[PP-F1] The Hunting Thieves Saga - The Shadow of Death - Part 3 (Asteria, Razum-dar)

[Endilix 0]

Continued from Part 2

Endilix gazed at the red and gold eyes attached to the other redhead through the hole in the wall. Endilix smiled, before unbarring the wall and pulling it out and pushing it to the side, revealing the tank to his lost companion. Endilix smiled, but was then taken aback by the sight of the girl he had been with in the market. He blinked, and then looked to Raz confused, before holding up a finger and stepping out of the hole in the wall to stand before the girl. He pulled a bag from his pouch and said, "I got these back for you. Though it isn't polite for the damsel in distress to run away." Endilix wagged a finger at her, but smiled nonetheless, before handing her the bag and turning to Raz. "Well? Did you miss me?"

[Aster 0]

Aster flinched as the bricks suddenly shifted, giving Raz a nervous look before staring back at the wall intently. What was on the other side, and who was opening up the door? Maybe instead of letting them in, they were going to be ambushed, or kidnapped?

Instead of hooded scoundrels or scary assassins, a man in heavy armor with fiery red hair emerged from the secret passage, looking back at her with an equally perplexed expression. He approached and his demeanor quickly shifted back with a scolding, kind tone. He returned her pouch of materials, and the brown pack sat in her upturned hands as she stared speechlessly at the man. He turned back to the self-proclaimed thief and greeted him as a friend.

Her brain thoroughly fried, Aster's grip tightened. Her cheeks had turned a shade of bright pink, most likely from embarrassment, and she finally spoke up. "W-what?! You two... know each other?" They seemed more than just acquaintances, but now she wasn't sure how to assess either one of them. Was the knight in shining armor playing on the side of the thief? Or was the odd-eyed boy undercover in the name of justice? Her eyes shifted between them, feeling a heavy weight of apprehension setting on her shoulders. 

[Razum-dar 0]

Raz took a step back from the wall as it suddenly decided to start shifting, a look of confusion suddenly plastered on his face. "Endilix? How did you.... how did you get in there?" Raz asked, as the man walked past him. What was even more, he knew Aster. How did he know Aster? And then it came back to Raz in a flash. He remembered seeing the knight escorting the girl through town. Raz shook his head and said, "To be honest, Raz didn't miss you." Raz gave the man a mischievous smile, "It also appears that introductions are not in order, so that saves a step. Endilix, would you mind explaining what's going on here? And why did you try to fool Raz with the password act?"

[Endilix 0]

Endilix looked between the two, sufficiently satisfied with the result before smiling and saying, "Well, you see. I knocked out the guard there and took his place. I just wanted to have a bit of fun." He gave a chuckle before saying, "I was also led here by another thief, a boy. He said in exchange for not giving him up to the authorities and setting him free, he would show me where the poet's secret entrance is. That would be this wall." Endilix nodded at his explanation and looked back into the hole, "It's okay for you to come out now." There was a boy, wrapped up and hidden behind the wall, who moved out to stand by the knight. The boy waved to Raz and Aster, before looking to Endilix. "Thanks again, mister. I hope you're gonna be okay. The poet and his gang are mean people. We got lucky that we could get here without anyone seeing us." Endilix tousled the boy's hair and said, "That we are. Now then, go on, and be safe. No more thieving!" Endilix gave the boy a stern finger, and he nodded quickly before running off down the alleyway.

Endilix turned back to his companions, the smile still all over his face. "Well then, shall we be on our way to catch a poet?"

[Aster 0]

Aster simply starred dumbfounded at the scene before her. Out from the shadows stepped a boy, and she vaguely recognized him as the thief who had made off with her belongings. Everyone spoke, but Aster hardly reacted until Endilix addressed their rag-tag team, practically beaming as he suggested they set out on their mission.

Aster closed her eyes, inhaled through her nose, and calmly attached her pouch of materials back to her belt. She opened her eyes with a more annoyed expression to look back at the red-haired men. "Excuse me, but I believe an explanation is in order." She frowned as she spoke. "You two are working together? Then which side are you actually on?" Her eyes shifted between the thief and the knight, two entirely different archetypes that would never join forces. She'd read enough fantasy novels to know that could only mean one of them would defect from their original mindset and join the force of either good or evil; but which one?

[Razum-dar 0]

Raz simply stared at the scene unfolding in front of him, and then was snapped out of his confusion by Asteria's even greater confusion. Raz frowned at both of his companions and said, "Raz is simply paying a debt to him. Past that, there is no 'side' that Raz stands on. Raz simply wishes to survive this game and go back to doing what he does in the real world." He huffed and said, "And you, you can't just do that. Raz thought he had finally lost you, and was still worried about doing the honorable thing. You should've kept an eye on her and maybe she wouldn't have gotten in the way!" Raz fumed a bit, but then stomped past Endilix, wanting to go find the poet and get this over with. He saw the man with the gray eyes staring at him, tied up with tape over his mouth in the corner. Raz couldn't help but chuckle a bit a he walked over and said, "Oy, wot's da password?" in a mocking tone.

[Endilix 0]

Endilix's brow furrowed as he crossed his arms and looked between his companions. "Well, there's no need for both of you to be so upset. The important thing is that we're all together again and we can go take care of business. Right Raz?" Endilix looked to watch Raz walking away from him and into the hole that he had left in the wall. Endilix sighed and looked to Aster apologetically. "Honestly, I didn't expect to see you again. But to answer your question, I'm on the side of good. I'm a hero, a White Knight, if you will. Someone with a title like that can't be a bad guy. Now as for Raz..." Endilix looked over his shoulder just in time to see the boy mocking the man who was tied up in the tunnel, "...let's just say he's a work in progress. But I think he can be a hero if he puts his mind to it." Endilix nodded, matter-of-factly.

[Aster 0]

Aster frowned as Raz griped and promptly went on his way, fearlessly entering the passageway on his own. Her eyes followed him suspiciously before settling on Endilix as he spoke up and explained himself. Her eyes held a glare that softened when he finished speaking. Even after he went silent, she looked at the man skeptically before she also nodded, as if agreeing with some internal decision.

"Alright. You seem trustworthy." She said simply, and then perked up a bit as she remembered something. "Oh! Thank you, um..." She looked away and grew a bit awkward, threads of guilt tugging lightly at her. "For getting my things back."