As The City Sleeps

by KarmaPolice

The Job

“Wake up, Shift. Time to go.”

I responded with a practiced tone of disinterest. “Fuck off. Let me sleep.”

A soft jab in the ribs rousted me from my semi-conscious stupor and brought me into full awareness of my surroundings- the dingy, dank room that I called home. I rolled off the straw-lined mattress I had been sleeping on and shuddered at the cold surface of the stone floor.

“We’ve been planning this for too many months for you to blow it off now. Grab your stuff and get ready. Lifter will be pissed if you put us off schedule.”

“Whatever. Now get out of here while I get ready, I’ll meet you upstairs.”

Slink rolled his eyes and left. I chuckled. My “apprentice” of sorts was always eager, sometimes too much so. I opened the drawer of the splintery old cabinet and withdrew my clothing of choice for missions such as these, solid black and composed of a material that didn’t make noise as it rubbed against itself- excellent for stealth.

Which, if our target had not changed, was imperative.

I finished getting dressed and made my way up the spiral staircase to the top level of the underground hideout my Organization had established for itself. The tunnel network had once served as a clandestine escape route for local government figures, but had long since been permanently sealed off- that was until The Organization discovered a way to reopen it. Those who had knowledge of the tunnel network had long ago written it off as inaccessible. And were also completely ignorant of the several modifications the Organization had made to it. Such as an access to the city sewer system. The residents above had no idea that we had direct access to most of their homes and municipal buildings.

I groaned. Although the Organization had developed an efficient and somewhat sanitary method for traversing the sewer system, I still thought it difficult to stoop to such lows, especially for operators of our caliber.

I passed through the common area, where several of my “associates” who would not be accompanying me on this outing sat, either eating, consuming alcohol, or both. Several of them were passed out in drunken stupor, and I may have joined them if not for the importance of this mission.

I reached the heavily barricaded main entrance to our section of the tunnel system. Several of our burliest members stood watch there, ready to knock out any who were unfortunate enough to stumble upon our hideout, and drag them to a chamber deep in the tunnels for an advanced round of questioning. Most of them were just homeless, but we had caught several individuals who eventually spilled the beans that they were sent to investigate us by the local government.

After some persuasion.

We had drawn their interest, sure. We had pulled too many jobs not to. But they didn’t know our size, strength, and more importantly, our exact location, yet. It was paramount that we kept it that way. Which would be even harder after this next job, no matter which way it went.

Lifter and the others waited near the gate for me. “Took you long enough” he snorted at me with feigned disinterest.

“Don’t start with me. If you bothered waking me up, it’s obvious you’ve got something for me to do that you can’t do yourself.”

“Oh, please, Shift. You’ve sat through my briefings. You know every detail of this op. So stop fucking around with me.”

“Whatever. Let’s get this show on the road so I can get back in bed.”

With that, Lifter motioned towards the guard, who turned a massive crank, manipulating a pulley system to lift the heavy, solid steel gate. The gate had a strange shimmer, a product of the enchantment put upon it, which would deliver a massive electric shock to whoever touched it. Quite an impressive security system.

We walked through it. Five of us- Me, Lifter, Slink, Tumbler, our specialist safecracker, and Deadbolt, the muscle. So named because he had once kicked an iron door right off its hinges. Knocking out the guard behind it in the process. I had to consciously go against my nature not to make fun of him- although Deadbolt probably wouldn’t retaliate in a way that was physically detrimental to me, I didn’t want to push my luck.

Our party emerged from the manhole into the dingy cobblestone alleyway. Lifter poked his head slowly above street-level, ensuring the coast was clear. Then, he motioned the rest of us up. We emerged into the cool night air, a light misting of rain coming down around us. The torchlit street flickered as a cool breeze swept down it. We donned black balaclavas that complemented the rest of our dark clothing nicely- Every member of the party wore clothing similar to mine. It clung to our forms nicely, and concealed our identities by obscuring our marks and facial traits. Nothing could sour a job faster than pulling it off, thinking you had gotten away without a hitch, and then being taken in by the Guard because you were identified by your unique and unmistakable mark.

With no further word we followed Lifter as he dashed off into the shadows, being careful to not make a sound. Normally, I liked to immediately get airborne, but our particular target tonight was well-equipped to deal with assaults from the air. Such as a barrier covering the entire place, which if some unfortunate soul were to fly into, would deliver a paralyzing shock, and a subsequent fall from however high he happened to be. So, low and slow was the name of tonight’s game.

We kept enough space between us to stay inconspicuous and to make sure any threat would be unsure of our numbers. Eventually, our group arrived in the shadows of a large gothic building, it’s tall spires reaching into the skies. The Institute. The city’s oldest center for Magical studies. And as such was home to some of the world’s most impervious security measures to protect its numerous secrets, not to mention it’s numerous riches.

That’s what we were here for. This operation had been on the planning table for a long time, and most folks thought Lifter was crazy for even attempting it. Me, I was just in it for the pay. And the pay for this job would be bountiful. I could quit the life forever on the back of this. Not that I was likely to do that. I loved it too much.

See, these missions gave me a thrill like nothing else in the world could. There was no adrenaline rush to rival intruding into a highly forbidden place, defeating barriers both magical and conventional, not to mention security who would have no qualms about killing interlopers like me on sight. It was exhilarating. And that feeling of exhilaration came rushing in full force when I stood in the looming shadows casted by that building against the milky light of the moon above.

We assembled in the alley of the building across the street, keeping our voices low.

“What do you think?” Murmured Lifter. “Easy as pie, right?”

I sized up the fortress with a practiced eye. “If the shift schedules haven’t changed, the guards should be moving in five minutes. And if the blueprints you stole are accurate, and i’d be inclined to think that they are, given that you stole them from the offices of the city’s master architect, and that this building hasn’t had a renovation in over a thousand years, and if Slink doesn’t fuck this up again-”

That caught me another jab in the ribs. I had to stifle laughter so as to not blow our cover.

“-Then, yes, it should be easy as pie..”

Lifter grinned. “Happy we dragged you out of your cave now? Come on, let’s be back in time for drinks.”

I nodded. “Drinks sound nice right now. Okay, everyone knows the plan, eh? Bolt, you just stay here and look pretty, and be ready to take out any pursuers when we go hightailing outta here.”

Deadbolt nodded. “I’m getting bored of the punching bag. I’m all for that.”

“Alright, gang, let’s get rich. Well, rich-er...”

We crept up to the front gate. We knew that this particular area was a blindspot to the guard stationed in the spire hundreds of feet above- a design flaw that had so far remained unnoticed throughout the centuries.

“Slink, you’re up.” Said Lifter. I could tell Slink was grinning under his mask- another opportunity to practice his de-enchantment abilities. Magic users were incredibly foreign to me. It was a very complex and shadowy ability, but then complex and shadowy were two words that very aptly described my lifestyle. Moreso it was the inner channeling that magic users had to undergo in order to do much more than levitate an apple. Slink, despite his youth and inexperience, was shaping up to be a formidable asset when it came to dealing with magical barriers. And, in this world, there’s a general rule of thumb- if something’s worth a fuck, it’ll be protected by a barrier.

Slink grunted with exertion. His horn shimmered with a dull silver light, which we huddled around him to conceal. “There’s a hole. Go!”

Without pause, we all belly-crawled through the patch of air that was no longer shimmering. This was an active barrier- as in, there was a full time mage somewhere consciously keeping it up. A passive barrier would have been far too easy to break into. As it was, Slink had to make sure not to open a hole too large, or the exertion would be enough to notice on the other end.

We were in the courtyard. We kept to the carefully mapped-out blindspot route, and eventually found ourselves huddled against the wall. I stole a glance upward and marveled at how the tall spire above towered into the murky heavens.

“Hold up. Thirty seconds to guard change..” Muttered Lifter, with a glance at his pocket watch. The timepiece was originally made by one Master Sundial, the city’s pre-eminent watchmaker. It found its way into the possession of my associate Lifter by… well, you can guess. Lifter treasured it, for it’s enchantment kept precise time that couldn’t be matched by any plebeian wind-up piece. The kind of precision necessary for an operation like this.

“Go!” hissed Lifter. We sprinted around an abutment, in full view of the watchtower above. In full view of the guard, should he happen to be looking. However, during our careful observation in the preceding months, we found this guard in particular to be very habitual, and with an obsession for coffee. A weakness, if you asked me. Anyway, this guy liked to cut and run the second his clock indicated shift time, even if that meant his replacement was still on his way up the stairs.

I cursed our organization's shady nature. We hadn’t been able to cut in a mage who’s abilities were sufficient to maintain a high-level illusion. For now, careful planning, quiet movement, and dark clothing would have to suffice. Just the way I liked it.

“Here, third window!” said Tumbler. I didn’t like Tumbler much. He just wasn’t the burgling type. No feel for it- just too mathematical and precise, not apt to listen to his instincts- or maybe they weren’t there. But he was the best safecracker in the city, and where we were heading, we’d need the best.

Here’s where I come in. The third window had a wrought-iron grate that would allow access to a drain-pipe extending down from a roof peak. I unfurled my wings and shot up the side of the building. I had mastered the art of quiet flying and was able to ascend the thirty or so feet to the roofline without a hitch.

I crept along the clay roof, keeping my weight low so as not to make noise- if I cracked one of the tiles under my weight, someone was sure to notice.

I made my way to a dormer, and with a hint of triumph found that our careful observation from a neighboring building with a stolen telescope had not been in error- this window was ajar a crack. Slink had noticed that. I had to give him credit for it.

I slipped a small oil tin from a pocket and laid a bead of it along the window track. No need to blow our cover on something so silly. The window needed a bit of grunt to budge, but once I got it moving, I was able to open it enough to slip in.

I found myself in a dark room, the moonlight from the window only affording some visibility. A mage might conjure up a light, but I had to resort to striking a match. The room was adorned on three sides with expansive bookshelves. The ancient tomes could be worth something, but our intended prey was much better than a couple old books. I resisted the natural urge to rifle through the drawers- I had three minutes to make my way downstairs and let the others in through an ungrated window. I had studied the blueprints enough to make my way downstairs from here, and I crept out into the hall. The carpeted floor provided for easy movements, and the stone floors wouldn't creak like the rickety timbers of a townhouse- still though, I instinctually crept forward, keeping my weight on my front hooves, like a cat ready to pounce on its prey. Except, my prey would be a lot more appetising than your garden-variety mouse or shrew.

A tell-tale noise shook me from my money-crazed imagination. A guard approaching. I could see the torchlight flickering up the stairs. “Fuck!” I hissed, and slunk back into the room. No time to make it back out the window. I flattened myself against the wall behind the bookcase and held my breath. My heart pumped, coursing what felt like pure adrenaline through my veins. This was what I lived for, after all, but in the moment I just tried not to imagine what would happen if I were caught. I carried no armament, and the guard no doubt had a double-edged short sword that may even carry a deadly enchantment- as if the sword alone wasn’t deadly enough.

Mercifully, I heard the jingling of keys as the guard passed me. I watched from the shadows as the torchlight receded, and ventured back into the hall.

Making it down the stairs, I crept through the wide halls, flattening myself against the wall, until I reached the target room- the kitchen pantry. The place was adorned with various cans and jars. I have to admit, I occasionally pilfer some foodstuffs along with the valuables when i’m turning a place over. Of course, the shit floating in green liquids contained in these jars were… less than appetizing.

I opened the window, and without further pause made my way back to the door to keep a lookout. Lifter’s voice came from beside me. “What took you so long?” he hissed in a slightly accusational tone.

“Guard. Just relax, will you?!?” I shot back.

I glanced back. Tumbler was just making it in through the window.

“Close that, Tumbles.” I whispered.

“Never fucking call me that again.”

That elicited a grin from me. “Alright, Lifter, I assume our plan remains unchanged thus far?”

“You assume correctly. You and Slink get moving towards the headmaster’s office. We’re going for the safe room.” He examined his pocket watch. “We have six minutes. Move!”

Slink and I moved out of the pantry and turned left in the hall. The headmaster’s office was smack-dab in the middle of the building, and we had to take our best guess at what guard patrol routes might be from the blueprints.

We crept through the halls. Slink examined his copy of the blueprint. “Headmaster’s office should be right… here.”

A heavy walnut door with ornate carvings stood before us. This door no doubt carried some form of passive barrier. “Slink, take care of it. I’m going around the corner to watch for guards.”

“Gotcha. This shouldn’t take long…”

I crept back around the hallway corner. This would give me a perfect vantage point to see a guard’s torchlight in time to warn Slink. Otherwise he could get right on top of us without us even knowing it. Until it was already too late, anyway. The punishment for being caught in here was unquestionably death on sight. No frilly, publicized banishments or prison sentences. You would be impaled, vaporized by a detonation spell, or simply beaten to death, and then never heard from again. All your public records would be expunged, and you would be dead to the world, not just… well, dead.

“Done. Let’s go!” I heard Slink’s voice beside me. Perfect. Now comes my favorite part.

I scurried back to the door and tentatively pushed it open. The spacious office was completely dark. “Light?” I asked. Slink responded by conjuring a small, glowing orb that floated at around head-height. I blinked my eyes to adjust to the light, and when the room came into focus, I immediately moved for the glass display case on the far wall. I pensively approached it, listening and looking for the tell-tale signs of any further enchantment. As I peered into the glass, I grinned with the cheeky expression of a thief who knew he just struck it big.

Inside the case, in a bed of pillowed velvet, sat a runestone about six inches in diameter. The polished, tawny orange stone was meticulously carved into the shape of the sun. Gemstones were embedded into the tips of each sunray, and as I looked closer, I could see some sort of engraved scripture, sigils that gave off a dull aura. This was what we came for.

It was rather un-creatively called the sunstone, and I had skipped over most of it’s extensive and ancient history in my readings of it. I went right for the goods- it’s powers, and, more enticingly, it’s value. It wouldn’t be tough to fence this one off. A great many organizations could further their goals using the magical abilities of this rune. We’d just have to find the highest bidder.

As I studied the design of the case, I pondered another intricacy to the whole thing. The Institute that we’re stealing from is run by a corrupt local government that in turn is operating under a diarchy that some would argue is equally corrupt. However, they may have been doing a good thing by keeping this stone locked away. There were organizations out there that would have both the means and motivation to do great -perhaps irrevocable- harm should this stone come into their possession.

Aw, what am I talking about? I’m gonna be fuckin’ rich! I thought with a grin as my practiced eyes crawled over every square inch of the case, looking for a weakness.

“Well, slick, I don’t see evidence of any magical fuckery in this here case. How about you?” I muttered to Slink.

“Me neither. Perhaps they thought the door’s barrier would be enough?” He pondered aloud.

I shook my head. “Not a chance. There’s something else at work here, I’m just not sure what else. You know what a honey pot is, junior?”

“I’m going to assume it’s not what it sounds like.” he muttered.

“A honey pot is a trap laid by a knowledgeable and crafty individual, made to ensnare an unwitting thief into thinking he’s just gotten the best catch of his life.”

“And?”

“Um… well, whatever happens next isn’t important. Just know that it can’t be good. Anyway, that aside, I don’t think the Institute is gonna use their most treasured magical artifact as bait. Wait by the door while I pick this.”

Slink nodded and withdrew while I went to work on the lock. I withdrew my picks from a specially-tailored sleeve on my bodysuit and inserted them into the lock. Gripping the rake between my lips, I closed my eyes and visualized the pins inside. One, two, three….

Okay. I pushed the torsion bar just slightly forward, and gently set the first pin, then the second. The third gave me a little trouble, but with the application of just slightly more force, it too fell into place. I held my breath as I rotated the torsion bar the rest of the way, and had to resist not letting out a triumphant whoop as the lock cylinder rotated into place.

Ever so slowly, I lifted the glass lid, Holding my breath in case any toxic gas was contained within. After waiting for a second for the air to clear, I leaned in and withdrew the stone. They say that we all have magic coursing through us, even though only a unicorn can actively use it. That’s probably got some validity because I felt an intense heat coursing through my veins as soon as I touched the stone. I felt immensely impowered and time seemed to slow around me. And I heard a loud thumping like a hoof rapping against the floor.

“Slink, can it! You’ll blow our cover!”

“What are you talking about?! I haven’t moved!”

It was then I realized- I could hear his heartbeat. This thing was elevating my senses to an incredible level. Now I understood this artifact’s true value.

“Never mind. Do you have the case?”

Slink, somewhat angrily, withdrew a black wooden case from his bag, perfectly fitting the stone’s dimensions. I gingerly laid it inside, sighing almost disappointedly as the rush of energy left my body. Slink closed the case and placed it in his bag. “Don’t fuck up. You’re holding the most valuable take in the history of our organization.” I said with complete seriousness, eliciting a determined nod.

We made our way out of the office. Slink closed his eyes and grunted with the exertion of reconstructing the barrier. He wobbled a bit and I moved to stabilize him. “Easy tiger. You’ve done enough tonight. Let’s get outta here.”

We moved through the halls, making it back to the pantry and scrambling out the window. Lifter and Tumbler were already there. Tumbler’s bags looked notably fatter, no doubt teeming with riches from the safe.

“Do you have it?” Demanded Lifter.

“Nope, I had to leave it there. I figured it was a waste of my time.” I deadpanned. Lifter remained looking serious for a second before chuckling. “Alright, asshole. Let’s scram before someone notices we’ve been here.” He checked his watch. “That guard is going nowhere fast. Looks like we’re gonna need your skills again, Shift.”

I nodded. I took no pleasure in hurting others, but sometimes it had to be done. The guard wouldn’t hesitate to kill myself or my associates, and there’s no way we could stay huddled under the window until the next shift change. I went aloft, scaling the side of the tower. My wings beat with a practiced silence, carrying me up along the side. The guard’s perch was open to the air on four sides and I approached from behind. I softly lifted myself through the opening, seeing him there. His golden armor reflected the moonlight, and he sat on his haunches in a wooden chair. I couldn’t see his face but naturally it must have been one of extreme boredom. After all, staring at the same courtyard night after night, year after year could wear on one’s soul. All the same, these guards were elite and were made well aware of the paramount importance of the artifacts they were protecting.

I sucked in a breath. His helmet would protect him from an instant knockout from behind. I’d need to hit him in the face, hard.

I did the only thing I could think to- I just tapped him on the shoulder. He whipped around, jaw agape, and stared blankly. “Sorry about this.” I said with a hint of apology. Just as he snapped from his stupor and attempted to draw his blade, I whipped around and delivered a solid kick to his unprotected face. He crumpled to the floor in a heap. Blood dribbled from his broken nose and split upper lip and I let out a low whistle at the sight of it. As a precautionary measure, I withdrew a length of my cordage- an incredibly high-strength weave made by a renowned artisan weaver- and bound his legs with it. A rag and another length of the cord made a suitable gag. I doubted he’d wake up before we were out of here, but in this business it pays to take every precaution.

I dove headfirst out of the window, the rain whipping my face as I picked up speed. At the last second, I flared my wings, grunting at the sudden strain. I landed silently right next to Lifter. “Is it done?” He asked me.

“I’d be dead or captured it it wasn’t. That guy’s out of the picture. Let’s book it.”

We sprinted across the courtyard as slink prepared to open a hole in the barrier once again. This was worrying me- he was still young and we had asked a lot from him tonight. Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and went to work on the barrier again.

“Go.” he grunted, the strain audible in his voice. We scrambled through and he followed, collapsing the hole in our wake. We sprinted across the street to the gutter, where Deadbolt was waiting for us. “Were you followed?” He asked in a blunt tone.

“No. Actually went off without a hitch.” Said Lifter. He was about to speak again but was cut off by the noise of Slink collapsing to the ground behind him.

“Aw, fuck, what happened?” He asked. I shook my head. “Guess we overworked him. Haven’t I told you about fifty-thousand times to cut in another mage?”

“Just can it! Priority one is making sure we stay alive. He’ll be fine, he just needs to rest. Bolt, can you carry him? We have to get out of the streets.”

Deadbolt shrugged Slink’s limp body onto his shoulders with little effort. Lifter withdrew the case from Slink’s bag.

“Shift, get this back home. We’ll move Slink to a better spot and meet you there when he wakes up.”

I took the case. “Alright. Just make damn sure you’re back by morning, okay? As soon as the headmaster gets in tomorrow and sees that he’s missing something, the fucking Royal Guard will be swarming like ants.”

Lifter grinned. “Like always. Now get going. And save me some damn beer!”

I took off, ascending to an altitude that would put me above the cloudlayer. Best to be inconspicuous, even in flight. No one else would be flying this late, as it was in fact illegal, but there was always the off-chance some eagle-eyed civilian down on their balcony for a late-night smoke would glance up and happen to notice me.

After landing outside our alleyway, I ducked inside and leveraged the manhole from it’s closed position. I took a deep breath and descended the stairs into the murky depths.

Coming upon our hideout gate, I knocked out the code on the brick wall. A confirmation knock came from the other side, and slowly the gate wound up.

“Where’s the others?” asked the guard as I stepped in. “Well, our rookie overexerted himself and dropped like a stone. They’re on their way, I’m just delivering my precious cargo.”

The guard nodded. “So you got it then. I can’t wait for my pay raise.”

I scoffed. “Dream on, freeloader. You just keep turning that crank.”

I made my way into the hideout proper. No one was still awake, and I was too tired to drink, despite our earlier plans. Instead, I went to the vault room, turning the combination into the dial and stepping inside. I took a moment to admire the evidence of my work, contained within. There were golden chalices, medallions, and jewelry. Weapons with high-level enchantments. Low-level magical artifacts. Elegies, statues, and religious effects. And, my personal favorite- a chest, spilling over with thousands of bits. For some reason, despite the intricate stonework and jewelry in the rest of the room… cold, hard cash always did it best for me. I laid the case on a bare spot on the table and retreated from the room, double checking the lock on the heavy, wrought iron door.

I retreated to my chamber and stepped inside. My strawlined mattress beckoned to me and I didn’t even bother taking my thieving garments off before flopping into it’s lumpy, uneven embrace. Someone less fatigued than I might complain about the mattress’ quality, but at that moment, I couldn’t care less. I could buy every top-quality mattress in the entire land with the money I was soon to have.

Before sleep whisked me away to the land of subconsciousness, I grinned. I was happy I had gotten out of bed for that.