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'No, no, no, NO!'
That bag contained everything she had; her remaining coin, her spell components, the last few treasures from Legerdomain that she hadn't been forced to sell. And her spell book. Without it, she was truly destitute.
The thief was fast and athletic. They hit a wall and climbed it without breaking stride, using bricks as stepping stones.
Charmcaster narrowed her eyes as the culprit kept escaping higher up the wall, before they reached a rooftop and climbed on it. Wasting no time, the young sorceress raised her hand, purple energy crackling around her fingertips, and vanished.
In the form of purple lights reforming herself, Charmcaster appeared on the rooftop directly in front of the thief.
The latter skidded to a halt rigid with shock. Even through the shadow of their hood, Charmcaster could see their eyes widen; like she had seen a ghost. The thief stumbled back a step, their breath catching audibly while their hands came up in a defensive gesture that was pure instinct.
"What the—" The thief's voice, rough and unmistakably female, cracked mid-sentence. She took another step back as her head turned back and then front trying to understand if what she is seeing is some hallucination. "How did you—you were just—how?!"
"Give me back my bag," Charmcaster snarled with a low voice. She raised her hand, purple energy coiling around her fingers slowly. "NOW."
The thief's brown eyes fixed on the glowing energy around Charmcaster's hand. Her jaw tightened. For a heartbeat, she looked genuinely uncertain, her gaze flicking from the magic to Charmcaster's face and back again. Before the thief's expression changed from the wide-eyed surprise melting into a more relax yet guarded stance.
"Whoa, whoa. Easy there, sparkles." The thief raised her hands higher in a placating manner. "Let's not do anything we're gonna regret here."
"Sparkles?" Charmcaster's eyes narrowed. "I said give it back!"
She lunged forward to grab her bag, only for the thief to dodge the swipe. However Charmcaster's hand managed to close around the thief's hoodie, yanking it back.
The thief's hood fell away, revealing a young woman that looked nearly her age if not older, freckles scattered across her cheeks while her brown eyes gleamed brighter in the light. While her dark short hair framed her face.
"Just borrowing your fancy little bag," the thief said, her voice carrying a mocking lilt that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You wouldn't mind, right? It looks pretty enough to share. You already got one on your back."
As she talked she stepped backward, until her feet halted at the edge of the rooftop, cornered with Charmcaster closing in on her. Her brown eyes were still fixed on Charmcaster's glowing hand, she wouldn't lie if that didn't freak her out.
Seriously, who the hell is this girl?!
Charmcaster's magic flared brighter, the purple energy enveloped around the bag, making the thief clutch to it harder.
"Woah! Hey now-!"
"GIVE IT!"
Charmcaster narrowed her eyes applying more force. Even with the thief refusing to let go, the invincible force was pulling the bag to her, dragging her along in the process.
She was done playing games. She would take the bag back by force if she had to. A small smirk appearing on the young sorceress' face as the culprit was outright panicking, her eyes darting around unable to stop the bag from still moving closer and closer to Charmcaster's grasp.
Finally getting what she wanted, the thief gripping slipped making her stagger back.
"Nowhere left to run thief. Have anything to say for yourself?"
"Okay, okay, okay! look…I'm sorry. Alright."
Charmcaster's eyes narrowed in suspicion, for some reason she wasn't looking at her.
Wait.
What was she looking at?
Charmcaster's gaze flickered, just for a second, following the thief's line of sight. Below them on the street, a large wagon was rumbling past; it was piled high with barrels and crates, while its driver oblivious to the drama unfolding above.
It was moving fast. Fast enough that if someone were to jump...
In the blink of an eye, the thief kicked the bag in Charmcaster's hand high in the air, then snatching it.
Charmcaster's eyes widened. "Don't you dare—"
The thief grinned confidently, enough to make Charmcaster's blood boil. "See ya! Sorry for the loss!"
Then she leaped. Directly off the rooftop, her hands caught the edge of the sloped roof below, controlling her slide down the slick tiles. Sparks flew where her boots scraped against the surface, but she didn't slow.
Charmcaster ran to the edge, her heart hammering against her ribs as she could only watch the thief getting away.
She hit the edge of the roof at full speed, her body launching into empty air before she landed on the passing wagon with a thump that barely registered over the clatter of wheels and hooves. She rolled, came up in a crouch, and immediately grabbed the edge of the wagon bed to steady herself.
The driver didn't even notice.
The thief looked up, her eyes finding Charmcaster's on the rooftop. She was grinning now; that infuriating, mocking grin…then waved.
The wagon rolled on, carrying Ymir and the bag away into the maze of Karanese's streets.
Charmcaster stood frozen on the rooftop, the purple energy still crackling around her fingers, her breath coming in short, furious gasps.
'That stupid bitch!'
She could teleport. She could follow. She could burn that wagon to ash and drag that thieving little—
'No.'
She forced the energy coursing through her down, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.
'Too noticeable. Too risky.'
She had already used magic once; teleporting in front of the thief. If anyone had seen, if anyone had been watching it would raise unnecessary alarm.
She couldn't afford that.
"Damn it!" she whispered in frustration. Guess she will have to follow on foot, good thing she can track the mana of her bag.
Meanwhile the thief moving further away from the wagon sighed in relief.
"Thank the founder. Well Ymir, you have outdone yourself again. I wonder what's in the bag though." Ymir reached into her stolen bag and pulled out a strange…stone sculpture?
Ymir raised an eyebrow, looks like one of those charm items. She could sell these for a good price. She'll just have to find one of those charm shops.
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