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Letters from a Thief


by desert_gp_dragon2oo5

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From: Via Adlai, Puli e Verdia, Central Lost Desert

To: Sergio de Villamar, White Lupe City, South-Eastern Meridell

     Dear friend,

      It has been a long time since I have written. The warden was kind enough to allow me to write letters to non-family, now that my time here is almost up.

      I can't believe ten years have passed since I was imprisoned. My time with the Thieves' Guild isn't too distant of a memory. Those were fun, adventurous times, but after serving time here, I think I'm willing to leave that past where it belongs- behind me.

     I'm not a teenager anymore.

      I still have a couple weeks more here, but it's nothing compared to almost a decade. I can wait a bit more. I plan to spend time with my family first, but I'm planning to go on a trip to Meridell soon enough. Please write back!

     Hope to see you soon,

     Via---

     ------

      The yellow Skeith smiled as she signed the letter, both in normal text and in characters in her own native language that spelled out “Vi-uh A-duh-lei”. She carefully rolled up the parchment and placed it into a metal canister labeled with a sticker with an address and name. She then called out to a guard patrolling not far from her cell, and handed it over to him. She then sank into her hard bed and closed her eyes to think.

      Freedom was finally within her reach. She however wondered. How much did the world around me change in my decade of isolation? Would the Eyrie still remember her? Did he still have the same address? What was the Thieves' Guild like now?

      She opened her eyes and sat up on the bed. The only changes she knew of were the changes she went through. She looked down at her body. She had entered the prison as a foolish seventeen year old thief and soon she was to leave as a twenty-seven year old adult with no intention to return to crime.

     “See you soon, Sergi.”

          ------

From: Via Adlai, Puli e Verdia, Central Lost Desert

To: Sergio de Villamar, White Lupe City, South-Eastern Meridell

     Dear Sergi,

      Congratulations on your job in the city council! I'm sure you're doing much service to the city. Glad to see you have gone into the right path. I hope to do the same with my life.

      You know, Sergi, a few years into my sentence I believe that I became a true thinker, like you have. When I was a thief, exploring the world, I never thought about anything other than myself. It's only when I got confined here that I began to think about the world.

      Let me ask you something, Sergi. What, in your opinion, drives the world?

      I doubt that you have been to the Lost Desert, let alone my land- trapped in a mix of desert sands and precarious mountains, practically inaccessible from all sides. Even Sakhmet and Qasala get more visitors. I bet you’ve never heard of it. Despite being so cut off and unknown, however, it is rather prosperous here. I guarantee it. Take, for example, how well-maintained my cell is, and how good-mannered the guards here are.

     I hear that the cells in White Lupe City aren’t bad either, though. They say it’s very clean.

     Let me tell you something, Sergi. Of the two groups that make up our obscure desert town- the pirates and the non-pirates. The pirates bring the goods to our unreachable little home and paid their taxes. The non-pirates were the ordinary people doing their jobs and the incorruptible authorities who made sure everybody was doing their job. They also paid their taxes.

     Sure, we pirates were up to no good, but as long as we paid our taxes- no problem. We did no harm to our home, and in fact the people relied on us. Nobody was going to go after us pirates, and nobody was going to chastise our government to do that. We had nature on our side.

     Here, piracy drove our world, and no one had a problem with it. Pirating was for the population and was a regular occupation. It did not, however, pay as much as piracy in other lands.

     That’s where I made my mistake. I had enough to survive as a pirate here, but I still wanted more money. Do you know why the authorities here are incorruptible? No one cares much about building a fortune. I went against that. I joined the highly profitable Thieves’ Guild.

     The risky, highly publicized Thieves’ Guild. I wasn’t sneaky enough for that. But on the bright side, I learned from it. I met you there, as well.

     Well, I’ll be out in just short of a week. I just have some papers to sign and arrangements with my family. I’m already thinking of ways to treat myself when I get out.

     See you soon,

     Via---

     ------

From: Via Adlai, Puli e Verdia, Central Lost Desert

To: Sergio de Villamar, White Lupe City, South-Eastern Meridell

     Dear Sergi,

      Don’t worry about writing back late! I know you’re busy doing your job. I’ve been rather busy the past few days as well. I just got out recently and every day I’ve been visiting family and old friends. I had to catch up on the changes here... They report news in prison, but you can’t really grasp these changes by just hearing and reading about it. You have to live it.

      I’m sure this is a silly and vain question, but I’m wondering... Have you ever seen a skinny Skeith? When we met, I think I was just a regularly sized Skeith. Most of my family commented on my apparent weight loss. I’m probably still ‘chubby’ compared to most types of Neopets, but I guess I’m thinner than the normal Skeith. Most Skeiths don’t have the problem finding food... We can eat anything. I have a weaker stomach though, since I didn’t have any other Skeiths in my family. I spent my whole life eating ‘normal’ food. I think I’d be able to eat my way of prison though if I didn’t.

      Anyway, I’ve already gotten fatter since getting out. Family members everywhere, feeding me, and it would be rude to refuse!

      I’m hoping to get a honest job soon. For now I’m just doing volunteer work to get into the habit of working again. It’ll also increase my chances of getting a recommendation! I’m also thinking of getting a haircut; it’s apparently ‘modern’ and leaves an impression on employers.

      While my time in the Thieves’ Guild ended with me in prison, it did do me some good. In addition to meeting you, I learned about different Neopian cultures... I also learned how to read and write in different languages! Here they need more who could understand foreign texts so that we can advance in engineering and whatnot. I’ll need to study some science, though.

      I’m planning on going to Meridell sometime soon. It’s about time, don’t you think? I can’t wait to see you.

     Your Friend,

     Via---

     ------

      It was morning in the Central Lost Desert. Via was working on writing a presentation for her future employers. She was, however, interrupted when she heard one of her cousins calling to her. Typically, this meant that mail had arrived for her from Meridell. She hurried downstairs to collect the letter- Sergi had not written in a while. With her pen held in her armpit, she opened the mail canister going back up the stairs to find that the scroll was packaged differently.

      Normally, the letters were rolled and placed naked into the mail canister, but this time it was wrapped in several layers of plastic and paper held together with loads of tape and glue. More importantly however, the sender of the letter was not her friend but somebody called Emil Blanche. The address was also slightly different, coming from a different area in White Lupe City.

      Curious, she carefully opened the letter. It must have been important. She unrolled the parchment to find Sergi’s familiar handwriting, albeit messier than normal.

     ------

From: Sergio de Villamar, White Lupe City, South-Eastern Meridell

To: Via Adlai, Puli e Verdia, Central Lost Desert

     Dear Vi,

      Forgive me for not writing lately. I’m sure you know that I’m busy with my job here in White Lupe City, fighting crime. My life has changed much in the past week.

      I have just discovered the secret of none other than the governor of White Lupe. He’s behind them- the crimes I have told you about before. I have been fooled. He’s been getting rid of his competition while at the same time protecting himself, and now that I’ve found out the truth, he’s gone after me. I’m a wanted man now. It’s been crazy the past few days.

      I had to get rid of some of the letters you sent; otherwise they might go after you as well. The governor has connections all over Neopia- Altador, Shenkuu, the Lost Desert- everywhere. My friend Emil is helping me hide, but we might have to move out of White Lupe City soon.

      I need your help, Vi. I’m going to be running forever unless the governor is stopped. It’s going to be a challenge to stop his corruption here in White Lupe City. I trust you.

      I’m staying at Emil’s place for now. His address is on this letter. He’s a Brown Jetsam, and his house is a rather short but wide. It’s made of stone bricks with a red roof, and shouldn’t be hard to find. Do not bring this letter with you, and don’t draw attention to yourself on the streets. I’ll explain once we meet.

      Congratulations on finally getting out. I can’t wait to see what you look like now.

     Take care,

     Sergio---

     ------

      The Skeith, dressed in dark clothes and a cloak, repeatedly glanced at a small piece of paper with Emil’s address. Soon enough, however, she arrived at the house which her friend had described.

      She rang a bell that hung from above the house’s metal door and patiently waited. After some time, she heard some rumbling noises from inside the house, and then a small slot about halfway down the door slid open, with dark eyes peering through. “Who are you?” he said.

      “Via. Via Adlai,” she quietly answered.

      Within moments, the door opened to reveal a short, Brown Jetsam. “Come in,” he curtly said.

      As soon as the Skeith got in, Emil hurriedly shut the door and pushed a large crate against it. The house was dimly lit by small frosted windows that were scattered through the house. Via sat down on a chair, and the Jetsam brought some lukewarm tea and placed it on a nearby table. “Do make yourself feel welcome. I’ll get Sergio for you.”

      He went down a dark flight of stairs at one end of the room. Via quietly sipped the tea, anxious to see her friend once again. Emil then reappeared at the top of the stairs, followed by the Eyrie. “Vi!”

      “Sergi!” She got up from her chair and embraced her friend. “It’s been so long...”

      The blue-gray Eyrie chuckled, “I know.” The friends broke off and looked at each other. “Nice haircut,” Sergi said.

      Via replied back with a smile. “Thank you.”

      She took a good look at her old friend. Sergio looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. His hair and mane were matted and his wings were ruffled strangely. Despite that, he greeted her with a smile.

      The Eyrie then turned to the Jetsam and placed his hand on Emil’s back, “Anyway, Vi, this is my friend Emil. He was one of my co-workers.”

     The two shook hands, “Hello, Via. Sergio has told me a lot about you. Is it true that you were together in the Thieves’ Guild?” Via and Sergio nodded at him.

     “Interesting! Anyway...” the Jetsam began, “While I’m not a wanted man yet, it seems that the council members are beginning to suspect me. We’ll have to leave this city soon, and quickly.” The three discussed their plan of action. “The sooner, the better. The governor’s men will be more prepared this time.”

     The night after, the trio quietly slipped out of the darkness of White Lupe City.

     Once again, Via was on the run from the law. But back then, the law was good and she defied it to settle for the evil. Now, things were the opposite.

     The governor’s men smashed through the metal door and crates the day after the escape, only to find out that the suspects were long gone.

The End

 
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