Chapter 5: Moving Day

It was well past noon when Garrett awoke. What the hell was he doing on his floor? He sniffed the air. The stench of something musty and rotten filled the air. Zombie? the thief thought to himself. Then he remembered the events of last night: the tavern, Nearkant's, the sack of gold…and the food. The food! Garrett jolted himself awake and looked in his food pouch. With some exasperation he noticed that the bread was waterlogged, the cheese was destroyed, the fruits were mashed, and the meat was soaked, falling apart at the slightest touch, not to mention that they had all congealed into one disgusting mass. Garrett swore. Not only did this mean that he had a big cleaning job ahead of him, it also meant that he would have to travel on a carriage, since his food had just been swamped. After removing the congealed glob from his pouch and thoroughly cleansing it, he remembered the sack of gold that had been such a pain in the ass last night. Silently cursing the sack for the adventures it had caused him, he opened the bag, emptying the pouch from within his cloak as well.

Ten minutes later, Garrett was still not finished counting the coins. So far, he had counted 200 gold crowns, 350 gold pieces, and 400 silver pieces. Grinning broadly, he pulled out another handful of coins and added them to his stacks of coins. That bag really was worth its wait in gold, he mused as he catalogued the final batch of coins. The final total of coins was 350 gold crowns, 400 regular gold pieces, and 500 silver pieces. Wow, Garrett thought as he totaled up his loot, which came to a whopping 4,400 gold pieces. Grinning madly, he put most of the coins back in the bag while removing a few pieces for his own use. Now he had to pack.

The first order of business was to pack all of his things in his various hiding spots. Opening his false closet, he removed all of the various equipment from it and piled it on his bed. Pulling out a regular looking travelling case, he stuffed all of his various arrow crystals into the case The case could hold an impressive amount of things, but Garrett had a lot more than an impressive amount.

After putting the special arrowheads away, the arrows went into a different part of the case. Finally, his other equipment, such as bombs, mines, and other things, were stashed in another case; or rather, the false bottom of the case.

Finally, he focused on putting away the coins. This proved to be a problem, as there were a hell of a lot of coins, and running around with a heavy bag wasn't the best way to avoid attention. Garrett pondered for a while. The case wouldn't work; Garrett had filled the thing to the top. He could probably stuff the bag into yet another secret part of one of his travelling cases, but that would severely weigh him down. Eventually, he decided on sticking the bag into his knapsack. That way, the weight wouldn't be much of a strain on his arms, and he could keep the knapsack to himself and not let anyone handle it. Hefting his knapsack and travelling cases, he walked out of his apartment and into the streets.

The daylight threatened to blind him as he pulled out a new map of the city. Squinting hard, he noted the site of a stable about 5 miles from his house. Following his map, he noticed just how heavy his knapsack and travelling cases were…

3 miles later, he was ready to collapse. His stomach was also trying to get him to get food; he hadn't eaten since last night. Stopping by at a small tavern, he purchased (legitimately) some bread and cheese, which he ate ravenously as he continued on his travels. Finally reaching the stables, he read the schedule. Noting that it was 6:00 right then, he read and looked for a later carriage ride.

But none were to be had at this late hour business. Cursing himself, the stable owner, and whatever gods were cruel enough to make him lug these heavy parcels all the way to the stables and back, he started trudging home. Finally reaching his house, he put down his bags and was ready to open his door and flop inside…

Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was luck, maybe a combination of both. But either way, just before he opened the door, he noticed that the door was not locked and also not completely closed. Someone had lain a trap for him, and he had almost just walked into it!

Garrett thought quickly. Opening one of his travelling cases, he produced a gas bomb opening the door just a slight bit more, he hurled the bomb in. The projectile hit the floor and exploded, its payload of knockout gas slowly drifting over the entire front room. Waiting a little longer, he heard nothing. Waiting longer still for the gases to dissipate, he finally stepped into his room.

There was no change. Everything was exactly the way it was before. The fireplace was unlit, the table and chairs were in their normal positions, even his box of biscuits was untouched. Not a blasted thing had changed! Confused, he went over to his bed-

And saw three scrolls lying on his bed, which he knew had not been there before. Picking one up and glancing at it, he saw it was a visitor's guide of Letheritzia. The second piece of parchment happened to be more than just one piece. In fact, it was a detailed map of his future home. Confused, and even a bit fearful, he gingerly put the two scrolls in his knapsack.

The third scroll was not information; instead, it left Garrett with more questions than answers. Written on the scroll was a handwriting that was the trademark of the people that only Garrett knew personally: The Keepers.

A mystical group of people, they believed in the amassing of knowledge; however, they were not beyond stealth for their motives. Garrett had spent some time with them, but eventually he had left his mentors for a more-open lifestyle.

Much as he disliked them, their gifts were more valuable then almost anything they had given him before. Might as well look at this, Garrett thought to himself as he began to read the message:

Garrett,

We know of your intentions to leave the City, and we intend to help you. The Mechanists are planning something, and it's best if you left before they execute their plan. Our survival has been written in the Glyphs; yours, however, is not so assured. We realize that you are less than receptive to us, but we still believe in you, and so we have provided you with the following things. The map and information should prove useful in Letheritzia; use it wisely. Good luck, Garrett. But remember, every city has its secrets.

Garrett put the letter away, puzzled and even a little bit afraid. Changing out of his clothes, we went into a troubled sleep.

A dark figure on the roof of a building opposite Garrett's watched Garrett through the window. The man wore a dark tunic, a cape, and had a mysterious air around him that caused people to whisper behind his back. Who was he? What did he do? What did they do? These questions mattered not to the cloaked figure, for he knew the answer to them all, for the man was a Keeper, and such inquiries were of no importance to him and his others.

Right now, the dark man was much more interested in the man across from his hideout. The Keeper watched as Garrett read the scrolls and put them away. The Keeper smiled. He had paid heed to the words of the Keepers, and that was what was important.

As the man sat watching, another figure glided up next to him, looking identical save for his lighter complexion and lankier frame. The two men conversed as the topic of their discussions slept on, unaware that two Keepers watched him.

"He read the scrolls," the first figure said, his voice low amongst the last few sounds of the City as it retired for the night.

"Good," the second figure replied. "He will learn."

"What good is a teacher who does not knows what he teaches?" The first man asked of the younger.

"We do know something," the younger proclaimed as he withdrew a small amulet. It looked like a golden watch, but the hands were not just hands. One had a sun on it, the other a moon. The object glowed brightly, yet it seemed that only the Keepers could see it. The darker man looked at it, watching as the moon drew closer to the sun. "Our time is running out," the second figure spoke with the slightest sense of urgency. "We must prepare for what will happen."

The darker figure looked at the odd watch, then turned away, as if betrayed. "Yes," he spoke hoarsely, as if he spoke of a friend lost. "We must prepare." He stood up. "The Glyphs have spoken of this day. We must act quickly and seal our fates. We must prepare for the Builder's Paradise."

With that, the two men glided off into the night, their cloaks billowing in their wake.

Chapter 4 / Chapter 6