Chapter eleven - An orange fur ball

We all line as soldiers in the weapons quarter. Night had fallen the next day, and sightings of a dragon surfaced nearby. Venators made sure streets were cleared of people, windows shuttered, and now the General is parading the room, giving out positions to trainees. For many, this was another mission, for me, my first.

"Ambrose, Farron." The General walks towards me and Link. A wicked smile as he looks at us, rolling up the parchment. "Patrolling duty around the central."

Detesting the choice, I glower, opening my mouth with a million protests swirling my tongue but Freya cuts in.

"Father—" she pleads, but his sharp stare makes her lower her head.

"I suppose you can be on patrolling duty as well," he says coldly. "The Draggards district ought to be your... comfort."

Cruel is one of many words I'd describe the General. How can your own father throw you in where witches and ruffians live?

Hardening my gaze, I lower my tone, "She will not patrol—"

"When do we depart?" Freya asks, and I glance at her with a quizzical frown, but she does not turn to me. She keeps her head down like she already knew better than to defy him.

I, of course, never knew.

Unyielding hatred churns my gut as the General dismisses us with a smug smile, and everyone grabs their weapons in an orderly fashion. Freya turns to me, sighing, and mutters, "it's okay," before heading to the wall of bows and arrows.

Link goes with her, and I huff out a breath as trainees fill the room, and in the middle of it all is Lorcan adjusting weapons across his back.

Irritated, I march up to him and grab his upper arm, making him glance down at me. His jaw clenches as eyes roam the bruises and cuts he'd tended to last night. Wounds Freya and Link had also questioned me, but I'd responded with the same lies about falling over.

"Patrolling duty?" I ask incredulously, dropping my hand. "After everything, you're going to give me that position?"

He exhales roughly from his nose. "You just joined. It's what the General thought most appropriate."

For what had happened last night, Lorcan had quickly left it behind, or what it looks to be like he has. I know he wanted to apologize; I could see it in his eyes earlier today, but I just focused on training, on getting through the day until now.

"But you said I had more potential than some—"

"This is different, Nara." His voice struggles to gain control as his nostrils flare. My breathing comes in harsh upheaves, and his gaze slowly drifts to my chest, watching its movements. He sighs, rubbing his forehead. "I did try getting you out of that position beforehand." The words this time sound softer. "But the General had the last word, and I couldn't do anything about it."

"You are his second in command," I say tightly, my face inches away as I look up at him. "If you made an exception with me joining the trainees this late, then you can make another without the General's input."

Lorcan's face like a blank wall crumbling over my words.

Voices in the room drone out, and weapons hissing as they're sheathed don't register in my ears. I know Lorcan wants to say something, even if he can't seem to when he opens and closes his mouth. His stare, hard and painful to look away from, but just as he goes to part his lips once more, Rydan cuts through the middle of us. "Lorcy, I was thinking, me and you—the best of the bunch—team up and fight these—"

"We're not teaming up," Lorcan deadpans, tightening his jaw as he adds, "*Ever*." His eyes flutter towards me one last time before turning away, with Rydan nagging behind.

He slows down, broad back tensing just as my gaze shifts to Adriel and Oran glaring at everyone on the side. Whatever had happened with those frogs, they don't seem phased anymore, but their hatred towards me was felt, during the day, during meals, and even now, without looking at me, I can tell.

***

"Patrolling duty," I mumble, shaking my head as Link and I stand in the central part of the city where the Marigold tree glows. "It's obvious the General gave me the role out of spite."

"At least here it's less dangerous," Link says, keeping a tight grip on his hilt. His eyes lift at the starry sky. "Well, I hope it is."

Nerves, that's what I'd picked up on with Link. He always looked nervous wherever he was... Whenever we spoke.

"May I ask—what made you join the Venators?" It's a genuine question for someone who felt more comfortable where no danger lay despite it being the opposite of a Venator's duty.

He looks at me like no one had ever asked him that before. After a minute of silent pondering, he says, "I had no place to go." His voice a faint breeze. "My parents died due to a Rumens bite when I was five, and I ended up in five different orphanages around Emberwell until my eighteenth birthday." He shrugs, circling his foot along the pathway. "Training to be a Venator seemed the easiest choice rather than have to live on the streets. Sadly, it turns out it's harder than anything I've done before."

And it is. Not once had I thought differently, and Link... reminded me of Illias since the moment I saw him with Adriel and Oran. Illias is always one to fear easily. So is Link.

"When I first became a trapper," I say when it'd gone too quiet. "I stumbled upon my own net trap once."

Link cocks his head, a spark of curiosity in his blue crystal eyes.

"I was good for a thirteen-year-old, but it wasn't easy." Nor when I'd come back with no money from Ivarron's. "And when I was fifteen, some of my brother's bullies deliberately made me enter a well, and though it took me hours, I managed to climb out of it." Those bullies came out far worse afterward. "But..." I exhale softly. "What I'm trying to say is that every choice someone makes, whether it's easy or hard, will challenge you in some way."

"And how do I change that?"

"You challenge it back," I say. "You do something."

At that, Link smiles, as do I, but his is one I'd seen before where it shows deep in his eyes. He turns front on with it still there on his lips as my eyes scan the city and the uphill streets leading into districts. Until movement, sharp and of reds and yellow colors lie up ahead of the Chrysos district.

"Did you see that?" I tap Link's arm, squinting my eyes for anything strange to appear again.

"See what?" Link whispers in alarm, his body locking into place.

I focus through the darkness, any sound, anything to catch my eye, but... "Nothing." My brows draw together as I step forward, tilting my body to the side. "I'm just going to check it out. Do you want to come?"

"Um—I—" He shakes his head, downcast, and I nod in silence, understanding him.

Leaving Link behind, I take off past the central and other trainees patrolling. I think of Freya for a moment as I enter the narrow paths of Chrysos. How even though I'd insisted once we'd left the Barracks that I switch with her, she still declined. She's strong. I knew from the way she trained she could withhold anything.

My footsteps echo the empty paths. Wooden panels cover windows of townhouses and stores where Freya had spoken of all the highly tailored clothes and jewels.

I slow down when I see no sign of anything and look to my left at the tawny-colored walls decorated in swirls of paintings—most of the sun and moon in different versions, representing Solaris and Crello.

We'd not had much of this back at the village. It is all breathtaking artwork. Illias would adore it. Once I'd see my brothers, I'll tell them of this, of the beauty that is the city.

Craning my neck, I gaze at each piece, then one of gold paint, sparkling like gemstones flowing down from a pair of hands onto the continent of Zerathion. Two other hands, holding Solaris's arms, emit silver spirals of power.

My hand reaches out to it before a quick shuffle out of the corner of my eye jerks me to look.

The hand I'd used to reach out to the painting drifts over the blades across my thigh. I stay alert, staring into nothingness.

But another patter of feet behind me causes me to whip around with squinched eyes when I don't see anything.

What the—

Patter, patter, patter.

I turn again. This time my gaze falls to the ground as a creature no less than two feet tall rocks on its tiny round trotters. I can't see any legs as a coating of thick orange fur lines its plump body, darkening into redder tones at the neck—if it even has one—and rounded large ears.

"Hello, Miss!" His wide glossy black eyes blink twice, practically taking up half his face.

I frown, not knowing what to make of this. "You talk?" I had not seen a creature of his kind before, though pixies, goblins, and all sorts spoke, this one was new to me.

"My friend taught me!" He grins, revealing small fangs, but it falters in a fit of nerves as he notices all my blades sheathed at my thigh and the Venator symbol on the attire. "He also told me not to talk to Ven—Venny—Veh—" He shuffles backward, panic struck and unable to pronounce the name. I advance intending to catch it. My mind is fiercely intrigued by a creature I'd never seen before, but right when I near him, he dashes in a waddle-like run.

*For the love of Solaris and Crello.*

I yell after the creature, racing down the street as it makes a right turn towards more Jeweler stores. He's fast on his feet. I'll give him that.

Reaching that bend, I watch the creature make a dip into another road where it's a dead-end, and I grin as I follow and corner him.

He whimpers, staring at the four walls and me trapping him. As he faces me, he tucks himself in, forming a ball where I can only see bright orange fur. I pause, narrowing my eyes, unsure of whether I should react or not as the creature starts rolling around?

"You are murderers, murderers, murderers!" He growls, but it sounds like baby's gurgle as he goes in-between my boots. "My friend won't like you wanting to murder me!"

Alright, that's enough. My eyes follow the creature whirling in circular motions before I slam my hand down as it tries to scurry away. I grasp onto his back, and unlike most animals, the hairs are soft and plush, comforting like a blanket.

Unfolding from his cocoon, I bring him eye-level as he swats his arms and paws around, like he wants to hit me. My face twists, glancing at the top part of his head where leaf-like flames appear out of nowhere, fluttering upwards. "What... are you?" I ask, but he doesn't answer. He blinks those round black eyes and, with such speed, escapes my grip, scattering up my arm. He tugs at my braid, jerking me back as he slides down from it and rushes past me.

Scowling, I jog out of the dead end, but the creature's long gone, that I groan at his escape. I needn't bother in the first place, but the thrill of trapping still looks to entice me.

I shake my head. I know I wanted to go with Lorcan and the others into the forests just outside the city to help trap or kill whatever dragon lurked. This creature was the closest to an adventure I could get so far—

A clash to my right makes me snap my head in that direction, forgetting everything for just one moment.

Trinkets knocking together follow from a Jeweler store. The only store without any bordered-up windows. I still can't see anything through it except displays of necklaces, and then a dark silhouette sweeps by.

*Someone is in there.*

The hairs on my skin tingle and stand. Whether it was anticipation or worry, I can't decide. Slowly, I make my way over, careful of not making a sound as I notice the latch on the door had been broken into.

Sucking in a breath, I push through and stumble inside the room lit with the shine of stars coming through long glass panel windows everywhere. Thousands of rings and necklaces glisten in all kinds of colors lie on top of mahogany counters. And right there... right there in the middle with his back to my front is a man dressed in a tight black leather jerkin hugging his built figure.

A single candle to the left casts his shadows on the wooden walls, tall, intimidating, fearless. And almost as if he can sense my presence, his head turns first, then his whole body.

My eyes narrow in on his raven mask—the one that covers the top half of his face and the one I'd seen sketched across wanted posters.

The Golden Thief...

**A/N
Hey everyone! Rina here! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'm still trying to figure out this site since I use Wattpad mostly to post my book chapters etc. My update schedule for AnyStories is a bit sparsed at the moment, but I want to let you all know that this book will be a trilogy. I've planned so much for this storyline and I hope you all love it, it's only my first draft so it's not perfect haha! But I hope to one day go down the self publishing route for it. Thank you to all who are reading and commenting x**