The Eye Of The Snake

1 ZAYO

–We should leave it, it's not here –Zayo whispered just loud enough for his two companions to hear–. If we keep making noise, they'll hear us.

–We can't leave without the jewel Nama told us about –Raikin quickly replied–. Besides, we'll need some gold to buy food.

–Quiet –Rejo snapped–. We find it quickly and get out the way we came.

The three boys continued their task. They had to be cautious, as the family who owned the house was sleeping upstairs. Despite having searched the house for the second time, there was no trace of the jewel, and Zayo was starting to lose hope.

–I think I know where it is –Raikin said, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

Raikin was crouched on the stairs leading to the upper floor. With speed and caution, Rejo and Zayo moved toward him, climbing a couple of steps. There, they understood their companion's reaction: the jewel was on the right wrist of the person sleeping in the room across from the stairs.

–Stay here and don't make a sound –Zayo said as he finished climbing the stairs.

Zayo was the oldest of the three, so he often took on the role of leader in many situations. Despite all three being skilled thieves, Zayo was the most adept at pickpocketing.

The thief slowly approached the sleeping person. He could already hear her soft snores, indicating that, for now, he was safe from being caught by her waking up. In case that happened, they would need to leave the house as fast as possible because, even though all three wore dark scarves over their faces, leaving only their eyes visible, they could still find themselves in serious danger.

Once beside her, Zayo crouched down, resting on one knee, and gently took the woman's hand. It took him a moment to figure out how to remove the jewel from her wrist. Once he figured it out, he made a swift movement, and the desired object moved from the sleeping woman's wrist to Zayo's hand. He retraced his steps back to the group.

–I got it –Zayo whispered, proudly showing off the gold bracelet he had just obtained.

Rejo nodded, and the group of thieves slipped out the window, climbing up to the roof. The house wasn't very tall, but from up there, they could see the Great Sea of Sand, as the vast desert that covered the southwest of Valoria was known. They could also see the Wet Sand district, where the three young men came from. This neighborhood was known for being the poorest in the city of Dunaria. The boys often "worked" in the neighborhoods closest to the Crystal Temple, home of the royal family of the Cimarro; in these homes, there were usually more food and valuables.

–Rai, what did you find? –Rejo asked worriedly as the three removed the scarves covering their faces.

–Well... half a loaf of bread, a small bag of rice, and a piece of meat from...

–Chicken –Zayo completed–. It's too little food for all of us.

They sat at the edge of the roof, disappointed by the meager food they had taken from the house and the complete lack of water. The trio made an unusual group. Zayo was the eldest and also the strongest. His green eyes often mesmerized all the girls who looked at him. His long brown hair, short on the sides and styled into a crest, gave him a rebellious look, and his beard gave him a hint of young masculinity. His light but sun-kissed skin gave him a charm his brothers didn't have since they rarely ventured out during the day to avoid being linked to thefts. However, Zayo often went out to sell the items they obtained during their "work."

–You better get a good price for that bracelet –Rejo remarked.

Rejo was the middle child and also the tallest; he was really tall and thin. His hair was long, dark, curly, and wild. His gray eyes and sharply defined features made him the cleverest, or at least the fastest thinker.