Stepping through the door he finds himself at the top of some stairs, leading down. The stairs don't immediately scream expensive decadence. More like run down dungeon. His thoughts trail back to the front of the building, the old warehouse facade hiding the gambling den. The stairs were probably the last remaining fixture left from the original building when it was remodeled. Or perhaps the owner just like the aesthetics. Didn't really matter to Ed either way, he cared more about putting one foot in front of the other, tackling these stairs and making it all the way to the bottom and not in the fast way.

Wobbling from side to side with each step, he eventually reaches the bottom, touching down on wooden floor. The hallway split off here, but only one direction looked warm and inviting. That must be where the downstairs bar was. The high stakes game, too, which were a runner up in his priorities right now. Humming to himself, he entered the main lower gambling area. Everything down here seemed less… Gaudy. While the displays of wealth were less obvious, when you looked at things closely you could see the true value. Antiques, famous works of art thought lost, crystal glasses and the most expensive selection of alcoholic substances. There were guards standing in each corner, these too being of a much finer stock than the ones upstairs. Clean, fitted leather armor. Weapons at their sides. Discipline in their stances and watchful gazes. There was a door at the back, with another two guards posted by it. If there was going to be an office for the man in charge, Ed's money was it being in there. The question now was, how to get in there? Even if Ed won a fortune tonight at these tables down here, the target was there, and whatever was beyond that door would make anything he won tonight look insignificant.

He turned the question over in his mind as he arrived at the bar. A fine featured elf greeted him brightly, winking at him and telling him she would be more than willing to get him anything he needed. The inflection on her words made him realise that she truly meant anything was on offer down here. Looking her over, she did nothing for him and he instead just ordered a glass of wine. It was delivered in a crystal chalice, and as Ed touched it he could feel a slight chill. He examined it with curiosity. Magic, to keep the wine chilled to a perfect temperature. Absently, he tried a little of his own magic to swirl the wine around the glass, but nothing happened. Looking around the room, he wondered how they could manage to nullify magic down here. It would make sense, they wouldn't want anyone doing down here what he had done upstairs. This was problematic. It meant he would need to actually win fairly. May Shy Low Carry be on his side.

He was starting to get a little warm under the mask so slipped it off, sipping at the wine. It was delicious, cool on his tongue, and very strong. Perfection. He knew he should savor it, but then again, why savor something that was being given freely? The wine was gone and replaced in moments and Ed made his way over to the table nearest the door, taking a seat to watch the game. It was a complicated card game he couldn't quite follow no matter how hard he tried. It was definitely not going to be the game he would choose if he had a choice. From somewhere down the hall, he could hear an awful racket going on. Someone was shouting and screaming, quite ruining the mood. Frowning slightly, he was about to leave the table when it seemed the man currently playing lost. He had no idea what the man had done to lose, but as soon as he did he began to also make a ruckus. He started shouting and weeping, begging the dealer for another chance. Without hesitation a guard moved in, taking the man by an arm and leading him firmly out of the room. Strange, some people were just sore losers.

Ed moved on then, taking in the rest of the tables. None of them seemed like they would favor him, save the dice table. Ever since he had developed his telekinetic skills dice had always been his favorite. Easy to cheat. Down here though, that wouldn't be possible. He could only hope whichever deity favored dice would also favor him right now. He made his decision, sitting down at the table and putting down his sack of silver. The man behind the table, a very handsome tiefling fellow, smiled at him and brought out a fresh set of dice. Ed nodded to him, making a little small talk before they got down to business. Between this fellow down here and the lady upstairs, Ed was starting to believe he could turn this into a magical night.

The game was simple. Ed would call a number, the dealer would roll the dice. If he was correct, he would win. Fantastic! He was sure he could win this game. The odds were in his favor. He began to fish around in the bag to bring out stacks of coins when the tiefling interrupted him. "Sir, at these tables we play for everything. You win, you get to ask for anything. We win, we take your offering. Do you agree to the terms?" Ed looked down at the sack of silver and thought about this for a moment. It was called high stake gambling for a reason, it seemed. Well, no matter the cost. He still had his pouch of silver stashed away, so worst case he and the girl would just be leaving as poor as they came in. If they didn't work out how to get into the office, that is. He had quite forgotten about the two guards above who were bound and unconscious and knew who they were. They tiefling went on to explain that there would be seven rounds of dice rolling, best of seven to win. Ed shrugged, good to go.

The game lasted minutes. Ed lost. He stared at the tiefling and let out an explosive breath. Well, it seemed he would have to go find the girl and they could work out their next steps. He thanked the tiefling and turned to go, leaving the sack behind, when he was interrupted. "Please, sir, don't forget your money." Ed sat there confused. The tiefling, thankfully, realised this and looking around, leaned in close to Ed. "Sir, did they not tell you the stakes? We don't play for silver down here. We play for slaves."

Kamri sat for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was probably about twenty minutes. 
The young woman had her ear up against the wall. 
"…And that was the final roll. Sorry, girl. Sounds like your 'Captain' lost." 
Kamri flinched when she heard the news. "No. No you must have heard wrong."

The elder placed her head in her hands. "Oh my. It never gets easier to watch…I'm so sorry. Dearie." 
Kamri shook her head. No. It wasn't true. Any second now that door would open and Captain would be standing there ready to leave this awful place. 
She would go out to sea and find who she was looking for. She would become a better mage. She was going to! She had to.

"Some of us stay here a few days before our masters come to pick us up," The man droned. "I've seen some leave in a few minutes, others a few days. I should be going soon."
"Well," The girl rolled back against the wall, "I've been here two weeks. Nothing's happened to me yet."  

Kamri wondered how long she could stay in here before going mad. The thought of even one more person joining made her feel cramped. 
No. She wasn't staying. Captain didn't lose. 
It's a trick. She's fine. Everything was fine and she would get out soon. He would never bet another person without knowing he would win, right?
Then again she had only known him for a day. People where good at acting.

"Someone's coming." The elder reported. Throwing her from her thoughts, Kamri looked up at the door as the footsteps got closer. 
The door slid open, the same cloaked guard as before. He closed the door behind him, per usual, and knelt in front of Kamri and undid her confinements. 
"Get up."
Kamri sat, dumbfounded. 
"I said get up."
He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. The motion struck her from her stupor.
"No! I'm not going!" 
The guard didn't seem to appreciate her response, as he immediately slapped a pair of shackles on her wrists and tugged on them. 
"You're going to a man named Drien. He owns you and that's all you need to know." 
She couldn't cast, and any time she tried to pull back or fight she was out muscled. She was pulled into the hallway, though not without resistance. It was obvious the guard was getting annoyed with her attempts. He paid it no mind. It probably happened plenty of times before.  
"There's been a mistake. I never agreed to anything!" 
Kamri was dragged into the room, kicking and shoving all the way. 
A familiar mask caught the corner of her eye. She turned around and saw a bald man with a mask, wearing yellow and red. 
"H-Hey! You're going to help me out, right?" 

He didn't move. 

'Captain? Captain they're going to take me away and…Hey…'
…
Captain? 
…Ah.
'So…that's how it is. '

She bit her lip, trying to not to cry in the face of her condemner. The pieces fit into place rather nicely now, didn't they? 
She stopped resisting as much, going more at the pace of a slow crawl. She hung her head and let the guard take her to the exit. 
She glanced back for a moment. 


Kamri was never one to cause trouble.
She often watched her tongue and kept to herself. She was of the quiet sort, not wanting to draw much attention to herself.
So it was rather odd to see her in chains. 

 

The pleasant buzz that had been blanketing him was washed away as if he had been doused in icy water. What had he done? What had he done?! If he hadn't drank so much. If he had taken this thing more seriously. He had a commitment to the girl. However temporarily, she was a member of his crew, and he was her captain. He had betrayed her, in a way much worse than his own treacherous crew had done to him.

"I… I can pay. For the girl. I will buy her back." He looks desperately at the tiefling before him. All thoughts of lust are gone, his whole body numb from shock. "I'll buy her back right now. Here, take this silver. Take everything. How much is she worth?"
The tiefling looks at him sadly, the look genuine. It was one thing for a person to enter into this place and gamble while knowing the cost. How had this man come down here without that knowledge? Was he tricked? Was he simple? Was he truly that drunk? He had thought it was a ruse, designed to lower the guard of the other gamblers. "Sir, that is not how this works. The idea is that it is final, otherwise… Where would the risk be?" The look the man gave him was pure horror. "Look, they take them to Vilpomolan. Perhaps you can go there, approach Drien. Make him your offer. This house will not, however, accept any offers." He had perhaps said too much already, but he felt for the man.

The words fell on Ed's shoulders like weights. Vilpomolan? What would happen to the girl between here and there? He had had dealing with slavers in the past, and it made him shudder to think of what might happen to her on the way. He slipped the mask back into place as the gears in his mind began to turn. Perhaps he could take her, now, before they left with her. Instead of stealing the silver from this place, he would just be taking the girl. A minor change in the plan, but the plan could still work. All he would need was for her to make the distraction, then they could get up the stairs. Release a bear. Sow chaos. Get out of this warehouse, get out of this city. They could go anywhere, take the boat and see where they end up. Yes, that was it. He would rescue the girl.

Things began to make sense now as the haze cleared from his thoughts. The shouting, earlier. It had sounded familiar. It must have been her. She was nearby. He could do this. He began checking his weapons. The dagger had been left upstairs, but he had the throwing knives stowed away still, hidden. His fingers were still numb, he had consumed a little too much alcohol. Then there was the question of where his magic would become active again. He attempted to improve his sight, but nothing happened. Great. Perhaps a few more steps…

The girl was brought out of a room, being manhandled by a guard. Ed readied himself, to strike, then noticed the shackles. He couldn't imagine the sassy little simpleton just accepting this treatment if she could use magic to annoy them. Which meant there was a good chance her magic was being blocked. Well, he would just need to be quick, then. The girl noticed him, and began shouting to him. He wanted to reply, to reassure her, but didn't want to tip his hand. Not yet. He had knives in his hands, ready to attack the guard herding her along, when he suddenly realised he wasn't alone. On either side of him stood one of the guards, their hands on weapons, eyes fixed on him sternly. Letting go of the knives, he coughed nervously. "Sir, it is time for you to leave."

They kept him down there until the girl was gone, then bracketing him they led him up the stairs and to the exit. One of them was nice enough to hand him his sack of winnings. Then they made it very clear that he was to leave. Come back another time if he felt like trying his luck again. But today, he had to leave while emotions were high. The one who had made sure he had his sack of loot also was sure to give him his loyalty card, stamped and everything.

Ed stood back in the alley, on top of the crates, the door being shut firmly behind him. He was lost and confused. The girl. She was gone. Would they have taken her out of here already, or would they be keeping her inside the warehouse? He had no way of knowing. He needed time. He needed a clear head. He needed Peabody. Peabody would know what to do. Remembering the incapacitated guards out front, he also needed to get out of here fast.

Today had not been going the way Peabody had expected. He somehow found himself being sent to scout a location he had already scouted. He should have been more forceful, then he wouldn't be wasting his time here. Well, it wasn't a complete waste. The girl made of stone was still on the boat, still terrified stiff of the water around her. It wasn't a good situation for her, but it kept her hidden. Out of danger. Which was for the best, until they left the city. Upon stepping onto the boat, he rummaged around and poured a small glass of pear juice for her. Kneeling in front of her, he spent the next thirty minutes coaxing life into her. Reassuring her. She gave him a weak little smile as she sipped at the juice, then drew out her delicate obsidian wand.

Peabody set to work preparing the skiff for travel, and with the little mage's help they made great time, sailing quickly along the docks.They quickly reached the water in front of the warehouse in question, then lowered the sail and picked up the looking glass. He examined it for a while, not even sure why. He had been over the building before, using the rooftops to examine the building thoroughly from the outside, and his noble contacts to get him access to the inside. He knew that place well, and his plan would have been simple. He already had the code from the vault, getting it easily from a man who loved to drink. Reminded him a lot of the captain, in that regard. He hadn't expected it to be that easy to get the code. But there you go.

Time passed and Peabody had a pleasant picnic with the mage on the water. She had begun to relax, enjoying the silence and calm. Her smile was beautiful. It was hard to tell she was a creation made of stone. Picking up the looking glass again, Peabody was surprised to see the captain walking along the docks, alone, at a hurried pace. He could tell who it was immediately, just from the bright clothing. Where had the other mage got to? They were on their way again, pulling up alongside Ed.

As he reached the dock front again, Ed noticed a body hidden in a dark alley between two abandoned buildings. Man looked familiar, had he been in the warehouse casino? Moving to take a look, he discovered the man was dead, a stone placed upon his chest after the murder had taken place. Strange. He shrugged it off and continued on his way. He soon heard a familiar voice, and looked up to see his little boat, with his little crew, approaching. He sighed. Peabody would not be happy about this.

It didn't take long to explain what had happened. Twinkle seemed to be a little more lively, but after Ed had hopped into the boat, making it rock a little, she had retreated back into her pile of over sized robes. Peabody heaved a sigh but remained silent other than that. The silence stretched out for a few minutes before Ed took charge again.
"So we need to rescue the girl. Either buy her back, or take her by force. If we can we will grab her on the way to the city. If not, then we do whatever is necessary." Peabody was… Pleasantly surprised. The captain was taking responsibility for the girl. Thinking about the way he had jumped in to defend the stone girl, rescuing her from her previous life, maybe he shouldn't have been. There was definitely a better side to him, somewhere in there. It looked like they were heading to the pirate city, a place Peabody hadn't been for twenty years. He didn't have fond memories of that place.

Ralphie looked around, a tingling sensation going through the toes on his missing leg. Something bad was coming, he could feel it. There was a creak from behind him, the slightest sound. Then he was dead. When the innkeeper found him three days later, there was a stone on his chest.

End of Chapt 1: Heist.