The tales of treachery

NIHALIA

Written by: IB
It was a chilly night in the heart of the Den of Thieves, where a fortnight-long spectacle called the Tournament of Thieves was currently in full swing. As an apprentice to the legendary King of Thieves, known only as The Scorpion, I was ecstatic to attend my first public event in their company.

Together, The Scorpion and I made our way to the royal box of the colosseum, where we were able to overlook the arena below. The stands were jam-packed with a varied mix of lowlifes and scoundrels, their cheers and jeers combining into a deafening sound of raw emotion.

Suddenly, the raucous voice of the announcer could be heard blaring through the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the one, the only Randy Malice!"
Randy walked out onto the stage, his chiselled body on full display, causing loud gasps from the crowd.

Before the announcer could even begin to introduce Randy's opponent, a thunderous crash echoed through the colosseum, causing heads to turn and bodies to tense with anticipation. This sound seemed to be that of an explosive, judging from the smoke billowing from the location of the sound. The sound was so deafening that it triggered my sixth sense (all thieves have it) , a sense that allows me to recognize when I'm in grave danger. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a strange man entering the royal box- causing great suspicion.

The Scorpion never spoke. We communicated solely through sign language, which was perfectly fine by me. I quickly signed to my master, "Master, a strange man just walked in the royal box. I advise you to be armed."

The Scorpion nodded, their eyes narrowing with a steely glint. "Yes," they signed back. "They will be dealt with."

Suddenly, another loud crash erupted from the crowd, and another section of the colosseum was engulfed in flames. Panic began to spread among the high-ranking thieves in the royal box as they scrambled to make their escape. The strange man seized the opportunity to strike, slowly inching his way closer to The Scorpion with a menacing glint in his eyes.

In a flash, the strange man lunged forward with a sharp blade, attempting to take The Scorpion's life. But The Scorpion was no ordinary thief. They were highly experienced and respected, and they were not about to go down without a fight. With lightning-fast reflexes, they drew their own weapon and struck the attacker down, taking them out of commission for good.

The colosseum erupted into chaos, with thieves fleeing in every direction and the sound of clanging swords ringing through the air. But through it all, The Scorpion remained cool and collected, their piercing gaze scanning the crowd for any further threats. As an apprentice, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration for my master's incredible skills and composure under pressure.

As the chaos continued, The Scorpion turned to me and signed, "We need to leave. This is no longer safe."
I nodded, my heart pounding with excitement and fear. "Of course, Master. Where to?"
"We need to regroup with the rest of the thieving lords and assess the situation. Come with me," The Scorpion signed back.
We made our way out of the colosseum, slipping through the chaos and avoiding the throngs of panicked thieves. As we walked, I couldn't help but ask, "Master, who was that strange man? Why did he attack you?"
The Scorpion's expression grew grim. "That was one of our rivals, a thief who works for the one known as The Spider. He's been trying to take over our territory for years, and it seems he's getting more desperate in his attempts. We'll need to be on high alert from now on."
I nodded, ready for what lay ahead.

We arrived at The Scorpions housing complex, a maze of underground tunnels and hidden rooms that served as the governmental buildings of the den of thieves. There, we met with The Scorpion's closest advisors and began to strategize our next moves.

As the night wore on and the adrenaline rush of the attack began to fade, I couldn't help but reflect on the events of the evening. The events had been terrifying, but with The Scorpion and their team by my side, I knew I was in the best possible hands. But I had other things to worry about. How could we stop The Spider? And who are they?