Tales of the Traveling Troupe

Tales of the Traveling Troupe

Written by Dominik, a character on the Earthen Ring server, and posted on the Blizzard Earthen Ring Forums

=Ten Years Ago=

He watched from the ledge, his blue eyes glinting mischievously as his victim skulked into view. He waited patiently for the perfect opening. Then, he slipped off the ledge and plummeted through the air below.

Markus stumbled and nearly fell as Dominik's weight came crashing down unexpectedly upon him. The sandy-haired youth staggered a moment, teetering between stability and falling, and then regained his balance. He turned and shot his assailant a green-eyed glare.

"Dammit, 'nik," he whispered hoarsely, "Y'need to not do that when we're on the job."

Dominik's hooded mask covered his nose and mouth, but his smile sparkled in his eyes. The lanky blond slipped off his friend's back and landed lightly on his feet. He paused a moment to dust himself off, and then turned his masked, grinning visage back toward Markus. Markus gave his friend a dirty look from beneath his own mask, but his eyes widened in surprise when Dominik held his hand and opened it. A medallion fell from his grip, suspended by a golden chain. The polished yellow metal gleamed faintly in the dim light. As he saw what his friend held, Markus raised his eyebrows in approval.

"Nice take, 'nik," he whispered, "Where'd you snatch it?"

Dominik pointed lazily over his shoulder with his thumb toward the small ledge he'd surprised Markus from. "Up there," he replied quietly, "Seems like they thought it'd be a safe spot from wandering fingers." Again, his eyes made his unseen grin evident.

"You got a knack for sniffing that stuff out," Markus returned the grin, "Now come on, no more distractions. We need to get this and go."

With a flick of the wrist, Dominik snatched the medallion back into his hand and slipped it up his sleeve for safe-keeping. Then, the two young men crept up the stairs together and silently padded down the hallway. They reached the grand double-doors leading into the master bedroom without mishap. Markus crouched down and peered into the lock, then pulled one of his lockpicks from behind his ear and set to work. Dominik crouched down and kept a wary eye out, his gaze traveling over the darkened corridor.

A telltale click signaled that Markus finished his work. The green-eyed youth turned the handle and pushed the door open. The door greeted them with a low squeak. Both young men froze for a moment, listening for any sounds of movement. Only the silence of the night greeted their ears. They exchanged a glance, and then crept into the darkened bedroom.

Moonlight, filtered by the gauzy curtains on the large window, flooded the room with a cool, dim radiance. The two young thieves paused, letting their eyes adjust to the new lighting, and then glanced over the room. Dominik spotted the desk first and pointed. Markus nodded in reply and slid in that direction, while Dominik hovered near the door. The blond youth listened to the night, but the only sound he heard in the darkness was the subtle noises of his friend working at the lock on the desk.

Then the click. Followed by the slow sound of the desk rolling open.

"Honey?" a sleepy female voice murmured sleepily, "Are you home?"

Both young men froze, staring at each other in shock. Nobody was supposed to be home, let alone sleeping. Dominik's mind raced, and then an idea shot into his mind. In an instant, he had crossed the space between the doorway and the bed and pulled his mask down. He crouched near the bedside and took the woman's head gently in his hands and kissed her deeply. He barely had time to notice she was, in fact, quite pretty before she gave a muffled groan and settled back into the bed. Dominik stood up, grinning, and pulled his mask back up over his face. When he looked at Markus, he saw the other young man's eyes wide with shock. The blond raised his eyebrows disarmingly and gestured to Markus. As if snapping out of a daze, the sandy-haired youth realized why they were here and snatched a packet of papers from the desk, then quietly closed it and locked it. Then, the two youths slipped out the door and vanished into the night.


 * Illustration Pending ::