[Mkguild] To Steal a Muffin

[Stealth]

A short collab with Virmir.


To Steal a Muffin

Copyright (c) 2008 Virmir and Michael Nastov



Down the hallway Stealth traveled, with a hop to his step, not for jovial
reasons but to get the task done and be out of the keep's oppressive
confines. Granted, it's miserable this time of year outside but this hall
seemed particularly gloomy to the courier.

And such a task made the cheetah reminiscent of that incident in the
kitchens a few months prior.

However, despite the doom and gloom of the surroundings, a rather pleasant
sight greeted him. Flanked by statues a small spread had been carefully laid
out. Another gift from Kyia? No one else around to claim it but the cat.

Stealth gratefully snatched up one of the offerings, popped it in his muzzle
and continued on his way.

--------------------------------

Blasted quill.

I emerged from behind the statue where the blasted thing wedged itself.
Where in blazes that breeze came from in the middle of an enclosed structure
was beyond me. There wasn't even any windows in the hallway! This entire
blasted keep was one giant mire of curses.

I sat down at the foot of the statue next to my carefully laid-out lunch.
Ugh. I was beginning to accept I would never find this mythical "library"...
Perhaps I was the butt of a joke every single person I ever met was in on. I
had given up asking directions, knowing too well the morons that wondered
the hall were too inept to give a straight answer.

Knowing I would spend my entire day off wandering this labyrinth of
nonsensical passages, I packed a lunch this time. I did not expect to be so
lost I would have to consume it in a random hallway lined with menacing
armored statues... Ugh. My feet were too sore to continue. Time to eat.

I set my quill down next to my parchment, and went to pick up my-- what in
blazes--?! A bare wrapping stood in place of my jerky... I could have sworn
I didn't touch it yet... I scratched my head fur with a claw. Blast, I
really am losing my mind...

At that moment the uppermost parchment in the stack of notes I intended to
take with me to the library blew off in a furious breeze. Blast it! I
scampered off to chase it to its hiding spot behind another of the statues,
crawling on my hands and knees to reach it...

--------------------------------

Finally. With the package delivered the cat courier headed back down the
corridor in the opposite direction. Stealth instinctively glanced at the
statues in the spot that held a small banquet. Just as before, the area
remained vacant except for the food.

He took another food item and quickly tore it up in his mouth while
continuing on his way.

--------------------------------

I slammed the delinquent flying paper upon the table-like base of the
statue, then placed my pack atop it to protect it from any more such cursed
hallway breezes. Ugh. If I knew I would have been utterly unable to locate
this blasted library, I wouldn't have even bothered lugging my notes around.
I turned to at the very least enjoy what was left of my meal when-- what in
blazes?!

All that remained was that odd hunk of bread from the over-priced bakery.
How?! I folded my ears and sniffed the air. Something wasn't right...

--------------------------------

He just had to forget something didn't he? Didn't he?

Stealth sighed and walked quickly back down the corridor lined with statues
for the third time and of course he spared another glance to the dwindling
food display. One item remained. A muffin.

He claimed it and popped it in his muzzle. Then something made him pause,
something near where the food had been. He stared at the creature, even
without the muffin in his muzzle he'd still be speechless.

--------------------------------

"Ah ha!" I screamed, pointing as I leapt from behind the statue's base. "You
wretched thief! I'll melt the flesh from your bones!" My outstretched hand
erupted in flame as I clenched my fist. The spotted cat's eyes widened in
terror as my cloak began to wave upwards at the swirling crimson energy. He
turned tail and ran, the last bit of my lunch still in his mouth.

"Blast it!!" I bellowed, taking off after him. Blasted petty thieves think
it's funny! As I ran, I reached behind me with tendrils of levitation and
collected my pack and any items I left behind. Namely my fork and knife,
which hovered above.

I followed the thief this way and that, keeping him in sight at all times. I
knew full well I would lose him at any second in this blasted cursed maze
otherwise... I supplemented my pumping legs with magic, delaying impending
fatigue. I was going to be sore all over the next day, but blast if I was
going to let him get away with this. He ducked into a dark corridor, and I
added two burning witchlights to the items flying with me to keep the
criminal illuminated.

--------------------------------

Stealth ran as fast as he bloody well could. And still it seemed that pissed
off little fox guy was catching up! The cat considered tipping over the
statues but didn't fancy having to clean up the mess afterwards as he knew
the steward would make him, proceeding a lecture from the reptilian.

Stealth entered what must be a tower because the path curved. At the end he
literally ran into a hyena morph. The frightened feline grabbed the equally
frightened canine-like keeper, "there's a mad fox kit after me!" He shouted.

The hyena glanced away and back again then burst out laughing. "Pussy!"
Vincent called him, "you're scared of a kit?"

"He's not just a kit!" The cheetah shouted, "He had a black cloak and these
orange glowing witch lights!" Stealth gestured in the air.

The hyena's cheerful visage turned to ice and he began to tremble. Stealth
never did eat the muffin, without another thought the cheetah threw the
muffin at the hyena, "here! I don't want it!"

Vincent's horror intensified from the small pastry clasped in his paws. He
threw it with all his might as far away as he could. It hit the small gray
fox as he rounded the bend causing him to loose balance and land on the
floor.

The two larger savanna animals both stood in silence for a moment. "What did
you do?" Asked the cheetah.

"You made me!" The hyena shouted. Stealth's retort never left his muzzle as
just then the gray fox stirred. Stealth and Vincent promptly scampered away.

--------------------------------

"Blast it!!"

Two of them! I didn't get a chance to see what the other looked like before
they ducked around the bend. Rubbing my muzzle, I leapt to my feet,
re-levitating the items I brought with. "I'll kill you both!!" Unable to
take the humiliation any longer, I thrust my hand forward and let loose a
brilliant burning sphere after them.

At the very least I had the presence of mind not to pour a huge amount of
energy into the spell. It would be a flashy but weak blast with plenty of
smoke. The orb rounded the corner and exploded, sending a huge cloud of dust
my way.

Growling, I dove into the smoke head on and my visibility reduced to
nothing. Flipping my cloak around my nose, I blindly charged forward.

Until I felt nothing under my feet.

I floated there for a moment, my legs kicking in thin air as I realized I
just ran off the edge of a balcony. I poured my full strength into
levitating myself, but was only strong enough to float for one second...

"BLAAAAAAST~!!!!"

A tree branch broke my fall, then some shrubbery below that. My knife missed
my head by an inch, and my fork landed between my legs. Then my pack, which
had been following me the whole time, landed square on my head, exploding
and burying me in a pile of papers. I crawled halfway out of the wreckage
and drummed my claw upon the cobblestone road the shrubbery lined.

I hate Metamor Keep...



To Steal a Muffin

Copyright (c) 2008 Virmir and Michael Nastov
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