(OOC: Yes, I KNOW I have posted this elsewhere. However, as we are no longer reliant on the Abstract Magic forum, where this was first posted, I am re-posting the first segment for your reading pleasure. Also, I'm going to fill in stuff that didn't happen when other characters were there to what has been witnessed.)
The southern part of Doma City. While not exactly having the same bustle as the rest of the city, it was still home to numerous residents and their lives. One of them was unaware that some of the things he possessed were about to cause great strife within the rest of the city.
In one of the houses, a bizarre-looking being was reading over some old texts at a desk. The demon seemed to have the body, head, tail, and dorsal fin of a shark, but with very humanoid arms and legs, flipper-like feet, and clawed hands. It would seem he cared little for clothing, as he only wore black pants, just to look minimally decent. He looked rather disappointed at what he was reading, as the texts revealed information he had hoped was false.
On his desk, an emerald orb had been placed on a stand that was apparently made of iron. Just in front of the desk, where the shark-demon could have simply looked up at it if he wanted to, there hung a ruby mirror, with a rim of silver around the edge. And above the desk, nearer to the ceiling, a diamond katana rested on supports forced into the wall.
Ghakim had become less content with what he was reading - information about the demon lord who had removed him from his service some years ago, who went by the name Belial. The removal had been a slap in the face for Ghakim - Belial had only told him, "If you're going to be a softy, you ain't gonna serve me anymore" - and the shark-demon had sought revenge ever since that day.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. Putting the texts down, Ghakim slowly stood up and went to answer it. A blue gecko-jin in a light coat was there at the door.
Snarling, Ghakim immediately asked, "What is it?"
The gecko-jin seemed unfazed by Ghakim's anger. He simply and calmly responded, "Hello, sir. I'd simply like to ask you a few questions about this city."
This threw Ghakim off guard. "Just what is it you want to know about the city?"
"You know, just the most well known places around here." The gecko-jin was hoping Ghakim would just stand there and talk.
Needing a break from his studying, and not suspecting the gecko-jin, Ghakim answered rather irritably, "Okay, fine, I'll help you. Just go ahead and ask what you need to, and make it quick."
Inside, the gecko-jin was rather pleased. If this goes as planned, he won't suspect a THING from us!, he thought. Although.... I wonder how the other three are doing.... Of course, the gecko-jin was doing his best to hide this thought, and was rather successful at it, as Ghakim didn't seem to notice.
As Ghakim proceeded to answer the gecko-jin's questions, something else occurred back where his desk was. One of the windows was slowly being opened. The one to open it was a black-furred nekojin in a green robe. There were a few white hairs on his face, and his startling yellow eyes scanned the area nervously. Slowly, the nekojin fully opened the window and entered Ghakim's house through it. Two other beings followed him. One was a female moogle with light red fur, attired in dragonskin armor - which, for its bulk, made surprisingly little noise - and wearing a white headband. The other was a female garoujin with roan fur, wearing a trenchcoat and dark sunglasses that hid her eyes.
The nekojin glanced to the others and whispered, "Well, here's the treasure. Ain't it a beauty, Dialo?"
The moogle sighed slightly and responded, in a very quiet voice, "A beauty it is not, just its magic is worthy of praising."
The trio walked over to the desk silently. The garoujin was the first to approach, removing the emerald orb from its stand and hiding it in her trenchcoat. The moogle jumped up to the chair where Ghakim had been sitting, where she moved some of his texts so as not to make them dirty, then up to the table, pulling the ruby mirror from the wall and silently descending to the ground.
The nekojin was last to come near, and he quietly moved the chair to the side of the desk. Standing upon it, he lifted the diamond katana from its supports and hid it in the robe as best as he could. Then he took great caution to move the chair back to its original position, in an attempt to make his thievery less noticeable.
Their work done, the garoujin silently said, "Come on, let's go before we're noticed." And the trio exited through the same window, the nekojin going last and closing the window behind him.
At the front door, Ghakim was just finishing his answering of the gecko-jin's questions. After said gecko-jin left, Ghakim walked back inside, and went to his desk.
And almost screamed in horror.
"The artifacts! They're gone!" It took a while before Ghakim noticed that his texts had moved slightly. "Thieves.... someone stole the artifacts.... I've got to get them back!"
And thus, the chaos caused by the three artifacts began.
Edited by: [url=http://pub30.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=divinegon2130>Divinegon2130</A] at: 6/14/03 3:06 pm