Extreme Heights (discontinued/read authors note)

Genesis: Thoughts

My eyes swiveled back to the herd that fled in a hurried manner, carrying mournful and grief-filled cries with them. Two bodies were left behind, one being that of a bull with its life pooling around its body in a mahogany puddle and the other a month old calf with its side peeled like that of a fruit. Even for a dragon, the scene was gruesome to see. If only I had stopped that eagle in time, then neither creature should have died, and Kat and Kagin would have escaped without expending so much energy. Even without an aiteho, it was obvious that it took energy to remain in Kagin's lion form. Everything has a limit, and I guess elves and half-elves are no different.
       Even Katsai's magic was formidable, but it had its limits just like the rest of ours, maybe even more so. I stared at the ring that adorned her finger, remembering how it shocked Kagin that she took it off. I assume she rarely does. Maybe she never does. Even her cloak seemed a part of her. Sentimentals? I slowly shook my head as the conversation they were holding reached my head once more.
    "You'll see."
    I gazed at the lion-boy for a long second, noticing the primal, bloodlust-filled urge still flickered in his speckled irises. I followed his gaze, noticing the silhouette of buildings in the distance. The setting sun lingered a mile or two above the horizon, darkening the image even more. I slowly lifted myself from the ground as Kat turned to gaze at the sight as well.
    "The village of Linuss." She murmured quietly. "It's a small village, its focus mainly on agriculture and farming. I am not sure of what inns and taverns it contains, but I am pretty sure we can collect supplies easily."
    "What about your scrolls?" I gazed at her with mild interest as she bit her bottom lip in thought.
    "Not sure. Like I said, I would like to see if they had a library. The hope is that they do." I still had no clue why the scrolls mattered so much to her. For battle plans? Were they planning on facing off against Galterius? I couldn't be sure for the small girl was so secretive, even Kagin had trouble breaking down the drawbridge she had pulled up.
    I meant what I said when I told her nothing stays hidden. My own secrets will be revealed one day, but with her, it seemed to run much deeper. Whatever she was hiding seemed to control her emotions. She switched from one mood to the next so fast, sprouting a psychotic grin one second before seeming on the edge of a mental breakdown the next. It made her seem so unpredictable and with her strategic way of thinking, it really makes you think what happened to her. And her debilitating fear of heights was odd to say the least. It was natural for people to have some sense of fear when near a drop, but her fear caused her to actually freeze as if going into a trance; based off of what Kagin told me anyway.
    "We need to get going before that eagle returns. I am not sure you know this, but eagle flesh isn't the most satisfying of meals." Kagin hummed, setting off towards the village in a quick stride. Katsai followed after him, pulling her hood back over her head after it fell during the skirmish.
    I had never seen personalities such as theirs. Even after years of being in the forest, I thought every man was the same. Cruel and without remorse, nothing but beasts that meant nothing but harm. I resented humans, even though I was one, and fled to the woods where I lived amongst creatures who only harmed to survive. Humans were different, they didn't care about survival for they were at the top and saw others beneath them, even their own kind. Every guard and every traveler that passed through that dark forest; I treated with hostility.
    But when these two entered the forest, something felt off. They weren't there to cause harm or search for gold. No, they were running just like I did years ago. And like I mentioned before, they didn't run when I confronted them like so many before. No, they took me on as if facing a dragon was easier than fighting against whatever was behind them, whether it was their past or, what I now know, Galterius. They didn't act like criminals, exactly, but rather people who committed a crime to help fix a world. And no, it wasn't the cheesy 'I'm killing everyone in the country because there are too many people' kind of thing, like so many drunkards spewed when stumbling over roots on the forest floor. They were actually doing something that will help so many people, save so many lives. In a way, they were heroes who just seemed like bad guys who fought a bad person that displayed fake heroism.
It was a twisted point of view, if you think about it. Even with their quirks, once they figured out I was no harm and could be trusted, they treated me with nothing but kindness and respect. I told Katsai that they weren't criminals even though she was so adamant about being a bad person, and I truly believe it. I ran all my life and to see these two stand up to a threat like that, it made me want to join them. I didn't want to live in the shadows anymore.
And now here I was, following a duo who walked towards the same path I had run from years ago. It felt good to retrace these steps. I looked up to see Katsai looking at me with a confused stare.
"You day-dreaming about a hot dragon boy over there?" She stuck out her tongue playfully before bursting out into laughter at seeing my unamused gaze.
"No. Just thinking about sticking you on my back and soaring into the clouds." I murmured in return. That immediately silenced her laughing as she turned back around.
       "Please don't." She murmured, which gave me the last laugh. A snort from Kagin could be heard from the front of us as he stifled his own snicker. A small smile slithered its way onto my lips. Feels like a family again.
      The village edged closer as the day creeped on. By the time we reached a merchant trail, pinks and oranges blazed across the sky. The small pat of horse hooves moved along at a slow pace as a cart rolled its way to the village. A merchant sat on the coachmen's seat, crying out 'heeyaws' or 'giddyups' at the horse as he snapped the reins. Boxes littered the backside of the cart, filled with who knows what.
Katsai tightened her hood, allowing only her mouth and nose to be seen. A shadow, which concealed her pale eyes and hair, was created by the too large of a hood.
      "From now on, try not to call each other by our names." She murmured quietly. Kagin only shook his head in amusement as we set off down the trail, following the horseshoe prints that were pressed into the dusty soil.
      "You definitely do not look like a thief with your hood like that." He hummed, not bothering to look back for a reaction. I gazed at Kat who walked beside me. She had puffed out her cheeks in a manner like that of a child who just got scolded for stealing out of the cookie jar.
      "You are lucky I am in a friendly mood," She grumbled. "Or I would kick ya."
      "Nah. You wouldn't."
      I closed my eyes in exasperation, knowing what was about to come.
      "Ow! Why.." Kagin whined as Kat swiftly struck him in the shin with her boot; albeit, it was softer than a full-blown kick but I assumed it was painful enough for Kagin to nearly trip.
      "Imma get revenge for that, dwarf."
      I continued walking with an annoyed expression as the two continued to chase after each other. It's like dealing with two toddlers.
      I stopped in my tracks as I stared up at the village sign. Vines wrapped around the aged wood as the painted letters faded with time. Cracks from weather and water pushed through the wood, creating a split between the 'n' and 'u' of Linuss. The wood was warped, and bent at odd angles which helped further distort the name of the poor village.
      I looked back before whistling to gain the attention of the half-elf and shadow-mage. They both stopped in their tracks as Katsai's eyes landed on a piece of parchment that was posted just below the sign. It was a WANTED sign. A neatly sketched face stared at us as we gazed back at it.
      "They could've done my nose a little better." That was all Kat said before she noticed the line under it.  " 'Now with a new companion! Beware! Subjects are very dangerous! High payout to whoever is able to restrain them!' "
      "Sounds like a merchant advertising a new sales gimmick." Kagin mumbled. Katsai snickered in response.
      "All new criminals! If you buy two, you only have to pay for one! Five-hundred-thousand keepos for the newest addition: Shapeshifter Kagin!"
      "Oh for the love of the gods." I mumbled, gazing at Kagin with annoyance.
      "What'd I do?!"
      "You started the whole merchant thing and now she won't quit laughing." We both looked to Kat who was still giggling at her own joke. Kagin thought for a second before sighing.
      "I would silence her but she licked me the last time I did." Katsai tilted her head before sticking out her tongue mockingly.
      "And I'll do it again. That's a threat." She hummed with amusement.
      Our gazes switched to the village before us where townsfolk meandered through the streets. It seemed to be a lazy day because half of the population were sitting around, basking in the sun.
      "I bet they don't get visitors often." Kat approached the poster, tearing it down with a swift motion. She balled it up before quickly hiding the parchment beneath her cloak. "I'll keep this for now."
      I nodded as we set off again, entering the small village with caution. Katsai walked in between me and Kagin. Oddly, only her face was known. If Katsai and Kagin had been traveling for a few days now, at least a few witnesses would know Kagin's face. Even then, there was more detail to Katsai's face than other criminal sketches. Too much detail if you thought about it. Why was Galterius so fixated on this girl? Only she seemed to know.
      I stepped to the side as a kid came barreling towards us. The child was hollering at some of his friends who were chasing him down the street. Each child wore rags and had patches of dirt clinging to their youthful skin. They ran in between carts and strangers, weaving to avoid each other's hands.
      "Poverty." Kat muttered absentmindedly. "I guess it's what you would expect in a village like this. At least they find games to play."
      Both me and Kagin remained silent as we continued walking down the street, keeping our eyes peeled for inns or carts. Moments passed before we realized Katsai had disappeared. Kagin let out a long and exasperated sigh.
      "She always does this." He grumbled, turning in a circle in hopes of spotting the shadow-mage. My lips thinned as I scanned each merchant shop, looking for the familiar black clothing. I tilted my head as I caught a glimpse of the fabric.
     "What's she doing?"
    "Stealing. She did this a lot in Maelstrom. It's how she learned to earn money years ago. She sells the stuff she steals on the street to travelers who have no idea it was stolen." We both watched as the short female blended into the crowd, using her height to disappear beneath the taller population.
      "Huh. Even so, how'd she steal Galterius's aiteho? Isn't the Emerald Heart locked up very securely?" I glanced at Kagin as he shifted his stance.
      "Yep. It is, or was, attached to his crown which he supposedly stored in a locked chamber within the heart of his palace, so we heard on the street years ago. Bounty hunters from other kingdoms would travel through Maelstrom every once in a while. They would be hired to either steal the aiteho or assassinate the King. As you can guess, all of them failed." He yawned, walking over to a wall to lean against it. He ran his hand through his raven hair before continuing.
      "Katsai has always had a grudge on the King, I guess you can say all of us do. And I am sure you've noticed by now, but she is a thinker. Strategic, you can call it. Always has a plan. But when it comes to her grudge against the King, she gets reckless. She asked me one day that she wanted revenge, knowing I wanted it too. I suggested we tried assassinating him once we got the chance, but she doesn't kill. So that was out of the question for her. She told me a plan she had come up with.
       She told me she was going to sneak into the castle at night, using her shadows to explore the castle unnoticed." He paused for a second, giving me a chance to speak up.
      "Compared to all of her other plans, especially the Giga Bison one, even I know that wasn't going to work." Kagin nodded.
     "She somehow pulled it off though. I told her that if she was going to do it, don't do it alone. She did it alone though, so she could have very easily died. I don't know where he stored the crown or how she found it. She hasn't talked about that night, yet, or anything of her past. Which is frustrating." I nodded, my eyes returning to the thief who was talking to a merchant.
       I narrowed my eyes, watching as she used very pronounced hand motions which seemed to distract the merchant. Every so often, while one hand did a motion, the other would fall to her side before quickly darting out to grab a roll or fruit. I looked to Kagin, noticing one of the bags was missing.
      "Did you notice her take a bag?" I hummed.
      "Hmm? Oh, yeah. She took it off my arm before she disappeared." He answered, watching as Katsai continued her work. She waved to the merchant before moving to the next cart that contained weapons. Obviously, it was more gaurded. I straightened, prepared to help her out if she needed.    I heard Kagin lift himself off the wall, but he seemed more calm compared to my tense posture. He looked at me before sticking his hands in his pockets.
     "Just watch. This is where it gets interesting." A small smirk formed on his lips as I heard Katsai's voice break over the crowd.
      "Five-hundred keepos for a rusted piece of metal like this?! Man, you are running a poor business here, I mean look at this flimsy blade! Who is your blacksmith, or is this your own work?" The merchant was glaring at her before he grunted, bending down to pick out another weapon for her.
       I was waiting for her to steal something but nothing happened. I looked at the cart before noticing the items were wrapped around nails, keeping them in place. I narrowed my eyes as a ribbon of shadows slowly made their way to the dagger straps. The shadow quickly flipped one of the straps of leather that bound the dagger belt to the rusted metal. Kat bit her lip before smiling as the merchant popped back up, letting her shadows fall.
Kagin let out a long sigh, yawning once more.
      "Taking her longer than usual. Might not be going as planned." He hummed with boredom.
      "Maybe she doesn't have enough shadows?"
      "Possibly." He replied, turning to find a place to rest. "The entertaining part usually happens when she starts cussing out the vendor." He chuckled.
      "Wouldn't that cause them to chase her off." I crossed my arms, continuing to watch the repeating scene.
      "Usually, but she somehow makes them think she has a shit-ton of keepos, so I guess they don't want to lose her as a customer." I whistled, fighting the urge to chuckle. I fell silent as Kat's voice rose over the crowd again.
      "Man! Come on! You show me knife after knife, trying to play them as better than the last. Seriously, look at the metal! That is rusted and dull, what the heck kind of animal will this thing even skin? I doubt it can cut the petals of a daisy."
      "Ma'am, for the sake of the gods, you are in a poor village! The items here aren't going to be top notch."
      "Yet, you sell them for way more than these people can afford. I've seen knives in better quality being sold for less in Eowawin! Why even sell here if these aren't going to be bought? What kind of marketing ploy is that?" The merchant became silent, trying to come up with a come back but before he could, Katsai spoke up.
      "If you don't have any more knives in better quality, and I mean my definition of better, which means it can actually cut something, then I will take my money and go give it to someone more worthy." She turned on her heel when the merchant cried out.
      "Wait! Ok, ok. I do have one thing, but it is at the bottom of my storage, just give me a minute." Katsai grinned like the world had just given her the biggest prize.
      "Thank you. And take your time, I don't want it to be damaged." She sang with amusement. A mischievous aura took over her form as the man ducked behind his stand. With speed, her shadows unraveled the rest of the leather before taking the dagger belt and pulling it under her cloak. Her eyes shifted to us as she winked. Within moments, she disappeared back into the crowd before reappearing in front of us.
      "Okay. Here, Genesis." She handed me the dagger strap. It had multiple slots for multiple types of blades. Short daggers and incredibly long ones could be held in it. I picked it up from her hand before gazing at it. She laughed before turning to Kagin.
      "Remember that pouch you had which you were saving?" Kagin stalled before looking back at her.
      "Didn't I leave it behind?"
       "No. Here." She handed him the sack of coins.
       "Managed to pickpocket from some of the merchants' stores. They have way too much money for their own good, they can afford to lose some of it rather than purging the people of this village." She hummed, "I filled it for ya."
      He looked at the pouch then back up at her, and then back down at the pouch. Katsai burst into laughter.
      "You look so surprised." She chuckled, before turning around to walk down the street. "And, we also kind of need to go."
      "Wait, huh?" I spoke up.
      "There you are! Get back here with that!" I looked behind me to see the merchant pushing past people to get to us. Katsai let out a small 'eep' before taking off. I gazed at Kagin, noticing he was still staring at the pouch.
      "Thank you." He whispered to which Katsai obviously didn't hear for she was running down the street, cackling. Kagin looked back up before gazing at me solemnly. He dipped his head in the direction that Kat was running.
      "Come on." I nodded, following after the duo as we weaved in and out of the crowd.
    "Psst." We halted in our tracks as we spotted Katsai in a dark alley. "In here for a little bit."
    "This is totally not creepy in the slightest," I murmured sarcastically.
    Katsai waved her hand in a dismissive motion as she lowered the large bag, which was wrapped around her shoulder, to the ground. I slowly moved towards the back of the alley where Katsai was now sitting, looking through the bag. Kagin followed in after me, sitting to my right.
    "I managed to steal a bunch of food items like bread, cheese, and apples. But, water is apparently difficult to find here." She hummed in thought, as if she were speaking to herself. "They must use most of it for their crops. So, to compensate for that, I stole five canteens from the traveler's merchant." She pulled out the canteens, passing two to Kagin and two to me. She placed the remaining one in her personal bag that was still tied to Kagin's shoulder.
    "We can fill those once we find water. And one more thing for you, Genesis."
    "Huh?"
    Before Katsai answered, she tossed a bag at me. It was roughly the size of their packs, but darker in color. It was a deep shade of gray while theirs consisted of beige and brown.
    "With three of us now, we are going to need more supplies, so I decided to get you a bag for you to put your personal things in as well as your rations," Her head snapped to Kagin. "And no, you cannot carry all of them this time."
    "Why not.." He mumbled.
    "Because, it puts incredible strain on your shoulders and spine!" She retorted. "And two, we do have to carry our own crap from time to time." I chuckled which gained her attention.   
    "What is it?"
    "You sound like a mother." She lifted a finger before huffing.
    "I do not."
    "Do too." Kagin chimed in, snickering.
    "Shut up." We all chuckled for a moment before returning to a new topic of conversation.
    "I don't know about you guys, but I am tired of sleeping on the forest floor." Kagin hummed, leaning back onto his palms before having to readjust to remove the bag from his shoulder.
    "Shocking." Kat yawned, sitting with her legs crossed beneath her. Kagin flicked a tiny pebble at her.
    "So, I guess we are looking for an inn next, right?" I questioned. Both of them nodded. Night dawned on the horizon as my eyes lifted to the ever-darkening sky. I looked to both Kagin and Kat as they began to gather all of their belongings. With a heavy sigh, my hands pulled myself to my feet as I stretched out my back.
    "And while you two do that," Kat started, heaving the filled bag onto her shoulders. "I will look for that library."
    "By yourself?" Kagin muttered, his eyes narrowed to slits. It was easy to see how this idea unnerved him and I understood why. Katsai was really eager for the library and it confused us both. Of course, she would come up with a logical reason on the spot, but it was never satisfactory.
    "Night is falling." She hummed, stretching her hands to the sky. "It's the best time for me to be out. I doubt any of these people actually care for my appearance. They are too focused on their lives and finances to care about who the government is chasing."
    "Kagin's right though." I spoke up. "You may have gotten away with going on alone before, but I am sure you know how stupid it is to test your luck like this."
    Katsai squeezed her eyes shut like my words somehow caused her pain. She slowly reopened them with a sigh. Her hands slowly moved up to her hair where she began to run her fingers through the strands.
    "Yeah, yeah. I know. But a library is the last place a person will think to look for a thief, right?. I'll be fine." She flashed a smile before beginning to walk off, her head low and in thought. My eyes followed her as she disappeared into the dispersing crowds.
    I heard a light growl from Kagin as my eyes snapped to him. He was looking at the ground in anger, fists clenched before he slowly relaxed them.
    "You know what she is doing, right?" His voice was low and soft as I nodded. No matter how much Katsai thought she was hiding it, it was painfully clear.
    "She's distancing herself." I answered in return. Kagin lifted his eyes as he swiftly turned and swung his fist towards the alley wall. I jumped slightly at the sudden movement as the druid slowly lowered his bruised knuckles from the bricked wall.
    "I don't understand why!" He growled, canines flashing lightly in the dimming sun. "Why now?! Why can't she just tell me?!"
    My eyelids lowered in empathy as I looked to where Katsai walked off. I thought back to similar feelings that the light brunette expressed. I slowly shook my head.