Giant Mariah

The Puny Giant

Each wayfarer felt the thieving breeze that passed by. Jumping from the smallest shade of a child to the broadest shadow of a hulk, the black-clad figure was swift as an arrow and light on their feet. They ran with the intentions of escaping the guards coming after them.

"She's over here!" shouted a guard. He wore a long linen coat with strips of green patches sticking out from the fabric. The thief in black was running right up to him, and the man stood in his place as a blockade. Before he realized it, their eyes locked in for a moment, inches apart, and as nimble as a cat she leaped over his head and in quick succession ran along the beams protruding out of a building's side.

The guard was startled but collected himself and yelled to his colleagues running past him, "Aviya, the slanted-eyed thief, has the gem! After her!"

Although the hordes of guards kept increasing, blocking every avenue of escape, Aviya ran with the satchel close to her chest. The precious item in her satchel was worth more than her life. It was a rare gem from the Strip of Andulas, with the characteristic of healing. Aviya held it tight as she fled from the guardsman who coveted the treasure as much as she did.

Acrobatically jumping and twisting from one platform to another, Aviyah reached the roofs and is keeping a low profile as she carefully monitored the crowded market street of Storom. The people below wore white clothes with green accents, the colors of Rau'u. The god who reigns over Storom and nearby territories.

"Tch... no wonder I'm surrounded at every corner. A black sheep in a sea of white." she grumbled to herself. She too wore the color of her god, the black of the night. Her sleek leather pants and vest, arm guards and robe, from head-to-toe Aviya is covered in darkness. Although she's wearing the perfect outfit for a thief, she had no cover in the bright sunlight. Her outfit has made her a moving target.

Aviya noticed a faint glow emanating from her satchel, a sign of the magic gem she had stolen. It was slightly melting. Slow drips sliding from its sides. Aviya quickly lifted it to her mouth and caught the drops with her tongue. This was the gem of Lachak, due to being exposed to heat, it melts, and its liquid form has incredible healing properties said to heal the worst of afflictions.

The scratches and cuts on her face healed before her eyes as she looked at her reflection on the gem. Aviya's eyes were mystically dark and slanted to an angle marking her as an outsider of these lands. A thin veil draped over her nose and mouth, attached to her ears.

'Time flees when you stand still', the devotees of Shahaid always claim. Aviya begins peaking around as she scans her surroundings. She wasn't about to disregard the faith in the Time god's teachings. The sun is blazing above her, lighting up everything. There is no shade anywhere. She was chased to the edge of the town, where a dense forest lies. But she has to get back to the base in downtown Storom, while losing the guards.

Tucking the gem into her satchel. Aviya stands up erect when the sudden creaking noise of vines growing on the side of the building. The guards of Rau'u are using their natural charism to go on the roofs. Without delaying any further, Aviya rushes and leaps from one building to another, inwards into the town.

She was hopeful that things were looking up for her, but then she saw the ink splatter in the sky and felt a surge of dread. Far away, in the air, a dark ink was tracing a pattern. It was a "signature" of sorts. It belonged to one of the most terrifying mercenaries, a disciple of the god of Knowledge and Ink, Da'yot. A fighter who wielded the pen and ink as weapons.

They are known as Diyohts. Being honorable fighters, they announce their hunt with their distinctive signatures that fill the sky. Then the chase is on. Aviya knew there was a Diyoht stationed in Storom, but she never thought she would be their prey. This gem is bringing her more problems than she bargained for.