25 Chapter 23: Plan

Few Hours Ago.

Inside Bobby and Vester's room, That same day...

'Here are the enlistment of names and background details of starters in the Head of Scrolls.' Mordecai said as he unrolled a paper on a desk. Mordecai and Vester stood and watched as he explained in detail.

'Everyone here has been registered for about a month but only seven people weren't able to beat the registration date. Also, the good part is, two out of these seven people are from here. The First District.'

'Okay.. sounds potential.' Vester commented.

'We can't just steal from any random person.' Bobby added.

'Why not?' Mordecai confusedly looked at Bobby.

Vester to tilted his head to Bobby.

'There has to be some sort of connection or reason. If we go for random people there could be consequences attached. So we have to study the squires we go for. Knowing fully well how things are meant to be.'

Vester exchanged looks with Mordecai. Then the two looked at Bobby.

Mordecai rested his palms on top of the table as he used his eye to scan the paper. 'Here's one.' he said drawing the rest attention.

Bobby and Vester faced down to the paper inquisitively.

'It says here Name, Han HyeSun. Age 14. Parents, deceased. Status, crippled. Little relation or friends.' after speaking Mordecai took his head back up.

Silence.

'No way.' Bobby disapproved. 'We can't do this to a squire.'

'You of all people know how hard it is for a crippled to be an Ascender.' Mordecai retorted.

'That gives us no right to take that away.' Bobby replied. 'It's hard but not impossible.'

'We're not going to. We're giving him 500 green paper. Plus a chance to get stronger for the next Head of Scrolls.' Vester added.

'I see you want this just as bad as Mordecai does?' Bobby faced Vester and spoke.

Vester smiled bitterly.

'And besides, there aren't many squires from around here. Look,' Mordecai used his index finger to navigate the paper. 'The rest are from 4th and 6th Districts. Only those two come from around here. We have limited time guys.'

'Okay, let's check the last squire from the First District.' Vester said.

'Anika Anamyoto. Age 13. Parents: Father, a community butcher. Mother, deceased. No siblings. Status, Squire. Not in relation to any Kingdom Force.' Mordecai read from the paper.

'What makes you think she'd want to give up the Head of Scrolls?' Bobby with folded arms questioned.

'It's not every day you see someone who doesn't want 500 green paper.'

'We're depriving people of their rights. Don't you think this might backfire later.' asked Bobby again.

'Now you mentioned it, I reckon we give them a surprise visit after everything. That way they know we're thieves with a conscience.' Vester commented.

Bobby was silent. Obviously, he thought maybe what Vester said wasn't so bad after all. As for Mordecai, he kept navigating the paper when he suddenly drew their attention. 'Emm.. guys. I think I might've skipped a fish.'

'There's one more squire. Name Sasha Panera. Age 14. Parents: Father, First District Seraphim Hand's Admiral. Mother: An Upper crust Seraphim Hand. Status: an ordained Seraphim Hand member by birth.'

When the boys heard First District, they knew the person was from around here. Vester revealed a deep thinking expression. Mordecai kept reading under his nose and Bobby asked with surprise.

'A Seraphim Hand! Are you insane? We can't steal from Sasha.' suddenly he exclaimed again 'Mordecai!'

'I know.. I know okay. But we need three disk passes. Or one of us wouldn't make it. And besides Sasha's father is the Admiral of this District. Just like you, her father can get her a second start pass.'

Bobby rubbed his palm over his face at Mordecai's answer as he muttered, 'Tell me 'bout it.'

'I'll take the Seraphim Hand girl.' Vester assured them.

'What?! They'll arrest you before you know it.' Bobby disapproved.

'The guy is a street thief after all. I bet he can do it.'

'How'd you know that?' Vester asked.

'Bobby told me.' Mordecai murmured under his nose. 'Well that settles it, I'll take the girl with a weird name. Bobby takes the boy with a weird name and Vester takes Sasha. Any objections?'

Bobby looked at Vester with pity, 'Yours is a lot harder than ours, so please... don't get arrested. Or the worse.'

'I won't.' Vester replied with a warm smile.

'Okay people.' Mordecai folded the paperback and kept it saying, 'Let do this.' he brought forward his palm and splayed it. The remaining boys smiled a little before extending their hands too and touching Mordecai's fingertips with their fingertips.

IT WAS FEW MOMENT pass sunset and the boys had already taken their respective position. According to the plan they were supposed to lay low till the moon was capable of illuminating the entire district. Then they would strike the targeted houses. Taking the starters disk pass and leaving without a sound.

After a while, Bobby thought the plan to be manageable. But that was before Mordecai came up with the most mindless disguise to infuriate the homes of their targets. He, Mordecai, insisted they should wear nylon bags to hide their faces. It was a group commotion. Even Vester refused. But Mordecai insisted they should because it was impossible to find something to use as disguise since it was already late.

So Bobby and Vester agreed. Not because Mordecai said so, but because it was their only option.

Soon they dispersed.

At the District's market square, the traders had all locked up their shops and left while some still prepared to leave. Amongst those who prepared to leave was a kiosk with numerous masses of meat. A taut man with a pig sized beard walked out of the shop and carried a body full of pigmeat into the kiosk, walking pass a little girl who stood silently. She stood motionless and watched as her father carried the meat inside before slowly approaching her and squatting.

'Don't worry my little angel. I'll be fine. As long as you're participating.' he said with his deep bold voice and affectionately smoothened her waist-length black hair.

'But you wouldn't have any money left.' the girl angrily replied, but her sweet voice made it hard to notice how angry she was.

'Hahaa!' the man chuckled. 'That is my problem, Anika. Not yours.' he said, standing up and taking another meat inside.

A figure calmly watched from the other shops opposite the butcher's kiosk. Since it was moonlight, the figure seemed to have blended with the darkness of the other shops. Having only minor shape outlines to create a shadowy silhouette.

The little girl gently looked to straight the end of her front. Without making a noise she locked her sight at this shadow-like figure.

The figure was in shock. Thinking the little girl would raise an alarm. But she didn't. She just stared blankly at this figure. Even after her father passed ignorantly she remained quiet. And this left the figure in incommensurable confusion.

When they were done rounding up everything, the man and his daughter left for the night. Their apartment wasn't big at all. So after doing the necessary things for the night, they went ahead to bed.

At this point in time, the figure appeared at their window. Sliding it slowly to the side and entering with the sole of the big toe under his sandals. This was his first time committing burglary coupled with the fact that the owners of the apartment had blown the candle out, living the apartment in utterly darkness: he could barely make out wear he stood. He tried moving his hands across any furniture in the hope to come across the disk but it was to no avail. Instead, he kept on crashing items to the ground.

Ttk!

A lighter was struck. Only the eerie face of the man and his belly-sized brown beard shone with amiss. He seemed like the god of hunger due to how he grimaced at this intruder.

He intruder was shocked he couldn't move a muscle. When he looked back to calculate the space he was to the window he unexpectedly saw the disk. Sitting there by the window edge. He was shocked. Because of the darkness, he couldn't notice at first when he came in. The butcher to realised this after he switched on his lighter.

Slowly but weird like, he man spoke. 'Don't you think about it.'

There was little silence. The butcher clearly knew the burglar's motive. He was prepared to fling his almost two metres knife for the slightest negative reaction.

But even when he flung his knife after witnessing the slightest negative reaction by the burglar, the burglar still managed to flip over the knife. As if time slowed down, he skillfully avoided the knife upside down. Running towards the window and grabbing the disk, he flew with his arms spread out. He wasn't sure why of all places they chose to keep it there, but he thanks the gods they kept it there.

The butcher followed suit. But of course, who was he to fly with his hands spread out.

It was only after they left did the girl calmly rise from her bed. Walked to the window gently and picked up a brown envelope by the window edge. She assumed her father was too infuriated to notice the envelope. With caution, she opened it. And widened her gaze.

..

Moments later the girl approached her father who was currently trying to pull out his knife from a wooden pillar to a shop. The man was dumbfounded to see his daughter in the middle of the night! In the middle of the street!

'Anika!' he yelled and pulled out the knife unknowingly

'How did you find me?'

The girl came closer and said, 'I think he dropped this.' giving her father the envelope.

The man stared at his daughter as he took the envelope. Only after he opened it he decided to look inside.

His eyes brightened and his brows jumped. He looked at his daughter then at the envelope. With a bitter smile, he looked at where the masked figure ran to.

The girl smiled. Noticing her plan had been finally implemented.