A Thief (redone)

It was a time when creatures of the night ruled, and beings of the day still feared them. It was rare that a human ventured into the darkness alone. With night having fallen upon the wood, this young thief, however, dared to enter. 1

She cared not that the town people feared the night. She cared not of the wars between Vampires, Werewolves and Demons. All that mattered to her was that there would be a chance to find a rare prize.2

She cashed in on a few well placed favours, and bought ales for some of the locals at the inn. Then came the rumor that proved to be trustworthy - there was a rare stone of uncommon beauty and worth within the tower in the meadow.3

‘The Bloodstone Ruby‘ was supposed to have been summoned from hell. It was a thing of power, able to sway the balance of the war and secure the win. An evil empire would be spawned if it fell into the wrong hands, for the outcome of the war was dependent on who owned the stone.4

The battle lines were drawn, Vampires and Demons against the Werewolves. The time for the waiting began. This thief slid past those that should have been watching for trouble, as if a cat. No immortal could be bothered with a mere human girl at that crucial hour. Stealthy and silent she was as she dragged the goat carcass through the meadow, ever so close to the lines, leaving a long bloodied trail.5

In the center of the meadow a great black tower stood, wherein evil dwelt. It was in there that the stone lay in waiting. It's power could be beckoned at the height of the moon. The stone that shone red in the night air, the treasure she was going to steal. The one item all said could not be stolen from the forces of the night.6

Soon she walked toward the tower, hiding in the shadows just at the right moments, and then, she finally stood, waiting. Hidden, she was wrapped in the shadows of the tower's sanctum. She glanced at the guardians, and counted seven. They had not seen this mere slip of a girl. They had their eyes trained to where the enemy was supposed to be.7

Then something happened: the moon slipped free from its shroud, and the stone glowed for all to see. The sanctum illuminated in shades of scarlet and blood. Within the tower, on a pedestal of gold, stood the stone, its unearthly light bleeding through the room.8

The first howl came just before an unearthly scream. The thief grinned as the sounds floated toward her. The mere blood of a goat and the light of the moon had done the work for her - bloodlust had broken the lines. She crept inside the tower to find the stone.9

The guardians looked away, but her eyes never wavered as she found her way in the tower. Once she got to the room, with her hand poised over her prize, she realised it was too late - the guards had sensed her. They charged at her, but it was too late. With a flick of her wrist, the light of the stone was doused. The pedestal stood empty and the thief was gone.10

Off on a hill far in the distance, she stood. She had been whisked away by the magic of the stone. Before her, she watched the gates of hell open; there would be no victors for this battle. The hounds of hell had come to reclaim their children.11

When all turned quiet, with the battle dust gone, the meadow stood barren and empty. Not a stone or brick could be seen to show that the tower had ever stood there.12

Alone, the girl studied the rather plain looking stone, with colors of green and rust. Wearing a grin, she slipped it in her bag and headed for home.13

No one really knows for certain what happened that fateful night, but the thief will never tell. As for creatures and beasts that go bump in the night, they have become the things of rumor and fairy-tales, stories used to scare the little ones.14

Far away, a mere slip of a girl laughed, tossing a stone up just to catch it again. With a secret smile, she places the plain stone, a small thing that resembled a green and rust colored apple, on her mantlepiece. Never to let a soul know she was the one to find and steal ‘The Bloodstone Ruby’.15