nexus_sages | First Rule of Thievery

It was a lovely day out in the forum. It was nice and sunny, people were going about their business, relaxing or meeting up with friends. A man was having a spirited conversation with a large rock...

No you're not seeing things.

He looked like he just stepped off the set of Lord of the the Rings (save for a pair of sunglasses that he certainly acquired legally and didn't just carefully pluck off the face of someone who had carelessly fallen asleep on a random couch). He'd pulled a chair, next to a large rock shaped like.. well... most people might say it looked like a rather fetching pair of buttocks. This would be the rock Eli was currently deeply engaged in conversation with.

"Oh that's just terrible! I can't believe they'd call such a fine boulder such as yourself something so offensive," he exclaimed, giving it a sympathetic pat.

"I know! 'Butt-rock'... they never even ask for my name..." the rock sighed.

Now the general populace probably wouldn't hear the rock's reply. No, only those who either worked magic themselves or maybe those who communicated regularly with spirits or ghosts or the like would be able to hear the rock spirit speak. To anyone else? Eli probably looked as if he was just having a crazy one sided conversation with a local landmark.

"To be fair you DO look like one," the thief pointed out after taking a sip of his drink. He had no idea what it was, but it was cold and creamy and had strawberries and bananas in it. He wondered if he could sweet talk the vendor into giving him another freebie.

"There's nothing I can do about that," if rocks could sulk, this one certainly was.

"Oh I think you could! You just have to try it, go on, just move around a little," Eli gave the rock an encouraging pat on the back.

"You think so...?"

Amazingly enough the rock did begin to move. It shuddered first, and the shape then began to slowly shift, accompanied with the loud crunching sound of grinding stone.

"There you go!" Eli grinned and saluted the rock with his delicious fruity drink, "I told you you could do it."

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The white-scaled lizard-man passing by missed the conversation, but the grinding of stone demands attention, and so he gives it a curious glance.

"Eh? What is this?" Noticing a human of some sort sitting near the stone, the blue-robed lizard asks, "did you do this?"

"Me? Of course not!" he laughed and waved with his free hand as if that was the craziest question in the world, "The rock was more then capable of moving on it's own after a little friendly encouragement."

His eyebrows raise a fraction of an inch after looking robed person over. Scales! Like a small humanoid dragon... Or a lizard but dragon sounds so much more dramatic.Either way, how fascinating!

"Was it?" Pink eyes blink twice in quick succession, and the hooded head tilts to one side slightly as it watches the stone move. "I admit, that has not been the case in my experience. Might I ask after the manner of your encouragement?" The voice is light but raspy, with a timbre that suggests a young male, developmentally comparable to a human in their early twenties.

"Well I was very polite," he replied helpfully, pausing a moment to take a sip, "I mean the poor thing was just so sulky! Apparently everyone's been calling it Butt-rock. Can you believe that?"

He shakes his head as the rock beside him seems to finally begin to settle down into a more personally appealing shape.

"I think I would express greater incredulity," the lizard speculates, "if I knew less of people." His expression grows thoughtful for a moment, before the lizard turns to address the rock: "if I have ever given you offense, Sir or Madam Rock, I do sincerely apologize, as such was not my intent."

"Is... okaaay..." the ruck shuddered one final time, accompanied by one last grinding sound, almost like it was yawning.

"Oh... looks like it's back to nap time," Eli leaned forward and ran a hand down the no longer a Butt-rock's side, It was entirely still and gave no indication of responding any further for the moment at least, "Rock spirits always have a hard time staying awake for any length of time."

"That quality, at least, I have observed in the stones of my native land," the lizard remarks wryly. "Is it by magic that you communicate with the spirit of the stone?" In some contexts, the fine robes and the staff slung across the white lizard's back would scream "magic guy," but such indicators are not always fully multiversal.

"Ah, but my manners--please pardon me. My name is Shade-Seeker; I am something of a mage, myself."

A mage huh? Where Eli's friend, mages, wizards, sorcerers, or whatever else you want to call them tend to wear a lot of jewelry. Mostly rings, sometimes bracelets or pendents but always gaudy. They housed the spirits they kept as servants.

"Pleasure meeting you Shade!" he grinned and saluted him with his smoothie, "Eli Monpress. Don't mistake me for a wizard though, I'm but a humble thief."

Opposite of humble technically.

This mage isn't quite an exception to that rule; a ring glints on each hand, and a pendant hangs around his neck with the soul of an angry demigod trapped within--long story.

He blanches a little at the shortening of his name, insisting politely, "Shade-Seeker, please, and I am pleased to meet you as well. I shall accept you as you wish to present yourself, if you like. It is my experience, however, that people are like a still lake on a sunny day--one cannot guess at the depths from the surface."

Sounds like a story worth hearing.

"Mister Shade-Seeker then," the corners of his lips tilt up mischievously. Well there's a nice simple way to annoy a person should the need ever arise.

"You're somewhat of a cryptic sort," Eli's smile doesn't falter though a certain distant look briefly passes over his features before it's replaced with good cheer once again, "Sometimes a puddle is just a puddle though. As far as I know there aren't any rules about that say a thief can't be a magical one."

"Am I? Such is not my intention," Shade-Seeker offers in tones of apology. "You speak truly, I know of no such rule--but are many thieves magical, in your world?"

"As far as I know I'm the only one!" he replied with pride, "Which is a good thing, I really don't want anyone copying my style."

His world's not ready for another magical thief the likes of Eli.

"A distinction indeed, then," the mage observes. "I am deeply curious, but do not wish to be impolite in wisdom's pursuit. May I ask you of your experiences?"

First Rule of Thievery

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