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This article, Keryneia's Uncatchable Thief, is property of Leengard Ustan. |
Third Story of History of the Twelve, previous Story Lerna's Poison
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Thoth was wincing with every step he took. The wounds from his fight with the woman he was on his way to talk to were starting to ache like they were new.
"Hind..." he groaned as another lance of pain shot up his leg.
"So you did survive, silly boy." Hind giggled as he limped into view. "I see you'll be remembering me for a long time."
"The limp? It's permanent." Thoth replied with a pained grin.
"Ah, good. I will be remembered." She said as she stood up and walked over to lean on the bars. Hind reached threw the bars and stroked Thoth's face. "So what brings you here, silly boy?"
"I'm here to get your story." he replied, gently pushing her hand away from his face.
"You already know my story." Hind said with a smile. "You did beat me."
"No, no, no." Thoth said. "Your story about how you joined The Dodekathlon."
"Well, that's...a secret!" she said, winking and holding one hand up to emphasize the 'secret'.
"Very funny." Thoth sighed. "So that's all you want to be remembered for? A limp?"
Hind stared at him for what seemed like an hour, then sighed in defeat.
"Fine, fine." she said. "I'll tell you all about Keryneia's Uncatchable Thief."
"Keryneia?" Thoth repeated.
"Yep, the town I grew up in." Hind answered. "In the country of Desierto. My family was poor, both my parents were unemployed beggars who used what little magic they could to get loose change thrown at them just so they could feed me. I learned how to be a pick-pocket when I was three, so we could afford water during the dry season."
"So when did you become the...'Uncatchable Thief'?" Thoth asked.
"When I turned ten, both my parents died from dehydration and sun strokes." Hind replied sadly. "That's when I really began practicing my Speed Magic, and I already was a master pick-pocket but loose change wasn't going to help me survive. So I began going after bigger and more expensive items. I even hired myself out on the black market to get anything they wanted. A year later the streets were buzzing with news of the 'Uncatchable Thief' and no one knew who it was. Then some bastard ratted me out to the authorities, most likely to save his own ass."
"No honor amongst theives, I suppose?" Thoth commented.
"Honor? Ha!" she laughed. "It's every man for himself in Desierto. So at the age of eleven I was the most hunted fugitive in the country and I was running out of places to hide. Then guild mages also got involved, seeking the reward on my head. Cerberus apparently was also one of the people hunting for me. He found me exhausted and injured in an alley, I went to run and he easily caught me. Not because of my injury, that was a cut on my arm, he was just faster than me. That really surprised and angered me, then he offered to take me away from Desierto, away from the poverty and theiving just to survive another day. Cerberus told me that if I joined him, he'd tell me where to find things that were really worth stealing."
"So you joined out of greed?" Thoth asked, rather shocked at the self-centered reason for joining.
"No." Hind replied flatly. "I joined because the authorities and guild mages were closing in on me and I was determined to get faster than this white haired man who caught me, Keryneia's Uncatchable Theif, so easily."
"Did you ever get faster than him?"
"No. And apparently it is something all men with white hair can do." Hind gave Thoth a sideways look. He just smirked a bit. "Now I guess you're gonna leave now and go question Boar now."
"Actually...Boar's dead." Thoth replied awkwardly.
"Oh..." Hind said, and things were quiet for what felt like eternity. Then Hind finally broke the silence. "Th-then I guess I'll tell you his story too..."
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Continued in The Destruction of Erymanthos