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Fates.Gamble
Care to take a gamble?
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2012
- Location
- Somewhere out there...
Aidan’s vivid, hazel eyes scanned the distance, sizing up the monumental challenge before him. In the faded twilight, the castle looked to be a threatening mass of darkness. Its towers stretched for the sky like inky lances, their flags and banners hanging limp in the perfectly still air. In the heart of the obscurity he could spot the bobbing, orange light of torches; guards who moved back and forth, looking like busy ants atop the battlements. He’d expected as much. What he hadn’t intended on was there being so damn many of them. A quick count told him there had to be at least 25 watchmen on patrol, maybe more. And that was just to stand vigil over the perimeter. Who could say what sort of resistance he would find inside?
Of course he knew perfectly well the reason for such a tight and increased guard. Word of his deeds had spread far and wide throughout the city. With one rich aristocrat after another falling victim to his talents, it was only a matter of time before their sovereign leader was hit as well. In truth, Aidan wasn’t sure if he was ready for this, the biggest of scores this place had to offer, quite so soon. But if he rested on his laurels, who knew how much more difficult this heist would prove? The King was already shoring up his defenses, preparing for the inevitable; if he kept hitting the small fish the biggest might get too spooked to catch. It was now or never.
Luckily, Aidan was one hell of a sharp tack. Two days prior he’d cased the palace, making a detailed note of everything he could about the bastion. It would be no easy matter, sneaking in and out of that place, but few were better suited for this task than he. A keen eye showed him the weaknesses of the fortress, such as an usually short postern, and ancient tower nearly crumbling in its disrepair, and a partially broken window on the third floor. That was all it would take to give him his in, making the idea of this heist a lot more feasible. Assuming he could make it past the contingent of guards, that was.
And so here he was two nights later, his heart thudding with anxious excitement. Aidan had climbed and perched himself upon the highest rooftop outside of the castle gates, getting the best vantage point he could. There were a few people walking the streets below, but thanks to his dark attire and ability to remain still as a gargoyle, they remained blissfully unaware of his presence. He wore a solid black tunic with the pants and boots to match. Gloves were forsaken for this job; he would need the flexibility of open hands for his antics. Neither did he wear a cloak like most people who sought to hide their identity. Such a billowy garment would slow him down, and this sort of thing required an agile finesse. Instead he wore a charcoal colored hood and concealing face mask. With the hood down tight and the mask disguising his jawline, it was nigh impossible to discern his identity. There was only his fierce, hazel eyes to go by, like burning coals within the shadow of his hood.
Once the street was free of any potential witnesses, Aidan made his move. Drawing back to get a running start, he dashed for the edge of the roof and leapt. The skilled thief moved silently, barely recognizable in the inky blackness while he passed through the air to land upon the next rooftop. He came out of a forward roll, keeping the momentum as he sprung back to his feet and continued on to the next building. He made short work of the rooftops, quickly crossing the remaining distance to the castle’s outer wall. This was the highest jump he would have to make, and Aidan wasted no time sizing it up and preparing. Luckily he’d already chalked his hands, making his grip easy to maintain when he finally made that faithful leap that saw him clinging from the very side of the wall itself. He kept a cool had as he dangled there, keenly aware as a pair of sentries passed through the gate below. Aidan was quiet as a mouse as he scrambled, making sure they didn’t catch wind of the intruder above.
The ancient stone was easy to traverse; lots of texture and handholds to grip onto. He was able to scurry up and over without incident, coming down on the other side. As soon as his feet were back on solid ground, he hunkered down, creeping through the darkness and staying well clear of the dirt road running from the main gate to the castle itself. There were other men wandering the grounds, but they were easy to pinpoint and avoid. Torchlight may have helped the men to see but it also did a fine job of telling him exactly where they roamed. With a focused patience, he inched towards the postern, keeping a comfortable distance between him and the lookouts.
This was all too easy so far, Aidan thought. Yet his heart was still racing by the time he finally reached the tower and pressed his back flat against it. Another pair of guards were just above, and it didn’t seem like they spotted him, but he was a little too close for comfort given their vantage point. His ears could just barely make out the sound of them talking above. While he couldn’t grasp any of the words, he could tell by the carefree tone of their voices that he remained anonymous. Their conversation grew weaker, fading into silence as the men moved on to another post. He looked up just to make sure, confirming the absence of their telltale firelight.
Aidan wasted no time, retrieving a small grappling hook and rope from the belt around his waist. It was just one of the many useful tools he kept on his person. You never knew what challenges you would run into on these little excursions. You had to be smart and you had to be prepared. Fortunately, his mind worked quick, sizing up every situation with a glance and adapting as necessary. It kept him alive in the business of robbing the rich and powerful so far, and he didn’t intend to slack in that department anytime soon.
One perfectly aimed launch was enough to land his hook in a crenel. He tugged the rope, making sure it was good and secure before heading up. It was expertly timed, no one around to see the thief while his powerful arms and legs carried him right up to the top of their impenetrable citadel. Once he was safely upon the top of the square tower he made sure to unhook his grapple and coil the rope back up, returning the tool to its rightful place at his side. He moved quickly after that, navigating the walls and making his way to the dilapidated tower on the west wing of the castle. Getting there was no pleasure cruise. The place was crawling with men, which often had him ducking away, waiting until it was safe to move again. It was a painfully slow endeavor, but his calm demeanor kept him out of shackles and progressing towards his goal. In time he made it to the crumbling structure, as neglected by men as it was by the builders. With no one around to witness his climb he climbed the shoddy stone work in no time at all. No need for a grapple this time, the shambles had perfect footing all the way up to the broken window.
Good thing his eyes were keen. The missing panels of glass were just small enough to fit a man through, but the marred artwork of its stained glass stuck out like a sore thumb to him from the ground upon his first visit. It was likely what made this all possible, allowing him to squeeze right into the third floor of the tower. His soft boots touched the ground as quietly as possible, moving like a shadow in the night. He as within the mighty fortress at last. All that was left was to find his way to the treasury. While he knew the layout of the outside, the inside was quite another story. It would take no small amount of careful navigating if he was to pull this off.
Stalking out of the round stairwell, he moved through the empty corridors, trying to imagine where to go from here. He kept a careful watch for any armed soldiers or custodians, sticking close to the walls and checking around every corner. So far so good, he thought, trying to ignore the fact that this place was like a labyrinth to him. He figured the bed chambers were likely to be higher up. Perhaps any valuables would be down below. If the king was truly paranoid he might keep his vault below ground. And heavily guarded, he realized, but that didn’t stop be from descending the first marble stairwell. He wore a pair of twin short swords sheathed at his side in case things went wrong. He was more than capable of using them, along with no lack of other tricks, if things came to it. But he was loathe for things to come to that. He wanted to rob these people, not hurt them.
That might prove unavoidable, as no sooner than he made it to the second floor he spotted and incoming pair of guards. Aidan reacted on instinct, heart hammering against his ribs as he ducked out behind a corner. They just barely missed him, but they were coming right his way, barring his path towards the first floor. With no better choice, he retreated the opposite direction, following the hall until again he was forced to change directions, this time because of a door ward. Before he knew it, Aidan had lost himself in the twists and turns of this place. Patrols were everywhere, giving the thief no choice but to sneak his way down the corridors, completely unaware that another soul was doing just the same right towards him.
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Of course he knew perfectly well the reason for such a tight and increased guard. Word of his deeds had spread far and wide throughout the city. With one rich aristocrat after another falling victim to his talents, it was only a matter of time before their sovereign leader was hit as well. In truth, Aidan wasn’t sure if he was ready for this, the biggest of scores this place had to offer, quite so soon. But if he rested on his laurels, who knew how much more difficult this heist would prove? The King was already shoring up his defenses, preparing for the inevitable; if he kept hitting the small fish the biggest might get too spooked to catch. It was now or never.
Luckily, Aidan was one hell of a sharp tack. Two days prior he’d cased the palace, making a detailed note of everything he could about the bastion. It would be no easy matter, sneaking in and out of that place, but few were better suited for this task than he. A keen eye showed him the weaknesses of the fortress, such as an usually short postern, and ancient tower nearly crumbling in its disrepair, and a partially broken window on the third floor. That was all it would take to give him his in, making the idea of this heist a lot more feasible. Assuming he could make it past the contingent of guards, that was.
And so here he was two nights later, his heart thudding with anxious excitement. Aidan had climbed and perched himself upon the highest rooftop outside of the castle gates, getting the best vantage point he could. There were a few people walking the streets below, but thanks to his dark attire and ability to remain still as a gargoyle, they remained blissfully unaware of his presence. He wore a solid black tunic with the pants and boots to match. Gloves were forsaken for this job; he would need the flexibility of open hands for his antics. Neither did he wear a cloak like most people who sought to hide their identity. Such a billowy garment would slow him down, and this sort of thing required an agile finesse. Instead he wore a charcoal colored hood and concealing face mask. With the hood down tight and the mask disguising his jawline, it was nigh impossible to discern his identity. There was only his fierce, hazel eyes to go by, like burning coals within the shadow of his hood.
Once the street was free of any potential witnesses, Aidan made his move. Drawing back to get a running start, he dashed for the edge of the roof and leapt. The skilled thief moved silently, barely recognizable in the inky blackness while he passed through the air to land upon the next rooftop. He came out of a forward roll, keeping the momentum as he sprung back to his feet and continued on to the next building. He made short work of the rooftops, quickly crossing the remaining distance to the castle’s outer wall. This was the highest jump he would have to make, and Aidan wasted no time sizing it up and preparing. Luckily he’d already chalked his hands, making his grip easy to maintain when he finally made that faithful leap that saw him clinging from the very side of the wall itself. He kept a cool had as he dangled there, keenly aware as a pair of sentries passed through the gate below. Aidan was quiet as a mouse as he scrambled, making sure they didn’t catch wind of the intruder above.
The ancient stone was easy to traverse; lots of texture and handholds to grip onto. He was able to scurry up and over without incident, coming down on the other side. As soon as his feet were back on solid ground, he hunkered down, creeping through the darkness and staying well clear of the dirt road running from the main gate to the castle itself. There were other men wandering the grounds, but they were easy to pinpoint and avoid. Torchlight may have helped the men to see but it also did a fine job of telling him exactly where they roamed. With a focused patience, he inched towards the postern, keeping a comfortable distance between him and the lookouts.
This was all too easy so far, Aidan thought. Yet his heart was still racing by the time he finally reached the tower and pressed his back flat against it. Another pair of guards were just above, and it didn’t seem like they spotted him, but he was a little too close for comfort given their vantage point. His ears could just barely make out the sound of them talking above. While he couldn’t grasp any of the words, he could tell by the carefree tone of their voices that he remained anonymous. Their conversation grew weaker, fading into silence as the men moved on to another post. He looked up just to make sure, confirming the absence of their telltale firelight.
Aidan wasted no time, retrieving a small grappling hook and rope from the belt around his waist. It was just one of the many useful tools he kept on his person. You never knew what challenges you would run into on these little excursions. You had to be smart and you had to be prepared. Fortunately, his mind worked quick, sizing up every situation with a glance and adapting as necessary. It kept him alive in the business of robbing the rich and powerful so far, and he didn’t intend to slack in that department anytime soon.
One perfectly aimed launch was enough to land his hook in a crenel. He tugged the rope, making sure it was good and secure before heading up. It was expertly timed, no one around to see the thief while his powerful arms and legs carried him right up to the top of their impenetrable citadel. Once he was safely upon the top of the square tower he made sure to unhook his grapple and coil the rope back up, returning the tool to its rightful place at his side. He moved quickly after that, navigating the walls and making his way to the dilapidated tower on the west wing of the castle. Getting there was no pleasure cruise. The place was crawling with men, which often had him ducking away, waiting until it was safe to move again. It was a painfully slow endeavor, but his calm demeanor kept him out of shackles and progressing towards his goal. In time he made it to the crumbling structure, as neglected by men as it was by the builders. With no one around to witness his climb he climbed the shoddy stone work in no time at all. No need for a grapple this time, the shambles had perfect footing all the way up to the broken window.
Good thing his eyes were keen. The missing panels of glass were just small enough to fit a man through, but the marred artwork of its stained glass stuck out like a sore thumb to him from the ground upon his first visit. It was likely what made this all possible, allowing him to squeeze right into the third floor of the tower. His soft boots touched the ground as quietly as possible, moving like a shadow in the night. He as within the mighty fortress at last. All that was left was to find his way to the treasury. While he knew the layout of the outside, the inside was quite another story. It would take no small amount of careful navigating if he was to pull this off.
Stalking out of the round stairwell, he moved through the empty corridors, trying to imagine where to go from here. He kept a careful watch for any armed soldiers or custodians, sticking close to the walls and checking around every corner. So far so good, he thought, trying to ignore the fact that this place was like a labyrinth to him. He figured the bed chambers were likely to be higher up. Perhaps any valuables would be down below. If the king was truly paranoid he might keep his vault below ground. And heavily guarded, he realized, but that didn’t stop be from descending the first marble stairwell. He wore a pair of twin short swords sheathed at his side in case things went wrong. He was more than capable of using them, along with no lack of other tricks, if things came to it. But he was loathe for things to come to that. He wanted to rob these people, not hurt them.
That might prove unavoidable, as no sooner than he made it to the second floor he spotted and incoming pair of guards. Aidan reacted on instinct, heart hammering against his ribs as he ducked out behind a corner. They just barely missed him, but they were coming right his way, barring his path towards the first floor. With no better choice, he retreated the opposite direction, following the hall until again he was forced to change directions, this time because of a door ward. Before he knew it, Aidan had lost himself in the twists and turns of this place. Patrols were everywhere, giving the thief no choice but to sneak his way down the corridors, completely unaware that another soul was doing just the same right towards him.
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