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For months, rumors spread in hushed whispers throughout the town. Whispers of a thief in the night, of trinkets gone missing or pieces of bread disappearing. Reports piled in the guards' office, all with one consistent detail—a glimpse of feathers atop the thief's head. From this, the thief got her nickname. The Owl. A nocturnal bird of prey, snatching up the odds and ends that the kingdom's citizens dared to leave uncovered overnight.
Tonight was no different. Mumei surveilled the central marketplace from a back alley, now only illuminated by the full moon's shine. The guards were spread thin, she knew. They couldn't possibly predict where she would be next. She could be everywhere at once if she wanted to be. Swiping a sword from the armory or prime cuts of meat from the butcher's.
Hell, she could steal the king's crown right off his head if she wanted to.
The loot didn't much matter to her. It was the thrill of it all. From the careful surveillance of the target, to the slow approach, to the catch. To stowing it away in her pouch and slinking back into the shadows.
And the approach was next. She eyed the guard. That striking blue hair couldn't belong to anyone else but Kronii. If Mumei was being honest, it was her favorite guard to toy with. Sneaking up right as she turns around and grabbing the prize, then darting away—but still lingering just long enough to watch that stone-cold expression turn exasperated as she realizes. The other guards hardly ever noticed she had been there at all. But Kronii was more perceptive. Smarter.
Now was finally her chance. After standing in the same spot for twenty minutes, Kronii was finally on the move. Rotation.
But where was the guard to take her place?
Mumei scanned the area for a moment, but no sign of anyone else. Well. If they were going to slip up like this, then why waste the opportunity? When Kronii turned the corner, she made her move.
She treaded silently on the cobblestone, passing by stall after stall. Bread, cabbages, various cloths and leathers, the occasional succulent. All passed by with hardly a glance. Up until she reached the far end, where a smaller stall sat. The jewelry stall. Though mostly emptied out for the night, there still remained just one item, shielded by a small glass box. With utmost dexterity, precision, and deftness, she smashed the glass with her elbow.
Then plucked the treasure out from amongst the shattered glass. An ornate bracelet with gold-silver filigree, sparkling in the moonlight. Mumei held it up, pinched between her index and thumb, letting it spin a bit.
In her peripheral, a figure moved. Her eyes darted to the side. Approaching her was none other than Kronii, hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword.
"Stop." Kronii took another two steps forward.
Mumei stared. Blinked once. Then a grin split her face as she stuffed the bracelet in her pocket before spinning on her heel and taking off.
The game was on.
It didn't take long for Kronii to give chase. No time at all, really. But Mumei still had a lengthy head start. She dashed down the path, tugging her cloak closer to herself.
She knew the paths well. Wandering around at midnight looking for your next target gave you lots of time to walk the streets, familiarize yourself. She banked left, past the creamery, then right. Down an alleyway, but she knew something so simple wouldn't lose someone as diligent as Kronii.
And when she dared a glance back, she was right, the guard still in hot pursuit. Closer than before.
When the hell did she gain so much distance? The guard's leather armor didn't exactly weigh down like chain mail did, but...
Never mind. She was at the city limits now. The forest loomed before her. No hesitation, she sprinted in and along the rough path. Branches hung dangerously low but it was only an advantage with her smaller stature and superior agility compared to Kronii. Ducking under was no issue. And even if a stray limb from one of the trees offered her a kiss on the cheek while she was at top speed, the adrenaline and thrill of the chase made it easy to brush off.
Roots threatened to trip her with every step as the path wound and bent, but Mumei was no stranger to the forested path either. Sure, she might not have spent quite as much time out here, but it was enough. Even as the path took a harsh one-eighty curve around a tree, Mumei didn't falter, practically taking a racing line around it.
She rounded the corner...
...and was met with a flying tackle from the side.
The pair tumbled off the path in a heap from the momentum alone. In the wake of their rumbling and rolling were poor, trampled saplings and sprouting bushes. When the dust settled, Kronii had Mumei pinned to the ground by her wrists, knees on either side of her hips.
The guard panted for breath for a moment. Mumei did the same. But she couldn't help but grin up at Kronii's flushed face.
"Gonna kiss me?" the owl teased breathlessly.
And Kronii, ever the cool and composed one, sputtered. Realizing the compromising position she had put the two of them in, she forgot herself for a moment, her grip slackening slightly.
Slightly, but enough. Mumei got one hand free and shoved at Kronii's chest. Then when she staggered back, the owl got one leg up and in, and rammed the sole of her boot into the guard's chest.
Mumei swears that in that moment, Kronii caught air.
She watched in awe as Kronii flew backward before she herself scrambled up onto her feet and scampered away, giggling to herself.
Despite it all, the guard was nothing if not diligent. Trudging back up to her feet, she glimpsed Mumei dashing down the path, and gave chase once more. Her head spun and her spine ached, but oh, when she caught this girl...
Mumei could hardly believe the sight when she glanced back. But she would be lying if she said it wasn't absolutely enthralling. Still, she knew it had to end soon, lest she run out of stamina. And she already had the perfect idea to lose her pursuer.
It didn't take long. Up ahead, she spotted exactly what she was looking for. A large oak, with a hefty branch hanging at just the right height. She took a moment to judge the distance, never breaking her stride—then, when the time came, sprung from the ground with all the strength her legs could offer her.
At the peak of her jump, her hands latched onto the bough, but they didn't stick for long. In a complete show-off display of acrobatics she used the momentum to swing up for the next branch just a bit higher up than the first. She released the rough bark of the initial bough, then brought her arms up in front of her just in time to catch the next offshoot with her whole body this time. Her arms hooked over the wood, and for a moment, she held herself there and caught her breath, then hoisted herself up and moved to stand on the branch. From here, she eyed her path upward. A handhold here, foothold there, next branch not too far away.
As if it was necessary. When Kronii arrived at the base of the tree, chest heaving, she just watched helplessly. Doubled over, hands on her knees as she gasped for air, with her gaze pointed up at Mumei.
"Oh, what the fuck?" she panted.
At the sound of Kronii's voice, Mumei looked down at the guard. The poor, helpless guard who looked like she had just climbed a mountain.
And Mumei, victorious and absolutely smug for it, couldn't help but stick her tongue out childishly at Kronii.