Sapphyre

Chapter 2-2

The largest quantities of goods were being bought by Steele Monthall, a newly rich member of the populace with a taste for young boys. His pomposity and his extravagance, along with his newly acquired wealth, have left him less than popular with the aristocracy of Thorenn. His peculiar s****l preferences also make him an easy choice for the Pugs, as the authorities, while they won't ignore the theft completely, will be less than diligent in their duties to assist him.

The ship was due in to dock at daybreak, and the goods were to be distributed immediately for security purposes. As fate would have it, there was a royal gala marking the anniversary of the birth of the prince regent at the Imperial Palace that evening, and all the nobility was expected to attend. Steele Monthall would never give up the opportunity to hobnob with royalty, so there was no question that he would be gone from his estate that evening.

Katrivus, Sapphyre, and two other experienced members of the Pugs would lead the operation. Steele Monthall's estate was located inside the Imperial Compound in the western section, only two blocks from the west gate. They would wait until the celebration was in full bloom, and then two members of the party would enter through the back of the estate and pick the lock of the door leading into the library. Their surveillance showed that the servants' quarters were off the library, to the left of the kitchen on the main floor. Most of the servants would be tending to their charges at the Imperial Palace, so the burglars expected only three or four to remain on the grounds.

As Sapphyre and Katrivus stand lookout on the street in front of the mansion, the two boys pick the lock and are in the house within seconds. Forty-five seconds go by and the back door is opened slightly, the sign that it is safe to enter. Sapphyre and Katrivus silently enter the house and one of the boys signals to them that the servants are bound and gagged and will be no threat. Sapphyre and Kat go upstairs in search of the booty while the other two remain downstairs to keep watch.

Two shipping boxes are untouched on the floor of the upstairs study, and Katrivus takes out his dagger to open them. Inside are smaller boxes, and the two thieves are confident that they contain goods and jewels of various size and value. Since they couldn't very well walk away with a horde of boxes, they decided ahead of time they would transport the treasure in the pouches concealed on their person.

As they pull the small containers out of the larger one, Sapphyre notices something that stops her in her steps. She reaches out to Katrivus and whispers, “Do you see a glow emanating from any of these boxes?”

He replies, “No” and continues emptying the shipping containers.

Sapphyre grabs his arm, “We can't take all of them.”

“What are you talking about, Sapphyre?”

“Some are evil. I can't explain it, but I see an aura coming from some of the boxes. The one in your left hand glows brown and has a distinct, awful smell.”

Katrivus looks at her warily, “Sapphyre, you're just…”

But Sapphyre cuts him off. “Kat, listen to me!” she whispers. “You must trust me.” She holds a small box in her left hand. “This box has a light blue aura and has a magic to it, but a good magic. Most of the boxes have no aura at all. Please, Kat, leave behind the boxes I ask you to.”

He gives her a long, considering look, but at last replies, “If you insist, Sapphire, I will,” says Katrivus.

The two thieves continue opening the boxes and transferring the contents into their pouches, less the few Sapphyre orders them to put aside. As Sapphyre reaches the bottom of the crate, she finds a box that is larger than the rest. It has a bright green aura to it, brighter than the others. She opens it and gasps. Katrivus turns to see what brought about the reaction, and he too is stunned as to the beauty of what lies within. Sapphyre withdraws a dagger with a shiny blue twelve-inch blade, sharper than anything she has seen before. The hilt is embedded with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.

“Katrivus, look,” she exclaims, holding the dagger for her friend to see. “It's the most beautiful dagger I have ever seen.”

He looks at the small weapon before responding. “Take it for yourself. We have enough here to make everyone happy.”

Smiling, Sapphyre grabs the scabbard from the bottom of the box. The two thieves then casually walk downstairs, join the other two Pugs, and escape into the night.

After stowing the goods from the haul, Sapphyre asks Katrivus to take a walk with her. She leads him up to the rooftop where they met the first time. “Thank you for allowing me to keep the dagger, Kat.”

“No problem. It seems drawn to you. How long have you known about your gift of detecting magic?” he inquires.

“Tonight is the first time it's ever happened. I guess we don't travel in circles where magic is in abundance,” she says.

“True. Let's keep it between us. We can use this ability of yours to our advantage.” The two then sit in silence admiring the bright lights coming from the palace where the gala is still in full swing.

The next five winters are abundant ones for the Pugs. The riches gained from the Monthall heist enabled them to grow their operation and even led to the purchase of a ship. They were starting to get noticed by the Guild of Slight, but did their best not to infringe on their operation. Katrivus knew it was just a matter of time before action would have to be taken, but for the time being, the Pugs enjoyed the riches of their spoils.

The coming summer celebration of StarSight excited the populace of Thorenn, as they expected thousands of visitors from all over the kingdom. Everyone would profit from the influx of strangers, from the desirable inns inside the Imperial Compound, to the shady taverns down at the docks. The Guild of Slight even imported working girls from all over the region to fill the whorehouses with ladies for every taste. The celebration of StarSight took place once every nine winters, and the influx of magic users to the kingdom made it a monumental event in the lives of the common folk. There were wizards, witches, shamans, sorcerers, sorceresses, priests, shamans, mages, and more. All types of magic users were represented, except for the warlocks, of course.

Sapphyre, just turning fourteen winters old, has never experienced the celebration and is absolutely in awe of what she sees. The magic users keep her attention, their auras glowing with all the colors of the rainbow. She even notices the imposters who have no glow as they try to trick the populace with bogus readings and fake trinkets. There are fortune tellers, mages selling robes of power, and necklaces foreign stones she has never before beheld, emanating magic. As Sapphyre wanders about the grounds, she happens upon an old woman sitting in a carriage decorated with bright feathers of all colors. The beauty of it transfixes Sapphyre. When the old woman signals to her, she steps up.

Once inside the carriage she realizes that the old lady is blind, however she is staring directly into Sapphyre's eyes. Looking into the unseeing gaze, Sapphyre feels a sense of warmth and trust she has never before withheld. Tears start streaming down her face for reasons unknown to her, but the sense of déjà vu is so strong that Sapphyre asks without thinking, “Are you my mother?”

The woman smiles and replies softly, “No, my child. I did know your mother and your father. Please give me your hands.”

Sapphyre then places both her hands into those of the old woman and instinctively closes her eyes. As she does so, a vision appears to Sapphyre. It is a vision of her as an infant, submerged in a pool of brilliant blue, the old woman glancing down at her lovingly. Suddenly the vision changes and she is staring at a middle-aged couple, the man standing approximately six feet in height with no distinguishing characteristics except for his eyes. The man's eyes reveal an intelligence that goes beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. The woman is the most beautiful Sapphyre has ever seen. She stands a demure five feet tall with a tiny frame and has the most striking bright blue eyes the girl has ever beheld. The most distinguishing characteristic of this woman is her hair, which is a rich blond with a blue streak extending from above her right eye down through the entire length. Sapphyre melts at the sight of these two and understands immediately they are her parents. Instead of feeling anger or resentment toward the couple she has never met, she feels an outpouring of love and affection that causes her to sob uncontrollably. Suddenly, the woman removes her hands and the vision ceases.

Sapphyre looks at the blind woman who has tears streaming down her own face and a radiant smile of someone half her age. Sapphyre feels tears running down her cheeks as well and senses a change within her. The woman holds up her hands. Sapphyre sees a reflection in the air in front of her and gasps. Her hair is no longer dark but blond with streaks of light azure, and her eyes have changed from brown to sparkling blue.

She is about to speak when the old woman cuts her off. “There is much I cannot tell you. Those were your parents and they loved you dearly. You were placed in my care due to circumstances that you will one day become privy to.” Sapphyre again attempts to interrupt but the old woman holds up her hand to stop her and continues. “I knew the day would come when you would first become aware of your magical ability. That indicated it is time to start the fulfillment of your destiny, child.”

She then reaches down and picks up a bowl containing a sky-blue liquid and hands it to Sapphyre. She puts three feathers of different colors into the bowl. The floating feathers form the shape of an arrow with a glowing blue tip. Sapphyre stares at it, wide-eyed. “You must always trust the feathers. They will point you toward your destiny,” says the woman as she hands the bowl to Sapphyre.

Sapphyre looks down into the bowl and sees that the feathers are pointing west, and she realizes she must leave Thorenn and head in that direction. She looks to the old woman for acknowledgement and receives a nod in response. She is about to put the bowl down in the carriage but the old woman gestures for her to take it. The old woman then touches Sapphyre on the cheek and she knows it is time for her to exit the carriage. Sapphyre nods and descends the short steps to the gravel below. She turns to bid farewell to the woman, but when she spins around, the woman and the carriage are gone.

Taking a deep breath, Sapphyre walks slowly to a large flat rock leaning upon a leafless tree on the outskirts of the main square and sits down. She takes her left hand and reaches over her right shoulder and grabs her now blonde hair and turns toward it in wonder. Her eyes are drawn towards the blue streak and she combs her hair through her fingers. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and brings up the image of her parents in her mind. Sapphyre stands up confidently and opens her sparkling blue eyes energized with the prospect of learning her true identity.

With an ethereal calmness that even surprises Sapphyre, she heads back home and searches for Katrivus but can't find him anywhere. One of the younger Pugs tells her that Kat left on his ship on business and would be gone for quite some time. Sapphyre wishes she could bid him a farewell, but decides she must leave at once. She leaves a long note for Kat, packs her belongings, binds the dagger to her waist, puts the bowl and feathers in her pack, takes a little under half of the kendra she and Kat have hidden away and leaves the only place she has ever known, heading west toward her destiny.