I could see that. I could also see him doing something reckless that gets him killed later on though. We'll just have to see what happens
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Name: Taylor
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Yeah, that's why I think he should come back later in the story. His personality will be an interesting addition to our characters. I think William will hate him for being a criminal, Abraxas won't know what to make of him, and Crow and Penelope will be annoyed
She'll probably catch on pretty quick. Hartley isn't exactly subtle xD
She'll probably catch on pretty quick. Hartley isn't exactly subtle xD
“While you’re wasting your time hassling me, the real Hartley is probably getting away,” Crow argued with the knight, although he doubted they were listening to him. He sighed and looked out over the crowd. Among the onlookers, he spotted Penelope glaring at him from off to the side. She was probably furious with him for hindering the mission just to steal a few gold coins. He shrugged and offered her a sheepish grin. He would have easily gotten away if it hadn’t been for the ridiculous peasant heroes. He was still shocked that they had sided with the knights. In Brerra, the peasants had always helped him, or at least turned a blind eye when he stole.
But here, everyone was united against criminals. It seemed he still had much to learn about Younisian culture.
Crow caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a hooded figure making its way through the crowd, heading for the nearest exit point. He knit his brow suspiciously. I’d bet anything that’s the thief they’re looking for… He looked back at the knights, sizing them up. It wouldn’t be too hard to get away from the two, especially since he knew Penelope was biding her time somewhere in the market. He just had to get away from the peasants, so they would be more evenly matched.
“Fine, I give up,” Crow said, ceasing to struggle against the knight’s iron grip. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“About time,” one of the knights said.
“Looks like you’re not as dumb as we thought, Hartley,” the other chuckled, tugging Crow along as they walked away from the market.
“Yeah?” Crow muttered irritably, letting himself be guided by the knights. “Well you’re dumber than I thought if you still can’t see you’ve got the wrong man.”
“What was that?” a knight growled.
“Oh, nothing,” Crow said airily. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering where Penelope was. They were far enough away from the crowd now that it would be easy for her to overpower his guards if she wanted to. He just hoped he hadn’t overestimated hey loyalty. He still couldn’t see any sign of her as the knights dragged him to a nearby cart with metal bars around its sides. He shuddered at the sight of it. The cart looked just like the one he had been transported in when he had been sentenced to prison in Brerra. One of the knights took out a key and unlocked the door, while the other forced Crow towards the opening.
Come on, Penelope, he thought, beginning to feel a bit nervous. Where are you?
But here, everyone was united against criminals. It seemed he still had much to learn about Younisian culture.
Crow caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a hooded figure making its way through the crowd, heading for the nearest exit point. He knit his brow suspiciously. I’d bet anything that’s the thief they’re looking for… He looked back at the knights, sizing them up. It wouldn’t be too hard to get away from the two, especially since he knew Penelope was biding her time somewhere in the market. He just had to get away from the peasants, so they would be more evenly matched.
“Fine, I give up,” Crow said, ceasing to struggle against the knight’s iron grip. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“About time,” one of the knights said.
“Looks like you’re not as dumb as we thought, Hartley,” the other chuckled, tugging Crow along as they walked away from the market.
“Yeah?” Crow muttered irritably, letting himself be guided by the knights. “Well you’re dumber than I thought if you still can’t see you’ve got the wrong man.”
“What was that?” a knight growled.
“Oh, nothing,” Crow said airily. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering where Penelope was. They were far enough away from the crowd now that it would be easy for her to overpower his guards if she wanted to. He just hoped he hadn’t overestimated hey loyalty. He still couldn’t see any sign of her as the knights dragged him to a nearby cart with metal bars around its sides. He shuddered at the sight of it. The cart looked just like the one he had been transported in when he had been sentenced to prison in Brerra. One of the knights took out a key and unlocked the door, while the other forced Crow towards the opening.
Come on, Penelope, he thought, beginning to feel a bit nervous. Where are you?
He's going to drive Crow nuts too xD
Crow is super meticulous about thievery, but Hartley is just like "Hey, here's some money. It's mine now." He doesn't plan at all, which is like a cardinal sin to Crow. I could honestly see him trying to take Hartley under his wing and teach him how to steal more successfully
Also, I was thinking it could be funny if Hartley has a shameless crush on Penelope. He's younger than her and a criminal, so it would be interesting to see how all the others react
Crow is super meticulous about thievery, but Hartley is just like "Hey, here's some money. It's mine now." He doesn't plan at all, which is like a cardinal sin to Crow. I could honestly see him trying to take Hartley under his wing and teach him how to steal more successfully
Also, I was thinking it could be funny if Hartley has a shameless crush on Penelope. He's younger than her and a criminal, so it would be interesting to see how all the others react
Hartley Bennett
Younisian Thief
Age: 17
Personality/Bio: Wily and reckless, Hartley is the type of person to act first and think later. He became a thief only one year ago when his apprenticeship to a weapons smith didn't work out. His master had told him he was too impatient to make swords, so he would no longer teach him. Hartley began looking for other apprenticeships around his town, but because of his reputation for being dangerously impulsive, he couldn't find work. He wanted to move to another town, but he didn't have any money to his name. The uncertainty was what kept him planted until finally, his father told him to get a job and made him leave home.
With no options left, Hartley travelled to from town to town looking for work. However, no one would hire a homeless youth, so he remained penniless. He eventually ended up in a border village that hosted a large market every week. Even here, no one would take him on as an apprentice. He was left with one choice: steal to survive. Every week, when the merchants gathered to sell their goods, he snuck in and stole coin purses from unsuspecting peasants, using the money to pay for food and other necessities.
His skills as a thief grew with time, and now he considers the occupation to have been his fate all along.
Either with a diversion or waiting out the crowd, probably. I'll leave that to your discretion :P
That’s true. I’m fine with whatever, but I agree that they should end up by themselves at some point while they’re in Younis.
I was also thinking we could have Hartley (the real one lol) pop up again sometime. He was the voice who sold Crow out at the market, so I could see him wanting to tag along when Crow and Penelope escape from the knights. If you like the idea too, I’ll make a CS for him
I was also thinking we could have Hartley (the real one lol) pop up again sometime. He was the voice who sold Crow out at the market, so I could see him wanting to tag along when Crow and Penelope escape from the knights. If you like the idea too, I’ll make a CS for him
“Maybe,” Crow shook his head when Penelope said the Aeklora statue was just a carving. “But I don’t want to take my chances. Call me paranoid if you want, but that’s how I’ve survived this long on my own.” His eyes swept cautiously over the crowd, but nothing seemed particularly out of place. Perhaps it was nothing after all. Even if the goddess had been watching him through the statue, why would she waste her time on one lowly thief? What would she do—smite him for taking three coin purses? The longer he thought about it, the less rational his fear seemed.
He slowed his pace slightly, but kept alert. “Food and medicine, huh?” he mused, looking at the vendors around them. “Let’s get the food first. I saw some farmers over here.” He took the lead once again, directing Penelope towards the delicious-smelling stands they had noticed earlier.
When they reached the first one, he finally stopped to look at the merchant’s products. The man was selling plucked chicken, just like the one Olivia had brought to their camp the night before. His mouth watered at the memory of the savory meat, and he turned to Penelope, “We should get one of these for the road. If this is the same vendor Olivia used, the chicken will be delicious.”
Crow glanced over the other farmers’ stands in search of more things to buy, but he paused when his gaze fell on the merchant with the exotic fruits once again. His stand was the fourth one away from where he and Penelope currently stood. Adding to Crow’s temptation, the man was in the middle of a conversation with a customer; his overflowing coin purse lay unwatched at his feet. He glanced at Penelope. It was such a perfect opportunity, and gold in that quantity would help the villagers in his home town pay off the king’s taxes for many seasons to come. He couldn’t pass it up any longer.
“Want to check out that stand over there?” he asked Penelope, pointing to a merchant on the other side of the aisle who was selling a variety of local seeds and nuts. “Those would last a while. They might be useful if we can’t restock our food later on. I’ll look at some of the produce over here.” He tipped his head towards the section of merchants selling fruits and vegetables. “Meet me back here when you’re ready.”
Without waiting for a reply, Crow turned and headed towards a produce farmer that was next to the rich merchant. He pretended to examine some tomatoes while he watched the man out of the corner of his eye. The merchant was still engaged in a heated debate with a customer about the quality of a fruit Crow didn’t recognize. He wasn’t paying any attention to his money.
Crow set down the tomato he had been holding and walked casually into the aisle behind the food vendors, acting like he had found something interesting over there. He did a quick yet thorough sweep of the crowd. No one was looking at him. Perfect. Moving quietly, he snuck into the space between the stands that lined each of the aisles, crouching beneath the wagon of the rich merchant. He checked his surroundings once more, but it seemed like nothing had changed. No one had seen him duck below the cart. He eyed the coin purse hungrily. It was now within his reach.
Crow reached towards the glittering bag with one hand, chewing on the inside of his lip as he focused on keeping silent. Just a little further and the gold would be his…
“It’s the thief!” a voice cried out, making Crow freeze in his tracks. He hurriedly retracted his hand and crawled deeper below the wagon, his heart pounding against his chest. Boots were already surrounding his hiding place. He had to move fast or he wouldn’t be able to get away. He swore under his breath. I shouldn’t have let my guard down… Not with that cursed goddess breathing down my neck.
Crow shot out from beneath the wagon, aiming for an opening between two Younisian knights. The men dove for him, but they were too slow. He danced just out of their reach and sprinted towards the crowd, hoping to lose them amongst the other people. To his surprise, however, the peasants in the crowd didn’t make way for him as they would have in Brerra. As he reached the edge of the human sea, he felt three different sets of arms catch hold of him. His breath caught in his throat as he was knocked off his feet by a small group of peasant men. They proceeded to pin him down as the knights approached.
“Why…” Crow groaned beneath their weight. “Why are you helping the knights?”
“You think we’d just let a criminal like you get away?” one of the men scoffed. He turned to his companions. “I think he must’ve hit his head pretty hard on the way down.” They all laughed while the knights apprehended him.
“I have to admit, you gave us a run for our money,” a knight said. “It took a while, but we finally caught you, Hartley.”
Crow shot him a glare, “Hartley? Who the hell is Hartley?”
“You really think we’d buy that?” another knight rolled his eyes. “Come on; don’t play dumb. We know you’re the thief who’s been stealing from the innocent people at this market.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Crow snapped, struggling against his captor’s grip. “I’ve never been to this market before, and I’ve never heard of this ‘Hartley’ guy you keep going on about.”
“Oh, really?” the first knight drawled. “Then what’s this?” He reached into Crow’s pocket and revealed the three coin purses the thief had stolen earlier. “I’ve never met a man who carries this much money on an errand.”
“Okay, I may have taken a few things,” Crow admitted, shifting his weight. “But I’m not Hartley. My name is Crow.”
“Like the bird?” the knights laughed. “That’s a weak lie, Hartley. You must be pretty desperate to stay out of prison.”
“You have no idea,” Crow muttered under his breath. He went on audibly, “I’m telling you idiots the truth. My name is Crow, and I’m just passing through.” He sighed in exasperation. “Look, you can keep the money. I don’t care. Just let me go, and I promise I’ll leave this market and never come back.”
He slowed his pace slightly, but kept alert. “Food and medicine, huh?” he mused, looking at the vendors around them. “Let’s get the food first. I saw some farmers over here.” He took the lead once again, directing Penelope towards the delicious-smelling stands they had noticed earlier.
When they reached the first one, he finally stopped to look at the merchant’s products. The man was selling plucked chicken, just like the one Olivia had brought to their camp the night before. His mouth watered at the memory of the savory meat, and he turned to Penelope, “We should get one of these for the road. If this is the same vendor Olivia used, the chicken will be delicious.”
Crow glanced over the other farmers’ stands in search of more things to buy, but he paused when his gaze fell on the merchant with the exotic fruits once again. His stand was the fourth one away from where he and Penelope currently stood. Adding to Crow’s temptation, the man was in the middle of a conversation with a customer; his overflowing coin purse lay unwatched at his feet. He glanced at Penelope. It was such a perfect opportunity, and gold in that quantity would help the villagers in his home town pay off the king’s taxes for many seasons to come. He couldn’t pass it up any longer.
“Want to check out that stand over there?” he asked Penelope, pointing to a merchant on the other side of the aisle who was selling a variety of local seeds and nuts. “Those would last a while. They might be useful if we can’t restock our food later on. I’ll look at some of the produce over here.” He tipped his head towards the section of merchants selling fruits and vegetables. “Meet me back here when you’re ready.”
Without waiting for a reply, Crow turned and headed towards a produce farmer that was next to the rich merchant. He pretended to examine some tomatoes while he watched the man out of the corner of his eye. The merchant was still engaged in a heated debate with a customer about the quality of a fruit Crow didn’t recognize. He wasn’t paying any attention to his money.
Crow set down the tomato he had been holding and walked casually into the aisle behind the food vendors, acting like he had found something interesting over there. He did a quick yet thorough sweep of the crowd. No one was looking at him. Perfect. Moving quietly, he snuck into the space between the stands that lined each of the aisles, crouching beneath the wagon of the rich merchant. He checked his surroundings once more, but it seemed like nothing had changed. No one had seen him duck below the cart. He eyed the coin purse hungrily. It was now within his reach.
Crow reached towards the glittering bag with one hand, chewing on the inside of his lip as he focused on keeping silent. Just a little further and the gold would be his…
“It’s the thief!” a voice cried out, making Crow freeze in his tracks. He hurriedly retracted his hand and crawled deeper below the wagon, his heart pounding against his chest. Boots were already surrounding his hiding place. He had to move fast or he wouldn’t be able to get away. He swore under his breath. I shouldn’t have let my guard down… Not with that cursed goddess breathing down my neck.
Crow shot out from beneath the wagon, aiming for an opening between two Younisian knights. The men dove for him, but they were too slow. He danced just out of their reach and sprinted towards the crowd, hoping to lose them amongst the other people. To his surprise, however, the peasants in the crowd didn’t make way for him as they would have in Brerra. As he reached the edge of the human sea, he felt three different sets of arms catch hold of him. His breath caught in his throat as he was knocked off his feet by a small group of peasant men. They proceeded to pin him down as the knights approached.
“Why…” Crow groaned beneath their weight. “Why are you helping the knights?”
“You think we’d just let a criminal like you get away?” one of the men scoffed. He turned to his companions. “I think he must’ve hit his head pretty hard on the way down.” They all laughed while the knights apprehended him.
“I have to admit, you gave us a run for our money,” a knight said. “It took a while, but we finally caught you, Hartley.”
Crow shot him a glare, “Hartley? Who the hell is Hartley?”
“You really think we’d buy that?” another knight rolled his eyes. “Come on; don’t play dumb. We know you’re the thief who’s been stealing from the innocent people at this market.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Crow snapped, struggling against his captor’s grip. “I’ve never been to this market before, and I’ve never heard of this ‘Hartley’ guy you keep going on about.”
“Oh, really?” the first knight drawled. “Then what’s this?” He reached into Crow’s pocket and revealed the three coin purses the thief had stolen earlier. “I’ve never met a man who carries this much money on an errand.”
“Okay, I may have taken a few things,” Crow admitted, shifting his weight. “But I’m not Hartley. My name is Crow.”
“Like the bird?” the knights laughed. “That’s a weak lie, Hartley. You must be pretty desperate to stay out of prison.”
“You have no idea,” Crow muttered under his breath. He went on audibly, “I’m telling you idiots the truth. My name is Crow, and I’m just passing through.” He sighed in exasperation. “Look, you can keep the money. I don’t care. Just let me go, and I promise I’ll leave this market and never come back.”
I remember we decided the market was where Crow gets framed for that other thief, but I don’t know what’s after that. Do you have any ideas? I was thinking we could go in a couple different directions:
1. Crow and Penelope escape from the knights, getting separated from William and Abraxas (not sure what would happen to the latter two)
2. Crow gets arrested and Penelope and the others fight to get him away from the knights (this would put a target on their backs)
3. Everyone escapes fine (least eventful option)
What do you think? If you have any other ideas, let me know :)
Also, if you have any ideas for what should come after this scene, I’d like to hear them! I don’t think I have any yet
1. Crow and Penelope escape from the knights, getting separated from William and Abraxas (not sure what would happen to the latter two)
2. Crow gets arrested and Penelope and the others fight to get him away from the knights (this would put a target on their backs)
3. Everyone escapes fine (least eventful option)
What do you think? If you have any other ideas, let me know :)
Also, if you have any ideas for what should come after this scene, I’d like to hear them! I don’t think I have any yet
Crow glanced over his shoulder as he made his way across the market with Penelope. The woman he had stolen from didn’t seem to have noticed her missing money just yet. Good. He slipped through the crowd, moving beyond her line of sight. As they walked, his eyes wandered back to the fat coin purse of the wealthy merchant he had spotted before. Shimmering gold coins spilled over the top, seeming to beckon to him with their lustrousness. He swallowed and turned away. Not this time. He couldn’t make such a bold move in front of Penelope.
He deftly snatched another coin purse away from a passing man. It was almost too easy. He wondered if theft wasn’t a common crime in their kingdom. After all, the peasants didn’t seem to be worried about keeping track of their belongings. He grinned to himself. If the people in the rest of Younis were this trusting, he would definitely enjoy his stay.
He stole one more pouch on the way to the wood carvings stand and then moved to stand next to Penelope as they looked over the artist’s pieces. There was a wide variety of plants, animals, people, and even some religious idols he didn’t recognize. It was an impressive display of craftsmanship.
Crow looked down at Penelope when she nudged him and pointed out a carving of a crow, saying she could see a resemblance between them. He rolled his eyes, “Funny.” Nudging her back, he pointed at a carving of a toad. “Look, I found William.” He smirked wryly. “I think we should buy it and hide it in his things.”
He began to look over the artist’s works again. One statue in particular caught his eye. It was a carving of a woman, about as tall as his thigh if it had been placed on the ground. Her long hair flowed around her body, meticulously arranged to cover her in place of clothes. Her hands were cupped around a spherical object held in front of her bosom, which she gazed lovingly down upon.
Crow leaned forward, suddenly noticing something odd about the carving’s face: the woman had four eyes, with a second set located directly above the first. He shuddered when he realized the upper eyes seemed to be looking back at him. They met his gaze with an intensity that almost made him forget he was looking at a piece of wood. Her stare was equally as mesmerizing as it was disturbing, making him want to stare into her eyes forever yet also run as far from them as he could.
“I see you’ve found Aeklora,” the artist walked up, noticing Crow’s lingering gaze. “She’s my prized possession. Took me a full season to carve her.”
“She’s… very unique,” Crow nodded, finally managing to tear himself away from the statue’s hypnotic stare. “What is she holding?”
“You can’t tell?” the merchant laughed. “It’s everything.” When Crow just stared at him blankly, he went on. “As I’m sure you know already, Aeklora is our matron goddess of vision and truth. She watches over us all and protects us from those who wish to do us wrong.”
That would explain why the people here are so laidback, Crow thought, absently touching his pocket where he had stashed the stolen coins. They trust this goddess so much that they don’t even watch their own backs. “Right,” he said, pretending he was familiar with Younisian religion.
“The sphere she’s holding is the heavens and the Earth,” the merchant went on. “It’s everything she sees.”
“Then why are only two of her eyes looking at it?” Crow asked, looking back at the eerie face of the carving.
“Observant, aren’t you?” the merchant’s eyes glinted proudly. “That’s a little twist I threw in that makes my Aeklora so special. It’s why this carving took so long to finish.” He leaned closer to Crow, speaking quietly, “I carved her upper eyes to see into our world.”
“You mean…” Crow trailed off, beginning to understand what the man was telling him.
“That’s right,” the merchant grinned. “Aeklora, herself, is watching us right now.”
Crow felt his blood run cold. He had heard of the ritual to turn an idol into a medium for the gods to use, but he had never seen such a thing in person before. It explained why the statue’s eyes gave him such a bad feeling. If this goddess really was watching them, he and Penelope needed to get away from it now.
“You’re an exceptionally skilled craftsman to have made a piece like her,” Crow said calmly. He didn’t want the merchant to know how unnerved he was by the goddess. “Unfortunately, we have friends waiting for us to come back to them, so we won’t be purchasing anything from you today.”
“Are you sure?” the man frowned. “I noticed the lady eyeing a few of my beasts. I’ll give you one for just twenty tael if—”
“We’re sure,” Crow’s eyes flitted nervously to the Aeklora carving once more. He put a hand on Penelope’s shoulders to guide her away from the merchant’s stand. “Thanks, but we’ll be on our way now.” With that, he turned and walked back into the crowd with Penelope, putting distance between them and the goddess statue.
“We should get what we need and go,” Crow said, all humor fleeing from his words. “I’m getting a bad feeling about this place.”
He deftly snatched another coin purse away from a passing man. It was almost too easy. He wondered if theft wasn’t a common crime in their kingdom. After all, the peasants didn’t seem to be worried about keeping track of their belongings. He grinned to himself. If the people in the rest of Younis were this trusting, he would definitely enjoy his stay.
He stole one more pouch on the way to the wood carvings stand and then moved to stand next to Penelope as they looked over the artist’s pieces. There was a wide variety of plants, animals, people, and even some religious idols he didn’t recognize. It was an impressive display of craftsmanship.
Crow looked down at Penelope when she nudged him and pointed out a carving of a crow, saying she could see a resemblance between them. He rolled his eyes, “Funny.” Nudging her back, he pointed at a carving of a toad. “Look, I found William.” He smirked wryly. “I think we should buy it and hide it in his things.”
He began to look over the artist’s works again. One statue in particular caught his eye. It was a carving of a woman, about as tall as his thigh if it had been placed on the ground. Her long hair flowed around her body, meticulously arranged to cover her in place of clothes. Her hands were cupped around a spherical object held in front of her bosom, which she gazed lovingly down upon.
Crow leaned forward, suddenly noticing something odd about the carving’s face: the woman had four eyes, with a second set located directly above the first. He shuddered when he realized the upper eyes seemed to be looking back at him. They met his gaze with an intensity that almost made him forget he was looking at a piece of wood. Her stare was equally as mesmerizing as it was disturbing, making him want to stare into her eyes forever yet also run as far from them as he could.
“I see you’ve found Aeklora,” the artist walked up, noticing Crow’s lingering gaze. “She’s my prized possession. Took me a full season to carve her.”
“She’s… very unique,” Crow nodded, finally managing to tear himself away from the statue’s hypnotic stare. “What is she holding?”
“You can’t tell?” the merchant laughed. “It’s everything.” When Crow just stared at him blankly, he went on. “As I’m sure you know already, Aeklora is our matron goddess of vision and truth. She watches over us all and protects us from those who wish to do us wrong.”
That would explain why the people here are so laidback, Crow thought, absently touching his pocket where he had stashed the stolen coins. They trust this goddess so much that they don’t even watch their own backs. “Right,” he said, pretending he was familiar with Younisian religion.
“The sphere she’s holding is the heavens and the Earth,” the merchant went on. “It’s everything she sees.”
“Then why are only two of her eyes looking at it?” Crow asked, looking back at the eerie face of the carving.
“Observant, aren’t you?” the merchant’s eyes glinted proudly. “That’s a little twist I threw in that makes my Aeklora so special. It’s why this carving took so long to finish.” He leaned closer to Crow, speaking quietly, “I carved her upper eyes to see into our world.”
“You mean…” Crow trailed off, beginning to understand what the man was telling him.
“That’s right,” the merchant grinned. “Aeklora, herself, is watching us right now.”
Crow felt his blood run cold. He had heard of the ritual to turn an idol into a medium for the gods to use, but he had never seen such a thing in person before. It explained why the statue’s eyes gave him such a bad feeling. If this goddess really was watching them, he and Penelope needed to get away from it now.
“You’re an exceptionally skilled craftsman to have made a piece like her,” Crow said calmly. He didn’t want the merchant to know how unnerved he was by the goddess. “Unfortunately, we have friends waiting for us to come back to them, so we won’t be purchasing anything from you today.”
“Are you sure?” the man frowned. “I noticed the lady eyeing a few of my beasts. I’ll give you one for just twenty tael if—”
“We’re sure,” Crow’s eyes flitted nervously to the Aeklora carving once more. He put a hand on Penelope’s shoulders to guide her away from the merchant’s stand. “Thanks, but we’ll be on our way now.” With that, he turned and walked back into the crowd with Penelope, putting distance between them and the goddess statue.
“We should get what we need and go,” Crow said, all humor fleeing from his words. “I’m getting a bad feeling about this place.”
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