Sorva looked blankly at him then said “Did you say curse?” She pulled him by the arm back to their seats. He sat down dejectedly. “Yep. I’ve had it for a quite a few weeks now, and it’s just gotten worse.” He said, showing Sorva the spots on his horn, arm and leg where a strange black goop was corrupting his fur. One of his eyes had turned black and shiny, unlike his icy blue other eye. “Whoa that’s a lot to have going on at once.” She said sympathetically, patting his arm. “Thanks.” He smiled a bit, then stood up again. “Well, nice having this chat, but I really should be off.” “Wait, wait, wait you don’t just get to tell me you’re “sob story”,” she said, making quotations in the air for emphasis, “and then walk out like it’s nothing. I’ve got a new proposal for you.” She smiled then lowered her voice “what if I told you that I know someone who has a mage map.” Beckett froze. He turned slowly back around and looked at Sorva. “Really?” He looked hopeful, then frowned. “What’s the catch?” He asked suspiciously. “Well…” she said with a pause “you gotta join my crew.” “Of course.” His tail twitched with annoyance. He sighed. “Alright, it’s a deal. It’s not like I’m going to pass up an opportunity like that… How soon can you get the map?” “Oh, meet me at Port Tavir tonight at 11:00.” ~~{}~~ “We’re here!” Sorva whisper sang pointing to a big house isolated between the beach houses and town. She wore all maroon, rather than her usual bright red. After all this was a stealth mission, was it not? “The big house? Did you, like, tell this ‘someone’ that we were coming?” “No, we're breaking in.” She said grinning. Beckett blinked. A small, sneaky smile appeared on his face. “Sounds like my kind of mission.” “Which is why I brought you and not Rave whom cannot stay silent for more than a second.” She said as she started creeping towards the house with lightning quick steps Beckett followed behind her. They reached the house in no time and Sorva motioned Beckett forward to break the lock on the window. Which was done in the blink of an eye. “Good job,” Sorva said in a whisper, “now all we have to do is get past the twenty or so guards at the perimeter of the second floor, on which is the study, in which our mage map awaits.” “Why are there so many guards?” Beckett asked in disbelief. “Seriously, who’s house is this?” “Does it matter?” She asked, dodging the question. “I guess not.” He shrugged, and hopped in the window. She followed after him rolling her eyes as she said “a pointless question really, just look around.” She gestured at all the paintings and clay busts of the owner of the house. “Garic ‘Charming’ Stone.” She said, making finger quotes in the air on the word ‘Charming’. “The most prosperous douche in the country.” Beckett rolled his eyes too. “Of course. Let’s just get going.” “Alright.” She said silently striding down the hall. Beckett crept along behind her, glancing around at the paintings and busts with distaste. “Really, how narcissistic can you get?” He muttered. “Garic is his own level of narcissism. Now shush there are guards just up ahead.” Sorva then stops and listens, her large goat ears perking up in intrigue. Beckett listened as well, and sure enough, the sounds of two arguing voices floated around the corner. “You’ve got to be kidding. There’s no way a bogbit would win! The fliggit would burn it to the ground!” A high, squeaky voice exclaimed, furiously. “You forget that bogbits have fireproof armor!” Another, gruffer voice pointed out. “Plus, bogbits have those spines they can shoot at enemies! Even if the fliggit had enough stamina to stay flying for more than a few minutes, the bogbit could shoot it down!” “But that would bring the bogbit close enough that the fliggit could use its poison bite!” The squeaky voice proclaimed, triumphant. The other guard grumbled and the two fell silent. Beckett glanced at Sorva, raising an eyebrow. “What next?” He mouthed at her. “Next? Next, we dance!” She said as she jumped from around the corner to attack. Causing the guards to scramble upright in their haste to defend. In the next moment she had her sword drawn and ready for battle. Fluid in her movements she really did look like she was dancing as she paired and pounced. Beckett grinned. “Alright then!” He drew his cutlass and joined the fray. In less than five minutes, the guards were unconscious on the ground. “Two down 18 more to go, Now to open up the path.” She said as she picked up the guards and moved them to the side, then confidently led the way forward through the archway the guards were keeping watch near, and onward to the next bend hoping the noises of their fight with the guards hadn't reached the next guards just yet. Beckett followed after her, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed.
Around the corner there seemed to be more experienced guards, 4 of them instead of 2, also this time they weren’t arguing with each other, they were standing silently arms crossed spears at their sides. “We might want to distract some of them so it’ll be easier to fight the others.” Beckett whispered in Sorva’s ear. “Good idea, give me a second.” She walked out from behind the corner and nodded to 2 of the guards and walked closer to them. One of them put their hard on their sword readying for battle the other glared at her like she was a spec of dust on his pristine jade green jacket. “Goood eviningggggg-hic-ggg” she said purpupusly slurring her words to mach her act. “Ni-hic-nice night tonight-hic-. Porrrrfect weather for a stroll dochathiiiiiiink.” The guards glanced at each other with a notable glint of annoyance in their eyes. They nodded to each other as if they had decided on something. The first guard looked at the other 2 guards and told them. “You two stay here, we have something to deal with right now.” He said, looking at Sorva. Then the other guard said, “It is a nice night for a walk. How about we go take one?” The two guards set off with Sorva hanging limply between them with a smirk forming on her face as the guards walked her around the corner away from where Beckett was waiting. He darted out of his hiding place and kicked the first guard in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. The other guard lunged at him, but Beckett dodged and sent her sprawling onto the floor as well. Then he bonked them both on the head with the hilt of his cutlass, knocking them out. At the same time around the corner, Sorva roundhouse kicked the two guards who were dragging her, sending them flying into a plinth. They were struggling to their feet when the bust of Garic Stone on the plinth wobbled and fell onto their heads. All four guards were knocked out on the floor and pushed off to one side so the pathway was clear. “This is way easier than I thought it would be.” Beckett commented, antennae testing the air to check if any more guards were coming. “I’m honestly surprised that this Mage Map hasn’t been stolen already. Come to think of it, I’m surprised that ALL of this fancy stuff hasn’t been stolen already.” Sorva nodded. “Yeah it seems way, t-” All of a sudden she was interrupted and the 4 or so backup guards rounded the corner yelling for vengeance. “OH COME ON, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO FINISH A ICONIC ONE LINER!” She yelled pulling her sword from its scabbard with a sound that sounded like *shing!* “Hey, Sorva?” Beckett tugged on her sleeve. “Are we doing knock-the-guards-out only, or is it ok for me to injure and/or kill them to get them out of the way?” He asked, sounding not at all like he was joking. The guards paused and glanced at each other, slightly surprised. A few of them looked worried, but one of them started towards Beckett, spear held threateningly. Beckett drew his cutlass as well and he and the guard began sizing each other up. “Go ahead.” Sorva said with a smile. Beckett nodded, a mischievous glint in his eye. He leapt at the guard, catching their spear with a clack! and sending it flying across the room. With deadly precision, he stabbed them through the chest. Beckett glanced at Sorva, grinning. “Now you see why I’m a pirate, huh?” “Watch out behind you!” Said Sorva, then she easily leapt up into the air, did a quick spin and landed right behind Beckett just as the guard was about to hit him with a sword then she just as easily knocked her out with a swift punch to the head. “Huh. Thanks, I guess.” Beckett shrugged. “Anyway, what direction are we going?” Sorva struck a pose and said “onward!” And then she hit the last guard standing on the head and he was on the floor in a second. She turned to Beckett and clarified “to the right.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~In collaboration w/ @strawberryrainwing. Next chapter: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/920518089/ Previous chapter: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/845693897/
