One could hear the clanking of coins being counted. A wizened man sat behind candle light eyeing the youth with stern constenation.
"You wretch! You dare try to steal from the likes of us? The Thieves Guild!"
The youth, by the looks of him, had been "questioned" already, bleeding from his gums, with two black eyes, and his nose set at an odd angle could only look fearful under the wrathful eye of the older man.
"Let me tell you a story, my boy, of our guilds great founder oOzeroOo..."
The sound from the far off arena could still be heard from the mage tower.
"Fools" thought oOzeroOo, "To leave the tower undefended, to watch the games seems like a bad policy to me." He knew that the wards of alarm would sound soon after he entered the tower and that left him precious little time to get his quarry. He had been over the plan before; upon entering he had to reach the vault on the 5th floor of the tower, only there was his prize, the Diamond of Kalfaar, rumored to bring such luck upon its owner thats it had created dynasties with its influence. oOzeroOo wanted for more base reasons, he wanted money.
"With this stone I can buy my own endenture contract and start my own guild, I will be hailed as a king!" He mused. "If only this goes as planned" he sighed as he opened the door....
"Where did you take the gem!" snarled a bestial voice. The sound of whips cracking could be heard throughout the cell. "Tell me and your pain will end" said another softer voice.
"I don't know what you are speaking of" gurgled oOzeroOo as blood oozed from his mouth.
"Well thief" said a voice in the shadows "For this you will be marked, all will know of your deeds even if they remain unproven". With a howl oOzeroOo began to scream as a jagged blade carved a T in each of his hands. Then everything went dark...
He lay in the streets, bleeding, battered but alive. oOzeroOo started to laugh he had won. You keep what you can steal he mused...
The wizened old man sat back. "Well child what have you learned of this discussion?"
The figure looked at the man, "Why waste my last moments with this tale? The Diamond of Kalfaar indeed! Why don't you kill me already?"
The old man laughed "Kill you? For what getting the best of one of my top agents?" He smiled at the youth "Here catch!"
The youth was astounded as he caught the bag of gold.
"Welcome to the thieves guild!" the old man said "You keep what you can steal".
And as the youth looked he noticed for the first time the feint scars on the old mans hands that resembled the letter T...
By an Honorary Thief: Karthathan