"It's hard to get in without being noticed." komento ni Sinbad habang sila ay nagtatago mula sa malayo. Sa kalayuan ay natatanaw nila ang isang ordinaryong tindahan ng mga bulaklak ngunit ang hindi ordinaryo rito ay ang pagpasok ng mga taong nakasuot ng mga magagarang damit. There are guards surrounding the area. Gabi na rin kaya wala ng tao ang naglalakad sa daan at wala ring nakakapansin sa nangyayari.
"We'll sneak in when the auction begins. But we need one person to go in ahead of us." Zai glanced at Shane and threw a set of clothes at him.
Shane was shocked and he pointed at himself. "Ako?! Mag-isa?!"
"There's definitely a secret door to the underground auction and we need to know where it is. You'll disguise yourself as one of the guests. You'll leave a mark for us to know where the door is."
Ngunit lalong kinabahan si Shane sa sinabi nito, "I'm only 15 years old, y'know! Nakakatakot para sakin ang bagay na 'to Zai!"
Zai squinted her eyes at him, "You have to do it. Because pointing the door to us isn't the only job of the person who'll first sneak in."
"Ano?! Meron pa?!"
"You're a thief, aren't you? Steal as much as you want from those gold-licking pests. The three of us will find Rocio and take him down. Understood?"
"How can I disobey you if you're glaring at me like that?" tila nanghihinang saad ni Shane at wala ng nagawa kundi ang magpalit.
Noong makapagpalit ito ay inabutan ito ni Zai ng maskara at ng isang sobre na kulay itim. "You'll take that bastard's identity." pertaining to the guy they just tortured earlier. "Sneak in. Mark the door. Steal. Then get out. That's your job."
Shane nervously wore the mask and put the invitation in his pocket. He nodded and turned his back to get off the roof but he looked back when Zai held his hand. She's still wearing her plain expression as she stare at him. Her hold on his hand slightly got tighter, "Be safe."
Shane's eyes widen with surprise. He didn't expect that from her. He nodded again and jumped off the roof. Zai, Sinbad, and Trois watched him as he walk to the flower shop. He handed the black letter to the guard and the guard nodded, eyeing him suspiciously but they still let him in.
Noong makapasok si Shane ay bumuga siya ng hangin. One assisted him inside. The guard grabbed the small flower pot that is hanging beside the wall and Shane immediately knew that it was the trigger for the door. The guard pulled down the pot and the floor in front of Shane opened. Showing a staircase covered in a red carpet.
Shane slightly grinned. He began to sneeze continously. "Okay lang po ba kayo?" tanong ng guard.
"Damn it! Why do they have to choose a damn flower shop as a front for the auction?! I'm allergic to these sh*ts!" pag-arte ni Shane. Nilapitan naman siya ng guwardiya pero tinulak niya ito, "Get the hell away from me, assh*le!"
Tumama naman ang likod ng guwardiya sa bookshelf na naroon at may ilang mga libro ang nagbagsakan dito. Shane immediately grabbed the feather ornament on his hair and threw it to the flower pot that is serving as the trigger. It stuck on the soil beside the flowers. It is barely noticeable because the feather and the flowers have the same color but he's sure that Zai will surely notice it.
Nagpatuloy siya sa paghatsing habang bumababa siya ng hagdan. Sa pagbaba niya ay nagsarado na rin ang pinto. He sighed in relief and fixed his sleeve before continuing on walking down the stairs.
He continued walking until he reached the end of the stairs. He walked in the hallway and roamed his eyes around. All he could see is gold. The red carpet is also clean and the chandeliers are shining because of some small crystals that are attached to it. His hands are already itching to steal but he persevered, thinking that the guests' accessories worth more than those.
After ten minutes, Zai and the others jumped off the roof and attacked the guards that are surveilling the area. All fell unconscious by just mere chops on the neck. They went inside and looked around. Sinbad went to the flower pot that is hanging on the wall and removed the feather from it. He pulled the pot down and the floor opened.
Zai glanced at the carpeted stairs, "Let's go."
--
"Excuse me. Excuse me." marahan na sabi ni Shane habang patagilid na naglalakad sa harap ng mga nakaupong mayayaman. Some are clicking their tongues but most of them just decided to ignore him. When Shane got out from the row of seats, he snickered and walked away with high quality jewelries in his hand. He sneaked them inside his suit. His hands were fast enough to steal valuable accessories from these elites as they walk inside the hall earlier. Because of that, his suit is already heavy but he's willing to carry them around.
He sat down on his seat and smiled as he watch the auction proceed. It has already started five minutes ago and he could guess that Zai and the others are already inside. He'll get out of here after a few more minutes to avoid suspicions.
A woman walked passed him. He glanced at the woman with a long brown wavy hair and tall figure. Her red dress was hugging her curves and he actually saw that the woman glanced at him like she knows him. He could even feel her glare behind her mask. He stared confusingly at the woman until she was gone from his sight. He just shook it off and gazed back at the stage.
"Here is a sword that was forged a thousand years ago by a great smith. It is said to be the sword of one great warrior. It was used to slaughter hundreds of demons that he came across.." Shane rested his cheek on his knuckles and sighed. This will take a while.
Rocio puffed on his tobacco as he stare down at the stage from his VIP room. A woman with short clothing came to him and poured champagne in his glass. He lifted up his wineglass and drink from it as the woman put the bottle down on the side.
The door creaked and Rocio glanced at the person who didn't even bother to knock. He remained calm even if he saw a girl right there with a katana in her hand. Her gray hawk-like eyes are gazing on him like he was her next kill.
Rocio glanced back at the stage, "Zaivrin Haines, was it? The girl with the large beautiful bounty on her head." he said, emphasizing on the word 'beautiful' with a grin on his face.
Zai lowered her body and attacked him in a speed that he couldn't react to but instead of touching the man's flesh, Zai's sword was stopped by another. Zai stared at the woman who stopped her from killing Rocio. Zai didn't waste any second and grabbed the dagger on her thigh and swung it upward to the woman's face. The woman calmly moved her face slightly, the dagger didn't touch her skin. But her mask dropped on the carpeted floor.
The woman stared down at her while Zai just looked at her with her usual plain and sharp eyes. She squinted her eyes when the woman's face was familiar to her then she smirked.
"You've been following us around for two months and you just decided to show yourself now? Is that the instruction you received from that old man? How stupid."
The woman smirked, not paying too much attention on her words, "Time to go home, little girl."
YOU ARE READING
Excelium II: Hunting Season
Fantasy[Book 2 of Excelium] There's no such thing as pure white in someone's soul. Such purity does not exist in a world full of living beings who seeks for almost everything, even a child desires plenty. Greed would grow from within even without you notic...
