ambush, only this time with actual, smart players?"

Edited April 22, 2016 by Endilix

[Flints 0]

Flints followed the two and perked up at what Endilix was saying; he voiced the words she had feared to speak. She looked to Raz and immediately felt bad. This certainly wasn't like her. To feel bad for anyone. But he looked so...happy? Glad to actually have done something for once. And here they were, both Endilix and her doubting him. This was exactly why people didn't trust. He was starting to trust them. At least a little bit. It didn't show much but it was there. Flints frowned at Endilix and spoke. "I'm sure it was just a mistake..maybe we are just lost? We should back step or something.." When it came down to it she didn't want to accused Raz of anything. Maybe a part of her really wanted to trust him.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Flints

[Razum-dar 0]

Raz stopped in his tracks when Endilix called a halt to their walking. Raz blinked, having almost forgotten that they were actually going somewhere. Raz was just on autopilot. He knew where they were going and how they'd get there, but now there was doubt? Raz turned to Endilix, and raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you save Raz's life, and you think that Raz will just lead you to your death? What good would that do Raz?" Raz folded his arms and considered his arguement, as he narrowed his eyes at the red haired tank, "You have done nothing to slight this thieves guild. They have no reason to kill you. They have no reason yet to fear you. What good would it do for Raz to lead you into a trap when no benefit is gained by either party, either from your deaths or your victory." Raz shook his head, "Raz thought he had acted more honorably, but evidently there is still doubt. Just trust Raz a little longer, get the information you need, and then you can believe Raz a traitor. Until then, doing so will only cause needless bloodshed."

[Endilix 0]

Endilix looked to Flints and then to Raz, before giving a sigh. They were both looking at him like he was crazy, and Endilix certainly felt bad for what he had said almost immediately. He looked apologetically to Flints before saying to Raz, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. You're both right. It's just odd having been walking around, and we were just ambushed by NPC thieves, and... I apologize. Raz, continue onwards and I'll not let paranoia plague my thoughts any longer." Endilix looked to Flints, "Also, I've been thinking, and perhaps we should act like Raz is the leader here. If anyone recognizes him, they're realize he had been sent for execution and lived and we can get through the warehouse with little issue. Perhaps we'd gain more information that way than fighting. What do you both think?"

[Flints 0]

Flints raised an eyebrow at Raz's words. He wasn't wrong, infact his words rang true in an eerie way. He was pretty intellegent to say the least. And with nothing gained from either prospectives she gave a sigh and relaxed some more. She walked closer to Raz and smiled weakly to him. "I thought your fighting was pretty impressive. You have a lot of fire." Flints felt her face grow hot as she looked back at Endilix. "That makes sense. And he gained a crew out of it...?" they were going to make Raz look like a hero that was for sure. A grand underdog. "Wait. What if information of us has spread. I'm sure the thieves having their source of entertainment and punishment taken away isn't something that's just pushed under a rug."

[Razum-dar 0]

Raz considered Endilix and Flints as they spoke in turn, and Raz nodded, closing his eyes and thinking. "Raz at least appreciates your honesty, Endilix. Though such honesty isn't always a good thing, Raz has found." As Flints commented on Raz's fighting, his eyes lit up and he practically beamed from the compliment, "Well, thank you. Raz has to catch up to you somehow. Raz hopes to tear into things as good as you can someday. You two have shown Raz a whole new world with combat, and it is actually a lot more fun than Raz expected."

Finally, Raz addressed the issue at hand as he first addressed Flints' concerns. "If news has spread, that's even better. Nobody is expected to beat the Executioner, but it has been told that those who do will come back as heroes! So this is kinda Raz's return to the guild as a hero. So it would make sense if Raz had made friends with his power." Raz winked to Flints with this last bit, and gave a smile to Endilix and said, "But we had better get there, standing around talking about it does nothing." And so Raz made his way again.

[Endilix 0]

Endilix chuckled as Raz turned away and began walking again, turning to Flints before he began to follow, "You know, you shouldn't give him too much praise. His head is liable to inflate and he'll float away. Then we'll have no more thief to help us solve this mystery." He winked to Flints, before making after the young man, and said as he walked, "We had better get our stories straight though. Did you woo us with your combat prowess as a level one standing up to the Executioner, or did you find us sometime after your heroic survival event?"

Endilix walked up behind Raz and put an arm around him, whispering in his ear while they made their way across the fields away from Flints, "And do you have a thing for that little lady over there? I've been watching the way you two look at each other. My brother had a similar look in his eye at one point, and she almost killed him for it." Endilix chuckled a bit darkly at that last bit, and then watched Raz for his response.

[Flints 0]

Flints listened to Endilix and Raz talk. And how Raz hoped he would be revered highly when he returned. If that was the case this meeting should be a cakewalk for they three. Flints was happy to see that Raz actually took her compliment and wanted to be like...her? She had never been told that before. She felt her face get hot. Just as she was about to look away he sent her heart for a loop with a wink. she stared wide eyed for a second and cleared her throat only to be winked at by Endilix as well. She let herself fall behind as she muttered about how they would be the death of her and that she needed to go home soon because the men were driving her wild. When she looked back up she noticed Endilix and Raz really close together and wondered what they were up to. She didn't like it one bit. She snuck up behind them and waited a bit before forcing herself into their little huddle and smiled big at the two. "Are you two plotting against me?" She giggled as her deep green eyes searched for the answer. 

[Razum-dar 0]

Raz hadn't really been expecting for Endilix to get so close to him, and he shied away a bit until Endilix began to whisper at him, and Raz both flushed and turned a bright red. He shook his head, wondering why Endilix would draw that conclusion before being forcefully pushed away from the man by Flints. Raz gave a bit of a sigh of relief as he looked away and then back to Flints. "Raz is fairly certain that if he plotted against you, you'd tear him apart. Really, Raz has seen you tear people apart. And Raz can't do that yet." He shook his head, his normal color taking a moment to return before he finally made his way down the road again, trying to clear his head of these two weirdos.

[Endilix 0]

Endilix looked to Flints innocently, and smiled as he watched Raz get nervous. "Absolutely no plotting here, sweetheart. I was simply letting Raz know how important you are is all." Endilix gave Flints a pat on the shoulder before looking towards the distance. "So how much farther do you think, Raz?" As much fun as Endilix was having messing with the thief and making him feel awkward, he figured it was about time for them to actually arrive at their destination, or so he hoped. I hope I didn't spook Raz too much. Endilix thought to himself as he looked over to Flints again, And I hope she isn't going to kill me....

[Flints 0]

Flints frowned at Endilix and shook her heads "I'm not sure how I should feel about you whispering for once." Flints poked his side and watched as Raz backed away and walked off. She sighed and wondered if she was too much for him and wanted to follow him, but didn't. "So...back in subject, where are we going and why?" She wondered if they were any closer to the hide out. Was it underground like the executioners lair. She shivered at the thought. "Is this a rough and tumble, dirty underbelly sort of thing or are all the thieves just as cute as Raz?" Flints quickly covered her mouth and hoped he hadn't heard her. She glared at Endilix as if it was his fault she said that. 

[Razum-dar 0]

Raz looked out to the distance and saw the warehouse they had been looking for. He turned back to his companions and smiled, "That's the hideout. It's on the edge of the floor, and very few people actually venture out this far. The warehouse is actually almost perpetually in shadow due to the way the mountain is shaped. Makes it blend in unless you know you're looking for it." Raz gave a nod with his matter-of-fact explanation, before looking to Flints to see her giggling and acting strange. He raised an eyebrow and stared at her, What in the world is going on with these two. Raz doesn't have time for these silly games. Raz is here to do a job. Raz thought they were too! Raz huffed and turned, still making for the warehouse.

[Endilix 0]

Endilix looked out to the warehouse that Raz had pointed out, hardly giving a sideways glance to Flints at her odd outburst. "Seems like a well picked place. How extensive is this thieves guild anyway, Raz?" he asked the thief as he admired the mountain. It was shaped a bit like a crescent moon, and the warehouse appeared to be fairly dilapidated, but not to the point of disrepair. Endilix looked to Flints, "I wouldn't doubt it could go either way, though I doubt any of the other thieves are as cute as Raz." Endilix winked to Flints, wanting to gauge her reaction to what he said after she tried so hard to ruffle his feathers.

[Flints 0]

Flints was a little hurt by Raz's seriousness but didn't mind it. She guessed this was all business for him anyways. She looked in awe at how surprisingly hidden the warehouse was. And how oddly shaped the mountain was. Honestly she didn't even notice that they had walked along side a mountain till they reached the shadow of it. Was she really that easily distracted? Regardless, the warehouse looked empty to her. Or maybe it was just supposed to look that way. That was the trick. She looked to Raz and wondered just how big this network of theives was but hissed when Endilix replied to her cooing of Raz. Did Endilix like Raz too? Wait....could Endilix like Raz..? She really needed to get to know the tank better. Her mind went to places it shouldn't which caused her to redder as her eyes looked back and forth between Raz and Endilix. She patted Endilix's shoulder blade and whispered as she passed him "I think you guys make a cute little team~" with that she spoke to Raz. "Has it always looked so empty? Have you been here before? Is this your base?" She wasn't sure what to think yet. But the closer they got the more she wanted this to be over with. 

[Razum-dar 0]

As they neared the doorway to the warehouse, Raz listened to the inquiries of his party while deciding how best to answer them. "To be honest, Raz doesn't know the answers to a lot of these questions. Raz operated mainly on this floor, yes. And this was where most of us thieves came to rest and gather our strength before returning back to the city. At times, the leaders here would coordinate events and such in line with game events or social events to be able to get the most gain or reward." Raz shrugged, as he reached the door to the warehouse and stood in front of it. He looked up, "Raz was just a cog in an ever growing machine. When Raz came, he was one of the first. There were three, then five, then 10, now anywhere within 25-50 thieves come and go from this dilapidated old warehouse, looking for treasure, glory, or strength."

[Endilix 0]

Endilix stopped behind Raz, most of the joking air having subsided in favor of the seriousness of the moment. He looked up to where Raz did as he spoke, and Endilix could've sworn he saw shadows dancing along the ceiling through a window above the door. How many could he count? The shadows moved and merged as the candle flame danced around its wick. "That's... a lot of thieves. That had to have taken at least months to be able to build this type of network." Endilix shook his head, and then rubbed his chin, "So barging in guns blazing probably wouldn't have worked anyway. You planned all this out pretty well, Raz. I don't think I gave you enough credit. Now, before we go inside, who is the leader of the Floor Two thieves?"

[Flints 0]

Flints stared at the structure. Good thing about games was that no matter how dilapidated a structure is, if it was meant to hold. It would hold. She looked to Endilix who seemed a little worried about how their plan would really go. Or at least concerned by the amount of theives. Flints sighed and was ready for their next move. Be be honest she thought this was taking far too long already and they hadn't even made it in. But she gave Raz credit for giving away such a secret. She started to wonder why he was so willing to give away their hide out when at some point he would try to return to it. Wouldn't this make him an outcast now? Well, they did try to kill him off. Flints cocked her head at Endilix's question. She too wondered who was insane enough to organize a theives guild. It seemed like far more work than it was worth. 

"This machine is becoming something we would have never imagined. It's scary. What will we do if we are in over our heads?" She whispered more to herself than the others. 

[Razum-dar 0]

Raz looked to Endilix and smiled a bit at his compliment, not having expected that from the knight. He nodded and looked back to the warehouse, placing a hand on the door. "I don't know his name. Nobody knows the names of the leaders who run each gang of floor thieves. But..." Raz absentmindedly petted the wood of the warehouse door, as he thought about the days he had spent living here, bringing loot here simply to survive, until one day... one day they had cast Raz out for not doing a good enough job. Even though Raz was one of the originals, one of the best. Raz always thought it was because he was doing too good. "But it isn't important who he is. In Raz's opinion, he just needs to be stopped."

[Endilix 0]

Endilix could see the sudden anguish in Raz's face. Endilix never would have thought he'd see this side of Raz. He put a hand on the other man's shoulder and said, "Don't worry Raz. We'll... well, I don't know what we'll do. But we'll make sure they know how wrong it was to get rid of someone as skilled as you." Endilix nodded to him and said, "Now let's get in there and show these thieves that you not only killed the Executioner, but gained some great allies along the way. Nobody will ever question you again." Endilix put his hand on the door and looked back to Flints, "You ready? It's time to confront a band of thieves."

[Flints 0]

Flints watched Raz show more emotion than she was used to. She felt helpless and clenched her fists, wanting to help in anyways possible. Flints started to think to herself about how she should stop the leader. If anyone could do it. It was certainly her. She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder, flinching a little from him before actually touching him and smiling. "Things will be okay. If anyone could pull this off it would be us. I think we are all a little silver-tongued" she winked to the two. "Let's get down to business then, shall we?" She held her head high and smirked before preparing to look more wild than before. She tossuled her hair a bit and narrowed her eyes. She knew she of the three looked pretty...thievish? She gave a little giggle before clearing her throat and trying to hold together her facade. 

Edited April 24, 2016 by Flints