The trading town is alive with various merchants, travelers, and craftsmen. Wandering through the major road that parts the city, the man continues forward, casually glancing from left to right to observe the people. On the left side, he noticed that there was a girl in a sky blue outfit, attempting to barter with a merchant concerning a ceramic jar. That was on the left side, with what appeared to be the Potters' Circle. The man was becoming rather upset, believing that the girl was attempting to swindle him.
What the man didn't know was that a few of the people around the merchant's stall were stealing some of the smaller, more decorative ceramic jars. There were three of them, each one dressed in similar clothing and of varying heights. All of them were wearing black and red cloaks, with a similar style pants and hoods that covered their faces. They had been prowling around, waiting for an opportune moment to lift some of the valuable commodities from the merchant. It was interesting to watch, as they began to grab some of the jars and place them ever so carefully in their pouches for safe keeping.
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They almost got away too, if it weren't for one thing. One of the thieving prowlers, the smallest of the three, was about to depart from the marketplace, by attempting to enter an alleyway. From there, he could escape from sight and possibly rendezvous with the rest of the band. However, as he moved towards the building near the alley, a knife was thrown at the prowler's face. It was a close throw, as it was mere centimeters from the thief's face.
From the crowd, stood one of the trading hub guards. A man dressed in chain-mail armor, and plate grieves and gloves. He was a burly individual, wearing a yellow cloak and a wooden shield both of which were sporting a wandering camel on it. On his side was one curved sword, with an intricate pommel that looked as if it were made of bone.
"Halt right there in the name of the law." commanded the guard. As he approached the prowler, he placed his hand on his sword and readied himself, should the prowler attempt to flee. That would be unnecessary however, because the prowler was still coming to terms with how close the guard had thrown the knife. When the guard was in arms length of the prowler, he grabbed him by the shirt and removed his hood.
There stood a scared boy, probably no more than 15 years old with shaggy blonde hair, tied in a ponytail. He looked like he expected to die for his crime. It seemed very likely due to the lack of tolerance for criminals in the hub.
The guard asked him in a very stern tone, "Who are and what do you think you were doing?"
The boy takes a moment to collect himself and respond, stating, "My name is Tomas Luz, and I was just walking back to my mother's home."
The guard then asks, annoyed that the boy didn't immediately tell the true. "Is that so, well than what's in the pouch?" He asks, pointing to the burlap pouch.
The boy glances at the guard, then to the pouch and then back to the guard. He smiles very nervously, "Oh you know, some medicine for my mother. She's very ill you see, and I just came to the market to pick up some from the local alchemist."
The guard responded with another question, "Well if that's the case, would you mind showing me the medicine that you purchased? I used to be an alchemist in my youth."
Nervously, Tomas said, "Sure, I wouldn't mind if.."
He stopped dead in his tracks as the guard grabbed the pouch from him. The guard opened the pouch and they looked down into the pouch and saw several pieces of pottery with a beautiful green glaze and carvings inside. Whatever fear Tomas had when the knife was thrown near his face was replaced, with an even greater fear of death. The guard looked at Tomas, and began to draw his sword.
Throughout all of this, the man who had recently entered the town had been silently watching from afar. He had observed that the boy known as Tomas was the smallest of the band, and interestingly the one that puzzled him the most. Prior to approaching the Potters' Circle, he noticed that the band of prowlers were arguing and it was getting heated. He observed that the tallest of the band was ordering the other two to steal as much as possible and depart. However, Tomas protested stating that he didn't want to take part in this.
In response, the leader drew a knife and motioned toward Tomas and said, "If you don't do this Tomas, I will kill you. It won't be slow either, it will be long, and painful."
In the end, he said that he would indeed steal some of the jars. Though he was near the most prized pieces for the longest, he never stole any of them. In fact, the man noticed that the tallest of the prowlers had stolen those and placed them inside of his pouch. No doubt to use the lad as bait to allow the others to escape.
As the guard drew his sword, he commanded, "Come with me, or you will die!"
"Hold on now! He's with me!" The man yelled, as he attempted to maneuver through the sea of people that blocked his way.
Tomas looked relieved, and at the same time confused. He did not know this man, but given his circumstances, he didn't care. The guard however, looked at the man suspiciously with his sword drawn. He had never seen this person before in the marketplace. In addition, he believed that this unknown man may attempt to aid in the young boy's escape via violence.
The guard noticed the sword around the man's hip, and noted the clothing that he was wearing. He quickly concluded that this man had no real significant status, and that he may just be a lonely traveler. Pointing it at the man, the guard asked in a very slow and stern tone, "Who are you?"
To which the man, humbly responded with, "My name? That's an easy one, it's Madesi Johara."
