The Tomb of Ahkiar

Leaving his second dagger embedded in the first guard’s chest, he whirled past the second man’s ill-aimed strike, and dropped the third with a well-placed kick to the knee. As the second turned to come around, the thief slashed him across the face with a dagger ‘acquired’ from the third’s belt. As he dropped with a horrible scream, the thief gutted him before whirling away once more and leaving his new dagger in the third unfortunate guard’s throat. He was already well on his way out a hidden exit before the second had died.

As if fortune hadn’t frowned enough on a man who prided himself on rarely being seen, much less having to kill, he had arrived at a safe house to find his pouches had been slashed by a close swipe from one of the guards. He had lost all of the coins he had swiftly taken in his escape from the treasure room. He swore loudly for long minutes, and in a rare show of anger, tossed his torn pouches across the room. It was then that the night had gotten even worse. Deep, rough laughter sounded from the shadows in the corner.

"Had a rough night, have ye laddie?"

Regaining his composure instantly, the thief slowly turned to regard the intruder. It was a stupid thief who left himself only one exit from a room, and he was not a stupid thief. The newcomer could never reach him before he was gone out the window or the secret door behind him.

"What do you want?"

The man stepped forward into the faint light and was revealed to be… a dwarf. Rich, thick robes covered the dwarf’s short, stocky frame. No weapon was visible, though only a fool would come unarmed into a thief’s den. Thick moustaches hung to the dwarf’s shoulders, and old scars lined his round, jovial face. A wry grin now split that face, though it never reached his eyes. Menace emanated from those eyes, and the thief sensed evil of some sort. Then the aura was gone, and only the jovial visage stared back.

"Ah, now that would be a good question, lad. But ‘tis not what I want, but rather what I can give ye for yer services."

"And just how do you know what my ‘services’ are? I ought to cut your throat just for wandering in here. Which reminds me, just how did you get in here?"

That rough laughter again, though the thief had difficulty associating humor with that terrible menace he had seen in the dwarf’s eyes earlier.

"Once I’d determined that a master thief had taken up residence in town, ‘twas not so difficult to find someone to point a few fingers. Gold will loosen many a tongue."

The thief cursed silently. Someone in the Thief’s Guild would pay for this betrayal, but that was a problem for another time. The word ‘gold’ had been said, and his interest was piqued.

"Forgetting for a moment that you have willingly broken into a master thief’s hideout, and that you have risked the anger of the entire Thief’s Guild for bribing a member, what do you require my services for? And do not think you can bring the guards down on my head, for I will be gone and you dead long before someone else reaches that door."

"Aye, ye are indeed the master I’ve been looking for. I have an expedition of sorts that may be of some interest. A tomb, wherein a vast amount of loot may be had, is where my companion and I are headed, but neither of us is skilled with the thieving arts. We have need of ye to handle any traps and such that come our way. Even if ye do not find the prospect appealing, I will make the trip more than worth yer while."