About two years ago, Anne met a kid with the weirdest eyes she had ever seen while she was visiting Rivenhold with her parents. They weren't just pretty eyes; they looked like they had whole constellations shifting inside them.
He was a child, no older than twelve years, but his eyes shone with more life than hers. She saw him being dragged away by the slave merchant of the city. It was a pity that slave trade was allowed, but that was how cruel this world was. There was nothing Anne could have done at that time. But now…
"Found it!" Anne grinned, waving a booklet like it was some legendary treasure. "Did you get it all?"
Dropping a sack full of stolen goods at the study desk, Nyx smiled. "Aye, Captain. I got everything worth grabbing."
Getting up, Anne tossed the book to Nyx. "Good. Time to leave. But first…" With a smug on her face, she got the half empty bottle of rum that she was drinking just moments ago and tossed it at the door.
"What are you doing? Nyx hissed, fixing the bag over her shoulder, as shouts erupted from downstairs.
Anne, standing in the middle of the ransacked study, shrugged. "Just leaving a message." To aggravate things, she tossed the lamp at the spreading alcohol. Flames roared with rage, consuming the entrance of the room.
"Okay, let's go!" Anne declared cheerfully, running to the balcony where Nyx was already waiting, buffing trying to not strangle her as they were supposed to silently steal from the merchant. "You can yell at me later…"
The door burst open, two guards stared at them through the fire.
"Jump!"
They leapt off the balcony just as the guards braved through the fire. Nyx landed gracefully while Anne had to roll so she didn't burst her knees.
More shouting was heard.
Another guard showed down the garden as they ran for their lives. Nyx reacted as instinct, melting into the shadows and reappearing right beside the guy, disarming and killing him with his own gun before he could react.
Anne whistled, impressed. "Alright, remind me to never piss you off."
Nyx smiled. "Oh, you already have, Captain."
They laughed as they jumped to the streets. Shouts behind them.
The top of the merchant's house burned behind them.
"You know, we could have just stolen the documents!" Nyx growled as they sprinted through the narrow streets.
"Just a lil bit of mischief. Come on, have some fun."
Nyx let out a long sigh as they ran around a corner, knocking over a stack of crates. Behind them, the slave merchant's guards were in hot pursuit, shouting threats and waving cutlasses and guns.
They had waited until the merchant and his family were out having lunch to infiltrate. So, at this time, the streets were full of life, making the life of the guards harder as they would be damned if they killed too many in the process of pursuing some thieves.
Anne almost tripped after avoiding some people, her legs burning from the effort of running.
A bullet whizzed past Anne's ear as they turned onto a more empty street.
She yelped. "Oy, that almost hit me!"
Nyx pulled her close. "No time to whine, up!" She grabbed her like a sack of potatoes and leapt onto the balcony up ahead, landing harshly, not stopping, jumping again to the rooftop.
Below, the guards roared in frustration. Shooting at them.
The chase didn't stop there. Two of the guards were also nimble enough to follow to the roofs.
They tore across the rooftops, kicking off loose tiles, vaulting over gaps, and occasionally accidentally knocking down laundry lines, sending clothes fluttering like battle flags. Anne nearly lost her balance three times, but Nyx always shoved or yanked her back to safety.
At some point, behind them, a guard missed a jump and crashed into a fruit stand below. Apples exploded across the street.
Anne whistled. "Oof. That looked expensive."
"Move, Anne!"
They kept running, Nyx leading, Anne barely keeping up.
The only guard that kept with them was almost catching up when Nyx grabbed Anne in her arms again and jumped down.
"You know, I could get used to being carried like a princess, my precious Nyx." Anne laughed, almost being tossed away by the dangerous beauty.
"More like a pathetic baby, you mean."
Then they stopped.
"End of the line, I got you!" The guard shouted, still far behind, but in front of the women a cliff was on their way.
Nyx glanced at Anne.
Anne grinned.
Nyx sighed. "You're insane."
"Jump!"
And with that, they leapt.
The air rushed past Anne's face. The world spun…
SPLASH!
The water was cold, freezing. And dark. It wrapped Anne with all its might, threatening to break her bones, pulling her deep into its embrace. She was so tired. She had no more strength to get free. The surface was so far away. Was she going to sink there?
No!
She screamed, her voice being consumed by the sea, her lungs burning. But she was not gonna die, not yet. All her muscles were burning even inside the cold water, but she still made them fight and pull her to the surface.
So far.. and yet a hand grabbed her by the arm and brought her to the surface.
Cough. Cough. Cough.
Anne coughed half of the ocean, trying to get air inside her lungs again.
"Can you still swim?" Nyx asked, concerned by Anne's situation.
Anne forced a smile. "Of course." In truth, she was barely holding up. The exhaustion was too much. But Rogue's Embrace was minutes away.
Jumping the cliff was always on the plan, so they left the ship below it. Of course, the true plan was to steal without being noticed, but Anne decided it was too low for her. So, even if she couldn't, she would swim.
And the five minutes were more like hours for her, but eventually they got inside the ship.
"Oy, why can I see guards yelling over the cliffs?" Rat welcomed them, already fed up with their antics. He hated that he had to stay behind.
"Not now, Rat." Anne dismissed him, staggering toward the masts. "Set the sails, we make for open waters!" She had no more energy, but they needed to get away.
"Argh, we really need hands on deck." She cried in pain.
"I think I know someone that could get us one!" Nyx said, not giving more detail until they were ready to leave.