Ipell shook her head, pursing her lips. “I cannot fathom what it would be like to travel as much as you have. First off, I wouldn’t know where to go. And you have no stability! That’s why I like the inn. We get a steady flow of money. We always have food, customers… I rarely hear of lone travelers. And when I do, they are of royal blood. Are you of royal blood?”
I nearly scoffed. Royal blood. If only. “I travel light, I sometimes gamble like those men over there,” I gestured to the men gambling at a table, “but mostly, I use my savings and trade goods.”
I watched as one of the men gambling slipped a coin off the table without the other players’ notice, pocketing it. I said nothing.
“… new danger,” Ipell was saying. I turned my attention back to her, the word of danger catching my interest.
“What are you saying?”
“You haven’t heard of him? Or perhaps you don’t know what I am referring to. Ah, you know. The Ruler of Thieves. What silly name does he call himself… ah! Eraptor, isn’t it?”
Yes, Eraptor, it is not a hard name to remember. I had chosen it because of a legend I had read once, of the human Eraptor who found the Four Kingdoms and was made a god.
“I do know of him,” I said. “I have never had an encounter with him before, however. I don’t believe he goes after weaponless travelers.”
Ipell wasn’t convinced. “He could. If he sees the opportunity, he might take it. He moves like the shadow. Some in the village have taken to calling him the Shadow Walker. He has never been seen by anyone, but everyone knows when he’s come and gone.”
I had to admit, I was intrigued. Eraptor, Ruler of Thieves, Shadow Walker. It definitely had a ring to it. “No one has ever seen him before?” I asked, trying to get more information out of her. “How do you know all this?”
“My son. He was robbed of the thief some weeks back, in Saecor.”
I started, nearly dropping my cup. I forced myself to gather my thoughts, ignore my fast-beating heart. “You say he was robbed in Saecor?”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
I felt a familiar burning in my chest. Someone had copied me. I hadn’t been back to Saecor in years. I had purposely avoided the Sea Kingdom because of my qualms with the royal family. I wanted to be calm when I went, so I wouldn’t be tempted to do more than steal…
“That’s interesting,” I said tensely.
Ipell nodded along, suddenly deep in thought. She blinked a few times and sighed. “Wherever this thief is going, he isn’t here. The last I heard, he was headed to the east, towards the Mountain Kingdom. I’m mighty glad of it.”
I could barely suppress a smile. It was a strange mix of anger towards my unknown imitating thief and amusement to Ipell’s cluelessness. Well Ipell, mother of Deia, you may not hold onto your mighty gladness much longer, I thought in silence. Because Eraptor, Ruler of Thieves, Shadow Walker, is staring right at you.
I nearly scoffed. Royal blood. If only. “I travel light, I sometimes gamble like those men over there,” I gestured to the men gambling at a table, “but mostly, I use my savings and trade goods.”
I watched as one of the men gambling slipped a coin off the table without the other players’ notice, pocketing it. I said nothing.
“… new danger,” Ipell was saying. I turned my attention back to her, the word of danger catching my interest.
“What are you saying?”
“You haven’t heard of him? Or perhaps you don’t know what I am referring to. Ah, you know. The Ruler of Thieves. What silly name does he call himself… ah! Eraptor, isn’t it?”
Yes, Eraptor, it is not a hard name to remember. I had chosen it because of a legend I had read once, of the human Eraptor who found the Four Kingdoms and was made a god.
“I do know of him,” I said. “I have never had an encounter with him before, however. I don’t believe he goes after weaponless travelers.”
Ipell wasn’t convinced. “He could. If he sees the opportunity, he might take it. He moves like the shadow. Some in the village have taken to calling him the Shadow Walker. He has never been seen by anyone, but everyone knows when he’s come and gone.”
I had to admit, I was intrigued. Eraptor, Ruler of Thieves, Shadow Walker. It definitely had a ring to it. “No one has ever seen him before?” I asked, trying to get more information out of her. “How do you know all this?”
“My son. He was robbed of the thief some weeks back, in Saecor.”
I started, nearly dropping my cup. I forced myself to gather my thoughts, ignore my fast-beating heart. “You say he was robbed in Saecor?”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
I felt a familiar burning in my chest. Someone had copied me. I hadn’t been back to Saecor in years. I had purposely avoided the Sea Kingdom because of my qualms with the royal family. I wanted to be calm when I went, so I wouldn’t be tempted to do more than steal…
“That’s interesting,” I said tensely.
Ipell nodded along, suddenly deep in thought. She blinked a few times and sighed. “Wherever this thief is going, he isn’t here. The last I heard, he was headed to the east, towards the Mountain Kingdom. I’m mighty glad of it.”
I could barely suppress a smile. It was a strange mix of anger towards my unknown imitating thief and amusement to Ipell’s cluelessness. Well Ipell, mother of Deia, you may not hold onto your mighty gladness much longer, I thought in silence. Because Eraptor, Ruler of Thieves, Shadow Walker, is staring right at you.