I was still on the floor, beneath the table. The man had left the house, and had said that he would deliver the letter to Nightfall. Nightfall. And he had said that Nightfall had sent him. This did not make any sense. I did not know Nightfall, and most important, I did not know this man. And I did not know anything about his motives to get me here. I had to figure out who he was, what his motives might have been, and if he was indeed a thief, like me. I stumbled to my feet, and tried to ignore the scared, childish voice in my head that cried in its fear.

When I did the first step, I couldn't keep the balance. I tried to hold me on the table, but I fell on my face. Some of the paper fell down, too. Sitting amongst the papers, I pressed my hands against my forehead. The headache was horrific, and also the loud laughter of the malevolent voices. The two dead monstrous Thalias appeared shortly in my view. "Just go away, damn it!" Another voice in my head. My own. Great, I was already shouting at myself in my head now. But somehow, it worked. The Thalias stared still at me, but they were silent for now. I closed my eyes, and stumbled to my feet, again. This time I managed it to stay upright, and I moved slowly to the shelves at the wall.

It had many papers on it. One was a letter, addressed to someone called "Ghost." I reached out to get it, but I was already shaking because of the strain. I stumbled, and hit the shelf with my head. More papers went to the floor, and also some books. I sat down, and searched for the letter in the scattered paper sheets. I found it, and read it immediately.

Ghost,

Surely have you already heard of the Star of Alarus. I am certain that it can be found in the Catacombs of this Alarus family. I have also heard that this place is haunted, but you know how fast rumors are spread. And now I am looking for someone who is not easy to scare. And somehow I had immediately thought of you. So, do you want to take go and get it? The prize for it is high.

Ragbert

But I was still shaking. The room was too small to be locked inside of it. Now, when I had calmed down a little, I felt the pain again, in my entire body. And to the other wounds now additional the fresh one, with the cold sharp pain. Luckily it had stopped bleeding. I crawled to the corner beneath the fireplace, and squeezed myself into it. I drew my legs to my chest, and embraced them. The headache started again. And same did the ranting voices. I closed my eyes, and tried to ignore them.

***

I really wasn't thinking about that money anymore, nor was I thinking of Lytha back home. The past few days had been utter hell, and I was looking forward to at least a few hours of pure fun and mischief. Sheam and I strolled a few blocks down to the Lazy Burrick Inn, owned by Lord Zeppher, a merchant and landowner who was decisively fat. It was a simple setup, front of the place faced the road, ally to the right, the next shop to the left. We could not have looked any more innocent as we strolled down the ally, and climbed up the fire escape.

"So what are you planning?" She said, grinning.

"Oh, a little daylight theft here, a bit of vandalism there, and a small bit of scaring some poor guards out of their wits. Nothing major!" I said with a grin.

She laughed, "And where do I fit it? I can hold my own in a fight, but I'm no thief." I could tell she knew the answer by she fingered the circlet, and winked at me.

Grinning broadly, I said "Diversions are good!"

I had always worked alone before, but then again, the stakes had never been lower. I knew this guy only hired local riffraff, who would sooner take a bribe then turn us in, even if we were caught. Even then, I trusted my combat skills, and she herself said that she knew how to fight.

In no time flat, we were in through the window, and looking around in a vacant guest room. I quickly checked around, searching for any goodies. I heard a crash, and I quickly turned around, shocked to see Sheam dumping things out of the window!

Laughing, I said, "What are you doing?!"

"Vandalizing!" she said, gleefully.

I grinned and just looked at her as she emptied the contents of the nightstand onto the street below. "So," I said finally, "How did someone like you end up in a secretary's job? Especially for this Mister Nightfall character?"

She shrugged, "Just lucky I guess. I used to live across town. I did odd jobs for people. Waitress, barmaid, wench, the usual for a person like me. I always loved to read and write, and I did it on the job. I was fired when my boss told me it was bad for business to have his barmaid look like she had a mind. Heh. So I lived on the streets for about a month. Then, well, one day this odd dark man who I had seen from time to time stopped and approached me in my little alleyway home I had maid for myself. Let me tell you, I was scared to death. You know those Keeper people they have stories about? I swear, he looked just like one. Just like the picture in the storybook I had when I was young. Only difference was he had a hat rather then a hood, but I didn't realize the difference at the time. I was scared stiff! I was sure it was a Keeper, and he was going to take me away and do terrible things to me!"

"Hum, Keepers, I heard of them once or twice. I don't believe in 'em."

She smiled. "Daniel says they exist."

"Daniel? Who's that?"

"Huh? Oh, Master Nightfall."

"Ah yes, I remember you called him that before."

She nodded. "Say, what is your real name anyway?"

I shook my head. "Ghost."

"Is that the name your mother gave you?" she said with a laugh.

"It's the name I gave me," I said with a grin. "You were saying?"

"Hmm?"

"Nightfall, in your alley?"

"Oh, yes. Well he commented on how nice my alley looked! Then he offered me a job!"

"Just like that?"

"Just like that!"

"Weird guy."

"So what's it like workin' there? Is the pay good?"

"Pay is all I could ask for. I live in the lap of luxury, have servants provide three meals a day, and have a job that lets me do all the reading and writing I could ever want. Have you seen the library at The Circle? It's HUGE!"

"Heh, I'll bet! So you're livin' the good life now, eh?"

She nodded.

"How does a guy like that make it so rich? I always thought you had to be a brute and a hardass to make your way to the top. All these lords and barons and whathaveyous are all just total jerks!"

"I don't know," she said shrugging. "He came about six months ago, right before that incident downtown. Remember how the old Hammer Temple was destroyed by monsters?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he came a little before that. I don't know where his wealth came from, or how it sustains itself. I just know that he's not even scratched the surface of it. He had his tower build, and The Circle, and that underground meeting hall they call The Thief Forum, which is always packed."

"Hot damn.." Hmm, I was seriously considering working for this guy more often.

"He's great to work with. The work I do for him is always complimented. He always gives a please, and a thank you. He's not condescending at all. He never turns anyone in need away. They call him the patron saint of thieves, you know."

I nodded, "yeah, I know. So is there anything wrong with this guy? Mr. Perfect eh?"

She laughed, "Well, he can be very detached sometimes. Cold, you know. Indifferent. If he sees suffering, he will usually ignore it. If they come to him, though, he will be sure they are satisfied. He likes that in people- initiative. He says that if someone has too much pride or fear to ask for help, then they do not need it. As much as he does for people, I sometimes get the feeling that he is doing it for some hidden agenda, and not truly be nice. However I doubt it matters, except in the long run, of course. Also, if he doesn't like you, he won't exactly hide it. Poor Jossimer," She laughed again and continued, "he can never please the master, simply because the master doesn't like his attitude! It's terribly funny to watch sometimes." She paused, considering. "He's dangerous though, of that I'm sure. Nightfall, I mean. We don't know much about his past, only that he has been in several wars. He was a general in the last one, I think. But that was many years ago, in a very far away place. That's really all I know about it." She took a deep breath, and continued, slowly. "I've heard he practices magic, but I've never seen it, or heard him mention it. I've seen him angry before, enraged. He was ruthless. It was with good cause too, but, my, one doesn't expect things like that from people who do the things that he does."

"Why? What did he do?"

She hesitated. "I don't know details. All I know was that the offender felt little pain. He didn't even scream. That's one thing you need to remember about Nightfall, he has no tolerance for true evil. Most bad men still have shreds of good in them, but there are some that don't. Nightfall will, "smite", as he calls it, them without hesitation."

"Nice guy," I said, half-sincere, half-sarcastic.

She smiled. "He is."

I checked around the room, to see if we had missed anything. With the exemption of the bed and the wardrobe, everything in the room was now on the street. "Alrighty Sheam, lets get down to business. I'm betting all the guards are in the bar, up front, save one in the back, who is probably bores stuff.

"Lets get the guy in the back first," she said with a grin.

We casually walked out the door and down the hall. One downstairs, we crept carefully around to the back room. We could hear the guards up front laughing and carrying on. I peeked into the back room door, and saw the guard, sitting on a stool, head down. The room was packed full of supplies for the bar and inn. Crates and boxes lined all the walls to the ceiling. I knew a safe had to be in here too. I motioned to Sheam to be very quiet, and watch. I took the circlet from her hand, and clasped it around my neck. I didn't feel a thing, but I checked the skin on my wrist, pulling the glove out of the way, and I was good to go. I snuck around the perimeter of the room, taking greater care to remain utterly silent then stay in any shadows. There were none to speak of anyway. The guard grunted, and shifted his view across the side of the room opposite from where I stood. I kept moving. Finally I was behind him. I crept up slowly, and tapped his shoulder suddenly.

He turned around with a startled jerk.

"BOO!!"

"AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!" he screamed and fell out of his chair. "A GHOST!!!" He then passed out.

I laughed so hard I nearly threw up. Sheam was rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically. I had to fight to catch my breath.

"Oh man, that worked better then I thought," I said, between fits of laughter. I took off the circlet and looked at it. "Oh damn, I LOVE this thing!!" My eyes darted around. "Anything here to steal?" She pointed to a safe on the wall, and then to the key on the guards belt. "Oh, this is too easy."

So Sheam and I had laughed ourselves silly, and split three hundred gold between the two of us. I was totally content. "My turn!" She suddenly shouted, and grabbed the circlet. "I'm gonna go have fun with the slugs up front."

With no desire to protest, I followed. After a quick stroll through a few halls, we peaked into the main tavern chamber, where three guards were seated, all totally drunk.

*hic* "Hey Larry!"

"eh?"

"Paz me somo dat shit"

Larry passed a large keg, and proceeded to dump the contents on the table. The first guy took a drink of empty air. *hic* "Well whaddya know?" *hic* "it does tast better da more ya drink!" He took another swig of air.

"Damn man, don't take alla that shit!"

"I ain't takin alla dis shit!"

"Yes you is!"

"Shuddup about shit man, you ever tasted real shit?"

"Shit yeah I tasted shit"

"Whad it taste like?"

"It tasted like Shit, What else is Shit gonna taste like?"

"Umm.. I dono... "

"Hell, one time I went three weeks without takin a shit!"

"No shit?"

"No shit, no shit!"

"Sheeeiittt!!"

Sheam looked at me, I wasn't sure if she was totally disgusted or about to break into laugher. "I've worked at a bar for thirteen years, and I have never heard that conversation before."

I laughed under my breath. "No shit?" I said, jokingly.

She gave me a sharp nudge with her elbow, and grinned. She took the circlet from my hand, and winked. "You may want to cover your eyes until I'm out of arms reach," she said with a grin.

I closed one eye, and left the other one open a hair. Unfortunately she turned around right before she put it on, and all I got to see was her hair change from dirty blond to bright gold. She walked out into the bar.

"Hey there boys!" She shouted, as they started hooting and hollering when they saw her. One of them got up and motioned to grab her, and she let fly a kick that sent him staggering away! The other two laughed like mad, which didn't last long, because she took them by the hair, and smacked their heads into the table! The first one got back up, raving like a lunatic, and charged her! She leapt up and whipped her shoe across his cheek, sending him flying in my direction. I caught the guy, turned him to face me, and screamed into his face at the top of my lungs. He screamed back, half because he was startled, half because he was so incredibly drunk! I then threw him back at Sheam, and she finished him off with a sock to the back of his head. But then the other two started to wake up! She grabbed one of them by the scruff of the neck, dragged him over to the bar, flung him OVER the bar, and into the rows of bottles and glasses. She then took the third guy in the same manor, and used his head to break the table clean in half, dropping him to the floor when she was done. She dusted herself off, and removed the circlet. She hadn't even broken into a sweat. All I could do was applaud!

"Thank you, thank you." She grinned. "You can tell, I've wanted to do that so badly all my life. Filthy bar scum!" She stretched her back, legs, and arms, so utterly satisfied.

"Now where did a delicate creature like you learn how to fight like that?"

"Like that? Heh, that was nothing. They were so drunk a child could have done the same."

"You um, you didn't really need that thing, did you." I had through that she was going to use it to distract them with her looks, but it seems I was wrong."

"No, I just wanted it to get stuck in their heads that they were beat silly by a striking young lass." She grinned. "They'll never think of wenches the same way again!"

"That is, if they remember any of this when they wake up!" I said, laughing.

"Oh, drat, true. Ah well, I still enjoyed it." She kicked the one who broke the table.

"So who trained you?"

"Nightfall of course. Taught me all of that. But like I said, that was nothing."

I shook my head, amazed. "Say, grab a bottle off that shelf. I owe you a drink."

She sat down next to me, and kicked my shin. "You do it, I ain't yer barmaid!" she said with a laugh.

Complying, I fetched a tall glass of imported wine, and two glasses. "Hey, if it's on the house, may was well cut to the top, eh?"

"But of course!" She sipped her wine.

"So, " I said, "What else did Nightfall teach you?"

"Well, martial arts, of course. I can kick-box, like you saw. That's the only unarmed combat I do. Fencing, of course. Quarter-staff was the first thing I learned. Bows as well, though I never really got the hang of it. James, his right hand, is teaching me right now different languages. Most of the stuff I've learned has not come from him, per say, but from cataloging the stuff in the Circle, and reading the books there."

Hmm.. she was peaking my curiosity.

"Not to be nosy, but this Nightfall sounds very, interesting. Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

She cleared her throat. "Not much to tell, really. He's extremely private and secretive. I have full access to The Circle, but have only seen a fraction of the interior of his tower."

Time to let fly the question I had been pondering. "So, why did Nightfall want Lytha rescued anyway? I mean, she's never met him! What does he want with her?"

She shook her head. "I can't speak for him. Knowing him, I doubt that he truly wants anything from her. I've never known him to really want anything from anyone, in the way you are thinking of. My best guess would be that he heard that she was wrongfully convicted, and saw the need to save her life."

I was truly stunned. "You mean, he risked my life to save someone who wasn't even important?"

"Not at all. He hired you. You didn't have to take the job, but the price was right and you did."

She was right of course. "Hmmm," I said. "I had better be getting back home."

"Yes, and my lunch break was over an hour ago," She said with a grin. "It was a pleasure getting to know you, Mr Ghost. I know I'll be seeing you again soon."

"Indeed!"

At that, we left through the front door, and went on our separate ways. No doubt them the owner gets home, they guards will all be flogged for getting drunk, getting into a fight, and then passing out. Ahh, the beauty of a job well done! I went home amused, relaxed, and slightly richer then I had been several hours ago. Hopefully Lytha wouldn't rain on my good day.

The letter! I hadn't given it to Sheam to take to Nightfall! Damn. Oh well, I had gotten a little more information on why he rescued her. I'm sure she would be happy for just that.