"Sit down and shaddup," Ocea, a blue Krawk, said
briskly as she entered the large tent that served as her and her mercenary group's
living quarters. It was a tall square sturdy tent held up by four long poles.
In the centre was a round wooden table with a candle lit in the centre along
with a pile of parchments next to it. The rest of the mercenary group was scattered
about the tent. Two were playing cards in the corner, one was reading, and the
other was sharpening his daggers. "We've got a new client who wants us on a
mission right away," she continued, pulling up a chair and taking a seat
at the table. Immediately the other Krawks stopped what they were doing and
took their seats around the table.
Including Ocea there were five of them all together.
Five Krawks that formed a small traveling group that wandered about Neopia looking
for odd jobs. They were actually quite notorious throughout and were feared
as well as respected by most Neopians. They would do whatever it took for some
Neopoints.
Ocea was their captain. She had founded the group
with her fellows Vadan and Thaytis. She was a natural born leader with a cool
head and quick tongue. She received nothing but respect from the group. She
was a free spirit and that's why she had become a mercenary, so she could travel
and try her hand at all sorts of things. Vadan was a ghost Krawk with a seemingly
cold exterior. He rarely spoke but when he did his words held great meaning.
He didn't run his mouth needlessly. Thaytis was green Krawk who didn't care
for anything aside from their group and Neopoints. He was laid back, a bit lazy,
but nevertheless a good member.
The other two had been picked up on their journeys.
Kaylorra had been a member for a relatively long time and she was a fire Krawk
with a mastery at thievery. She was outspoken and got what she wanted when she
wanted it, no ifs, ands, or buts. She'd do anything for a pretty bauble just
for the rush she got when she was stealing. Norket was a skittish and easy to
please faerie Krawk Fairly new to being a mercenary she never hesitated to follow
orders and would do anything to prove herself a good merc.
Thaytis leaned back in his chair, setting his
feet on the table, and lounging comfortably. He yawned, putting a claw to his
mouth boredly as he awaited instruction from Ocea.
"Our client's name is Sheydow. She's an interesting
character but nevertheless has offered has a nice sum for this job," Ocea
drawled, placing her elbows on the table and setting her head comfortably in
her claws as her crystal eyes darted about the room at all of the others. All
four of them raised their eyebrows simultaneously.
"What does this Sheydow person want?" Norket
asked anxiously, fidgeting in her seat nervously as she drummed her claws against
the table.
"To retrieve a rare stone for her. Something
called the Flame of Neopia." Ocea shrugged moving her arms in a nonchalant manner.
"Humph. Honestly, why don't we just keep the
trinket ourselves. It's probably worth more to sell then whatever this client
of ours is offering," Kaylorra replied bluntly, her eyes aflame at the
mention of any kind of jewel.
"We do the mission. And you're in charge of it
Kaylorra. Got it?" Ocea told the Krawk thief plainly, picking up a piece of
parchment from the pile on the table. "This is the information given to us,
if you need help ask I or the others. But, as we all know, you're the master
thief." The blue Krawk smirked slightly as Thaytis chuckled. Vadan got up from
his seat, seeing his was no longer needed, and Norket peered over Kaylorra's
shoulder.
"Do you need my services Kaylorra? I can help
you, honest," the Faerie Krawk asked hopefully. Kaylorra glared back at
her. She wasn't at all interested in stealing for somebody else, she preferred
jobs that required stealing of things that weren't high and value but sentiment
to the person hiring them.
"No. I can handle this. Now leave me alone,"
Kaylorra hissed bitterly, hurling the paper on to the table and gathering her
gear. She had little choice but to do the mission, besides, she would get a
good hunk of the payment for it anyway. She had no wish to get against Ocea,
she admired the other Krawk greatly. Norket sighed and went back in the corner
to pick up the card game she had been playing with Thaytis.
"Listen to me Kaylor, no foul ups. I know you
can do this. Take a look at that paper and the sum she wants the jewel for.
It'll be worth it, I trust you." Ocea flicked her tail and exited the tent.
The fire Krawk rolled her eyes sceptically at
Ocea before picking up the paper again and looking it over for the offered price.
Her jaw dropped, and her ruby eyes widened.
This mission was for one million Neopoints.
***
"Ocea. This person isn't serious. Are they?" Kaylorra asked as she caught up
to the other Krawk, holding out the assignment paper warily, as if it was cursed
or something. She didn't trust anything that supposedly guaranteed her and her
mercenary group a million Neopoints.
"Indeed. Sheydow is a nut. A loony. A psycho
if you will," Ocea replied in a placid manner as she adjusted the pack
on her shoulder. She wasn't one to exaggerate. Ever.
"I see." Kaylorra couldn't help but blink in
complete and utter astonishment. It was not often that the fire Krawk was taken
off guard.
"And it shouldn't be too difficult for a thief
of your esteem," Ocea added before disappearing into the woods, off to
find good grounds for their next camp.
"One million neopoints...I have a feeling this
mission isn't going to be a slice of cake," Kaylorra muttered to herself
as she went to go saddle up her Uni.
The parchment said they were to find the jewel
in the possession of an old man in Tyrannia.
***
"This looks much to easy," Kaylorra muttered to her mount as she looked over
the paper for the fifth time. "There's got to be something...something that
I'm missing."
"It says it there in plain writing. Ocea was
right, this Sheydow person is obviously missing a few marbles," Ice Cicle,
Kaylorra's white Uni, responded trotting briskly. The Uni wasn't too fond of
Tyrannia, but wasn't one to complain either.
"All right, well, you stay here. I'm off to find
this old man," Kaylorra sighed, dismounting the Uni and pulling her "equipment
bag" from the saddle packs on Ice's side. It contained various tools for picking
locks and the like. Ice nodded in reply and wandered off to the omelette to
get a snack.
It didn't take Kaylorra very long to find the
small hut described in the instructions. It was on the outer edges of Tyrannian,
all by itself. It was situated right near a volcano that was hopefully inactive.
She shoved the piece of parchment in her bag and snuck right up to the hut and
peaked inside through the side window.
The entire cabin was only one room. In one corner
was a bed, in another was a cooking pot. In the centre of the room was a desk
with a candle flickering on top of it. And in the desk sat in old man, who was
sweating nervously as he rapidly wrote something down with a long feather quill.
He was bald, and had one of those wise old faces that you couldn't help but
trust. He looked tired though, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
His eyes were drawn, and his forehead was creased in thought, and his glasses
balanced on the bridge of his nose.
Then she spotted the jewel.
How foolish to leave something so important in
plain sight, it sat right next to the paper he was writing on. Kaylorra smirked,
she didn't need stealth. She could get the old geezer to back down without a
fight.
The door was unlocked and she pushed it open
with ease. Honestly, anybody could have done a job this simple. All they needed
was the right information. This man was depressingly old and helpless.
Kaylorra was very mistaken.
The old man leaped to his feet with surprising
agility as soon as he heard her open the door, clutching the amulet in his hand.
He whirled around, facing her, his eyes gleaming fearfully.
"I know what you've come for. You can't have
it." He pushed his glasses up on his noses and held on tightly to the jewel
he held in his other hand.
"Whatever old man. Just hand it over so I don't
have to hurt you. I'm not a bad pet, just doing my job really." Kaylorra put
her claw out, waiting for him to hand it over.
He didn't.
Angered, Kaylorra tackled the old man, he yelled
out in horror as she wrestled the bauble out of his hand. She grinned, throwing
the jewel up into the air and caught it in her claw.
"Easy as pie." She smirked as she stuffed it
in her pouch. "See ya!" she skipped out of the hut as the old man yelled after
her. She could have sworn there was a tone of relief in his voice, better yet,
she could have sworn his words were:
"Thank you. You've given me freedom from that
thing. Borovan help you though for coming into its possession."
Kaylorra shook her head. She had to have misheard
him.
***
"I've got it," Kaylorra said proudly displaying the Flame of Neopia for all
to see. She felt oddly attached to it though, and wouldn't let anybody touch
it.
"Well done Kaylorra, those Neopoints should pay
for many lodgings and rations for many days to come," Ocea replied calmly.
"Sheydow will be here soon to pick it up and give us our payment.
"Splendid," Kaylorra replied, beaming, but
she couldn't help but feel hesitant of giving up her reward.
That's when the Halloween Ixi ran in, full speed,
straight into one of the tent's poles.
"'Scuse me, I get a tad bit disoriented at times!
Eheh! I just thought I'd come...pick up the flame." This sent the Ixi into peels
of laughter as if it was the funniest thing in the world. This was Sheydow.
"Right. Here." Kaylorra picked up the amulet
and went to hand it over to Sheydow, but she couldn't. It wouldn't come out
of her hand. She couldn't willingly give it up.
"Fweehahe! My practical joke has worked! You
have fallen under the curse of the flame! Since you can not willingly give me
the jewel, I can not give you your reward!" Sheydow cackled insanely.
"...What?" Again, Kaylorra tried to hand the
trinket over but could not.
"The curse of the flame. As long as it's in your
possession you will not be able to steal, and you can not get rid of it. No
matter how hard you try." Again, the Ixi broke into laughter. "Good day! And
enjoy your new toy!" And the strange pet was gone.
"Great job Kaylorra. Wonderful job." Thaytis
shook his head slightly, smirking. Vadan didn't say anything, he just disappeared
back into the tent. As for Norket she just offered some kind of encouraging
mumble.
"Well, what can I say. It happens," was all Ocea
said.
Kaylorra, for the first time in her life, had
absolutely nothing to say.
The End | 
